Everyday Occurrences

Happy Anniversary Adam

2012-02-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

Today is our 3rd anniversary. It at once feels like a long time and such a short time.

I hope that this year will be even better than the first three. I pray that we will be drawn close to the Lord this year, that we will celebrate in the good times, and that we will support one another in the hard times.

I love you, Adam.

A Macro Study of Ascocentrum pumilum

2012-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

I asked my husband to take some macro shots of one of my orchids in bloom (Ascocentrum pumilum) because I'm terrible at using the macro lens. They came out really well, so I wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!

Bleeding Heart Infinity Scarf

2012-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is all over Etsy even though it's only January 18th. In retail, you have to be ahead of the game! All of reds, pinks, and hearts got me thinking. What could I make to contribute to my shop in honor of the day of love? Due to my newfound love for making infinity scarves (they're super easy), I came up with the pattern for the bleeding heart scarf:

What do you all think?

Motivation, Or a Lack Thereof

2012-01-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

For some reason, this week has been a struggle for me. I wake up each morning exhausted and wanting to go back to sleep. Throughout the day, all I want to do is watch TV or sleep.

This is bad because I've got contract work to do, rooms to clean, a book to finish writing, stuff to cook, kickboxing to do (yay for Netflix Instant exercise videos), and so many other things to take care of. I don't have the time to lay around, and yet that is all I can muster the strength for.

Do any of you have tips for regaining motivation?

2012-01-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

I finally joined Pinterest, because the idea of storing bookmarks as pictures rather than lists in my browser was intensely appealing.

If you're on Pinterest, look me up.

Ascocentrum pumilum in Bloom

2012-01-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't mentioned this in a while, but I love orchids! I currently own 28 plants from various genera (my favorite right now are Phalaenopsis species). So, you can bet that I'll be posting photos of them when I get them to bloom. It makes me feel so accomplished.

Here's a miniature orchid that bloomed this week. It's called Ascocentrum pumilum. To get a mental picture of this little guy's size, imagine that the plant is about 2" tall. Yep, that's it! 2 inches. Amazing, isn't it?

My First Infinity Scarf

2012-01-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I made an infinity scarf over the holidays. It was super easy so I decided to sell the pattern in our Etsy shop. So, I got my hot younger sister to model for me.

Here are a few of our favorite shots:

Isn't she cute? Oh, and here's the listing.

The Flu

2012-01-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

This year, in addition to the many goodies I received for Christmas, I also received the flu. It started December 26th and still hasn't ended completely.

Unlike many people, it takes me about a week to get over the flu. The first three days of my flu experience are like everyone else's (you know - expulsion of bodily fluids through various bodily orifices), but I spend the remaining five days trying to overcome dizzy spells, a complete lack of energy, and with almost no appetite.

Thankfully, I hit day four of the flu on Thursday so Adam and I were able to drive up to my parents' for New Years as planned.

Oh, and did you know that excessive gas can be an after-effect of the flu? Well, it can be and I've got it. When I've woken up the last few mornings, my stomach is tight and aching. My husby and other family members have especially enjoyed the other side effects of excessive gas (lots of burping and farting). Yep, it's super fun.

So, I haven't done much in the last week. I did make an infinity scarf for myself that I love, and I've decided to sell the pattern in my Etsy shop.

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures of my sister modeling the scarf, as well as a link to the pattern listing in our shop.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

Sewing Project: Dining Room Curtains

2011-12-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

While Adam and I were up at my parents' for Thanksgiving (yes I'm behind on posting this!) my mom and I undertook the task of sewing curtains for our dining room. The room was all furniture and no softness, so it needed this extra touch.

I had no idea how long it would take to make curtains, but it ended up taking us about three days to make them, which is about all the time we had! Why do these types of projects always take longer than you think they will?

Anyway, I'm really happy with the result. The curtains are lovely. They add softness, color, and whimsy to the room. And, I'm proud because I did most of the sewing work, including the surging and the blind hem stitch (which I kept doing wrong, btw).

Baking Day

2011-12-22T16:47:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, my best friend Tracy and I had a baking day in preparation for our annual Christmas party, which was the next day.

She came over around 11 AM and we got to work because we had a lot to do!

First, we put her four month old son, Quinn, inside the dog pen and got him situated. We knew we couldn't just leave him on the floor because my two dachshunds are fascinated with him and probably wouldn't leave him alone. And since the baby is less mobile than the dogs, we thought it best to put him inside the pen and keep the dogs outside the pen.

Here he is, the cutie:

Then we started cooking. The counters were covered with ingredients and cooking tools.

The first thing we made was lemon cheesecake. It was pretty good, but the crust was too thick so if I make it again I'll adjust accordingly.

Next we made red velvet cheesecake cookies with a white chocolate drizzle. They're made with a red velvet cake box and have cheesecake filling. These were super easy and delicious! Here's the recipe in case you're interested.

An interesting note about these: the cake mix is brownish but once it gets red it turns bright pink. I thought it was weird!

Let the record show that I am NOT a good drizzler, but these were still tasty!

We also made shortbread Christmas tree cookie sandwiches with raspberry preserve filling. These were inspired by something I saw in a magazine, and they were also delicious.

Here's the recipe I used for the shortbread. The only difference is that I rolled the dough out 1/4" thick and used a tree cutter rather than using a cookie press. I don't have one of those, but I want one!

We also made peanut butter fudge and put together cookie ingredient jars, which Tracy gave away as gifts. They were super cute. Have you ever made those?

After that, Tracy and Quinn had to go home, but I wasn't done. I had to make these onion rolls for our Christmas party, so I put them together the next morning. These were very good but the onion taste was VERY strong. If I make them again I'll use two onions instead of three.

