Monday, June 29, 2015

Events of the Bible: Birth and Sacrifice of Isaac- Weekly Devotion

What We Learned This Week:
Isaac was born to Abraham (100 years old) and Sarah (91 years old) and Abraham was starting to realize how God could make their descendants a great nation as He promised.
However, when Isaac was a young boy, God told Abraham to offer Isaac, his only true son, as a sacrifice to Him. Abrahams faith was great and he bound up his son and took him to the alter but an angel appeared to him and stopped him from killing and sacrificing his son.
God was pleased with the faith and obedience of Abraham.
 
Relating it to Your Life:
Alrighty well props to Abraham because I am not too sure how I would have acted in this situation. Here we are, after God promised to make our descendants a great nation but then wants me to kill my one and only true son as a sacrifice when it is already a miracle he was born to me at this age anyways. Geeeesh... I think I would have been a little confused. That conversation may have gone a little more like "really God... really??" Abraham showed complete obedience though. He died to himself to follow God and to him, there was nothing greater than following Gods will.. not even his own son. I think we all could learn something about superior obedience from Abraham in this circumstance.
 
This Weeks Reading: Genesis 24
 
http://www.julianagraceblogspace.blogspot.com/search/label/devotion
Don't forget to leave any thoughts or questions in the comment section below or email me!
 
 
 
Saturday, June 27, 2015

Gluten Free French Toast Muffins- Sweet Saturday

 
Happy Sweet Saturday everyone! This isn't just a sweet little treat but also something delicious for those sunny Saturday mornings. This breakfast cupcake tastes almost like a cinnamon bun married the flavors of french toast... Perfect combo! These are super easy to make and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. 
They are also fantastic warmed over later the next day. However, if you do decided to have some for later, seal them in a Ziploc and wait on the maple syrup. Warm the maple syrup and drizzle over only when you are ready to eat. Bon Appetite!
 
Ingredients
 
French Toast Topping:
3 tablespoons milk (Almond or Lactaid works also)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups cubed cinnamon swirl bread (because I couldn't find one that is gluten free, I just chopped up normal gluten free bread and sprinkled with cinnamon when mixing), 6-8 slices
 
Muffin:
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups all purpose flour (gluten free flour works well with this recipe)
 
Topping:
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Line Muffin tins with liners or spray with nonstick spray
 
French Toast Topping:
In a medium bowl combine the milk, egg and vanilla. Add the bread cubes and coat in the milk mixture. (If you used normal gluten free bread and not cinnamon swirl bread, go ahead and put a dash of cinnamon in the mixture also.)
 
Muffins:
In a large bowl combine milk, egg, vanilla and brown sugar until combined. Stir in the baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Slowly pour in the butter and stir well. (I used an electric mixer because it makes it so much easier.)
Add in the flour and stir well.
Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full with the batter. Top each with a good handful of the french toast topping chunks.
Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes.
When the muffins are warm, drizzle warm maple syrup over each muffin.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and use your fingers to sprinkle it evenly over each muffin.
 
http://www.julianagraceblogspace.blogspot.com/search/label/Sweet%20Saturday
 
Not too bad right? They are super easy and very tasty.. give them a shot! Comment below or email me with any thoughts or questions!
 
 
 

4th of July Ready!

  
 
 
http://www.julianagraceblogspace.blogspot.com/search/label/4th%20of%20July
 
Its time for some fashion and today we are doing 4th of July style! I LOVE 4th of July because it is such a huge holiday for us Americans where we remember how blessed we are to be free. I have a few more 4th of July posts coming your way soon, but today I thought I would share a cute option for clothing. Khakis and white always go together so I paired it with a flag inspired denim vest to give it that patriotic flare... Love it! The vest is from Forever 21 and the shorts are from GAP. This would be so cute paired with some red tennis shoes or sandals.
 
What are y'alls plans for the 4th of July? Comment below or email me.. I would love to hear what you are up to!
 
 
 
Thursday, June 25, 2015

Mally City Chick I Love Color Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches

 
 
 
 
 
Angel Wings, Lavender Glow, Pop Art Blue, Sweet Samba
 
Pretty Lady, Fantasy Green, Soho Silver, Plum Glow
 
Mally's Glow, Denim, Skyscraper
 
Good afternoon everyone! How are y'all doing?? It has been a hot minute since I did a makeup review so I thought I would show you a little peek at a new palette I picked up. I haven't heard anyone talk about this product much but when I saw it in Ulta I loved it. This is the Mally City Chick I Love Color Palette. Mally is a famous makeup artist and I absolutely love her makeup line. I have talked about her primer before and how much I love it and I am now obsessed with her eye shadows.
 
The main reason I liked this palette opposed to many of the other ones in the store was that it was different. I knew I didn't want another palette with more browns and gold's. I wanted some different colors that were still wearable. This palette achieved that perfectly.
 
