Old Flower Basket to Magazine Rack

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I am currently taking my Re-finishing 101. I am not talking about attending a home economics class. I am talking about DIY refinishing and refurbishing some stuff around the house like this flower basket I bought from a thrift store.

Before

After

I had nowhere to put my magazines, so the moment I saw this basket in it's state, I saw the possibility for magazine rack!

The red color did not appeal to me, so I painted it white.

 I decided to decorate it with burlap, wrap the handles with hemp string, and painted the word Paris!

Now, I have to back to my big project. Off to work I go!

Have a wonderful day!

Low Fat Chocolate-Yogurt cupcake frosting

We missed our friend's birthday last Friday so I thought i'd do something to make-up to him and timely, Hubby has been craving for sweets. He is so irresistable. How can I say no?
We ran to the nearest grocery store to get a cake mix something a novice cupcake baker like me would do.



Voila! My very first cupcake attempt!



I used low-fat yogurt instead heavy cream with my frosting. Here is the recipe I found at Cooks.com

FROSTING:

4 tbsp. light butter
2 tbsp. plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 c. powdered sugar
3 tbsp. nonfat milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and yogurt, add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk until desired consistency. Add vanilla - you may need more milk.

This baby here will be my breakfast today :D

A Sweet After My Own Heart

My stomach may have shrunk a little bit after my battle with flu, but it did not shrink my appetite for sweets.

I woke-up at 5:30 am with a huge craving for what we call "Turones de Casoy" or cashew naugat. I went back to sleep to escape my craving but it followed me in my dream! Now, there's no amount of Pecan pie can subdue my hankering for this Filipino delicacy.

 Though I cannot find a recipe for this piece of heaven, Turones de Casoy is a sliver of nougat made of honey and cashew (and some magic that cannot be revealed) dated back during Spanish colonial time. Read more interesting stories and symbolism here.
It is so good, you can even eat the wrapper! I am not exaggerating! It's true! The wrapper is made of communion-wafer-like-paper which I super like!
And now, since my Plan A did not work (look for recipe), on to Plan B! Go find it in an Asian store. I hope they have it. Cross Fingers.

French Inspired Kitchen Clipboard

Clipboard has so many uses, even in the kitchen like I learned from the T.V show.

We have a small kitchen in our apartment and there's not enough counter space for a recipe book and even recipe sheet while I do my cooking prep. The recipe either gets wet or gets dirty , so I thought, using a clipboard to pin the recipes on the wall while cooking is convenient!

Of course, it shouldn't be just a clipboard. Like what my mumsy always say "It has so be cute!". I decorated the hardboard clipboard I bought at Michael's with some lace, ribbons, scrapbook paper and love embellishment,
 I chose one of my favorite image  from The Graphics Fairy! I thought since this is for the kitchen, the image of a French lady cooking is appropriate for it's use!

In Sickness and In Health

It's wonderful to wake-up on a sunny day here in Arizona today. My husband is gone for work and I am up again to blog again.

His was so sweet when he still think I am sexy even in my jammy! It was sweeter when he wore matching one! lol

It was a tough week being in bed sick with flu and still sad from the family loss. I am so thankful my husband was there to wake-up too early in the morning, to be with me and my family when I heard about our loss, even-though he wasn't feeling well himself. I called it "sympathy pain". I thought the flu was timely. I needed his presence that week.

I appreciate the hot beverages, words of comfort and support he gave me. I enjoyed that he was only a roll away from bed with me all week! We both took turns in reminding each other to take our meds and even in making something to eat. I have to say it was the best flu ever!

I love my baby. I cannot think of anybody else to spend my sickness with other than him.

Not Too Late For a Miracle

I've always viewed my brother-in-law as a tough guy. He scared many with his personality including some of my friends. A tattooed guy who drinks a lot, talked loudly. He always thought nobody else knew his own body but him. He thought he was stronger than any liquor there is. It had been his lifestyle. His motto was “one beer a day keeps the doctor away”. But in spite of his imperfections, he was very nice and wasn't greedy. He was kind. He was a provider to his family. He treated us his primary family. He thought of our welfare . He opened his house for us whenever our parents were not around. He included us at his dinner count.

Friday was the first time i heard of his health deteriorated. The next day i was updated of his hopeless critical condition. “Bring him home”was the doctor's final suggestion. He needs to be with his family in his last days. My brother-in-law was at his final stage of lung cancer. Even though it was a heartbreaking news, I did not lose hope. I have a God to turn to, hoping he could do something.

I poured my heart in prayer like a child crying over a stolen toy talking her father.

I prayed...

I have heard stories of your miracles. Miracles recorded in history and in lives of many people I know personally. I even have one of my own. You are the creator of heaven and earth. You formed a human out of dirt and gave it life. You raise the dead. You cut the sea in half and it swallowed the enemies chasing your people. Healing a messed-up liver is no big deal compared to what you have done. I believe you can even grow a new one inside my brother-in-law's body.

But you are God who can do anything you please but i know it is not bad to ask you for one more miracle in any way You want. I know you will make a way.

