Happy Friday, friends!

Happy Veteran’s Day! We are so thankful for all our service men and women who make such sacrifices so that we can enjoy such wonderful freedoms here in this country. Thank a veteran today for their service!

 

What a week, friends! Between the time change and this crazy election, we are exhausted! I think we went to sleep around 8:30 Monday night because we couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer. Then, we stayed up until around 12:30 Tuesday night watching election coverage, but couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer then, either (and they had kind of stalled out on calling states at that point). Anyway, long story short- between crazy sleep schedules and our current rainy/ dreary weather, we’ve been a little tired!

But, even with the tiredness, it’s been a great week! We’ve had some fun things happen, like our Medical Education Alliance Annual Progressive Dinner, a call from one of my dear, dear friends, and I got to be a judge for an elementary school arts and writing contest (first graders have some of the most creative spelling I’ve ever seen!). I’ve got some other fun things to share, so keep on reading!

 

1. State of Texas Self-Inking Return Address Stamp

Anyone get tired of writing their address time after time? I do!

I put up with it for a long time because we moved so much, but now that we have our first house, I was finally able to order one! The problem was, there are SO MANY CHOICES.

I perused Etsy for a while looking for one that was cute, and reasonably priced, and trying to decide between self-inking and a wooden-handle with an ink pad.

And then I found this one…

Y’all know how much we love Texas. This was a no brainer! This is from the ScribbledCo shop on Etsy (click here for the Texas listing). This is a self inking stamp, so you don’t have to worry about getting an ink pad, and the stamp comes out evenly every time. It’s a good size, so the stamp is easy to read and it looks great!

They have these listed at a GREAT price and with Christmas just around the corner (aka, Christmas cards that need to be return addressed), you are going to love having this!

*And side note, my nails this week are Essie’s Hot Coco- great fall color if you are looking for a rich brown!

 

2. The Crown

I’ll confess something to to y’all before we go any further… I’m a history geek. And a historical drama geek. And a Royal Family geek. I loved The Tudors, and The Other Boleyn Girl, and getting up before the crack of dawn to watch the last Royal Wedding. So, when I saw the ad for The Crown as a forthcoming show on Netflix, I was pretty excited.

The series follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II, starting from when she married Prince Philip and their early married life leading up to the point that she is coronated as queen. The acting is SUPERB and I was so sucked in from the first moment. The episodes are long (typically close to an hour), and you have to pay attention, but it is so good so far (I’m only a couple episodes in).

And one of the geeky things I love about watching historical dramas is that I can Google how it went down in real life and basically get spoilers, plus I’m learning about real history and becoming better educated. It’s a win-win in my book.

The Crown currently has 10 episodes streaming on Netflix, with plans for a second season.

 

3. Christy Nockels- The Thrill of Hope

Alright, y’all, more confession time… My Christmas tree is up. It was just too dreary last Sunday so I decided to drag it down from the attic and get it up. I know it’s a little early for some people, but the some people that live here like it just fine, and that’s what matters to me.

With that being said, I have another new Christmas album that I love- Christy Nockels- The Thrill of Hope.

Her voice is gorgeous (gorgeous!!) and I love that the majority of the songs are traditional. I am obsessed with the song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” (I likely own 10+ versions of that one song because it is my favorite), and her version is beautiful!

So, once again, if you are in Christmas mode already, check this out. If not, save this for two weeks from now. 😉

 

4. MambiSticks Calligraphy Stickers

Once upon a project, I was gathering supplies in Hobby Lobby and was looking for a good calligraphy stencil set. On my last lettering project, I did it old-school and traced the printed letters on to the board and colored them in with a paint pen because I just can’t freehand calligraphy. And that took a sweet forever.

In the process of looking for a stencil, I happened across these stickers, and they have revolutionized calligraphy signs for me.

They come in different fonts, different sizes, and different colors, so the possibilities are ENDLESS. They are easy to use and look really nice on the finished product.

I made this sign for my office because I need to proclaim my Raider Power here in the Bermuda Triangle of Baylor, UT, and A&M country, and I love how the lettering looks! And can you get any easier than peel and stick?? (and possibly re-stick if you don’t like the first look… 😉 )

So, if you have a project that needs cute lettering, check these out!

 

5. Operation Christmas Child 

A few years ago, Steven and I discussed doing medical missions in the future, and at the time, our favorite organization we looked at was Samaritan’s Purse. They are one of the few groups that encourages evangelism with the medical work (groups like Doctors Without Borders don’t really focus any part on evangelism, it’s mainly medical work), and they have a huge network of stations around the world for varying lengths of time. That is a dream we consider to be in the distant future at this point, but we are always mindful of ways we can be missional here at home in the mean time.

Samaritan’s Purse runs a large drive every year called Operation Christmas Child. Basically, you take a box (about the size of a shoebox or the plastic equivalent- they have official boxes if you want to be sure of the size) and pack it with gifts and everyday items for a child, and then it gets sent out as a Christmas gift for a child somewhere overseas.

Our Alliance group passed out boxes (and our church group did, as well), so we are actually packing two boxes this year. You choose if the box is for a boy or girl, and for what age range (basically toddler up to teenager). You pack a “Wow” item, like a soccer ball, a baby doll, etc., and then other basic necessities, like toothbrushes, hair combs, soap, etc., and then other small fun things, like candy, jewelry, etc. You submit this to an OCC drop-off location, and then a special child somewhere in the world gets a Christmas present!

They also have a special feature where you can make a donation, and get a tracking label for your box so you can know exactly where it ends up! You are allowed to put in a letter to the child with your return address in case you would like to correspond with your child.

National Collection Week is next week (November 14-21), so pack up your boxes up this weekend, and take them to a drop-off location. Visit the Samaritan’s Purse website to get more information about what to pack in your box and where you can drop them off. Pack a box and make a child’s holiday! 🙂

 

We watched a disappointing Tech game last weekend and then took the boys out to the field close to our house to practice retrieving. Ruger worked like a machine, and Gump laid down and took a nap…

I love watching my man and my boys! 🙂

They snuggle with me every now and then and we get evidence of it… 😉

I hope y’all have a great week! Stop by next week for more faves!