Create With Joy

Friendship Friday 4 – Blogging Goals

Create With Joy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:29:51 +0000

Welcome to Friendship Friday – a weekend blog hop that’s designed to help you:

Foster friendships with other bloggers!
Share what’s unique about yourself and your blog!
Grow your blog and social media networks!

To participate, join Create With Joy on E-Mail, RSS Feed, Twitter or Pinterest – then answer the Question Of The Week, following our friendly guidelines at the bottom of this post!

Question Of The Week
What Is Your Biggest Blogging Goal Right Now?
Connecting with – and building community among -
My readers is at the top of my list!

Friend Of The Week
Yona Williams
My Name Is Yona Williams…And I Write

Congratulations, Yona, for being this week’s Featured Friend Of The Week!

Choosing just one friend to feature was difficult because
We received so many amazing responses to last week’s question!

Yona’s Friendship Friday Post describing the one quality
Inspirational People have in common is worth remembering:

They were making something out of nothing,
Working their way up from the bottom to the top,
Or simply seizing any opportunity that came their way.

Be sure to visit Yona and leave her some Friendship Friday love this weekend!

What Would YOU Like To Know?
What questions would you like your friends to answer?
Please leave a comment or e-mail me directly!

Friendship Friday #4 – Weekend Of February 2, 2012

Welcome – we’re delighted you’re joining us for Friendship Friday! Please help us to get to know you better by following these guidelines:

1) Please answer the Question Of The Week in a Friendship Friday post that includes the Friendship Friday blog hop button and/or a link back to the post – then add your permalink to the party! The blog button code is on my sidebar.

Alternately, you may post the Friendship Friday button on your sidebar and respond to the Question of the Week in the comments. However, the best way to grow your blog community is to create your own post so that your readers get to know you and visitors can easily find and interact with you!

2) Leave a sweet comment – especially if you are a new follower or this is your first time participating! Be sure to include your suggestions for upcoming questions of the week!

3) Visit your fellow participants and get to know them – building friendships is what this blog hop is about! Support the bloggers you connect with by leaving a comment and following their blogs through one of their available subscription methods!

This blog hop is open all weekend so that you have plenty of time to post and make new friends! Have fun and be sure to join me next week for Inspire Me Monday and Wordless Wednesday!

WOYWW – Mister Naughty Pants

Create With Joy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:40:02 +0000

Mister Naughty Pants Says…
If it’s not tied down, it’s a cat toy!

Okay, it was bound to happen… and as always, it occurred when I was at my weakest and most vulnerable. In the wee hours of the morning, after a particularly sleepless night, in he stalked, full of might and prowess. Not my sweet, lovable Legend… but his counterpart, the cunning Mister Naughty Pants!

He was rested. He was bored. And he was intent on making my workspace – and everything on it – his!

It started with the telephone. He gnawed and gnawed on my headset and mouth piece until it was drenched in cat drool. He ignored my chastisements. He treated each and every removal of the phone from his mouth a game to master. Placing the phone out of his reach did nothing but spur him on to bigger and greater challenges.

So I gave him a time out. I lifted him from my desk and put him in his play box on the floor, hoping he would curl up and take a nap.

He did not. The next thing I know, I hear a THUD! CRASH! BOOM! as books and stash go flying across the floor. I turn around and see Mister Naughty Pants defiantly staring at me from the top of my new desk organizer (a spot my sweet Legend has never jumped on!)

Once he knew he had my attention, he casually began to knock the books that didn’t live up to his literary standards out of my organizer.

After he was sure that I had received his message that he did not appreciate that time out, he continued with his plans of workspace domination.

You could almost hear the thoughts going through his head.

What’s this I see? A box full of gifts?
Has Mom been holding out on me?
Well, I guess I’ll just help myself to a few goodies!

Oooh – new shades!
I could use a pair of new sunglasses.
But – since Mom won’t let me out of the house –
I guess I’ll just gnaw on them and
Let her know what I think of home confinement!

Where’s Mom going? What’s she got?
Oh, a reward for good behavior!
It’s about time my ingenuity was recognized!
Oh well – it’s not as exciting as what I can find on my own –
But I guess I’ll call it a day!
Time for a nap - but -
You never know when I’ll be back –
So guard your desks!

So, there you have it. Today’s creative project got pre-empted by Mister Naughty Pants. But trust me, after seeing him literally crash Prince Charming’s computer the other night, I thought I’d better give him the attention he was so unabashedly seeking!

