Have a Blingtasticly Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Just some quick pictures of my NYE mani, the franken named Happy Unbirthday. Click the pics to see them bigger for all the detail.


Blurred to show sparkle:

Happy New Year

Our family is enjoying some well deserved time off from lessons. We are spending time together with family and friends. The boys have been busy playing with their toys and games they received during the Christmas holiday. I have been playing with my bread machine. It was a gift and I am crazy about it, I have been reading recipe books from the library and making plans for baking all sorts of

Happy Unbirthday - Preview of my NYE Mani

I'm an all or nothin' kind of girl when it comes to my glitter. My rule is either glitter is all you can see or there should be none at all. So when I saw Lippmann's Happy Birthday it was love at first sight. But I have 2 problems with Lippmann. The price and the condescending designer Lippmann herself. I'm not about to pay $18 for a polish when you're going to tell me I'm applying it wrong. So I went to the craft store and picked up about $8 in multi-colored and multi-shaped glitter and dumped it in some clear polish. This was my first franken and let me tell you I was flying blind. The end result... well, check out the picture. LOVE.

A dupe? Not even close. I think the nail polish wore off some of the colors in some of the glitters, so there's a lot more silver than I originally planned on. No problem! I haven't picked a color to wear under it, but I'm thinking a dark green or teal right now to highlight the colors in the smaller glitters. The amazing saga of the making of Happy Unbirthday, plus the end result NYE mani, will be posted tomorrow!

Neon Horror - Why I'm Never Listening to an Elf Again

Christmas Eve day I took a journey in a lull of a snowstorm to the least popular mall in town, the only mall that has Claire's. The mall had been open for an hour but there was no one there, and in the hallway stood a mid-30's aged elf. I wondered what she was doing so far from the Santa picture booth, but she followed me in to the store and asked if I needed help. "I'm in search of a nail polish!" Oops. So wrong to say. She was apparently an expert, though from what I could tell it was only in all things neon. "Get this!" she exclaimed. "If only I had your youth, I wish I could wear these neons!" She had so much Christmas cheer that I couldn't resist maybe just trying the neon teal that she had insisted would look great with my skin. The color was interesting and I figured since it was a teal that it wouldn't be glaring on my skin. Wrong. So, so wrong. Don't look directly at my nails, you may go blind. Maybe I could try it with glitter? I don't know. It's scary and in my sock drawer. I don't want it to frighten my other teals.


Claire's Marine Blue

Nature Study: Plans for January

During the Holiday break from Homeschooling, I'll be working on lesson plans for January and looking at February. I have never been one to plan a whole year of month for that matter because things change on a weekly basis around here.In looking back, we have enjoyed our Nature Studies that we did in the Fall. We stopped once the weather changed but then I realized that winter is one best seasons

A love affair with a fugly green

This morning I had a secret tryst is Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War. I cheated on my other greens, and it felt so right. Teals and I will make up by Wednesday, Mints may hold a grudge till the weekend, but that's okay, because today I'm in love with my fugly green.




This is my first time trying out RBL and it was fantastic! The application was smooth, and this color only took 2 coats. I'm hearing a bit of a buzz about more fugs, mostly in the avocado family, for next year. I do hope more fugly greens come out, they are so fantastically unique and really unexpected to wear.

Dorothy Who... cares?!!

I wanted to like this polish. A lot. In theory it were perfect, in execution... meh. This was 3 coats and still a VNL. The blue wasn't dark enough for me and there was too much silver. I'm hoping OPI's Absolutely Alice can be everything that I wanted this to be. I swapped this polish for OPI Parlez Vous OPI? I hope it comes in the mail soon, because I have a little confession... I've never even tried OPI!



Also, since I don't feel this was a satisfying post due to the sub-par polish, here a pictures of my puppies with their holiday bandannas on. They're so cute!!

Snowflakes & Ruby Pumps

I hope everyone had a happy holiday and they got every NP they wanted! I've been very busy playing with my new iPod + Nike equipment, along with a few new RBL's and other NP's. My Christmas NOTD was Ruby Pumps and I took pictures outside in a snowstorm while holding a snowball. When I downloaded the pictures, this one had a single snowflake captured in the flash! It's so cute! Maybe not the best picture of Ruby Pumps, but who hasn't seen that a million times?

I have many more NOTD's coming up, including the Jade-knockoff from Claire's!

CHRISTMAS HOMELESS

Christmas is the time to be jolly, or so we are told. For the homeless and the lonely it is a bleak empty time. Hearing carols sung, smelling the aromas of Christmas fare and seeing the happy faces is the reality of a world removed for those who are without.  

