So what's it all about?

Marcus and Marianne have different ideas about how to treat their 7-year-old daughter during global warming Christmas chaos. In place of snow, Marianne orders a stage-Santa to keep up the holiday spirit; instead she gets an incessant 'emo' tween, convinced the 'Coke' Santa of year's past is simply a misinterpretation of the famed saint. Then there's the fact that Marcus is in a quiet crisis sparked by the loss of family footage, and their daughter, Pen, has asked for the modest gift of complete world peace. Old-guy-with-a-beard or not, Santa soon discovers that she'll have to fulfill more than her fare share of Christmas wishes to keep the magic alive.

Stay tuned for more from the cast and crew, including blurbs, rants, updates and trailers.

 Joseph Boutilier

Writer/Director

It didn't work. 

He ended up staying home and missing Doug and Lolly's wedding reception.  Actually, he pretty much missed the day since he couldn't move without getting dizzy and feeling sick, so he spent most of it in bed.  He is better this evening, finally.

Sean came over and helped me load the truck - two big coolers full of food, boxes of serving pieces, bags of non-perishable food, plastic containers full of tablecloths, vases and flowers - you get the picture.  We also loaded the girls' sleeping bags and clothes, and the girls.

Yes, A~ and L~ have gone home, transferred to their parents at the reception.  Their parting gift to me was to sing during the hour+ trip to Doug's church.

When we got in the truck they announced it was hot and asked me to turn on the air conditioning.  I told them it was on already but would take a few minutes to cool things down.

"Maybe if we think of winter it will help," one of them said.

So, I was serenaded with every Christmas carol they knew; I was surprised how many that was.  It lasted almost an hour and was a happy accompaniment to the drive.

The reception was lovely.  It was nice to be able to celebrate their marriage with family and friends here and we all hope the future holds much happiness and success for them.

Oh, and extended family members couldn't believe what beautiful young women S~ and H~ have become, and how pretty A~, L~, and G~ are.  The best part is that they are all beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.

Is dad getting fed up with receiving the same old tie or shirts? Why not buy dad a gift he will cherish for a long time? Do you buy these because your not sure what to buy dad?

Now you can find lots more things to buy dad at Whats to Buy Australia - the Biggest Online Australian Shopping site.

Whats to Buy Australia has put together the TOP 15 items that dad might want you to buy him - Don't buy dad a tie again, buy him something special from Whats to Buy

♂$♀  Budgeting comes easily if a couple focuses on building a successful mixture of spousal interaction. Lots of imagination, small bits of will power, negotiable cooperation, and frequent confirmation of mutual trust can all be energized through the budgeting process.

♂$♀  Ignore what’s past. Assume decisions already made were sound at the time. Else, you would not have made them. Hindsight sees too many mistakes; those little buggers trigger spousal disputes. Why pay attention to what can haunt, irritate, and demotivate you or generate distrust for spouse or your budgeting process?

♂$♀   Pay yourself first: Save at least 10% off the top for long term savings for home purchase and retirement. Otherwise, late in life you will limp financially before physically. It’s best the other way around.  

♂$♀  At the start of the year, allocate for church giving and short-term savings to cover Christmas and vacation spending. Then, commit to not overspending on the last two items.

♂$♀  This is ADVICE: Determine the level, develop a plan, and purposely live a lifestyle at considerably less than 100 percent of income. Doing it is critical; the percentage goal is less so.

Evil incardnate comes in next post.

[More about newlyweds appears at posts 257, 254, 247, 242, 230 and 224. Scroll down or search by number with dot and space following it.]

The Golden State Warriors mascots is also named Thunder. What will the Oklahoma City team's mascot be then?

Created by Oscar Yea

Catch for us the little things that cause us to sin, that cause us to fall, those attitudes that spoil the vine, that spoil our fruitfulness, when we are full bloom; when we are growing in God.  Sin is sin! However, it’s not big things that trip us up, but little things, “little foxes” from the enemy that eat away at us. 

