refreshing, a double take

Day four, and we're not doing too shabby. I have posted every day, and can definitely see myself carrying this thing through for a long run :-)

And the upside is that even if no one ever reads this, no one ever cares, that writing is fun for me. Especially because I can write about the things that I love. 

Sometimes I feel like I work all day, and sometimes all night, juggling ideas and laying out schedules and managing my own little life. It feels crazy some days, and sometimes it is pure fun, but anytime you are dealing with people it can be emotionally exhausting.

How I would normally deal with emotional exhaustion: 

1) It most likely involves wearing sweatpants, which I refuse to wear in public. Like it is a stretch for me to want to wear them to the gym. (My mom always said you must be prepared to meet an old enemy or a dashing stranger.) So when I get an afternoon or evening to myself, sweatpants and an old junky shirt are the first thing I accomplish.

2) Hole up in my room with a season of one of my favorite shows or a few magazines or maybe just a book of crosswords. This only seems to work for about 3 hours max, then my brain either stops functioning completely and I fall asleep (usually drooling) OR it goes into hyper drive and I get crazy productive.

3) Junk food. Terrible for me, makes me feel awful. But there is nothing like some kind of total carb food to calm my nerves and mind. (Note: this is where the cheese sauce from two posts ago comes in to play as a weapon. I have hidden the cheese before.)

While I haven't given up all of those things completely, it seems to be somehow super freeing to put something down here. It makes me feel productive without doing job stuff. This is just for me. And I love it!

Now I have gotten way off track.

My original intent for this post was to talk about my desk. I love my desk- for the past 15 years of my life it has served as anything you could possibly imagine a flat surface would need to be used for. Crafting, homework, breakfast/lunch/snack/dinner/dessert table, manicure station, display space, workspace, head space, I think I even fell asleep on it once. All of the above and more.

I recently revamped my desk.

It was white. So I, much to the peril of my roommates, sanded it and painted it black without moving it off the carpet in our apartment. (don't worry, I put a tarp down. I'm not completely insane, especially when our security deposit is at stake.)

I took the computer off and stacked it neatly in the corner. I have yet to upgrade from my college computer, which is a desktop. But since I spend most of my time at work and I have several available computers there, plus a phone that I can get email on, I have pretty much stopped using it all together.

I added a few new things, like a more adult pencil holder than the old fashioned sundae glass that I used to have, and the zen garden my Aunt made me for christmas. 

I cleared the clutter, reorganized drawers, gave everything a place and subsequently put it in that place.

Here's what it looks like now:

Now it's more conducive to crafts, and I actually hung my magnet board (and the chalkboard from the last post) above it to feel even more organized and productive and awesome.

Try not to be jealous, it is pretty great :-)

Next time, I'll show you my closet. And by closet I mean I will hide all the crazy boxes, and just show you how I converted my dresser into a vanity. You're going to love it, or so I assume, because I enjoy it quite a bit.

My next post should be about my latest craft, and I have something special planned for Mother's day. Oh oh oh just get ready, because I am stoked :-)

multi-tasker

Romans 12:11-12
"Do not be slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing always in prayer."

This verse has really been speaking to me lately. Our pastor used it in a sermon a few months ago- not as a main point but as kind of an afterthought story he put in about his college days. Yet it has stuck with me so thoroughly the past few months.
I put it on the chalkboard above my desk, intending that it would be the sort of thing that I would update ever week or so with new quotes or verses or whatever... but I haven't yet been able to erase it.

I think that has to do with a few things.

One, I know that when God speaks, it isn't necessarily all at once. When He first called me into the ministry, it took over a year for a plan to come forth and a path to be set- so all I had for a year to go on was what God told me at a conference: "You can't go back to school next year. Trust me, and I'll show you the way."
So when I put that verse on the board, at first I was particularly drawn to "do not be slothful in business." Get to it! Whatever it is, hop up and get going. Words that I desperately needed to hear a few months back. Now, my favorite part is "continuing always in prayer."
Our intern team has been working through a reading plan that includes increased prayer time and meditation, something that is super hard for me. I live a fast paced life and always have another thing on the plate- I very much tend toward the "we can pray when the work is done" attitude, and I have been trying to turn myself from it. But what God has really been showing me lately is that He demands ALL of my time. He doesn't want me to sit in an empty room all day, He wants me to be productive and active in ministry, in work, in friendships, in family, in hobbies- in everything. So that means multi-tasking.

Oh, and not to mention that verse in 1 Thessalonians about praying without ceasing.

I can pray in the car. I can talk to God in the shower. I can even praise God while I am cleaning the house. There are so many times in a day that I, for whatever reason, have not seen as potential times of connecting with God! There are also things I can't double task on, like watching TV or having a conversation with someone. But I am also learning to prioritize those things, choosing not to turn on the television or settle in for another Pinterest session without making sure I have put in time with my savior.

