Blogmas Days 4 & 5: Holiday Favorites!

Okay, I've already done it. I skipped a day. But, yesterday I was basically miserable. Is that a decent excuse? So, I figured today I would do a mega-post of my Holiday/Winter Favorites!

To start off, I'll do my fashion favorites.

For the winter season, I LOVE scarves and hats. Unfortunately, this year, it hasn't really gotten cold enough yet to wear many hats, but I've donned a scarf at least once a week for the past few weeks. I also came up (with some help from Pinterest) with this awesome way to store my hats and scarves:

It's quite simple: Curtain rods and shower curtain rings! Super easy to put up, and so much more organized than the bin I had my hats in and the hangers I had my scarves on!

And, with that, my favorite scarves and hats:

Both of these came from Ling's gift shop in Chelsea. If you guys live around here, you really need to go check out this store. Sweet Ling is here from China with her son, and she owns this store for a living. If you go in there, she will do everything in her power to help you find what you need.

I got this hat for Christmas two years ago, and it's super cozy. I absolutely adore the colors in it! It is from American Eagle.

This one, my sweet cousin Lindy made for me. She runs a business making hats and photo props like this one (but usually for babies and toddlers). Check out her Etsy shop, she deserves it! http://www.etsy.com/shop/puzo2352

I don't remember when I got these, but they're awesome. I wear them with basically everything. (Though, now I'm realizing that they're starting to look a little worse for wear.)

Now for my favorite scents this Holiday season:

(Yes, it's all from Bath and Body Works. Don't judge me.)

This one's an old favorite that I rediscovered this year. So good!

I got chosen randomly on Twitter by BBW to get a free sample of their new fragrance. I got this guy in the mail a few weeks ago, and... WOW. It smells SO GOOD! I will definitely be buying the full-size version!

Surprise, surprise, I have two Bath and Body Works candles.

This guy smells like a Christmas tree. Holy moly, it's amazing.

\

I think this one may be the best BBW candle I have ever sniffed. I can't describe the scent, so here's what the bottom of the jar says: "an unforgettable blend of orchid petals, billowing white peony, and soft jasmine that's fitting for any occasion." Genius, people. Genius. 

Now for my food favorites. See, I don't exactly have this food on hand to take pictures of, so y'all are getting stock photos. You're welcome. 

Ham. I love ham. I'm not a huge fan of turkey (I know, send me to Christmas jail.)

Eggnog! This. Stuff. Is. Delicious. A lot of people don't like it, I say they're crazy. 

These things are like a holiday tradition with my grandmother. SO YUMMY.

And, of course, deviled eggs. I could eat my weight in these. 

Now, even though I did my entertainment favorites for day 3, I thought of two more things that I love:

I watched this last night and remembered how much I loved it. 

And this album. SO GOOD! If you like things that are a little different, check this out. It's amazing. 

Finally, I have two very random things.

First, this brilliant candle I picked up at Earth Bound. It's a white candle, but as it burns, it drips different colored wax. We are using it as our advent candle. I adore it! 

Lastly, I don't have a picture for this, but I LOVE getting Christmas cards! I think it's amazing to get pictures of everyone's families!

Oh... and, here's a really awkward tree ornament picture of me from 2000:

You're welcome. 

Thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying Blogmas!

Blogmas Day 3- Holiday Favorites, Entertainment Style

Good afternoon, lovely people! Today's post is going to be kind of a "lazy one-" no pictures taken by your's truly. But I'd like to think the fact that I have a stomach bug is a decent excuse. So, Blogmas day three is going to be my holiday entertainment favorites. Let's get started, shall we?

#1: Favorite traditional Christmas movie:

Nestor! He's the cutest long-eared donkey around. This was always my favorite as a kid, even though it was actually pretty sad... My favorite part was when his mom said, "Ears, Nestor."

Oh! The memories. 

#2: Favorite Modern Christmas Movie:

Duh! How could this NOT be your favorite? So much quoting to be done! 

"I love you! I love you! I LOVE YOU!"

"You sit on a throne of lies!"

"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

I COULD KEEP GOING FOREVER. 

#3: Favorite Traditional Christmas Song:

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (reindeer) had a very shiny nose (like a light bulb!) and if you ever saw it (saw it), you would even say it glows (like a flashlight!)

Shall I keep going? I shall not. 

