Things I love

• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Weekends
• Weekends
• New books
• My new jeans <3

We are a family...

... of goofy faces.

Just Tell Us The Truth...

The candidates views and plans on the abortion issue in their OWN WORDS. A must, must see video for every voter.

Back on Etsy

I'm back on Etsy again!  Trying to get the scarf business up and going again.  Check it out!  Let me know what you think!
MY ETSY SHOP

On This Side

On this side of heaven

I watch and wait and pray

And I don't know

And I cry 

And I hope

And faith waits

For me

To find it

To hold it

On that side of heaven

He watches and waits and 

He knows

And my tears are His, counted

And He loves

Me

And waits

For me

To find Him

To be held

-Copyright, Rebecca 2008                                     

Come What May

 COME WHAT MAY

"Caleb, a recent transfer to Patrick Henry College, teams up with Rachel to lead the college to the National Moot Court Championship.  Along the way he is caught in a moral tug of war between his parents-a newly Christian father and a feminist Supreme Court Attorney mother.  As the PHC moot court team and the U.S. Supreme Court simultaneously grapple with legal cases involving abortion, Caleb clashes with his mother and his own conscience over difficult issues of truth and compromise in the intense world of collegiate moor court."

This movie is available to watch for a limited time online.  I'm pretty sure it's only available today thru Wednesday.  It's a very limited release film, not being shown in many theaters so unless you're willing to buy the limited release DVD this may be your only option to see this film.  I've heard many wonderful things about it, so check it out and let me know what you think!
HERE'S THE LINK

I don’t think someone is a good candidate just because he is prolife. But he cannot be a good candidate unless he is prolife. Personally, if he is committed to legalized child-killing, as a matter of conscience I must vote against him.

Goofy in How to Hook Up Your Home Theater

Happy Weekend everyone!! Have a great one!! Here's some laughs to get you started!

Shortbread

The original recipe is from Maureen

Here's what you need:
1 lb butter (REAL BUTTER NOT MARGARINE)
4 c flour
1 c sugar
First you'll want to soften your butter.  I just put 4 sticks in a pyrex measuring cup and put them in the microwave on defrost for about 20 seconds. 

Cream the butter and sugar together by hand.  Literally.  It's so much fun!!!  But, you know, wash your hands first. :)

Ok, now you need to mix the flour in 1/2 cup at a time. (Or, a whole cup at a time, if you're running short on patience...).  I kept mixing by hand.  It's more fun and my hands were already messy.  Keep mixing and adding flour until the dough is cleaning the sides of the bowl.  You'll have a big ball of dough like this:

Press the mixture into a  9x13 pan. I have this handy dandy roller thing from Pampered Chef.  You could use a glass too.

Score the top lightly and prick the squares with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave sitting in for 10 more minutes. Cut while still warm and soft. That's it. Seriously.

So good with a cup of coffee.  Or tea.  Or hot cider.

Reflections of a Bridal Bouquet

White Hydrangea.  White Roses.  Bear Grass.  Reflected in the grand piano. 

Fireproof the movie: For Singles

When I first heard about this movie, many months ago, I must admit, I was disappointed.  Disappointed because it was yet another movie about relationships.  Specifically the guy/girl kind.  And even more specifically, the marriage kind.  The kind I don't have.  So, what good is it going to do me?  And why, for crying out loud, can't someone make a movie about a single girl, who lives and laughs and cries and hurts and hopes and doesn't meet a guy and fall in love and get swept off her feet and marry in a blissful cloud of white satin and rose petals before the 90 minutes is up?

Now, before I say anymore, I don't want you to get the wrong impression.  So, let me be clear.  I support marriage 100%.

So, I was disappointed.  But, I got over it.  And since I had heard so many rave reviews from people saying that the movie had changed their lives/marriages, I made the determination that that I was going to learn something from it.  I decided to view the movie from this perspective.  What can a single girl learn from a movie directed at making a marriage work?

I prepared myself by asking opinions from the single friends I have that had already seen the movie

Here's what my friend Tom had to say:

"I think the number one thought the movie was reinforcing is that love is a choice, not an emotion. A decision to sacrifice your personal preference for the betterment of another. I think if you asked the majority of Christians, they know "the right answer" to what love should look like, but to see it in action always touches the heart. And tear ducts."

