Favorite Things Friday!!!

today is my birthday.

and that's far from my favorite thing.

was there ever a more beautiful, more wonderful picture taken?

I'm so blessed.

I'm so grateful.

I'm so very thankful for the week I spent with my

precious Daddy.

we laughed a lot.

we cried a little-- but always tears of joy!

Hands-down BEST birthday ever!

My favorite thing!

Favorite Things on a Saturday

Happy Weekend!

{don't you love Saturdays?}

So, I'm late for my Favorite Things this week.

There's a good reason for that.

Cade and I have been working HARD

to finish up our Social Studies lessons for the entire

YEAR!To say I'm excited would be an understatement!

This homeschooling thing is pretty darn RAD!

I'm so proud of his hard work!

I'm pretty proud of myself too! Homeschooling is far from easy--

but we've both learned a lot this semester
and I'm loving being with my sweet boy!

We've had a lot of challenges with him being on the Autism Spectrum!

I'm figuring out how to be undertanding and more patient,

and he's learning how to communicate his needs

to me better.

It's a process.

A very complicated process.
But looking back on the year so far,

overall it's been amazing!

Next on the agenda?

Science.

Not exactly my thing.

Chris has a degree in Biology.

I think it would be so rewarding if CHRIS

taught him Science so that he could instill in him

a deep love for God's creations like he has.

See how lazy resourceful I am?

hehe!

My second favorite thing?
A week from TODAY
we'll be in Texas! {Woot! Woot!}

{this is a picture of mom on the phone with me,
reading Christmas Cards that our amazing friend, Allison,
had her 5th grade students make for Dad!}

Dad is making some wonderful progress, though
he still has a long road ahead of him.
The boys are so excited to see him, and so am I!!!
(click here to find out more about his sickness)
My favorite thing!

Happy Weekend!

Cheap Christmas Decor! {Woot! Woot!}

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

{and the most spendy}.

But Christmas decor that makes a

lasting impression

doesn't have to make a

lasting DENT in your wallet! 

In fact, if you're willing to put a little time into

making your own decor, you can have

unique, gorgeous decorations

for almost

nothing!

This is a Christmas bunting I made out of burlap.

I had the burlap on hand,

but you can buy it for about $4.00 a yard.

This used about 1/4 of a yard.

I used black acrylic paint and just free-handed the letters.

Burlap: $1

Black paint: $1.50

Twine: $1.50

Total: $4.00

I love chalkboards! I have them all over my house!

A can of Chalkboard Paint is about $14, but the amount of paint

it took to make this platter was probably about $ .05!

{$14 is a lot of money for paint, but this stuff will last you

FOREVER! I've had mine for a

year and have done dozens

of projects with it!}

And...the platter? From The Dollar Tree! {score!}

Silver Platter: $1.00

Chalkboard paint: $.05

Total: $1.05!

I fell in love with this garland after seeing it

on one of my favorite blogs.

You can check out her tutorial HERE

To make this garland you need three things:

1) a string of white lights

2) a book you don't care about (or just go to the

Dollar Tree and buy one for $1)

3) Unbleached (brown) coffee filters (you can just use the book pages

and leave out the coffee filters. Either way, it will be gorgeous!)

String of white lights from Dollar General: $3.00

Book from Dollar Tree: $1

Unbleached coffee filters: $1.50

Total: $5.50

One of my new favorite things is

Paper Medallions!!!!

Ugh.

I love them and can't get enough of them!

So...I made some garlands with them.

Click Here for a great paper medallion tutorial.

Book from Dollar Tree: $1.00

Card Stock: $.49 each

Twine: 1.50

Scrapbook scalloped punch: had it on hand

Hole punch: had it on hand

Total: $3.50

The same blog that inspired me to make the

paper garland

inspired me to make flowers made out

of....

Check out Little Big Nest's tutorial HERE

Paper bag: FREE!

Total: FREE!!!

And finally, what's more classic

than ornaments in a hurricane vase?

I already had the hurricane vase.

The ornaments: Dollar Tree!

It took $3 to fill this vase.

Total: $3.00

I hope you saw something here that

inspires you to create your own

fabulous decorations!

