flowershop girl

GIFT BASKET GIVEAWAY!

2009-11-12T18:08:00.000-06:00

Attention EVERYONE!

There's a Gift Basket Giveaway going on over at The IDD Blog so make sure you go check it out!

It's a beautiful basket of "Pamper-Yourself" goodies! Seriously, I would LOVE to win this basket! Of course, I'm not eligible since I'm one of the people giving it away... :) But, I really want one of you to win it! So, head over there and put your name in! Give the blog a shoutout on your own blog, Live Journal, whatever and you can enter twice!

Good Luck!

Playing in the Leaves

2009-11-11T06:49:00.000-06:00

Remember when you were a little kid and used to rake all the leaves into one BIG pile and then completely destroy all your work by jumping into the pile over and over and over and over...?

And then you would take all the leaves and hide someone under them?

Wasn't that fun? :)

Dr. Jak's November Sunday

2009-11-10T08:50:00.001-06:00

What I wore to church last Sunday.

Gorgeous, GORGEOUS Indian Summer weather inspires me to wear

Indian Summer colors.

Rich browns and tans and a splash of something brighter. :)

Sweater dresses are IN this fall.

So are Big Belts and Cowboy Boots... :)

I'm wearing brown and silver earrings and brown tights to help with warmth and modesty. :)

Quick, Random, LIFE!

2009-11-09T08:28:00.000-06:00

We have had the most GORGEOUS weekend. Seriously, 70 degrees in November? This canNOT be Wisconsin. (sort of loosely quoting Lake House there in case you were wondering :-)
I did the ultimate dumb thing. Left my keys in the ignition of my car and must have had something turned on because the battery was dead. Mercy. Mom and Dad to the rescue with jumper cables. *sigh*
We went apple-orchard-ing on Saturday. So fun. Apple Cider, Donuts, Apples... yum.
Came home and made 2 apple pies and three loaves of pumpkin bread and my house smelled amazing. As I'm sure you can imagine.
I've been on an Agatha Christie kick and you will see just how crazy of a kick when you read my November book list. I'm not making any promises that the whole list may not be Agatha Christie. Be forwarned.
I'm also on another "Solve the Rubik's Cube!" kick. Started working on it last night and couldn't put it down. My sisters are getting amused. :) Seriously, who needs to solve a rubik's cube 6 times in one night? I think I have a problem.

I'm headed to work now and looking forward to another gorgeous day... and if it wants to stay like this until April that'd be ok with me.

Book Review: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

2009-11-03T06:44:00.000-06:00

"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done."

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis is essentially built on this premise.

The author takes a trip to heaven, by way of a bus that picked up him and his fellow travelers at a bus stop in hell. Once there he and his fellow travelers have conversations with Spirits. Men and women that have died and live in heaven.

I found this book very insightful and eye-opening.

I have always loved Lewis' views on heaven. As a place infinitely more REAL than the place we are in, so much more real that we realize the place we have been in all along is simply a shadowland.

I was captivated and somehow quickened at the same time when he described the difference between the passion of pity and the action of pity.
The passion being "The pity we merely suffer, the ache that draw men to concede what should not be conceded and to flatter when they should speak truth... a weapon by bad men against good ones..."
And the action being "...a weapon on the other side. It leaps quicker than light from the highest place to the lowest to bring healing and joy, whatever the cost to itself..."

I really can't even begin to describe how many things I learned from it, because I know there are so many more things I will learn as I continue to think about this book and read it over and over.

As Lewis says:
"Thirst was made for water, inquiry for truth."

October Book List

2009-11-02T06:39:00.000-06:00

97. Catching Fire by Suzanne Colllins-(*****) Sequel to The Hunger Games, and actually and surprisingly JUST as good as the original. Also, JUST as violent. Somewhat predictable. But, one thing I love about these books is that even though I can usually tell where the plot is going, the trip there keeps me guessing. This time around I had a general idea what I would like to see at the end of the book, (which actually ended up happening) and I knew certain things would have to happen, but there was a healthy dose of ????? woven in that makes for a fabulous, gripping suspense tale. I loved it. The ending was not nearly as cliff-hanging as I expected which was VERY relieving. Book three isn't due out until Fall 2010. I guess I can wait. :)

98. Messenger by Lois Lowry- (***) Honestly... I don't know what to say about this book. It didn't end like I thought it would. And I was a little disappointed in the end I think. I guess I felt like it was a little bit of a cop-out. I'd be interested in other opinions.