In other news, these photos prove that I am not a good food photographer. I would love to have this book because I think it would help me learn more about taking appetizing pictures of food.

Just a Note

2011-12-20T19:59:00.000-08:00

This is just a note to say that my husband Adam is just about the coolest guy ever. Why? Because he's on TV doing something he loves!

I'm watching the UCLA/UC Irvine basketball game as I type this and he is there taking pictures. Because he works at UC Irvine, he was able to get a press/photography pass. As I watch, I can see him sitting under the UCLA basket. His being there makes it so much more interesting for me to watch the game. It's not that I don't like basketball, but I don't watch it on my own.

I hope he has a wonderful time tonight! I'll try not to eat all of the cookies before he gets home. ;)

That Conversation

2011-12-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

My best friend had her first baby, Kenneth LeRoy Fox V, on August 20, 2011. I'm not normally a baby person, but because I love Tracy (and her hubby is also a good friend), I love little Quinn (as the baby has been dubbed). If I'm honest, he is an awfully cute little guy.

This event sparked the beginning of that conversation between my husby and I. Why don't we go off birth control and try to get pregnant? Are we ready for that? Quinn is awfully cute... We've talked about it back and forth since then, but we haven't come to any conclusions. We don't have any plans.

The truth is that this whole idea terrifies me. I'm not one of those girls who has dreamt of having children since she was a little girl. I don't even really remember playing with dolls. I was too busy playing outside, or playing with Legos and GI Joes and cars in the mud. (Tom boy anyone?) Up until sometime in college, I wasn't even sure I wanted kids at all. It didn't appeal to me. Instead of going gaga over babies, I went gaga over puppies.

So, when Adam and I started talking about having a child of our own, all of these thoughts resurfaced. Do I want to have children? I think so. Yes. I want to have a family. A big family. My dad had five siblings, and I love our crazy family gatherings. On the other hand, do I want to go through pregnancy, labor, diapers, drool (disgusting!), and all that the first year of a child's life entails? I don't know. Honestly, pregnancy sounds awful. Labor sounds excruciating. I'm not a fan of pain. I avoid it at all costs.

I think the idea of adopting is a great one. There are thousands (perhaps even millions) of children in this world who are homeless, who have no family, who need love. I would be happy to take in a couple of those children (maybe more!) and make them ours. I'm sure I would love them just as much as if they were biologically ours. Children from far off places like Ethiopia, China, India, and Haiti appeal to me.

My husband wants to have children that are ours. Really ours. A melding of him and me into one new little being. I understand that. I really do. I think our children will be adorable, especially if they inherit his wavy hair and my blue eyes. His mom even mentioned the possibility of red headed offspring, and I'd like that too. But have I mentioned that pregnancy and labor terrify me? I'm afraid that I'll be horribly sick the entire pregnancy (because birth control pills make me sick). I'm afraid that labor will be incredibly painful and that I'll end up having a dreaded c-section. I've actually had nightmares about the doctors chasing me down the hall with giant scissors in order to cut me in half to deliver the baby.

I think it sounds good to adopt a baby of between 1 and 4 years old and start with a child who is already becoming a little person. If we do that, I'll get to avoid most of the things about child rearing that scare me the most. I was doing some research on adoption last night and unfortunately it can take between 2 and 4 years, and China requires the parents to be at least 30. I'm only 26, and 2-4 years ( on top of waiting until I'm 30) sounds like an awfully long time to wait.

But, again, Adam wants a baby of our own. So, I'm praying for wisdom from God to know what he has planned for us. I'm praying that Adam and I will come to a meeting of the minds regarding children, and that we will both be ready when the time comes (whenever that is).

Recipes: Easy French Bread and Personal Mac 'n Cheese Bowls

2011-12-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot of writing and editing work over the past couple of weeks, and this influx of work has caused me to slack off on blogging and taking pictures to share. So, I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post, but I do have several delicious recipes to share with you!

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy making homemade bread. There is something about it that makes me feel particularly accomplished. Plus, it's delicious! Here's a recipe for easy french bread that I got from a family friend:

Easy French Bread

3 to 3 1/2 Cups flour

4 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 pkg yeast

2 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 Cups of hot water

Combine 1 Cup flour and the remaining 5 ingredients.

Beat 2 minutes on medium with a hand mixer.

Add 1 Cup of flour and beat 2 minutes at high speed.

Add 1 Cup of flour and stir by hand until a soft ball forms.

Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over the dough and punch down.

Grease and lightly flour a baking sheet.

Add enough flour to the dough to handle it easily and plop it onto the baking sheet.

Form a loaf about 15" long and let it rise for a half hour.

Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes.

Remove loaf from oven and brush with melted butter.

Bake another 5 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.

This bread is easy and delicious. I love how it comes out every time I make it. In fact, I wish I made it more often!

And for my second recipe, this is something I whipped up the other night when I had zero dinner ideas! Sometimes I have oodles of ideas, and sometimes I feel so uninspired. But my husby and I love pasta and this turned out really yummy.

Personal Mac 'n Cheese Bowls

2 tsp butter

2 tsp flour

dashes salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic powder

1 Cup milk

1 Cup grated cheddar (or whatever cheese you like!)

3 Cups of dried pasta

Panko crumbs or Italian style bread crumbs

Mix the butter, flour, and salt in a sauce pan over medium heat until well blended.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta. I use a fasta pasta, and I LOVE it! Seriously, I never boil pasta on the stove unless it won't fit in the fasta pasta. Anyway... Drain the pasta once it's done cooking, and set it aside.

Once the butter, flour, and salt are well blended, ad the milk and stir until the sauce thickens.

Add dashes of pepper, nutmeg, and garlic powder.

