Making Monday #76

Welcome to Making Monday.

 

This is a party where you can find fun new creative ideas and tasty recipes shared by amazingly talented people. Every Monday bloggers stop by to link up their posts and share with all you party goers. By joining in {both bloggers and non-bloggers} you will discover new blogs, be inspired to make something new, try a yummy new recipe, and most importantly make new friends!

This party is hosted by Gracie and me, and your projects will be shared on both of our blogs. We love that you're here and we love featuring you on our social media so be sure to follow us so you can see if your post gets shared!

Grace Langdon Art | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

A Bright and Beautiful Life | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

 

We also pin to our Making Monday Pinterest board and we'd love to have you follow along! This is a place you can find projects from all the previous parties, too, so it is like a party every day!

 

This is what your hostesses have been up to lately:

A New Twist on the Starburst Mirror

Delicious and easy to make using common kitchen ingredients ~ Mexican Rice [Restaurant Style]

These are the fabulous features for this week, chosen by Lori:

Valentine's Day is over but these few Valentine[ish] features are worth remembering and practicing year round.

   

  20 Date Night Ideas to Use with a Date Night in a Jar ~ A Worthy Read  

Be a Sweetie ~ A Mother's Shadow

   

10 Easy Little Tips to Improve Your Relationship Today ~ Love Home & Health 

 The rest of these features have really inspired me. I've already had my tandem print printed (at Costco) and it's framed and sitting on my mantel. The little girl spa shoes are adorable. The Monte Cristo sandwich looks amazing. I've seen it on menus before but haven't tasted it but I'm going to add it to our next menu to see if it tastes as delicious as it looks. The toy storage ideas are all very clever ~ there's sure to be one just right for any child's room. Little girls (boys, too, probably) would love to make their own puzzle. And the last two art projects are so cool and I'm wondering where I could hang them if I made them. Pottery Barn Inspired Tandem Printable ~ Inspiration for Moms [Tutorial] Spa Pedicure Shoes ~ Frog Prince Paperie  

Homemade Monte Cristo Grilled Cheese ~ My Newest Addiction

10 Clever Toy Storage Ideas ~ Spaceships and Laser Beams

DIY Picture Puzzles ~ Optimistic Mommy

 

Giant Feather Artwork Tutorial ~ Hey, Let's Make Stuff

 

Glam Monogram Letter ~ Lou Lou Girls

 

If you were one of the features PLEASE grab a button and share it with some friends.

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If you didn't make it as a feature this week keep linking up because next week could be you!

 

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Don't forget to check out our Pinterest board where we pin plenty of projects from each party!

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Trust God. When you run out of trust, just Obey Him.

It seems like winter is the time I learn a lot about myself and when I see how much I actually need God. I've had so many things I wanted to share on here about what I'm learning but didn't because I wanted this to be a place for "business". Yep, my creative online studio turned in to business...  I'm not sure how I got there and I'm not sure I'm gone either but I know that isn't how I want things to be. Business is good in the fact that it provides for my family, but the reason I am able to have a successful business isn't just about how professional my blog is, or how beautiful my Instagram account is. I'm not saying those don't matter, cause they do, but thats not the entire story.

This blog and business started as some place fun that I could share my heart. I talked about what was happening in my life whether it was art or budgeting or marriage goop. And when I was sharing and speaking boldly from my heart this blog and my business was much more successful. I think there are lots of reasons I could chalk that up to, like people just think I'm interesting, or I got hooked up with the right blog group, but what I really think it was was trusting God. I didn't have some big plan that told me how I was going to use this space and lead me to be successful. I just used what God gave me and knew that it was good.

One thing that I've been hit over the head with a lot lately is that my plans suck. Well, they may actually sound really amazing and it may look like I've got it all figured out. But God says, "Nope, stop planning and just follow me, do as I say and all your needs will be cared for". Like seriously, He says that in the bible in Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?".  I know my value in Christ, I know He sees me as priceless. For heavens sake He DIED for me!! So why do I think He has forgotten what my desires are or that if I don't succeed on my own that my family will never be able to move forward? Like seriously whyyyyy does that plague me so much.

Like I said earlier, that thought process of trying to provide always sneaks back up on me in the Winter months. I think it's because I have time to sit, its slow in business since because it follows the Holidays, our bills are higher than normal because of the cold. So basically the winter sucks. Except for the fact that I can always count on it to lead me right where I need to be. I hate the cold weather, and I hate not having much business come my way BUT each time this happens I am reminded that I need to trust in the Lord and when my trust runs out I need to OBEY Him. I need to boldly trust that if I follow His plan for me that I will not only make it through the winter but that I will be successful in all that I do.

So I pray that each of you will also learn that sometimes our plans aren't what we need. What we need is to trust that our Heavenly Father values us much more than the birds of the air. He is going to take care of you and your family. He wants you to have the desires of your heart so be patient in His timing, trust that He is good, and obey what He says to you.

Love y'all!!