Have you had a good fruit cobbler this summer? It's a must!
Get yourself to the farmer's market or local U-Pick Berry farm and get your fruit. Or you could go to the super market and pick up a can or package of frozen fruit. But since it's summer and fruit is everywhere to be found, use it while you can.

My friend Andrea gave me this recipe. It's beyond easy. Anyone can do it. Well if you didn't have an oven, it would be challenging.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Get a 9x13 pan or an 8x8 for a smaller batch, but trust me, you will want leftovers.

Melt one stick of margarine or butter (if you have any feelings for Paula Deen, just use the butter). You can do this over the stove top, in the microwave (the easiest) or placing the stick of butter in the pan you are going to cook the cobbler in, and place in oven.

While butter is melting, combine one cup of all purpose flower, one cup of sugar and a small splash of vanilla. ( Maybe 1 teaspoon)

Pour batter into pan, then add fruit. About two cups worth. Don't overload it.

Place in oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden, bubbly brown.

It might be wise to place a cookie sheet underneath your pan, you just never know what might happen in the oven when you aren't looking. :)

Let it cool for at least 10 minutes so you don't burn your tongue. Trust me.

And don't worry one bit if you get to talking to your friends that are over for dinner and you are having such a good time that you accidentally forget about the cobbler and it gets brown and crunchy. It will still be delicious.

Oh....you absolutely MUST serve this warm with some vanilla ice cream. Even better if it's homemade ice cream.

And because I love Pinterest SO very much, I'm giving them their due credit for the picture of a berry/peach cobbler.

Hopefully this picture got your tastebuds moving. (even though it is a little blurry)

Happy Eating!

Love and Blessings,

The Faithful City Mouse

Christmas In July

So it's summer. And here in Arkansas it's about 120 degrees EVERYDAY! Ok, maybe only 95, but still. It's HOT!

When it's summer and temperature outside is set on hell, most people are thinking about the beach or possibly an ice cream cone. But me...I'm thinking about Christmas. I love Christmas. It's the happiest time of the year you know.
At work I have been taking advantage of Pandora and it's free music playing abilities. I've been listening to the Ella Fitzgerald Christmase Music Channel. I made it up myself.

Why isn't acceptable to listen to Christmas music all year round? I love it!

So for all of you that are still reading and wishing that you too were sipping on a peppermint mocha with whip, this one is for you. One of my favorite Christmas songs.

And just because I couldn't help myself......

 If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will!

Happy Christmas In July! :)

Love,

The Faithful City Mouse

How cool would it be......

How cool would it be if I woke up and my hair looked like this....

And then I ate this for breakfast.......

And of course I couldn't start my day with out coffee.......

I would spend time at the lake picking up rocks......

Have a few friends over for a low key lunch ....

Take a nap on this bed.....

Make dinner for the hubs in my kitchen........

Spend some time under the stars with same bunch I had over for lunch.....

And do it all over again tomorrow.

Would that be cool?

I actually really like my life. And my house. My sometimes stinky dog. My kitchen that often has dirty dishes in the sink (just being honest). My unfinished, full of clean clothes that I haven't put away yet laundry room. My town which has NO Starbucks ( I know!). My bed which is typically made. And even the mouse that once frequented this house (Yes, I really do think he is GONE!).

God gave this life to me. Not my neighbor, or my cousin or the lady selling peaches on the square.

He knew that I could handle everything he threw my way (even when I'm not so sure). He knew that I would love to read and not be able to pass up the laundry detergent aisle without taking a sniff. He knew that I would grow up a city girl but be the happiest in a small country setting. He knew the wonderful man of God that He was preparing just for ME! That was pretty awesome of Him. And lucky for my hubby (wink wink).

Thank you God for MY life. Thank you for my family that loves me. Thank you for taking care of me.

Be thankful for your circumstances right now. Not what could have been, or what should be, or even what you wish to be. Just be thankful in the place you are at right now. God's got a plan for you. And if you keep your focus on Him, he'll send you the directions.

"But Godliness with contentment brings great gain"  1 Timothy 6:6

I hope you have a great day!

