Cell Phones, Baking and Sewing, OH MY!

I have had a battle within for the past year on whether or not to get a smart phone. Questions like:

Do I really want to be able to be contacted anytime of day about business related things.

At Home.

On Vacation.

In the middle of the night.

Anywhere.

Some of you know exactly what I mean. It could be a good thing right, if I had to work from home it would be easier, email convenient when on the road and contact with someone over a business transaction. Even as nice as simplifying my life from taking a picture of a product that a customer wants to see from out of state and simply emailing it to them over my phone without transferring the picture to the computer then to email.



But again, do I REALLY want no more excuses like, when I left the office I left the work and will have to get to it tomorrow , when I know that the work is right there on my phone and can be dealt with then if wanted too.



Well, the pros did out way the cons in my opinion. One reason, I have already experienced how nice it is to be in contact with Tim when he is traveling. In most paper mills he works in, they can't receive phone calls or texts. But because he is front of the computer most of the day, I can contact him via email now even when I am sitting in Carline, at the grocery store, etc. This has been really nice this week! Also, when I don't have my camera handy, I can snap pictures of our daily lives, and they actually come out pretty decent for a camera phone, not to mention, my techno savvy brothers are pretty excited I moved up in the world.




Because of our trip, the pumpkin picking was a little delayed this year at our house. The selection was still really nice, but sad that I only have had them a week before my children are begging to carve them!

Speaking of pumpkins, this is my favorite time of year for cooking/baking......



I am sure like the smart phone, I stayed in the stone age and didn't come across this SIMPLE recipe until last week unlike you all, but for the ones that catch the tail end of a popular new thing like me, this is for you......



quite possibly the easiest thing I have ever made......



1 can of Pumpkin.

1 box of devils food chocolate cake mix OR spice cake mix.





That's it! NOTHING.ELSE.

Bake 350 Degrees for 15mins.

BEWARE......cupcakes are sinfully good and require LOTS of self control {kind of like the smart phone!}.

And last but not least...................




One costume down and THREE more in the making to go! Can you guess who we are all going as.........

Stay tuned!

Coupon Monday!

Take one.......

Okay, so I have been trying to figure out how in the world I am even going to attempt to blog about my trip to Ireland. With hundreds and hundreds pictures, that truly could never even possibly capture the beauty of the land to it's fullest, and the stories behind everything we saw, are almost too overwhelming to write about with out writing a full blown book! I will attempt to show you just a piece of the other side of this beautiful world God created called Ireland in a few posts. The first of which will be this one, just pictures and few words so that you may just enjoy the scenery without information over load. Shall we begin..............



Our trip started with 3 days in New York City, with just the two of us! It was SO.MUCH.FUN! I love New York!! I will post hopefully about that another time! Highlights of the trip, Phantom, Wicked, Museums, and walks in Central Park, ALONE, just the two of us, do I even need to say more!

Friday late afternoon we met my mom and my best friend Natalie (from South Carolina) at JFK airport to board the flight to our final destination......



IRELAND!

When we arrived at our airport, waited 1 hour to receive our luggage and 1 1/2 hours to receive our rental car we were approaching the 24 hour no sleep mark. As tired as we were at 9am driving up to our new home for the next week it wouldn't have mattered if we hadn't slept in two days, all we wanted to do was ohhhh and awww over the beauty................



This is Adare Manor. I will have to post the wonderful history of this place another time. It was beautiful.......





We didn't actually stay in the manor. The manor is on 1100 acres of land with a golf course, town houses and villas. We stayed in a 3 bedroom/4bath Villa.....



It was wonderful! Our view was breathtaking over looking the grounds and golf course. We took a quick 2 hour nap and headed out to venture the precious town of Adare, Ireland. Then off for the next 6 days sightseeing in the North West, South West also known as the Ring of Kerry, then to the East to Blarney and Cork and stopped to see many many Churches, Cliffs, Ruins, Beaches, Sheep, Woolen Mills and much much more along the way.......






























