Use Your "Pretties"

How many of you remember going to a friend's house when you were younger and feeling like someone had just died? You went over to play and the "good" couches were covered with sheets, the lamps were still shrink wrapped in plastic(MAJOR FIRE HAZARD! :) ), the drapes were drawn to save the covered couch??? You had to play in the basement so nothing would get broken...except an arm from slipping on the cement...and about half-way through your play date... in solitary confinement, you mentioned you were a bit hungry...so you went up to the off-limits kitchen to get a snack and were given a bathroom Dixie cup with KOOL AID and a paper plate with stale chips...okay, not REALLY, but who are you saving your BEST for? Pretty sure none of us are expecting any dignitaries anytime soon...

So,give your best to those around you TODAY. Set the table with a tablecloth and your favorite dishes...that may not have even ever been used...get dressed up when your loved ones come home and smile when they ask you where you are going...blow off the dust on the candles and light them even if you are having leftovers...show them that they are more dear to you than anybody else in the world...treat them like they are Gold!

Last year my mom showed me the sweetest picture. I think it was taken on our first birthday. It was a homemade cake on a beautiful GLASS cake stand that was given to my parents as a wedding gift. She used her "PRETTIES" all of the time. It made us feel even more special in knowing that we were worth it. We learned to appreciate the little things and we also learned that the celebrating happens everyday with those around you.

If the plate does get chipped{another good reason to buy plain white dishes at TARGET!} or the tablecloth happens to get stained, just think... you will always have the memory of your special evening...loving and showing your dear ones that they are well worth the effort... annnnnddd, don't forget your bright red lipstick and pearls!

One more itty bitty thing...be sure to include the family pet!!! Remember, every day is a celebration!!

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Easy as pie...PIE CHIPS

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! We are still having BEE.U.TEE.FULL sunshiney days and the sunset last light could have taken your breath away!

How blessed we are to have been given such a wonderful creation to enjoy! And to think that God has every sunrise and sunset and all the hours in between to display HIS amazing artistry is quite mind-boggling...and to know that not one second has been a repeat from the beginning of time until the end of this world is REALLY hard to grasp!

Our whole family loves AUTUMN! It is the smells...wood-burning fires welcoming guests in from the chilly Autumn air...warm applesauce made from apples that have been ripening all summer long...crisp cool nights that carry the aroma of change. HOT wassail that has simmered all.day.long. It is the carving of big ol' jack-o-lanterns and cozy blankets and lots and lots of candlelight...but for now it is still summer, but I had to do something a bit Autumny...before the changing out of summer. Just something teeny tiny...like mini leaf PIE CHIPS.




PIE CHIPS

1 box of frozen pie dough...or homemade if you are talented in that department! {I use Trader Joe's}

1 leaf cookie cutter

water

cinnamon sugar

Directions:

*Follow directions on box for thawing purposes

*Roll out dough and use your leaf cookie cutter for your pie chips.

*Place leaves onto SILPAT or onto parchment paper

*Using a pastry brush, brush with water and then sprinkle each leaf with cinnamon sugar

*Bake @ 450* for about 8 minutes or until golden brown

Remove from oven and ENJOY!

I baked pie filling in little bowls and we dipped out pie chips into the PIE DIP. Just a taste of AUTUMN...but I am really excited for the new season right around the corner!!!



This and That:

Since this blog is also our family "journal"...I have to write about our DATE NIGHT to see Josh Groban! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE piano music? I do.I do.I do. So much so that I am shocked that nobody left our wedding before it even started because my twinsie played all of our very favorite songs for 45 minutes before the wedding started! I have always loved listening to her play and am still insanely jealous that I took lessons for a LONG time and still don't have a clue how to read notes. Maybe we aren't really twinsies after all...because she is one talented girlie!

ANYHOO...back to date night. Our seats were SMACK DAB right in front of where he played and the whole entire night...I kept telling my hubby "THIS IS THE BEST DATE NIGHT EVER!" because it was! We took a long walk and saw the lights after the concert and it was so pretty! I think I might be packing my tennies next time, but then I might not be carried by my big strong hubby! So, heels it will be. ALWAYS!













HAPPY HAPPY ALMOST AUTUMN...kinda!