When David was King over Israel , the Jebusites were in Jerusalem . He had conquered everywhere else but Jerusalem , which was located right in the centre. The Jebusites were a thorn in the flesh of King David, and they always tried to trip him up until the day that he conquered them. Unless we destroy that which is within, that which is without will eventually destroy you. We may conquer many things, but we must conquer what is at the centre of our heart.  If you let the “little foxes” keep eating away at your fruit in God; eating away at our love for one another and our love for the Lord, they will one day consume us.  King David had to completely defeat those Jebusites, those “little foxes”, before he could have peace.  

The Bible says Ecclesiastes 10:8 (KJV), “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him”. We can break the hedge of God's protection over our lives, by sinning time and time again, without repentance.  

Let Jesus be Lord of all. The gospel song says,

 Lord reign in me, reign in your power,
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour,
You are the Lord of all I am, so won't you reign in me again?

Over every thought, over every word,
May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord;
You mean more to me than any earthly thing,
So won't you reign in me again? 

My friend, God does not want us to live a life, in which our hedge is broken and our fruitful vine is being spoiled by the “little foxes”. But let us, through God, conquer those things. Let us get rid of the wrong attitudes and action, and be clothed with the same mind as Jesus. Let us ask God to restore the hedge and catch for us the “little foxes”, so that we may be a fruitful vine ever in bloom for Jesus.  

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

This Old Fashioned Kettle Popcorn Maker is only designed to look like an old fashioned popcorn cart - it is however a technologically advanced, electric, table-top popcorn maker!

Watch the delicious, hot, movie-style popcorn being made and enjoy eating it in the comfort of your own home, whenever you want!

Nostalgia Hot Dog Roller with Bun Warmer and Griddle

Cook up to 8 hot dogs or 12 breakfast sausages, quickly and easily, with the Nostalgia Hot Dog Roller Grill! It takes less time than it takes to light and set up the BBQ! So easy to use - cook your hot dogs and keep them warm, with an even heat, as they turn on the rollers. Use this hot dog roller to cook hamburgers or rissole patties - just pop them on the included pan tray and enjoy a delicious hamburger in no time!

Features a handy storage compartment in the canopy for storing the hot dog buns and rolls.

Nostalgia Stainless Steel Chocolate Heaven

Nostalgia Chocolate Heaven Deluxe Pot holds up to 700ml (24oz) of chocolate. Uses any type of chocolate, white, dark or you can mix your favourite flavours to create delicious fondue and unique chocolate treats.

The chocolate heaven pot is versatile in use, it can be used as a fondue pot for you next fondue party, or you can use it to melt and create your ingredients to get started on making all those yummy home made chocolates.

The Chocolate Heaven Pot comes with 4 matching fondue dipping bowls, 4 fondue forks, 6 chocolate mould sets, 2 x dessert moulds , an easy pour squeeze bottle, dipping fork and spoon, chocolate ladle scoop, chocolate candy sticks and candy baggies with ties.

It brings up questions:

What will he/she look like?

What will his/her personality be like?

Will he/her like me?

Can I really parent?

Will I screw him/her up, or will I train him/her up in the "fear and admonition of the Lord"?

I tell you what, this parenting thing is a mixed bag.  On one hand, the thought is as exhilerating as just about anything I've ever felt before.   The only thing better than loving your child is loving your spouse.

And, in the manner of Tevye, on the other hand, I am absolutely scared to death of parenting our child.

Oh, may the Lord grant me the Grace I so desperately need!

We find out next friday whether we have a boy or a girl.  If you wanna find out, visit this here blog that night, and you will (find out, because I will post about it.....ya).

Finally i had a day scrapbooking with a friend. DS and DD actually behaved and after packing up so much stuff to visit and scrap with a friend this is my results. I actually finished 3 pages plus started DS's one year old album. I just grabbed random photos and as i have just received the new holiday harmony paper and the season of Joy stamps I thought I would use them to scrap DS first visit to Santa.

Kraft, purely pomegrante, very vanilla, wild wasabi card, purely pomegrante ribbon,

Solemon Stillness & Merry Messages stamps.

This is my effort at for the Christmas in July swap with my SU group. 24 cards were needed so i tried to keep it simple.

Christmas is coming although it's five months to go and my brain now is planning ahead for Christmas, but it's not about my holiday or my gifts, but on how we as Christian can spread the good tiding of the Gift from Heaven.

