The Saturday Six

One.

Listen here...

This week I had the pleasure of welcoming my real-life friend Sarah Albert on The Conversation Cafe. Sarah is the one that coached me through the 21 Day Fix, and she is also the one who taught the canvas class at my mom's birthday party last summer! She is also an artist and has recently developed a 5 video series on cultivating a more meaningful prayer life. We talked all about prayer and she has great ideas for getting your kids fully involved in prayer time, even from a young age! Take a listen to her thoughts!

Two.

In the podcast, Sarah talks about the prayer beads her family uses to keep their focus on prayer and to help their minds from wandering to other subjects. If you like to craft, you can make one, of course, but if you don't have time or creative talent, Sarah does have those sets of beads for sale! 

Three.

I might be leaving this one here more for myself than for anyone else! {Hey, it's my blog! I can do that!} Found this handy post with a lonnnnnnnnnnnng list of tutorials for using PicMonkey. I use it for all the collages on the Shafferland Shuffle, and for any other photo that I edit beyond cropping. But I am certain there are a million ways to use it beyond what I know, so I'm going to check these out! But for those of you who also use PicMonkey (or who don't, but are about to start!), here you go! In related news, I'm so sad that PicMonkey recently changed a lot of free features to be paid-only features. Some of my favorites are off-limits to me now. Boo.

Four.

You know I love a good home tour!! Know what else I love? Home office tour! Author Deborah Raney shared this post this week that lets you peek into her writing space. And she's a coffee addict like I am! Beautiful little space. I always love seeing what inspires people to do whatever they do - whether it's writing or something else.

Five.

 A thousand times YES to this post by Lisa Bevere! While I continue to declare I AM NOT OLD, I will say I am old enough that I have a definite appreciation now for realizing that seasons that seem like a waste are really just preparation. Sure, I'm still eager to get to "the good stuff" of what I'm hoping to see realized in my life, but the steps that take me from here to there matter so much. I'm living IN the reality of how years that led up to now prepared me for now. Read Lisa's thoughts! Truth!!!!!

Six.

Source

This week, I had the chance to read a book that offered me the unexpected. It was a two-fer. I went in expecting to read a story about the life of an extraordinary young woman, and I did just that. The unexpected bonus was getting to read a gentle but clear challenge to change my perception of just about everyone I encounter. Hadn't expected that part, but my goodness, am I ever grateful!

Let me back up and tell you about the story part. A Different Beautiful is (in part) Courtney Westlake's story of her daughter, Brenna, who was born with a rare skin condition called Harlequin ichthyosis. Though they weren't sure she would survive long after birth, Brenna is now a thriving preschooler with a spunky personality and quite a zest for life. But that life has not been void of challenges.

Brenna's skin requires careful attention to make sure it stays hydrated and free of infection, which means all the things the majority of us take for granted as routine requires much additional work for Courtney and her husband. The laundry, the bathing, the application of particular lotions - even caring for her hair and nails - all of it looks different for them. Since I've never known anyone with this particular condition, reading about it and understanding what their normal looks like was very educational and interesting.

But although she does want to educate people and every writer wants to be interesting, those two goals weren't the end for Courtney. Brenna's birth changed more than Courtney's routine. It changed her perspective. She looks at beauty differently now, and I would dare to say she looks at it the way Jesus does. Before Brenna was born, Courtney dreamed about what moms expecting baby girls do: dressing them up, mani/pedi dates, prom hair, and more. Those things seemed to represent beauty. But now she sees beauty in a whole new way, everywhere she looks, and she aches for others to do the same.

And for this reader: mission accomplished. My mind is spinning with new thoughts that I'd never considered before. Understanding how my reactions affect those in front of me. Understanding how a change within my mind doesn't mean much if it doesn't change my interactions with others. Understanding in new ways the beauty of a soul and relationships and a mind focused outward. Understanding of the importance of treasuring God's gifts to me, even if they don't fit the world's "normal" mold.

I love stories. Courtney probably could have told me Brenna's story in the pages of this book and I would have walked away satisfied with the time I invested in reading it and encouraged others to read it too. But I am thankful she didn't stop with a story. I'm thankful she took time to gently teach through the means of the story. I'm thankful she challenged my thinking in how I view myself and everyone around me.

* The author provided me with a complimentary copy of this book , but all opinions are my own. *

Craft Night at the Garage!

Podcast Tuesday!!!


We've got stories from Christmas shopping and some Thanksgiving "Would You Rather" fun to share with you this week. Enjoy!

Click here to listen.