How can they rejoice in a Savour born who came to give them life abundantly when they are destitute? 

In our home we have made it a priority to pick one person and supply them with happiness at Christmas.

I guess if you have never been alone at Christmas its hard to imagine how it feels.  Believe me, its an emptiness only understood when experienced. It is a feeling of exclusion from society...
In Hebrews 13:5 Jesus says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."
So to be Christ-Like, we need to do the same for the forgotten... Give to the Poor In Spirit Today.

  

Week in Review for December 20 -25 (Advent)

This month we are homeschooling on a lighter schedule and focusing on the Advent. This week finished making our handmade gifts and ornaments. We had extended family over to visit and on Christmas Eve we went to see my parents. We celebrated Christmas at home.For our last week of Advent the boys were excited about Christmas. I was a bit nervous because sometime ago my husband lost his job and we

Christmas with Family

Pictured above my parents who have been married since 1954, a total of 55 years. My Dad is 78 years young and my Mom is 73 years young. We went to visit my parents home. While there, my older brother stopped by and it was a treat getting to see him and my parents. My older brother was kind enough to leave a gift for each of my sons for Christmas.We were so happy to see my Mom and Dad. My

Marina Prior, 'Carols by Candlelight', Melbourne 2008

Christmas is a special time when EVERYONE celebrates, willingly or otherwise....THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

December 25th was originally a date celebrating the Sun God.

Evil turned to good when the then Caesar of Rome became a Christian and turned the day over to a Christ Mass....a celebration to the birth of Christ. To-day we acknowledge His birth all over our world. Wherever we are, we remember that Christ came as a babe.

He came to teach forgiveness love and service.
He came that we, may be united to the Father in one body.
He came, to path the way to eternal life through Himself.

May the blessings of God be yours this Christmas season.

American Apparel Nail Polish

I've never really shopped at American Apparel before, but after seeing their new nail polish line I was in love. The shades are hip and cool and very workable. So I took a chance and ordered three nail polishes hoping they'd be okay. And guess what? They're better than that. Much better. They applied so smooth that when I was doing comparison swatches with RBL, I kept thinking, "Wow, these $6 polishes are on par with ones 3 times the price!" The polishes are so pigmented that you can get away with one coat easily and the lacquer flows over the nail in a few seconds without any manipulation from the brush. I think I'll be picking up a few more!

Peacock is a lovely super blue teal. This is one coat.



Office is a dusty mint shade that was instant love. I'm wearing it now and it's subtle but so pretty!




Hunter is a deep dark slightly muddy green. Dried darker than the bottle and is near black in some lights.


And for fun here are some comparison pictures. Peacock next to RBL teal. Teal is much deeper and Peacock almost looks like Muse, but I've seen a few other swatches and Peacock is much bluer.



Here's Office in the middle with RGB Minty on the left and Essie's Mint Candy Apple on the right. Though Minty still reigns as my fave, I love office for it's dustiness! Great addition to any mint collection.


Hunter is a million miles away from RBL's recycle. It's very opaque so it's nice if you want a non-jelly deep green. It has a bit of a bluey-browny quality to it too.

If you have a store near you, I know they sell these for 3 for $15 rather than $6 for an individual. And if you can only order online, do a quick search for coupon codes! They often have free shipping or 10-15% off.

Christmas Memories: "Our First Christmas 1999"

Christmas time holds a special meaning our in hearts. Christmas eve marks our anniversary as husband and wife since 1998, we had our first son in December the following year and we have spent many times together in the hospital during the Christmas time with our first son. I want to share with you our first Christmas together as a family because it means so much to me and my husband.Our First

Craft Stick Christmas Trees

This year we made a new ornament for our Christmas tree and as gifts for family. The boys loves the way they came out and so do I. We had some large craft sticks that are about the size of tongue depressors.We used a total of four craft sticks for make each tree ornament. One was used as the trunk of the tree, one was used as the bottom branch, one as the third branch from the top (it was trimmed

Silver and Gold Glitz

I'm saving my untried Ruby Pumps for December 24th but have been trying out my other Xmas glitters! First picture is two coats of Tinsel. I really needed like one or two more coats, but it was a rush job and I knew I'd be taking it off in less than a day so I made due with two. The next morning I put on Cowardly Lyin from the Wizard of Ooh Ahz collex, and while I loved the yellowy gold color, the glitter was really lacking. So this morning I added three coats of 5 Golden Rings and it was pure love. Well, it only lasted a few seconds because the mail truck came with a bunch of new polishes for me to swatch! But I snapped a pic anyways, mostly for reference because I think this would look great on me in the Summer when I'm a little bit tan. On to the pics!

