MISTY'S MORNINGS

Menu Plan Monday @Organizing Junkie

Lent 2012 :: Day 7

2012-02-28T06:41:00.000-05:00

What if today you prayed...

and found...

a new peace?

Tuna and Lentil Salad {Menu Plan Monday}

2012-02-27T10:15:00.002-05:00

This hardly constitutes a recipe since it is mostly dump and stir but I must share it here because I love it so much. The tangy vinegar mixed with spicy onions and creamy lentils makes my perfect in-a-rush lunch. I usually just eat it right out of the bowl but it is also nice on a bed of red leaf lettuce. It is also perfect for meatless Friday meals during the Lenten season just double the amounts.

INGREDIENTS

One can lentils, rinsed and drained

1 can tuna, packed in olive oil, undrained

1/4 onion, diced I prefer red onion)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

kosher salt

PROCESS

In a medium mixing bowl, stir all ingredients together.

I usually add more vinegar as it is quickly soaked up by the lentils.
Serve over lettuce, on crackers or simply eat out of the bowl!

*******

The March 2012 issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, entitled The Budget Issue, was really inspiring me over the weekend so I plan to make several new recipes from there.

MONDAY~ Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup (p. 21) with big greek salads

TUESDAY~ Spaghetti and meatballs

WEDNESDAY~ Leftovers

THURSDAY~ Hot Dogs and raw veggies with ranch dip

FRIDAY~ Cuban Black Beans (p. 42) and rice

SATURDAY~ Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas (p.44) with chips and salsa

SUNDAY~ Must-Go (as in everything left in the fridge must go!)

Sharing here

Birthday Week {PHFR}

2012-02-23T10:40:00.000-05:00

~PRETTY~

Trees are budding, plants are sprouting and berries are ripe and red on our holly tree. I learned that the word Lent is from an Old English word meaning Springtime. How appropriate that nature also knows it's Lent!

~HAPPY~

My son, ZJ, and I shared a moment together over chips and salsa at his favorite Mexican restaurant for his birthday lunch. He couldn't make me any happier!

My sister and brother-in-law suffered through many an early morning wake-up call from their three adoring fans during the past week's visit. Mornings are so much more fun when Auntie is in town!

~FUNNY~

Despite the solemnity of observing Ash Wednesday yesterday, nature did not show much restraint and sent us the most beautiful sunshiny day we've had in a while. I also received my favorite magazine in the mailbox, Phylis Hoffman's Celebrate. It was the Easter issue and I had high hopes of sipping some afternoon coffee, soaking in the sunshine and paging through this visual feast. However...

I wasn't the only one who wanted to spend some free time on the deck. I never did get around to opening that magazine!

~REAL~

Phew! I have baked up a storm in the past week! Here's the rundown of what we made:

1. Red Velvet Heart Cake with Cream Cheese frosting for Valentine's Day

2. Apple Pie for RW's 10th birthday

3. Brownies for ZJ's 9th birthday

4. Raspberry Poke Cake for RW's birthday party

5. Chocolate cake with Chocolate Buttercream frosting for ZJ's birthday

6. Chocolate Truffle Tarts for Baking With Julia Bake-along.

This week I'm letting the Girl Scouts make dessert!

Despite all the baking we kept the parties ultra simple. Each boy only invited four friends over for outdoor sports, indoor games followed by pizza and cake. Three hours for each party and done! After this wild week of celebrating we are all satisfactorily exhausted and grateful for nights without obligations so we can enjoy the weather and get into bed early.

Sharing here

Chocolate Truffle Tarts {Baking With Julia}

2012-02-21T18:49:00.002-05:00

Instead of six mini tartlets I made one large chocolate tart simply because I only have one large tart pan. Even though there were several steps in making this recipe, overall I thought it was easy to make. Studded with chunks of white chocolate, milk chocolate and crumbled cookies (I successfully substituted Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies for the biscotti due to nut allergies), this elegant dessert tastes like a very sophisticated brownie. Pop over here to get the entire recipe for yourself!

Sharing with Tuesdays With Dorie - Baking With Julia

The Day After Valentine's Day {PHFR}

2012-02-16T06:01:00.003-05:00

~PRETTY~

75% off flowers at the grocery store the day after Valentine's Day = Hello Daisy!

~HAPPY~

Another great thing about the day after Valentine's Day is that it marks the day that I first held a son in my arms ten years ago. Happy Birthday RW! I never would have imagined that you would grow up to be so witty, funny, cuddly and fast. I also would never have imagined a child requesting an apple pie instead of a cake for birthdays but I am happy to oblige! Dad and I love you the world!

~FUNNY~

KC has discovered the deliciousness of a "'tella sandwich" aka Nutella sandwich. One slice of bread folded over a swipe of chocolate-hazelnut spread which he only eats from the middle out to the crust (thus the mile wide chocolate evidence on his face). Doesn't it make you happy to see your little ones munching on something they love?

~REAL~

Lately I feel like I am living in a scene from the movie The Birds. At various times of the day the sounds of hundreds of squawking blackbirds penetrate even closed windows so loudly that I am drawn to look outside to see what is going on. Either the entire flock of birds has perched high above in the tippy tops of our trees or they have descended en masse onto the lawn, pecking at the ground for their latest meal. I tried to sneak up to snap a photo and scared them into flight. As long as they stay in the trees and out of my house we'll get along just fine.

iPhone Camera Creativity

2012-02-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried to use your camera phone to take artistic photos? I have been surprised at how interesting the photos can be using such a small camera. Try getting in closer to your subject than you would normally ever do. Allow the camera to refocus itself on the small object and snap yourself a surprise.

In the photos above, I followed the prompts from Liz Lamoreux as part of the Create Space on-line class I am taking. She suggested we take our cameras on a creative walk and find something tiny, fading, surprising etc... I was surprised to see a baby bud on the branch of our maple tree. My son's baby face peach fuzz lit up in the light through the living room window while we watched Thomas the Train together. I caught the reflection of my iPhone in my sunglasses while waiting in the school drive up line. Down on my knees in the mulch, a mini universe appeared in the moss along the air conditioning unit. In our front yard a fading camellia flower drooped sweetly on the evergreen branches. In the evening light of the lamp, my son and I snuggled together on the sofa, exhausted after three hours spent in the walk-in clinic that afternoon.

