I Made Something!

This has been a season of "Nope. Not going to happen today." 

Gurl. 

I've had great plans. I was going to post a whole lot of fall-inspired content in October. Then October actually happened and I posted not a one. Not even a single Pumpkin Spiced anything. 

It truly has been my goal to nourish and cultivate some life back into my little blog. However, all that nourishing has had to be focused on different areas of my life.  

I've also needed some inspiration. I truly love to write and create. There is something so fulfilling about being creative. 

One creative task I've been leaning into has been creating KDP products for Amazon. KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing.  I've not advertised or done anything to promote what I've created. It is certainly a hobby and I'm finding my groove. 

For one of the latest projects, I've taken advantage of my Early Childhood teaching and education and have created a Christmas Activity book. It is sooo cute. 

There are a few projects that are in the works that will feature my Mom's artwork. AND in the next few weeks, I am going to be publishing our family cookbook. We have a version of it that is 20-plus years old that we hand-created ourselves. There are limited copies and it was time to take advantage of our current opportunities and make a new one. It is really coming along nicely. I had suggestions for what to include from all of the Cousins. Many of them learned to cook their favorites from our little cookbook. I'll be sure to share that and some of the other things I've been working on. 

So. This next week. Be prepared to be slammed, saturated, and greatly annoyed by the posts I am going to throw your way. It is time for Beke to get back in the game!

Still Complaining and A FREE Doodle (Christmas Choir)

This post contains affiliate links...using affiliate links from There Will Be a $5 Charge for Whining helps support this blog, our homeschool and my book addiction. Thank You! 

Hello, my friends.

It's cold here in Indiana today. Not that I've been out of the house in almost a week.

I take that back. I did go to the doctor, but that barely counts, right?

I got up this morning with every intention of going to church. I got as far as making a pot of coffee, feeding the cat and fussing at Josiah to get himself out of bed.

Too much for me! I do feel better in some respects, but the thought of even putting mascara on (let alone going to church) was exhausting. You know you have been sick when you readily agree that the Orange Crush your son has been guzzling down can be counted as a fruit.

I am really, really looking forward to Christmas this year. I've been making plans. Some of those plans sound exhausting to me right now, but I know that eventually I will need those plans.

Written in sparkly pen and highlighted with jeweled stickers. That's just the way I roll.

Something I have learned throughout my years of chronic illness, etc. is that a girl really needs to have an arsenal of things that feed a creative outlet, help relieve stress and takes appreciation of those little moments. After all, those little moments are all some of us are guaranteed.

A few years ago, my momma began creating adorable zendoodles (also known as zentangles) for her people at the Nursing Home. She is getting ready to retire towards the end of December, but for the past several years she has worked in the recreational department of a nursing home in Joplin, MO. She plays music a couple of times a week, teaches art classes and a variety of other handicrafts.

A big change for her years as a Respiratory Therapist, but Momma did go to art school...so I guess it wasn't that much of a stretch.

Well, the zendoodles were a big hit. We even had a little online store for a bit. I've shared a few here on my blog. And today, I have another one for you.

Isn't this little Christmas Choir the sweetest? I think it would be adorable as a print to frame or as even a gift to give.

All you need to do is click on THIS LINK (or the picture) and you will be directed to Google Drive. There you can download a PDF of the print.

The finished copy will not have the SassyFrass watermark on it...so don't worry about that.

My favorite materials to use for coloring are a couple of things.

First, everyone must have a set of Prismacolor Coloring Pencils. They are truly beautiful and so great to use.





You can use a set of Dollar Store colored pencils, but I think that once you try these you won't ever feel the same way about colored pencils again.

There is also a bigger set (72 pencils) for some of you more ambitious coloring hobbyists. This set has a pencil sharpener (which is a necessity) included.




I don't like to use markers for these projects...they bleed through and are too heavy. Instead I opt for Gel Pens. I LOVE a good Gel Pen. They make me happy.

One of my favorite brands of gel pens are these from Sakura. They are called the Gelly Roll pens. the set you see here is the metallics. I adore anything shy and glittery and these are so smooth to use.




I also any of these pens and pencils would make a terrific gift or stocking stuffers for your Bible Journaling friends or budding artists. I know I would be thrilled to find any of these in my stocking (hint, hint).

