As I sit here contemplating how to begin this blog, I find myself struggling with the syrupy sweet words I am accustomed to using.  Today I do not feel syrupy, but rather very heavy.  If you live in our area or have been watching the news, then you are aware of the tragedy that surrounds us.  We experienced terrible weather this past weekend which resulted in multiple tornadoes that destroyed countless homes and claimed precious lives.  I find it hard to concentrate on my work, carry on small talk, or even drift off to sleep at night.  I wonder what I can do to ease the pain and loss of the families in our surrounding counties.  I am overwhelmed by the many needs but oh so grateful for the ones who have sprung into action.  What I do know is the needs that these areas are currently experiencing and I can start there.  I will do what I can to support these families and I will stay informed in the days, weeks and months to come.  If you too are interested in donating to the families who have been affected by these storms, I would encourage you to find the nearest collection location and give.  A little goes a long way.
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​Something special happens when you invite someone into your home for dinner.  I believe that same magic is present when you bring food to their doorstep.  Preparing and cooking a meal takes time, it takes thought, it takes love.  A casserole has the ability to minister to someone where words can't reach. 
 
Here in the South, it is customary to deliver a casserole to someone when certain life events take place.  (Deaths, births, sickness etc.) Whether the event is tragic or filled with joy, sending food their way is an opportunity to communicate that we care and are willing to help in a time of need. 
 
I believe cooking and baking to be one of my love languages.  I blame it on my Southern roots as well as generations of good cooks and caring women.  I love having people in my home and at my table.  We share more than food--we share life. 
 
Only recently have I started this venture in loving people through food.  Now that I am married with a home of our own, I find joy in filling the freezer with delicious casseroles (to make dinner for a hectic night easier, or to share with others).  This Christmas I decided to make lots of cookies and casseroles to share.  When choosing a casserole, I decided on one of our favorite dinners: Chicken Pot Pie.  Who doesn't love Chicken Pot Pie?!  I found a recipe last year on Pinterest from Lovely Little Kitchen that we just love.  

​After tweaking it a bit, I have finally perfected it for us--and for freezing!  I would like to share this recipe with you, in hopes that you might share it with others!  

To Freeze: 
Wrap casserole with saran wrap to ensure that it is sealed.  
Cover with tin foil, labeling what it is.  
*I like to use cute labels, making sure that I give clear directions on how to bake, if it is a gift.  
If baking straight from the freezer, uncover, remove saran wrap, and place the tin foil back over the casserole.  
Bake at 400 degrees for an hour, or until bubbling.  
Be sure to remove the tin foil during the last few minutes of baking to brown your crust!

If thawed, just follow the directions on your recipe card!

*I found that I like to cheat and use canned biscuits to make my crust, but you can use any type of crust you like!  This dough works well with freezing, so if you change it up, I would just suggest that you do a little experiment before gifting it!

**Also, if you are having trouble weaving your crust, here are a few helpful tips at Gimme Some Oven! 

Sometimes showing love to those around you looks like making a plate of food and taking it to the widow next door.  Sometimes it looks like dropping off baked goods at your local DFCS office.  Sometimes it even looks like buying canned goods for a local shelter.  There are so many ways to love the people right around you, and often times we are too busy to notice.
 
Though feeding people may be one of my love languages, what is yours?  You don't have to bake a casserole to show someone you care--that's just one idea!  This world is desperate for love and attention, and if we don't show it to them, they will search elsewhere. 
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I heard Jen Hatmaker once say that your physical neighbors were not placed there by chance.  We were chosen to live alongside one another and care for each other--and if we can't love those directly around us, how can we love the world?

Though you may not be able to reach out to the tornado victims I mentioned in the introduction, I would like to challenge each of our readers to think of someone in your community who may need a little love.  Whip up this Chicken Pot Pie, bake a few slice-and-bake cookies, or take them a vase of flowers.  Let's consider what others around us may being going through and let them know we care.  In the busy-ness of life it is often easy to miss opportunities to love--so let's make one.

​I'm a little obsessed with notebooks. I keep all of my notes and plans in one single notebook. I figure if I have that notebook and my planner, then all of my important information will be in one place. If you looked through that notebook, you might think that I'm a crazy person because it skips from design consultation measurements, to drawings of decorations for a birthday party, to fabric orders, to billing notes, to grocery lists… But for me it helps to know it's all in one place so I'm not constantly looking for little scraps of paper. I think most people have a use for a beautiful journal or notebook, so why not make one for them (or one (or 10) for yourself!).