These were the words that came out of my mouth, but my heart beats a different tone. There was a confusion and a hint of hopelessness. In fact I felt I was wrestling with my faith. There were words in my heart that said, I know He is God. He will do as He please. He knows what is the best thing to do, more than my pathetic mind can grasp. One thing I learned in my Christian life was, I can only ask, but I do not have the right to give direct orders to God.

Many friends and church-mates told me they have been praying for my brother-in-law's healing and comfort to our family's aching spirit. These prayers built hope that my brother in law will be okay but the next day, a devastating news came to me that he is already gone.

Does that mean prayers did not work?

My heart was broken with a burden that I cannot be with my sister to comfort her with a hug. To make things worse, my husband and I caught a terrible flu at the same time which made it impossible for us to stay-up to be online to at least be there during the service. I was broken-hearted and physically weak. I talked to our pastor's wife during the funeral over the phone. It was the day when our pastor gave a service at the funeral. She told me the good news that my brother-in-law recommitted his life to Christ after years of being away from the Lord. He wanted to go to the church but he could hardly walk. To me this is a miracle.

I realized there was a miracle after-all. My brother in law was far away from Jesus for too long. I know God missed him. He might not have loved his body like he ought to care for it but God always loved him and always waited for him to come back. He did not hesitate to let his new found son go stray again right after recommitted his life to the Lord. My brother-in-law may have destroyed his flesh with vices but God is strong enough to forgive and give him not only a new liver, but a brand new body and an eternal life with him.

Despite of death of a loved one, i still strongly believe God can perform miracles in His own will.

I was wrong to question if the prayers did not work. I believe they healed many broken hearts and even gave my brother in law a new life and Personally, the same prayers brought me comfort, peace and praise that God wasn't too late to perform another miracle.

Thank you all to my friends in blog world who were with us in prayers.

Too Late For a Miracle

Thank you to all my bloggy friends who comforted me with encouraging words and sympathy from my last post.

Anne of Design Dreams
labbie1of The Adventured of Garette Squared
Anonymus
Cindy of Whimsical Musings
Heather of Love and Life at Leadora
Cindy of Art, Books and Tea

I feel loved with all your comments.

 I am deeply sad to tell the news that my brother-in-law just died today. Added to this grief was I cannot be at the funeral and comfort my sister and her children now that I live overseas. The death was too sudden that I wasn't expecting he would die two days after I just learned about his illness. My family chose to keep me uninformed until it was too late because they did not want to give me anything to worry about.

I guess there was a reason that my husband and I celebrated Valentines day early because we will have a crappy one today. Although, my husband chose to stay home today to be with me for comfort. We are celebrating Valentines day in sorrow today, and sadly, so does my sister.

Your prayers for healing does not count as waste, for your prayers helped and will help heal broken hearts.

Miracle might be too late for my brother-in-law, but it is not too late for others. Take advantage of this day (Valentine's day) to be used as a tool of miracle. It can be in a form of encouragement, witnessing or a miracle of a forgiving heart.

Praying for Miracles

 I have been having trouble making crafts lately. Some of them even ended in the garbage. They seemed to reflect what was on my heart. Confusion.
I guess there are some negative feelings that crafting cannot make it go away and the fact that in reality, there is sorrow, grief, helplessness, pain and disease.

I just found out that my brother-in-law from the Philippines is diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer.He was very close to us. He opened his home and fed us because our parents were not at home everyday. The doctors gave-up and subtly said that there's nothing that can be done but to wait on his deathbed. I do not know if it is possible for God to grow him a new liver but I am still holding on to the hope that he could still  provide a way. To top it all, the burden of my sister's and their children made it more painful. It hurts me to see them undergo the same situation like I had when my father suffered from the same reason. It is very difficult to think that I can't be with them for comfort and support. I guess I have to do that even I am all the way across the seas.

I will be taking a break from blogging/crafting for a few days or a week or just until I can pull my thoughts together. If without good news, hopefully  with a positive perspective. But I still believe in .....

Matt 18:19

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 

and... 

James 5:14-15

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

I don't usually ask, but I am making an exemption this time. If you could say a short prayer for my brother-in-law's situation and the comfort of his family, this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. I hope you are all having a great day.

Beach Cupcake Ideas

Hubby had a craving for cake so I baked one for the very first time. Sadly, it didn't turn out right and It looked hideous enough not to post a picture of it here. But hubby was so sweet to say it tasted delicious.
The fight was not over so I thought I'd start from something small. Cupcakes!

Source: familyfun.go.com via Momma on Pinterest

I already bought cupcake pan to start with and looked for cupcake recipes online. I was browsing through pinterest on cupcake recipes and design then I saw this beach cupcake. I thought the use of gum as beach chair was brilliant!

Source: weheartit.com via Momma on Pinterest

Here are some more  beach themed cupcakes.

Source: flickr.com via Momma on Pinterest

Yikes! Watch out for those yummy sharks!

Source: bettycrocker.com via Momma on Pinterest

Bears at the beach from Betty Crocker

And of course, what is beach vacation without flipflops? (from The Kids Fun Review)

I can't wait till I can finally learn how to bake and make cute cupcakes such as these!