Tis the Season!

This is what I did on Sunday! Although the Halls of 1814 Piedmont are not completely decked yet, it has begun and it makes me happy. As a Work-From-Homer, I would say the Christmas lights have slightly revolutionized things for me. So cozy in this house. Do you see the little village in my book case? It's the North Pole. A little random you might say, but it is so nostalgic for me as it was my favorite part of decorating Christmas as a child. I got it out of my mom's attic. This little city has been dormant for like 15 years! Not any more--it's a bustling little village of holiday magic in here! :) Have y'all decorated your homes for Christmas yet? If so, I would love to see photo documentation. If not, I highly recommend it. Another Christmas question I have: How have you or do you plan to display Christmas cards? I got my first one in the mail yesterday ( one of my new Type A friends in Jackson... so on top of things) and I just can't decide where or how to display them for optimum cuteness and enjoyment.

What I really love about this delightful season is that all the joy and jolly is meaningful. In the midst of the dark winter and the rather dark world, we can put out little twinkle lights and proclaim He has come and He will come again! It refreshes my soul. On that note, my sister sent me a link to an Advent Guide -- a devotional to go through as a family to help you celebrate the season of waiting (slightly kid-centric at first glance but seems good, I printed off week 1). What I wanted to share with you though was this video also from the Village Church that was a beautiful reminder of what the season of Advent is all about: The Village Blog - Advent: God With Us

Back to sipping my peppermint mocha! Much love. Let us hear from you!

E

Catching Up

Dearest CAKEs,

What a delinquent I have been on our blog.

If you only knew the number of times I've wondered what fun items are on Katherine's monthly goals list, what creative projects Amanda has found online for us to tackle, what new exercise regime Emmaline would encourage us to take on ... Basically, I've missed y'all.

This post is going to be quite the hodge podge.

On the party front, I threw a baby shower for my cousin last week. She is due on Thursday! Isn't this idea from Martha Stewart for a menu amazing?

On the inspiration front, I have printed a few of these for my office and home to be good, free, daily reminders of Truth.

http://cheepideas.com/2010/11/free-thanksgiving-printable/

On the decorating front, I'm needing some feedback on my first attempt at a fall mantle. Any recommendations for additions or changes?

On the reading front, I have recently started The King's Cross by Tim Keller.

And for kicks ... Christopher and I's Halloween costume: Party + Pooper = The Party Poopers :) (yes, that is a toilet seat he is wearing...)




A and K, hope the sweet baby girls are doing well.

Much love from Tejas,
C

Goodbye, Hello

This summer certainly has been full of "Goodbye". Goodbye to friends moving away, goodbye to jobs, goodbye to world traveling on someone else's dime, goodbye to Charlottesville last week! I have never been good with change and yet, here we go again. This time, there will be a lot of "hello's" too: hello to our old stomping grounds, hello to our families, hello to a new house, hello to new churches, bible study, friends, grocery stores, routines. And last but not least, saying hello to baby sometime between now and mid-October.

Why life is so full of change will always be a mystery to me. In our marriage, we have tended to cram all the biggest changes into one, tending to move at times in our lives when everything else is also changing. I guess I'd rather have my life flipped upside down all at once rather than having to deal with every little change as it comes, but still, times of change are when I realize how much I value things that are not eternal.

While unpacking my kitchen in the new house, I found that one of the drawers only opens if you open the oven door. Finding this to be extremely ghetto, I quickly found myself traveling down the road of discontentment.... and that is a very dangerous road. How I could already forget how God has answered prayer after prayer and provided for us over and over again, I do not know.

So, how do you remind yourself of all the ways that God has heard you and been your Providence? I need to remind myself daily. I need time in the word. Hopefully amidst all this change, one of the most important changes will take place: I will find more time to spend with God.

I am considering a few studies to help myself stay on track, but would love to hear any of your ideas: Nehemiah, the Beattitudes, Grace.


