Food, Weather, and Chaos

It has been a long time since I have participated with Darcy and the other ladies for Five on Friday. I thought today was a good day to talk about a few things that I have been loving lately (and one that I kinda am hating on... not gonna lie). My first thought of what I am loving always goes to food without fail. I do really enjoy food. Someday I will do one solely devoted to food...sounds fun.  

But anyway, today I will just stick with the stuff going on this week.

One

Eggs. I have never really loved eggs. But I have been reading about how good they are for you and sometimes it’s hard to find things to eat that make me feel good and fill me up. It is weird, I know, but so it goes. And so these days something strange happened and I am weirdly into eggs. Not just any eggs though… I have been making them so delicious. Make it just like this and you will love them too:

2 scrambled eggs

A little salt and as much Cayenne as you can handle (so good for your brain!)

Some marinated artichoke hearts

Sundried tomatoes soaked in oil

A little heap of goat cheese on top.

Trust me, this is a delicious concoction. 

Two

Photography. I was so blessed this last week to have a little instructional session with an amazing photographer. Rebecca from Fresh From God Photography is a kindred spirit who has done three shoots for Cory and me and I love every photo! It was such a pleasure to get some pointers and critique from someone with such talent and such a creative eye.

Three

Spring! Yay! I love spring. I have a view of the ski slopes from my deck and I love to see the snow slowly melting away every week. Spring is just such a motivating time for me. I feel like I want to organize my house and throw stuff away. I feel inspired to work on my beach body. I get to run outside. I have the whole wonderful summer to look forward to. It just the best time of the year!

Four

Photoshop. Yeah…. So if I had been consistent with this since I first determined to work on it months ago (when I first went the library and procured this heap of books), I would probably be a pro editor by now! But I am making progress slowly. I have been working on it, studying, and getting advice.. And I have been having such fun with it!

Five
My Fridge. This is not actually something that I am loving at the moment. This is more a cry for help. It is a constant source of frustration because my fridge is mostly packed full of produce and so it never looks neat and organized. I have green things and carrots and beats sticking out of every end. I feel like I am (for the most part) a neat person. But the minute I organize my fridge something happens (I don’t even know what, I go shopping, or we can’t find something) and it is chaos again. My big weekend task will be to turn the whole fridge situation around. Help!

Have a happy Friday everyone!

The "Busy Nothings" of a Blessed Life

Friday again! I don’t mean to sound redundant, but isn’t it crazy how fast the weeks are passing? At least in my happy little world. Today I am linking up with Darci over at the Good Life Blog and the rest of the ladies, to talk about five current things in my life. Sorry if they do not seem all that interesting, it is just the little “busy nothings” that are the making of a wonderful, blessed, and happy life. 

1.    This beautiful place we live in. I mean wow. The sunsets have been amazing lately. My memory card is packed full of the beautiful colorful sky. This is my favorite view from my deck. Amazing. I know. (With everything that can be done on the computer these days, I feel the need to point out that this picture is straight off camera, the colors are not enhanced, and there were no filters on my lens. It was just that amazing.)

2.    I am reading through the Bible this year and this week I happened upon one of those obscure scriptures that you wouldn’t necessarily think would be… what you needed per se. And yet, it hit me so hard and I was like “thank you, Jesus.” Exodus 14:15 “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘why are you crying out to me?’ Tell the Israelites to move on.” Sometimes I find myself praying and asking God for all of the answers and specific direction… and sometimes it is just time to make a decision and move forward. As long as I am continually seeking Him he will direct my steps. He will use his word to do so, and this time, I believe He did. 

3.    I had my two nieces and nephew over for a tea part yesterday. They are so cute. Whenever we have tea parties the girls suddenly develop British accents and start calling me “mother.” So funny. 

4.     The Cheesecake Factory. I don’t know how this happened but Cory and I just went there for the first time and oh my goodness, it was amazing. I am on the New Year’s eating plan where I don’t eat bread, or pasta, or cheesecake…. Yeah that was all thrown out the window in a hurry. It was so delicious. I have this issue with becoming obsessed with the same meal at the same restaurant for a long time…. And then I get sick of it. It is weird. But right now it is all about the Cheesecake Factory. 

5.    I am having such fun with my new lens. My wonderful L series 70-200 that Cory gave me. I don’t know how to truly utilize it yet, but every picture I take with it is just so lovely. Could be in my head, I don’t know. But I am really enjoying playing with it and trying to figure it out. 

So there are the five little bits of my week. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and happy weekend!

Christmas is over. Hello Discipline

The New Year is here, everyone is busily making their plans and goals, dreaming of all the wonderful achievements to come this year. I am linking up with Darci at The Good Life Blog once more today as I ponder my goals for this grand new year.