When I am short on time to sit with my paints or to write in my journals, taking a photograph which captures an emotion as well as an image fills my creative tank in a new and simple way. Being able to share the photos on Instagram is a way of connecting with a creative community and being inspired at the way others see the world through the lens of their cameras.

Sharing here...

Italian Date Night {Menu Plan Monday}

2012-02-13T09:34:00.004-05:00

A rarity in our lives, my husband and I actually went out to dinner without our three sons on Saturday night! Our school has begun a new Parents' Night Out Movie and Pizza party once a month. The kids bring their sleeping bags and settle in to watch a movie in the school cafeteria complete with popcorn, pizza and their friends' company. This past weekend the movie was Dolphin Tale and my sons loved it so much they want to watch it again as a family.

This Saturday we were craving pasta so we went to a little local shop that was made famous when Guy Fieri stopped in to sample the legendary stuffed meatballs. The owner is a native of Naples, Italy and is actually more of a pastry chef than a cook. We started off with a bowl of giant, fresh mussels in a garlic wine broth. I could have been finished eating right there they were so delicious. The beautiful coffees and a slice of chocolate dipped raspberry and lobster cream cake was a sweet ending to a lovely, snowy evening. It was an early Valentine's Day treat for us.

Since our family has moved several times in the past decade, we rarely take the time to locate a babysitter. However, one of my new year's resolutions this year is to make a point to at least have one date night a month with my husband of nearly 15 years. At this busy stage in our lives and with how often he travels, we can go weeks without having time to sit alone together and really discuss the direction of our lives. We both recognize that so little time for us can potentially create an emotional distance and thankfully, neither one of us wants that!

THE MENU THIS WEEK:

MONDAY~ Spaghetti Amatraciana with steamed green beans (never did make this last week!)

TUESDAY (Valentine's Day) ~ LO spaghetti and Red Velvet heart-shaped cake

WEDNESDAY (RW's 10th Bday)~ Stuffed Green Peppers and easiest apple pie

THURSDAY~ OUT to celebrate boys' birthdays

FRIDAY(ZJ's 9th Bday)~ Paulie's Salmon and garlic mashed potatoes

SATURDAY~ OUT Basketball team party

SUNDAY~ Pizza for Boys' birthday party

Sharing here...

Worth a Read

2012-02-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday. May I send you over to Elizabeth's to read her personal story of dealing with pregnancy, cancer and how the Tim Tebow bill has put her family in the New York Times? It is well worth the read.

Weekend Clicking @ In the Heart of my Home

My Prayer Corner ~ A Sacred Space

2012-02-10T07:42:00.005-05:00

Do you have a collection of items that have special meaning to you? Are they scattered to various shelves, drawers and tables throughout your home? Part of our homework for the Create Space on-line retreat this weekend was to gather our meaningful, inspirational items and put them all on one location which we could call our sacred space. Liz recommended a few basic items to get us started: a cloth to cover the table, a candle, bits of nature, a photo, artwork and anything else that held soulful meaning to us. Here is what I hunted and gathered to create my little prayer corner in our master bedroom.

The illustration of the woman on the beach is by Becky Kelly, one of my favorite artists, the nest symbolizes my three sons and, of course, Holy Mother Mary holding baby Jesus, embodying my highest calling ~ gentle motherhood. I received the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the mail and thought it was particularly beautiful even though I don't know much about the meaning behind it.

An icon of the holy family my sister brought me back from Greece, a Peaceful candle which represents my soul's greatest desire, blue glass bottle with Faith jewel from my best friend years ago, and a small silver bowl I received after attending the house blessing ceremony at our friend's home.

The large seashell reminds me the ocean nearby and my rosary looked like the pearl inside the shell. I am always drawn to crosses and have several around the house. I moved this beaded one to my altar space because it is so colorful and signifies the need for creativity and beauty in my life.

My favorite thing about this sacred space is the pouf I found at Tar-jay. It is so comfortable and allows me to sit with my feet crossed in front of me yogi style without my legs falling asleep!

The table I used is actually an old pressed wood shelf so there is a second shelf underneath. I decided to place my Bible, rosary guide, prayer journal and whatever book I am reading for spiritual inspiration. Right now it is The Jesuit's Guide To Almost Everything by James Martin, SJ. The book is such easy, conversational reading and is a good starting place if you have ever been interested in taking up the practice called The Examen. Here is the basic formula for the daily practice:

1. Become aware of God’s presence.

2. Review the day with gratitude.

3. Pay attention to your emotions.

4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.

5. Look toward tomorrow.

(From Ignatianspirituality.com)

Doesn't that seem like an appropriate way to spend some time in one's sacred space? I think I will make an effort to at least do this when I have time to sit on my pouf!

The little corner by my side of the bed now feels like my own private world ~ a tiny spot just for me. (Although I will admit that my boys also love my pouf and have tried to use for everything from a giant beach ball to an exercise ball. I finally had to make it off limits unless the user is actually sitting on it!)

Even a candle set in a place just for you to enjoy can become your own private altar. I have this candle beside my computer. I light it in the morning and it makes my blogging time seem like a holy practice of reflection and love. Maybe over the next few days you'll come upon small items that you wish to bring together, to set aside intentionally for your reflection and to light your own candle in honor of your loving Creator and His beloved creation.

Sharing here...

Little Giant {This Moment}

2012-02-10T05:49:00.003-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{moments of grace} @ Suscipio

A Love Note {52 Photos}

2012-02-09T19:35:00.001-05:00

Sharing with 52 Photos Project

Sunsets and Emergency Rooms {PHFR}

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

~PRETTY~

The sunsets lately have been spectacular ~ big strokes of fiery orange or delicate pink and purple swirls. As I drive the boys to their evening basketball practices I have been known to swerve wildly off the road to capture the spectacle on my cellphone such as this moment above. (Picture my boys sighing deeply in the backseat anxious just to get. to. practice. already!)

