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How to make a simple birthday cake with home-made marshmallow fondant!

Tuesday ~ Posted by Karen Schravemade

How to make a sweet 'n simple birthday cake with homemade marshmallow fondant! Click through for an easy tutorial at a house full of sunshine.

I’m going all Betty Crocker on you today.

Now, if you’re a professional cake decorator, or even someone who’s made a cake more than, say, 3 times in your life, please don’t laugh at me unkindly.

This tutorial is for the average mum like me with zero cake decorating skills, whose sum total of prior experience includes staring bleary-eyed at their batter-splattered copy of the Australian Woman’s Weekly cookbook at midnight the night before a party, trying in vain to stop the icing wheels from falling off the icing train and cursing the person who ever invented the concept of the novelty cake.

There’s this kindy mum I know who decorates cakes for fun and profit, and I’ve seen photos of her incredible and intricate birthday-cake creations, so of course with an upcoming birthday party, I had to pick her brains a little. For starters, how is it even possible to make any money doing this?? Last time I made a cake I spent about five months of my husband’s wages on those little bags of ready-made fondant icing alone.

I knew there must be a cheaper way, and turns out – ta-da! – there is!

The secret is homemade marshmallow fondant. My kindy-mum friend assured me it was super easy to make.

I doubted her intensely.

“Easy” is, after all, a relative term, and this is after all a woman who whips up three-dimensional fondant models of golf-buggies and little golf-playing human beings to adorn her 18-hole birthday-cake golf course, and does it all without breaking a sweat.

But she was very persuasive, so I decided to give it a go. And you know what? She was right. It IS easy.

I’m going to give you the step-by-step exactly as she gave it to me. Be warned – there are NO MEASUREMENTS, but even if you have recipe OCD like me, there’s really no need to freak out. It actually is much quicker and simpler to do it by feel rather than by measured quantity.

YOU’LL NEED:

1. Marshmallows (My cake-maker friend swears by Woolworths Homebrand!)

2. Icing sugar (truckloads – I used that entire Tupperware container full, which I’m guessing is at least 1kg.) (U.S. at least 2.5 lb powdered sugar.)

3. Food colouring if you want a different colour from white and/ or pink.

Let’s talk quantities. How many packs of marshmallows will you use?

My cake-making friend uses 2 x 250g packets of marshmallows per cake. That’s for a coloured cake, because you can use the whole packet (both pink and white marshmallows) and tint it with food colouring to whatever shade you desire.

If you want some (or all) of your fondant to be white, on the other hand, you’ll need to separate out the white marshmallows, meaning you’ll go through twice as many packets (but have heaps of pink ones left over!) You could also just use a whole pack of white marshmallows, but for some reason these are a lot harder to come by (in Australia at least.)

For this particular cake, I used 1 x whole packet for my small pink tier, with a couple of drops of pink food colouring added, and 3 x packets for my white tier, ONLY using the white marshmallows.

HOME-MADE MARSHMALLOW FONDANT: EASY 3-STEP METHOD

1. Place marshmallows in a microwave-proof bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and mix through to wet the marshmallows.

2. Cook for 20 seconds in the microwave, stir, and repeat in 20 second intervals until the marshmallows are melted. The mixture should be silky smooth, with no lumps.

3. Add icing sugar and mix well. Continue to add icing sugar until the mixture is no longer sticky, and becomes kneadable. You’ll know you’ve added enough icing sugar when the mixture doesn’t stick to your bench.

That’s it! Once you have a lovely kneadable lump of fondant, sprinkle a little icing sugar on your bench and roll it out to roughly 5 mm (1/4 inch) thick.

You’ll need to “dirty-ice” your cake with a thin layer of frosting or ganache. I made my own ganache, but next time I think I’d skip that step and buy a tub of frosting. I’m all for easy.

The fondant can then be draped over your cake, smoothed and trimmed with a sharp knife. I did the tiers separately and then placed the second tier on top, already iced.

Tips and Tricks:

  • Use one of these to smooth your icing before assembling the tiers. 
  • I created a “support” for the top tier by cutting four drinking straws to the height of the cake, then pushing them into the centre of the bottom tier in a circle, with one extra in the middle. They get covered by the top tier, so they’re not visible.
  • To achieve the height of these tiers, I used deep tins available from a cake decorating store. You could also line a shallower tin with a collar of alfoil that sticks up past the rim of the tin. You’ll need to multiply your cake recipe if you want this look, as the tins are quite deep!
  • You’ll notice my cake is looking a bit wonky in these photos. That’s because I used a strawberry cake packet mix, which just wasn’t quite dense and heavy enough to support the weight of the two tall tiers. Don’t do that. It all held together fine, and looked lovely on the table, but the wonkiness is pretty noticeable in the pictures. Note to self: use mud-cake next time.
  • Don’t put your cake in the fridge, or it will go sticky. It will keep for up to a week on the bench.
  • If you want to get creative with decorations, you can cut out shapes or letters from your fondant – the decorations will stick to the cake with a little bit of water.

