It Might Be Time!!

I got a call about an hour ago that my cousin, Steph, was heading to the hospital to see if it is time for baby boy to come!!!!

I've been anxiously waiting to hear back so that I can throw my bag in the car and beat feet there!

Please be praying for Steph and the sweet baby, who I can't wait to see.

(She's going to kill me if she sees that I put this picture on here!)

I was getting ready to write today's recipe post but just can't sit still and get my thoughts to  put it together.

I'll give you a hint though:  I featured it in THIS post.

Hopefully next time I write I'll be an honorary Aunt and have lots of pics!!!!

So excited!!!!!!!

Love,
Me

What I Read This Week ~ 3/27/12

Well, I didn't read AS many books as last week but I've still been on my reading kick.  It is so good to be back! 

I had 2 really good reads this week and then one that was kind of a dud.  Here you go:

Book #1:

"Secrets of Harmony Grove"

Author: Mindy Starns Clark

Rating:  4/5  (Great mystery with lots of clues and twists along with a sweet romance)

From the bestselling author of Shadows of Lancaster County comes an exciting new romantic mystery set in Amish country. — When New York marketing executive Samantha Collins finds herself unemployed, she moves out of her pricey Manhattan apartment to sleepy Harmony Grove, Pennsylvania. She plans on running the bed-and-breakfast she had bought as an investment in Lancaster County. However, when the manager she lets go is later found murdered on the property, Samantha’s troubles take a serious turn.

A handsome local wishes to befriend her, but can she trust him? And when her ex-boyfriend shows up, wanting to reconcile, can she cope with him in the middle of this crisis? Samantha must learn to depend on the Savior she has recently taken into her heart. And she’ll need all the help she can get, because the secrets she uncovers in Harmony Grove threaten her livelihood, her safety, and ultimately her life.
 
~~~~~

 
Book #2:

"Heart of Stone, Irish Angels Book 1"

Author: Jill Marie Landis

Rating:  4/5  (Great read with some really hard core topics.)

Finally free to pursue her dreams, Laura Foster is trying hard not to fall in love. She knows that the Reverend Brand McCormick's reputation would be shattered if her former life is discovered. But it's not only Laura's history that threatens to bring Brand down - it's his own.

~~~~~

Book #3:

"The Heart's Treasure"

Author: Catherine Palmer

Rating: 2/5  (I hate to say it but "boring!"  Too much repetition of facts.)

Kitt Tuckers marriage to Michael Culhane was destroyed by the loss of their unborn child. Now, after 15 years apart, a 100-year-old mystery may give them the chance to rewrite their history.
 
~~~~~

I have high hopes for the book I've just started reading.  You can find a teaser HERE.   

What did you read this week?
 
Happy Reading!
 
 

Teaser Tuesdays ~ 3/27/12

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title &; author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser for this week:

~"Oh..." Waverly considered this.  A beach house?  "It's wonderfully tempting, Vivian.  Martha's Vineyard sounds heavenly, but I don't know that I can get away from my job for the whole summer."~

"LFYI Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts"

by Melody Carlson

page 17

~~~~~~

Happy Teaser Tuesday!

Misc. Finds Monday ~ 3/26/12

I decided to start something new here on my little ol' blog.  Through the week, I'm going to keep track of some of my favorite posts I've seen in blogland and then feature them.

I'm doing this for me and you :)  You'll get to see lots of great stuff and I'll be able to reference the posts for future use instead of trying to print everything off and then lose track of those pages.  It will all be right here :)

So here goes!

~~~~

1.  Gooseberry Patch has released a new cookbook called "Simple Shortcut Recipes".  I think that sounds awesome!  You can go over to Mommy's Kitchen to enter to win a copy!  That's even awesomer!


~~~~~

2.  Over at SAHM of Etsy they featured this yummy looking "Cinnamon Chip Coffee Cake".  Defitely going on the "to-try" list for me!  Whatta you think?

~~~~~~

3.  When I saw the title of this next featured post I thought "This is going to be good and settled in to read, be entertained and learn a few things.  "10 Things a Husband Needs to Know About His Wife" by Jazmine @ Above Rubies.  What would you put on that list?

~~~~~

4.  This next idea by Ashley at Lil Blue Boo is so neat.  Man, why didn't I think of this????  She recently sent out 10 Journals to travel the world.  How cool is that.  I'm going to be watching this project with interest.

~~~~~

5.  Heather @ Just Lovely Things is co-hosting a series called "The Beauty Files:  Share the Beauty".  This week she had lots of tips and tricks to give you a head full of healthy hair.  I know I've started drinking more water and taking my vitamins more reguarly!

