Religion Saves!???

As I have told you in the past, I am not a proficient reader, just ask my Cute Kiwi, I have about 10 books next to my bed that have bookmarks about one forth of the way through. I'm just a sleepy reader, but I have finished almost every audio book I've ever "read". Mainly because someone else read it to me and maybe because I wasn't lying down in bed at 10pm...

So this month christianaudio.com is giving away Religion Saves: And nine other misconceptions by Mark Driscoll for FREEEEEEEEEEEE (to be said in the voice of the mattress comercial guy)
I have listened to quite a few messages from this series and I think this book could be life changing. I love Mark Driscoll's no nonsense approach, if you know me at all , this will not be surprising.... ahhh
It's amazing how easy it is for us to form misconceptions about what we believe, I think most of the time because we don't give it the time and study it deserves...
So check it out! Even if you're not a Christian! This might give you a clearer picture of what it is Jesus wants his church to be like.... and hey, even if you're and old timey believer, check it out too, you never know maybe you've had a misconception or 2 yourself ;)
Happy listening!

Cake refashion anyone!?

So I must start this post with a disclaimer: Cake refashioning is overpriced and only for those who are in a hurry and are not good at assembling the initial steps of a cake... which for now (until I take a class) is me!
As I was planning on doing this I searched and searched online for anyone who had done a cake refashion, and I found none... I must be crazy! Go ahead google it, you'll see, I am the only one crazy enough to do this...
Fortunately for me, it was very easy and not time consuming, so I was able to make what I think is a pretty darn cute cake very quickly!

So just in case there's someone crazy like me out there that doesn't have mad cake making skills or needs to throw a cake together real quick for their kids party... I give you cake refashion...

Ugly flower cake.... meet my little kitty....

OK, so to begin... MAKE SURE your cake is real cold! And begin plucking the icing decorations off. The first time I did this I was able to keep the colors separated rather easily and I reused the icing!

If you come across some stubborn pieces, don't fret, you can lightly scrape till the color is gone. And if you come into real trouble you can always use the white border to cover a lot!

One thing I had not done in the past that I did this time was ask the guy at the bakery if I could have some hot pink icing... and he was happy to sell me some, easy solution for getting real butter cream in the color you want!

After you have scrapped your cake clean cut out the figure you want to put on the cake and here you have a couple of options... again, MAKE SURE your cake is cold!
Option #1: lay out your design on the cake and use a toothpick to mark out the pattern

Option #2: for this cake I used chocolate candy melts and piped it directly onto the design, refrigerated, peeled off and very carefully placed on the cake! The thing I absolutely loved about using candy melts was that with the cold cake it got solid fast and if I made a mistake it was very easy to break off and start over on... Good for a novice like me!

Then lastly I went to town! I filled in Hello's shirt with a ruffly look, mostly to disguise my lack of skill, then dusted it with pink sanding sugar for some sparkle! Then I piped along the bottom and top edge with the same color doing a similar ruffle. For kitty's eyes and nose we used jelly bellies, smashed a little so they we're a little wider. Then we used sugar hearts to make the flowers (use 4 with a dot of frosting in the middle) and threw on some sugar confetti for some extra fun. The bottom border was butterflies, again we used the sugar hearts (2 with a line of frosting in the middle) and confetti for a cute dotted border!

So in conclusion... if you're a cheapo, this is not the method for you! My half sheet cost me $20, the extra icing was $3 and the deco-cake hearts and sprinkles were $3. The candy melts I always have on hand for cake pops :) so they're kinda free...

But if you need a quick fix for your little one's party and you don't have the skills, here's a really fun and easy solution!

Have fun!

My boy!

My sweet precious baby boy turned one today! I can take myself back so easily to that moment, probably because it happened right here... seriously we were joking about it, but I could have web-camed by birth because I was right next to the computer... I've assumed most of you know that I'm a weirdo home-birther, that grows my shoes in my garden (supposedly) and on occasion drinks fermented tea. But if you didn't I hope you won't hold it against me. In fact enjoy it, I'll be the weirdo you know you want to be, and you can just live vicariously thru me!
But really my point was more to do with how I have been really enjoying reflecting on the birth of my sweet little man. I took on having a boy with a bit of intrepidation, but the minute he popped out, no, the minute he was pulled out with great force, I was in love!So I started looking thru photos that I thought would be old news, that I had looked at 20 times before to reminisce about my sweet bundle of joy and then I started to kinda freak out, because I don't remember having a baby that looked like this...