The entire seven days we were truly blessed with beautiful weather! Foggy in the morning and evening but NO.RAIN.THE.ENTIRE.TRIP! Be back with more soon..........

Whew!

Ever feel like you need a Vacation from your Vacation!!! Let's just say, I've been a little surprised with things like "Oh, that was THIS week", and "I forgot I had that appt. this week." and "WHAT, you have a field trip this week!" and "Mom, what are we having for lunch tomorrow, we left our Thermos's at Mimi's!", those kind of surprises! When you have been gone 12 days sometimes you forget that time still goes on in you life around you and it didn't stay put on the day you left!

Some happy surprises I came back to are the following!!! Enjoy!

















Hurry in!!! Christmas apparel is Flying out!!! New Kissy Kissy Christmas arrived yesterday!

I promise, I am working on an Ireland post!! I have much to catch up on the home front first! Just to get you excited about it and make you laugh, check out this picture......





When the girls opened their gifts from us, Elizabeth put this on and said "Okay, I'm ready to go to Publix!"..... think she made a statement!

Coupon Monday!

This was a good one; let's do it again!!

We're back from our trip and can't wait to tell you all about it, but first, I have to tag the TONS of jewelry I brought back from Market on Saturday!! Hurry in before it's gone!!

Surprises.....

I almost titled this "Hope for the Hopeless", but that seemed a little inappropriate, considering I am not hopeless and you are not hopeless, especially since I have Christ THE HOPE that lives in me!! But the reason why that was the title for a few minutes in the corner of my mind was because I am a hopeless romantic! I love the sappy movies the surprised flower bouquets, you know, the things that women love!!

Well, my husband, raised with 2 brothers and had a Father that was not a romantic, meant I was pretty much doomed in that department!

Tim and I have officially been together HALF of my life { I LOVE SAYING THAT!}!! What a great testimony to God's grace and love for us! Marriage is tough stuff! We are two selfish people living under one roof, while raising 3 little selfish people. Sadly, marriages fall apart all around us.

Once I had a friend tell me that while she was on the "playground duty" one Wednesday night at our church when our girls were about 5 and 6 years old, that one of my girls over heard the word divorce. Jillian quickly asked her, "What's Divorce?"; my friend had a little panic attack as her mind raced for an answer. She responded like many of us would do. " Oh, it is when someone doesn't stay married and one person moves out", "BUT DON'T WORRY, THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO YOUR PARENTS!" When she told me this, I told my friend "Thank you, but honestly, I can't say it won't happen to us" She looked at me strangely, so I went on. "Divorce is a result of Sin, and Tim and I are sinful people." " I never intend on divorcing Tim, but I am sure that every person that says "I do" to the love of their life on their wedding day doesn't intend to either". "But it happens, and by God's grace it has not happened to us; I am not above that sin."


I still think to this day she might think me a little strange in that response like maybe some of you do. The fact is, my parents were married for 33 years before their divorce. I have seen it head on, sin is yucky and so am I.

Back to the romantic thing I was talking about.....

So for the first years I poured my heart and soul into our marriage, doing lots of "thinking of you" things for Tim. I loved doing it, and don't get me wrong, we should still do it, but of course you know what ends up happening if you are not careful with your motives. The "whys" start creeping in:

Why doesn't HE do the same?

Why won't HE do that?

I've told HIM a hundred times?

HE just doesn't get it?



When I was about 21 years old, God did a MAJOR work in my life. I was relying entirely too much on Tim. I was feeling a void of love, and contentment in my life that only God could fill. I allowed Satan to feed me lies like:

HE doesn't love me?

HE should've done this?

It's all HIS fault?

If HE cared HE would....!

Why won't HE just surprise me!


When I believed those lies Satan fed, I sunk low....very low. Into a pretty deep depressed state.

God spoke to me through a friend that showed me my sin and need for my Savior. And my Savior was NOT my husband.