I thought that was interesting.  And then my friend Nicky responded to my question and what she had to say closely echoed Tom's thoughts, on the "love is a choice" point:

"Fireproof, a story about love. I was truly moved by the movie, it is yet another example of love being a choice - not a feeling. Of course the film is about a married couple, but it is even more about the relationship we have with the Lord. Are we choosing to love Him, even when we don't feel like it? When we can't see His face, or feel His presence, or when we just don't know if He is even speaking to us. We much choose love. We must choose life, everyday making choices to let God know that we love Him." 
You can read the rest of what Nicky wrote HERE

So, with these thoughts in mind I went to the theater for an 11:30 AM showing of Fireproof on Saturday.  11:30 AM on Saturday is a great time to see a movie.  The theater was almost completely empty except for my sisters and I and another family (which we happened to know) so we were free to laugh out loud whenever we felt like it.  So we did.  Several times.  All in all the movie was very touching.  The characters were easy to identify with, their problems were realistic and believable.

Fireproof is a story of marriage.  Saving marriage.  Preserving marriage.  I definitely learned some things that I tucked away in my "Things to use when you are married" file.  But what about things to use today?  Right now?  Where I'm at?

Any relationship at all, friends, siblings, parent/child, husband/wife, coworkers, neighbors, all of them require some measure of self-sacrifice.  It takes work to maintain healthy relationships.  In fact, the key to killing any relationship is selfishness.  The flip side is: self-sacrifice to improve your relationships ultimately benefits YOU in the end.

My mom says that marriage is the #1 relationship (after your relationship with God, of course :).  It's the hardest relationship you'll ever have, because you have to  sacrifice for it every day 24/7/365/forever.  It's the relationship you never get a break from, no days off, no vacation.  I have some close friends,  some really close family.  But, at the end of the day, it's really just me.  I don't have a relationship that requires my attention and commitment all the time, till death us do part.

So, I've got some time to commit to other relationships right now.  

Which brings me back to the "love is a choice" point.  If love truly is a choice, than I can choose to love anyone.  We all have people in our lives that grate on us.  Things they do that irritate.  Times when self preservation causes us to pull back from others.

So, this is the challenge to me, here now.  To choose to love the ones that are hard to love.  To make the sacrifices.

Blog Readability

Movie Reviews



This totally cracked me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  not sure why though...

I promise to post something of substance soon!! tomorrow I have a movie review of Fireproof planned so stay tuned!

Tagged by Lydia

I am: not sure....  

I know: God is in control

I have: a new coffee table :)  

I wish: I knew

I hate: being late...

I miss: reading

I fear: my schedule

I feel: deeply

I hear:Katie typing

I smell: the "fall festival" candle burning next to me

I crave: solitude

I search: for answers

I wonder: what the point is?

I regret: not studying enough in high school

I love: quiet days.  VERY quiet days

I am not: outgoing

I believe: good things come to those who wait

I dance: rarely.... sadly....

I sing: when I'm alone

I cry: hard, and rarely

I don't always: know what to think

I fight:myself

I write: not enough

I win: .......  um......

I lose: sleep

I never: go to bars :) (cheating... ok, there's lots of things I never do...)

I always: want to stay home

I confuse: because I over complicate...

I listen: to Katie typing... a lot....

I can usually be found: at the flower shop

I need: to do laundry, write, take some pictures, sleep, eat

I am happy about: my family

I imagine: being happier someday

Tag: No one... but feel free to copy for your own blog, LJ, facebook... whatever....

Note:I wasn't tagged, I just found this while blog surfing.

Autumn Beauty

Autumn is like God's way of letting nature have one last grand finale act before winter takes the stage. October is the star performer.

  And it dances on it's way out the door.  

Rose Balls

If, say, you and I had been talking last week, and you had said to me: "So, Rebecca, what have you been doing lately?"  I would have probably answered you: "Making rose balls."
And I was.  This is all I did for 2 LOOONNNGGG days. 

Here's the proof.

I know what you're thinking.  that looks easy.  i could do that.

You could do that.  I promise you.  In fact, where were you last week?  I needed help!

This is the finished product.  We made 16 of them.

Ok, I know what you're thinking again. Why did it take her so long to make only 16 balls?

Ok, It's more complicated than it looks.  That's all I can say.  Notice that my hand is bent at a really weird angle in this picture?

