GIVEAWAY: $50 Gift Certificate from Pretty Things For You

I am all giddy with excitement over doing this giveaway.

Why?

Because all of you are wonderful.  

And you bless me daily. 

So I get to give one of you precious friends a sweet little goody from my friend Keren, who you may know from Free Pretty Things for You with this fabulous giveaway!

First off, my sweet friend has mad, creative skills.

Secondly, she does this weird thing like...gives people freebie printables on her blog because...well, just because.

So she is at it again but this time she is giving away $50 dollars to her ADORABLE Etsy shop of handmade, vintage lovelies. And I mean ADORABLE!  Here, have a peek...

So beautiful and sweet.

I love this little girl theme.

And looky there...You could buy the whole collection and then some if you win this giveaway!

This one I keep coming back to over and over again.  I just love the colors.

I am completely digging the collegiate, preppy feel of this collection.


Look at this precious invitation!!!!
(or it can be a simply sweet note card too)

   

And these thank you tags...seriously?

They are beyond adorable.


This is my ABSOLUTE favorite one. Just lovely.

OK. How To Enter Giveaway!

(#1 and #2 are required and leave a separate comment for each)

1. Peek in on these sweet treats over at Pretty things For You and come on back and leave me a comment telling me what you liked best.

2.  Become a fan of Free Pretty Things For You on Facebook 

To obtain additional entries...

1.  Become a follower of Two Shades of Pink (if you are not already).

2.  Become a follower of Keren's blog, Free Pretty things for You and drop a comment to say hello.

3.  Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway.

GOOD LUCK and DON'T Miss this great GIVEAWAY!

Our Thankfulness Tree

I know, I know.  

It is ANOTHER thankfulness tree. 

There are so many of these out there but I really wanted to do one. I say that every year yet I never do it. And I wanted this to be about the kids so it is nothing fancy yet I think it is one of the most beautiful trees EVER because we did it as a family.

Last Sunday, we decided to stay home from church in order to heal up since all of us seem to have a cold of some sort. So we had Family Church with a theme of thankfulness.  Cati is learning this theme this month at school so we decided we SHOULD ALL focus on it too.

We sang songs, read a bible story about the 10 men healed from Leprosy and only one came back to thank Jesus. (Luke 17:11-19) We read books about being thankful (which I think was my favorite part).

We wrapped it up with a craft and made a thankfulness tree.

 We made leaves out of coffee filters which we colored using washable markers.

Now I Can Tell You My Fun Little Secret!

I HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED!

Can you believe it?

I must say that I have always wanted to do something in the book or magazine world with both my writing and my crafts.  I have prayed about it and still have never received a clear answer on what I should pursue.

But recently a new magazine has been launched in our local area and I was beyond excited when they asked me...(yes, me!!!) to design some handmade thank you card ideas for kids to create in a time where we face the increasingly lost art of handwritten communication.  

I was ecstatic yet a bit nervous since card making is not exactly my craft.  But as I brainstormed ideas that did not pigeonhole a certain age group, I had loads of fun coming up with unique ideas which still hold true to my style of crafting.  

Click on the cover of the magazine  to see the cards.
I would love it if you would let me know what you think and if you will use any of these ideas.

Below are a close up of the cards and additional photos not included in the layout.
All the directions and materials needed are in the actual article.

Balloon Pocket Card

Fingerprint Thanksgiving Card

Yarn Handwriting Card

I have been so excited to share this with you and I had to wait all week until I could! I thought I would BURST!

P.S.  Do you remember my friend who did that brilliant UP theme costume for Halloween? 

That's Jenny on the cover in the upper left hand corner with her brother, sister, and parents.  

Her Dad, who is one of the most amazing people, wrote a moving article for this issue.  He has a rare blood disease and his faith is so astounding and inspiring that I am consistently inspired by the strength God gives him.  You can read his story on page 38 of the magazine.

Thanks to all of you for visiting me here and being there for me...

I truly mean that.

Links:
 

 

Blog Makeover and Exciting Stuff Happening!

I have found a new creative obsession.

