Cedar Hill Ranch

My Blogiversary (I Made it a Year!!)

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:31:07 PST

Cedar Hill Ranch, the blog, has been here now for a full year on March 8, 2012. I can't believe it has been that long since I wrote my first post.

Back Porch Redo, click here

I included photos and links to some of my favorite posts as I look back on this fun year.

Here's how it all began for me. I had been doing a lot of writing and photography for a local furniture store, and decided I really enjoyed the creative outlet. I wanted my own place to write, where I had the final say about what went into the article. I suppose every creative person needs such an place, where they call the shots. My friend, Peggy, whom I mention often, really encouraged me to start my own blog. Her daughter has a blog, and I thought, why not? I wondered how long I could go until I ran out of material. Turns out, the answer is... quite a long time.

I found out later that pretty much everyone has a blog. Frankly, I'm shocked my collie doesn't have one yet.

If you can't tell, she is standing in a field of bluebonnets that haven't bloomed yet. I just took that photo about a week ago, so I can't wait to share photos when our bluebonnets finally bloom!! But back to my story.

I remember looking at my blog stats in those early weeks, and the pageviews each day seemed to only include my own personal views of the blog. That confirmed that I was pretty much the only reader of Cedar Hill Ranch, besides Peggy of course. Would I ever have any REAL readers, I mean besides Peggy? I had a few comments here and there, which excited me to no end, but of course, just from Peggy.

Caroline's house, click here

Then I got my first comment that wasn't from my friend Peggy. I was over the moon that a reader I didn't even know had posted a comment. But there was something familiar about the comment. I couldn't shake the thought that the person writing the comment knew me. Later I found out that my friend Caroline had written it, but she has posted it as anonymous, so I didn't know at the time, it was her. Later, she asked if I had figured out it was from her. I kinda had. Again, I appreciated Caroline's support, but when was someone I didn't know going to find my blog on the web? The good news was that now I was up to three readers, if I included myself, which I did!!

Round Top Antique Show, click here

Then I went to the Round Top Antique Show with my camera, and my friend Peggy. It felt akward carrying a camera, but I did. Based on the fabulous photos on the other blogs, I could see that my phone camera was not going to cut it. While in Round Top, we stopped in at the Texas Rose, one of the many antique venues on 237. I ran into another blogger there who was also taking photos. Peggy asked her is she was a blogger. Really? Peggy, just because there is someone within 5 feet of us, does not require us to start up a conversation with said person.

At this point, I didn't want to talk about blogging, since I wasn't sure I really was one, yet. This sweet lady said in a sad voice that she was indeed a blogger, and that she was taking photos for her blog, but what was the point, since she only had 3 readers. (Just like me, I thought.) I wondered just how long she had been blogging, and if I would have that sad look a year from now, taking photos for non-existent readers. Would I EVER have more than 3? I was a little embarrassed to tell her or anyone at that point that I too was a blogger, since I felt REAL BLOGGER = SOMEONE W/ < 100 READERS. I smiled, and kept the conversation on her. But my friend Peggy, just couldn't contain her excitement, and announced that I too was a blogger. She said, "Oh, my friend, Anita," (STANDING RIGHT THERE TO MY IMMEDIATE RIGHT, HELLO, DOES EVERYONE SEE HER????) "is also a blogger!!"

Round Top

I was horrified. She had said it OUT LOUD, where people could hear her! I was ready to crawl under a table, right then and there. (I silently thought, "Please don't ask how many readers I have, please!") I tried to smile, but I think it looked more like a smirk. I know Peggy was trying to be supportive, and she really was proud of me, but I was mortified. This is exactly the kind of thing my mother would have done. You know when your mother says something in public to show how proud she is of you, but she's trying a little too hard, so that you end up looking like a pathetic failure? Yup, that's how I felt.

My friend Leslie's house, click here

Caroline sometimes asks me, "Are you STILL doing that blogging thing? I would have thought you would have run out of stuff to post about by now." Oh Caroline, you have NO IDEA!! (Insert maniacal laugh here.) Thinking up this stuff is what we decor bloggers do for fun, so there is always another idea floating around.

So, I'm made it a whole year. The reason I am still here is plain and simple, BECAUSE OF YOU. I love the friendships I have made here, and the wonderful support. It truly is a blessing to meet up here, and know that there are other people who share my love of design. Before I was a blogger, I had no one to talk to about my projects (except Peggy and Caroline of course.) I got tired of telling most of my friends, since I think there reaction was, aren't you DONE with your house by now? But my blog friends (bloggers and blog readers alike) understand that I will never be done with my house (because they are the same way.)

Silver with a Past, click here

I really want to say thank you for sharing the ride with me. If no one read this blog but me, I wouldn't still be blogging. Your comments and pageviews (even if you don't leave a comment) encourage me so much.

There are so many incredibly talented bloggers out there, and I am so honored be in their company. I love knowing such fun and creative women.

So as my blogiversary festivities begin, which so far, just includes writing this post, I am raising my glass (metaphorically speaking that is) to you. (Oh and thanks Peggy for believing in me.)

I selected won't you celebrate with me as my poem for today. As I am trying to be more careful observing copyrights, (more on that later) rather than including the poem in its entirety, I am simply including a link to the poem, which just happens to be on my favorite poetry site, The Poetry Foundation.

won't you celebrate with me by Lucille Clifton : The Poetry Foundation

Shared here

Cowgirl Up! Linky Party #5

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:33:18 PST

Welcome to Week 5 of
Cowgirl Up! Link Party . . .

the party with a cowgirl can-do spirit!

