The smells of home

i have a small obsession with candles.  i love for my house to smell yummy.  it just feels fresh and cleaner when you enjoy the air you're smelling.  i think smell also helps set a mood and makes your home more inviting.  i like woodwick and yankee and tyler candles and so on and so on.  but today i want to feature my two favorite scents, which happen to come from voluspa candles.  santiago huckleberry comes in a black tin and goji & tarocco orange comes in a red tin.

voluspa advertises itself as "one of the finest burning candles available today.  the fragrances are strong and long lasting, scenting a room long after they are extinguished."  i totally agree!  you can smell the candle throughout the house, it burns forever, and it seriously smells for days after it's been lit.  we've also used the room sprays and one squirt does the job.

i've never bought any voluspa candles online, so i'm not sure the best link to post for reference.  but i have bought them in store at anthropologie and some small, local stores.

  

***tomorrow i'll be posting a giveaway from my etsy shop, so come back for details!

Feature Attraction

baruchslullaby featured me in her sea themed etsy treasury!  my picture "neither height nor depth" was with other items that make us dream of summer.  a big thanks to baurchslullaby!

while we're talking about etsy, you've got to go check out pacokeco's shop.  she makes adorable paper crafts.  she made some personalized tags for me.  i got them in the mail yesterday and love them!

i also bought an assortment pack that had lots of fun tags!

mmm i smell/look so good!

*this is a long post...click the post title to read the entire entry!


sniff sniff
i've been thinking about trying out CrazyLibellule and the Poppies solid perfumes for about a year now, but i never took the plunge.  well, when you travel as much as i do for work and family/leisure, you want something that's easy to pack and won't spill.  i never pack my perfumes (i only have two i buy that really cost anything-- maybe a post about that in the future!) because i'm afraid they'll break or spill and ruin clothes and makeup.  and it'd be a waste of money to lose the perfume!  i've usually bought small, cheap body spray, but even that has issues of spilling.  so i've found a solution!  i finally bought some solid perfumes this week and love them!  the two scents i got are vanilla lemon pie and ananas imperial (pineapple scent).  they smell yummy and are spill-proof!  they're even small enough for a carry-on!  if you like to stay smelling good all day, you'll need to reapply, but i'm okay with that!  i bought these at sephora, and they have several more scents to choose from!

  

Craft Time!

Travel Shadowbox

This project was my mom's idea.  I had to get a new passport since I got hitched and changed my last name :).  So instead of keeping my old passport in a drawer, Mom suggested I display it somehow.  I got this shadowbox for 40% off at Hobby Lobby.  It was the perfect size for my passport, so this was a super easy project!  Every time I walk by this, I remember the places I've been and the people I've met.  

Don't have a passport?  Frame plane tickets or a hotel card from a vacation.  I think the best art are pieces that remind you of great times!

Copycat Art

I found an etsy site that had adorable greeting cards and small prints.  I can't remember the shop name (lesson learned: heart shops that have pieces you love!).  The shop had a greeting card that I loved and reminded me of being a newlywed married to my best friend.  So I drew out what the card looked like and painted it on the canvas above.  Don't worry- I don't sell imitation pieces!

Valentine's Day Gift 

This isn't really much of a craft project, but you could do lots of different things with this.  My hubby doesn't want flowers for Valentine's Day, so I try to look for hints that he might be sending out for things he needs or wants.  I bought this Husky tool bag at Home Depot.  It fits around a bucket and has tons of pockets.  I tucked in a tie (he started a new job this week!) and a cover for his phone.

Baby Shower Bags

  

I got these brown paper bags at Hobby Lobby for 50 cents.  I bought the two stamps for $1 each at the Dollar Tree.  I used paint instead of a stamp pad to get a little more dimension.  Easy peasy!

Baby Shoes!

  

I got this pattern from Stardust Shoes.  I think they're adorable!  I got the fabric on sale at Hobby Lobby. I made this for a present.  I'm going to make another pair and then a pair with reversed fabric for twin girls that our friend is having!

Buttons

These clay buttons are fun to use for sewing projects.  I have these for sale on my etsy.

Coasters

These are a fun sewing project.  I got the fabric at Hobby Lobby and love the patterns!  I have a third pattern that's not pictured.  These can also be purchased at my etsy.

Fleece Scarf with Pocket

This scarf has a pocket with a button to close it.

Check out other people's craft projects at Make Your Monday brought by The Twice Remembered Cottage!

today's topic: things i like (perhaps even love!)

*toms shoes!
yesterday i bought my 3rd pair of toms shoes.  i always wondered if the shoes were a hype.  if they were really as comfy as they looked.  or if people were too afraid to admit they weren't that great after they paid that much for them.  but they're totally worth the hype!
i bought my first pair in july, then got a pair for christmas, then splurged yesterday and got a pair that lace-up (optional laces).  in my defense, the clinton museum store had their toms on sale, and they were a steal!
the best part?  toms shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair you buy.  go check out their site to learn more about them.
my new pair:

*1 sale a day!

this site is just as it's name says...a great sale every day!  there's actually more than 1 sale...more like 5 sales a day.  and the products change every day.  warning: this site can be addicting and force you to go back every day!
my husband and i have been pretty responsible with the site.  i haven't bought anything that wasn't necessary.  we got a hard case for our camera and a wireless internet modem.  this site is great for when you need something but don't want to pay regular price.  they have cell phones and computers pretty often.  they also have jewelry and wii controllers and all kinds of random things.  be responsible and read reviews on the products first if you think you really need the item!

