Miscellany Monday

I hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We sure did!  We got to stay home and all of our family drove to see us! :)

It's been a while since I participated in Miscellany Monday, so here it goes:

I did this about a week ago.  It's been over 6 years since I've had my hair this short.  I wasn't quite convinced that I wanted to go short, but I knew that I wanted something drastically different.  I am glad that I went short...and I can wear it straight or curly. :)

Thursday, we hosted Thanksgiving for Tyler's side of the family.  It was low-key and somewhat non-traditional.  We didn't eat turkey.  I did love getting out my China and setting the table.  (I will be excited when we do purchase a formal dining room table and chairs.)

It has been a tradition for me to make the pumpkin pie.  It started when I was young, and I have enjoyed doing it.  This year was the first year that I had ever made the crust from scratch.  I was pretty proud of how it turned out. :)

The last three years, Tyler and I have gone Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving evening.  It is such a fun, thrilling time.  This year, many of the things on my list were for our new home.  We had such a good time, got what we came for, and were home by 8 pm! :)

Tyler had the first present under the tree.  However, it was my birthday present. :)

This year, our birthdays fell really close to Thanksgiving.  Tyler's is the 29th, and mine and my brother's is the 30th.  So my family came up for the weekend to celebrate.  My mom made each of us a t-shirt quilt!! :)  

One of the most special things was when my Dad and brothers came carrying in my childhood piano.  I originally had said that we had a room in our house that would be perfect for a piano.  However, my mom had put up a fight.  My Granny purchased this piano for me when I was in 1st or 2nd grade.  I was really surprised when they brought it in my house!  I am honored to have it here, and I'm really excited about re-teaching myself how to play (I haven't played since high school).  

Our first Christmas in our new home!  I was so excited to buy a "big" tree this year!  I said I wouldn't until we bought a house....and here we are.  I have plenty of lights on it. :)

Linking up with Carissa today!

**Come back this week for a sneak peek into our new home!**

A Christmas List

I am in Christmas mode.  Usually I'm not this time of year, but something about buying a house has made me want to decorate!!  On Saturday, we bought a BIG tree.  I had been using my 4 foot tree that I got when I moved into the residence hall during my freshman year of college.  I told myself that I wasn't buying a big tree until we bought a house.  And here we are.

With that said, I've been looking for Christmas gift ideas and I want to share with you what I have found.  These are tooooo good to keep to myself!  Enjoy!

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First up, we have the shop Farmgirl Paints.

Becky creates custom cuffs.  You pick the cuff you like.  Then you pick the metal plate and finish up the customization by picking your word or phrase.  I love her work, and I even own two of her cuffs.  

My first cuff was the top one that says, "Redeemed."  I wanted a tangible reminder that no matter what I've done or what situation I'm in, God has redeemed me.

My second cuff {technically third...I bought one for my mom} was purchased when I was going through my tough time at work.  I really wanted a new job, and finally I got that option.  God knew what I needed, and I knew what I needed.  But He had a better plan...one that was more that I could hope for or imagine.  Ephesians 3:20-21 has always been some favorite verses of mine!

These would make perfect Christmas gifts!  But hurry!! Her shop is only open until November 20th.  Then it won't be open again until February 1st!

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Scrap Art By Nina is another one of my favorite shops.  Nina is such a sweetheart!  She makes signs for your home, as well as some other pretty things!  I am always tempted to purchase something in her shop, because she comes up with the cutest things!  

I currently have this sign waiting for me to hang in my new home:

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Nina is great to work with!  She hand crafts these beautiful signs herself.  These signs would make a wonderful housewarming gift, but also Christmas gifts as well!  

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Pen and Paint is a great shop to get more artwork for your walls!  Lindsay is very talented and creates prints that are encouraging for your home.  She also has various other things in her shop from time to time, and I'm so happy to have snagged a hand painted canvas from her!  I wonder where it will go?  :)  Her prints are gorgeous and it is hard to decide which one to get!  These would make great gifts and even stocking stuffers!

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Hope Homemade is a shop filled with beautiful things!  This mother-daughter duo is quite the team!  You can find some of the most beautiful, encouraging items in their shop.  From embroidered pictures to hand-stamped jewelry, you will definitely want to take a peek!

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I also just recently made a purchase from Katygirl Designs. She makes gorgeous prints as well!  These are the ones that I have and am currently trying to decide where to hang:

She makes beautiful prints that share Truth.  Be sure to check her shop out! 

Each of these shops are wonderful!  They take pride in their handmade businesses.  Hopefully I've shared something that will go on your list?  Or maybe you see something that would be the perfect gift for someone else.  

Small Business Saturday falls on my birthday this year...November 30th.  Please consider supporting a small business.  It's here where you will get most heart for your money. :)

Bunton Christmas 2012

My parents' house is magical at Christmastime.
My mom just really knows how to decorate.
And I didn't even get it all!!

These are just some scenes from my family Christmas:
Opening gifts at 11:00 pm.  I have never done that before.
Playing Monopoly Deal.
Playing the Wii.  I love that my dad plays with us!

We had Bunton Christmas at my Granny's house on Saturday.
It included:

• looking at old Family Calendars
• looking a pictures from past mission trips (my brother is giving his "report" in the picture above)
• singing Christmas carols (and yes, my Granny at 83 years old still plays her piano)
• going around and telling a favorite Christmas memory from this year
• My cousin, Carl, reading out of Matthew 2
• My cousin, Luke, reading a poem he wrote for my Granny (which left us all in tears)
• receiving this year's family calendar
• and going to church together on Sunday morning (my cousin Conrad is my Granny's buddy).

