Never Alone

To every lonely heart,

Your heart may ache tonight.

You may feel alone.

Lost. Hurt. Broken.

Like no one cares or no one sees you.

I hope to remind you of this one thing tonight; you are not alone.

He is with you.

Much closer than you think.

Emmanuel.

Meaning, "God with us."

He sees you today.

You are not forgotten.

Last January I had the chance to visit an orphanage in Haiti full of children who were rescued child slaves. I told those sweet children about the darkest day of my life...when I wept and no one heard. I told them about how I thought that I was nothing...not even worthy to keep living.

Before I left that day I hugged one of the girls and I just felt my heart whisper, "Don't let go until she does." That sweet, lonely child hugged me and would not let go. We embraced for twenty minutes or so. I stroked her hair and rocked her and told her she was lovely and beautiful and wonderful. I don't know about you; but I have never been so lonely that I willingly hugged a stranger for twenty minutes. Friend, perhaps we don't know what true loneliness is.

Months later, I stood on a boat in Cambodia on the Mekong River. On the boat with me were seventy-five women who made their living selling their bodies for sex. That night I told them my story. They wept. Even though our lives are so different, that night we found a common ground. The heart can be a lonely place, it longs to feel a sense of belonging...of being wanted, needed, and most of all loved.

Today, you may find your heart ring hollow... Empty. Lonely. Hurting.

Dear one, you are not alone.

God came to earth and that's what Christmas is all about.

Open your heart to Him.

He is with you.

Freebie! Home sweet home printable

It's been a while since I have made anything free- and it's about time! Drum roll please.... Check out the "Home sweet home" printable! If you print it off I would LOVE to see how you used it! Feel free to repost... it is a great joy as an artist to see people spread the love!

Click here for the download!

DIY: make antique book decorations

This is my latest obsession: deconstructed antique books. I made these for my home office redo.

Here is a video tutorial (my first!) on how you make these little beauties!

Untitled from christa Baca on Vimeo.

I would love to see if you make these! Don't forget our book discussion starts tomorrow if you want to join in the conversation.

Book Discussion

Hey readers! Want to join in with me and a few friends for a book discussion? The book is "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff." By Dr. Richard Carlson. The chapters are very short (just a few hundred words) Here is a sample:

Each day we will read a chapter and we can all comment on our thoughts. I am hosting the book discussion on my Facebook page. Here is the link to my facebook page. We start wednesday... I would love for you to join in on the discussion!

The art of being happy

You may not have it all. Chances are you don't. However, compared to the rest of the world you have it awesome. A few weeks ago I spent a very cold night outdoors. The non-profit I started hosts an event called Orphan for a Night where we raise funds for the most destitute of orphans- the abandoned and homeless. The whole theme for the evening is to spend one night in their reality- but the honest truth was most of us were headed home to get some "good sleep" in our beds. Yet, for many around the world this is the reality that they face... Check out Global Rich list and you can see where you live compared to most of the world. Most likely- you are blessed beyond measure.

I know blogging is all about beautiful things and finding sources of inspiration- but in our quest to find things that are beautiful let us not ungratefully overlook our own life- which is indeed beautiful.

Everyday Greg comes home from work and Zion and I throw a party. We run up to the door, cheer, shout and yell. Greg rests from the day for a few minutes and I put dinner on the table. After dinner we all play. It is true beauty and one of the most joyous moments of my day. Comment below and tell me something "ordinary" in your life that you can extract happiness from... sharing it will inspire others to see happiness in their ordinary.

fish braid

Image

I have been loving the fish braid. Free people has a great tutorial on this:

Here is how to make the rainbow one!

Chalk Obsession

So my husband Greg laughs at me. I admit it. I am obsessed. I love chalk paint. This is my latest creation:I spray painted a 1970's framed print. Yup, spray painted the whole thing! I like the thick molding on this frame and I thought it would be fun to be able to add cute dashes and chalk all around it.

You are a classy Lady

Image: We Heart It

It was Coco Chanel who said, "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." I am often reminded of this when I come in contact with ladies who seem to be lacking in the fundamental elements of class. I asked several of my girlfriends what it means to be a classy lady and the words they used over and over were: "graceful, poised, kind, beautiful, able to handle tough situations with kindness."

I think as women we can all use a little more classiness- after all, isn't that what being fabulous is all about?

Happy travels

Image: We Heart It

No matter where you go in life, this is the quote that puts the journey in perspective. Travel along my dears, but don't forget that it is the days that add into weeks, the weeks to months, and the months to years. How we live each day matters.

Little Happiness in a Jar

Snagged this tiny little pot, threw some moss on it and whitewashed it with a little craft paint. I used a toothpick to make the flag and hand wrote "Happy" with sharpies fine tip marker. The glass bell finishes the look. Easy to make and super cheap!

Bird Ring

A little hot glue, a trip to the wedding section at Hobby Lobby and voila! My latest creation- the bird ring!

So, anyone who's been pregnant before knows that (even after a year) if you start to gain a little weight, your stomach looks like a california raisin all over again! In order to motivate myself to get walking Zion and I have been strapping on the baby backpack and hiking our way to various nearby stores. My favorite is Hobby Lobby which is about a three mile walk. Zion loved the bird and (call me snow white) I loved the idea of a bird perched on my hand!

What I am wearing

I LOVE that everything old is new again. This look I made was inspired by the old "Swatch watch" layering. It's kind of a new take on an old idea. I picked up these watches for a few bucks at an antique shop and wrapped them with a watch that has a stretchy band that I picked up for $10 at Walmart.

My boys

Who would have thought that being a mom would bring me so much joy? My sweet Zion is the light of my life and Greg and I have enjoyed being able to show him the world. He has such an amazing passion for life already, such determination and so much creative talent. I love you Zion, thanks for making me a momma and to my dear husband Greg, thank you for eight amazing years. (We celebrate our marriage anniversary today)

My darling Greg, you have made all my dreams come true; the greatest of all which was loving and being loved by you.

Nostalgic "Milk" glasses from starbucks frappichino jars

I was wanting to pick up some of those old time milk glasses for my Saturday Family Brunches. I was scouring the thrift stores and antique shops and then inspiration struck me like a bolt of caffeine! The perfect "milk" jar was sitting in my fridge. I peeled the label off, used some goo gone to get the residue off, added a plastic striped straw and voila! Breakfast is served!

Don't forget about Mom!

Mothers day is just around the corner and I wanted to remind you about a make a special card I designed for you to give your momma. On her special day lets take a moment to make her feel like a million bucks. Take a moment and reflect on all of the little things that she has done to make your life what it is today.

I have been blessed to have mom's on both sides of my family who love and believe in me. (My mom and my mother-in-law.) I am so grateful for their love and influence in my life. I know that our mom's always hold a special place in our heart; so tell me about yours. What makes her the one-of-a-kind gem that she is?

Click here for your card!
{Feel free to repost and share the love!}