Farmgirl Paints

Talented friends...GIVE-AWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I'm always in awe of how God uses people. How he puts a desire in their heart and then some people actually follow through and do something with it. I like to think that I'm on the path to doing something...to following through. It may be slow...baby steps;) I got brave and started the blog;) A few years ago I finally started my Etsy store. I eventually got around to doing a show. But going a little further and getting that book published or creating something and figuring out how to have it made...that's so amazing.

Two of my friends have done just that. My first "talented friend" is Courtney Walsh. She writes the blog Telling Stories...which is appropriately titled, because this girl can spin a tale. She recently got a novel printed. CAN YOU IMAGINE?! I knew her before, and can I just say I'm busting at the seams to think of her writing this book. I just finished it. SO GOOD! It's just weaved with goodness all throughout. It was weird reading a book from someone I knew. I tried really hard to detach myself, so I could be objective...and I did. I was able to forget that my Courtney was behind the characters. I thought it would be fun to get inside her creative process. Here's a little interview...

How did you come up with the story line?

We were gifted a weekend in a cottage by some friends of ours, and they told us the story of this little cottage community where the homes were passed down through the generations--some homes had been in the family since the early 1900's! I found that so fascinating...the history those homes had seen, and I knew that in that community, people mainly came for the summers...when we were there, I just started imagining what that looked like for the people in that community. I started picturing a group of women who grew up there, but only saw each other during the summer...and I thought a scrapbook was the perfect way for them to stay in touch...

Did you draw from personal experience to develop the characters? I did in a lot of ways, yes. There are elements of me and my story in many of the characters, and I found myself drawing on my personal experiences to shape the character's lives. But then, there are a lot of ways that these women don't resemble me at all too. ha.

Did you take classes or major in writing? I majored in journalism and theatre...and while you'd think the journalism degree helps me most in writing, the truth is, I think it was my time in the theatre that's helped me most. When you're an actor, you have to learn how to develop a character, to bring someone who only exists on the page to life...and I think there's a lot of the same techniques that go into writing a character. Also, dialogue is my favorite thing to write, and I think that's because I started by writing for the stage.

Do you ever get writer's block?
I do...sometimes when I get stuck I meander around the story until something hits me...and then I'm off again. Other times, I have to shut the laptop and walk away. It's funny, I could be cleaning the bathroom when a new idea strikes and I'm back to writing! :)

What inspires you to write?
Usually it's the characters...I have this innate need to tell their stories...to explore them, to find out what happens next. I also want to write in hopes that maybe someone else will benefit from it...storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to change lives...to allow people to have an experience. There's just nothing like it.

When, how, where do you write?
I used to do almost all my writing at Barnes and Noble. We lived in Illinois, and my mom came up once a week to hang out with my kids so I could do that...but then we moved to Colorado and everything shifted. Now, I have a work from home job, so I pretty much only write on the weekends. Under headphones, listening to Pandora...

Lots of people have ideas for books...how do you get published? You do a lot of research! There are tons of websites out there with great writing advice. For me, the key was going to a writer's conference and learning everything I could absorb. I read a lot of books and blogs about the topic, wrote a book (not the one that's published!) and the wrote a proposal. The next step is to find an agent and then do a lot of praying. It's a hurry up and wait kind of thing, and it's a TON of work...but it's worth it in the long run!

Are you going on tour?
The most I've done is travel home to Illinois for my first signing and a launch party...then I've done some live events here in Colorado, but that's it! With the ease of the Internet, many writers rely on that nowadays!

What's next for you??
I have two more books releasing this year in the Sweethaven series, so that's what I'm focusing on right now. My final deadline for the third book, A Sweethaven Christmas, is this weekend, so that's my main writing focus right now! But then there's always the science fair projects and swim lessons to contend with! :)

Where can we get the book? It's at amazon in paperback and on the Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Sweethaven-Summer-Courtney-Walsh/dp/0824945190/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330629533&sr=1-1

And at Barnes & Noble in paperback and on the Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/a-sweethaven-summer?keyword=a+sweethaven+summer&store=allproducts

**************************************************************************

Another friend of mine Suzanne had an awesome product idea. You know all the little cards that are thrown into your wallet that you can never find?? She came up with a GENIUS way of keeping them organized. Oh how I love organization!

I LOVE my Cardkeyper! Now when I'm at the grocery store or standing in line at Sweet Frog...I don't have to hunt for 10 minutes, in my bottomless pit of a purse, to look for that punch card. It's all in one spot and it doesn't take up my entire wallet.

Both of these gals are giving their goodies away today:)
I'll pick two winners!! Each will receive a signed copy of Courtney's Sweethaven book and Suzanne's Cardkeyper.

To win leave me a comment about what dreams you have seen become reality in your life.
I'll announce the winner Friday.

