Kati's Little Corner of the World

Photo Friday: Hearts

2012-02-10T00:01:00.004-05:00

Photo Friday Challenge: hearts

Want to join in the fun?
1. Take a picture of a heart.
2. Put it and the Photo Friday button in a blog post or in a web album.
3. Come back here and link your post, album, etc.

♥ Hearts ♥

2012-02-06T00:01:00.004-05:00

Hearts are everywhere around you. Sometimes you see them; sometimes you don't. Sometimes they are made with human hands; other times they are out in nature.

This week on Photo Friday, in honor of Valentine's day, I am challenging my readers to find hearts somewhere around them. Link your finds to the Photo Friday linky party.

I have found hearts...

in a person's hands

something you want to highlight, like a birthday party napkin

or something you love, like a Starbucks drink...

or a food you like (in this picture it's salsa)

in a Christmas gift tag

this tag was made by my sister Bekah

even in a potato chip!

thanks to my nephew Gavin for letting
me snap this photo before he ate it

You can also look for hearts in wood grain, food, leaves, etc. So keep your eyes and mind open for hearts and snap away! I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

What Wondrous Love is This?

2012-02-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

What Wondrous Love is This?
words attributed to Alexander Means

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

~ ~ ~

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ~John 15:13

Photo Friday: Bible Study

2012-02-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

Sisters

2012-02-01T12:19:00.004-05:00

Sisters

There were never such devoted sisters

Never had to have a chaperone "No, Sir"
I'm here to keep my eye on her

Caring

Sharing
Every little thing that we are wearing

When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome
She wore the dress and I stayed home

All kinds of weather
We stick together

The same in the rain or sun
~~Two~~ Three diff'rent faces

But in tight places
We think and we act as one

Those who've
Seen us
Know that not a thing could come between us

Many men have tried to split us up but no one can
Lord help the mister
Who come between me and my sister
And Lord help the sister
Who comes betweet me and my man

--song lyrics by Irving Berlin sung in the movie White Christmas

***To turn off my main mixpod to listen to this song, go down to
the bottom of this blog and click the pause button.

Day by Day

2012-01-29T08:00:00.003-05:00

Day by Day
words by Karolina Sandell-Berg

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
Ever to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.

~ ~ ~

“As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” -Deuteronomy 33:25

Photo Friday: Buttons

2012-01-27T01:01:00.006-05:00

Scarves

2012-01-24T17:50:00.007-05:00

I am new to the whole scarf wearing thing. I liked the look of scarves but I didn't know how to wear them so I just chose not to wear them at all unless it was quite cold out and I needed something around my neck.

source

Then in November two things happened.

1. Lucia did a fashion post and she wore a scarf that was tied very prettily.

this photo was used with Lucia's permission

2. I found this tutorial.

I was inspired. I watched the video many times experimenting with the different ways to tie a scarf. Some of them I loved; some of them I wasn't so crazy about. After being inspired by Luica's picture, I decided to replicate part of her outfit for Thanksgiving.

Scarf tie: "the twist and pull"

Since then I have worn scarves more often than I did before and tried different looks. The other week I purchased a pretty lacy scarf to add to my wardrobe.

Scarf tie: "the decoration"

It's been fun trying new ways to tie a scarf.

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Linking up with...

Jesus Paid it All

2012-01-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

Jesus Paid it All
words by Elvina Hall

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

***

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. --Isaiah 1:18

Children Are a Gift from the Lord

2012-01-21T18:21:00.002-05:00

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Linking up...

Photo Friday: Nest

2012-01-20T11:32:00.003-05:00

The Secret Ingredient

2012-01-17T19:25:00.003-05:00

As I was thumbing through the Everyday Food magazine this month a recipe caught my eye. It was for brownies and it had an odd secret ingredient. It's been said that the ingredient couldn't be detected and that it was better for you because it decreased the butter and cut the calories.

In our family there are several members who are super-sensitive to smell and taste and texture when regarding food. So I knew that if I made this recipe that I would be sure to get true results as to the disguise factor of the secret ingredient with Bekah and Owen around.

Sunday was the day to try it since Kristin was making a cake so there would be other desert choices. Bekah knew the secret ingredient so she was on the lookout but Owen wasn't told so that he would give an honest opinion. And since it isn't uncommon for me to make something sweet to have on hand they wouldn't be suspecting at all. Desert time came and subtly I made sure that all the kids try a little piece of brownie.

