More DIY fun!

If you've been following along with my other blog, The Pinterest Project, you may have seen my friend Jamie's canvas art for her office.  If you haven't, check it out HERE.  A few weeks ago, I came across this and knew I wanted to replicate it for my house:

So, with Jamie's recent success at a canvas art piece I felt inspired and brave enough to try my hand at it.  I set off to Michael's in search of supplies.  What I picked up was an 8x10 canvas, paint, a sponge and letter stickers.  That's it!

I measured the canvas, figured out how I wanted the spacing to go and ended up with this:

Then I put paint all over the canvas.  At first I was nervous, but it seemed to be going so well that I got a little carried away and put too much on in some places.  (oops)  I let the paint dry while I was cooking dinner and then I carefully peeled the stickers off.  (I also painted the sides of the canvas to make it look more finished)

I hung this on my wall where I stole the mirror from for my Chalkboard Project.  On either side of this, I put a smaller canvas that I covered with mod podge and scrapbook paper.

What do you guys think?  Now that I feel more confident, I might try a bigger size to fill up that space more, but it's a good start for now.  Also, do yourself a favor this morning and watch this video - it's the story behind the hymn, It is Well.  Cry your eyes out, and then thank God for your many blessings.   I wanted to have a daily reminder of how blessed I am, and I think this simple piece of "artwork" will do just that.

Oh, there you are...

There's a scene from an Austin Powers movie that we used to use all the time when I worked at the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom.  We would cruise up to the dock in our boats and do this scene with the skippers who were there to help unload the boats.



I love this scene.  I may or may not still do it with a few of my Disney friends when we see each other after a long time apart.

As Beckett gets older, he is seeing and tracking more things.  One of my favorite moments every day is when he first wakes up or when I walk into his line of focus and say hello.  There is this sudden moment of recognition where I picture him saying, "Oh there you are!  You're the lady with the kisses and the milk!"  As a parent, there is really no better moment.  It's a pleasure to know that not only does he recognize my face, but he is happy to see me.  He grins, and he knows that I will take care of his needs.

Stay with me here...

Imagine that moment with our Heavenly Father.  You know the moment when it all just clicks?  When it feels like you are looking and looking and confused and lost - and then suddenly His face comes into focus and you lock eyes with Him.  And you feel this sense of relief and joy.  Oh.  There you are.

I believe there is no better moment for our Heavenly Father than the moment we lock eyes and see His face.  I know He feels joy.  He will take care of my needs, just like I take care of Beckett and Logan's needs.  He loves us more than we can imagine possible.  When you feel lost, remember that. 


"Oh.  There You are..."

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! - 1 John 3:1

Yes, please...

Signs I liked this week:

Nutella Cookies

So, my friend Jamie (of Macie's Little Hat Co.) got me hooked on Pinterest.  It's a site more dangerous than Facebook, especially for people like me who have that whole "I can totally do that" complex.  But I finally decided to put Pinterest away this morning and stop daydreaming about redoing my house and wardrobe with nothing but Elmers Glue and fabric scraps (just joking...kind of).  I figured I'd do some cleaning instead.

If you're my friend on Facebook you probably know I'm in a fight daily with my hardwood floors.  I've tried everything from Orange Glo to Swiffer to vinegar and water to the Shark...they're still cloudy.  Clean, yes.  Shiny, no.  I washed them AGAIN today with the Shark and then got cranky at them so I sprayed a little wood polish on top of one section.  Oh, so pretty.  Oh, so shiny.  Oh, so slippery...oops.

So, I gave up and decided to bake cookies instead.  I present to you: NUTELLA COOKIES.

We only happen to have Nutella laying around because Harris Teeter was displaying it along with a coupon for $1.50 off if you also bought Thomas' English Muffins (which we happen to eat a lot of around here)  Plus it was double coupon week so I got $3.00 off.  This recipe looked super simple and tasty - so I threw together a batch this morning, making just a few changes.  Here is the original recipe, which I found on TastyKitchen.com.  HELLO?  Just FOUR ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Nutella
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Egg

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Blend all ingedients together well. Form into 1″ balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool.

Easy peasy, right?  I made a few tiny adjustments -  brown sugar instead of white, and then I used half a cup of white flour and half a cup of whole wheat flour.  It makes me feel healthier.  I also added about a tblsp of almond milk because the dough looked pretty dry.  

