Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas From The Roberts Family

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God bless you on this special holiday as you gather with your family. Let us remember the most important reason for this holiday. To celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus! He is the reason for the season. I thank God for a wonderful year with so many blessings and wonderful memories. As it comes to a close I pray that we all can look forward to another prosperous and beautiful year, serving the Lord and loving one another. From our home to yours, warm wishes and love, The Roberts.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Homemade Christmas Cards

Christmas can be a very expensive holiday, with all the gifts, decor and a Christmas tree. It adds up! And don't forget, Christmas cards. They run anywhere from $4 - $7 a card, that begins to get expensive, especially if you have a big family. This year I decided to be creative and make my own Christmas cards. I love being crafty and finding new ways to create on a budget. Here is a very simple, inexpensive way to make Christmas cards for family and friends.

Go to your local Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot or any store that has paint samples. Choose a red sample card and a green sample card, you can choose whatever shade of red and green you want. One red and one green sample card will creat one Chrismtas card. Depending on how many family members and friends you mail Christmas cards to, will determine how many paint samples to grab. For example I sent cards to 8 individual families so I grabbed 8 green sample cards and 8 red sample cards.

Start by cutting the edges off (where you can see the name of the paint color), then glue the cards together. The lines do not have to match up.



You wil need colored construction paper to create the back of the card, where you will write your Christmas greeting.


You will also need some Christmas stickers to decorate the front your card. I grabbed these at Walmart for $4.


Place the stickers on the front however you want, using a black or dark green sharpie write Merry Christmas


It's as simple as that and you're done!


Paint sample cards, free. Stickers, $4. Construction paper, $1.67.  A homemade Christmas card from the heart - PRICELESS!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Tea Time (how to make the perfect serving tray)

If you like having friends over for tea or coffee but feel limited on how to serve it, here is a great and an inexpensive way to do it! I am a major bargain hunter and I love finding things I can refurbish and fix up on my own. Not only does it save money but you can create something to fit your personal style and needs. Not to mention stay under budget when buying decor for the house. I was lucky enough to find a cute little frame/tray for $4 the other day while out and about, and had the idea to create the perfect little tea tray.
Here is what it looked like before it's transformation
I used an assortment of items to create the tray here is what I used:
A book of really pretty patterned paper (you could also use some left over wallpaper) This came from Walmart for $5, it has tons of really pretty, vintage looking paper. I used two different patterns for the look I created.

Some basic all purpose white paint from Hobby Lobby - (11601 Glossy White) I think this cost me about $2 or less.

I used a basic paintbrush - 3/4 inch, it came in a large pack of brushes ranging in all different sizes.

I removed the glass and backing to paint the frame
As you can see up close I didn't fully cover the frame in white paint. I allowed some of the original wood color to come through. This gives it a vintage/shabby chic look and feel to it.
Cut your choice of paper to fit the backing of the frame then glue it to hold it in place. Place the glass on top and let it rest for a minute or two. The weight of the glass helps to seal the paper and glue.
Once the frame has dried then put it together. Finished product!

Then add your favorite teacups and teapot for serving! ENJOY!

Monday, November 7, 2011

A Call From The Doctor

Friday, November 4th I recieved a phone call from my doctor's office. I had been nervously and impatiently awaiting this call, due to some blood work I had done a couple of days before. I was totally unprepaired for what the nurse was about to tell me. A little history first -  For the last several years I have been dealing with some hormonal issues that I thought I fully understood and was keeping under control. Well, little did I know this was about to change and fast. I noticed a drastic change in my mood swings and my daily routine became too much to handle. I was always exhuasted and extremely anxious for no reason. I went from high to low very fast and was quick tempered at the drop of a hat. To make things even worse I wasn't sleeping well at night, and when I did sleep it was fitfull. So once we moved to Virginia I told my husband I could feel that something was horribly wrong and I needed to get my hormone levels checked. So I made a doctors appointment. I poured my heart out to my doctor, told her all my symptoms and then some, she listened ever so patiently and asked questions along the way.  The nurse proceeded to tell me that I had what was called Hypothyroidism. Try saying that ten times really fast. Of course I had no idea what that even was and it sounded scary. She gave me little to no detail about the issue which was not very professional in my opinion and unfair to a patient who knows nothing of this condition. Once I hung up with her, I immediately begun researching the subject and how to fix it. For those of you who don't know it's a condition of the thyroid gland, a butterfly shaped gland in the front part of your neck. It's small but it sure controls and is connected to alot of things in our body, including major organs. It's not something to take lightly by no means but if properly taken care of, a person can have a full and energetic life. So needless to say I have a long journey ahead of me in getting better and maintaining good health. I have the support and unconditional love of my husband and son here to help carry me through. But most importantly I have God who is the Great Physician and I trust Him in this very trying and uncertain time. Thank you to all my family and friends who are praying with and for me about this and I promise to keep you all posted on how things are going. God Bless!!!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Recycled Ideas

