Oh the good ol' days!

Now I know I am not all that old but I still consider my childhood years to be "the good ol' days", just like an old person, after all I have been told I have an old soul. It's crazy for me to think that the things I had in the mid to late 80's are now considered vintage!

How many of you remember these buckets of Crayola crayons? Oh my dear goodness my brothers and I LOVED it!!! We carried it around everywhere. You know what is sad? They just don't make things like this anymore. Our kids will never know the kinds of things we remember, all they will remember are Ipads by 2 years old and cell phones by 5 years old. How outrageous is that!?!?! Ugh it makes me so sick to think about. I guess all I can do is make sure to keep a bit of my past around and hope it catches on again.

What are your fondest memories/toys from your childhood?

They say, "everything comes back in style at some point". Does that go for toys and things too? Let's cross our fingers!

Hugs & <3's

RED ROBIN!!!

No, not a bird... it's much better than that! It's the restaurant! Yes you heard me right, on this Gluten Free Thursday I have brought you a tid bit of knowledge that you will be absolutely delighted to have. I am here to tell you that Red Robin not only supplies delicious gourmet burgers but ALSO over the moon GLUTEN FREE buns for those mouth watering burgers!!! I don't know about you, but that made my day because it has been soo long since I ate a burger like a normal human. Red Robin allowed me the opportunity to lay down my fork and knife and pick up that burger with my own two hands! Oh the incandescent joy that came from that!
Ok so enough of my soap box... I know your just dieing to see what this juicy burger looked like. Well here you have it:

Can you say.... YUMMMMM!!!

Now set out to find your closest Red Robin restaurant and tell me what you think after you have tasted this!

Hugs & <3's

Don't be afraid!

Do you feel like you have gotten yourself into an artistic rut with no way out?

We have all been there at one point or another. It is just one of those times we need to step outside ourselves and examine what the problem might be. As artists, we get ourselves into a rut because we are afraid of "messing up". We are frightened of where our art is going so we stop short of creating that masterpiece.

DON'T BE AFRAID!

One of my absolute joys for painting comes from the fact that I might mess up, I might create something I completely and utterly hate. Well you know what you do then? You just keep painting, adding paper, or scribbling thought provoking words over the "mess". There is always a way to make something beautiful out of something seemingly not so beautiful!

The best art comes from letting God show you where He wants your piece to go, afterall He is the MASTER ARTIST. What better guide do you need than Him? He composed the most elaborate masterpiece of all, the world. You know how long it took Him... 6 days. Did He know exactly what it would look like? Maybe. Did He trust that everything would turn out like it should? Yes. Did He let anything stop Him from completing His work? No. Trust Him... Let Him guide your every stroke... He will not let you down. Sometimes the trials that we face, whether its on canvas or in the world, are God's ways of testing our faith. (James 1, NASB) Persevere through every trial, no matter how big or small, you will not regret a single moment of it!

This was that piece for me yesterday:

Turned out beautiful in the end... TRUST!

Hugs & <3's

What truly is our job?

Being an expectant mom has got me thinking about how my husband and I will raise Paysen. Sure, in my head I say, "I'm gonna raise him like my parents raised me... that's easy enough!" But when it truly comes down to it, looking back on how I was raised it looks easy but I am sure my parents struggled many times on what was the "right" punishment was. The only way to get it close to right is to look at parenting through God's eyes.

I was reading in Focus on the Family about how raising a child should not be about making sure your child "turns out right" or by "doing what's best for them, for their sake". This got me thinking. If it's not about those things, what is parenting about? Why are we, as parents, given the role of raising up children? That is went it came to me! We are here to teach by example. Let me just explain my train of thought.

If we are not placed as parents to make sure that our child turns out right then there must be something more to it. We are placed in their lives to teach and lead by example. God has given us the responsibility to train our children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6 NASB), meaning that we need to instill God's love and grace in them daily. We need to show them just how much He loves them and teach them what a relationship with their Savior is like. If they get this kind of solid foundation when they are young just imagine what kind of adults they will grow into! He also says in that same verse, Proverbs 22:6, that even when they are old our children will not depart from that teaching. This does not go to say that all their problems will go away, or that they will not come on any hard times. It simply means that because of the teachings God instilled in US to teach THEM, they will know how better to handle the hard times.

It's with my honor to appreciation to end this by giving a HUGE thank you to my parents for teaching my brother's and I all about God's love, and for leading by example. It is because of them that I know Who to turn to when I need help with Paysen, thank you and I love you!

