Congratulations to our winner!

Congratulations to Gail for winning the beaded cross give-away. She chose "Dark Before the Dawn" as her prize.

Thanks again to my cousin Marla for hosting the give-away. It was such an encouragement to get so much positive feedback on my work.

Beaded Cross Give-Away

That right, you're not dreaming! I'm giving away (as in for free) the beaded cross of your choice through my cousin Marla's blog. All you have to do is tell Marla which one of my crosses you'd like to win. The lucky recipient will be drawn Tuesday night at 11pm.

Marla is an incredible author and, let's face it, has a much larger blog following than I do. So, she is allowing me to leverage her cyber popularity for this give-away. Oh, and did I fail to mention that I love her books? Oh, I already hinted at that? Well, here's a little point-proving tid-bit for you: Since I was in college, I have given a copy of this book to nearly every gal friend of mine as a bridal shower gift. I read it once before I even knew Devin, then again after we got engaged. Now that we're married, it has become a sort-of reference tool for me. I won't go into detail, but I had to make myself read the chapter "Fighting Fairly" just a few nights ago because I needed a little (a lot) of Marla's humbling wisdom. Thanks cousin!

So hop on over to Marla's blog and win yourself a cross. And hey, even if you don't win, you can alway console yourself by purchasing one for just $17!

Church Family: A New Experience

This past weekend, I had two opportunities to hang out with members of the small church Devin and I are now attending. It was an experience unlike anything I have ever had. Which is sad, because feeling a family connection with the people in my church should not be a new experience for me, but it was.

Friday night we were invited over to the pastor's house (along with the other young married couples) for dinner and games. Prior to attending Family Bible Church, I have never attended an event at the pastor's house, let along received a personal invite from the pastor himself! I grew up in large churches and the pastor was someone I held in high reverence. I felt special if I happened to catch his eye as I pass him after services (which I can only remember happening maybe twice). It's not that my previous pastors were snobbish, they just had thousand and thousands of members in their congregation and didn't exactly have the capacity to engage personally in everyone's life. So they sort-of took on this "socially untouchable" status in my mind.

But here I was, not only having dinner at the pastor's house, but being personally sought out by he and his wife for conversation. Conversation that went so much deeper than, "How ya been?" I even played the pastor in a game of Hearts (and beat him, much to his good-humored chagrin).

Then, Sunday after church we were again invited to their house for lunch. Which is something they offer every Sunday to anyone interested. And yet again, we were engaged in open-hearted conversations with those in attendance. It was so different for me and I loved it.

I can not believe that I have experience church my whole life without ever having actually experienced Church the way is should be - believers connecting with each other, caring deeply about each others' needs and walk with the Lord and involving themselves in each others lives. For probably the first time in my life I understood what people mean when they talk about a "church family." Again, it's not that the previous churches I have attended have been rude or unwelcoming... there is just such a stalk difference between the connections I've seen/experienced at those large churches and what I am seeing, experiencing and growing to love so much about Family Bible Church.

God is so good to have brought me to this church. I smile and shake my head at myself when I remember how nervous and uncomfortable I was with the instant, welcoming acceptance I received when we first started attending. But, I suppose after 26 years of blending in with the crowd, being noticed and welcomed personally... by nearly every member of the church... was foreign and intimidating for me. However, the more and more I experience it, the more I love it and wonder how I ever survived without it.

A Great Date for $5.53

Last night, Devin and I went on an incredibly fun date. We laughed and ate some yummy food and saw a show and had an all-around blast. And it only cost us $5.53. How in the world did you do this?, you may be wondering. Well, like many things in life, it is all about perspective and being content with what you have to work with.

We wanted to get out of the apartment and enjoy an evening together, but we didn't want to spend a lot of money. So, Devin started digging through our "date box" (where we keeps coupons, restaurant gift cards and books with fun date ideas) and found a Bed, Bath and Beyond gift card with $7.66 left on it and a buy-one-get-one-free pretzel coupon from Auntie Anne's. Thus began one great evening together.

