Pause, Fast Forward, Play

I had push Pause on the blog for a couple of months. Life stepped in and brought a whirlwind of change, totally out of the ordinary. That happens to all of us. My husband had a bypass surgery (femoral artery bypass). Can you believe they use polyester material to make prosthetic arteries these days? He's recovered and is doing fine but is was a rough little bit.

As you can see I've decided to change things around a bit on the blog. I am going for a softer feel these days. I think that's in part due to another BIG change in our lives. We are now Grammie & Grandpa! Our first grandchild was born in early March and things have been hopping! I'm working both on new blog colors and graphics and working on some digital scrapbook pages. I'll load a few of those I've done over the next few days but here is a quick sneak peak of the beautiful addition to our family. Meet our first grandchild.... our beautiful grandson... meet Matthew {aka Matty}

I need to finish my new blog button and post divider/signature. So those will go up later tonight or tomorrow. But for now, another little one is demanding some attention, so it's off of the computer for me for a bit. Our little Abby is done being patient with me. All of her toys you see scattered on the floor in the picture, have ceased to entertain her. :)

Kitchen Cabinets - Beginning Organization

In my last post I set myself some goals to be organizing my home, which will in turn create some much-needed organization in my life. This post was the beginning of my God-Sized Dream that I shared as I read and study with Holley Gerth and her readers. Organizing your house doesn't seem like much of a big dream to most people but it's what I need emotionally, mentally and spiritually... much more than physically. Let me explain why.

I read a few words recently posted by Becky on a great blog that I follow, Organizing Made Fun. I can't find the post now after stalking so many of her posts but it was something about the places her family has lived, both rentals and homes they have owned. She made a huge impact on me when she said even while living in a rental, she did what she was able to do to make that house their home. That was definitely inspiration to me because we live in a rental home. Because of health issues, my husband is disabled and isn't able to work now. If I was being realistic, renting is better for us right now. This allows us to not have the stress and worry of repairs and maintenance around the house. I've cheated myself out of enjoying that blessing for far to long.

We have lived here since 2006. It's not big but it's big enough for us. But because it isn't ours, and I plan to live in a home we own again one day... I've not allowed myself to feel "at home" here. My mindset has been, for a long time, that I'm leaving, I'm not staying here. In other words, "don't get too comfortable Diana, this isn't your home." And that's not a bad thing from the perspective of planning, dreaming, hoping for something more. But it's been bad for me. Because I make myself feel unsettled in this house, other things in my life feel unsettled. Because I'm always trying to get away, I miss the opportunity and potential I have for the here and now. I go through too many steps of making do... with where I live and how I live. And I'm tired of not feeling at home. So this God-Sized Dream of organizing... not only my home... but my life is a road I'm ready to travel on.

The first step photo I share in the last post isn't ready for and "After" post yet. I've decided to not only organize but rearrange. Some things in my home will find a new place to reside. Instead I'm showing another before and after cabinet space that I started with. It's not 100% complete but still a huge change. See for yourself...

BEFORE

AFTER

I found these pantry supply images and printed them on clear shipping labels that I picked up at WalMart. I have a few more to do. These were pre-made images but I have a few more I will make myself with Photoshop. This was a wonderful feeling to open the cabinet door and actually see everything on a shelf without digging behind things to see what I have and what I'm out of. And will make creating my grocery lists much easier. I can't wait to tackle another cabinet now. :)

My Mustard Seed Goal

I'm beginning the "Do What You Can" Plan and with the help of Holley Gerth's eBook I will be on the road to discovering and achieving my God-Sized plan.

My God-sized dream isn't anything that will make a big impact on anyone but me and my small home and family. I want an organized life. That's a big dream for a girl who likes "stuff". Maybe it's from growing up with very little. But when your surroundings are cluttered, your whole life feels cluttered. And when you're whole life feels cluttered, you can't be the person God means for you to be. And you can't accomplish the things he has for you to do. When there is so much to do, sometimes it's hard to know where to start. And that's where the breakdown occurs... you don't start. You spend your days sitting, and thinking about it but not very often acting on it. 

When change of any kind is needed, I find myself trying to look ahead to the end result. Not that the end result isn't worth the effort but knowing the distance between beginning and end... from A to Z... I feel overwhelmed. But I need to remind myself that there are many more letters before Z. If I can just look from A to B and succeed in that first step, it will be easier getting to the next. Start small. One step at a time.

My Mustard Seed Goal is to simply de-clutter and purge just one small area. Not even a whole room. I will share my first step, my step A tomorrow. I have one kitchen cabinet that makes me crazy. Who am I kidding! I have more than one. But I'll start with just one. I'll show you what it looks like now.

What a mess huh? Cookbooks, Tupperwear, paper plates & bowls, Pampered Chef prep bowls and chopper. ziploc bags. This will look totally different tomorrow! My goal is this one cabinet. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Sweet Inspiration

After seeing this recipe posted on Kevin & Amanda, it looked so good and so simple that I had to try it. I already had all of the ingredients needed, so within minutes I was in the kitchen, whipping up a batch of these easy Baby Cinnamon Buns.

How could I ignore this photo Amanda had posted? 

It is super easy and super sweet! Here is all you need:

1 can crescent rolls

1 stick of butter, softened (1/2 stick softened, half melted)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp heavy cream (or use 2 tbsp of milk + 1 tbsp butter)

I always have these ingredients on hand, except the crescent rolls, and I buy those fairly often. I'm thinking I'll be keeping them on hand a little more often.

I softened the butter in the microwave. I happen to have a "Soften" button on mine so that makes it easy but if you don't you could place it on a microwave safe dish and try 50% power for 15-20 seconds and  add a few minutes at a time until the butter is soft but not melted.  Continue with melting the rest of the butter. Mix the melted butter and brown sugar in a pie plate or round cake pan. Unroll the crescent rolls and pinch together seams. Spread the 1/2 stick of softened butter over the crescent roll dough. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture over the butter covered dough, and roll up into a log shape.

Slice the rolled dough into 8 cinnamon rolls. and placed into prepared dish for baking.

Bake in a preheated, 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Top with vanilla glaze by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and 4 tbsp heavy cream (or use 2 tbsp of milk + 1 tbsp butter)

These turned out perfectly! I forgot to add the butter with the milk (to replace the heavy cream) but it was just a little bit thinner glaze but was still very sweet and delicious. The butter and brown sugar bottom created a sweet chewy crust. It was the perfect sweet treat for Christmas Day brunch. 

I'll definitely be making these again! :)

A New Birth

With this new year, I am starting this new blog. I have been blogging over here for a little while but felt it was time for a change. I will eventually move some things to this new blog, though not everything. If you have read or followed posts from My Lifesong blog and here now, thank you for following me here. If you're new here and have not followed the old blog, then I welcome you as well to share in my puzzles of life. I'm glad to have you all here and look forward to sharing thoughts, ideas, crafts, recipes and other puzzles life gives  me to work on. I hope to join you in sharing your pieces of life as well. 

From our family to yours... 

Thankful for the gift of  new birth of my new blog and the birth of our Savior!