Home from England!

Lynzie and I in front of the Assembly Rooms in Bath where Jane Austen and her characters danced the night away! Lynzie unexpectedly received an invitation to the Regency Ball while we were there and was able to attend with friends. Such a blessing. This is us preparing to join the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade.

I'm home from England---a wonderful trip with my daughter! Here are just a few highlights from the first part of our trip, in Bath---I'll try to do some more detailed stuff later. For now---sleep! Ha!

Saturday morning, we were up at dawn, walking the still quiet streets of Bath.

Lynzie's first glimpse of Bath Abbey. We attended church there Sunday morning and evening---a wonderful experience!

We took a walk near the famed Pultney Bridge. If you've read Northanger Abbey, you may be familiar with her describing this part of town.

Lynzie made some friends at the Roman Baths!

In which I prepare to sneak up and scare the pants off Jane Austen...

Thanks for linking up with the {Not Just} Homemaking Party!

Capture the Moment- Or Live in It? -- Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Shirley as a guest blogger today! Shirley is an excellent photographer who inspires many in our community to get out and enjoy nature and the beautiful things in life.

I take pictures. Lots of pictures. OK, I admit I have a problem. Not only do I love getting that shot (right as I squeeze the shutter release sometimes), but I am so happy organizing, editing, and making things like photobooks and gifts from my photos.

My subjects, before I became a parent, included anything and everything I found pleasing. 

But did that change when my first child was born! I took hundreds of shots (THANK YOU, DIGITAL CAMERA DEVELOPERS!), edited each of the best 20 different ways, filled photo albums and my walls and my focus with images of my daughter. 

Since then I have slackened somewhat, especially on the editing and definitely on the printing, and these days I do get quite a few non-offspring pictures. 

But did I mention I have a problem? I have this sense that if I do not capture that moment, I will lose it somehow. I will forget it happened, the richness and joy will fade, something. My memory is not strong (many of my memories before age 18 are in snapshot form rather than video form, if that makes sense). There is a fear in my heart that many moments will fade to nothingness if not "immortalized" in a photograph. OK, so take the pictures, right? 

But it began to dawn on me as I captured birthdays, explorations, t-ball games and dance recitals that I might be missing the richness of the experience, of being wholly IN the moment, by choosing to be behind a camera. I feel incomplete without some method of capturing the moment, but perhaps I don't need 50 shots of a 45 minute dance class? 

Right now, this is my compromise, along with asking someone else to grab a few shots: get a few photos, take one when it really grabs me, then let the camera hang on its strap, at the ready, relax, and LIVE in the moment. I don't know which way is best, honestly. What is the future use of these thousands upon thousands of pictures I have taken of my daughter? Beyond the occasional photobook, enlargement, gift, memory-booster, what use are so very many minute captured details of a child's life? I don't really know the answer, but I do know that I can't cut back much more without fear whispering in my ear, "What if you forget this moment? What about THIS one? You don't want to chance THIS one disappearing into your history forever..." So I grab a shot. Or two. Or 25. 

Church: What Not to Wear ~ Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Cherri as a guest blogger today! Make sure to check out her blog, Bingalong.

It had been years since I'd stepped foot in a church. God and I had developed an understanding; He could have my heart, but His congregation was just not for me. Too many judging eyes. Too many whispering opinions. Too much heart break.

But here I was one Sunday morning, newly dating this super cute guy. God had his heart, and he was quickly winning mine.

**********

Go to church with him? I wished I could say no, but I couldn't pass up ANY opportunity to see him. He played guitar with the worship team. I'll go just to watch, I would think. I'll keep my head down and try to blend in.

But blend in, I did not. Walking in to church that morning, heels too high and dress too short, thoughts of insecurity began to creep in. What am I doing here? What kind of church is this anyway? Assembly of God? Never heard of it. I was raised Baptist. Oh, my gosh. What if this is the kind of church where all the women wear long skirts all the time and never cut their hair? I glanced down at the sorry excuse for a skirt covering the smallest portion of my upper thigh —suddenly convinced I was going to hell.

Inner monologue running wild, I grasped tightly to Adrian's hand as we began walking down the empty hallway. We were early for the service so he could practice with the band. Suddenly worried that I'd cause him embarrassment, I leaned toward his ear and whispered, "I think my dress is too short." Before he could respond, a woman suddenly turned the corner in the hallway ahead of us. She reached out her hand to touch my shoulder and without the slightest hesitation she told me, "Sweetie, you look beautiful. Just be yourself."

Wow. WOW! That's all I needed. I will come back here, I thought to myself.