The Holy City - Richard Crooks

I know its old....but you cannot beat him..What a wonderful voice

Week in Review for December 13 - 19 (Advent)

Homeschooling Week 15This month we are homeschooling on a lighter schedule and focusing on the Advent. This week we put up our Christmas tree and made ornaments to hang. We had a visit from family and talked about the days of Christmas past.My mother gave us some ornaments as a gift and passed on some older ornaments that have been in the family. I received a used bread machine from a famiy

What my Child is Reading: December 13 - 19

This week we are reading books onHere are some of the boys' favorite picks this week:The Brightest Star by Alyssa Satin Capucilli.The Brightest Star board book tells the story of the Nativity. It begins with Mary and Joseph and tells of Mary's visit by an angel who tells her one day she will have a baby named Jesus. Readers follow Mary and Joseph's journey to the city of Bethlehem. Mary gives

A Perfect Polish - Emerald Sparkle

There isn't much I can say about Emerald Sparkle that hasn't been said. It is one of those perfect polishes that is just so unbelievably pretty that you won't want to take it off. My camera could hardly capture all it's qualities; with the deep emerald green shade, the jelly qualities, and of course all the sparkle, I could only get an average amount of each crammed in to the picture. The full effect in person is memorizing! I highly recommend it to anyone to pick it up, and although I got it really just for Christmas, I know I'll be pulling it out from time to time through out the year. This picture is with 2 coats Emerald Sparkle 1 coat Seche Vite. You'll need a great top coat to bring out the sparkle in this polish!

Felt and Fabric Ornaments

This mid-week we started learning more about the symbols of Christmas. I think it is great way for find out why we use them during Christmas as decorations and how they bring meaning for us of Christ.We made some felt ornaments for our tree this week! One of my favorite ornaments are fabric and felt ornaments. I started making them long before I had children and used fabric of the leftover

Christ Like Heroines

We all have people we look up to and desire to be like. The memory of three women remain encased in my mind.

My first heroine was the writer Katherine Marshall.  Katherine became famous with her second book, "A Man called Peter." She wrote the story in honour of her famous husbands life. 
Peter Marshall was a preacher in the United States Senate. He died at a relatively young age. Katherine was devistated yet necessity demanded she earn a living to provide for her son Peter Junior. Many have come to the Lord through her books. Her message to me was, "Never Give Up."

My second treasured lady was Corrie Ten Boom. When my mother gave me "The Hiding Place," depicting her story, I wanted none of it. Such sadness, about a Dutch family hiding and helping Jews to escape Holland during World War 11.  Yet through my tears I discovered "The Saving Grace of Forgiving Others."

My third Jewel was Mother Teresa. I watched a movie on her life as acted by Geraldine Chaplin, Charlie's daughter. It was an eye opener of self denial....and a life devoted to others. She was the hands, feet and mouth of Our Lord.  From her I learned, "Humility, Wisdom and Selflessness.

Quoting Katherine:
"No matter how little you have,
You can still give some away."

Quoting Corrie, "If you look at the world you will be distressed. If you look within you'll be depressed. if you look at God, you'll be at rest."

Quoting Mother Teresa, "When a person dies of hunger it did not happen because God did not take care of them. It happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what they needed." 

Myself, "Being a Christian doesn't depend on attending meetings, but rather on loving and serving others. Walk the walk!" 

The Legend of the Poinsettia and a Craft

The Legend of the Poinsettia retold and illustrated by Tomie de PaolaThis story is about a little girl named Lucida who lives with her parents, little brother and sister in a small village in Mexico. Her family and other villagers are preparing for Christmas. Each year the people in the village attend the procession at church to bring gifts to the Baby Jesus.After being asked by the church to

The beginning of my mint obsession

As a flavor, I hate mint. It makes me gag. I really like chocolate cake but if I see it garnished with a mint leaf I turn my nose at it. Yuck. But mint nail polish? That's a horse of a different color. I'm obsessed with mint. Yesterday I received Essie's Mint Candy Apple in the mail with my latest TransDesign order. I hadn't tried it yet but today RGB Minty came in the mail. Of course the mail came 5 minutes before my German final and it's all I could think about during the entire test.

RGB intrigued me when I saw some of their early swatches. They have common colors but unique hues, and I've been quite interested in Cognac, Steel and Slate, but Minty was something I had to have after seeing it on a few blogs. The formula was thick, but it applied amazingly well. It was self leveling and I am amazed to say that these pictures were done with one coat of polish. I've heard they wear well, which is good, I don't plan on changing my polish again until Friday. And the color. Well, I'll let the picture speak for itself. It's wonderful. A new favorite!

