Thursday, December 13, 2012

"Asleep" in a Manger. . . . . . . .

do you ever feel as if you just need a soft place to rest your head?
a safe shelter?
i think we all probably take shelter for granted sometimes.
i know i do.
but this little guy knew a soft, safe place to rest his head
when he saw it.

here's the story. . . .
they say dogs are very instinctual.
and this homeless dog instinctively knew to curl up in the
 safest place he found. 


the place he found to rest was in a manger scene, 
set up in a church courtyard
in a small town in Brazil.
when he was found the next morning, 
no one had the heart to move him. 


"All creatures great and small. . . . . . .
the Lord God made them all".


i don't think you need to be as big a dog lover as i am to see the
sweetness and innocence in this.
i certainly hope i didn't offend anyone.
although, i'm not sure how i could, but if i did, i didn't mean to.
i simply think that a poor, homeless dog. . . . . . .
looking for a safe place to rest his head. . . . .
found the perfect place.

i hope and pray this Christmas season
that you will always find that soft, safe place
with our savior, Christ the Lord.

xoxo
Suzanne

Monday, December 10, 2012

Cute Wreaths and Last Minute Christmas Gifts and Treats.............

it comes as no surprise that i like things simple.
as in super easy, anyone can do it kinda simple:)
it also comes as no surprise that i am one of the original 
Queens of the Last Minute!
which is why i am writing this post.
i know what i'm talking about.
heehee!

okay, so you have a few friends coming over,
and YIKES.........where is that wreath for the front door?
well, you COULD go buy one.
i guess.
but that's boring.
if you MAKE one, they will oooh and ahhhh all night long.
and maybe they'll not notice you're feeding them those little
hot dogs things in a crescent roll.
hahaha
(i happen to love those appetizers;)

but back to oohing and aahing, which they will do.
ESPECIALLY if you make one of these.............
Pretty awesome, don't ya think?
okay.......the "how to's";
1.  the top wreath (letter "P") is tiny ornaments hot glued 
to an over sized letter from Michael's.
now personally, i think i would spread various size pearls in a flat pan, 
apply glue to the letter and lay it in the pearls. 
 instant wreath:)

2.  oh. my. gosh.  don't you love the greenery letters?
just buy over sized cardboard letters from the craft store,
along with some thin-ish, cheap garland.  
Staple it to the letter and start winding, then staple when at the end.
BEAUTIFUL!
(catty moment........please hang them straight. haha:)

3.  Again, head to the dollar store.  buy plastic ornaments.
glue the cap to the ornament. thread them onto a wire or hanger and
shape to your letter. very COOL!

4.  maybe the cutest, most festive and FUN wreath is this SANTA wreath.
this looks to me like a red rag tied wreath,
 but you could make it with a red feather boa and styrofoam wreath form, too.
fancy white letters from the craft store and a black belt complete the santa wreath.
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

moving on to last minute gifts.
okay........some people love gift cards and some people hate them.
but sometimes, you have no choice, either because of time
or because you don't know what they like.
so for these case, i say give a gift card.
and this year i have two favorites..............
1.  Amazon.  have you ever really looked at their site?
if there is something they don't sell, i have no idea what it is.
from books to phones to blenders to diamonds to underwear,
you can get it ALL.  sometimes for the best price, too:)

2.  an ETSY gift card.  i'm serious! 
 the number one place for cool, unique, creative items.  
i could spend days hours on this site:)

3.  we are off to the dollar store again.
this time, to buy plain white coffe mugs and sharpie pens.
then  it's home to customize them.........
with names, doodles, favorite quotes.......
whatever you like.
then pop them in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes,
and you have some GREAT gifts!
see for yourself...........
4.  this one is a silly little gift......but cute.
if your daughters are like mine, 
they want to give something to everyone.
so go to the store and buy some cool/pretty nailpolish.
attach a tag like this and you have a sweet, simple little gift!


oh gosh, you worked late and have NO treats for
your little neighborhood party.
you're pressed for time........and money.
what to do, what to do!
grab some strawberries, whipped cream, ritz crackers and Rolo candies.
make these little santa men for the kiddies,

 and then make these treats.
they aren't fancy, but they ARE yummy!
AND.........they aren't PALEO or whatever the heck the latest things is.
(sorry.....wait.  no i'm not!  it's the Holidays already:)


Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers
Simply place ritz crackers on a cookie sheet, and top each one with a Rolo candy. Place in an oven at 350ยบ. Remove when Rolos are melted and top with a second Ritz. Let cool to harden, and eat them by the handfuls. That's right........handfuls.  ho,ho,ho!:)
i told you they weren't pretty.  so put them on a pretty plate:)
see you tomorrow.......
Suzanne
P.S.  Hannah's mom will be having her surgery on Wed, 
due to some equipment issues.
longer for everyone to pray!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Just Silence, Tears and God

those are not my words.
i  found them in a blog post done by
 Hannah, The Rustic Chick.

i love her blog!!!
love it, love it, love it!
she is my go to person for cowgirl stuff.......
fashion, cowboy wisdom.
i even found one of my favorite devotional sites from her,

Hannah is actually closer to my girls age than mine.
but that's ok.
it just means they can relate to the Rustic Chick when they visit.
and if i see something i think they should see (like dating wisdom:)
you can bet i share it:)
before i get to that (cause there are some cool quotes i want to share),
i have to explain the title to this post........
silence, tears and God.
Hannah sent out a prayer request this weekend.
her mom was having problems and undergoing tests.

moms are special, right?
just hearing this is enough to make one drop to their knees.
i found out this morning her sweet mom has a brain tumor
and is facing surgery tomorrow morning.
please, please please PRAY!


i remember last year 
when my dad was having surgery, 
i had people from all over the world praying.
it was such a comfort!
and God saw him through that surgery.  
In the end, he did not make it.  
he had fulfilled the purpose God had for him here on earth,
so he brought him home.
making him whole again yet breaking our hearts.
even though we knew he was in Heaven, still heartbreaking.

it's hard for me to even think about still.
i am blessed to know where he is right now
and that i will see him again.
how do people cope without that?
i can't imagine.

i had my own MRI a few years back........
to R/O (rule out) a brain tumor and MS.
not fun, waiting for those results.
they ruled out the brain tumor.
but not MS.
 i'm okay..........
and this isn't about me.
it's about Hannah's mom.

Hannah has such a strong faith in God,
which is the other reason i'm crazy about this young lady.
she knows he is holding her hand.......and her mom's.
but she still needs our prayers, so please pray.


and maybe you can visit her blog at this link and get to know my
 cowgirl "friend" for yourself:)
either way, thank you for taking the time to read this
 and for praying for Hannah and her family.

now for those cool dating quotes i found on her blog,
 and i shared them
IMMEDIATELY
with my own shabby chicks:)





now, don't you just love these?
and they came from the blog of a young girl determined to live a 
fun, happy, carefree, cowgirl kind of life.
a young lady whose head and heart are in the right place.
whose Faith is a wake up call for the rest of us.

Praying for your mama Hannah!
xoxo
Suzanne
Follow Me on Pinterest

Blog Top Sites