Last month, my friend Amber hosted a craft night for her birthday. I mentioned in my "What I Learned in October" post that I really had a great time, and I miss nights like that. I even said I might do a night like that. You know. Sometime. Whenever.

But in the spirit of our Tuesdays at the Table gatherings, I decided to toss out the "someday" and just pick a date and send some invitations. I was terrified, actually, because things like this bring out the junior high in me like nothing else. What if I plan a party and no one comes? {I know I'm not the only one who stresses over that.} But I decided to be brave and do it anyway.

I wrote the invitation on the chalkboard in the garage and texted it to a handful of girls that I thought might be interested.

I knew it was last minute and a very busy time of year, but I thought it might be helpful for them to get away from home for an evening, work on some things for Christmas, or finish up some other craft they never seemed to get done at home. I asked everyone to bring a snack to share and told them they could come late or leave early if they needed to, but the garage would be open from 5-11 p.m. If they wanted dinner, they were welcome to bring something for themselves, but the provided food would just be snacks to share. Low-key and easy.

{Ryan even offered to wrap gifts for anyone who had presents purchased that they didn't want to wrap. I don't think anyone had shopped yet - but I was impressed by his offer!}

The day of the party, I changed the chalkboards out to welcome the guests and display the menu. {I just added the food as each person brought something.}

We borrowed a few tables and set them up around the garage so everyone had plenty of space to work.

I didn't ask the girls if I could use their pictures, so I won't, but we had the best time just hanging out and working on projects. I ended up having four girls come over {and one brought her daughter}, and they were busy! A couple of them worked on a wreath, one made some Pinterest projects, and one worked on lettering some art for a sign. I scrapbooked. :)

And Ryan? He had his own table and project: fixing an extension cord he cut in two with some hedge trimmers. Yes. You heard me right.

And then he kind of forgot to pay attention to what he was doing and he put two matching plug ends on the cord. Whoopsie.

I wore my Christmas shirt, which, incidentally, I forgot I had on earlier that day when I went to the bank, and I got some very interesting looks from a gentleman in the parking lot.

Despite the utter DOWNPOUR happening outside all during the party, and the fact that most people got soaked going in and out, we had a very fun night. The snacks were delicious, the company was fun, and I think we all got a decent amount of work accomplished.

I'd love to do it again sometime. The space is perfect for it, and it's a bonus that Ryan brings his own crafts and joins us! :)

The Shafferland Shuffle

* I think we tried ALL the seasons this week, starting with our first real, beautiful frost last Sunday morning. Ryan took pictures of it all on his own! {A thousand husbandly points!} We got our first red cups of the season, and I replaced all the pictures in our living room wall collage, using the new ones we had taken this fall. Add about 29 pages of scrapping to that and it was a full Sunday!

* Monday was the same busy day Monday always is, but I had the added bonus of a whole new crop of Hallmark Christmas movies to watch, because I remembered there are TWO Hallmark channels! WOO HOO!!!!! In the afternoon, I had a fun treat: my friend Elisa came all the way from Fort Wayne to visit me and see our new house! Loved that! :) And that night, we saw the first of this week's spectacular moon viewing!

* Just as I was about to fix lunch on Tuesday, Ryan texted and asked if I was up for a lunch out at Wendy's. Don't have to twist my arm! I'll take a surprise, impromptu lunch date! :) We had Bible study that night and ran some errands while we were out, which included a trip to Lowe's...should we get this TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLAR lawn ornament?? And that night we contacted Fitbit about replacing mine...because I didn't think the taped together version would hold much longer. They were so great about replacing it!

* You already read about  my "interesting" Wednesday, when Starbucks was out of all the drinks I wanted, I almost put diesel in the car, and all kinds of crazy things happened. BUT! It was also the day all our Christmas cards arrived in the mail! YAY!! I am excited: ready to start addressing! Ryan found the latest update on Sonic when he was out and about, and he even pitched in to help work on the office wreath by being the official spray-painter! What a good work sport he is!

* After 2 days of working on website creation, I needed movies and naps! My brain was so tired by the end of Thursday, I couldn't think at all. Ryan came home from work and did what we hope is the final mowing for this year, and I went for a run/walk to clear my head. Gorgeous sunset and PERFECT running weather!

* Friday night, we had a first here in Shafferland: craft night hosted in the garage! It was sort of a random last-minute idea, but I invited a handful of girls over (most were Ryan's co-workers) to just have fun. Bring a snack, bring a craft, and come hang out for the evening! LITERALLY in the hour they arrived, the weather switched to winter, and we had a sudden temperature drop and horrible thunderstorms with tons of wind and rain, but we were cozy and warm little crafters in the garage!