Love and Blessings,

The Faithful City Mouse

* All pictures are courtesy of pinterest.

Also I'm linking up with Kendra at Key Lime Digital Designs for her Friday Link up Party.

Go check it out.

Magazine Love

I used to get a ton of magazines. Ok, maybe only 8 or so. That's close to a ton right?

I have seriously limited my subscriptions and now only get a few.

One of the magazines I get is Better Homes and Gardens. Do you get this too?

I don't know about you, but when I open my mailbox and there is a magazine in there, it brightens my whole day. Especially if it's a Monday. I greatly dislike Mondays.

A few of the things that I love about this issue is the color. I would never think to combine the above pieces, yet I love how it all flows together. Reminds me of my own owl chair in a way.

As you can see, Charlie thinks the owl chair is a great place for napping.

And if I had some sort of device that used an "App", I would be in to this.

Wouldn't this be great if you got your veggies from a CSA and weren't sure what to do with them? Maybe someday I will become "I" friendly. Or not. All of these pictures (minus the owl chair) are from the Better Homes and Gardens Website. I'm sure they dno't mind the free advertising.

What are your favorite magazines?

Have a great day everyone!

Love and Blessings,
The Faithful City Mouse

Modern Marigold

I came upon this Blog. The Modern Marigold by Amanda. She's pretty cool. And crafty.

She has a way with vintage sheets. Turns them into crafty masterpieces like skirts, purses, shirts. You should really check out her Etsy Shop. I think you will like it.

One of my favorite things from Amanda is her tutorial for "Easy Peasy Curtains". Dont worry, she said I could share this with you :)

As some of you know I recently got a sewing machine. It's white and pink. I really love it. Up until this past weekend I had never sewed anything. Seriously. My friend Jamie helped me make a pillow case. I know I should have pictures of this, but I don't. I'm still getting used to the carry-my-camera-all-over-the-place-so-you-can-document-an-experience-at-anytime-thing. I'll get there. Promise.

If you end up trying this, send me a pic. And I promise to do the same.

And most importantly, go tell Amanda how much you love her tutorial/shop/blog/style.

I look forward to getting to know Amanda more in the future. I think there is a lot to be learned from her.

So readers- do you have anything crafty that you are working on? Please share!

Have a great day!

Love and Blessings,

The Faithful City Mouse

Follow Your Heart /Accomplish Your Goals

Happy Monday!
I have a REAL treat for you today! My friend Kristen is gues blogging for us today and I'm really excited to share this with you.

She has decided to share her story with us today. One that I love to read and hear about and I think you will too.

Have you ever thought hard about something you wanted to do? But maybe the fear of failing kept you from diving in?

Getting healthier is DEFINITELY on my to do list.

She has inspired me more than she will ever know with her story, success and positive feedback.

Make sure you read all the way thru and then go tell Kristen how much you loved reading her post today!

Thanks Kristen!

Making My Dreams (Finally) Come True

By Kristen Kessinger

Or, as I sometimes like to refer to this story, How a Bridesmaid Dress Changed My Life.

My name is Kristen Kessinger and I went to high school with Rachel. We were friendly at school, but didn’t know each other very well. I am so glad that we’ve reconnected online and so honored that she invited me to share my story with you! So here goes .

I have been overweight all my life. In December 2010, I weighed 270 pounds and I had all but given up. I’d tried diet after diet, exercise video after exercise video, and I could never seem to stick with it. If I missed a workout or ate some pizza, I’d get so disheartened and my inner voice would tell me that I’d never accomplish anything. I’d watch each Biggest Loser episode—occasionally while eating a bowl of ice cream—and pray I’d reach my goals someday too. In fact, I even tried out for the show. But nothing ever seemed to work.

And then I read the newspaper that would change my life.

Each year for the last three, the newspaper I subscribe to has run a weight loss contest in conjunction with a personal training company. For the first two years, I read each article avidly, wistfully wishing that I was brave enough to apply and lucky enough to get accepted so I, too, could change my life. This past December, I saw an ad seeking contestants for the 2011 contest and I wrote an application essay that very morning, before I even left for work.

