Jan 31, 2014

Sunrise Find Beauty Friday

Happy Friday! Today, I bring you the most gorgeous sunrise I've laid eyes on in months! Such vivid colors that I didn't have to use a filter or any photo shopping other than the text! And this scripture came to mind so I just had to put it on there!





I link up with Amiee over at Dear Harper Blog, for Find Beauty Friday. It's about sharing a beautiful part of your week, but with the small things! She can explain it so much better than I can, so head over and link up!


Dear Harper

I hope you guys have a stress free Friday! Be safe and warm! 

Any big plans this weekend? 
Jan 30, 2014

The Easiest Pad Thai You Will Ever Make

 
 
We LOVE Pad Thai. Just can't get enough of this stuff! In Hawaii, we had a small little Thai restaurant on the next block that was out of this world! The owners were extremely pleasant, and the intricate carved wooden art on the wall was candy for my eyes!  Since then, we compare all Thai food back to that little restaurant... until now.

I found the easiest way to make this and it actually tastes authentic! If you think you can't cook to save your life, check this out and wow your guests next time!

So, pretty much you buy the correct stuff, normally in the "Asian" section of your grocer. I think this brand is Asian Creations, Thai Kitchen. OK, so you buy the pre-cooked rice stir-fry noodles (don't know what they will actually be called if it's not this Asian Creation brand, so just look for all of those words that are underlined). Then you get the pad Thai sauce in the little jar, and chicken breasts! I added extra things in mine, you don't have to do it if you don't want to, but if you do- at the bottom of this post is the official looking recipe.


 
Get out a pan and put it on med-high heat, add 1 tbsp. of olive or vegetable oil to it, and you're going to add an egg and scramble until set. Don't over cook it! And remove from skillet.
 
  Then you take your pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cube them, add another tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and keep on med-high heat. I add salt and red pepper to the pot at this point, but you can add black pepper if you wish. I like things SPICAYYY!!
 
The Artsy Cajun- The Easiest Pad Thai You Will Ever Make
 
 
Optional: If you want to add the swanky items in there, you can purchase bean sprouts, rinse them thoroughly, and add about a handful. I also cut up green onions and cilantro, about half a handful of those.
www.theartsycajun.com
 
Once the chicken is cooked until no longer pink in the middle, you pour in everything you have- noodles, egg, and the optionals.

www.theartsycajun.com
 
Stir, baby, stir!

www.theartsycajun.com
 
Another optional: I added juice from a lime, just to give it another layer of flavor!
 
 
www.theartsycajun.com
 
Then gobble this up because it's delicious!
 
It's basically cooking the chicken, and if you can do that, you can do this recipe. Minds will be blown here, my friends!
 
And for those who want the official recipe-
 
 
Chicken Pad Thai
 
2 packages Thai Rice Stir Fry Noodles- precooked
2 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil- divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed or thin strips
1 jar of Thai Kitchen Pad Thai Sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro sprigs and lime wedge
1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts- optional
 
Heat up 1 tbsp. of oil in large skillet or wok on medium high heat. Add egg; scramble until set. Remove from skillet. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet. Add chicken; stir fry until cooked through. Add noodles, Pad Thai sauce, and green onions; stir fry 3 to 4 minutes or until noodles are tender.
 
Stir in bean sprouts and scrambled egg. Place noodle mixture on serving platter. Sprinkle with peanuts, serve with cilantro sprigs and lime wedge.
 
You can also substitute chicken for peeled shrimp or cut up veggies, or even cubed tofu!
 
 
 
 
Tell me some of your easiest recipes! Comment below!
Jan 29, 2014

How To Survive A Sneaux-mageddon




OK, I know things are tough for those of you still in the south, and are seeing/dealing with snow for the first time in your lives. And, as crazy as it is, for some people, being stuck in a traffic jam for 13 hours can become a life or death situation.

I moved to Illinois last year, and this is my first "real" winter. Temperatures have been dancing around 20°F to NEGATIVE 30° F! Negatives, my friends, and snowing a few inches at a time, but the snow hardly melts, so there is about 10" down you have to deal with constantly.  And while I did not grow up with this kind of weather, and many folks will tell you, "She has more talent and book smarts than common sense" (yes, possibly a true story) I have learned a few things in dealing with an impending

 Sneaux-mageddon!


1. LONG UNDERWEAR, long johns, thermals, ninja suits, A.K.A. your Under Armor heat type things that you put on under your clothes to keep warm probably when you are hunting. I don't care if you are just walking 10 feet to check the mail box, PUT THEM ON!