Supplies:

• Durable Cover Notebook
• Fabric
• HeatnBond Ultrahold (found at fabric stores)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Iron

For this post, I'm using a spiral notebook and only covering a portion of the front. At the end of the post, you'll see pictures of the same process used on moleskin notebooks in case you'd rather do that. Both really turn out beautifully. Side note: just make sure that if your notebook has a design on it, like mine does here, to pick a fabric that is dark enough so that you won't be able to see through it. If the notebook is solid colored (like the moleskin) this won't matter. 

Ok, these instructions sound a little complicated but I promise it's not AT ALL. You can make these in about 10 minutes. Here we go!

​1. Iron your fabric so it's nice and straight and a little easier to work with. 

2. Open up your HeatnBond Ultrahold and lay it on your work surface paper side UP.

3. Trace the cover of your notebook onto the paper side of the HeatnBond with your pencil. ​

4. Cut the HeatnBond about two inches outside of the line that you just traced. DO NOT cut on the line you just traced- cut a larger shape around that line. ​

5. Following the directions on the package, iron the HeatnBond (I promise this is not an ad for HeatnBond. It's just really good stuff!) onto the BACK of your fabric. ​

6. Now cut the fabric very close to the paper (so that the fabric is the same size). Then you can pull the paper backing away. Your entire piece of fabric should have a layer of plastic-y film on it. ​

7. Now position your fabric on the front of your notebook (leaving about two inches hanging off around the sides). Next place your iron CAREFULLY in the middle of the notebook and heat the very center of the fabric until it stick to the front of the notebook. Try really hard not to heat the edges because they are hanging off the notebook and will glue themselves your ironing board!! ​

9. I like to trim out the corners (see photo below) so that there's not a lot of excess fabric and then fold the other sides in and iron them down too. ​

10. Finally I go back and iron the front and flaps again just to make sure they stick really well. Please be careful though, not to burn the paper. You are using an iron on cardboard so exercise caution! lol ​

There you have it! Beautiful fabric covered notebooks…Perfect for gift giving or for making your everyday organization a little bit happier! ​

These past few months of marriage have been filled with laughs, tears, adventures and plenty of burnt bread. It's amazing to think about how much our lives have changed within the last year and all of the changes to come. This will be our first Christmas as a family—and I have to admit that it seems pretty surreal. We are in a strange but wonderful stage of life, wondering what our Christmas traditions will become.​

The one thing that has become a tradition for Phillip and I already is finding a tree in the woods and cutting it down! This was our third Christmas doing so and it is always a treat.

Phillip built a rustic tree box for me that very first year we were together and I just think it is wonderful. It fits our style and looks great with our airy trees.  

I was so thankful to have had a Christmas shower thrown by a family member when Phillip and I were engaged.  It was so fun to receive things that I could use to make our house a home during the most festive time of year.  I received the beautiful ornaments you see below on the left.  I just can't get over how pretty they are!  The ornaments below on the right belonged to my great-grandparents.  I love most vintage things--but I especially love having something of theirs hanging in the tree.  They add the perfect pop of color while reminding me of the true meaning of Christmas.  My great-grandfather, Pap, was a preacher and I know that their Christmas traditions didn't revolve around expensive gifts or rushing around--but rather time spent with family and friends and honoring the birth of Jesus. 

At my Christmas shower, I received the glass trees and the angel you see below.  I LOVE gold in case you haven't noticed, so you know that I adore these trees! 

I carried the gold and green theme throughout my wrapping paper as you can see.

One thing we did this year that I think may become a Christmas tradition was what we gave to our nieces and nephews.  With Phillip having nine just on his side, we knew we wouldn't be able to afford gifts for all of them.  We decided to make a ticket and treats for each child.  The ticket is valid for a day of fun with Aunt Tara and Uncle Phillip.  They get to choose an activity (out to a movie, gone fishing, let's get crafty, spa day, or other) and a restaurant they'd like us to take them to.  By doing this, we hope that we can begin to build lasting relationships with these children one on one, and become someone they can trust, look up to, and have fun with.

This year, Phillip and I decided that rather than giving each other gifts, we would take a trip!  We recently went to Texas on a whim with another couple and had the time of our lives!  We will be heading up to Tennessee after Christmas for a little hunting and relaxation.  We aren't in need of anything.  We are very blessed and are excited to have this opportunity to make memories with one another.  Who knows, in the next few years it may be a little more difficult to travel! 

Our first Christmas may not be very exciting, but it will be memorable.  I can't wait to see what our Christmas traditions become and how our lives change.  Though Christmas traditions may come and go--we know one Christmas truth that never changes. If God hadn't chosen to save the world through a baby, born to a virgin, there would be no Christmas.  May we always be in awe of what He has done.