Shared with: stone gable

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Anniversary Picnic with Vintage Home Designs

Such patient girlies you all are...well, some of YOU, anyway! Maybe I will take pictures of wrapped gifts more often just to keep you guessing and on your toes, but I know that a few of you peeked...because you told me. Anyhoo, for the rest of you who love surprises...

TODAY is our 21st wedding anniversary and my hubby gave me the most beautiful handmade bread boards ever...





Aren't they adorable? They were packaged in burlap and tied with jute. They come in a set of four different styles and sizes.

My sweet friend, Diana from Vintage Home Designs makes every one of these mini bread boards by hand. Not only do I love her blog, but I love how she and her hubby enjoy life together! They have fun and live a simple life...and her love is a firefighter, too! I know her blog will soon be among your favorites as well! Thank you, Diana for my treasured anniversary gift!

As soon as I opened them and smelled the fresh wood, I knew since it was my year to plan our anniversary, I was going to pack a picnic and the bread boards would serve as plates. They were perfect!

Anniversary Picnic Menu:

Anniversary Champagne



BBQ Shrimp Baguettes



Our very favorite KETTLE CHIPS



Orange Infused Nectarines with Fresh Blueberries from our Neighbors



Champagne Frosted Cupcakes





{BTW, thanks to this, the cupcakes arrived in tact!}


Picnic Details:

The blanket we used was an engagement gift from hubby. He bought it for me along with the salt and pepper shakers while he was on a missions trip to Portugal. It is still so special and he still is so touched that we use it...even on the GRASS!





The sandwiches were wrapped in white recycled parchment paper from the shrimp purchased at the deli...then placed in a brown sandwich bag to keep it cool.



Decorations were kept simple: I used a paper bag to punch out tags for our food and also for the banner I made which was his card!





The napkins were wrapped with recycled jute from the gift-wrapped bread boards



The burlap that the bread boards were wrapped in served as a liner for our picnic basket and was used as a runner. My hubby loved it!




I packed a canning jar our candle, bur since it was breezy on the hill, we popped it into a champagne flute and shared a glass, which was by far more romantic!

Before we were married, he was working at a camp. He would send me a letter almost every day and it said: To the future Mrs. Pearson...I loved seeing my new last name! So, instead of anything else, the banner had to be PEARSON!

MUSIC...we love music. Very seldom do we NOT have music on in our home. SO, thanks to Pandora, we had lovely music for the evening.




ANNNND even though we did not meet in Paris, we had the most fun sitting on Chapman Hill taking in the fresh air, sounds and sights. We laughed and talked and dreamed about the future while looking at the Montgomery Park sign! "Our Spot" holds so many fun memories with promise of many more memories to come...like grand babies rolling down the hill while watching the vaux's swifts fly over head!



ANNNNND aside from our "Come to Jesus Meetin' " with our children it was a wonderful day. They blessed us with a gift certificate to GUSTAVS! ALL on their own. We were overwhelmed!

ANNNNNND...after we picked up from our picnic, we took a stroll around the neighborhoods and went house paint shopping and met the.nicest.people!

A special night with the love of my life!







I LOVE YOU, 2, Mr.Pearson



Thank you for choosing me to be your Mrs. Pearson!



Happy Happy August 11th to YOU!

PS. Have any of you made your candle light dinner, yet? Just checking!

Shared with: Picket Fence

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Cupcake {to-go} Globe

Necessity is the mother to invention...and this morning was not the exception to the rule!

We are celebrating our anniversary today even though it is really really tomorrow! We both take turns planning it and it is my turn to plan this year! I am super excited!

In getting the cupcakes packed for a picnic, I thought I may try a new way of transporting them! I have cupcake carriers for large amounts of cupcakes, but nothing for individual cupcakes.



They needed to travel well and they needed to look nice...so, I packed my hubby's in a leftover parfait cup.



It is just right. The bottom of the cupcake sits snug as a bug in a rug inside the inverted lid...there is a little lip. I just took a bit o' tape to make double sure it would not be slipping and sliding around! It is just tall enough to keep the tall piped frosting from touching the lid and there is plenty of decorating you could do if you wanted. I just used leftover rope from cleaning out Grammy's home.

For mine...since I love glass...I used an old jar tipped upside down. That is it.





The champagne frosted cakes will be traveling in style to our picnic destination! YAY!