When everyone was done their brownie, I asked those who had a brownie to raise their hand if they liked it. Everyone who had one raised their hand. Then I told them that the brownies had a secret ingredient...BLACK BEANS! Jaws dropped and eyes bugged out.

Brian asked Owen if he would be able to eat one now that he knew it had black beans in it. His answer: yes. Success!

* * *

Chocolate Brownies

***This recipe was printed in the January edition of Everyday Food magazine under the name Triple Chocolate Brownies and can also be found here on the Martha Stewart website. The recipe below has the adaptions I made.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed, drained, and pureed until completely smooth
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 in baking dish with cooking spray. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, bean puree, and chocolates and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Whisk in sugar, eggs and egg white, and vanilla until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until top is cracked and a toothpick inserted in center has moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes (center will seem undercooked but will set further as it cools). Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

I Surrender All

2012-01-15T08:00:00.006-05:00

I Surrender All
words by Judson Van DeVenter

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

* * *

Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple. ~Luke 14:33

Photo Friday: Cup of Tea

2012-01-13T00:01:00.002-05:00

Also joining up with Lucia's photo challenge...

The Naming Process

2012-01-12T17:04:00.001-05:00

Since I got my new Nikon camera in August, I have wanted to give my camera a name. On a couple blogs that I read I've seen the owners name their cameras. I thought about some names and I asked my friends for some suggestions. I came up with a list with some names that I had come up with and others that were suggested to me.

Cam
Click
Lenny
Lenora
Nick
Oscar
Sam

After thinking about all my options, I narrowed it down to two choices: Nick and Lenny. I thought about it and thought about it.

Me thinking to myself: I really like Nick, but I really like Lenny, too. But Nick is such a good name for my Nikon but Lenny sounds so camera-y.

After much back and forth, I chose a name. It was the one that I came back to every time.

So without further ado...

Meet Nick.

Morning Had Broken

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

Morning Has Broken
words by Eleanor Farjeon

Morning has broken, like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing fresh from the word.

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dew fall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play.
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God's re-creation of the new day.

~ ~ ~

Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. ~ Psalm 57:8-9

Photo Friday: Sunset

2012-01-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

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

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
words by Louisa Stead

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

~ ~ ~

In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
-- Psalm 22:4-5

A {Blog} Year in Review: 2011

2011-12-30T15:34:00.011-05:00

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
1 Peter 1:24-25

JANUARY

I started 2011 with a hymn. (I posted one every Sunday this year.) I talked about how much Alaine and I had in common in My Look-Alike and about Nora's birthday party we had for her in Nora's Second Birthday.

FEBRUARY

I kicked off the month with a quote from C. S. Lewis about books and tea. From there I did a post about some of my favorite teas. I also showed some proof of my look-alike niece.

MARCH

I don't know what happened in March. Either we were still recovering from the flu we had in February or I wasn't in a blogging frame of mind because I only have four posts in March and all of them were hymns that I automatically set. To God Be the Glory and He Leadeth Me were some of the gems I chose to share.

APRIL

In honor of National Poetry Month I posted several poems including Paul Revere's Ride and I Never Saw a Moor. I posted about the kitties here and here. And I told you about my purse redo.

MAY

I talked about the game Ben and I play in My Baby. And I showed some adorable pictures of Alaine in A Sweet Girl.

JUNE

I showed you some pictures of the highlight of my month, my high school graduation! And I talked about National Ice Tea Month and Mommom's Boiled Cookies.

JULY

I was able to go out west for a visit with my brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and nephew. I had a wonderful time. And speaking of visiting, a yellow jacket decided to visit the Queen Anne's Lace during one of our patio parties.

AUGUST

I got a letter from my niece that I shared with you. And my dear friend got married a day early because Hurricane Irene decided to make her grand appearance.

SEPTEMBER

I started showing you some of the pictures I took with my new Nikon here, here, here, and here. And then a friend of ours got married.

OCTOBER

Thirty-One Days of posting with 31 Days of Photography Fun. Interspersed with posts about a desk redo and a comfort food recipe or two.

NOVEMBER

I started a new series called Photo Friday since my 31 Days went so well and I was still snapping pictures with my Nikon. Then there was Thanksgiving anticipation, a happy first birthday post, and the start of the mini-series Christmas Gift Ideas.

DECEMBER

I told a story about a girl and an owl. Christmas posts were prevalent. I took you on a tour of my room with the Christmas Tour of Homes, I was a co-host for the Christmas Cookie Countdown one day I showed you some of my favorite Christmas songs.