~HAPPY~

Can I just tell you how blissfully peaceful Liz Lamoreux's blog has been for me in the past two months? So much so that in light of my word of the year - create - I took a leap of faith and signed up for her Create Space on-line retreat. It runs for the next five weeks and has already blessed me deeply. This is a doodle I did in anticipation of the opening ceremony on Sunday. (Tomorrow's post will feature our first week's assignment which was to create a sacred space in our homes so stop back to see mine.)

~FUNNY~

I must be 39 years old or something because I have noticed a slow decline in my vision over the past year. This week I was reduced to wearing these magnifying reading glasses while reading The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. No matter how cute they may be, they reminded me of my Grandmother and I had to chuckle to myself about this crazy process of turning into old people a little bit more everyday.

~REAL~

We spent a long, long evening in the ER on Thursday. KC (in the red) slipped horrendously while goofing in the bathtub and I thought he may have fractured his femur. He absolutely refused to walk on it for the four hours we endured in the ultra-boring and ultra-busy ER. My husband arrived directly from the airport and held my hand as we worried about growth plates, casts, not being able to walk etc...

Luckily for all of us, the x-rays turned out fine and lo and behold...

he walked out of the ER at 11:00pm. Thanks be to GOD!

Sharing here...

KC and Me {Wordless Wednesday}

2012-02-08T06:45:00.002-05:00

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White Loaves {TWD ~ Baking With Julia}

2012-02-07T00:04:00.001-05:00

See that lovely little loaf of white bread? I made it. From scratch! Here's how it happened...

First, I gathered the ingredients. How could these simplistic kitchen basics turn into a crusty-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside loaf of such salty-sweet goodness, I wondered?

I opened Baking With Julia to the recipe for White Loaves, our first Tuesdays With Dorie group baking assignment.

I followed the instructions laboriously, as in reading them aloud to myself over and over and over again. I was not about to forget an ingredient or miss a crucial step. Remember I had never even used the bread hook attachment before!

Adding the salt. At this moment I felt elated. It looked like bread dough and smelled like bread dough. I was really accomplishing something here!

Elation turned to terror as the mixer strained and groaned trying to knead the dough for so many minutes. I re-read the instructions again to reassure myself that all was going as written. My poor mixer started to smell like burning oil. It was overheating and I knew what must be done...

I was going to have to finish kneading it by hand. And I did. For eight. solid. minutes. It wasn't at all puffy and pliable as I imagined bread dough would be. In fact, my hands were getting sore and I couldn't imagine anything less than hard as rock being the result of my efforts.

I set the dough aside to rise while I went to pick up the boys from school.

To my utter shock and delight, upon my return the dough had become the soft, pliable ball of yeasty goodness I had earlier envisioned.

I rolled it, and patted it, and pinched it into shape and...

Laid it as gently as a newborn baby into the buttered pans. In order to get it to rise to the described height I had to heat the oven a bit and set the loaves inside the gently warm oven. This was the longest part of the whole process ~ and I believe in retrospect~ the secret to my success. I don't know how I thought to do it but I was glad I did. I will think of it sooner next time since by the time I was ready to bake them it had been four hours from the time I had begun mixing the dough.

Do you realize how delectable the smell of baking bread is in your house? Trust me, it ranks up there with the best homey smells in the universe.

At this point I was nervously optimistic.

The crust on my loaves was literally so firm I could knock on it with my knuckles and not make a dent. This is no wimpy loaf of Wonderbread people. When I finally cut the first slice of bread a breathless gasp of surprise escaped me. It had worked! I had actually baked an incredibly beautiful loaf of bread.

I guess I should have expected no less from Julia and Dorie and their collaborative baking guidance.

My boys gobbled up two slices each while I lightly toasted the heel and slathered salted butter all over it. Suffice it to say that I will definitely be making more of this bread and will soon try my hand at the whole wheat recipe which comes next in the book.

To find the recipe for WHITE LOAVES please stop by our hostess' blog.

If you would like to join in the baking fun, buy a copy of Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan and bake along with us in two weeks when we make Chocolate Truffle Tarts.

To see how some of the 300+ other bakers' loaves turned out go here and find the links in the comments.

Chocolate Fondue {Menu Plan Monday}

2012-02-06T08:48:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day requires a chocolate sweet treat of some kind, don't you think? Silky, warm chocolate sauce and strawberries make the perfect couple and fit the color scheme as well. This recipe takes no time, can be made in advance and reheated which makes it very handy. My husband prefers to dip bananas and my second son pineapple, but I am all about the strawberries. Strawberries and chocolate seem like they were meant to be best friends, and on the most romantic day of the year, why not make them fall in love?

EASY CHOCOLATE FONDUE

www.mistysmornings.com

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cream (half and half just doesn't work as well here)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

small pinch of kosher salt

PROCESS

Over medium-low heat, melt cream and chocolate chips in small saucepan. Whisk constantly or the chocolate will harden. When thoroughly melted, remove from heat and add corn syrup and salt. Whisk until well-blended and glossy.

Serve warm with dippers of your choice.

Dipper Ideas:

Fresh fruit ~ strawberries, bananas, pineapple, apples, oranges

Marshmallows, graham crackers, pretzels, angel food cake cubes

********

MONDAY~ Submarine Sandwiches (styled after Jimmy John's) Turkey, Smoked Ham, Spicy Capicola, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomato and Mayo on soft white baguette

TUESDAY~ Chicken Fajitas with caramelized onions and refried beans

WEDNESDAY~ Leftovers

THURSDAY~Spaghetti Amatraciana with steamed green beans

FRIDAY~ Leftovers

SATURDAY~ OUT

SUNDAY~ Split Pea Soup with pumpkin bread

********

Sharing here

Keep Calm and Carry On {Weekend Bliss}

2012-02-04T10:58:00.002-05:00

My Weekend Bliss

This weekend, I wish for you to have time to sip, savor, and snore to your heart's content.

Sharing here...

Share yours?

Smashbook Stickering {This Moment}

2012-02-03T08:40:00.002-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

In Which I Make a Confession {PHFR}

2012-02-02T09:46:00.003-05:00

~PRETTY~

When my eyes popped open at 2:45 am and nothing I did helped me fall back asleep, I padded quietly downstairs and went about alighting the rooms with candles. The cozy, flickering glow (and a pot of fresh coffee) set the stage for a two hour reading binge. Ahhh. I was actually ready to start the day when my boys awoke at 5 am.

