for the love.

I am feeling the need to come clean with you on one little subject matter.

I'm worried it might become a hindrance in our relationship if it hasn't already.

It’s just time to simply get it out of the way.

So here goes...

I own a VHS copy of ‘Riverdance.’

Providing you with a little space here to figure out what you think about this.

Feel free to laugh profusely, cry, whatever, just let it flow, I understand.

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Okay. 

Take a deep breath, I’m going to move on now.

So this little gem of a tape is the main reason why we still own & operate a VCR.

I cannot tell you how many times this tape has been viewed.

It has carried us through many cold, snow-filled, windy days & maybe even a few perfectly nice days where I should have turned the tv off & forced my littles to go outside already but sometimes you just gotta Riverdance for the love of Ireland.

In the past year & a half we have actually been carried further into the fun, amazing world of Irish step dancing because my oldest absolutely loves it {her sister is soon to follow in her 'dance' steps} & we love her enough to drive 124 miles roundtrip every other week, sometimes more for lessons.

This past Monday as we were traveling to Breckenridge I realized yet again, how blessed I am to call the mountains home.

I may drive 2.5 hours roundtrip for a 45 minute dance lesson but the scenery along the way is spectacular.

Something tells me I'd have to try a whole lot harder to enjoy the view driving across the Panhandle of Texas every other week {although the multiple Dairy Queen stops would surely be a bonus}.

I am thankful for the places the people in my life take me.

& I am grateful for the sparkly views along the way.

ps. Happy March!

saturday skirt.

Anna Maria Horner Innocent Crush Velveteen + sewing machine = a happy little Saturday afternoon project.

ps. A lot of excitement in our house today because our favorite ice cream spot opens up for the season & like my momma always says ‘it’s never too cold for ice cream!’

meet jenna.

{heartcommajenna}

So excited for my delightfully creative friend Jenna & her new etsy shop!
ps. I ♥ etsy!

a love list.

{bonjour birdie print from here}

Did you all enjoy Valentine’s Day?

A little list of things I love in honor of the love season.

1. I love typewriters.
2. I love little surprises like today’s impromptu pizza lunch with the youngest piece of my heart.
3. I love Anthropologie's Latte Bowls.
4. I love hymns.
5. I love this new 'books' fabric from David Textiles. Wouldn’t that make a cute library tote?
6. I love this quote from Anne Lamott.

      ‘No’ is a complete sentence.

       7. I love that my little ones know that I love peace & quiet.
            Doesn’t mean I get much of it but awareness is the first step, right?
       8. I love porch swings.
       9. I love the memory I have of my mom taking me & my brother to get

            sno-cones after school.

            Lime was always my flavor of choice.

      10. I  love making lists.

ps. I love the challenge of blogging but will confess that sometimes it takes awhile for inspiration to come.

I'm sure we could all say that about many things in life.
Thank you for your patience!

lovely & random.

Thanks to random.org I am happy to announce that Julie is our giveaway winner!

Thank you all for entering!

Have a lovely weekend.

ps. Have you heard about Anthropologie’s new, oh my heavens, wedding shop BHLDN unveiling this Valentine’s Day?

Talk about some sparkle potential!

Kinda makes me want to get married all over again.

To the same guy of course. :)

pps. Jules, I’ll be in touch!

joy found.

In the past year I have had the privilege of making encouragement totes for people walking in circumstances that none of us want anyone to be in.

Cancer diagnosis.

Death of a child.

Addiction.

Divorce.

Loss of a mother.

I have to tell you that in the midst of all this pain there is joy found in making these totes & praying for the people I am making them for.

Sometimes I personally know the recipient but lately I’ve been making more & more for people unknown to me.

But I don’t have to know them to pray for them.

I don’t even have to know their situation to call their name out to the Lord.

There are no ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ necessary with God.

He knows.

& I love how God allows us to use our giftedness with each other.

Even in the giving we receive.