* And yesterday, Ryan and I spent the entire day together - Christmas shopping! Yes, it's true! He had a day off work, so we headed to Indianapolis to shop and enjoy a whole day of fun {in the wind, rain and snow} together! We also had dinner at his cousins' house, which was a fun way to end the day! The only one unhappy was Braeya, who did not approve of our absence!

The Saturday Six

One.

I am SO STINKING EXCITED for my friend Allison Mills, whose home and decorating are featured in the November/December issue of Midwest Living. Allison was one of my youth pastors back in the day, and we've kept up our friendship lo these many years later. She is a treasure...the sweetest friend, and I am unbelievably thrilled for her that her work is featured! CHECK IT OUT!!!!

Two.

I am probably TOO excited that all the Christmas movies are back on Hallmark, around the clock. They have been for a few days now, so you probably already knew this, but in case you didn't, I wanted to be sure to tell you! I know it's too early for some of you to be on board with Christmas movies, but I welcome the lighthearted background noise for my days!

Three.

Source

Found this tutorial to make your own faux zinc letters/numbers. I have purchased these cardboard letters/numbers at Hobby Lobby before, but I have never seen this paint treatment done on them. Hmmm...thinking of some garage decorations...

Four.

Source

Last week, my friend Kari and I went to a craft show, and one of the women had several felt Christmas trees with ornaments for sale. She said that last year, she made one for her toddler age son, and it saved her by giving HIM something to play with while SHE was busy decorating the actual tree. I've seen them on Pinterest before, and I decided to add the idea (and a few similar ideas) to the board I blogged about a while ago: making gifts for kids. I think it's great to have play ideas for kids that actually require them to use their own imaginations instead of playing with electronic things, and these ideas help. Felt snowmen, Christmas trees, fall trees, even Mr. Potato Heads...all give kids something to do when you're otherwise occupied. And if you don't have a lot of room to store toys, felt folds up into a pretty compact box! This is also great for homes like ours, that don't have a lot of kid-friendly toys around. AND - you can make travel sizes, too, for the car or hotel room fun. Make them for your home, make them for gifts...whatever. I just like it that they don't require much skill! :)

Five.

Source

Oh. My. Word. This. All day long.

Six.

Source

Ryan and I finished reading a devotional book together this week, so I wanted to tell you about it! It was actually a housewarming gift from my parents, but when we received it, we were still working through another book, so we waited a little bit to start it!

Devotions from the Front Porch is part of a series of gift/devotional books published by Thomas Nelson. The chapters in this book were written by Stacy Edwards, and the greatest travesty, I think, is that her name is not on the cover! {WHAT!?!?!} But she wrote a BOOK, for Pete's sake, so I'm giving her some credit here. :)

Hands down, this is a stunning gift book. Every single page has full color photographs of life on (or as seen from) the front porch. (Hence the name...) The photos are well done and extremely pleasing to the eye, and it's not often you get a book with beautiful pictures to match, so that is definitely a bonus.

Each devotion begins with a Scripture verse, is followed by some of Stacy's thoughts, and ends with a little two-sentence prayer. {Those things are combined with the beautiful photograph to make a two page spread for each devotion.}

Is it the deepest devotional book we've ever read? Not by a long shot. In fact, we came into this book after having studied Beth Moore together, so it was a pretty big change of depth. But please don't misinterpret that as a criticism. I think there is a time and place for deep devotional reading that takes you through big chunks of Scripture and devotional thoughts designed to make you consider the message thoroughly within your heart. But I also think there is a time and place for lighter reading that sparks a topical thought within you and leaves you feeling hopeful and uplifted.

Some of us need a little bit of both of that in every day. Some are in a place where something light and short is all their hearts and attention spans can handle - and if that's you, that's okay!

This book may not dive deep, but it's full of scripturally sound thoughts that combine real-life experience, and sometimes even a little humor. Each reading is completely relatable and makes for a perfectly sized reading-on-the-go. The topics center around home, neighborhood, family, coziness, safety, hospitality, and all the things you would associate with a front porch devotional.

It really was a perfect housewarming gift, given the subject, and I love it that we were able to enjoy it together and can enjoy it together again later, when we come back to the book.

A hardback book with a ribbon bookmark, combined with the color photographs, makes this a great choice to give for a hostess or housewarming gift!

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for choosing this for us. We enjoyed reading out of it every morning before work, and we'll enjoy it again, too! :)

The Saturday Six

One.

