tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43223972634507545052024-03-18T19:50:01.546-07:00Miss Shadow DozierJoliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-27991619611256167112013-12-24T08:41:00.004-08:002013-12-24T08:41:51.088-08:00Our Christmas came super early this year :-)I haven't been around for awhile and in all honesty, I'm not sure how often I'll get here in the next few months. That is because a Christmas wish we've had for the five years we've been married was granted early this year: WE ADOPTED A BABY GIRL!!!<br />
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I know I posted on here not too long ago that we would be trying. To be honest it doesn't seem like we have tried for that long but the process of finding an agency or route for adoption began long ago so even if the placement didn't take long, the process seemed to go on forever. <br />
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Our sweet girl was born just before Thanksgiving and we plan to have an open adoption with her birth family. While the whole wanting a baby, figuring out we couldn't have one naturally, pursuing one agency after another before finally deciding to pursue private adoption, meeting a birth family, having them pick us and waiting for Annabelle to be born took forever; I now see that God had a special plan for us. He wanted her in our lives, not any other baby.<br />
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Throughout the process of infertility, grieving missing out on things like pregnancy and breastfeeding, normal excitement like baby showers, I always said that I knew God was the architect but I just wanted to see His plans. That may have been easier, but in a way all the hard times have made having Annabelle home with us even sweeter and easier. <br />
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I know there are many of you out there struggling. It is hard. Sometimes downright awful! Sometimes you don't want to get out of bed in the morning and then you do get out of bed only to drag yourself into work to find out via facebook that someone that hadn't been trying is pregnant. Those days still make me tear up. That hurt is real and you are allowed to feel it. You are allowed to grieve pregnancy. You are allowed to cry to your significant other that it isn't fair that you can't allow yourself to feel happy when your birth mom is 8 months along and your friends want to throw you a shower but you are fearful she could still change her mind and why can't any part of this process just be normal?<br />
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I promise you all those struggles will be worth it one day. That one day will provide you with the baby you were meant to love. The baby that needed you! But in the meantime, feel those emotions. Deal with them. Just like your prego friends are allowed to be hormonal you are allowed to be emotional too!<br />
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At the end of all of it, you will hold a precious angel in your arms and you will want to do nothing but be overjoyed with emotion and allowing yourself to have felt all that you felt, you will have nothing left to do but be overjoyed and it will ALL be worth it. I promise. <br />
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Merry Christmas to all of you but especially to those adoptive mommies-to-be! My heart goes out to you and my prayers are filled with hope for you!<br />
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<span class="text Jer-29-11" id="en-NLT-19623"><em>For I know the plans I have for you,” says the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.-Jeremiah 29:11</em></span></div>
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Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-63670974674593677542013-07-30T20:26:00.001-07:002013-07-30T20:26:46.443-07:00A bit of travel and oh we're trying for adoptionBeau and I have been lucky enough to get a couple of really great vacations in this summer. Boy do I feel like I've needed them both. We've decided to adopt (possibly though foster care if that is God's plan) and that means we have no idea when a vacation, a dinner out, a hike will be our last as a family of 2. It makes every one of these moments precious. <br />
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It also has made the last couple of months hard. I'm so happy to be moving forward with adoption but there is some small part of me that always thought I would get to be pregnant. I have found myself unexpectedly grieving things I will never be able to give my future child/children: the attachment and bonding that comes in the womb, breastfeeding, etc. I can't wait to be a mom to a child that is adopted into our lives but there are feelings coming up that I didn't know would surface and that have had me going though a strange sort of grieving process that I never expected. <br />
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The cool thing is that since we made our plans to adopt known (through a FB announcement) we have gotten an overwhelming amount of support from friends far and wide. The attorney we're speaking to says that the best thing to do when trying to adopt is to let anyone and everyone know your plans because you never know who is going to be the person to introduce you to the birthmother. I am so grateful to our friends who have helped us with this journey so far. I can't wait to be looking back a year or two from now at where we started and to be so grateful to finally be a mom.<br />
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In any case, we've been lucky enough to go to both St. Simon's, GA and Michigan for vacation this year so here are some photos from those trips. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> We decided to use St. Simon's as our early 5 year anniversary celebration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> The SSI lighthouse</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">SSI SUP-so much fun!</span></div>
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We traveled up to Michigan for a family reunion and I got to see family I hadn't seen since before Beau and I got married. This was his first time meeting the bulk of my Michigan relatives.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Exploring the lake</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The family farm house. They are tearing it down next week. Had our family reunion not been when it was we would have missed seeing it one last time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Michigan has so much beauty and history, it is just unreal!</span></div>
Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-35324222894535866562013-05-10T12:45:00.002-07:002013-05-10T12:45:47.064-07:00A few pics from the new houseSo we've moved and things have been crazy! We have been super busy with projects all over the place from painting to gardening to who knows what. Here are a couple pictures from a room that is almost complete. In this last move I realized we had too much red and brown and not enough blue and green so I am trying to add some touches of color here and there. Not only in my house but in my wardrobe. I actually got the shirt in the first picture for free from Old Navy (lucky me)!<br />
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Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-70527571758089681022013-01-06T19:21:00.000-08:002013-01-06T19:21:01.664-08:00Ringing in the new yearWell this first week of the new year wasn't everything I wanted and more as I was sick most of the week but the weekend did top it off well. I started the week sick and I was so happy that I had just received another sample from Old Navy (this time activewear-so comfy lounge clothes) from <a href="http://crowdtap.com/" target="_blank">Crowdtap</a>. I spent all day New Year's day in my <a href="http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=69873&vid=1&pid=250562002" target="_blank">Old Navy Active Compression pants</a>. They are so comfy for lounging or running errands. I was able to stay comfortable while hanging out with with some good friends. <br />
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Wednesday it was back to work for me and I really enjoyed my first days back at full-time (even though I haven't completely transitioned into my new role yet. I am just so grateful to work at a place that I love with people that are just incredible!<br />
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Thursday Beau left to go on a roadtrip to help a friend bring two cars from Portland, Maine back to NC and I practically fell apart. I haven't spent that long away from Beau when not with family and so I had to make immediate plans to visit someone. Beau's parents were kind enough to take me in. It is nice to live only a few hours from family for these types of situations. This is where the week really picked up.<br />
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I headed down to Griffin after work and got there fairly late in the evening. Beau's mom and I made plans to hit up a bunch of craft and fabric stores and to top the night off with a evening at Stache Studio to create a painting. Saturday we spent all day busy but it was so much fun and we had a great painting to show at the end of the day. I had never been to one of those painting classes before but it was so much fun and I can't wait to go back. <br />
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Despite the slow, sickly start to the week it ended on a great note and now Beau is back and life is back to normal. I am so glad to have him home safe!Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-46703571695387195122013-01-01T19:05:00.000-08:002013-01-01T19:05:15.292-08:001/1/13Happy 2013! Time to get productive...<br />
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So I got some great quilting supplies from my MIL for Christmas and it has put me in the mood to get a bit crafty. I have been thinking for awhile about making another quilt (I made one or two about 5 years ago). I keep seeing all this great designs online for more modern and less calico quilts and I decided to go in that direction. <br />
