Pumpkin Coffee Cake...in a mug!

I made a wonderful discovery tonight.

I was browsing around my Pinterest boards and found a pin that led me to this fantastic post at Heather Likes Food...Pumpkin Coffee Cake...in 2 minutes!

Genius.

I had to try it.

Ok.  So, mine isn't nearly as pretty as hers.  (Not even close.) 

But it was good.

Really good!

My only regret was it only filled up half of my mug (I used a big mug).  Next time, I'm doubling the recipe.

And I might add some chocolate chips.

Everything is better with chocolate.

I highly recommend this recipe.  Head on over to Heather's post, try it out, and leave a happy, grateful, and loving comment for her.

Spreading out

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Thanks! Watch for some more projects tomorrow!

Homemade Butter. I can make that!

I like making things.

I especially get a little thrill when I make a food homemade...a food that I could buy rather than make.

I want to learn to be more self-sufficient and be able to use basic ingredients to create good food, not necessarily because it is, in the long run, healthier but mostly because it is fun.  And also, I think it is a good skill to have and pass on.

Enough said.

This time we decided to take some cream and make it butter.  It was B week so we were making butter for our banana bread...loads of fun!

I poured the cream into some tightly sealable bowls and closed them up.  Then I set the girls running and jumping through the house.

It went well...

Check out L's face in the middle picture!  I caught her just right at the lowest point of her jump!

For about 5 minutes... 

Then they gave up.

I can't say I was surprised, though.  You have to really shake hard for a pretty long time.

After a few minutes it looks frothy and you can hear it shaking around.

Then it gets quieter and starts to look like whipped (or shaken) cream. 

Then it gets quiet to the point that you can't really hear anything and you start to wonder if it is still in there.

It is and it's starting to look more like butter. 

Soon you can hear it kind of thumping around in the bowl.  

It's not done yet.  Almost.

Now is the time to sprint.  Shake even harder and a little more vigorously until you hear liquid splashing around again.

Good.  The butter and milk have separated.  Now it's done.

Drain off the buttermilk.  You should probably use a better colander or strainer than me.

I just dumped it in there and let it sit for a few minutes.

Now pick it up and squeeze it to make sure all that buttermilk is off.  It spoils faster if the buttermilk isn't drained enough.

And, there you go... 

Butter!  Wasn't that fun?!

P.S.  I would totally recommend using a stand mixer if you are going to do this.  We were only shaking it by hand for the experience of it...that was fun too, but a lot more work.

I'll be linking up with the parties listed here!

Unpin Me!

I am a fan of Pinterest.  (Follow me here if you like. Let me know if you would like an invite to play along!) It is perfect for a person like me.  I love to collect ideas and inspiration.  I used to have binders full of clippings and notes and thoughts and pictures and ideas of the woman I hoped to be someday.  Now I can throw all of that away and keep my clutter online!  It's a beautiful thing.

Here's the problem, though...what good are clippings and notes and ideas and pictures and ideas if I don't use them?  How do I create that woman without trying?

So, here is what I have been thinking.  As of today, I have 5,797 pins!

Wow.

I'll probably add some more tonight too.

It's how I unwind.

I think it is time that I spend at least as much time unpinning as I do pinning.

I am going to pick a few pins each month and use the inspiration they give me...and it is going to be fun!  You can play too if you want.  What do you have pinned that you have been meaning to get to but haven't?

Perhaps you want to borrow some of my inspiration? That might be fun.  I can show you what pins have inspired me and we can see how differently we interpret it.  Inspiration--creativity--is a fantastic thing.

Here are a few of my "Pinspirations" for January:

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There you have it.  I'll refine the process as I go along, I'm sure.  And, I haven't shown you all of my goals for January, but I'm sure I'll get to these ones.

Check out my boards if you'd like.  I have a board for each month of the year and I am slowly setting pins aside to unpin eventually.  

Now I feel so much better!  I have a plan and a goal.  It's going to be awesome!

Have a great day!

Sarah

Social Blog Hop

I should be going to bed, but I wanted to quickly let you know about this fun social blog hop I found! I think it is a great idea. Each week, Denyse at Crazy Beautiful Life is hosting a blog hop featuring a different social platform each week.

This week it is a Twitter hop.

Did I tell you I'm on Twitter?  Yeah.  I am.  @Creating_Sarah

I'm still figuring the whole Twitter thing out...I'll get it.  Come follow along if you'd like and help me out.  =)

Also, click this button to join the party, meet some people and make some friends!

Moments: An Unexpected Meeting

Sharing the little moments that make my life beautiful!

I was in my room for 10 minutes, maybe 15.

I might have been taking a nap.

Naps are good for the mommy soul.

When I came out of my room, refreshed and invigorated, this is what greeted me.

Hmm...did I miss something?  An important meeting?  A good show?  

Is this some kind of intervention?

I'm not telling you where I hide the chocolate. 

Did I win something?!

Maybe I should have prepared a speech...

I Am A Daughter of God

 Do you ever have those days?  You know...

Maybe you didn't get all the laundry done.  The house isn't as clean as you would like it to be.  The baby cries whenever you put him down.  You want to just lie down and sleep the day away, but instead you are awake and irritable.

I know.  I have them too.  And I am way too hard on myself during and after one of those days.  Sometimes I feel like a complete failure.  