On a less serious note, I am obsessed with Pinterest. I know that A and E are pinterested, but what about you, C? I find this site to be very useful for getting ideas and cataloging all the ideas floating around the interwebs. Here are a few recipes I'm planning to try:

Source: butterflyfoodie.blogspot.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Source: myrecipes.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Source: blogs.babble.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Home Sweet Home

Happy Labor Day, CAKES! I'm having a wonderfully lazy day in my PJs, listening to it rain and just wishing we could be sipping coffee together... at Shenandoah Joe's or maybe that cute little coffee shop in Brooklyn. We've been absent from the blog but with good excuses. I mean we've had a big summer among the four of us really-- moving, pregnancy, travels, romance, etc! :) I hope you all are handling all this change better than I am! Every time I think I'm getting settled here, I have to go to Kroger. It just puts me in such a bad mood. We've listened to a handful of sermon's from Trinity's Summer in the Pslams series and I so related to Greg's sermon, "Praying Our Homelessness" and thought I should share it with y'all since in one year's time all four of us have moved and have probably been reminded of the reality of our homelessness on this earth more than usual. Please download here and listen to it when you have a chance. I now "pray my homelessness" to the Lord as I walk through the unfamiliar, unpleasant aisles of Kroger ( the ONLY reasonable option for weekly shopping) and stroll my bags to my car in the hottest parking lot I've ever experienced. He is my sweet home.

So much I would love to catch up on-- Our trip was fab and you can see my pictures here:

Europe

There are some funny one's I threw in for your entertainment--like me looking cool with my eye-mask on on the plane or Peyton smoking at the Eiffel Tower ( he had a pack of cigs in his shirt pocket the entire trip-- such a dork). I've finally starting cooking again after a couple months of a sabbatical and I must say I feel very rejuvenated by my break :) I'm sure Peyton is thankful for that. My sister ( with 3 boys and a husband) just sent me her new favorite cookbook, Mad Hungry and I too am loving it. To combat my anxiety (that thorn in my flesh), I've been reading Running Scared by Ed Welch-- a great meditation on many wonderfully comforting aspects of God's character. Oh and we tore the ugly green awning off the front of our house and added a flag... we are liking the change.

Anyway, that's it for me friends. Can you share your favorite picture, project, recipe, sermon or book from this crazy summer? It would make me happy. Thanks!

Much love from Mississippi,
E

Spiced Peach-Carrot Bread

CAKE's!

It has been way too long since I last posted on here, so I thought I would share the spiced peach-carrot bread recipe I made today.  I found it in my July Southern Living, and was really excited to find a way to use peaches (which I LOVE) and carrots (which I don't love but they came in my CSA basket this week).  I might sound like Paula Deen, but it is delicious with a little bit of butter spread on your slice!  And E, I think the blog needs to see pictures of your beautiful new house and all the decorating that has gone into it!

Spiced Peach-Carrot Bread

3/4 C chopped pecans

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 C sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

3/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1 1/2 C peeled and chopped peaches

3/4 C freshly grated carrots

2/3 C vegetable oil

1/2 C milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  Cool 15 minutes.

Stir together flour and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl; add peaches, next 4 ingredients, and toasted pecans, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Spoon batter into a lightly greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

PURE BARRE

CAKES are no strangers to trying some ridiculous exercise experiments. For me this began when A & I thought that although we hadn't run a mile in years that we were ready to train for the C'ville 10 Miler. We gave it a valiant effort and got as far as the Freedom 5K in Old Trail! :) It wasn't pretty but we did cross the finish line and shortly thereafter decided to hang up the ole running shoes. That same fall ( I don't know where all this motivation came from for me...I'm going to guess the same place it always does--my thighs) K, C, & I signed up for Boot Camp! Up at 6AM cursing that damn hill in Washington Park! And no one will EVER forget Bikram! I feel like I have a better idea what it would feel like to suffocate to death after my first class at Bikram. I hope God chooses a different way of bringing me home.

Since short-lived, crazy fitness experiments are kind of our thing, I had to share with you my latest since moving to Jackson--Pure Barre! I think we can all testify to the fact that exercising with friends is just as much about community as it is about getting a good workout? And since one of the few friends that I have here is the manager of the Pure Barre studio and my sister-in-law had been wanting to try it too, I jumped in. Who's surprised?

