Simple Little Wonders

I came across this song, and I think it’s absolutely beautiful! Be encouraged.

Natalie Grant: Alive!

This past week, I decided to give my boss and co-workers a little something special for Easter…

{I found a template for takeout boxes and made some out of scrapbook paper}

the things that make me happy this time of year:

special things in certain packages…

evening outings downtown with my family…

lovely Christmas music and homemade ice cream!

Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. ~Luke 2:11

{Merriest of Christmases from Simple Little Wonders!!!}

I myself have thought a lot about this question:

{“on which side should one wear their flower pin?!”}

And I was reminded of it again today by a friend, so I thought it was time for a post with my thoughts on the subject. Here goes:

To be honest, I really don’t know if there is a right or wrong way to do it. I have worn my flower pins on the left side AND on the right side of my jackets, dresses, etc. But I do think that it should be “up” on whichever side you choose (like maybe 3″ down from your shoulder), and not any lower. Eye-trap, anyone?

But if you really want to be proper, then I say look no further than the Queen of England.

Queen Elizabeth II, if you will notice, generally wears her accessories on her left side.

These accessories may all contain diamonds, but still – the concept is there.

Isn’t she charming?!

So, there you have it! Quite a lovely example.

Which side will you choose?

I came across this video last week. I love wearing scarves, especially since fall is in the air… and now there are 25 new ways to wear them!

So branch out and try a few of these delightful ideas.

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

{click the link above for the video}

The local high-school girls have a new accessory made just for them. Introducing… Smithson Valley Rangers flower pins!

Made in the school color of royal blue, and finished off with a sparkling silver star.

These flower pin/clip combos can be found at Seasons gift shop located in Spring Branch.

Wear one to the next game!

“The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage.”

{Psalm 16:6, Amplified Bible}

I’ve been reflecting recently on how the Lord has graciously given me a good heritage. Of course we’ve made plenty of mistakes and our history is by.no.means.perfect. But I still feel and see His blessing on my family.

Once when wondering aloud why my family has been so blessed, a friend remarked that it’s from our godly heritage ~ the Lord has promised to show His “mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.” {Exodus 20:6, Amplified Bible}. What a high calling! How I live my life and the choices I make ~ it all has an impact not only on those around me right now, but also on future generations.

And this causes me to think about my dear grandmother, Mookie. Much of our godly heritage is traced back through her family.

{Poppie and his “little princess” – my grandmother}

{always ready to “steal a kiss”}

My father’s mother, wife to my gem-of-a-grandfather for over 74 years, and a precious Christ-follower. What I most treasure is her faithful love for my grandfather ~ truly the heart of her husband safely trusted in her (Proverbs 31).

{going on a picnic together}

She lived to be 92 and left this world for all the glories of heaven on August 7th, 2011.

{my sister and me with Mookie}

She was a sweet woman and has given me much to aspire to. I miss her dearly!

I was pleasantly surprised when a friend and bride-to-be gave me a call asking for a custom order of flower pins. This gal had a lovely vision: give flower pins to her wedding house-party instead of real flowers. This way they could have a matching accessory and be easily identified as “house-party” people, plus, it would be a lasting gift!

She wanted the flower pins to match the bridesmaid dress color – a vibrant poppy red. So, with a swatch of her silk dupion (the bridesmaid dress fabric), I headed to the store and found a bridal silk in the same color poppy red. Sweet success!

{2 of the very sweet house-party gals – with their flowers}

{the lovely outdoor wedding ceremony}

{happy bride and groom!}

…and now you can find these flower pins in the shop!

When you come across a great find, you’ve just got to tell the world. Especially if those finds include beauty stuff. At a fair price. And maybe even natural.

Here are a few items that I thought were worthy of being shared!

First up, the non-natural. {smile}

Maybelline New York’s the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara

I’ve been using this mascara for a good year and just love the results. Having lashes on the shorter side, I was intrigued by the info on the package: colossal lashes in just one coat (I actually know a makeup retail gal who applies 5 coats of her line of mascara – ugh!) creates 9x the volume. It comes in washable and waterproof formulas. And it’s only $5 at my store. (The facts: like all mascaras, it does get clumpy over time and begins to flake. When this happens, I like to run the bottle {cap on!} under hot water, which makes it last a few more weeks.)

And now for the natural. Who doesn’t like organic and pure products? It’s my first choice, but I realize that it’s not always feasible. That being said…

My all-time favorite hand lotion:

Avalon Organics Hand & Body Lotion, Peppermint

Truly the best-smelling lotion and so moisturizing. A little goes a long way. A tad pricey, but worth it in my opinion. They have a fabulous line of organic products, but again, a bit expensive for the average budget.

In my quest for a new less-expensive face soap, I came across Neutrogena Naturals.

Neutrogena naturals fresh cleansing + makeup remover

In case you’re wondering, that round sticker says: NO harsh chemical sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes, phthalates. I have no idea what all that means exactly, but I LOVE that little sticker! It’s a good $4 cheaper than the organic cleanser I was using, and it really does remove makeup. I’ve also enjoyed their purifying facial cleaner. This is a newer line (although Neutrogena itself has been around forever), so not too many products just yet. But I did write and ask them for more. Yes, really.

And, since I mentioned mascara, my favorite eye makeup remover:

Earth Science Chamomile Green Tea eye makeup remover, fragrance free

This little bottle seems to last forever. Just a small squeeze on a cotton round takes off all eye makeup, without stinging eyes or leaving a greasy film on skin. Truly wonderful.

So there you have it. A few of my favorite things. Go forth and shop!

Ever since I was quite young, I have enjoyed making granola for my family. I’ve tried numerous recipes over the years, and thought last year that I had found the one that “worked” the best. But was I ever wrong!

You see, I had not made granola for awhile so we resorted to a wonderful store-bought kind. It was very yummy indeed. So much so that Mother wished aloud that I could make mine like it. Well, my brain began to swirl around thoughts of baking “very yummy indeed” granola. Eventually the mixing bowl came out and I began to add different amounts of the ingredients that were listed on the store-bought granola box. It couldn’t hurt to try, right?

The result was an almost identical-tasting granola! I am very excited. Even more so since it passed the taste-test of my family. And that it was a bit chunky.

O a t s  &  H o n e y  G r a n o l a

preheat oven to 35o degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a very large bowl:

9 1/2 C. oats

2 1/2 C. brown rice crispy cereal

1/2 C. oat flour

1/3 C. cane sugar

In a medium pan, warm together:

1 C. oil

1/2 C. honey

1/4 C. molasses

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

Stir liquid ingredients into oats/rice until well mixed. Spread out onto 2 greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

{Enjoy a fresh warm bite, or serve over yogurt or milk.}

Drop me a comment if you try it ~ I’d love to know what you think!