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I am going to make a simple rectangle quilt (thought briefly about triangles but this will be a bit easier I think). The design was inspired and will slightly mimic quilts found on <span id="goog_518537652"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Red Pepper Quilts<span id="goog_518537653"></span></a> and <a href="http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/2011/10/project-14-of-26-new-quilt.html" target="_blank">Elise Blaha-Enjoy It.</a><br />
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I love how Elise uses plain fabric and makes it into something beautiful. I decided to go with that idea and here are my swatches for the front of the quilt.<br />
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Side note: Finally caught the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/" target="_blank">Downton Abbey</a> bug (while simultaneously catching this cold bug) and was able to catch up on both seasons. I cannot wait for this show to start back up...hooray for Downton Abbey Season 3 and everything else it has in store :-)<br />
Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-22154465007353213212012-12-31T18:54:00.001-08:002012-12-31T18:54:19.074-08:00One Word2013 is just a few hours away and I cannot wait to see what it has in store. Life will be getting back to normal in a way for me in 2013 as I am going to begin working full-time again. Last February I switched from one full-time job (that I didn't much care for) to two part-time jobs. In October the opportunity presented itself to go full-time at one of my jobs in the new year and I decided to go for it! <br />
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I have realized that when I do not have the 40 hour work life that I am less productive in my personal life. I accomplished a few house projects but more or less let the time pass and don't have much to show for it. 2013 will return me to my 40 hours of work and I am determined to make the remaing 128 hours as productive as I can.<br />
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I have been setting goals for a healthy lifestyle, for family, for budget, for professional growth and I also plan to add more creativity back into my life as well. One thing I did manage during the Christmas season was to document our 2012 Christmas in a mini scrapbook. Scrapbooking has changed since 8th grade when I was initially introduced to it and believe it or not is a lot easier. Taking on the Christmas minibook made me anxious for more and I've decided to document 2013 with <a href="http://beckyhiggins.com/" target="_blank">Project Life</a>. For me this will look like a scrapbook page for ever week of 2013. Beau and I are determined 2013 will be a big year for us so I am excited I will have it well-documented. <br />
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One other project I'll be taking on is a type of journaling through scrapbook. I will be taking a monthly class called<a href="http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/onelittleword2013.php" target="_blank"> One Little Word</a>. I am excited to use this project as a benchmark for my 2013 goals. I am not 100% sure about my word yet. I want it to be an active verb. 2013 will be a time for forward movement and will not be passive. Words I considered were "hope" and "strength" but I believe I have settled on the word "grow". I want to grow in faith, grown in family, grow in health, etc. <br />
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Hopefully our biggest growth in 2013 will be the growth of our family. This is something Beau and I have been wanting and trying for a long time on and I hope and pray that 2013 will lead us there. Please keep us in your prayers that our family will grow in 2013 and feel free to share with me your goals for 2013!<br />
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Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-45292743645522773142012-12-28T07:20:00.002-08:002012-12-28T07:53:55.786-08:00An Amazing Christmas season!It has been an all-around wonderful Christmas season. Here are just a few (dozen) pics from our wonderful holiday with family and friends!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bell Ringing for Salvation Army</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that we live in the "Bible Belt"...nativity scenes are everywhere at Christmas around here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time well spent with cousins in Athens</td></tr>
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These next few are from our wonderful family Christmas in Griffin with Beau's fam!</div>
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Christmas Eve service at Grace Blue Ridge. This gets better and better every year. This year was even more special because my parents and little bro were with us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I helped with cafe this year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beau working tech.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our incredible worship team!</td></tr>
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Christmas Eve dinner at <a href="http://www.hlinn.com/dining/" target="_blank">Seasons at Highland Lake...</a>delish! This was our first time there and it completely exceeded our expectations. I cannot wait to go back again. I think we'll continue this tradition of Christmas Eve dinner there. Too bad the pictures from here didn't turn out so well.</div>
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Christmas morning in front of the fire. Beau really did great this year! He loved his hiking boots so much from <a href="http://theclymb.com/" target="_blank">The Clymb</a> that he went out for a Christmas morning hike while I got stated on Christmas dinner.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYCHPF5J2WuDOPIWhYk0R-cySF758Xf7rkt84oIhO79VrrmMAtwsK2lrYq6oYITF2WZIKbOZh_9j82dzEtqKj0O9G9-JXx6GsmLlHhCsSEmrBT0n9wb5vdyh_zSr54vkAir4fEb2eHjs/s1600/100_0738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYCHPF5J2WuDOPIWhYk0R-cySF758Xf7rkt84oIhO79VrrmMAtwsK2lrYq6oYITF2WZIKbOZh_9j82dzEtqKj0O9G9-JXx6GsmLlHhCsSEmrBT0n9wb5vdyh_zSr54vkAir4fEb2eHjs/s320/100_0738.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beau also got several albums on CD that he had worn completely through...lots of Phish, Grateful Dead and Allman shows that he still cannot get enough of.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our dinner set-up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas morning in my new comfy pjs. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVoba7J2WHO89bf9ZK5w0Ib7Wz7t9Rsm0gZN8T9n_CJjDX_0HFYZOhrSqhoKjv3O6wrp4E-SmEdCMa9u54xY7cqjb6fwh97fp6lYS0tGR1NGiDZ7EMNCDkkiXmn8Wi8JGMcATxOP5cJ8/s1600/100_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVoba7J2WHO89bf9ZK5w0Ib7Wz7t9Rsm0gZN8T9n_CJjDX_0HFYZOhrSqhoKjv3O6wrp4E-SmEdCMa9u54xY7cqjb6fwh97fp6lYS0tGR1NGiDZ7EMNCDkkiXmn8Wi8JGMcATxOP5cJ8/s320/100_0743.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first ever turkey and it turned out amazing! I used <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/336975/salt-and-pepper-turkey" target="_blank">Martha's recipe</a> and also her stuffing listed in that link (which my mom loved). In addition to the turkey and stuffing we had squash casserole (GF), mac & cheese (GF), green beans, fruit, mashed potatoes, gravy and some super yummy ham.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Steve carving the bird (Beau didn't want to) while Sean supervises.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">All in all this Christmas was incredible. I got great gifts, we ate great food, but most important was the time well spent with family and friends. I love our lives and this year was full of so many blessings. I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store!</span></div>
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Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-37239516531165612042012-12-03T19:38:00.000-08:002012-12-03T19:38:14.362-08:00Things going on around here...<div style="text-align: center;">
Wow! This year is flying by!</div>
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We spent Turkey day in Griffin with Beau's family. It has been forever since we've been there and it was good to catch up with family and friends. I have really missed family lately. I love living in NC but miss being so far from the folks I love in FL and GA. </div>
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I got to participate in an awesome opportunity from Crowdtap sample from <a href="http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=15292" target="_blank">Old Navy's dress collection</a> and fell in love with their 3/4 sleeve dress. I used my free sample and had to go back and buy a second dress because it is so rare to find a dress with sleeves that is cute, long enough and is a fabric/cut that is forgiving. I cannot say enough good things about this dress. Love it! Here is a snippet of me wearing it below.</div>
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One of my favorite pictures from Turkey day festivities was this shot of Beau's grandmother playing cornhole. Beau's mom had the great idea to bring this game out to get people moving around after feasting on turkey and goodies and it was a hit! </div>
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Once we got home from GA we had planned on putting up a tree but instead chose to do some serious hiking out at the Florence Nature Preserve which was incredible. It is our new favorite spot to hike. We went back last weekend to explore some more. Great winter views and an intense first 15 minutes of trail leads to some of the relatively untouched beauty of NC. Here are some pics from this last weekend and our trip back on Sunday.</div>
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We thought we would wait until the following weekend to decorate but got antsy and got a tree on Monday. So to get the party started I put out our nativity scenes (well a couple of them). The Playmobil is my new fave.</div>
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Here is our "real" downstairs tree decorated with our favorite family ornaments-old and new!</div>