So sad that the CAKES have officially been scattered North, South, East, & West and we can't enjoy this new exercise fad together. However, it's kicking my butt and I like it! I just went to my 3rd class and it hurt so good! You should look it up and find a studio near you!

XOXO & Miss you all tons!
Emmaline

Before the Throne of God

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Feast your eyes

I also feel obligated to share a few new-to-me sites with you, so that you too can waste hours of your time online.

new Lonny Magazine-Traditional Home partnership: online magazine Trad Home!
http://www.lonnymag.com/issues/19-trad-home

Rikshaw Design: cute clothes and fun blog
http://www.rikshawdesign.com/womens/ak-110.html

Stylish Bird blog
http://stylishbird.blogspot.com/

Kelly Market blog
http://www.kellymarket.com/

Ok, I'll be back with more things to waste your time with soon!

xoxo,
k

Can I get your opinion, please?

OK, CAKEs, I have been a bad blogger. At book club tonight, we were discussing who has a blog and E and I had to look at each other and laugh because we are members of a secret blog that we don't blog on. So, here is a remedy. Like it or hate it. By the way, our next book club pick is "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua. Looking forward to it actually!

I want to find a new purse. One that can also serve as a diaper bag (welcome baby M, due October 2011, Mommy is already buying crap for herself instead of you). So, I present to you a few options. This may just end up as a purse, but that's ok too. If I could merge these two options, I think that I would be in good shape.

Criteria:

• Must be cross body, for hands free grocery shopping, diaper changing, etc.
• Leather. Not sure why this is a criteria, but leather lasts forever. Even with stains. I'm cool with that.
• No metals in bizarre places. Self-explanatory, really. Have you seen some of the new trends? yuck.
  
• Has a few pockets on the inside or even a divider!

So, I've been researching on Etsy and every other site I can think of (Anthro has really failed me this time). Here are the two options I have found so far. Can I get your opinion? This all goes back to my New Year's Resolution... you might remember it... don't buy stuff you don't really LOVE. I'm trying to stick to it! Look at me, it's MARCH, and I still remember the resolutions!

Option 1:
Pros: you can design your own; Cons: expensive
http://www.etsy.com/listing/59461010/two-way-hobo-choose-your-custom-color


Option 2:
Pros: Vintage; Cons: getting into that too much metal territory; seems a little small?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/71263266/vintage-saddle-leather-hobo-cross-body?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=leather+hobo+cross+body&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=



So, CAKES, maybe you can be my eyes looking for a new purse. My eyes seem to be struggling to find the right thing.

Thanks for indulging this superficial and extremely shallow post.

I promise to be more substantive next time. Whenever that is.

Spring Cleaning!

Spring is so refreshing. I was complaining in my last post about being uninspired and bogged down by life, etc. February has a way of putting me in a stupor. I am was getting so tired of boots. So tired of the black wool coat. So tired of the barren branches. So tired of being inside. And then suddenly.... LIFE. I love how our Creator just bursts into winter with all His glory and beauty. One morning I drove to work and it was winter and the next morning I drove to work and there were daffodils, trees that looked dead yesterday all of a sudden blooming away. It makes me happy and thankful for how creative and kind God is. Winter doesn't last forever. Can I get a Hallelujah?

The whole process is rejuvenating and energizing. It's even got me doing some spring cleaning. Cleaned out the laundry room, vacuumed my WALLS ( that's right-- you would NOT believe the dust on a wall if you really study it), and today I finally faced my biggest domestic challenge-- our bathtub. It's a long story but I've tried A LOT of tactics and none have really been satisfactory. Since I have some VERY important house guests coming this weekend (all the way from Brooklyn) and the bathtub had gotten in a particularly disgusting state ( sorry no before pics), it was time. Who else do you turn to in a crisis such as this but Martha. She did not lead me astray.

K & C, you would eat this book up; although I know you don't need it. I'm sure you've typed up your own manual.