The New Year officially starts for me on Monday. When I am in the throes of party mode, it is difficult for me to make the switch half way through the week. Therefore I always give myself to the Monday after New Years to make all the changes that need to be made. I STILL have not finished all of my Christmas chocolate. That is my “goal” for the weekend :)

1.     New Years Blogathon! Ever have one of those days in which you aren’t sure what to blog about? To kick off the New Year strong on my blog, I am hosting a blogathon that should be super fun. I have posted Monday through Friday topics for the month of January. There just fun ideas and prompts to inspire, amuse, and perhaps get to know some new friends. Participate as much or as little as you want. It’s going to be fun!

2.     For Christmas I got this little baby…. I know it is intense right? One of my goals for this month is to take some amazing pictures that make me feel semi worthy of this gift my husband got me. 

   

3.   Time to get back in the gym. For me, I mean this in a BIG way. By the end of January, I will be the thing that wouldn’t leave in the gym (okay maybe that is a slight exaggeration). But starting Monday my strenuous workout routine will be going full throttle. Running, lifting, doing classes, and so forth. The atrophy that has begun in my muscles will be reversed and the dimples that have appeared in unheard of places will disappear. I am so looking forward to it. 

 4.     Reading! We decided to read Les Miserables with my book club. Not the abridged version (of course) therefore the thing is like 1500 pages. I am afraid I slacked in my reading for the month of December. Not anymore. I am going to set some goals in regards to a reading minimum until I conquer this book.

5.     And finally, I am taking this scripture to heart this year. Proverbs 28:18 “where there is no vision, the people perish.” In order to be successful in various areas of my life I need to develop a clear vision for what I want and make plans of how I am going to get there. The success of my dreams, desires, and goals are wrapped up in the power of this scripture. 

Merry Christmas with Five on Friday

Only five days till Christmas! I have bitter sweet feelings at this point. I want time to slow down, and yet I can’t wait for everyone to open my gifts. Cory has been wishing Christmas upon us for days because he is so excited to give me my presents. Love this season of celebration and giving. So much fun. 

Anyway, today is going to be the last of my Christmas-y Five on Friday List… sad face. Christmasy things I have been up to or loving this week.

1.       Gingerbread house making. My parents and younger sister host a gingerbread (though actually we use graham crackers) house making party every year. This was the tenth annual or something. It has gotten more and more competitive the older we get. They even sent out invitations with rules and guidelines this year. It was so much fun. My sister blew us all out of the ball park with her gingerbread sleeping beauty castle. It was incredible.

2.       Blogathon! I am going to be hosting the New Years Blogathon! I am very excited about this. Ever feel like you want to write and yet you aren’t sure what to write about? Every week you are waiting for those brilliant things to occur so that you can write a brilliant blog post about it. To kick off the New Year, I thought I would kick off with my consistency in writing and host a link up. I will give a list of topics and their dates starting the Monday after New Years. It is just going to be fun and easy. Great way to make new blogging friends. I would love you to participate :) View the list of topics here. Hope you can join in the fun!

3.       Baking. I had my little nieces come and help me with Christmas baking this week. They are very good at licking the bowls and spatula clean. We made all sorts of Christmas yummies to put in the tins I will be giving to my neighbors, friends, and family. My husband was saddened by the fact that I wasn’t making him a tin, so I added his name to the list as well. 

 4.     Watch this Video (displayed below as well). I stole this from my sister’s blog, Admissions of a Superhero. But you HAVE to watch it. This is the cutest most poignantly Christmasy thing ever. My niece was only four in this video quoting the whole of the true Christmas story straight from the Bible.

5.       And finally, Cory and I have been making it a point to sit by the tree (oftentimes in my Christmas socks!) and just talk for a few minutes in the evenings or before work in the morning. It is important to take a little time to think about the wonder of what Christ did for us, and to reflect on the blessings he has given us. What a wonderful life!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a wonderful time filled with all of the magic of the season. 

This Week's Christmas Five

I am participating in Five on Friday once more over at The Good Life Blog. I am all about Christmas these days. So here is a little taste of my Christmas spirit in five things I am loving this week.

1. Christmas time at Disneyland... the most wonderful, magical combination in the world. 

2.  Santa hats. This is a holiday season must have. I am wearing my sister's in this picture... mine is the cheaper dollar tree version... but it serves the purpose. Here are a few reasons why you should add one of these little babies to your wardrobe:
a. At Christmas time, it matches with everything.
b. If you didn't wash your hair, just slap one of these on your head and you still look as cute as ever
c. This gives you both the feeling and the appearance of happiness.

3. Maple Leaf cookies from Trader Joes... I am addicted. They are weirdly delicious. I shouldn't buy them considering one cookie contains 110 calories. My dad had the goodness to inform every person he gave one to on Thanksgiving... "Have a cookie, 110 calories." And no, that didn't deter me. They are heavenly.

4. The song "Christmas in LA". My favorite band, The Killers, release a Christmas song for charity every year. This year's song is so wonderfully sad and beautiful. The lyrics just strike a nerve.

5. These little guys. Trying, trying, trying to get a good photo of all my nieces and nephews. If one isn't goofing off, another is. Still, they are the cutest, sweetest bunch of kids. Though imperfect, I love these pictures. Their little personalities come through.

What went on in your week?