Holiday Decor

Linking up with "Gussy."  Here is my favorite handmade Christmas decoration to date.  

I got the idea from pinterest, where else.

It was pretty simple to make.

I just rolled up some fabric into the rosette flowers, and then added the beading from a strand I got for like 50 cents at the thrift store a while ago.

I love the rustic feel of the actual wreath mixed with the whimsical rosettes and beading.

We have double doors on our house, so I made two.

It makes me happy everytime I drive up the driveway and know I will walk through those pretty doors.

Inspiration Workshop - Holiday How To

This week's prompt from Gussy is "Holiday How-To." Fun and fun. I can't wait to read all the tips headed my way in the link-up.  You should check it out too. Anywho, here is my tip. Make an advent calendar for your kids. There are so many ideas out there for different ways to use the advent calendar. I chose to follow the variety that include activities and special somethings to go along with the countdown to Christmas. What a neat way to experience the holiday season by taking out time each day to spend quality time with your family and recognize the truth behind Christ's birth. I am doing an advent calendar for the first time this year. George is four years old, so I thought he would really "get" it this year. Here is my plan: First, I made 25 bags with numbers on them to fill with three things. 

Each bag holds a Bible verse that is part of the Christmas story.

They each hold a piece of candy (leftover Halloween candy finally being used).

And lastly, each bag holds a strip of paper stating an activity we will accomplish at some point in the day.

Done and done.

The hardest part of it all was coming up with 25 activities for us to do as a family.

I had to make sure it worked with our schedule and was something that was feasible for that day.

Today is your lucky day because I am going to list the activities I am using to give you a head start on putting this together yourself.

You can thank me later.

1. Read Luke 2:1-21

2. Play your favorite game as a family

3. Go pick out a Christmas tree for our house

4. Unwrap new ornament and put it on the tree

5. Decorate a Christmas card for Nouna and Papou & Mema and Pepa

6. Walk in Largo Central Park to see the Christmas lights

7. Decorate your room for Christmas

8. Buy Ms. Joellen a Christmas gift

9. Go out and buy sibling Christmas gifts

10. Sing a Christmas song

11. Christmas program at church

12. Go out to dinner at a restaurant

13. Read all our Christmas books

14. Make a Christmas craft with mom

15. Open and wear new jammies to bed

16. Go to Disney World

17. Go to Tate’s Birthday Party

18. Open new Christmas book and read it

19. Make Christmas cookies

20. Go look at Christmas lights

21. Drink hot chocolate and eat cookies

22. Open and put together a Christmas puzzle

23. Watch Mickey Mouse Scrooge Movie

24. Read The Night Before Christmas & Pick one present under the tree to open tonight (Christmas Eve)

25. Christmas Day – Read the Christmas story

I got all my supplies at Michael's if you are interested in copying this idea (that I totally copied from an idea on pinterest).  Just sayin'



Inspiration Workshop - Thanksgiving

I am linking up with Gussy for her "Inspiration Workshop" this week. Her prompt this week was Thanksgiving . . . how appropriate. We began an annual tradition last year of having Thanksgiving at our house. We moved into our first house last July, so we wanted to invite everyone who has opened their homes to us so many times before to come and enjoy our hospitality. The house isn't big, but it is a pretty good use of space. We had 16 people last year, and we will have around 24 this year. I guess people feel comfortable at our abode, because the number keeps growing. Here is a picture review of last year's festivities.  We expect much of the same this year. The little boys made turkey cupcakes.

I got shirts made for my two babies, and they were so adorable.

Tim fried a turkey for the first time.  It was delicious, as evidenced here by my sister's hungry expression.

For every holiday I can remember growing up, we always had a "kids" table and an "adult" table.

We seem to be subconsciously carrying on the same tradition.

I don't quite know how I am still sitting at the "kids" table with two kids of my own.

And the "adult" table from last year.

There is nothing quite like food and family together.

I am so thankful for all the people in my life that the Lord has blessed me with.

I don't say that flippantly because I know so many who have never felt even a fraction of the love I feel everyday.

I truly want this Thanksgiving season to be a time where I reflect on all the blessings God has given me.

He is so good, and I am so undeserving.