1 Party, 4 Blogs

Hey Y'all! This is Amanda from The Ivy Cottage Blog. Great job last week! We had over 140 link ups! Whoa!

This week as I was browsing all of your lovely links, I found myself drawn to spring color. Little green shoots are starting to appear here in Texas and pretty soon we will be surrounded by Spring. In anticipation, I have already planted my Mexican daisies in the front garden. They will bloom loads of violet and white throughout the summer.

Anyway, the Cowgirl Up! girls and I want to thank you so much for your overwhelming support of our link party. We want to encourage you to invite others to participate. The more we have linking up, the better traffic you will get coming to your blog!

Enjoy these Spring inspired featured links!

Rachel at Worn Cotton totally "winged" it on this reupholstered chair!

Audrey from Elegant Economies shared some Spring inspired fonts!

Jennifer from Two Butterflies transformed this necklace using nail polish!

Meeha Meeha shared a stunning pair of pink lucite tables that can be changed to any color!

Julie from 551 East turned an ugly duckling into a proud swan!

And finally . . .

Becca from Crumbs and Chaos satisfied my sweet tooth with this thin mint popcorn!

If you were featured here, grab a Featured button. Be sure to like our Facebook pages, since we also post many other favorites there too. If you got featured on Facebook, then feel free to grab a featured button also.

Now about the party...

You link up on my blog and your link shows up on four blogs.

More exposure, less time.

We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials, ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories. Anything that you are proud to show off.

Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration. Doesn't get any easier than that!

What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!

Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch

Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch

Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog

Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls

The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", cowgirl spirit!

Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines:

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!

* Please follow your host blog before linking up on GFC and the new linky follow.

* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include the Cowgirl Up! Button or text link to Cowgirl Up in your linked post.

* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours. Please LIKE your favorite links! Several projects will be featured each week!

The Case of the Vanishing Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:40:53 PST

Well folks, the beautiful blog Uncommon Slice of Suburbia was taken down recently. In an instant, *poof* it was gone, into a black hole. Remember when Bambi's mother was shot down? That's how this felt.

When I went to Kristin's bog, I saw this.

She looked at her blog one minute, and the next minute, it was gone... just like that. And the worst part is that she had never backed up her blog. YIKES!!! (She does now.)

And I know how she feels, because it happened to me a few weeks ago. My blog just disappeared from the internet with no warning. I was upset that something I had put my heart and soul into for almost a year could disappear so easily, without warning or explanation. I had backed up my blog, so I knew that I could get the content back, but if I started a new blog somewhere else, how would my friends know where to find me? It was very devastating to realize that one of my main modes of communicating was gone.

If I started a new blog somewhere else, how would I get the word out? I felt very cut off, and I think the hardest part was feeling like my connection to my friends in the blogisphere had been severed.

My blog came back later the same day, but Kristin's blog was gone for about 24 hours. I know several bloggers that use BLOGGER (the free place you can host a blogspot blog on Google) who have lost their blog at least temporarily. Free is wonderful, but there is a price to be paid. When you don't pay for the hosting, you are at someone else's mercy.

If you have a blog on Blogger; I am hopeful these ideas will be helpful whether you plan to stay on Blogger or move to Wordpress. I am sharing my blog strategy here in the hopes that it will be helpful to someone, although I know many of you are already doing these.

1. Make sure your readers have an alternate way to reach you. How will you connect with your readers if you can't access your blog? How will you let them know you have moved, if your old blog is gone? I think Facebook is the best alternate way to reach people, so I highly recommend setting up a page if you haven't already done so. BTW, please like Cedar Hill Ranch's facebook page... well... just in case something happens to my blog, I will have a way to let you know where I am. Leave a comment here or on the ranch's FB page saying you "liked" Cedar Hill Ranch on facebook, and I will gladly "like" yours too.

When my blog went missing, this is where I communicated with my blogging friends, and Kristen used her facebook page while her blog was missing. I was such a comfort to me knowing that I had some way of still connecting.

2. Back up your blog . If you are on Blogger, it's under SETTINGS. Select EXPORT BLOG. It downloads a copy of your blog to your hardrive. It does not include your photos but includes the code from your blog posts that points to where your photos are. I was backing up my blog once a week, but decided that I would start backing it up every time I had a new post. Kristin covers these steps in her blog here. Another thing you can do is set up a new "dummy" blog on blogger. Export your blog to your hard drive, then in the new blog, import your blog. Don't publish it, just keep the posts in draft form. Then you can publish the posts in your new blog if your old one ever goes down, or you can export the posts elsewhere.

3. Start using Linky Followers. If you decide to move your blog to Wordpress at some point, I believe you can move your Linky followers with you, whereas, Google Friend Connect followers are no longer available on non-BLOGGER sites. BTW, I am actually still seeing them, but Google said they were going away this month. And even if you were to move to a new BLOGGER address, I believe you have to start all over with GFC followers. The link to follow my blog by linky follower (hint, hint) and to sign up for your own free Linky Follow account is below.

4. Have an emergency plan. What will do you if this happens to you? When my blog disappeared, I was too stressed to think about moving my blog. I wondered how I could possibly learn Wordpress and get my blog up and running in a week or so. I wished I had done my research while I wasn't in a crisis mode.

It was while my blog was missing, that I started working on a new paid Worpress site. I am stilling working on moving my blog. I'll let you know how that is going later, so you can learn from my mistakes. I'll share the new blog address too, to be sure you can find me.

