Monday Muse

Oh Werthers... you've done it again. You've made my life more delicious. :)

My Monday Muse is these amazing "new" chocolates that are put out by Werthers, you know...those delicious hard caramel candies people. They are caramel and chocolate swirled together, and although NOT cheap (almost $3 for like 12 or something...) they are worth every penny. Especially if you hide them and make them last a long, long time. They are amazingly good dipped in hot coffee.

My simple Monday Muse. Anyone else try these?!

Autumn : one of the joys of my heart

Have I mentioned that I love Autumn? I can't say it enough, and I really do mean LOVE, not just a word that everyone overuses... I honestly love it. I feel more alive - which is bizarre, considering Autumn/harvest/fall is the time of year when things are "dying", plants and what not.

I think I love Autumn for two specific reasons: the food and the weather. I love baking and cooking and creating in my kitchen. Fall just seems to amplify that for me. Who doesn't love walking into a home that smells of savory fall stew or caramel apple cider simmering on the stove top? Fall afternoons (especially today) is perfect for football, baking and enjoying time together as a family. Fall seems to bring people together. It's time to ditch the grill and swimming pool and head inside for warmth and a new kind of togetherness - literally, together, especially if you live in a small home. :) I love it. The weather is ideal. I'm not a fan of shorts or tank tops (not that they are wrong, I just hate wearing them) and look forward to busting out the hoodies and sweat pants! Oh, and the sweaters :) I think its good to delight in this time of the year - God allows us SO many bountiful sights and smells and emotions as the world changes its view from green to orange and red.

This afternoon I made a new FALL muffin recipe. Thought I'd share. They make your entire house smell amazing and that warm, fuzzy feeling creeps over you. Do you know what I mean?!

Apple-Corn Muffins (taken from Family Circle, about 6 yrs ago)

2 (8.5oz) box corn muffin mix ( I used Jiffy)

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

2 small, sweet apples (peel, core, grate)

3 T. sugar

1 t. pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice)

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1) Heat oven to 400. Coat cups of 6 jumbo muffin pan or 12 regular sized. (I did the 12)

2) In large bowl combine muffin mix, eggs, milk, grated apple, 2 T. sugar and pie spice. Stir until moistened, then divide evenly between prepared cups. (1/2 c. per muffin cup if making 6 jumbos, 1/3 c. per muffin cup if making 12. )

3) sprinkle tops with remaining 1 T. sugar and pecans.

4) Bake 400 for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned around edges. Cool and serve.

Enjoy the recipe.

Today while I was making these I kept thinking what it must have been like to be a pioneer woman back in the day preparing meals for your family. I'm still and always have been intrigued thinking about their methods and recipes. If you've never done it - I encourage you to read through some pioneer cook books...you will find some very interesting things. Note that I grew up in Ohio and for some reason the state was obsessed with Ohio History - my entire 4th grade year we studied Ohio pioneers...thus my slight obsession. You can think I'm odd, it's ok. WOW- RABBIT TRAIL.

Now....back to enjoying Autumn, one of the joys of my heart :)

Yours Alone

"Lord You are the anchor

Refuge in the storm

Your words are wisdom

Shining in the dark

I hear Your voice on the water I feel Your touch in the wind

Your above and beneath me

Surround my heart again

And I know that You are good

God I know that all You do is good

So I put my life in Your hands

I'm Yours alone, I'm Yours alone

Surrender, Lord I raise my hands

To You alone, to You alone

Lord Your voice guides me

So Tell me what to do

Your heart it drives me

To follow after You"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a7_Ng0-JuE

(written by Phil Wickham © 2006 Seems Like Music (BMI) / Wickham Music (BMI) All rights administered by Simpleville Music, Inc.)

What to do with this room...

This is our front windowed-in porch. This is the left view of it. It's as wide as the width of the house - and has about 8 or 9 of those windows, then a HUGE window at the other end. I call it my "decorator" window because it doesnt open, its just this massive window that can only be good for putting decorations in it - and lighting it up at Christmas.

This room has new very shiny linoleum.

This room is drafty, so I need to cover the windows I think. This room leads to our front porch/steps (aka: front hill) where my very cute (or will be) mailbox sits. So, yea... important.

This room is the precursor to the livingroom and my GORGEOUS front door. This room does NOT have a heat vent in it...at all. Literally, as cold as it is outside.

Why on earth am I telling you all of this? Well, thank you for asking.
I need ideas, and i need them quick! I just don't know what to do with this room. So, all of you amazing home decorators and creative people... scroll back up, take a few more looks and tell me what you think. What can I do to turn this WHITE boring space into something beautiful? Remember, my mailman sees it everyday - so do the teens when they come in for Monday night football...well, and anyone who comes in at all, actually.

I'm open to ALL suggestions, colors and ideas. :) Please help me. :)

Here are a few more pics of the space.

Time for a challenge - Sewing School

Well, let me be honest with you for a minute. See if anyone relates.

As little girls (or boys...however, I don't think I have any male readers...if so, great!) didn't we all aspire to be good at something? And, if you come from a background similar to mine...doesn't it seem like Mom was good at everything?!

My mom sews, crochets, does beadwork, leather work, cooks amazing meals from scratch, paints, makes things from metal, refinishes furniture... etc. She is the master of all things crafty and beautiful. I remember year after year watching her create gorgeous things for Christmas gifts, holiday decor or even just birthday events. She makes snowmen out of socks, Christmas light hanger things out of clear plastic cups, hangers and christmas lights...and my fave - wind chimes out of old cds and thread. Seriously....amazing talent. I've watched her put together HUGE crocheted blankets in just a few hours (one sitting!) and then wrap them up and give them away only to start on the next one.... just blows my mind.