Will you join me in planning on how to spread this good news of great joy to our community in Klang Valley from now on?

And this is what I use them for in my Christmas decorations. These berries last for a looong time - way into February when I finally take down my Christmas decorations:

Have a blessed weekend. I will see you again on Monday!

***

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." John 15:16a

“No room for God”. Psalm 14:1says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”  Such people will do whatever they please, whatever they want, without a care for tomorrow, without a care for where they will spend their eternity. They have made no room for God in their lives. 

Some take the approach of going through life, just doing their own thing, not having any room for God. They run to destruction with their fingers in their ears saying, “I am far too young, I am far too busy, I am far to set in my ways to care about God or even think about Him.”  These people literally have one foot in hell and the other one a bar of soap, while they are slipping past to a lost eternity.  

The concept that there will be a huge party in hell awaiting you with all your friends, where you will surf on the crest of a wave in the sea of fire, is one which has deluded so many into having no room for God, and spending a lost eternity all alone in hell. 

In hell, you will be tormented night and day in total darkness, and those who reject Jesus on this of heaven, and who refuse to bow the knee to Jesus here on earth, will one day will bow the knee to Him, before they are cast into the lake of fire.  

God does not want anyone to perish, nor does He want to send anyone to hell, however we send ourselves to hell, by saying, as our text says in Psalm 10:4 (NIV), “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God”. By saying, "No" to Jesus, is saying, “I have no room for God!” 

My friend, God wants everyone to enjoy fellowship with Him, to make room for Him in our daily lives, that we may have life and that more abundantly in Jesus. “The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus, a pardon receives”. 

The Bible says in Titus 3: 4 to 7, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life”. 

This old gospel song asks the question, “Have you any room for Jesus?” What will you answer be? 

Have you any room for Jesus, he who bore your load of sin?
As He knocks and asks admission, sinners, will you let Him in?  

Room for Jesus, King of Glory! Hasten now His Word obey,
Swing the heart's door widely open, bid Him enter while you may.  

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

“No room for God”. Psalm 14:1says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”  Such people will do whatever they please, whatever they want, without a care for tomorrow, without a care for where they will spend their eternity. They have made no room for God in their lives. 

Some take the approach of going through life, just doing their own thing, not having any room for God. They run to destruction with their fingers in their ears saying, “I am far too young, I am far too busy, I am far to set in my ways to care about God or even think about Him.”  These people literally have one foot in hell and the other one a bar of soap, while they are slipping past to a lost eternity.  

The concept that there will be a huge party in hell awaiting you with all your friends, where you will surf on the crest of a wave in the sea of fire, is one which has deluded so many into having no room for God, and spending a lost eternity all alone in hell. 

In hell, you will be tormented night and day in total darkness, and those who reject Jesus on this of heaven, and who refuse to bow the knee to Jesus here on earth, will one day will bow the knee to Him, before they are cast into the lake of fire.  

God does not want anyone to perish, nor does He want to send anyone to hell, however we send ourselves to hell, by saying, as our text says in Psalm 10:4 (NIV), “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God”. By saying, "No" to Jesus, is saying, “I have no room for God!” 

My friend, God wants everyone to enjoy fellowship with Him, to make room for Him in our daily lives, that we may have life and that more abundantly in Jesus. “The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus, a pardon receives”. 

The Bible says in Titus 3: 4 to 7, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life”. 

This old gospel song asks the question, “Have you any room for Jesus?” What will you answer be? 

Have you any room for Jesus, he who bore your load of sin?
As He knocks and asks admission, sinners, will you let Him in?  

Room for Jesus, King of Glory! Hasten now His Word obey,
Swing the heart's door widely open, bid Him enter while you may.  

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

This is Noro Daria in colorway 27.  It is 54 yards of 55% cotton, 45% rayon gorgeousness!  I am making a cabled choker and a bracelet for the display but will have enough left over to make at least one more choker and a couple of bracelets.  After living at my LYS for a few months, these will become Christmas presents for some teenaged cousins. 