~HAPPY~

Apparently it was the 100th day of school this week. I had no idea but KC was so proud he wore his crown all afternoon. He's definitely our "crown prince".

~FUNNY~

Someone really needs to put "Fix Neon Storefront Sign" on the top of the to-do list. :)

~REAL~

Ok, it's confession time. I fell off the Gluten-Free bandwagon this week. Hard. As in: I made this cinnamon roll* for myself and devoured every morsel. And I ate crusty french bread with butter, soup with pasta in it, and I may have had a chicken enchilada with flour tortillas, and well, you get the idea. Time to clean up the act. And I will. Right after lunch...

*sidenote ~ try baking a Grands Cinnamon Roll in a jumbo muffin tin = adorable

sharing here

Shadowed {Wordless Wednesday}

2012-02-01T06:57:00.003-05:00

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Birthdays, Boys and Book Clubs {Top 10 Tuesday}

2012-01-31T08:55:00.000-05:00

1. I really miss being able to upload and share the photos I am learning to take on my new camera. In fact, we were all set to buy me a new computer last weekend but I got cold feet at the last second wondering laptop or desktop and waffling so much I just gave up and postponed the shopping trip. Either way I am going on Friday and will let you know what I decided to buy. I welcome any advice. (fyi ~ I am definitely getting a Mac and switching from PC for the past 20+ years to Mac is exhilarating and scary too.)

2. In light of said photo problems I am really enjoying Instagram and Flickr. Other people's everyday photos are so inspiring and oddly comforting.

3. In two weeks that boy turns 10. Wow - my first double digit child. I heard Dr. Kevin Lehman say that he considers kids 11 to 18 to be teenagers today because kids are growing up so much faster. In that case I better soak up the next year with my still "little" boy!

4. In two weeks and two days this boy turns 9. Again, wow. As you can imagine, we are deciding what to do for birthday parties this year. Last year was super small and low-key and we all loved it. This year they want to play laser tag. Hmmm. Must decide and soon.

5. I'm thinking of joining this book club but I have already committed to this one. Oh and my in-real-life book club is reading this book. Can I possibly do all three? If I unplug more often I think I could.

6. The weather has been so mild this winter. It has me wondering what may lie in store for Spring and Summer storms.

7. I just loved this post so much I had to share it here for you to enjoy. The Winter From the Top Of A Swing by Elizabeth Foss. Sometimes I feel she speaks for me about slowness, quiet, creativity and how to do these things in the midst of real life.

8. Ash Wednesday is February 22. Easter Sunday is April 8. I really love Lent. Two years ago I gave up Facebook and it was marvelous. (I have never really gone back.) Maybe this year it will be something else electronic like Twitter or iPhone? Must think(and listen) on this.

9. What are you going to make for Superbowl Sunday? Here's our plan.

10. And lastly, here's a beautiful quotation that has stuck with me the past few days.

"There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back." ~Elizabeth David

I know which type I would rather be.

Sharing here...

Game Day Guacamole {Menu Plan Monday}

2012-01-30T06:36:00.001-05:00

My husband is the guac-master in our household and this is his go-to recipe. He eats it with chips of course but also loves to slather it on burgers, tacos or even breakfast burritos. We usually don't make it spicy because I rarely have fresh jalapeños on hand but if you like a little kick ~ throw them in ~ it's extra delicious!

Game Day Guacamole

from mistysmornings.com

INGREDIENTS
3 ripe avocados
1/2 large red onion, finely diced
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic salt depending on your taste
*optional spicy additions:
1 half fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced

PROCESS

1. Remove avocado from skins into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Mash well with fork.
3. Add all the rest of the ingredients.
4. Add more salt or lime juice to taste.
5. Serve immediately so it stays bright green.

******

MENU PLAN for January 30- February 5 (SUPERBOWL SUNDAY)

Monday ~ Easy Chicken Enchiladas (I use La Victoria sauce and rotisserie chicken)

Tuesday ~ Leftover enchiladas

Wednesday ~ Homemade Naan Pizzas and Buttermilk Ranch salads

Thursday ~ Lemon-Lime Tilapia and fresh green beans

Friday ~ Cheesy Weiner Wraps

Saturday ~ Apple, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad with Dried Cherries (just for me!)

Sunday ~ Superbowl Food:

Game Day Guacamole (see recipe in this post)

Fresh fruit salad

BWW Spicy Garlic Wings with celery and Blue Cheese dip

Football Shaped Brownies

******

sharing here

The Little Bliss List and 7 Quick Takes

2012-01-27T08:27:00.001-05:00

1. Sunshine through the kitchen window while I wash dishes to the sound of birdsong.

2. A hand-painted card from a far away friend who says I inspired her (!) to share her art after I shared mine. This card will be a forever treasure.

3. Discovering that Naan from Target is softer and more delicious than pita bread. We have been eating it with this hummus and making mini pizzas with it also. So easy and yummy.

4. Finally getting my 2012 books to read organized into categorical shelves on Goodreads. (nerd alert!) Somehow it makes it feel more possible when I can see the lists and not just a jumble of 40+ random book titles. In case you're interested here's the breakdown:
~cookbooks ‎(8)
~create 7
~faith (6)
~fiction (6)
~home (4)
~memoir (8)
~self-improvement
~writing (6)
~year-long reads (13)

5. Valentine's Day coffee mugs and time to sip slowly.

6. Seeing surfboards in January ~ a sign of really nice weather and a reminder to make time to get to the beach. I never thought I would turn into one of those people who lives by the ocean and never gets there but alas...

7. Fellow bloggers who share similar introverted interests like journaling enough to create a community around it. This post by Liz Lamoreux inspired me to join her Notes from the Journey Flickr group. Sometimes all that matters is to be reassured that we are not alone.

gratefully sharing here...

Creativity Is Contagious {PHFR}

2012-01-26T05:40:00.007-05:00

~PRETTY~

The sight of this floral box (complete with rhinestone brooch on the cover) filled to capacity with multi-colored Sharpies, glitter markers and ball point pens makes me feel that first day of school excitement every time.