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I decided our "upstairs tree needed a makeover (I usually just decorate with what doesn't make it onto the downstairs tree) so I bought some cheap ornaments from Big Lots to add some much needed color and pizazz to our upstairs tree. It's a fake tree so it can use all the help it can get.</div>
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To start off December on the right foot we went to Flat Rock Play House to see The Nutcracker. The choreographer from Spiderman on Broadway is directed it...amazing! He totally re-worked the story into something more timely and central to our mountainy location. It was a pure work of love on his part for the community he grew up in and it showed onstage.</div>
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I stareted this whole #mileaday challange. A lot of folks start and run 1 mile/day from Thanksgiving through Christmas. I didn't know about it until after Thanksgiving so I decided to start it on December 1st. So far so good! </div>
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I also met up with one of my favorite girls from our church youth group to do some crafting this morning and had a delicious gingerbread/gumdrop latte. Delish! I drank it up before I could get a cute pic but here is a shot of the gumdrop that was leftover. </div>
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My biggest thing going on since Turkey day is a switch to a gluten free diet. This is tough to take on but some unexplained weight gain (nothing glaring in my diet to explain it) led my doctor to suggest that I might have a gluten allergy. So I am going to give it a try and see how it goes. Not the easiest thing but I am making it work. </div>
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I am taking lots of pics in December because I plan on making a holiday book. I will post the finished product here...it is coming along pretty well and I am excited to finally take on a holidy mini scrapbook after years of procrastinating about doing one. </div>
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Happy Holidays...I'll post again soon!</div>
Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-23458454967873762922012-07-16T17:09:00.001-07:002012-07-16T17:09:08.429-07:00Things I'm loving these days...<ul>
<li><a href="http://citymarkethvl.com/" target="_blank">City Market</a>-The local farmer's market that is open year-round, amazing, and has lots of yummy, delicious treats! Especially yummy-the pimento cheese!</li>
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<li>Making my own chips in the toaster over-I have makign chips by putting tortillas drizzled with a little olive oil and kosher salt in the toaster oven. Break them up after for a delish alternative to fried chips. </li>
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<li>Fruit leather-I love this stuff. Next up I'm going to attempt making it <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2010/08/apricot-leather.html" target="_blank">using this recipe from The Little Red House.</a> Truth be told I already tried making it but turned the oven on too high...oops. The part that wasn't burnt was delicious.</li>
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That's all! Have a good Monday!!!Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-56517575008824552202012-07-14T07:04:00.000-07:002012-07-14T07:04:08.729-07:00Whole Foods (not the store)So I miss the days when I was little. My grandma and I had so much fun running around to garage sales on Saturday mornig and when we had shopped till we dropped, we would stop at Checkers (a burger spot) and get hamburgers and delicious spicy fries. This is literally one of my favorite memories with my grandmother. <br />
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In those days I could eat whatever I wanted. As I grew older, my metabolism changed but I was still able to eat relatively whatever I wanted and just increase (or start) working out to keep my weight in check.<br />
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Well those days are long gone now. I don't even live in a state that has Checkers, which is a blessing because my metabolism recently did what I heard it would eventually do, it quit. Not really but it feels that way. I suddenly am keeping the same diet/exercise routine but gaining weight anyway...aren't your 30's supposed to be when you are thriving. Oh well.<br />
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I checked out this great doc called <a href="http://www.forksoverknives.com/" target="_blank">"Forks Over Knives"</a> that really got me thinking about what types of foods I'm putting in my body. Forks would tell you to cut out all animal products (meat, cheese, etc.). My hubs would tell you that is not happening. But Forks did make some great points so it got me doing some more research. I know enough about health, nutrition and the internet to know that you cannot just trust one source for your information. You have to do the research.<br />
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A book I've recently come across is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1556434308/ref=rdr_ext_tmb" target="_blank">"Healing with Whole Foods" by Paul Pitchford</a>. This book is full of information about eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet. The idea is less about animal cruelty (which is honestly what you get from way too many of these websites and books). Animal cruetly stinks but I want to find out the health/nutrition reasons behind a more veggie diet, not about how chickens should or shouldn't be treated.<br />
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So back to the book...I really love it. It mixes Asian traditions with modern ideas about nutrition. It is really helpful and gives some good ideas about how to get the same nutrition from plant-based, whole foods as you would from a traditional animal-based diet. <br />
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Beau and I will not be going full vegetarian any time soon (I think Beau would say never). And the idea of never eating buffalo chicken anything again makes me want to cry. But what we are going to do is be more concious about what we eat at home. Meals at home will not be centered around an animal protein anymore. We'll still cook meat at home sometimes, we'll not be those annoying friends who you don't know what to cook for when they come over for dinner cause they are strict vegans, and we'll still eat meat when we eat out if we want. We'll just limit our animal product intake at home and try to purchase and focus on eating more whole foods and plant-based nutrition at home.<br />
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My metabolism and I still are not talking but I'm hoping that she'll wave the white flag soon and we can negotiate some terms we can both live with...hopefully. <br />Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-83226834617979132192012-06-05T14:27:00.003-07:002012-06-05T14:27:41.318-07:00Things just got muddyCompleted my first mud run this past Sunday. I'm pretty proud of myself. I told everyone jokingly before I started that I fully expected to end up crying in a puddle of mud. I was only half joking in saying that. I am a giant wimp. But honestly the worst obstacle of the whole race was the monkey bars...can you say my worst nightmare from elementary school revisited?<br />
I realized after running it that I am out of shape. Duh! How could I go from being able to run half marathons to feeling winded walking to the race site. I still finished in an hour or so but I should have done a ton better. I don't want to be one of those people that does a slow descent into middle age. I want to be that old lady at yoga (yes I have someone specific in mind) who has the hot body and is a member of the AARP. <br />
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So I signed up for another 5k...this one I'll train for, and sign up for another after that. I also still need to sign up for a half marathon. I want to do at least one a year (basically for the rest of my life). So I'll let you know how that goes. <br />
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In the meantime, here are some pics of my teammates and I getting muddy.Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-42756639027576939842012-06-04T18:27:00.000-07:002012-06-04T18:27:12.341-07:00Extreme Makeover: Ramen editionToday we considered a spaghetti casserole for dinner but I just really wasn't feeling it. I remembered pinning but not clicking on some delish looking ramen recipes (check out <a href="http://pinterest.com/jollysing/recipes/" target="_blank">my recipe pin board</a>) but when I clicked I wasn't super excited with what I read. Also, I live in a small town and have an even smaller neighborhood grocery store that I visit regularly. So since I didn't feel like making any special trips, I had to get a bit innovative. <br />
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I bought cocconut milk, peanut sauce, ramen noodles, some veggies (broccoli, red peppers and onions) and some chicken. <br />
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I boiled water (which takes forever at my home's elevation) and while that was going cooked the chicken (flavored some but not entirely with about 1/4 of the ramen flavor packet and tossed the rest). After the chicken was done I added onions and peppers. When they were finished I added cocconut milk (about 1/2 a can) and peanut sauce to taste. I got it all boiling and added the broccoli and let it simmer. When the broccoli was cooked I combined the veggies, chicken and sauce with the strained ramen.<br />
