AKM designs and delights

Friday, December 2, 2011

Faith...is there any other way?

How the Cookie Crumbles and the Nerf War Begins...

Do you ever have those moments where you look around you at all that is going on in your life and think to yourself

…this is so NOT my life?

This is NOT what I had set out to accomplish at this age

…This is NOT where I expected to be at this stage.

I had expected to be traveling more

…be more successful

…have more money saved

…be at a secure spot in our lives

…be preparing for a future

…saving for college educations for our children

…paying off mortgages sooner

…really thinking about a retirement plan.

But we are not.

Instead we are one of the statistics

…one of the unemployed statistics that is.

One of the hundreds of thousands of others struggling to make ends meet every day.

While that sounds like a lot,

I find comfort knowing that We. Are. Not. Alone.

We are only ONE.

And just when the entire weight of the world is resting right on top of your shoulders and you think that you can’t hold it up any longer and you feel your head actually drop as you stare at the floor and you allow yourself to wonder why…Why me? Why now?...

And at that very moment that your are drowning in your own self pity

Your kid pops you back into reality with a Nerf bullet to the head and then the other one starts pelting you with this machine gun type action which results in a huge frenzy of Nerf gun wars while you duck to take cover behind a chair choosing to grab the pillow off of it using it as a shield to run up the stairs to get your own gun in an effort to save yourself

…and the laughter erupts.

That type of laughter that makes your side feel like it’s about to split open from laughing so hard!

That was me last night!

And that Nerf bullet to the head…that was God!

That was his reminder to live in the moment for it is all we truly have.

Be thankful for today…

Be present in the moment…

Know that the future will take care of itself…

And God has a plan for each of us.

It may not happen as quickly as I would like for it to or in the way that others expect for it too…but it WILL happen. I KNOW this to be true. I can feel change coming. I feel something good stirring deep in my soul and I KNOW that God is working his magic in each of us in my household. I believe that all things happen for a reason and that something good always comes out of a bad situation.

I am not at liberty to share all the details of our situation but know that something good this way comes!

And by good I mean a batch full of spicy cinnamon AWESOME-NESS! I betcha you all thought I forgot about the cookies huh? I wouldn't do that to ya! Not in a million years!

These cookies are a tradition around here at Christmas time...and my man knew that they were JUST what I needed when I walked through the door today :) That's right, I said MY MAN! I'd love to take the credit for these chewy, gooey and OH SO YUMMY cookies, but alas, I can not. He is the one that is to receive all the rewards for his efforts. GO MR. AKM! YOU SO TOTALLY ROCK!

But since he baked them I do not have photos to share of the during process...BOOO! We forgive him though, don't we? YES! So I will just leave you with one last photo and then the recipe....

Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Cinnamon Chips

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. butter flavored shortening

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups rolled oats

1 c. raisins

1/2 c. cinnamon chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

2. In large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and cinnamon chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons (or tablespoons) full onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool before removing them to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Sharing the love in the follwing places...

Finding Fabulous

Chic on a Shoestring

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Shabby Nest

Whipperberry
Savvy Southern Style

Blue Cricket Design

Someday Crafts

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Decking the Halls - Part 3

O' Christmas Tree O' Christmas Tree...O' How I ne-ver remem-ber the words to Thee...

(That must be sung to the tune of O'Christmas Tree)

How many of you wait till very LAST to put your tree up? Me, Me, ME! I did, I did! Yup, that is correct folks...the tree was the last stop on my decorating list this year. I honestly don't know why. It wasn't hard...I mean, seriously...how hard is it to sit and drink a cup of coffee while you watch your mister slave over putting each piece of the tree painstakingly together whilst cursing over the lights that aren't working because he didn't plug the cords in together correctly and almost (I say almost because I had to intervene at this point) throwing the whole thing out the front door with the intentions of taking a chainsaw after it to "Fix the problem". Please keep in mind that this is NOT a real tree hence my concern over the chainsaw solution. But...he did look really cute bent over with his hiney in the air trying to "fix" it (without the use of a chainsaw) :) I'm thinking it turned out quite nicely myself!

