here is some delightful reading material...my favorite blogs. these are blogs that are updated on the regular that brighten my day. hope you enjoy!
one of my favorite blogs i've stumbled upon. an inspiring family (both parents survived a fatal plane crash) blog full of beautiful stories and pictures. if you haven't heard of the nie nie dialogues by now you've been living under a rock.
crafter, mother of three girls, happy wife. cakies offers a glimpse in to a beautiful world. i always feel encouraged by her thoughtful and faithful words.
this lady makes me want to sew like no other. dana from her made blog is incredible! how she finds time to make all of the things that she does, while taking care of two little ones, i'll never know!
don't you even dare look at these blogs if you're on a diet...i love bakerella for baking:
and the pioneer woman for everything else. she has a wicked sense of humor too. she's hilarious.
beautiful ideas, fun tutorials, and lots of adorable photos of her baby girl. i love my friend katie's blog, blue eyed freckle.
i don't read a ton of design blogs because they tend to get a little repetitive. however, the newly engaged Christina of down and out chic has a nice mix of unique finds, personal touches, and affordable options both in fashion and home decor! she also has an adorable shop. how does she do it?
been there, done that, can't get enough of em. i love weddings. once wed has the best and most gorgeous diy's out there and picture after picture of beautiful couples in love.
incredible mother/wife/friend etc etc. christy over at in the cottage is chock full of great ideas, delicious recipes (trust me the girl can cook), and artistic prowess.
the best in children's design. all in one neat little package. my love for ohdeedoh is unending.
for gobs of glitz and glamour and mouth-dropping gorgeous pictures of girls in unbelievable clothes and accessories, visit erin at the little bit.
if you love outfit posts, muses on everything from life to target's latest fashion collaboration then you'll love jinah from bonjour it's jinah.
another fashion photo frenzy. ashley's thoughtful hiking in stilettos covers everything from the best running shoes to her favorite nail polish all with feminine and vintage flair. recipes too!
decorate and cook like a pro with practical and stylish advice from stylist annette joseph. it's like reading an insider's guide to the good stuff.
baker, crafter, mama. lindsey's blog the goose. is an honest look at the ups and downs of motherhood and full of fabulous ideas and mouthwatering pictures.
diy. check. sewing. check. gardening. check. you'll love christy's simple and chic approach to all things home. simply dwell has been featured on young house love multiple times. watch out!
dana from plum tree studio always has great finds and a charming etsy store under the same name. you'll love her fresh approach and warm spirit. ps she'll have a little one soon...can't wait!
anna maria horner's blog is as cheery and beautiful as the fabric she creates. i adore her.
the little green notebook has eye popping colors, brilliant step-by-step techniques and stunning photos. rarely does she recycle photos, it's all her. she's a one woman designing show!
my dear friend brittany's the little by little blog hasn't been updated in a while (hint hint), but it's still one of my favorites. brittany has an amazing eye, takes beautiful photos, and is one incredible flea market finder.
from one southern gal to another, bunnie of pearls and khakis and i are usually on the same page. wish lists, adorable family photo ops, and yummy dishes. she serves it all with pizazz, plus her husband gets in on the action too. as she would say "loves it."
soule mama continues to be a favorite. serene images, loads of homemade goodies, and amazing family imagery. just lovely.
see how zi french live with my beautiful friend isabelle's blog. we were exchange students in each other's homes and have been friends for more than a decade. beautiful party pictures and traveling photos.
so, so, so many more. i'm sure i'm leaving some out or you just don't post as often as i wish you did. happy new year to you all! thanks for reading this little blog. i sure do appreciate it.
i'm dying to know...who made your list?
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my parent's gorgeous tree
ah, it's that time of year. the dust has settled after a flurry of opening presents, festive parties, and gorging ourselves on all things decadent. i've been beating my self up contemplating this year and thinking about all of the things i would love to see/do in 2010 (daunting isn't it?). although, we all tend to break our resolutions at some point, i continue to make them. what's that quote about goals and measuring progress? whatever. here are my resolutions for the new year:
-i would love to spend more time in the garden this year. i always get really excited to see the tiny green knobs rear their little heads and then my excitement wanes. here's to being more consistent...wait is that another resolution?
-i want to learn so much about cooking/baking. i've been trying new recipes and i love being in the kitchen. i want to learn about flavor, and herb combinations (which taste best with what foods, etc). so much to learn!
-with more cooking comes more eating, which means someone ahem needs to exercise. yea. i know.
-i want to worry less and pray more and with that said, i want to make a conscious effort to memorize scripture.
-i want to travel. i have great plans to visit some wonderful friends here and relax here.