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The end result looked like this and tasted delish!!!Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-38542613324418681102012-06-02T17:59:00.003-07:002012-06-02T17:59:55.320-07:00Baby showerHaven't been around in a long while but I thought you may like to see some of what I've been up to...most recently was a baby shower for a good friend. We went pinterest.com crazy with the shower and it turned out really cute. For more info on how we did this and a lot more ideas check out this <a href="http://pinterest.com/jollysing/baby-shower-ideas/" target="_blank">board</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweCQAj_zTBUE-z-Pin_HwSym1BldA-7qy0j4fpxnL3WyT9YgvP-Gub0hPybMcbzx7fAMPORAn7chSN9myxTI_X8wD9u6j-xaNhbxtpYqi8sv5naU0uN84VWYKkiwE8ZlhHzh9PuiLyVs/s1600/Quiche.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweCQAj_zTBUE-z-Pin_HwSym1BldA-7qy0j4fpxnL3WyT9YgvP-Gub0hPybMcbzx7fAMPORAn7chSN9myxTI_X8wD9u6j-xaNhbxtpYqi8sv5naU0uN84VWYKkiwE8ZlhHzh9PuiLyVs/s320/Quiche.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-87877557613070284632012-01-11T18:36:00.000-08:002012-01-11T18:58:44.294-08:00Juice cleanseRead about this<a href="http://theskinnyconfidential.com/2011/09/13/juicers-three-day-cleanse/"> juice cleanse </a>on my new favorite blog<a href="http://theskinnyconfidential.com/"> The Skinny Confidential</a>.<br /><br />Today was day one and the juice was not so <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">delish</span> but I got through day 1. Only 2 days to go...<br /><br />The best part is that you get to eat a 6oz. lean protein/veggie dinner.<br /><br />Here are some pics of day 1 ingredients and juice.<br /><div align="center"><a title="100_0151 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6682266111/"><img alt="100_0151" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6682266111_b4dbb7c677.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></div><div align="center"><a title="100_0156 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6682248949/"><img alt="100_0156" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6682248949_5c42e4ba22.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a></div>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-53241923093476613972012-01-07T18:03:00.001-08:002012-01-08T05:48:20.598-08:00G is for goatI've mentioned this here before, but I love the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/carl/index.htm">Carl Sandburg house</a>. I feel so blessed that we can get out and hike whenever we want now that we live in NC and this is one of my favorite places to do it. Last weekend we got out with some friends to visit the goats and take a hike on one the CS trails. Here are some pictures from our day...<br /><p align="center"><a title="100_0099 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659266541/"><img alt="100_0099" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6659266541_229206976a_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0088 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659243953/"><img alt="100_0088" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6659243953_dc0651342f_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0089 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659231601/"><img alt="100_0089" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6659231601_74ac726ce9_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0090 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659218243/"><img alt="100_0090" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6659218243_a42ca4f82e_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0091 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659206013/"><img alt="100_0091" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6659206013_89a19d4120_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0092 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659194807/"><img alt="100_0092" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6659194807_73b0d14c44_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0093 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659183971/"><img alt="100_0093" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6659183971_62a503bb73_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><p align="center"><br />Truth be told. I have a bit of an obsession with goats. I would love to have one some day but I hear they are a lot of work to care for. You have to milk them like a million times a day. Maybe one day, but for now I'll have to get my goat's milk cheese from the farmer's market.</p><p align="center"><a title="100_0095 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659159683/"><img alt="100_0095" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6659159683_8d6ef1f3b4_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" /></a></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0096 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659148713/"><img alt="100_0096" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6659148713_3319652fdf_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><a title="100_0096 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659148713/"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0098 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659127145/"><img alt="100_0098" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6659127145_9e09f861fc_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><a title="100_0098 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6659127145/"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0104 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656785873/"><img alt="100_0104" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6656785873_6c3b7c8830_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><a title="100_0104 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656785873/"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0105 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656774587/"><img alt="100_0105" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6656774587_31b7b1d1d4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><a title="100_0105 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656774587/"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0107 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656752801/"><img alt="100_0107" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6656752801_5165288409_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><a title="100_0107 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656752801/"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0110 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656718873/"><img alt="100_0110" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6656718873_4795ec4a93_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><a title="100_0110 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656718873/"><div align="left"> </div></a><br /><br />Later on we spend some QT on the porch and I did a little front porch "pickin" (I quote it because iI use that term loosely and that phrase jokingly). I am still working on learning the mandolin. School delayed my plans a bit to become a master mandolin player but now that I'm only taking one class for Spring 2012, I'm hoping to have more time to devote to becoming an expert :-)<p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0119 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656627699/"><img alt="100_0119" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6656627699_e49f6e2dee_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" /></a></p><a title="100_0119 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656627699/"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0121 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656605701/"><img alt="100_0121" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6656605701_0c4f700c99_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" /></a></p><a title="100_0121 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656605701/"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><p align="center"><a title="100_0127 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656555471/"><img alt="100_0127" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6656555471_ae9d5092aa_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" /></a></p><a title="100_0127 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6656555471/"><div align="left"> </div></a><br /><br />One last thing...here's my new favorite website...<a href="http://theskinnyconfidential.com/">The Skinny Confidential</a>!<p></p>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-67619052624071522172011-12-28T06:10:00.000-08:002011-12-28T07:10:49.863-08:00Christmas fun!<div align="center">There is only one word I can use to describe Christmas of 2011 and that word is "blessed". Beau and I felt so much love coming in from all ends of the globe. This was our second Christmas in NC and that in and of itself was a blessing but add to that the time spent with friends and family (be it over the phone or in person) and you have yourself one amazing holiday.<br /></div><p align="center"><a title="Christmas Eve 2011 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6564645061/"><img alt="Christmas Eve 2011" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6564645061_cdf18835cf.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="Pretty presents by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6578758165/"><img alt="Pretty presents" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6578758165_6e26614e37.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />We started things off by a fun Christmass Eve Eve party at some friends from church. It was good to see so many close friends and to see so many family members in for the holiday. Christmas Eve I awoke to Beau insisting I open up my "big present". We had decided the night before to open our bigger gifts for one another early because Beau said I would need mine for the rest of Christmas.<br /><br />I was thrilled to see receive the <a href="http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/pd/Camera__Z5010/productID.233417400">Kodak EasyShare Z5010</a> from Beau. I've been wanting a "big girl" camera forEVER! And now I finally have one!!! There are so many things I want to learn to do with the camera and first and foremost is bokeh. I saw <a href="http://www.thefriendlyfox.com/2011/12/cool-bokeh-filters.html">this tutorial</a> on The Friendly Fox and it seems really easy but I need to figure out how to do it. Any ideas or help is much appreciated :-)<br /><br />Beau got a "big boy" present too. He has been dying for a video game system and I got him an X-box. We have a Wii but Beau really couldn't play the games he wanted on that. I originally thought that we might keep the Wii to do exercise stuff but now that I've seen all the bells and whistles that come with the X-box Kinect, I'm not so sure. The Kinect kicks serious tail!