I also took a comparison picture with Mint Candy Apple and the only other similar color I currently have, which is For Audrey. You can see that MCA is a bit more blue than Minty, but it's still nice. I am looking forward to trying that too.

Minty on my first two fingers, MCA on the ring finger and For Audrey on my pinkie.

Candy Cane Angels and Candy Cane Books

On Monday evening we decorated our tree. My husband grew up with his family tradition of trimming the tree on Christmas Eve while my family would decorate the tree on the first of December. We compromised over the years and begin decorating our tree between the 10th and 14th of December since our oldest son and hubby's birthdays are on the first week of December and our wedding anniversary is on

Praise a Godly Woman

From a little girl my grand daughter Kirra has loved the Lord.    Taking her shopping while her mummy worked she sat in the trolley and told all, "Jesus is coming soon."


Watching Kirra as she grew from a child to a woman my pride in her has continued to grow.

She is a wonderful representative of a Godly character.


Here she is, sitting right in the middle...
attending closely to Gods spoken Word. 

Proverbs 31:  10: Who can find a vituous woman?
For her price is far above rubies. 



Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
BUT a woman who fears the Lord,
She is to be praised.

Happy 21st Birthday My dearest Kirra......x

Have a Recycled Crafty Christmas: Week 3

Welcome to our third week of our month long blog meme. Each week families will be showing and sharing ideas for making decorations and ornaments out of household items that have been recycled into festive items for the Holiday season! Show us what your kids made or what you have made with your kids!You can also participate by sharing Holiday memories of keepsakes that have been passed down to you

Week in Review for December 6- 12 (Advent)

Homeschooling Week 14This month we are homeschooling on a lighter schedule and focusing on the Advent. My husband (of Irish descent) says some Irish begin celebrating the Christmas season on December 8th until January 6. Prior to that day, we cleaned the whole house which is another Irish custom referred as "whitewashing the house." It is viewed as purifying everything in honour of the coming of

I've Been Awarded...Thank you Kathrann

Now I have to write 7 things about myself! Well... don't know that anyone will be interested but here goes


1)
I LOVEEEEE Colours.......and I love FLOWERS!!!
 
So...here is my colourful flowerery Queenslander House.
The garden is growing real well... we have Kangaroo paws, and Pigs face...Yes, they are real flowers. Plus lots of Ozzie native...Must feed the birds.

2) Next Mango's are the BEST!!
and our Mango Tree is full this year.


Another week to go and they'll be picked and shared with anyone who hasn't got them.

3)  These little fellows chatter in our trees all day long....  I missed  them when I lived oversea's

4)  I love my Sunburnt Country and  Outback Austraila .....
the colours are incredible!




5)We live close to the ocean
its an Ozzie way of life..
I love the smell....

6) What don't I like??? 


Welllllll....... Not termite nests

7)  OR.....  CROCODILES........

Sooooo Welcome to My World..... and May God Bless all!

A Special Thanks to http://garden-planter.com/ 

Butter LONDON Bezzie Mate

I love Butter LONDON. And not for their application, which is good. Not for the names of their colors, which are hilarious. I love them because of their tiny square bottles. I admit, holding the square brush head can be a little challenging, but these are the only bottles that I let sit out on my desk because they are so damned cute. BL changed the design on the new bottles so you can remove the square cap and paint like with a normal brush, so really, it's not an issue anymore. The only problem is waiting for a sale. When the next one comes on, I will strike with FULL FORCE and pick up the 11 lemmings that I have for them right now.

Bezzie Mate is one of 3 that I picked up from theFairest.com when they had a sale on them so they were very inexpensive, which was good because I had never tried them before. This color looks bright pink in the bottle and even tried matte like a neon, but after I added Seche Vite it dried super shiny and the color mellowed to a lovely vibrant raspberry shade. I've been wearing this for 3 days and have a little bit of tip wear and one chip, though I attribute that to lots of Christmas baking. The best part about this being a neon is that it will come off super easy when I'm ready to change colors.



On a side note to anyone reading this, don't forget about the Rescue Beauty Lounge sale on Tuesday! (which I'm sure you've heard about, and if you haven't, omg are you living under a rock?!!) I don't own any from them but I'm really excited to pick up somewhere between 3 and 6 colors for half price. My mom will be picking up the tab, hiding the package when it comes, and stuffing my stocking for xmas morning. My definites right now are Teal, No More War and Recycle, and I'm still considering Coral, Dead Calm and Bikini Bottom. I'm thinking I may get just 3 this round because last April they had a half off sale, so I'm thinking next April they will too... wishful thinking but it seems possible!