Have a fabulous WOYWW!

For More Fun

Visit Stamping Ground to see what’s on everyone else’s workspace!
Visit Tsunami and link up your favorite photos at Wordless Wednesday!
Share your latest creative projects at Inspire Me Monday!
Subscribe by E-Mail or RSS Feed!
Join me on Twitter or Pinterest!

Wordless Wednesday – I Can’t Believe My Eyes

Create With Joy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:19:48 +0000

Photo Of The Week
Tsunami – I Can’t Believe My Eyes

Thought For The Day
We cannot without becoming cats,
Perfectly understand the cat mind.
- St. George Mivart

Some days, even Tsunami is amazed by the Legendary antics of his brother – or at least those of his brother’s body-invading twin, Mister Naughty Pants. What mischief has caused Tsunami to take refuge in the rafters, where he watches wide-eyed with wonder? You can read all about Mister Naughty Pants in this week’s WOYWW post!

Wordless Wednesday Week 5 – Week Of February 1, 2012

Button Code On Sidebar

Happy Wordless Wednesday, dear friends! It’s time to share your favorite family-friendly photos – with or without words – at the friendliest party in town!

To participate, please link directly to your Wordless Wednesday post – leave a comment – then, visit your fellow photographers! You’ll make some wonderful friends and see some beautiful sights along the way!

Please spread the word about this party by displaying the beautiful party button and linking back to this post! I’d also appreciate it if you use the social media buttons to tweet, stumble and spread the word about the party, as this benefits everyone!

Have a fabulous week and be sure to stay in touch by subscribing to Create With Joy by E-Mail, RSS Feeds, Twitter and/or Pinterest!

Inspire Me Monday – Week 4

Create With Joy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:38:42 +0000

I like the idea of Inspiration Monday.
Monday’s often get the short end of the stick
But they are fraught with potential!
Judy Palmer

Welcome to Inspire Me Monday – a place to share your creative inspirations, sharpen your creative vision, and showcase your creative talents!

Each week, I invite you to inspire others and nurture your creative spirit by joining our Creative Blog Hop! Then, keep the inspiration flowing! Subscribe to Create With Joy by:

What’s Inspiring You This Week?
This Week, I’m Inspired By
My Amazing Kindred Spirits –
The Creative Community Who Nurtures Me
At Create With Joy!

We all have them…
Weks that sap our creative energy and threaten to steal our joy.
At times like these, it helps to have friends
Who can inspire us and shift our perspective!

This week, I’m delighted to introduce you to two amazing bloggers
Who have mastered the art of viewing life in a whole new way!

Mary C. Nasser
Mixed-Media Map Art

I can’t remember when I first “met” Mary…
But I’ve been an admirer of her art for quite some time now.
She is an art educator and painter who specializes in the
Creation of mixed-media paintings layered with maps and geologic drawings.

Of her art, Mary writes:

I am captivated by the idea that geological shifts and transformations
Seem to parallel both individuals and their relationships:
Continually changing, varying, shifting and developing, too.

Be sure to visit May this week –
She is a treasure whose work and perspective is one-of-a-kind!

Jen at Rich Faith Rising
Because Life Is A Poem And Love Is Eternal
(Music Enabled Blog)

There is nothing more exciting to a blogger
Than discovering a new blog that they love.
There is nothing more exciting to a writer
Than discovering another whose words make their spirits soar.
There is nothing that makes a seeker happier than finding a shelter
Where they can find comfort, solace, and truth.
So, when I came across Jen’s blog –
I felt like I’d found a home away from home.

Jen writes from the heart on matters of faith.
She brought me to tears when I read
When Cancer Wins And Sun Shines With Amazing Grace.
If you’re looking for a blogger who can move you with words -
Be sure to visit Jen!

Inspire Me Monday #4 – Week Of January 30, 2012

Right Click To Copy

Now it’s time to share your inspirations! You can participate in our Creative Blog Hop in the following ways:

1) Share “What’s Inspiring You” by creating your own Inspire Me Monday post! You can include any creative challenges you’ve discovered – any books or quotes you love – any bloggers who have inspired you – anything that has inspired you and will inspire us too!

2) Share your creative projects with us! You’re welcome to link up your Arts & Crafts projects – your Recipes – your DIY, Home Décor and Organizational Ideas – your original Writing, Music & Photography – you get the idea!

3) Visit the participants – share some comment love – let them know what’s inspired you!