If you decide to move your blog, you can redirect your old blog to point to your new blog, sort of like how the post office will forward your mail to your new address when you move to a new house. You can do the redirect, so long as your old blog is still there. If your blog disappears permanently, you won't be able to redirect the traffic from your old blog to your new one. (The has happened to a few bloggers, but usually the removed blog is returned.) I am still doing research on how to make the move without losing readers. I want to be sure I do it right. You don't want readers looking for you and finding nothing.

5. If you are considering Wordpress, Join a support group. I am interested in joining/starting a group of like-minded bloggers to go through this process with me. I want to be able to talk to others who have gone through this switch and others that are doing it now. Let's help eachother. If you know of such a group that would welcome some newbies, please let share that info here in a comment. Or if you are interested in joining a new group as a wordpress newbie or veteran, please let me know in a comment below or by email. Bloggers are wonderful people so willing to help others and I appreciate that about you.

Ironing Board turned Sideboard

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:14:23 PST

Yes it may look like an antique ironing board, but it's my new sideboard for serving dessert and other yummy things.

I found it at Round Top last fall for about $20. Mr CH brought the little azalea bush home recently so I thought it would be perfect here.

I love having fresh flowers around.

These vintage cups, saucers and dessert plates are some pieces I bought at a garage sale years ago.

This footed server was a TJ Maxx purchase years ago. I know why it went to TJ too, it was crooked when I bought it. Why did I buy it? Well it was cute, and that is my defense, although it sounds pretty dumb now that I am admitting I bought a plate that didn't even sit flat!! Well, I wasn't using it (I wonder why, ha, ha) so I moved it out to the ranch on the back porch. In the process of moving it, I broke the top off from the base. Well problem solved, it wasn't crooked any more, but now it was unusable. No worries, I used some epoxy putty and when I re-attached the top to the base, I made sure to make it level this time.

Now I am glad I bought it, since it it sits perfectly level now!! I bought this tote box, thinking I might use it one day for a buffet.

I have the spoons, forks and knives sitting in little jam jars.

The teapot is also an inexpensive find. And to be honest, all of the stuff in my back porch china cabinet is stuff I am not going to cry about if it gets broken. All of my special pieces are kept inside.

With the fresh air, sunshine and green grass (or hay in our case) why would anyone go stay inside? The party is always better on the back porch in my opinion.

The tablecloth is an old tea towel embroided by a family friend. The part of the fabric showing is the plain side with simple embroidered edging that I prefer.

Did I mention I am still loving my new camera? If you want to know about my new camera, you can click here.

I would love to stay and chat, but, my tea kettle is whistling...

Shared here

Cowgirl Up! #4

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:02:41 PST

Welcome to Week 4 of
Cowgirl Up! Link Party . . .

the party with a cowgirl can-do spirit!

1 Party, 4 Blogs

Hey there friends! This is Linsey from The Farmhouse Porch. Did you get a chance to check out the link ups last week? The creative juices that were tapped out over the holidays are really pumping again! Everybody has fresh new ideas and it is really exciting to see the neat stuff you guys are sharing. I was so excited to be able to pick the featured bloggers this time around, until I tried to narrow down the picks. It was like a box of chocolates...all of them are good and each one has something different inside!
Here are my flavors of the week...
An "industrial chic meets romantic" DIY chandy by Ranger 911 . So dreamy Vickie!

Botanical wall perfection by Dimples and Tangles

A drab to fab TV cabinet makeover with Annie Sloan Chalk paint by Our Adventures in Big Ole Texas

Another cute chandelier! This time a steal-of-a-deal Pottery Barn knock off by The Velvet Door

Is it just me, or is aqua super hot this year? A bold and beautiful finishing job on this chest of drawers by Decorating Insanity

I'm a sucker for handmade gifts. I would be overjoyed to recieve something as lovely as this "DIY Herb Garden Gift Set" by Twigg Studios

And I must say that I'm intrigued by this creamy Lettuce Arugula Soup recipe by Town and Country Living. The recipe looks tasty and the photographs are farmhouse fresh!

If you were featured here, grab a Featured button. Be sure to like our Facebook pages, since we also post favorites there too. If you got featured on Facebook, then feel free to grab a featured button also.

Now about the party...

You link up on my blog and your link shows up on four blogs.

More exposure, less time.

We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials, ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories. Anything that you are proud to show off.

Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration. Doesn't get any easier than that!

What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!

Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch

Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch

Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog

Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls

The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", cowgirl spirit!

Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines:

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!

* Please follow your host blog before linking up on GFC and the new linky follow.

* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include the Cowgirl Up! Button or text link to Cowgirl Up in your linked post.

* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours. Please LIKE your favorite links! Several projects will be featured each week!

French Clock Facelift

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:35:00 PST

This my new clock. The best part is that it isn't really new; I bought it many years ago. It just seems like a new clock because I gave it a makeover.

Here's what it has looked like for years in my breakfast room.

I bought it at Ballard Designs a long time ago, and the finish was black with some gold accents. Like many bloggers, I am loving a more white palette now, so I have been painting things like crazy. It's no surprise that this clock did not avoid my paint brush. It was one of many victims lately. I painted it with my homemade chalk paint.

It's the same shade as ASCP Old White, but it is homemade chalk paint. For the homemade chalk paint recipe I use and recommend, click here. After the paint dried, I gave it a coat of Fidde's antique brown wax.

It took me a few minutes of my time, and a small amount of paint and wax; I don't know when I have been this pleased with such a small investment of my time and $. I love it when we can refresh something we already own at a small expense.

Shared here

My Little Firefly

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:44:06 PST

I'm off tomorrow to take my baby to get her driver's license.

