Fingerprint Friday - { autumn sunrise }

I love the golden rays of a sunrise, especially when the morning is misty and cool as the weather changes. It's hard to imagine that God's glory is going to outshine the sun.

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to PamperingBeki's blog to add your link to the list of participants.

recycled shopping bags

I thought I was doing a good thing by taking my big sack of plastic grocery bags back to the store's recycling box before I headed in to buy more groceries. But recently, I read an article about plastic bags, and have been forever changed, as I think about how we are treating this earth God has entrusted to us to care for with our plastic-bag-convenience culture. Click here to read the article/slideshow.

Did you realize it costs more to recycle a plastic bag than to make a new one? In fact, it costs $4,000 to recycle one ton of plastic bags, which would then be turned around & sold for $32 to stores to use. As a result, most stores just throw away the bags we bring in for recycling.

Many countries have actually banned or taxed plastic bags, which has motivated shoppers to use reusable bags. If one in 5 people used reusable bags, the article estimates we would save 1.3 trillion bags over a lifetime.

The problem I always had with reusable bags was that I'd have to buy a slew of them for all the groceries I buy! I usually come home with at least 10 bags when I do my bi-weekly shopping. I didn't want to pay for 10+ bags for this purpose.

Then I found these directions from Martha to make them - easy and free!
She even has a video to watch if you need the extra help, although it really is soooo easy to figure out.


photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

You just need the following:
- old t-shirts
- scissors or a rotary cutter (also a rotary cutting board if you're using a rotary cutter) - a marking pen or pencil (you really could just use a regular pencil if you need to)
- the ability to sew a straight line on a sewing machine (no fancy sewing knowledge needed!)

As I cleaned out Chad's clothing from his dresser a couple of weeks ago, I could not believe how many old t-shirts he had that he doesn't wear anymore, even for lawn work or painting, due to small stains or a hole where he ripped out the neck tag (does your man do this too??? drives me nuts!) I ended up with 10 that were fine for this purpose (and an empty dresser drawer!)

I did cut about 8-10 inches off the bottoms of the shirts, because I felt the bags were going to be too long otherwise. The result was bags that are closer in length to the plastic ones from the store. My bags are shorter than the one pictured above.

Go dig out all those shirts you & your family don't wear because they're not up to standard, and in about an hour you'll have an arsenal of reusable, recycled bags of your own!

Mosaic

There is a distinct line in my life that was drawn the first time I heard a song from Amy Grant. After that time, I was inexplicably drawn to her music, her voice, her lyrics. I even had a perm during my grade school years because I wanted to look like Amy. But it was more than a kid's fascination with someone famous - I was never able to explain why, really, but I loved Amy and her beautiful music.

And I still do.

That's why, when I saw this book on the "New" shelf at our library, I snatched it up.

Mosaic - Pieces of My Life So Far

Reading this book was something like being invited in to sit with Amy while she talked about her life with me. What an honor, especially when I realized what a down-to-earth, real person she is, just like the rest of us. I was constantly touched by her honesty, the depth of her revelations, and her sweet, humble heart. I was brought to tears many times, both in empathetic sadness, and in laughter. This is one book I read in bits and pieces, savoring the bits of wisdom and beauty that came from each story.

This book is filled with short stories and memories from her life, sometimes followed by one of her songs or poems that she wrote during or about the time she references in that story. I know many of Amy's songs by heart, and have my own memories associated with them, so to read her memories that go with the same songs is surreal. I found it intriguing that she wrote as a memory came, not necessarily in chronological order - this gave the book even more of a personal feel.

Now more than ever, I hope to one day see Amy perform in person (I never have, despite wishing I could after I heard her singing on the radio that first time when I was 7 years old.) I know one day I will for certain, when we're seated at Jesus' feet for a time of old-fashioned hymns while she strums her guitar.


"If I do not have a unique stage persona that differs from the me who shows up at the grocery store, it's because I've never felt any demarcation between life and art, faith and day-to-day living."
-- Amy Grant, Mosaic, Pieces of My Life So Far

Are you a MOM?

Here's a peppy toe-tapping tune for all you hard-working moms out there, to help you get through the day (or a long night!)

hooray for a driveway!

Aaaaahhh, no more walking through mud or trashpiles to enter the house! We have a driveway and sidewalks...



The master bath - the tub has been finished, faucets and tile are in, just waiting for the shower glass & closet doors.



Underneath the dust, footprints, brown paper and blue tape is a beautiful wood floor! Still waiting on the carpet, though, as you can see to the left of the wood in the photo.