99. The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien -(***) Much more interesting the Fellowship of the Rings and kept my attention much better. Still took me a while to get through, but I was much more engaged this time. Looking forward to the finale!

100. Song for a Dark Queen by Rosemary Sutcliff- (**) I knew nothing of the story of Boudicca until I read this book. So, I was completely unprepared for the tragedy. Readers should be warned that it's not a happy book, not at all nice or even clean. I'd give the content at least a PG-13 rating for violence, horrible war scenarios, and other unmentionables... In defense of the content, it should be mentioned that it's all tragically true. Very sad, very sickening, very horrific, very riveting. Very educational.

101. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo -(****) Newberry Award winner in 2003. Endearing, really. :) I delayed in reading this book for a long time because I have this thing with mice. I don't like them. But, Despereaux is really loveable. This book is extremely well written. Plenty of awesome quotes. "QUEST. Say it reader, say the word 'quest' out loud. It is an extraordinary word, isn't it? So small and yet so full of wonder, so full of hope."

102. Savvy by Ingrid Law - (****) I really liked this book. I can't believe it's Ingrid Law's first novel. Her writing is absolutely crisp and clean. Minimal wording, but perfect pictures in your imagination. Slightly disappointing elements include: Romance among 13 year olds. Come on, really? And negative impressions of "religious" people. Also, rebellion is slightly glorified in a typical written-for-children way. Of course, the parents aren't around so the kids have to take matters into their own hands and of course this means rebelling against authority all in the interest of the overall good and of course everything turns out ok and there wouldn't be a story without it. Overall, though, as I mentioned, I LIKED it. :)

103. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemna by Trenton Lee Stewart -(***) For some reason this one didn't grab me like the other two Benedict books. Regardless, it was funny, smart and enjoyable!

104. Arch Enemy by Frank Beddor -(***) Good ending to the Looking Glass Wars series. I was a BIT disappointed in the ending... kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Something about good and evil HAVING to co-exist.

105. Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix -(****) The more of Haddix's books I read, the more I love her. This is the second installment in The Missing series and I enjoyed it very much. I haven't read many books that include time travel, so I'm not an expert, but to me it seemed to have a whole new approach on time travel. Very smart, I thought. I'm anxious for more books to be published in this series.

106. The Mirror Cracked by Agatha Christie - (****) I just love Miss Marple.

My Advice on the H1N1 Flu Virus

2009-10-27T15:47:00.000-06:00

Um, DON'T GET IT.

That's pretty much it.

If you do get it... I feel your misery.

I'm determined to be thankful though! For.... something!

Charles Dickens. Namely Bleak House. Helped Steph (my fellow sickie) and I pass 6 hours this morning while we were too miserable and ache-y to move.

Moms. They bring you soup and treatments and masks. (We have to wear the said masks everytime we're in anyone's company. Trying to keep the virus from spreading to the rest of the family, you know...)
AND, they go to the grocery store to get you water and ibuprofen and come home with three grocery bags full of food. :) Thanks MOM!

Little Siblings. Who amuse you by jumping in piles of leaves in your front yard. We watched out the big picture window. Definitely the most exciting thing to happen all day.

Ibuprofen. Thanks to ibuprofen I can actually type, as it has reduced the ache in my joints. Earlier this morning just flicking a finger hurt. Very much.

Fruit Juice. 'nough said.

A pile of books to read. The ibuprofen has also made reading possible. I can hold a book now! YAY!!

Looking forward to more blessings tomorrow. Perhaps a reduction in fever? We can hope!
If you think of it, please pray for Stephanie and I. We're not allowed to work until we've been fever free for 24-48 hours...

Wedding Clothes

2009-10-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

We went to a wedding last weekend.

Susie and Joe and I were all matchy-matchy.

Which may or may not have been planned...

I DID buy all of our clothes....

We are so, like totally related.

Hello Mr. Wrong

2009-10-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

My weekly post is up at the The IDD Blog today. I'm posting it here, too.

Before we begin I want to point out something that you will probably realize as you read on. I am not a believer in the idea that Courtship can save you from a broken heart. Neither do I believe that "Dating With a Purpose" or for that matter ANY kind of relationship method can prevent broken hearts. Broken hearts happen. In fact, God ALLOWS hearts to break. And if He does than it's all for our own good. To "bring us to an expected end." I believe that God has the perfect person out there for each of us. I believe that God will bring two people together. I believe that if a couple places their relationship in God's hands He will direct the relationship so that it remains pure and God-honoring.