It is not like I was unaware digital scrapbooking existed.  Of course it does.  But I decided to experiment with some stuff after all the fun I have had with the amazing goodies Meg works so hard on over at Shabby Blogs. I wanted a new look that had more of my own personal spin on it and I came up with...

My New Header!

Do you like it?

I can't stop downloading all this stuff out there in the webasphere.  Way fun!  I will be making changes as I go because the girls have to eat.  So I can't do it all at once.

But I had a very fun feature happen this week. I am so excited to tell you...

(Can you tell I like this stuff?) 
click here to see my eyeglasses case on their 

 Also, I have another big thing happening that is a 
dream come true.   
I can't tell you yet...though I spilled the beans to some of you bloggy friends that I email.  

But I am so excited!!

I try so, so, so hard to  zip these lips until the time comes but I can hardly wait!

Our Halloween!!!!

What a fabulous time we had this week!

My in-laws came into town and they are always super fun and then we did a Fall Festival and then...Halloween!  Each year we go to our church's trunk or treat and volunteer our car to hand out candy.  Super crowded but super fun! 

  Awwwwww...posing in front of our house.  

My Ballerina and Minnie Mouse.

 Trick or Treat! 

Ella's official first time on her two little cute feet.

She was amazed that those 3 words...worked EVERY single time.

Speaking of feet... 

I think my favorite part of their outfits were the shoes.  

They had some sparkly sparkle going on.

Sorry it's blurry bit the girl needed to get her trick or treating on.

And then a dear friend of mine decided to come up with an amazing and creative theme for their trunk.  And to be honest, most thought I would be creative but alas...no.  

Um, I threw some pumpkins on a table and recycled Fall decorations from my house and called it a day.

But my friend Jenny did a theme.  A THEME! 

The UP movie.   

WOW! 

She tied balloons to the top of her car...MADE THE HOUSE, and dressed as Mr. Fredrickson down to the cane with tennis balls!  BRILLIANT!  I took pictures of her like I was a tourist or fan of a celebrity!  But my geekdom is renowned so no one flinches. Her son was Doug the dog and her 1 year old daughter was Russell. 

My photos don't do it justice but enjoy...

 The house with balloons on top.

Jenny as Mr. Fredrickson and her son as Doug the dog.  

HAHAHAHAHA!  

I am cracking up now just looking at it again.  So stinkin' adorable I just can't stand it.

Kevin, the Bird.

Creative genius is what I say. 

I mean, a rainbow colored boa for feathers?  I am in awe. A pillow for the back? Amazing.

 I mean, is this not the cutest little girl in the world? Yet she totally pulled off the Russell look while still maintaining femininity. 

So awesome.  By the way Jenny has a great blog.  Click here. She is a close friend of mine and I love her dearly. So funny, warm, and loves Jesus.  And the funniest part about this is her outfit truly transformed her.  She is the epitome of style and so beautiful...inside and out.  So honestly I had to give her props on my blog for such creativity.

Off to unpack my creative pumpkins and pine cones.  Woop de doo.  :)

Fourteen Years Ago Today...I met Jesus.

It was mighty hard coming up with that title.  But I realized I wanted to be blunt and to the point. I celebrate this day every year to remember where I have been and how far I have come.  I often shy away from talking about my faith on my blog for fear I will offend someone.  Which is silly since I am pretty up front about it .  But I figured you might find it interesting to know how I came to believe what I do and why my life needed saving.


So let's travel back to the night of October 26, 1996.

I was a junior in college, 20 years old and that year I was the Resident Assistant for my dorm hall.  And when you are an RA, you have some weekends where you are on duty and can not leave your room since I had to do rounds and check the halls and such. Someone can visit you but you can not leave.  It can get BORING.

But one particular weekend, my friend Ben was on duty and he invited me to watch a movie.

Ah yes, but Ben was my secret crush and this invite meant that maybe...possibly...perhaps...my crush had decided to crush me back and we would partake in some kissy kissy-smoochie smoochie.


Let us rewind some more...

My first 20 years of life were typical and normal. My parents divorced when I was 6 months old and I lived with my mother and stepfather who married when I was 3.  My father was VERY much a part of my life and though he lived 3 1/2 hours away, he traveled every other weekend to pick me up and drive me back to his house.  We are still incredibly close and I love my father so much.

