Friday Favorites

It has been way too long since I shared some Friday favorites.   So what do you say? How about today?  Good.

-This will be a no-brainer to most of you, but I'm loving the new Mumford & Sons album, Babel. Favorite song so far- "I Will Wait".  It has been my afternoon soundtrack the last 3 days.

-Orla Kiely and Method: a perfect match to me!  Cute bottle, great smelling soap and I'm sold.

-Okay, be patient with me on this one, but Cale and I are loving the ridiculous show "Duck Dynasty".  I had heard people talk about it several months ago and assumed that was not a show for me.  Earlier this week several blogs I read mentioned the wife that is on the show and I decided to look more into it.  All it took was one minute long clip on hulu to know that this was a show Cale and I needed to watch. It is SO FUNNY!  We have watched 5 or 6 episodes this week and we are constantly laughing out loud.  If you want to see some crazy rednecks in action then this is your show.  It sounds ridiculous and it is, but we can't get enough of it!  Good news is you can watch all of season 1 on hulu. I'm going to refrain from posting a nice picture at the top of this note because you might get scared!

-We are going to have family pictures taken by the best photographer I know next week and I've been trying to figure out what everyone is wearing.  I ordered this dress for Haven from Land End and it is adorable.  The top is t-shirt like and the skirt is fine wale corduroy and I love it.  It's a little brighter in person, but I think we're going to make it work.  Thank you Lands End for a 40% off coupon and a sale.

-I saw these English muffins at the store and didn't think anything of it til I read about them on a blog (which I can't find the actual link to).  Then I saw the big packs at Sam's Club and knew we needed to try them.  Let me implore you to buy them!  They are delicious- not too strong of a flavor.  Just right for these fall mornings.  I might stockpile my freezer with them!

And that's all I've got.  I, for one, and very glad it is Friday.  It's been a long week and I'm ready for a not-too-busy weekend!  Hope it's a good one for you, too!

A new look and a quote

Like many areas of my life, I decided a little sprucing up was in order here on the blog.  So a new look with many thanks to my technical genius of a husband for getting it up and going for me. I told him what I wanted and he made it happen.  I'm liking the vibe of this new background and we will hopefully get all the tweaks taken care of this week.

And now a little Spurgeon for you.  It would not be overstating to say that C.H. Spurgeon has been vital in my growth as a believer.  Seriously.  A month or so ago, I decided to pull out my copy of Morning and Evening (thanks to Jess!) and it has been just what I needed.  I read this a few nights ago and it was astoundingly appropriate (especially in light of my last post.)  I hope you are as encouraged as I was!

The trials which come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces, and so at once to illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues, and to add to their energy.  Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people's faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened.  You would never have possessed the precious faith which now supports you if the trial of your faith had not been like unto fire....While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk it is useless to man, it must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be know.  Thus it is well that Jehovah tries the righteous, for it causes them to grow rich toward God.  

May I always long to grow rich toward God, whatever it may cost me!

notes from today...

I'm guessing the best way to get back into a blogging groove is to just start blogging, right?  So consider this my humble attempt.  I really do love to write and share around here, but this has fallen to the bottom of an every-growing list of things that demand my attention.  But maybe this week, I'll try a little harder.  A few thoughts from my day...

-Happy mail today- my new checkbook cover I ordered off etsy.  Seems like an unnecessary purchase, but for $4 it's going to bring me a lot of happy.  (Amy Butler Camel Geisha)

-I wore 2 patterns together.  I know this is all the rage, but not really my thang.  But I tried it- stripes with a pattern.  Dipping my toe in the waters.  And I liked it.

-We are big fans of Compassion International and have supported kids through them for years.  Sadly, we are not the best at writing to our kids even though we know it is so important. I got on there today and they have totally revamped their online letter writing process.  It is awesome and such a great use of technology!  You can pick cool papers, upload pictures directly to your letter and even duplicate it to send to more then one sponsor child.  In 15 minutes I was able to send two letters across the world.  How cool is that?  So if you sponsor children through Compassion- go write them a letter today!

