ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

this print is dear to my heart because it's the first verse my daughter ever memorized. she was two years old and i'm sure i was the only one who could understand her, but she really did memorize it perfectly. the first verse, anyway. here's the proof captured on video . i initially chose this verse for her to memorize because i wanted her to know from an early age that God is always with her, and that He can handle anything. as she has grown, it's become apparent that this was exactly the verse for her. even at 3 1/2 years old, she struggles with fear. she's scared of the dark, she's scared to be in her room at night alone, she's scared to walk upstairs by herself [even during the day]. each night i remind her Who is always with her, even when i'm not. i don't want to raise her to be dependent on me, because i will let her down, i will not be with her every second of her life, and i just can't fix everything. but God can be and do all those th

you guys, i'm a sucker for dessert. it's really my worst quality, my sweet tooth. luckily i'm not too picky, and i can enjoy fake desserts, too! i wanted to share two of my absolute favorites with you. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •  first up is " cookie dough dip ". and you guys, if you love cookie dough, and always barely have enough leftover to actually bake the cookies, you will love this. it's meant to be eaten "raw", and filled with great ingredients like garbanzo beans... yes, i know. plus almond butter and agave as a sweetener. but don't be intimidated, you can use peanut butter and brown sugar if you want. i could eat an entire batch in one sitting, and knowing what's in it [or what's not in it, more like] makes it that much more tempting! find the full recipe on Chocolate Covered Katie • • • • • • • • • •

Do you ever get tired? Like, soul tired? Weary, overwhelmed, fed up? I thought so. I do, too. Silly question, I guess. For me it usually happens when lots of little things pile up on each other and it’s hard to find the air. When big things happen, I can trust God to handle them almost automatically, because what other choice is there in circumstances that you know you can’t control? But with little things, we have this tendency to try to juggle them all, try to keep them under control, try to get by in our own strength, until it all comes crashing down in a big mess of tears and frustration. We don’t like asking for help with the everyday stuff, because we think that we shouldn’t need to. We think we can handle it all on our own until that last straw breaks us. That kind of self-sufficient attitude stems from pride. My pride is the cause of so much hardship and heartache in my life. And we all know that pride is a sin; one that sort of sneaks its way into other sins. I

last week i started a little series called "behind the print" because i want you to know my heart behind each of the prints that i design and offer in my shop. they're not just verses that i've picked at random. most of the time, they're not even really verses i think you would like, i'm sorry to say. usually they're verses that have had an impact on me, or are impacting me right now,  that i just have to design. it's a form of worship and it's an opportunity to thank God for the Truth He's teaching at any given time. sure, there are a few that i just think are great verses or i know they'd be popular, but that's not most often the case. [available here] my heart is just recently starting to believe this and understand the gravity of this beautiful Truth. God's workmanship, His girl, created to do good works and He's already planned them out? i mean, it's heavy. yet it's freeing at the same time. i love the myste

i think it must have been Beth Moore who first acquainted me with this verse. she's always so full of encouragement for mamas with young kids, always pouring so much Grace over us. i remember the days when i believed that i had to have it all together: i had to wake up before my kids and have my quiet time, i had to complete all the days of Bible Study "homework" and have plenty to add to the discussion. i had to pray for a certain amount of time about a broad range of topics every single day. and i remember those days were full of lots of condemnation and guilt and not much heart change or growth. it was more about checking it off the list, which didn't happen frequently enough for my standard, instead of genuinely hungering and thirsting for time with the Lord.  one day, i absolutely do want to implement a daily before-the-kids-wake-up quiet time. absolutely. but "before the kids wake up" is anyone's guess these days, you know? could be 3am, could