<br /></p><p align="center"><a title="Christmas Eve 2011 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6564633551/"><img alt="Christmas Eve 2011" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6564633551_aabe4f3aba.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="Christmas Eve 2011 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6564605947/"><img alt="Christmas Eve 2011" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6564605947_e9010e4d75.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></p><div align="center"><br />But enought about gifts. Christmas Eve we spent most of the day relaxing, cooking, and getting ready for Beau's family to come on Christmas day! We went to Christmas Eve service at our church which was absolutely magical. Our pastor did an incredible job by giving an overview of the Christmas story from Genesis to the birth of Jesus and it was awesome. The service was full of babies being babies and hearing the sounds of all those children made you realize how incredible a miracle His birth was given the knowledge that this newborn baby would be our world's Savior.<br /><br />After church we went to our friend's home where we ate a delicious meal and had fun with the wonderful company. Their girls took turns reenacting the Christmas story, we sang carols and it was just an incredible way to spend Christmas Eve. I hope we can make that a new tradition!<br /><br />Christmas morning we woke up and opened up or wonderful gifts from family and some stocking stuffers we'd gotten one another. We played the X-box Kinect game that came with Beau's game system and got ready for family. Beau's mom and grandmother got in around 1pm and we had a delicious Christmas meal: Ham, green beans, sweet potatoes, yeast rolls and some gluten-free shortcakes for dessert.<br /></div><p align="center"><a title="Christmas Dnner by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6578722671/"><img alt="Christmas Dnner" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6578722671_610d1b79ef.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="Playing x-box 3 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6578812619/"><img alt="Playing x-box 3" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6578812619_75dbd35c04.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="My quilt from Jody by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6578744171/"><img alt="My quilt from Jody" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6578744171_7d3bb722ed.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></p><p align="center"><br />To top of the holiday festivities, we decided (inspired by a video from close friends) to start a new tradition of a Christmas music video. We chose Bootylicious, because nothing says Christmas like a little Destiny's Child, right?</p><p align="center"><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fytM9gcsndI" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="More Christmas fun by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/6578702161/"><img alt="More Christmas fun" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6578702161_7a5be1b783.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a></p><div align="center"><br />In between all the Christmas family we spend time catching up via phone with family and friends. I cannot even begin to tell you how blessed we feel to have spent such great quality time together with our loved ones. We hope that 2012 is filled with as many blessings as 2011 has been for us.<br /><br /></div>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-86241597997624276472011-11-27T05:12:00.000-08:002011-11-27T05:21:57.712-08:00Old favorite/New favorite: Oreo cookies<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679664002267194370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcVewB8K99ONwyvoVB8SUfpZAUIYJ8drRYp3ogOatqdV2jjJxPGGEz2TJVBvyAm50cg3pvyIi6tVBYnRjC4eCuerxHMRwmT_7YKUqIDMDg-R5zPrw91n1p8eU9GFXLmid7Xq8CyZT-5k/s400/oreo+2.jpg" border="0" /> <br /><div>Yum! I love oreo cookies! So when I saw this recipe for delicious, homemade oreos, I could not resist trying. These guys are super easy to make and turn out so delicous. It is a bit scary when you make them to realize how absolutely horrible oreo cookies are for you, but other than those few moments of panic when you read the recipe and go "more butter...really?", you'll love them.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Check out the <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/05/my-kingdom-for-a-glass-of-milk/">Smitten Kitchen recipe!</a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvN1ao7FDnAfLZwc95WNxND51tftxsp67wSBVEH6q_7hHDeom8cL5e9JYmDyBlRvoPQWVLB8vnu0PH7zkfVAoeYLKVRnvFq5-pzem-yJejDm6_WJtMk_19B9zeK0n4P5v94yhQDuA_F4/s1600/Oreo+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679664000574809858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvN1ao7FDnAfLZwc95WNxND51tftxsp67wSBVEH6q_7hHDeom8cL5e9JYmDyBlRvoPQWVLB8vnu0PH7zkfVAoeYLKVRnvFq5-pzem-yJejDm6_WJtMk_19B9zeK0n4P5v94yhQDuA_F4/s400/Oreo+1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-14844324257612151202011-10-29T07:19:00.000-07:002011-10-29T11:12:27.755-07:00Halloween Fun!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCWRvi3raunk9Ls4D7QeVu-RZ63of7AazWOyS0R1WYzRs1tCFRzYxLtmY8eCYi9mpNjG02ARpKicfGDICJLBHmrQMQJAWZk6ncT5Os55m6krtQXNhIYJzl974Fx0pyL0rcFyNRKGI8ZE/s1600/Halloween+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668921824435529106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCWRvi3raunk9Ls4D7QeVu-RZ63of7AazWOyS0R1WYzRs1tCFRzYxLtmY8eCYi9mpNjG02ARpKicfGDICJLBHmrQMQJAWZk6ncT5Os55m6krtQXNhIYJzl974Fx0pyL0rcFyNRKGI8ZE/s400/Halloween+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6KU3ppG7Qlx9IJb3IMhx6IKtmrEsmxGpB8hOqxNjdUgeguB3RDMxhILBtgP32k4xMu7SSZ-89O6KZMOVFkHQsOIU1TskifR0lH39wf6p_HE_68IiX5GRWmWF53blscs-qXt10WM7948/s1600/Halloween+006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668921337828450818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6KU3ppG7Qlx9IJb3IMhx6IKtmrEsmxGpB8hOqxNjdUgeguB3RDMxhILBtgP32k4xMu7SSZ-89O6KZMOVFkHQsOIU1TskifR0lH39wf6p_HE_68IiX5GRWmWF53blscs-qXt10WM7948/s400/Halloween+006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJWG9XIC6HYR6j9qD7_DJTSYJBn9YGQZxokaehLvt5rLu4O6Keb38knYstTtHedv7ZjOP_En3qADh_eFVARpdmD8267CBA5j-VmK9VZU3U_dV9y9FCw0Vp977nIHBlwxggf4ZdiO2qoA/s1600/Halloween+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668921329739728914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJWG9XIC6HYR6j9qD7_DJTSYJBn9YGQZxokaehLvt5rLu4O6Keb38knYstTtHedv7ZjOP_En3qADh_eFVARpdmD8267CBA5j-VmK9VZU3U_dV9y9FCw0Vp977nIHBlwxggf4ZdiO2qoA/s400/Halloween+002.JPG" border="0" /></a>So last night Beau and I threw our first big bash at the new house. Here are a couple pictures from the event. I've also attached a link to the recipes that I used (some I embellished on a bit) for the food. These are all super easy dishes that I suggest you try sometime.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqYIqNGnk06X0-HK-ViCoo5ITleU3BjM6DtQ7OMx6_AnzrMIbdAX9VZEqE4F10I2Attjyt9bh3BFT7iKJAC3S4v8CaTXYPQ8CyqjfypObbaf7-7cIOGeWoi-3rZK7NlVnjug8Tnae0cU/s1600/Halloween+008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668921348084166786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqYIqNGnk06X0-HK-ViCoo5ITleU3BjM6DtQ7OMx6_AnzrMIbdAX9VZEqE4F10I2Attjyt9bh3BFT7iKJAC3S4v8CaTXYPQ8CyqjfypObbaf7-7cIOGeWoi-3rZK7NlVnjug8Tnae0cU/s400/Halloween+008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPmROIq8xhWfkeNn0I0hnPgqMONyligSPYyfSMyx1NrM_edfKff7U6TTwkQtMfpBNuig-ziEmDRYoorcx5yhZVo0UTSStnEbk4PAn-t7LKS7YMQeRfbZkIN_pUgstzqSkb0i5PMdp-f0/s1600/Halloween+011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668921338345922770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPmROIq8xhWfkeNn0I0hnPgqMONyligSPYyfSMyx1NrM_edfKff7U6TTwkQtMfpBNuig-ziEmDRYoorcx5yhZVo0UTSStnEbk4PAn-t7LKS7YMQeRfbZkIN_pUgstzqSkb0i5PMdp-f0/s400/Halloween+011.JPG" border="0" /></a>Beau and I went as Beetlejuice and Lydia from their "would be" wedding. I have to say, I was a little nervous because I didn't get to spend as much time on my costume as I would have liked, but I think our costumes turned out great.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ90oDCIY_c6m2WXN0eHOLjbbpc3nGSU5Tenkcs8vp7SZ9QBDpKZXJqtp6dqdCNsRpylwABn05lFXgeqrhf2sTXJ4ul6nm1O2PsiuR1NgOrSJwuSOJyUJJgB9Jd_Ro0diwH3XLAkaWEek/s1600/Beetlejuice_Lydia.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668920919403500514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 257px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ90oDCIY_c6m2WXN0eHOLjbbpc3nGSU5Tenkcs8vp7SZ9QBDpKZXJqtp6dqdCNsRpylwABn05lFXgeqrhf2sTXJ4ul6nm1O2PsiuR1NgOrSJwuSOJyUJJgB9Jd_Ro0diwH3XLAkaWEek/s400/Beetlejuice_Lydia.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13x4bzp0YpgNp_SUjVtAioY8rlHq6LiRIH5mWBB1q8jA1OyVooGXTC2JOL5AEjX0rNSoXZdp7y_at3WBvuXJ_0U69WyktsXHm4HRRWggY_yFT20ObLukiufDBmh5WCaKO7n6Me4GWnBA/s1600/Halloween+014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668920920085258850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13x4bzp0YpgNp_SUjVtAioY8rlHq6LiRIH5mWBB1q8jA1OyVooGXTC2JOL5AEjX0rNSoXZdp7y_at3WBvuXJ_0U69WyktsXHm4HRRWggY_yFT20ObLukiufDBmh5WCaKO7n6Me4GWnBA/s400/Halloween+014.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668920916666793010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYAXUFoenU0hpJDiCT1CJZTk6Xbs-sLXj7SdFoY2BrCSFeWhTRCzQOG5vMXy22wffLEJqWUW5AyBvQQYru1EpGoYBTNbw3n5KDsa30AGDHHlzbHVJDJLQjWIGnA3IiEOZTLNOGAre1vo/s400/Halloween+013.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p><strong><strong>Recipes to try....p></strong></strong></p><strong><strong><br /><p><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/08/pizza-bread-back-to-school-veggie-soup.html"><strong>Pizza Bread</strong></a>-yum yum...you can't see this one in the pictures of the goodies because it and the pigs in a blanket were still baking but it was delicious. Just slice this guy up and it is a delicious party treat. I used just pepperoni and mozzerella cheese but if you follow the recipe on <a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/08/pizza-bread-back-to-school-veggie-soup.html">this site</a> you can see a recipe with a lot more ingredients.