2. Layer!  Layer your thermals with a t-shirt, and then a fleece hoodie or something of the sort. For the bottoms, it wouldn't hurt to throw on a pair of sweat pants over your thermals and then a pair of jeans. Layering is the key for the wind not getting through, especially on your lower half since the top half will have a jacket.

3. Gloves, Hat/toboggan, and scarf stays in your big coat pocket. You may not think it's that cold when you first walk out the door, but after walking the dog for 5 minutes and she still hasn't done her business, you'll be thankful you have those items in your pockets!

4. Always bring a snack(s) and a jug of water or drink.  I tend to grab a granola bar and I'm always carrying water or tea, just something with me for emergencies. And I grab enough for The Mr. when he is with me too. You never know when you will need it. Just remember not to keep the water bottles in your car because there are studies showing the plastic breaks down over time. Not sure if that's true or not, but I'm not chancing it. So, I fill up a cup with a lid of whatever I want and take it with me.

5. Have a safety bag with you in the car. Ours is an old Army book bag of  The Mr.'s. In it, I've put duct tape, a small set of tools, plastic bags, rags, a couple of granola bars, a nice new bright red first aid kit, a couple of blankets, baby wipes, the ice scraper/snow brush, and any other random things that normally would be laying in your kitchen junk drawer but that you could potentially use in case of emergencies while on the road.  You never know when things will be needed, and keeping it in a book bag makes it easy to grab if the car catches on fire. Oh and I've heard kitty litter or sand will help you get out of the ice or snow, so grab some of that and keep in there.

6. STAY HOME If you think that the weather men are nuts when they put out warnings days ahead of a certain event, you are nuts yourself! They don't warn you for nothing! They could be wrong about rain or how hot it will be that day, but normally when they are warning you for days, you'd be smart to listen to them. Stay home! Keep your kids home from school when they predict a Sneaux-mageddon, stay home from work, don't wait until the last minute for getting groceries, and never let your gas tank go below the 1/2 way mark. NOTHING out there is worth more than your life, no job, no errands, no school... nothing. Just stay home, snuggle with your family and make it a nice, hot chocolate filled day! I'm sure the State Police and other emergency workers will thank you that you are one less accident waiting to happen!

Oh, and for Heaven's sake, bring your animals inside! If you couldn't stay out all day and night with a jacket on, they can't either. Fur does not protect them from the cold as much as you'd like to think! If YOU are warm, let THEM be warm too! I just don't understand how people can do this to their pets! It's inhumane! Even if they have to stay in a kennel inside, it's still better than outside freezing to death!

Ok, tips and rant over! I know the name is funny, and makes a little joke about the Cajun language, and most situations that are happening right now are anything but funny. I am sending prayers up like crazy for all of my friends and family having to deal with this!

 For all of my Northern readers, please chime in if you have any other tips for my Southern friends to handle the snow/ice/freezing temperatures!
Jan 28, 2014

Sunset Beach Days

I just took a stroll through our hard drive, and realized there is an obscene amount of travel photos that I need to share! We have tons of photos from living on Oahu for 3 years, and I still have to finish our Europe Trip from last year at this time!  So get ready, it's going to be a lot of travel posts coming up! Don't worry, I will still throw in recipes and crafts. Like I could live without those! OH! This week I MUST post how to sew a doggie sweater custom to your dog! Ginny is long, but not so much big around her chest, so it was impossible to find a store bought one, I had to get creative! That will be later in the week.

Today, while Part 2 of the Polar Vortex is hitting us, I am going to share a  normal, Hawaiian beach day with you! This beach is called Sunset Beach. It's on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. During this time, I had torn ligaments in my ankle, and had the dreaded "Moon Boot" walking cast on, so I had to wrap it up to enjoy the beach! (you'll see) Which is a great tip, wrap your moon boot up with your beach wrap to avoid getting sand in there and enjoy the beach!!

Warning: this post is extremely photo heavy, and has a video of the waves (hopefully, if it loads correctly)!  I hope you guys enjoy!

 
 

The Artsy Cajun

The Artsy Cajun

http://www.theartsycajun.com/2014/01/sunset-beach-days.html

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Tell me- What is your favorite beach?

Jan 27, 2014

Weekly Wishes- Polar Vortex Part 2 Edition

It's Monday again! This Monday hasn't started off to be the greatest since the Polar Vortex PART 2 is here! It hit us once and now it's back. Totally unfair! I mean just check out what the Weather Channel says!