If the sauce is too thick for your taste, add a little milk until you reach the right consistency.

Add the cheese and stir until it's melted and the sauce is smooth.

Pour the pasta into the sauce and mix well.

Spoon the mac 'n cheese into individual serving bowls. Make sure these are oven safe! My dishes are oven safe, but you may consider using ramekins if your regular dishes are not oven safe.

Sprinkle Panko or bread crumbs over each bowl.

Broil bowls until the crumbs are golden brown.

And voila, you've got personalized mac 'n cheese bowls. These were super easy and we both loved them! If you like mac 'n cheese, I'm sure you'll like it too.

Sparkles

2011-12-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been on a sparkly accessories kick. I've picked up a cardigan with beading on the front and I've been eyeing a sequined scarf at the Gap Outlet.

Today, I discovered these jeweled bags on Etsy and I'm in love! Hopefully I'll get some Christmas money so I can snag one of these bad boys.

From TheVintageHandbag

From mysweetiepiepie

From ustabee

From shopvaluablevintage

From wearitagain

From HelloPretty

Are you enjoying the sparkles this season?

I'm Kind of a Scrooge

2011-12-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

when it comes to Christmas music. I HATE it. I do all of my Christmas shopping online or before Thanksgiving so I don't have to go out and hear it piped incessantly into my ears. I don't listen to the radio for the month of December just to avoid it.

Why? I'll tell you. I get incredibly tired of hearing all of the same "classic" songs sung over and over again by anyone who ever got a record deal. I also get tired of hearing the lame attempts by people to write new Christmas songs (I'm looking at you, Stephen Colbert). Hence, my decision to stay away from all things Christmas music.

In college, my roommates knew to turn off the Christmas music when I returned to our dorm room. I wasn't very nice about it, I'll admit. I probably glared at them or whined until they turned it off. Thanks for being good sports, guys!

Anyway, I do love Christmas specials, and especially the claymation marvels made by the Rankin-Bass team. My absolute favorite is Rudolph. Today, I discovered that I could buy the entire Rudolph soundtrack on iTunes, so I did. I also discovered that Michael Buble's new Christmas CD (although it's almost entirely covers of classic Christmas songs) made me smile. I'm pretty sure that man could sing a beer commercial and I'd like it. The point is that there are now a total of three Christmas CDs that are acceptable in our house (the first being my beloved N*SYNC Christmas album from 1998).

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

Now that it is the 6th of December, I have decided that I am ready to decorate for Christmas. I admit, I am not one of those girls who puts decorations out the day after Thanksgiving, or on Thanksgiving for that matter. For some reason, I like a break between holidays. Space. Time to enjoy a few normal days before I have to gear up for the next big event.

So, I finally got started on decorating our home today, and I have a couple of cute ideas to share with you guys.

First off, I made this wreath last year. I think it's stylish yet homey. It's personal to me because I love to crochet. In fact, there is a box full (yes a box) of yarn behind my couch waiting to be used.

All you have to do make one for yourself is to:
- buy an inexpensive fake evergreen wreath. I bought mine at Walmart for less than $5.
- buy styrofoam balls in various sizes at your local craft store.
- choose different colored yarns of your choice, and in varying weights.
- start pinning the end of the yarn to the styrofoam ball using a sewing pin. You won't get this pin back so use old or ugly pins.
- wrap the yarn around the ball, gluing the yarn to the styrofoam every couple of wraps to make sure the yarn stays in place.

- once the styrofoam is completely covered, add another pin to the yarn to hold it in place.
- leave a tail of yarn attached to the styrofoam ball. The length of the tail will depend on how far down you want the ball to hang. I hung mine at various heights to add interest.
- Wrap as many balls as you want!
- Using the tail of the yarn wrap the very end of the yarn around the top of the wreath a couple of times and tie a knot. Repeat until all of the balls are attached.
- Use another piece of yarn or ribbon to cover up all of the knots on the top of the wreath.
And viola, you are done!

I added rustic bells to my wreath so that it will jingle when the door opens!

Another idea: hanging crystals from the chandelier over the dining table.

Buy crystals at any hardware store or home improvement store (such as OSH or Lowe's), and use ribbon to tie a bow at the top of each crystal. Hang each crystal at a different point on the chandelier using wire or monofilament. Or, you can simply tie the crystal to the chandelier using ribbon. It's super easy and classy.

Lastly, here's an idea for a festive centerpiece.

Get a candle hurricane and fill it with ornaments, acorns, or pine cones, or whatever other festive item you choose. Then put a wreath around the base to add some oomph! I got the ornaments and crystal wreath at Walmart.

*I cannot take full credit for these ideas. Some of them I got from my mom or from magazines. I'm better at copying decorating ideas than coming up with my own. Oh well!

That Ever Elusive Goal

2011-12-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Five years ago (holy cow!) I started writing a young adult novel in a class at Biola. Last October (over a year ago) I set a goal to finish the first draft of said novel by the end of 2011. It is now December. I have one month to finish this baby.

I have to finish it because I don't want to be one of those people who starts and never finishes and who never reaches her goals. I love to write, but then why am I so slow at this? Is it because I'm not really a writer but am afraid to admit it? Is it because I'm an award-worthy procrastinator? I don't think so. I think it's because I let life get in the way. I let cooking, cleaning, reading, running errands, and heck, even television, get in the way of my goal. Well, not anymore! I have one month to finish and by golly I'm going to do it!

Probably tomorrow because I've got actual, real, paying work to do today.

In other news, today is blog hop day!
Head over to Miss Mommy to hop along.

Slacklining on Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T13:54:00.000-08:00

Last week, Adam, my sister, and I drove up to Manteca to spend Thanksgiving with my family. It was wonderful to be able to stay with them from Tuesday to Sunday (almost a week!) and relax, eat good food, talk, and generally have a good time.