    There are many, many, many, many, many "Successful Courtship" Stories out there. Every couple has one. And they're all sweet and inspiring and encouraging. What we don't see as often are the "Failed Courtship" stories. I'm convinced it's not because they're not out there. There are obvious reasons for not sharing this kind of thing. It's a personal matter, and I'm certainly not saying that everyone should publish their "Failed Courtship" stories. But, it's good for us to understand that this kind of thing does and can happen. (Incidentally, I don't actually believe in "failed" relationships. If two people enter a relationship toward marriage with the idea that God will direct them and show them how/if they should get married, and it ends up not working, it wasn't meant to work. In that case, I would have to call it a "successful relationship." We certainly wouldn't want two people to get married just because they started a courtship/relationship if they discover it's not meant to be. In these cases God has a much better match for each of them.)


    The other thing that we never hear of but I believe MUST happen more than we think is the relationship that fails before it even gets off the ground. Before it progresses to the "Courtship/Dating/Dorting/RELATIONSHIP" stage. I'll be up front and honest here. It's happened to me. Twice. It's happened to some of my friends. It's important to know we're not immune to this sort of thing just because we've committed ourselves to a higher standard of purity.



    I'll be honest. It's hard. For those of us who believe in "Courtship", "Dating-With-A-Purpose", "Dorting" or whatever you choose to call it there's a seriousness of thought that comes with all potential relationships. When I was in my teens and early 20s I never thought of any scenario except a perfect one. I imagined a guy approaching me about starting a relationship.... Of course I said yes! I was already in love with him! Or, I imagined getting to know a guy as a friend and gradually falling in love, and when we both realize what is happening it's obvious we're destined to be together forever. Or, my dad comes to me "Rebecca, 'So-and-so' has asked to start a relationship with you. What do you think?" And I take it to prayer and recieve a resounding "YES!" from God, and a "YES!" from my parents and fall madly in love and live happily ever after. *sigh* It seemed impossible to me that all the right components could be there without adding up to the right answer. I never once imagined that a Godly, nice guy would approach me about starting a relationship and the train would come jerking to a halt. And yet, that's exactly what happened.

    I'll walk you through the emotional rollercoaster that is a potential relationship.
            A) Guy approaches you/your father/however you think it should go

            B) Hope ignites. At this point I think to myself "This could be it! I've been waiting my whole life for this to happen, and now it's happening! Could this really be it?" Not to mention the heart-warming "He LIKES me!" Wow. I mean, surely he wouldn't be attracted to me if it wasn't God's will. Right? Um, wrong. Guys can struggle with crushes and attractions just like us girls.

            C) You take it to prayer. At this point you become aware that you do NOT already have feelings for this guy. The place in your heart that supposed to be going "ZING!" is rather... empty.

            D) Then the questions you ask yourself. Is this guy really the one for me, but I'm immune to falling in love with him? Am I destined to be married to someone I don't love? Or, am I supposed to marry him because all the lights are green (except my heart) and eventually I'll "grow to love him"... maybe.
      I remember a time when my Dad asked me how it was going with a certain guy. This guy was interested in starting a relationship with me. I wasn't so sure... I looked at my dad while trying to sort my thoughts into a coherent sentence that would somehow communicate every question, concern, uncertainty, fear, hope, dread and depression that I felt all swirling around in my heart and Dad interpreted it all into one brief fragment of a sentence. "No spark, huh?" Wow. Relief. "Yeah, no spark." He just nodded and walked away. As if to say "Well, that's that. No spark." Yeah. No spark. What a relief to understand that there is SUPPOSED to be a spark. If there's not, Red Light.
            Of course, no spark isn't the only reason you should nip a relationship in the bud. There are MANY other things to consider. Do you agree with this guy on all important subjects? Doctrine, Child-raising, are you compatible? I could write another whole article on these subjects but these issues have mostly already been addressed by more qualified people than myself.

            E) The dread. The doubt. This could really be it. The last train for marriage-ville. I'm not getting any younger. This guy is attracted to me. He'd probably take good care of me. If I don't agree to go with him... there's a good chance no one else will ever ask me. I could be doomed to spinster-hood!!!!! In the infamous words of Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice fame "...You should take it into further consideration that, in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made to you."

