ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

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...

the Christmas season has finally arrived at our house! the tree is up, gifts are being wrapped, and the  advent calendar  is printed and hung! the only thing i have left to do? to give YOU a little gift, of course!  FIRST: here are a few 5x7 [and 7x5] christmas printables for you. yay! download and print without watermark here download and print without watermark here download and print without watermark here SECOND: every order from the shop today through December 15th [the last day to buy for Christmas delivery] will receive this little extra (5x7) tucked in their order! so while you're buying gifts for family and friends, you get a little something free for yourself :) [of course, you could give this one away and keep another for yourself. i won't tell] you don't have to enter any code, it just appears. little elves or something, i guess inspired by yesterday's post ... and yes, i did a quick redesign in case you were wonder...

day two was huge for me this week. it definitely dovetails in with what God has been teaching me lately about stepping out in faith, and putting my money where my mouth is, so-to-speak. finally making it clear who i'm going to serve. basically, James says hey: if you want wisdom, ask God. but believe that you're going to get it from Him. don't be a doubter. don't be double-minded. those kind of people are unstable. honestly? i've thought of myself as unstable a time or two. not in a dangerous sense, but just so tossed and wayward sometimes, you know? sometimes we'll listen to whatever gets our attention fast enough. but God says to stop. to ask Him. and He will give us wisdom . generously, without finding fault . other translations say "without criticizing", "without reproach", "you won’t be condescended to". i was so encouraged by the fact that i can ask God for anything, as many times as i need to, and He will never ...

so i haven't been back to the blog since i shared july's free printable! it's a barely-blogging season right now, which is okay. sometimes it's nice to live out life instead of constantly thinking about how i could blog about this or that, you know? anyway, this months free paintable is one of my favorite quotes because it reminds me to have hope. it reminds me that there is beauty from ashes, a light at the end of the tunnel, a reason for every single trial, and God's Grace is sufficient for me: it is 8x8, so i'd recommend printing it out on regular paper, and trimming the sides until you get to 8x8 [1/2 inch off each of the short sides, and 1 & 3/4 inch off each of the long sides]. 8x8 frames aren't very common, but sometimes it's fun to forget the frame and just use washi tape like katy did in her baby girl's nursery or.... Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Becca on Pinterest ...

i thought it would be fun to start offering a free printable every month. what do you think? this was inspired from Sunday's She Reads Truth devotion. we're going through "Living the Surrendered Life" in the YouVersion app. on day 11, the author set out to change our thinking when it comes to the popular sentiment  "follow your heart" . i've always been uncomfortable with this saying, because Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things, doesn't it? anyway, i was relieved she mentioned it and reminded us that instead of following our hearts, we should be guarding our hearts [proverbs 4:23] because everything flows forth from it [luke 6:45] . in case you need that reminder too... mint: or coral: two more things and then i'll let you go... 1) i have two new prints in the shop !  " Trust in the Lord " and a loooong-overdue redesign of " Fruit of the Spirit ". 2) i...

** don't miss the discount codes and free printables at the bottom of this post :) ** so if you follow me on instagram [alyallen1] , you know that Reese turned three last week.  May 14 was her big day, but since my husband had a meeting that night and wouldn't be able to celebrate, we just acted like her birthday was Tuesday [which was the 15th].  since she can't read a calendar and has no idea either way, it totally worked! Tuesday morning she woke up to balloons in her room we made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and sang happy birthday and she blew out a candle and i hid her little gifts around the house. since i spent a total of $10 on all the "gifts", i thought this would make it more exciting. i don't know if i'll do this every year, but it was fun... so i probably will. so that evening, all her grandparents & great-grandma came over for burgers/hot dogs and cake. oooohhh the cake. i had seen the rainbow ca...

scanning through my twitter feed the other day, i saw this: i loved it. don't you? i needed that bit of wisdom that day. you can read serena woods' blog here so i created a little printable for myself [by all means, print it out for yourself too!] and added philippians 1:6 to her quote. to remind myself that God is not going to abandon me no matter how much i think i've failed or how much i feel like He must have given up on me by now. i usually need to remind myself that my feelings  are not Truth. His Word is truth. period. now of course, sometimes God does rescue us right out of our circumstances, but we certainly shouldn't expect that every time. romans 8:28 helps me to remember that no matter what,  " in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

** coupon codes at the end of this post have expired ** i LOVE christmastime. seriously love it. but who doesn't right? my house is fully decorated, though i do have a few more projects to complete... that's part of the fun though, always having a project to finish. besides my tree above, which i am in love with every single year, here are a few highlights around the house . [cell-phone pictures, i know i'm terrible] [the free printable in the top right photo is from here] i made this little printable that i framed in a swirly white frame. i change the number with dry erase each day.  [i got the idea from here but made my own]. please do print one for yourself: i want to do something like this somewhere. little things in jars. to add some more interest: Source: theinspiredroom.net via Aly on Pinterest i'm also planning to make this cute advent banner to hang above the fireplace. with a few variations because i'm...

i've had this song stuck in my head for days. and subsequently, i've had this little design for a set of prints stuck in my head, too, keeping me awake at night. i'll be framing them in white, hanging them longways, top-to-bottom. i just haven't decided where to hang them in my house.... lucky for you, i won't be selling them in the shop since the graphics i used to piece together the backgrounds aren't my original design, so you get to print them for free! hang them somewhere that you walk by every day, so you can be constantly reminded and thankful. ** just right click and choose "save as". then you can print or send off to costco, walmart, wherever you print photos **