When you link up, be sure to include the Inspire Me Monday button and link back to this post on all of your entries so that your readers can join the fun! Also, be sure to link directly to your Inspire Me Monday Posts and Creations using the permalink to the individual posts – not your blog’s home page URL – so that participants can easily find and comment on your creations!

The party will remain open all week so have fun sharing – inspire me with your comments – and please, be social and spread the word!

Keep the inspiration flowing! Subscribe to Create With Joy by Email Updates and RSS Feed, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest!

Teriyaki Steak Sandwiches

Create With Joy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:36:45 +0000

When you go strolling down the aisles of your local supermarket, is there a favorite brand of bread your family always gravitates towards? For us, it’s King’s Hawaiian Bread. Everyone loves family festivities where Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are served. My mom sends coupons whenever she has extras to spare!!

So, I am delighted to share that Amy at A Latte With Ott A is kicking off another year of Iron Chef Challenges with none other than a King’s Hawaiian Bread Challenge! Participants were asked to create a recipe using the King’s Hawaiian Bread product of their choice.

For my recipe, I decided to make Teriyaki Steak Sandwiches. I wanted, first and foremost, to create a dish where the King’s Hawaiian Bread would be the star ingredient, and I could think of no better way to highlight them than through a fabulous sandwich! I made Marinated Teriyaki Steak with Caramelized Onions and Red Bell Peppers for the filling because I felt the flavors would nicely complement the natural sweetness in the King’s Hawaiian Bread. And, because the King’s Hawaiian Sandwich Buns – my bread choice for the recipe – is so delicious on its own, a light toasting in the oven is all you need to do to make this bread the perfect complement for the sandwich of your choice!

Enjoy this easy-to-make sandwich – served on delicious King’s Hawaiian Bread!

Ingredients

King’s Hawaiian Sandwich Buns
1 ½ Pounds of Your Favorite Steak/Cut Of Beef, Cut Into Thin Strips
¼ Cup Soy Sauce (low sodium preferred)
2 Medium Red Onions, Thinly Sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
2 Tablespoons of Sesame Oil (for the Vegetables)
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil (for the Steak)
1 ½ Teaspoons of Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
½ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
¼ Cup of Teriyaki Sauce (Veri Veri Teriyaki has a nice flavor)

Instructions

1. Marinate the steak and the soy sauce in a sealable bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (you can prepare this overnight if you wish).

2. Sauté the onions and bell peppers in 2 tablespoons of sesame oil until the onions are translucent.

3. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce and continue sautéing until the vegetables are caramelized and the liquid is reduced.

4. Remove the ingredients and set aside.

5. Remove the steak from the marinade and place in the sauté pan, along with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, garlic powder, black pepper and onion powder.

6. Sauté until most of the liquid is reduced.

7. Add the teriyaki sauce and sauté until some of the liquid is reduced.

8. Add the vegetables to the meat and combine the ingredients well.

9. Lightly toast the King’s Hawaiian Sandwich Buns.

10. Prepare the sandwiches!

Serve hot! This recipe makes 4 normal-size sandwiches or 2 heaping ones (as shown here!)

Resources

For more great recipes, visit Create With Joy – Recipes.
Keep the inspiration coming with a FREE E-Mail or RSS Feed subscription!

Shared With

21st Century Housewife, EKat’s Kitchen, Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, and Tasty Tuesday

Friendship Friday 3 – Inspiration

Create With Joy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:26:55 +0000

Question Of The Week
What Has Inspired You Most This Week?
(Submitted by Stacy at Scrap With Stacy)

This week I’m inspired by everyone
Who has in some way shared
A little of themselves –
Their creativity, stories and lives –
Through their blogs, links and comments!

All of you are a constant source of inspiration
And a blessing to me!

Friend Of The Week
Felica at Mouse Potato Designs

Congratulations, Felicia, for being our Friend Of The Week!
If you’re looking for creative inspiration,
Consider a trip to Felicia’s site a MUST!
On my visit I was mesmerized by her Cards…
And her ATCs…
And her Albums and Journals too!
I got lost admiring her Stash and her Spacious Craft Room…
Need I say more?
Be sure to visit Felicia this week and make a sweet connection!

What Would YOU Like To Know?
What questions would you like our friends to answer?
Please leave a comment or e-mail me directly!

Friendship Friday #3 – Week Of January 27, 2012

Welcome to Friendship Friday – a new weekend blog hop that’s designed to help you:

Foster friendships with other bloggers!
Share what’s unique about yourself and your blog!
Grow your blog and social media networks!