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU42xrypkzLY_Er0rExnGp9qI-KKHNxNIXLXV0FG7x66WiWnACzR-rIGzB4ydfED27pq7W1s3OjG6KlVDGvtAdQVMrcxI8y77lhbbJWv_Hx68IlkTbIRpNxHCDmGSr0ssNzJw_Ip0rLUY/s1600/Pizza+bread"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668970758923900450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU42xrypkzLY_Er0rExnGp9qI-KKHNxNIXLXV0FG7x66WiWnACzR-rIGzB4ydfED27pq7W1s3OjG6KlVDGvtAdQVMrcxI8y77lhbbJWv_Hx68IlkTbIRpNxHCDmGSr0ssNzJw_Ip0rLUY/s400/Pizza+bread" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/08/pizza-bread-back-to-school-veggie-soup.html">Source</a></p><br /><p align="left"><strong></strong>Artichoke/Spinach Dip</p></strong><br /><p align="left">-For this one I just used the simple recipe on the back of the <a href="http://www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/v/183/Original-Ranch-Spinach-Dip/">Hidden Valley</a> packet but I added artichoke hearts to it and served it in a bread bowl to really give it some "class". Just kidding. Actually now that I go back and look at the recipe they suggest you serve it in a bread bowl too so I guess I'm not as classy as I thought :-)-Hidden Valley Ranch dip people: 1, Jolie: 0</p><br /><p align="left"><strong>South Georgia Caviar</strong>-Let's be honest Paula Deen, everyone knows this recipe as Redneck caviar but I realize that isn't so PC. In any case <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/south-georgia-caviar-recipe/index.html">this caviar </a>super yummy and really easy to throw together and make substitutions to if you don't like a specific item. </p><br /><p align="left"><strong>Pigs in a Blanket</strong>-I just used a simple <a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/mini-crescent-dogs/e8abc84e-8a0e-42d6-ae7e-23b677a161ac/">Pillsbury recipe </a>for these but bought the jalapeno/cheddar mini sausages to spice things up a bit and they were delish!</p><br /><p align="left"><strong>Cake pops</strong>-These are (and I'm not afraid to use this expression here because the cake pops warrant it) thebomb.com. Check out <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/">Bakerella.com</a> for all sorts of deliciousness including these red velvet cake pops. These get easier to work with as you get used to the cake "medium" that you are dealing with. I also found that chocolate bark is easier to deal with than the Wilton candy melts. </p><br /><p align="left"><strong>Rice Crispie Treats</strong>-I made some of these and added orange food coloring to them to make them festive. I had every intention of cutting them into pumpkin shapes with my cookie cutters but ran out of time. Oh well. They are always super yummy!</p><br /><p align="left">I hope you enjoys these delicious treats as much as we did!</p><br /><p align="left"></p><br /></strong><br /><strong></strong>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-38228856978420997612011-10-16T12:39:00.000-07:002011-10-16T13:13:13.878-07:00Quick craft: Toilet Paper pumpkins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxPMg4BRujh6XB2V69nwejd58Gi6IA1p9-UV_HqUi9PSh7JHfZt2Tv5fgEiT0fCNgPqG36D26Y-w5uhEYnHwRHShYpdMyBTIgw63Fad3O2cUicMj0lrb2oI6p1HraBsHLkjKjOQaX_Bc/s1600/Finished+pumpkins.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664185010780037010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxPMg4BRujh6XB2V69nwejd58Gi6IA1p9-UV_HqUi9PSh7JHfZt2Tv5fgEiT0fCNgPqG36D26Y-w5uhEYnHwRHShYpdMyBTIgw63Fad3O2cUicMj0lrb2oI6p1HraBsHLkjKjOQaX_Bc/s400/Finished+pumpkins.jpg" border="0" /></a>If you do a quick google search of toilet paper pumpkins you will find tons of tutorials, but I got this idea from my friend and fellow blogger <a href="http://homesweethomeimprovements.blogspot.com/2011/09/toilet-paper-pumpkins.html">Elisa</a>. This is a great, cheap way to decorate for fall without spending a lot of cash (oh any cash if you use stuff around the house like I did). I made two different versions of this craft, but more on that later. <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Supplies: </div><br /><div>1/4 yard of fabric</div><br /><div>Newspaper</div><br /><div>Toilet paper (full roll)</div><br /><div>Empty pill bottle (if you opt to make smaller pumpkins too)</div><br /><div>Twigs</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>1. Lay your fabric right side down and center your toilet paper on the fabric. Surround your toilet paper with crumpled news paper. More if you want a fat pumpkin, less for a slightly less obese pumpkin. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSB9UVfYzQK1-5EKLltk5S1qfDddG3zIMkzjFTRRIWuLJi27JJfTutbmKSsLVHj7Q5xcGJXoJ7Cm0suAW6i-IFu0gT3IOK5KaRc1X6GItjAnl9ycavfDmKYrikleK0RJabuLJdRFA2ug/s1600/Step+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664181193634701250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSB9UVfYzQK1-5EKLltk5S1qfDddG3zIMkzjFTRRIWuLJi27JJfTutbmKSsLVHj7Q5xcGJXoJ7Cm0suAW6i-IFu0gT3IOK5KaRc1X6GItjAnl9ycavfDmKYrikleK0RJabuLJdRFA2ug/s400/Step+1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>2. Take and squish the edges of the fabric down into the toilet paper roll adjusting both the fabric and the newspaper as you go. Repeat until all fabric is squished into the roll hole and arranged in a way that resembles a pumpkin. (this part is important as it is easy to do this craft haphazardly and end up with something not resembling a pumpkin).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gu828q-CAohQvB6gb7MiBOSQ_t1wJu2JAL_Ahq2afgaYlefZHOoYP4mM9S9Llo7xU6oLjtyITRr55WUk3sfAkaDlO1srtYHcc6Z6lEqJa6xI5fOhqkZZAYfJWFEwnlpVWhrMiMGM7Mw/s1600/Step+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664181557403601170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gu828q-CAohQvB6gb7MiBOSQ_t1wJu2JAL_Ahq2afgaYlefZHOoYP4mM9S9Llo7xU6oLjtyITRr55WUk3sfAkaDlO1srtYHcc6Z6lEqJa6xI5fOhqkZZAYfJWFEwnlpVWhrMiMGM7Mw/s400/Step+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>3. Finish it off by putting a twig down in the toilet paper roll with enough of the twig sticking out to resemble a stem. The fabric will keep the twig mostly in place.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJdz_GJhXKnzxA5UsBk4ArCn_SsKQ8c-ZUnoVQjYAgCP2ccePk7m_vw4-m_4asDAl5SUHQgarJU6OxPmGiztN2_6GzrQWlt8cDIla9dC3f-Sf0XJtVjyBR-f2pTyi1NiVIk0rFgTlJB8/s1600/Step+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664182169346038290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJdz_GJhXKnzxA5UsBk4ArCn_SsKQ8c-ZUnoVQjYAgCP2ccePk7m_vw4-m_4asDAl5SUHQgarJU6OxPmGiztN2_6GzrQWlt8cDIla9dC3f-Sf0XJtVjyBR-f2pTyi1NiVIk0rFgTlJB8/s400/Step+3.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>*** If you want smaller pumpkins you can find smaller items around your house with a toilet paper roll size opening. For example I had just finished a prescription so I used the empty pill bottle to make a little pumpkin. Less fabric is needed for this too though you will need to be more careful with how you arrange the newspaper. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLydmHVBvJxG7MhiFm3HfGOuTsdvXLlwRwdZiFufe3HHMqiBUglcIAaDR_a0olYUoeKBjo7cK06MZ-IDzHeUhpDXVihzvlWLcTwACCOVjI-6ivdxCXw8hJDNRDx3cWlJ1e1POGBmO9ng/s1600/Bottle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664183057957100450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLydmHVBvJxG7MhiFm3HfGOuTsdvXLlwRwdZiFufe3HHMqiBUglcIAaDR_a0olYUoeKBjo7cK06MZ-IDzHeUhpDXVihzvlWLcTwACCOVjI-6ivdxCXw8hJDNRDx3cWlJ1e1POGBmO9ng/s400/Bottle.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHxydQtbdq9Jo0H9lVyy0FAqitgUsHMqfnJoFzCb4NJVjNqqy0EIXNb8tiN2tcpGtb3dADV6Y0sSHuyNfGbKFDIcFss5o25mdW2Ep1Pbu_6I-6X08v74a3HIpWwnXkDaw6wG2QjnoXGQ/s1600/Bottle+pumpkin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664183676302637970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHxydQtbdq9Jo0H9lVyy0FAqitgUsHMqfnJoFzCb4NJVjNqqy0EIXNb8tiN2tcpGtb3dADV6Y0sSHuyNfGbKFDIcFss5o25mdW2Ep1Pbu_6I-6X08v74a3HIpWwnXkDaw6wG2QjnoXGQ/s400/Bottle+pumpkin.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>You'll notice that I also took front-porch sitting to a whole new level by taking a TV tray out on the porch so I could craft while enjoying this beautiful, fall day!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Happy Fall!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-45121487070577785772011-10-16T11:59:00.000-07:002011-10-16T12:38:47.705-07:00Happy Fall!<div align="left">Hello readers!</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Sorry for my long absence. I've had lots of exciting stuff going on since my last post. No, no, I'm not prego (the typical reason for long absences of female bloggers ages 28-32 who are nervous they will accidentally spill the beans before hitting the 12 week "safety" mark). Nope, we've just had tons 'o' stuff going on. </div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">1. I decided to work on some classes I need to get licensed to teach. This is something I've always wanted but has become harder and harder to do as I get older. When Beau and I eventually have kids I would like to be on their schedule. I could have waited to get these classes in, but when would I do them? When I'm a new mom? When they go off to school? No, more than likely I would be freaking out 10-12 years from now when our kids go off to middle school going. Oh my goodness why didn't I do this earlier. So I decided for once in my life to make things easier on myself and get them done sooner rather than later. </div><br /><div align="left">Turns out I only need 6 additional classes so I am kicking myself for not having completed my minor in education when I was in college but grateful that I didn't totally slack off because it has made things easier for later on down the road.</div><br /><div align="left">School has been great but has kept me busy. I want to do this right so I'm devoting the majority of my time to this goal until it is completed. I'm happy about this but after work activites like blogging, running and much of my social life have taken a hit. </div><br /><div align="left">2. We've moved!!! This is a super fun announcement because we are finally settled in a house that we love. The dogs are happier, we're happier...LIFE IS GOOD! GOD IS GOOD!!!