My husband was simply a gift that God gave me. And just like everything else, getting to know someone takes time. Change takes time. Maturing takes time.

Tim would never possibly be able to fill all my needs {I'm a pretty needy person!}. My Heavenly Father is all I need! Tim is just a bonus {a great one, I might add!}.

Through the years we have had many growing pains that a marriage has. Don't give up! Love is a choice. I remember what one of my beloved Pastor's said once "you don't fall out of love, you choose to love another.".

Tim has gotten better with the caring gifts and such, and I have gotten better with not depending on them to be my source of contentment. This Year marked our 12th year of marriage, Praise the Lord! It also marks my 30th birthday and with that, I was surprised big time!


Back in May, Tim was home from a business trip working in town. I texted him....

Me: Do you want to go out on a date with me for lunch?

Tim: Yes, where?

Me: How about the Bistro?

Tim: Ok See you then


When I drove up, I noticed that my mom's car was there. I just passed it off as what a coincidence that she would be having lunch with a friend here at the same time. I walked in and there was a bouquet of flowers at the table where Tim and my Mom were sitting. Tim greeted me with a kiss and as I sat down I was still quite dumbfounded and couldn't figure out what was going on, considering I was the one to ask HIM out on the date a couple hours prior.

The flowers were for me indeed with a card telling me that in October for my 30th birthday we would be going here.........






This is the only picture I have of our adventure so far, because as you read this we are in a plane heading back from what I am sure was a FABULOUS trip!

So, honestly, I was totally shocked, crying and in awwww of the amazing surprise and still feel very undeserving of such a trip, but thankful, very thankful for the opportunity to go,for everyone that has helped at the shop and with my children, and the freedom to receive such a gift out of love!! Be back on Monday with some pictures of our trip!! Have a great weekend!

When the kids are away.......

The Parents Play!!!!!

I packed them lots of goodies.......

in these cute little goodie bags to go with them though......

Be back with the details soon!

Coupon Monday and a few others.....

Loving this Fall Weather!!

Curl up with a good book! I recommend this one......

it's a keeper!

Holidays.......

We are approaching our beloved Fall Break! I know I have told you a million times how much I LOVE the fall!! Oh, I do!!!!

I love to sit in my kitchen and enjoy the sun shining in my windows....




It just seems to shine differently in the Fall, and it is so comforting to me!

The only down fall to our Fall hear in the South is that I see to many people rush it! You know what I mean, the ones that put the Christmas Decorations out November 1st. Shame on you!!!
Pumpkins are on our porch until the Christmas Tree goes up on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

It's hard for me and other's I'm sure, considering I get cute little things like this.......






that gets us in the Christmas mood up here at the shop when we receive Christmas in September!

This little Reindeer is almost sold out! What a cutie he is!!! Stop by to see our other precious Christmas items! See you soon!

Soup and Sandwiches!

I don't know about you, but when Fall hits at my house most of our meals consist of this.....

and

Don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen!

I am sure some of you received a cast iron skillet for a Wedding Shower gift {probably from your Grandmother, like me!}. Of course it is fabulous for making corn bread, but we love to use ours for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich! Just put a tablespoon of butter to your skillet and add about 1 tlbs of Olive Oil and grill away! It makes a yummy crunchy sandwich, perfect for dipping in your soup!

A staple I use for my soup: 4 Carrots, 3 celery stalks {leaves and all}, 4 cloves of garlic, one sweet onion, salt and pepper, Saute' with butter and some more olive oil and add about 6 cups of broth and about 2 cups of water. Your base is ready, now add a rotisserie chicken or left over ham {which we did in this pic}. I throw in about 1-1 1/2 cups of Orzo in mine the last 5-10mins. I love Orzo in my soups but it tends to get mushy if you cook to long, but easier to eat then other noodles or potatoes!! Try it out! It is mmm mmm good!

Some of you have met Sophie.......

and have loved her just as much as I do!!