-It's soup night around here.  I've been making this soup since we got married and it is still a favorite- Baked Potato Soup.  I've lightened it up a bit and it's one of those recipes that I have memorized because I've made it so much.  We love it!  Tonight it will be served with salad and biscuits- a yummy fall meal.

-Anyone else out there started Christmas shopping?  I've spent way too much time browsing today trying to make some decisions on a few gifts and also maybe get to a certain amount for free shipping.  The person who decided that offering free shipping with a certain amount spent was a genius!  I'm currently $2.27 short of the amount I need.  Annoying.  And I just keep buying more stuff!  Ya gotta spend money to save money, right?

-It's Fall Break around here!  We officially have 6 weeks under our belts and are on break with Classical Conversations so mama decided we're having a break here, too.  Well, as much of a break as Haven will let me do!  We still did some worksheets and reading and she really wanted spelling, but I cut her off.  We're going to do some fun crafty things and maybe even throw in a field trip or two.  And plan for the rest of the year!  There's no break for me!

Happy October Monday!

Elvis and Panera

There's a first time for everything and tonight I crossed two things off the "Never Happened Before"...I was, along with five other ladies, serenaded by an Elvis impersonator while meeting at Panera.

For reals.

I've never been serenaded at Panera before and up til tonight have had minimal contact with Elvis impersonators.  Even better, he came back after singing and said, "You better take a picture or no one will believe you!"  I apologize for the horrible picture, but we were all laughing too hard!

Anything crazy happen to you today?! Bet you can't beat this!

This and that and the boat

I've been fighting with Blogger all week and I wish I could break up with him.  But, I don't really care enough to do that, so I'll just keep fighting.  I have written no less then 5 posts this week that have disappeared mid-type, never to be seen from again.  One of them I restarted 4 times before I took the hint. I'm a slow learner I guess.  But that has nothing to do with anything really.  Only to say that I really have tried to have something to say, but blogger is trying to shut me up.

It's been a lovely week to live in southwestern Ohio.  We've made good use of the sunshine and have been reminded how nice it is to play outside without fear of heatstroke.  We've had playdates outside and taken bike rides and just lived it up.  We love it.  We got caught up in all the beautiful temps and sunshine and tried to go boating mid-week (What? You didn't know we bought a boat?  We bought a boat!).  Then we broke the boat.  And there were a lot of sad faces around here.  But now the boat is fixed and we can try again.  Cale scored skis at a garage sale last weekend and he's itching to try them out.  But to be honest, that means I have to drive the boat while he skis and that is stressful!  I'm a sit-in-the-open-bow-soak-up-the-sun kind of boater.  Not bare-the-weight-of-responsibility-to-not-harm-someone-while-pulling-them-behind-you-at-high-rates-of-speed boater. But for Cale, I'll do it. The boat was a surprising, but long desired purchase.  A great deal fell in our laps and we felt like this was the perfect scenario to do it.  We are really enjoying being out on it as a family and sharing it with friends. Maybe someday Blogger won't hate my and I'll even post pictures of our boating adventures!

Our weekend is shaping up to be a good one.  Haven and I have a mommy date planned for tomorrow complete with a haircut for her and lunch.  When she starts crying every time I comb her hair I know it's time to chop it off.  That day has arrived!  Since I knew she was getting it cut, I convinced her to let me do pigtails today. I adore her in pigtails. But she's pretty darn cute with her short little bob, too!

Happy weekending to you!

Must watch soon.

We had the pleasure of spending our weekend at a lake house with friends from our home group.  That means two things: we had a ton of fun and I have yet been able to watch the SERIES FINALE of the greatest show ever...Friday Night Lights. (Come, on!  You knew I wasn't going to let it's ending pass without mention!)  This is killing me.  People are writing about it and Amber and I need to debrief and I have yet to watch it!  I spent 14 hours in the car yesterday that prevented me from watching and I told Cale I would wait for him, but I don't know if I can keep that promise.  There's a lot of hours to go til tonight.  And we both know that I'm gonna watch it more then once anyways.  Amber emailed me as she watched and it only heightened the anticipation.  When she mentioned that she was alternating between crying and clapping, I knew I was gonna love it. I've got to watch it soon or I might explode!