Photo Friday: Christmas Day

2011-12-30T01:01:00.004-05:00

On Christmas Day, I experimented with a macro lens that my dear friend, Miss Frances let me borrow. I had fun snapping pictures of the kids.

I am considered the outsider since I am not a peer like their younger aunt Bekah and I am not considered an adult since I was only nine when Gavin was born. I have had many nicknames over the years like Hairy (because of my long hair) and Frederika. (Don't ask. Even I don't know how they came up with that name.) Anyway, it is a game for them to try to hide their faces from me when I take their picture. It is kind of fun to see what I come up with.

I snapped one of Owen when he was telling me about one of his Christmas gifts.

Later on, I tried to snap another one. This one Kristin got in on it.

Kristin: Owen you must look at the camera.
Owen: But she already took my picture.

Gavin meanwhile, was relishing the fact it being Owen who was made to have his picture taken and not his. I took advantage of the situation and snapped this candid shot of Gavin while I was waiting for Owen to look at the camera.

Christmas Bokeh

2011-12-29T22:15:00.002-05:00

Rosemary cheeseball wreath...

and Gammy's Christmas trifle were some of the treats we enjoyed on Christmas day.

(Thank you for letting me borrow a macro lens for Christmas, Miss Frances!)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, I am putting a hymn up like I do every Sunday but with it being a special day, I thought I would do things a little different and put a music video of the hymn, too. This was a poem by Christina Rossetti and it was put to music by Gustav Holst. Then Twila Paris sang it on her Christmas album, It's the Thought (which we always play on Christmas morning while we open gifts).

Merry Christmas to all my blog friends out there! Hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the birth of our savior.

In the Bleak Midwinter
by Christina Rossetti

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

* * *

She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. --Luke 2:7-8

Christmas Tree Disaster

2011-12-24T07:00:00.010-05:00

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we always put up our Christmas tree. The Christmas of 2004, we went over to my uncle's (who sold Christmas trees back then) and picked out our tree as usual. That was the year that Sarah, who was then Ryan's fiancee, came with us. As we always did, we took a picture of whoever was there helping chose the perfect tree.

That evening, after our traditional meal of subs, we trimmed our tree while listening to Bing Crosby's White Christmas album and eating shortbread cookies.

Everything looked good until...the tree started loosing its needles. It kept loosing more and more needles and before long it was a sad sight. It got so bad that the week of Christmas, Dad went out shopping for an artificial tree to replace the dead, trimmed tree. He came home with one and we started the job of untrimming the tree, taking the dead, needle-dropping tree out of the house while trying not to drop too many needles before making it to the door. After it was out the door, there were whole piles of needles in the corner.

After a thorough vacuum (even after that we still found needles for a long while) we then had the task of re-trimming the new tree.

On Christmas Eve, when Gammy and Gampy came over, Gammy snapped our picture in front of the new, re-trimmed tree for us.

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Linking up to Kristin's Gather Round Your Tree linky party...

Photo Friday: All Those Toys!

2011-12-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

I have decided not to add the Inlinkz area in the post this week. If you have done a Photo Friday post, add a comment with your link instead.

Christmas Tradition

2011-12-22T08:51:00.002-05:00

Every year around Christmas, Mom, Bekah, and I make some time to go to Barnes and Noble/Starbucks for Christmas coffee drinks. Yesterday was the day. We all decided to go out of the box with our drinks this time. Mom went with a Caramel Brulee Latte, I decided to go with a Caramel Brulee Frappuccino, and Bekah chose a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino.

We sipped away while looking at crafty/home magazines.

But those Starbucks drinks always seem to disappeared way too fast.

Christmas Memories

2011-12-21T08:00:00.004-05:00

Every year since I can remember, Gampy and Gammy have come over to watch my siblings and me open our Christmas gifts on Christmas morning and then have a special Christmas breakfast with us. And every year since I can remember, Gampy has had a trusty pocket knife that he pulls out when we need help opening a new game or toy or cutting a ribbon off a package. He sits in the chair that is close to where we open our gifts and even before we even know that we need help, he seems to know and has the blade out to help us cut through that tricky packaging.

Christmas Snapshots

2011-12-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Did you know that I have worn the same outfit on Christmas morning for at lease four years in a row? While looking through old pictures I found that I've worn the lounge pants for more years than that, but with different color shirts.

This year I think it's time for a change.