            F) The decision. The "breaking it off." Is it really breaking it off if it never even starts?

            G) Then the guilt. I probably really hurt this guy's feelings. Now I feel like an ice queen. Am I incapable of love?

            H) Back to the single life. Except now I feel even more single than ever.

            I) Then the self questioning. "God, why did You allow this to happen?" For me, this is one of the hardest parts. As Jessie Brown says in Cranford "It's not the despair that hurts, but the hope." Even if your hope never materializes into the feelings you hope it will... the disappointed hope can still leave a bruise that may take a long time to heal.

   A friend said to me the other day "God will allow our desires (even good ones) to be tested." This is so true! False start relationships can be discouraging, believe me I know! But, it's always better to look on the bright side. Be thankful for the experience! Be thankful that God is working in you! Be thankful that you made the right decision! Know that God doesn't walk us through darkness for no reason. He tests us because He loves us. Every test and trial we go through is one more test or trial behind us. Don't give up!

If there's three things I want you to understand they would be these:

Just because a guy wants to start a relationship with you doesn't mean he's the one. I consider marriage a very serious decision to be made. A possible relationship should be seriously considered. But, don't fall into the way of thinking that a possible relationship is automatically THE relationship. If there's a perfect man out there for you, there are no rules saying he has to be the first to ask.
Trust your gut instincts. God will not ask you to marry someone you don't love or feel right about. If he really is the one for you God will make it clear to BOTH of you.
Don't allow yourself to doubt. There's nothing wrong with you. Everything in our lives should contribute to our growth. And God will use any situation to draw you closer to Him. And there IS a perfect someone for you somewhere out there. Don't get discouraged.

I know many girls will never have to deal with this sort of thing. But, I also know that some of us will. Please don't give up hope or feel alone.

I believe in happy endings. If it's not happy... it's not the end.

Book Haul

2009-10-19T06:00:00.005-05:00

Shopping at Borders after church on Sunday. :) First a yummy lunch at Panera during which Debi and Katie and I yacked about books.

I picked up:

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Ok, I'd like to know who read this book as a child. If you have, leave me a comment. I'd forgotten how much I loved it. I probably haven't read it in 18 years, but as I looked at the cover it all came flooding back to me. The characters, plot line, funny stories... the whole thing. Man, I loved that book. I'm hoping my little brother Luke will love it too.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Ordinarily I like to buy my Agatha Christie books in lots from E-bay. I can get 10+ books usually for about a dollar a book. I don't worry about getting duplicates of books I already own because usually these books are old and sometimes in very bad condition. So, I keep the one that's in the best condition. If I have two that are in good condition I'll give one away. Or, keep saving them until I have enough to sell my own lot on E-bay.
But, back on the subject. I picked this one up because I really want to read it. *shrug*

A guy was playing guitar in the coffee shop while we book browsed. He sounded amazing, so once I'd found what I was looking for I peeked around the corner to watch him work his magic. And it was. Just. Like. Magic. Fingers flying.... For some reason watching such genius at work made my heart happy. I decided to walk away before someone noticed the goofy grin on my face and classified me as a lunatic. I was having August Rush type feelings. August Rush, by the way.... I.... LOVE.

After Katie was done shopping I dragged her over to "see this guy playing guitar, it's amazing" but she got distracted by another genius musician who happened to be walking through the bookstore and stopped to chat with her. Oh, the life of a talented musician who knows other talented musicians...

