Farmhouse Desk DIY

Finally got the hubby to help me build the farmhouse desk I pinned on Pinterest awhile back. (http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2012/08/diy-desk-for-bedroom-farmhouse-style.html)

Total cost was around $100 give or take. This included wood, a pre-made pine surface for the top, sand paper, a (still unused) Kreg jig, new saw rings, stain, poly urethane, and a new paint brush. So you could probably get away with spending around $60 if you only had to by lumber. 

Here's the inspiration...

Here are a few progress pics(we didn't do a great job of getting many pics).

We are planning to get aluminum chairs from Restoration Hardware and I'm looking at architect swing lamps. The desk will hold my laptop and a few pictures. Can't wait to get it completely done. Here's what it looks like in the house! We ended up completely re-arranging the furniture but are pretty happy with the look as of right now. 

What diy projects are you working on? 

Better late than never Christmas bread, cake fail and crochet scarflette

Its a little late but here are some of the goodies I made around Christmas time. 

We purchased mini loaf tins from Kroger and gave these to the G side of the family. Who doesn't love homemade bread? The recipe I found is linked below. It was  so easy and soooooo good. I will definitely make this again! 

http://www.chow.com/recipes/18658-gingerbread-loaf

It was also requested that I bring a repeat item. Apparently, the 3-layer lemon cake with black raspberry frosting from Easter was a hit. I said yes, grateful that I didnt have to find something else to bring. I didn't however, think to check the expiration date on the extra jar of topping I had bought this summer resulting in the following: 

Made a batch of frosting with sealed jar of topping. Proceeded to worry myself(physically) sick that I was going to poison everyone else. This resulted in me throwing out the entire bowl of frosting and having to re-think my dessert. By the  way, it's Christmas Eve at 1 am at this point. So I start googling ideas and cross referencing whether my local Walgreens will have the ingredients. Mac to the rescue Christmas morning, when he reminds me I can make powdered sugar so I go with (frozen)strawberry frosting. This did involve cooking down frozen strawberries with sugar on the stove but it didn't require a trip to the store. 

It turned out just as good, if not better than the other cake. It only required a failed batch of frosting and a broken cake stand(thankfully I have more than one) 

Also wanted to show off the little 'scarflette' I made for big sister SG. It was a quick work up(pattern below) and she really liked that she could put it on and 'tie it' herself. 

http://www.craftideas.us/crochet-lotus-scarf-tutorial.html

She put that on all by herself!! 

It's 2014, when did that happen?

Just a quick post to say Happy New Year! Man 2014, where did 2013 go? 

First things first this year and that means getting my health back on track. I've been lazy in the fitness realm since I haven't felt well so I'm hoping to get that going. After that,we're pretty much waiting on God's plan for our family this year. 

Here are a few happy photos of NYE...

This is what happens when you send your husband out to get a bottle of riesling...yeah, he got sold. 

And, My new favorite tissues....

Hope you had a great new year!!!! 

Christmas at the McDaniel residence

After a late and slow start, Christmas has arrived at the McDaniel house! Since I have a tendency to overwhelm myself in DIY projects, I've picked a few this year to focus on(christmas apothecary letters, the mantle, a Christmas card holder and table settings). 

Word to the wise, shop early if you want wooden letters for Christmas projects. I had to go several places, several times to find the letters I needed. 

How cute did these turn out? Definitely thinking about combos that would work for year round(Easter, 4th of July)

After seeing a plethora of beautiful and stunning Christmas mantles on Pinterest, I decided I wanted something fabulous too! It's still a work in progress but I combined a bunch of designs I liked and tried to incorporate some of the things we already had. 

I grabbed a bunch of old window panes from the MIL's antique booth a few months back and knew that one would be the perfect centerpiece for this Christmas display. I attempted to buy snow spray but ended up with frost spray(which doesn't show in this photo but is really neat). Bought various letters to spell out hope and also found a wintertime bough and tree for half off at Hobby Lobby to complete the look. The snowman nutcracker, star, cross, holiday scent warmer and pinecone Santa's were already ours. 