Some fears plagued me: if I miraculously get chosen, will my coworkers judge my weight? Will my family? What if I fail? But I’ve let worrying control my life for far too long now, and I stifled that voice for one of the first times in my life. In early January, I hadn’t yet heard anything, but I HAD received my bridesmaid dress for my future sister-in-law’s wedding. And it was nearly four inches too small across the back. In a panic, I sent a second application letter about the dress dilemma and added blog links to the top reasons I want to lose weight and a vision board outlining my dreams for the future.

In the meantime, I decided not to place my hope in a contest that accepted only five people out of hundreds and I decided to start living by the philosophy of my blog: Starting This Minute. I couldn’t risk waiting around for the contest folks to decide and potentially gaining even more weight. I joined Weight Watchers and quickly dropped seven pounds.

And then I got the e-mail: I was one of 15 finalists and I was invited to go to the newspaper offices and interview with the editors and trainers involved in the contest. I was overjoyed and terrified. I hadn’t been on an interview since my last internship started in 2004. I was hired full time by that company and I’ve been at the same job ever since.

To make a long story (somewhat) short(er), I nailed the interview (maybe they felt bad for me when I burst into tears when asked to describe why this meant so much to me?) and I got accepted. I remember smiling so big I thought my face would split. I felt like I had won the lottery and I was so proud of myself for taking a leap and putting myself out there—and achieving my ultimate goal.

But that was just the beginning.

The contest was no magic bullet to weight loss. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. As part of the contest, we were given a personal trainer who trained us one-on-one three days per week, and we had access to the gym’s boot camp classes as well. My husband was laid off in January, and I felt like God had granted an incredible gift in my life that I never could have afforded otherwise. Those free resources made a huge difference, but the big challenges were the strict diet and the workouts on our own.

For 12 weeks, this is what I ate (with slight variation):

Breakfast: Two eggs with diced tomatoes and onions

Snack: Protein shake and banana

Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with organic Newman’s Own olive oil and vinegar dressing; grapes

Snack: Raw almonds and an apple

Dinner: Tilapia and green beans or grilled chicken with asparagus or turkey tacos with low-sodium seasoning and lettuce in place of tortillas

For a girl used to eating pizza and pasta a few times a week, this was quite a life change. The clean eating, combined with daily (and sometimes twice daily) workouts led to an incredible transformation. In 12 weeks, I lost 47 pounds. Added to the 7 I lost in December and the nine I’d lost in previous months, I had lost 67 pounds, going from 283 to 216 .

I can’t even begin to describe how different I feel. My triglycerides went from a crazy-unhealthy level to an excellent one. My blood pressure dropped 20 points. I lost six inches across the chest—and my bridesmaid dress fit PERFECTLY .

The best part is I felt like I lost even more than pounds—I lost the constant sense of shame that I’d never even known was there until it was gone. For the first time, I felt comfortable dressing up and going out with friends. I wore a sleeveless dress to a wedding and forgot to keep my wrap firmly around my arms at all times. I even went out for a bachelorette party on a boat and wore my bathing suit with some confidence. But  my proudest accomplishment, bar none, was running a 5K straight through. Before February, I’d never even run a mile and I was absolutely petrified of running .

So, why am I sharing this story here? More than anything, I want to connect with the person who feels like she’s about to give up. I want to give her a hug and tell her I’ve been there. And I want to tell her that there is hope. You don’t have to wonder IF something will ever happen; you just have to MAKE it happen. It took me so long to believe in myself enough to learn that lesson.

I may have had a contest with free personal training to get me started, but that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to go on my own, and I know I can do it. And I know that YOU can achieve the dream you’ve been wanting for so long too—whether it’s weight loss, a new career, a savings goal so you can go on an incredible vacation, or anything else.

Since I’ve written a novel instead of a blog post, I will leave you with one final quote:

“A year from now, you will wish you had started today.”  ~Karen Lamb

So follow your dreams—starting this minute.

PS: I am happy to answer any questions, provide some of my workouts or more detailed food guidelines, or be a support system as you achieve your dreams! You can contact me by leaving a comment here or through my blog at http://startingthisminute.wordpress.com.  

