In the Storm

august menu plan.

While July's menu was a basic menu, old favorites, nothing new, August's menu has some new recipes thrown into the mix.

For Elevate I'll make some favorites like a Cheese Bake and Cowboy Quiche but I'm also going to try a sweet breakfast bread called Cinnamon Roll Bread.

For Small Group, my favorite guinnea pigs when it comes to trying new dessert recipes, I'm making Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Bars, a Cajun Pineapple Rum Cake, a Peach Crisp (while the Georgia Peaches are still ripe), and Caramelitas (a chocolate, caramel bar cookie).

Lots of DATE NIGHTS are scheduled; a must with me working Mon-Thu, 2pm-12am. I'm making some of my favorite meals on the weekends and have left the 'easier' meals for the boys during the week. They are becoming quite the cooks - if they stay focused and on task.

August is looking yummy!

currents | july edition.

 

 

currently...

eating  hot onion dip with french bread

watching  the last season of Alias, and some old westerns we've really enjoyed: McLintock and the Shadow Riders

reading  The Giver

finishing  prep work for the boys' 11th grade homeschool year beginning in August

making  handmade card sets to sell and raise money for the boys Eagle projects

wanting to work on my Meteorology album, 31 Things 2014 album, and John and Jarrod's Road to Eagle album

planning  Augusts' menu; need to add some new, full-of-vegetable recipes

enjoying  date nights every Friday with Jeff.

drinking  a ton of water most days

trying  to move more on my weekends

re-visited  orange tootsie roll pops...and I loved the tootsie roll too.

guilty pleasure  Werther's Original's

loving  our new truck and all the upgrades we've applied on our own.

anticipating  heading back into the groove of homeschool in less than a week.

realizing I only completed one of four of my projects for July; but, completed a ton of my bold intentions.

needing  to up my walking game

 

 

52 gratitudes 2014 | 29

Oops. I never posted my 29th gratitude. So, rather than skip it all together I posted it out of order. No biggy. It'll go in my 52 Gratitudes album in order.

project life 2014 | week 30

All black and white and Paislee Press digital products I picked up recently. I had plenty of pictures for this week so I didn't procrastinate with my pages for the week.

Recording our weeks, even missing one here and there, has been so rewarding.

I am memory keeping.

A recorder of memories.

I document our life.

The highlight of the week was the boys' 17th birthday.

Jeff and I had a fabulous date night downtown City Market. We ate at Vinnie Van Go Go's and walked City Market...then sat on a bench in City Market and listened to 70's-80's music from a live band and people watched. Just an awesome night.

Jeff put on running boards on the truck. We also put in front seat covers, a sun screen, and heavy duty, solid full size floor mats for both front and back floors.

I made business cards for John and Jarrod's lawn business.

We gave the boys their birthday present - tickets to Christian Music Day at Carowinds, North Carolina.

52 gratitudes | 30

...yes, I know. John and Jarrod turned 17 on Saturday (not today). I'm still thankful.

she is a meteorologist.

She is grateful to God for the many years of training and experience in the field of meteorology.

She works in the simpliest form of meteorology - observing the weather, but really enjoys it.

She would rather be working aviation meteorology, forecasting the weather, integating the weather radar, and briefing helicopter pilots.

She enjoys teaching an introduction to meteorology class to eager and enjoyable high school students.

She takes tons of pictures of the sky.

She walks outside and the first thing she does - always - is look up.

She loves working thunderstorms but prefers observing thunderstorms when she is snuggled in for the day or night.

She has never seen a tornado and in actuality would prefer not to, but wouldn't mind flying through a hurricane.

She has a favorite cloud. It is the mid-level cloud, altocumulus.

She has a dream to one day run a weather station but is satisfied, at peace, with teaching meteorology and observing the weather.

diy | marbling.

In June I proposed four projects to accomplish, create, craft to get my creative flowing. While I did accomplish two of those four projects, I didn't learn how to marble.

But, the other day I had some time and I knew if I was going to complete this project, putting aside that fear that wants to rear its ugly head at trying something new, I needed to pull out the supplies needed and create.

I am so glad I did.

Super simple technique for marbling, in my case I used watercolor paper.

1) Fill a container half way, large enough to hold the size of paper, with warm water.

2) Using a combination of any colors pour drops of cheap nail polish into the water. If the water is to hot or you used to expensive of nail polish I found this will not work.

3) The nail polish will spread across the water in a filmy looking layer.

4) Lay your paper gently on the surface of the water. The filmy layer of nail polish will adhere to the paper.

5) Carefully, using tweezers if need be, lift up the paper and lay out to dry.

As you can see the marbling does its own thing. No two papers are alike. There are some darker spots (heavier polish that pooled) and lighter spots. The 'ice' nail polishes from Walmart are what I used that got the best results. I simply used the colors I had on hand but I plan on purchasing quite a few more colors to create more and fashion them into cards that I will also stamp a message onto them.

This was a quick, but creative project and a huge accomplishment that I totally had fun with.

 

etsy window shopping | july edition

Gorgeous laptop case. Enough said.

I am really lovin' all the gold foil that is the rage and trend of late. If I can be reminded of God's Amazing Grace too all the more to love.

I have loved dandelions for many years with memories galore. Love this print alot.

Can I please have one of each color? I would love to prep a meal with these darling prep bowls.

...and last but really first.

do justly. love mercy. walk humbly. in rose gold

 

 

10,000 reasons.

It has been about a year and a half ago now that I began journal reasons to bless God's Holy Name. Matt Redmonds' 10,000 Reasons song had been out for awhile and I was so moved by the Spirit to begin journaling blessings to God. This was not about me, or what He can do for me. This was about Him. Adoring Him. Blessing Him. Praising Him. Each blessing I write shouts out my adoration.

This past week I wrote the 1,000th Reason to bless God's Holy Name. I have a long way to go to reach 10,000 Reasons. This exercise has been, to put it simply, AMAZING! I am purposeful about giving God the Glory.

And my 1,000 Reason to bless His Name...

You are mightier than the thunder of the great waters.

 

52 gratitudes | 28