Oh, Night Divine!

I can't believe it's Christmas eve again..where has this year gone?! It's taken much longer this year for me to feel as festive as I normally do. One year whilst I was at University, I secretly decorated my entire bedroom, tree and all - my housemates only found out one by one if they knocked on my door and I let them in. That was a great October. Ha! Alas, this year I was lucky enough to experience Thanksgiving too so I will have had my fair share of turkey by the end of 2013. 

I have just gotten round to the aforementioned sugar cookies, but didn't really have enough time to but 100% effort into the decorating stage. I chose the lovely Gooseberry Patch Recipe as I had the same cutter as the one they used, and I just think their recipes are too darned CUTE. I accidentally made about 1 million cookies but hey ho - it's Christmas! One of them tragically broke in half so I was forced to try it and it was pretty yummy. 

I'm also ready for my annual Christmas Eve tradition of opening my gifts from friends at midnight that usually live under our Christmas Tree. I fought long and hard for the right to do them separately and I won. I am ready for it once again:

Last night, one of my best friends and I enjoyed a wonderful 3 course meal with a free bottle of Prosecco as part of my early Birthday celebrations. I am travelling down south on the day so I am dragging out the festivities as long as physically possible.

Thankyou, Italy and goodnight. 

We also like cocktails.

                                   

Cheers, to being another year older!

As for the rest of today, we are going to 'stay classy' and go see Anchorman 2 - before heading home for a midnight tipple and the chance to dive in to round one of my presents. I don't care how old I get, Christmas always makes me feel like it did when I was 6!! 

So, I would like to wish all of my L-O-V-E-L-Y readers the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years! Be sure to check back here in 2014 as I blog my American Adventures. I think 2014 is going to be my most exciting one yet and I can't WAIT to share it with you all! 

Much Love xxx

P.s. I may or may not have opened the tree presents from my friends over an hour early. I simply could not wait any longer.

P.p.s. Someone PLEASE take this box of twilight mints away from me.

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The Most Wonderful Time of The Year...

First of all, I have been terrible with keeping up with this here blog. It's been quite a whirlwind lately, filled with lots of lovely things that have been keeping me rather busy. I had a lovely 2 weeks of winter sunshine in Tucson surrounded by cacti, filled with pumpkin pie and my first dash of eggnog. Those weeks were so relaxing but as soon as I touched down, (after a rather bumpy ride home in the storms!) things went up a gear as it is now so close to the holiday season and move to Delaware day. 

All my gifts are bought and wrapped and cards are sent out, so in that way I have managed to keep organised. I have made some really nice American inspired gifts including my first attempts 'cookies in a jar,' pretzel rods, chocolate marshmallows (inspired by these badboys), easy fudge bites (which I have NOT perfected, which clearly I am not bothered about ARGHHHHHHHH), gift card holders - which made handy little envelopes for the recipe cards for my cookies in jars and I am going to make some mitten shaped sugar cookies and some exciting cupcakes. When I find a minute. 

Though I did spend an inordinate amount of time in Target whilst in the States, I did enjoy buying gifts from independent sellers this year. I have to say, I have found some amazingly talented crafty folks through the ever growing medium; Instagram. It has introduced me to loads of great sellers and stores that I would like to share with you all. They are both UK based and American but they usually ship worldwide. I've had a couple of parcels from the US that have cost as little as $3.50 to reach my door! Bargain. 

1. Polkadots and Petticoats - The shop is shut for Christmas but I got a lovely Santa scarf and some cross stitch patterns for 50% off! Great sale, lovely parcel.

2. Poppy and Fern - Hand embroidered jewellery, so cute. I am waiting on a cactus necklace that I ordered on holiday whilst they had Black Friday sales on. Exciting! 

3. Oh, Sweet Joy! - She has a lovely blog and a lovely shop. If I suited headbands or if my head would fit in a headband, I might consider buying one. Alas. My head is stupid. 

4. Sarah's Cards Ltd. - This shop is a stockist of lots of nice American craft supplies, as well as UK ones and recently had an a-m-a-z-i-n-g sale. 

5. Lovely Tape UK - If you like washi tape or nice tapes as much as I do, check out this site. I recently won some Christmas tapes from them and can't WAIT to get mi mitts on them. 

6. Poppy England - I have never bought anything from this website but I frequently dream of owning one of their dresses. 

7. The Fabbadashery - This is really local to me, but I popped in there for the first time this week and loved it. Such nice staff, gorgeous fabric and ribbons and so good to have a craft shop in town that runs fun workshops! 