I'm mildly obsessed with the brush and Bon Ami. Both revolutionary really. Isn't the can even cute? Cuteness in cleaning products isn't everything, but it does help. Plus it's natural-- no chemicals. Most importantly, together with the brush ( which I think is key) it worked magic on my tub. It's as clean as it's been since I've lived here.

I was sharing my discoveries with some other girls at K's tonight and they were all raving about the Miracle Eraser? They were shocked that I had never heard of it. What's your most prized cleaning product/tool? Or do you have any impressive spring cleaning feats you've tackled yet?

Wreath #2

So ladies, I got a little carried away with my wreath and it is HUGE!!!!  I put it on the door to our apartment, but it was too bouffant for NYC...and it intruded into our neighbor's space. :) So my husband picked up my crushed spirits, and we found an alternative place for it.  I think it worked out quite nicely.

Okay, here are my suggestions, pitfalls, etc.

1)  Buy the 10 inch wreath form.  The only size they had at the store was the 14 inch, and it made the process so much longer and made my wreath too big to fit on the front door.  So unless you really want bouffant, go with the 10 inch form.

2)  Use weathered book pages.  I used one of Mitch's law school books that he didn't want to keep because the information in it is already out of date.  I felt okay about tearing up the book because it was just going to goodwill otherwise, but I think the look would be enhanced with weathered pages versus the stark white.  So go to a used book store and find a book that is falling apart and use that.

3)  Use a normal sized book.  The law book was on the larger size, and again, that added to the bouffantness.

4)  Do not overlap the pages when you are gluing them on.  I made the mistake of overlapping the ruffles for the first few layers, and as I realized, it decreased the poofiness of the ruffles.  The lack of poofiness made me add another layer or two (I lost count) and in turn added probably about another hour onto the project.  You can actually tell in the picture above that the lower layers are much more dense than the last layers.

5)  When you get to the last layer, it helped me to cut the page length so that there was less bulk to glue down.

It was a fun project, and I think it will go much faster next time.  And I will be more careful and not burn myself. :)  Also, E asked me if I thought she could do this book page wreath instead, and I actually think it would be easier than the one that C and I did.

What do you think of me?

Dearest CAKEs -

I am a little nervous to show myself to you, but the blog challenge demands it - so here goes:

Can't wait to see my brother and sister wreaths in VA and NY!

With love,

the mint julep (name of our casita) TX wreath

Book Page Wreath Challenge

Hey Ladies!


We have all been quite lazy with our blog lately, so I thought that I would give it some love. I also thought that I would set a challenge for us.  We have all talked about how we need a creative outlet outside of our jobs, and I think this blog/our friendships can help with that.  So I am here to challenge us to make a book page wreath by the end of March.  That gives you a little over two weeks to make your wreath and post a picture of it for all of us to see.  I am actually pretty excited to see us all do the same project because I know we will end up with four very unique interpretations.  It only takes about two hours, so clear a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon or heck clear one night after work and get crafty.


Since I set the challenge, I will pledge to have it done within a week (by next Thursday) and I will check in on your ladies and offer encouragement.  We can do this, and I am very excited about it!  C, you asked for some accountability, so I brought it! :)


Love you ladies,
A

Nine People

That is right, nine people will be gathering in my apartment this evening for book club.  Do you remember my living room?  I have no idea how nine people are going to fit, but we will make it work. :)  I am freaking out a little bit, but I know it is going to be so fun!


Miss you ladies!

Kate Maennle Design

Drumroll, please...

My best friend from college, Katie, has been working on starting her own business for about five years - clothing, furniture and paper products. She is extremely talented and we are all so proud because her items are now being sold in a cute boutique in Austin called Peyton's Place.

The owner featured Katie in her most recent blog, saying "This local designer combines deep south charm with retro prints to create modern and timeless pieces." Reminded me a little of Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama.

K, you'll remember Katie's husband, Mark went to "the other" UT with y'all :)

When the CAKEs do a Texas trip, I'll arrange a visit to her studio!