Issued by The National Weather Service
Chicago, IL

Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 11:27 AM CST

Local Temperature Map

Updated Jan 27, 2014, 1:45pm CST
... WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY...
* WINDS TODAY... WEST 15 TO 20 MPH... GUSTS UP TO 25 TO 30 MPH.
* WIND CHILL VALUES... 15 TO 30 BELOW THIS AFTERNOON. 25 BELOW TO 40 BELOW ZERO TONIGHT THROUGH MID TUESDAY MORNING. AS COLD AS 30 BELOW ZERO TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY.
* OTHER IMPACTS... BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED BRIEF NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN OPEN AND RURAL AREAS THIS AFTERNOON AND POSSIBLY EVENING. SOME ROADS IN OPEN AND RURAL AREAS MAY BECOME PARTIALLY DRIFTED OVER.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE WIND WILL COMBINE WITH VERY COLD AIR TO CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.



As low as 30 BELOW!!! Have I told you guys lately that this is my first winter and it's really uncool? AH! And this is a photo of what we are having to deal with...



Yep, they snow blow the sidewalks, but do you see how much builds up? You can't even see the curbs! This has been here for a while, and I'm sure it's not going anywhere anytime soon! Poor Ginny has to try to go out in snow that is the same height as she is! And she is refusing to use a puppy pad indoors. She'll just hold it forever! I don't know if there are any tricks to making them use the pads other than putting it by the front door... I'm all ears if you have an idea!


 Anyway, lets do this Weekly Wishes and dream about living on Oahu again....


The Nectar Collective
Last weeks wishes were:

1. Get the new camera strap designs sewed and listed! I currently offer the camera strap covers, which offers more padding for the strap that comes with the camera (at my Etsy store here) But my strap often gets twisted around and so I came up with a new strap design that is awesome! I can't wait to show you guys! Still have to do these, but I have chosen the fabrics and hardware, just have to put them together!  I'm happy to report- these are in production! Post about them coming soon! Still haven't gotten these together completely. Bah Humbug!

2. Dwindle said craft supplies to what I actually use, and sell the rest on the Etsy store.  I don't need most of this, and will probably never use it, so my goal is to bundle up the surplus and sell it. It will eliminate most of the clutter... hopefully! After organizing everything into the new dresser, I have made a list of what needs to be sold, just need to pull it out and list it. Hey, it's like it's half done right? RIGHT! These supplies will be in the Etsy store this week! So excited to de-clutter! Nope, not done. Probably will be on here next week, folks.

4. (Yes, I'm going to keep putting it on here until they are done) FINISH THE QUILTS! I HAVE to finish these quilts as soon as possible! I feel like they are sitting here mocking me! I will never again put the stress of quilting 6 quilts in 2 months again! Well, actually we are working on the 3rd month now, but you get the idea! No progress on this one. I know, I know, I'm sick of seeing it on here as well! This week, folks. Buckle Down! I've finished 1 whole quilt, putting the finishing touches on another so that it should be done tomorrow, put together a quilt top- now just need to quilt it together, and then cut all fabric for the quilt top of another. By the grace of God alone these quilts are getting done because I'm very much over them! :) Aunt duties! THIS IS ALMOST DONE!!! I've completed 3 quilts and have 1 left to do! Praise the Lord, they're almost done! I should get the last one finished this week & don't worry, these puppies will probably get their very own post!

5. Dive into my Beth Moore study: Breaking Free. Last week, maybe it was the week before, I shared on Facebook the link to get 16 Beth Moore e-books for free. I hope you guys like my Facebook and saw this, or saw it somewhere else and got them! I couldn't wait to get in there and dive in! The first book I've started is her Breaking Free book, it's awesome and I'm only to Chapter 2! Getting my daily prayer time in at 6:30- which includes a chapter of this book, some bible study relating to the chapter I read of this book. After that comes prayer time, and lastly journaling time. It's pretty nice to start your day with God's word in your brain and to download into your journal before the day's stresses can get to you! It's certainly helped me tons lately!


Is it just me, or is it really hard not to have cabin fever and be a little unmotivated during blizzards? (yes, everything from now until March will be blizzards to me)

How are you guys coping with cabin fever during the Polar Vortex Part 2? I need suggestions!
 
Jan 26, 2014

Beauty Product Junkie- Sunday Social Edition

Happy Sunday! Today I'm participating in the Sunday Social with Neely & Ashley, which talks about makeup and products! If you were to visit my house, you'd find in my bathroom (The Mr. has his own bathroom) a bathtub lined with products, more under the cabinet waiting to be used, more on the countertops, just everywhere! It's a weakness of mine. So today, I'm sharing a little bit about my obsession!