I am so blessed to have an extended family that always gets together to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  We all love the Lord, and it's so awesome to see it.  We are a crazy bunch of people, but anyone would do anything for anyone else.  I love them!  And I love that my husband is just as crazy and fits right in!! :)

Christmas Isn't Over...

Most everyone is putting away their Christmas decorations and getting on with life.
Not me!
I like to savor this time of year.
To hang on to it as long as I can.

Well, we also have 2 more Christmases to attend.
One with my immediate family and the other with my extended family.
Both of which are happening this weekend.
I am so excited to go home for the weekend.
I am not excited to drive the 5 hours tonight to get there.

It didn't even seem like Christmas to me this year...
Tyler and I both had to work on Christmas eve and the day after.
So it really kind of was just like a random day off in the middle of the week.
We didn't bake or eat Christmas candy.
We didn't gorge ourselves with other food...
Just seemed like a Saturday.
Weird.

Hopefully next week I'll post pictures of our Christmas adventures...
For now, I'll say,
"Feliz Navidad!"

My husband bought me the other band that I wanted to go with my ring set!  Isn't is GORGEOUS?!?!?!

No-Sew Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial

Hey guys!
I thought I would share with you how I made my tree skirt!
This is my first ever "tutorial," if you will.

I had already purchased 6 prints of Christmas fabric at Joann's earlier this fall.
I wanted them all to complement each other in case I had a project for all 6 of them.
Lo and behold, I did.

Supplies Needed:

• 1 cheap, felt tree skirt {the uglier, the better...it makes you feel SO much better about your finished project}
• 6 patterns of Christmas fabric  (these measurements are most definitely approximations)
• 1st ruffle:  approx. 1 3/4 yards
• 2nd ruffle:  approx. 1 1/2 yard
• 3rd ruffle:  approx. 1 yard
• 4th ruffle:  approx. 3/4 yard
• 5th ruffle:  approx. 1/2 yard
• 6th ruffle:  approx. 1/4 yard
• Rotary cutter
• Rotary mat
• Ruler
• Hot glue gun
• 5-6 hot glue sticks
• Patience

Above is the 41" felt tree skirt that I purchased at Deal's for $1.

I measured out my material and cut them in 4 inch strips using my rotary cutter, mat, and ruler.

I honestly guessed at how much material I needed.

When I found out I needed more, I basted the ends of my strips together using my sewing machine, but you could just glue them and it wouldn't matter.

I started with the largest ruffle around the bottom and worked my way up.  

I started gluing my strip, just an inch from the edge of the tree skirt.

As I glued, I made it ruffle.

After each layer was finished, I started the next.

**Be careful...that glue gets hot.  I burned my fingers a couple of times.**

Ta-da!!  It took me approximated 5 hours to complete the entire thing.

As I've said to many people, we don't have a big tree yet.  We're waiting until we buy a house to purchase one, so for now, I used it around my button ornament tree!  I think it looks cute as it flows off our fireplace onto the floor.  I hope to purchase a ruffling foot for my sewing machine, so that maybe one day I'll sew another one.

Every Heart Prepare Him Room

And the winners are:

Mandy, Kim B, Coasterkim, and Abigail 

Please email me at asimplekindoflove {at} gmail {dot} com to claim your prize! :)

Congratulations!

How have you been preparing for this Christmas season?

To be honest with you, I haven't been in the Christmas spirit.

I have my tree and decorations up, and one gift wrapped.

I have a list of gift ideas for people, but haven't acted upon it.

I haven't felt like shopping...honestly, we will probably be buying most gifts online.

Shopping in St. Louis is like an Olympic sport, and I don't have the agility to keep up.

The best thing is that I don't feel like I have to.

Want to know a real confession?

I don't like Christmas music.

Well, I don't like it in November or December.

I LOVE it in July.

So that can't even help me get into the spirit of Christmas.

{Side note:  My favorite Christmas carol is O Holy Night.}

But, I don't mean by gift shopping, baking, listening to Christmas music, or even tree trimming.

How have you been preparing your heart?

If I'm being honest with you, my heart really hasn't been in it.

I feel like I need to keep up with the hustle and bustle of the season, but what I really need to do is slow down and reflect the reason for the season.

I've been very bothered by this lately.

With other things going on and a checklist of Christmas things to do, my heart has just been weighed down.

This morning I prayed,

"God, please prepare my heart for this Christmas season."

Reading the Christmas story in the Bible has made me reflect upon who Christ is.

Not only that, but it has made me reflect on who God is.

He gave is only son so that we may have life with Him!

Can you imagine giving your first born away?

Not only giving him away, but then watching as He was nailed to a cross and died for all of mankind??

I don't have kids yet...and Lord willing, we won't for several more years.

But I cannot even fathom what that would be like.

To know that a God loves each of us sooo much that He gave up His ONLY son that we may live with Him forever?

I don't know about you, but every time I think about that, it brings tears to my eyes.

How could I ever be worthy of a Love like that?

Simply stated, I'm not.

But because of God's Grace, I'm worthy of it.

With all the Christmas activities, parties, family get togethers, and gift giving going on, don't forget to stop and let Jesus into your heart. 

Let Him be the reason that we're doing all of this fun stuff.

Let Him be the reason that we're giving to others.

Let Him be the reason we worship.

How are you preparing Him room in your heart this Christmas season?

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