A Joyful Heart

" A joyful heart is good medicine , but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." Proverbs 17:22

I've finally started my New Year's resolution...to eat healthier and work out more. Its now the end of May...I've been keeping myself on a pretty awesome routine for about a month and already I'm seeing results in areas I didn't even realize. Like, my heart. Not my physical heart, but the one that Jesus is supposed to live in. I try to walk several miles every day and that usually takes a good hour or so, with all that time to myself  there is a lot of reflection going on, the perfect time to lift up my burdens in prayer and even more recently in the past week I've been sending much rejoicing and thanks up to heaven just because being out in God's great world breathing in the sweet smell of honeysuckle, hearing little children laughing as they play outside and just all of the  amazing things happening in my life are just soooo overwhelming I have to give thanks right then and there.

I have more peace about things since I've been spending more time in prayer. Peace about things that have been really bringing me down. I've seen the blessings that a closer relationship with Christ brings just pour down in the past few weeks. I have so much to be thankful for right now.

  Physically, I originally wanted to be skinnier or more fit or what have you ( which my dear husband said he has already noticed a difference in my body!) , but now my focus is on eating as healthfully as possible in preparation for pregnancy. NO! I am not pregnant yet, no we're aren't trying yet but when we do start trying I want to be as physically ready as possible. I am loving...ABSOLUTELY loving eating great food. Tons of smoothies, gallons of water ( okay just lots of water) salads with lots of spinach, fresh berries, delicious stir fries, ohh, its so yummy!  And I feel amazing, no bloating, my skin is improving,  There are just so many side benefits. Speaking of benefits, I just started my new job today and I'm so thankful to say that after my probationary period is up, I'm allowed to use the gym on campus. HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT! I was wondering what I was going to do in the winter  when its too cold to be walking for a long time. Another blessing. Because there was no way I was going to pay a ridiculous amount of money every month for a gym and then drive a ridiculous amount of miles to get there.

Life is good. God is good.
Amen?


Here is arecipe I'm dying to try from a blog I sometimes read.( minus the fetaI just don't know how I feel about that yet.) Doesn't it look scrumptious?

Fresh spinach
Fruit-blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and mangoes
Sliced almonds
Feta Cheese
Raspberry Vinaigrette

directions:

In a bowl or on a plate add the fresh spinach. Top spinach with fruit, sliced almonds, and feta cheese. Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

Lovely Summer Ramblings

 I don't care if its still May, to me its SUMMER! Yesterday was Memorial Day and I know its not National BBQ day especially having a brother in the military but being surrounded by family, delicious food and an all encompassing hot, hot, dry heat of almost 90 degrees how can it not be Summer?
My mom made homemade strawberry ice cream which in a word was oh-mazing! We all felt sad because my brother (the one in the military) always requested strawberry treats and this year he wasn't home to eat with us but we sucked up and tried to enjoy it anyways ;)

My in-laws had a cookout too and there was corn on the cob which made us  crave vine-ripened tomatoes,watermelon and more corn on the cob. The kids were all running around outside, slapping at mosquitoes, baseball was at a dull roar in the corner of the living room, the smokey smell of the grill wafted in every time someone  opened up the deck doors.
 
  AHH, I love these days. The days of sunburn, watering cans, fresh cut grass, bluest blue skies, early evening thunderstorms,local carnivals, road side stands, flip flops,the easy laziness of the warm mornings, hair whipping in the  wind when the windows are down....I just love this time of year. Summer brings with its arrival Optimism, a hope eternal that "this summer is going to be even better than last year's"... Summer weekends come and even adults feel like school's let out again on Friday night.

This summer I hope to accomplish:

 1.) AN ACTUAL TAN ( not just a burn-fade-pale)
2.) a beautiful garden ( half way there. check.)
3.) Finish decorating our bedroom ( hopefully I'll get to use some of the great ideas I've seen on pinterest.)
4.) This is supposed to be the summer of the well-dressed me. A more modest, tastefully, thriftily clothed me. i.e tons of beautiful, cheap, sundresses!
5.) Try my hand at canning and preserving summer in a jar. I live surrounded by orchards and farms there is no reason to not bottle some of that goodness up for the middle of February when I can't take the gray coldness anymore.

Here's a few pictures from yesterday of the littlest ones:

What is your Design style?

What is your style???


I'd like to think of my home as fun, fresh, cozy, eclectic, welcoming, a delight to visit..I could go on forever. I love bright colors, bold patterns, traditional touches like braided rugs, same tone woods, little odds and ends ( I am not "knick-knacky" as my mother would say but I like clever little things that speak to me, like in the Pier 1 commercials), lots and lots and lots of PHOTOS, I guess I want my to reflect my husband and I's personality. I want our guests to instantly feel comfortable and welcome. Here are a few of my favorite things...please pardon the dated wallpaper and such, we are renting, someday I'll be able to make our own house exactly as we'd like it. :) I took the Better Homes and Garden Quiz and I got Traditional style, which is true I suppose. We both love old things and classic styling so it makes sense. Here are a few of my favorite personalized things:

 amish letter blocks, a wedding gift

 cigar box

 spaghetti sauce vase with fresh tulips, my favorite

 fun pillows and picture, probably the most expensive things I've bought for our home 

 my favorite spot. its just cute to me.

 i like little touches of france 

 jamie adores old lamps. 

 i love the old suitcase, and the bright colors.

Truth.

Free Flowerpots!

If you're anything like me, you hate to spend a ridiculous amount of money on little things. Especially if you know there is way to get them much cheaper! For example, flowerpots. I refuse to pay $5+ PER pot, and I need a lot of pots. So I got my gears to turning and I came up with a simple solution. Cans!
  I work in a kitchen and there are always tons of #10 cans just being thrown away every  day, why not salvage them and give them a makeover. Its pretty simple actually, Step 1: obtain can(s) You can use whatever size your plants need.
 Step 2: Peel away paper. Sand or scrub off any glue. Make sure the cans are dry or you'll have an uneven finish. Punch drain holes in the top with a hammer and nail. Be careful!

Step 3: Choose your paint. I  used bright summery colors, you could also use chalkboard paint, stone finish, or whatever your scheme is.

Step 4:

Paint away! I used 2+ coats. Remember these are going to being sitting outside...

Step 5:

Let dry. This is the hardest part for me, the waiting part. I hate waiting.

Step 6:

Fill with potting soil and plant to your little heart's desire.

You could also paint a base coat with one color and then section off lines with masking tape for a striped effect or come up with your own ideas!

That's it! I told you it was easy! And you'll be recycling!