Until next time,

Happy Decorating!

 

Today's Creative Blog

Savvy Southern Style

{Favorite Things Friday}

Dear Pinterest-

Thank you for the amazing things you show me!

{via A Well Dressed Home}

I love the beauty you bring to my life everyday

{via Honey and Fitz}

{via Decor Pad}

{via Pink Wallpaper}

You challenge me to think outside

the box.

{via effortless style}

{via The Design Page}

and to surround myself with the

 things I love.

{via Jones Design Company}

{via Style Me Pretty}

You inspire me to CREATE things
I never would have thought up on my own!


{via the idea room}


{via}




{via wednesday custom design}

And you are so hilarious!

You make me laugh all the time!

{via Yellow Bug Boutique}

 

{via etsy}


{via tulip and turnip}

You tell the story of my life!

{via}

 

{via some ecards)

It's like you totally GET me!

{via}

{via design teez}

You challenge me to be a

better version of me

{via}

{via atypical type}

And you always remind me

what it's all about

{via artsyville}

{via David Arms}

{via}

{via}

So, I guess what I'm trying to say, Pinterest,

is that you're  totally

My Favorite Thing!!!

the {re}purpose driven life

I love this thing called blogging.

I love that God created me to CREATE things.

I love the amazing people I've come across in the blogging community.

Most of them are moms who love to create too.

They, like me, see creating as a higher calling.

They know that

 "Every good and perfect gift is from above"

{James 1:17}
And they seek to fulfill the purpose that God has for their lives,

whether it's creating lunch for their families,

making crafts,

or designing their Christmas trees.
I see everything I create as an opportunity to allow God
to show the world a glimpse into his beauty.
A lot of times, I pray before I create things.
I pray that he will give me creative ideas.
He made my brain!
He can help me think of ways to decorate on a budget!

The women who inspire me the most in the blog world
challenge me on every level.
Not just with my creativity, but with my
purpose in this life.
What's it all for?
{What's this little blog for?}
It's ultimately to point people to
my loving and amazing Father!

Darlene from Fieldstone Hill Design is one of the
women who have challenged me the most.

Check our her Master Designer Campaign.

What is a Master Designer?

“I am a Master Designer.

I love Beauty;
I see potential and I want to fill it with beauty.
I aim to create something beautiful that is worthy of joy.
Design is a high calling, one that can improve the lives of others, be a means to foster relationships, and add much joy to my family.
I appreciate fine and lovely things, but they are not my treasures.
I know what is truly important, and
I do not aim to “store up my treasures here on earth.”*
I live to bring glory to God, the Ultimate Master Designer.
He created Beauty.
He created all beautiful things.
And, He created my passion for design, and set that joy in my heart.
Everything that I create,
and have created,
is because I myself was created by a Master.
I am a Master Designer.”


*{verse reference, Matthew 6:19}

I'm 100% a Master Designer !

Because of this, I am changing the name
of my blog.
I'm still living.learning.
We all are. I hope.
But at the end of the day,
I always want to be reminded of what it's all about.

the {re}purpose driven life

Yep.
That's me.

p.s.
Are YOU a Master Designer?

Favorite Things Friday!!!

Here Ye,

Here Ye!

I proclaim on this 2nd day of December

in the year 2011,

that

Wylie Boyd (Bud) Hodges

will be transferred to the

Baylor Specialty Hospital

today (!)

after being in the hospital for 6 1/2 months!!!

{this is the man they told us would not make it out of the hospital alive}

{We're so excited we're about to jump out of our skin!}

The Specialty Hospital

will begin his rehab, and is just

another step closer

to going home!

They'll be doing about 1 hour of rehab each day.

 

AND

{as if that wasn't crazy enough}

[are you ready? Because you NEED to get ready for this]

Dad is starting to remember things that happened

while he was in his month-long coma!

Some pretty deep, very spiritual things that happened.

It's all still kind of foggy to him, but he's

remembering more and more.
I can't wait until he can tell his testimony and all of the

amazing

things that he's been through!

It truly is remarkable!

My Favorite Thing!

{isn't our God ridiculously amazing?}