On Thanksgiving, we drove the few minutes to my Nanny and Papa's house to spend time with them, my aunt and uncle, and two cousins. My pseudo-grandparents, Nana T and Papa T, joined us for the day. It was great! We had 14 people and six dogs at the house. Needless to say, there were people and dogs everywhere.

During the afternoon, my brother set up his slackline. It's a recently developed hobby of his that strengthens one's core and balance. Apparently, lots of rock climbers also do slacklining, and since my brother is into rock climbing, he also got into slacklining. A bunch of us tried it and, let me tell you, it's pretty hard!

Here are some pictures of our various attempts:

Ethan demonstrating

Erin trying it out.


Brother and sister!

Adam stood for about a second before falling off.

I didn't even last that long.

The family: Nana T, Papa T, Aunt Sara, Mom, cousin Rachel, Dad.

Adam and me post-attempt.

The patriarch of the family: Papa.

Have you ever tried slacklining? If so, how'd you do?

Etsy Sale!

2011-11-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

Tracy and I are holding a sale at our Etsy shop this week only! Use the coupon code 10Percent to receive a 10% discount on all of your purchases between now and November 26th. So head on over and check out our holiday bibs and crochet patterns.

Peanut Butter Balls and Fur Balls

2011-11-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

Adam and his co-workers are having a potluck for lunch tomorrow and he requested that I make peanut butter balls for the event. I've only made them once or twice before because my aunt makes and brings them to most of our family gatherings. They are delicious!

So, this is what we did for the past hour:

And here is what Nestlé and Kiefer did for the last hour:

Happy Sunday afternoon!

Baking: Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies

2011-11-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Last night, I had an urge. You know the one. This urge results in delicious baked goods that are hard to resist eating hand over fist. I could have resisted this urge, but I didn't. I now have sour cream cookies sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be devoured.

I'm always looking for new recipes to try, especially when it comes to desserts. And Betty Crocker's Cooky Book is a constant source of inspiration. I love the retro pictures and diagrams, and the vast number of recipes it contains. Anyway...

I don't like sour cream, but I had some leftover from when I made beef stroganoff a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd better use it before it went bad. I hate wasting food!

These cookies are light and delicious. Here's the recipe with a few tweaks (no offense, Betty):

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 C sugar

1 egg

1tsp vanilla

2 2/3 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 C sour cream

Preheat oven to 425F. It sounds hot, but it's correct.

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla using a hand mixer on low.

Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then, add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Add 1/4 C sour cream to the dough and mix in.

Add remaining dry ingredients to the dough and mix in.

Add last 1/4 C of sour cream to the dough and mix thoroughly.

Separate the dough into two large balls and place one ball on floured wax paper.

Tip: Before placing the wax paper on the counter,

put a few drops of water on the counter. This keeps the wax paper in place.

Roll the dough out until it/s 1/4" thick. Use a 2" (approximately) round cutter to cut out cookies. Place on greased baking sheet. Do the same with the other ball of dough.

Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of each cookie (I was liberal during this step.) and bake for 7 - 10 minutes or until the bottom of each cookie is lightly browned. My oven cooks hot so I only baked my cookies for about 6.5 - 7 minutes.

Enjoy!

My attempt at restraint.

Easy Art Idea

2011-11-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for ways to decorate our home that are stylish and personal. So, when my mom suggested using my movie tickets as a decorative item, I was excited. You see, I love movies. I LOVE them. I love movies so much that I have kept every movie ticket for every movie I have seen in theaters since I saw Tarzan in the summer of 1999!

I also love easy art projects that end up looking awesome.. And I love sharing crafty tips with you guys because I know you will enjoy them too!

This is probably the easiest way to create art for your home ever. I'm not kidding. All you need is an art canvas (or three), some Mod Podge glue, a foam craft brush, and the paper goods of your choice. You can use movie tickets like I did, play bill covers, pieces of scrapbook paper, some art drawn lovingly by your favorite little kiddos, or anything else you can come up with.

All you have to do:

1. Find a table or flat surface on which to lay your canvas.

2. Cut your paper goods into pieces. I prefer smaller pieces for a more varied look, but that's up to you!

3. Pour some Mod Podge into a disposable cup so you don't have to leave the container open while you work.

4. Use a foam brush to apply Mod Podge to either the canvas or the back of the paper goods. I find it's easiest to apply the Mod Podge to the paper.

5. Place your first piece of paper wherever you want on the canvas.

6. Keep gluing until your canvas is covered. If you've got relatively thin paper, I think it looks best to cover the sides of the canvas as well as the top. I didn't do this with the movie tickets because they're rather thick and hard to glue once they've been bent.

7. Use the foam brush to apply a thin layer of Mod Podge all across the top of your paper goods to make a seal that protects the paper.

8. Let it dry, then hang it up!

Have fun! I'd love to see any similar projects you do (or have done!).

10 Things For Which I Am Thankful

2011-11-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

Since the beginning of November, I've seen posts all over Facebook about thankfulness. I think it's great that there is an entire month that leads up to a celebration of thankfulness, because I think that we often forget to thank the Lord for the many blessings in our lives.

So today I'm going to share 10 blessings in my life for which I am truly thankful.

1. I am thankful for my husband Adam, who is loving, gentle, hard working, and supportive of my many pursuits.


An engagement photo

Our wedding day.

2. I am thankful for our beautiful and comfortable home in which we spend time cooking, cleaning, sleeping, reading, cuddling under warm blankets, watching TV, and just talking with each other.

Our front yard.