 Source

You know that I love KariAnne's decorating. But she had me CRACKING UP with this post. It's all true!! This really is how creating a Christmas project works. Check it out!

Two. 

Source

So I'm not REALLY a photographer, but I like to learn. And I really liked these suggestions of gifts for the photography lovers.  

Three.

\

I was so sad to hear that Mark Lowry's mama passed away this week. This video is one of my faves of them singing. {She wrote this song.} 


Four.

Watched the Sound of Music Live this past Thursday. My verdict?? I thoroughly enjoyed it and hated that there were so many really ugly comments toward it. I thought it was amazing for a live TV event. I'd forgotten that the stage version was different from the movie and I prefer the movie version, but I thought the cast did a great job with it!

Five.

Source

So this week at work, the morning guys did a segment on their show about strange Christmas tree stories. A few people called in to share the odd living creatures that made it into their homes in live trees - including a praying mantis. The morning guys told me it's illegal to kill a praying mantis. WHAT?! How have I never known this?? So I spent some time researching that and found that it is actually NOT illegal. Snopes called it untrue!

Six.

Source

Incredible story that you should read...about a couple I went to college with. God has sustained them through everything you can imagine and a few things you probably can't.

A Pinteresting November

Well after being a Pinterest FAIL in October, I managed to give life to some of the inspirations I found this month! So here you go!

Spicy Sausage Pasta Dish

Found this one on my sister's Pinterest board, and she said everyone in their family loved it. That was good enough for me to try! I made it - it was easy, it was filling, it was flavorful, it was comforting, and it warmed over well. Translation = KEEPER. {Note: we did use regular lowfat milk instead of the heavier cream it called for. Tasted fine.} Here was my Pinspiration. 

White Chicken Chili

I wanted another good soup recipe, so when I stumbled across this white chicken chili recipe, I decided to give it a try. WE LOVED IT. We did make it using Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream and regular lowfat milk in place of the heavier cream. Ryan loved, loved, loved this one. Here was my Pinspiration.  

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

No, you can't see the card yet...but we did use some Pinterest poses as inspirations for our photo shoot!  Here are some of my favorites:

Here was my Pinspiration for the first one:

Here was my Pinspiration for the second one:

Mantel Decoration

I loved this idea for painting on little votive jars. I did mine just slightly differently than she did, but I loved the result just the same. Mine say "Grateful" rather than "thanks." Perfect low-cost, low-stress craft project! Here was my Pinspiration. 

 Thanksgiving, Day 29: Every week when our trash and recycling guys show up, I am VERY THANKFUL for them. I can't imagine facing the extreme hot and cold on the back of the trucks to haul heavy, smelly trash and recycling. And I bet no one ever thanks them - but they probably hear a few complaints when things don't go right. What if we thanked someone who does a thankless job?

The Shafferland Shuffle

* As you already read about, last Sunday was a crazy day, with tornadoes hitting Indiana - hard. We were fortunate to not have any damage at our home, but we did spend some time cooped up in the bottom of a closet watching {Ryan} and screaming{Bekah} during the worst of the storm. Thank you, Lord, for sparing us on this day! After we emerged, we took a tour of town to look at the damage. Here is a precariously perched traffic signal:

* Monday night, we took dinner to Ryan's brother and his wife, who had a baby not too long ago. It was our first time to meet the new baby {who is blognonymous - so I'm sorry you don't get to enjoy the cuteness!} and it was wonderful to just get to spend time together with his family. And I really loved the excuse to cook up a meal to take over! {Pork loin, macaroni and cheese and pumpkin spice bread.}

* Tuesday night I came home to find some real mail in my box! {Isn't THAT a treat in a world of ads and bills?} Got this most darling garden flag in the mail from my sister! HOW FUN!!! I love it. And what a great pick-me-up for a Tuesday! Ryan and I went to the gym and spent the rest of the evening enjoying some TV and relaxation!

* Wednesday I had the chance to interview Gina Harris from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - which inspired my blog post on Thursday. I also had the chance to interview Erin Ussery from Whimsy and Co (super cute canvas art). Those two guests were among my most favorites ever that I've interviewed. I appreciate days like that on the air!

* Thursday night, after we finished our workout, Ryan's mom came to town and took us out for dinner. Mmmmmm...arroz con pollo at Mi Pueblo! {And that is the extent of my foreign language expertise.} It was yummy food - and a fun conversation too!

