Blessings and Raindrops

seeking joy in the midst of the ordinary

Archives for December 2012

gifts created with love.

I wanted to share a couple of fun projects that have kept us busy around here lately.

Photo Memory Books 

I FINALLY finished my annual photo-book and will be giving it to Dave for Christmas instead of our anniversary like I normally would {I’m only 8 1/2 months late this year…but who’s counting?!}.

I love how this book turned out. It’s such a beautiful recap of our year…

the title is always the same…this is our 7th year of marriage… 

I also made a couple of extra books to serve as Christmas gifts for my parents and grandmother. They capture the memories from our recent trip to the beach.

I adore the boxes the books arrive in! SO cute. 

I use MyPublisher to print the books each year and I’ve always been impressed with the quality and ease of use of the design software.

I keep all of our books in this basket right in the entryway of our home. 
This is one of my favorites of our collection: Ben & Nathan’s 1st year. 


Stovetop Potpourri 

We traditionally make a big batch of Christmas candy each year to be delivered to friends & neighbors. This year, I decided that my “paper pregnancy weight gain” is off the charts {and I’m not carrying twins to blame the extra pounds on} so I changed things up.

Instead of homemade candy deliveries, we created homemade “Stovetop Potpourri” to share with our neighbors. This is such a fun gift because it really does make your home smell incredible. We keep ours in the kettle on the fireplace and just keep refilling it with water throughout the season. It smells like all things winter-y and Christmas-y. Pure goodness.

I’ve tried several recipes and I found my favorite one here.  It’s incredibly simple to make and creates a unique and heartfelt gift.

Holiday Stove Top Potpourri Mix
  • one whole orange or just the orange peel
  • 1/2 cup cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp. whole cloves
  • 3 sticks of cinnamon or a small handful of small pieces of cinnamon
  • a bit of grated nutmeg if desired
Quarter the orange.  Put all the ingredients into a saucepan.  Fill pan with water.  Place on the stove on the smallest burner, on the lowest setting.  Refill water as needed.

We packaged ours in reusable ball jars {they are truly one of my most favorite things}, tied instructions to the jar and hand-delivered to the neighbors this morning.

What are your favorite heart-felt gifts?

darkness.

i had scheduled a post for today to link up with Kelly’s “show us your life” series on Christmas decor. now, in the quake of suffering in that small Connecticut town, it feels outrageously inappropriate.

here i sit in my warm home, sipping my hot tea, my babies safely sleeping upstairs in their beds, glued to the news, numb, sobbing. Crying out for our Lord to be near the brokenhearted.

praying Lysa’s words…

“Sweet Jesus, we come to you broken hearted for the families and friends in Newtown, Connecticut. We have no words, only tears. So, we turn to Your Word… “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” Matthew 5:4 NIV.

Oh God, comfort them. Hold them close. Restore hope. Lavish your most tender mercies upon every soul weeping in this midst of this deep sorrow.

We ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

and finding comfort in Max Lucado’s prayer…

“Dear Jesus,
It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.
These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.
The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?
Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.
Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.
Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.
This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children”