Mystery and More of My Favorite Christmas Songs

2011-12-19T09:30:00.003-05:00

~~Since I have been doing different themes each week in December, I thought I would post some Christmas songs during this week before Christmas.~~

After thinking more about my friends out there who read my blog and have slow internet connections, I have decided that posting a song each day is not the thing to do. Instead, below the video song there are a few links to some of my favorites.

I love the Selah Christmas album, Rose of Bethlehem. There are many songs on there that I like a lot but this song is one of my favorites on the album. The words of this song are beautiful.

***To turn of my Mix Pod music to listen to this song, go to the bottom of this page and hit the pause button.

This World by Twila Paris on the album It's the Thought

You Are Emmanuel by Truth on the album You Are Emmanuel

What Child is This by Selah on the album Rose of Bethlehem

O Holy Night by Selah on the album Rose of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem

2011-12-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

O Litte Town of Bethlehem
words by Philip Brooks

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

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Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you shall come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. ~ Micah 5:2

A Christmas Picture and Quote

2011-12-17T10:11:00.001-05:00

And in came little Bob, the father, with at least three feet of comforter exclusive of the fringe, hanging down before him; and his threadbare clothes darned up and brushed, to look seasonable; and Tiny Tim upon his shoulder.
--A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Photo Friday: Puss

2011-12-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Want to join in the fun?
1. Take a picture.
2. Put it and the Photo Friday button in a post.
3. Come back here and link up your post.

Christmas Cookie Countdown--Scotch Shortbread Cookies

2011-12-15T08:00:00.212-05:00

I am acting as co-host today for the Christmas Cookie Countdown along with Branson over at My Reflection of Something.

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These shortbread cookies are super easy to make, require only three ingredients, and are perfect to make with kids.

We always make these to eat as we put up the Christmas tree while listening to Bing Crosby's White Christmas album. We always babysit for Kristin and Brian that afternoon before putting up the tree that night. I started a tradition a few years ago to get just one kid to help me make them. We don't have that much counter space so it's hard to have five pairs of helping hands. Last year I chose Owen, who says he wants to be a baker when he grows up. This year I chose Gavin because he didn't have anything to do and was feeling left out. All the kids asked to be picked as The One to help next year.

On cookie baking day we usually make these, too. That day all the kids help since the kitchen table is cleared and available as another surface at Cookie Baking Central. They are all given the chance to decorate cookies.

Scotch Shortbread Cookies

***Original recipe found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 300º.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour.

3. Roll out onto a floured surface.Cut out Christmas shapes with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets.

4. Decorate your cookies with sprinkles.

5. Bake for 15 minutes.

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Do you have a cookie recipe to share? Follow the directions below and add your link below.

Baking Day!!!

2011-12-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

Every Christmas, Kristin, Mom, and I get together and make Christmas cookies to serve during the holidays. Each year we make four different kinds of cookies, usually the same ones: shortbread (look for the recipe tomorrow), chocolate chip, chocolate sugar cookies, and raspberry thumbprints. Yesterday was the day.

Let the cookie baking begin!

While the three of us were scurrying around rolling out cookies, putting cookies in the oven, getting out the oats and the extra bags of flour and sugar, and putting the little ones down for naps, the older kids put chairs in front of the computer and watched a new episode of Winter Wipeout.

Then the girls decided to watch Tangled while the boys played Wii.

Since it was cookie day, and since there are always reject cookies that don't make the serving cut, there was a little "taste-testing."

Though when the sample cookies were all gone, it was hard to understand that the cookies on the table waiting for their tins couldn't be eaten, too.

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Chocolate Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2.. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, set aside.

3. Cream softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in melted butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Gradually add flour mixture until just combined.

4. Spoon out by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool a few minutes on the pans before removing them.

Linking up...

Christmas Treat Equations

2011-12-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

Red cupcake stand + Martha Stewart Christmas cupcake stencils = Pretty Christmas Cupcakes

Chocolate + marshmallows + cream + sugar = chocolate fudge

Here is the recipe.

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Linking up to the Foodography Photo Contest found here.

YULEtide Decorations

2011-12-12T11:00:00.004-05:00

Y - Yo-yo tree

Blogged about it here

U- Under the tree

My Christmas tree has a new look this year with yo-yo garland and a flower pot that my friend Kate gave to me. This year I used red ribbon with my aqua snowflake paper.

L - Light

I got these candles from my friend Britni last year for Christmas.

A spruce candle on top of my copies of A Christmas Carol. The cardinal adds a pop of color to the top of my dresser.

Candle holder from Gam. This is actually Mom's but she let me borrow it for this year.