This time, though, I went for simple and minimalist (i.e. I ran out of time, panicked, wrapped a bit of ribbon around each tier and called it good.)

I also made a little bunting banner from washi tape as my cake topper.

This was just a matter of folding some short strips of washi tape over a piece of twine at regular intervals, then snipping a triangle from the bottom.

I cut a pair of wooden skewers down to the right length with a pair of tinsnips, then knotted the ends of the twine around the tips of the sticks and planted them in the cake at an angle.

So that’s the finished cake. Simple, sweet, slightly wonky, but achievable – and hey, minimalist is in, right?

I loved only having to spend a couple of dollars on some packets of marshmallows, instead of selling my left kidney to buy ready-made fondant. And even better, the marshmallow fondant is delicious! So much yummier than the stuff you buy from the shop! I found it really easy to work with as well.

In more good news, my cake-decorating skills can only get better from here. I hope.

Let’s chat: do you tackle birthday-cake making with glee, or with dread? Any more tips I should know about? Help a newbie out here – I’ll love you forever.

Linking up here: Hit me with your best shot, Enchanting Inspiration

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Categories: Eat, Kids, Party

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Lovely comments

  1. Jen Migonis says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    This is great! I&#39m featuring this for my recipe pick at the Enchanting Inspiration party! I want to try this now!

  2. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    Thank you so much, Jen! Yay – I&#39m honoured!

  3. Jen Migonis says

    Sunday at 7:21 pm

    This is great! I'm featuring this for my recipe pick at the Enchanting Inspiration party! I want to try this now!

  4. Karen Schravemade says

    Sunday at 10:15 pm

    Thank you so much, Jen! Yay – I'm honoured!

  5. Susen Kuchta says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    I love this beach theme activity! We did one this summer too but unfortunately had no sand 🙁 Improvised with some brown rice that I bought to eat but my daughter was not a fan of the brown rice so rather than tossing it I made it into a beach theme sensory bin as &#39sand!&#39 Whenever we do get some sand we&#39re going to try your activity!

  6. nellbe says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    I am going to leave this fancy cake icing to you, I have been known to do ice cream cakes and cover the top with Ice Magic for ease and convenience. It looks lovely and the washi tape as mini bunting is a great idea.

  7. Kendall says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    Well done! Your cake looks lovely! I leave the cake decorating up to the kids here. The birthday boy or girl gets to choose 3 packets of lollies from the lolly aisle at the supermarket. They decide whether they want a choc or a vanilla cake and choose the icing colour. Then I make the cake and the kids take over with the icing and decorating. Usually I make the cake plus a ton of cupcakes so the birthday boy/girl can be in charge of the main cake and siblings and friends can go to town decorating the little cakes. The only down side to this is that cake-and-lolly combinations can be pretty weird and wacky for my tastebuds. On the up side, I pick off what I don&#39t want from my slice of cake and throw it on someone else&#39s plate which makes for very happy children!

  8. Susen Kuchta says

    Monday at 10:34 am

    I love this beach theme activity! We did one this summer too but unfortunately had no sand 🙁 Improvised with some brown rice that I bought to eat but my daughter was not a fan of the brown rice so rather than tossing it I made it into a beach theme sensory bin as 'sand!' Whenever we do get some sand we're going to try your activity!

  9. nellbe says

    Monday at 11:15 am

    I am going to leave this fancy cake icing to you, I have been known to do ice cream cakes and cover the top with Ice Magic for ease and convenience. It looks lovely and the washi tape as mini bunting is a great idea.

  10. Kendall says

    Monday at 1:19 pm

    Well done! Your cake looks lovely! I leave the cake decorating up to the kids here. The birthday boy or girl gets to choose 3 packets of lollies from the lolly aisle at the supermarket. They decide whether they want a choc or a vanilla cake and choose the icing colour. Then I make the cake and the kids take over with the icing and decorating. Usually I make the cake plus a ton of cupcakes so the birthday boy/girl can be in charge of the main cake and siblings and friends can go to town decorating the little cakes. The only down side to this is that cake-and-lolly combinations can be pretty weird and wacky for my tastebuds. On the up side, I pick off what I don't want from my slice of cake and throw it on someone else's plate which makes for very happy children!

  11. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    That&#39s a great idea, Susen! Rice feels really nice to play with too. Thanks for your sweet words!

  12. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    That&#39s a fantastic idea, Kendall! The kids would LOVE that! 🙂

  13. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:16 am

    Thank you so much, Nell! Ice-cream cakes were considered such a huge treat when we were kids – so much kid-appeal and so easy for Mum – double win! Sounds smart to me. 🙂

  14. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 9:50 pm

    That's a great idea, Susen! Rice feels really nice to play with too. Thanks for your sweet words!