Darlene Zschech SINGS To The Lord....

Darlene Zschech has been singing at Hillsong Church in Australia for over twenty years. I met her on a few occasions at my daughter Femia's home in the late 1988's. She is a wife and a mother to three girls yet what impressed me the most was her sincere desire to follow Christ

To hear her sing "Thank you For The Cross Lord."



Please click below on the 'YouTube' Link.








http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYQqzoEjgU

Be Blessed:

What my Child is Reading: December 6-12

This week we readHere are some of the boys' favorite picks this week:B is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet board book by Isabel Wilner, illustrated by Elisa Kleven.A wonderful board book that introduces young children to the alphabet while telling the story of the First Christmas (the Nativity). It tells the story of Jesus' birth in graceful couplets such as: "L is L is for Lullaby Mary would

Sinful Nail Junkie

I picked this up to quench my thirst for Atlantis, which is still en route. It's quite a bit lighter but the glitter in it is wonderful! There are tiny flecks of pure blue and large chunks of gold, plus a fine sprinkle of aqua that gives it the overall color. The base is slightly aqua color but to bring it out, I layered to coats over a coat of Sally Hansen Honeydew from the Tracy Reese collection. With a coat of Seche Vite this lasted an entire 4 days without a single chip! I'm amazed! Overall it got me through the week but I'm still dying for my package with Atlantis in it.

My Christmas Tag!

The Blessings of Christmas by my daughter Femia.....showing grandchildren.      Kirra,            Joel         and           Luke.

1. Five names you go by:  Mum, Nanni,  Aunty, Zia (Italian for Aunty) Sister Lindsey (as an R.N.)

2. Five Things to Be Thankful For:  Gods Word,  Salvation,  Love,   Forgiveness,    Blessings.       

3. Seven favourite books of the Bible:  Psalms,  Proverbs, Isaiah, John, Romans, Hebrews, James.

4. Five Favourite Christian Songs:   Thankyou For The Cross Lord,    Amazing Grace the chains are gone,  My Jesus My Savour,   Blessed Assurance,   Count your Blessings.  

5. Five Favourite Carols: Silent Night,  Long Time Ago in Bethlehem,  Oh Holy Night, Violet in the Snow,    Hark the Herald Angels Sing. 

6. Favourite Christmas Foods: Ham,  Prawns, Nuts, Canaloni,  Five layer Salad, Pavlova.               

Favourite Things about Christmas:  Remembering the Savours Birth, Love, Joy, Family, Carols and Australian Christmas Bush........ Hallelujah !!                                                                                               

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Many years ago, a candymaker wanted to make a candy at Christmas time that would serve as a witness to his Christian faith. He wanted to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus.He began with a stick of pure white hard candy; white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus; hard to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church; firmness

How Can I Be Right With God?

Knowing a lot about a little, OR knowing a little about a lot......
I don't know where I fit into this but I feel the important thing is, knowing as much as I can about God..........
Here I don't profess to know it all because I realise as I age that you never stop learning and the more you learn the more you realise, how little you know.

I once attended a church who gave out books teaching on different Bible subjects.   I came to the conclussion one day,  that God is our teacher, not some religious denomination.  Later at University I had the privilege to study philosophy which further opened my eyes to different value and belief systems. 
Following this, I concluded as I had many years previously, that my God gave His Word the Bible as my teacher.  No man could teach with the same direction as the Holy Spirit, after all, wasn't God the author, and didn't Jesus give the Helper to us for this means!

Yes, I do attend a church and I do partake in communion with the saints and I do pray with fellow believers...  But, I do not proclaim one certain denomination to be the only true following.

I am reminded of the parable Jesus told of two men praying in the Temple.
One was a pious Pharisee who saw himself righteous before God...after all, he strictly followed the law to the letter. The other man, a tax collector beat his breast in anguish, freely admitting himself as sinful.
The Pharisee belonged to the elite and the tax collector to the select few.  Summing up which man was right and which was wrong, Jesus said, "The one who exalts himself will be humbled and the one who humbles himself, will be exalted." (Luke 18: 9-14)

This doesn't mean the large denomination is wrong and the small is right.  Rather we are all to be humble as Gods Word describes in 1 Corinthians 8: 1-13.... 2. "Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know very much."  3. "But the person who loves God is the one God recognises."

Finally....Jesus said,  "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father accept through me." (John 14:6)    

SALVATION IS ONLY THROUGH JESUS.    