I have told you before how I am exploring various modes of creativity this year. This tiny cache of pens has been put to good use since the arrival of this book:

by Stefanie Corfee

Check out her bohemian blog here.

As I have been doodling and dabbling around in the world of mixed media art, a beautiful phenomenon has unfolded around me in this house proving this quote, by Albert Einstein, to be quite true: "Creativity is contagious. Pass it on."

~HAPPY~

ZJ, my middle son and aspiring author, has caught the creativity bug along with me. He has his own Smash book, as does RW, my eldest, and we have passed a few beautiful hours smashing stuff side by side. Tomorrow night we are going out for the second week in a row, Smash journals in hand, for dinner and Smashing at a local cafe. Dad can play basketball with them but I'll take Smashing anytime.

~FUNNY~

KC, our 3 1/2 year old, is also feeling creative lately. Here he is "reading" me a bedtime story. He is also busy drawing and even "writing" his own short stories. Trust me, those chicken scratch stories are already stored forever in my Smash book!

~REAL~

Another book on creativity that we are all enjoying is

by Ed Tadem.

In the photo above, you can see that my two older boys have begun challenging themselves to sketching from the weekly lessons provided in this beautiful book. Things are truly in creativity mode around here and next week I start my first baking assignment from Tuesdays With Dorie: Baking With Julia. So, yes, the ironing may be piling a bit high.

Maybe I can sketch that, too, and title it "Diary of a Creative Housewife."

I'd love to hear about any creative tools you find useful and inspiring. Please share in the comments!

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Grandma's Loves {Wordless Wednesday}

2012-01-25T06:40:00.001-05:00

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Bacon Fried Rice {Menu Plan Monday}

2012-01-23T08:08:00.003-05:00

So my son comes home from his best friend's house proclaiming the utter deliciousness of the meal he ate while there. Bacon fried rice! I was intrigued but let it go. I've never made fried rice of any kind so why start now? But my son continued to bring it up here and there - he is a lover of bacon - so I finally asked Mrs. R. for the recipe as she stood in my entryway last evening, picking up her son from our house.

As she related her recipe in her lovely Filipino tones, I mentally checked off each item that I already had in my pantry. The only missing ingredient was Johnny Salt which she adds. I simply improvised after checking its mystery ingredients on line.

Just before the power went out in a lightning storm, I threw together this easy and - yes - utterly delicious bacony meal. Although my son said it wasn't the same as Mrs. R's he gave it two thumbs way up. In fact, there were no leftovers to share with Dad when he got home!

INGREDIENTS
4 cups cooked rice ( I used white)
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 carrot, grated
2 eggs
dashes of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper
soy sauce to taste

PROCESS
1. Steam rice.
2. In a large saucepan, render bacon until crispy. Remove to drain and pour off most of the fat leaving some in the pan to sauté veggies.
3. Sauté onions and carrots, stirring constantly for one minute.
4. Add eggs and stir quickly with veggies until eggs are cooked.
5. Stir in rice, seasonings and soy sauce.
6. Add bacon and serve.

******

Monday ~ Bacon Fried Rice (see recipe below)

Tuesday ~ Taco Night (Brisket Style)

Wednesday ~Leftover Tacos

Thursday ~ Asian Chicken Kebabs and garlic rice pilaf

Friday ~ OUT (Smash Nite at craft store)

Saturday ~ Minestrone Soup (by Ellie Krieger) and Biscuits (by Homesick Texan)

Sunday ~ Jalapeno Popper Dip

******

Sharing here...

How to Create Art in Five Minutes

2012-01-20T08:26:00.001-05:00

As I have mentioned before, my word for this year is CREATE. Painting with watercolors is one area in which I have been experimenting. Michael's has a really inexpensive line of art supplies called Artist's Loft. I bought the watercolor paints and a few brushes as a way to get started without much investment. (Everything is around $5-$10.)

Being a part of Alisa Burke's on-line class called Create Daily, has awakened my senses to the many opportunities to create quickly. Sometimes we get caught up in the idea that we must have large blocks of time set aside to be artistic. Surely, we think, it takes an afternoon to paint, collage, journal or compose a few lines of poetry. Well, if you are seeking perfection, it does. But if you are seeking to revel in your simplistic ability to create something imperfect instead of nothing at all, there are moments of creative inspiration everywhere you look!

On this particular day, I opened my daily poetry email from Everyday Poems, to see this photograph of beautiful red berries in winter. (I wish I could tell you who took the photo but I cannot locate it.)

Inspiration struck. In a few moments I had laid out my watercolor set, a cup for water and a piece of white cardstock. A few pencils sketches followed by a little dab of color and voila, I had created a hand-painted card.

I wasn't overly proud of how it looked but the thrill it gave me just to have made it was purely delightful. (In this case, not being a perfectionist serves me well!)

So I am sharing this story with you today to encourage you to let go of perfection, let go of the idea that you must have closet full of art supplies and an entire afternoon free to "do art". What if you turned away from this computer screen, picked up a pencil and a blank slip of paper and simply tried to sketch something within your view right now? If it makes it easier, call it doodling. Just try it. I bet you'll like it. No one is watching but inspiration is there, just waiting for you to welcome it into your life.

Sharing here:
Work For Me Wednesday

Inspiration Fridays At The Picket Fence
Weekend Bloggy Reading At Serenity Now
Stuff and Nonsense Fridays
Sneak Peek Friday @Studio JRU

The Tebow Effect {Wordless Wednesdays}

2012-01-18T06:36:00.003-05:00

Sharing here

Learning to Use Plan To Eat {MPM/C2W}

2012-01-17T10:25:00.001-05:00

Since last week's post, I have spent much of my time putting away the last of the Christmas decorations, catching up with people and family and spending lots of time getting organized on the computer. (Does that count as writing?) Something I did write this week that seems to have struck a chord with many readers was my Comparison Kills Contentment post at Catholic Mothers Online. Read that here if you are interested.

