19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 1 ~ Salt Dough Ornaments and Gift Tags

I am so excited to share a great Christmas craft project today.  Salt dough ornaments and gift tags.  For pennies you can make a great gift for your family and friends.  I am using the ones my girls and I made as gift tags that the recipients can later use as an ornament.

All you need to get started is

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup salt

1/2 water

1,2,3 easy peasy!!!

Toss it all in the mixer for a few minutes.

Once it is all combined

Kneed until smooth

I separated mine, so each girl could have one.

Roll the dough ball out on wax paper

Now for the fun part….

Grab a doily and press it into the dough with the rolling pin.

When you lift the doily off you will be left with a beautiful pattern.

Next grab a cookie cutter and cut out your ornaments.

Remove the dough from around your ornament shapes, lift and

place on a cookie sheet and poke a hole with a straw.

Cook at 200 degrees for 5-6 hours.

Take them out and let them cool.

Paint them white, start with the back.  After the back is dry, paint the front.

After the paint is dry apply glue to the front.

While the glue is still wet sprinkle with glitter.

Lightly wipe off the top, so that the glitter only sticks in the grooves.

After the glitter and glue has dried seal with a spray sealer.

Write on the back who the gift is to and from and run a ribbon through the hole.

Hang from your gift.

And give to your friends and family.

A simple gift that will become sentimental in the years to come.

 

Charity

Day 1 ~ Salt Dough Ornaments
Day 2 ~ Silent Night, Holy Night Pillow
Day 3 ~ Sentimental Penny Keychain
Day 4 ~ Cookie Sheet Chalkboard
Day 5 ~ Duct Tape Composition Notebook
Day 6 ~ Bible Bookmark
Day 7 ~ Bible Notebook

Saying Yes

A few years ago there was a turning point with my walk with God,

a point of an all or nothing decision. 

Thankfully, I chose all.

I had no idea what the decision would do to my life at the time or that it would change everything about me on some level.  I remember a prayer time with God where I told Him that my answer was YES.  YES to whatever He would ask of me in the future.  I would Submit my will and desires to Him.  I would submit my attitude and judgments to Him.  I would submit my time and possessions to Him.  I would submit my gifts and talents to Him.  It started small and I can not say that I have done ALL the first time that He has asked or that it has all been easy to surrender and I am for sure not finished… sanctification is until the end.  But here is what I do know because I have trusted and stepped out in faith I have been places and done things for Christ that I know I am not worthy or capable of.  I have watched the God of the universe use me to do things that I know are not in my skill set.  Each new step has shown me that it was never about me and what I can do but always about what needed to be done and the power of God through the Holy Spirit that can and does preform miracles.  With each and every YES that I have given God, I have been amazed at what He has done with it.  He has provided all that was needed and taken care of every detail.  All He ever needed from me was faith big enough to say YES!

Picture by the fabulous Coleen Verner

Is God calling you to say YES, today?   I pray that each of you who read this will have the faith to say YES to God and the call He has on your life.  Step out and know that all He needs is a YES from you, He will provide the rest.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.       

                                                                                                                  Luke 17:5-6

 

This faith walk is an exciting adventure, one that I am excited to share with you!

 

Charity

A Promise and A Ring ~ A Promise Ring

Just a few week ago this beautiful girl turned 14.  My goodness, my heart aches with how fast time is flying by!

She has known what she wanted for her birthday for over a  year.  This is a rare thing for her, she normally has no request and is happy with any and everything.  Yes, we know what a blessing that is.  This gift was different, from the time she heard of the idea of a promise ring she has wanted one.  We would be crazy not to want to give her one but we wanted to wait until the time was right for her, which means she did not (to her disappointment) get it for her birthday last year.  We needed her to be mature enough to understand the full meaning of this ring.  This ring was not a simply a gift but a symbol of a promise, first to God and herself and then to us.  This is a promise she has made and there did not have to be a ring to go with it but we are firm believers in visual aids and symbolic gifts so we wanted to give this gift.  Audrey and I have spent the past year studying the covenant promises of God and that when God makes a promise He never breaks a promise.  Going through this study has opened her eyes to the importance of God’s commandments for our lives and that they are for our protection and blessing.  We wanted her to understand that the God of this universe has a plan for her and the best way that she can fulfill it is to follow His commandments and live a life of faithfully following Him.  A valuable piece of that is to be a pure virgin on your wedding night.  It is our desire and expectation that she will not date for fun but date (when she is an at an age to consider marriage) prayerfully with a desire to meet the man God has planned for her.  Her dad wrote her a letter blessing her with beautiful words of how precious and valuable she is and encouraging her as she starts walking through this next phase of life and finally explaining what this covenant promise means between

her and God,

her and us,

and her and her future husband.