And the lake..it was great.  Picture proof to come!

Things to love about spring

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day and we savored every last drop of sunshine.  Today it's overcast, but I am finding enjoyment in a rainy day that promises to bring me buds on the trees and green grass. All this springness has got me thinking about all the things I love about spring.  It's not my favorite season, but it's a close second.  Here's my Top 10 things I love about spring:

1. The smell of fresh cut grass...I was out running errands yesterday and encountered this not once, not twice, but three times.  And I loved it.

2. Becoming reacquainted with the cuteness that is my children's elbows and knees.  After a long winter of keeping them covered, it's always delightful to see their adorableness again.

3. Letting the kids got out to play and hearing their happy sounds through open windows.  From now til October we'll be on daily yard toy pick-up duty every night, but it is so worth it.

4.The idea of spring cleaning...not so much the execution, but I do get excited about a long list of tasks to accomplish.  I'm lucky if I get a quarter of them done, but the thought of a fresh clean house is a powerful pull.

5. Sleeping with the windows open, especially on a breezy night.

6. We have 6 or so weeks left to wait, but strawberry picking has become one of our favorite activities to do as a family in the spring.  We've only got one jar of jam left from berries we picked last summer so I guess we better ration it til I can make more next month!

7. Bike rides, walks and general outdoorsiness... we love to get outside and enjoy the world around us and also take advantage of the proximity of the bike trail to our house (it's in our back yard!).

8. After a long winter and only occasional sightings, it's so nice to see our next door neighbors on a regular basis.  My kids adore them and would stalk their every move if we allowed it, but we generally discourage that kind of behavior!

9. The knowledge of a slew of warm days and nights ahead of us.

10. Backyard hangouts can begin again, complete with grilling, the fire pit and relaxing conversation while the kids play.  We're hosting our first one this weekend.

I hope spring is here to stay.

Our day in links

Haven and I enjoyed making Candy Cane Kiss Cookies.  And we've all enjoyed eating them.

We made these cute and easy tree ornaments for an afternoon activity.

We filled our bellies with Chicken and Wild Rice Soup for dinner. Sister Schubert rolls on the side.  Yum.

I won a $50 gift card at the mall.  Just for being in the right place at the right time.  (No link for that, just happy news from the day!)

One of our new favorite Christmas books this year is Snowmen at Christmas.  Beautiful illustrations and great imagination!

I read this and was challenged and encouraged to speak truth to myself.

And now it's time to string popcorn for the tree while we watch this.

I love December.

Happy today

Confession time: I listened to Christmas music in my car today.  And I loved it.  I had an Iced Capp in hand and my best little guy in the backseat and I was headed to get supplies for a Christmas project.  A delightful scenario that required Christmas music.  It would have been down right irresponsible to not play it! My shopping trip was highly successful and I hope to show you proof of that later this week.

Gray skies, colder temps (finally!), rain, soup for dinner and bread rising in the kitchen make me one happy girl this Tuesday afternoon.  Christmas music optional.

What's making you happy today?

Miniature

I love things that come in miniature size.  I'm not talking about a shelf full of mini spoons and turtles and Statue of Liberty figurines (although there's nothing wrong with that!).  I"m talking about normal things, just done mini.  I kept a mini bottle of ketchup that came with room service on our honeymoon just because I couldn't get over it's short and squatiness.  I have mini little playing cards that I've never attempted to use, because really, who could play Hearts or Solitaire with a card smaller then your thumb.  But they're cute, so they stay.  Want to know what really gets me?  The little tents and sleeping bags that they have on display at Target.  I can hardly stand their cuteness and have even been known to take a picture of them.  I love them that much.  Have you ever been to Pottery Barn Kids and seen the mini little display cribs?