~~~~~

6.  This next post not only caught my eye because it is about a bright pop of pink but it also is a  Crochet-A-Long!  Yay, for CAL's.  They are so much fun.  Vickie Howell has shared her pattern for "A Springtime Scarf" with anyone who would like to create it.

~~~~~

7.  I just had to feature this recipe post because the name just Cracks-Me-Up!!!  Monster Mama has shared a recipe for "Slutty Brownies".  What is a Slutty Brownie, you might ask?  Go on over and find out.  I have a feeling I'll be doing a post of my own about Slutty Brownies :)

8.  Last, but now least, is a post that just made me go:   "Ahhh, how sweet is that!"  This "American Beauty Rose Pincushion" at (un)Deniably Domestic  fed my love of tea cups and sewing.  I had to fight the urge to go thrifting and find the perfect cup for my own pincushion right there and then.  I simply couldn't use any of the hundreds that I have in my china cabinet:)
~~~~
Well, that wraps up my Misc. Finds Monday for this week.  I hope you've enjoyed these features and maybe gotten a few ideas you'd like to hang onto yourself.

I'll be doing more blogland cruising this week to see what great posts to feature next week.  If you have a post that you think I would like (but might miss)  please leave a link in the comments.  I'd love to see what you're working on!

Have a great Monday!

Scripture Memory Verse ~ 3/25/12

Memory Verse ~
3/25/12-3/31/12

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Ephesians 4:3

(First Place 4 Health, "Living for Christ", Week 9)

Hide these Words in your heart and they will be with you always.

     

Please see my sidebar to see all the wonderful places I'll be linking up to.

TSMSS ~ "At Your Name" by Phil Wickham

His name is a powerful thing!




Have a blessed weekend!

Feel Good & High Five Friday ~ 3/23/12

************************

&

HIGH FIVE FRIDAY 

@ From My Grey Desk

"Just make a list. List 5 things that made you really happy this week. No matter how bad or boring you think your week was, I bet you can find 5 things."


1.  My little one loves, loves, loves to swing.  I get so much joy just from watching her go back and forth.  Back and forth.  I remember the days that I had to push her and we'd sing songs the whole time.  "Little Sir Echo" was one of our favorites along with "Jesus Loves Me".

I actually got Big Sis to join in on this picture :)

2. I love my swing just as much as the girls do.  When nice weather hits I CANNOT wait to get out and swing.  I love to just sit and bask in the sun and the beautiful sky.  I also love to read while the little one plays.  I did alot of that this week:)

My two beauties!  Getting this picture was something of a feat.  Apparently my 5 year old is gross to my 10 year old :)  lol

3.  One very, very beautiful evening all four of us took the hounds on a walk through the neighborhood.  I didn't take my camera  (kicking myself!).  It is always so fun to watch the girls try to handle the little York-a-Pom while Daddy handles our strong, beauty, Black Lab.  I do have some pictures of the hounds playing in the yard that evening.

 Delilah (aka Lilah or Pretty Girl)

 Jazmine (aka Jazz, Jazzy or Baby Bear)

4. For the longest time I would post a new recipe every week or I would try to anyway.  But lately I haven't posted a recipe for weeks, maybe even months.  That streak came to an end this week.  Even though the recipe was very basic and simple, it is definitely one of my favorites and I appropriately titled it "Go-to Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars".  I hope to get back into the practice of trying new recipes weekly :)

5. This one, once again has to do with the beautiful Spring weather.  One of my favorite indicators of Spring is when the flowers start to poke up through the dirt and the bushes and trees start to blossom.  In my yard, we have daffodils, grape hyacinths, tulips, flowering quince, a cherry tree and a plum tree that are all in their full glory of flowering.  I love it!!!

6.  Just for this week (maybe) I decided to add one more thing that made me smile.  I'm sure that a lot of ladies would agree that watching their men do yard work will bring a smile to your face :)  Here's mine even if he wasn't very thrilled about the picture taking:

So I hope you all have had a good week and definitely have a Feel Good and High Five Friday!

Bernat CAL Clue #4 Results

So, I'm a bit behind on the CAL.  Not too far, but far enough that I'm going to just have to pick up where I am and show you what I have done so far and then play catch up as I have time.

These motifs are my results for Clue #4. 
You can find the links to the all the clues at the bottom of this post.

This week's clue used only Contrast D yarn which happens to be Pale Yellow for this afghan.

I learned a new stitch with this clue.  The Popcorn Stitch.  It was really fun to learn a new technique and actually be able to figure it out :)

Making these motifs with a Popcorn Stitch in Pale Yellow yarn was a bit ironic and worked perfectly.  Movie Theatre Popcorn, anyone?

I have started Clue #5 but only have 2 out of 4 motifs done.  Hopefully they will be finished in time for me to share them with you next week.

You can find Clue #1 HERE.
You can find Clue #2 HERE.
You can find Clue #3 HERE.
You can find Clue #4 HERE.


Don't forget that I'm also making a second CAL afghan for one of my very special blog readers to be determined at the end of the CAL :)

If you're participating in the CAL and have a blog post featuring your blocks, please make sure to leave a link in the comment section.  I'd love to see your work!

Happy Crocheting!

Go-To Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These cookie bars are my go-to when I need a quick dessert to take to an event or have a deep craving for something sweet and I don't feel like spoon dropping a batch of cookies.

It is a very simple variation on the traditional chocolate chip cookie and you can use your favorite recipe or use my favorite recipe listed below. 

They are made quick and easy by spreading the dough in a greased cake pan.  Super simple...

Go-To Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 sticks butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
1 bag chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease your cake pan.

