Enjoyer of Grace

SWEET POTATO AND SPINACH MAC & CHEESE

2013-05-10T11:44:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! This will not be my usual Friday Treats post, but I wanted to share this recipe that I recently found on Naturally Ella. Since E's a big fan of mac and cheese and I've been a big fan of one dish meals (especially as we're anxiously awaiting baby #2 to make his appearance soon), I was super excited when I came across this meal.

I did simplify her recipe a little though and added panko for that extra crunch that our family loves on our mac & cheese. Hope you all will enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
5 C farfalle pasta
4 T unsalted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1½ C 2% milk
salt (depending on the type of cheese you use (ie. parmesan), you may leave out the salt)
1½ C white cheddar + colby jack, shredded
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 C panko crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil the sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. I used a Japanese sweet potato which was white on the inside. Drain and then puree them in a food processor with 1/4 C of milk until smooth. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente (do not overcook!) Rinse under cool water and set aside.

In a medium-sized sauce pan, melt 2 T of butter over medium heat. Add the grated garlic and quickly move it around the pan until it's lightly browned. Slowly whisk in the flour to make the roux. Pour in the rest of the milk and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. Add in the sweet potato puree and mix well until hot. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in 1½ C of cheese. Salt to desired taste.

In a large casserole dish, combine the pasta, sweet potato/cheese mixture and spinach. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top.

Melt the remaining 2 T of butter in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat and pour in the panko crumbs. Mix well until the crumbs are well-coated and crispy. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the dish.

Bake on the medium rack for 25 minutes until the crumb topping's golden brown. Enjoy!

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God wants someone to love Him,

Not just someone to serve Him;

He wants someone to love Him

As His bride.

God wants someone to match Him,

Not just to imitate Him;

He wants a counterpart,

One from His side.

For this He came down to us,

He came to court, to woo us,

Away from everything, and unto Him.

Now we’re espoused unto Him,

Pledged and betrothed unto Him;

Yes, we are bound unto Him by His love.

God wants someone to love Him,

Not just someone to fear Him;

He wants a sweetheart who will

Be His bride.

God wants someone to know Him,

Not just to know about Him,

He wants someone who’ll look Him

In the eye.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/48#ixzz2SuKNaavz

COCONUT MOCHI CAKE

2013-04-30T09:37:00.001-05:00

Although I love the flavor of coconut, I am not especially fond of biting into flakes of it. However, this yummy snack is the only dessert that I would make an exception for. I've been wanting to make this mochi cake for awhile now and finally found the motivation to the other night.

*If you've never heard of or tried mochi before, be prepared for a very chewy and dense texture.

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz.) of mochiko (sweet rice flour)

2 C sugar

1 tsp baking powder

5 large eggs, beaten

1 - 13.5 oz. can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 C of 2% milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 C coconut oil, melted

1 C flaked coconut, sweetened

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.

Combine the dry ingredients (mochiko, sugar and baking powder) together in a large mixing bowl and stir well.

Combine and whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk, 2% milk and coconut oil) together in another bowl and slowly add this mixture into the dry ingredients.

Pour in the vanilla and coconut flakes and whisk everything together until there are no lumps.

Pour it into your lined pan and bake for 1 hour. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Delicious when served warm!

Another family favorite of ours is mochi ice cream... especially ones filled with mango and green tea ice cream!

via

Do any of you share our love for mochi? :)

BLOGGERS, IT'S TIME TO CHANGE YOUR OIL!

2013-04-30T04:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pompeian for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you've been following my blog for awhile you'll know that I often use grapeseed oil in my cooking. It has a light odorless taste, is high in antioxidants. provides the same health benefits as olive oil and has a high smoke point (the maximum usable temperature of the oil).

Pompeian and Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien are challenging bloggers to change their oil for a chance to be featured at BlogHer Food '13 in Austin, TX on June 7-8. All you have to do is:

Create a recipe using Pompeian Grapeseed Oil or OlivExtra Premium Mediterranean Blend.
Post the recipe on your blog with an accompanying picture.
Submit the recipe to Pompeian’s Time to Change Your Oil App on Facebook.
Enter your recipe link into the Pompeian and Hungry Girl Sweepstakes for the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to BlogHer Food '13. Your winning recipe will be featured with Pompeian throughout the event.
Share your post via Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and send all Social Shares to rhia@izea.com.