(close up of ornaments...duh...like you could'nt figure that out)

(view from living room)

(view from dining room)

(looking into the living room)

I love all the twinkly lights at night :) They make me happy every time I walk into the room.

But just because I want all the colors to show up for ya...I took a few during the daylight too. I'm just cool like that :)

(Just keeing it real with the dog in the room)

(Looking from the dining room to the entry)

So when did you put your tree up? Was it first or last or some where in between?

Linking up to the following parties...party on people!

Finding Fabulous

Chic on a Shoestring

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Shabby Nest

Whipperberry

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Decking the Halls - Part 2

The Tree in the Window

I didn't have a plan this year when it came to decorating for Christmas as I always have in years past. Usually I have sketches drawn up months in advance on how I want to decorate the mantel and what I envision the entry way to look like...what colors I see in these spaces. This typically involves creating a budget specifically for Christmas Decorations. Who does that? Please tell me I am not alone here. My Christmas Fund is set up months...sometimes as much as 7 months in advance! GHAH! Who thinks of Christmas in June besides me? Seriously people...its an illness.

This year has been different. Much due to circumstances that are beyond our control...and some due to the desire to show our children that Christmas is so much more than the decorations and presents under the tree. Christmas is about family and "giving" of oneself to others. This year our motto for the season is "simplistic". Our decorations are simple and meaningful...used from what we had on hand. If I had a space that needed a little "something" I either made it ... or robbed it from my moms house! YEA, thats right! You gotta use all the resources you have people!

After I tackled the wine bar I set my sights on the kitchen. It is the "hub" of our home. Lots of conversations and laughter are had in this room so it needed to come alive with the spirit of the season...but in and understated kind of way.

It started with the tree on the window seal.

I had that cute little metal star in my wine bar on the neck of a bottle and thought it would make the perfect star for the tree...SNAG! Then I remembered an old bucket that I used to hold wash cloths in under my kitchen sink...SCORE! And thus the Christmas tree was born. I love how it turned out don't you?

Then it was time to dress up the shelf a bit...

The mason jars were already there so I filled them with some mini ornaments that I had from last year. The wooden trees are from a treasure hunt at my mom's house! Thanks mom! The stocking hanging from the hook was a homemade gift from my mom for Mr. AKM and my 1st Christmas together. I love that it works in this space :)

And in the end...this is what we had to greet us for breakfast in the morning....

A Christmas ball of "Joy"! So tell me what your motto for the season is! Are you going all out or reigning it in this time around?

Linking up to the following parties...

Michele Raven Designs

Finding Fabulous

Chic on a Shoestring

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Shabby Nest

Whipperberry

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

I've been put in the spotlight!

I'm so excited to announce that my Christmas wreath was put in the Spotlight over at one of my personal fav's Craft-O-Maniac for the Saturday Spotlight Talent Show!! SQUEAL! I'm so excited! You must go check out her blog folks...like RIGHT NOW! It is chock full of AWESOME DIY fun! Definitely a blog full of inspiration. Go check it out! Seriously...go now...Craft-O-Maniac.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Decking the Halls

Santa and the Tiny Reindeer

The Christmas Spirit blew thru my home like a hurricane this past weekend. There were boxes and boxes of ornaments, lights and decorations galore scattered all through the halls and stacked as high as the eyes could see. At one point I was certain that I had lost my little pup but soon found her nestled all snug in her bed with visions of snowmen filling her head! Or maybe it was a vision of a snowman that had fallen in her bed...but whatever, she was all snuggled in with the snowman covering her head!

I sat in the middle of my living room floor staring at my abundance of boxes and wondering when I had accumulated so much Christmas Crap? Yes, I said crap because at this point my holiday cheer was completely lost upon realizing that I had to unpack said boxes and figure out where the heck I was gonna put all this ~~crap~~ stuff.

I pulled myself up off the floor and headed for the wine bar to pour myself a glass of holiday cheer to help get the creative juices flowing. When what to my wondering eyes did appear but a vison of santa and little tiny reindeers! I immediately ran to my boxes and began my search when out like a flash these deer did appear!