My Grading:
Packaging: 10/10- This is the perfect packaging for me! It is compact enough to travel well and has a busy pattern so it doesn't show dirt. Perfect!
Pigmentation: 8/10- Many of the shimmer and sheen shadows are fantastic but the shades that are almost matte tend to be harder to pick up on a brush.
Longevity: 9/10- The colors last a while on me with my Clinique primer, but I have never tried the shadow base this palette has in it. I am not sure how long it would last with it though.
Final Verdict: 9/10- Overall this palette is great! There are one or two shades that are harder to work with but the rest are fantastic. If you are looking for something a little different to wear on your eyes but don't want to look like a clown, this is for you ;)
 
What is your favorite eye shadow palette? Comment below or email me!
 
 
 
Monday, June 22, 2015

Almost There!- Month 1 Update/ 7 Project

To see the details on this full 7 project click here. To view all the updates in order click right here!
 
 
Well folks I am almost done with month 1 of this 7 experiment and to be honest it went by pretty fast. There is something I thought I would never say after day three of eating only 7 foods. I can't believe how much has happened in just one month. To start with, as time went on I stopped caring about the food. I just ate it. Also, my pants are falling off! I have lost 10 pounds this month, not from starving myself but from simply eating only when I am hungry, the way God created us to.
 
 One thing that my small group teacher at my church said one Sunday morning was that if your relationship with God isn't improving day by day, it is going downward; there is no such thing as a spiritual plateau. She said this several months ago and I remembered it because it made complete sense. I can definitely say that this whole month, my friendship with God has only been improving. This ride has only brought me closer to God.
 
This month definitely hasn't been boring. There have been a lot of things that have gone on, some good, some not so good. I had the pleasure of working in VBS (Vacation Bible School) at my church with all the kids. I loved teaching them about the Lord I have come to know and love more over this past month. However, that same week my great grandfather passed away. I am so blessed to have such close relationships with everyone on both sides of my family and I was so blessed to have a great grandfather who was so devoted to his wife and everything he did. He sure set the bar high for my future husband and I am motivated by him to live life to the fullest like he did. Not to mention he raised my awesome granddad who I love also. As sad as this event was this month, I now have a huge piece of him that God has blessed me with. When I drive in his car I will always think of him.
This month has not been easy by any means but I feel so entirely blessed because so many have it far worse than me. It is crazy how after utilizing fewer foods I realized how much food I really have. I have gotten some strange looks and people have called me crazy for doing this but I am so glad I did it. 7 foods is more than enough for me.
Thank you God for all you have blessed me with.
 
As always, comment or email me with any thoughts or questions!
 
 
 

Friday, June 12, 2015

Flowy Pants!

 
 
 
 
 
http://www.julianagraceblogspace.blogspot.com/search/label/fashion
 
Happy Friday everyone! How are you all doing? This weekend I have no other plans other than HOCKEY! I am a Tampa Lightning fan and even though we lost the fourth game on Wednesday night in this series doesn't mean I have lost hope! I will keep screaming for my team until the last second on the clock runs out :) Love me some hockey.
These pants are from Kohl's and I LOVE them! They are very stylish, unique, and comfy! They feel like pajamas so I am all about them.
Have you read the update on my 7 project? I am still going strong on eating only 7 foods and God is teaching me a bunch. Lovin life! I am just excited because I get a different brand of collard greens tonight.... it's the little things ;)
 
What are y'all up to this weekend? Comment below or email me with any comments or questions. Talk to you soon!
 
 
 
 
Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Week 1 1/2 Update- 7 Project/ Experiment

To see what I will be doing for the next 7 months to finish out the year and read about the background behind this project click here.

 
Let me start out by saying I clearly didn't think this through because ummmm there is no M&M's on my list of 7 foods for this month. How could I be so stupid? :) Part of me is very proud of myself for going this long eating the same 7 foods each day and part of me is scared. 10 days down 20 more to go. And I am really getting tired of canned collard greens.
This first week has already brought so much to my attention. First, I realized how much I talk about food and think about food. We as people congregate around food, celebrate with food, eat when we're happy, eat when we're sad, eat when we're scared, etc... It is something a lot of us have become prone to doing. I always said I was thankful for my food. I always said a prayer thanking God for my meal. But too many times that was followed by a complaint or by me throwing half of it away because the "other half wasn't as juicy". The fact that there are 7 foods at my dispense at all times in usually whatever quantities I want, blows my mind.  I have really taken my food for granted.
Just yesterday when I was getting a little hungry (which equals a little cranky) I had a little come to Jesus meeting and he brought this verse to my attention:
Ephesians 5: 18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." 
Debauchery means excessive indulgences and God uses wine as the general reference here. Too much of anything is bad. God wants to bless us and he doesn't want us to feel guilty about what we have. It is when we indulge in excess of that, that we are making a mistake.
Though I am only about 1/3 of the way through this month, and I can already tell you I will not want plain chicken for a looooong time... I have already been taught so much by God and he has surely humbled me. People in other states that I have never met are praying for me daily because they know my grandparents. Opportunities have arose for my family because of the prayer poured into this crazy experiment I thought I would try. God is so in this. I am both excited and a little nervous to see what he does with me through these 7 months.   
Thank you Jesus for my 7 foods. Thank you so much.
Friday, June 5, 2015

I Like Big Belts and I Can Not Lie!