These cookies are delish, and if you are on Weight Watchers - a whopping 2 points per cookie.  Yes, please!

And, just because I can - a gratuitous kiss the naked chef picture (heh):

I Will Bring Praise

I'm a phone screener.  I'm not proud of it, but I am.  I really hate talking on the phone and would much prefer an in person chat or a text if it's something that can be said quickly.

So, when I started getting phone calls from an unrecognizable Utah number, I decided to google it.  Turns out the number belonged to a company I used to work for when I was in college.  We would call people all over the United States to survey them about various things.  Yes, I suppose I was a telemarketer of sorts...only I never sold anything - just took surveys.  I got hung up on a lot as you can imagine.

So when the number popped up on my screen again the other night, I decided to see what this was about.  It was a nice girl (probably a college student like I was many years ago) who was doing a survey on behalf of JD Power and Associates for Carolinas Medical Center in Pineville, which is where I delivered Beckett.  We were just about to sit down for dinner, and I had been sitting in the Orlando airport much of the day - I was tired.  But, I also remembered how hard it had been to get people to take these surveys AND I remembered how great my experience was at CMC-Pineville.

I took the so called "quick" survey, which of course was nothing but.  Todd motioned at me several times to come eat before the food got cold.  But still I persevered.  And when I was done, I told him theatrically, "You know, not enough people bother to take the time to praise companies when they do a job well done.  Everyone is quick to moan and complain, but when people do a fantastic job how many of us really show our gratitude?"  I felt proud of myself for taking SO MUCH TIME to praise the hospital, my midwives, the nurses on staff, the accomodations, the food (ok, not the food so much)...

And then later I got thinking - how often do I spend that much time praising God?

I easily spent 20 minutes on the phone that night with a complete stranger praising nurses that I will probably never see again.  Don't get me wrong, they deserved every bit of praise I gave.  But do I take 20 minutes out of my night to praise and thank God?

Driving to the airport that morning I had spent plenty of time talking to God.  I asked Him for smooth travel, for protection - I asked that He keep Beckett from screaming and crying.  I asked that He keep Beckett from having a huge poop explosion while we were cruising at 30 thousand feet.  I thanked Him for safe travels thus far.  I thanked Him that we had the means to take a trip to Orlando and spend 4 days there with friends...but it was no 20 minute praise session.

This was a little sobering to me - but motivating as well.  It can be hard to remember the praise when life is staring you down and around every corner is a hill or a mountain to climb - but I am so blessed and have so much to be grateful for.

Today, I praise God for a beautiful family, for healthy children, for my husband who works so hard to provide for us.  I praise Him for our incredible church who knows what it means to be the body of Christ here in Charlotte and throughout the world.  My blessings are many and my heart is full.

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I receive I will sow
                               -Desert Song, Hillsong

Giveaway Winner!

Audrey - Jamie will be contacting you about your win!!  Thanks to everyone who participated!

Wordless (Kinda) Wednesday: Pinterest CRISIS

Tasty Tuesday: Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Ok, this was on my to do list for Saturday, but that got pushed down to the bottom of the list.  And then I remembered that there is a fun little farmers market in our backyard (yes, pretty literally in our backyard...) and I could get some kirby cucumbers fresh from there to use.

I probably should have titled this blog Testing Tuesday because the cucumbers need to sit in the brine for at least a day, and up to a month...so I have no idea how they'll taste.  But honestly, how bad can a pickle be?

I love pickles.

So, without further adieu -

Gather ingredients!  

1 quart kirby cucumbers

white onion, chopped

apple cider vinegar

garlic cloves, peeled

dill seed

sea salt

filtered water

Check out the full recipe by clicking HERE

 Ready for the refrigerator!!

I can't wait to try these and see how they turned out!  Thanks to my friend Jamie for passing along this blog so I could try my hand at pickling.  And since we're on the subject of my friend Jamie - make sure and remember to sign up for the giveaway. You can do that by clicking HERE.  Read the blog, follow the instructions and leave a comment there to be entered!  It's that simple!  She can make bigger sizes too, so if you don't have a newborn baby you don't have to feel left out.

(Also, how badly do I need a better camera??)

Beckett's Doppelganger?

Just sayin...

What's cooking...