Recycled craft: Fabric Scrap Wreath

Materials:Pinking shears, rotary cutter or scissorsAssorted FabricMetallic ribbon or wired ribbonCoat hanger or wireDirections:1. Shape your coat hanger or wire into a circle shape. Set aside.2. Sort through your fabric scraps to find a color and pattern combination that you find pleasing.3. Cut your fabric scraps into one inch by six inch strips using your pinking shears, rotary cutter or

Have a Recycled Crafty Christmas: Week 2

Welcome to our second week of our month long blog meme. Each week families will be showing and sharing ideas for making decorations and ornaments out of household items that have been recycled into festive items for the Holiday season! Show us what your kids made or what you have made with your kids!You can also participate by sharing Holiday memories of keepsakes that have been passed down to

Hello and NP Survey

I'm so excited to be starting my own blog!



Two days ago I was caught by my mom staring at pictures of the new Up & Away collection from China glaze. Then a few hours later she caught me staring at them again. Then the next morning, after she found me staring at Re-Fresh Mint for the 8th time, she suggested I start my own blog. You better believe that I'll have pictures of that collection up just days after it's released!



To start off my blog I thought I would start with a quick survey. Fill it out and add it to the comments so I can get to know you too!

Name: Andrea

NOTD: China Glaze Paper Chasing

POTD: none, between pedis

Favorite brand: China Glaze! I love their colors and I really love how they come up with new collections often, and they're always perfect for the season.

Favorite NP: China Glaze Sky High Top

Favorite finish: Cream! Though lately I've been wearing a lot of glitters.

Favorite top coat: Ever since reading this top coat experiment I've been trying new brands. So far I really like Seche Vite, but I'm hoping to buy some "David" soon!

Last NP you bought: I ordered ChG Wizard of Ooh Ahz, Love You Snow Much and a couple of the glitters last week, I'm very IMpatiently awaiting their arrival!! I almost jumped on the mail truck yesterday afternoon asking if there was a package for me!

Estimate # in your collection: around 50 give or take. I know, I know, I'm such a newb!

Current lemming: ChG Up & Away! Ah, such creamy perfection. At first I thought I would just be ordering Re-fresh Mint and Grape Pop, but then High Hopes, Heli-yum, and Lemon Fizz were added to my list... and after Scrangie's post, I decided I needed them all! I wish they were out now!

Wait time after mani before using fingers: If it's a polish I've applied before, about 10 minutes, but with brands I'm unfamiliar with I'll wait 30 minutes.

Fave NP blog: Scrangie! I love her no muss, no fuss, straight to the point style.

Most worn color: Tough one, but for 6 weeks I wore mostly Sally Hansen Night Hydrangea. It's a wonderfully true purple with a hint of sparkle. 2 weeks ago I picked up Sinful Frenzy and added that to the top, which I've now been wearing for 2 weeks!!

What my Child is reading: December 1-5

Here are some of the boys' favorite picks this week:The Story of Christmas by Vivian French, illustrated by Jane Chapman. This board book tells the bible story of Mary and Joseph. It follows from the time Gabriel appeared to Mary, Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. The colorful illustrations and simple text give explain to young children the story of Christ's birth.Our

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS (The Rock)

Yes as the old hymn says:
 "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will look strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."


As Christians we are to look to Him, our creator and keep our eyes fixed.
The Bible gives us 3 weapons to use against the enemy.
1.  The Word of God.
Use it as a two edged sword.  Learn and memorise the Word and keep it close to your heart.  Call upon it, in times of adversity.
"For God has not given me a 'Spirit of Fear' (which causes anxiety and depression) but a Spirit of Love, a Spirit of Power and a Spirit of a Sound Mind." (2 Timothy 1:7).
Think about this for a moment... the Spirit of fear is evil.  It tries to capture your mind and hold onto your thoughts. Speak the above scripture out a few times meaning every word, no matter how difficult you find it to be, and that spirit of fear will have to flee....It has no dominion over the Word of God.


2.  The Blood of the Lamb.
Knowing and believing that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that was slain as redemption for your sins. It is a powerful tool. Speak out loud Gods Word on this when Satan tries to take away your peace.
"And I (as a Christian) have overcome him (the devil) by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of my testimony." (Revelation 12:11) 


3.  Your Testimony.
This is a strong tool for the believer. It is the proclamation of your faith! Speaking it aloud defeats the enemy.
"He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me." (Psalms 55:18)
"No weapon that is formed against me will prosper." (Isaiah 54:17) 


The trials of this world may be many. Yet, we have been given the power to stand on:
 Gods Word, The Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of our Testimony.
"On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."  Amen.