Don't forget to thank the person/people in your life that had the greatest impact on you.

We turned out perfect... wouldn't you say? ;) I love my brothers to death!!!

Busy bee me...

Oh my dear... oh my dear!!! What was I thinking by making myself so busy in one weekend!?!? Sometimes I forget that I am carrying precious cargo and get tired/worn out a lot easier than before. I have always been the type of gal that likes going out and doing things... being involved in the world, you know?
Even though I am paying for it now, I had a blast this past weekend! Believe it or not I actually got out of my little bubble of a world in Ocala. I know... shocker huh?!
Here are some snapshots of where my adventures took me:

Ok so if you EVER plan on going to Tampa, FL and want a rock awesome children's consignment store, I have just the one for you! This was my first time EVER in a kid's store this overwhelming, but trust me when I say it was well worth it! It is called Once Upon A Child and they will have anything and everything your heart desires (and it will surely desire more as you get searching through the dozens upon dozens of cloths).

While I was at Once Upon A Child, of course, I had to do a little shopping for my new squeeze, Paysen.

My love and I went kayaking! You may be thinking... "you're pregnant, why did you go kayaking in the Florida sun." Well you do crazy things when you love someone. He has always talked about taking me out on the Florida springs so I thought... why not now! Yes I am pregnant but at least we can do this still before we actually have the baby with us. We had an absolutely beautiful time (besides a couple little "don't rock the boat" arguments, ha)

Along with the beautiful trees and water we even spotted a Blimp! How often do you see those? They just amaze me!

God's beautiful, natural springs are simply breathtaking!

Well those were my glorious adventures for the weekend... now to hunker down and paint this week! I have an Arts and Crafts Festival coming up on October 6th, YAHOO! Pray for me please.

So what did you do this weekend that just made it all worth while, no matter how tired you felt afterwards? Would love to hear from you all!

Hugs & <3's

Can I just say... HANDSOME!

There is no doubt about it... my little man, Paysen, is going to be the best dressed for less baby EVER! (no... I'm not partial)

 

How about these OUTSTANDING vintage outfits we found out thrifting... boy oh boy are all the other little babies going to be jealous!

Now, keep in mind, this is just a sneak peak at a few of the kickin' outfits our handsome boy will be sporting in a few months. Can't wait to see him in them!

Hugs & <3's

Gluten Free Cobbler.... what???

You have not been mistaken. As the title of this post states I did make a mighty delicious GF cobbler from a recipe I found on Pinterest. You gotta be sure and keep an open mind to this recipe because it is unlike any other you have ever done before, I guarantee it.

What we started with: 9x13 pan, Betty Crocker GF yellow cake mix, frozen mixed berries, one can of Sprite Zero
Step 1: Grease pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees
Step 2: Pour berries (frozen still) into pan until they fully cover the bottom of the pan
Step 3: Open cake mix and pour powder evenly on top of all the berries

Step 4: Gradually pour Sprite Zero all over cake mix and berries (it will fizz and that is normal). It is alright if some mix does not get Sprite on it
Step 5: Place in oven for approximately 35 minutes

Step 6: Remove from oven and place on top of cooling rack and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving

Step 7: SERVE AND ENJOY!!!

Can you get any more simple than that??? I think NOT! Even if you have no need to eat Gluten Free this is a healthy alternative to normal fruit cobbler, and nobody will EVER know the difference.

You know you wanna try it... go ahead... indulge yourself. And I give you permission to not share it with anyone else (but trust me it's too good not to share).

After you have made this delectable dish for you and your guests please tell me what you think? Did you do anything different to make it your own or keep it the way it was? Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Hugs & <3's

Let's get through this... together!

Do you feel like you have just so much to do and not enough time in the day to do it? I know exactly what you mean! Every morning I have to wake up and write myself a to-do list in order to make sure everything gets done for that day. The problem with this is that as my list grows so does my desire to do EVERYTHING but what is on it. Anyone else know what I mean?

I have a challenge for you all, and myself! At the top of that to-do list, before you think about anything else that needs done for the day, write "Jesus Time". Ladies and gentleman this is going to be the best thing you have ever done for yourselves, trust me. The Lord desires a personal relationship with Him, not our chores. Do our chores give us a sense of belonging? Do they show others the love of Christ? Do they teach us to be disciples? I would say NO to all those questions. Chores are merely for our pleasure, no His. The Lord's only desire is to teach us and grow us in the way we should go; just like the father and son in the picture I took at Clearwater Beach. The father wants nothing more than to share in the memories of building the perfect sand castle and splashing in the ocean waves with his son.