The NEW Faithful City Mouse Blog AND A Freebie

Happy Saturday everyone!

Have you noticed anything new on my blog? I'm super excited to introduce you to the mastermind behind it.

It started like this:

I am in love with my girl Gussy of Gussy Sews. Who doesn't love her?!

She has advertisements on her blog of people who own Indie businesses or handmade business. There are lots of cool things to be found from her blog. You must go check her out. Like right now. Ok, well after you read this of course. :)

While browsing around I found the amazingly, talented Kendra. Shop owner of Key Lime Digital Designs.

Some things I know about Kendra:

She lives in Hawaii!

She loves cookie dough (my kind of girl!)

And she has the most adorable little girl!

You must stop by, check out her blog and say hi!

She has something for everyone on her blog- I promise. Free printables, tutorials and her bread and butter, Blog Designs. Have I mentioned she's talented?

I knew I wanted something awesome for my blog and she helped me do that. Something that was personal to me and could help me encourage others.

 And when I say "Help", I mean she answered all 247 of my emails (slight exageration) and held my hand the whole time. She was Johnny on the spot and very prompt at getting back with me. In fact I like her so much, I just might need to go to Hawaii and take her out for lunch- and maybe Key Lime truffles for dessert? Wowee!

And if she wasn't cool enough- she has also provided us with a FREEBIE! Woohoo!

You can download it HERE

This download is in pdf form and includes 6 bingo cards & instructions. Game cards are 8.5 x 11 {regular printer paper size} you can play this game by calling out the picture name {ie..house, whale} or for a little bit more of a challenge you can call out any letter from the alphabet and have players find the coordinating picture. {there is not a picture for v or q} Have a blast with your family tonight!
[this download is for personal use only.]

Any plans for the weekend?

Love and Blessings,

The Faithful City Mouse

The Help

Have you read this book? The Help, by Katherine Stockett?

I devoured it in 2 days. At first I didn't think I could read a book about the "civil rights" era. I sometimes can't handle the black and white issue. It makes me angry that white people felt superior to the black people during a certain time in our countrie's history and it caused them to treat them terribly.

That my friends, is another topic for another day.

Back to the book. Or more importantly the movie, which is coming out in August.

I thought you might like the trailer. I highly reccomend that you read the book before seeing the movie. Because as we know, the book is ALWAYS better than the movie.

Happy Friday! Any plans for the weekend?

As for me, I'm going to spend some quality time with my new sewing machine. Pictures to follow!

Mouse In The House.....

Let's pretend for a minute that I had a mouse in my house. And I wasn't happy about it. And it caused me to creep aroud corners and make loud noises before I entered rooms to be sure and let "the mouse" know I was coming.
Let's also pretend that I wake up inspecting the areas that we have strategically placed traps, to see if maybe this time we got him. And that I may or may not have called " the mouse" names. Some not so nice.

You see the ironic thing about this blog is the title. the Faithful City Mouse. I decided to name my blog after the popular children's book (at least it was popular back in my day) where a country mouse goes to visit his city mouse cousin and then the city mouse cousin goes to visit his country mouse cousin. It always made me think of my own cousins who moved away to Minnesota when I was young. We were raised like brothers and sister, and I missed them terribly! I picked the city mouse over the country mouse because I was raised in the city, although now I'm living in what I refer to as the country. My husband would say we live in a busy town.

The even more ironic part of this blog and it's title is that shortly after I became serious about blogging, is when we discovered that we weren't the only ones living here. That we had a visitor. A visitor that frankly is NOT welcome. What is a city girl to do? A mouse in the house?

For awhile we only saw traces of said mouse. Not the actual mouse. Then one night after dinner with my parents, we saw him. The little guy scurried across the kitchen. Needless to say I screamed and ran to jump on the couch. That's what they do in the movies right?

For all I know "the mouse" checks his email at night when we go to bed and helps himself to cookies and milk from the fridge. All I can think of is the Disney movie "Ratatouille". Except in my case it would be "mouseatouille" .And dear, sweet, precious Jesus, PLEASE don't let there be one million mice living in the ceiling above my kitchen. It really might put this city girl over the edge.