I can't really say that I have enjoyed working with this yarn...first of all, it is a bitch to wind into anything resembling a yarn cake or yarn ball.  The yarn is so slippery that it just won't stay put so I end up with tangles everywhere!  Knitting it is interesting because it is a bit stiff but also slippery as hell so if you are crazy enough (like me) to attempt cables with this yarn, definately don't use metal needles if you want to keep your sanity!

Regardless, the FO's are gorgeous (pics to come later once I find the appropriate clasps) and you just can't beat the Noro colors!

Okay, as you all know I am in a "Christmas" state of mind. Maybe it's just because I'm tired of triple digit temperatures and I am ready for 50's as highs and 20's as lows. But I do know that after a while, I'll get tired of the cold and would want spring to come. That's how it always is.

Me, "E", and my mom were talking about Christmas last night. Because of the economy, we doubt hardly anyone will decorate the outside of their house. That includes us. We usually have a lot out. Reindeer, spiral trees, lights all over the front and our bushes looking like someone lit them on fire. But have you noticed that less and less people are decorating year after year? I can bet that hardly ANYONE will have lights on their homes.

Can you imagine "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving)? Do you think stores are going to be filled to the brim with people taking advantage of those sales? Absolutely not! If we can't afford to DRIVE to the store, what makes economists think we can BUY stuff in the store? With $5 gas just around the corner, Christmas is going to be low-key all around America this year.

Can't these people get it through their thick skull? Spending 5 billion dollars on a windmill farm isn't going to help the economy. Did the stimulus checks help? Nope!

I was away on a little, family vacation but I'm back now and I'm ready to give you another update!

There has been quite a few emails from artists asking when LolliShops will be ready. The answer is: I really don't know the date. I can say that the company that is building LolliShops is starting from scratch--from the ground up!

Every single detail passes through his hands to mine and we talk about everything. I want to make sure that when you're ready to move into LolliShops, everything will be comfortable and pleasing.

There will also be a phase where LolliShops will be tested in it's Beta Format. For those of you that don't speak "computer" that means LolliShops will be open for an invited group of artists and consumers to test how user-friendly it is; to work out the bugs and to provide feedback.

I can also tell you that I will be promoting LolliShops at Silver Bella

in November. The plan is to have opened LolliShops up to the public before then to have something to promote and to provide a form of advertising for all the sellers. Then of course, Christmas is right around the corner from that and I am hoping to have a VERY special LolliShops style Christmas!!

I have some giveaways and contests planned as well as some rewards programs! But for now, just continue to check on this blog as I will be blogging at least once a week. If you want to contact me directly, just email me at lollishops@gmail.com

~Sadie Lou

P.S.

I'll leave with a song that inspires me!

I've thrown away my toys
Even my drum and train.
I wanna make some noise
With real live aeroplanes.

Some day I'm going to fly.
I'll be a pilot too.
And when I do, how would you
Like to be my crew...

On the good ship lollipop.
Its a sweet trip to a candy shop
Where bon-bons play
On the sunny beach of Peppermint Bay.

Lemonade stands everywhere.
Crackerjack bands fill the air.
And there you are
Happy landing on a chocolate bar.

See the sugar bowl do the tootsie roll
With the big bad devils food cake.
If you eat too much ooh ooh
You'll awake with a tummy ache.

On the good ship lollipop
Its a night trip into bed you hop
And dream away
On the good ship lollipop.

"The Good Ship Lollipop"
music by R. Whiting and words by S. Clare

Walt Disney World's Glazed Almonds

1/3 cup butter
2 egg whites
salt
1 cup sugar
1 (16 ounce) package almonds
4 teaspoons cinnamon

Place butter on 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan and heat in 325F oven until butter melts, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites with dash of salt until frothy, then gradually add sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Gently fold in almonds and cinnamon.

Pour almond mixture into jellyroll pan and stir, coating with butter.

Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until almonds are crisp, about 40 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Happy Cooking!

Other than that I don't have anything else to say. It has been a fast but boring week and I am starting to look over what I want to do for Halloween. Your thinking "Halloween, it's July?" but, I love to put out a scary graveyard for Halloween and for Christmas I try to have the brightest house on the block. I hope for Halloween I can make it scarier looking. I am also trying to see when my grass will quit growing as I will have stuff in the yard.

Thanks for reading, check back soon,

Jake