Are you ready to make some new friends? Then, come join the fun! Here are a few guidelines that will help you to feel like the belle of the ball!

1) Each week, I’ll post a question that’s designed to help you get to know one another a little better. To participate, simply create a Friendship Friday post that includes the Friendship Friday blog hop button and/or a link back to this post – then add your permalink to the party!

2) If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to Create With Joy by E-Mail Subscription, RSS Feed Subscription, Twitter, and/or Pinterest and leave a comment so that I can reciprocate! If you’re a current GFC subscriber, please re-subscribe through another method so that we can stay in touch when GFC retires!

3) Leave a sweet comment so I’ll know you stopped by! Your suggestions for upcoming questions of the week are welcome too!

4) Visit your fellow participants and get to know them – building friendships is what this blog hop is about! Support the bloggers you connect with by leaving a comment and following their blogs through one of the available subscription methods on their blogs!

You can also participate by adding the Friendship Friday button to your sidebar and answering the Question of the Week in the comments – but I recommend completing Step 1 so that visitors from this blog hop can get to know you, and can more easily interact with you!

This blog hop will be open all weekend so that you have plenty of time to post, link and mingle! Have fun making friends and be sure to join me next week for Inspire Me Monday and Wordless Wednesday!

WOYWW – What Lurks Below

Create With Joy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:04:43 +0000

Happy WOYWW to you, dear friends! First, for those of you who have been politely but silently scratching your heads for the past few weeks wondering what that crazy acronym WOYWW stands for, it means What’s On Your Workspace (or Workdesk) Wednesday, and it’s a meme that my friend Julia at Stamping Ground created a few years back that took the crafting world by storm! Every week, people all around the world take photos of their work spaces and post them for all of the world to see – scary, right? Sometimes you’ll see beautifully organized craft rooms. Sometimes you’ll see creative messes. Sometimes you’ll see beautiful projects in various stages of completion. Sometimes you’ll see crafty pets upstaging their owners. It’s fun… it’s fab… and it’s open to all!

This week, I got the bright idea to start digging through some of the many mystery bags and boxes that are beginning to overtake me in The Paper Palace. It’s a new year… time to get things in order and find forgotten stash to use or lose, right? The problem with this noble sounding philosophy is that I forget how easily and quickly I get overwhelmed by stuff. I’m good at spreading things out and sorting it… I’m a little more challenged when it comes time to figuring out what to do with it all!

I did manage to toss a few things I decided I was never going to use… and I found inspiration in the stack as well! I ended up creating a card out of a few odds and ends I came across – I’ll share that in another post!

Did you create something fabulous that you’d like the world to see? Come share your favorite creations at Inspire Me Monday – my week-long creative blog hop!

Wondering what Legend, my Crafty Coon is up to this week? Visit him at Wordless Wednesday!

Are you a current GFC follower? Remember – GFC is retiring! Stay in touch with Create With Joy by E-Mail Subscription, RSS Feed, Twitter and/or Pinterest!

Have a fabulous week!

Wordless Wednesday – Comfort

Create With Joy — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:02:24 +0000

Photo Of The Week
Comfortable Legend

Thought For The Day
Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.
James Herriot

Wordless Wednesday Week 4 – Week Of January 24, 2012

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Happy Wordless Wednesday to you, dear friends! It’s time to share your favorite family-friendly photos – with or without words – at the friendliest party in town!

To participate, please link directly to your Wordless Wednesday post – leave a comment, then visit your fellow photographers! You’ll meet some wonderful people and see some beautiful sights along the way!

Please spread the word about this party by displaying the beautiful party button, linking back to this post, and tweeting/stumbling about the party – this benefits everyone!

Have a fabulous week, and be sure to stay in touch by subscribing to Create With Joy by E-Mail, RSS Feeds, Twitter and/or Pinterest!

Inspire Me Monday Blog Hop – Week 3

Create With Joy — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:48:13 +0000

I like the idea of Inspiration Monday.
Monday’s often get the short end of the stick
But they are fraught with potential!
Judy Palmer

Welcome to Inspire Me Monday – a place to share your creative inspirations, sharpen your creative vision, and showcase your creative talents!

Each week, I invite you to inspire others and nurture your creative spirit by joining our Creative Blog Hop! The details and the link list are provided at the end of this post.

After the party, keep the inspiration flowing – subscribe to my:

What’s Inspiring You This Week?