One day this ring will be replace by another, one purchased by a man who will make a promise to her for life.  My prayer for her and him is that she can take the ring we bought her off and with no shame give it to him on their wedding night.

Charity

PS.  The study we used was Covenant by Kay Arthur

July 10, 2013 2:30 am

This time 14 years ago I had no idea how

in a few hours my life was going to change.  How could I…this was all new to me.

  Motherhood

was something I had longed for and dreamed about but didn’t know.  I had spent the last few months nesting and fluffing every cute pink thing I could get my hands on but still didn’t know what motherhood was about to do to me!

I awoke at 7:30 to my water breaking.  It was so exciting to call your dad (he was working with Nana and Papa early that morning) and tell him

“it was time”. 

The time we had been anticipating for months was finally here.  Today was our day to become a family of three.  You were 3 1/2 weeks early at this point but I had no fear, only peace.  On the ride to the hospital we took our time, stopping to get me something to eat because after all you were our first and everyone tells you how long it takes.  About 10 minutes from the hospital I had my first contraction.  I may have asked your dad to speed up at that point!  When we got to the hospital we had to stand at the check in desk for what seemed like forever, giving them all he same information I had filled out and mailed to them a month earlier…go figure.  After that they bring a wheelchair and wheel me to a room.  By this point the contractions are regular and strong.  A nurse comes in and asks me a million and one questions, including how much I weigh.  Can I stop right here and just say that NO ONE should ever ask a woman how much she weighs much less when she has spent the last 9 months gaining weight, is swollen and in pain from contractions, there I feel better now!  We answered all her questions only breaking for contractions.  I asked her if she was going to check me and she politely smiles and says, NO dear, this is your first baby and you have a long time ahead of you, I will be back later to check you.  Well, that was not the answer I was looking for because I knew it was close to time!  I told her that she could laugh at me later but please check me now!  She did and to her great surprise I was dilated to a 7, in less than an hour (from when the first contraction came) I had dilated to a 7.  She quickly started making calls to the doctors and prepping the room.  I do not remember what time I it was when I started to push, which I had no idea how to do and spent most of the time doing it wrong, but I know you arrived perfect and healthy at 1:35 pm. 

From the first look at you, I knew my world had changed forever.  I now knew I would never do anything in life the same.  Suddenly I knew what it meant to love unconditionally.  You had not looked me  or touched me and had nothing to offer but needs but I was willing to die for you!  I did not know I was capable of that type of love!  Suddenly, you had welcomed me into

Motherhood

and changed me forever.

I am beyond thankful to have you and one day, in the not to distant future, I can’t wait for you to have your first and to finally fully understand what a treasured gift you are!

For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. 1Samuel 1:27

I love you Audrey,

Happy 14th Birthday!

Momma

Growing Girls In Grace ~ Book 1, Chapter 1

You all have blown me away with your love and support of my ebook, even before you really had all the information about it. 

PLEASE

know how much you have blessed me.

Today, I am giving you a little peek of the ebook.  It is a Bible Study called Growing Girls in Grace, Book 1

Below is chapter 1.

If you love it and would like to order the ebook for $12 you can purchase
 here

 and then I will send you the link to download the entire book.

There are 12 chapters, one for each month of the year, in the book.  Each month is set up like the sample month.

Start the month by copying The Bible Memory Verse Card for the month and spend the month memorizing it with your daughter.  At the end of the month plan a day to make the craft and spend time talking, I have included conversation starter each month to help you break the ice and get things started.  I find that once their hands are busy they are free to share their hearts.  This is a great time to connect with your daughter over

The Word of God.

I recommend this book for girls ages 4-14.

I am currently working on a deeper Bible Study for middle school girls that will also include craft projects each month, and a boy version of both studies.

Check back soon for new books.

Also, I hope to list some new products in the next couple of weeks.

Again, thank YOU for your support.