8. Artsyville - This lady makes GORGEOUSNESS. So bright, fun and colourful - right up my street. I love everything she makes. 

9. Pinkfresh Studio - I'm addicted to pretty tape, please don't judge me. 

10. Pink Paislee - I also won a prize from these guys! I'm getting pretty lucky. Or I just enter too many giveaways. They have allsorts of loveliness. 

11. The Heart Gallery - My favourite shop in the whole wide Universe and stars. I love LOVE LOVE it loads. 

12. DeGrazia - I visited the DeGrazia gallery in Tucson this year and thought his works were beautiful and really enjoyed the gift shop, ha! I love museum gift shops. 

There are lots of small businesses out there that are making a living doing what they love. It's so nice to be able to pay a small part in supporting those people in exchange for nice things!!! It's also good to get some unique gifts to share with friends and family at Christmas time! 

I will aim to share my sugar cookies with you this week - virtually of course - along with some Christmassy pictures as this is my favourite time of the year by FAR. I am averaging about 5 cheesy holiday films a week at the moment but still haven't had a mince pie yet! Crazy. 

Happy Shopping! 

Much Love xxx

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'God loves a cheerful giver...'

I've been thinking a lot lately about giving. Obviously, tis the season to be exchanging gifts, cards and over-eating. Christmas is by FAR my favourite time of year, and I am finally 90% all wrapped up and ready to go. I'm not going to get all preachy and defensive about what Christmas is truly about - I'll leave that to others because I want to talk about why generosity is so important, not just now - but always.

You see, I don't think generosity is merely an act more a lifestyle choice. I think that some of us are natural givers, and others are natural receivers. It is right to come to a balance in some ways, as I know I find it hard to receive things sometimes! So, what are some of the things that stop us from being generous?

Fear - 'What if I don't have enough to live off if I give this away?' Having lived off very little money for the past six months or so, I can say that I have learnt what I need and what I want. Has having little meant that I am not able to give? No. (I'm not sitting here blowing my own trumpet because each time I have got money my first reaction is usually: 'ooh I can buy a dress now.') It is easier than we might think to run fundraisers to help out charities, to put your loose change in a jar and give it away, to donate some tins of  food to local charities that help the homeless, to give a one off donation, to volunteer our time somewhere or even attend a fundraising event. When we have little - what we give is a LOT.


The Widow’s Offering

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

I love this story. It challenges me every single time I read it. Did she find it easy to give everything she had...probably not. Giving it away was worth more to her than keeping it in her pocket. I would imagine she probably thought it was embarrassing to give such a small amount as her offering, what difference could that amount make? Here, Jesus is asking us - why is it more of a sacrifice to give when we have a little? Because sometimes it is all we have. It means more. It is a decision to share what little we have with others. It is a decision to not hoard what we have but to open it up and enjoy it with those around us, even if it means that we ourselves go without something.

Entitlement - 'I earnt this, it's up to me what I do with it.' I get this. There's nothing wrong with saving for the future. But, when we hold on to what we have just because 'It's mine' we forget some important things. 

Treasures in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...
²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

When we think about our belongings in the bigger picture, we realise how temporary they really are. Is it better to spend 5 hours a day playing Fifa - or devoting that time to a friend? Which will last? Which will make an impact beyond our days? Life is so fragile, so fleeting and I want to encourage us all to think about how generous we are with our time, as well as our money/possessions. For we will never gain our time back.

I went to see one of my all time favourite bands a couple of weeks back. They are called 'Needtobreathe' and are from a small town in South Carolina. 

I'm just going to take a moment to appreciate my photograph. 

Small town Americans always remind me of Yorkshire folk because we share the same 'no nonsense' approach to life. Say it like it is, even though you may offend some people. They did a beautiful acapella version of their new song called 'Difference Maker.' I haven't stopped listening to it since I first heard it! At first, I thought I had figured out what the song meant until I saw the lead singer, Bear talk about it on a video on YouTube. 