And trust me, it has made each day better when I do.

my night in, or: nail polish and cheese sauce

Tuesdays have become some of my favorite days. Wednesday is most often my busiest day at work since our youth service is that night, but Tuesdays is just work and low key meetings with our intern team, then I get to go home BEFORE 6pm. Usually I fill the evening with all the errands I need to run or go grocery shopping, but last night I just stayed in and did laundry.

I know, boring.

But here's the thing. While the laundry was on, I did three of my favorite things.
1) Made homemade cheese sauce
2) Painted my fingernails
3) Watched the West Wing

I have made it my mission to get really good at making homemade cheese sauce. I have a crazy deep love for good cheese, but my palate is obviously not discerning enough to dislike the jar of cheese-ish goop that you can only get at low-price grocery stores. Which I still love, but it is pretty terrible for you, and I'm pretty sure could act as some kind of glue in a pinch.
Anyway.
I found and subsequently modified a recipe about 6 months ago, and I haven't bought my beloved jar of cheese since.

Super Cheese Sauce
makes 2 servings

1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 Tablespoon flour
3/4 cup milk
10 ounces, your choice of cheese, grated
Optional: I like to add some minced garlic if I am feeling particularly crazy, but you don't have to.

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.
When melted, add flour and stir until there is basically a nice paste going on.
Add milk, blend with butter/flour mixture until smooth. (p.s. I forgot to tell you, you'll want a whisk and to be ready for a lot of stirring. A lot. but worth it, I promise!)
Slowly add your grated cheese, one half handful at a time. Stir until totally melted, then add more cheese. Keep stirring until smooth, then remove from heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Oh my gosh it's good.
I do a little more butter and cheese and a little less milk than the original recipe... it seems to make it creamier.

Here is my favorite part: It works just as well with nonfat milk and margarine as it does with half and half and butter. Let arteries everywhere rejoice!

What can you use Super Cheese Sauce for, you ask? Here is a short list of ways I have used it.

1) With pasta. Just cook up some of your favorite pasta (I like whole wheat shells myself) and pour it over that. Simple and delicious!
2) With soft pretzels. My friend Sarah and I made some homemade pretzels a few weeks ago and she was going to serve them with plain mustard. Gasp! And opportunity for cheese that was not being utilized. I whipped this sucker up with some sharp cheddar and it was perfect.
3) Baked mac and cheese. I think I quadrupled the recipe, added MOSTLY cooked pasta, put it all in a 9x13 dish with crushed saltines and more shredded cheese on top and put it in the oven for half an hour at 35o degrees. A huge success.

4) Baked potatoes. We had a family gathering a few months ago where we all had to bring our favorite baked potato topping- this was a HIT.
5) Plain. Not my proudest confession, but so good. I can't be ashamed of the cheesy goodness!

People have also suggested nachos, broccoli and cauliflower, french fries, with eggs, or on sandwiches. I'm sure all of the above would be delicious. Try this recipe, experiment with your own blend of cheeses, and tell me what you would use cheese sauce on!

ready, set...

This is the inaugural post of my very own blog. To be honest, I have always wanted to start a blog, but a variety of things have stopped me in the past. I feel like I have things to say and to share, but I just never had the confidence to put them into words before.
But here I am!

Basically, I want this to be an uplifting blog. It will include all sorts of awesome things that I love, and not every post will be the same thing. It will be about walking with God, but also crafts and cooking and who knows what else. All I can say is that I am excited.

So! Lets just be honest with each other from the beginning.

There are some things you need to know about me.

1) I love the Lord. That is the one thing I won't compromise on! This doesn't make me a bible wielding, holier-than-thou nightmare however, and I sure as heck won't force it on anyone. Just be warned! I work at a church and spend the majority of my time working for and with a youth group. I love my job, and it is undoubtedly going to spill into this :-)

2) I do not spend hours crafting... all the time. I have a job, I volunteer about 40 hours a week with a youth ministry team, I love my friends, and I live an hour away from my family, so I spend a lot of my precious free time either sleeping or with the people I love. But I day dream about crafts and cooking like nobody's business, and I will post them as often as I can!

3) Sometimes, I am not very patient about cutting straight lines. I use "mostly exact" measurements when I cook. I experiment with, rearrange, switch out and modify patterns, recipes and ideas whenever I need to. I live in a small apartment with two roommates, and space and/or supplies might be limited.  Just know when I post a tutorial of some kind, I am a big fan of laments terms.

4) I have an iPhone, and I love it. Mostly I tell you this just so you know where the pictures are coming from ALL THE TIME. Other then that, I am a single girl with very limited disposable income, so you can pretty much guarantee that everything I do is going to be on the cheap. Something that even the wealthiest of us can appreciate, I am sure!

That is all I can think of right now! I am working on a few different things right now, and as I finish them I can't wait to share them with you.

Check back soon for more updates!