All I think about is my baby that looks like this! He is so stinkin' funny... I wish you could see of all the photos I have from this moment, because it would make your sides hurt...

Well buddy, this year has not been free from challenges, but it has been such a great year getting to know you! You are so special, loving and hilarious! I love being you and Emmy's mom. God has richly blessed me with you two!

two observations

I found these pictures this morning, and couldn't help but notice the resemblance in my two children... so my observations: The cute Kiwi and I only make one kind of baby, just in the boy or girl version. And secondly; point and shoot camera's have leaped in their capabilities in 3 short years. Sorry Emmy all your baby photos are just gonna look real bad next to your siblings... don't blame me, blame technology... in fact that's always the answer, I'm sure behind most problems in the 21st century, we can somehow blame technology...

That's all for now, my internet connection's having trouble... told you!

Wait! Where did December go?

Isn't there just something about December! It's magical yet hectic, and no matter how hard I try to make it slow down, it just goes too quickly and I'm always left a little sad that it's all over, and disillusioned by the mess I have to clean up!
It seems like just the other day I was posting on my facebook status, to decorate or not to decorate... And I'm sure you can guess by the looks of this here photo, I gave into sentimentalism and tradition. I can't help it, I'm too old skool I really try so hard to break out of the shell but I just can't. So in typical O.T. Cyndi style I bring you December in pictures, in January... "sigh"Gave in and decorated, this year I held back (a little bit)Emmy started December right, with a rousing performance of "splish, splash it's rainnin' in my bath" at the CBS children's Christmas program, with all her good homies by her side!Next Emmy and I spent a little too much time round the sugar, wholy moly although I ate very little sugar, I'm pretty sure I ingested it through my pores, cuz you couldn't talk me into eating any for the next few days... but we had fun!Then the next day for some reason I felt compelled to make all the ladies at my church Christmas tea, their very own Christmas Tree cake pop... When I get these brilliant ideas somebody please do me a favor and hit me over the head... !this is what 80 cake pops look like... unfortunately I have no photos of what 80 cake pops makes my kitchen look likeNext we had the Weeks Fancy dinner party, which for me was the highlight of December! We had friends from church join us for a 4 course meal which I prepared with a little help from my friends!I discovered an old lot of beautiful linens that inspired the decor for the evening... it was so fun to use them with my grandmothers etched crystal and my fun and funky Bakelite silverware!We talked about how the gospel had impacted our lives in 2009 and toasted to the gospel with wonderful wine, and pretty darn good food, if you ask me... notice the mostly devoured croque embouch my girlfriend made!We enjoyed good conversation and a hilarious white elephant gift exchange that brought tears to many eyes... Is that wassail Dave??And this is definitely the best present of the year for me... My sweet girlfriend Laura who couldn't be at this year's party sent gifts for us to open up from New Zealand. And what could be better for her Old Time friend than a 50's inspired Pavlova recipe apron??? I'm mean seriously where do you find this stuff!
I'm so thankful for my church and my sweet friends that God has blessed me with, it's been an awesome year!Next we had yet another Christmas production, which Emmy played a little angel in. I have to say she was slightly overshadowed by a hilarious 2 year old who inched right up to the mic in desperate anticipation of saying "happy birt-day Jedus"
I got to do the music for the kids... (I think it's time to touch up the roots there Cyndi)Then the week preceding Christmas, we took a little r-r-road trip up north to the central coast! Dang their cute and are excellent travelers, their well seasoned...We took a little hike around Laguna lake up in San Luis Obispo... photo courtesy of Emmy!Judah loves to hike in the sling... Attack of the baby fangs! Man I love this kid!Then we headed up for a little time of R and R at our 2nd home.... yeah right. If you didn't already know this is Hearst Castle and if you haven't already taken a tour, it's remote and time consuming and if you have a big family, expensive, BUT definitely worth it! Wow, so cool!I wish we could have had more time up there, seriously ridiculous how much money that guy had and spent!Then we rushed home for Christmas Eve service that Mike and I were doing the music for, here's me with a couple of the girls that serve in the music ministry at church... looking good girls ;)Then we had Christmas morning... I still need to have a talk with the folks about this one! We said no gifts... long story, but they are grandparents, and everyone knows they can't help themselves! Judah pretty much loves this one anyways!Then definitely the highlight of Christmas for me was going and hanging out with these guys and a few others... Some friends and I decided to make pancakes and coffee and go hand them out to the homeless, or as they like to say "home free" of Laguna Beach. It was such a cool time and as we were standing around talking and eating, some sweet people came by with a car load of sleeping bags and just handed them out (this is me being super stoked on them!)And lastly we finish with Judah doing it right... pooping at the brunch table. Thanks for the extra special gift buddy... bonus: no changing table at this restaurant!
Well it's been an awesome, awesome year, and I definitely will fill you in on more of the details of that, who knows when... but you know how I roll.
Thanks for reading and I pray this next year is filled with God's many blessings and a closeness with Him that rivals anything this world can offer you!
Peace out 2009!