1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup? I had to be 17 before I could wear any makeup. Dad is old school and always said I didn't need any, and even at 17 it was only powder and lip gloss!

2. What are your top 3 favorite beauty products? Clarisonic Mia, Naked 2 palette, and Yes to Cucumbers products. I LOVE the way the  Mia and the Yes to Cucumbers are making my skin feel smooth and amazing!

3. What is one makeup product you don’t leave home without? It would have to be my Naked 2 palette. I look about 12 and completely washed out if I don't have any eye shadow on.

4. What is your daily beauty routine? Clean face with Mia and Yes to Cucumbers Milk cleanser, apply Yes to Cucumbers cream, powder, eyeliner. If I'm going anywhere that day, I'll throw on some eyeshadow and blush.

5. What is your favorite hair/makeup product you’ve discovered in the last year? For Christmas, I received the Yes to Cucumbers items and I loveeeee them! And no, I am not getting paid to say this, the products are just that awesome!




How about you? What's your favorite products and have you ever used the Yes to Cucumbers?
Jan 24, 2014

Find Beauty Friday! Link up!


Happy Friday! Today is going to be a glorious day, I can just feel it in my bones! I hope everyone is staying warm, even my family and friends in the Southern States. And hopefully my Niece and Nephews actually saw a few snow flurries last night!

Today is Find Beauty Friday, where you capture an ordinary picture, of your ordinary life throughout the week that somehow you found beauty in. My sweet friend, Aimee over at Dear Harper Blog started this link up and it's just a way for us to share our beautiful simple moments! I LOVE this and encourage, and well- CHALLENGE you to link up with us!
Dear Harper

My picture is of a couple of big, chunky snowflakes that fell Wednesday morning. It was incredible to actually see the shape of the snowflake! I wish I had a stronger lens so I could get in closer, but this one is pretty close!  It made me contemplate about how pure snow is. While it's falling down, it's so clean and white and crisp. On the other hand, after a while of being walked on, driven on, and yes, even peed on, it turns colors... often times gray or brown with how dirty the roads are, and its no longer so pure.  This made me think of how our souls are on Earth. Coming into this world, we are like the snow flakes, so pure. As the world gets ahold of us, we become tarnished, dirty, and yes, even peed on at times. We are no longer pure. Except we are through Jesus' love for us. We can become pure again, and live in that state of crispness and love if we just would chose it.

Now that, my friends, inspired this graphic. Isaiah 1:18 is the perfect scripture to this photo.



Doesn't it pull at your heart strings? I love it! I may or may not print it out and frame that baby this weekend!

Speaking of weekend, what do you guys have going on? Someone tell me you will be on a beach so I can live vicariously through you!

Jan 23, 2014

The Gumbo Post

Today will be called The Gumbo Post because I'm throwing  a little of everything in here! Mostly pictures below with commentary front and center!

Over the past week, we have fought the snow and single digit weather-again. When is Spring?? I am beyond over the cold weather!

We did manage to get in a play called 42nd Street at The Paramount Theater. It was so lovely!  I think we had ear to ear smiles the entire time! Definitely worth the pricey tickets!

And then you have the ham Ginny. Im trying to upload her diva video, but I dont know if it will upload right! its not looking like it is. But if youre on my instagram- TheArtsyCajun, then you can see it! Basically she's having a diva fit that her Pa won't let her on the recliner so she can get some cuddles.Yeah, she's THAT girl. 

Also, check out that awesome salad!! As it turns out, the doctors are running all sorts of tests to make sure I am not a freak of nature (which we all know I jus ain't right!) And have Coronary Artery Disease at 31. So if youre the praying kind, it would mean the world if you said a little prayer for me tonight!

And that's all folks! What are you guys up to on this Thursday morning?

Jan 22, 2014

Meet Ruffled Paper!

Meet Jess @ Ruffled Paper, an awesome paper company that has a tremendous amount of cuteness going on!

"I graduated from St. John’s University in 2007 with a degree in Communications. I had dreams of working in the magazine industry...which I did for a few years at a couple national and international teen and women’s magazines. During the same time, I started freelancing as a graphic designer and opened my own design shop – J Kali Designs. My clients were mostly twenty-something women looking for wedding invitations on a budget. In 2012, I opened Ruffled Paper as a online stationery boutique where customers could choose their products based on their budget without sacrificing quality."