  15. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 9:53 pm

    That's a fantastic idea, Kendall! The kids would LOVE that! 🙂

  16. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 9:55 pm

    Thank you so much, Nell! Ice-cream cakes were considered such a huge treat when we were kids – so much kid-appeal and so easy for Mum – double win! Sounds smart to me. 🙂

  17. Abby @Just a Girl and Her Blog says

    Monday at 11:17 am

    What?! This is incredible! Fondant has always been so intimidating to me, but you make it look do-able! I&#39m sure the cake was a hit– it is so beautiful! Hope you are doing well, my friend! Have a great day!

    ~Abby =)

  18. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:17 am

    I know what you mean, Abby – just the thought of making my own fondant was enough to make me break out in hives, till I actually tried it! Couldn&#39t be easier, and I&#39m all for easy! Thanks for stopping by, friend! 🙂 xo

  19. Abby @Just a Girl and Her Blog says

    Wednesday at 7:19 pm

    What?! This is incredible! Fondant has always been so intimidating to me, but you make it look do-able! I'm sure the cake was a hit– it is so beautiful! Hope you are doing well, my friend! Have a great day!

    ~Abby =)

  20. Karen Schravemade says

    Wednesday at 10:09 pm

    I know what you mean, Abby – just the thought of making my own fondant was enough to make me break out in hives, till I actually tried it! Couldn't be easier, and I'm all for easy! Thanks for stopping by, friend! 🙂 xo

  21. Christine @ Rustic & Refin says

    Monday at 11:17 am

    Beautiful room and I love the colors you chose!

  22. Abby @Just a Girl and Her Blog says

    Monday at 11:17 am

    Oh my goodness. Looking through the links from tonight&#39s party, and I&#39m absolutely bawling my eyes out reading Theo & Immy&#39s story and then watching your SIL&#39s reaction to the room. What a beautiful, beautiful gift! You certainly have a heart of gold, my friend! I&#39m sure Theo is absolutely loving his nursery. Thank you so much for sharing! <3

    ~Abby =)

  23. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:17 am

    Thank you so much, Christine! xo

  24. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:17 am

    Thank you, dear Abby! I&#39m sorry I made you cry! Theo and Immy&#39s story does have that effect on people – I still get teary at odd moments when it hits me again. It&#39s been wonderful watching Theo grow and thrive – he just turned one! His corrected age is 8 months. He&#39s doing really well now – unrecognisable from the tiny, tiny little baby he was in hospital! xo

  25. Christine @ Rustic & Refined says

    Sunday at 11:27 pm

    Beautiful room and I love the colors you chose!

  26. Abby @Just a Girl and Her Blog says

    Monday at 12:06 am

    Oh my goodness. Looking through the links from tonight's party, and I'm absolutely bawling my eyes out reading Theo & Immy's story and then watching your SIL's reaction to the room. What a beautiful, beautiful gift! You certainly have a heart of gold, my friend! I'm sure Theo is absolutely loving his nursery. Thank you so much for sharing! <3

    ~Abby =)

  27. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 1:49 am

    Thank you so much, Christine! xo

  28. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 1:54 am

    Thank you, dear Abby! I'm sorry I made you cry! Theo and Immy's story does have that effect on people – I still get teary at odd moments when it hits me again. It's been wonderful watching Theo grow and thrive – he just turned one! His corrected age is 8 months. He's doing really well now – unrecognisable from the tiny, tiny little baby he was in hospital! xo

  29. Christy James says

    Monday at 11:18 am

    What an amazing sister-in-law you are! This room turned out gorgeous and I know your kind deed was SO welcomed after such an uphill battle. Can&#39t wait to share this beautiful space, thanks so much for sharing at our party! XO

  30. Kelly Boettcher says

    Monday at 11:17 am

    What a beautiful gift. Thank you so much for sharing!

  31. Christy James says

    Monday at 3:30 pm

    What an amazing sister-in-law you are! This room turned out gorgeous and I know your kind deed was SO welcomed after such an uphill battle. Can't wait to share this beautiful space, thanks so much for sharing at our party! XO

  32. Kelly Boettcher says

    Monday at 5:34 pm

    What a beautiful gift. Thank you so much for sharing!

  33. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:18 am

    Thank you, Kelly! xo

  34. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:18 am

    Christy, thank you! It meant so much to be able to put a smile on some faces after what they&#39d been through. Thank you for sharing! xo

  35. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 9:49 pm

    Thank you, Kelly! xo

  36. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 9:52 pm

    Christy, thank you! It meant so much to be able to put a smile on some faces after what they'd been through. Thank you for sharing! xo

  37. April Hoff says

    Monday at 11:18 am

    What an amazing an inspiring story! I love this room, but I love the meaning behind it even more! So special! xo

  38. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:18 am

    April, thank you so much for your heartfelt words! Little Immy touched so many lives, and continues to do so. This was definitely the most meaningful room makeover I&#39ve ever done!