Reviews

 

As a mom of three girls, I cannot recommend Growing Girls in Grace enough. In this world, today, it is more important than ever to equip our young ladies with God’s word and the tools they need to grow into Godly women. Charity has perfectly captured a way for moms to connect with their daughter’s through great conversation starters, relevant Bible verses, and fun crafts. The crafts require minimum materials and are explained in great, easy to follow steps. They are also crafts that you will be thrilled to use in your home. A year spent with Growing Girls in Grace will be a wonderful time of growth for you and your daughter(s).
Kelly Lorenzen
Looking for some help to creatively and intentionally foster a love for God's Word in your daughter while also bonding with her? This ebook is filled with step by step directions to guide you as you connect with your daughter in discussions of the Bible and how it practically applies to real life. The hands-on crafts will surely make a mark on your daughter! She will take these lessons with her into life! You will be making priceless memories for both of you! Use this book if you want to encourage your daughters relationship with the Lord and with you in truly meaningful ways.
Kristy Dorminy
What a delightful book! It is vital that mothers and daughters spend time together and cultivate a healthy relationship. This book is full of the sweetest ways to do that. Cha Cha’s heart for her own daughters shines through the ideas and makes me want to grab my girls, sit down at the kitchen table and talk. Her clever and easy going combination of working with your hands, using your creativity, sharing your inner thoughts and adding Scripture is an inspiration! I pray that all moms can catch the vision of spending this kind of quality time with their daughters, creating a bond that will last a lifetime. And in the process have a fun takeaway craft that will be a charming reminder of the time they spent together. Best of all, she beautifully points to Christ through this precious mother-daughter time. You will be blessed by this book.
Lisa Pennington
Author of The Pennington Point and women’s group speaker

Cha Cha

Go for the Gold

Today I am joining in with

It is a fun link party with decorating themes to keep our home fresh and current by pulling design elements inspired by a haute couture.  Two of my loves, fashion and décor, combined into one.

This challenge was to add gold into your home.  If you know me in real life, you KNOW I have been doing this for years.  You may have even teased me about it.  That is okay, I forgive you…HA!

Here is my favorite gold in my house

I love my gold lamps, they are the perfect haute couture for this room.

You can see more of our Master Bedroom by clicking the link.

Be sure to check back soon for some recent updates to the room, also.

Cha Cha

Check out more GOLD inspiration at my friend Edie's blog

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

Key Lime Pie

 Ice Cream

Ingredients:

10 ounces Key Lime Juice

1/3 cup Sugar

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 Egg Yolks

Whole Milk

1 & 1/2  quart ice cream maker

1. Squeeze limes to get juice

2. Mix lime juice and all other ingredients EXCEPT milk

3.  Pour into electric ice cream maker

4.  Fill to top with whole milk

5.  Run until frozen, mine takes about 25-30 minutes

Graham Cracker Crust Topping

1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

1.  Mix well

2.  Spread out onto cookie sheet

3.  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes

4.  Cool and crumble

Eat and Enjoy

Charity

Speaking Clip

5 Minute clip from

 The Pearl Event ~ The Triple Strand

Charity

The Pearl Event

I am getting very excited, this time next week I will be packing my car and getting ready for Nashville!

The Pearl Event will be here in just 9 short days and I can’t wait.

Until then..

I have exciting news for today I have tickets for some of you.

Leave a comment below and I will pick a winner on Friday.

Make sure you leave your name and email so I can get in touch with you.

Can’t wait to meet you there!

Charity

Growing Girls in Grace, book 1

Good Morning!

I am getting ready to pack my car and head to the church to get my booth set up for

 The Johnny Hunt Women's Conference.

I am excited to see all the God has planned today, for myself and for every lady coming.

It is going to be a great day.

Before, I pack up and leave I wanted to let you in on some exciting news.

I have written an ebook!!!!!!!!!

The book is called

Growing Girls in Grace

Growing Girls in Grace is a perfect way to for mother and daughter to connect
over God's word and crafts. Included in this book is a Bible Memory Verse
Card and detailed craft tutorial for each month of the year. Each month
focuses on a different Biblical principle vital to girls of all ages to learn. Start
the month by introducing the memory verse card and end each month
discussing the verses and doing the craft together. Use the monthly
conversation starters to aid you as you teach your daughter the corresponding
Biblical principle.

Writing this book has been on my heart for several years but the timing was never right. 

Until, God put all the pieces and people into place and allowed it to come together in record time, in a way that was and is so clearly Him.

I am blown away by all of the support and encouragement He has brought to me and others through this adventure and can not wait to see what He does next with it.