This Week, I’m Inspired By…
People who make a difference in other people’s lives!

Nicole Marie Weaver
Website: Nicole Weaver

Teacher & Author
Featured Book
My Birthday Is September Eleven And Other Short Stories

When you’re 10 years old and you find yourself in a foreign country where you don’t speak the native language – you’re in for a difficult time. That’s the challenge that Nicole Weaver faced when her family moved from Port Au Prince, Haiti to New York. Because she did not fit in, she was cruelly bullied and tormented mercilessly by her classmates. At one point, things got so bad, she contemplated suicide.

Instead, she chose a different path. She began to read with the dictionary by her side and within 6 months, learned English so well that she won the school’s spelling bee. She became fluent in four languages – Creole, French, Spanish, and English.

Today, she is a middle-school teacher who educates her students on the damage that name-calling and bullying cause. She is also became a best-selling Amazon children’s author who has written four books! One of them, My Birthday is September Eleven And Other Short Stories, inspires her young readers to learn this important lesson: we are created to help others.

Thank you, Nicole, for being such a wonderful role model – we’re proud that you’re a part of the Inspire Me Monday community!

Pamela J. Kuhn
Website: A Sheltering Tree

Author, Speaker, Bible Teacher
Featured Article
Thorn Bush Sheltering

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.
We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer

This week, I was deeply moved by Pamela Kuhn’s article, “Thorn Bush Sheltering”. In this article, Pamela writes about how difficult being compassionate can be. She reminds us how the frustrations of life can make people “prickly”, and reminds us that it’s not just the pleasant people who are deserving of our kindness and compassion. “Prickly” people – the people we’re most likely to avoid – are the ones who need it the most.

I encourage you to read Pamela’s article and to explore her blog – she is a true inspiration and blessing to us!

Inspire Me Monday #3 – Week Of January 23, 2012

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Now it’s time to share your inspirations! You can participate in our Creative Blog Hop in the following ways:

1) Share “What’s Inspiring You” by creating your own Inspire Me Monday post! You can include any creative challenges you’ve discovered – any books or quotes you love – any bloggers who have inspired you – anything that has inspired you and will inspire us too!

3) Visit the participants – share some comment love – let them know what’s inspired you!

The party will remain open all week so have fun sharing – inspire me with your comments – and please, be social and spread the word!

Stuck by Jennie Allen

Create With Joy — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:51:00 +0000

Today’s Thought
Don’t just learn truth – live truth.
Jennie Allen

Have you ever walked around with a big smile on your face, pretending to be happy while inside, you felt broken? Are you ever overcome by waves of sadness or fear? Are there days when you look around and just feel overwhelmed by everything before you? Have life’s circumstances left you angry… discontent… and unsure of how to move past these emotions?

You’re not alone. There are places in each of our lives where we feel stuck. That’s why Jennie Allen designed this fresh, relevant bible study. She wants to help women connect with one another as they move through the stuck places in their lives. She also wants women to deepen their relationship with the God who sets them free.

Stuck is a multi-faceted, eight-week women’s bible study that you can also adapt for personal use. The Stuck DVD-Based Study contains four items:

A Stuck See DVD where Jennie introduces each week’s topic in a short video.
A Stuck Lead Guide that helps build effective group leaders.
A Stuck Study Guide that contains the participant’s study materials.
A set of Stuck Ask Cards which serve as conversation guides and journaling prompts.

I liked this study for several reasons. First, I enjoyed the videos. They were short, relevant, and beautifully produced. Jennie – the author and featured narrator in the videos – comes across as a caring, compassionate guide who truly sets the tone for the study. Here’s a sample to give you a feel for what the videos are like:

I also liked the conversation cards. They serve as a unique ice-breaker in groups and are highly adaptable for personal use.

Most importantly, I liked the study itself. It encourages women to connect with one another and to talk honestly and transparently about issues that we all struggle with but often sweep under the rug. It does so in unique and creative ways. It incorporates creative activities such as journaling that are often excluded from traditional studies. And, it does these things while keeping the focus on God and Scripture.

If you’re looking for a bible study that can truly impact your life, I highly recommend Stuck.

More Great Resources

To discover more life-changing books, visit Create With Joy – Reviews.

If you would like to learn more about Jennie Allen – see her latest projects – or read her blog – visit the Jennie Allen website.

To hear why Jennie created this study, watch the video below.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program for review purposes. I did not receive any form of monetary compensation for this review, and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.