So that's it. I hope you enjoy the sweet little Christmas Choir girls. You can find a few more Zendoodles underneath my Free Printables tab.

The Christmas Tour of my House (mainly for my Momma)

So I'm in this new house. Also known as The Parsonage. 

And I've got it all decorated for Christmas. Since my momma won't be able to see it this year, I thought I would post a few pictures of my favorite bits and pieces. 

So basically because this is a house tour for my momma and any other interested parties. I do need to tell you a few things. These aren't good pictures. My camera isn't feeling its best. And it's owner isn't that great either. 

Another little bit of tidbit of information. When we had all of our stuff in storage some buggers broke in and took a bunch of tubs...I bet there were surprised when they discovered they had gotten the priceless treasure of my Christmas decorations! 

Bahahahah! 

No worries. We had been keeping our ornaments and nativity in our apartment. The buggers didn't get Baby Jesus! I was also relieved to see that they didn't get a few special decorations. 

We had a bit of hiccup with the tree this year.  We opened up the box and discovered it was missing the base. What!!! The tree had been a gift from some dear friends. It was big and full and lovely. We had to make do with a not so big and fluffy tree. But..hey...it works! 

Drama! Nothing, but drama! 

So here it goes. Fair warning. You are about to see oodles and oodles of my Christmas stuff. 

In this pic you can also see our cute little fireplace we can roll around for instant atmosphere. I'm all about it. It makes me happy. 

We have a beautiful collection of White House ornaments that have been given to us every year by my sister-in-law, Deb. They were stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C years ago and she still blesses us with them. They are quite a treasure.

I like whimsical ornaments and I adore these cute teacups. There is also a lady version of this guy. I can't even remember how many years we've had them.

A few years ago, I bought this little angel at the Library. Fitting, huh! I think she kind of resembles my 4th grade school picture.

Years and years ago, when The Muffin and I had been married just a year or so, I went to a craft fair and bought these personalized ornaments. This is the Muffin's....obviously.

Every year, I let Josiah pick out an ornament. This year, he actually found an ornament of some football player. I didn't get a picture of him. You understand. 

My piano is home to my nativity scene. 

We got this nativity scene when we first got married. We added to it for a few years, but haven't for some time. If you happen to see the wise men that belong to this set....

I found this print as a free download online. The silver angel is from a present I received from a dear lady from church.

I had to share this. I made it from a broken-down hymnal. The broken-down hymnal seems to be my craft medium of choice lately.

This shelf in the parsonage used to be the front window! They enclosed the porch to make a couple of extra rooms.  I found it to be a perfect place to hang our stockings. 

I made the little tree from Styrofoam cones from The Dollar Tree and (again) the broken-down hymnal. The Christmas book I found at a flea market for .50. The Santa Clause was handpainted by my momma yeeaars ago! A fun fact. The little hymnal trees I made for our Church Christmas party and gave them to all the party goers. I happened to have a few left.

I also spent a little bit of time making these darling banners from the broken-down hymnal and a little glitter. They were easy peasy and cost nothing.

Here is another little spot I used the hymnal banner. 

Moving on to the dining room. I didn't get a picture of my table. I'll try and do that soon. 

This little alpine tree I found at a Flea Market for $10. It is leaning a little bit, but so is the floor in the dining room :<). We dug out a galvanized wash tub and filled it with pillow bating I had in the closet. 

 

I used only these ornaments on it. I LOVE red and white polka dots. They make me happy. I found these years ago. They are vintage and fabulous

This bookcase/dresser hutch was originally Josiah's. It is a good piece of furniture we bought when Josiah was about 2. He's outgrown it and I appropriated it for the dining room.

This pitcher I found at The Goodwill for 2 bucks. I did have a beautiful snowman pitcher, but the buggers must have taken off with it when they messed around in the storage building.

This bowl was my great-grandma Freda's. This snowman found a home...I had a willow pumpkin in it during the fall season.

 These little choir boys used to have another member. I think the reason I love them so much is that when I was a little girl we had a group of carolers we would set out every year. They are loverly.

Sometimes it's just the little touches that count. My little snowman bell fits right in.

The last stop on my tour is this hutch also in my dining room. I have had it for over 20 years. It sat in storage for a long time so we had a happy reunion. I change out the backdrop occasionally. I need to talk about the dishes for a minute. They are Homer Laughlin and some my Daddy gave me. I say "some" because my Daddy gave me more than 1 or 2 or 3 sets of Homer Laughlin. (or maybe 4 or 5)

My name Rebekah and I have a vintage china obsession. 