*I will be packing two in cupcake globes for the bride and groom who will be getting married this weekend! Do you know why? On our honeymoon it dawned on my hubby and I how much we wished we had been able to enjoy our wedding cake on our wedding. One bite is NOT enough! Even if you manage to get a whole piece of cake...it would be nice to enjoy it after the BIG DAY...or at midnight on the honeymoon! :}

Happy Happy Wednesday to YOU all!


Shared with: women living well, picket fence

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Gratitude

Oh how I am craving and desiring an attitude of gratitude despite circumstances!

When was the last time you were with somebody who is experiencing a difficult situation and doing so with ease and grace? Isn’t it contagious?

Recently, I hosted a bridal shower. It was perfect in my book…not because of the festivities and fun, but because of the simple lesson gleaned from the morning.

So many of us seem to mingle with our peers. The ones that are close to our age…friends that have children close to the ages of our children, friends we enjoy spending time with that have similar tastes…but on this special day there was a wide range of ages. There were the young girls, the middle-aged mommas and an elderly Gramma…the one with wrinkled hands, a dressy outfit and glasses. A Gramma filled with wisdom that only comes from living a long life that has held colicky babies, washed laundry by hand and who has learned the value of gratitude through the most difficult of times and the best of times.

As we finished our brunch and gathered for the bride-to-be to open her gifts, it struck me at how different every.single.gift was. There were big gifts, neatly wrapped gifts with bows and frillies, gifts that had been placed into gift bags with recycled tissue paper peaking out of the top and one small box with a handmade card with the most beautiful handwritten message to the bride.

Inside the small gift box were two myrtle wood candle holders with cash rolled up to resemble candles.

This heartfelt gift was given by the Gramma of the group. She is no longer able to drive and get out to purchase gifts, but she had stashed away a few of these candle holders years ago. She assured us they were NOT re-gifted. As I listened to her apologizing about not including the candles, I wanted to hug her and cry!! I know she had no idea that she had most likely contributed the sweetest gift of the day!

As she explained that the money could be used to purchase the color of candles the bride would like, she asked to have everybody’s attention, because she had a question. She clearly already had our ears. She was curious how many of the married ladies took time to make candle light dinners for their husbands. Very few hands popped up. After I reluctantly raised my hand, it came to me that I made candle light dinners for my family, but not as much for my hubby. She then saw to it that we all knew how important it was to do so! What amazing wisdom!

Here after all these years…she was a wise woman to share the gratitude she had for the love of her life! We all have different schedules, and excuses why it may not work, but ladies try it!

It may not be at dinner, it may mean getting up early and having candle light for two minutes over a bowl of frosted flakes with teenagers still in bed or a rootbeer float and candle light while the children are playing in the yard. It is showing gratitude to your hubby for the the hard work he does in providing a shelter for you and for your family. It is being a content wife no matter what the circumstances. The lawn may be filled with wild edibles {weeds!} and your home may be in the process of being painted and the honey-do list may be a mile long, but I challenge you to take the time to make your home a shelter that he looks forward to coming home to at the end of a long hard day. Forget the projects and enjoy an evening together.

As the shower ended, I was filled with joy for he guests that filled my heart, the little box, the candles and the attiude of gratitude that was quite plain, yet extraordinarily beautiful with a life lesson that will flicker every time I light a candle for my family and the love of MY life.



"GRATITUDE TURNS WHAT WE HAVE INTO ENOUGH"

Happy Wednesday!

shared with: titus2sday, women living well, simple country life

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{HANDMADE} BERRY PIE ...and little bit of this and that

M was once a mini-pie,
Pidy,
Widy,
Tidy,
Pidy,
YUMMY insidy, mini-pie!

This time, I used Trader Joe's pie dough and freezer jam! I used a 4 inch round, fluted DEMARLE cookie cutter for the dough and put about 1 tsp. of jam in the center. Use fork tines to seal the half-moon pie and brush with a silicone pastry brush dipped in one beaten egg. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Put the pies on Silpat{if you don't have one you NEED one} or on parchment paper and bake at 425* for about 15 minutes. Aren't they sweet? Just small enough to enjoy with a cup of hot peppermint tea. That's right. HOT TEA!

Little rhyme adapted from Edward Lear...thank you Mr. Lear!

Post adapted from the archives!


*************************************************************************************

...a little bit of this and that...


