Friday, April 29, 2016

Friday Favorites

It's Friday!  The only thing that makes me happier than is if someone would grocery shop for me then load it in my car for me, BUT wait...that happened!  What????


ONE
This week in blogging:
Monday:  My blog buddy Jacquelyn nominated me for the Liebster award.  Check out my post to find out more random facts about me.
Tuesday:  I have a few special friends that have said goodbye to their sweet children too early.  Tuesday's post was dedicated to them in the midst of their grieving, and what we can do for them.  
Wednesday:  I reviewed the new (new to me) grocery pickup at WalMart.  If you missed it, definitely check out that post.  It is a game changer.

TWO
A couple of weeks ago I saw the table below listed for $25 on an online garage sale site and had to have it.  Jess had a bit of an accident this fall on our not-so-sturdy patio chairs that resulted in staples to the back of his head, and the chairs being trashed ASAP!  So, we were in need of a new set, and I am all about a bargain.   

This is a sturdy, wrought iron set that just needed a little TLC.   


I just knew I wanted to paint it Seaside Blue (aka turquoise), and he was like...what?  A blue table?  


And sister, was all, "What are you thinking, Mommy?"


But, seven cans of spray paint later (and yes, if you're doing the math in your head,we spent more on the paint than the table) we have a finished product.  I am still shopping for the perfect seat cushion.  I have been to no less than 20 stores this week to find the right one, but it hasn't happened yet.  I'm thinking coral and white...



THREE
Jess' preschool had their annual Round-Up, which is basically a fundraiser dinner where the kids perform.  I loved watching him sing and dance.  It was so fun!  I love his little personality.


He was actually "whipping" here (whip, nay, nay), is that not the most serious whip, you have ever seen?


FOUR
Jess' preschool also holds a live auction after the performance.  I initially said, I did not need a bidding number, because I had not planned on purchasing anything, but thank goodness I changed my mind.  The first item up was this beautiful cutting board.  We needed a new wooden cutting board because I put mine in the dishwasher.  I know what you're thinking...wooden cutting boards don't go in the dishwasher.  What I didn't know was that you aren't suppose to cut raw chicken on a wooden cutting board.  When my husband found out I had done that he freaked out lovingly told me to trash the cutting board.  I thought I would give it once last chance by sanitizing it in the dishwasher, hoping for a full recovery, well, that didn't work.  The dishwasher dried it out and it cracked.  Therefore, I was in the market for a new wooden cutting board.  The rest is Wee School history...


FIVE
It may come as a shock to those of you that know I have been eating the Trim Healthy Mama way since August that I just now bought the cookbook!  I have the original book that explains the plan and some recipes, but I just got the "official" cookbook this week.  I LOVE it!  So far this week I have made the Lazy Lasagna, Cajun Chicken, Tilapia Veracruz and am planning the Chicken Bang Bang tonight.  They were all delicious and even my sometimes picky kids ate it up.  If you are looking for some new ideas that are healthy and family friendly, I definitely recommend this book (I just had a Reading Rainbow flashback, anyone else?)  Right now, this book is under $16 on Amazon.  


Thanks for spending a little time with me this week.  I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Emily 

P.S. This post contained affiliate links, which means if you clicked on a link & made a purchase, I may have received a little commission.  Thank you for reading and supporting my blog. 

Linking up with these ladies:






Wednesday, April 27, 2016

WalMart Grocery Pickup: My Official Review

I could not stop talking about WalMart's new grocery pickup service to my family and friends, so I thought I owed it a blog post of it's very own.  This was huge!  Life changing!  I am never going back to regular grocery shopping again!  If you haven't tried it, let me explain how it works.

First, I logged into my WalMart Grocery account.  It asked me what location and what time I wanted to pick up.  I was doing this on a Saturday afternoon at 1:00 and thought it might be Monday before I could find an opening, but was surprised to see they had openings as early as 9:00 the next morning.  I opted to pick up my groceries between 3:00-4:00 Sunday afternoon.  Then, I started shopping.  I typed in what I wanted and it immediately appeared.  I took a screenshot below of what the screen looks like.  I typed in a variety of products to see what all you could purchase and it looks like most products are available, including food, school supplies, over the counter medicines, beauty supplies, clothing and even toys.


After I placed my order, I was told I had until 1:00 AM to make changes to my order.  I entered my payment info and logged out.  Pretty easy!

I am going to address a few of the ordering pro's and con's before moving on.