Gorgeous, are they not?  Table centerpieces for a wedding.  And yes, by the time I got to the last one, I was a little loopy, probably from inhaling all that glue, because we had to glue all of the petals together... and did I mention we ran out of roses and had to construct our own from petals?

Just a reminder....

If you haven't voted yet... or haven't seen the poll yet... be sure to visit and vote on What I should re-name my blog  If you have any ideas other than the ones I have listed there feel free to name them!

Dr. Jak's Autumn Ensemble

I just LOVE autumn colors.  Love, love, love 'em.  *happy sigh*

Browns, rusts, golds, butterscotch, fuschia, magenta, maroon, orange, yellow, all of it.  Together.  Lovely.  And exciting!!!  How often does nature wear my favorite colors?  Well, all of the time, actually :)  But, I do LOVE these combinations! 

For this outfit I went with a sort of monotone color scheme. 
Tan knee-length skirt, Brown leggings, Beige, embroidered tunic shirt, caramel colored ballet flats.
Pretty boring, so I popped it with a vibrant red lace edged cami, and matching jewelry. 

The bag matches too :) Floral corduroy.  Perfect for Autumn.  :)

Sarah Palin - Pro God, Pro Life

The Road to October... Church Picnic Style

"Baseball, to me, is still the national pastime because it is a summer game.  I feel that almost all Americans are summer people, that summer is what they think of when they think of their childhood.  I think it stirs up an incredible emotion within people." ~Steve Busby, in Washington Post, 8 July 1974

I agree.  Baseball, to me, is nostalgic.  I didn't really play as a child.  Not officially anyway.  And I was never any good.  But, I did go to baseball games.  And I did love that smell of the dirt and the turf and the hot dogs... and the thumping sound of the ball coming home to the glove... and the organ playing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'... and all 50,000 fans doing the "wave"....  good times. :)

We played a little baseball ourselves after church last Sunday. 

Here's Luke  being Yadier Molina

I don't know who he is imitating in this picture, but I think the blurry word 'Slugger' is appropriate.

Even Sarah B. plays...

With a little help from "Uncle David"

There are 3 of my siblings in this picture... I don't think any of them caught the ball... but don't they look like they're having a blast?

What Should I Re-Name My Blog?

So, I've been thinking about re-naming my blog.  I am a flowershopgirl at heart, but I was thinking about a name that might reflect more of who I am.  I don't really post about flowers all that often.  Mostly, I suppose, because who likes to talk about work?  And, while I'm sure you all enjoy pictures of flowers every once in a while, you're all more interested probably in other things that I'm doing...

Anyway, all that said... I've created a poll and I'm going to let you all vote on what I should re-name my blog.  You can vote for as many as you like.  And, please, if you have any ideas, share them!  I'm open to hearing anything.  The options below are just ideas that I came up with in about a 10 minute brainstorm, so I'm sure there are many more good options out there...

I'll be taking votes for the whole week, so that will give you some time to think about it... :)

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

McCain blog

HERE is a sweet blog I found today... with some really cute pictures of Sarah Palin and family.  I love the picture with Sarah Palin carrying the diaper and wet wipes...  it's just such a normal mommy thing to do!!

I've decided I may as well be open about my political views since it's a free country and times like these when we ARE free to elect our own leaders and do what we can for our country are part of why it's so great that we live in this country.  Whew... that was a ramble.  All that said.  I'm obviously casting my vote with the Republican party.

Civil War Yanks

While in the Dells last week we played on Main St. for a while.  Fudge shopping.  And having our picture taken.

Back Row: Lydia, Debbie, Katie, Susie

Middle: Stephanie, Joe, Rebecca

Front: Luke, Sarah B.

Getting to know Rebecca

 This post was originally written for the IDD Blog but I thought there might be some readers over here that might enjoy it too!


"Life is a daring adventure... or nothing."

My adventure started February 27th, 1982 in southern Wisconsin.  I was born, which is an adventure in itself.  2 1/2 weeks premature I weighed 4lbs. 10 ozs.  My parents named me Rebecca Joy.  I was their first child.  And only child.  For 16 months.  I don't remember any of it.