The stockings have been hung with care and we have a plate designated for Santa's cookies(tho it looks like some presents have already appeared). 

I knew I wanted a better and easier way to display all our Merry Mail we receive. I love getting mail and I save all photo cards I receive. I knew there had to be a cute way to display all the holiday cards we get other than playing Tetris with them on the fridge. So I got on Pinterest and this is what I found. 

DIY Christmas card holder inspiration:

This is what we ended up with. 

I think this turned out really cute! It's probably my favorite DIY project of the season(prolly cause Mac got really into helping me with it). The picture doesn't do the sign justice, the letters are a beautiful green glitter and it just makes me happy to be able to look at all the people we consider blessings in our lives. 

All the dishes I have so far were bought at the dollar store. I wanted to go elegant for the dining room but colorful and bright for the kitchen. Things I would like to add in the future (maybe ill stumble into some great after Christmas sales): table cloths for both tables, cute cups, serving dishes and silverware for the kitchen, elegant bowls/salad plates and monogrammed napkins for the dining room. 

Of course when I went to Hobby lobby the other day they had an adorable candy cane dish set that I want! Just gotta be patient...

Some additional Christmas decor....

Looking forward to a wonderful Christmas. I'm sad I will be missing my OH family, but how lucky to have wonderful family in TN(Memphis & Nashville) who make me feel so welcome! The hubs and I are just doing stockings this year(though if you've seen the size of our stockings, that's still a lot!!) because we bought ourselves a GIANORMOUS king sized bed for Christmas(pics to come when we actually get our bedding). 

 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! 

Upcoming projects: replacing the mantle and decorating the TV wall in the living room.

Thankful

Ten things I'm thankful for this year

1. God's unconditional love and grace

2. A husband who isn't afraid to get in the 'trenches'

3. Wonderful family, in-laws and friends

4. 2 awesome fur-babies

5. My health and the health of those around me

6. A great boss and steady job

7. The opportunity to work with a youth group

8. A beautiful roof over my head and the yeep

9. My iPhone.(what did I do before google?)

10. Hope 

I'm so grateful for the time I got to spend with my family in Ohio. I got to spend time with each one of my brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and that is EXTREMELY rare. It was a true blessing. 

"In everything give thanks: for this is  God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Go Buckeyes!!!!!!

Christmas 2013

Dear Santa, 

Here are some of the things I've had my eye on. I hope I made the nice list this year! 

Beauty products

1. Bumble and Bumble Surf shampoo & conditioner

2. Christian Dior Creme De Rose lip balm

3. Sheseido OR Shu Uemura lash curler

4. Giorgio Armani's Eyes to Kill Waterproof Eye Pencil(Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil) 

5. Stainiac cheek and lip tint

6. Origins Drink up intensive overnight mask

7. Khroma In the Flesh lip set

8. Michael Todd True Organics Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser

9. Marc Jacobs Lolita Eye Pallette

Clothing:

1. Vintage-y Ohio State t-shirt or long sleeve shirt

2. Rhinestone statement necklace(been loving this old JCrew one)

3. Spanx leggings(read a lot of good things about this brand)

4. Navy dress

5. New coat(loving Green or pale pink)

6. Long John style PJs(VS)

7. A new work out get up(Albion Fit)

8. Gray booties

9. A neutral colored loose fitting shirt

Electronics:

1. Cricut monogram cartridge

2. New phone case

3. Canon digital camera(to replace my broken one)

4. Phone car holder

5. Embroidery/serger combo(Singer ses1000FS)

6. Car system adapter for the IPhone5 so I can play my sweet beats

7. Canon rebel camera

8. Bose sie2i sport head phones

9. Library app for phone

For the Home:

1. Monogrammed bar ware 

2. Hanging dry 'rack' for laundry room

3. Upholstered Stools 

4. DIY Farmhouse table

5. Ballard designs mirror for fireplace

6. Storage shelves for attic organization

7. Korean cookbook

8. Address embossed for envelopes

9. Industrial light fixture for entryway

Christian Dating for young women

These are the notes I used when talking to a group of young women about Christian dating. They are things I think would be helpful if I found myself entering the world of dating in today's time. And all of these principles apply to women throughout dating, engagement and even marriage. Much of the info is paraphrased from the site referenced at the bottom. 