Now, more than two years later, we attend as a family. God still has my heart, and His church is now my home. In fact, after we got married, we moved thirty minutes north, just to be closer to it. The church drew us in. Not with programs or preaching, (though we enjoy both) but with a gentle touch, and a few kind words of unabashed acceptance from a stranger.

I still don't know who that woman was. Chances are good that I see her every week, but I can't recall her face. In case she's reading this, I want her to know what an impact she had on my first back-to-church experience. Not only did she welcome me, but she challenged me to welcome others in the same way. I try not to walk by an unfamiliar face without offering a smile, a gentle touch, and a few kind words; for I know what such a simple thing can do. 

"Let us not love with words or good intentions but by our actions and in truth." —1 John 3:18

Make a Tote Bag from a T-Shirt ~ Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Audra as a guest blogger today! Audra is the one who encouraged me to start blogging over six years ago. Thank you, friend! Check out her blog at audrasilva.com.

The other day, I decided I wanted to make t-shirt tote bags. I don’t know what made this pop in my head, but off I headed to the thrift store to hunt for cute t-shirts. I found one I liked in the women’s section and two more in the girl’s section.

Once home, I decided I’d really rather wear the cute women’s shirt. So it’s safe until I try it on and decide for sure if it will stay a shirt or convert to a bag.  

I know there are tutorials out there, but I decided to wing it. This is something I’m prone to do. I think it’s hardwired into my DNA.

Anywho, here is the lowdown on the process I went through from t-shirt to tote bag…

Step one: Choose your t-shirts. You will want to consider how big you want your tote to end up, as well as how strong or stretchy the fabric is and how that might affect what to use it for. I wanted something small to carry little crochet projects in, so I hunted in the girls department. Thrift stores, yard sales, or clearance sections are great places to look.

Step two:  Cut off the neck and arms real close to the seams. You might want to trim the lower sides of the shirt a little if they flare out too much.

Step three: Flip t-shirt inside out and sew about a ¼ inch seam along the neck and arm holes, if desired. I did this on one tote but not the other. I’m curious if this step will reinforce the edges better or not.

Step four: Flip t-shirt right side out and zigzag the edges around neck and arm holes while gently stretching the fabric. This creates a little waviness to the edges which I find adds some fun. You could either have your thread blend in or have it stand out. Either way would be cute.

Step five: Flip t-shirt inside out again and straight stitch a seam along the bottom (and sides if you trimmed them) to close your bag. I followed along the edge of the original hems.

Step six: Flip right side out and voila! You have a new tote bag, waiting to be used.

Tips: You could always use a plain t-shirt and then add on décor with iron-ons, appliques, rhinestones, or whatever you find to glam it up a bit. You can also add beads or something blingy to the handles, whether the t-shirt is plain or has a cute pattern.

I’m not sure these would hold up to heavy loads without some reinforcement, but for this project, I wanted quick and simple, and will use them for light carries.

You could also get fancy with how you sew the sides and bottom with some tucking and fancier techniques, but I’m a sewing amateur.

These two totes took very little time to whip up. Seriously, give it a go---even if you are a sewing newbie like me. If you do give it a try, leave a comment over on Simply Audra Marie, so I can see your tote bag.

Injured Man -- Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Nahria as a guest blogger today! Nahria lives in Indonesia and has been an online friend for several years.

Have any of you ever seen that American legal comedy-drama television series? If I'm not mistaken this drama was started way back in 1997, way back when I was still in college!

Would you stop if you see an injured man? Maybe that's the moral of the story from one of the episodes in Ally McBeal I watched years ago. Ally became one of the bridesmaids of the daughter that her firm represented. The wedding started normally, until the moment the priest took the bride and groom's vows...

Suddenly Ally cut in and said, "May I speak to the bride first?"  Everybody in the church was stunned but Ally is Ally with her "be yourself" attitude, and she insisted to speak with the bride.

Then she and the bride-to-be entered a room and Ally started to talk saying, "I have met with the groom before and he is a great lover but he doesn't know how to touch a woman." (a.k.a abusive) Just that. The bride, being told like that by Ally, just kept quiet and went back out to the church saying, "I'm sorry, but the wedding is off."

The church audience were shocked, then looked at Ally with their, "it's-your-fault" look.

Later on, her colleagues asked her why did she even do that. Ally just answered, "will you stop if you see an injured man?"

Well...it goes the same with life, doesn't it?

Most of the time we just keep quiet when faced with a moral issue. From small things like seeing people throw something out of their cars or seeing old people trying to cross the road to big things like (maybe) not paying your credit card bills or watching someone you love get bullied.

The question is: why we don't speak up? Why won't we stop if we see an injured man?

What if "the injured man" is us? 

That is something we need to think about, isn't it?  

