One thing I love about blogging is how everyone feels like one big family. People let you into their lives while you let them see a little (or a lot) about yours and soon you've made new friends. For me, one of those friends is Callie, from Through Clouded Glass. I came across her blog while following the blog of a friend from college. Right when I needed it, God showed me her story, how she went through exactly what I've gone through this summer with my health. She gave me such hope talking about how God granted her the desires of her heart and now she's expecting her first child. God is so faithful. Callie recently tagged me in a question-and-answer chain, so I thought I'd let you in on a little more about me. You're supposed to then tag seven friends to answer the questions, too, but seeing as I only have four "official" blog followers, I don't think I'll be able to keep up that end of the bargain. Here we go:
1. What do you like best about your current profession (stay-at-home mom or student both count as professions to me)?
I work in an office with 12 other people. You'd think that the odds of us all getting along and being friends would be soooo small, but really, we have a great time together. It's rare to be able to talk about faith in God in a workplace, but we do all the time. I don't think I could work with a better group of people.
2. What is your favorite color and why?
My favorite color is blue. I love most shades of blue and blue-green ranging from aqua to teal to periwinkle. I guess they just make me happy!
3. How did you come to know the Lord?
I grew up being taught that you had to be baptized to be saved. Now I know that it just takes faith and repenting of sin and asking the Lord to come into your heart (in a nutshell), but as a child, my belief terrified me. I was so shy and couldn't bear the thought of being in front of our church and being water baptized. So, I went to bed every night for about three years thinking that I was going to go to hell because I wouldn't get baptized. At the beginning of eighth grade, my Bible teacher taught us the steps of salvation and we went through them every day at the start of class. Then one day, our teacher asked us to bow our heads and close our eyes. He asked how many of us had asked Jesus to be the Lord of our lives and then if anyone wanted to receive salvation. I raised my hand, scared and nervous, and prayed along with him in class that day. Over the next year and a half, I processed through what I had been taught in church versus what I'd been taught in my Christian school. I decided that my upbringing wasn't all correct. My experiences at school really helped shape me into who I am today since I had a lot of encouragement from teachers and some of my peers.
4. What was your favorite family tradition growing up?
This question had me stumped for a while. I don't think we had a lot of traditions when I was growing up. I'm glad that we always ate dinner together as a family, and not while we were parked in front of the tv. We did that sometimes, too, but it was a rarity. In today's society, everyone is so busy, kids are involved in a million extracurricular activities and families don't spend as much time together. I never want to take family for granted and I want to connect with my kids and my husband regularly so that we know what's going on with each other and can provide support for one another in the good times and the hard times.
5. What is your favorite girl movie (always looking for a good chick flick!)?
I've always loved Little Women with Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Clare Danes, Christian Bale, and Kirsten Dunst. We had it on VHS and I always watched it when I was home sick from school. It's such a classic. I have two older sisters, but we didn't grow up together. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up together and go on adventures.
6. What is one book that you would say is a "must-read"?
The first book that comes to mind is Francine Rivers' "Redeeming Love". It's just the purest love story I've ever read. I love how the author made the story of Hosea come to life in a riveting way. It's rare that I want to read a book or watch a movie more than once, but I think I've read this book three times. As far as non-fiction, a friend loaned me "Created to be His Helpmeet" by Debbi Pearl and it taught me sooo much. At first, I thought Mrs. Pearl was a bit crazy for her ideas about the role of a wife, but as I kept reading, I saw where she was coming from and wanted to be a better helper to my husband. This is definitely a must-read for wives or soon-to-be wives!
7. What is one thing that you would like to do for or with your future children?
These questions are hard! As far as something I would like to do for my future children, I want to show them that love can last a lifetime and be an example of what God intends marriage to be. I want to show them Christ's love and teach them scriptures that they will remember throughout their lives that "they might not sin against God". I also dream about traveling with my children and giving them many many opportunities to learn about history, science and other cultures first hand. I'd love to take a trip across the US and Canada to see the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies and so much more. Hopefully we'll be homeschooling, so our schedule could potentially be flexible enough to accommodate such an adventure (we'll see if finances are as flexible!).
If you've stuck with me til the end of this post, bless you! :) That's a little look into my life!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Falling for a Fall Wedding
I've heard that October is the second most popular month for weddings. After attending the wedding of my friend and co-worker, Rachael, last weekend, I understand why so many people choose to tie the knot during this month. Alex and I chose October for our wedding more for the timing factor rather than for the beauty of changing leaves and cooler weather. Upon seeing Rachael's decor, I wish I could go back and have a more "fall-ish" themed wedding! Look at these decorations! And her creative-like-I've-never-seen-before-and-wish-I-could-be-like-her sister made everything. All of it. Herself. Holy cow!
This was the first thing we saw when we walked into the church:
Instead of a traditional guest book that gets lost in a bookcase and never looked at again, each guest wrote his or her name on a leaf in gold or silver metallic inc and hung the leaf on the branches. Then there was a canvas (not pictured) that the wonderfully crafty sister painted a tree on. The signature-covered leaves would then be transferred to the canvas to cover the tree and hang somewhere in the newlywed's home. How clever is that?! I love that idea! And the best part about these branches? They came from someone's backyard and were spray painted. How thrifty!
Next, we walked into the sanctuary and saw the hand-painted, custom monogrammed aisle runner, again, made by the sister of the bride:
This picture was taken after the wedding ceremony, hence the leaves covering the runner. The flower girl dropped leaves instead of flower petals, which was, again, oh so cute for a Fall wedding!
There were rose topiaries flanking the sanctuary entrance:
Look past my pitiful photography skills and see the branches and topiaries around the altar and the personalized monograms hanging on the wall:
Who would have imagined using burlap for decorations, but it was unique and looked great!
The head table:
One of many different table centerpieces (I love this ribbon!):
And the piece de resistance...the cake!
There is that gorgeous ribbon again! I bought the same ribbon only it was pink and white, and gave it away since I couldn't think of anything to do with it. If I had gotten this brown and cream I would have done all sorts of pretty things! It's just inspiring!
These pictures don't do the decor justice. I want to grab some branches from my yard and put them all over the house! On the fireplace, on the dining room table, everywhere. I adore the idea and how easy and inexpensive it is (if you spray paint them instead of going for the "natural" look). I'm so in the mood to decorate for the season! Hooray for inspiration!
This was the first thing we saw when we walked into the church:
Instead of a traditional guest book that gets lost in a bookcase and never looked at again, each guest wrote his or her name on a leaf in gold or silver metallic inc and hung the leaf on the branches. Then there was a canvas (not pictured) that the wonderfully crafty sister painted a tree on. The signature-covered leaves would then be transferred to the canvas to cover the tree and hang somewhere in the newlywed's home. How clever is that?! I love that idea! And the best part about these branches? They came from someone's backyard and were spray painted. How thrifty!
Next, we walked into the sanctuary and saw the hand-painted, custom monogrammed aisle runner, again, made by the sister of the bride:
This picture was taken after the wedding ceremony, hence the leaves covering the runner. The flower girl dropped leaves instead of flower petals, which was, again, oh so cute for a Fall wedding!
There were rose topiaries flanking the sanctuary entrance:
Look past my pitiful photography skills and see the branches and topiaries around the altar and the personalized monograms hanging on the wall:
Who would have imagined using burlap for decorations, but it was unique and looked great!
The head table:
One of many different table centerpieces (I love this ribbon!):
And the piece de resistance...the cake!
There is that gorgeous ribbon again! I bought the same ribbon only it was pink and white, and gave it away since I couldn't think of anything to do with it. If I had gotten this brown and cream I would have done all sorts of pretty things! It's just inspiring!
These pictures don't do the decor justice. I want to grab some branches from my yard and put them all over the house! On the fireplace, on the dining room table, everywhere. I adore the idea and how easy and inexpensive it is (if you spray paint them instead of going for the "natural" look). I'm so in the mood to decorate for the season! Hooray for inspiration!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Doggie Daycare
So, I've been dog-sitting for a co-worker this week while she and her new hubby are honeymooning somewhere in the Caribbean Ocean (they're on a cruise! FUN!). Alex has been in Virginia on a business trip since Monday and I've been "mom" to three boxers. Layla is in her element! She was awake all night the first night they were here, hoping to play with them. Poor Alex didn't get much sleep before his trip since she kept waking him up, hoping he'd let her out of our bedroom to go see them in the living room. Rowdy and Casey are a year older than Layla and are sooooooo calm compared to her. Maybe that means there's hope that she will be less hyper someday???? Oh, how I hope! I love her to death, but she is so high maintenance when it comes to exercise.
Rowdy is quite the ladies' man. I don't like a dog on my lap while I'm trying to blog. Thankfully he was quickly distracted by an animal in the yard and jumped down quickly! Doesn't he look like Layla?!
Sky was quite smitten, too. He asked me to take his picture with the dogs, but he kept making goofy faces! He also asked to sleep on the couch since he wasn't feeling well, and immediately cuddled up with Casey, using her body as a pillow.
Whatever will Layla do when her new friends go home???
Rowdy is quite the ladies' man. I don't like a dog on my lap while I'm trying to blog. Thankfully he was quickly distracted by an animal in the yard and jumped down quickly! Doesn't he look like Layla?!
Sky was quite smitten, too. He asked me to take his picture with the dogs, but he kept making goofy faces! He also asked to sleep on the couch since he wasn't feeling well, and immediately cuddled up with Casey, using her body as a pillow.
Whatever will Layla do when her new friends go home???
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Ravioli Soup
Everyone seems to love eating soup in the Fall and Winter, except me, but this year is going to be different. I'm branching out and trying new things. My mom gave me her recipe for Ravioli Soup, so I made it this weekend, with a couple small changes since I didn't have all the ingredients on hand (and I just went grocery shopping last night! don't you hate that?!). Here's the recipe:
Ravioli Soup
4 cans beef or chicken broth (or you can use 2 of each, like my mom and I do)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, or 1 medium onion, minced
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb ground turkey
28 oz diced tomatoes (I used 2 small cans that were 15 oz each, and I prefer petite diced, so that there are no huge chunks)
1 can white beans of your choice (which I didn't not have on hand)
1 bag beef ravioli
1/2 package frozen chopped spinach
Parmesan cheese, optional
Saute carrots, garlic and onion in olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from frying pan and put in soup pot. Add broth to veggies. Brown ground turkey in frying pan, add to soup pot. Add tomatoes, spinach and beans and heat until simmering. Add about 20 ravioli to the soup (more or less, depending on your preference). Cook until ravioli are tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Ravioli Soup
4 cans beef or chicken broth (or you can use 2 of each, like my mom and I do)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, or 1 medium onion, minced
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb ground turkey
28 oz diced tomatoes (I used 2 small cans that were 15 oz each, and I prefer petite diced, so that there are no huge chunks)
1 can white beans of your choice (which I didn't not have on hand)
1 bag beef ravioli
1/2 package frozen chopped spinach
Parmesan cheese, optional
Saute carrots, garlic and onion in olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from frying pan and put in soup pot. Add broth to veggies. Brown ground turkey in frying pan, add to soup pot. Add tomatoes, spinach and beans and heat until simmering. Add about 20 ravioli to the soup (more or less, depending on your preference). Cook until ravioli are tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Autumn Baking Has Begun!
It seems like everyone around me has been anticipating the arrival of Fall for months now. I've never gotten that excited about decorating for the season, but perhaps that because orange and yellow are two of my least favorite colors and I couldn't care less about Halloween decorations. Now, my perspective has changed and I'm excited to make some Fall decorations for my house and have even enjoyed wearing Fall colors (usually I'm big into Spring and Summer colors). My favorite thing about Fall is making different foods. I'm branching out and trying new soup recipes and can't wait for holiday baking. I got my last issue of Taste of Home magazine in the mail the other day and found a few yummy cookie recipes that I'd love to try. One was a cross between a cinnamon roll and a snickerdoodle, both of which I absolutely adore! Oh I can feel the extra pounds around my waistline now! Ugh!
Alex had asked me to bake a carrot cake the other day, so I bought carrots and cream cheese and then ended up using the latter to make a cheese ball. Oops! A week later, I did bake him a cake from scratch. Thank you, Betty Crocker! I told Alex that I was Betty Crocker and he thought I'd said "Betty Crockett" as in "Davy Crockett". Hilarious! Anyway, for my first from-scratch cake, it turned out delish! I followed the recipe but instead of using 1 cup of oil, I used 1/2 a cup of sour cream and 1/2 a cup of oil to make it moist. I could have used a whole cup of sour cream, but then I wouldn't have had any for my taco salad later that night!
I probably added a little too much milk to the icing because it was ooey-gooey, but still oh so yummy! Making carrot cake wasn't as hard as some people make it out to be. I mean, they complain about shredding carrots, but that's what a food processor is for! We live in the 21st century and don't have to do everything by hand anymore! My mother-in-law bought me a big Black and Decker food processor for Christmas a few years ago and I've only used it a handful of times, but it's worth it. What kinds of things do you bake during the holidays?
Alex had asked me to bake a carrot cake the other day, so I bought carrots and cream cheese and then ended up using the latter to make a cheese ball. Oops! A week later, I did bake him a cake from scratch. Thank you, Betty Crocker! I told Alex that I was Betty Crocker and he thought I'd said "Betty Crockett" as in "Davy Crockett". Hilarious! Anyway, for my first from-scratch cake, it turned out delish! I followed the recipe but instead of using 1 cup of oil, I used 1/2 a cup of sour cream and 1/2 a cup of oil to make it moist. I could have used a whole cup of sour cream, but then I wouldn't have had any for my taco salad later that night!
I probably added a little too much milk to the icing because it was ooey-gooey, but still oh so yummy! Making carrot cake wasn't as hard as some people make it out to be. I mean, they complain about shredding carrots, but that's what a food processor is for! We live in the 21st century and don't have to do everything by hand anymore! My mother-in-law bought me a big Black and Decker food processor for Christmas a few years ago and I've only used it a handful of times, but it's worth it. What kinds of things do you bake during the holidays?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Play Tent is Complete!
I've decided that I totally stink at coming up with creative blog post titles. Seriously, how original is "Play Tent is Complete!"? Anyway, obviously, I've finished my latest sewing project and am thrilled with the results!
I fretted and procrastinated and recruited a friend for help with the scary parts, but looking back, it really wasn't hard, even for a beginner seamstress! I think there are so many possibilities for cute tents, like pink with a zebra print "roof" and tie-backs for girls. I want one for my master bedroom! Well, maybe that's a stretch, but I've always wanted some sort of canopy for my bed and have never had one. Maybe I'll conquer that project someday years from now...
The tutorial for this project came from 2littlehooligans.blogspot.com and just as the creator said, the supplies were around $15. I really want to make some more!
I fretted and procrastinated and recruited a friend for help with the scary parts, but looking back, it really wasn't hard, even for a beginner seamstress! I think there are so many possibilities for cute tents, like pink with a zebra print "roof" and tie-backs for girls. I want one for my master bedroom! Well, maybe that's a stretch, but I've always wanted some sort of canopy for my bed and have never had one. Maybe I'll conquer that project someday years from now...
The tutorial for this project came from 2littlehooligans.blogspot.com and just as the creator said, the supplies were around $15. I really want to make some more!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Taco Soup
In my attempt to try new foods and eat healthier, I tried a new recipe last week. A girl at work makes taco soup all the time during the Fall and even her kids love it. It looks and tastes similar to chili. Here's the recipe:
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can chili beans
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 medium to large onion (I used yellow onion) chopped finely
1 pound ground beef or turkey
Brown the meat, add ranch mix and taco seasoning (you could probably add the onion here, but I forgot, so I added it to the soup after everything else was mixed). I drained the corn and pinto beans before adding them to the pot, but I suppose you wouldn't have to do that. I didn't drain the chili beans or tomatoes. I had to add about 3/4 can of water to the soup to get it to the consistency I was looking for. Plus, I think the liquid in the pinto beans and corn is gross. I'm not a lover of canned veggies. Not at all. Combine all canned ingredients in large pot, add seasoned meat. Simmer and enjoy!
It makes about 8 servings. If you don't want to eat soup for several days in a row, use 1/2 cup frozen corn, leave out the pinto beans, use 1 can of tomatoes, and half a packet of ranch and taco seasoning.
You can experiment with the spiciness of the soup if you prefer mild or hot flavors. Chili beans usually come in mild, medium and hot varieties as does taco seasoning. Another lady at work added some hot sauce to her soup. Personally, Alex and I like mild spiciness because he gets heartburn at the drop of a hat. You can add cheddar cheese and/or sour cream to your bowl and I ate mine with blue corn chips. If you've never tried blue corn chips, they are thicker and crunchier than regular tortilla chips and have the same flavor. I get mine for less than $2 a bag at Aldi and they're all natural. No artificial colors or flavors. There's my plug for Aldi! I love that store!
Recipes like this were made for Fall weather and by the looks of it, Fall is almost here to stay! Thank the Lord for a break in 90 degree weather!
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can chili beans
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 medium to large onion (I used yellow onion) chopped finely
1 pound ground beef or turkey
Brown the meat, add ranch mix and taco seasoning (you could probably add the onion here, but I forgot, so I added it to the soup after everything else was mixed). I drained the corn and pinto beans before adding them to the pot, but I suppose you wouldn't have to do that. I didn't drain the chili beans or tomatoes. I had to add about 3/4 can of water to the soup to get it to the consistency I was looking for. Plus, I think the liquid in the pinto beans and corn is gross. I'm not a lover of canned veggies. Not at all. Combine all canned ingredients in large pot, add seasoned meat. Simmer and enjoy!
It makes about 8 servings. If you don't want to eat soup for several days in a row, use 1/2 cup frozen corn, leave out the pinto beans, use 1 can of tomatoes, and half a packet of ranch and taco seasoning.
You can experiment with the spiciness of the soup if you prefer mild or hot flavors. Chili beans usually come in mild, medium and hot varieties as does taco seasoning. Another lady at work added some hot sauce to her soup. Personally, Alex and I like mild spiciness because he gets heartburn at the drop of a hat. You can add cheddar cheese and/or sour cream to your bowl and I ate mine with blue corn chips. If you've never tried blue corn chips, they are thicker and crunchier than regular tortilla chips and have the same flavor. I get mine for less than $2 a bag at Aldi and they're all natural. No artificial colors or flavors. There's my plug for Aldi! I love that store!
Recipes like this were made for Fall weather and by the looks of it, Fall is almost here to stay! Thank the Lord for a break in 90 degree weather!
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