Random Update

2009-10-16T09:05:00.000-05:00

I just got an e-mail from Amazon.com telling me two very cool things. 1) That the books I pre-ordered a month ago were shipped yesterday which means I should be getting them early next week. Three books I've been anxious to read for... well, ever since I knew they were going to be published. And 2) That one of the books went down in price after I ordered it and Amazon charged me the decreased price. Isn't that sweet?
Yesterday I read The Tale of Despereaux. This in itself was a huge step towards conquering my murophobia. Reader do you know what murophobia is? I will tell you. FEAR OF MICE. Yep. The phrase "Despereaux scurried across the floor" sends shivers down my spine. I have not completely conquered the phobia. But, reading the book was certainly an overcoming experience. In other semi-related news, I loved the book!
Quest. Say it, Reader. Say the word 'quest' out loud. It is an extraordinary word, isn't it? So small, yet so full of wonder, so full of hope."
Started Savvy last night by Ingrid Law.
I'm going to a wedding today. The wedding isn't until 4:30 and I have the whole day off work! I have all day to make myself beautiful! HA! So, I'll probably still read until the last minute and then throw some makeup on before I rush out the door.
Our Bible Study group started reading Do Hard Things. I'm looking forward to being inspired by the message even though it's geared towards teens and I'm, um, not a teen. Actually no one in my group is a teen. Ok, one teen. The rest of us are in our mid-20s to 30s. But, we can still be inspired by a book about rebelling against low expectations, right?
I have a green face. It's a Mint-Juniper Facial Mask. And I love it. But, my sisters like to mock scream when they see me wearing it. I just feel like bursting into song "I think i'll try defying gravity!"
Evidently I have nothing more interesting to say. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Stories

2009-10-15T13:36:00.000-05:00

Stories are light.

Light is precious in a world

so dark.

-The Tale of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo

Happy Endings

2009-10-02T12:50:00.000-05:00

I believe in

Happy Endings...

If it's not happy...

It's not the end!

September Book List

2009-10-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

84. Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix- (****) Fourth installment in the Shadow Children series. Pretty good. Kind of a lot happened in just one short book, but I kept up with it fairly well, which is a sign of a good author. Lots of double crossings and not knowing who's on what side. Looking forward to book 5.

85. Among the Brave by Margaret Peterson Haddix- (*****) Fifth Shadow Children book. You've probably realized by now (as have I) that I like this series. Among the Brave is one of my favorites I think.

86. The Children on the Top Floor by Noel Streatfeild- (***) Very cute and loveable in typical Noel Streatfeild style.

87. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- (****) Reviewed HERE

88. Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix- (***) I like these books in case you couldn't tell already. I'm not going to say EVERYONE should read them, because obviously they're not going to be some people's cup of tea. But, you might want to at least give the first one a try and see if you like it. 'Cause I really did.

89. Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix- (***) Nice ending to the series. :)

90. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien- (***) Um... I had a hard time getting through this book. This time was actually my 2nd attempt. I don't know what it is... I was interested in the plot, and it's very well written. I'm hoping the next 2 books pick up the pace a little though...

91. The Giver by Lois Lowry- (****) Interesting... Thought provoking and somewhat disturbing. I'm interested to read the others in the series.

92. Roses for Mama by Janette Oke- (***) Sweet. :)

93. Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie -(**) *YAWN* Is this plot going anywhere? I hung out to the end of the book because I kept expecting it to get better, or maybe for the whole thing to make sense. I guess it did all make sense in the end, but the entire plot lacked in anything thrilling. I hate to rate my favorite author so low, but this book is proof that even the best don't always have such brilliant ideas.

94. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry- (***) First of all the title is just amazing. Don't you think? The art work on the cover was blah, though. As for the story, it took me a while to get into it. But, I did enjoy it in the end. Highly Predictable plot.

95. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine - (****) Very cute and sweet Cinderella re-telling. If you object to fantasy be warned this... is a fairy-tale.

96. The Family at Caldecott Place by Noel Streatfeild - (****) Typical Streatfeild= sweet, adorable, resourceful.

Pumpkin Art

2009-09-29T06:45:00.000-05:00

I love pumpkins. :)

I love fall and I love pumpkins. :)

I DO cook with pumpkins, but my favorite thing to do with pumpkins is decorate with them!

Here's some fun ways to dress up plain pumpkins.

Use tape to make a design on your pumpkin. Remember that the design you make will be a negative of the finished product. You'll be decorating on the un-taped parts of the pumpkin. So, wherever you put the tape will be pumpkin colored when you are done.

Now comes the fun part. You can use whatever you want to decorate. Paint, Decorative pins, Ribbon, Glitter, whatever you like.

For this particular pumpkin I sprayed the entire thing with spray adhesive glue which you can get in any hardware or craft store. Or, you can make your own spray-on glue by mixing glue with water.

Then I generously dumped black glitter all over the entire pumpkin. Put something underneath to catch the extra glitter. You can put it back into the container to use later.

Let it dry.

Remove the tape and decorate to your hearts content!

Try using different colored paints or glitters for custom looks. Here's a few more I did just to help get your creative juices flowing. :)

Beware! This project is addicting! I almost couldn't stop!

