DIY Candy Jars Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Who still has Christmas stuff up?  Up until the day before yesterday, that was me!

Usually I get my stuff down and put away before the first of the year but with new baby Brenna here this year, I sorta slacked off!

Anyway, it's all away now and my living room is back to it's Shabby Pink self again!  I even have candy in my candy jars!

These are so easy and inexpensive to make---I think everyone needs a set!

To make these, I used two dollar store candlesticks and two lidded jars from Walmart.  I took the plastic suction piece out of each jar lid and spray painted them pretty colors.  After they dried, I glued the jars to the candlesticks and added some pretty ribbon! 




<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc418/lostinavalon1/Homemakinglinkup.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> I hope you'll join me this weekend for my Homemaking Link-Up Weekend!  I've got the linky up a little early as we're celebrating Lynzie's 13th birthday this weekend!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!
  
Finally, the most important part of this post.  I was made aware of a sweet couple who are wanting to adopt a little girl and have come up with a creative way that we can all help just a little.  Please visit my post on the Hill family and pray about what you can do to take part in their adoption plans.
Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 



Also linking with:
HOME @ Rose Chintz Cottage 
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strutt Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple 
Pearls and Lace Thursday @ Faith, Grace, Crafts
Transformation Thursday @ Shabby Creek Cottage 
The Homeacre Hop 
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove 
Inspiration Spotlight @ Dear Creatives 
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home 
TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS @ Stone Gable
Beverly's Pink Saturday 
Friday Free For All @ Young & Crafty 
Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal 
Weekend Wrap Up Party @ TT&J 
Watcha Work-Up Wednesday 
Craft Schooling Sunday @ Creative Jewish Mom 
Sundae Scoop @ I heart nap time 
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch 
Craft-o-Maniac Monday 
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple 
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
What's In the Gunny Sack? 
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home 
Titus2sday @ TimeWarp Wife 
Tip Me Tuesday @ Tip Junkie 
Tutorial Tuesday @ Hope Studios 
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life 
Tuesday Linkup @ Courtship Connection 
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Watcha Work Up Wednesday 
Homemaking Linkup @ Raising Homemakers 
Wholehearted Home Wednesday
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home 
Wise Woman Linkup @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home 
Inspire Me Wednesday @ Mama Buzz
HOME @ Rose Chintz Cottage 
Sunday Linky Party @ Petite Hermine 
The Creative HomeAcre Hop 
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Family Fun Friday @ Moms and Munchkins 
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors  

Forgiving Grace

"You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance."  ~Psalm 32:7

God is our hiding place!  How sad that so many feel they must hide from God...even many Christians believe this to be true.

An unbeliever has much to fear if they are defying God and His word.  They will face devastating consequences.

"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."  ~John 15:6

However, the believer need not fear God but take refuge in Him instead!

"For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion;  in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;  He shall set me high upon a rock."  ~Psalm 27: 5    

God is a loving and merciful God to those who don't blatantly disregard Him.  He wants to "preserve us from trouble" and He uses the Holy Spirit to speak warnings and guidance to our hearts.

For those with addictions or struggles that need to be overcome, He wants to surround them with "songs of deliverance."

"Blessed is he who's transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."  ~Psalm 32:1-2

We don't have to live in fear of God's judgments if we have trusted Jesus for salvation and forgiveness of our sins.  Unfortunately, many of us, when faced with the shame of our sin, distance ourselves from God because we're afraid our transgressions have changed God's feelings toward us.

Believing Christian, next time you feel that guilt that tries to push you away from God, I encourage you to come close to Him instead.  Rather than the wrath you're afraid of, you'll find Him singing over you a cleansing song of deliverance!  

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 This post was featured in Issue 98 of The Christian Home Magazine.

Linking with:
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home 
Titus 2sday @ Time Warp Wife 
Tuesday Linkup Party @ Courtship Connection 
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Wisdom Wednesday @ Simply Helping Him 
Wholehearted Home Wednesday 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home 
Wise Woman Linkup @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home 
Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter 
Legacy Leaver Thursdays 
Essential Friday @ Essential Thing Devotions 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 

Making Baby Blankets and Snickerdoodles --- Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Thanks for stopping by my Homemaking Link-Up weekend today!  Please link up at the end of the post and take a button so your friends can come back and say Hi!