Lessons From My Mother's Journal -- Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Laura as a guest blogger today! Check out her blog: My Corner of the Woods.

“I don’t know who will suffer most and how to ease their pain.”

My mom died when I was 9.  My family never talked about it.  Not when they knew it was coming and not after she died. I don’t remember even knowing she was sick – except that on Friday I noticed the whites of her eyes were yellow and I looked at her and said, “Mom, your eyes look funny.”  Sometime that weekend she pulled me into her bed.  She was wearing a wide-ribbed navy blue turtleneck and I think she had her stockings on and she hugged me and said, “No matter what happens to me, I’ll always love you.”  On Tuesday in art my class made get well cards for her and I asked Dad if we could take them to her at the hospital. “Tomorrow,” he said.  But tomorrow she died.

We never went back to visit her grave, never spoke much of her sickness or death or even her life.  It has always seemed kind of strange to me.  Maybe it’s because I’m her only daughter, I don’t know, but it has always been weird.  Who was she, this woman who was my mother? In recent years my father has alluded to me being like her when I talk about cooking for my family and how we enjoy being together, but I don’t really know what he means.

Yesterday my daughter brought me a pile of stuff that my youngest had pulled off a shelf and one of the things was my mother’s journal. So I opened it, and started reading. There wasn’t much, and it was all written a few months before she died.  “I don’t know who will suffer most,” she wrote, “or how to ease their pain.”  Interestingly enough, she knew in May that she had cancer in many places in her body; she knew she was dying.  In her last entry in the journal, she spoke of her struggle with a friend and how she didn’t want to be a burden to people. Her final words struck me: “I hope I never drag other people down when I’m down. There is just so much to appreciate and enjoy if you take time.”

I’ve never forgotten her final words to me, and I pray I never forget her final written words either.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  In the meantime, there is just so much to appreciate and enjoy if you take time.

This article was first published on, My Corner of the Woods. Reposted by permission of the author.

England Outfits!

Lynzie and I leave for England in just two days!!! Woo Hoo!!! We've been busy sewing the last couple weeks and I told her everything has got to be done by tonight! She's not quite ready to do her big outfit reveal yet, so I might add her pictures to this post later on, but here are the two outfits I made to take. 

This dress, minus the spencer jacket, was my ball gown from 2013. I lowered and widened the neckline and fixed some of the fabric-covered buttons on back. Then I made this spencer jacket to go over it. It's my favorite dress ever and the one I plan on wearing when we visit Bath Abbey for church on Sunday.

My favorite part of this dress is the lovely set of fabric-covered buttons on the back. (I replaced the plastic ones.)

This dress is made from silk that I got on an excellent deal earlier this summer. I made a pelisse to go over it from some sari fabric a friend gave me last time I was in England.

I admit, it was a little scary cutting into this beautiful fabric---but it all turned out ok.

Here's a sneak peak at Lynzie's dress. She wants to do a photo shoot later today so I'll put those up when I can. 

The next week or so will be filled with guest posts from some of my friends and family. I hope you'll check out all their hard work and leave lots of sweet comments. I sure appreciate my guest bloggers!

Linking with:

Shabby Chic Birthday Party Pudding Cups #ReadySetSnack #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ReadySetSnack #CollectiveBias

I'll admit, it's been so hard for me to wait for today to post these adorable pudding cups! Aren't they the absolute cutest things? Brenna's third birthday is still over three months away and I'm already planning the prettiest, shabby-chiciest party ever! These super sweetly-decorated Hershey's Chocolate Pudding Cups and Hershey's S'mores Pudding Cups are going to make her party table look beautiful!

Hershey's chocolate has been around longer than anyone currently on Earth has, yet they're still coming up with awesome new ways for us to enjoy the rich, creamy, cocoa flavor. These two varieties are great snack sizes for an excellent party dessert. I recently tried the S'mores flavor for the first time and loved the marshmallowy-graham-crackery taste of the white mousse on top of the signature taste of the chocolate pudding below.

These are great for an after school snack. In fact, you don't have to wait for a party to pretty them up. Make some special for your kids to enjoy when they get home. They'll love it!

I found Hershey's pudding cups at Walmart near the gelatin and yogurt cups in the refrigerated section. They were easy to spot with the well-known Hershey's logo on the package. I like to buy these for convenient snacks for the kids' picnic lunches or afternoon snacks.  They're easy for the kids to access on their own and make a good treat to tide them over until dinner time. Make sure to check the September/October issue of All You magazine for a coupon.

I like to pretty things up whenever I get the opportunity so I decided to make a cute party snack idea to share with you all. It's easy to decorate your own pudding cups in colors and patterns that go with any occasion. Just start with some coordinating fabrics and buttons or other embellishments. Be sure to keep the foil lids on your pudding cups until you're finished with the project.