Blend together the butter, sugar and brown sugar using a mixer.

Add the eggs and mix.

Mix in the vanilla and the baking soda blending well.

Next add the flour in until thoroughly mixed.

Add in the bag of chocolate chips and mix until distributed throughout the dough.

Spread into greased pan and bake for approx 30 minutes.

Keep a close eye on it so that they don't over-bake.

~~~~

And there you have my go-to recipe that I know by heart!  Hopefully I'll be sharing a new recipe next week.  I know it has been a while.

Happy Baking!

What I Read This Week ~ 3/20/12

I've been on a sort of reading marathon this past week.  I went from not having read hardly at all the past few months to finishing 5 books in a week!  It was mostly a "Love Finds You" marathon with another book from one of my favorite authers thrown in.

Book #1:

 

"Love Finds You in Lancaster County Pennsylvania"
Author: Annalisa Daughety
Rating:  3/5  (a bit wishy-washy...)

Starting over in Lancaster, Amish-born Lydia Ann soon finds a second chance at love with woodworker Simon Zook. But will his secret cause her even more heartbreak? And when her friend -- Southern belle Caroline -- starts a low-key romance with reporter Michael Landis, the paparazzi suddenly start stalking her again. Is he to blame?

 
~~~~~
 
Book #2:

"Love Finds You in Tombstone Arizona"

Author: Miralee Ferrell
Rating:  4/5  (Great story and characters!)

Love and second chances aren't easy to come by in a town named Tombstone. When Christy Grey receives an urgent summons to Tombstone, Arizona, she reluctantly leaves her new life in California. The trip goes from bad to worse when three masked men hold up Christy's stage. She finally arrives in Tombstone to find her mother ill and her brother trapped in a life of gambling. Desperate for money to support her family, will Christy bow to pressure from the local saloon owners and return to the life she thought she'd given up for good?

Nevada Keene has problems of his own. He's been dodging bullets for years and wants nothing more than to settle down and get married. But he's on the run from outlaws bent on revenge, and the one woman who captures his interest recognizes him from the stagecoach holdup. Will Christy turn Nevada in to the authorities, or will the outlaws on his trail catch him first?

~~~~~

Book #3:

"Love Finds You in Silver City Idaho"
Author: Janelle Mowery

Rating: 4/5  (Loved the mystery!)

It's 1869, and chaos rules Silver City. As Rebekah Weaver recovers from an accident that has left her badly burned, she worries that her father's handsome new assistant won't see past her scarred exterior. Deputy Marshal Nathaniel Kirkland is working undercover to investigate a series of explosions in the mines and businesses of Silver City. When ominous notes begin appearing on townspeople's doors, Nate needs Rebekah's help to uncover the identity of the perpetrator. As they work together, Nate begins to speculate that Rebekah's "accident" was really a case of intentional sabotage -- and that she might still be in danger.
 
~~~~~
 
Book #4: 

"Love Finds You in Hope Kansas"

Author: Pamela Griffin
Rating:  5/5 (I stayed up and read the whole book in one sitting!)

Fashionable Easterner Alison Stripling is shocked to receive a letter from her deceased sister’s husband in Hope, Kansas, pleading for help with his six children. — The letter gives Alison a chance to escape her troubles in Boston, and the name of the town seems like a sign from God. But when she arrives at a rustic cabin on the prairie, she’s in for a bigger shock: Rafe Munroe didn’t write the letter at all! Realizing the children are determined to pair them off, Rafe and Alison join forces to prove the idea would never work. Can Hope’s cupids—all six of them—strike love’s arrows into the hearts of their pa and Miss Alison?
 
~~~~~~
 
Book #5:
 

"Attracted to Fire"

Author: DiAnn Mills
Rating:  5/5  (Awsome book!  One of my very favorite authors!)

Special Agent Meghan Connors' dream of one day protecting the president of the United States is about to come true. Only one assignment stands in her way. After the vice president's rebellious daughter is threatened, Meghan is assigned to her protective detail on a secluded ranch in West Texas.
 
 Unfortunately, working with Special Agent in Charge Ash Zinders may be as tough as controlling her charge. Ash has a reputation for being critical and exacting, and he?s also after the same promotion as Meghan. But when the threats escalate and security on the ranch is breached, it becomes clear this isn't the work of a single suspect it's part of a sophisticated plan that reaches deeper and higher than anyone imagined. And only Ash and Meghan can put the pieces together before it's too late.
 
 
~~~~~
 
So that was IT for the week!  I just love sitting outside on my deck or on my swing in the lovely weather and reading a great book.  Don't you?
 
Happy Reading!
 
 

Teaser Tuesdays ~ 3/20/12

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title &; author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Here's my teaser for this week:

~Screaming more from the surprise than the pain, I turned to see what had caused me to fall.  It was Floyd, lying on the ground, facedown, a handgun clutched in his lifeless right hand.  On the cement near his other hand was his cell phone, still ringing from my call."~

"Secrets of Harmony Grove"
by Mindy Starns Clark
page 41

~~~~~~

Happy Teaser Tuesday!  And Happy SPRING!!!