#4: Favorite Modern Christmas Song Re-Make:

BarlowGirl's Carol of the Bells/Sing We Now of Christmas. It's a killer. It's amazing. Listen to it RIGHT NOW.

 

#5: Favorite Live Entertainment: 

The Chelsea Christmas Parade! I don't exactly have a picture of this, but it's great. I very much enjoy parades, especially when people I know are in it. 

Sorry today was short and lazy-ish, I just have, like zero energy. 

I promise tomorrow will be much better!

Thanks for reading!

Blogmas Day 2- DIY Christmas Gift!

Welcome to Blogmas Day 2! CHRISTMAS IS IN 21 DAYS, PEOPLE! In light of that fact, you guys realllly need to be figuring out what you're going to be getting me for Christmas.
Kidding. Totally kidding.
Maybe.
Anyway... DIY is so in right now- it's fun (sometimes), it's cheap (sometimes), and it's so much more special to the person you're giving it to (unless they wanted a real gift). Okay, all joking aside, when done right, DIY gifts are AWESOME.
Here's the areas I'm creative in- photography, writing, and decorating.
Here's the areas I'm not creative in- sewing, drawing, general cutting things out and gluing them down...
So, naturally, I picked up some yarn and decided to learn how to arm knit. That lasted, oh, ten minutes, before I threw the yarn down and screamed, "I GIVE UP!" As I was searching Pinterest to find something useful to do with my yarn, I stumbled upon the greatest invention in the world for people that are arm-knitting-deficient: FINGER KNITTING! Guys! This is SO easy, and actually fun! So, when I learned how to do it, my creative juices started flowing, and I got the idea to make a head wrap/ear warmer. Surprisingly, my first attempt was completely successful, and I now feel the need to share my wisdom with you people!

You will need:
Bulky yarn (the bulkier the better). Here's one of mine:

Scissors

Your fingers. If you don't have fingers, this project is going to prove difficult for you.

First, you have to know how to finger knit. If you don't already, here's the video that taught me:

Now, to make the ear warmer, you have to knit two strands of the same length, because finger knitting leads to very thin strands. To get the length right, I literally just kept knitting and putting it around my head to see if it was long enough yet. 

So, once you get your two strands: 

Simply start stringing them together. Just find loops to pull the yarn through and rotate until you get to the end. 

When you get done, there will be 3 "tails" on each end. Tie those together and cut two of them down, but leave one for tying purposes. This should by your final product:

I'm still working on my technique and stuff, so I'm not down to perfection quite yet, but I'm getting there. These would make great add-ons to gifts, or great as gifts by themselves. 

I hope you enjoyed Blogmas Day 2! Here's something to chew on until day 3:

Thanks for reading! 

Blogmas Day One- It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like....

Well I'm back! I know it's been a minute... but hopefully I can make up for that. I know it's 3 days into December, but I think I'm going to do "Blogmas"- blogging every day till Christmas. It's kind of a spin-off of Vlogmas, which YouTubers do. So, I'm thinking short little Christmassy posts every day. Maybe? Let's see if I can do it. It's a challenge!
Before I start this, may I just say that I LOVE CHRISTMAS?!? So, this is gonna be real, real fun. For me, at least.
For day one, I'm going to do a decoration post! Show you all how my family and I decorate our house for Christmas time!  (Excuse the darkness of the pictures, I didn't realize they were like that until I uploaded them.)

To start off, here's the living areas:

This is one of my favorites. Mom's Willow Tree nativity with the stable that Dad made her.

The Firehouse Christmas town!

Of course, the Christmas tree...

Adorned with lots of  family ornaments!

I love this little guy! He's on our kitchen island.

Mom loves wreaths.

Lots of little knick knacks.

All of our stockings were made by my grandmother. Mom just added the wooden letters this year.

Now on to my bedroom:

This little guy has been around for about 3 years now. The ornaments are a mixture of ones I just couldn't pass up at the store, gifts, and some personal ones.

My Christmas bed! I put my crochet blanket (made by my great grandmother) over my comforter to make it look a little more Christmassy. Also, my Christmas stuffed animals, which are my favorite thing to pull out every year. (If any of you were ever wondering, stuffed animals are definitely a key to my heart)

Okay, I know that this looks a little tacky and thrown-together, but I LOVE Christmas lights and I absolutely HAD to put some up in my room. But, I am terrible at working with them, so this is what happened. 