Cut thin strips of fabric that will go around the cups with a bit leftover to overlap. You could even use pinking shears for a pretty fabric edge.

Next, wipe a spot of the cups really well with a dry cloth to remove moisture. You'll want to have all your supplies ready to go before this point because the refrigerated cups will quickly collect moisture again.

Immediately attach a glue dot or spot of hot glue (don't touch the plastic cup with the metal tip of the glue gun).

Then set your fabric strip on the glue dot at an angle.

Wrap the strip around the cup and adhere with another glue dot. Use a glue dot to attach a cute, contrasting button and you're all set!

What simple ideas do you have to brighten up Hershey's Chocolate Pudding Cups and Hershey's S'mores Pudding Cups for a party table? Let me know in the comments below and make sure to check these out next time you're looking for a great afternoon snack for your kids!

Fresh and Youthful Skin with RoC Multi CORREXION products #RoCWrinkleRanking #IC #ad

I participated in a Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for RoC Skincare. I received products to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

My mom has always been one of the most beautiful people I can think of and I'm always so proud to show her off to my friends. People make comments that she doesn't look old enough to have a daughter my age (which isn't very flattering to me...ha!). One way she has stayed looking youthful is by using quality skincare products. Like it or not, I'm not getting any younger, so it's time for me to start thinking about stepping up my skincare regimen a little and slow down the effects of aging on my own skin. I'm excited for the opportunity to keep my skin looking fresh and youthful with the help of RoC Skincare products.

I recently received two RoC products to try out: RoC MULTI CORREXION 5 in 1 Daily Moisturizer and RoC Multi CORREXION 5 in 1 Restoring Night Cream. Target carries a great line of RoC products. Check out the Target website for selection.

RoC MULTI CORREXION 5 in 1 Daily Moisturizer with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 is gentle enough for daily use, while still giving you powerful anti-aging results. In a clinical study, 100% of women saw improvement in skin radiance, texture, and reduction of fine lines after using it for four months. Over 80% of women saw improvement in the appearance of age spots and under-eye wrinkles. RoC MULTI CORREXION 5 in 1 Daily Moisturizer is available nationwide at many of your favorite stores for a suggested retail price of $28.99 for a 1.7 fl. oz. bottle.

RoC Multi CORREXION 5 in 1 Restoring Night Cream targets five signs that cause skin to appear aged: discoloration, sagging, moisture loss, dull skin tone, and wrinkles. In a clinical study, 100% of women saw improvement in skin texture, radiance, and the appearance of fine lines after 4 months of treatment. Over 75% saw improvement in age spots and under-eye wrinkles. RoC Multi CORREXION 5 in 1 Restoring Night Cream is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $28.99 for a 1.7 fl. oz. jar.

Did you know the state you live in can actually have an effect on the rate at which your skin ages? RoC® Skincare and Sperling’s Best Places combined several forms of research to determine the states where peoples’ skin is most at risk from damage by their lifestyles and environment. Each state was assigned a “Wrinkle Index” score. Arkansas came in at #35, but Oregon, where my mom lives, came in at #50. Hmm...that might explain a lot! Check out your state's wrinkle ranking to see where you stand.

Egg Salad Pita Pockets

"Don't put all of your eggs in one basket!" Put them in your pocket...

a scrumptious homemade pita pocket.

From Christy: I am sharing my recipe for a fun, healthy, lunch for your family that is low in cost and satisfying.

Pita Pockets are great for small children because the filling will not ooze out the sides and bottom like regular bread slices do.

Pita Bread Pockets

5 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg rapid rise yeast
1 3/4 cups hot water
2 TB oil

Set aside 1 cup flour. Mix remaining flour, salt, sugar and yeast in large bowl.

Pour oil in hot water (125-130 degrees); stir into dry mixture. Stir in only enough reserved flour to make a soft dough.

On a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half and divide each half into 6 pieces. Shape each into smooth ball and place on baking sheet. cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

On lightly floured surface roll each ball into a 5" circle and place on cookie sheet. Bake 3 or 4 at a time in 500º oven on the bottom shelf for 5 minutes, until puffed and the top just begins to brown. Repeat with remaining circles. Cool, and split one side to form a pocket.

Egg Salad Filling

Hard boil 6 eggs. Cool, peel and dice into bowl. Add 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup chopped green onion, 1/4 cup chopped cucumbers and 1 large grated carrot. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, and parsley to taste. Dress with 1/2 cup mayo and 4 tbsp prepared mustard.

Thanks for linking up with the {Not Just} Homemaking Party! Have a beautiful week! Linking with: