Category / freebies

by Bethe

Friday Favorites

Allbirds_W_Wool_Runner_Kotare_GREY_ANGLE_900x900Allbirds

I invested in these shoes, which apparently are the hottest shoes in Silicon Valley right now. Let me tell you – they’re worth every single penny. I wear mine without socks almost every day of the week with almost any outfit – they’re clean and trendy looking, and yet, they’re also the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I’m totally buying more as soon as my budget allows.

 

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Honey

I installed the Honey app in my web browser, and now anytime I shop online (which is 99% of my shopping), it automatically suggests discount codes. Even better, when I shop on Amazon, it will tell me if each item in my cart is the absolute lowest price on Amazon, or if there’s a better deal out there. Yesterday it helped me save $3 on my face lotion.

If you go to the actual Honey website, you can also find deals for cash back on purchases. I used it to get some cash back on a purchase at the Gap that I was already planning on making. Cash back + a discount code for $20 off. Confession – it was to buy a swimsuit. Online. Yes, I’m really brave and a tiny bit stupid. Pray for me.

If you use my special link (here), I’ll get a $5 referral credit, and you will make my day.

 

Greetabl

Our family motto is “Love God. Love people. Do big things.” And sometimes doing a big thing is really doing a small thing that will bring sunshine to somebody out of the blue. An unexpected treat. One of the easiest ways to do that is through Greetabl, which allows you to send tiny surprises in the mail for almost any occasion. I’ve sent a box of confetti, a box of nail polish, even a single piece of chocolate. The packaging is gorgeous and fully customizable – you can even add photos and a personal message. The only drawback is that you can’t schedule a delivery for a particular day, and it can take 7-10 days to arrive. So, I don’t use it for things like birthdays, but it’s great for an “I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time,” or, “Thanks for being an awesome friend,“ or even, “Thanks for hosting us – we had a blast!”

Here’s a link that will get me points toward more free purchases – feel free to use!

Snake Plant

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In the past few years, I’ve become the crazy plant lady. I’ve got plants all over the house, and then my giant vegetable and flower gardens in the backyard. Dirt is just good for my soul, and I’ve found that it’s much cheaper to buy myself a plant that will last a year, than a bouquet of flowers that will last a week – and they’re about the same price. I’m currently on the succulent bandwagon, but I’ve also got a fiddle leaf fig that is beautiful, but also high-maintenance. I’m at a point where I can’t handle many extra high-maintenance things (thus, why we don’t have a dog at the moment). And then I discovered the snake plant.

Y’all. It can live indoors in almost any condition. It doesn’t care if you move it around. You only have to water it every 1-3 weeks. It prefers to be left alone. And it’s SO PRETTY. I need more snake plants in my life – I picked mine up at Calloways, but they also have them on Amazon – I’ve had lots of luck with buying plants there.

 

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And finally… spring break

This week was spring break for my kiddos, and it was such a treat to take some time off work to hang out with them. Wrenn goes to kindergarten in the fall (gasp), and I’m soaking up these days of her being young and everything being new and exciting. And Mila is finally walking (and falling – so much falling), which means going places just got 100 times easier. This week we’ve had play dates and watched movies, made homemade playdough, they went to Chuckee Cheese with one grandpa, and have a slumber party planned with cousins and grandparents on the other side. I love having kids this age.

Follow more of our adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

 

by Bethe

Do I have faith when the stuff hits the fan?

Last week I wrote about how God has provided in a BIG way to our family this year. That we have been saving toward something BIG, and that He has been so faithful to bring us extra work to cover the costs. I wish I could tell you more, but someday I’m going to have a big story to tell you. It’ll be worth the wait.

Well, a few days after I praised God for providing for us, our air conditioner bit the dust. On Father’s Day, while I waited for Mr. Right and Wrenn to return from a weekend at a relative’s ranch, the house started getting hotter and HOTTER. Texas summer heat is no joke, y’all. We called our trusty AC guy, who we had just paid $2,000 about a month before to fix our ailing unit… and he came out and declared our AC dead. As a door nail. Unfixable.

I cried. Like, ugly cried. And then we quickly threw a bunch of clothes in a bag and headed to my in-law’s house for an extended stay.

I wish I could tell you that my first response was, God’s got this. Not fear or worry or anxiety, just trust. But no, my first response was to ugly cry. And feel sorry for myself. (Not to mention I had dinner reservations to take Mr. Right out for an amazing Father’s Day dinner in Dallas… all the details arranged… and instead, we were hurriedly packing our things. In the heat.)

That was Sunday. On Monday, I woke up with my stomach in knots, and cried some more. Sweet Wrenn even prayed for me, that God “would help mommy feel better.” I took her in the car to run an errand, and in the car, while she slept soundly, God and I had a heart to heart. Here’s how it went:

Me, crying:

God, I’m so scared. I don’t know what we’re going to do. We have worked SO HARD to save money for {that thing}, and I know it’s your will. I KNOW IT. And now, we’ve got to spend all that money on an AC instead. Why? It’s not fair! We can’t afford it right now. That money has a NAME. What are we going to do???

Here’s what we’re going to do. God, I trust you. You are a good God. This didn’t surprise you. You knew all along our AC would break and we’d have to pay for it. I have to trust you. HELP ME TO TRUST YOU. I have to give you my fear. I don’t know what to do, so I am giving it to you. I trust you with this problem. I trust you to provide. I trust you to give us wisdom. Help me to FEEL that trust in my gut. I am laying this at your feet. I know you can handle it.

Y’all… God loves real, raw prayers. Don’t be afraid to tell Him you trust Him, but you are going to need Him to help you FEEL that trust. God can handle it.

Print

Here’s what I know. My God isn’t just worth trusting when things are going smoothly. When everything is falling into place. When it’s easy. No… my God is worth trusting when the you-know-what hits the fan. When there is no good solution. When things hurt. REALLY HURT. That’s when I’m going to trust him too.

My friend is claiming Romans 4:20-21 as she walks through something hard. Really hard. She asked me to design a print for her, so she could continue to keep this promise in front of her. It turns out, I needed to dwell on this verse as well. This is mine, too. It can be yours, too. If you need to remember that God has the POWER to do what he had promised to Abraham, and to YOU, then please enjoy a free print. On me. Just download it here.

Let’s be people who cling to God’s promises when we’re being tossed around on the waves. When we feel like we’re drowning. When there’s no way out. When our feelings don’t match what we know to be true. When it’s really, really hard to trust God. When we’re holding on for dear life… He can handle it.

I love you, friends.

by Bethe

Free Prints: Blessing people is just FUN

When I chose to shut down my shop last year, it was to give myself more freedom – more breathing room – to experiment creatively. To just… create. And I have had such a fun time.

But I still have a few passion projects that I love to support, which is why when a friend told me that she was hosting an IF:Gathering session at her house last weekend and that she needed some scripture prints for her guests, I jumped at the opportunity to bless them.

Texas Lovely .. Grace upon grace Blessing people is just FUN.

Not to mention I love anything that has to do with ministering to women, empowering them to be better moms and wives and friends and Jesus followers through the truth of scripture. And I love any excuse to fill your home to the brim with people who need love and safety and good old-fashioned hospitality.

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And so, I wanted to bless YOU too, my dear readers. Each gal at my friend’s event received a 5×7 print of both scriptures, and I want you to have them too! Just click here and here to download them, and feel free to share. My only request is that you DON’T sell them or mass-distribute them, and that if you repost them on your blog or Facebook account (which I would LOVE, by the way) that you give me credit and link back to my website. Deal? Deal.