This banner is probably older than I am, but I don't even care. I like it.

My teeny little manger scene, on display on my desk-turned-vanity table, along with me White Barn Chesnut and Clove No. 2 candle from Bath and Body Works (IT SMELLS LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE)

I bought this little guy last year when I was decorating my dorm. Isn't he so cute??

Of course, the door hangers that I made some time ago... the hand wreath circa 2000. 

Now, my car. Yes, I decorate my car for Christmas.

A wreath on the tire and two magnets! 

You got it, there are LIGHTS INSIDE MY CAR! With a lot of patience and duck tape, this happened. Yay!

Okay, now outside.

Okay, my mom REALLY likes wreaths.

...

This guy has been around for a while now. He used to have someone else's last name on him, but my handyman of a dad fixed that.

These guys have been around even longer. They used to light up, now we have to shine a spotlight on them.

...did I mention my mom liked wreaths?

Okay, so that's my Christmas time house! I LOVE IT! 

I can't wait for the rest of Blogmas! I hope you guys like it! Maybe tomorrow I'll do a DIY gift idea?

Also, if you're looking for some quality YouTube content, check out Vlogmas from my favorite people...

Jim Chapman: http://www.youtube.com/user/j1mmyb0bba/videos

Tanya Burr: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrIIH7yHQugaUuoTZDoEUuQ

Joe Sugg: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzE4rHZD7TdxGqfMzVT_p2w

Zoe Sugg: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrUbqTCagwsaP2Fmr0p1TsA

Alfie Deyes: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEn0EUV13IR-_TK7fiIp3g

Louise: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyJTVTVccnAkll5xLFFmaQg

Marcus Butler: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIHHYnpaqR8njCYf9fLEgLw

Fleur DeForce (and her precious hubby Mike): http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkxgqm7W2kJ--jb3cB0CT8Q

Luke Conard: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT890nbWOYScjaA9kqhuyw

Also, my favorite beauty guru is doing DIY December, where she shows how to make different gifts and things every day (except for Sundays) until Christmas:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zSySQab9SA6Wz569WDgqw

Robin In the Raw-- Perseverance

I think that, every once in a while, I'm going to do a post specifically dedicated to the Faith. I want to call the group of them Robin In the Raw, because it's gonna be just me, nothing else, sharing about what I believe. 

So, without further ado... put on some background praise music and let's get crackin'!

Wednesday night (I guess technically last night), I went back to Shades Mountain Baptist with one of my best friends, Emily, who goes to UAB. Little did I know that the worship service and message were going to be exactly what I needed. See, the past few weeks have been extremely trying. My anxiety has been skyrocketing off and on, and on top of it all, I was not getting good, heart-pouring-out worship in my life. So, when the worship leader began singing Forever Reign, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace, comfort, release, joy, and gratefulness all at the same time. It's like, you know, when you sit down to eat a meal, and you don't realize just how starving you were until you begin eating? It was just like that. It felt INCREDIBLE to be surrounded by other believers, and to be able to pour my heart out to my beautiful Savior. 
After we finished singing, the actual pastor of Shades, Danny Wood, got on stage to preach. I, of course, didn't know who he was, but when I saw how excited Emily was when she told me that he was the pastor, I knew that this was about to be good. Before he began, he had two students read Hebrews 11. Having never studied this chapter, I didn't realize that it is basically the Faith Hall of Fame. It begins with Abel and ends with those who have been martyred for their faith. These people are the Heroes of the Faith. For all of the things that these people did- Noah building a giant boat in a place that had never seen rain, Moses refusing royalty to live with his true family, and Gideon defeating armies of tens of thousands with his army of three hundred- they all have this in common: they persevered in their faith and they were rewarded for it. This is amazing stuff to read, but how often do we apply it to our own lives? Do we have perseverance in faith? Many of us can't say that we do. Thinking about the things we go through living in a first world country and comparing them to the things what the people in this passage went through, we have absolutely no reason to be weak in our faith. But we're lazy. We're scared. We're comfortable. It's time to fix that, people. If we can't stick it through the not-difficult-but-slightly-uncomfortable things, what makes you think we're going to be able to see through some horrible tragedy. Brother Wood gave 6 points to help us persevere. 