The old sewing machine is one I inherited from a Great Aunt. It never has worked. I just like to look at it. 

Merry, Merry Christmas! 

11 Must See Christmas Movies

My friends.

I am up to my neck in yarn, hot tea and a plethora of unfinished Christmas projects that need my attention.

You should also see my laundry pile.

On second thought. Don't look. Hide your eyes. It's not a pretty site.

I thought I would sit down with my hot tea and share a list of some of our FAVORITE Christmas movies evah.

Watching Christmas movies is one of our traditions. We consider ourselves aficionados of the whole Christmas movie genre. I am often in shock when I hear of someone who has never seen one of the classics.

What?

So here 'tis friends. Take my list and learn. Find one you haven't seen before ...or enjoy one you've seen a thousand times. Assemble the Fam and heat up the hot chocolate.

This isn't an exhaustive list. These are the ones that will get played more than once (or twice) during the Christmas season (and possibly in June). These are the ones that have an honored place on our movie shelf.

And now...in no particularly order.

1. It's a Wonderful Life

It is surprising to see how many folks have not actually watched this one all the way through. What? You have something against Jimmy Stewart? Angels? Cute little girls named Zuzu? It is possibly one of the most encouraging movies in the whole wide world. I may or have may not seen The Muffin cry during this one.

2. The Rankin Bass Christmas Collection

I've included the whole shebang here. Surely you've seen at least one of these. We like to watch them while we are decorating the Christmas tree. Rudolph, Frosty, Santa Clause...The Little Drummer Boy is The Muffin's favorite...they all much loved familiar characters. The other night we watched an old movie with Burl Ives. It was a drama. I have to tell you it was disconcerting to hear his voice in that context. I kept expecting Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius to bumble (hah!) through the scene.

3. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Our favorite Muppet movie. And possibly our favorite version of The Christmas Carol.  This music is precious. This clip is One More Sleep Til Christmas. Michael Caine is terrific as Ebeneezer Scrooge. I am almost positive that this when Dickens visualized his tale he imagined it just the way. By the way...it is one of the most faithful versions.

4. The Santa Clause

Tim Allen all squishy and red. That is all. Actually, The Santa Clause 2 is The Muffin's favorite of the Santa Clause movies. He's a romantic softy and likes the love story.

5. White Christmas (my favorite)

Bing Crosby had liquid gold in his voice. And I adore Rosemary Clooney in this one. She was one of my tribe....The Alto. This movie has romance, loyalty, patriotism, fabulous music and buttermilk (which happens to be The Muffin's favorite beverage).

This clip is loverly.

6. Elf

There are very few Will Ferrell movies that we've been able to enjoy (sorry Will). We like to keep things more PG (emphasis on the G) at our house. But this movie is precious. And who doesn't know about the 4 main food groups? Candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup...this is my kind of elf.

7. The Polar Express

So sweet. And visually stunning. The final song by Josh Groban cannot be missed. We have actually purchased a few copies of this one over the years. Josiah loved this movie when he was a Little. He watched it over and over. I even created a little unit study around the book and movie. 

8. The Nativity Story

Here it is. The Reason for the Season.

I love this simple retelling of the Birth of Jesus. Of course, there are a few liberties taken, but I think it's beautiful.

9. A Christmas Snow

This is a new one to our collection. This is a GREAT family movie. It's theme of forgiveness is one we all need today. We first discovered it when it was streaming for free on one of the instant video services. It isn't on either Amazon Instant Video or Netflix this year.

10. Miracle on 34th Street

I couldn't let a Christmas movie list go by and not have a shout out to this one. There have been quite a few versions made of Miracle on 34th Street. My favorite (and the one I linked to) is the oldie, but goodie starring Natalie Wood and Maureen O'Hara.  I recently realized something that made this movie even more of a special one. Do you remember when Kris speaks Dutch to a little girl when she is waiting to stand in line to see him? This movie was made in 1947...just a few short years after the end of WWII. If you remember your history you might remember that The Netherlands declared neutrality at the beginning of the war. Hitler invaded the small country anyway. One of my favorite books on the planet is "The Hiding Place"....A book about Corrie Ten Boom. She was not only Dutch, but she was a Christian and an active member of the Dutch resistance. She was sent to a concentration camp. Can you imagine what our country and the world had just experienced? It makes this movie so much more poignant.