-i want to write notes. real notes. on paper.
- i have some secret goals.
-i want to be more like this sweet person:
on Christmas eve, sam had to leave our family party early because matilda wouldn't take a nap that day and let's just say she wasn't a happy camper. i came home later that evening to find sam less than excited. he had gotten a phone call from a dear neighbor telling him that the power had been turned off and everything in the deep freeze at his parents house had spoiled. i racked my brain over and over and remembered cleaning it out, but alas we did not. sam and i were planning a trip to mississippi when we got a phone call from another neighbor saying that she would take care of it. we told her we would pay her, and we couldn't feel more relieved. we didn't hear from her and then sunday night she called telling us that the freezer was salvageable and that she had taken care of everything. she even put some things in the freezer to absorb the odor. when we asked her how much we could pay her, she told us how much she loved mama lou and that she wanted to just bless us. just bless us, and that she did. our eyes filled with tears.
do tell. do you make resolutions?
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here's a little end of the year news. southern flourish (an online magazine dedicated to all things southern and stylish) will be debuting in the spring and here are a few teasers...
1. i am a contributor in the premier issue...and in such great company. the adorable olivia rae from everyday musings will also be featured, as well as sherry and john from the popular young house love. check out all of the contributors here.
2. here's a little description to get you excited :
Southern Flourish is dedicated to producing a chic, modern magazine full of fresh editorial for those that love and live the new Southern style. Created for and by young Southerners, the magazine highlights the best of the Southern lifestyle, while providing readers with enjoyable content that helps improve and enrich their lives.
-southern flourish mission
3. you can become a fan on facebook for more teasers! i'm really excited to see everything put together and i think you're going to love it.
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when thinking of edible gifts to give each year (for neighbors, co-workers, friends), i always want to do something different and fun. when i first saw these "cowboy cookies" on bakerella, i filed it away just for this occasion. i had never heard of cookies in a jar (all of the dry ingredients are jarred and then mixed later with wet ingredients that folks have on hand). i thought it was genius. although we all love getting treats, i thought this was a great way to give them and then allow the cookies to be made and enjoyed on their terms. wouldn't these make for a good cheat day after the first of the year?
i wanted to personalize them, so i used some flashcards that didn't make the garland cut and used both first and last initials. (i only had one of each letter, so i had to mix things up.) i followed bakerella's fabulous guide with the size of fabric to use and then tied with bakers twine. she included printable instructions (thanks!), which i cut out and placed on top of stiff felt.
here's a nice rear few. speaking of rear views. today i was wearing my robe and i caught myself in the mirror and had a flashback of that special k commercial, where the mom is bending over and the kids like, "santa?" yea. help!
sam was a huge help in getting these all filled and ready to go. it was kind of like doing sand art. just to be on the safe side sam and i made a batch just to make sure they were ok. yea. they're real good. cheers!
tip: i put the nuts on top, so that if people weren't big nut fans they could just scoop them out!
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one of my favorite pictures of matilda and daddy.
riddermark farm december 20, 2009.
although this weekend was full of celebration of the season, of birthdays, and life, it was also a hard one for many of my loved ones. my head has been full of prayers for the sick, those that have lost a dear loved one, and the tiniest one who had a traumatic experience and left everyone a bit rattled.
may we always count our blessings and not take our health for granted.
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today started out in a rather icky way. i'll spare you the details. unfortunately this led to my insecurities playing with my head all day. i really hate the fact that certain people can have such a negative impact on our lives. although i beg for feelings of forgiveness, there is still a part of me that struggles on a daily basis not to remember hurtful words and events in my life. although, i must remember the bigger picture, the larger whole. i know that God protects me and loves me and i'm so grateful.
i miss having deep and meaningful conversations with my girlfriends about faith, love, healing. when did we all get too busy for each other? it makes my heart hurt. stream.of.conciousness.
back to the elf.
the other day i came home after a long day, i was melting in to the couch and sam kept talking about how creepy one of my dolls is that i have displayed for Christmas (not the adorable one shown here) and then he was talking about my raggedy ann and then finally he said LOOK. he had been trying to get me to look at the dolls in order to see a surprise he had in store for me.
you see this little elf took a tumble during one of my decorating hazes and it left said elf in two pieces. one being the head. he had fixed him and then covered his imperfect neck with a scarf.
i'm thankful every day for my loving, thoughtful husband.
how could i focus on anything but how precious my family and friends are? how loving our God is?
sam shows me that love everyday.
take time to notice God in the little things. take a quiet moment to remember what this often harried time of year means. how beautiful that baby was that was born in Bethlehem to teach and save us. God bless you all this Christmas and always.
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