Our son is in Alaska on a missions trip. A LONG WAY FROM HOME.

We are in OREGON...A LONG WAY AWAY FROM OUR CALEB...

He had an accident while dirt-biking yesterday and is a lot of pain. His wrist is broken in three spots and since he slid 40 feet on gravel with a tumble in there along the way, he is one sore boy!

Please pray that he will not need surgery and that God will heal his body. It is going to be a LONG haul.

I spent most of the night up just praying as we have so many friends right now who are really hurting...and who are much worse off than our Caleb. How very wonderful to know that God has things in His control...although it seems very out.of.control.

I was reminded of this: " REMEMBER THIS, HAD ANY OTHER CONDITION BEEN BETTER FOR YOU THAN THE ONE IN WHICH YOU ARE, DIVINE LOVE WOULD HAVE PUT YOU THERE. BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YOU HAVE, SINCE THE LORD HAS ORDERED ALL THINGS FOR YOUR GOOD."
Charles Spurgeon

There are so many things I would love to write to encourage you...in what you may be facing, but honestly, nothing I have to say or write is more comforting than going right to the THE GREAT PHYSICIAN! Taking all your worries and fears right to Him and trusting in Him for all the comfort you need and MORE! How difficult it is to watch our loved ones go through pain...and at the same time, how amazing to be able to go to the Bible for words that are as soothing as balm!

How thankful I am for each of YOU and for the friendships I have made through blogging. I am not sure what the next few months are going to look like {NOT that we ever know what the next day holds!}, but Lord willing, I will be able to continue to blog...but I am sure things are going to be quite different once our Caleb arrives home. I am going to need to be in full-time Momma/nurse/counselor/friend/taxi/advocate/mentor/cheerleader/mode!

Thank you for your prayers and understanding!

"YOU WILL KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON YOU, BECAUSE HE TRUSTS IN YOU"

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LIVING {without perfectionism}

We ALL know who Martha Stewart is. I love her and I love how she does things. However, I have to remind myself that she has a lot of help and even whole teams working on the simplest of projects. She has a complete warehouse of props...the list goes on. Whether you know who she is, aspire to be like her, or just get discouraged watching her show {I don't even watch it anymore}there is something I want to "chat" about.

As I have been getting e-mails and reading a few blogs, I get the general idea that we are all trying to be perfect. Me included. I love a clean house and I adore clean sheet Monday {hate doing laundry, love clean sheets!} I look forward to making meals for my family and enjoy taking meals to friends. An organized fridge puts a smile on my face, and the feeling of a weed-free lawn and power-washed deck are almost too good to be true!

As I was getting our home ready for our daughter's graduation Open House, I decided there were a few things I wanted to be PERFECT, but I wanted to do an experiment and just let some things go {to see if I would actually still be alive and well to document how shock therapy went!} Obviously, it DID NOT kill me to let some things slide on by! Here is my list of things that did not get done {for those who are still reading} siding and paint on the house, landscaping, power-washing {hubby started and ended up having to take our graduate to the DR}, heaps of laundry, party favors, mini banana cream puddings, fresh whipped cream, homemade brownies, lemon ice rings for the punch etc. etc.

I know my list was long, but we were seriously going to have it all done. Life happens and priorities change and I am glad. It was waaay more important to enjoy our time with our family and friends and to not be a complete control freak. I delegated, let friends help, let my son do a whole lot...the way he wanted to help without micro-managing and it was memorable and sweet!

I am not saying to get all sloppy and totally care-free, but it is so important to set limits and to have realistic expectations and goals! Is is so freeing. It IS LIVING.

I thought I would challenge each one of you to let ONE thing go this week. If your child is asking you to join in puddle jumping... or a water fight...do it! Maybe a friend needs to drop by for a few minutes when it isn't convenient, maybe that fancy dinner needs to wait and quesadillas need to be had, maybe you are already practicing this and you can give me advice!! I am going to post my imperfect pictures and the pretty ones, too. The table,decorations and food were kept relatively simple. Things were all able to be made up ahead of time. It was the little details and our amazing family and friends that made this day a special day we will always remember.

I am so thankful that the God's word is packed with examples of how dear friends blessed one another. How great that the Lord has given us friendships to share in times of sorrow and in times of JOY...and best of all...they do not expect PERFECTION!

"A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17


{re-posted from the archives}

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