Also, just for entering, Pompeian will send you a voucher for one free bottle of Pompeian oil! You'll be able to try out recipes like this delicious smoky fried chickpeas:

Smoky Fried Chickpeas

* * * * * * *

So don't wait! Go ahead and submit your favorite recipe to enter this awesome contest! Please comment below to let me know why YOU would love to win this contest. Good luck everyone!

FRIDAY TREATS + 'TIS SO SWEET

2013-04-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

Check out this adorable baby shower from Fabric Paper Glue... too much cuteness!

Speaking of too much cuteness... love this baby announcement from Done Over Decor. :)

I've been craving lemon-flavored everything lately... these lemon bars from The Chronicles of Home look too good to pass up!

Learn how to cut your own swoop bangs from Girl Loves Glam...

* * * * * * * *

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His word;

Just to rest upon His promise;

Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,

Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him more.

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to trust His cleansing blood;

Just in simple faith to plunge me,

’Neath the healing, cleansing flood.

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just from sin and self to cease;

Just from Jesus simply taking

Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/568#ixzz2RbMfbd7q

AND THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS...

2013-04-22T10:04:00.002-05:00

via

I know it's been awhile. I wish I could say it's because I've been extra busy, but I'd be lying. Tired and uninspired would be more like it.

On a happier note, countdown to baby #2 is in the single digits now! :) There are a million things that I feel like I still need to do - mainly things around the house like going through closets and cabinets, purging, organizing, laundry (lots of laundry), more purging (there's nothing more stress-relieving to me than donating/throwing things out!).

Then there's the hospital bag that's been sitting by our dresser that I need to finish packing...

And trying to deal with my mini-panic attacks from time to time when I realize just how soon baby #2 is coming and how my bonding time with E will never be quite the same... I know he's not even 3 yet, but I already feel like he's growing up too fast. Maybe it's just pregnancy hormones, but even the thought of it has been bringing on immediate waterworks... can any mommies relate?

So instead of panicking or letting myself get carried away with nesting, the Lord's been reminding me to slow down and take a few moments to turn back to Him, to breathe in His sweet name, to spend more time in prayer... I've been enjoying this passage from The Meaning and Purpose of Prayer:

"To pray is to come to God just as we are... We do not need to pretend when we come to God. To tidy oneself up before contacting God is not the principle of prayer. Prayer does not require self-improvement. The more that we are in our true condition when we pray, the better. Our condition is our condition. To change ourselves is human work. We do not need to change in order to contact God. Our need is God and to let Him change us... As long as we come to Him, He has a way because He is the the way."

And of course having lots of ice cream/bubble tea dates with E lately hasn't hurt either... ;)

Until next time,

CHEWY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

2013-03-11T18:48:00.005-05:00

Some days you just really really need a cookie. ;) Here's a great oatmeal raisin recipe from Inspired Taste that totally satisfied our sweet tooth last week. Instead of butter, I substituted it with coconut oil.

Do any of you have a favorite cookie recipe you'd like to share? :)

FRIDAY TREATS + FRESH

2013-03-08T23:06:00.003-06:00

Awesome tips...

Dog in a dog...

Faux Malachite Knobs @ Teal and Lime

Immediately dry wet nails with Pam!

Fresh as the dew of the morning,

Bringing a sweet rest unheard,

Christ, in the gentle anointing,

Whispers His comforting word:

Stand till the trial is over,

Stand till the tempest is gone,

Stand for the glory of Jesus,

Stand till the kingdom is won.

Lord of all hope,

O how sweet is Thy voice,

Making my heart

In Thy presence rejoice.

If in the test of my trouble,

Faint be my spirit and heart,

Faith, with the star of hope glimm’ring,

Shall all be taken apart,

May then Thy faith with Thy life-pow’r

Over me hold its full sway

That all Thy riches of glory

Now I may share and for aye.
Lord, as the morning sun dawning,

Chase all my darkness away,

And with Thy kind wings of healing

Turn all my night into day.