I've been shopping for a few pieces of furniture we'll need in the new house, since the rooms are different and my tastes have changed over the years. One of the things I've been looking for is a headboard for my queen size bed, which is not a commonly found size when you're shopping vintage. Full size beds are close, but not quite, which I learned the hard way with a headboard I'd fallen in love with but ended up not being wide enough. To play it safe with my shopping from then on, I measured the width I'd need (60").

I'm so glad I did, because when we went to a new antique mall last weekend, I found an architectural salvage piece that came from a local church window, 63" wide! To make it better, Chad asked if the dealer would go down on the price at all, which got us 10% off (yay for saving a little money and yayX2 for my bargaining husband!)

Fingerprint Friday - { surprise! }

My girls told me they had a surprise for me - close your eyes and come with us! I did, and was seated at the table & then was allowed to open my eyes to see this:



What could be better than a very carefully made drawing by a 5 year old, and a special drink as my surprise? I don't need much to remind me that God put some special little people in my life - the evidence is right here.

(And who knew water with red food coloring in it could be so delicious? Yep, that's seriously what it was!)

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to PamperingBeki's blog to add your link to the list of participants.

On Aging

I occurred to me this morning
   as I washed this face of mine,
How quickly come the changes
   with a little passing time.
A wrinkle here, a hair turned gray,
   a not so lilting step.
I see me growing older,
   but I don't quite feel it yet.
At times I nearly feel my age,
   at others I'm sixteen,
So full am I of all the thoughts
   and feelings in between.

Who would have thought the road of life
Would twist and turn so much?
The journey makes me strong and weak and
   tender to the touch.
And so this day I face the choice
   that I have faced each day,
Will I be open? Teachable?
Unafraid of change?
   Yes.

I will embrace the moment.
Forgive my past mistakes.
And remember that just showing up is
   sometimes all it takes.
I'll seek the kind of beauty
   that time cannot erase,
Wisdom and experience resting on my face.

a poem by Amy Grant, from Mosaic - Pieces of My Life So Far

whimsy

I've just listed a new dress in my etsy shop -
- Whimsy -

I also listed the sample of the Coral Rose set, and the pants from this set are from the same damask print as in the Whimsy dress - would look cute underneath! Plus, it's on sale!

Fingerprint Friday - { mesquite needles }

With two mesquite trees outside our apartment windows, I have grown quite an appreciation for their beauty and qualities that are quite well-suited to our climate.

It's no wonder God put these trees here in the semi-dry plains - the tiny needles and deep roots allow the tree to grow and thrive despite long spells of no rain.

After looking out our two windows at mesquite for three months, I now hope to plant one of these beauties in our backyard when we move into Our New Place next month.

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to PamperingBeki's blog to add your link to the list of participants.

Self Portrait Challenge - Contrast {shoes}

These are the most opposite shoes I own and use on a regular basis. There are so many differences between the shoes themselves, yet so many similarities between the actual activities they are used for.

To see other photos embodying contrast, head on over to Self Portrait Challenge.

turn on the lights

We dropped by Our New Place this evening, and the electricians were there finishing up the installation of the light fixtures. The girls were so excited, dancing around saying, "We have electricity!!" As if that was an option or something. Totally made me laugh!

The kitchen (cabinets and countertops!)

The living room & dining area

help me lighten the load!

The Big Move is coming soon - in about 30 days!

Our New Place is getting close to being finished, and I'm already looking at the packing and moving with a mixture of excitement and dread (ugh, packing!)

So to help lighten the load, I have taken 20% or more off of a bunch of ready-made items in my Etsy shop - all sale items are under $50! If you have been eyeing something up, please consider helping me out and take it off my hands.

I'll even throw in free US shipping for blog readers! Mention it in the "note to seller" box, and I'll either send you a new invoice or refund your shipping.

Pancakes

I have altered the pancake recipe from my cookbook quite a few times, until I found the very best combination of 100% whole grain with lightness & fluffiness...

A little trick I learned from my mom - if you don't have any buttermilk (or sour milk), before you do get out any other ingredients, pour 1 Tbsp. vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, and then pour in your regular milk to the measurement you need for the recipe (up to 2 cups). Then go about getting your ingredients, measuring, stirring, etc. By the time you need to add the milk to your batter, it will be soured up nicely and do the same job as the buttermilk.



Whole Grain Buttermilk Pancakes

2 eggs
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. dry oatmeal
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp. baking powder

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until just smooth (lumps are ok! too much stirring makes the pancakes heavy!)

I like to use a spring-loaded cookie scoop or a 1/3 c. measuring cup to scoop batter into the hot griddle to cook.

Cook until puffed with bubbles popping in the center, and dry around the edges. Flip and cook the other side until golden.

Makes anywhere from 10 huge pancakes to 20+ small ones.