One way I am determined to be more intentional and creative this year is by creating and sticking to a weekly menu plan. To help me accomplish this I signed up for the free trial of Plan To Eat. Have you heard of it or are you using it already? (If so, please friend me @Mistysmornings so we can share recipes together!)

I struggled so much at first because I do not want to take the time to type in every recipe I love in order to be able to drag and drop the recipes onto the planner. Thanks to Clint, the PTE customer assistant, I learned that I can simply find the recipe on-line, click the PTE Save Recipe button, and the entire thing is automatically uploaded into my recipe file. No typing necessary! This made me a believer and I have spent lots of time uploading recipes from my Pinterest food boards. I forsee myself finally getting around to trying many of those mouth-watering recipes I have been busy pinning from the web. My hope is that after the initial time spent loading recipes, the Plan To Eat planner and self-generated grocery lists will save me more time in the future.

Here's what we plan to eat this week:

Monday - Pumpkin spice chocolate chip mini muffins and Sushi (out for the holiday)
Tuesday - Kalamata Lemon Chicken
Wednesday - Mediterranean Layer Dip and leftover kalamata chicken
Thursday - Fat-free refried beans and rice burritos
Friday - Bean nachos (leftovers)
Saturday - OUT
Sunday - Tomato soup with bacon grilled cheese sandwiches

Sharing here:

Commit2Write

Menu Plan Monday (on Tuesday!)

Comparison Kills Contentment {Catholic Mothers Online Post}

2012-01-16T07:49:00.001-05:00

My sister just texted me from the airplane. She and her husband are on their way to Germany to tour the Christmas markets – for the fifth time. Bring me a lebkuchen, I think as I close my phone and open the mailbox. The first Christmas card of the season has arrived. I haven’t even made one yet and was thinking I might skip it this year altogether. Opening her lovely card, I read that my friend has moved to a new home and lost 35 pounds in the last year. I am happy for her. Really, I am.

Please read the rest over at Catholic Mothers Online where I am guest posting today. Thanks!

Saturday Surfing {Lots of Links to Things I Love}

2012-01-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

Four things I am loving right now...

1. SMASHBOOKING
I ran out to buy one at Michael's after watching this video. Maybe you can relate to having stacks of barely used journals lining your shelves? Somehow the colorful format of these books makes it easy to fill up and not feel pressured by a blank page.

2. DOWNTON ABBEY
If you are looking for something escapist, visually beautiful and of excellent quality to watch after the children are asleep you must try DA. Season one is available on Netflix to get you up to speed. Season 2 just began last week. It is great fun!

3. BAKING WITH JULIA
The book arrived in the mail this week and I have spent a few blissful minutes imagining myself baking from scratch. Even though I am half terrified to have joined in on this challenge, I am going to give it my best shot. You still have time to join in, too!

4. TAKE TWELVE CHALLENGE
Another challenge but somehow this seems like something doable for me. I can't stand that I haven't printed out a tangible photo in years. This monthly project should help me get some photos into a book. Maybe a new Smash Journal?

What are you loving right now? Do share!

This Moment {us}

2012-01-13T08:13:00.001-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Coffee and Cocoa Christmas Party {PHFR+ a Recipe}

2012-01-12T09:47:00.005-05:00

~PRETTY~

My boys had an entire week off of school before we went "home" for Christmas. They each asked me to invite friends over to play so I decided to invite them all at the same time along with their mothers. I wanted a playdate too!

To send out the invitations I used an alternative to evite called Punchbowl. It's free and more fun than evite in my opinion.

Part of the joy of having a party for me is having an excuse to make some extravagant recipes and pull out the German gluhwein mugs my sister has diligently brought me from her trips overseas.

~HAPPY~

It does my heart such good to spend a few hours in the company of faith-filled moms who share openly and support one another through the journey of parenthood.

~FUNNY~

My three year old son had fun sharing his toys with his buddies from school. When I spotted them beneath the train table I had to snap a photo. I wonder what they were discussing?

~REAL~

The downside of having 13 boys over to play: The Lego aftermath.

~RECIPE~

This quiche recipe is the simplest to make and has become my go-to recipe. My only suggestion is that I use extra sharp cheddar rather than monterey jack cheese for more flavor and zip.

I hope you are inspired to host a playdate for you and your kids soon!

Sharing here

Wordless Wednesday {Birds}

2012-01-11T08:08:00.000-05:00

Sharing here

commit2write {Create}

2012-01-10T07:02:00.007-05:00

CREATE

space

peace

time

health

fitness

confidence

faith

love

friendship

hospitality

freedom

order

poems

essays

lists

doodles

journals

blog posts

tweets

drawings

paintings

jewelry

recipes

photographs

beauty

art

vision

discipline

routine

simplicity

harmony

closeness

memories

rituals

traditions

joy

sharing here

one word wednesday

walk with Him wednesday

January 9 Daybook {and Menu Plan Monday}

2012-01-09T10:37:00.001-05:00

Still enjoying Epiphany Sunday

outdoors…

Awakened to a steady rain and it felt just the thing for a lazy, crazy Monday morning. Today seems like a day to stay in, stay cozy and nest.

thinking…

I am again surrounding myself with stacks of books I want to read. Lately reading has been at the bottom of the to do list and January beckons me back into the arms of a good book. Soon I will be posting the lists I made of books I read in 2011 and books I hope to read in 2012. If you have a great recommendation tell me now so I can add it to the stack!

wearing...

Workout clothes and slippers. Totally defines my state of mind.

hearing…

A ticking clock. Wow. That is quiet.

thankful for…

DVR. I cannot wait to see the first episode of season 2 of Downton Abbey tonight after the boys are in bed. The popcorn bowl is already laid out!

going…

To. The. Gym. Period.

praying for...

My friend in need of healing. My children at school. My husband at work. The year ahead.

reading…

Just bought these two books and cannot wait to get into them today.
and

creating…

Journal pages galore, lists galore, ideas in my head galore. Now to make them real.

cooking…
MENU PLAN for January 8-15

Monday- leftover ham with steamed green beans
Tuesday- Taco night
Wednesday- Leftover tacos
Thursday- Breakfast for dinner GF pancakes
Friday-Lemon-peppercorn Tilapia and salads
Saturday- SUSHI out!
Sunday- Chicken Soup and Homesick Texan's Biscuits

homekeeping…

I have collected many empty Target bags to use for this purpose: Everyday, I will grab one sack in each hand and head through the whole house and simply toss in things I can donate or throw away. Done in twenty minutes. Simple. I figure this will help me tackle the sense of excess in a less excessive way.
Also, every single corner seems to need vacuuming. Deeply. Must accomplish this week!

anticipating...