Martha and Mary are a perfect example of what I am trying to get across. In Luke 10 starting with verse 38, Martha and Mary opened up their home to the Lord. Upon His arrival Mary immediately put everything down and sat at His feet and just took in everything He had to say. Martha, on the other hand, was so distracted by her "to-do list", and making sure everything was prepared just wright for Him, that she lost out on that precious time. She became angry that she was doing all the work while Mary just got to sit around. She actually had the nerve to yell at Jesus to demand Mary to help her. His reply to Martha was, ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Have you ever felt that way? That you were doing all the work and not getting to enjoy what everyone else was enjoying? I know I am guilty of that... a lot! I am challenging us, myself included, to be more like Mary. To put down that dish rag, to unplug the vacuum, to put down the cleaning supplies, and to just take the time to soak in every ounce of what the Lord has to offer. We will never be disappointed or become angry with that decision. Who knows, you might even be surprised the things He has been trying to teach you when you thought you were too busy to add Him to your life.

Who will take this challenge with me?

 

 



Introducing...

Our precious little sweet pea is growing so big and strong inside my belly! It seems like just yesterday we found out our precious little family of two (plus a dog) was growing to three, and here I am at 19 weeks already!

It is without any further anticipation that we ecstatically announce to the world that this wonderful bundle of joy is a... beautiful baby boy! He was being so innocently shy, but ever so active, throughout the whole ultrasound. I simply can not wait to hug and smooch on this little guy for the rest of his life!

**Introducing, for the first time ever, Mr. Paysen Leiland FitzPatrick**

We are very, very thrilled parents! Finding out the sex of our baby makes everything seem so much more real. He is no longer referred to as "the baby" but instead as... Paysen. Oh my dear, is this a whole nother kind of love or what?!?! Please continue to keep all three of us in your prayers, Bremen too cause now he will have a little boy to play with. Pregnancy is going along great and he is growing just as he should, praise God!!! Love you all!

Hugs & <3's

From the Freezer Aisle

Are you ready for some, mouth watering, Gluten Free goodness?!?!

 

 

Trust me, once you try these frozen delectables you will never realize how you lived without them for so long. These are a few of my favorite ways to eat english muffins, waffles, and pizza.... what are yours? Share some ideas on how you would embellish on these seemly ordinary Gluten Free foods.



 

Hugs & <3's



Springs of Life

Proverbs 4:23

Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life

NASB

This verse came to mind while my sweetheart and I were taking a walk yesterday and came across these beautiful streams (granted they are man made but let's pretend they aren't).

God calls us to watch over our hearts. Can you even begin to imagine why? From my experience and through the things I have been taught it is because that is where evil will take rest, if you give it any kind of a foot hold.

Our heart is where Satan tries with all his might to bring us down because it is within that heart that the Lord, Himself, lives. And as we all, may or may not, know Satan believes in the Lord but despises everything He stands for. It is for this very reason that he tries, and tries again, to have any kind of a hold on our lives. That hold can be big or small, but to him it's all he needs to "work his magic" (as I am sure that is what he believes it to be).

Proverbs 4 has A LOT of amazing words to speak over you today. I encourage you to just soak it all in, to take a few minutes and listen to what God is trying to tell you. Sometimes we let the world consume us so much we forget WHO we are here to serve and WHAT we were instructed to do with our precious time. Proverbs 4 ends by saying, "25...let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. 26 Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. 27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil."

Those are some wise words to live by, wouldn't you say. Remember, God knows every path you will take before you take it. He has every circumstance already outlined before you even know about it. He has your ENTIRE future planned... all you have to do is follow Him. Easy to say... hard to do sometimes. The eternal gift is going to be so worth all the work!

I hope and pray these words inspired you today as you continue to press on through your week. If you need anything or need me to pray for anything please open up to me, I am here for YOU.

Hugs & <3's

We will NEVER forget

This day will never be forgotten. It is with God's strength that our country has gotten through and continues to grow stronger.
Thank you to all those that serve in our Armed Forces, Police Officers, Firefighters, and all other on-call providers.

9/11/01 will continue to join us all together... don't let your light fade.

Hugs & <3's

Two on Tuesday

Flocking... anyone know what that might be?

Boy oh boy have I come to LOVE flocking!!!