  39. April Hoff says

    Tuesday at 1:42 pm

    What an amazing an inspiring story! I love this room, but I love the meaning behind it even more! So special! xo

  40. Karen Schravemade says

    Tuesday at 2:02 pm

    April, thank you so much for your heartfelt words! Little Immy touched so many lives, and continues to do so. This was definitely the most meaningful room makeover I've ever done!

  41. Megan {The Brick Bungalow} says

    Monday at 11:18 am

    What a lovely room for a very deserving family.

  42. Megan {The Brick Bungalow} says

    Sunday at 1:02 pm

    What a lovely room for a very deserving family.

  43. Karen Schravemade says

    Monday at 11:09 am

    Thank you, Megan! They are indeed – it was definitely a privilege to be able to do this for them after everything they&#39ve been through.

  44. Karen Schravemade says

    Sunday at 8:57 pm

    Thank you, Megan! They are indeed – it was definitely a privilege to be able to do this for them after everything they've been through.

A blog by

Karen Schravemade

welcome!

Hi friends! So glad you're here! I'm Karen, Aussie stay-home Mum to four littlies, former teacher of Creative Arts, agented writer and interior decorator. I'm on a journey to bring beauty to my home and enjoy a more creative life with my kids - I'd love for you to join us. (Curious? Read more here!)

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INSTAFEED

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5 years ago, I was struggling with social media ad 5 years ago, I was struggling with social media addiction.⁠⠀
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My compulsion to scroll on my phone was making me deeply unhappy, but I couldn't seem to stop. ⁠⠀
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It feels incredibly vulnerable, but for the first time, I'm sharing my raw and honest story about how I became addicted to social media, and the exact steps I took to break free. ⁠⠀
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I've gone from wasting hours on a mindless distraction that only ever made me feel worse about myself, to falling in love with God's Word and finding true rest + peace in his presence.⁠⠀
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I'm a speaker at the 2020 Christian Women's Self Care Conference, and the topic of my session is "Stop the Scroll and Feed your Soul - how to break social media addiction and find rest in God's presence."⁠⠀
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There are 55+ speakers in total, speaking on a wide range of topics relating to self care. Registration is FREE, but only for a couple more days until conference starts on November 9th! ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
If you want to hold your seat, just tap the link in my bio and select "Self Care Conference", which will take you to the registration page.⁠⠀
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I hope you'll be blessed!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Meanwhile, please tell me I'm not alone - has anyone else ever struggled with this?? Do share. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
PS... You can read more of my story in my latest blog post! (Link in bio -> Visit the blog). ⁠⠀
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I also shared this super cute DIY phone box to help you interrupt the pattern of mindlessly picking up your phone!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
xo Karen⁠⠀
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#selfcare #christianwomen #christianlife #socialmediaaddiction #phoneaddiction #selfcaresistersociety
If there's one word to describe how many women hav If there's one word to describe how many women have been feeling this year... it would be "depleted."⁠⠀
⁠⠀
I mean, for real. Who would've guessed back at the start of this year that we'd be dealing with a global pandemic, homeschooling our kids, financial uncertainty, and a total lockdown on many of our most comforting routines?⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Ladies, it's time to refill those emptied-out tanks before this year is out. I'm so excited to share that I'll be speaking at the 2020 Christian Women's Self-Care Conference, alongside 55 other bloggers, authors and speakers. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
It's totally online, and our aim is to bless you with help and encouragement for your 2020-wearied soul! ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Even better, registration is FREE until the conference begins on November 7th, so make sure you hold your seat today! Just click the link in my bio and choose "SELF CARE CONFERENCE".⁠⠀
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Hope to see you there!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
xo Karen⁠⠀
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P.S. Swipe - do you recognise one of those Day One speakers...? More on what I'll be speaking about, very soon! It's a goody!! 😉 😍⁠⠀
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#selfcare #selfcaresistersociety #2020⁠⠀
It’s Reconciliation Week in Australia and right It’s Reconciliation Week in Australia and right now my heart is so heavy with the injustice in the world that I’m struggling to even find the words.

Knowing that I’m inherently complicit in that injustice because of my privilege is sobering. At times I’ve been silent when I should have spoken and at other times I've spoken when I should’ve shut up and listened to the only voices in this narrative that really matter - the voices of those who’ve experienced this sort of prejudice from inside their own skin.

Racial injustice has always grieved my heart, but there’s a difference between empathy and kindness. Having empathy is important, but it’s not enough. Kindness speaks and acts. And right now I don’t really know what to say but somehow I feel it’s important to say something anyway, however imperfectly. Because there is nothing as deafening as silence in the face of systemic suffering.

