Monogram Mania!

Everything!

Etsy.com

I don't know about you guys, but monogram is a staple here in the South. We monogram everything, and I do mean everything. So here is my first freebie post! It's for, you guessed it- monogrammed wallpapers! Is that too far? Eh, who cares! I'm also posting links to some of the most adorable monogrammed accessories I've seen floating about the web.

Also on Etsy.com

Monogram not your thing?

Try finding a fab background and adding a block of color with your favorite quote or song lyrics over it!

My current desktop!

Polka dots

Latest obsession? Lilly  Pulitzer!

Stripes

Not sure how to do it yourself? Open up "Paint" in your computers start menu under accessories and add text over this picture. Don't wanna d it yourself? I hear ya! Tell me what you want in the comments and I'd be happy to do it for you! Free, of course ☺ Leave me your email, too!

On Mission in: Haiti

     Hey everybody! Wow, let me blow the dust off my blog here.. Sorry I haven't posted in so long, but now I'm back! ☺ I have plenty of things to share in coming posts, but I figured I would start off sharing about my recent trip to Haiti! 

     September 7-14, I was in Haiti on a mission trip with a team of ten other people. It was an amazing experience, and yesterday I learned I may be able to go back next summer! There are so many things I could share about the awesomeness of God, He was definitely with us every step of the way- from getting bags checked to traveling by tap-tap through Jacmel. God is so good! 

     I will share some photos in this post, all of scenery and I will update again later when I have more time! 

     The last evening we were in Haiti, our hosts, Tommy and Joy Schwindling of the Alabama House in Jacmel, Haiti, took our team out to dinner at Caplamandu. All of the following photos were from the restaurants balcony.

The view from Caplamandu.

Sunset

Beach

Flowers

Sunset

  And here's one of me and one of the sweet children I met while there.

   Though Haiti has many devastating parts, it was indeed a beautiful country. God is moving there, His grace and His mercy are enough.

Belt of Truth Hanger

If any of you are like me, you have belts galore with nowhere to hang them. Mine were actually rolled up inside a bucket tucked away in my closet... Out of the way, but also out of mind because I never saw them. Now, I've seen this particular craft done before and I love it! But this really came together when my best friend brought me a few oddly sized canvases. I looked them over and picked the long skinny one and said, "I have just the plan for you!" This craft is very simple and takes just a few minutes, so even if you're a crazy busy college student like me, you can probably find a moment to do this!

The scripture pulled is from the book of Ephesians, chapter 6:

The Armor of God- Ephesians 6: 10-20
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Supplies You Will Need:
- Long, skinny canvas
- Paint and/or Scrapbook paper
- Small hooks that can screw into the canvas
- Marker or sticker letters 
- Decorative stickers (optional) 

The canvas I used was 4 inches by 12 inches, so long and narrow.

Long and narrow!

The hook will be screwed directly into the side of the canvas!

Roll the canvas in the scrapbook paper and screw the hooks through the paper!

See? Easy, easy, easy! Now you have just the place to put all those tangled belts!

All done!!

Pampering Gift Set

What woman doesn't enjoy being pampered? The answer to that- none! This gift is simple and cheap- and sure to be a hit with whoever you give it to! 

What You Will Need:

- Basket

- Lotion

- Shower gel

- Nail polish

- Nail buffer

- Shower poof

- Nail file

- Foot scrubber or file

- Picture frame

Fill your basket up as much as you can.

Put the basket inside of a colorful plastic gift bag.

There is no limit to how much you can add to this gift! The bigger the basket, the more you can stuff it with!

Movie Night Gift Box

A few months ago I made a post regarding a Movie Night Gift bowl (found here) and needless to say, it was a huge hit! Anyone who has received one of these gifts loved it- which makes the giver feel really good.

The best part of this gift for you as the giver? It's fairly inexpensive. The most expensive thing going into the gift is the movie. 

This is just a slightly different way to do the same gift.

Want You Will Need:

- Large bowl or popcorn box (found at Dollar Tree)

- Movie of your choice

- Popcorn

- Various candy

 - Soda

Get as many different types of candy as you want! And of course soda!

Simple, yet very effective at bringing a smile to someone's face!

5 Sneaky Acne Causes

If you're like me, you occasionally get breakouts- even though you're not a teenager anymore. But I'll let you in on a little secret.. The five tiny causes below are many actions we are guilty of, but no worries! We can easily stop doing them!

 

1. Hands off: Adult acne can appear anywhere you apply repeated or extended pressure on your skin. Resting your chin on your hand while you work, pressing your mobile on your chin, or wearing tight clothing can contribute to acne. Touching your face can be a hard habit to break. To break the acne cycle, try using a headset with your mobile phone and wearing a ponytail to keep hair out of your face. 

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

2. Sweat it out: Surveys show that we often touch our faces 10 to 12 times an hour. This can increase during summer as we wipe sweat from our faces. Unfortunately, sweat contributes to clogged pores so instead of wiping sweat with your hands, invest in makeup-removing wipes. 

3. Glasses glitch: For acne-prone skin, glasses are an extra opportunity for nose pimples. Wearing glasses makes it easier for oil, dead skin and dirt to remain on the skin and clog pores beneath the frames. To avoid breakouts caused by glasses, give the area added attention during your cleansing routine. Also, keep wipes nearby to clean your frames and skin throughout the day. 

4. Long bangs: Be aware: your fringe may be causing forehead acne. Apply styling products with fingers or a comb instead of spritzing on your hair and face. Hair products can block your pores and start a breakout.

Olay Acne Control Face Wash

5. Sunscreen side effects: I hope you're wearing sunscreen every day, even if it's overcast- not that I'm not guilty of usually skipping! But any beauty products without noncomedogenic on the label can set your acne-prone skin off. Choose water-based foundations, mineral-based powders and oil-free sunscreens to minimise your blemish count.

 Maybe by knowing some of these small factors, you can save yourself from a breakout!