Fall Soccer Season

Nicole is giving soccer a try this fall. I think it's perfect for her, given her high energy and constant need to run around!

Today was the first game, and her team had a tough time. They should have had six practices, but due to a mix-up with the soccer association and some rain, they only had three. They ran a good defense in the second half of the game, but still didn't make a goal. It was fun nonetheless, and Nicole is worn out (for a short while, anyway!)

Giving it all she's got with a good kick


Her very short career as goalie

when life gives you sour milk...

... make dinner!

Sunday, I opened a brand new gallon, only to spit out my first sip in disgust. Bad. Really bad. Rinsing my mouth out straight from the faucet BAD. Then I was mad. A whole gallon (two days before the date on the jug!) - that's not a cheap loss, at organic prices.

Not one to waste, though, I put it back in the fridge, and started thinking of how to use it. This week, I've made several from-scratch recipes that use milk/buttermilk...
For the Labor Day cookout:
Homemade Macaroni & Cheese (2 c. of milk - when it's baked, you can't tell it was sour; also, I use 2 c. cheese and it's much cheesier)

Last night's dinner:
Whole Grain Buttermilk Pancakes (double batch, 2 c. of milk) - I'll be posting this recipe over the weekend!

Then, for tonight's dinner:
"Healthy" Fried Chicken Breasts (soaked in 1.5 c. milk)(how to make panko breadcrumbs - I just used up some heels of bread loaves!)

Buttermilk Biscuits (1/2 whole-wheat and they still were light & fluffy! double batch, 1.5 c. milk)

I topped it off with salad with creamy Italian dressing & ginger-peach iced tea... sigh! I love a good homemade meal!

I still have some milk left, so I'm thinking of making some more biscuits & freezing them for an easy meal side. The recipe was easy & soooo good!

Fingerprint Friday - { clouds }

By the time the remains of Hurricane Gustav reached us, we received very little rain but more wind and extremely varied changes in cloud cover over Tuesday and Wednesday that swung from wispy feathered cirrus, to heavy grey stratus, to swirling and speeding rolls of cumulostratus. Then yesterday, we were left with cool temps, crystal clear blue sky, and lovely little white clouds.

I love clouds. I began hoping as a child that in Heaven, God will have clouds that we can actually treat like giant mattresses - to jump on, lay in, and float around enjoying the sunshine. I still hope for it, too. We'll see when we get there!

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in:

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints.

2. Be sure to link so others can find the entire list of participants! Go over to PamperingBeki's blog to add your link to the list of participants.

Autumn Roses

These new one-of-a-kind pieces I've just listed on etsy could work for sister sets, as I have sizes 2/3 and 4/5 represented. Click here to go to my shop and see more!

Classics Bookclub - Pride and Prejudice

I was quite excited to find the Classics Bookclub that was started up by 5 Minutes For Books, especially after my dive back into the reading world this summer.

I was even more excited to read one of Jane Austen's books for the first time - Pride and Prejudice.

I have loved (and own!) the major theater releases that came from Jane Austen's books - as well as watching the entire series of Jane Austen productions shown on PBS this past spring. But for some reason that I cannot explain, I had never read anything Austen had written. It was about time.



I enjoyed the book immensely, and am glad to have read it. I can see now why many devoted fans of the book were upset that the 2006 movie did not follow the book as well as other productions. In this case, I have to say I did not mind, though, especially when you consider what the 2006 version was able to fit into 2 hours. There is so much more to the book (isn't that always the case?), and I enjoyed reading about elements left out of the film, such as quiet Mary, Caroline's conpiritory ways, Lizzie's extended family, and more of her her mother's neurotic and absurd behavior that makes me laugh out loud.

I marvel at what life was like for women in that time, and am thankful that I was able to marry for love. I especially appreciate the seemingly forgotten concept in our "modern" world, of respect leading to love, and love leading to self-sacrifice.

The entire time I read this book, the screen actors and their voices were in my head, reciting the lines that were taken directly from the book to the screen - especially Brenda Blethyn (again with Lizzie's zany mother!) As much as I wanted to pop the DVD in every day, I made myself wait until I had finished the book. I even found some of the music to add to my playlist (left sidebar)!

Part of the way through the book, since I was immersed in an Austen world, I rented Becoming Jane, which I thoroughly enjoyed (despite it's own tragedy). I found it interesting how much the people and events in Jane's life shadowed people and events found in all of her written works. That makes her writing so much more interesting to me, to know that characters were colored by her own personal experience and not just her imagination.

Still one of my favorite movies... the scene where he is walking to meet her in the misty morning, coat blowing in the wind, makes my heart flutter in my throat every time.

front entryway

Welcome to our new home! Ok, not quite yet, but it's getting there...