Favorite Accessory

This week's link-up over at "Gussy Sews" is Your Favorite Accessory.Fun, Fun. I had to think and think about this one because . . .  I LOVE accessories.  I love clothes too, but I feel like the accessories make the outfit. I consider things like shoes, purses, jewelry, hair do-dads, etc. to all be accessories. There are so many fun combinations to play with in each of our wardbrobes.  It doesn't matter how much stuff you have; you can put together so many fun combinations. As I thought about it and thought about it . . . I could only pick one accessory to be my favorite. This is something that I love to have on me or close to me at anytime during the day. This is something that I will keep far longer than anything else in my closet or house for that matter. This is something that I made, so you could call it a "DIY" accessory. This is something that is far more beautiful than anything I have ever seen in any store. This is something I have not seen on Pinterest. Any guesses??? 

My boys.

They are my most favorite accessory EVER!

Fever

Linking up with Gussy for the "Inspiration Workshop."
This week's theme is the color red.

Honestly, the only red thing that comes to mind right now is my 13 month old's red face at midnight last night.

He woke up with a raging fever, and I have never seen such a color on his face before.

Poor baby is going to get lots of cuddles today, so I have to cut this short.

Happy Thursday to you (it probably won't be too happy around here).

Inspiration Workshop - FALL

Linking up with Gussy for her "Inspiration Workshop" this week - All About Fall.

Fall is kind of an oxymoron here in Largo, Florida.

Our weather does change - It goes from 95 degrees to 85 degrees during the day.
 Not exactly what I call "boot" weather.

Anyhow, I do love the idea of fall, so here are some of my favorite things that I do to make it feel like fall without the weather.

1.  Pumpkin Spice Coffee.
I know everyone loves the Starbucks version, but I am loving me some Dunkin' Donut kind this year.

2.  Pumpkin Cookies. 

My all-time favorite cookie.  I got the recipe from one of my brother's ex-girlfriend's mom.

When I tasted them I had to have the recipe.  If you tasted them you would have to have it too.

Here it is:
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening (I use half butter)
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6 ounce package of chocolate chips

What to do?
Cream together shortening, sugar and pumkin.
Add egg and mix well.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Add to mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop on lightly greased cookie sheet & bake at 375 for ten minutes (no more, no less)

Frosting ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons of milk
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla

What to do about this frosting?
Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar unil the sugar is dissolved.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla and stir with a whisk until blended.
Drizzle onto the cookies while the frosting is still warm.

Tips -
I always double or triple the recipe.  You will be making them everyday if you don't.  Just sayin'
They freeze really well, so you can make as many as you want and keep them frozen until you need 'em.

And . . . that about sums up Fall to me.  Pumpkin this and pumpkin that.  I don't get much fall weather around here, but I sure do make sure I get me some pumpkin.

Our Family Room

The "Inspiration Workshop" this week is Show off your Family Room.


I want to start off by saying that I love, love, love my family room. It doesn't belong in a magazine by any stretch of the imagination, but it is where we spend the majority of our time as a family.

We moved into our now house a little over a year ago. It was a complete mess, which allowed us to get a great deal on it. It is not a big house, but one of its best features is the large size of the family room.

Here is the before:

We (with our amazing, talented, and patient brother and sister-in-law) remodeled the whole house. We still have some minor things to finish, such as painting the molding, touching up paint on the walls, etc.

Here it is in all its glory (aka messiness):

As you can see we put in tile floors, painted the walls, put up crown molding and replaced the baseboards. We also put in new window treatments and casing.

We have a toy corner in the room, which is essential for any family room, right?

Here is the wall that used to have a large mirror on it (the one with the shelves) and our tv wall:

Lastly, I will throw in a few pictures of my Fall decor from the family room:

I usually put candy corn in that clear pumpkin, but I haven't had time to go out and get some.

Well, that about sums up my living room. I love looking at other people's houses, so it was a change to show mine.

Favorite Shop???

This week's "inspiration workshop" prompt was your favorite shop.


Say what? This one kind of stumped me because although I would love to say I shop in "shops," the only places I get to shop at are the grocery store and Target on a good day.

We don't really live in an area with a lot of "shops." The ones we do have are terribly expensive. Maybe one day I could peek my head in them, but for now I will stay out to resist temptation.

I have heard of these cute cupcake shops in big cities like New York or Chicago. That is one type of "shop" I would LOVE to visit. I found this picture on pinterest, and it makes me drool.

That's all for today, folks. Now I need to go find a cupcake to eat.