11. The Nutcracker Ballet

So. Full disclosure. It could be that I am the only one in the house that considers this one to be a Christmas masterpiece. This version of The Nutcracker Ballet was made in 1977 and stars Mikhail Baryshnikov. When I was little (I was 5 when it was made) it would come on PBS. It was one of our "must watch programs." I have seen other versions and I don't think it holds a candle to this one.

I also have another confession. We don't have this one on the Christmas movie shelf. However, I plan to soon rectify that very soon. But I have DELICIOUS news! The video I have embedded below is from youtube...AND it is the whole production. Sigh. Just perfection.

I hope I've encouraged you to start your Christmas movie binge watching, RIGHT NOW!

A Christmas Letter ~ 2014

So I am sitting here posting from our Christmas headquarter's this year. Somewhere in Illinois at my Bro-in-Law's House.

Instead of stuffing my face with all of the candy and cookies that are just in arm's reach, I thought I would share a end of the year Christmas letter with you.

Such as it is.

When thinking about our comings and goings this year, I really don't have much to report.

We are simply....uninteresting folks. A little crazy. But uninteresting.

But here it goes. You have my permission to make up more colorful adventures if it makes the reading go easier.

This guy turned 13 in November. He's gotten a few zits and grown a few more inches.

This is his 3rd year on the YMCA swim team. He also has taken up cycling with his Dad. During the spring and summer they will ride together every Friday. Generally about 12-15 miles or so. Which gives me plenty of time to sit on the couch and contemplate being busy. I do it well.

We do homeschool and Josiah's favorite subject (other than lunch) is history. He also attends a PE class twice a week at a local university and we have a reading club every Thursday.

Josiah tends to be a Super Fan of his flavor of the moment. For several years, he loved Indiana Jones. He dressed up like Indiana Jones. He recreated his favorite scenes from the movie and wanted to be an archaeologist. Then he went through his Star Wars phase. This year the "flavor" is Football.

Mind you...he doesn't actually play football. He just has decided it is possibly the coolest sport on the planet. He has asked to be called Peyton Manning on more than one occasion and talks football stats like a pro. It is a bit frightening for this Non Sports Fan Mama. I just don't get it.

He is the Master Power Point Technician for Worship Service at church. He does a much better job than I do. I tend to daydream.

But I good reason to.

Isn't he the dreamiest?

The Studly Muffin and I celebrated 23 years of mawage this year!

He is still working as the Associate Pastor at our church and at Gospel Publishing House. His big hobby is Cycling. During warm weather he rides approx. 60 miles every weekend.

In September, Troy completed his 2nd Bike MS. It is 150 mile ride from Springfield to Joplin and back. I'm so proud of him. He has all of the dedication and discipline I only wish I had.

He was able to purchase a new bike this year. It's current home is in our living room. Yep. We love that bike.

Obviously, my guys love to be together. They are my loves.

And then there is me.

If you read my blog at all you probably know everything there is to know about me.

I have been busy doing the usual things. Housework, laundry, dishes.

Okay. You got me. At least I try and do those things. Sometimes a nap calls.

We didn't get to go on vacation this year, but we did have visits from family.

We also got to participate in a Fun Walk. I know that for most of you walking a Mile is not a big deal. For me, however, it was everything. There was a time that I didn't know if I would be able to walk at all. It has taken many years, but the fact is that I made it. I was last....even the tiny kids out walked me. But I got there!

You can see my cheering section below. Fun Walk's are serious business. 

And my view was pretty great. I have some pretty neat opportunities this year. I got to speak to a group of YMCA employees and our local Y used me in a promo video. I got to talk about some of my experiences. I promise I barely embarrassed myself. I did forget to put an earring in. Yep. I wore one dangly earring through the whole piece.

I can't end a Christmas Letter without talking about our Pirate Cousin Camp.

My Mom and I hosted the 4th Annual Cousin Camp. We had more fun than anybody should have.

We are already planning this next Summer's cousin camp. We have the theme and everything!

You  might have to just stay tuned. I'm not ready to give away all my secrets.