Joining MOMS (Ministry of Mothers Sharing) at our parish. I went through this class six years ago where we used to live and literally found three lifelong friends in that group alone. I cannot wait to meet the ladies who sign up here and see who God has in store for me this time! Of course it will be interesting to see how I've grown spiritually since the first time through. It truly was a life-changing experience for me. And I am not ashamed to say that I can attend only because they picked Friday nights for meetings. As a mom of grade-schoolers I have nothing else going on on Friday nights!

pondering…
What God has planned for my husband and me this year. Seems like we are working together better than ever toward our shared goals and values. So exciting.

Linking with Simple Woman's Daybook for January

and

7 Quick Takes {on 2012 and technology]

2012-01-06T06:06:00.004-05:00

This is not my house but it sure looks cozy!

1. My computer is totally fried.
I have loved you oh Dell of ten years ago. You have helped me learn how to upload a photo to a blog and how to surf the web. With you I began this blog and managed to maintain it even after you wiped out the first two months of photos I had posted. Now, we are on our last days together and I must say I will NOT miss your viruses, your glitches, your incessant security scans right at the moment I sit down to blog. Goodbye and Godspeed oh Dino Dell.

2. My new camera.
My dear husband ordered me an early Christmas gift - a Canon EOS Rebel T3 camera. It was his way of affirming my new love of photography inspired by the beautiful photos all over blogland. Now if I could only upload and post a few of these lovelier new photos to my Dino Dell computer. Sigh...

3. With the exception of a few flurries we had a brown Christmas back home.
And I am happy for them and all but geez, I did pack and bring an entire extra suitcase full of snowpants, coats and boots just so my boys could make a few snow angels in the land of the 100 inches of snow. And it was balmy, dry and brown. Even the ice rinks were slushy. Bummer for us. Boondoggle for those of our family who live there year-round.

4. My word for 2012.
Last year I chose enough as my word for the year. In fact, it was officially the first post I ever wrote on this blog. It helped remind me that I have enough (especially when I am at Target!) and don't need any more "stuff" to read, wear, eat, play with etc...
My word for this year is a result of last year's realization. I found that not only do I have enough around me, but also enough inside me on which to draw for inspiration. My word for 2012 is CREATE. Somehow writing a blog has reignited a passion for drawing, doodling, painting, writing, reading, baking, cooking, photography, decorating and generally making something tangible with my own hands/mind/spirit. I look forward to sharing the results with you all year long.

5. Twitter -vs- Facebook
I adore Twitter. I loathe Facebook. Nuff said.

6. Pinterest
I also adore Pinterest and have figured out how to use it to my own advantage. I created a 2012 Resolutions board for myself and went around pinning all the visuals and links to ideas I want to accomplish throughout the year. For a random-minded person like me, this gives me inner peace.

7. Baking With Julia
In September I began eating Wheat Free. I am still wheat free and loving it. However, I have always always wanted to learn to be a better baker. I confess that I have never made a loaf of bread from scratch. So, when Dorie Greenspan wrote about this new Bakealong for 2012, I rushed to buy the cookbook and am planning on baking along with Julia twice a month. You can be sure I will share the triumphs and failures here with you. Maybe I'll even try to make some things gluten-free. Who knows? I just feel giddy about it!

Participating here...
Conversion Diary

Some Endings Are Just New Beginnings {Wordless Wednesday}

2012-01-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

Sharing here...
Wordless Wednesdays

How To Make New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-03T10:04:00.002-05:00

Today might be one of my favorite days of the year. The first day back into the old routine after the upheaval brought about by a vacation from everything from eating right to bedtimes and beyond.

The big boys are back in their classes at school just down the road, my husband is farther down the road for work and my littlest is so giddy to be back in this house with his own toys that he is tucked away upstairs, happily conversing with himself.

And I? Well, I am soaking in the sunlit silence at my computer desk. No Christmas tunes playing, no DS games dinging, just pure, sweet silence and the occasional gust of wind on the window screens.

Today is my day to re-organize my brain. Time to settle down with a cup of coffee and an assortment of calendars to fill in the crisp white squares with color-coded obligations. Time to seriously decide if I am making any resolutions this year, and if so, how to go about it.

Yesterday at lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, I asked my sons and husband to tell me their resolutions. A few of their responses were:

~Learn to play piano and hockey
~Try harder in basketball
~Spend more time with the family
~Train for an Iron man (?!?!)

Then I posed a different take on the same question, "What might God want you to set as a resolution for this year?"

After some quiet thinking they had slightly different goals:

~Control my temper better
~Fight less with my brothers
~Pay more attention at Mass

Funny thing is that no one asked me what my resolutions were and I was glad because I would take a lot longer to answer and may have put them to sleep in their queso. But today, this strange new day of the strange new year 2012, I will devote some time to planning ahead, organizing my brain, and asking God what He would have me resolve to do in the 363 days stretching before me all crisp and white and clean.

What about you? Do you make resolutions? If so, please leave a link and I would enjoy reading about them on your blog.

Wordless Wednesday {gingerbread houses}

2011-12-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

Sharing here

Stressed Out? Try the four-S solution {Catholic Mothers Online}

2011-12-21T17:59:00.002-05:00

Please join me over at Catholic Mothers Online where I am sharing my solution to holiday stress. I would love to hear your stress-busting ideas as well.

Waiting {Wordless Wednesday}

2011-12-21T09:03:00.002-05:00

Sharing here

The Nester Christmas Tour of Homes 2011

The Kids' Tree Tradition {Christmas Tour of Homes 2}

2011-12-19T07:54:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite childhood memories of Christmas was the multi-colored lighted tree just for kids. It's a tradition I am continuing this year in our house. I wrote about our family tree here, where each ornament tells a story. Looking through our kids' tree, I see that these ornaments also tell their own Christmas tales.