Have fun! Be creative! Give them as gifts!

Book Review: The Hunger Games

2009-09-28T06:05:00.002-05:00

Um, WOW. Just wow. I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book. Takes place in the future, in a sort of altered reality. I guess technically it would qualify as science fiction. The pace was awesome, kept me riveted enough that I polished off all 350 some pages in one day. I DID stay up rather late. But, I couldn't put it down!!

Some cautions though!!!!! I would NOT recommend this book to everyone. The girl that recommended it to me said it best when she told me she liked it but "felt guilty for liking it since it's SO violent." I agree. WAY violent. But, that's part of the author's point. She's exploring the effects of war and violence on young people. (I seem to be caught in a rut of reading YA books all about corrupt governments lately...)

Anyway, the story is like some sort of hideous coliseum type fight-to-the-gruesome-bloody-death-kill-before-you-get-killed reality tv show. With 24 contestants. Sound awful? It is. It REALLY is. Again, I would NOT recommend this book to just anyone. Yes, it's a YA book, written for teens. That doesn't mean I think every teen should read it. Remember, I'm closer to my 30s than I am to my teens...

Good things: The characters deal with extreme situations and Suzanne Collins is very adept at handling that. I think their reactions are excellent. Good vs. Evil. The characters deal with not being overcome by evil in the midst of it. They struggle of course (very realistically) but I think it's handled really well.

Bad things: Violence. Violence. Did I mention VIOLENCE? A little too much romance, more than is tasteful in a YA book, in my opinion, although the romance IS a necesssary part of the plot, so I guess it's understandable. And it's predictable. When an author writes themselves into a corner like that and it's a YA book... well, I'll just say that when you KNOW things are going to have to turn out ok and you KNOW that certain things will have to happen... and certain things CAN'T happen, there's usually only one road out of that corner. Also, it's the first book in a trilogy. And the second book only came out a few days ago. And this ending is somewhat wrapped up, but it does leave you hanging. Honestly, I'm kind of wondering what the second book is going to be about... but I'm anxious to read it anyway. Even if I know it DOES end in a cliff-hanger and I have no idea WHEN the third book might be coming out.

All in all, this book rather enthralled me. I stayed up shamefully late to finish reading it. (Some of the riveting suspense may have been sharpened by the cold, rainy, dark, quiet night...). And the next morning I told my sister the whole story. She was riveted too.

But, if you're squeamish about violence and excessive cold-blooded murder... you might want to stay away from this one.

Weekend Fun!

2009-09-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah Beth and Luke join in on an impromptu jam session at the historical re-enactment. Authentic "Antique" instruments like maracas and drums and frogs. :)

They helped make beautiful music with classic songs like "Old McDonald Had a Farm."

Sarah Beth LOVES the Carousel. :)

Bedroom Decor [Image Heavy]

2009-09-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

As long ago promised....

Pictures of my bedroom! I actually didn't do any redocorating at all except painting the one wall red.

Here's a 360 view.

Immediately to your left when you walk into the room:

Bookshelves. The Rocking Chair was a gift from my grandparents as was the Pashmina draped over the back. The stuffed animals... well... Just because I'm 27 doesn't mean I need to pack them away, right?

Then the bed (I did get a new comforter and sheets at K-Mart. My old ones were getting to the hideous stage. Comforter was super cheap. $20, I think, and the sheets were one of those BOGO sales.)

Step by step instructions on how to How to make the wall art HERE

Desk/Vanity
(By the way, the floor is STAINED. It's not dirty. :-) )

Closeups of my Vanity

Dirty Makeup Brushes

Semi-Organized Makeup

Earrings hanging :)

Necklaces and Bracelets. (I don't have a lot of necklaces, I guess I don't wear them much)

Hopechest my Grandpa made for me :)

Piano.

So that's my bedroom! The decorating and color scheme have sort of evolved over time. I'm not the type to pick out the colors and decorate and then keep it the same way forever. I'm always changing things up. :) I love this color combo right now though. :) The curtains and pillows I made out of inexpensive Walmart fabric (back when Walmart still sold fabric) and the rest of it was easy, inexpensive stuff.

Sometimes...

2009-09-22T14:28:00.000-05:00

I wish I'd lived in the 1940's

During the Foyle's War time.