No it is not gathering a herd of sheep, it's not fighting with swords, and it is not wherever else your imagination took you. I am talking about the wonderful concept of giving that fuzzy feeling to an image, literally. Brace yourself and prepare to be amazed!
*Warning*
This can be a tedious task but sooo worth it with your end results!

I am working on The Muppets for a friend's baby room... My goal is to add different textures throughout the painting.
Step 1: What you need- Glossy Accents, Fun Flock in Cinnamon Toast and Caramel Latte Tan
Step 2 & 3: Using my glossy accents I made sure to generously cover each section of Fozzie before applying the Flocking (I recommend dividing your image, if larger, into smaller sections so the glue does not dry). It is important to generously apply the flocking and once it is covering your section gently, but firmly, press it down into the glue. This is the tedious part, you want to make sure to let the Flocking set on your image for about ten minutes before you gently tap it off. I used a piece of aluminum foil to tap it onto so that I didnt waste the flocking.

Step 4: Once I completed him I went back over his body again to cover up any "light" spots. Do this the same way as you did when you started flocking.
Step 5-7: Add the finishing touches to Fozzie to make him COME ALIVE! Instead of painting his hat on I cut it out of paper and glued it on with the glossy accents.

I hope you learned and had as much fun with this project as I did. Don't you just love our cute little Fozzie!?! If you have any questions on flocking, or simply want to comment on today's project, please do not hesitate to ask... I do these projects so that you can learn something new.

Hugs & <3's

Weekend at a Glance

You ever have those weekends that you never think will amount to much? I thought that is where mine was headed when I had a surprise encounter with a screw on Friday...

A very nice stranger waved me down to inform me of this...:(

My wonderful husband got it all fixed (all by himself! So proud of him) and we are back in business!

This pregnancy business sure does wear a girl out... Saturday I wanted to do NOTHING at all but veg around the house. I actually really love days like that cause vegging for me includes painting and blogging (good for you all too). This is what I have been working on for a friend's baby room... truly tough but coming out pretty cute if I do say so myself. ;)

Ended my painting session with a trip to get pampered with my mother in law...

I don't normally show off my teeny tiny toes... but for you guys I will (no laughing) <3
 

The rest of our weekend was filled with errands (which Paul just LOVES *enter sarcasm*) and restorations.
My handsome superman picked up this dining room table for us on his way home from work Saturday! Wasn't the prettiest thing when we got it but with a little TLC it came out exquisite! I just adore it in our new little home... nothing like having a table to eat at together. <3

What fun, or not so fun, things did you guys and gals do last weekend?? I love hearing from you... please do tell.

Hugs & <3's

Fall came early this year!

Have you ever seen anyone count down the days before a drinks arrival? Then I guess you have never had the pleasure of meeting my mom <3. To say she is a Starbucks fan is a bit of an understatement... it's more like an enthusiast. All year long she counts down the days for "fall in a cup", known by most as Pumpkin Spice.
Her first Pumpkin Frappuchino of the season! She is one happy woman.

Arrived 9/1/12 (day after her birthday)

Hugs & <3's

Tour the Antique Mall

Have you ever seen anything more spectacular than the random wonders you find at an antique mall? I truly think I hit the jackpot for finds at our new, and local, antique emporium!!! I could have gone crazy taking pictures of EVERYTHING I thought I "couldn't live without", but I decided to refrain and show off a few of my favorite things.

With nursery on the brain I find that most of my minds eye goes towards old baby items, which is certainly NOT a bad thing. I mean... come on... could these glorious baby finds be any cuter?!?!

I am looking for a foot stool to go with my nursery rocking chair and fell in love with this little green one. I ALMOST bought it but then I found a fantastic tutorial on making your own from Mandi. My nursery is made up of vintage, re purposed and handmade so I decided to try my hand at making one myself (pictures to come).

Don't even get me started on the preciousness of the little rocking horse bookcase! I mean... seriously... things are just not made that adorable these days. Wouldn't you agree? I must confess though, as much as I fell in love with this piece it sadly did not come home with me... THIS TIME! You better believe I am on my way back there today, praying it is still there.

Truthfully a trip well worth every minute if I do say so myself. Don't take those random pit stops for granted, great things can come from them!

Hugs & <3's

Barefoot and Pregnant

17 week modeling

Feeling spectacular and loving life! As my belly grows so do the creative ideas I have for the nursery, and oh my goodness are they ever flowing!
Everything is still trying to find its place in our new home so pictures will be coming later, but we are loving the space so much!
Hugs & <3's