Christmas Wishes

Hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas, if you didn't receive one of these babies in the mail, it's either cuz I don't know you, or maybe because I didn't mail a single one... yeah, me and the mail aren't good friends. Licking envelopes and placing stamps and addressing stuff, just a little bit out of my leauge, so why get a Christmas card made, really I don't know! Maybe only because my kids look so stinkin' cute in these pictures!

So this post is my Christmas card to you all, late per usuall! But heartfelt just the same! And I will be posting a december recap shortly, since blogging has not been in the equation of an already crazy december! Love, peace and joy! Because He came!
Your Old Time friend, Cyndi

Sew Thankful!

Sooo apparently 1000's of you tried to comment on your many turkey mishaps and somehow they were never approved, not that I don't approve, it's just the dumb blogger server that doesn't approve. Well hopefully I'll get it figured out one day cuz I'd love to hear from some of my readers, especially you mom ;)

But in the meantime I'm showing off Emmy's thanksgiving dress which turned into my 2009 mishap... true she tried it on for these pictures, but it never made it with us on thanksgiving day, it just sat on the fence all alone and exposed to the elements, after I lovingly crafted it with care, it was utterly alone!

So instead of pouting, which I really, really wanted to do, I chose to be thankful for about a million, no trillion other blessings in my life.

I actually decided that I was going to direct my thoughts towards all I was thankful for instead and I started to list off everything off, and it got kinda ridiculous! I can't believe how blessed I am, and not having a silly dress for Emmy to wear was seriously dumb to fret over!

So the saying is true, next time you're feeling blue, just count your many blessings... I think there's a saying about that... right?

Thanksgiving mishaps...

I thought it would be fun for people to share some of their horror stories from Thanksgiving's past... not like the time your dog died Thanksgiving morning, that's a little too horrific, I mean like the time you cooked your first turkey... Martha style! And decorated it with crab apples and rosemary and your sweet Mom carried it to the table on a plastic platter, and this happened....

I mean that kind of horror story.... hope you'll share, that way I won't feel as bad about mine...

By the way, we did eat it. I know, I know, but what are you supposed to do!

So the following is a public service announcement: "Ahemm.... when cooking a gorgeous, perfectly golden turkey for your adoring family this Thanksgiving don't place the hot turkey on a plastic platter, in fact just don't use plastic anyways, it's ugly and poisons you :)"
Just doing my part to ensure a really thankful Thanksgiving!

Give more presence this year!