well happy valentine's day, friends!  i know there's been a lot of shop talk this week, but i'm pretty sure you'll like today's topic! just in case you've had your eye on one of the new designs this week, i wanted to sweeten the pot a bit. in honor of valentine's day, i put together a box of my favorite things, some that i collected myself, and some that i begged my favorite friends to send me so that i could share them with you.  every single order that was [or will be] placed this week, monday thru friday , will be entered to WIN a whole box of.... what's in this box of things i heart, you ask? well, i'm glad you asked. brace yourself: Hannah from Happy Days has included these beauties from her shop Laura  from Splendor Shop  sent this. how much do you love arrows right now? Alyson from Vintage Sunshine sent over my favorite hoop ever [except the colors are different than the one pictured here] Kirtley

designing prints really isn't the easiest thing for me. i mean, i absolutely love it, but it's not like i can just sit down and say "i am going to make a print out of john 3:16 right now". it just doesn't work that way. more often than not, it has to be a verse or quote that i'm passionate about  at that moment  that i just have to put onto a print or else my brain will explode. it's out of the overflow of my heart that the verses are chosen and the prints are designed. sometimes i hate that i'm this way, because it makes custom orders really difficult and because i will often be right in the middle of my day when inspiration strikes. at that moment, it feels like i have to drop everything and open photoshop elements before the inspiration is gone. the actual design process is pretty organic. there's no magical formula, i just try different things until it looks right. that's another thing i sorta hate, that i can't whip something up in

that's right, the shop is open and filled with brand new designs! lots of scripture, a few re-designs of some oldies-but-goodies, and just overall something for everyone. i hope you love all the new stuff and find something that's perfect for your home! i'd love love if you tell all your friends, too! yep, just enter in that code and you'll get 30% off your entire order! first come, first serve. when the first ten orders have come through, the code will be deactivated (and i will update this post). so act fast!  most of all, have fun, and no trampling each other ;)

do you know about coconut oil ? it's useful for so many reasons , i probably could never list them all. but i'll tell you what i use it for regularly: i use in on my face. every single day after i wash my face, this is my moisturizer. dead serious. all its own, this is what i use. its in solid form most of the time, almost looks like wax, but i just grab a tiny little chunk and it melts with my body temperature as soon as i start spreading it on my face. it really works, and i know you're thinking you'll break out? but i have some of the worst skin there is, and it actually stopped me from having breakouts. using something completely natural, just one ingredient, as opposed to a commercial product filled with all kinds of yucky chemicals did the trick for me. i use it to "butter" our toast. for real. for me and for my kids. there are a million reasons why coconut is an amazing food, so i figure if i can get a good portion in us every day or so, that&

i hate to admit it, but i've recently come out of a yucky period in my mothering. i felt entitled and frustrated and defeated most days, and i knew it, but i just couldn't snap out of it and i couldn't figure out what in the world was wrong with me. no amount of resolve or regret would change anything. until i decided to combat it with Truth. i had to sit down and wade through all the muck to determine one basic thing: what lie am i believing? and what is the Truth that will set me free? it's a basic principle i've been learning over the years, but especially through  this book . it's the first question we need to ask ourselves for every stronghold, addiction, or pattern of fear or sin in our lives. all of it stems from a lie that we believe. so for me, in this situation? it was a little toxic cocktail of many lies: •  the lie that life should be easy and smooth.  •  the lie that children should be simple to raise, they should easily follow and obey

it's the strangest thing, time is. how i can feel like i've known you all my life, but marvel that you've already been here a whole year. i find myself loving each new milestone, but wanting to slow time. not so that you'll never grow up, but just so that i can savor each minute a bit more. you are lively, Tess. beautiful, fun, full of energy, always ready to cuddle, and obsessed with your big sis and your daddy. you seize every opportunity to dance and you can light up a room with your giggles. though you look like you're 8 or 9 months old, you walk steady and confident. you are determined, you don't give up, you just keep going until you get it right. it's a stubbornness i think you got from me. you're constantly asking "dat?" while pointing to things for me to name them for you. inquisitive, observant, nothing gets by you. especially not the crumbs that fall to the ground, that you absolutely have to pick up and put in your mouth. you