Much love,
C

Book Club

I took inspiration from Christen, and the NYC satellite book club is in session!  I have rounded up ten very interested ladies, and our first meeting is going to be next Wednesday.  I am so excited!  I cannot wait to see what book we pick and how this blossoms into a fun tradition.  I am thinking about suggesting the following three books: A Severe Mercy, Crossing to Safety and To Kill a Mockingbird.  What would you pick?

Reflections of a Non-Reflector

Did you all at one point try to tell me that I was going to carry the main writing duties of our blog? Well you were WAAAAAAAAY off the mark weren't you? :)

A is our professional blogger dreaming up a new business and going for it, C is saving the world as usual and still has time to count her 1,000 gifts, K is brimming with her standard amount of creativity, craftiness, and damn ambition ( homemade butter... seriously?) and well I'm just sitting here a little befuddled. It's not really that I think you have it all together. I know, I know...you don't. But I stop to reflect and this is what happens:

I just see February's calendar, how many days til the weekend ( thanksfully ONLY 1 at this exact moment), where do I even start on my to-do list at work tomorrow, how many months left in Charlottesville, what house are we going to buy, I am tired of cooking and laundry, I need to exercise, I need to be a better wife ( you can read between the lines on this if you like-- I'm trying to keep things G rated, but mabye you can guess... I've had a cold this week...it's been a while). Well, I digress but you get the picture.

But I just wonder how you have time and maybe even more importantly energy to reflect, dream, create, etc. I ask this while I'm half watching House Hunters International ( I don't know what country because I'm only half watching, but there are some amazing houses with crazy views) so maybe I can begin to answer my own question by turning off the television! But, I defer to you my inspiring, lovely friends: When/where are you most inspired? What is your secret to reflecting on life, beauty, etc? What gets your creative juices flowing the most? Any thoughts on any of the above questions I would love to hear. I better see some comments or this will be my last post ever!

Sincerely Yours,
E

Thy Mercy My God

one thousand gifts

the name of the new book i'm reading.

and can i just say, you need to put your laptop on the coffee table (or under the big leather armchair, if you're the smiths), grab your keys and head straight for the nearest bookstore to buy it.

or if you're K and amazon likes to send you things with free shipping, you can order it here.

do you ever read passages in books that articulate something you have felt so deep in your soul but would never have known how to put into words? that has been my experience with this book. take for instance this excerpt:

"I wonder if the rent in the canvas of our life backdrop, the losses that puncture our world, our own emptiness, might actually become places to see.

To see through to God.

That that which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To Him. To the God whom we endlessly crave."

and this one:

"When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows. How can this not be the best thing for the world? For us? The clouds open when we mouth thanks."

the thread woven throughout her story is a dare from a friend to come up with 1,000 things she loves ... in other words, 1,000 blessings in her life ... 1,000 gifts from the Father.

i've decided to take on the challenge myself, beginning with gratitude for

1. precious letters delivered to my inbox from the girls of vintage CAKE


"And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:20).

with much love,
c

So many clothes and nothing to wear!

You're going to have to indulge me for a minute. I have written a post about clothes.

And not just clothes, but the frustration of looking your closet and seeing lots of things and not a single cute, pleasant combination.

So, after book club last night (SO wish C & A were there!), E and I discussed how I feel about the current state of my closet. It's not about having MORE things, because I definitely don't need one more thing in my closet. Why is it hard to fork out a larger sum of money for something you really like than it is to shell out lots of little bills over and over and over?

E, being the expert encourager and voice of reason throughout the conversation, pointed out that spending a few extra dollars to have something tailored to fit you WELL is the best possible way to curate a collection of clothes that you love, that are perfect for you.

So, what is your go-to outfit for work? What would you add to your collection?

Thanks for the indulgence. :)


*Our next book is the Hunger Games by Susanne Collins. Yall read too, ok!?

I Thought of It First!

So have you heard of the magazine Garden & Gun?  My cousin Leigh and her husband John were telling me about it over Christmas.  They said that they don't garden or hunt, but it is just a great Southern magazine.  And then I had a friend up here tell me about just a few weeks ago, so I went to the website today.  