*la blogotheque and their take away shows!

this paris team videos traveling musicians in odd places.  and magic happens.

one of my favorite video series is of arcade fire.  also check out fleet foxes, priscilla ahn, bon iver, jason mraz, architecture in helsinki, and okkervil river's videos.  (i could go on for days talking about these shows and more!)

FINALLY:
*this email that i got today!

A Little Less Imperfect

The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. — 1 Peter 5:10

Have you ever thought life might be easier if you could be someone else altogether? Here’s one woman’s fantasy for her own identity change: she’d like to be a bear. Her reasons?

•  If you are a bear you get to hibernate; you do nothing but sleep for six months.

•  Before you hibernate, you must eat huge amounts of food—the more calories the better.

•  The children (cubs) are born while you are sleeping and are the size of walnuts.

•  As a mama bear, you swat anyone who bothers your cubs. Swatting is socially acceptable behavior.

•  Your mate expects you to wake up growling and have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Life is not perfect. We know that, but the longing for perfection has always been with us. Why? We were created for perfection. We live hoping for what we’ve never known, somehow knowing one day it will be ours. The good news is, perfection is on its way. One day all evil will be banished, taking with it all that is not perfect.     — Marilyn Meberg

for those days when we're trying so hard to compete with the models in magazines...

etsy update

I've just put some new photos on my etsy site (including my header photo!).  You can check them out at www.marlagraces.etsy.com.

I'll be uploading some coasters and baby shoes (yes, baby shoes!...I have lots of pregnant friends that I've been making goodies for and I have some leftovers) within the next week.  My mom is cleaning out her attic, and so I might have some neat odds & ends antiques to add soon as well.

I hope you all have a great Valentine's weekend!  Next week I'll post what I got my hubby (he might read it if I talk about it now!).

WARNING: ALL THINGS FOOD POST!

*but don't worry-- all but one recipe is guilt-free!

there are a few recipes i HAVE to share.  there are even some that are guilt-free treats!

first up:
i haven't made this yet, but i'll be making it tomorrow!  we have some friends flying in for the weekend, so it's time for something special.  we'll be eating out a few times over the weekend, but on sunday i'll be cooking lunch.  i'm making bbq in the crock pot and seasoned french fries and salad on the side.  for dessert i'll be serving this: turtle tart from betty crocker.  it looks super yummy and worth the calories!

next:
don't won't to consume over 500 calories in one slice?  hungry girl's recipe for apple cobbler is only 126 calories a serving and i promise it is to die for!  i served it to my husband and parents and they loved it-- my husband had trouble keeping to one serving at a time!  i've also made the apple pie-lets at 103 calories a serving and they were yummy!  i made them for me and my husband on christmas eve, and we took the rest to family on christmas.  they replace those guilty apple pies at mcdonald's.

give me more chocolate!:
these death by chocolate cupcakes are 108 calories per serving.  my coworkers loved them!  my next task is going to be these lava cakes.  i just can't stop!

i have used hungry girl for many fat-fighting recipes including a mushroom burger, onion rings, chicken strips, and more!  i recommend signing up for the email list.  you'll get several recipes and lists of groceries they think you should buy.  they're really helped me transition into being a newlywed who wants to cook almost every night but wants it easy and healthy.

i'm hungry...is it lunch time yet?!?

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOWWWW!

on monday we got over 6 inches of snow, and it's been glorious!  we might get more thursday, friday, and sunday!  i love snow!  seeing as though i was born in kansas and spent 3 winters of my life in several feet of snow, snow is in my blood!  if you know me, you know i hate cold weather.  my skins freaks out and can't handle it.  but if there's snow on the ground, it's like i don't even notice the single digit temperatures.

here's how i celebrated the snow:

CHOCOLATE SNOW CREAM!

i filled the bowl with snow and added sugar, eagle brand milk, 2% milk, vanilla, and whipping cream (just keep adding it all until it's sweet enough!)

my office has been closed and my hubby was off work monday and tuesday, so we've been enjoying our mini vacation.  i've been finishing a few sewing projects.  and our puppy is sure glad to have us home during the day!

God always provides what I need.  I know that.  Usually when something happens in my life, God reveals Himself after the fact or during the situation.  You know those times when life just comes at you and how later you read something in Scripture that brings comfort and peace and understanding?  Last night God brought that to me before life came rushing in.  I read a portion of Habakkuk and about 30 minutes later life came rushing in.  God knew I needed the lesson first this time.  Maybe He needed me to be a comfort to others during the struggle, to bring His words to them.

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines, 
though the olive crop falls
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.


The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
                  -Habakkuk 3:17-19

*Picture taken in the Philippines, 2007. Click on the picture to view a larger image.