Ah, Saturday.  It's the day of unlimited potential.  On today's to do list:

- menu planning
- farmers market
- grocery shopping
- making refrigerator pickles
- making granola
- start a new sewing project
- laundry
- cleaning

On the accomplished list:
- menu planning
- grocery shopping
- made granola

Ah well.  I did get to pick some yummy tomatoes fresh from our little garden though, and I took plenty of time to play with sweet little Beckett.  Even found a few of his ticklish spots and got some great giggles.

I made a delicious granola recipe today - it's the first time I've ever attempted granola.  I know you're saying to yourself, "Self - why would Miranda tackle something like THIS if she's never even made a simple granola recipe?"  I wish I had a good answer, but I don't.  Anyway the finished product is so yummy I wanted to share it with you!  The original recipe calls for dried cranberries, but I used dried cherries instead.  A dark chocolate granola with dried cherries and almonds?  YES PLEASE.

You can find the recipe by clicking HERE.

And for WW users - this recipe makes 8 servings and is 7 pts per serving.

Also, don't forget to enter our GIVEAWAY. - Make sure you like Macie's Little Hat Co. on Facebook AND comment on the blog to tell us which hat you want.  Your entry won't count unless you do both.  Thanks!  Good Luck!

Mmmm...granola...

Getting ready to go into the oven:

Ready for snacking!

Happy Giveaway Day!

A couple years ago I met my friend Jamie.

She remembers me as the girl in the red heels dragging a kid behind her through church.  I remember her as an effortlessly cool and stylish girl with awesome hair.  

When I found out that she was as snarky and sarcastic as I was, I knew we were destined to be good friends.  We are both Yankee girls married to true Southern boys.  She had her first baby - her daughter Macie - in January, and Beckett was born 4 months later.  We are already planning their wedding.  

Jamie is as talented as she is funny - and she recently opened Macie's Little Hat Co. on Etsy.  She hand knits beautiful hats, and was kind enough to send me a few for Beckett to wear and model in his newborn pictures.  She has generously offered to GIVE AWAY one beautiful hat to a lucky reader!!  Are you excited??  I am!

Here are the rules:

How do you win?

{Main Entry-Required}
Find Macie's Little Hat Co. on Facebook by clicking HERE.  "Like" her page, check out her hats and then leave me a comment here on my blog about which hat you'd like to win.  You MUST comment on my blog, and not on my Facebook page.  If you are already a fan of Macie's Little Hat Co on Facebook, you just need to comment on my blog.

Want an extra entry?

Become a follower of That's What She Said by clicking the Join feature on the right hand side page of my blog.  This automatically gets you an extra entry in the contest.  If you are already a follower, you will get another entry without having to do anything extra.  

This contest will run until midnight on Friday, August 5th and the winner will be announced on Monday, August 8th through a random selection.

Enter today, and tell your friends and family!  These hats make the best baby shower gifts, and adorable props for newborn pictures.  See proof of cuteness below!

Photo courtesy of RaeElle Photography

(PS - Jamie was originally making a bunny hat, but hated the way it looked so she decided to turn it into an aviator hat! See what I mean??  TALENTED.)

And a big thanks to Jamie for offering up such a fun prize to my blog readers!

I'm in the MOB

The MOB Society that is.


Are you a Mother of Boys?  If you are, you definitely need to get connected through this awesome online forum - they are doing their very first ever Boy Mom Blog Hop and you should check them out.

So, to all my fellow "Mob"-ers, here's a little bit about me.

I'm Miranda and I'm married to Todd, who helps pastor a church in Charlotte, NC called Next Level Church.  We have an unusual story when it comes to ministry families - Todd has 2 boys, I have one and we have one together.  Yes, that's right - FOUR boys, ranging from 10 weeks to 16 years.  Talk about being encompassed in everything boy.

I used to blog HERE, but got bored with that so I moved over to Blogspot.  We'll see how long it lasts.

And finally, here are my 2 - Logan, 10 and Beckett, 10 weeks.

(Beckett attends band practice with me when I sing in the worship band...gotta protect those sweet little ears!)

And, make sure to check back in tomorrow - we're doing our very first giveaway and you won't want to miss it!

Tasty Tuesday: Midnight Snack

Do you guys know what this is?

Ok, yes it is a really bad iPhone snapshot...but it is also a slice of RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.

 I made it.  And it is GOOD.  Of course, if you put cream cheese frosting on a hunk of dirt, it would still taste good.  I mean, hypothetically speaking of course.

