Garden

                                                                all photos by Angela 

"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."   Isaiah 58:11 NIV

Sometimes we need strength and to know God will satisfy all of our needs.  Sometimes we feel dry, scorched and weary in this world we live in.   Isn't it great that we can be watered like a garden?  That the spring waters will continue to flow? 

I don't know what led me to post this but I hope it blesses someone today.  I know I feel a bit on the scorched side after a long, hot week so you are not alone.  Hugs!! - Angela 

My Aunt's Farm

                                                         All photos on this post by Angela                                                           

As promised I am finally posting the photos I took at my aunt's new home.   I really enjoyed capturing shots of all the out buildings and I'll share a few of her farmhouse, too.
All of the buildings and farm equipment look like they have been frozen in time and it was definitely a working farm back in the day...

I love a red barn, don't you?  In all of it's old patina 

I sure took A LOT of photos!!  Maybe we need a song to cheer us on! "Old MacDonald had a farm Eeeyi eeeyi ooooh"

 I was able to stick around and capture a beautiful sunset, too!

My aunt said it's unusual to see a rectangular corn crib

They definitely had cattle on this farm at one time

When my aunt said they "moved the chickens" I totally thought she meant REAL chickens!  Um I was wrong
but boy it would be cool to have a small chicken coop and get some fresh eggs daily.   My aunt may be like my mom having a fear of chickens after being pecked on her grandma's farm.  

So no animals on this farm - or are there?   See the "dinosaurs" in the trees in the background?

You gotta admit those are some weirdly shaped trees!   I love that this is not too far from the city but yet seems miles and miles in the country.

 Here's the farmhouse which is over 100 years old and deeply in need of a good paint job.  I love chippy and shabby antiques but a fresh coat will make her look bright and cheery again.   The owner is working on it this summer...

Well that's it for now!  I can share dozens and dozens more but it's Sunday night and time to get ready for the work week.   I hope you all enjoyed the pics.   I had a friend's mama tell me that my pics brought back fond memories of her grandma's farm in Iowa.   I love that pictures can take you somewhere that makes you happy!  God bless!

Nature

                                                                   photo by Angela 


"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God. As long as such a place exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles."  Anne Frank


I found this quote and thought it fitting for my post today.  Anne Frank was a wise girl at such a young & tender age, no?  It is amazing how words can carry on decades and still touch someone even today.
This last weekend was full of time spent with family and dear old friends.  It was a time of giving to others with my time, help, conversation, love, prayer and reconciliation.   I left the weekend exhausted but fulfilled and satisfied.  I cannot say that for very many of my weekends but this was one I could circle on my calendar as one to remember with gratitude.

This upcoming memorial holiday I plan on spending some quiet time with God at a Benedictine retreat center out in the country.  My friend asked me to come along - we are going to be sharing a room but I expect there will be some alone time for us both.   I think I may dust off my journal and bring it along with me as I'll be off the "grid" for awhile.
No tethers to a phone or social networking...  could be a challenge! Ha!
There's a couple of books that my friends/family are recommending I read: "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson and  "Discerning the Voice of God" by Priscilla Shirer.   These may be great to bring along on this little trip.

The above picture is from my many shots from my aunts farm.  I promise to include them in my next post! I'll leave you with one more in black and white.  Have a great week!

                                                                       photo by Angela 

Happy Mother's Day!

May all the hard-working mothers out there have a blessed Mother's Day!  Sometimes the kiddos may forget to say thank you but those of us that don't have children or spend time with kids for a length of time know you have the hardest job out there!
Thanks for all you do!
Enjoy this  Mother's Day YouTube video - may your heart be warmed.  If you feel you could use a laugh check out this hilarious video. too!

Happy Spring Flowers

                                                                   all photos by Angela 


Hello friends! Are you enjoying the new Spring season?  I am - aside from the weird hot spells and hailstorms I have enjoyed the sunshine in the morning all the way til 8 in the evening.  I am energized and sometimes run around after work until it's dark.
I am definitely not a winter person.

