great things

Here are a couple of great things that have changed my life in the past couple of weeks.  First, I learned how to do a sock bun!!  This is a tutorial specifically for short, layered, thin hair...hello that's awesome!  I only had to watch the video once to get the gist of it and I've worn my hair in a sock bun 3 times this week!  It's basically the perfect style if you're having a bad hair day or if it's at the end of the day and your hair looks awful but you still have to do one more thing (in public).  I also feel a little like Grace Kelly when I wear my hair like this.  I'm led to believe that you do sock buns differently if you have long hair but sorry, I can't help you out there.  Check it out!



Also, if you have a dog or just like to laugh in general you should definitely check out this website: Dog-Shaming.  It's pretty much the best thing since like some other addictive site that I look at (insert: one of 50 sites I frequent).  But yeah, I laughed out loud (on the couch...by myself) looking at this site.  Enjoy!

lately

Not having much to say lately + lack of motivation = no posts

Sorry people, there's not been a whole lot going on around here.  The temperatures are getting a little cooler (which is nice), it's been getting darker a little earlier (not nice), I've been reading, cooking, walking, working and catching up on all the new TV shows that are coming on.  I haven't really added any to the list this year, just sticking with my old favorites.  Except I guess you could add Gossip Girl to the list now that I'm up to date on that and cannot wait for the new season to start in October!  But yeah, I've been pretty much like everyone else; drinking pumpkin spice lattes, wearing jeans and cooking/baking fallish type things.  We're also still planning a long weekend trip in October.  Update: it's been moved from Amish country (sad face) to a general mountainous area.  Once we started looking at all the things to do in Amish country, I grew more excited and John grew more concerned about enjoying the trip.  So we decided that I would save that trip for someone who would enjoy it more (Mom? maybe??) and we would go on one together that we both enjoyed.  Novel idea, right?  Also, we're pretty sure Dixie is allergic to something because she has been scratching and gnawing on herself like a maniac for the past couple months and it seems to have gotten worse lately.  John's taking her to the doctor soon, so hopefully that will yield some answers.  Yep, that's pretty much my life lately.  Thanks for being faithful and reading even though there haven't been many updates.  XOXO.

bucket list #19

 source

19. Ride in a hot air balloon.

The idea of doing this both thrills me and scares the living day lights out of me, so, why not?

your daily quote

To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.

Mahatma Gandhi

cooking like crazy

Lately I've found myself with an abundance of green beans and tomatoes and wondering what the heck I should do with them.  Here are some answers that I found (and loved): 

my favorite salsa recipe: Jen's Fresh and Spicy Salsa (I use half the amount of hot sauce and jalapenos.)

Fresh Tomato Sauce 

Fresh Green Beans a la The Pioneer Woman

All of these are fairly simple recipes and so delicious!  The salsa is amazing because it is so fresh and just the right amount of spicy for us, I also puree it in the food processor because a certain someone is afraid of tomato chunks.  The tomato sauce recipe is great if you have a lot of tomatoes (it takes 2 lbs. but I doubled it because of the amount that I had) and want to try your hand at your own pasta sauce.  I used red and yellow tomatoes, both big and cherry sized.  I also added some sweet peppers we had and the blend was incredible.  It's currently resting in my freezer until I need it.  And the green beans, oh those beans!!  Mmmmm that Pioneer Woman sure knows how to make some delicious green beans.  I've made them twice and we've gobbled them up real quick!

Here are the other things I made today: 

Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Filling

This is one of my favorite fall treats.  They are so tasty and not so bad for you.  Highly recommend them!

Bacon-Flavored Dog Biscuits

These are for that special poochie in your life.  The recipe calls for bacon fat for the bacon flavor and I'd been saving up some for these treats and decided it was high time I made them.  They are Dixie approved!

(I do not take credit for any of these photos, they are all taken from their respective websites and full credit is given to the site owner.)

your daily quote

I found this lovely poem over here.  I urge you to read it, even though it's a little longer than my usual quotes.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, 1927.

your daily quote

I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature. My attachments are always excessively strong.

Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

reasons i haven't blogged lately

1. John was gone all last week and that pretty much makes me immobile.  Thank the Lord that my friend Anna came and stayed with me so I could actually have peace of mind.  (I go crazy in a house by myself.)

2. It's HOT.  Outside it's only like mildly hot (80s) but my house seems to take all of the heat from outside and trap it inside.  I'm sweating just sitting on my couch, ughhhhh.  Oh yeah, if you didn't know already, we don't have central air so if I die of a heat stroke you know why.

3. I discovered last week that we get the Style channel and on Tuesdays they have Sex and the City marathons.  So, yeah...I was glued to the TV for that.

4. And then on Wednesdays they have Gossip Girl marathons soooo yeah...

5. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.  If you've been living under a rock (or don't frequent the TLC channel and read every single People magazine), I'll educate you on my new fave trash TV show.  I don't usually do reality TV but man on man do I love this show!  It is just too much awesome wrapped up into a 30 minute segment!  It's based on a Toddlers and Tiaras contestant, Alana, and her family.  They live in rural GA and really give a good name to rednecks everywhere.  You really just have to experience this show for yourself (if you have OnDemand you can find it under Toddlers and Tiaras).  You can thank me later.

6. I haven't been watching TV the entire time, I have been reading some books but more on those later.

7. There's a very real chance that John and I may take a vacation to Amish country (only 4 hours away!) this fall.  If you don't know, I am fascinated with the Amish culture and have been wanting to go to Lancaster, PA for quite some time now.  So I've been spending some time researching that vacay.  Disclaimer: research is not my strong suit, I get easily overwhelmed so we may or may not end up staying in some low rent motel just because I can't take any more information/decisions having to be made. 

So there you have it, when I have something important to report back on (other that the latest episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo) I'll be sure to post it :)

book review: insignificant by chris travis

Insignificant is a book about finding significance in the everyday things you do and how they work into God's plan for you.  Chris Travis, the author of the book, is the pastor of Everyday Christian Church in Manhattan but before that he was a middle school teacher in the toughest school in NYC.  He writes about his teaching experience and how it affected his walk in faith.  I, for one, really appreciated his honesty.  One of the big things in my faith is to be honest.  If you're having a tough time, admit it.  If you're having trouble believing, admit it.  And Travis does.  His honesty was very refreshing to me.  He struggled in his years of teaching and he wrote very openly about it.  He also wrote how he felt like he was truly doing God's work in that middle school classroom.  Which I also found refreshing.  That's not really a job title that you would associate with "doing God's work".  In the book he explains how he truly felt that he was doing significant work for the Lord instead of just showing up for work each day and going through a lesson plan.  He goes on to explain how you can change your mindset from "just doing your job" or "just getting through this day" into doing intentional, significant work for the God that created you. 

I enjoyed reading this book.  While some of the concepts were not earth shattering there were a lot of reminders for things that I too often forget.  It was nice to stop and mull some of these points over (for instance; changing diapers and reminding kids about their manners will pay off and I am serving a higher power) and hopefully I won't forget those but keep them tucked into my memory.  I recommend this book for anyone searching for significance in their life or someone who needs to be reminded that the small things do matter.

(I received a free copy of Insignificant from Bethany House and agreed to read and review the book online.)

your daily quote

I have been homesick for you since we met.

The Avett Brothers