(Side note: See how the middle layer of frosting is uneven?  I just want to point out that it is not my fault.  We have one burner that gets crazy hot when the oven is on...and after I took this beautiful cake out of the oven and was letting it cool, my dear husband unknowingly moved one cake on top of said burner while he was cooking.  Ten minutes later I came out to find the cake with a large sinkhole in the middle.  SADNESS.)

I was trying to avoid the cake - because you know, pesky baby weight and all.  But I still have 12 Weight Watchers points to eat today and it's 11:47 pm...so what else is a girl to do?

Answer: Obviously eat a generous slice of cake filled with yumminess, and ignore the pesky voice in your head warning you about red dye #40 and CALORIES.

What is your midnight snack of choice?

AND: Don't forget about the giveaway that will be announced on Friday!  If you're a fan of cuteness you won't want to miss it.  And if you're not a fan of cuteness...I am sad for you.  

Fishy Business

This is Stan.

Stan is a seahorse.  I think.  Stan kept watch over us at the Ocean Isle Inn when we were on vacation last week.  Stan is somewhat precariously perched directly over the bed.  What you can't see from this picture is that Stan had a fin that actually stuck out and hung over the bed.

I guess this is some kind of 3D art stuff.  And I use the term "art stuff" loosely.  I feared for our lives.  I worried that Stan the 3D seahorse would fall from the wall and impale me as I slept.  Stan was weird.

Beckett loved Stan.

He talked to Stan every time he saw him.  He cooed and babbled and I'm pretty sure that Stan kept Beckett up one night with tales of the sea and other various excursions. Beckett had more fun with Stan than he did with me.  (Side note: this was the day we were packing up to leave.  That's why the bed is in such disarray.  Normally I am a super big neat freak and make my bed up every morning, complete with hospital corners.  You can even ask my husband.  On second thought, don't.  Because I'm a liar.)

I don't know what it says about my child that he happily befriends the very thing THAT MAY IMPALE ME WHILE I SLEEP.


In any case, we were sad to say goodbye to Stan  the ocean.

Disclaimer:  None of the seahorses pictured here were harmed in the writing of this blog.  And I totally made up the name Stan.  It has a nice ring to it, right?

ALSO: Stay tuned this week for a fun giveaway announcement.  If you have a baby, have a friend with a baby, have friends who may EVER have a baby...this giveaway is for you!

Wordless Wednesday

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tasty Tuesday: Banana Blueberry Muffins

Sweet Beckett is two months old today!  I can't believe it's already been two months since he was born - we are having so much fun with him.

Speaking of Beckett...what's more fun than losing baby weight?  Since Beckett was born I haven't really baked much - really not at all, save a few dozen Peanut Butter Blossoms to send on a road trip with Todd and his boys.  I miss it, but I am trying to stay focused.  Since Todd and I are heading to Ocean Isle for a few days, I decided to stock up on healthy snacks and I made a batch of banana blueberry muffins to take with us.

I searched around on the internet and came up with a few recipes that I've modified and pieced together to make this healthy alternative.  And, for any Weight Watchers gals (or guys!) each muffin is worth 3 points on the new PointsPlus program.

Recipe:

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup nonfat greek yogurt

1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3 mashed ripe banana
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pint fresh blueberries

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat well at medium speed of a mixer. Combine banana, oats, and milk; add to sugar mixture, beating well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir with a whisk. Add to sugar mixture; beat just until moist and add blueberries.  Stir and spoon batter into a muffin tin coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
• 
  
• 
  
• Happy Snacking!

Back in the Saddle

I've sorely neglected my blog since Beckett was born.

I know, you're nodding your head, full of understanding.  After all, baby humans are EXHAUSTING.  You feel compassion for me.

Lies, all lies.

Beckett is pure perfection.  He coos.  He smiles.  He eats like a champ.  He fusses only when tired or hungry.  He SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT.


I didn't know they made babies like this.  I really didn't.

I've neglected my blog because I spend my days doing this:

That's Beckett in a Maya ring sling.  And that's me just sitting contentedly with him.  Can you blame me?  Look at that sleepy little face!

Side note:  I publicly declared my hatred of ring slings.  But then I figured them out and now, I love.  So, dear ring sling inventor - please accept my sincerest apologies.  My bad.

Now, hopefully you noticed the new blog site and layout.  I hope this gives me some inspiration to write again a little more consistently.  If not, at least it's prettier to look at than the old site, right?