Books That Inspire

Today's "inspiration workshop" was all about books.


It couldn't get much better than this for me. I am an avid reader. My husband cals me a book worm (in the most loving way possible, of course). I. Love. To. Read. anything and everything.

I want to share some of my favorite books, but I also want to tell you why they are favorites. We all have our reasons for picking favorites, and here are mine.

1. My most favorite book of all time: Redeeming Love by Francince Rivers.

You could say my husband and I fell in love over this book. We both read it, and it really was the factor that brought us into a deep conversation. It was this conversation that made me wonder if I could love this boy who read a Christian romance novel (although it is so much more than that). I have read this book multiple times, and given away copies to almost everyone I know or at least care about. It is a must read . . . even if you aren't a "reader." Read it and give me your opinion then:)

2. My most favorite book that I taught as an Enlgish teacher: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I taught this book to ninth grade students, and it was a blast. Our final project for the book was a reenactment of the trial scene in the book. I actually took my class to a real courtroom to watch a trial in action. My dad is a lawyer, so I have always had a soft spot in my heart for books with anything law related. The kids loved it, and I still hear them talking about it whenever their ninth grade experience comes up. It makes my heart soar to know that I made that impact on them. It is any teacher's dream come true.

3. My most favorite children's book: I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa Mccourt and Cyd Moore

This is the cutest book about unconditional love for your children. If you have children and don't have this book, do yourself and the little one a favor and get it. It is a good investment. I loved, loved, loved reading it to George when he was a baby, and it is still one of the ones he picks out most frequently before bedtime. Ethan seems to be liking it as well. It has really cute pictures and a funny storyline that both kids and adults love.

Well, that is my list. I would love to hear yours. Also, don't forget about the book club starting in two weeks. I will be "announcing" the book we will be reading this Sunday, so stay tuned.

Vintage - Inspiration Workshop

This is week #6 for me in the Inspiration Workshop sponsored by "Gussy Sews." I am enjoying the prompts each week, and this week was no exception.


This week's prompt was vintage. I thought about this word for a while before I got my inspiration. I finally remembered some perfect vintage pictures I have of my maternal grandmother.

 

Isn't she perfectly vintage?

She recently passed away, and it has been extremely hard on our family.

Her name was Louise, and I was named after her. We always had that special connection. Everyone always commented on how much we were alike. It is so funny the way that worked out. We were both outgoing people who loved to talk and talk and talk.

She was absolutely hilarious and loved by all who knew her.

She embodied beauty until the day she died. She always cared about what she looked like, no matter how old she got. It gave me so much inspiration to watch her put on make-up and do her hair.

She was such a great grandmother, and I dedicate this vintage post to her. Vintage is so popular right now, and I think she embodied everything people love about that word. She was beautiful, fun, her own person, brave, and proud.

Here's to you, grandma! You are surely missed!

My favorite color is . . .

This is week #5 for me participating in "Gussy Sews: Inspiration Workshop." I have really enjoyed these little prompts and creative writing exercises each week.


This week we needed to portray our favorite color through pictures and words. When I was young I used to always say my favorite color was purple.

via pinterest

When I think back on it now, I am not sure that was true. I feel like that was one of my first experiences with peer pressure. Everyone had to have a favorite color, so I just picked one and stuck with it. In reality, I don't think I have ever had a favorite color.

I am a good decision maker. I make decisions quick. I also try to stay try to those decisions even when I come to a conclusion that they were wrong. I seem to have a small (maybe big) pride problem.

But this post was about colors, so moving on . . .
Right now in my life I like different colors for different things. My walls are sea green, and I adore them.

via pinterest (not my house)

My kitchen walls are yellow, and the cabinets are white. That is my absolute favorite combination in a kitchen. I could spend all day in that bright, happy room. Somedays I actually do spend all day in there with all the meals, snacks, drinks, and whatever else I have to put together for my family.

my house . . . mess and all:)

My favorite color to wear is turquoise. I absolutely love to wear it when I am super tan. It seems to accentuate the bronze in my skin.

via pinterest

My favorite colors for bedding are classics. I love a good khaki or navy bedding. I like the crisp look of the classics in the bedrooms with brighter walls and pillows.

via pinterest

All that being said, I obviously still have no favorite color, but I like it that way. I love being free to like different colors at different times and not feeling stuck in a go-to favorite. Maybe this makes me fickle, but I say it like it is. Take it or leave it . . . unless you are my husband, who is required to take it and like it:)

From My Front Porch Looking In . . .