I don’t know a lot. But I do know that Jesus was always on the side of the oppressed and marginalised. And the Bible tells us that one day, the last will be first and the first will be last. To me that means that in God’s new restored kingdom, these corrupt systems of the world will be turned on their head. In that day, those who’ve benefited from a system of white supremacy (myself included) will be the least. Those who’ve been oppressed and mistreated in this life will be honoured and elevated with the nobility they deserve. What a day that will be!! 🙌

But it’s not enough to know that someday it will all be made right. I hope to see heaven come to earth. I hope to see more black leaders, politicians, policy makers, authors, artists, influencers, CEO’s, entrepreneurs, bank managers, lawyers, judges, scientists and professors. The system is unfairly stacked and our privilege is self-perpetuating. I pray for it all to be turned upside down within our lifetime.

In the (paraphrased) words of MLK, let’s not prefer a negative peace which is an absence of tension (aka passivity, complacency, complicity, silence), over a positive peace, which is the presence of justice. “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
‭‭Amos‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭NIV‬‬
We’re in week one of homeschooling over here. Sc We’re in week one of homeschooling over here. School closures will last at least five weeks. I will not lie, I was anxious about how I would cope. But we are slowly finding our rhythm and perhaps one day in the distant future I’ll even have time to start scheduling posts to Instagram again. For now, this is a random mid week check-in to say, how are you surviving, friends? I’m thinking of you! Wishing you an oasis of calm in the midst of everything, whether it means getting up half an hour earlier than the kids for a morning walk alone, or locking yourself in the bedroom at night with a good book while hubby puts the kids to bed. #doneboth #wewillsurvive 💗
Easter iso style - camping on our land! When so ma Easter iso style - camping on our land!
When so many are feeling hopeless right now, we are thankful for the hope Jesus brings. 💚🧡 Happy Easter, friends!
There is no right or wrong way to be right now.⁠ There is no right or wrong way to be right now.⁠
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I've felt led to share some hope and peace with you this week. That doesn't mean you need to put any extra pressure on yourself if you are struggling to tap into peacefulness right now.⁠
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I'm an Enneagram 4, so I am well accustomed to getting trapped inside my own feelings. For the feelers, the weight of the world's problems can sometimes feel intense and overwhelming.⁠
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I was on the beach the other day, praying for a "4" friend who is struggling with this exact thing. And all of a sudden, all of these butterflies started flying from the sand dunes toward the sea, and out over the waves.⁠
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It was a windy day and they were being buffeted around. But I was so intrigued that despite their fragility, they stayed on course, flying directly into that strong wind to get to where they were headed. It started with one, then two, then dozens upon dozens of them. None of them were blown into the water or whipped out of sight. They just flew straight on, above the waves.⁠
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And it made me think of the sensitive souls of this world. Our "butterflies", who bring so much beauty with their creativity, perception, and deep compassion for others. ⁠
⁠
Our butterflies are being extra buffeted right now by the winds of change and pain. That doesn't make them weak. In fact they have within them a surprising strength, to stay the course and to fly above the waves.⁠
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The thing is, you don't have to change who you are to be strong. You don't have to be something you're not. Your sensitivity is not a weakness - it's designed into your DNA by God. With so many people hurting and afraid at the moment, we need your compassion more than ever.⁠
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If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's okay to not be okay. Just trust that even if you feel buffeted by the winds, you are lifted by his grace above the waves, and you will not be drowned.⁠
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And even if you feel like you're flailing around out there, you never know, someone else might just be watching you, admiring your beauty and your grace. 🦋
I was reading a random little story the other day I was reading a random little story the other day from the book of Numbers, in the Bible. ⁠
⁠
A king was scared of the Israelites and so he paid a prophet to curse them. Except every time they tried it, the guy spoke blessings instead. This is what he said:⁠
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"God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king." (Numbers 23:20-21)⁠
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Even the curses of the enemy will be turned into blessings for the people of God. ⁠
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He has given us an inheritance that cannot be shaken. ⁠
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💜 What blessing are you thankful for today? ⁠
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I'm thankful for the leadership of my local church, who continue to minister to peoples' needs both spiritual and physical. Our pastors have their own families and needs, yet they consistently look outward to care for their flock. ⁠
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Let me know yours below! Let's name as many BLESSINGS as we can!⁠
⁠
xo Karen
Thank you God, for your goodness.⁠ ⁠ For famil Thank you God, for your goodness.⁠
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For family and a home and a table to gather around with our loved ones.⁠
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Thank you that when so much else is changing, you remain the same.⁠
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Thank you that you are for us and not against us. That your heart is toward us. That in you is all we need, now and always.⁠
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We pray for those who are lonely and isolated and anxious and unwell. For those whose jobs and livelihoods are lost or threatened. Give us creative ways to reach out with kindness, that we can be salt and light in a dark world. ⁠
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Let kindness for others not feel like a drain on our limited resources, but a natural outflowing of your continuous, abundant supply. ⁠
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Shelves may be bare, but you always have more than enough.⁠
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Every blessing comes from your hand and we are grateful.⁠
⁠
Amen
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind an “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." John 14:27⁠
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There is truly nothing like God's peace.⁠
⁠
The world can offer mindfulness and yoga and candles and calming diffused oils and self-help. Nothing wrong with any of those things, in fact they can be beautiful tools - I use all of them. ⁠
⁠
But I can say from genuine experience that the peace God gives is not like the peace the world gives. It's on a whole new level. ⁠
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It's the peace that he gives when you're in the middle of a storm and the world is turning to crap all around you and you're at the very end of yourself and self-help has begun feeling like trying to drag yourself from a pit via a rope around your waist that you're tugging on with your own two hands. ⁠
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We can't always lift ourselves out of anxiety or fear. So drop the rope. Stop striving. And ask God for HIS peace. He has an abundant well of supply for you to draw from. ⁠
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Fear is trying to hold tight to control in a situation we can't control. ⁠
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Faith asks us to let go, to repent of our fearfulness and surrender it all to God.⁠
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How do you find this miracle of peace? In the letting go.⁠
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We were never meant to carry this burden anyway. ⁠
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How are you doing today? Let me know how I can pray for you. ⁠
⁠
xo Karen
I was praying yesterday and felt God telling me th I was praying yesterday and felt God telling me that it's time to make a transition. Instead of being a person who looks for support from others in times of stress or uncertainty, he wants me to offer support TO others. ⁠
⁠
I've often felt like I don't quite have it together. I'm sensitive, I feel things deeply, I tend to get trapped in my own head and in negative thought spirals.⁠
⁠
But I felt like he was saying that I have something to offer, anyway. Just because I've always been a person who views myself as needy or weak does not mean God views me that way. He can see the strength that is in all of us and he delights in calling it forth. I love how when Gideon was hiding in fear in a winepress, God's angel greeted him by saying "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."⁠
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He was the furthest thing from a mighty warrior at that point. But God knew the battles he WOULD win in his future. He saw what did not yet exist and spoke about it as if it was already a reality. He saw Gideon's true identity and spoke directly to that buried and hidden place within him.⁠
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So. Maybe all I need is a shift in perspective. From looking inward at my own lack, to looking up at him. HE is the source of any hope and help I can offer. And if he wants me to share that, it would be my privilege to obey.⁠
⁠
So let me know... is there anything you're particularly struggling with right now? If you're feeling anxious or burdened, I would love to support you in prayer. 🙏⁠
⁠
xo Karen
We haven't been quarantined yet in Australia, but We haven't been quarantined yet in Australia, but I know many of my American friends are stuck at home right now. Either way - sounds like a good chance to do "one thing for the home."⠀
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If you're feeling anxious, it can really help to get out of your head for a little while and do something practical. We can't control anything in the outside world right now, but we CAN complete one concrete task to make our immediate environment feel calmer and function better. And sometimes just having that one little win is all we need to break us out of a negative thought-spiral and restore some equilibrium. ⠀
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If you're feeling a bit helpless and panicky, I hope this helps. It's one thing you CAN control. And doing something with your hands will give your mind a much-needed break. ⠀
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🌟THIS MONTH'S PRIZE: A $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD! 🌟⠀
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Here's a reminder of how to play:⠀
⠀
1. Decorate, declutter or organise one thing in your home, this weekend. No task is too small! One shelf or one drawer is all you need to tackle to be eligible!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
2. Post your "after" photo on the Facebook thread (click through via my link in bio). Pics DON'T have to be spectacular - they're simply proof that you did it.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
3. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. (Click through to my Facebook page via my link in bio)⁠⠀
⁠⠀
4. Tag some friends either on THIS post or on the Facebook thread to play along! If you complete the challenge, you will get a bonus entry for EVERY person you tag.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
5. Entries will be given for every challenge completed this month. We play four times in March - once every weekend! You can participate once or all four times, it's up to you!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram. The winner will be randomly drawn at 8pm AEST Monday, following the last Sunday of the month. Giveaway is open internationally.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
I'll be going live on Facebook today at 2.30pm AEST to kick off this week's challenge and show you the space I'll be tackling today. International timezones are on the third slide - swipe right to see! Or click through my link in bio at any time to see the video saved on my feed.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
I hope you join us! This will be fun!
I’ve been quiet this week. In situations of flux I’ve been quiet this week. In situations of flux or stress my tendency is to withdraw and process. (I’ve learned this is very Enneagram 4 of me.) I also feel major reticence about adding to the current noise. I feel there are enough voices talking loudly all at once about the same thing and you don’t need one more.
So I give you instead a prayer for peace. If you are feeling anxious, let this be your exhale today. 💙
Weekend feels courtesy of the "Hamptons House"... Weekend feels courtesy of the "Hamptons House"... 😉⁠
⁠
What are you up to this weekend, friends?⁠
⁠
xo Karen
It's Friday! Time for our weekly "One Thing for th It's Friday! Time for our weekly "One Thing for the Home" challenge! ⁠This month I'm gonna raise the stakes and give away a $50 Amazon Gift Card. 🎉🎉WOOHOO!!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
You can win just by getting something done that you've been meaning to get to around your home! ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Here's how to play.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
1. Decorate, declutter or organise one thing in your home, this weekend. No task is too small! One shelf or one drawer is all you need to tackle to be eligible!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
2. Post your "after" photo on the Facebook thread (click through via my link in bio). Pics DON'T have to be spectacular - they're simply proof that you did it.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
3. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. (Click through to my Facebook page via my link in bio)⁠⠀
⁠⠀
4. Tag some friends either on THIS post or on the Facebook thread to play along! If you complete the challenge, you will get a bonus entry for EVERY person you tag.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
5. Entries will be given for every challenge completed this month. We play four times in March - once every weekend! You can participate once or all four times, it's up to you!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram. The winner will be randomly drawn at 8pm AEST Monday, following the last Sunday of the month. Giveaway is open internationally.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
I'll be going live on Facebook today at 2.30pm AEST to kick off this week's challenge and show you the space I'll be tackling today. International timezones are on the third slide - swipe right to see! Or click through my link in bio at any time to see the video saved on my feed.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
I hope you join us! This will be fun! 🤩⁠⠀
⁠⠀
May the odds be ever in your favour! 😉⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Let's get this accountability ball rolling - let me know below what you're thinking of tackling this month!⁠⠀
⁠⠀
xo Karen⁠⠀
⁠⠀
⁠⠀
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#onethingforthehome #organized #organising #organisedhome #organisedlife #organisedmum #homeorganising #tidyhome #organization #organizedhome #aplaceforeverythingandeverythinginitsplace
We are getting closer on the home build front... a We are getting closer on the home build front... after two years of sketching dozens upon dozens of floor layout ideas and ultimately trashing all of them, I finally have a plan I LOVE!! ⁠
⁠
It ended up being a highly collaborative effort between our architect and myself - he came up with a general concept and gave me external parameters to suit the contours of the block, and I then designed the internal layouts to fit. ⁠
⁠
Turns out that is exactly what I needed - some guidelines! Amazing how much better our creativity flourishes within constraints. It was way too open-ended before our architect came on board, and I was flailing around in all that freedom like a tadpole in the ocean. Within a day or two of having a blank footprint to work within, I actually had a decent plan. We've tweaked it a little since then, but it's virtually the same.⁠
⁠
I love it when something you've struggled with for the longest time suddenly just clicks. Has this ever happened for you?⁠
⁠
Now we just need to draft it up properly and then see if we can actually afford to build it. Lol. ⁠
⁠
One step at a time... 😆Celebrating progress today!⁠
⁠
xo Karen⁠
⁠
P.S. Let me know if you'd like to see a sneak peek of our plan in stories!!
So here's a little Enneagram primer to follow on f So here's a little Enneagram primer to follow on from yesterday's chat! This is just off the top of my head, so please take it with a grain of salt - there is SO MUCH more to each type than what I can sum up in a sentence.⁠
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Here are the 9 types:⁠
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1 - The Moral Perfectionist: self-critical, organised, driven by the desire to make things right and good⁠
2 - The Helper: relationally driven, people focussed, places others' needs ahead of their own⁠
3 - The Achiever: success driven and ambitious, gets things done, image conscious⁠
4 - The Romantic Individualist: creative, driven by the desire for uniqueness, feels things deeply⁠
5 - The Investigative Thinker: introverted and analytical,  detached from emotion⁠
6 - The Loyalist: community minded, a team player, driven by the need for security and anxiety about the future⁠
7 - The Entertaining Optimist: positive, energetic and playful, driven to squeeze as much fun out of life as possible⁠
8 - The Protective Challenger: a natural leader, confrontational, confident and determined⁠
9 - The Peaceful Mediator: conflict-avoidant, gentle and steady, driven to seek inner peace⁠
⁠
I'm a 4 wing 5, married to an 8 wing 7. They do say opposites attract 😆⁠
⁠
Do you see yourself in any of these descriptions? ⁠
⁠
xo Karen