We just moved into our somewhat new home about two months ago and I adore it here. On the day we arrived I walked into the entryway and noticed that the previous home owners left behind an old coat rack. At first I hated it and thought this is going in the garage sale pile or in the garbage. So I threw it in the garage in a box to await it's fate as someone elses problem. As we began puting things in their place and making our house look like home I had a great idea.  I love my scarves and didn't want them just hidden away in the closet, stuffed in a pile somewhere behind multiple boxes of shoes gathering dust. So I decided to reuse the the ugly coat rack from the entry way, but instead of just leaving it as was (the hooks were a hideous gold color) I spray painted the hooks black. It is now proudly hanging in our bedroom for me to see when I walk in, the splash of colors on our grey walls makes me so happy. I love that my scarves and hats didn't have to go into hiding until they were chosen to be used. I can see them anytime I want and they make for a fun wall piece.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Meet My Little Man

This is Jacob. Every day is always something new and very exciting with him, there is never a dull moment in my day. I thank God everyday for my little miracle! He brings so much joy and warmth into mine and my husband's life. He just turned two years old and is definitely giving us the "two year old attitude". I know I am not the only mom who has dealt with what some may call the "Terrible 2's". Well, Jacob hit the terrible two's before he turned two, and needless to say I pray daily for God's grace and understanding. I often wonder how my mother did this four times, and I am barely managing it with one. There are moments of insanity where I feel like I am going to lose it and then there are moments where I am reassured that I can do this! I do love that through Jacob learning new things  I am also learning to appreciate the small things in life. Life is Wonderful, life is Messy, and life is most definitely Sweet when I see things through Jacob's eyes.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

I wish all of you a very Happy Easter holiday. May God bless you and your family and there be lots of love surrounding you. Easter eggs and bunnies will be everywhere but let's not forget the real reason and story of Easter.  JESUS HAS RISEN LUKE 26:6

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Thrifty Finds

I just love thrift shopping, I find some of the most unique things. This time around I found some beautiful teacups that were made in the Czech Republic. I was amazed that anyone would want to give them up. One man's trash is another man's treasure, well woman in this case. Tea anyone?
Not sure if you can see what it says on the bottom: Fine Porcelain/Imported by Victor Ih Engwall & CO.  Collection/Made in Czech Republic/ European Cofeehouse

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Shabby Chic Candle Holders

I just love candles, they are all over my house. But I never seem to have enough candle holders. So I decided to make my own. Very inexpensive and I designed them according to my house decor. You will need a few things before making your own candle holders.

1. Stencils of your choice




2. Paint (colors of your choice)




3. Paint brushes and disposable cups for the paint ( I used sponge brushes)

4. Empty jars that have been cleaned out (you can use jam jars, spaghetti sauce jars, any old jar you may have kept)

5. Last but not least candles (I prefer the small/medium sized candles)                                            


Instructions:
Begin by taping the stencil around the jar, fitted to how you want the pattern to be painted


Second, brush on the paint and let it sit to dry (about 10 minutes)


Third, peel the tape and stencil off gently. Once completely dry drop in the candles and light them.


I went to Hobby Lobby for all of my supplies (except for the jars, I already had those). They are fairly cheap! These also make really cute gifts!