Week in Review for December 1-5 (Advent)

Homeschooling Week 13Last week we took a break from Homeschooling for our Thanksgiving holiday. This month we are homeschooling on a lighter schedule and focusing on the Advent.We celebrated two birthdays in one week, my oldest son on Monday and my husband on Friday. We had our son prematurely at 27 weeks (due date was February) so the joke years later was the my first son was an early birthday

A preemie, 10 years later

Pictured above my husband reading his favorite childhood story of Briar Rabbit to our son.This Monday marked my son's birthday. Our former preemie is now 10 years old! He woke up to find presents waiting for him to open. He was so excited! He got a Godzilla figure and assorted Godzilla toys. We were unable to get a Dinosaur cake and opted for an Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs cake but the

Being led by the Holy Spirit

We proclaim to be Christians but how often do we acually allow the Holy Spirit to do the leading.
Or...how often do we say the words, "I'll do it my way."  You may not be guilty but I sometimes am.


I remember reading that evangalist Katherine Coolman used to pray a Bible verse before she went out to minister. It has become a favoured of mine.
"Create in me a clean heart Oh Lord, and renew a right Spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).   Yes, without the Holy Spirit to direct and guide we act on human weakness....


You know, of all the religions in the world, only one has a leader who has risen. Only one has a leader who has no burial place. And only one promises eternal life through Himself.


Jesus cousin John declared, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). How profound is this statement, Jesus is God! Jesus was with God when God created the world. Jesus was the very breath coming from God as God spoke everthing into being. Because He was God, death could not hold Him.   It's beyond our comprehension how God is one within three entities.   However, we are terrestial beings...while God is Celestial.


Just stop for one moment and breath out...you see nothing, it's invisible.  But if you do it when it's cold, you see a mist or a vapour.   Now breath back in again....it will enter your mouth and venture down to your lungs.  As you breath in air, the oxygen carried with it enters your lungs and jumps aboard the haemoglobin in your blood to be carried all around your body to replenish your cells. Without that life giving oxygen your cells will quickly die and so will you.
Now when Jesus left this earth to return to the Father, he didn't leave us alone.  He left us a helper a strength.  He left His vapour, His mist or rather as we acknowledge, His Spirit to enter into us and strengthen us. This Spirit helps us in all we do, if we allow it to. 
Without that helper we will spiritually die. The gift of the Holy Spirit is free to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are baptised.  Faith sets you FREE.  
Yes...  "Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me."

Our First Sunday (Advent Begins)

This Holiday season we are observing Advent, keeping CHRIST in Christmas and sharing the gift of Faith, Hope, Love, and Peace.This Sunday November 29, began Advent. We read in our Doubleday Illustrated Children's Bible the story "Time of Miracles" (pages 225-227) Luke 1:26-56It is the story of Mary being visited by an angel of God. The angel appears to Mary, a virgin with news of that she is

Eating the Word of God

As a child in the fifties we didn't buy all of our food from the shops. Our cow supplied milk, cream and butter. The chooks gave eggs and sometimes their lives. We grew vegetables and my brother fished and hunted.
Today almost everything comes from the store and if we are hungry we go to the cupboard or fridge. Mostly, physical hunger can be satisfied.

So what about the Word of God?  How can we be fed?
Its very simple.  Get a Bible and begin to read it. If you are really hungry for knowledge or to understand then ask God to help, and He will.

The Bible is full of precious jewels which are discovered at different times for different needs.  This Word of God supplies spiritual food which provides life and health to the reader or listener.
 "For they (Gods Words) bring life to those who find them and healing to their whole body"(Proverbs 4:22). 
It inspires and encourages, "If they obey and serve Him they will spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasure" (Job 36:11).  
It helps in times of anguish, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you" (Isaiah 26:3). 
Last weekend I listened to the wonderful testimony of Mac Gober, founder of Canaan Land in America and now Australia.  This man came from a life of crime to knowing a Christ who saves and sets free.  Today he is dedicated to sharing the Word of God.  Not only does he spiritually feed the oppressed, he also physically feeds the hungry.  
Canaan Land is a rehabilitation and haven for drug and alcohol dependant men.  Men who have given up all hope and respect in themselves. Men who learn that through the saving Grace of Jesus Christ there is a hope and a future. Yes, the Word of God is the river of life waiting for the thirsty. It is available to all....if they simply ask.....

Have a Recycled Crafty Christmas: Week 1

Welcome to our first week of our month long blog meme. Each week families will be showing and sharing ideas for making decorations and ornaments out of household items that have been recycled into festive items for the Holiday season! Show us what your kids made or what you have made with your kids!You can also participate by sharing Holiday memories of keepsakes that have been passed down to you

Plans for December

This year we are going to be celebrating Advent (the First Christmas: the birth of baby Jesus). In years past, we have spent time on themes like the Polar Express, Snow and Winter and Christmas around the World but my heart desires that my sons learn more about Christ and why we celebrate Christmas. It is more than presents and food.This will be a learning experience for me because it will be the

God Loves Josiah.....he is the Apple of His Eye.