But we are just pretending ......... :)

And just in case some of you haven't seen the movie "Ratatouille", here is a clip. Cute in the movie. Not so cute in real life. And the clip I wanted to show you.....well, it's in Spanish. Sorry about that.

Love and Blessings,
The Faithful City Mouse

Girl Time

Hey!
Thanks for stopping by today!

Lately I've been craving some good girl time. Do you know what I mean? The kind of girl time that involves talking and laughing, cupcakes and coffee? Maybe even a sleep over of sorts? For any of the males that might be reading this- just ask your wife or girlfriend and they will fess up. Girl time is the best. That isn't saying that I don't love my husband or hanging out with family, but every once in awhile it's important to get with the girls. Even for just one evening.

For those of you that don't have girlfriends, do you want to be mine? We can be virtual, online buddies? Maybe even exchange snail mail here and there? I'm up for it if you are. Leave a comment below if you want to exchange emails.
Even if you have girlfriends and you want more, because we can never have TOO many friends right?

On various blogs that I read I see the wives and moms talk about how much they loved a girl's night out, much like a date night. It's a chance to get out of the house! To do your hair a little special, slap on a little lig gloss, try out those new flats you're dying to wear somewhere other than the grocery store.

I was thinking that with all this girl talk, we could look for a little inspiration. And where else to look for that then at (in)courage. I caught a little video there the other day and was so inspired. Not only for my blog, but also my friendships. So often when reading the blogs I love, I see about creating a group or community online. I love this idea!
Check out this video from (In)Courage and check out their website. It is full to the brim with positive tid bits and a daily devotional. I personally get it sent to my inbox everyday.

Love and blessings, From the Faithfulcitymouse

Happy Tuesday

Howdy Howdy!

Stopped by my mother in law's last night and snapped some pretty pictures of her flowers.

Can you see the big fuzzy bumble bee? He looked kind of friendly and believe you me, I don't normally say that type of thing about bugs.

And then there was this plant, there were at least half a dozen sunflowers on one plant. Incredible! To think that God created these beauties for us. To say that He is awesome is an understatement. Try and remember that when you see something beautiful. God knows what your day will be like and where you are going. He knows where you have been and He can see the bright and beautiful future ahead of you. He wants you to succeed and live a happy, loved life.
If He can use the little bumble bees to make the world a prettier place, can you imagine what He can do with YOUR life?

Click over here for a little pinspiration! Like my new term?:)
Have a great day!

Ps- I see that there are several of you out there reading my blog! I can't tell you how happy that makes me! I hope that you stick with me and see what's to come.

Please take a moment and comment, let me know you're really out there!

Thanks again for readin! :)

My hubby, My best friend

Tonight, the hubs and I went for ice cream. We go to this little place in Mammoth Springs, AR. It's called the Spring Dipper because it's right off of the Spring River. My hubby, always looking for a laugh, calls it the Skinny Dipper. And if I say "Hey! Let's go to the Spring Dipper for some ice cream..." He says "Where? I don't know what you're talking about, never heard of it......" until I too say "Skinny Dipper". Does your husband do this ? Silly boys.

The terrible thing about the Spring Dipper is their ice cream is homemade, with love I may add. And all of it is totally FAT FREE! (Ok, I made that up!) So their ice cream is memorable, as in I think about it WAY more than I should.

I had really big hopes of taking pics of us while there, even brought the camera along. But it never made it out of the truck. And once we were in the ice cream shop, we were really distracted by a large family in there ordering ice cream. We are definitely people watchers. I can't help it, it runs deep in my blood. I come from a long line of people watchers. Anywho......they also make their own waffle cones, right there in front of you. Which brought me back to my days of slinging ice cream at Ben and Jerry's. What a job!

I sometimes think to myself that we never go on date nights or have planned things we go to, like a movie or out to a special dinner. But then tonight reminded me of how awesome it is to connect over little trips to get ice cream or just sitting around the house dreaming and talking or cooking together.