But as I grew up I was a normal girl. I could be shy but I could be bossy too. But starting around 2nd grade, I became an easy target.  As I got older, I was always on the cusp of popularity but never quite "a popular girl."  There was always a few girls who bullied me and I will never forget the day I said...no more.  I was 13 when I decided that I was going to get tough.  I don't know how or what happened but I became kind of  a bully of bullies.  It was not right but it was a survival mechanism that seemed to work. But with it, came a very outspoken sometimes volatile attitude.  This was due to other factors in my life but the main point was I was someone who would rather strike first them be beaten down...one more time. This was also the time I first started smoking...getting high...and drinking in the woods after school.

This went with me into high school but then I began to grow up a bit more. I even started standing up for myself in a more dignified fashion. I had lots of friends, played field hockey and lacrosse, wrote for the school newspaper, tutored...you name it...I did it.  But I was also kind of a loner.  Self inflicted isolation.  Oh, I had the friends.  But I walked alone, hung out with people from all walks of life yet never committed to a group of friends.  I was never quite able to fit in anywhere.  I seldom dated but I thought a boy...any boy...would be my knight in shining armor and whisk me away to bliss and happiness.  I knew if someone loved me...really loved me...I would find meaning in this daily fog I trudged through. This system of life that seemed to be pointless yet I pressed on because what else do you do?  

Then. during high school I lost my virginity. 


There it is.  The beginning of my belief that I was worthless.  I had clung to my purity merely because my parents told me I was supposed to.  But following the mandate of fallible man is difficult since parents let us down, disappoint us, become shockingly imperfect, and for me, the catalyst to drive me towards rebellion. 

I cringe at the thought that my parents do occasionally visit this blog. And may read this. This is not the holiday topic of conversation that is revisited for nostalgia's sake.  Nope, this is just not discussed. No one wants to think of their little girl making choices that were not their choices for her.  

But I was craving something and looking for it in the depths of the pit and mire.  I wanted to be...Wanted.  Loved.  Accepted. Pursued.  Cherished.

So I gave away the only thing that should have been given to the man reading his book behind me. I was on a quest.  And I kept looking and giving away chunks of me.  Over and over. Because I believed I was worthless yet I kept searching for the one who would tell me otherwise.And giving myself away in the process.

During my junior year of college, something began stirring within me.  And early in October I started going to the church nearby that was the denomination I grew up in.  I felt joy and peace while there yet when I left, I felt bereft of the pure joy I had.  I somehow could not take it with me.  For weeks, I felt on the verge of something life changing but I had no idea what it was.  

So back to the night of October 26, 1996.   

I arrive at Ben's room, looking cute and knowing that this may well be the night I conquer my crush. He shall be mine because why else does a BOY invite a GIRL over to watch a movie?

First thing that happened...he left the door open. Say what?  Where is our privacy to talk?  Anyone walking down the hall could walk right in.


Precisely.

You see, Ben was probably the most popular guy at our small little college.  He was outgoing, CRAZY, fun, sweet, and nice to everyone, smart (pre-med biology major) and more importantly IN LOVE WITH JESUS.  Some would say he was a FREAK for Jesus. He would probably concur.

Well, on this night we got silly and began dancing to this song a friend of mine had just introduced to me.  Some band called DC TALK singing a song about being In the Light.  After we jumped around the room like 3 year olds, he sat down next to me and asked me if I understood what it meant to be in the light as He is in the light. 

Um, no.  But I answered yes anyway because, helllooo? I needed to look smart and make an impression here. But he explained what it means for Jesus to be my light and salvation.  And funny as it seems, my eyes did not glaze over. But my spiritual interrogation began.  And sadly, I must confess it was not because I was on the verge of a Holy Spirit Awakening.  It was because I needed to find out if he would date someone who did not believe as he did. Oh, the humiliation. 

But my very first question that came out of my mouth surprised even me.  "Ben?  Why do you have so much joy?"  I don't have that.

His answer?  Simply and succinctly.  "Jesus Christ."