It is a super cute website, and I saw an article named "Decorating with Maps."  As you know, we have been collecting maps of all the places we have lived and framing them and displaying them on a single wall, so I figured I would read to see what the article had to say.  Shock, awe, pride are just a few of the emotions I felt when I was reading this article and the author was talking about collecting maps of all the places she has lived and displaying them all together.  I wanted to comment and say that we had done it first, but I figured it would be a tacky. :)  However, if I could find her email address, I would email her a picture of our wall as an "example."  On my blog post yesterday, I have a picture of said wall, so you can see it here.  And you can read the article here.

Thanks for loving me even though I am prideful at times. :) And so thankful that our Father loves me even though I am full of sin and mess up every single day.

I made butter

Yes, I made butter. And you won't even believe how easy it is. I don't know why I've never tried it before. Here are the super simple steps. It is SO GOOD on freshly baked bread or waffles. We tried it on both!

Makes about a 1/2 cup.

Pour half (or whole, depending on how much you want) a container of heavy whipping cream into a glass or metal bowl. Beat with a mixer until the mixture starts to look like butter. This takes a while.... maybe 15 minutes. Once you can see the butter curds separating, you take all of the butter and wrap it in a cheesecloth. Squeeze the milk whey out of the butter until you are satisfied with the consistency. Serve on hot fresh bread!

So good, you guys. So good that I didn't feel bad about serving my husband chips and salsa for dinner last week!

ADPi Slaw

During those long days of sorority rush, our mamma's provided this wonderful piece of refuge during lunch.  It was there during every recruitment and will always be dear to my heart because of it.  It quickly became a staple at the yearly tailgate with Ann's mom carrying the torch.  I had never actually made it myself until Monday night when I made all sorts of tailgate foods for the National Championship, and boy was it good!  There were no leftovers, and I have been craving it all week.  Try this delicious recipe, and I promise you won't regret it.  And this is from a girl who doesn't like coleslaw. :)

ADPi Slaw (or as the rest of the world calls it Asian Slaw)

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 
1/4 cup granulated sugar 
2 teaspoons salt 
1 teaspoon pepper 
1 cup vegetable oil 
2 10-ounce packages angel hair coleslaw mix 
8 green onions, thinly sliced 
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted 
2 packages ramen noodles, uncooked and crushed 
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Then drizzle in the oil, whisking as you go, until it is well-incorporated. Set aside. 
In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, onions, almonds, and broken ramen noodles. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until well-combined. Refrigerate until serving. 
Note: I did not toast the almonds and they tasted just fine.  So if you are in a pinch for time, the toasting isn't necessary.

sometimes, i'm a bad wife

I just don't always do the right things.

Take dinner tonight, for example.

We had....

Tostitos Dipping Chip Strips with melted cheese dipped in Pace Mild Salsa mixed with sour cream

and I won't lie.... it was EXACTLY what I wanted. You should definitely try it immediately.

To make matters worse, we followed it up with Hershey's Chocolate Sour Cream Cake. Probably one of my favorite cake recipes. With ice cream.

Can't be beat.

Tomorrow, I resolve to be a better wife. We're going out to dinner! :)

NEXT WEEK, I'll really be better. We'll be having this.

PS I am loving The Civil Wars. Have you heard??

PSS On A's Behalf, I am cheering on the Auburn Tigers tonight!! Go Tigers!!!

Hyacinths

HAPPY 2011 CAKEs!

What a joy that we get new, fresh starts each year. I, for one, am excited to see what the next 359 days have in store. To me, a new year is like a huge pot of fertile soil awaiting seeds to be planted and nurtured.

I adore flowers, and one of my favorites (after hydrangeas and peonies) is a hyacinth. They have a rather peculiar shape, but for such a small flower, they have a powerful fragrance that can make a room such a happy place to be. Here's a picture of the hyacinth that begged me to buy it when I was supposed to be purchasing groceries...