1. Focus on the unseen. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "So we do not loose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light monetary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." This life may be (and probably is) full of hardships. If we focus on the hard, unpleasant things, we are going to miss out on the amazing life that God has planned for us. If we focus on what is to come for us, and who has gone before us, we realize that it's all worth it. 

2. Believe God is, even when it looks like He isn't. I don't know about you, but there have been a few times in my life when I've wondered if God is even paying attention to me. I feel like he is looking the other way, completely oblivious to the fact that all of these bad things are happening to me. Guess what? He's paying very, very close attention. He hears every single hateful word said to you, He sees every time you get cut off in traffic, He knows when you loose your job. He knows, and He cares. Though it may not seem like it at the time, He's got you right where He wants you, and you're going to thank Him for it later. 

3. Be prepared for God to ask you to endure rather than escape. Hebrews 11:35b-38: "Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—  of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." I gotta admit, this was the hardest one for me. When times get tough, our (or at least my) first prayer is for God to get me out of the situation as soon as possible. If I'm sick, I wanna feel better. If I'm having relationship problems, I want the other person to see that I'm right. If I'm feeling lonely, I want a boyfriend RIGHT NOW. Guess what? Sometimes, we're meant to stick it out. It's gonna be hard. It's gonna hurt. We might not see immediate reward. But it will be so worth it. The people in this passage were tortured and killed in the most brutal ways imaginable. We do not, and probably will never, know the pain and suffering they went through. They never once asked God to get them out, though. Not once did they say, "Alright God, I give up. It's not worth it." No, they stuck it out, and though they never saw reward in their earthly lives, the second they got to Heaven, they were greeted with rewards our human minds could never begin to comprehend. 

4.  Biblical faith may have a variety of outcomes. Not every faith story in the Bible ends the same way. Where Abraham had a multitude of children that populated the earth, Moses died before seeing any of his labor come to a conclusion. Where Abel was killed by his own brother for his faith, Rahab's entire family was spared from death because she hid the spies. There is no guarantee that you will see the grand result of your faithfulness in this physical life, but there will be a grand result, if you are truly faithful. 

5. Faith will be rewarded. As mentioned multiple times before, if you shown true, sincere, steadfast faith, you will be rewarded. You are guaranteed a reward in Heaven, but you may be lucky enough to receive one here on Earth as well. 

6. This one gets me excited. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." While you're struggling through the hard times, focus on the goal. Focus on your Savior, waiting with a smile and open arms at the end. If that's not enough to get you excited, get this: all of those people listed in Hebrews 11 are cheering you on. They are on the sidelines, chanting your name, telling you that you can do it. They've been there. They've been through the times where none of it seems worth it. They've made it to the end and realized that every second, every step was worth it. Seriously, I just love the thought of it! The heroes of the faith are rooting for me. They want to see us succeed! Isn't that amazing? 

So, there it is. Persevere. Stick it out. Stay faithful. Because it's all worth it in the end. 

On a random sidebar, my sweet friend Giann is doing a giveaway of an amazing book on her blog! Go check it out and enter for a chance to win!
http://joyisnothappiness.blogspot.com/2013/10/101-posts-giveaway.html

Thank you SO MUCH for reading! 

{All scripture is from the English Standard Version}

It's Here! It's Here!

I finally got my NuMe In Vogue Flat Iron! I was ECSTATIC when it came in the mail. I will let you join me on my un-packaging journey...
Actually, I didn't take a picture of the actual box it was mailed in. I was just too excited. But, here's the beautiful shiny box it came in...

Isn't it lovely? Just wait till you see the inside....

*Insert heart eyed emoji here* AHHHH it's so pretty!

Ooooh.... Aaaah.... So, of course, my sister and I HAD to try it out immediately. So she straightened my hair and I curled hers. I've never been able to curl well with my old straightener. This one worked like a breeze and we got done in an insanely low amount of time. 

Needless to say, I'm proud of our work. The straightener looks good and feels amazing. 

If you wanna know how you can get one of these or anything else from NuMe for 60% off, look no further than this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLWCRBifduM&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5zSySQab9SA6Wz569WDgqw

Watch the video, and the coupon code will be toward the end. If you like what you see in the video, give Ingrid some love by liking it and subscribing to her channel. 

I promise that I will be doing some real posts soon! Thanks so much for reading!