New baby Brenna is one month old today!  She and big sister Kynthia are getting along great!

Since we had her just three days after I finished up my Christmas sewing, I haven't been able to show off my completed projects yet.  So, I decided to do a little belated Christmas post!  Here are the receiving blankets I made for baby Brenna.

This is one side of Brenna's quilt.  The pinks were given to me by my friend Audra at Brenna's baby shower.

Here's the other side.  Isn't it adorable?!

Here's Kynthia's quilt.  The two pink fabrics were scraps from one I made our cousin Sophie last year.  Sophie is just a few months older than Kynthia.

This is the reverse side of Kynthia's.  I also made her a pillowcase from the bear fabric above.

Kynthia's first baby doll got a matching blanket!

So...since I was thinking Christmas anyway, (and since I'm about ready to finally take down all the Christmas decor) I decided to make a little holiday treat.

I'd never made Snickerdoodles before and my friend Kerry gave me a GREAT recipe!

Cocoa with candy canes is a Christmas tradition at our place!

This is one of my new decorations this year.  Isn't this vintage tree just adorable?  The vendor had a couple more at her booth---wish I would have grabbed them!!

I didn't get to use these pink Christmasy napkins that I picked up early last spring on clearance.  I'll save these for something special next season!

Thanks so much to my professional background team---Ha!

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 


<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc418/lostinavalon1/Homemakinglinkup.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> Also linking with:  Beverly's Pink Saturday
Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally
Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage 
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life

"Mrs. Bradley's" Fruit and Nut Cake from Great Grandma's Kitchen

Last week, I started a series called, Great Grandma's Kitchen, where I share some of the recipes I found in box of my great-grandma's and great-great-grandma's recipes and cookbooks.  I made Banana Date Cookies and have received lots of compliments on them.  My kids LOVE them!

I've made my great-great grandma's Dark Fruit Cake before and everyone loved it, so I thought I'd share that today---with a few changes made.

Mrs. Bradley's Dark Fruit Cake was obviously a hit as you can see from the wear and stains on this card!  I found this in her daughter-in-law Annabelle's recipe box.  Annabelle was my great-grandmother.  I think it's a really neat recipe, but it's also at least 75 years old so there were a few changes I needed to make so it would be more baker-friendly today.  See the little scribbles on the card?  There are a lot more on the back.  Since my grandpa was the only child, I bet those were his scribbles!

The Mrs. Bradley referenced here is Mrs. Cora Jean Lasiter Bradley, my great-great grandmother on my mother's father's side.  I wish I had a photo of her!  I do, however, have a quilt that she made my great-grandpa when he was a little boy.  It's one of my most treasured things!
 

One reason I chose this recipe is because I need to use up this gigantic jar of molasses that my daughter bought at Christmas time!

In fact, it's a great recipe to use up several of the extra ingredients we have lying around from Christmas baking!

"Mrs. Bradley's Fruit and Nut Cake"

1/2 c. butter                             1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. molasses                        3 eggs
1/2 c. coffee (juice or water is fine too)

Mix these ingredients until well blended.  Then add:

2 1/2 c. flour                           1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda                   1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon                      1/4 tsp. cloves
pinch of mace (optional)

Mix well and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine:

4 c. raisins                              8 oz. figs, chopped
8 oz. chopped dates                1/2-1 c. chopped nuts
zest from 1 orange                 
chopped orange sections from zested orange

Pour batter over fruit and nut mixture and stir until well mixed. 

Mmm!  Look at all that fiber! (Ha!)

Pour into greased cake pan, bread pans, muffin cups, whatever.  I used a fluted cake pan.  Bake at 300 for 2-2 1/2 hours or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.  (Baking times reduced for smaller pan size...adjust accordingly).  Cool on rack and serve warm or cooled.

The kids are all excited to have some tonight!

Today I'm joining Coloradolady's Vintage Thingie Thursday, as well as Rachel's Heirloom Recipe Blog Hop at Bubbly Nature Creations.  Please visit both ladies and see what other great things are linked up!

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

The Pinocchio Complex

Pinocchio Complex:  Question made to confuse, or befuddle someone.

If Pinocchio says, "My nose will grow now." What happens? A great Cretan once said; "All Cretans are liars." Is he lying or telling the truth?"