* Friday night, we had date night, part 1. We went to see a production of A Christmas Carol, put on by a church here in town! This was the 11th annual production and I hadn't been to see it since about the first year. It was good then - and REALLY good now! We were impressed! {Borrowed this picture from my friend, Greg. He had better shots than I did! Because I had none!}

* Yesterday Ryan had to work {the whole day again - sadness!!!} so I spent the day meeting up with my friend Sarah, for coffee, doing some shopping, and working on craft projects at home. Even though he was tired from a six day work week, Ryan came home and took me out to B-Dubs for dinner!! I'll tell you more about the date weekend later - but in the meantime - the little detail I loved. When I met Sarah for coffee at Starbucks, the barista asked how to spell my name so it would be correct on the cup! Sweet!

Thankfulness, Day 24: One of the people who impacted me most was a counselor I saw for a couple of years during college. He changed so many things about my view on life and I'm forever grateful for the hours he spent with me. Today - if you had a counselor or adviser or coach that spent time directing you in life - say thanks!! I'm sure in some ways, they wonder if their words are ever making a difference!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

Let me make one thing very clear from the start. I am not ready for snow or ice. It is NOVEMBER. Not the dead of winter. But I cannot handle the cuteness of this ice wrath I encountered online this week. I MUST DO THIS. You know. In February. When it's allowed to be cold. Until then, tuck away this little idea. Because it's worth remembering later.

Two.

I will not lie - I nodded all the way through this post on the newly revived Stuff Christians Like blog by Jon Acuff. Signs that the sermon is about to end...and at our church, it's sign number one that always signals me. The comments on this one are as funny as the post!

Three.

My heart has been convicted lately {more on this at a later date} about SLOWING DOWN and not trying to keep up with everything everyone expects and demands. That's why I loved this post so much - 18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time For Again. I wonder what the world would look like if we chose to live this way.

Four.

You know I love a good proposal. This one reminded me of mine - only a TV version!

Five.

This has been {at best} a challenging week. I stumbled upon this blog post from someone I don't even know - but she's had a rough week too, and every part of this post spoke to me. So if you're struggling today, READ THIS.

Six.

Source

My friend Amy sent this post to me and I CRACKED UP. Oh my word. Ree Drummond and I are two peas in a pod. THIS WOULD SO HAPPEN TO ME. ALL OF IT.

Thankfulness, Day 16: Say thanks today to someone who wrote a book that impacted you. I know I encouraged you a few days ago to thank your favorite authors, but this one sticks in my mind. Lots of people have written books - what if you picked one that impacted you and said thanks to the one who wrote its words?

A Little Craft Project

A few days ago, I encountered this very cute {and seemingly simple} fall decoration, and I decided to try it. I hadn't yet switched up my mantel for the month of November - and I wanted to reuse as much of the October harvest-y stuff as I could, to save money. I did, however, want to add a thankful aspect to it, and this seemed the way to go!

I was at Hobby Lobby {ohhhh Hobby Lobby...how I love thee} last week and found these:

The little votive holders came in an 8 pack and were $6.99, but I used my 40% off coupon {the ONLY app I have on my phone for coupons is the HL app!} and ended up getting them for $4.19. I looked at all the acrylic paint colors and decided to stick with something really neutral, because I didn't want a bold look for this project. This color was called Linen and cost $1.37.

I was going to use the word "Thanks" like the example showed, but the pre-packaged votive holders gave me enough to use the word "grateful" and I liked that better, so I went with that.

I found a thick, bold font in Word {Cooper Black} and changed it to 110 size - and wrote out the word grateful in all lower case, leaving spaces between the letters to cut them out.

I cut out the letters and taped them inside. {The example showed cutting the letters out and painting inside the remaining square, which would have been admittedly easier, but I didn't want to cut by hand, and I don't have a Cricut or Silhouette machine, so I didn't have any other way to do it. My method was painting over the letters.}

And then I got to painting! We had small detail brushes leftover from our renovation palooza, so I used one from there...

Sometimes the paint didn't want to stick to the glass very well, but I didn't worry about it...there is always the option of the second coat!

My painting wasn't perfectly smooth, but I didn't worry about that either because it was my first try - and because I think things like this provide character.

I lined them up on the mantel and filled them with popcorn kernals {free - since we have a huge stash in our pantry!} so the whole thing was just a lovely, neutral, harvest themed decoration.

I love it.

Thankfulness, Day 15: It's okay to be thankful for the extra treats in life. Who in your life offers something that makes you feel better about yourself? It could be the person who cuts your hair...or does your nails...or gives you a massage...or makes your coffee every morning. They build you up every time they work for you...reach back with some thanks to them!!!