XOXO, Bethe

by Bethe

Happy Monday :: A free download

trust

One of my friends from church asked me to design something for a loved one who is having surgery. This is the verse she is clinging to – it’s beautiful, isn’t it? I always see it in terms of government – I don’t put my eternal trust in a politician, I know my hope comes from Someone much higher than that. But when facing any kind of battle – be it a surgery, an ailment, a challenge at work, something on the home front, a sick kiddo – what a wonderful truth to plaster on your forehead and hide in your heart!

I shut down my shop because I decided I wanted to give things away. So here you go – a special Monday treat from me – a free download. May we all rise and stand upright today, thanks to the strength of our God!

{Download Print}

by Bethe

Choose Happy: A Free Download

Happy

It’s Monday and I just felt like doing something nice for my friends in Blogland. And so, here’s a little gift for you – a free download of my new happy print.

***The fine print: Please feel free to enjoy for personal use only. Do not repost, sell, email, or distribute to others. Feel free to share this link with your friends though!

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PrintFor prints and other lovelies, visit Texas Lovely on Etsy.

Other places you can find Texas Lovely:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/texaslovelyshop
On Instagram: texas_lovely

by Bethe

Bethe’s Favorites

favorites

(Free!) Trendy Desktop Patterns

My computer desktop has never looked so good! This site has so many fun (and free!) downloadable backgrounds to choose from.

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DIY Hems

I love to sew, but one of the things I don’t do is hem. Ever. But this tutorial makes it look so easy, and I’ve got some jeans I’ve been meaning to bring to the tailor, well, FOREVER (because let’s face it… all my jeans should be tailored for flats, because it’s what I wear 99% of the time). Now I’m inspired to give my newest thrifted designer jeans a try on my old sewing machine.

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Heart Dress Tutorial

Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, and well, poor Wrenn missed it with her month of fevers. And I’m left with a ton of candy I had bought for her teachers and classmates at school. But that’s neither here nor there (don’t worry, I’ll make sure it doesn’t go to waste… I’ll be eating it until it’s time to buy Cadbury Eggs). I’ve decided that just because Valentine’s Day has passed doesn’t mean I can’t still make this adorable dress for Miss Wrenn. I love the idea of using a current dress as a pattern. And, well, if you add a giant heart, it just multiplies the cuteness.

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Sewing Turbans

So, it turns out turbans are super easy to make. I was in the mood for a quick craft project last night while we were hunkered down, waiting for the ice storm to hit. This tutorial was so easy to follow, and now Wrenn and I have matching headbands. Well, Wrenn refuses to wear hers for more than 3 seconds, but if I happen to catch her with it on his head, you can bet I’ll snap a picture for proof. I’ll be blogging the project over at the Fort Worth Moms Blog in a few weeks, so you’ll be able to see photos there.

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And to all of my DFW friends… I hope you stay warm during our first ice storm of the winter season! I’m thankful that I can work from home today, cozy by the fire, safe and warm.

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PrintFor prints and other lovelies, visit Texas Lovely on Etsy.

Other places you can find Texas Lovely:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/texaslovelyshop
On Instagram: texas_lovely

by Bethe

Lately: Real Life

Wrenn

1. Wrenn is on day 15 of fever. First it was croup (which Mr. Right and I also caught a milder version of), then we think she was teething, then the doc said the croup fever may linger for awhile, and then over the weekend she had some weird allergic reaction to something on her feet that’s making them blister and itch horribly (it’s not hand foot mouth, because we’ve both had that before and the blisters are different). And yesterday, on day 14, her fever was 101 (today she was fever free for a few hours before it crept back up to 100). Poor child has had a rough go of it and has been on quarantine for half the month. She’s getting a little stir crazy, as are her parents. (But again… praise Jesus for her asthma, which is still being controlled well by her meds.)

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2. Last weekend we took ourselves temporarily off quarantine to go to the rodeo with Mr. Right’s family. The rodeo for them is kind of like the Super Bowl – my father-in-law is a team roper and my husband grew up showing livestock for 4-H. So, the family starts planning for the rodeo about five months early. Little Wrenn, of course, had the perfect outfit and considering it was 75 degrees in February, it was a glorious day. Wrenn LOVED it and sat through almost the entire two hours… it was such a joy to watch her experience it, wide-eyed.