Even in the pain there is joy.

God is so good.

ps. Know someone that could use a little encouragement?

Leave a comment with their name {no details needed, remember?} & I will select someone at random to send a tote to on your behalf for free.

Enter by Thursday, February 10^th for this little giveaway.

This brings me so much joy!

well hello february...

free desktop wallpaper from on the dot creations

February already?!

How in the world?!

We are enjoying a snow day today as it is minus something degrees outside.

Maybe you are doing the same given the weather reports from across the country.

I'm off to make hot chocolate for my girlies.

Stay warm!

ps. I hear Belize is nice this time of year.

heart lift.

Do you see the pink blob in the middle of this photo?

That is my heart on a ski lift.

My oldest daughter riding up all by herself for the first time.

I don’t think I took a breath until I saw her skis on firm ground again.

We're doing our part to enjoy winter.

Hope you are too!

ps. In case you have a few or 9 minutes & are in need of a laugh:

Mans Surprising Laugh on The Comedy Barn

sweets.

So last month, before I got sick, before Christmas, before I traversed half of this blessed country I was planning on sharing one of my favorite cookie recipes with you.

This recipe was shared with me by a sweet friend of mine that has a smile that lights up a room.

Smiles & friends are good.

& so are these delicious cookies!

almond sweets

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar  

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

icing:

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 - 4 teaspoons of milk

Mix all together until smooth.

Stir flour, baking powder & salt together.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla & almond extract on medium.

Add flour mixture.

Drop by teaspoons, 1” apart.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Let cool & frost.

Add sprinkles for a little sparkle!

If I really had my act together I’d have a photo to share.

Real sorry I don’t have my act together.

I’m sure you understand the feeling.

ps. Happy baking!

a little inspiration.

I have a few things I’m inspired to do this year.

I’m trying to purge/organize in at least one area of my home everyday.

Maybe it’s something that I’ve had on the ‘list’ for months or it could simply be taking care of the days junk mail on the laundry room counter.

Either way it sure feels fabulous when it’s done.

I’m inspired to ask my girls on a weekly basis if there is something they would like to learn more about & then help them to do just that.

This week my oldest, inspired by her American Girl doll, Kit Kittredge, wants to learn more about the Great Depression.

Hooray for toys that encourage children to think & use their imaginations!

& hip hip hooray for public libraries!

By the way, one side trip on our way home from our crazy road trip was to the American Girl store in downtown Chicago on New Year’s Eve.

Oh my lands!

I think we saw more people on one street corner than actually live in our hometown.

It was a fun detour & another great reminder to enjoy the journey.

What are you inspired to do this year?!

I'm hoping more inspiration will come as the year goes along.

ps. In case you were wondering, I did not get a trip to the Rose Bowl from Santa.

I actually watched the game from a hotel room in Lincoln, Nebraska.

I know, I cried. 

But TCU won & I'm tickled purple!

Tournament of Roses

happy life.

Hello hello!

Were you starting to wonder where in the world I’d run off to?

I assure you I did not intend to be gone so long!

Let me just say that life happened & it has been a great reminder to me that sometimes life does that.

You’re cruising along & things are so smooth it’s as if you are in Junior High again at the roller rink & then:

the holidays & all the usual fun & busy they bring + planning & packing for a 4462 mile road trip {16 states, 16 days} + filling orders for 18 encouragement totes + getting oh so sick {this was definitely not on the to do list} + setting out on the epic adventure & realizing you have no plan for blogging while on the road & you also forgot the Christmas stockings = an unintentional break from the blog world.

Please forgive me for not giving you a heads up ahead of time.

But that’s just it isn’t it?

Sometimes we don’t get a warning.

& the older I get the more okay I am with there being another plan.

It has actually freed me up from my tendency to over plan.

I am much more flexible than I used to be, at least on the inside. :)

So it’s good to be here again & thanks for coming back!

ps. 

orangeyoulucky