I'm not sure I am ready for this, but when she is driving herself around, it will be nice to have my afternoons free again from chauffeuring duties. She was just in her high school production of Fiddler on the Roof, and needed her hair long for the play.

So this week, now that the play is over, we took her to get her very long hair cut. (I'll try to get a picture for you, but I don't have one yet.) She is now sporting a short bob. Just like when the flappers in the 20's cut their hair to symbolize their burgeoning independence, this hair cut seems to represent a new freedom for my little girl, who isn't so little any more.

I remember not many years ago, on Friday nights she would stay with her Gram and Grandy (now both gone to heaven) for an overnight visit. When she and her sister would return from these visits, she would bound up the walkway, and ring the doorbell before her sister and grandparents could even make it out of the car. She was bubbling over with excitement, always so overjoyed to see us. I would hurry to open the door, knowing she couldn't wait to give me a hug and show me her goodies. Being that she and her sister were the only grandchildren, meant that there were always goodies; she rarely came home empty-handed. She also had lots of stories to share about her fun visit with Gram.

As I opened the front door, I would look down expecting to see her smiling face, but the strangest thing would happen. The place where I expected to see her face, was not her face at all. I would be staring directly into her neck, while her face was a good six inches higher than I remembered it being. Somehow my memory of her current height was not keeping up with her actual height. She may look like this,

In Cinderella, The Untold Story

but to me, I still see this.

If You Catch a Firefly

If You Catch a Firefly
By Lilian Moore 1909–2004

If you catch a firefly
and keep it in a jar
You may find that
you have lost
A tiny star.

If you let it go then,
back into the night,
You may see it
once again
Star bright.

From The Poetry Foundation

Shabby Apple Giveaway Winner Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:52:55 PST

Thanks to everyone who entered the Shabby Apple Giveaway. And now I would like to announce the winner.

Drum roll please...

The winner of this lovely dress...

is...

Number 23!!

Oh, I guess you want to know who #23 is.

Michele Price at Prosperity Gal!!

I'll be contacting Michele and Shabby Apple today to let them know who won! Congrats Michele.

Cowgirl Up! Party #3

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:02:34 PST

Welcome to Week 3 of
Cowgirl Up! Link Party . . .

the party with a cowgirl can-do spirit!

1 Party, 4 Blogs

Hello! It's Samantha here and I am happy to say that "Cowgirl Up!" just keeps getting better. I know there are a lot of link parties in the blogging world, but where else can you find 4 blogs linked together?! The unique style of our party has lead to a huge response. I am amazed at the talent and creative ideas showcased in the party this week. Honestly, your projects made it very hard to choose 'favorites'. Thank you for sharing your talent with US!

Here are few posts that caught my eye this week...

"Fabulous Furniture Transformation" from Turnstyle Vogue

"An Updated Sun Room" from Savvy Southern Style

"Restoration Hardware Inspired Vintage Metal Letters" from Knick of Time

"How to Paint Your Washer" from Five Days... 5 Ways

"How to Dye Coffee Filters" by Salvaged Whimsy

"A Different Chair" by A Girl and a Brush

"Painted Ombre Flour Sack Towels" by Always in Wonder

"Introducing Annika" by The Comforts of Home

If you were featured here, grab a Featured button. Be sure to like our Facebook pages, since we also post favorites there too. If you got featured on Facebook, then feel free to grab a featured button also.

Now about the party...

You link up on my blog and your link shows up on four blogs.

More exposure, less time.

We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials, ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories. Anything that you are proud to show off.

Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration. Doesn't get any easier than that!

What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!

Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch

Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch

Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog

Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls

The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", cowgirl spirit!

Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines:

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!

* Please follow your host blog before linking up on GFC and the new linky follow.

* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include the Cowgirl Up! Button or text link to Cowgirl Up in your linked post.

* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours. Please LIKE your favorite links! Several projects will be featured each week!

Vintage Rolling Pins

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:23:17 PST

I love this collection of old rolling pins.

I put them in an old apple basket I found at my MIL's house when we were cleaning it out. At first, I passed over it, but then my friend Peggy said, "Aren't you going to keep that?" Well, I looked at it another time, and decided that yes, I would keep it.

These are all items from my MIL's house except the one with the long skinny handle which I think I got as a wedding gift. I keep the rolling pins on the counter next to the stove.

Usually I use my marble rolling pin. I put it in the freezer first for a few minutes to get it nice and cold. (A tip from my friend Sheila) then when I roll out pie crusts or biscuits, they don't stick to my rolling pin. It's amazing how well that works. Sheila also told me that putting a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling pasta will keep the water from boiling over. I think we busted that myth, right Sheila? How long did it take up to clean up that mess? Actually Sheila is an excellent cook and teaches cooking classes, but I have to give her a hard time over that one.

This oil painting over my stove is from Round Top several years ago.

These rolling pins have seen a lot of action in their day. According to my MIL, these rolling pins belonged to her MIL who made biscuits almost every day.

I also kept my MIL's old potato masher and hand crank mixer too.

I am thrilled to have a piece of our family's past, and I hope my daughter cherishes it, when they belong to her.

Blog of the Week SOPHIA'S DECOR

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:28:00 PST

For this week, I've chosen Sophia's Decor for my Blog of the Week.

How could you resist the redo of her daughter's bedroom?

Photo credit: Sophia's Decor

I don't care how old I am, I want a room like this one!!

Photo credit: Sophia's Decor

Kristen is from the Pacific Northwest, but recently moved to Raleigh, NC. She's a SAHM, with three daughters, who has an eye for design.