Come Thou, O come, Lord of comfort,

Come to my sad, weary heart,

Come, O Thou blest hope of glory,

Never, O never depart.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/708#ixzz2N0gRajOt

TILAPIA WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

2013-03-07T12:09:00.002-06:00

Tilapia is one of my favorite proteins to cook when I'm short on time. It takes only 5 minutes to defrost in warm water and cooks up super fast. Typically I resort to my oven baked panko crusted tilapia recipe, but this week I decided to change it up. I found a tasty recipe by FineCooking.com and tried it with a few adaptations.

Ingredients
Marinade/Sauce
2 T Chinese black bean garlic sauce
4-6 thin slices of fresh ginger
1 T oyster sauce
1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 lb. tilapia filets (~4 pieces), cut each filet into four chunks
1 T grape seed oil + 1/2 T grape seed oil

optional greens* - baby spinach, romaine lettuce, nappa cabbage, green string beans, etc.

Directions
In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients together. Set aside 1/4 of the marinade to make some drizzling sauce later.

Add in the filet chunks and coat well with the marinade. Leave aside for about 20 minutes.

Heat 1 T of oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Remove the ginger chunks from the fish. Once the oil starts sizzling, carefully place in all the fish. Cook about 3-5 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of your fish).

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, heat 1/2 T of oil over medium heat. Once it starts sizzling, remove from heat and immediately add in the remaining marinade that was set aside. Add a one or two teaspoons of water and stir well. Drizzle this sauce over the fish.

I served the fish over a bed of sauteed baby spinach (with a tiny bit of oil and kosher salt). However any greens should go pretty well with this dish. :)

Any of you have a favorite tilapia recipe that you'd like to share?? :D

STUFFED ZUCCHINI

2013-03-05T12:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was craving for some stuffed zucchinis and decided to make some for dinner. Unfortunately a lot of the recipes that I came across involved tons of tomato sauce and cheese. As much as our family love both, I wanted to make a lighter version since most of us were still getting over being sick. After getting a basic idea of the filling, I came up with my own version that we all ended up loving. My homemade tomatillo sauce at the end gave it just the right kick! :)

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground beef

1/8 C bread crumbs

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 crimini mushroom (sliced)

1 egg, beaten

3 zucchinis (cut lengthwise with seeds scooped out, reserve the seeds from 2)

1/2 T grape seed oil + a little extra for drizzling

salt & pepper & paprika

Directions

Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, seasoned salt, ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Next add in the mushroom, seeds and egg. Mix until everything's well blended.

(Side note: I'm going to try mixing in the egg after browning the meat next time. I noticed that the meat didn't hold together very well when it was done baking. If this isn't a big deal for you, then don't worry because it still tasted great!)

Step 2 - Place 1/2 T of oil in pan and brown the meat.

Step 3 - Place the zucchini halves in a foiled baking dish. Lightly drizzle on some grape seed oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 4 - Fill the halves with the meat mixture. Sprinkle with a little paprika over the top of the meat.

Step 5 - Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with tomatillo sauce (recipe here) and enjoy!

FRIDAY (SATURDAY) TREATS + MARY

2013-03-02T23:19:00.004-06:00

Apologies again for this very late post! E finally got over being sick (thank you, Lord). Unfortunately he passed the bug on to my husband and I - and gosh did we get hit with it hard these last two days. :( I don't think we've ever been sick at the same time before - it's pretty miserable. At least it's the weekend right...? :)

Before we head off to bed, here are a few of my favorite finds from this week:

edible teacup cookies l lego trays l napkin diy l petal tutorial

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Mary poured out her love offering

To many such love was a waste.

Throughout all of the centuries

Such lovers Your sweetness do taste.

Precious lives and heart treasures, too

Positions and golden futures,

Have been “wasted” on You, Lord;

Your sweetness a fragrance so sure.

She took opportunity

To love You; Lord, with her best.

Like her, Lord, I too would pour

My love and all that I have.

As I love You I set my being—

My spirit, my soul and body.

With my heart, my mind, and my strength,

Absolutely on Thee.

Lord, I let my entire being

Be occupied by Thee

As I enter in Your heart

I sense a fellowship sweet.

Occupied and lost in You;

My Lord, You’re my everything.

Fellowship so intimate;

In spirit Lord I enjoy Thee.

Lord there’s none in heav’n nor on earth

That I desire but Thee.

Though my heart and flesh faileth, Lord,

Thou ever my portion will be.

All is vanity, all is dung;

I count all other things loss;

Everything else drains my love

But You have captured my heart.