Difference Maker

Yeah ain't it just amazing
How a God can tend a broken man
Yeah let him find a fortune
And then ruin it with his own two hands
Oh isn't it amazing
How a man can find himself alone
Calling through the darkness
For an answer that is never known
He walks on up the hill
The rock on which he stands
Looks back at the crowd
Looks down at his hands and he says
I am a difference maker

Oh I am a difference maker
Oh I am the only one who speaks to him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God

Yeah isn't it amazing
How a man can find himself alone
Calling through the darkness
For an answer that is never known
He walks on up the hill
The rock on which he stands
Looks back at the crowd
Looks down at his hands and he says
I am a difference maker

Oh I am a difference maker
Oh I am the only one that speaks to him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God

Yeah I am on the fence about
Nearly everything I've seen
And I have felt the fire
Put out with too much gasoline
And we're all strangers passing through
Places one afternoon
And life is but a vision
In a window that we're peeking thorough
A hopeless conversation
With a man who says he cares a lot
It's a hopeless confrontation
About who might throw a punch or not
But we are all transgressors
We're all sinners
We're all astronauts
So if you're beating death
Then raise your hand
And shut up if you're not

Hear it here :)

I think they're speaking about how arrogant we can be sometimes. That 'I' am a difference maker when surely it is God making a difference through me. Do I take the credit or do I send that Heavenward? God, in His perfection chose to reach out and love me yet I sit here and think about how good I am. With all my shortfalls and messups and mistakes, the only reason I continue is through His grace. Yet so often, it's all about me. Ultimately, we're all a bunch of messy people, in a broken world that hurts itself day in, day out. My duty is not to fill my life, this blesséd day that I have been given with 'things' that mean nothing. It is to bind broken hearts, offer the same grace I have received, and love until it hurts. Those are the things that last. And when I do something good it is because of Him, not me.

When we recognise that we have a GREAT responsibility in this life to value people over possessions, that is when we become truly generous. I am so blessed to spend my life with so many people who have gone out of their way to do amazing things for me. People who have put me first, saw something and thought of me, put up with sitting 4 hours in a coffee shop because I love talking so much. Those who have invited me along to things, who have missed me when I'm not there, who've text me to see if I'm ok. Those are the things that I treasure and they mean that I will always work hard to ensure I offer good friendship in return. 

'A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.' Proverbs 11:25

The things that I have, are only on loan to me, so I can keep them to myself and enjoy them - or I can make a choice to involve others in enjoying them too. I want to encourage you to give with a joyful and thankful heart, being grateful for all that you have been given, knowing that by giving your time, efforts, or finances, you are making a bigger difference than you could ever know.

Much Love xxx

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In which I cannot stop Pinning.

Hello. I've had Pintrest for ages now. I've used it on and off but lately I haven't stopped searching for pins on there and this is why. To say I am mildly obsessed with Christmas is a gross understatement. There reaches a point in the year (which is so soon) whereby the Christmas switch goes in my head and that.is.it. It consumes my every thought. I just love everything about Christmas. The colours, the smells, the food, the spirit, the family get-togethers, the music, the mulled wine, the cold weather, the snuggly wooly clothes, the sitting by the fire, the dark nights, the snow, snowmen, snow on berry trees, walks in wellies in the snow, the sound of snow crunching under your feet, the desire to hibernate, rubbish TV, carols, Christmas concerts, Michael Bublé, Christmas specials, Christmas Baking, Christmas Jam-Making, Christmas Meals, decorating the house/Church, Christmas cards, crafts, making Christmas cards, wrapping presents in brown paper and nice ribbon, ELF, Christmas movies (the same ones I watch every year are usually ELF about 10-15 times at least, The Santa Clause 1, 2 & 3, Muppet Christmas Carol and Polar Express to name a few), Christmas jumpers - the more ridiculous the better, decorating the Christmas table, Christmas Markets, giving presents, Christmas candles. Are just a few things I LOVE about Christmas. 

At this point last year I was already well in to the Christmas spirit. I think what with knowing I still have one mini-holiday to go on I have sub-consciously stopped myself from being in Christmas mode because I still need to hold on to summer just a little while longer. However, with all these Pintrest boards relating to Christmas I can feel the excitement building. Seeing as though I have no money right now, this year is going to be a thrifty one and I am starting to think about preparing now by stocking up on craft ideas that will make lovely handmade/one off gifts. My board for Christmas is ever growing, you can check it out right here. Some of these ideas are ones I will definitely do. I especially like the ones that involve jars because I can pick those up really cheaply and you can easily make them look really cute. 

Soon you can expect festive recipes and crafts I have done. I tried out an Apple, Sultana and Cinnamon Cobbler with homemade apple sauce the other day and that went down a TREAT so rest assured I'll be making that again! What do you love about Christmas? Are you addicted to Pintrest too?! 

Much Love xxx

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