Photo credit: Sophia's Decor

Oh, she has lots of other wonderful posts, but this one really caught my eye, great job Kristen!

BTW, are you a Linky Follower yet? I want to stay connected to you, and I think this is going to be the best way. I will always follow back, if you leave a comment saying you followed. I'm trying to proactively get to everyone's blog and follow on Linky Follow, but since I don't know who added Linky Follow and who didn't, it's easier for me, if you let me know.

And, don't forget the Shabby Apple Giveaway going on now.

To visit Shabby Apple, you can click on the photo below.

Cowgirl Up! Party #2

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:59:48 PST

Welcome to Week 2 of
Cowgirl Up! Link Party . . .

the party with a cowgirl can-do spirit!

1 Party, 4 Blogs

Wow!! It's Anita here, and can I say that all of us at Team Cowgirl Up! were blown away by the response last week? First off, week #1 kicked off with over 180 links, and the quality of projects was stellar. Let me just say, YOU ROCK!! I know there are lots of parties out there, and we are so excited you have taken the time to join us.

It was very difficult to select just a few projects to feature, but here's some that I really loved.

Head over Heels shared lots of wonderful ideas for her Texas country wedding. (I do love a wedding!)

Coastal Colors showed off her side table redo with this great French graphic.

Coastal Charm saved mega-bucks with her thrifty new DIY $240 floor!

Craft Berry Bush shares how she made this wonderful winter wreath in a white frame.

French Country Cottage repurposed a garden table, making a new table top. (I love a woman who can use power tools.)

A Few Pennies used odds and ends to create some new va-voom.

Savvy Southern Style showed gave us a tour of her dreamy, serene bedroom.

There were tons more projects I wanted to highlight, but for the sake of space, I'll stop there for this week. If you were featured here, grab a Featured button. Be sure to like our Facebook pages, since we also post favorites there too. If you got featured on Facebook, then feel free to grab a featured button also.

Now about the party...

you link up on my blog and your link shows up on four blogs. Cool, huh? More exposure, less time. Sounds good to me!

We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials, ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories. Anything that you are proud to show off.

Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration. Doesn't get any easier than that!

What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!

Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch

Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch

Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog

Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls

The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", cowgirl spirit!

Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines:

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!

* Please follow your host blog before linking up on GFC (and if you have a linkyfollow account, then please follow that way too.)

* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include the Cowgirl Up! Button or text link to Cowgirl Up in your linked post.

* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours. Please LIKE your favorite links! Several projects will be featured each week!

Recipe for Cozy

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:45:46 PST

Here's what I did to add a touch of cozy to my house.

Take one vintage muffin tin.

Steal idea from Cozy Little House and fill it with candles.

Light candles.

Don't you just love it when you find a great idea to steal? Thanks Brenda for the wonderful inspiration. Want some great ideas to steal? Be sure to join me right here after 9 pm Monday night for our second week of

Cowgirl Up! Linky Party

1 Party, 4 Blogs.

A Note about Linky Followers

A lot of people have asked me about Linky Followers. It is free service pretty much just like Google Friend Connect. It is easy to sign up and easy to get the code for your blog. You can find it in my side bar. Find the Linky Followers in my sidebar, click on the "follow me" and if you don't have a account yet, it will give you the chance to set one up.

I recommend getting it for your blog (if you have one) because
1. Google may do away with Google Friend Connect for Blogger later, although now they have only announced removing it from non-blogger sites.
2. Many big non-blogger sites are going to Linky Followers. So, I think it will eventually become the gold standard.  Right now, everyone is starting over at ground zero. If you add Linky Follower now, you can come up to speed with everyone else. If you wait however, everyone else will have large numbers of linky followers, while you will have to start with zero.
3. If Google does away with Google Friend Connect for Blogspot sites, you may not have much notice, and again, so you could potentially lose one mode of communication with your readers.

My Little Greenhouse and a New Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:18:16 PST

I am so happy. I am happy for three reasons this week.

1. My mom came for a visit from Oklahoma. It was a wonderful visit AND she is coming back next month when my brother and his wife come for a visit.

2. My daughter's high school play is over. Well, we are so proud of her, and adored seeing her in the play, but she was tied up for long hours every day, even on the weekends, so now she is free (and so am I.)

3. My birthday gift has arrived. Yes I had a birthday in January. My daughter does not understand why I don't tell everyone about my birthday. It is difficult to explain to a sixteen-year-old that becoming a year older at my age is not exactly exciting. But that is beside the point. The point is that my new camera arrived and I am lovin' it!!

I got a Canon 5D Mark II. Back in the dark ages when I had a photography business, I used a medium format film camera, a Mamiya. Medium format refers to the negative size. 645 negatives are 64.5 mm wide versus 35 mm negatives that are 35 mm wide. That larger size means that the enlargements are crisp and sharp even up to very large sizes. I got out of the photography business just as it was becoming digital.

So I just couldn't at that time justify spending the large sums of money required to buy a new digital professional camera then. So I have been using a Canon Rebel for several years now. It's a wonderful camera, but I wanted those crisp, crisp photos again.

Any way, long story short, I just got the Canon 5D Mark II last week, and it does an amazing job. I am loving it, but even if you don't have an expensive camera, you can still take great photos. That's a topic I want to cover later. Some of you say you use your phone to take pictures, and I would have otherwise never known because the photos are so good. Many of you already have great tutorials on photography so I have really hesitated going there, since the info is so excellent, but that is a topic on my back burner.

One of the strengths of this camera is its ability to shoot in low light without a lot of digital noise (translates - grainy.)

