My Breakfast on Monday

My parents went on a trip and brought home 2 bags of walnuts! We are a pretty nutty family - in more ways than one! - and I was excited about this! I was also excited that we had apples...I'm thinking muffins!

My mom eats gluten free and a lot of our food is too, so I made GF muffins using Pamela's baking mix and added cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove to the recipe. Mmm.

Once they were done, I added a generous tab of my favorite salted butter and poured a fresh cup of coffee. I also used my favorite $3 Goodwill dessert/tea plate! I think if I hadn't used salted butter I would have wanted a little salt in the mix, but I'm a saltaholic so maybe it's just me. :)

What a fun, autumn-y breakfast!

Day Off

Today is my day off! It feels like the first day off in awhile - I've been busy the last two Mondays. I'm looking forward to:

-Finishing my laundry
-Making my bed
-Finishing my alterations on a $3 Savers dress so I can wear it finally
-Keep reading Oliver Twist
-crochet a second dishcloth to match this one
-and some general lazing about :)

I'll leave you with this pic of my main man, Banjo. Why he was sleeping with his nose under the quilt is unclear, but goodness, it was funny!

No. 24 - The Screwtape Letters

image from Abebooks.com

Great book. There isn't much more to say. It totally made me think, realize how victorious God is, it convicted me in places I've been lax, and made me laugh. All in all, I'm so glad I read it and would recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it.

Next up in my Unread Library, via random selection, is No. 17 - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Over Medium

My brain is pretty fried: which is why I haven't finished a book, creative project, or a complete sentence in awhile.

This week we had a conference at work (which was amazing, God is always faithful) for 3 days, immediately followed by 2 back-to-back meetings, and then staff meeting the next morning. I usually like meetings: I think it's fun, interesting, and insightful to be part of a church staff and learn the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on to make "church" happen. But I was pretty done this week. :)

My best friend's birthday was Wednesday, so we were given permission to miss youth group and we went out to celebrate! And then we went home early yesterday. I'm making up for it by working today, but seeing as how I fell asleep last night at 6 (woke up at 7 for dinner) and then again at 8, it was totally necessary!

Crochet update:
I haven't ventured past washcloths yet. I like how quick and easy they are to finish and they are great to add to a gift, so having a stack to choose from is convenient.

Here is the most recent one I've finished (which was last week). My sister actually started it while she was visiting and taught me the stitches she used. I finished it when she left. If you look at it in real life, you can almost see the exact row we switched; my stitches are a little too tight and lean a lot more than hers. :)

No. 7 - Dubliners

I'm not moving very fast through my Unread Library. Dubliners was good and offered a glimpse into life in Dublin at the turn of the century. This collection of short stories is pretty political; notes on the author describe him as being "the greatest literary rebel of our time [...] He rebelled against social and literary conventions, against Catholicism, and against Dublin, the city at the center of this magnificent early collection of stories." (book jacket).

image from Barnes & Noble

This book definitely put me into a fall mood: gray, somber, and something I would expect to read in school. :)

I'm now working on an added book to my list, a friend lent me The Screwtape Letters. So far, it's very interesting and definitely making me think.

Fall Wardrobe

**I had this post ready to go, and then realized it was coming right after my "Abundance" post. I love clothes and the thrill of finding a smokin' deal, but who I am doesn't come from my clothes. And I know that who I am comes from who God says I am, and that blows my mind. So just a clarification, cause this post could look pretty ironic without this disclaimer.**

For the last few days, I have been staring into my closet with no hope of inspiration. This time of year is so hard! I'm looking forward to fall clothes and closed toed shoes. Cardigans and jeans and layering! But it's still over 100 degrees out. (correction-high 90s) I'm torn between "this may be the last time this year I can wear these sandals/dress/skirt" and "I can't wait to wear these boots/tights/sweater."

Besides what I already own, I'm hoping to add to my fall wardrobe (and hopefully for crazy thrift store cheap!):

a high waisted grey pleated skirt. (totally inspired by this outfit on ModCloth's blog)
an colorful embellished navy cardi. (same inspiration)
tall patterned socks.
new tights (I am very clumsy and tights don't really last more than a season with me!).
something purple. (weird, purple is my least favorite color)

Also loving:

 

Breezy Polkas from Anthropologie

  

 Oleander also from Anthropologie

 

 Rainbow Trellis (can you believe how pretty that is?!) 

Anthro prices are way out of my budget, but it's still fun to dream. :)

The Sunday Creative - Abundance

Still working through Dubliners, it's good, but it's short stories so I'm not invested in the plot, since I finish a storyline with every chapter. It should be done soon...
This week's prompt for The Sunday Creative is abundance. And I knew exactly where I was going with it. John 10:10 says: "The thief does not come but to steal, rob, and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly."

A life with Christ is a life that is full. No matter what I don't possess, my life is full. There is no void in my heart because I've found the One who can fill it. There is no hopelessness, because Hope lives in me. There is peace, because He is with me. There is joy, because I've been redeemed. My life is abundant because of Jesus Christ and I am so, so grateful that He came.

I am by no means a paper/ink/free-hand kind of artist. I like digital art because I can make everything perfect. I can Ctrl-Z as many times as I want. There are thousands of fonts that can change the look of any word. But there is something so personal, vulnerable, and real when I put my ideas on a piece of paper. It really is a stretch for me. I can't take it back once it's written in Sharpie pen in my notebook. :) But I love all the decorated sayings and modern calligraphy pieces out there and decided to let it inspire me. Maybe I'll start being able to put more and more of the millions of thoughts floating around in my mind down on paper without caring what it comes out like.