3. I am thankful for our families who are so wonderful. I'm so thankful that Adam fits well with my family and that his family is so loving and accepting. This makes life much less stressful!

My siblings, Erin and Ethan, and me. We all have E names!

Houseboating!

My sister-in-law, Brittany.

4. I am thankful for our two adorable fur babies who are great cuddlers/lap warmers.

Running in the dog park with cousin Pica (left).

5. I am thankful for two working cars! I know this sounds silly, but how many couples have to share a car or have cars that seem to be constantly in need of repair. We both have Honda Civics, and I'm so glad that they are practical, reliable cars.

Me in the passenger seat. Oh yeah!

6. I am thankful for Adam's hard work and the resulting freedom I have to work from home. Adam has two great jobs - one at UC Irvine and one through iStockphoto. Because he works so hard, I am free to work from home, whether that be editing or attempting to sell cute stuff on Etsy.

7. I am thankful for four beautiful best friends who make life so much better.

Our traditional five strand photo.

Katelyn, Tracy, Me, Jen, and Bethany in college.

8. I am thankful for our church, which is full of welcoming and friendly people with whom we are building friendships and serving God.

9. I am thankful for both of my grandpas, who served this country in the military so that we can enjoy freedom. Thank you to all of the veterans who put this country before themselves. I hope you all have a wonderful Veterans' Day.

10. And last but not least, I am thankful for a God who sees my faults and loves me anyway. Without Him, I would have no hope and no future. Jeremiah 29:11

Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap

2011-11-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

The girls over at Miss Mommy and And Nothing Else Matters are doing a homemade Christmas ornament swap and I'm going to join in. It sounds really fun to receive an ornament from someone new.

What type of ornament should I make for the exchange?

Struggles

2011-11-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

*Warning: This might turn into a rant.

I am struggling with something ugly. It is strong. It is un-loving. It is a sin. I am struggling with hatred, of our neighbors, no less.

I try to be a good neighbor. But when I see something going on that I think is wrong, I have a hard time being loving toward the perpetrators.

You see, as I sit in my warm cozy desk I can look out and see the rain. And I know that while my two fur babies are wrestling at my feet, our next door neighbor's beautiful, friendly, and young German Shepherd mix puppy is outside, alone, in the rain. They leave Brody outside all day, every day. One day I had to hop the fence because Brody had a plastic container stuck on his head and there was no-one home to rescue him.

Brody howls off and on all day long. He does not understand why the people he loves so dearly leave him alone all of the time. He does not understand why he has to be out in the cold rain with only a dog crate (with holes, no less) for shelter.

This neglect makes me very angry. I would never treat a pet of mine that way, and no one else should either. If I had no conscience (and sometimes I wish I didn't when I hear Brody howling), I would steal the poor puppy and take him to an animal rescue group that could find him a much better home. Unfortunately, stealing is also a sin.

So I ask you, please pray for me that I will overcome this hate and begin to practice loving my neighbors again. I also ask that you pray for rescue for Brody, either through education of his owners, or the ASPCA. I admit that I've considered calling them myself to report the animal neglect.

Luke 10:27 - He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Thursday is Blog Hop Day

2011-11-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Morning everyone! If you're coming over from the blog hop at And Nothing Else Matters, Miss Mommy, and Punkin' Heads and Dooda Loo's, welcome. I'm glad you're here.

Unfortunately, I'm sick today so I don't have much energy for writing. Check out my recent posts and don't forget, I love comments!

I Finished It

2011-11-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

A month ago I talked about spending a rainy day crocheting on my couch. Recently, I finished the afghan I was working on that day! It's huge. Adam requested that I make it large enough to cover him up and since he's 6'2", the afghan had to be huge. I think it's the largest one I've ever crocheted.

Our loft upstairs.

I fell in love with this mirror when Adam and I were visiting Lake Arrowhead for the weekend of our first anniversary! Isn't it gorgeous?

On another note, I'm not very good at shooting interiors that look pretty and inviting, you know, like in magazines. Any tips?

My Favorite Part of Halloween

2011-10-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

The husby and I don't have kids, so we dress up our dogs. I may be biased, but I think Nestlé and Kiefer are the cutest banana split and pumpkin ever!

Cute in costumes!

Having fun as a banana split.

Taking a break from handing out candy.

Tired of being a banana split.

The cutest pumpkin.

We had a lot of fun handing out candy too! My favorite costume of the night was a little kid dressed as a Jawa. Awesome!

Good Morning!

2011-10-28T10:08:00.001-07:00

Walking in the Light

2011-10-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

I came to this passage as I was reading my Bible this morning:

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. ⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

It got me thinking, how often do I ignore the sin in my life? How often do I not even recognize it for what it is? I'm essentially a proud person who doesn't like to admit that she makes mistakes. But I am also a person who wants to walk in the light, who wants to be purified from unrighteousness, and who wants to become more like Christ. And I can't do that if I don't recognize the sin in my life, confess it, and ask God to change me.

My prayer for today is that I will be humble enough to recognize the sin in my life and to ask forgiveness from the One who sees all of my mistakes and is waiting to deliver me from them.

Learning to Sew

2011-10-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

My mom knows how to sew. She made all kinds of stuff for us kids when we were younger: clothing, dresses, pajamas, costumes, barbie bedding, pillows, and so much more! She tried to teach me how to sew when I was in junior high, but all I remember from those sessions is how to use a machine to sew in a straight line. I'm pretty sure that anyone who can get her hands on a sewing machine can do that.

Recently, I've decided that I want to really learn how to sew. I think it's a great skill to have. Plus, decorating a house is expensive and if I can save money while making decor items that I love, so much the better!

So, I found a crochet pattern for a pillow front and I made it! I loved the bright contemporary colors and the traditional pattern. You can find the pattern I used here.