I'm also just now adding the watermark. I know, I know, I'm way behind the curve here.

So now onto my little greenhouse. I picked up these minature portraits at a consignment shop recently, and the minature pineapple mold is from Williams Sonama.

I love this little bottle and you can even see the bubbles in the glass.

Below is a small floral frog from my MIL. Can you see all of the crisp detail from the new camera?

The praying hands on marble are inherited.

All of those things go in the little greenhouse. I actually bought the greenhouse for a song one year after Christmas, since it was filled with Christmas-themed florals. I opened it up and removed the Christmas stuff, and now I have fun filling it with all kinds of goodies.

I love my iron bunny that sits in the tray with the house.

And now for a few announcements.

With GFC going away for non-blogger blogs and possibly even for blogger sites, I am trying to follow everyone by Linky Follower. Please become a Linky follower of the ranch, so that we can stay connected. I will follow back of course!! You can find the Linky Follower box in my sidebar and just to make it REAL easy for you, I put it in the post too, just so you can't miss it.

And please sign up for the Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway
going on now.

Shared here

Cowgirl Up Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:00:03 PST

Welcome to the Cowgirl Up! Link Party . . .

where we encourage a "can-do" pioneer spirit!

Here is the deal . . . you link up on my blog and your link shows up on three other blogs. Cool, huh? More exposure, less time. Sounds good to me!

We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials, ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories. Anything that you are proud to show off.

Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration. Doesn't get any easier than that!

What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!

Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch

Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch

Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog

Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls

The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", pioneer spirit!

Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines:

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!

* Please follow your host blog before linking up.

* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Please include the Cowgirl Up! Button somewhere on your blog! Preferably at the bottom of your post.

* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours. Please LIKE your favorite links! Several projects will be featured each week!

I've Got the Book Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:47:47 PST

Recently we inherited many, many books. So, I have been trying to incorporate books here and there, any where there is a vacant spot. I decided to use some of the blue books on the fireplace. I have some other colors that I used elsewhere, and I'll share those later.

These are all vintage books with lots of wonderful patina, that were all part of my FIL's collection of theological books.

After my post about ripping covers off unwanted books (my humble apology to you authors out there) I felt I should redeem myself by showing that I really do respect and love old books. I am including a link to the cover-ripping post, but (SPOILER ALERT) if you are an author or writer, whatever you do, DO NOT click on this link. If you still want to see it, you may do so at your own risk, here.

I did find this fun metal basket for about $10 that I put some books in, for a casual look. They were placed in there, ever so gently.

These metal one-dimensional urns were also about $10 each. I actually bought one for a birthday gift, but ended up going back for two more for myself. You know... ONE for you and TWO for me. (Embarrassing but I admit it.)

I found this old wood box on eBay and it was, I believe, used to store some sort of food. But you readers are so knowledgeable, I expect someone will know exactly what it was used for.

When we use the fireplace, we do move the books out of the way, but I am enjoying them on the fireplace when it is not in use.

Authors Note: No books were harmed in the making of this blog post.

Remember to come back for our first Cowgirl Up Party!

You can link up tonight after 9 pm.

And please sign up for the Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway
going on now.

Shared here

Cowgirl Up

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:15:41 PST

I spend a fair amount of time each week joining linky parties where I share my favorite post of the week. And if you are a blogger, you probably do the same thing. My friend Amanda contacted me recently and asked, "What if you could link up your post on one blog but it would show up on four blogs every week? I said, "BRING IT!" And here it is.

Cowgirl Up!!!

It's a WEEKLY mulit-blog Linky Party

starting on Tuesday, February 7.

You'll be able to find it here every Tuesday, and when you link up here, you'll automatically be linked up on four different blogs. You won't have to visit the other three blogs to link up, but I hope you do, because you will love them. The hosts for Cowgirl Up are:

Linsey from The Farmhouse Porch

Amanda from The Ivy Cottage

Samantha from Crafty Texas Girls

and Moi.

We are looking for your favorite projects, tutorials, ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories. Anything that you are proud to show off. This is not a country themed party! We chose the term "Cowgirl Up!" because of the genuine "can do" spirit of a cowgirl, and it just sounded fun.

According to the Urban Dictionary, Cowgirl Up means

To be your own woman, make your own path, and take responsibility for who you are and what you do
To step up to a challenge; to toughen up; to make something happen, as opposed to just complaining about it; taking charge of a situation.

So come back here Monday night to link up your post, or if you don't have a blog, you can visit on Tuesday and find some wonderful blogs that might be new to you. So come on and Cowgirl Up!!

Not so Shabby Apple Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:10:50 PST

SHABBY APPLE DRESS GIVEAWAY!

When Shabby Apple contacted me with an opportunity for this giveaway, I was pretty excited. I love their classic, vintage style that is so uniquely Shabby Apple, and now I get to give a reader one of these fabulous dresses!!

I love the romantic, vintage feel of their dresses, especially this brown dress.

What about this black dress with the floral appliques? Are those cowboy boots she's wearing? Not sure, but that black dress would totally work with a cool pair of cowboy boots.

Ah yes, the next time I go to Paris, I think I will need to wear this lovely white and blue striped dress.

Well these are all stunning dresses, but the dress I selected for this giveaway is the Boogie Woogie Dress, shown below. I selected it since I think it will be adorable on about anyone, any size.

Black Dress with Shirred and Applique Flowers and Sash

And exclusively for Cedar Hill Ranch readers, we get a special

10% discount

Be sure to use the code cedarhill10off

This discount expires in 30 days.