This lady is really cool, and her shop is ah-mazing! She's re-launching a newly designed shop and blog this week, so you should definitely check it out! This should be your one stop shop for everything, stationary, design, party supplies, AND they're having an end of the year sale going on,  25% off! I'm going shop as soon as I publish this post!

You can also sign up for email updates about them and sales, but they even have a blog! LOVE IT!

Check them out!

www.ruffledpaper.com

www.ruffledpaper.com

www.ruffledpaper.com


What are some of your favorite things to get printed?
Jan 21, 2014

Are your circles of relationships beneficial?




Today, I want to share something with you that's been on heavy on my heart lately. Friendship. Sounds simple enough right? Wrong! It's anything BUT simple, especially when you have friends who are different or were raised differently than you, who have different beliefs and who may or may not live far away. There are thousands of things that can alter your friendships, but who is worth overcoming the obstacles for?

  At my church Sunday, the message was about your circles. I automatically think about Meet the Fockers when Jack tells Greg that he is no longer in the "inner circle" of trust. Ha! Ok, back to church- the pastor spoke about 3 rings of your circle,
  • the center ring being your Circle of Intimacy which should contain your spouse, parents, and anyone who you would trust your life with.
  • The next circle going outward is the Circle of Influence, which includes most of your friends, anyone who can tell you "You look chunky in that dress" and you immediately throw the dress away.
  • The last, and outer circle is your Circle of Concern, which may include folks that are considered acquaintances, or people who you've clicked with, but need more time before you bring them into an inner circle.
  And his question to us, Who's in your circles and should they be there?  Now, this had my mind spinning because for the last month or so The Mr. and I have really been evaluating the folks in our life, and their influences on us. Are they doing any good what so ever? Or is it a empty shell of a friendship in name alone?  I want people close to me who are going to lift me up just as much as I lift them up, not only in the bad times, but the good times as well. I want people who will call to check in at least once a week, who will send a quick text if they have a funny story or good news about something. I need that plus the feeling of true connection, and more from someone I consider in my circles and sadly, it's not working out that way with some of my "friends". Just because we may have been friends for x amount of years doesn't mean it's a valuable friendship.  The phrase, "You get what you put in" is not correct in my life because I put in a ton and get little back. They, on the other hand, get a lot from me and only put in bare minimum.

Proverbs 22:24-25 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
 
1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”


  Oftentimes, I am the one who gets called when someone's life gets a curveball. I don't mind this AT ALL, I love to comfort and talk someone through tough times. I feel like I have a nurturing spirit and if that's what God gave me, then I'll use it on anyone who comes to me needing comfort. Still, I feel like I only hear from some of my friends in the event of a tragedy... they've split up with their love, their dog died, they have to move, they don't know who to date, they've had some sort of medical set back and are on bed rest with no one else around and they are bored so they call me! Wow! Really? I'm your last resort?

Proverbs 12:26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
 
Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

 Most of my friends are not in the coveted Circle of intimacy, and that really saddens me! And in all honesty, most of my friends will drift off for a few years, then get back into contact. And since I move around so much it was difficult to stay in touch... in 1999, but now- with the obscene amount of technology- there shouldn't be any excuse! So, do they really belong in ANY of my circles? Do they uplift me? Do they encourage and support me? Do we have heart to heart chats about MY life? Do we have bible studies together? Do they inspire me to get closer to God? Do they even really pray for me like I do them every.single.night.? The answers will probably break my heart. So do I consider them dead weight and cut them loose no matter how much it breaks my heart? It's a tough one, my friends. But don't I deserve to have healthy friendships?

 
“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?” - C.S. Lewis
Jan 20, 2014

Weekly Wishes

WELP, it's Monday again. After church and then the play yesterday (so cool, post coming tomorrow), I was a happy girl! Then you see all the negative MONDAY BLUES posts and status updates and it just kinda brings you down, right? Maybe it's just me. I should probably not even look at Facebook until Wednesday when everyone is happy it's Hump Day! Which made me think, how can you keep the "joy" even when nothing about your day is joyful? When it's just an average, blah, ho-hum day and yet you still see people skipping around town like it's their birthday! J-O-Y, my friends, joy is the state of mind you want to stay in, and can stay in, when you remember who's child you are! It's tough, and the world may skew our views, but it's always nice to have reminders. Which is what inspired me to create the graphic below! Please feel free to share it, or print it out, anything you want!