Dating:

YOU ARE (already)LOVED. God says to his daughters in Jeremiah: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." (31:3) Until you have tasted God’s eternal, steadfast, redeeming love, hold off on looking for a man. You may just end up settling for a quick love that cannot fill your core heart’s longing. Even if you are not currently being pursued by a man, you are constantly being pursued by Jesus

** First and foremost you should respect and listen to the guidelines your parents(and authority figures) set. If you aren’t ready to talk about it with your parents, you probably aren’t ready to date. Here are 3 things to help get you ready and begin navigating the dating world.

SET STANDARDS:

Talk to your parents about dating.

- Albeit embarrassing, it shows true maturity of being ready to take the first steps in dating if you can talk to your parents/authority figures. This way you can establish rules of what is accepted and what is not so it is clear to all parties involved(ex group dating vs individual dating). It is better to communicate with them how you are feeling now, rather than sneaking around and getting in trouble.

Think about your personal emotional and physical boundaries. With that being said, it is a biblical standard to remain pure until marriage

Create a list of qualities that you would want in a man/partner but be realistic. No person(including yourself) is perfect and any man/partner is going to let you down once in awhile. The good news? God will never fail you. 

     * - Would you date a non-christian? (Ex of why it’s not a good idea is b/c they will not have the same standards as you and may not respect or understand your rules and morals)

 

DEFINE YOUR IMAGE:

Ask yourself the following: 

     - How do you define your self-worth?

          - True beauty emanates from a woman who boldly and unabashedly knows who she is in Christ.

     - What are you doing to be a Godly woman(particularly when it comes to men)?

     - How do you portray yourself to others? (Ex: Selfies/social media-what message are you sending)

          - Are you showing people your true depth or are you just surface value? "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."Proverbs 31:30

Be MODEST: Dress to Kill(any impure thoughts and desires) again, what message are you sending by what you wear? "But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:4

Submission. This is often an ugly word in modern women’s minds when it comes to submitting to a man. But in true biblical sense it first means to submit to Christ. 

          *- Will you submit to Christ in your decisions concerning dating and relationships?

 

GUARD YOUR HEART:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

***You have to guard your heart now so that your future husband is not robbed of it later down the road. The decisions you make now will affect you later in life. That is why dating should be reserved for mature Christians. People who can guard their heart.

We first talked about your core heart longing. The core place in your heart belongs to God, no one else.

     - Daddy-issues: You are not looking for a dad-duplicate or a dad-replacement in a man. You have a perfect heavenly Father. No man(father or boy friend can do what God has and will do for you)

Women have a tendency to be givers. This is the way God created us. But often we let our giving become a controlling factor in our life, especially when it comes to men.

      - Who are you giving your time and energy to? If it’s not God first, then you should wonder if you are in a healthy and Christian relationship. A Godly man will want God to be at the center of your heart. A Christian man will expect to come second after God.

**Remember that being single is a blessing. This is the time that you have to become a Christ follower. Develop the gifts that God has given you so you will be a Godly wife when you choose to get married.

TIPS FOR DATING:

Error on the side of modest

Be honestly you

Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you expect flowers on your birthday, then you should tell him what your expectations are so he has a chance to meet them.

Be direct. It is unfair of us to complain about guys being confusing if we do the same thing.

     - If you do not want to go out with someone, then (politely) decline.

     - If you aren’t interested after a time, let that person know

Have fun! 

Don't create unrealistic expectations

http://theresurgence.com/2012/03/19/for-the-gals-8-principles-for-dating/http://www.crossway.org/blog/2011/06/16-christian-dating-principles-part-1/