Special Notes on the Giveaway
To be eligible for the giveaway, you must have a US shipping address.
Shabby Apple will send you the dress in the size requested but cannot exchange your dress for a different dress or other merchandise.
The winner will be selected using a Random Number Generator.

To win this amazing dress,

1. Be sure you are a GFC follower of Cedar Hill Ranch (Make sure I have a way to reach you if you win. So if you don't have an email address associated with your profile then leave it in your comment or send it to me via the "Contact me" on my sidebar.)
2. Visit Shabby Apple and find a dress you like.
3. Come back to Cedar Hill Ranch and leave a comment saying which dress is your favorite.

YOU ARE DONE, BUT if you want ADDITIONAL CHANCES TO WIN, you can...

1.Like ShabbyApple on Facebook, then come back here and leave a comment saying you did.
2. Like Cedar Hill Ranch on Facebook, then come back here and leave a comment saying you did.
3. Follow Cedar Hill Ranch on Pinterest, then come back here and leave a comment saying you did.
3. Mention this on your blog, then leave a comment saying you did with the link.
4. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook page, then come back here and leave a comment saying you did with the link.

This GIVEAWAY will end on Feb 20, 2012.

The WINNER will be announced on Weds, February 21, 2012.

When I contact you, you have 72 hours to get back to me, or another winner will be selected.
When you like Shabby Apple on Facebook, you will also get in on special promotions and exclusive discounts.

Impromptu Table Centerpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:44:14 PST

What do you do for a centerpiece when you decide at the last minute to invite guests to your house?

It was my daughter's sixteenth birthday party. We were going bowling (her choice not mine) and then to her favorite restaurant for dinner. Then at the last minute she said she REALLY, REALLY wanted everyone to come back to our house for cake and games. So... the first thing was look at the clock, and wonder how I could possibly get the house ready in just a few hours for company. The first thing to do was vacuum. Okay, I asked Mr. CH to do it. The house had not been vacuumed in 4 days, which may not be a big deal, unless you have a collie. I had a ton of other things to do - make beds, get the leaf for the table, pick up the cake, make homemade lemonade...

When I had about ten minutes left, I realized I did not have a centerpiece for my table. (I know the teenagers would not notice, but I had some adults coming, so I had to make some effort.)

I grabbed my scissors and went to work on our camellia bush. There was no way I had time to run to the store for fresh flowers. After cutting several camellias, I put them in an assortment of crystal pieces on my thrift store silver tray.

Did I mention that our daughter's middle name is Camille?

Many of these crystal pieces were inherited from my MIL.

I barely had it all done when it was time to pick up my daughter from her play rehearsal at school and head to the bowling place. (I still had to change clothes too.)

We were running late, but we DID make it to the bowling place, then to my sixteen-year-old's favorite restaurant, and finally back to our house for cake, lemonade, coffee and games.

We had lots of fun, but I was glad to sit down finally. When someone noticed the fresh flowers and commented on how lovely they looked, I just smiled and brushed the hair out of my face.

BTW, Happy Birthday to my Baby Girl!!

Touches of Farmhouse French

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:53:57 PST

If you haven't noticed before, our city house does not have the farmhouse look of the ranch. When I am in the city, I am finding that I miss that casual French Farmhouse style, so I am infusing country style into our city life little by little.

This is a collection whites and silver things on a vintage feedsack I am using as a table runner.

This is what I did have on my dining room table. That tray got moved to my bedroom, and you can visit here if you like. (I didn't want you to think I get rid of stuff just because I get bored with it where it is.)

I replaced my heavy brocade table runner with a simple vintage feedsack that I found on eBay. I love the "G.E." intials on it, although the tray covers that part.

I added a large vintage English ironstone pitcher, also found on Ebay. (To see more English ironstone, click here.)

I found this little white pitcher at a consignment shop.

The silver tray and pitcher were purchased at a thrift store. (To see what else I got on this trip to my high-end thrift store, click here.)

I'm not sure what this little guy is, but we inherited it from my MIL. (Update - Thanks to all of you smart readers, I have learned that this is a sugar scuttle. Thanks for educating me!!)

He came with a little scoop.

This little sugar and creamer and also from my MIL. The lid to the sugar was missing, so I just stacked them.

What do you do to infuse country style to a room or just refresh it?

Shared here

Au Revoir Renoir

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:33:45 PST

Ever since I brought home this red duvet set, I have been unhappy with the artwork above my bed.

The old piece, below, has lots of cool colors in it and didn't go with the warm reds and browns in my bedding. And no, I didn't throw it away, I moved it to my daughter's room where it works perfectly. After all, the old painting is a Renoir, so I had to keep it. Yes it is a Renoir, just not the original, but instead a print on canvas. I do love Renoir's work and had to include a link for you to see some of his other beautiful paintings. I know, you've seen them before, but they are worth seeing again, especially if you don't have to get in your car (or put your shoes on). So, get your coffee or tea, and then have a seat, so you can enjoy your 60 second museum tour.

Although I think I like my Renoir better than my new canvas, the new one goes so much better with my bedding. It is a print on canvas from Tuesday Morning.

This change was not a big effort or expense, but I was surprised by how much better I feel about this room. It is amazing how our eye can go straight to the thing in the room we don't like and not allow us to enjoy the rest of the room.

To see the rest of the room, you can click here, or here to see the new French mirror I wrote about recently.

Blog of the Week Town and Country Living

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:16:04 PST

Brrr, it's cold here.

Okay it's cold, but not here in Texas. It's cold over at Town and Country Living outside of Chicago. (That's right, we know ya'll are there in other states.)