I was at the store running an errand the other day and decided to check out some of the flowers they had outside.   I normally do not care for the normal marigolds but just felt joy looking at the bright bulbous yellow flowers of these particular marigolds - couldn't pass them up!  I also found this pretty mix of yellow and orange flowers as well.   

They really brighten up our table on the front porch and look so welcoming and cozy.  

I also decided to get some white petunias as well.  I thought they all blew away the other evening during a hailstorm but thankfully they were safe under the porch.

I went to see "The Hunger Games" on Saturday and liked it.   It's definitely twisted but it did have a great message about hope and overcoming obstacles.   I was in the mood for something different and skipped the more romantic film my friend suggested.   

It's been quite awhile since I've gone out to see a movie and this one did not disappoint.  I swear there was a rowdy group of English teachers behind me!  Either that or a book group since they mentioned it afterwards.    

My aunt Janet recently moved into an old white farmhouse and I'm itching to get out there and take some photos and most certainly will share them here!  From what I've seen there's so many great architectural gems to capture out there.  It's just outside of the city limits so I hope to get out there soon with my other aunt - Gloria.

Have a great rest of your week. Thank you for those of you that have left such sweet comments when you've dropped by.  You make my heart smile.  Blessings, Angela

Linking up with Cozy Home Scenes Tuesday blog party

Childhood

photo by Angela

                       Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons.  ~Author Unknown

Sneak Peek of a Little Culinary Creativeness

                                                             (All photos by Angela)


Hello!  How is your week going?  I thank God tomorrow is Friday!! YES!  April is flying by, don't you think? Last weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to take a photo journal of my friend JoEll's Culinary Cavern Spring event.
I felt honored to be the one chosen to take their behind the scenes photos during all the preparation, seasoning, and decorating.  Not to mention getting to inhale the symphony of smells coming from that kitchen!  Imagine being invited into the secret lair (I'll call it a cavern of culinary creations)-witnessing all the play by play action of what it takes to pull off this dinner party.  I loved witnessing the harmony of the two cooks (JoEll and Rachel) working together on one stove.   A few mishaps happened but both handled them with ease and grace of experienced restaurant chefs.
The meal was Indian inspired with many delicious spices wafting through their friend's home.  First the almond orange biscotti then the curried lamb and vegetables cooking in coconut milk.  Yum!

Just feast your eyes on this delicious lamb roast!   I even got to take a short break to devour partake in the meal in the back with the girls.  The roar of the dinner guests in the other room was a great indication that the  mix of the tasty food, fabulously friendly people and charming atmosphere were the right combination for a successful event. Everyone was all smiles and so fun to be around.

It blessed me so much to see a dear friend (and her team) put her dreams in to action to pull off just one out of many of her great dinner parties.  She is humble.  She is talented.  She is beautiful.  She is loving.

I pray that God will open many doors and opportunities for her and she will be a success in whatever she puts her hands to.

Here she is getting a little "vaclempt" speaking to the guests.  Rachel, her sous chef was there to give a supportive squeeze!  I must say that her sweetness and humble heart is something so refreshing.  

I leave you with this:

"Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto."  Deuteronomy 15:10 (KJV)

Butterfly Kisses

“Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”  Nathaniel Hawthorne 

                                                         photos by Angela

Yesterday I was greeted by several butterflies and bumblees frolicking in and around our bushes ...  Had to snap a few pics of these beauties to share with you all.  Have a great week!