Thomas the Train. Each of my three sons has been a huge fan of the train set and the movies. This Thomas movie is hands-down our all time favorite. KC, our youngest, spends half his playtime carrying on conversations between the various trains. The train table definitely goes to him in the will.

Another tradition I started early on was to buy each child a new ornament every year. Usually they represent a favorite interest of each person. Sometimes they're simply cute. This jingle bell snowman arrived with the birth of our third son in 2008.

I also buy a new ornament for my husband and myself. Guess which one of us this was for?

These glittery icicle ornaments remind us of our chilly winters when we lived in Chicago.

The jack in the box arrived was another of our boys' favorite childhood toys. Be sure to write the name and year on the bottom of each ornament because even though you think you'll remember, you won't!

The kids' tree also collects the handmade ornaments that come home from school as well as the milestones captured in photographs.

This isn't the modern-day elf on the shelf but rather the same little elf I adored over thirty years ago on my mother's kiddie tree.

Beneath this tree we place gifts for our friends. Our family presents go under the larger tree.

One of the best parts of this tree is that my boys are drawn to it over and over. They like to rearrange the ornaments and spend time admiring them in the colorful glow.

If you don't have a kids' tree tradition, think about starting one next year. Target has great sales on trees right now. (I got mine for $25.) And while you're there, pick out a fun new ornament for each child to hang on it to remember the gift of 2012.

Sharing here...

When Your Tree Tells a Story {Christmas Home Tour}

2011-12-16T09:53:00.000-05:00

Our red and gold family tree

My late Grandfather's ornament. He loved birds and I think of him each time a cardinal pays me a visit.

Crystal cross from an ornament exchange trade with my Mom's group years ago.

For the coffee lover in the family ~me!

The peacock reminds me of my mother who always had one on her tree. I loved to run my palm across the feather.

My boys at ages three and four. Were they ever that small?

The house to symbolize the first home we bought. My best friend gave me a new ornament every year from the Bride's Tree set similar to this one. It was a lovely tradition and each ornament is full of sentiment.

Do you know the pickle ornament tradition? You should!

A hand-painted Santa made for me by my babysitter in 1979.

Our wedding ball ornament. A gift from my mother that recalls my wedding gown perfectly.

A wooden carved reindeer found in a quaint village shop near Chicago.

Santa's gift to my eldest son last year. He still does.

See our kids' tree tradition here.

Stop by the Nesting Place to see the 2011 Christmas Tour of Homes

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real {my Christmas Bucket List}

2011-12-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

~PRETTY~

I have finally gotten the Advent candles burning at our house and I must say, they are such a beautiful sight at the dinner table. Doesn't candlelight make everything lovelier?

~HAPPY~

KC (3 1/2) is really understanding Christmas this year. He loves to see "his" ornaments on the tree and loves reading all our favorite Christmas stories. Having young children keeps the magic of Christmas alive.

~FUNNY~

ZJ (8 1/2), our middle son, is so full of humor and wit. He is always making us laugh and bringing joy into our lives. We are thankful for his unique spirit.

~REAL~

I am a little embarrassed to share these doodles with you. I joined an on-line class for December called Doodle 12.31 in which we are guided through making a holiday doodle journal. As could have been predicted, I have had little to no time to doodle lately. This page is the best I could do one night, my Christmas Bucket list.

What's on your holiday bucket list?

Sharing here every Thursday

Watercolor Sunset

2011-12-14T06:27:00.000-05:00

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Outdoor Wednesdays

Peace In Your Heart

2011-12-13T17:39:00.000-05:00

"While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart."

St. Francis of Assisi

Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Elizabeth Foss and Danielle Bean

Multitudes on Mondays {alphabet for Christmas}

2011-12-12T08:20:00.003-05:00

advent

bare branches bearing berries

Christmas carols

donning decorations

early evenings

friends, family, fun

generous giving

hosts and hostesses

innocent infants

joyful jinglebells

kris kringle

lounging lazily

making memories

nesting

opening our homes

packing presents

quiet

royal radiance

silence, solitude, simplicity

twinkling tree lights

underneath the mistletoe

vacation days, vocation days

wise men

x-cited children

yummy yule

zeal and zest

Sharing here...

Christmas Storytime {and a Sunday Soup Night recipe link}

2011-12-11T07:46:00.000-05:00

See that smiling face right there? That little boy ripped through the entire cache of wrapped Christmas storybooks I wrote about here. Graciously, my older boys didn't mind and now we are simply enjoying all our Christmas stories in one huge bunch.

The above scene occurred spontaneously while I was making lentil-mushroom soup for Sunday Soup Night (on Monday!). It has been so rewarding to hear my older boys reading to their little brother. I know that these snuggly storytimes will be a big part of their memories of Christmas at home. I wonder which books will be the ones they must pass on to their own little ones someday saying, Grandma Mimi always read this book to me when I was your age.

The most requested books right now are the following:

Note: Click on the picture to go to the link for each book.

Jan Brett's books:

*In the Gingerbread Friends book there is a recipe for making gingerbread boys. We tried it and it was wonderful.

Scratch-n-Sniff books

*I still have my copy of The Sweet Smell of Christmas from my own childhood. Some of the scents still smell!

These are our all-time favorite books about Santa!

*If you are into Santa at your house, these beautifully illustrated and intricately detailed books will captivate young readers for hours.

Keeping Christ in Christmas

#5
Advent Books

*The Countdown book is a board book for toddlers and young children and the Adventure book is for Mom's to read to children. Both books focus on religious traditions and serving others rather than waiting for presents.

#6

On my wish list this year

Any of these books makes a wonderful present for a whole family to enjoy.

Now go read your kids a story and make some Christmas memories!

Taking part in the Shower of Roses Advent and Christmas books link-up here.

PHFR {december moments}

2011-12-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

~PRETTY~

~HAPPY~

~FUNNY~

~REAL~

Keeping my promise to myself to savor each moment, say yes to each child more often, to enter fully into each Christ-mas moment.

Sharing here every Thursday...

Pink Petals

2011-12-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

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