Town and Country Living blog is a fairly new, beginning in November of last year, but already looks like it has been around much longer. Jennifer began the blog right after her daughter had a big country wedding.

(I'm hoping my daughter decides on a country wedding when the time comes.)

Jennifer's home was built in 1875, and has lots of wonderful details.

Jennifer has some great projects like this end table makeover,

and these DIY dropcloth curtains.

I hope you take a spin around Town and Country Living and tell her "hi."

And if you would like your blog featured here, and on my sidebar, add it to our Blog Directory.

Teatime on a Dreary Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:51:16 PST

A Cup of Tea

(From Surprise Breakfast, click here to see post.)

When the world is all at odds
And the mind is all at sea

Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.

(To see the post on this tray, click here.)

There is magic in its fragrance,
There is solace in its taste;

And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.

The world becomes a lovely thing!
There’s beauty as you’ll see;

(There's story behind these dishes... click here to find out what it is.)

All because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea.

Poem written by Anonymous, found at TasteArts.com

It's a dreary day here today, so I've got the tea kettle on. Won't you join me in a cup of tea?

Shared here

Homemade Chalk Paint Without Tears

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:17:16 PST

We all love chalk paint, and of course, I still highly recommend buying Annie Sloan's Chalk paint, unless you are on a tight budget or just want to save some money. Then you can make it yourself. But if you use the wrong recipe you will end up with a ball of goo that nothing can remedy, wasting both your time and money.

My first attempt at homemade chalk paint was just such a disaster. The resulting paint was completely unusable. I had used plaster of Paris, since it was easy to find and inexpensive. But I simply cannot recommend using the plaster of Paris, since it does not incorporate well into the paint.

My second attempt was again with Plaster of Paris, but I used a much smaller amount of POP this time. It worked but still had some small lumps. You can check out my table I nicknamed Lumpy here.

Since Lumpy, I did some more research and found that most bloggers recommended using Calcium Carbonate instead. So I found the cheapest source of Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) I could find, which in my case was Amazon, and ordered it. I actually got the CaCO3 several months ago, but just had time to try it this last week.

Here is a BEFORE pictures of my mirror.

I poured about a cup of paint into a small container and added a few tablespoons of CaCO3. I stirred it up and it worked perfectly. I did not have to constantly stir it and it incorporated very well into a smooth consistency with only a few small lumps. I think from what I have read that you can add as much or little as you want, depending on how chalky you want the paint to be.

I painted several things and the consistency was good even to the bottom of the can.

One reader she she found the CaCO3 at Home Depot.

So that's my story. And several other bloggers have confirmed that CaCO3 is what they recommend as well. Some have had success with other additives, but this is the one I can recommend.

I used Fiddes Antique Brown wax after the paint dried. I purchased my wax here at John Millen Hardware. I do not make any money if you buy from them; I am only passing along the resource in case you want to know. I like using the Antique Brown when I am waxing something painted white. The clear doesn't add any color and the other antiquing waxes are too dark for white paint.

I like the mirror on my brick wall, so much better than this small clock that was there previously. BTW, I painted the clock too; I couldn't help myself. I'll show you that later.

Have you made homemade chalk paint? What worked for you?

Shared here

Word for the Year - LOVE

noreply@blogger.com (Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:41:40 PST

I have resisted the pressure to post resolutions for the year,

since I rarely make them, but this year, many bloggers are choosing a word for the year. That intrigued me. It wasn't so much a list of things I would accomplish but a direction for my life. This would be something I would keep in mind throughout the year, but not something that I could check off as completed at any one time.

I mentally told myself to set aside some time to choose just the right word. So much for my plans. Before I could choose my word, my word chose me.

LOVE

I heard a preacher say recently that after preaching for 30 years he just realized that more than anything people end up choosing a church because they feel loved there. I also heard Joyce Meyers saying that each day she tries to find someone for whom she will perform some kindness.

That resonated in my spirit. And I thought, yes, I like to be around people I feel love me. I think of people coming to this humble blog for decor ideas, but maybe there is something here that is more important than decor.

Maybe, this is a place where I can welcome everyone with open arms, to tell you I appreciate you, and that I have a love in my heart for you that God put there, even if we haven't met.

I really want to get this right. Will my family care if my blog is the number one blog if they don't feel like I love them? Will my friends care if I have the best design ideas, if they don't think I love them. This isn't just a blog post. I have been thinking about this for weeks, but just now put it into words.

So this is my word for the year. This will be my journey. And it may be a bumpy ride, because the people that need love the most are often the most difficult. There was this one time a shopper at Costco thought I said something rude to her. I was trying to tell her that the large item on the bottom of her cart was protruding and that is why we had bumped carts. She snapped at me, and I smiled but walked briskly away from her.

I felt convicted that maybe I should apologize to her even though I honestly was trying to help by my earlier comment. Clearly she was upset and I felt like I was supposed to apologize. I found her in the store later, and said that I was sorry. She angrily said (in front of my kids) that I didn't really mean it. I thought it was a wonderful teaching moment for my kids. I explained that we are to do the right thing, no matter how the other person responds. I knew what I was supposed to do and I did it. The fact that she was still unhappy was disappointing, but I could walk away from the incident without being upset or angry. I told my kids that she probably had someone in her life that didn't treat her very well and she just assumed that everyone else was trying to mistreat her. I knew that our little incident did not justify that level of hostility. So, as a last act of kindness and love to this shopper, I forgave her and walked away.

³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:35-39
(These are all photos I took of my daughters long ago. They are teenagers now.)

What's your word for the year?