Life is hard sometimes most of the time.  It's supposed to be.  But, sometimes "those days" turn into weeks and sometimes months and even sometimes "that year."  It can be a struggle during those lows in life to find happiness and find strength to keep trudging on.

Sometimes we all need a little reminder of who we are and what we can do.

It started with this.

I found it on Pinterest (where I spend far too much of my awake time) and I felt inspired.  Click here for the link to Tales of the Scotts.  She redid this dresser for her daughter's room as a reminder.  It is a beautiful reminder.  

My mom used to sing songs to me before I went to sleep.  The song "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God" stands out in memory as one she sung to me frequently.  Click here if you want to hear the song.

It got me thinking that even though I am grown now, I am still a daughter of God and that is important for me to remember every day as well, especially if I want to teach my kids of their worth.  

I am a Daughter of God...But what does that mean?  What makes me a Daughter of God?  It is who I naturally am.

So...the first thing I did was get on Facebook (logical, right?) =)  I have reconnected with so many friends there...some who have known me since I was little.  I asked my friends to describe me in one word.

If you are going to do this, I absolutely recommend asking the people close to you to describe you.  It will boost your self-esteem greatly!  My friends overwhelmed me with kind words.  It was a great day!

Then, I made sure to ask my mom for some words...and also my husband.  Then, I asked myself for words.

This is a very important step.  If you are going to do this, please make sure to collect words that you feel are accurate in describing you and I would recommend using prayer when choosing the words you will use.  Make it as true to you as you can; it is your reminder.

Once I had gathered my words, I got a blank canvas.  I used an 11 x 16 cheapy one from Walmart and it worked perfectly.  

First, paint the whole thing one color.

This will be the color of your words, so I would recommend not using a color you have to mix just in case you need to touch things up later.  It is hard to match a mixed color (the mix doesn't always match!)

Let it dry thoroughly...probably overnight depending on how thick your paint is.

Now, cut out your words.  I used contact paper and my happy Silhouette and I used a different font for each word.  

But I didn't take a picture of it, so...I guess you have to imagine my Silhouette cutting out all those great words!

Once I had all the words cut, I arranged them on my canvas, making sure to leave a little room at the top for "I am" and more room at the bottom for "a daughter of God".

It's kind of hard to see because the contact paper is clear, but, trust me, it's there.

Once they are stuck on, make sure they are stuck on firmly.  You want to try and prevent as much bleeding as you can.  It's still going to happen, but still try.

Now, you can mix that paint.

I used my original color and then added a darker one to it.  (You will, by the way, need a lot more than that.)  Use whatever color you want, though; just make sure it doesn't blend in too much with the original color.  Once you pull the contact paper off, you'll want to be able to see the words.

So...paint over the entire canvas, stickers and all...

and let it dry.

This is where it might get a little hard to wait because it's all coming together and it's going to look awesome!  

But wait...

make sure it is dry.  

You don't want to smear it.

Ok...now that it is dry, peel off those letters.

(The Xacto knife makes all the difference here.)

I told you it would bleed.  But don't worry, it can be fixed.  Just use a fine paintbrush and your original color to touch up the edges.  (This is a nice project to do when you are catching up on Survivor online...or Once Upon A Time!  Have you seen that one?  It's my new favorite.)

For the words that look like this, don't panic!  

I just painted over the entire letter with my original color.  I really liked the effect.

There.  Now let it dry.

Again.

While it is drying, pull out your Silhouette (or Cricut, or Xacto knife and stencil) and cut out the words "I am" and "a daughter of God".  

O comes running whenever I pull the Silhouette out.

I'm starting her young.

Anyway, once the paint is dry, place your vinyl and...

You're done!

Isn't she sweet?

Here's a close up.

And O insisted on taking a picture of me holding it, so...

There you go!

Remember who you are...remember you are important and you are loved.

Remember it every day, not just the bad ones.

And, hey!  If you make one, I'd love to see it.

Have a beautiful day!

--Sarah

I will be linking up to these parties!

Is This Thing Still On?

Um....hi.

It has been a while...so long, in fact, that I'm not quite sure how to start!

I guess, first of all, I'm alive.  We survived our move.  The Mister is well into his clinical rotations and he is loving them.  

O is learning her alphabet...she can write her own name now!

L is talking much more clearly and has tackled potty training like a pro.

And me...whew...I am here.  That summer and the rest of the year were rough!  If you ever have the choice, don't move when your 8 months pregnant and your husband is in overdrive full-time PA school.  Just don't do it.  

If you don't have a choice, I'm sorry.  You have my sympathy and my help if I can give it.

On the upside, I have seen the hand of God manifested through the people around me.  I have been so blessed by people who barely knew me, some who had actually never met me.  It was a beautiful experience.

And, best of all, I have a new friend to introduce you to!

This is W.

He came 2 weeks early and thank goodness because he was 9 pounds 6 ounces!

Nine pounds, people!  Holy cow.  Check out those cheeks.  Mmmmmmmm.

I'm absolutely smitten with my Little Mister.  He's so sweet, so adorable, and so good.  I'm a lucky, lucky mommy.  

He's 5 months now! 

Can you believe it?

So, there we go.  I'm back.  I'm excited to jump back into blogging and creating again.  

I have ideas!  It's going to be fun!

Thanks for still being here!

--Sarah