I love how in life you go through seasons, and you don't have to be stuck with those feathered bangs or shoulder pads for the rest of your life! Thank God for that! Or roller blades, seriously, remember how crazy people were over those things! OK and remember finger watches! What the heck! There's a huge list of less than meaningful crapola that we've all purchased, so I won't beat you up with it (treasure trolls) here... but I will say that I'm super thankful that in this season of my life I'm so over being a consumer. Maybe it took the economy taking a turn for the worse, or maybe it was my Cute Kiwi saying to me (way before the recession hit), " you never really need anything, you just want something new." Oh man, was he so right! Or maybe it was God graciously showing me my pile of "good intended for others" next to my pile of "what you ended up spending on yourself." Not sure if you got the picture, but the later pile was huge in comparison... woops...

I'm sure there's a ton of you out there that are actually way more anti-consumerism than I am and could kick my well meaning little butt, but you gotta start somewhere and I'm gonna try to remove the woops from my spending vocabulary. I think I'm finally where it's not all about what I should do to be a good girl, it's actually what I wanna do, I'm growing up I guess. I'm enjoying so much what God has done for me in my life and the life of my family, that I don't wanna focus on myself as much, the things Jesus has asked me to do in His word I want to do because His love compels me! I guess the simple equation for me is "less time spending = more presence I can give" And no that is not a typo, the older I get the more I realize my possessions can be a burden, and it's not more stuff that we need. We being those in the western world wealthy enough to have a computer and Internet subscriptions to read this by... but what we need to give is time spent, being present in others lives, or it's actually giving to someone who is poor and in need. That's the stuff that's gonna last a lot longer than that laser pointer you just had to have!
So as you watch this video, which I hope you do, I hope it won't spark condemnation, but true gratitude for what He has given, and I hope you'll find joy in giving presence this Christmas season!

If you're looking for any ideas on way's you can give presence this year go to http://www.rethinkingchristmas.com and check out some of their great ideas!
And I hope it's clear I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty for spending money! Cuz let's face it, a coupon for a massage for Aunty Mable just wont cut it. But I do want to encourage everyone to think about stepping outside of consumerism, to be thoughtful about different meaningful ways you can give and bottom line: to enjoy doing it!

bye for now

Water for Christmas

Did you know... 1 in 6 people don't have access to clean water! That's 1.1 billion people... and we can do something about it!

I'm so thankful to have learned about this grass roots movement Charity: Water they are a group of selfless and committed people who haven't settled for just lamenting over the heartbreak and suffering in the world, they are doing something about it! and I want to share their wonderful mission with you and encourage you to make your first gift this Christmas to someone who actually needs it, unlike your cousin's boyfriends dog... just saying....

Water for Christmas is a movement bringing both awareness and real "on the ground" change to Africa's water crisis.

They see no reason for 4500 mothers to bury children every day! for lack of clean water. And in most places, clean water flows just below the surface. With a little help, local African communities can tap into safe, clean water. Helping provide clean water and basic sanitation is thus one of the first and simplest steps to ending water-borne diseases and their accompanying cycle of poverty in the world.

All money donated goes directly to charity: water who in turn uses 100% of their donations to drill for fresh water. They'd love for you to partner with them by making donations directly to charity: water, which you can do here.
All donations are tax-deductible.

"There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." (Denis Waitley)

Isaiah 58: 6-7: puts it this way- “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter? When you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Your $10 will buy clean water for one person for 10 years! 10 years people!! I can guarantee no one will be wearing that tie you bought them, or using those fuzzy slippers 10 years from now!

I've purchased my first Christmas gift today and I hope you'll do the same, in light of the economy these days, it seems many us have been awoken from our consumer induced coma and are seeing what is necessary and what is just plain ridiculous, I hope that we will all see how incredibly blessed and RICH we are, and that maybe the kind of fasting that God is asking of us is to not buy a latte today, or the 10th sweater to go with that pair of shoes you know you spent too much on, and do something with our money that counts!

Jesus said to love our neighbor as our selves... I'm pretty sure that if we didn't have clean water to put in our babies bottles or cook our pasta with we would do everything we could to get it flowing into our homes, lets be compassionate and do the same for precious people, created in the image of God who are suffering... remember it's not that we have to help, WE GET TO!

Now go and make me proud... after all who really needs another nose hair trimmer.