My sister, husby, and I went up to our parents' house this past weekend and my mom taught me how to sew a pillow on her machine. I did the button holes, attached the buttons, and everything! It wasn't easy, but I'm proud of the result.

Front

Close up

Back

Cute buttons

Our living room - The two fur balls at the bottom of the photo are our dachshunds!

I'm trying to add pops of color to our living room because, of course, when we bought furniture it was all brown!

P.S. Did you see this little vignette at the top left corner? No?

Those sticks are dried blooms from a succulent plant in our back yard. It looks great, but the best part is that it was free!

Up Early!

2011-10-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a night person, but I woke up at 6 am this morning. I didn't get out of bed until 6:30, but I was awake. Why, you ask?

Because my mom is coming for a visit today. Her flight lands at LGB at 10:15 this morning. I LOVE my mom. She is one of my best friends. And she's super creative so we always do projects when she comes to visit.

I'm super excited, so I decided to get up early with my husby and get some things done before Mom gets here. Like vacuum the living room so it's free of dog hair. Water my orchids. Take a shower. That kind of stuff.

So, I'll say goodbye for now. But next week I'll have some cute projects to share with you all!

Obsession

2011-10-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Orchids! I'm addicted to them. Since April, I've purchased 25! In fact, my new hobby has expanded at such an alarming rate that my husby has made me promise that I won't buy any more orchids until the start of 2012. Here's my final acquisition for the year: a lovely Doritaenopsis.

Dtps. I-Hsin Sun Beauty

Recipes: Broccoli Soup

2011-10-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last week it was actually cold enough for me to crave wintery foods: soups, chicken pot pie, chicken and dumplings, baked chicken, and green bean casserole were on the menu. I was excited because it was cold enough to use my oven again! (Of course this week it's supposed to get back up to 90 degrees. Lame.)

The first item I chose to make was my mother's broccoli soup. My mom made many soups for our family, but broccoli soup is the one that stirs up the most memories. My mom purées her broccoli soup using a hand blender like this one. Most of the time, though, there would be small chunks of potato or broccoli at the bottom of the pot that she called treasures. Eating broccoli soup was always an adventure because we wondered who would get the treasure.

Since I was in a soupy mood, I pulled out my mom's broccoli soup recipe and made it for my best friend and her husband. We all really enjoyed it, so I thought you guys might enjoy it too. It's super easy!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

1 onion

2 potatoes

1 large floret of broccoli

6 Cups of chicken or veggie broth

2Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

1 Cup of milk

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Peel and chop the onion and potatoes. Put these into a large pot. A narrow, tall pot is preferable to a wide, shallow pot.

2. Pour the broth over the veggies and bring to a boil. Turn down heat. Cook veggies until the potatoes are soft.

3. Add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

4. Add chopped broccoli.

5. Purée with hand blender.

6. Add milk (and cheese, if using) and stir until blended.

Enjoy!

Why is Apologizing So Hard to Do?

2011-10-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

I came across this on Facebook and had to post it. It's so true! Apologizing is one of the most humbling experiences, and I'm so bad at it. Saying "I was wrong. Will you forgive me?" is so hard. But as this poster says, so worth it!

Open Arms Ukraine

2011-10-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Allow me to share something with you that I think is important.

Did you know that only 10% of Ukranian orphans are able to transition from life in the orphanage to a productive adult life? My college roommate, Annie, has learned this from experience. You see, she went on a missions trip to the Ukraine the summer after our freshman year in college, and that trip changed her life. God gave Annie a heart for the orphans of Ukraine, and several years later she and a couple of partners started the non-profit organization Open Arms Ukraine.

Annie and her partners live in Ukraine. Their mission is to help Ukranian orphans transition into a healthy adult life by building relationships, showing love to the orphans, and so much more.

This week Open Arms Ukraine is hosting a $10 challenge. Their goal is to get 10 people to donate $10 so that they can continue to make their small apartment a safe place for the children Annie and her partners have come to love.

Will you take a minute to visit their website and see what the team at Open Arms Ukraine are doing?

A Rainy Day

2011-10-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

Normally, I prefer the warm summer months. However, this year I am ready for a cool and cozy fall season. I think that's why I'm enjoying today so much.

You see, today it is cool and raining. What a perfect day for crocheting (which you all know I love to do!). So, I curled up on the couch, queued up The Nutcracker on Netflix (I felt like watching something culturally significant), and continued work on an afghan I started last winter.

Here's my corner of the living room:

And here's a closer look at the afghan:

There are two great things about this blanket: 1) I'm making it huge so that when I'm done Adam and I can both cuddle under it together without problems, and 2) I'm making it from leftover yarns I've collected over the years. You wouldn't believe how many white, cream, tan, and brown yarns I have! The only yarn I purchased for this afghan is the dark brown variegated, and I only did that to add a little more dark yarn to the mix.

Enjoy the rainy day!

Who Loves Giveaways? We do!

2011-10-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone,

My friend Lauren over at Simply Chic Mom is doing a giveaway featuring items from Bella and Tate!

You can win one of two bibs:

Or you can win the crochet pattern for our alphabet blocks!

Head over to Simply Chic Mom to enter!

Martin Luther on Marriage

2011-09-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

I am blessed. If I have questions about how to be a better wife, I can ask my mom, attend our Sunday school class at church, talk to one of my best friends, read a book, or read my Bible. But sometimes all I need is a little encouragement. I saw this on Facebook today and it was exactly what I needed. It's the perfect quote to sum up a wife's role in marriage (and the husband's too)!

Here's a link to the Pinterest page where this was found.

