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Jen Russum

The Best of Australia {2012}

The Best of Australia {2012}

December 27, 2012

Driving on the left... Max Brenner hot chocolate... The breathtaking view of the Sydney Harbor from Taronga Zoo... Giraffes... And peacocks too... Wearing my floppy hat at Manly Beach... Flat whites everyday... Wild kangaroos... The koala hospital... Devouring a novel... Byron Bay Lighthouse... Renting electric bikes on Gold Coast... Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef... Watching kite surfers in Noosa... The South Bank of Brisbane at night... ... Read more

Light of the World

Light of the World

December 21, 2012

Hello Arizona Russum readers! I'm Veronica and I blog over at Passion, Pink and Pearls where mostly I write about the daily blessings the Lord grants me, aka everyday life. I've always admired Jen's sweet writing, and I've felt so refreshed after many of her posts. I'm so honored to be a guest post for her today. With the Christmas season upon us, Jen asked for some Christmas appropriate posts. What better Christmasy post than one about the tree? A quick history lesson for you, did you know long ago people decorated their trees with items you'd eat like fruit? It wasn't until the 18th century till the tree started to have lights, by candle. The earliest record of a tree is back the Renaissance area in Germany, where children would gather to snatch a sweet treat from the tree. There's a lot more interesting facts you can read about here. Well this craft was originally brought to you by Hayseed Home Makin' blog, but I discovered it where else{?} but pinterest. I thought it was be a sweet, fairly simple and inexpensive way to dress up our first Christmas tree. Especially since we don't have many ornaments. Matthew 5:14-16 14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Mallory Jane, did a pretty good explanation of her process but I edited it a bit for our use. Supplies: -Christmas lights (2packages of 100 count it what we used), the green colored strand if you're going to use it for a tree. - 2 yards of Tulle, any kind will work, I chose a white one with a bit of sparkle ( hope onto JoAnn's and snag a coupon before you hit the store to make it extra inexpensive). -scissors, preferably sewing scissors to make your cuts smoother. Job 33:28  He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light. Definitely enlist help! How To: - Mallory cut big pieces because she used them as decor on their own...I cut smaller squares. I ended up with about 8cm squares (centimeters happened because I accidentally read the wrong side of the ruler when measuring and cutting...oops...it turned out great at this size though). I'd recommend maybe cutting a little bigger squares. Cut up a ton of squares but don't use all the fabric up. - Grab someone to help ( I snagged my husband), snap on a Christmas movie (we chose Home Alone) and get to tying. We tied one by every light bulb. -Once you get all the way through the strand put it on the tree! -You'll likely have some squares left, we used those extras to fill in on the strand where the tree looks a little sparse. -Finally, if you chose to leave enough out, use the last big of tulle to tie a big bow for the top of the tree. There's lots of tutorials on line for tulle bows, I kind of looked at a few and made up my own. Pearls: - Note: unless you're super anal about it, you won't have every square be perfectly square and all the same size...and that's okay. -Mallory put some lace in with one of her tutorials. That would look pretty too, I imagine there's all kinds of variations you do on this. -Have some fun...oh and take some better pictures than me! ;) That's it! Not too hard really, and we love the final product! Since it's our first Christmas, we don't have many ornaments so this was a perfect solution to try and fill up our tree without having to hit up Walmart for tons of colored balls. Hope you enjoyed this simply DIY and click on over to my blog for some more Christmas DIY. Many thanks to Jen for letting me take over her sweet blog today and good luck on your packing! Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ... Read more

Homemade Eggnog!!!

Homemade Eggnog!!!

December 19, 2012

This is Jen.... Micah is going to be obsessed with this recipe. He will also challenge you to an eggnog chugging competition any time of year. And he will win. It's gross. Just FYI! :) * * * * * I'm so excited Jen asked me to join y'all today! My name is Beth and I blog over at dot in the city about faith and food, sprinkled with social media tips, DIY projects and thrifty finds for you and your home. Do you have a favorite Christmas recipe? I love to bake cookies and make other sweet treats this time of year. A few years ago I had my first taste of homemade eggnog. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised and it's a recipe I like to have in my repertoire for holiday gatherings I may host/attend (especially if everyone else already has to sweets covered). (recipe adapted from Alton Brown) ingredients: 1 pint whole milk 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 eggs (raw and separated) 1/3 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon 3 oz. rum (optional) pinch of pumpkin pie spice directions: In the bowl of stand mixer, beat egg yolks until lighter in color Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and beat until dissolved Add milk, cream, rum and spice and stir to combine Remove mixture from bowl, set aside Place egg whites in bowl of stand mixer and beat to soft peaks While mixer is still running, gradually add 1 tablespoon sugar, beat until stiff peaks form, whisk egg whites into the mixture, and serve chilled Thanks for letting me share this fun and festive holiday recipe! I hope you'll take the time to catch me on Twitter. I also love to connect via Facebook and Instagram, so feel free to reach me there too. ... Read more

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Hi. I’m Jen Russum and this blog is where I’ve been sharing narratives of God’s grace for more than a decade now. Some might say “blogs are dead” but I’m waiting for them to come back around like mom jeans and 90s flannel. I enjoy my coffee iced, my summers hot, and my dinner parties long with lots of laughter. I process all of life’s deepest, darkest, and happiest moments by writing essays in my head. When I have the time, some of these essays get typed up and shared here. I’ve always loved to write, and I hope my words bring you joy and encouragement.

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