So when my sister says "Hey, Rebecca, wanna be a Jewish girl in my skit?" I'm like: "SURE!"
Then of course I spend an hour researching hairstyles...
And an hour trying to get my middle-of-my-back length hair into a "bob"
Then I do my makeup (Oh JOY! RED LIPS!!)
I pick out my favorite vintage jewelry.

I'm so loving it. :)

You may have already noticed...

2009-09-18T08:22:00.000-05:00

I got a new blog template earlier this week. Thanks to Katie who put it up for me. I can never figure out how to do it without losing all my widgets...
I got the template from Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates as usual... :) It was one of the freebies.
AND... a new profile picture! Courtesy of Stephanie
What do you think?

Garden Bruschetta

2009-09-17T06:40:00.000-05:00

This is one of my all-time favorite things to do with garden produce.

NOTE: This is not a picture of my bruschetta. We gobbled ours up so fast I forgot to take a picture.

Chopped fresh TOMATOES. (I like to use red and yellow tomatoes, if I have them. Yellow tomatoes tend to be sweeter)
Cubed CHEESE. I like Swiss, but experiment and use whatever kind you want!
Fresh chopped BASIL, oh my gooodness... to. die. for. Especially if it's fresh from your garden.
Drizzle of OLIVE OIL. Extra Virgin is best.
GARLIC (optional, I guess, if you don't like garlic)
Pinch of SALT.
FRENCH BREAD, sliced. (I used French bread, but you can really use any kind you like)

Toast the bread with a little butter. Pile on the Bruschetta. It's love. :)

I wish I was drinking coffee

2009-09-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

Green Tea instead.

Actually, it's not bad. Kind of tastes good in a grass-y kind of way.

I don't mind it.

I've finally decided to start drinking the green tea that I bought a while ago because I had heard that green tea is So Very Good For You.

Kind of funny really, since normally I don't rush out to do something the minute I find out it's good for you. In fact I almost never do. I am the girl that Does Not Take Vitamins. Not because I don't have any. Because I just don't. I forget to take them. And, trust me I've heard plenty of arguments for taking vitamins. I know I should.

But, I digress.

I've started drinking green tea.

And that's actually the whole point of this post.

Teamwork

2009-09-15T09:23:00.000-05:00

For the IDD Blog

There is a picture in my head that I will never forget.
It was a sunny day in Florida and we were at a church picnic. Someone was organizing games for the children and oneof them was "tug-o-war." I wandered down to see what the kids were up to and enjoy their antics. I'll never forget the lesson I learned next. Some of the children decided to challenge some of the dads to a game of "tug-o-war." The dads were against it at first, afraid they'd hurt the kids, but finally gave in... and lost. The dads recruited reinforcements... and lost again. More dads came. More kids joined the kids side. Again and again, those little kids pulled the dads slipping and sliding across the finish line. I stood on the sidelines with some of the moms and watched in awe, we cheered at first, but as we continued to watch silence descended among us. There was something amazing about this. The dads had all the muscle, all the strength, but the kids had the TEAMWORK. They had a person on the sidelines keeping the beat. "PULL! PULL!" Every single little foot moved in rhythym, every hand pulled in time. Every time they out-pulled ten or twelve dads.

Teamwork goes beyond individual strengths.
Andrew Carnegie said that "[Teamwork] is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."

In my life I have been blessed to be involved in many different situations that have taught me the value of teamwork. Families are the first place to start. Every family should function as a team and every member is vital to making that happen. I was having a story-swapping session with a co-worker recently and she said: "You and your sisters (referring to the two sisters I share a house with) don't fight, do you? You don't seem like you do. That's amazing." I felt like I had to clarify. "We DO disagree," I responded, "And we do talk about our disagreements and sometimes there are hurt feelings, but we don't FIGHT." I thought about that for a minute. Why don't we fight? I can think of one reason, my mom didn't ALLOW us to fight when we were little. We're not in the habit of fighting when we have problems. When we had a disagreement as children my mom's constant response was "Work it out." Just work it out. Make it work. You'll probably have to give a little. You may have to give a lot. But, work it out. Because whatever you work out between all of you is going to be stronger and better than whatever you were going to do by yourself with no support.

I worked at a fast food restaurant. It is absolutely impossible to run a restaurant through a busy lunch hour by yourself. Similarly, you can have a big crew, but if everyone is trying to do everything themselves or nothing themselves it will be equally impossible.