Ok, so this article actually has nothing to do with the Pinocchio Complex---but it is about Pinocchio.  I just thought the idea of the Pinocchio paradox was pretty awesome.  You can come back and think about it some more when you're done reading...


"Oh come, let us worship and bow down;  let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.  For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand."  ~Psalm 95:6-7

I've slowly been reading the story of Pinocchio to the kids over the past couple of months.  We're only half way through and it's a wonderful story---but hard to read sometimes as well.  Not only is the language translated in sort of an old-fashiony way, (it was written in 1883 in Italian and translated to English in 1892) but the character of Pinocchio is much less likeable than the cute little puppet boy we know from the Disney cartoon.

Pinocchio finds himself rebelling against his father at every turn.  The real clincher (so far) comes when Gepetto sells his own coat to buy his son a spelling book so he can go to school.  Pinocchio turns around and sells the book so he can attend a puppet show.  After reading this part and sneaking a peek at the astonished looks on my kids' faces, I took the time, of course, to point out the sacrifices that good parents make for their children.  Even horribly selfish children who break their poor parents' hearts!

Every now and then, Pinocchio's "conscience" will pop up and try to steer him the right direction, but he's pretty good at beating it back down again.  I have a feeling that conscience is going to win, though.  We just got past the part where the ghost of the conscience tries to reason with him.  That "spirit" just won't be defeated!  (Maybe it's a Holy Spirit, hmmm???)

Oh, but aren't we all just like that self-centered Pinocchio?  Instead of being grateful to our Maker and obeying Him because of His great love for us, we often toss out His precious blessings in favor of our own pursuits.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit who relentlessly attempts to guide us back home to our Father!

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak;  and He will tell you things to come."  ~John 16:13  

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 This article was featured in the 97th edition of The Christian Home Magazine.

Also linking with:
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home  
Titus 2's Days @ Time Warp Wife 
Tuesday Linkup @ Courtship Connection 
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What is Good 
Wisdom Wednesdays @ Simply Helping Him  
Wholehearted Home Wednesday
Encouraging One Another @ Deep Roots at Home 
Homemaking Linkup @ Raising Homemakers 
Wise Woman linkup 
Legacy Leaver Thursday @ Leaving a Legacy 
Essential Friday Link-Up @ Essential Things Devotions 
Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 

Exciting Opportunity for Me!

I'm excited to have just been added to Misty's Help Meet team at Simply Helping Him.  I'll be contributing DIY/craft articles beginning in February.  Look for my first article during the week of Valentines Day.  

In the mean time, stop by Simply Helping Him and say Hi to Misty!  You can find the other Help Meet Corner contributors on her right side bar.

Blessings to you and your family today!  

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 

Scrapbooking Sweet Memories --- Homemaking Link-Up Weekend

Happy Friday!

Lately, I've been in the mood to do some scrapbooking.  I have SO many supplies but SO little time! Ha!  The last time I worked on scrapbooks, I was inspired by this sweet picture of Selah.  One day last year, she dressed up pretty, had Lynzie do her hair, and asked me to do a photo shoot!

When I was going through the pictures, I was reminded of this one we took of her when she was just a few days old.  This was her first day at church and she was wearing Lynzie's red baby dress.

Jamie bought me this pretty Victorian scrapbooking paper with pinks and reds and beautiful roses.  In fact, he's bought me a bunch of this over the last few years but I've not used it as much as I would have liked to.  So, one day I put together this layout featuring her in the red dress...

...and the baby dress!  Why oh why do they have to grow up so quickly?

I made a couple other sets but have yet to fill them with pictures and embellishments.

This one is my favorite but I think I'll change out that weird white bow at the bottom left of the page on the right.  The lace was sent to me by a good friend from Finland whom I met on Bookcrossing.com.

What kinds of pretty projects have you been working on lately?  Do you have a favorite of my three layouts? 




<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc418/lostinavalon1/Homemakinglinkup.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> I'd love to have you join me for my Homemaking Link-Up Weekend.  Please link up your favorite posts and share the button on your blog so your friends can join too!

Blessings!

Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

 


Linking up with:
Homemaking Link-Up Weekend
Beverly's Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound
Made With Love @ Sew Chatty 
What's In the Gunny Sack