For now, I am offering it only from my blog. If you are interested, send me an email @ TheHeartfeltHome@gmail.com for more info.

Reviews

As a mom of three girls, I cannot recommend Growing Girls in Grace enough. In this world, today, it is more important than ever to equip our young ladies with God’s word and the tools they need to grow into Godly women. Charity has perfectly captured a way for moms to connect with their daughter’s through great conversation starters, relevant Bible verses, and fun crafts. The crafts require minimum materials and are explained in great, easy to follow steps. They are also crafts that you will be thrilled to use in your home. A year spent with Growing Girls in Grace will be a wonderful time of growth for you and your daughter(s). 
Kelly Lorenzen
 

Looking for some help to creatively and intentionally foster a love for God's Word in your daughter while also bonding with her? This ebook is filled with step by step directions to guide you as you connect with your daughter in discussions of the Bible and how it practically applies to real life. The hands-on crafts will surely make a mark on your daughter! She will take these lessons with her into life! You will be making priceless memories for both of you! Use this book if you want to encourage your daughters relationship with the Lord and with you in truly meaningful ways.

Kristy Dorminy
 
What a delightful book! It is vital that mothers and daughters spend time together and cultivate a healthy relationship. This book is full of the sweetest ways to do that. Cha Cha’s heart for her own daughters shines through the ideas and makes me want to grab my girls, sit down at the kitchen table and talk. Her clever and easy going combination of working with your hands, using your creativity, sharing your inner thoughts and adding Scripture is an inspiration! I pray that all moms can catch the vision of spending this kind of quality time with their daughters, creating a bond that will last a lifetime. And in the process have a fun takeaway craft that will be a charming reminder of the time they spent together. Best of all, she beautifully points to Christ through this precious mother-daughter time. You will be blessed by this book.
Lisa Pennington
Author of The Pennington Point and women’s group speaker

To God Be All Glory

Tomorrow at this time I will be packing my car to overflowing and checking and rechecking a list that I have been working on for weeks now.  So what am I doing, you ask.

Vacation… NOPE!

  Even BETTER!

I am following God’s call, stepping out in faith, jumping heart first out of the safe into that place where only God knows what will happen next.

The truth is I have been taking steps toward the edge for the last few weeks but tomorrow many other people will know about it.  Those people will be able to judge my leap of faith as either a success or a failure.  My faith will be watched and scrutinized but I am ready and I already know the answer to all of this.

It will be a success because it is God and no matter what it looks like to our earthly eyes God has ways and plans that are not like ours.

So,

ENOUGH

with tip toeing around the what.  Here goes.

Tomorrow I will start selling my Bible Memory Verse Pillows again.  To some of you this means nothing but to those of you who have been here long enough you may remember them and the struggle I had with them..

For those of you who are new they are basically a decorative pillow, for your kids, with a pocket on the front to store Bible Memory Verse Cards in.

I had made many and tried to sell them a few years ago but did not have any real success, if you count selling them as success. I felt like a failure and was pretty beat up over the whole thing, I knew that God had planted the idea in my heart but I did not know what to do with it.  I put the idea and my inventory on the self for the last few years and would occasionally find the tote that they were stored in and pray and ask God what to do.  I never had a peace about doing anything so back on the shelf they would go and some days this was easy and some days there was still heartbreak and confusion.

Then one day, not too long ago

God said it was time.

Time to bring them off the shelf

Time to expose my heart and faith

Time to jump

So…

Here I am today,

Telling you that I am jumping!

I am jumping without fear and hesitation because this time…

This time,

I do not care what the earthly success looks like.  I have already seen God’s glory exposed and talked about through the whole process. Since it is my only goal to allow God’s glory to shine then if not one pillow sells it is still a success  and I am still full of joy.

God has use the pillows to spur other ideas, ideas that are fully His.

Ideas that have brought me to my knees with tears of joy to have a glimpse of His heart and for Him to trust me to move forward with this.

Today I want to say,

Thank You

God

for every good and perfect gift,

to

You

be all glory and honor.

Charity

I will be selling at The Johnny Hunt Women's Conference on Friday and Saturday if you are going to be there please stop by my booth and say hi.

If you are interested in purchasing a pillow or just want more info send me an email @ TheHeartfeltHome@gmail.com

Come back tomorrow to see one of the other ideas God has entrusted to me.