Great Gifts 2 Go

The beauty and sweetness of the Japanese Chin dog always makes me smile. The Chin is the most cat-like of all the canines. They are very loyal and lovable creatures! Just look at the sweetness of the classic Japanese Chin expression. Here is a photo of my little guy...he is quickly becoming the love of my life!

The Finished Glass Have I mentioned lately how in love I am with Mod Podge? This wonderful DIY crafting glue/sealant has made me step outside my comfort zone and give a little dazzle to many things. My latest foray has been into adding some glitz to glass and I found this basic margarita glass at my favorite store, Dollar Tree. So, for just a dollar I was able to experiment more with Mod Podge. I took red glitter, Mod Podge and a margarita glass and made a sparkling conversation piece! Now that I have done one, I am working on a set of 6 that a friend of mine is purchasing to give as a wedding gift. Here is what I did: Cleaned the margarita glass and dried thoroughly. Then I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge along the base, stem and halfway up the glass. I let the Mod Podge sit for about 2 minutes before sprinkling on the red glitter. Before the Glam I let that layer of glitter dry for about 4 hours, then I applied a thicker coat of Mod Podge over the glitter...

Freedom's Puppy This is the Kit! Freedom was given a DIY craft kit and book by Klutz on how to make pom pom puppies. We finally had sat down and actually attempted to make these cute little puffs of yarn. I admit it, I am  intimidated by yarn. So, when Freedom got this kit I was not overly thrilled with the prospect of having to play with yarn to make cute puppies. Freedom's 1st PomPom Puppy! My first attempt was not even photographed because it was such an utter disaster. Freedom's first attempt, however, turned out very cute and she is in love with making these little bundles of yarn. Hers doesn't look exactly like the book, but it is pretty darn good for a 9 year old! I highly recommend this kit for the crafty kid that you know. It is a great way to pass the time!

Who knew that I would fall in love with using Mod Podge. My friend, Melissa, always sang praises about the great DIY, crafty things that could be done using this miracle glue. While, I believed that things could be done when she did them, I was a little skeptical on whether or not I could make something turn out so neat. So...I took a leap of faith and created a pair of beautiful sparkling wine glasses. I took black glitter (just because that is glamorous and striking), mod podge and two wine glasses that I picked up at Dollar Tree. I then went to work... I applied a layer of mod podge, sprinkled the glitter and let it dry for about 2 hours (some say to let it dry overnight but the layer of mod podge was not super thick and dried quickly).  I then added another layer of mod podge and sprinkled glitter to ensure that the entire area had been covered and was sparkly. I did let that dry overnight because I was heading out to the Blues game and did not get back to it until the ne...

I just had to snap this photo of my "old guy" and my "new guy".  As you can see, my little black and white Japanese Chin boy (only 6 months old) has his own bed next to my long hair dachshund boy (will be 10 years old in March) but that was not good enough! Josh has become Derek's constant companion and loves to sneak into Derek's cuddle bed after Derek has fallen asleep. The antics of my Japanese Chin puppy have kept me on my toes! I appreciate the settled temperament of my dachshund even more now that Josh has made himself at home!!

Prayers and Promises Ministry, a subsidiary of In His Image Ministry, is finally online! Both ministries are active within their communities providing clothing, food, household goods and prayer to those within their communities. Rev. Michelle of Prayers and Promises Ministry also performs weddings, vow renewals, funerals, memorial services, baptisms and blessings. She is also available for speaking engagements. Check out what is offered at www.prayersandpromisesministry.com . In His Image Ministry is also offering the following Bible studies: * Romans * Genesis Made Simple * God's Greatest Gift* The Man Called Jesus * The Truth About Our Triune God * God's Guidelines On Human Sexuality (Must be 18 years old to request) Check it out and bookmark the site!!

Yesterday, I surprised my daughter, Freedom, by taking her to the movies. Since I have a hard time stomaching movie theater prices, this was a very special day for both of us. We saw Dolphin Tale 2. It is a fantastic movie that will have you laughing and crying through the entire time. After having a special treat yesterday, Freedom did not know today we were going to Eckert's Farm in Millstadt, IL to pick apples with her best pal, Sprite. After picking apples that were almost the size of their heads (I am not joking, either!), the girls spent a few hours playing and having a blast. We captured some of the gigantic apples for everyone to see: If you are in the area, you should head out and pick some apples too!!