I'm really thankful that I have a hubby who is my best friend. He is my number one fan and supports everything I do. He encourages me and loves me no matter what. I would choose to spend a day with him over just about anyone else, unless of course Meg from whatever wanted to hang out and get coffee. It's ok, he would understand.

So since I lamed out on taking pics of the impromptu ice cream date, I'm going to share a pic from our honeymoon number two. (I will tell you that story some other time) The pic behind us was on the front of the cabin we stayed at in Eureka Springs, AR. A fabulous place! The sign says "Congrats Edward and Rachel"! How sweet :)

Happy Monday!

 

Dreaming

While at work or near a computer or even just at home doing the dishes we are usually listening to the Christian Radio Station  K Love.
During their broadcasts they often have people share inspiring stories. Yesterday in between songs a gentleman from the Dave Ramsey staff (which you can find  here) was sharing his story about finding a job he loved. He talked about how so often people are stuck in a job or situation that they don't really want to be in. He said that "Dreaming is an act of recovery." Sit back and let that soak in a little. "Dreaming is an act of Recovery".......
Think about what you loved doing as a kid. Did you like reading or dancing or cooking or making things with your hands? What made you stop loving that or doing that? Did someone tell you that you couldn't? Sadly a lot of times are families hold us back from doing things, even though they mean well. For example, the Dave Ramsey gentleman said he knew a girl that used to love to dance and wanted to pursue this for a living. When a parent got wind of this idea they told her that dancing wasn't a real job and there was no future in this. Heartbreaking, but this happens all the time. The parent wasn't trying to crush her dream, just setting her up for what was reality in their eyes.
He now writes for the Dave Ramsey team and absolutely loves his job. Then I think of my girl Gussy who quit her day job and sews for a living and is tickled pink about it, everyday.

It doesn't just have to be about your job, maybe you have a great job and love the people you work with, but you are looking for a hobby or something to bring joy into your life. Dig deep and remember what it is you love to do. Make it happen. Recovery those things that you once loved.
If you aren't doing something you truly love, everyday will lack meaning.
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance to do." Ephesians 2:10
God wants our hearts to be happy and he wants to fill our desires. If you have thought of opening up a small business, go for it! Taking that new Zumba class at the gym- you got it! Trying a new recipe. Joining a bible study with a group from church. Just do it! (Thanks Nike!)
Don't wait for the right moment or the ideal situation, just go for it. You can, God will help you with whatever it is. He has planned this for you from the start.

Have a great day!

Do You Worry Too?

I worry sometimes. I used to worry a LOT. But then it became ridiculous. I would worry about worrying and then some. It got to the point where I didn't feel right if I wasn't worrying, how crazy is that?
Do you think about how you're going to make it thru all the tasks of the day? How the dishes are going to get done, or how to get rid of the mouse under the sink (did I just say that?)? And how are you going to move on to new things when you feel like old stuff is holding you back?
Then I started doing something easier said than done- giving it ALL to God.

1st Peter 5:7: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (NLT)

He is like the ultimate Father in every sense of the word. Even if you have never had a father or a good relationship with your father, you can still feel God's fatherly presence in your life. Right now.
He is BIG enough to give you the courage to get up and go. He can make you feel rested after a night of bad sleep. He can show you the way when your GPS is on the fritz. He can give you the words to say to that co-worker you don't quite get a long with. HE can do it ALL!
I recently started getting daily devotionals emailed to me from Proverbs 31 ministries. Do you know about this? It's awesome! It's a quick reminder of how we're all in this life together.

I also want to encourage you to pray at least daily. Start in the morning as a wake up conversation with God, talk to Him all thru the day. Give Him your concerns and thank Him for the blessings, even if they are small. Then at the end of the night close your prayer. It's like a daily conversation/email/text with a best friend. A best friend that has your best interest in mind 24/7. Sounding good?

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

I was inspired to share this message from yesterdays devotion at Proverbs 31 ministries. If you want to sign up you can do so here http://www.proverbs31.org/ .
 You won't be dissapointed. I promise.