E - Enchanting

Village scene

Candy canes in my pencil holder.

~ ~ ~

I'm linking up with these Christmas house tours...

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night

2011-12-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
words by Nahum Tate

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around,
And glory shone around.

“Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind
To you and all mankind.

“To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign,
And this shall be the sign.

“The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid,
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song,
Who thus addressed their song:

“All glory be to God on high,
And to the Earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from Heaven to men
Begin and never cease,
Begin and never cease!”

* * *

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. --Luke 2:8-9

Photo Friday: The "Supervisor"

2011-12-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

Pinky decides to "supervise" the whole gift wrapping process while sitting on top of a box on my bed.

Want to join in the fun?

1. Take a picture.
2. Put it and the Photo Friday button in a post.
3. Come back here and link up your post.

Project Pinterest: Fabric Yo-yo Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T08:00:00.014-05:00

From this picture...

via this pin

...to this.

My adaptions: I used a fleece star instead of a wooden one. And I used beads inbeween the yo-yos to make it a big taller.

Did you know: That the wooden spool of thread in the inspiration picture is the same brand of vintage thread that I used...and in the same color? I find that pretty cool!

* * *

I'm joining up with...

Owl Tale

2011-12-07T12:42:00.007-05:00

Once upon a time there was a tiny baby who was given a finger puppet owl when her aunt came back from a long summer trip. The next week the tiny baby's owl was named Owlaine which was close to her own name, Alaine. Ever since then, whenever they saw an owl toy or picture or outfit they would think of the tiny baby who was steadily growing bigger.

Then in the spring the baby's parents bought a new house and there were enough bedrooms for the baby and her big sister to have their own girl-y room. The bedding that was chosen for the room was decorated with hedgehogs and trees and of course, owls.

Since their new decor had owls, the aunt made embroidered pillowcases with owls on them and made them each a stuffed owl for their birthdays.

The baby, now turned toddler, and her older sister and best friend were happy with their new pillowcases and owls. Then one day, their mama found the two sister/friends playing with their owls in their room. And smart mama that she is, snapped their picture.

And the aunt? She thinks she is the luckiest aunt in the whole world.

The End

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

2011-12-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Emmanuel. -- Isaiah 7:14

* * *

O Come, O Come Emmanuel
by anonymous

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Christmas Gift Ideas Smilebox

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

Slideshow design generated with Smilebox

If you see an idea that you would like to try but don't know how to do it, post a comment with which one you would like to try and your email address and I will email you the directions or give you the name of the book in which it can be found.

Photo Friday: Peeking Around the Christmas Tree

2011-12-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

Want to join in the fun?

1. Take a picture.
2. Put it and the Photo Friday button in a post.
3. Come back here and link up your post.

Gifts for Children

2011-12-01T09:00:00.006-05:00

I find that children are easy to find gifts for. But it can be hard to find something that doesn't take up a lot of room if there is more than one child in the house. Clothing and small toys are fun for the kids and the parents are glad that they don't have to find room for tons of big toys.

Embroidered clothing

What a better way to spice up a shirt, skirt, mittens, scarves, or socks than a pretty embroidered flower or a tiny dog, or a racecar. Several years ago we stumbled upon a book called Sublime Stitching. The book contains a large variety of iron-on embroidery patterns to put on clothes. All you have to do is iron the design you want onto your article of clothing and sew over the design with embroidery floss. Each design comes in three sizes.

Last Christmas I made shirts with little dogs that look like their own dog, Lucy, for my nieces and nephews who live across the country. To the little girls' shirts I added a bow to the collar.

Stuffed animals

Small stuffed animals don't take up a lot of room and are quite adorable. I found out about Simple Gifts to Stitch on Anna's blog. There are many different ideas in the book and one of those ideas was for tiny stuffed bunnies. I made a trio of pink gingham bunnies for a baby shower and from there I enlarged the pattern to make the finished product a bit bigger and I adapted them so that there is a whole menagerie including cats, dogs, bears, etc.

Last Christmas, I gave my nieces and nephews who live much closer, gingham dogs and calico cats and a copy of the poem about them by Eugene Field.

Check back Saturday for one more post of Christmas gift ideas.

Yo-yos

2011-11-30T09:00:00.004-05:00

There are so many uses for yo-yos and they are so easy to make. (See the tutorial I did here.) You can make a variety of sizes by using different size patterns. Cds, drinking glasses, dinner plates, anything round works as a pattern and comes up with different sizes.