My current job is somewhat different. I'm a florist, and a lot of the projects I work on are individual efforts. I design bouquets by myself, but my boss is a HUGE advocate of teamwork. At the end of a busy day she never forgets to say "Great job guys! See what we can accomplish with teamwork?" It's the kind of team where we bring everything we have to the table, we depend on each other's strengths and cover each other's weaknesses. We make it a point to encourage each other and learn from each other. I'm a better floral designer because I work with other good floral designers. We ask each other's advice and opinions. Because we know we're stronger that way. The shop is stronger and does better that way. And if the shop does better WE do better. Ultimately, we're looking out for each other, and each other's lives and families.

And that's what teamwork is all about. It's really true that
Together Everyone Achieves More

SORRY...

2009-09-11T08:22:00.000-05:00

I've been so AWOL again...
I honestly have no excuse.

I did take pictures of my bedroom but I wasn't really happy with how they turned out. My bedroom is kind of small and I had a hard time getting the angles I wanted. I have an idea that I might borrow my brother's camcorder and try to do a video but don't hold your breath. :) I'm not in the least technilogically minded.... I'm not sure I could figure out how to do that...

In other re-decorating news... The bathroom is done! Katie finished the curtains and she and Stephanie hung a new wall shelving unit and it looks SO cute! I can't wait to show you all that too, except, once again... I don't know how... the bathroom is WAY tinier than the bedroom.

I'm thinking of the 9/11 victims and their families today. Commemorative posts on the IDD Blog today.

Oh, guess what? My boss bought some new (used) vehicles yesterday!! So exciting! Especially considering the van we were previously using was literally duct-taped together. And running REALLY rough. My boss wouldn't allow anyone to drive it out of town. She took all the out-of-town deliveries herself because she didn't want any of us to be the ones stranded on the side of the road standing next to a junk heap. We joked that anyone that drove it should just get out and walk for a while if they started to feel sleepy... :) It wasn't actually leaking Carbon Monoxide (yet) but it was almost there... So, we have a new station wagon for driving around town and a new mini-van for delivering big loads to funerals and for pulling our trailer. Very excited about that.

And... I can't think of anything else interesting to say. I hope you all have a good weekend! I hope some people are still checking in even though I haven't been posting regularly! I'm really sorry about that!! I'll try to do better!

Have Mercy on Me

2009-09-08T09:23:00.001-05:00

Dear Girls,

It's hard to write something encouraging when you're not being encouraged yourself. Today I'm sharing with you something that has encouraged me when I was low. Sometimes it helps to admit that we're afraid or that we're lost. Sometimes when I'm discouraged the first thought that gives me any hope is the knowing that I AM discouraged. God is bigger than my discouragement. He's bigger than my life. He has good plans for me. And He has good plans for you. There are days when I don't see Him moving. There are days when I'll swear He's forgotten all about me. But, all along that's only my own little mind that can't see Him. It doesn't mean He isn't there. Peter Marshall once said "How can my tiny mind prove God?"

When I first heard this song I was in my car driving home from work. It's a good thing I know that route like the back of my hand. Tears were streaming down my face. This song describes my life. And the truth of it hurt my heart. I've listened to this song many times since then. But, I'll be honest. There are times when it comes on my CD player and I push the 'skip' button. Because I just can't handle it right then.

I hope it encourages you too. And I hope anyone reading this today knows that God cares about them more than they even care about themselves. You may be worrying about your future, but God's not. He's got it covered. And if you're struggling with even believing that, than just know that I've been there too. Many times. There's nothing wrong with admitting that we have struggles, that we have doubts. Sometimes I just feel like I have to be honest with God. I tell Him exactly what I'm thinking. I don't hold anything back. I tell Him I'm afraid of everything. I tell Him I wonder if He's still there. I challenge Him to prove to me that He is.

The amazing thing is: He always does. Not always right away. Sometimes I have to struggle more. Sometimes I have to wait. But, He ALWAYS DOES.

I'm tired of being afraid

I'm wondering how I got this way

I'm trying to remember what life was like before

Panic moved in without even knocking on the door

Have mercy on me

I'm not who I used to be

Have mercy on me

Jesus please

I've been praying and asking you to take it all away

You never do exactly what I say

You see me from the outside

A lover looking in

But, all I see is danger moving underneath my skin

I know it's not because I don't love you enough

It's not because I'm weak, it's how you choose to speak to me

- J.J. Heller