Then I became a big sister.  And for the next 24 years of my life I kept becoming a big sister.  Over and over and over and over and....*counts on fingers*  8 times. :)  I have 6 sisters and 2 brothers.  Stephanie, Katie (yes, the Katie on the IDD blog, her picture is on the left of your screen), Susie, Debbie, Lydia, Joe, Luke, and Sarah Beth.  I love them all bunches.

So, we lived in southern Wisconsin until the fall of 1986 at which time we moved to the big city of Denver, Colorado.  Well, sort of.  We actually lived outside the city, but everything is so big out there you can't really tell.  Colorado is beautiful.  I still visit it through most of my childhood memories.

Favorite childhood pastimes? Playing "pioneers", dress up, reading, reading, reading... oops got stuck there :) playing the piano, making brownies with Joe standing next to me saying "yum, yum" :) singing, pretending I was an Olympic athlete, taking care of the babies... :)

1998 we moved back to the midwest  this time settling in Iowa in the same town where my dad was born and raised.  Moving back to the midwest was a huge adjustment for us.  Smaller town, friendlier people, more extended family, less shopping... we loved it.

Mom home-schooled me K-12.  I graduated top of my class :) in 1999 and worked for a little while at a gift shop and helped my mom home-school the youngest kids.  In April of 2000, my parents bought a Dairy Queen  in a little town in Southwest Wisconsin and I went to work there.  Fast food wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I kept up with it for the next 7 years.  In September of 2001 we moved to Wisconsin again.

I discovered my love of design and flowers in the fall of 2003 when I accidentally wandered into a flower shop and asked for a job application.  (I say accidentally, because it just sort of happened, like destiny was walking instead of me).  I went to floral design school the following spring and have been working as a floral designer ever since.  I especially love creating wedding flowers.  Every wedding is so unique and individual that I rarely see the same bouquet twice.  I love that.

The past 3 summers I have been deeply involved in a children's Bible camp.  Writing curriculum, filming skits, counseling, singing, teaching...  whatever it takes.  Maybe it's the big sister in me.  I love children, and I love the Lord.  One of my goals in everyday life is to make Christ real to young people.

So, that brings me up to today.  Today, I am 26.  I live with my sisters Stephanie and Katie in a little bitty house half a mile from my parents and the rest of the sibs.  I live each day as it comes.  I don't know what tomorrow brings.  I don't know if I will marry and raise children as I've always wanted to do.  I don't know if I will go on being a floral designer or move on to another career.  I do know that I have new mercies every morning.  I know that every day is one more day to live for Christ. 

Passions:
Living
Cooking, baking, developing gourmet meals and eating them!
My slightly wacky fashion sense :)
Re-arranging my furniture
Sewing
Blogging
Reading
Writing
IDD :)
Movies
Chocolate :)
Vintage and retro styles, houseware, um... everything :)
Drama
Dressing up
Doing my hair, painting my nails and other girl-y stuff
Decorating
Flowers
My family

Sarah Beth visits

                                                   And organizes our Japanese Lanterns for us.

                                                                        And plays.

Birthday SHOUTOUT!!!

I want to wish a very happy birthday to 4 special, special people!!!

Lukey, my darling little "Hunch" turns 7 today!! *faints*  The glowing shimmering star of the hit show "Lukey Live with your host Lukey Boy"  Ok, inside joke.  Let's just say, you've had me laughing since the day you were born!  My darling, I love you.  Go Brewers! 

Chloe and Ali are 7 and 5 respectively.  I love you girls!  Thanks for making me "Aunt Jak"

 My wonderful friend Deb co-conspirator, er, AUTHOR on the IDD Blog and great encourager when we're both in the dumps.  Long live the KDID!  Long live chocolate!

Water Park FUN

                                                          Joe and Sarah enjoy the lazy river

 

Water slides

 

Luke crosses pool on his arms

 

Joe learns to surf

 

Updates

I'm currently working on sorting through pictures from our mini vacation in the Wisconsin Dells.  We had a great time!!  The best thing was just being there with the whole family!  Anyway, I'll have pictures to share soon!

Meanwhile, I'm hanging out with Erica and Merrill.

I'm thinking about making Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I'm planning to watch the Vice Presidential Debate tonight.

I finally figured out how to unlock the dishwasher.  Thanks mom.  It was childproofed. 

And I'm linking to this article which I think is very important. I know I haven't been real open about politics before.  But, I feel like it's really important this year.

So, without further ado HERE is the article. 

Have a happy Thursday everybody!