He pulls himself around the floor on both hands.   Happily he drifts from one room to another as he tries to keep up with his brothers and sister. They all enjoy normal mobilty and accept Josiah as if he does also. One brother is his twin. I wonder if he ever considers that he may have been the one with the handicap? Perhaps he doesn't realise the extent of his brothers disability. After all, he is only nine years old.

Love hugs and smiles abound in a God filled environment. Help is given as the norm and not as a burden.   Chris, Josiah's father left working, not long after his son's birth, to remain at home and help with the daily care.
Frances, his mother laughs all the time, happy and appreciative of her wonderful family and friends. They experience many trials; however the family pray and stick close together surrounded by Gods reassurance.

I was privileged last week to be invited to a 'Fundraiser' for Josiah.   The family desperately need a van to transport them collectively with their son's special wheelchair.   So far they have raised only a small amount. There is a long way to go, but in their faith they believe, for their miracle.

Isaiah 55:11  "So shall my Word be, that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto me void...and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it."

Josiah was born with Large Frontal Encepepholocoale (removed 2002)
Diagnosis: Semi Lobar Holopresencephaly, Gross Neuro Migrational D/O and Dysplastic Cerebellum.
Cerebral Palsy with Hearing and Visual Impairment.
Treatment: Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt implanted at 7 months of age.
So far, seven (7) revisions and bi-lateral grommets.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our family is enjoying a day at home and will be having Thanksgiving dinner later today. The phone rings with kind sentiment from family and friends. Each year we have our "family Turkey Hot line" between my mom, me and my sisters discussing what time we each woke up, what's done and what's not done. This year I took the laid back approach and we will taking a steady pace to prepare our

Oh Lamb of God I Come...........and Build an Altar to Thee.

Retiring to bed last night nothing intentional was on my mind. As soon as my head hit the pillow I began to lift God up in Praise. It was as if it all, just burst forth...a spring of Heavenly Praise.

Rising from deep within my spirit, reaching out to His......and I feel it again as I write these words.
Praise you Lord, Thank you Father, Glory to God in the highest, Praise your Holy Name, Blessed be God forever and ever, Thank you Lord my God and my Redeemer. I give you all the thanks and praise,. Thou art worthy, worthy is the lamb, blessed be God forever. Oh praise you Jesus, Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Thou art worthy to be praised.

My God, my soul, I lift you higher....
Mighty King, Prince of peace.....
My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savour! Blessed be...


This is the secret to everything, Praising Our Creator God!  
There has been so much on my mind lately, so much that I have come before Him about in conversation, talking to Him, praying to Him. Now He is showing me there is no need to voice my concerns  any more. 

All I have to do, is simply "Praise Him!" and the gates of Heaven open wide.
Suddenly I am before the throne, on my knees before my God and he is right here. There is just us, but I am different. I am young again, fresh and pure...unaffected by the filth of this world. And His great love Embraces me.  Just as I am I come....without one plea.....
Just as I am...Blessed be...

Thankfulness

This week we are preparing for Thanksgiving and it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the things in our lives that we are thankful for. As a Christian, I am thankful each day for my blessings and for my trials that I have on my journey with Christ.This week our hearts are grateful that I have both my parents and that my sons have a bond with them. I have a large number of siblings and nieces

Six Joyful Blessings Moulded by the Potters Hand.

Every Parent wants the best for their child and the decision to send children to a state school or home school is a challenge. The Christian parent considers Biblical principals such as The Creation described in Genesis and the belief that God created everything.
In comparison, the world teaches away from that to evolution and the big bang theory.
God tells us to "Bring a child up the way he is to go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
So we want our children to inherit the earth, full of Gods Word and Gods goodness. Faith means trust and although a parent may desire to totally dedicate their life to instilling Godly principles within their offspring, ultimately when you serve God, He is in control and all will be cared for.

The parents of the children in this photo are a wonderful example of commitment to nurturing their children's Faith, Belief and Well being. They are completely dedicated.
Two of the boys are missing from the group. One is older and in high school and one younger still at home.
I cannot imagine caring for eight young lives under one roof. Yes! these parents are to be commended. By the happy smiling faces it is easy to see each child is safe in the knowledge they are loved and belong.
Each one is treated as a special individual and they thrive in their environment. After years of Home Education they have recently begun attending a small rural school.
Sitting on a bench they sit proudly displaying their new uniforms. May God bless this family.