 
 
Hi everyone! Happy Fashion Friday. I paired a black and white combo with a little belt and some flip flops for a simple look ;) Okay maybe the belt isn't too little! I LOVE THIS BELT!  I got it from WetSeal about 2 years ago.
 
What are y'all doing this weekend? Comment below or email me with your plans. (FYI: For those of you wondering about my 7 Journey so far, I am alive and still surviving. There will be a post up Wednesday about the first week and a half.)
 
Have a great weekend. See you soon!!
 
 
 
Wednesday, June 3, 2015

My Top 10 Favorite Bloggers!

I was going through some of my Whatever Wednesday posts and realized I have never really mentioned some of my favorite bloggers to stalk ;). I love blogging but also LOVE following other peoples blogs. They inspire me, give me great ideas, and I feel like I know them even though we have never met or chatted.
 
This is probably going to be quite a range of different types of blogs but I love them all!

 

1. Mix and Match Family- This family is awesome! You have to at least just go to the website and read her 'about me' page. Not only is their family so cute but they just adopted an adorable little girl from China and share so many fun and incredible stories on their blog so go and check them out.

 

2. One Little Momma- This is a fashion blog and this lady is STYLIN! I mostly just adore her hair and since we have similar hair styles and everything, I can learn a lot from her blog. All the other bloggers I follow have long hair so that is a main reason I love this lady. Not to mention her style is also SO cute!


3. Southern Curls and Pearls- I adore this girls clothes and her blog in general could seriously become an addiction. I could scroll through there for DAYS and never get bored. Her fashion sense is very preppy and classy which is straight up my alley, so naturally I was drawn to her blog.


 
4. Momfessionals- This sounds crazy but I ADORE reading this lady just talk about her family because her kids are so stinkin cute and are always dressed so precious. She is super crafty and savvy and is full of tips and ideas. Not to mention she has such cute party ideas.


These Bombshell Oreo Brownies are super fudgy, loaded with Oreo cookies and simple to make! They're everything a brownie should be!
5. Cookies and Cups- I usually always bake from recipes I find out of cookbooks or randomly on Pinterest but this baking blog gives me inspiration and good ideas ALL the time. Her food photography skills are great too.


 
6. A Spoonful of Style- This is another one of my favorite fashion blogs. She is super cute and just had a beautiful baby girl which she also dresses beautifully. Her style is very classy and gorgeous so check her out too.


7. Tone It Up- This is a blog written by Karena and Katrina, two gorgeous fitness trainers whose workouts KICK MY BUTT! They have great series and their workouts are really amazing. Not to mention they also share really good healthy recipes.


8. The Sweetest Thing Blog- This girl is SO fashionable and always has the cutest heels for REAL! Not to mention her dog is also so adorable I want to squeeze him. Check her out for some great fashion inspiration.


9. Blogilates- I started this girls YouTube workouts a few weeks ago and HOLY COW! She is going to kill me. I have already started to improve and seriously get stronger. I never thought I could build muscle without weights that much but she CLEARLY has proved me wrong. Blood, sweat, and tears are put into these workouts... literally. Her blog has some more info about her and her workouts. She is awesome!!!!


 
10. Hello Gorgeous- You may know Matt Lanter from 90210 or Star Crossed... well his wife is one of my top bloggers! Her name is Angela and not only does she have great style but also great beauty tips on her YouTube channel as well. She seems to be such a sweet heart and her and Matt are ADORABLE. 

http://www.julianagraceblogspace.blogspot.com/search/label/Whatever%20Wednesday
I hope you all enjoyed this post and check these lovelies out! These are my personal favs to check every day and I never get tired of seeing what they have to share. Who are your favorite bloggers? Comment below or email me!

jgraceblog@gmail.com

Monday, June 1, 2015

Events of the Bible: Sodom and Gomorrah- Weekly Devotion

Happy Monday everyone! I hope it has been a good one. Today we are continuing on in Genesis with another event of the bible. If you have missed any of the events you can catch up here. Also, if you haven't already, check out my post from yesterday about my little experiment/ project I am trying.
For those of you who did read it, I am alive. I survived my first day of the 7 foods. 1 day down, 29 to go. Again, pray for me :)
 
http://www.julianagraceblogspace.blogspot.com/search/label/devotion
 
What we Learned This Week:
God told Abraham of His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham begged God to save the cities if he found 10 righteous men there but he only found one, Lot. God rescued Lot and his family, but his wife looked back as they fled the burning cities and she was left as a pillar of salt.
 
Relating this to Your Life:
This is a tough one. We often come across events in the bible like this one where we wonder what this really has to do with us, or why this happened. However, I think that God shows us his strength and might through events like this one. When God does something for you, whether you know the outcome or not, take it and don't look back. That is what I personally would take out of this devotion.
 
What we are Reading This Week: Genesis 21-22
 
I hope you all enjoyed this quick devotion and will be back again next week to read more. Have a great week and I will be chatting with you again soon!