And so began the conversation that changed my life. At one point he asks me a poignant question that I answered as a complete lie because again...my hope was to appear smart.  He asked me if I believed in heaven and hell.  So I told him I believed in heaven but only a personal hell (whaaaat?) of your  own making.

As I am talking  I am thinking, "Well how philosophically ridiculous of you, Jessica. You don't even believe that."  I had no idea what I was talking about yet this pseudo intellectualism kept rolling off my tongue. 

And Ben's response still gives me goosebumps.


"I can assure you there is a hell." Y'all, he said it with such authority that I became absolutely still.  My heart beat slowed and I remember wondering why he stopped me in my tracks.  If you have ever read about Jesus in the bible, you know that people kept wondering at how Jesus could talk with such authority.  And I believe right then and there that Jesus got my attention through this man.

And Ben told me all about what it means to know God personally.  And I remember in the midst of it asking Ben the very question I wanted to know..."Could you ever be with someone who did not share your faith?"

His answer?  One so chilling and brutally honest that I thought him incredible to utter such words.  He said, "No I could not.  I could not imagine a life with someone where whenever I laid down next to her each night, I would cry myself to sleep knowing that our eternities were different."

Wow. If he had not captured my attention before...he had it then. Could I really be destined for an eternity APART from God?  Why?  I was a good person.  I made mistakes but I was no different from anyone else.  I lived morally.  Trustworthy.  I did not shoot people for fun. I had a heart for the elderly for crying out loud!  Why would I be lumped with murderers, rapists, and thieves?

Because I cherished my sin and never let Jesus pay for it for me.  

As Ben began explaining what it means to be saved, I began realizing that this was not for me. I began thinking about my list of wrongs.  All the things I had done up to that point.  Drugs.  Drinking.  Sacrificing my purity.  My anger.  My selfishness. My poor decisions.   Why on earth would God want me?

Ben actually took one of those little tract things to explain it to me.  To this day, I wonder at his methods since he was someone who not only knew verses...he could quote chapters of the bible. He was wise beyond his years and God blessed him in area of exhortation and truth.  Yet, he used a little book to explain to me that God loved me.  

When he got to the end where there was an example of a prayer to receive salvation from Christ, He asked me to read it 3 times to really understand the words.  Then asked if he could pray for me.  I said of course, since who turns down prayer?

What I did no realize was he was going to pray for me in that moment and then he did the most courageous thing I have ever seen...right then and there he got on his knees in the middle of the room.

For me. I was so stunned.  I kept thinking, I could laugh at him. I could walk out. I could even become angry.  But I was incredibly moved by an act so selfless.

And as I read that prayer I sensed a change.  The first time I read it, I knew Jesus would not want me.  Why would he?  I was filthy with sin and undeserving.  

And Ben still prayed.  On his knees, head bowed, eyes closed.  For me.

The second time I read it, I thought, "Could God really want me?  Sin and all?"


And Ben still prayed.

The third time I read it I knew.  I wanted Jesus.  Not because of Ben and my little crush.  Not to impress anyone.  I just knew I wanted what Jesus was offering.  Jesus was assuring me that I was...

Wanted.  Loved.  Accepted. Pursued.  Cherished.

Ben raised his head from prayer and said..."Do you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?"

My response?


"I just did."

And I began to sob this cleansing sobbing that comes from being renewed.  It was the most exhilarating, precious moment of my life.  Suddenly all the chaos and aimlessness of life vortexed into the truth that Jesus Christ died for my sins.  And loved me.  Just as I was.  I needed no prepping, no fixing up.  He took me as I was. I then knew the true meaning of peace.


And Ben cried.  He cried!  For me!  And all of a sudden I knew my life would never be the same.


I told Ben not to tell anyone what happened.  So he told everyone because he was BEYOND excited.  You see, I found out the next day from my friend Pete that Ben had told a bunch of people to be praying for me.  He had said that God spoke clearly that I was going to know Christ and be His. Still gives me God bumps. So for 2 weeks, all these people on campus, who I only knew a little...prayed for me. 