Dtps. Little Blue Bird "Montclair"

2011-09-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Please and Thank You

2011-09-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

The lock on our sliding glass door has been finicky since Adam and I bought this house over a year ago. Sometimes, I have to pull the door toward myself before sliding it open so the latch doesn't catch on the door frame and refuse to budge. We have locked ourselves in the back yard so many times that we don't even close the door all the way when we go out there anymore.

Yesterday when I was opening the door to take our two dogs outside for one of our many trips to do business, the black plastic sliding button that controls the latch completely fell off into my hand. Great, I thought, we're going to have to replace it.

I meant to tell Adam about it when he got home, but of course I forgot. So, at 10 pm when I crawled into bed next to my sleeping husby, I said, "Pss, are you awake?"

He rolled over to look at me. I felt bad for waking him up, but I didn't want to sleep in a house in which the back door is completely vulnerable should someone attempt to make a nocturnal visit.

"The lock on our sliding door is broken. It won't lock," I said. "The button fell out in my hand."

"Where is it?" Adam grumbled.

"Where is what?" I asked.

"The button," he said.

"Oh, it's on the counter in the kitchen," I said.

So, being the husband that he is, Adam rolled out of bed in his groggy state and went downstairs. He returned not a minute later and fell into bed.

"Did you fix it?" I asked.

"Yes, now please don't talk to me anymore. Just go to sleep." With that, Adam closed his eyes and promptly fell back to sleep. He fixed the lock in half a minute! Amazing.

I, being wide awake, started to think about what he said. " Please don't talk to me anymore." It hit me how different that statement would have sounded if he hadn't begun by saying, "please". Instead of the statement sounding like a plea from an exhausted man, it could have sounded like a command from a truly grumpy man. But it wasn't. Please changed everything about that conversation, including its outcome.

It made me realize that I have gotten out of the habit of saying please. Instead, I revert to some form of the following:

- Would you do me a favor?
- Can you...?
- Would you bring me...?

I made a vow to myself last night after this revelation that I would reclaim the word, "please" starting today. After all, politeness is a virtue, is it not?

Baking Mistakes

2011-09-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm normally a pretty good baker, but I'm not perfect. This past Saturday proved that fact once again and gave me a little shot of humility in the process!

Saturday evening Adam and I had my cousin Allison, her husband Frank, and their son Colton over for dinner. Part of my preparation for our little party involved deciding which dessert to make. I settled on cookies because they're easy, delicious, and kid friendly. I debated between peanut butter cookies, molasses cookies, and snickerdoodles and finally decided on the latter. Who doesn't love snickerdoodles?

I began by mixing the wet ingredients (you know, sugar, eggs, butter/shortening). Then I mixed the flour into the batter. At that point, my wonderful husby came over and offered to help do the rolling of the dough so it would go faster. Thrilled at his offer, I finished mixing the flour into the dough while he mixed the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and prepared the cookie sheets.

Adam and I were almost finished rolling our second cookie sheet's worth of cookies when I had a realization: I had forgotten to put the cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt into the cookie dough! I was mortified. Who forgets half of the ingredients? I, being the experienced baker that I am, should not be making stupid mistakes like that! I spent the next few minutes kicking myself (mentally, not literally) before my husband reminded me that no one is perfect and even the most talented cooks makes dumb mistakes from time to time.

At that point, we had to hope that the cookies were still edible because, let's face it, we weren't going to turn around and make another batch should the first batch fail. I pulled the offending lumps out of the oven once the timer went off. I wasn't sure if they were done or not because they hadn't spread out like snickerdoodles normally do. So, I carried two warm snickerlumps over to Adam, who tasted them and pronounced them edible. Boy was I relieved!

Lesson learned: Pay attention when baking. Also, if you forget to add ingredients to cookies do not despair. They might still be enjoyable, if not perfect.

A-Z of Me!

2011-09-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

I saw this on another blog and thought it looked fun, so here it is.

A. Age - 26
B. Bed size - Queen. It's just enough for Adam and I to have room to stretch without kicking each other. If Adam had his way, our two dogs would share with us.
C. Chore that I hate - Dishes, but doesn't everyone hate those?
D. Dogs - I love dogs. I grew up with them and I don't think I'll ever want to live in a home without one. When Adam and I lived in our apartment in Anaheim, they didn't allow dogs and I wasn't happy about that.
E. Essential start to my day - I read my Bible and I journal five mornings a week. It's a way for me to ground myself in truth before I begin my daily chores. Periodically, I go through my journal reading about lessons I've learned and prayers that have been answered. It's a great reminder!
F. Favorite color - Right now I would have to say Tiffany blue/green. It's the color I painted my kitchen and that I'm slowly integrating into the entire downstairs of our house.
G. Gold or Silver - Silver or white gold. I really, really don't like yellow gold on myself.
H. Height - I'm not really sure. My best friend and I are about the same height, but I was always measured at 5'3" and she was always measured at 5'2". So, somewhere thereabouts.
I. Instruments I play - I played flute from sixth grade until the middle of my sophomore year of high school, at which time I switched to oboe. I went from being one in 15 to one in three. I played piano some as a kid, but I don't now. I played guitar some, too.
J. Job title - Since I'm self-employed, I call myself a Freelance Editor and Writer.
K. Kids - Two fur babies named Nestlé and Kiefer!
L. Live - My husby and I live in our own home in Riverside, CA.
M. Mother’s name - Pamela Aline Rehkopf.
N. Nicknames - Well, most of my friends call me "Em" rather than "Emily" and I have to say that i prefer it. I always hated that my first name was so common.
O. Overnight hospital stays - None since I was born, thank goodness.
P. Pet peeves - Hmm, it used to be people who sung off key (drove me nuts!), but now I'm going to say the auto-correct feature on my phone. It's super annoying.
Q. Quote from a movie - "Mary, I know I've never done the right thing or said the right thing. I know I act like a fool. I know I said we'd be buddy-buddy friends, but that would not be true to my heart. So, I'll ask this one question, and if your answer is "No," I'll leave you alone once and for all. Be my wife, Mary Fiore. But if your answer is "Yes", I'll take care of you, be true to you, and like this house I built for your dolls, I'll make sure you have a strong roof over your head. If your answer is "Yes", then no one will love you as much as I love you. If your answer is "Yes" then you will make me the happiest man on earth." - The Wedding Planner (most adorable proposal ever)
R. Right or left handed - The only right handed person in a family of 5 (not including my husby, who is also left handed).
S. Siblings - Ethan (22) and Erin (19). Yep, I'm the oldest.
T. Time you wake up - Anywhere between 6 am (if Adam is feeling ambitious about getting to work early) and 8 am (Sunday mornings).
U. Umbilicus - Neither innie or outie. I call it a dent.
V. Vegetable you hate - Do beans count? I hate lima beans.
W. What makes you run late - My husby. Also, traffic.
X. X-Rays you’ve had - Dental. I also must have had x-rays done when I broke my clavicle but I don't remember getting them done.
Y. Yummy food that you make - Desserts! I love making new desserts. The other day my sister and I made lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting. Delicious.
Z. Zoo animal - I like the meerkats and hippopotamuses.