Let's get the bad news out of the way, first:

When ordering produce, there were a few items that I had to order a pound of.  For example, I only needed 2 poblano peppers, but had to order a pound.  They weren't that much money, but now I'm stuck with eight extra poblano peppers.  On the flip side, I only needed two limes, and limes are in fact measured by quantity, not poundage (I'm not sure that's a word), so I guess it depends on what type of produce you are ordering.  

The only other downside to the ordering process, was the fact that I could not read the product's labels.  I watch my carbs and sugar.  I was going to try a new spaghetti sauce, but was not able to read the label to see how many grams of sugar it contains, so I stuck with my old trusty.  I could of opened a new tab and googled that product and read the label, but it would have been convenient just to have it directly on the WalMart site.

The Pro's of ordering though the site:

They're pretty smart...you could spell yogurt, ygurto and they figure out what you're talking about!  I also found I spent less because there were fewer impulse buys (aka tank tops and nail polishes...this could also be listed under the negatives.) Also, you don't get stuck behind an old lady pushing a cart slower than a snail.  My ordering standards are obviously low.  This is going to work for me!

The ordering process took about 45 minutes, which is way less time than I spend meandering around that big store.  My next order will be even faster because WalMart saves your previous purchases under favorites.  If you are like me, you tend to buy the same things for lunch and breakfast, so these will be faster to get through next time.  

The day of the pickup, WalMart called me promptly at 3:00 to tell me my order was ready...which meant I had to pry myself out of Ross where I was buying shoes and sunglasses wasting time.  When I placed my order the website showed me where to park for pickup.  There were ten or so spots reserved along the side of the building for pick up with the phone number to call when I arrived.  I called the number, told them my name and my groceries were promptly delivered and loaded, YES, LOADED into my car.  He also handed me my bread and eggs for safe keeping.  

The friendly WalMart employee gave me a welcome gift and explained to me how the process works.  There were three items the store was out of, in my case they were all produce items, so no substitutions were made (and I wasn't charged for those items).  But, the associate explained they do have a substitution process that works for other goods.  In fact, if needed, WalMart will substitute with a similar product and not charge you any difference in price.  I think I left off the best part of this service...it is FREE!  

Here's my welcoming gift...


On a side note, if you are not using the WalMart Savings Catcher...sign up for that, too.  All you have to do is scan the bottom of your receipt each time you shop at WalMart.  I have linked the info for you, but basically, if you buy yogurt for $1.00 at WalMart, and your neighborhood Target has the same yogurt on sale for $.75, then you get $.25 deposited into your Savings Catcher account.  Since I started using Savings Catcher in 2014, we have accumulated approximately $250 into our Savings Catcher account.  We usually use this right before Christmas and order the kids a few toys.  Free money, friends!

Back to the grocery pickup, I honestly can't think of anything to make it any easier.  I will definitely be using the grocery pick up again and again.  And, will this girl be tagging along on my future grocery store runs?  Of course she will.  There's a Bahama Bucks right next to WalMart.  Win, win!


I never thought I would be this excited about grocery shopping!

Have you used the grocery pick up at WalMart yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?  To get you started, click here for $10 off of your first grocery pick up order!  Thanks, WalMart!

Emily 



Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Being An Adult Stinks Sometimes

Being an adult stinks sometimes.  When I was a kid, I used to dream of who I would marry, what my kids would be like, where I would live, what vacations we would take.  I never considered tragedy would strike, but unfortunately, it does.

This post is dedicated to a few special moms in my life that have all gone through the worst tragedy any mother could face - the death of a child.  These women are role models of faith, that I admire, but they never signed up to be role models.  They just wanted to be mamas.  I know they appreciate the phone calls, texts, and cards telling them how in awe of their strength we are, but that's not what they really want.  They want a few more minutes reading bedtime stories to their babies.  They don't want to hear how you hugged your child a little tighter tonight; they just want to cuddle with their baby a little longer.  Whether they lost their child as a sweet infant, an ambitious child, or as an adult, their pain is the same.  We, as friends, try to say the right things, but often that falls short.  Our pity doesn't bring their babies back.

So, what can we do?  We can pray.  There is another person who knows what it is like to lose a son and He's our Heavenly Father.  We can pray to Him fervently and pray that He will provide their needs, whether it's peace, comfort, or understanding.  Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." 

Grief is a journey and no two people will follow the same path on the journey.  Continue to reach out to your friends.  You never know when the hand you extend to them will be exactly what they need on that particular day.  