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664173980309302146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhTRnhirws_MfT2gJCw8XDuz6nzQBgUgcOEYKZAkfehmacpysc7SU89yKj_d3p2oc4PwlVgf5P1HRaGTQM428S9VWa-pftuj1ubyBCQfSco_Qkhrc4DngjvdDCFVaJsnwP_SGGskjwi0/s400/Back+Deck+view.png" border="0" /> <br /><p align="left">Our new back deck view!<br /></p><br /><div align="left">3. We've traveled a bit. We always wanted to do a cruise but were nervous/forced into doing something else for our honeymoon so we put it on hold. Nervous because neither of us had been on one before and what if we got super sea sick and forced because of a weird situation with Beau's old job. No biggie. We had an awesome honeymoon and both Beau and I love a good story and we certainly have one for our honeymoon.</div><br /><div align="left">In any case last year we decided to stop putting it off and booked ourselves a cruise as our Christmas present and finally went on it earlier this month! It was awesome. We loved it and definitely plan to cruise again, though this time someplace we are more interested in visiting. The Bahamas seemed more about shopping than really experiencing anything truly Bahamian. We're thinking New England or Canada next time :-)<br /></div><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XSnlpc6iCBH6WUkLwm5NlJ-8Algy_gx2jz07-43pqDaaPpAzP5tj63NHG9OMsN-sylUURci8p2LeeyfSX6qP76RonfQk7jmm0NGcX39m8lkn-3hi-Fwh-0k4wTwmlhu8iE5NIgrpUHM/s1600/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1406.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664173250748941618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XSnlpc6iCBH6WUkLwm5NlJ-8Algy_gx2jz07-43pqDaaPpAzP5tj63NHG9OMsN-sylUURci8p2LeeyfSX6qP76RonfQk7jmm0NGcX39m8lkn-3hi-Fwh-0k4wTwmlhu8iE5NIgrpUHM/s400/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1406.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>Beau in front of the ship!<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwEKuNua7ibEnyqaFtvEK4hZeIg_lBiVgwSQGNOftS-8wUIpmuL-qqmgYLcVl8VYBWLa8kejEFHQKzexEyPO91wLqbSyPqAklGbUpQcVpevp83HZMswMP14AXLLQovLQugSOTqlsTIFc/s1600/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1362.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664173235755698722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwEKuNua7ibEnyqaFtvEK4hZeIg_lBiVgwSQGNOftS-8wUIpmuL-qqmgYLcVl8VYBWLa8kejEFHQKzexEyPO91wLqbSyPqAklGbUpQcVpevp83HZMswMP14AXLLQovLQugSOTqlsTIFc/s400/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1362.JPG" border="0" /></a>Beau coming down the water slide...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQO2EsNkLNVOu7R5bGiTcv7q8fFxpIvAcmSMjhYJX4-mlUwi97z5T7j003ymzHIDPAOJmaU1hvljwaFPYh9jtCpL771YCQjLMowCxpzdmJpX4ReBoxujG_m2YilHXmXAJqZrrH9a2yKY/s1600/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1418.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664173234748079298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQO2EsNkLNVOu7R5bGiTcv7q8fFxpIvAcmSMjhYJX4-mlUwi97z5T7j003ymzHIDPAOJmaU1hvljwaFPYh9jtCpL771YCQjLMowCxpzdmJpX4ReBoxujG_m2YilHXmXAJqZrrH9a2yKY/s400/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1418.JPG" border="0" /></a>A beautiful sun getting ready to set.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrtIBAphYcVPAQG092NaTDgn1btlHcNHSyEkHywOfpq59PxoMFbUqNPzGa0jtTHP_IyysWT5_xtm_XcXy3g5zsgKWxMZkDAJfOQAYgUZOu57NVDoz5NOAqSxZuf9YbqFcIQVgCg128Dg/s1600/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1417.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664173232007371490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrtIBAphYcVPAQG092NaTDgn1btlHcNHSyEkHywOfpq59PxoMFbUqNPzGa0jtTHP_IyysWT5_xtm_XcXy3g5zsgKWxMZkDAJfOQAYgUZOu57NVDoz5NOAqSxZuf9YbqFcIQVgCg128Dg/s400/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1417.JPG" border="0" /></a>Beau and I maxing and relaxing :-)<br /><br /></div><br /><div>So that's that. I hope to be back up and blogging again soon but can't make any promises other than a quick craft later today because this is my last day of fall break from classes. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Until next time...Happy Fall Y'all!!!<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxoxqriUbLwl2N7hUX2uiLTveBcLu7FxR9ERFHKLoapfQkpgAQCvIzrKrl5mWxhS8aZODRrh-sIfC4GMqg3Ghv6TcxbsBQsLXWHgMKSxE3wRVsrEq14qulAbmIlOWAwUfMBspFVm8ucI/s1600/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1417.JPG"><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxoxqriUbLwl2N7hUX2uiLTveBcLu7FxR9ERFHKLoapfQkpgAQCvIzrKrl5mWxhS8aZODRrh-sIfC4GMqg3Ghv6TcxbsBQsLXWHgMKSxE3wRVsrEq14qulAbmIlOWAwUfMBspFVm8ucI/s1600/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1417.JPG"><br /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxoxqriUbLwl2N7hUX2uiLTveBcLu7FxR9ERFHKLoapfQkpgAQCvIzrKrl5mWxhS8aZODRrh-sIfC4GMqg3Ghv6TcxbsBQsLXWHgMKSxE3wRVsrEq14qulAbmIlOWAwUfMBspFVm8ucI/s1600/Peachtree+RR+though+Bahamas+cruise+1417.JPG"></a>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-19974608078961071022011-07-21T03:56:00.000-07:002011-07-21T04:19:37.541-07:00Lessons learned from reality television or Can anyone explain: Reality TV Stars who think they can singI had a bit of insomnia last night and after tossing and turning I finally decided to give in and watch some late night television. After considering <em>Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives</em> but being caught off guard by a curry dish that included apples, I finally settled on <em>The Real Housewives of New York.</em><br /><br />Why these <em>Real Housewives</em> shows are being made period could use some serious explaining in and of itself. Isn't a housewife technically someone who stays home from work? All the real housewives on these shows seem to have jobs. There is also the issue with half the women not being married and thus not even technically being a wife. I guess <strong>Bravo</strong> though prefers to go the route of "spirit" not "letter of the law". And since they are the ones that make the "big bucks" I'll assume they know what they are talking about and move on to my real issue.<br /><br />I have a lot of legitimately talented friends that will never make it to anything close to mainstream because their musical ability goes unrecognized. That's fine. Contrary to the popular Roots song "Everybody is (not) a star". All my friends have learned to deal with that so I need to move on too. However, when I watch shows like "Real Housewives" I am stunned to see these less than talented women making music videos and getting legitimate, albeit mocking entertainment coverage.<br /><br />I realized that there are some lessons to be learned from reality television. If you are on a reality television show: 1) It doesn't matter if you are far too old to be considered "pop star" age, if you have a reality television show, you get a music video. 2) You don't have to have an ounce of talent, you get a music video....It's really like a sick version of something I've seen a time or two on Oprah: "You get a car, you get a car!"<br /><br />Oh well, I guess the true moral of the story here is that with enough money and a film crew following you around, you can be anything from a music video star (New York, Atlanta housewives) to a gallery owner (Miami housewife), to a runway model (Orange County housewives and the girls of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Laguna</span> Beach).<br /><br />So that's the lesson kids. You can be anything you set your mind to as long as there are people following you around filming your every, pointless move.Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-20917962246229834162011-07-09T07:27:00.000-07:002011-07-09T08:16:43.052-07:00Healthier, Happier Me: Getting started by counting caloriesSo since the first of January this year, I've lost over 10 pounds. I'm not normally the type that sticks to New Year's Resolutions but this year was different. I was sick and tired of looking in the mirror and not being 100% happy with what I saw. Now I'm not saying I'm completely out of shape, nor was I completely overweight but I'm not getting any younger. I know the rounding the corner on 30 doesn't just mean that I am now "flirty and thriving" (I love the movie <em>13 Going on 30</em>), but it also means I get to look forward to things like slowing metabolism and being more susceptible to health problems.<br /><br />So I made the decision to start counting my calories. I knew I had to crawl before I could walk. The first thing I set my mind on was figuring out how much I was putting into my body. Was I eating too much, too little, the wrong amounts of protein, veggies, etc? It's maybe not the right choice for everyone, but it made it was the decision that worked for me and to me it was a good place to get started.<br /><br />Now there are a number of ways you can go about tracking what you are putting into your body:<br /><br />Food Journal: You can keep a simple notebook where you track what you eat on a daily basis. This certainly keeps things easy to track during the day but you have to come home each day and figure out the amount of calories in each item which can becoming time-consuming and monontonous.<br /><br />Online Tracking: There are number of online trackers you can use. Things like <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/">MyFitnessPal</a>, <a href="http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/calorie_counter.asp">MyCalorieCounter</a>, and <a href="http://www.myfooddiary.com/?source=g_cs_counter&OVKEY=online%20calorie%20counter&gclid=CMvfhp3B9KkCFYgH2godtxl5Xw">MyFoodDiary</a>. Just a simple google search of the words "online calorie counter" will bring you over a dozen more. Some are free services and some require payment. It's up to you to decide if this is a method that will work for you. I chose to go about counting my calories in a different manner because I wanted to be able to count whether I was near a computer or not.<br /><br />Calorie Counting Phone Applications: This is the method I chose. This was the best choice for me for several reasons. First it was free via the application <a href="http://winphoneapps.org/calorie-counter">Calorie Counter </a>for my windows phone. Second it was portable, with this application I was able to instantly enter what I ate at which times of day. Third, it has a database filled with restaraunt calorie counts and popular grocery store items. Another perk is that you can enter caloric information yourself if you can't find your item in the the existing database.