And I can assure you my life has NEVER, EVER been the same.  I want so desperately to explain in detail what I was delivered from.  My story seems so mild.  Yet my parents do not believe as I do and breaking their hearts is something I do not want to do. But I am a changed person.  Drastically changed.  You would not have wanted to know me. I had an edge about me that Jesus softened.  I was guarded.  Constantly held high expectations for friends. Easily angered.  So selfish that it bordered on narcissistic. Obnoxious.

But God tempered me when I realized He made me for a purpose.  And that people were not who I was to live for.  But for Him.  Now I rejoice that I am no longer a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness. That I have life eternal with my heavenly Father who has never, ever let me down. I am as imperfect as they come.  A constant work in progress.  But no one in this world can 100%, every second of the day and night make me feel...


Wanted.  Loved.  Accepted. Pursued.  Cherished.

Like my Jesus does.

Help Bring A Little Boy Home!

I am amazed at how I have come to know so many of you in this world of blogging.  I have been overcome with emotion with the way you have responded to my infertility story, my husband's job loss, and me just being transparent with all of you about the highs and lows of life.

Your love, friendship, and genuine care is something I will hold near and dear to my heart for always.  Because people I have never met and who never have met me chose to forge a friendship and commitment of prayer...for me. It is incredibly humbling.  I love that the some of the stories I share about my girls or my family delight you.  And even more special is how you become vested in the lives of others.

So I would like to share with you about a family.  Actually, 2 families.  Families with whom I feel immense connection because of...yep, you guessed it....ADOPTION. And they happen to be lovely people who are my friends. First, let me tell you about Mark and Nancy...These precious people adopted...seriously, one of the cutest boys on the entire planet...

 

See?

He is the sweetest little boy and every time I see him I melt.  He was a special needs child from China and my family and I had the privilege of watching them bring this sweet boy home through a BIG church and community effort.  They launched HUGE initiatives like an adoption walk with amazing sponsors and even a huge garage sale.  Through these efforts, they helped raised around $6800!

 WOW!

Everyone partnered together to bring this boy home to his family. And I also have to mention this fact too...Mark was our realtor and tirelessly helped us find our house. :)  If you want more of their story, please click here. Because this post is not about them but about another family they are trying to help.

This family, dear friends who actually spearheaded all the efforts to help Mark and Nancy bring their son home, now find themselves in the midst of adopting. So it is time to return the love and generosity they gave so selflessly.

My friends, Jon and Kari, have been waiting to meet and bring home their son Elijah from Russia. And they were able to hold, hug, and love on this precious boy! I can only imagine the emotion and joy as they had anticipated this moment for so long...

Meeting their son ELIJAH! So sweet!

But apparently, they need 2 more in-country visits before actually bringing him home which makes this a most costly endeavor.

They need to raise $9000 ASAP! 

If they can, there is a good chance they can bring their son home by Thanksgiving.

And I can't think of anything more special then helping this amazing family bring their son home for the holidays.

Also, National Adoption Awareness Month is in November and we happened to adopt Cati on National Adoption Day.  We were even interviewed by the local news and made 2 evening news segments.  I totally wish I had looked prepared to you know...BE ON TELEVISION.  It was 4 months after giving birth.  The camera is one honest contraption and can NOT tell a lie.  ANYWAY...sheesh I can get off track... It was one of the most amazing days of our lives...ADOPTING OUR CATI!


Now this precious boy needs his family. And his family needs him.

Do you feel a tug on your heart to help? You can actually donate (any amount you wish) through paypal by clicking on this sweet face...

When you reach the site, click donate on the bottom. I made this button to get the word out so you are also welcome to grab this button and link it back to www.hopeforelijah.com.

 I also thought of  another idea for you Crafty McCrafterson's out there. 

How about a Craft Auction to raise money?  

I can hold the auction here at TSOP on a certain date and those who are crafty can donate their craft for auction and others can bid on them.

But this all depends upon the response I get from you.  

I am still unsure about the logistics of it but I am willing to give it a shot if you are. And so many of you have incredible talents that could seriously give this family the child they have been waiting and praying for!

So what do you think?  Can you help?  If so, leave a comment so we can get that sweet boy home!

Thanks Friends!