That's the view I love the most. From my front porch looking in.

This is week #4 for me participating in "Gussy Sews" Inspiration Workshop.

The prompt this week was porches.
We don't have a front porch, unfortunately. I would love to have one, but since we live in Florida, I don't see it happening. The houses where we live weren't built that way. There is always the possibility of building our dream house. You never know, right?

We do, however, have a back porch. It is actually one of the parts of our house where we did a lot of DIY work. When we bought our house the porch was in total shambles. It contained a non-working hot tub, and the floor was turf, as in the fake grass you see on athletic fields. Do you know why anyone would put that on a screened porch? Me either.

We decided to rip up the turf and tile the entire porch, but when the nasty came up there was an interesting, designed concrete underneath. It was a concrete floor, but it had been cut to have the "look" of tile. We really liked it but knew it would take a lot of work to refinish.

Tim borrowed a pressure washer from a friend and got it all clean. Then we bought a concrete stain in a terra cotta color. It took two coats, but it turned out gorgeous. We really love it.

We still need to redo the screen and organize the area a little better, but it is slowly becoming a space where I know we will spend many family gatherings. I am excited to enjoy our little outdoor space and absorb all the natural surroundings it provides. I see it becoming a very happy place for the Bettelli family.

How does your garden grow?

Well, this is week 3 of my "inspiration workshop" posts. Excited to be linking up with all the lovelies from "Gussy Sews."


She threw a wrench in my plans with the prompt of "garden" this week.

I am not a gardener. I have never been a gardener. I probably will never be a gardener. I had grand plans at one time in my life to plant some fruits and veggies out in the backyard, but obviously that never happened. This prompt was difficult for me because I don't have much experience to back me up.

I did find this cute picture on Pinterest . . . and it did give me some inspiration!

The text on the watering can says, "One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides."

Isn't that quote true about so many things in life? Anticipation is most of the fun. You plan, and plan, and plan, and plan some more for things that only take a few days or a few hours to complete. Things like vacations, weddings, parties, birthing your baby, and of course, gardening. You plant because you have faith something wonderful will sprout from that tiny seed.

While I thought through this prompt, the best parallel I could make in my life was my children. They are my garden, in a sense. I water them and feed them and watch them grow. I want to nurture them, so they can produce as much fruit as possible. I want others to ooh and aah over how incredible they are. I love gaining as much from them as they do from me. I love watching their beautiful colors come out. I love the ways they play and sway in the breeze. I love the anticipation of things to come in their lives.

How does your garden grow?

The Beach - Then and Now

I am going to try to participate in the "Gussy Sews" inspiration workshop each week. She sends out a prompt that we can interpret however we would like. It is a fun way to delve into a little free writing. I used to love this kind of thing in my college English classes.


This week the prompt was . . . BEACH.

The meaning of that very direct noun has changed for me over the past four and a half years. Before I had my son I looked at the beach as a relaxing place to get a tan and people watch for hours on end. I had even been known to take a long walk or two on said beach. I loved the breeze coming off the water and the thousands of shells at my finger-tips. I would have so much fun day-dreaming about my future or reading the newest book I had picked up. All in all, if you would have asked me 4.5 years ago, I would have definitely described the beach as a delightful, relaxing place in which I loved to spend as much time as I could possibly spare.

On April 23, 2007 my description drastically changed. I bore a tiny human being, and all of a sudden I couldn't even think of bringing this little bundle of joy out into the stifling hot sun, not to mention the gritty sand or dirty water. I pretty much boycotted the beach that first summer. Then he became one, and I decided to begin taking him to the beach to "play." He proceeded to eat sand, get pummeled by waves, and pretty much require my constant attention to stay alive.



At that point, my relaxing, delightful place became another playground in the rotation of our weekly outings. A place I went to tire my son out. A place I went to entertain him. Basically, a place for him, not me. I sound bitter, I know (that is the sarcasm), but actually I don't mind. I know that his years of wanting to "play" with me are short. I know that very soon I will go back to going to the beach by myself because he would rather go with his friends. I know that one day I will be taking his kids to the beach. I am holding on to these snapshots for dear life because although the beach has changed . . . it is still very much a happy place.