If you're reading this and it applies to you, please know we mean well.  We never want to deepen your pain.  We are probably going to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.  And, please do not think that we don't want to hear about your precious kids, because we do!  Even if we never met them, we love to see your face light up as you talk about their personalities!  Really, we want to talk about anything that brings a smile to your face.  We love you. 


Sincerely, 

Emily



I'm linking up with Beth at Our Pretty Little Girls for Tuesday Talk.



Monday, April 25, 2016

The Liebster Award

Since I started blogging on January 1st, 2016 I have been absolutely amazed with how genuinely helpful the blogging community has been!  I have "met" so many friends from across the country that have been supportive and encouraging to me in my journey.  Jacquelyn from The Lowcountry Mama is one of those friends!  She nominated me for the Liebster Award, which is a way to discover new bloggers.  Thank you so much, Jacquelyn! 



First off, Jacquelyn sent me these questions to answer about myself...
• What is your favorite holiday, and why?
Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday!  It's like Christmas, but without all the stress of decorating and presents!  On Thanksgiving, all the focus is on food and family; two of my favorite things!  Plus, it's the kickoff to the Christmas season, which is the most special time of the year!

• What has been one of best days in your life so far?
Without a doubt, the time my husband got me second row tickets for Wicked.  I'm just kidding...although that was a fantastic day!  The day my husband proposed, the day we said "I do", the birth of all three of my children, and watching my daughter get baptized are a few days that will forever be etched in my mind.

• How would you describe your personal style?
Mom-Leisure!  I don't know that I really have a style.  I love leggings and tunics, jeans, riding boots, converse and of course Kendra Scott!  I would say 80% of my clothes come from Belk.  They have amazing sales...and I have one 15 minutes north of me AND 15 minutes south of me!  It's all about convenience (Belk, if you're reading this, hook me up!)  As a stay at home mom, I only really get dressed up for church and date nights, BUT with that said, I am the type of person that does her hair and make-up everyday.  There could be a snow storm that ices us in for days and I guarantee my hair and make-up will be done.

• What is your favorite blog post in your archives?
I love Just a Small Town Girl, because it so adequately describes the amazing way of life in our hometown.  I sat down with the idea and wrote it in 15 minutes, but could have gone on and on for days.  I have had the most feedback, from people I know in real life, for the Cream Cheese Chicken recipe.  In fact, when my Dad was in town last month, he requested this meal.  It never disappoints!

• What motivated you to start blogging?
I have always loved writing, but my writing skills are a little rusty.  It has been a while since I was a student!  I started blogging to work a little on my writing skills and have an outlet to do something creative for myself.

• The best trip you ever took?
I love traveling and seeing new places, so this one is hard!  Whitewater rafting with Mark & Kendall in Steamboat was amazing, shopping on Rodeo drive as a teenager was a blast, singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame with Harry Carey was something I will never forget, but my favorite trip, has to be my honeymoon, of course!  What's better than a cruise to the Caribbean with your new hubby?  We had a blast!  I would love to go back!

• What time do you usually wake up and go to sleep each day? (weirdest question ever sorry, I guess sleep is on my mind)
I am a total night owl.  I really wish I could change this, but it's the only time I have a quiet house!  I usually go to bed around 11:30 (sometimes later), and wake-up by 7:30.

• Favorite thing about where you live?
I love living in Texas, because I strongly dislike cold weather!  I've lived all over Texas, but currently live in a small town near Dallas.  You can read my Just a Small Town Girl post, to find out why I like our little town.  I like living near Dallas because within 20 minutes to an hour, we have access to any type of shopping you could want, all major sports teams, Off Broadway shows, all types of concerts, and recreational activities.  I do miss the hills and scenery of the beautiful hill country, though!

• Do you plan on living where you are now permanently? If not, where do you want to move?
One of the only topics my husband and I disagree on, is where we are going to retire!  He wants to retire to the Hill Country, and I want to keep it parked right here!  I have  moved seventeen times in my life.  We have currently lived in our house eight years, and that's the longest I have ever lived in one place.  I would love nothing more than to live here for the rest of our lives.  Well...I probably do want to downsize one day...we definitely don't want to grow old in a two story home, but we I do want to live in this community forever.

• Best advice you’ve ever received?
This one was hard, because I could think of a million different things!  Recently in a Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer, she discussed how prayers of thanksgiving release peace.  Since I heard that I have implemented it into my life and been amazed at how it works.  When I am stressed over my chaotic house, I try to be thankful to have a house and for the people inside it causing the shenanigans.  When I am overwhelmed by laundry, I choose to be thankful for clothing options, and for the messy little kids that wear them.  You get the idea, but basically counting my blessings in the midst of my storm.

11 Facts About Me:
I am cheating and copying the first ten from my post, Top Ten Emilyisms, then I added one more at the end, to have eleven...
1.  I could not even begin without addressing the issue I get the most flack on.  I have never seen Top Gun.  I know, I know, it's on TV every weekend, but at this point I pretty much know what happens.  Guess what?  I haven't seen Bambi either.  Moving on....

2.  I have a crush on Terry Bradshaw.  My husband knows.  It's common knowledge among my friends.  Here's how it started:  before I met my husband I had a dream that Terry wanted to date me.  I told him, there's no way, I'm 23 (this was a FEW years ago) and you're my parents age.  I woke up the next morning with a crush and I haven't been able to shake it.  I have seen him speak in person and he is motivational.  I watch his "little sports show" on Sundays and he is hilarious.  My sweet husband even spent a a few bucks on an autographed picture of him for me at a charity auction.  It's weird, I know.  I don't get it either.  

3.  I have the  most intense sense of smell ever.  I feel like I can smell something a mile away.  It drives my husband crazy!  In a weird twist, my daughter, Kendall, does not have a sense of smell at all.  On a side note, Ben from Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, doesn't have a sense of smell either.  I'm hoping Kendall can get a college scholarship out of this, or something.

4.  I'm not that organized, but I am an obsessive planner.  I use to keep a clothes calendar where I recorded what I wore everyday so that I didn't repeat the same outfit in a month.  Obviously, this was when I worked, because as a stay at home mom I would get pretty tired of writing "long sleeved t-shirt and yoga pants" every day.  I'm still obsessed with calendars, though.  I don't enter anything into my phone, but instead put it on my handy, dandy calendar in my purse and on my fridge.  I am a detailed meal planner, and plan to post on the ins and outs of that soon!  This organization does not transfer over into other areas of my life though...if you're at my house, don't open a closet...or a drawer...or the garage.  But, boy can I plan a vacation...

5.  Nothing makes me happier than vacation planning.  I get that from my mom.  When we vacation, there is no rest for the weary.  I research and have every minute planned.  Restaurants booked.  Tickets bought.  There may or may not be a power point presentation before the vacation to highlight what we'll be doing.     

6.  I don't like Ranch Dressing.  Is Ranch Dressing a Texas thing?  Fun fact, I had never even had a salad until the weeekend of my 16th birthday and my cousin had his wedding rehearsal dinner at the Durning House.  They have the best strawberry poppy seed salad ever!  Twenty years later and that salad is still one of my favorites!  Oops, did I just reveal my age?  

7.  I have a weird memory...like Rain Man or something (and no, shockingly, I have not seen that movie).  If I have ever known your birthday; I remember it.  I still remember phone number from back in the day when we actually had to dial numbers. I can remember my first day of school (kindergarten) vividly, what activities we did, and what I wore (and no, I didn't have a clothes calendar yet). 

8.  I am obsessed with the movie Chicago.  I don't even know how many times I have seen the movie!  When my husband and I first started dating it had just come out on DVD, and I was already a huge fan.  He had not seen it yet, so decided to surprise me by cooking dinner and buying the movie for me, to watch that night.  I think he was surprised that the whole plot revolved around women killing the men they loved, all while singing and dancing.  I guess it didn't scare him off too much, he is still here.  Or is he afraid to leave????  I have also seen the Chicago production live a few times and it is AMAZING!! I would definitely see it again and again.  It is completely normal for me to bust out in Chicago song and dance at any given time around our house.  

9.  I am obsessed with famous people.  If I see someone remotely famous, I will become so star struck it is all I can do to speak to them, BUT I will speak to them.  I have met Magic Johnson, Ann Richards, Kareem Abdul Jabar, and Sarah Palin...not together, but that would have been interesting, and you can bet I asked for an autograph.  I had jury duty once and Barry Switzer was there.  Thank goodness I did not get called because I could not even focus.  Plus, he was winking at all the girls.  I showed the most restraint EVER when I saw Buddy Garrity (that's not his real name, but Friday Night Lights fans will know) at Buca di Beppo and did not say hi.  I so wanted to, but my husband wanted me to let him enjoy his meal.  Come on, it's Buddy Garrity, not Tom Hanks.  Atleast he could have let me shout out, "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts...." with the hopes of Buddy responding, "Can't Lose!"

10.  Last, but not least...every time I walk into a free standing store like Belk, Kohls, or Target, I have a feeling I am about to be the millionth customer and when I walk in streamers are going to go off and they are going to award me with a $100,000 shopping spree gift card.  So, I start walking faster.  Then, I think, wait, what if I'm 999,999 and I need to slow down and let the person next to me walk in first???  I know, I'm crazy, but one day it might happen. 

11.  I am named after Suzanne Pleshette from The Bob Newhart Show.  Her character's name is Emily...and my middle name is Suzanne.  With that said, I should have named Kendall: Rachel Jennifer.  #Friends

My nominees:
These are some wonderful ladies whose blogs I always look forward to reading. Please check them out!
(I searched on all your blogs to see if you received this award before and didn’t see anything.. a lot of the rest of you already got it!)

Jessica at Life.Love.Reality
Jacie at The Fella Life
Katie at Cup of Tea
Amanda at A Brownie World
Misty at Morris Moments
Sara at Running From the Law

My 11 Questions For You:
1.  If HGTV busted into your home right now to remake one room in your house, what room would you pick and what would you hope they do?
2.  What is your favorite family tradition?
3.  What is the best gift you have ever received?
4.  If you could spend two hours browsing through a store alone, which store would you pick?
5.  What was your first car?
6.  If you had to eat the same meal everyday for a week, what wold it be?
7.  If you had to be in an existing reality TV show, which one would you choose?
8.  I love hosting people in my home and cooking for them.  If you could host anyone in your home, who would it be and what would you serve?
9.  What is something you never leave the house without?
10.  What are your summer vacation plans?
11.  What is your least favorite household chore?





Rules for the Liebster award:
Thank the Blogger that nominated you in your post and link back to their site
Display the Liebster Award logo on your blog
Answer the questions from the Blogger that nominated you
Tell your readers 11 random facts about you
Nominate 5-11 Bloggers with less than 1000 followers for the Liebster Awards
Ask your nominees to answer 11 questions

Thank you Jacquelyn for nominating me!  Jacquelyn is so talented and inspirational, check her blog out!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

18 Delicious Recipe Ideas

When I started my Trim Healthy Mama (low carb, no sugar, etc.) journey in August, it was a struggle for me to come up with meal ideas for the whole family.  I like to keep things simple and familiar without having to buy "weird" ingredients.  I have shared what I ate the first eight days of my journey and I have shared a few quick lunch ideas, but today I am sharing some of my favorite dinner ideas from other websites/blogs that are low carb or Trim Healthy Mama friendly, but also a crowd pleaser in my home.  (All of the pictures are from the sites that I linked, not my own.)

1.  Spaghetti Pie from Gwen's Nest
spahgetti-pie-recipe (7)

2.  Sour Cream Beef Enchiladas from Mrs. Criddle's Kitchen
*also good with chicken

Sour Cream Beef Enchiladas


3.  Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole from Joy Filled Eats

My Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole is a hit with kids and adults. Quick, easy, and so comforting. This is cheesy, bacony, and filling. It is low carb, grain, gluten, & sugar free, & a THM S.:

4.  Mini Taco Stuffed Peppers from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Mini Taco Stuffed Peppers - mini bell peppers stuffed with taco meat and drizzled with a cilantro cream sauce. {The Girl Who Ate Everything}

5.  Baked Lemon Pepper Tilapia from Gramma's in the Kitchen



6. Crockpot Pork Carnitas from Melissa d:Arabian

Pork Carnitas

7.  Spinach & Feta Stuffed Flank Steak from Emily Bites

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Flank Steak

8.  Mommy's Meatloaf from Briana Thomas



9.  One Pan Chicken & Veggies from Tasty

One Pan Chicken And Veggies:

10.  Chicken Noodle Soup from Darcie's Dishes
*I use rotisserie chicken



And a few of my own that I have featured on the blog, just in case you missed them:

11.  Chicken Tacos & 2 Other Game Day Snacks






14.  Cheesy Pesto Chicken


15.  Stuffed Pork Chops


16.  Foil Packet Salmon


17.  Tex Mex Quinoa


Now, because my oldest child despises odd numbers, I'm going to throw in something sweet to end you meal.  I made this for Bunko last week and it was amazing, not to mention sugar free and low carb!

18.  No Bake Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake from All Day I Dream About Food


I hope you'll check out some of these delicious low carb, Trim Healthy Mama friendly dishes.  What are some of your "go to" healthy dinners?