Settling In

I'm still doing massive amounts of organizing, unpacking and making my new digs feel like "home".  I must say that I don't miss apartment life but I definitely miss quiet alone time.   I love people and have missed living with another person at times.   This is all a growing experience and I am pondering exactly why I'm not missing the ol' apartment...
My top reasons:  I'm a nurturer & taking care of things somehow makes me feel worthwhile in this world... wow! Big, eh?  Sometimes though I have to remember to take care of me, too.  So I'm aware that I need to reign it in and not let it take over.  I need to be taken care of too, sometimes :)   It has been quite nice spending time with my brother and his sweet pooch who has been my shadow lately.
I like to cook for others but not just for me... silly I know!  This weekend I'm hoping to get some of our favorite WW recipes dusted off (where is that WW cookbook anyways?  Oh the boxes!) and get this home smelling yummy!  Speaking of, I have TWO cousins that are Scentsy reps and I'm enjoying the white tea/cactus scent at the moment.  Have one in the living room and one in the bathroom.  Works great!
So here I'll leave you with a sweet pic from the other night while relaxing at home ...

Nesting

I have a funny picture to share...

Well, I tried to put my touch on the front door but there's a little bit of a conflict, don't you think?  Adding feminine touches to a mans home takes time, I guess!   Don't get the wrong idea, the man is my brother!
This last fall my brother approached me about moving in to save some dough so we both can be debt free!
I wanted to stop in and say hello and take a break from unpacking and organizing.   Have a great Easter!

Packing Up The Pretties

 "Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights."  ~Pauline R. Kezer

Very soon I will be moving from my own apartment to a house with a large Labrador Retriever and a roommate!  I'll no longer have the pleasure of walking to work, leaving my car protected in a carport (and not having to drive it to work in the winter after spending time cleaning snow off of it - oh how I wish that I lived in Arizona), staying up late on the couch, and all the kinds of things that one does when one does not have a roomie.

However, I am SO looking forward to living in a house, having the company of another person (and cooking for more than just me - booorrring), an excited dog to greet me when I come home, a place to decorate (I have visions of bright blue paint in the laundry room), and most of all getting bills paid and living on a better budget!  

The hardest part for me is letting go of "stuff" which is a good thing!  I have too much stuff!

I'm sick of seeing said stuff everywhere ... and packing it up.  LOL!  It's getting to be crunch time and I've called in some assistance.  Thank God for my good friend who is so willing to help me out.  

Soon I hope to be back to posting more interesting content and pretty pictures!  Spring is coming and I'm getting excited for all the possibilities that a new season in life brings.

p.s. isn't she cute? :)

Berrylicious

Okay not the berries you eat but these are some of my favorites to enjoy in a lovely floral bouquet...

photo by me

I'm getting used to the freshly piled snow that dropped on our city Saturday. It was inevitable that it would come.  I stayed in the entire weekend with a cold and by Monday I was ready to embrace the beauty of bright sunlight against all the frost on the trees.  If only I had my camera while going to work.  Every road seemed picturesque covered in a winter white cloak!   

What I'm Loving Lately

Pottery Barn Public Bike

Isn't it pretty?  I like the color, the fenders, the shape and of course the basket! I have dreams of getting a bike like this and riding in the neighborhood to the summer farmer's market this year!  If only I could test ride it!

Fiskars Jenni Bowlin Scalloped Banner Punch

A big thanks to Lindsey from Two Crazy Crafters for bringing this to my attention in one of her  recent blog posts.  I went to my local JoAnn's store and bought this punch immediately!  It's a limited addition so I was happy to find it!  I've already made a sweet banner card for a friend and plan on making more (sorry no pic).   I am "bonkers for bunting/banners" (so many found on Pinterest too)!  I'm surprised I haven't made dozens and have them hanging from every ceiling in my home.  

Clear Mini Stamps (Inkadoo, especially)

I snapped up several of these cute stamps during Christmas and keeping an eye out for Valentine-themed versions, too.  They simply make me smile and hope that when I put them in card form they'll make someone else do the same! 

Humidifier by Honeywell

I had to breakdown and do it - Target had this germ-free humidifier on clearance in the store this weekend. I looked them over and left only to come back and cough up the money for it.  It was either that or the cheaper one that looked like a penguin or frog (I wouldn't put it past me)...   This baby has a nifty UV light that purifies and de-germs the H2o inside.   Although we've had unseasonably warmer weather - the heat of the furnace is incredibly drying at work and home.   I had a terrible stuffy nose last week and I know this would have helped.  Did you know that you also can by UV lights for your furnaces, too?  

Trader Joe's Fig Butter

                                                             Image Baking Bites

If you like Fig Newtons you are gonna love this stuff!  My BFF Tammy(who has a gluten free diet) told me about it and I had to run out and get me some.  Recently I decided to try the apple honey butter - also very delicious!  Someone asked me if it was hard to spread because of the honey.  It has the consistency of baby food and spreads nicely - not sticky.   I used to beg my mom to have my baby brother's canned baby food  (peaches or banana I'm sure)- that funny memory popped into my head when I tried a tiny taste of it straight from the jar. 

I think I'm going to try this recipe from Baking Bites for fig crumble bars since right now I'm only putting my butter on toast or globbed on top of a peanut butter sandwich!     

Hope you liked what I shared! Let me know if you tried any of these items.  Sometimes it's fun to see what everyone else likes.  Nothing like hearing reviews from real people who like the same stuff I do.   I'm still deep into purge mode in my home and filling many boxes of items for donation.   Will it ever end?   I hope so!  It should hopefully be cleaned by Spring!!  

One Little Word for 2012

Here's my word for 2012

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 NIV


Linking up with The Lettered Cottage One Little Word 

Happy New Year!

I'm still here!  Sorry for being away so long - I was having some computer issues that had to be fixed as well as playing catch up after all of the holidays.
I hope you all had a blessed Christmas!  Mine was very nice and low key.  Sometimes the holidays pop up on me so quickly and then it's all over and I wonder where did time go?  This Christmas I found myself thanking God for the things that so many take for-granted sometimes.  Having the gift of sight, a job, a loving family, health, etc.  Many bloggers like to choose a new word to focus on each year.  I think last year my word was strength and this year I'm choosing courage.
What else have I been up to?  Well, right now I'm in a cleaning/purging/organization mode.  I realize that I looooove mags a little too much!  I like to hold onto them for a long while.  Especially craft, cooking and decorating mags.   I have been sorting and keeping only the ones I will reference again.   A great organizational tip I just read said to keep a few and put them in nice magazine holders.  If you want to keep more for reference - label them and put them in a box for 6 mos.  If you never touch them - time to let them go.
I've also had to get tough and donate a lot of the decor that I have around my home that I liked at one time but my taste seems to be evolving.  I only want to keep what I really love, use, or has sentimental value.   I must say... it's really REALLY hard!
My local charity has been getting some nice stuff to resell.   It's all for a great cause and that's another reason  to keep giving it away...

One thing for sure is that I'll be keeping these cute lil snow people!  Time to wrap them up safely until next year.  I have Spring-time on my mind already - probably because it's been unseasonably warm here, which I must say has been so very  nice!

Do you set goals for the new year?   I picked up a great book (in a bargain bin by the way)  by Debbie Macomber called "Knit Together Discover God's Pattern For Your Life".    Some of you may have read a few of her best-selling books(had 9 books on the New York Times bestseller list) or have seen her movies on the Hallmark channel.  She's a Christian and has a lot of biblical principles in her book, which really spoke to me.  We are created with a purpose and sometimes determining that purpose and nurturing your gifts can be hard.  I haven't read her entire book yet but I found her chapter on goal setting and quickly put it to use for 2012. Thought I'd share some of them that maybe you'd like to utilize:

• List three new things to experience this year  (I have down photography classes, bicycling/purchasing a cute girly cruiser bike, learning a new craft like quilling or needle felting)
• List three non fiction books to read this year
• List three things about yourself you want to improve
• Spiritual goals
• Family goals
• Physical goals
• Career goals
• Recreational goals
• Financial goals 

I put on the bottom of my goal list "life is too short to wait"!  Amen?

This year I hope to be pulling out  my camera more and hopefully posting some pretty pictures to share with all of you.  Thanks to you that have followed me and stayed in touch.  It's meant a lot.  God bless!