Earrings

I found this idea on Etsy and I loved them. I have made several pairs of earrings with beads so I thought I could try a pair using yo-yos and a few beads. All you need is some jewelry wire, crimps, and earring hooks, and a few beads. All of these items are available at craft stores. I used small yo-yos for this. I believe the pattern was one one of those plastic cups kids get at restaurants but that was a long time ago and I have since traced the original onto a piece of cardboard so that it is flat and can fit in the bag of yo-yo supplies. Anyway, take the wire and insert it into the yo-yo piercing two holes in the top of it. Bring the wire up through the holes so that both ends are sticking up. Take the beads you have chosen and string them on both pieces of your wire and add the crimp after that. Then take your earring hook and thread it through the wire, too. Bring the wire back around and put it through the crimp again and down a bead or two. Once it is in the right place and all the extra wire is sticking out of the last bead, take some pliers and smash the crimp as hard as you can. Snip the wire so that it is not showing. The finished product should swing freely on the hook, though if the wire is too tight and doesn't swing back and forth it isn't the end of the world. Just try to make the two earrings so they look the same.

I don't have pierced ears so I made mine using earring converters instead of hooks. I wouldn't recommend that since it didn't want to do what I wanted it to. If you need clip earrings I suggest making them with earring hooks and then putting them on the converters instead of skipping the hook step. Shortcuts aren't always as short as you think.

Garland
Sew yo-yos together with thread to make a long string. Hang them on a tree (look for pictures of this later on in December) or hang somewhere in the house.

source

There are many other projects you can do with yo-yos. There are some here in my tutorial or do a google search or type in yo-yos on Etsy. If you find a project you like see if you can find directions online or experiment with the picture you have. There are lots of ideas out there.

And don't forget to stop back tomorrow for more gift ideas.

Camera Straps

2011-11-29T09:00:00.007-05:00

During the 31 days posts back in October I stumbled across an idea for making a camera strap. The blog post had a couple of links for making different straps for a point and shoot camera strap and a DSLR camera strap cover. They looked pretty easy to do so I printed the instructions for both.

I tried the point and shoot strap first and it came together quickly and easily. I made two. The first one lasted about a week and then the cord fell off. (I didn't use elastic so that might have been part of the problem.) I ended up using some Fray Check and that seemed to do the trick.

The DSLR camera strap cover didn't go quite as smoothly but it wasn't complicated. I just misread the directions and had to take out some stitches. I used some pretty cotton for the side that shows more and some comfortable flanel in a matching color for the side that is resting on your neck.

They make lovely Christmas gifts for those in your family who love to take pictures.

Come back tomorrow and Thursday for more Christmas gift ideas.

Three Uses For Scrapbook Paper

2011-11-28T09:05:00.003-05:00

What do you do when you have scads of scrapbook paper, more than you would ever use making scrapbook pages?

Decorate with it.
Kristin inspired me to decorate with scrapbook paper after she did this on her dining room wall. Put scrapbook paper in frames or in shadow boxes and you have cheap, new, and pretty wall art.

Wrap with it.
Okay, this idea is from Kristin, too. This year she wrapped her Mother's Day gifts with scrapbook paper and real ribbon. If you have a small gift then raid your scrapbook paper collection. If the paper isn't quite big enough, use a second piece to make it meet in the back. If you use that really nice scrapbook paper that has a coordinating pattern on the back Tie on some ribbon that matches. Either real ribbon or curly ribbon and tie a bow or wrap it around with the seam on the bottom of the package. (Like in the first two pictures below.) Or use a paper flower or other 3-D object to attach. (Like in the third photo.)

Make cards with it.

Cut the paper to the size you want, use stickers or rubbers stamps or coordinating paper or punch outs (that you can get in pages at a craft store) write your message, and find an envelope that fits. If you are wrapping a gift with scrapbook paper, like above, then you can cut out a piece from the same paper or coordinating to match your gift.

Do you have other uses for scrapbook paper?

Come back all week for more Christmas gift ideas.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

2011-11-27T08:00:00.006-05:00

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
words by Charles Wesley

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

* * *

A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." ~ Luke 2:13-14

One? Already?!

2011-11-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

One year ago we were out shopping on Black Friday when I got this sweet picture on my phone. It was baby Peter who lives far away and who was born the day before on Thanksgiving day.

One year later, on Black Friday, this little ~~baby~~ boy is turning one!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, PETER!

(Thanks to my friend, Kate, who helped me get the picture of newborn Peter from my phone to the internet!)

Photo Friday: Leaves!