ENNEAGRAM⁠ ⁠ Where are my fellow Enneagram fan ENNEAGRAM⁠
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Where are my fellow Enneagram fanatics??!⁠
⁠
I've only recently "discovered" the Enneagram, and OH. MY. GOODNESS. What a game changer. ⁠
⁠
If you're not familiar with it, it's a personality typing system.  I've always been interested in personality differences and human behaviour - that's probably the novelist in me. But none of the other systems I've come across have resonated with me as deeply as the Enneagram.⁠
⁠
It is so accurate, it's almost uncanny.⁠
⁠
Basically, there are 9 types, representing 9 different ways of looking at the world, each with different motivations, behaviour traits, strengths and flaws.⁠
⁠
I'm an Enneagram 4. That's the "Romantic Individualist". It's an artistic temperament driven by creativity, love of beauty, a desire for uniqueness, introspection, and authenticity.⁠
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I guess it's no surprise that when I had to ask my friends and readers to sum up my strengths for an assignment I was given, the two words that came up most frequently were "creativity" and "honesty".⁠
⁠
Enneagram 4's feel deeply and are very connected to our emotions. We'd  much rather have a meaningful conversation about deep feelings than make small talk about trivial things. ⁠
⁠
Each type can pull a little more to one or other of the numbers beside them, giving a different flavour. I'm a wing 5 (the "Investigative Thinker") which means I tend to be less temperamental/ moody, and more steady, reserved and analytical. ⁠
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I'm also daydreamy, a big-picture thinker, and despise administrative details. My "fatal flaw" (each type has one) is comparison and envy. Ohhhhh yep, that certainly rings true. Because while we want to stand out and be special, which can be prideful, we also struggle hard with insecurity and feeling like we never quite measure up.⁠
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Yes, yes and YES.⁠
⁠
If you haven't done the Enneagram test, do a search online - it's honestly so interesting and self-revealing.⁠
⁠
If you know your type, what number are you? xo
So I found out I have bronchitis. 🙄At least I f So I found out I have bronchitis. 🙄At least I feel less like a whiner - if I get sick I usually shake it within a couple of days, so I was starting to feel irritated with myself for still being crook after three weeks!⁠
⁠
Anyhow, could be worse, and I do feel like I'm starting to pick up again now. ⁠
⁠
This buffet in our living room holds a changing arrangement of mostly-white vases, with a bit of blue glass and green foliage thrown in for good measure. ⁠
⁠
Are you a chronic re-arranger, or do you prefer to leave things as-is? ⁠
⁠
To be honest, I've always been a "get it exactly how I want it then leave it like that forever" type of girl, but I've been loosening up and playing around more with my décor this past year, and it struck me that my buffet has gone through several style shifts now. I actually like it a little bit better every time I make a change! ⁠
⁠
Hope this new week will be an awesome one for you, friends!⁠
⁠
xo Karen⁠
BLACK vs WHITE⁠ ⁠ Let's talk kitchens! Our hou BLACK vs WHITE⁠
⁠
Let's talk kitchens! Our house build is on my mind, and even though we're only at the plan stage, I'm trying to nail down my ideas in a general creative direction. ⁠
⁠
The last three kitchens I've designed have been all white, with accents of grey. I really want to use black in my next kitchen. I love the drama of it (as we already established, I like a bit of drama. Ha.) I keep veering back and forth between all black, or some combination of black and white. ⁠
⁠
I'm interested to know... what would you choose? My guess is that white-on-white is still gonna be the most popular choice, and black will probably be controversial, but I could be wrong! ⁠
⁠
So let me know - I'm keen to hear your opinion!⁠
⁠
1. All white⁠
2. All black⁠
3. Black + white⁠
⁠
🖤♡🖤♡🖤⁠
Karen
It's Friday! Time for our weekly "One Thing for th It's Friday! Time for our weekly "One Thing for the Home" challenge! ⁠This month I'm gonna raise the stakes and give away a $50 Amazon Gift Card. 🎉🎉WOOHOO!!⠀
⠀
You can win just by getting something done that you've been meaning to get to around your home! ⠀
⁠⠀
Here's how to play.⠀
⁠⠀
1. Decorate, declutter or organise one thing in your home, this weekend. No task is too small! One shelf or one drawer is all you need to tackle to be eligible!⠀
⁠⠀
2. Post your "after" photo on the Facebook thread (click through via my link in bio). Pics DON'T have to be spectacular - they're simply proof that you did it.⁠⠀
⠀
3. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.⠀
⁠⠀
4. Tag some friends either on THIS post or on the Facebook thread to play along! If you complete the challenge, you will get a bonus entry for EVERY person you tag.⠀
⠀
5. Entries will be given for every challenge completed this month. We play four times in March - once every weekend! You can participate once or all four times, it's up to you!⠀
⁠⠀
Giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram. The winner will be randomly drawn at 8pm AEST Monday, following the last Sunday of the month. Giveaway is open internationally.⠀
⠀
I'll be going live on Facebook today at 2.30pm AEST to kick off this week's challenge and show you the space I'll be tackling today. International timezones are on the third slide - swipe right to see! Or click through my link in bio at any time to see the video saved on my feed.⠀
⠀
I hope you join us! This will be fun! 🤩⠀
⠀
May the odds be ever in your favour! 😉⠀
⠀
Let's get this accountability ball rolling - let me know below what you're thinking of tackling this month!⠀
⠀
xo Karen⠀
⠀
P.S. You can decorate, declutter or organise anything you like. No task is too small! Tackle a drawer, a shelf, or a storage tub. Do that niggly little job you've been meaning to get to. Hang that picture. Paint that stool. Sort through the kids clothes. We’ve all got that “one thing” - let us know yours! xo⠀
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#onethingforthehome #organized #organising #organisedhome #organisedlife #organisedmum #homeorganising #tidyhome #organization #organizedhome #aplaceforeverythinga
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