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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

photography: lemons...


I took these photos last week, before I made my blueberry-lemon scones...
The bright yellow just makes me happy! 

Happy Tuesday!! :)

Monday, February 27, 2012

snapshots from my weekend...

...Bought beads & jewelry supplies to make a few necklaces... I love how they turned out!

...Got to see this sweet little girl!! :) This was the best photo I could get, still so cute!
& We had a bit of a family reunion at our favorite Chinese restaurant, for lunch. Fun!

...Currently reading Persuasion!  :)

...Made homemade pizza in a cast-iron skillet... a really great idea & so yummy!! 
(Saw it in the March issue of Martha Stewart Living)

...Went bowling with my family & bowled the best game of my life... 150!! 
WOW!! Still shocked & excited about that... haha!!

Yay for a fun weekend! 
Hope yours was fun too!!
:)

Sunday, February 26, 2012

my {week nine} memory verse...


see my verses from weeks...
one & two  ||  three  ||  four  || five  || six || seven  ||  eight


Friday, February 24, 2012

afternoon tea with blueberry-lemon scones...

Yesterday, I baked some Blueberry-Lemon Scones... Yumm!!! There is nothing like spreading out the dough with your hands, patiently waiting for them to bake & then drizzling them with lemon glaze! There is nothing like the first bite! I love baking scones! :)

Blueberry-Lemon Scones

 Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, & lemon zest.
Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. 
(I used a food processor & it worked perfectly!)
Carefully fold in the blueberries.
Add the milk & lemon juice, and stir until just combined; try not to overmix. 
Use a little more milk if dough is too dry to work with.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; shape it into an 8-inch round. 
Cut circle into 8 wedges & place them on the baking sheet.
Bake until golden, for approximately 18 minutes.


This recipe is very similar to the Cranberry-Orange Scones that I made... 
But in my opinion, the Blueberry-Lemon Scones are so much better! 



Also, here are a couple of recent cell phone pictures. Sorry the quality is not so good... but I had to include them, because my cousin, her husband & their adorable little girl (see better pictures of her here) have just moved from California to Colorado, this week! So they will 
be so much closer to all of my family now & we are all so excited! YAY!!! 
& I just have to say, that little girl's smile is about the cutest thing in the world!! 

Happy Weekend!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

fashion inspiration: coral...


theses photos are from...
1. ruche   2.anthropologie   3. etsy    4. essie   5. kendi

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Sunday, February 19, 2012

my {week eight} memory verse...




see my verses from weeks...
one & two  ||  three  ||  four  || five  || six || seven

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

{recipes} truffles...

For Valentine's Day, I made a couple of different kinds of truffles for my family! 
This was my first time making them & it didn't go perfectly...
They were much messier to make then I thought they would be 
& they didn't set up as well as I thought they would.
BUT they still tasted really amazing! :) 
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
These truffles are egg-free & taste just like the raw cookie dough that we all love to eat! 
This recipe is by Annemarie from Brunch at Saks 
& was featured on Cupcakes for Breakfast.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients: 
2 Cups Dark Chocolate
2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Cocoa Powder

Directions:
Put chocolate in a bowl. Make sure the chocolate is chopped well, which will allow it melt easier. Heat the heavy cream, bring to a simmer & then pour it over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a couple of minutes & then whisk it until smooth. Pour the chocolate into a shallow dish & allow to chill for a least a few hours. 

Use a spoon or mellon baller to scoop out the chocolate for desired size. Roll it in to a ball & in the cocoa powder. It will be sticky & messy. 

Keep truffles chilled.

Monday, February 13, 2012

snapshots from my weekend...

...my sister & i made cute valentine sugar cookies! yumm!

...my doggie begging for a sugar cookie!! we made her one shaped like a dog bone & she loved it!

& i got out my knitting needles to work on a new baby hat! :)

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Thursday, February 9, 2012

a few happy things, lately...

Eating... a sweet & tangy orange for a snack, yumm!

Wearing... my pretty new shirt from old navy (it was $8!)

Creating... cute valentines-y nails (my sister's idea!)



And....
The happiest thing about today is that tonight I am going to see a performance of my favorite musical ever, My Fair Lady....with my mom, sister, & some friends. This is a dream come true for me! Our friends had an extra ticket, so we only had to buy two & that's how we are able to go! So.. I am very thankful! It may sound a bit silly, but I really think God worked this out! I know it's going to be an amazing show & I am so excited!! Needless to say, this song has been suck in my head...
I Could Have Danced All Night by My Fair Lady on Grooveshark


I read this verse this morning & it felt so fitting for how I am feeling today...
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
James 1:17

Happy Thursday!! 

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

{books i love} the hiding place...

One of my goals this year is to read more books & one of the specific books that was on my list to read, was The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. So many times my mom & sister encouraged me to read it & I am so happy that I finally did! 
{The Ten Boom Family}
It is truly an amazing book, that tells the story of Corrie Ten Boom & her family, living in Holland & running a watch shop. This story tells of how they used their home as a "hiding place" for many Jews & others who were the target of such horrible evil during the Holocaust. Because of what they did the whole family was arrested & they had to endure many horrible things... BUT also because of what they did, God worked in amazing ways & they were able to show His love to so many people! People's lives were saved physically & spiritually!
{The Ten Boom's watch shop & home}
It is a beautiful story of how God always provides & how His love can help us overcome the worst hate & pain. After all, even through the most horrible circumstances, so many amazing things happen to them. There is no way to deny that God was with them through it all! I love the message it shows of great faith, love, forgiveness & hope! It's a message everyone should hear!


Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from the book...

“Do you know what hurts so very much? It's love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.” 

"And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself.” 

“And so I learned that love is larger than the walls that shut it in” 



This book is a beautiful example of one of life's hardest things to do...
It challenged my faith, in an amazing way! 

Have you ever read The Hiding Place?
Do you have a favorite part or quote?
If you haven't read it, you should, because it's a blessing!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

granny square garland...

I used some of my granny squares to make this cute garland / bunting!
It is now for sale in my shop... :)