Can.not.stand.it.

I also love free things.  And I'm always signing up for a free sample of this or that and promptly forgetting what I signed up for.  Imagine my delight when this showed up yesterday:

And now some perspective on the tiny size...

Might not be useful for much, but it was free and it's mini...two of my favorite things!

december third

three things for thursday...

three trees...

three dollar roses...

and tomorrow my man returns after being gone for three days.

can't wait.

Sometimes happiness comes in the mail

My love for football has been well documented here. I just love the game-from tv shows about it to my Super Bowl winning team. Imagine my delight when I picked up the mail yesterday and two of my favorite things arrived at the same time.

My sweet, wonderful, knows-me-so-well husband bought me a Dillon Panthers t-shirt!

Coach Taylor's famous phrase on the front!

And it brought me great joy to buy Mathios his first Steelers jersey over the weekend. Thank you ebay! I can hardly wait til the season starts for him to wear it! I can assure you I will be posting pictures of our cute boy in it.

Short and sweet

A few things that I'm loving this week:


-Mango limeades from Sonic. Haven you tried one? Delightful!


-I'll admit I was a "Saved By the Bell" fan in my day. Have you watched this video yet? Zack Morris on Jimmy Fallon, for real. Hilarious!


-I can only hope to be this organized someday. Check it out and be inspired!



-Our court date is on Tuesday and we received tentative travel dates of July 18-25, which means we could be home with our boy a month from now!


Happy weekend!

A few details...

There's a new feature around here thanks to Cale's hard work. It is now possible to subscribe to fell in love at 22 via your email (just for you Shannon!) Also, if you don't already subscribe to it in a reader there is a handy little button for your convenience. (And why aren't you using Google Reader already?!!!) If you currently subscribe nothing should change, but if you have problems with it please let me know. I do realize how ridiculous a request that is because if you subscribe in a reader then you don't even come here to check in so why would you know that you've missed anything?!!! Humor me!

That is all.

Friday Favorites

Happy Spring! It doesn't feel too springy around here today, but the sunshine helps. Cale has been out of town for most of this week and we are happy to have him home now. Poor guy took a redeye home last night so he and Haven are both napping away the afternoon. Here is some randomness that I feel compelled to share...

--March Madness, baby! We love us some college basketball and for the next few weeks we will watch too many games. I signed up for BooMama's Tournament Challenge and thus far have a 97% rating. That could all change very quickly so I'm going to enjoy looking like I know what I'm doing while it lasts!

--I'm always on the lookout for easy, not too messy and fun craft projects for Haven and I to do together. This one is a winner! It's on the plan for next week and seems the perfect way to celebrate Spring's arrival. And it's too cute!

--Dinner one night this week found me scrambling for a side dish. Pioneer Woman to the rescue! Actually, Kay to the rescue! I made the Potato Corn Mash and added in peas as well....delicious! We all ate way too much of it, but considering it's full of veggies I don't think that's a bad thing. It seems like such a no brainer kind of recipe, but I've never thought to do it before so I'm glad Kay shared the idea. And if you have some time go visit Kay's site; great recipes and beautiful pictures!

--I read some good news earlier this week...negotiations are underway for Friday Night Lights to be renewed for not one, but two seasons! You have no idea the joy I felt upon reading this news!

--I haven't purchased these sandals yet, but you better believe I will be. They will be the Summer of '09 sandals assuming they are as comfortable they appear to be! A little pricier then what I would usually spend for flip flops, but they are adorable and free shipping never hurts either.

Hope your weekend is as happy as mine looks to be!

Winter fades to spring

I love winter. I truly relish the snow and cold and bundling up in scarves and hats and mittens. But for some reason this winter has seemed especially cold and long. Perhaps it's the 50 degree temps outside today playing with my heart, but it is official: I am over winter. I'm done.