<br /><br />So that's my first step to a healthier, happier body. Counting calories is a good litnus test for you to figure out where you really are in terms of health. Lots of people think they are not losing weight because they are eating too much when it turns out they are not eating enough. Or they may be eating the right amount but are missing out on getting enough fiber or protein. Weight loss, like life is a balancing act.<br /><br />Calorie counting isn't something you have to do every day for the rest of your life so don't stress over the time it takes when you first start out. The amount of information you gain from taking the time to chart your eating will help you out tremendously, so don't skip this essential first step. Eventually you will only count calories sporadically, as a maintenance step.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional or nutritionist. I am merely sharing my personal experience. Obviously you should consider going to see a professional before you get started with any weight loss or exercise regimen.</span></em>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-26330871025853151592011-07-03T17:38:00.000-07:002011-07-03T19:22:06.843-07:00Just a Suggestion: Check out the Asheville Drum CircleIf you are every in Downtown Asheville on a Friday night you have got to do yourself a favor and head down to the <a href="http://www.exploreasheville.com/what-to-do/activity-details/index.aspx?guid=d69d7855-e11e-47df-bfe8-fc204bfd0ef3">Drum Circle</a>. This is a tradition on Friday nights spanning back 9 years and is one of the coolest, free things you can do to really experience all that makes Asheville the amazing place that it is. Things start up pretty early, like maybe 6pm or so in Pritchard Park.<a title="Drum circle2 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/5898481793/"><img height="768" alt="Drum circle2" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5305/5898481793_420eee73d2_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Here are things getting started...</div><br />Anyone with a percussion instrument is allowed to join in the fun. I have to tell you, one of the coolest things about the circle is seeing people of all ages and walks of life joining in the fun. If drummings not your thing, not to worry, there is plenty of room for a spectator, dancer or hula-hooper. It's also a great spot for a good game of hackey sack.<br /><br />So check it out when you are here, you won't regret it!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a title="Drum circle 1 by jolllysing, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38100197@N06/5899047054/"><img height="768" alt="Drum circle 1" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5279/5899047054_c7ccbc7637_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />Here's the drum circle once things really got going!</div>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-22742082859648602692011-06-28T18:09:00.000-07:002011-06-28T18:20:08.148-07:00Just a Suggestion: Giving in to reading "The Hunger Games"<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBMtJ6zh8zhFL86XL7QbnkkWxl39SXCqip9xLSAqyKGQ9viLgZZQVbflET4sebMf6FIXk0Jdj42KoDqxLqsVE_Ja1ysK6hfg9g0VcUouGh-_3BN6fLmpNQYi-DCNVdv00_Fzuo246aL4/s1600/HungerGames.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623443865810161874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 235px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBMtJ6zh8zhFL86XL7QbnkkWxl39SXCqip9xLSAqyKGQ9viLgZZQVbflET4sebMf6FIXk0Jdj42KoDqxLqsVE_Ja1ysK6hfg9g0VcUouGh-_3BN6fLmpNQYi-DCNVdv00_Fzuo246aL4/s400/HungerGames.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/home">Source</a></div><br /><div align="left"><br />So after hearing about it on blog after blog and from friend after friend, I finally gave in and decided to read "The Hunger Games". I'm only a couple chapters in but I already know that it is going to be the hit of my summer reading list.<br /><br />I definitely suggest checking it out. I've heard that I'll love some parts and hate others but so far, so good. In all honesty, I had to read it. Afterall they are filming it right up the road from us in <a href="http://www.hungergamestrilogy.net/2011/05/hunger-games-filming-updates-shelby-nc/">Shelby</a>. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Anyway, just a suggestion but I think you should check it out!</div>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322397263450754505.post-71749446292933754022011-06-21T18:07:00.001-07:002011-06-21T18:42:21.805-07:00Do you love tie-dye as much as I do?<p>I love crafting and I love tie-dye and there is no better time to combine the two into one amazing craftivity than summertime. So here are some fun tie-dye goodies and even some great <a href="http://www.michaels.com/How-To-Have-A-Tie-Dye-Party/ae0487,default,pg.html">instructions </a>from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/michaels.com">Michael's</a> on how to throw your own tie-dye event!</p><br /><p>I think it would be fun to pack a picnic lunch, throw on some grubby clothes, and head outside to tie dye/relax on one of these beautiful summer afternoons.<br /><br />Here are some fun tie-dye goodies you could make at your craftivity or purchase via <a href="http://www.blogger.com/etsy.com">Etsy.com</a>!<br /></p><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3fv6yUzWqJQZ2-cd3lkgKd4YYqTbrxIbiIuVZ_EFF3mzxWffI6Cs4M67LEIhkuAu27xKCUQAWzOU5I8NTy_KdA36CzDNErCXHBmnTfSbHkIJOa13wFXzEe5LUM1Nl14s86QD8KVOpYA/s1600/StefsCreativeJewelry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620850774061534930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 369px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3fv6yUzWqJQZ2-cd3lkgKd4YYqTbrxIbiIuVZ_EFF3mzxWffI6Cs4M67LEIhkuAu27xKCUQAWzOU5I8NTy_KdA36CzDNErCXHBmnTfSbHkIJOa13wFXzEe5LUM1Nl14s86QD8KVOpYA/s400/StefsCreativeJewelry.jpg" border="0" /></a>Source: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76252971/set-of-3-bright-cloth-braided-bracelets?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=tie+dye&ga_page=22&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">Stefs Creative Jewelry</a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF2oYcZcI4oDSJKM-rL6XQolqSdBu8jhnIvR85qX4EgOxL7wZYQ6GIIl3gfWaETTYVgNOfpMa32ZE0HKkllDpz_RBKmT6sgnD3J-47ANNqVMCNrzNjob1Z9oFGeHqbhv2Jvvva96M8y8/s1600/ReadWriteBooks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620850544412334146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF2oYcZcI4oDSJKM-rL6XQolqSdBu8jhnIvR85qX4EgOxL7wZYQ6GIIl3gfWaETTYVgNOfpMa32ZE0HKkllDpz_RBKmT6sgnD3J-47ANNqVMCNrzNjob1Z9oFGeHqbhv2Jvvva96M8y8/s400/ReadWriteBooks.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69725946/take-note-book-and-pouch-hand-dyed-green?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=tie+dye&ga_page=8&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">Source: Read Write Books</a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNd3z7IhrTn3tc__ycReiFmEyu1qGKRW-shRGz7c9FTPo9C2YmxbGsd2nACEAJKUSqi7jYXW5YV22rl1Skw10nuonUHk3IEV67M51Ik5-0ypHibQLgyWVUxafYCrRuOcNC3ogrDiORxOI/s1600/BenThaiProducts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620850537908921842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNd3z7IhrTn3tc__ycReiFmEyu1qGKRW-shRGz7c9FTPo9C2YmxbGsd2nACEAJKUSqi7jYXW5YV22rl1Skw10nuonUHk3IEV67M51Ik5-0ypHibQLgyWVUxafYCrRuOcNC3ogrDiORxOI/s400/BenThaiProducts.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69734061/tie-dye-buddha-hobo-hippie-sling?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=tie+dye&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">Source: Ben Thai</a></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwG-Od09blNdmlYP1sB7QQjdlNqQGGOU1VWM59iw84SKR2Pn6FqjrwNxcEDVyhQeNKziykVdc5R-HrsGUaM0ui9nFwC0Tb4bF6uDdoR9pl8l_7B9B7MQm_OypyIHk8C_8QZ5-lpqB7hI/s1600/TillyMaison.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620850527575666866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 315px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwG-Od09blNdmlYP1sB7QQjdlNqQGGOU1VWM59iw84SKR2Pn6FqjrwNxcEDVyhQeNKziykVdc5R-HrsGUaM0ui9nFwC0Tb4bF6uDdoR9pl8l_7B9B7MQm_OypyIHk8C_8QZ5-lpqB7hI/s400/TillyMaison.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75167494/ombre-kitchen-towel-pinkwhite?ref=sr_gallery_35&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=tie+dye&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">Source: Tillymaison</a></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCvhUA7N5zeU4cdOPtEcfF-Y8MaUF-l5Qf5PqV4x8IMOL-ujsFuSN5zUITBjdFsCzVIAYlVFRGRru_HUBydf5fX20EFhpdjgMiX7or-IUkU8vjETal7_F4Wj1W5HLwX8bv7vV73TZ2Ks/s1600/Handmadens+Crafts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620850520371532946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 199px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCvhUA7N5zeU4cdOPtEcfF-Y8MaUF-l5Qf5PqV4x8IMOL-ujsFuSN5zUITBjdFsCzVIAYlVFRGRru_HUBydf5fX20EFhpdjgMiX7or-IUkU8vjETal7_F4Wj1W5HLwX8bv7vV73TZ2Ks/s400/Handmadens+Crafts.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65894573/tie-dye-peace-apron?ref=sr_gallery_40&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=tie+dye&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">Source: Handmadens Crafts</a></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3jEPM6o0334OFD7INsbI7Kel_BgesNqbZm2vuy1bkShMivKnAZzeNWe3yFosSxyMDr2r-qJxLs0QdNGB9TBsKSmHxL07auV2HnfuslDuXxmESp7YvrxiT4Wv_CUksuPuYGWWZ9NO4co/s1600/Mane+Message.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620850516167567970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3jEPM6o0334OFD7INsbI7Kel_BgesNqbZm2vuy1bkShMivKnAZzeNWe3yFosSxyMDr2r-qJxLs0QdNGB9TBsKSmHxL07auV2HnfuslDuXxmESp7YvrxiT4Wv_CUksuPuYGWWZ9NO4co/s400/Mane+Message.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62492288/the-iridescent-package-6-elastic-tie-dye?ref=sr_gallery_19&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=tie+dye&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">Source: Mane Message</a><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Joliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12886703522995748292noreply@blogger.com0