Inside the Brick House

“...Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it...” Psalm 81:10

Do you have your mouth open wide today? In other words, are you expecting God to fill you and increase you beyond measure? Are you ready for Him to satisfy your needs and desires with good things?

Think about a baby bird. When they are ready to eat, they open their mouths wide. They trust that they will be fed. They expect it. They look for it. They are ready for it. It should be the same way with us. We need to keep our spiritual mouths open by expecting the goodness of God to satisfy us.

Negative thinking is like closing your mouth. A closed mouth can’t be filled. But Jesus is saying today, “Why don’t you take the limits off?” Why don’t you trust and believe for supernatural opportunities? That little bird waiting for food isn’t concerned about where the mother is going to get it from. It isn’t concerned about how she’s going to dig it up. No, that bird just opens its mouth, trusting and waiting. Why don’t you do the same …

Put grandma's (or your own!) springtime quilt to good use—smack dab on the center of the table. Match the rest of your settings and centerpieces around this sentimental tablescape base.

A DIY tin can, moss, and nest place setting with log chargers screams spring in the best, most rustic ways possible. Get the tutorial at Liz Marie Blog.

A vintage flower almanac, speckled egg, and velvet bow make this the easily replicated Easter table setup of our dreams. Get the tutorial at One CrafDIY Girl.

Trust us—nothing will complement your place settings and table centerpieces better than a delicately designed piece of linen. Keep an eye out for tablecloths or napkins with floral embroidery to stay true to the seasonal theme.

Arts and crafts fanatics, this one's right up your alley. Exercise your painting itch to give a sweet nod to the Easter bunny. Get the tutorial at Taryn Whiteaker.

Give your floral centerpiece a rustic flair. To make, bundle a half dozen milk jars with colorful string o…

Cranberry Cocktails
This cranberry cocktail is a swirl of favorite flavors: maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and red wine. Serve it with a stirrer beaded with poached cranberries. Our Santa clip art is affixed to a sphere of honeycomb paper and topped with his signature hat. Download Santa Swizzle Sticks Clip Art for the festive touch! With cooked cranberries sweetened with maple syrup and lightly flavored with lemon zest and vanilla beans form the base of this wine-and-seltzer cocktail.
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
1 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
Thin strips of zest from 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons pink peppercorns, crushed
Pinch of coarse salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups seltzer
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cranberries into a large, high-sided skillet; set aside. Bring syrup, wine, brown sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, lemon zest, peppercorns, and salt to a boil in a…

If you have a little more time, you'll have fun pulling together this cool carving idea. Add the bonfire centerpiece to a backyard table or use it as a focal point in front. You'll need about 10 to 12 pumpkins and flickering candles to make these flames come to life.

Calling all you who have October birthday!!!!!! Let's spice things up with a Halloween pumpkin birthday party! Download the party pumpkin stencils and carve out the smiling faces on pumpkins. Shape scrapbooking paper into cones, creating a variety of tall and short hats. Use tape to secure the paper in cone shapes and decorate with an assortment of patterned- paper circles. Trim some of the hat edges with paper fringe. Hot-glue the hats to the tops of the pumpkins.

Use a faux or real pumpkin to create this funny pumpkin carving -- a gourd invaded by mice! Light yellow spray paint turns this pumpkin into a block of cheese, and drill bits make it easy to create different-size holes.