I'm ready for warmer breezes reviving our winter-logged house and blue skies that beckon us outside. I am craving long walks on the bike trail and conversations that get picked up right where we left them while we walk. I am ready to get my hands dirty and my feet muddy as we labor to revive our yard and coax plants to grow. I can already hear Haven's squeals of delight as she terrorizes the neighborhood on her trike.

The weather today is a tease; after all, it is still February. But it reminds me of what's to come and that's always a good thing.

The soundtrack of my day

Go here and buy this album, people! We've been listening to it all day and it is wonderful. We are loving it!

Go buy one (or two or ten!) and help Phil and Amber bring their baby home!

We did it!

Our Steelers did it again and we're Super Bowl champs! Here is one little part of the Steeler Nation celebrating the big win! What a game!

Friday Favorites

It's been a long week at our house. So there is no better way to end the week then with a list! Some of my favorite things from the last few weeks...

-I originally purchased this purse for my sister-in-law's birthday, but loved it so much that Cale picked up my hints and is getting me one as well. I just can't decide which one I love the most. They are all great and I love the idea of having a handmade, practically one-of-a-kind bag. Go check out Tippy Thai's etsy store here.

-I read Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer daily, but today she made me cry. Go read her beautiful post about her new niece that is arriving from Ethiopia very soon!

-Sesame Street is a favorite around here. Last week I discovered that at they have a very nice interactive website full of learning games, short video clips and coloring pages. Haven has become obsessed with "playing her games" and has been known to throw a fit when we say it is time to quit. We've passed quite a bit of time playing counting, alphabet and matching games this week and Haven thinks she is big stuff getting to use the computer. (Please note that she doesn't play them by herself. She gets to click the button occasionally, but for the most part just tells us what to do and we do it for her.)

-Right before Christmas the bedding that I've had my eye on for the baby's new room finally went on clearance at Target. Now it's been out since last April so I was waiting patiently for this stuff to go on sale. Amber, being the great friend that she is, texted me from "her" Target to tell me the good news. I raced over to "my" Target and found it even cheaper- 50% off! Since then I have found several of the other coordinating blankets and toys at 75% off. I love Target and I LOVE 75% off!

-Haven loves to go to the library. She also loves the color pink. On a recent trip I found a great book that we have both enjoyed reading, over and over and over again. "Priscilla and the Pink Planet" is such a cute story and I'm betting any kid- not just a girl who loves pink- would enjoy it! It's on our short list of books to buy with birthday gift cards at Barnes and Noble.

-For several months now I have been "playing" The Grocery Game. I was initially skeptical about whether I would save enough money to make it worth while, especially since I don't buy very much prepared food. I have gladly been proven wrong week after week as I have purchased dairy products, cereal, toiletries, cleaning products and stock piled my pantry. I have become a bit of an addict trying to beat my savings from the previous week. Go here to read all about it. You can try it out free for 4 weeks and I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Happy weekend, everyone!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

During the first 22 Christmases of my life we had exactly one Christmas without at least a few inches of snow on the ground. Christmas was white, period. It was not something I thought much about and certainly took for granted. Then I moved here. Snow is not a given during winter months and is actually more of a rare occurrence then anything else. I find that disheartening. I enjoy the snow. And I long to see a snow covered ground on Christmas morning. We have had exactly zero white Christmases since Cale and I moved here 7 falls ago. (Well, one of them was white, but wouldn't you know it- we weren't here! We were living in Namibia! And it was oh about, 110 degrees there!)

It's not looking likely that there will be any snow on the ground come Christmas morning. But what do those weather people know anyways! I'm still holding out hope (and yes, even praying a small prayer or two) that my dreams will come true. And if they don't, I have mastered the art of delusion regarding this matter. The blinds and curtains will remain closed for the duration and we'll just pretend that the glow from outside is just the sun reflecting off the new fallen (imaginary) snow.

I'm so not kidding.

Here's to hoping for a white Christmas- one way or another!