Juicy

I picked several tomatoes from the garden tonight and added them to the already full bowl of tomatoes waiting to be eaten.
You see back in February when we ordered seeds and planned our garden, we were a little greedy. We planted enough tomatos to choke a horse. Maybe.
Because what else is there to think about in the cold months of winter but the delicious bounty that will be something come summer?
We nurtured these seeds in the kitchen, watered them regulary (ok sometimes I forgot!), then planted them in the new raised beds my hubby built for me.
And now, fast forward many months- I am eating the fruits of our labor, literally. A juicy tomato accompanied with salt and mayo on whole wheat. It was wonderful!
When I was little my grandma would eat tomatoes straight out of the garden like apples. It was her summer routine. At least that's how I remember it. I think I inherited my love of tomatos from her.

Isn't it incredible that God created all the food in the world for us? He named the fruits and veggies, he created the knowledge of taking care of them and therefore we can enjoy them today.
Thank you God for my tomatoes.

Blogs I LOVE

Do you read blogs? Some everyday?
There are days where I wish I could sit somewhere, with a never ending mug of coffee,possibly a piece or two of my husband's famous red velvet cake and read blogs. All. Day. And if somehow I could get paid to do so, even better.
Which blog I look at first varies, but there are a few that I look at everyday.

We will start with one of my favorites by Megan Duerksen-  http://megduerksen.typepad.com/


This blog is a never ending source of inspiration to me. She has a love for color and design and finds beauty in just about everything. She takes great pictures, loves coffee and has a dog named Waffle! I even read archived entries of this blog and laugh and laugh and laugh. Her sense of humor is fabulous!
Dear Meg- I heart you and wish we could share a piece of your rainbow cake and a big mug of coffee someday! And PS. I'm saving my pennies for the next craft weekend!

The next blog I go to is by Maggie Whitley at http://www.gussysews.com/. She rocks! I have written about her before, but I can't really tell you how much I love her blog. See previous posts to get the idea.

The next blog is a little different from the other two. It's by Jenna Woginrich at http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/.

It's about a 20 something girl living in upstate New York who has a farm. By herself. Can you grasp that? I fell in love with her story when I purchased her book Made From Scratch on Amazon. I devoured it in about 2.5 days. Seriously. I couldn't put it down. She also loves coffee (notice a trend here?), bakes her own bread, sews, writes books, gardens, makes her own jam and the list goes on and on. There isn't much she can't do. And the most magnificent part of it all is that she took life by the handles and told it what she was going to accomplish. And she LOVES it!

If you don't read blogs, I urge you to do so. There is something for everyone in the blogging world. A passion a dream an inspiration. It's all there for the taking. There is a huge community out there of bloggers just waiting to be read. Something I really like doing is writing to the authors of the blogs I adore. They enjoy hearing that you like their blog and getting a word of encouragement.

If you need an idea of some more blogs to read, start with this list above and below. Have a great weekend!
http://www.incourage.me/
http://blog.lproof.org/
http://theinspiredroom.net/
http://thepleatedpoppy.com/blog/
http://thepioneerwoman.com/
http://www.lifemadelovely-blog.com/

A Is For Apron

That is the name of one of the sewing books I recently got. You see, I acquired a FREE used sewing machine. The kind that pops out of a desk.
In the desk that came with it were several patterns that will be great practice.
I don't know if I can sew, I have never done it before, but I'm hoping that this sewing machine will be a good outlet for me. A hobby to do during the week and maybe even make some extra income for my family.

If you are looking for inspiration about sewing or maybe want to buffer your skills, I reccomend youtube for how to videos and also a blog called http://www.gussysews.com/ . You will LOVE IT! Gussy's real name is Maggie and she has such a passion for sewing and creating. Her style is fresh and lovely. I'm hooked. The best part about Gussy though, is that she loves Jesus. She incorporates that in her everday life and especially her work. She isn't afraid to share inspiration and how she got to where she's going. She wants everyone to be successful at something the love. And that is awesome!
I don't know Gussy personally, but I sure hope to someday. The beautiful thing about the blog world is that people can connect. And on a deep level too because hearts and thoughts can be shared over emails or pictures.
My husband encouraged me to start a blog, and while it's just in the starter phase, I can't wait to see what's to come. Love you hunny bunny!