First stop-  the lovely, but more-often-than-not over-priced Bed, Bath and Beyond. We entered armed only with a $7.66 gift card, a joyful heart and a determination to find the most bang for our buck. After forty-five minutes of scouting (and receiving many quizzical glances from the employees), we proudly presented our purchases to the clerk. Our findings consisted of a Twix candy bar, an "invigorating" scalp massager and a blue jar candle that measured only two inches tall.

(Devin took this picture of our candle for his blog)

(Enjoying our new purchases)

The best (i.e. most entertaining) part was, we were able to "cash out" the remaining gift card money - a grand total of 22 cents! The clerk, who seemed genuinely amused by our adventure, had to call the manager over and take down our name and address in order to bestow upon us our break-the-bank 22 cents.

Gathering our purchases, we left Bed, Bath and Beyond 22 cents richer and headed to the Chandler Fashion Square Mall for our buy-one-get-one-free pretzels. We arrived with only fifteen minutes until the mall closed and speed-walked our way to Auntie Anne's Pretzels. Gasping for breath - from laughter as much as from our quick jaunt through the mall - we placed our pretzel order. By this time, we only had about two minutes to get out of the mall before it was locked up. After rushing back through the mall, we sat down by the outdoor fountains to savor our delicious pretzels.

We got there just in time to enjoy the music-timed fountain show that plays at the top of every hour. Picture a mall version of Vegas's Bellagio:

 (Bellagio)                            (Chandler Mall)

I was delighted when the soundtrack from The Sound of Music (one of my "favorite things")  began to play in time with the fountain. I adore musicals and had to suppress my urge to sing along with gusto (for which Devin was very grateful). Even though the fountain doesn't look that impressive when compared to something like the Bellagio, it was a very well-done show and completed our $5.53 date perfectly.

Date Cost Breakdown:
BB&B purchases: free with gift card
Two Pretzels: $5.75 minus $0.22 (from gift card cash out) = $5.53

Q4U- What is your favorite way to have a great date on a small budget?

Something to remember when you're 80

I saw this print ad the other day and thought it went really well with my Project 101 in 1001 journey.

Q4U- What is something you've done in your life that you're likely to remember when you're 80? I'd love to hear about it!

Goal #73 in Progress: Beaded Crosses

While I wouldn't say that I am ready to cross off Goal #73, I am making progress. I spent most of today making some gorgeous (if I do say so myself) beaded crosses. Aaaaaa.... creating just for the fun of it -  one of my favorite ways to relax. It was wondrous. My fingertips are poked raw thanks to what seemed like miles of copper wire and my back is aching after hovering over my craft for hours, but still I maintain that this day of creating was glorious. 

So without further ado, here are some of results from today's relaxing toil:

(Photo courtesy of my wonderful husband)

Originally, I had made crosses like these to adorn all the bouquets at my wedding:

And as "Thank You" gifts for all those wonderful folks who made our Big Day day flow smoothly:

I also decorated our Christmas tree with a few and they were a lovely reminder of the "reason for the season."

Goal #73 is to sell these crosses at Easter and Christmas time. And wouldn't you know, it just happens to be Easter time! So, to end the suspense - yes, you can purchase these beautiful crosses. 

Q4U- What activity relaxes you the most?

Crafty Notions: Beaded Crosses

Handmade Beaded Crosses: Crosses measure 3 1/2" tall and come in a variety of styles and colors (see below).

Price: Price: $30.00 each (includes gift box and shipping to U.S. addresses). Order five crosses and receive a discounted price of $25.00 each (includes gift box and shipping to U.S. addresses).  E-mail me with your order (payments can be made through PayPal).


Crafty Notions Beaded Crosses:

 Desert Sunset

(shades of purple with gold and orange accents)

 Pretty in Pearls

(shades of pink with pearl accents)

Sands on the Shore

(shades of blue and teal with brown stone accents)

 The Dark Before the Dawn

(shades of gray, black and navy)

 

 Pearls of the Sea

(shade of aqua blue with pearl accents)

 We're All in This Together

(multi-colored)

*Please note: Because they are handmade, the pattern of beading will vary slightly on each cross.
** All crosses are custom-created after orders are placed, please allow 4-5 weeks for processing (6-7 weeks for orders over five crosses).

photography by Devin Hanson Photography