2011-11-25T00:01:00.003-05:00

Want to join in the fun?
1. Take a picture.
2. Put it and the Photo Friday button in a post.
3. Come back here and link up your post.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T12:08:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving dinner. My favorite meal of the year. Where you dive head-long into all the yummy food and eat and eat and eat until you can't eat another bite...until the pies come out.

We are almost as bad as Mom on Garfield's Christmas Special:

Jon: Hey, Mom, pass the potatoes, please.
Mom: Scalloped, whipped, fried, baked, or boiled?
Jon: Mom! You always fix too much food.
Mom: I know, honey, I know. Now what would you like?
Jon: Why, I can't decide. Just give me a piece of pie.
Mom: Apple, peach, pumpkin, blueberry, cherry, or banana cream?

Mmmm...

Can't Wait!

Now Thank We All Our God

2011-11-20T08:00:00.005-05:00

Now Thank We All Our God
words by Martin Rinkart

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

:: :: :: :: ::

Now thanks be unto God. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14

Scripture and a Snapshot

2011-11-19T21:19:00.004-05:00

I'm linking up with:

*** I have had this picture and scripture done for a long time now and I keep forgetting to post it. When I went to put it up I saw that this is the very same verse that Katie did on her blog this week, too.

Photo Friday: Harvestman

2011-11-18T11:44:00.002-05:00

Want to join in the fun?
1. Take a picture.
2. Put it and the Photo Friday button in a post.
3. Come back here and link up your post.

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

2011-11-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

We who have believed enter that rest. ~ Hebrews 4:3

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My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
words by Eliza Hewitt

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s Name,
Salvation through His blood.

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,

And that He died for me.

Photo Friday: Wheel Bug

2011-11-11T09:00:00.006-05:00

Want to join in the fun?

1. Take a picture.

2. Put it and the Photo Friday button in a post.

3. Come back here and link up your post.

O Worship the King

2011-11-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

O Worship the King
words by Robert Grant

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy power hath founded of old;
Established it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

O measureless might! Ineffable love!
While angels delight to worship Thee above,
The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall all sing Thy praise.

:: :: :: :: ::

O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty. Psalm 104:1-2

Photo Friday

2011-11-04T10:48:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my new series, Photo Friday. It will be quite similar to my 31 Days of Photography Fun. One photo each week with not too many words if any at all.

Want to join in the fun?

Just take a picture and put in on your blog *. Add the above button to your blog post and put the link to it in my comment section so that I can see what you captured with your camera.

* Feel free to add as many words as you like to go along with your photo. I decided to put few words in mine but that is just the way I want mine to look.

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 31}

2011-10-31T00:01:00.016-04:00

This marks the end of the 31 days project. It has been a lot of fun. Doing mine as well as reading others. This does not mark the end of photography on my blog, though. With my love of photography, I will be still putting photos on my blog. In fact, I am starting a new series called Photo Friday. So be on the look out!

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May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

2011-10-30T08:00:00.014-04:00

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior
words by Kate Wilkinson

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

~ ~ ~

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 30}

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

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Desk Redo

2011-10-29T11:35:00.001-04:00

I have been wanting to paint my yellow-y desk (that didn't have the best paint job) white for a long time. About a month ago I decided that I would start the process that I thought would only take a few days. I was wrong. By the time I finished, one month had elapsed.

* Removing all hardware (that could be removed).

* Painting with the primer.

* Painting with the white paint coat 1.

* Painting with the white paint coat 2.

* Patching up places that chipped.

* Sanding the edges to get an antiqued look.

* Putting on the glaze.

* Letting the glaze dry for 1 week.

* Patching up more places that chipped.

* Putting on more glaze.

* Letting that glaze dry for 1 week.

* Putting on polyurethane coat 1. (Main part of the desk.)

* Putting on polyurethane coat 2. (Main part of the desk again.)

* Putting on polyurethane coat 3. (Inside part of the desk.)

* Putting on polyurethane coat 4. (Inside part of the desk again.)

* Then add Dad fixing the drooping shelves and antiquing the brass knobs for me.

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 29}

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

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Coconut Mocha Cookies

2011-10-28T12:34:00.002-04:00

I'm linking up with Kristin's Comfort Food Friday.

This week is...dessert week!

Coconut Mocha Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded coconut, plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon espresso powder

1 1/4 (2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, coconut, and espresso powder. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter, sugar, and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and combine on low speed.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1-inch balls (or larger for bigger cookies). Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Slightly press down balls and sprinkle with coconut. Bake until set, 8-12 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to a rack to cool. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

For the original recipe from Martha Stewart, go here...