Lord, I’ve seen Thy preciousness,

Thy worth, Thy reality.

Now, my Lord, I must confess

My heart is only for Thee.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/99#ixzz2MRxO07xl

LOVE CRUNCH

2013-02-28T16:53:00.001-06:00

We recently found this little gem on one of our Costco trips. E's a huge snacker so I'm always on the search for healthy ones that he'd like too. Like his daddy, he LOVES his chocolate...

Love Crunch is an organic granola made with organic cocoa, flax & coconut. The flavor that we got had dark chocolate chunks and organic dried red berries. No complaints from E there. ;) He's been snacking on this almost daily - he especially loves it on top of his Chobani yogurt.

Do any of you have a favorite *healthy* snack that you love feeding your kids? I'd love to get some more ideas!

P.S. This post is not sponsored by Love Crunch. We just really love this stuff and wanted to share. =D

TUTORIAL: HOW TO CREATE A PHOTO GALLERY IN BLOGGER

2013-02-25T11:49:00.002-06:00

(Disclaimer: I do not have any background in web design nor any knowledge of html. I'm just sharing what worked for me after much googling and researching online.)

Happy Monday everyone! A reader recently emailed me with questions on how I created my photo gallery under my enjoyments, DIY, and recipes pages. Since this was something that caused me a lot of frustration when I first started, I thought I'd share my tips with you all as well.

For my gallery, I found the most help from Tricia's blog Sweeter Than Sweets. She has a very thorough tutorial that includes the html that you can copy and paste straight onto Blogger. Please make sure to visit her blog for more detailed instructions. Below is just a quick rundown of what I did/used.

* * * * * * * *

Step 1: Create a Photobucket account. I'm sure there are other photo sharing accounts (like Flickr) you can use, but I found this one to be the easiest for me. You will be uploading your gallery photos here.

Step 2: Find the picture that you want to use for your gallery. Using any photo editing tool, crop your picture into a square. I like to use Picasa 3 or Picmonkey.com. Save your picture.

Step 3: Upload your saved picture into Photobucket.

Step 4: Visit Sweeter than Sweet's blog and copy the html that Tricia generously provided.

Step 5: In Blogger, create a "Page" in which you will place your gallery and paste the entire html under the "HTML" mode. Plug in your own information wherever the blue text is.

"yourwebsiteurl": This is the link to your exact post, not your blog.

"yourimagetitle": This is what your picture will be labeled as if it doesn't load for whatever reason.

"yourimagesource": Open the uploaded picture in Photobucket. On the right-hand side will be a box containing the image links. Click on "Direct Link" and this will automatically copy the link. Go back to your html and "paste" this link in this space.

"yourcaption": This is the caption that will appear under your picture in the gallery.

Below is what my html looked like after I plugged in my info:

Step 6: I switched over to "compose" to change the font of my caption as well as link the caption to the post.

Here's what my html looked like after the changes:

To complete the row, repeat the same steps but with another picture. To create a new row, simply copy the same html again after that first set.

Hopefully these instructions were not too confusing! Please leave a comment below if you end up trying it out and let me know how it worked for you! :)

Until next time,

Linking up with:

A TINY PEEK INTO OUR WEEKEND

2013-02-24T18:47:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone's weekend is going well. :) Sorry for missing my Friday Treats series this week. E's been under the weather and I've just been plain tired. This little eggplant baby is wearing me out already! These days I really REALLY look forward to our morning coffee. As some of you may remember, we transitioned from our old Mr.Coffee to our Hario coffee dripper last year and we've never looked back. We love the simplicity of it and the fact that it just makes a great cup of coffee. :)

p.s. Since I am pregnant, I always make my cup after my husband's so the coffee's much more diluted by then. It's a lot lighter but still soOo good.

Tiredness hasn't been a bad excuse to avoid cooking on weekends though. ;) We enjoyed some yummy dim sum yesterday...

I will be back tomorrow with a Blogger tutorial that I've been working on for a reader. Hope you all will find it helpful as well!

Until then,

FREE DOWNLOAD - I LOVE THEE, JESUS CD

2013-02-23T11:44:00.000-06:00

This is one of my mom's favorite hymns and she use to sing it to/with me when I was younger. The verses are taken from Chapter 1 of Song of Songs. Hope it supplies and encourages you all this weekend!

I love Thee, Jesus,

And Thy love to me

Draws me, ever to seek Thee

And run after Thee,

Draws me, ever to seek Thee

And run after Thee.

Thou art beloved,

Yea! Altogether lovely,

The One in whom my heart delighteth.

Thy love, Lord Jesus,

Is sweeter than wine,

And Thy fragrance of ointments

My heart doth entwine,

And Thy fragrance of ointments

My heart doth entwine.

A fount in gardens,

A well of living waters,

Which streams and flows from Lebanon’s mountains.

O come Beloved,

On my garden blow,

That the odor of spices

May break forth and flow,

That the odor of spices

May break forth and flow.

My spouse, My sister,

I’m come into My garden

To feast upon wine, milk and honey.

Set me, Lord Jesus,

As seal on Thine heart;

Jealousy’s cruel as Sheol,

And love’s strong as death,

Jealousy’s cruel as Sheol,

And love’s strong as death.

Much water cannot

Quench love, nor do floods drown it.

All man could give for love is contemned.

* * * * * * * *

This clip was taken from the I Love Thee, Jesus CD made from Christians in the Boston, Cambridge, Newton area.

Click here to download the complete album for free.

DIY JEWELRY ORGANIZER

2013-02-20T20:28:00.001-06:00

For the longest time, all my necklaces hung sadly on one single hook in my closet. They always got tangled and since they were all lumped together, I would often forget which ones I had and end up not wearing most of them. The situation with my bracelets was not much better - they were all thrown over the neck of a small IKEA vase.

I've been browsing Pinterest lately for some inspiration for a jewelry organizer. Most of the organizers I found were made from cute knobs screwed into wooden boards. The simpler ones used foam boards or cork boards. Foam boards seemed too flimsy and I didn't want to spend money on a large cork board.

As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of re-purposing (bokeh art, fabric containers/trays, Costco tray, tissue box cover, stenciled table runner, and more) so I decided to re-use these canvases I made last year. I duct-taped the two canvases together to produce a larger surface, covered it with fabric using a staple gun, and attached some foam to the back of the canvas using a hot glue gun.

For the foam, I found some old packaging foam inserts and cut them out with a serrated knife. Be prepared for this step to get very messy!

To hide the ugly rough sides of the foam, I covered them with some leftover shelf-liner sheets that I already had. This step is not absolutely necessary since the foam will be on the backside anyways.

I used clear thumb tacks as hooks to hang all the jewelry.

I plan on adding some decorative ribbon or maybe stenciling the fabric in the future. But for now, it serves its purpose and I'm more than happy with how it came out! I also like how light the canvas was so I didn't need to put any major holes in the wall.

How do you all organize your jewelry? :)

DIY STATEMENT NECKLACE

2013-02-13T09:41:00.000-06:00

Statement necklaces are such a fun and simple way to add to any outfit! :) I've been having a hard time finding a casual one for everyday wear so I decided to make my own. I found everything I needed at Michaels and with all the 40% coupons, I was quite happy with the end result!

Step 1: Divide your beads in half.

Step 2: String the first layer of beads onto the wire.

Step 3: Once you reach the end, twist the wire into a small loop and finish stringing the second layer with the remaining beads.

Step 3: Seal the other end by twisting the wire into another small loop. Cut off any excess wire.

Step 5: Make sure the loops are just big enough for the jump rings. If the loops are too large, simply twist it down to the desired size and attach your rings.

Step 6: Attach the clasps onto both ends of the suede cord.

Step 7: Attach both ends of the suede cord and chain onto the jump rings.

For this necklace, I kept it simple and made the necklace just long enough to fit over my head. However if you'd like it shorter, you can also cut the cord and chain shorter into two separate pieces and attach additional clasps and jump rings to the other ends too.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

MISO-GLAZED SALMON

2013-02-12T14:18:00.003-06:00

Any of you ever get bored with your weekly meal rotation? Here's a quick and tasty dish I found a few weeks ago that my husband and E highly approve of. All you need are four simple ingredients, a 16 oz. salmon fillet, and 15 minutes in your broiler.

Ingredients: 2 T miso paste, 2 T mirin, 1 T reduced sodium soy sauce, few drops of hot pepper sauce

* mirin (Japanese sweet wine) can be replaced with brown sugar

Directions: Mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Place the salmon fillet (skin-side down) on a lightly oiled baking pan. Generously coat the salmon with the glaze and broil for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish) about 3-4 inches from the heat source.