What I'm Reading: The Pastor by Eugene Peterson

2011-09-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I've been reading The Pastor by Eugene Peterson as an assignment from one of my clients. Mr. Peterson writes in a very conversational style about how he grew up, the people he has known, and the places he has lived, all of which contributed to his formation and continued growth as a pastor. In one chapter, he writes about how he became a writer, and his description of writing stood out to me. Here it is:

"Heuristic writing - writing to explore and discover what I didn't know. Writing as a way of entering into language and letting language enter me, words connecting with words an creating what had previously been inarticulate or unnoticed or hidden. Writing as a way of paying attention. Writing as an act of prayer."

I hope that I will continue to write as a way to engage with language, the world, and others. That writing will be a way for me to pay attention to the goings-on around me and to notice new things. Mostly, I hope that writing will be a method of drawing closer to God as I engage, pay attention, notice, and learn.

Dreams of Summer

2011-09-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me are aware of the fact that I have really strange dreams and that I remember them in vivid detail. As an example, when I was a little girl, I dreamed that I was exploring at summer camp when I came across the Jedi Master Yoda. Only, instead of being a benevolent Jedi trainer, Yoda was a vampire, and he was hungry. I ran back to camp and got everyone into the pool as quickly as I could, because apparently vampire Yoda could not touch water. So, everyone at camp spent the remainder of their time in the pool until help came.

Those of you who know me might also know that the heat of summer increases the strangeness of my dreams, often in gruesome ways. Last night was no exception. I dreamed...

I was traveling upstream on a river in a small, brown wooden motor boat. In the boat were a bunch of my teenage friends from school. Apparently I am in high school again. As we travel toward our destination, we see many living things of extraordinary size. Sparkling sea turtles the size of small cars swim underneath our boat and create waves as they go. Giant fish swim underneath us and occasionally leap out of the water to show us their sparkling scales.

Finally, we reach the large boat on which we will be completing a program of study based on the sizes of the living things in the river. We students quickly realize, however, that the adults on the boat are there for a far more sinister purpose. We manage to lock them out of the boat's control room, but only for a few minutes. I can see the four adults outside the window talking together and glancing occasionally at us in the small room. After a time, the large crewman leaves and returns with the fire extinguisher. He uses it to break through the window and crawls into the room.

Somehow, I grab him and knock him out by banging his head on the tabletop. Unfortunately, the other students do not help me subdue the three remaining adults and we are captured. We are then forced to work odd jobs around the boat. Then, someone dies in a strange way (think impaled by a screwdriver to the eye). Another dies in an equally scary way (death by taser). My friends are dieing and I have no idea what's causing it. Thankfully, I wake up.

I'm in my parents' backyard and one of my friends from the ill-fated cruise comes out the back door and walks toward me. She smiles, and then she slowly pulls a screwdriver out from behind her back. I scream at her to stop, but she only advances toward me with a lopsided grin on her face. We struggle. Somehow in the fight my friend is impaled by the screwdriver. As I stand horrified over my friend's body, two more of my friends emerge from the house carrying weapons of pain in their hands. As I touch them, they both shriek and fall - dead.

I jump the fence and run down the street (slowly I might add. Why can I never run properly in dreams?). I know that someone is chasing me. It is my turn to die. I pass people on both sides without knowing when one of them is going to produce a nail gun or another unpleasant object with which to kill me. Finally I talk someone into taking me to the police station. I climb into the golden sedan and buckle my seat belt in relief. I see one of my friends approaching the car (Jared Padalecki in this instance. Yes I often dream about celebrities.). He looks harmless so I offer to let him get in. As he circumvents the front of the car, the driver pulls forward and runs him over head first. I am suddenly standing outside the car. I scream and watch as the driver turns to me as I sit in the back seat and smiles and eerie, lopsided smile. The car pulls out into the street and away.

I wake up. I will not be going near anyone who is carrying a screwdriver, taser, or any other type of power tool today.

Etsy Store: Bella and Tate

2011-08-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

My best friend Tracy and I love to crochet, mostly while we're together chatting. But we quickly realized that we needed an outlet for our creativity so that we both don't end up with closets full of crocheted items that we don't need. :) So, we created an Etsy store. We plan to list both crocheted items and patterns for items that we come up with. We're both super excited about it.

Here is a preview of our first item:

Check out our store at Bella and Tate.