My entire life I've wanted to be good at something. Something crafty or creative or just...something. And the honest truth is - I'm not. I can crochet, kinda. But the blanket I started to make for Ava ended up looking more like a batman cape gone horribly wrong. I attempted hand sewn curtains for the window in our 3rd apartment... only ended up using the fabric as cleaning rags. Yea, that bad. Year after year I attempt something new thinking that somewhere deep inside I have to have a thread of that creative gene my momma has. And every year I end up basically flushing money down the toilet on unused or horribly mangled supplies. This last year as we had a baby girl on the way I assumed scrapbooking would not only be EASY, but something I could really get into and be good at. I mean, scrapbooks are personal and can look good no matter what because its YOUR book, right? Wrong. Let's just say... All of the precious preggo pics and ones we have from birth to almost 10 months of Ava are resting nicely on CD's.

All this to say...

It's time for a challenge. Brad's Aunt Becky has taken upon herself the task of teaching me, as well as a few other cousins and Aunts how to use our machines. Mine (bless its little mechanical heart) has been sitting in its box unloved and unused for almost 3 years! Ahem - anyway, so tomorrow I begin my sewing class. I'm SO pumped for it. #1) It's a momma break. I have from 6:30-8:30pm to do nothing but fellowship and focus on my new event. #2) It's out of the house #3) It's a huge challenge for me. Since I was very young I've always wanted to be magical on a sewing machine. I've always wanted to make curtains and baby clothes and whatever else... and now here's my chance, at last! I remember watching my mom use hers and she just made it look so easy and so glamorous. At one point in our lives I can recall her making these gorgeous victorian gowns for a local town play - stuck with me all these years. I want to make gowns! ok, maybe not...but, I do have dreams that big!

While I worked for BBC (PA) I was allowed take 1 free class, as an employee perk. I decided to take "Ministry of Marriage and Motherhood" with an amazing, godly lady, Peggy Walker. Peggy taught us how to basically run a home, love our spouses (or future ones), raise children, etc. But the section of the class that sticks out in my mind the most was the one based on creating a home environment. Not the emotional stuff - the actual STUFF, the decor, the look of the place. She had us take a test on what our style would be. We looked at magazines to get a feel for what we liked and didn't. We researched different terms of things, Chintz, Lace, Gingham.... MY KIND OF CLASS! Anyway, Peggy said something on the last night that really stuck in my mind, and I'm totally going to botch what she actually said, but it was along the lines of, "it's our responsibility to set the look and tone of our homes. it's our job to be creative spouses and make our homes our castles..." and she went on to talk about this from a ministry stand point as she was a pastors wife for years and is now in a new ministry of sorts... So I'm just super convicted to get on the ball, learn a "talent" and get on with it. I want to be a blessing to my family by making our home look nice...and I think it can start with learning to sew. It will be challenging. It will be good.

So, here we go. Sewing School - see you tomorrow.

(ugh) ...and, other things.

Sometimes I can't come up with titles - just because I'm strange like that. But, "Ugh" seems to be fitting right now. Ava is STILL battling this viral cold thing. Runny nose, whining, not sleeping, whining, clinging, not eating a ton, whining, tantrums galore...did I mention whining? So yes, Momma Bear is feeling a little discouraged tonight and just praying that this time will be over soon. And that in the meantime I can be loving, patient and gentle with my precious girl. That's the hard part. I can handle the waking up 14 times a night to a baby crying in her sleep & I can handle the endless changing of shirts as I have more snot streaks then a box of kleenex... its being calm, gentle and patient with her. Who would've thought I would ever battle like this?! But, it's true. And in the words of my very wise mother, I need to just "get over it" and "Get used to it". So, I am.

I started a new book this week and at the perfect time. It's an old copy of Elisabeth Elliots, "A Lamp unto my feet". Literally, old copy - the paper cover is falling apart. But, I love old books. I couldn't find a picture of its old cover - but, here's what it looks like today I guess. (Thanks Bing images!) This book is just page after page of this Godly womans thoughts, prayers and perspectives on life, ministry, marriage, scripture...you name it. It's perfect for quiet mornings with a cup of coffee snuggled under a blanket. I love hearing her point of view and I love how her conservative background plays into it. I think I'm a lot more conservative then I know. Most of all - I love how God has worked in her life in such a way that she can point EVERYTHING back to him in reverence. Good and bad. And, goodness...if you've never read about her life - you need to. She's had some bad, for sure. I also really appreciate her, I think , because she was a ministry wife. She knows first hand what it was like to be on the mission field, in a church, etc. Lately I'm learning that we are totally in over our heads without full dependence on God in this youth ministry. Wow. I love how she just puts her thoughts (wise thoughts) out there...and they make sense. So, anyone else read it?! I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Hopefully I'll have some good stuff to blog about in a few days. Looking forward to the next few pages. :)

No More Stairs

Aw, my poor little monkey. What a mean momma to take away her most favorite past time...stair climbing. She does this whisper-whisper thing when she's figuring things out. I believe she's a genius and just plotting when she does this whis

pering... hey, you never know! Anyway, she's my super cute, stair - blocked girl and I just wanted to share my joy with you. And, yes, I do realize the gate is up on the 2nd step... the best I could do with that bannister. :)

And this gate couldn't come at a better time. The girl is quick - she can get almost to the middle of this section of stairs in seconds. We love it...only, just a little too risky right now.