Now, on to the Weekly Wishes! (trumpet solo inserted here)

1. Get the new camera strap designs sewed and listed! I currently offer the camera strap covers, which offers more padding for the strap that comes with the camera (at my Etsy store here) But my strap often gets twisted around and so I came up with a new strap design that is awesome! I can't wait to show you guys! Still have to do these, but I have chosen the fabrics and hardware, just have to put them together!  I'm happy to report- these are in production! Post about them coming soon!

2. Dwindle said craft supplies to what I actually use, and sell the rest on the Etsy store.  I don't need most of this, and will probably never use it, so my goal is to bundle up the surplus and sell it. It will eliminate most of the clutter... hopefully! After organizing everything into the new dresser, I have made a list of what needs to be sold, just need to pull it out and list it. Hey, it's like it's half done right? RIGHT! These supplies will be in the Etsy store this week! So excited to de-clutter!

4. (Yes, I'm going to keep putting it on here until they are done) FINISH THE QUILTS! I HAVE to finish these quilts as soon as possible! I feel like they are sitting here mocking me! I will never again put the stress of quilting 6 quilts in 2 months again! Well, actually we are working on the 3rd month now, but you get the idea! No progress on this one. I know, I know, I'm sick of seeing it on here as well! This week, folks. Buckle Down! I've finished 1 whole quilt, putting the finishing touches on another so that it should be done tomorrow, put together a quilt top- now just need to quilt it together, and then cut all fabric for the quilt top of another. By the grace of God alone these quilts are getting done because I'm very much over them! :) Aunt duties!

5. Dive into my Beth Moore study: Breaking Free. Last week, maybe it was the week before, I shared on Facebook the link to get 16 Beth Moore e-books for free. I hope you guys like my Facebook and saw this, or saw it somewhere else and got them! I couldn't wait to get in there and dive in! The first book I've started is her Breaking Free book, it's awesome and I'm only to Chapter 2!


The Nectar Collective



How about y'all? What's your number one wish for this week? And I'm not kidding from the post yesterday,  if you know of any tips to get off of sugar and NOT turn into a monster, please share with me! My Mr. will thank you!
Jan 19, 2014

Sugar, Greece, and How I Met Your Mother


Good Sunday Morning! It's time for the Sunday Social, an easy way to share a Q & A post with you! I write this with a happy heart as we are headed to a play, 42nd Street, later today! Don't worry, I'll try to get lots of pictures for you! It's our first theater experience here in Illinois, and I can't wait!

Ok, on to the Questions-
 
This Weeks Questions:
1. Top 3 favorite kinds of food: Green Smoothies with everything thrown in, sugar, and more sugar. (Currently trying to hop off the sugar bandwagon, so if you have any advise on this, please let me know!)

2. First 3 things you do in the morning: Coffee, emails, orders.
 
3. Last 3 things you do at night: Wash my face, apply breathe-right strip so I can actually breathe out of my nose, and snuggle Ginny!
 
4. 3 TV shows you NEVER miss: Actually, I miss them all, and then go back and watch them on the On Demand thing so I can fast forward through the commercials! But my main shows right now are, How I Met Your Mother, Arrow, and Beauty and the Beast!

5. 3 places you want to visit: I want to go back to Paris because I feel like we didn't see enough. Then Greece and Bali. 
 
6. 3 people you can always count on: Chris, Mama & Daddy! I want to say everyone else, but those are my top 3!
 
 
 
 
 
 
What are your Sunday plans??
Jan 18, 2014

Meet Katrina!

I had the pleasure of meeting Katrina, a wonderfully talented fellow artist and immediately feel in love with her art! She has graciously offered a coupon code exclusively for my readers! Use coupon code Cajun20 (for 20% off entire purchase)! Check her out-
 
 
 Hello! My name is Katrina, and I am a full time servant of Christ, lover of husband, maker of home, teacher of art, designer of stationary and illustrator of life.
I have been running my freelance graphic design business from home for a number of years, only exercising my real passion for illustration in the spare moments.  My clients, however, soon discovered that the more impressive aspects of the designs that I created for them were the original hand drawn illustrations that I incorporated.  Slowly, the style of their commissions changed to be almost purely illustrative at the beginning of 2013.  Encouraged by my supportive husband and the continued commissions, I opened up my etsy shop in August 2013 and began fulfilling a life-long dream!
A huge "thank you" to Jessy for her work and ministry on The Artsy Cajun, and for giving me this opportunity to share my art with all of you!






 
Go visit her store pronto and order these cuties!