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies.

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 28}

2011-10-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 27}

2011-10-27T00:01:00.001-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 26}

2011-10-26T00:01:00.001-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 25}

2011-10-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 24}

2011-10-24T00:01:00.001-04:00

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In the Garden

2011-10-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

In the Garden
words by C. Austin Miles

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

~ ~ ~

Thinking He was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him." --John 20:15

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 23}

2011-10-23T00:01:00.003-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 22}

2011-10-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

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Greek Olive and Feta Bread

2011-10-21T16:19:00.001-04:00

I am linking up with Kristin's Comfort Food Friday. This week's topic is side dishes. I think bread is the perfect side for soups, stews, or summer salads. And while the bread is baking, your house will have that yeast-y herb-y smell to it. This is a new find from a book my grandmother gave me a few years ago called Making Fresh Bread.

Greek Olive and Feta Bread
makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
     3 1/4 cups white bread flour
     1 tsp salt
     1 1/2 tsp sugar
     1 packet of rapid rise yeast
     scant 1 cup lukewarm water
     1 tsbp milk
     1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped
     2 oz feta cheese
     olive oil
     1 tsp thyme
     1 tsp oregano

1. Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl and stir in the sugar and yeast. Make a well in the center and pour in the lukewarm water and the milk. Stir until the dough begins to come together, then knead until it leaves the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead in the olives and feta, then knead for 5 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

2. Brush a bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a ball, put it into the bowl, and cover with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

3. Brush a 9-inch round cake pan with oil. Punch the dough down with your fist and, with floured hands, shape dough into a ball and put in the prepared pan. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 40-45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400. Brush the top of the loaf with oil oil and sprinkle with the herbs. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 21}

2011-10-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 20}

2011-10-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 19}

2011-10-19T00:01:00.002-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 18}

2011-10-18T00:01:00.001-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 17}

2011-10-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

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Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
words by Walter Smith

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

~ ~ ~

To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. --1 Timothy 1:17

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 16}

2011-10-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 15}

2011-10-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 14}

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 13}

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

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Hope of the Broken World

2011-10-12T10:14:00.001-04:00

I am a fan of the christian music group Selah. We own many of their albums. We listen to them while driving around town and when we put on some music on Grooveshark Selah is one of our frequent choices. So we are always excited when they come out with another album.

Back in August, Selah came out with Hope of the Broken World and, even though we haven't purchased the cd yet, there have been some songs put on the Selah website and YouTube that I have enjoyed listening to. I have really enjoyed this one...

On The Mountain
Song on the new Selah album, Hope of the Broken World.

*** If you want to listen to this song, you can go to the bottom of my blog and pause the music that I have programed onto my Mixpod.

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 12}

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 11}

2011-10-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 10}

2011-10-10T00:01:00.002-04:00

Today is a special day. Not only have we, the 31 days bloggers, survived ten days of blogging, but it is also a special day for one little boy who is turning three!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

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Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

2011-10-09T08:00:00.003-04:00

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
words by Joachim Neander

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

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Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
~Psalm 150:1-2

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 9}

2011-10-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 8}

2011-10-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 7}

2011-10-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 6}

2011-10-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 5}

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 4}

2011-10-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 3}

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago today, my cousin Amy had her first baby, Isabel. The day after she was born we went to see her. (Isn't she is beautiful?!)
Happy two week birthday, Isabel! ♥

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31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 2}

2011-10-02T09:58:00.000-04:00

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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

2011-10-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
words by Helen Lemmel

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

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Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. --Hebrews 12:2

31 Days of Photography Fun {Day 1}

2011-10-01T00:39:00.001-04:00

Since I recently purchased a new Nikon camera with graduation money, I decided to link up with the 31 days party for the month of October with "31 Days of Photography Fun." Simplicity is the key. 31 photos. 31 days.

And now without further ado...let the photography fun begin!

Coming Tomorrow...

2011-09-30T18:44:00.001-04:00

Join me tomorrow as I start the venture of the 31 days project!

Fall Is...

2011-09-28T09:30:00.002-04:00

Making apple pie in a new red bowl.

September Wedding

2011-09-27T11:52:00.000-04:00

Kate and Alex's wedding was beautiful! With banners, herbs to throw at the bride and groom when they leave, fans, fruit preserves for favors, and dulcimer music.

Congratulations Kate and Alex!

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I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning