ACA Girls Honor Their Heritage

Apostolic Christian Academy girls honored their Apostolic heritage this Christmas season by visiting our Senior Saints, giving gifts, singing, and enjoying some great fellowship!

How to Personalize Your Dorm Room

   1.  Visualize. You must first decide how you would like your door room to appear. Trendy, classy, retro, fun or comfortable? For me, I wanted something that showed off my personality but also made me feel like I was at home.

   2.    Bedspread. Your bed takes up the majority of both physical and visual space in your room. Therefore making your bedspread a huge part of the décor… The focal point. Make sure and find a pattern or color you like that shows off your personality, and one that you’re most likely not going to get tired of it. Buy tons of throw pillows to give your room warmth. I have about five on each bed.

   3.   Rugs. Rugs have the ability to completely transform the look of a room. They can be used to hide unpleasant blemishes, highlight certain furniture and accent to the room. A soft rug will make your dorm room feel like home. You can pick up inexpensive rugs most anyplace. 

   4.    Furniture. I know furniture can be expensive so I’m going to let you in on a secret. All of the furniture in my room has been bought at a thrift store. If you can find a sturdy dresser and chest for a good price, get it! It can always be refurbished. We painted the drawers to match my color scheme and make it more “fun”.  I used and old bistro table (spray painted it) as a dining table in the middle of my room. I also found an armoire in great condition at Salvation Army and used it to store my small kitchen (microwave, small refrigerator, etc…). Everything fit perfectly and the piece definitely adds to the room. Being my mother’s child …I always have an eye out for bargain finds that can be used for future purposes.

   5.   Mirrors. Mirrors are your new best friend. They instantly make a room look larger, accent areas and reflect your good taste. You can put them on the back of your door or even on top of your chest. I’m constantly checking our local retail stores for mirror. They are easy to refurbish.

   6.   Lighting. . You can purchase nice lamps for little money. I recommend getting an old lamp from a thrift store and replacing the lamp shade. It will look brand new. If you’re like me and want your room to be more inviting, go out and buy a battery operated chandelier and hang it from your ceiling. It will dramatically change the tone of your room.

   7.    Storage Space. Suitcases, clothes, shoes, textbooks etc. can all be stored safely under the bed using plastic storage bins. If the height of your bed is too low, bed risers are available. I was able to lift my bed frame high enough to place my dresser underneath, and hiding all of my bins behind it. It has helped me feel very organized.

       I hope this has helped you. Get inspired, be creative and make sure your room identifies you. Here are a few pictures of my dorm room.

5 Ways to Give Back At Christmastime

I love Christmas! Itʼs one of my favorite holidays. From the beautiful lights, to the hustle and bustle of different seasonal events, it is truly the most wonderful time of the year. It

is also a time where we should reflect and think of all the blessings God has given us,and how we should be a blessing to others. Jesus says in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” There are so many ways we can give back to people in our church, and our community. The following are just a few suggestions you could try during this holiday season:

1) Volunteer at a soup kitchen or distribute toys in your community. This is a great project to start within your church. You can either start a toy drive or gather a group and go to an organized event in your community.

1) Bring coffee and doughnuts to your bus ministry riders and drivers on a Sunday morning. By doing this you will make them feel special, and you will also make connections with new people in your church you may not know yet.

3) Volunteer to help out with your childrenʼs ministry team. This time of year they are probably preparing Christmas programs at your church. This will take some stress off of the childrenʼs leaders, and will also be an opportunity for you to make a positive influence on children in your church.

4) Send Christmas cards to the elderly and shut- ins at your church. This lets them know they are not forgotten, and that someone in their church is remembering and thinking

of them.

5) Write your pastor's wife a letter of thanks. This is a wonderful way to tell your pastor's spouse how much you appreciate her leadership and example. You could also

volunteer your services to babysit, clean her office, or to do anything extra she might need. This is a way to serve someone who serves you everyday of the year.

                                                       

Spreading Handmade Cheer

Some of my favorite Christmas presents to give and receive are handmade ones.  There is just something so special about knowing that a lot of thought, time, energy, and love went into a present.  Some handmade gifts take a while to complete.  (I started making mine this year in July!)  But as we get closer to Christmas time, it’s always good to get a few ideas of DIY gifts that are fun and quick to make.

            Pencil pouches!  Or craft pouches or money pouches or chapstick pouches or bobby pin pouches ... you get the idea.  This idea came from Sweet Verbena.  I made these for some of my younger cousins for Christmas last year and included a pack of colored pencils and a coloring book.  This project does require sewing, but it’s surprisingly simple.  Even the zipper is easy to put in.  Just click the link to the blog above to get the how-to.

            This felt garland is a really fast and really cute project.  I made it to decorate our house for Christmas last year, but I think it would make a great gift.  You’re just out the cost of the felt and maybe an hour or so of your time.  Customize it with different color combos for anyone on your list!  You can check out my blog Becoming for more info about this project.

I just love these popsicle stick magnets.  They are so colorful and modern!  Pure and Noble tells you how to make them.  They were originally designed to be used as a toy for kids, but I think anyone with a refrigerator would like them.  And wouldn’t it be fun eating all the popsicles to collect the sticks?  Sure, you could just buy a package of popsicle sticks at the store, but where’s the deliciousness in that?

If you’ve ever been on Pinterest, I’m sure you’ve seen the melted crayon canvas idea floating around.  This is a fresh take on the project and it looks AMAZING.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I definitely want to.  All you need is a canvas (buy them when they’re on sale at JoAnn’s or paint over a canvas you already have!), a pack of crayons, and a hair dryer.  Art is a great gift that can be customized to fit the recipient’s taste.  Check out Jenna Brown Photography for how they made these lovely pieces.

Aren’t these mugs adorable?  A Beautiful Mess tells you how to customize your own dishes.  If you’re trying to keep the cost down, the Dollar Store always has a lot of white plates and mugs to choose from.  The options are endless for this project - draw monograms, patterns in different colors, or a favorite saying.

These little pots are a super fun project.  I made these for my mom for her birthday.  You can find small clay pots like these in the garden section of Wal-Mart for just under a dollar.  Then paint them in any design you would like!  I added a stripe of chalkboard paint at the top so my mom could label what herbs were growing in each pot.  You can also use these pots as storage for markers, scissors, knitting needles, and multitudes of other craft items.  For more ideas on this project, just check out Becoming.

There’s just a few ideas for handmade gifts that you can complete before Christmas.  What about you guys?  Are any of you making handmade gifts this year?  Have you already started?  I’d love to hear what you’re working on!