3. Our new ESL semester started back last week and it was SO GOOD. We had been praying for new teachers and God provided three new ones, plus some new students. Not to mention that seeing our students after a two month break is SO SWEET. We love our students so much, we’ve had one stay at our house recently, we’ve been to graduation parties and family gatherings and shared many meals with them and been to their homes. They’re some of our dearest friends. So, after a two month break, you can imagine how happy I was to see them again.

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4. My dishwasher broke. I joked that I feel like Little House on the Prairie, but I must admit, of all the appliances to bite the dust, I’m glad it was this one, as I’m kind of a hand-washing pro. That’s what happens when your husband is a great cook (you do dishes) and when you’ve got a baby (you do lots and lots and lots of hand washing). It’s actually a little bit therapeutic. Now, if I still don’t have a new dishwasher by next month, I probably won’t speak of it quite as fondly.

5. Our dog ran away. Harley the Wonder Schnoodle, the dog I’ve had since college, snuck out when we were loading the car and we didn’t know it. He was gone almost an hour, and thankfully we discovered through our neighborhood website that a kind neighbor had taken him in. God bless technology. So glad he’s home.

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6. With all of this quarantine business, I’ve had plenty of time to catch up on some quilting. Stay tuned for a Work in Progress post on my scrappy quilt. She’s pretty.

Print

7. I’ve been blogging for the Fort Worth Moms Blog since last summer, and I’ve got a post up this week that features a fabric bunting tutorial and also a free Valentine’s print download. I hope you’ll go check it out. (And leave a comment on that post so the editors feel warm fuzzies toward me… cool?)

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il_570xN.665559259_8u9tHave you downloaded my quick and easy budget? It’s available at Texas Lovely on Etsy.

Other places you can find Texas Lovely:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/texaslovelyshop
On Instagram: texas_lovely

by Bethe

God of Hope

God of Hope

Doesn’t this verse just encourage your soul? Whether you’re in the midst of a major trial or enjoying a time of peace, you can celebrate that we worship a God of HOPE, who wants US to overflow with hope. He wants to give us joy and peace… not just a little, but ALL joy and peace!

If you need a little reminding of that this week, I hope you’ll enjoy a free download of this print I designed. Blessings, my friend!

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be strong and courageousFor prints and other lovelies, visit Texas Lovely on Etsy.

Other places you can find Texas Lovely:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/texaslovelyshop
On Instagram: texas_lovely

by Bethe

Free Download: Keep Running

keep running

My dear friends, I’m overwhelmed by the response to yesterday’s blog post! Thank you so much for your kind words, encouragement, support. You know how to make a girl blush.

As a thank you, I wanted to offer you a free download of yesterday’s quote. I searched and searched online and couldn’t find who the original author was. If I find it, I’ll add it to the print.

Click here to download. Print some for yourself or for gifts, but please do not email, repost, or copy this file.

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5For prints and baby dresses, visit Texas Lovely on Etsy.

Other places you can find Texas Lovely:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/texaslovelyshop
On Instagram: texas_lovely

by Bethe

Free Download Friday: Hope

Hope

This is my verse right now. On the good days, and on the bad, I will always have HOPE. And I will continue to praise Him more and more. Because He deserves it.

Here’s to praising more and more, whether I see the blessings or not. Whether I see the answered prayers, or I’m in a season of waiting. Whether the praising comes through clapping or through tears. He is worthy of my praise.

As a gift to you, my dear readers, I’m offering this as a free download. Just click here to download. Fine print: File available for personal use only and may not be resold or distributed. If you feature this print on your blog, please link back to this post as the original source.

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il_570xN.524050111_subdFor more prints, visit Texas Lovely on Etsy.

Other places you can find Texas Lovely:

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/texaslovelyshop
On Instagram: texas_lovely