Stepping out in faith...

I have been asked this week to step out of my comfort zone and do two things involving the church that I am so excited to do, and also worried that I will not live up to their, or my expectations.  I found this passage in a beautiful devotional book that I am reading called Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young.  This is the reading for today, October 10th.  I needed to hear this.  Maybe you do too....

"Trust me enough to let things happen without striving to predict or control them.  Relax, and refresh yourself in the Light of My everlasting Love.  My Love-Light never dims, yet you are often unaware of My radiant Presence.  When you project yourself into the future, rehearsing what you will do or say, you are seeking to be self-sufficient: to be adequate without My help.  This is a subtle sin-  so common that it usually slips by unnoticed.

The alternative is to live fully in the present depending on Me each moment.  Rather than fearing your inadequacy, rejoice in My abundant supply.  Train your mind to seek My help continually, even when you feel competent to handle something by yourself.  Don't divide your life into things you can do by yourself and things that require My help.  Instead, learn to rely on Me in every situation.  This discipline will enable you to enjoy life more and to face each day confidently."

Step confidently through your door by Faith....

Super Cute Book Pumpkin

I just found this on Pinterest.  Which, by the way, I still need someone to explain to me!  But I LOVE THIS PUMPKIN!!! 

Go visit Creations by Kara for the full tutorial.



Happy Crafting!!

I've got frog on the menu!!!

SO thank you to my dear friend and neighbor, Kate, for lending me the next book on my list to read!  I am planning for it to be life changing!!!  (no pressure...)  I am a chronic procrastinator  and I am hoping that this book will help me solve all my issues by helping me organize and prioritize my to do list.

Eat That Frog

Here is a great link to watch a little movie that describes the book better that I can (since I haven't yet read it!

What does your to do list look like?? 

 I have an app on my phone for my to do list.  It is called Do it Tomorrow.  Did I mention I have procrastination issues?  Since I know I won't get it done today it automatically carries it over for me to tomorrow, and the next day, etc......

For the non-techie solution, I found this super cute list on etsy. 


 

So, what does your to do list look like??  Anyone hungry for frog??? 

Water for Elephants Pink Elephant Cocktail

Water for Elephants Pink Elephant Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 part white cranberry juice
• 1 part berry vodka
• 1/2 part raspberry liqueur (recommended: Chambord)
• 1/2 part Limoncello

Directions

To a shaker full of ice, add all ingredients. Shake well and pour into chilled martini glasses.

Toast with your girlfriends to a fabulous book!!!!  Enjoy!!!

Thoughtful Thursdays.....

"Don't make assumptions.  Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.  Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama.  With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life."

-  Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements

A Discovery of Halloween...

I think October may be my favorite month of the year!  I love the cool weather, crunchy leaves, college football, school activities, the colors, and Halloween!

3 generations of our family witches a few years ago!

 Our neighborhood seriously knows how to do Halloween too!  I am amazed each year at how many people have giant spiders crawling up the sides of their houses and skeletons clawing their way out of the ground!  Eeeeks!  And yes, so fun!!!  Trick or treating is the wildest night with a million kids walking around and many parents dressed up.  It's not that uncommon to go to a house where the homeowner offers my kids candy and me a drink! Not hard to see why I love this month! 

I also just finished reading A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness which is a good read to put you in the mood for October.  Then main character is a witch who has tried to deny her powers and ancestry and live as a human.  She is a scholar who spends her days in Oxford at the Bodlein library until she stirs up trouble by summoning an ancient alchemical text that apparently holds the secrets of all the otherwordly creatures living amongst us-  witches, vampires, and daemons (oh my!)  She of course falls in love with a 1500 year old vampire, which is forbidden and so the trouble ensues.  I guess I enjoyed this book, as I invested almost 600 pages, but I did not love it.  It is a great premise, in my opinion, but way too long and slow.  But I do like the atmosphere!  It takes place often in a dusty old library, then an ancient castle in France, and finally a bewitched house in New York.  She is there for Halloween when all the neighborhood kids come to trick or treat and she dresses in her witchy best and she and her vampire boyfriend enjoy freaking out the neighborhood kids! 

So this is one of my new Halloween decorations this year, that just so happened to cost me $0 since I used all materials I already had! But even if you have to buy supplies, you are under a few dollars!  I used some old fake flowers from back when I liked to use fake flowers!  But I removed all the flower petals, leaving just the berries.  Then I cut a great piece of scrapbook paper into leaf shapes and just hot glued them on... Ta Da!!!!  Took just a few minutes and I think it looks great! I also have found this super fun eyelash and popcorn yarn to drape here and there.  It looks so spiderwebby, but without being too literal.  I am not a big fan of the white, cottonball, stringy stuff... you know what I'm talking about. 

  What does your house look like this October??  What is your inspiration??

New (old) books...

So lately we have been talking about the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  One very memorable quote early in the book is when Dawsey and Juliet are corresponding for the first time and he has asked her about a book that he now owns that once was owned by Juliet.  She responds...

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey?  Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true."


How delightful indeed.  What a great line and a great concept .  I hope this is true.  One of my favorite places to be is Barnes and Noble.  I admit it.  I can wander and totally lose myself there for hours!  (and have on too many occasions!)  But I must be frank, and honest to B and N... I almost never buy anything!  I sit for hours in the cafe and read their magazines and pull dozens of books from the shelf to peruse, and I always have a note pad to jot down ideas... but alas, I do not buy.  Whew.... it feels good to get that out there. 

But I DO buy books... lots of books...  I'm a bit of a bookaholic!  I actually read my sister-in-law's copy of Guernsey and returned it and then bought it... twice!  If I see a great book I just have to buy it!  Either to live on my bookshelf, or even better, to pass along to a friend! 

So, where do I shop???  My favorite book stores are Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity and Salvation Army!  Books are never more that $1!!  I also love garage sales!  Of course, the library is invaluable!  And finally, I borrow plenty of books from friends.  What a great thing to have in common and to share?

Our local Goodwill...

And here we are back to this idea about a book finding it's perfect reader.  Doesn't this work better if it is a used book?  How lovely if a book can touch and inspire me, and then can move on to reach someone else.  It still has work to do! 

So, this week I encourage you to talk books with your friends.  Go to your library.  And browse the local thrift shops.  Buy a book or three for yourself.  Buy one for a friend.  Share the delight!