This next year we are hoping for great things. God has been so good!

Mom and I are starting a new little online cottage shop (more info soon). This is a brand new venture so please keep us in  your prayers.

Troy and I  are praying that God just uses us and continues to grow our faith. We are always amazed at His faithfulness.

Our prayer for all of you is that everyone finds a real relationship with God. That you are blessed beyond measure and that you and yours treasure each moment together.

Merry Christmas (and have a piece of fudge on me...I am considering applying duct tape to my mouth)!

A TOS Review: If He Had Not Come

So I don't know if this is happening in your town, but Monday morning I was flipping through the radio stations in my car and heard this familiar song. 

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,

Ring-ting-tingling too,

Come on, it's lovely weather

For a sleigh ride together with you,

Outside the snow is falling

And friends are calling, "Yoo hoo",

Come on, it's lovely weather

For a sleigh ride together with you.

 

What? I don't know if I'm quite ready for Christmas music 24/7. We've not even had our Turkey and dressing yet. However, I have to admit that the Christmas spirit is sneaking up on me. I do have a secret Pinterest board I created for handmade Christmas gifts that I've been busily browsing through.

We love Christmas at our house. It's the "most wonderful time of the year "(I'm on a Christmas jingle roll!)

Part of my preparations every year include setting aside special studies or books to read for the Christmas season. We have our favorite Christmas booksthat we bring out every year. It is so important for my husband and I to make sure that our celebrations are not only magical, but emphasis the true meaning of Christmas. 

I love it when I find a product (in this case a book) that fits so snuggly into our desire to put Christmas first and foremost during the season...and frankly, all year long. 

Josiah and I had the privilege of being able to review If He Had Not Come just in time for this special season.

If He Had Not Come was originally penned by Nan Weeks back in the 1930's. It has been reintroduced to the modern world by David Nicholson. The story of how this book came to be is precious. Mr. Nicholson heard this story in Sunday School years ago. He decided then that he would read it to his family every year at Christmas time. His desire to share this story with his family year after year has resulted in the publication of this lovely book. 

I was not familiar with the original story. It must have been one that didn't cross my radar. 

The story starts as a young boy Bobby ends his Christmas Eve with his father reading the Bible. One passage of Scripture, John 15:22, makes an impression on Bobby. As he begins his Christmas Eve slumber the a portion of the verse plays over and over in his mind. 

If I had not come.....

Bobby starts to dream. In his dream he wakes up to a very different world. There is no evidence of Christmas celebrations. There are no churches, no shelters for those in need...the New Testament has even disappeared. 

Everywhere Bobby looks there are the words, "If I had not come...." 

I won't tell you the 'rest of the story.' There has to be some mystery in life,but it does have a happy ending.   

Josiah and I were both thoroughly enchanted with this book. The message aside it was one Josiah could easily manage himself. He is dyslexic and crowding the page is often hard for him to navigate.

It is a beautifully illustrated story (kudos to the illustrator Charles Jaskiewicz!). The illustrations only enhance the message. This is one we will read over and over again. 

I like that the story made Josiah think. I know he enjoyed the fact that it featured a boy. I also know that he is at an age that he can think beyond what is just in front of his face. I think we call that introspection. 

If He Had Not Come doesn't just end with the story. There are a host of bonus activities in the back of the book. The Interactive Topics are for families and teachers. I can tell you that some of the questions really make one think. 

For example, one of the questions dealt with store closings on Christmas Day. During the story Bobby found all the stores open. It was supposed to be Christmas Day. This surprised Bobby. During our day and age many stores are open on Sundays. There are a few that stay open for Christmas. We've had many discussions about Sundays being just another busy day with a church service thrown in for good measure. Hmm. 

It is also made all of us think. Do I live like He did not come? 

There is an excellent "Going Deeper" section written by Josh Mulvihill. I really appreciated the including of the ABC's of Salvation. I thought it so fitting. 

A couple of thoughts. 

I am our Children's and Youth Director at church. I plan on using this book and the resources during the Christmas Season. I think it will make an excellent study for our young people. 

I also think it would be a fabulous gift to give. The book is just precious. And the message is one that is lasting.

You can purchase If He Had Not Come for $18.95. The age recommended for the book is 6 and up. 

You can also find If He Had not Come on Facebook! Click on the banner to read more reviews.