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily 

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Chalk Paint 101

One of my favorite things to do is take a piece of furniture I have sitting around the house and give it a little face lift.  A few years ago, actually during the nesting phase when I was expecting my third (and final) child, I discovered chalk paint.  I am amazed at how easy it is to use.  I decided to post this simple "tutorial" not because I am an expert, but to show you that if I can do it, anyone can do it!  Seriously, chalk paint is easy to apply, odorless, and dries fast, which means, this can be a nap time activity, mamas!

This was the first project I ever tackled.  The quality of the picture isn't that great, but I wanted to show you how fast you can transform a piece of furniture into something completely different.  



Then, I found this beauty at an online garage sale.  


And turned it into this...


So, today I am going to show you the very basic steps I took to transition my end tables and coffee table into a "new creation."  I decided to stain the tops of the tables and chalk paint the bottom, similar to how I did my dining room table and hutch.  I forgot to take a "Before" picture...oops.  That never happens to Bob Vila.  

When I did my dining room table I conned talked my loving husband into stripping the finish off of the top of the table (since I was staining it) with this Minwax Antique Furniture Refinisher.  My husband wasn't home when I started this project, so I attempted it alone.  Wearing durable gloves, I poured a little of the Refinisher on the table and scrubbed it with steel wool, then took a old cloth and wiped it off.  


I was unsuccessful at this process.  Remember, the title of the blog "Simply a Rough Draft."  I'm going to give you my moments of failure, too.  I have the upper body strength of a toddler...and not even a feisty toddler, just a normal toddler.


 Speaking of feisty toddler, this girl was no help.


So, I opted to use my handy, dandy handheld sander.


That was so much easier ( and faster).


Then I stained the top of the table...three times exactly, because I just could not get it right.  Thank goodness I have a handheld sander, because I stained and sanded it down over and over.  In the end, I used a staining brush (not that foam brush pictured).


Then, came my very favorite part, chalk painting!  I have used several different brands of chalk paint, but this time I used Dixie Belle.  The color I used is called Mint Julep.  Check them out, they have beautiful colors and are less expensive than the other brands.  My friend, Kary, happens to sell this brand, so she even delivered it to my house!  Now, that's customer service, but I can't promise that she will deliver to you!  Ha!


While the stain dried, I painted the bottoms of the tables.  Remember, very little (if any) preparation is needed for chalk paint.  You can lightly sand it if you want, but I very seldom do that.  No sanding, no stripping, just painting!  


When I painted my hutch and dining room table, I was using white, so I painted, then sanded with fine sand paper to get the brush stroked out, then applied a second coat before distressing.  Since I was painting this a green color, and I wanted a pretty distressed look, I opted for just one coat of paint.

After the paint had completely dried, I took some fine sand paper and lightly distressed the areas I wanted, to give it an aged antiqued look.




Then I wiped it down and put a wax on it.  Most chalk paint companies sell an odorless wax, but I am cheap, so I opted for this wax that can be found at Lowe's or Home Depot.  I think it works just as well as the pricey wax, BUT it has a strong odor.  If this is a project you can do in your garage, I would recommend this, but if it's something like a bathroom cabinet, then you might want to spend the big bucks and go odorless.




And, this finished project will tell you exactly why I'm not shelling out the big bucks for new furniture just yet; someone photobombed my "After" pic by eating an orange on the table.  Again, does this stuff ever happen to Bib Vila?



One of my favorite things about chalk painting is the fact that it gives me time to think.  I am not distracted by TV or social media or even people.  It's just me and my thoughts.  While I was painting I thought about how I was taking a perfectly good (although dated) piece of furniture and stripping it to make it some "new."  I couldn't help but think about how Christ has done that in my life.  I came into this world a new baby, but through "life" sin has wrecked me, stripped me, and worn me down.  Sin is the stain that I cannot get rid of on my own.  Romans 3:23 says that  "We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."  Our lives are full of "distress."  These are the things that help make us who we are today.  Isaiah 53:4 says, "He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows."  The good news is we don't have to go through these alone.  Jesus took them on himself.  When we choose to accept a life with Christ, we allow him to work our past mistakes and struggles into our whole story into becoming a new creation.  A beautiful, new creation.  In the words of Mercy Me, "No matter the bumps, No matter the bruises, No matter the scars, Still the truth is, The cross has made, The cross has made you flawless.

If you have any questions on chalk painting, or about a personal relationship with Christ, let me know.  I'd be happy to help you find the answers.

Have a great Tuesday!  I'm linking up with my friend, Beth, for Tuesday Talk!  

Emily 



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