Serve over rice with your choice of veggies (green beans, asparagus, bok choy, etc.) and enjoy!

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Be back tomorrow to share with you this little DIY:

Any ideas of what it could be? :)

DRAW ME

2013-02-07T09:44:00.003-06:00

via

I woke up this morning reminded of this hymn. Every morning when we wake up, there's always something that's drawing us - whether it's our phone, emails, rushing to get breakfast ready for the family, our kids, to-do lists for the day, work, school, etc. Then throughout the day, even more things just draw our hearts and attention away from the Lord - filling our days with unrest and anxiety instead of life and peace. (Rom. 8:6)

This is such a sweet hymn to pray every morning... to be reminded to start our days with Him. :) While we're brushing our teeth or making breakfast, we can quietly pray, "Lord, draw us today..."

Draw me, dear Lord.

Draw me today.

From everything else, dear Lord,

Draw me away.

O Lord, this whole world

Seems to weigh me down.

All the cares, the strife the sin,

Within me and all around.

But, Lord, I want to set my heart,

And, Lord, I want to stay with You.

’Cause only when You’re near to me

Is everything okay.

And though everything may fall apart

Or everything go my way,

It doesn’t really matter, Lord,

As long as I gain You today.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/302#ixzz2KDyYpsDh

Much grace,

Harman Stoves - A Popular Heating Alternative

2013-02-06T20:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Harman Stoves for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

While we most likely won't be needing a freestanding stove while we're living in Texas, I'm glad to learn about this popular heating alternative. It not only helps to reduce your carbon footprint, but also reduces your heating costs at the same time.

Harman Pellet Stoves, based in Halifax, Pennsylvania, make a variety of stoves and inserts (to provide a more efficient, clean burning fire) that uses wood, pellet or coal. They provide even heating, easy maintenance and their advanced technology helps to set them apart.

More advantages:

Pellet stoves: Costs 44% less than oil, 47% less than electric, 53% less than propane heat
Eco-friendly: Biomass fuels are composed of renewable, carbon-neutral products
There's a 10% tax credit up to $300 on qualifying biomass heating appliances purchased between January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013

Before you go, make sure you enter to win a Harmon notebook! It's a journal-sized book made from recycled materials with a pen. Just visit the Harmon site and come back and leave a comment letting me know why you like Harman. The winner will be selected on February 28, 2013.

To stay updated with more information and special deals, make sure you also follow Harmon Stoves on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

POP OF TURQUOISE

2013-02-06T09:49:00.002-06:00

Last summer some of you may remember when I made over our family room to a black and white theme...

While I've been very happy with the change, over the last couple of months I found myself missing "color" again. (I can hear my husband sighing and shaking his head as he reads this...haha sorry, honey.) I've been on the hunt for some light blue fabrics; something that would pop but didn't have too much pattern. Then a few weeks ago while browsing Joann's for another project, I stumbled upon this awesome turquoise corduroy fabric with tiny specks of silver...

via Joann.com

and using my envelope technique...

made a few pillows to break up the existing theme...

I know it's not much, but I'm really happy with how they've brightened up the space! :)

Have any of you ever made tiny changes that made a huge difference in a room? Please share!

Until next time,

26 SECONDS OF CUTENESS...

2013-02-04T17:26:00.001-06:00

"It is just another evening commute until the rain starts to fall, and the city comes alive to the sound of dripping rain pipes, whistling awnings and gurgling gutters. And in the midst, two umbrellas—one blue, one not—fall eternally in love." - Pixar

Love this. Can't wait to see it in June! :)

FRIDAY TREATS + JUST AS I AM

2013-02-01T11:32:00.000-06:00

I really like these pipe cleaner heart toppers @ the sweetest occasion... such a simple idea that can be used for so many occasions!

For all you fellow CWD fans, how adorable is this nursery by Sally Jensen Interiors?!

Great use of tension rods! Need to try this tent idea from Ikatbag...

haagan-dazs' vanilla l ciao bella's pistachio ($1 off coupon)

Krispy Kreme's glazed donuts

Haha the last two items are just from my present pregnancy cravings... can't you tell?? ;)

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Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot;

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,