And here's an interesting Greek myth, thanks to Wikipedia, surrounding the hyacinth (making our blog educational - it's the teacher in me :)) ---

Hyacinth as a beautiful youth loved by both the god Apollo and the West Wind, Zephyr. Apollo and Hyacinth took turns at throwing the discus. Hyacinth ran to catch it to impress Apollo, but he was struck by the discus as it fell to the ground, and died. A twist in the tale makes the wind god Zephyrus responsible for the death of Hyacinth. The youth's beauty caused a feud between Zephyrus and Apollo. Jealous that Hyacinth preferred the radiant archery god Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo's discus off course, so as to injure and kill Hyacinth. Apollo did not allow Hades to claim Hyacinth. Instead, Apollo made a flower, the hyacinth, from Hyacinth's spilled blood.

Praying the Lord richly blesses the seeds we plant in 2011. Let the fun begin!

Much love,
C

Etsy

CAKES!


I hope you each had a fabulous Christmas and New Years!  Mitch and I had quite the action packed Christmas, so it is nice to be back home and settled into our cozy little apartment once again.  It is such a blessing from God that I now feel like this is our home and desire to be here over almost anywhere else.  Praise the Lord!


Now on to what I really wanted to post about....ETSY!  We all know it and love it, so I figured I would post a couple of my favorite shops.  


1.  Pixelimpress - this is the site where we got our Christmas and change of address cards (speaking of, I have a Christmas card for one C, but no address...can you please send it to me via email?)


2.  Reshape Studio - thanks to one E my husband found me a wonderful Brooklyn ornament to put in my stocking and she is based in our lovely neighborhood.


3.  Stella Bella Boutique - her necklaces are great and really reasonably priced...they make great gifts!


I am off to get a start on the day.  Hope ya'll are getting back into the swing of things after a long vacation.


Love,
A

Wrapping up 2010... hello 2011!!

Happy New Year, CAKEs!!!

Hard to believe that 2010 is over... some good, some sad, some hard, some happy days! I, for one, am missing our few days in NYC. Brunch in Brooklyn on Sunday, anyone?

So, my big chance to complete my December goals is done. How did I do? Ok, I'll tell you.


1. Order and send out Christmas Cards. (CHECK.... I liked them a lot too!)

2. Make at least one meal for someone else. (CHECK... thank you, Expectant Parent Ministry!)

3. Sing at least one Christmas carol together. (CHECK.... bible study christmas party, Lessons & Carols, and not one, but TWO Christmas Eve services)

4. Go to Starbucks and get a salted caramel hot chocolate! (BIG FAT FAIL. Went to Starbucks multiple times in December and failed, still. Ok, well there's always January!)

5. Make an ornament for our tree to remember 2010. (CHECK!! Thank you to the lovely C, I did not have to make anything :)

6. Bake a batch of Christmas cookies. (CHECK, CHECK, and CHECK. Two were good, one was bad. Here is a new recipe I tried that I liked)

7. Write down the things that God taught us in 2010. (CHECK, sort of. This happened in 2011, yesterday in fact. How much He has taught us. How much we have to learn!)


So, all in all, my December goals went pretty well. One goal I should go ahead and write down for 2011 would be to get my Christmas shopping early. Going to the mall on Christmas Eve certainly has to be close to what life in you-know-where must be like.

So, welcome January 2011! I hope you bring big things. And I have big plans for you!

January 2011 Goals:
1. Be more positive about work. Take this a day at a time.

2. Host Book Club.

3. Sign up for at least one creative class (maybe pottery, calligraphy, or letterpress).

4. Plan meals each week.

5. Don't buy junk! Think through purchases more thoroughly and decide if they are worth it. Example, buying plane ticket to NYC=excellent impulse purchase; buying ugly green shirt that was on sale to get home and see a hole=bad bad purchase.

6. Stay consistent on doing bible study daily. (Ok, this one has to start today, otherwise I will be starting at fail level).

7. Try at least one new recipe. Preferably out of my new cookbook!

Happy 2011. I hope this year will bring many wonderful things.... the least of which being a new blog from each of you favorite friends!!

Much love,
K