***Oh and I'm posting at Beautifully Rooted today. Don't forget to head over there and check it out. It's about Making it Yours.

Have a blessed day.

494. sunday afternoon naps

495. longer lightfilled days

496. spring blossoms...white and fluffy

497. the freckles that sprinkle my girls faces

498. a 22 year dating anniversary with my honey;)

GET READY TO HOLLAR!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:19:00 +0000

I've got BIG NEWS girlies. Guess what???? There's a new photo editing place called Picmonkey. A sweet reader emailed me this week and told me about it. Apparently the disgruntled Picnik people made a new site. OH YEAH! I just went there and played around a bit, and it's AWESOME!!!!! I couldn't wait to share. Check it out here.

Have a great weekend!

489. picmonkey...free editing, touch-ups, collages AGAIN:)
490. it's saturday
491. a date night with my honey
492. a new store discovery that made my head spin
493. tammy;)

bikini shot...brussel sprouts on the side

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This is the post where I shock you with how gutsy/stupid I am! Yes that's me...in a bikini...on the Internet:-0 Hard to believe, especially since I NEVER wear a bikini. We are talking never!! But in Hawaii where you don't know a soul it's easier to get a little brave.

I'm gearing up for Spring Break girlies. I've GOT to get these last stubborn 10 pounds off. This picture is my motivation. It's hanging on my fridge. This was Maui two years ago. Probably the best I've ever looked and felt...aside from my wedding day;) I worked hard to get my stomach that flat. We are talking HARD! I think I ate nothing but sweet potatoes and baked chicken breasts for 10 weeks. Ugh! Just the thought makes my stomach turn. This time it's all about moderation and NO bread or sweets. I'm hitting my elliptical machine and weights every.single.day. I'm hoping that will do it.

To go along with my new resolve and fitness goals this week it's all about the veggies. My recipe for Feed My Family Friday is Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Again it's from my trusty diabetic slow cooker recipe magazine. Love!

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled (I added 4 slices)...made it tasty
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel (optional)...I opted out.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut Brussels sprouts into lengthwise quarters...toss with 1 tablespoon vinegar and the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to coat.

2. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes until sprouts turn brown and tender. Turn them every 10 minutes.

3. Transfer sprouts to a large bowl and drizzle with remaining vinegar and sprinkle with bacon. Garnish with lemon if ya want.

I thought these were really yummy...and sorta fancy;) It's a great way to get your veggies and not feel like you are eating veggies. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, not as much as me, but no one complained and that's a good thing. I served it with marinated grilled sirloin steak. And there you have it. Healthy, simple and clean. Beats out baked chicken and the same ole' sweet potato dinner.

LET'S EAT!!!

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Grab my button ladies and please share a recipe. I want to see what's for dinner in your house!

Have a blessed day.

484. my elliptical machine

485. deadline...pushes me

486. having something to look forward to

487. pomegranate juice with seltzer water

488. yellow spray paint;)

work hard...play harder

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:15:00 +0000

We've been itching to go see our friends, the Hutchinson's, in Asheville. They moved there from South Dakota not long after we moved to Virginia and it just felt like we weren't alone anymore ya know? We had neighbors. They were 6 hours away, but close enough to get to.

We've had plans to visit them for awhile, but when they called to cancel because they were moving this weekend we were like HUH? Let's not let a little thing like moving keep us from having fun...so we hopped in the car and headed out for a ROADTRIP!

With Fergie in tow of course;)

Their kids are precious. Not often that I feel that way about other people's kids. My girls just get along with them so well. One night while we were busy fluffing the nest the kids made dinner for us, and it was SO GOOD! I need to put my girls to work more often. They can do it.

This one has my whole heart. Is she the cutest thing or what? She was dancing with a store mannequin. LOVE!

During the day we worked hard getting them moved in, and at night we hit the town...shopping for the house and eating at fun places. Had to show off this picture. Look at my girls hair! Both of them are kind of a hot mess after a long day, but I DID THAT. Mulan has officially taught me how to french braid. If for nothing else that was worth it all;)

Love my Alicia girl!

Saturday we decided to take an unpacking break and went to downtown Asheville. How sweet are they to entertain us while in the middle of a move?!

Asheville has a very eclectic, folksy, bohemian, hippie vibe. It's way too cool for me;) I saw more dreadlocks and tie dye than I can remember. The people were artsy fartsy. I know I'm artsy, but not sure if I'm artsy fartsy...ha! Okay I'm totally cracking myself up;)

Are they the cutest couple or what? The Hutchinson's are definitely cool enough to walk the streets in Asheville.

While we were waiting for a table we went on a little shopping excursion. We didn't actually buy anything, but we had FUN! Don't ya love our jackets?? Wish they were ours;) Mine was $214.00. Wouldn't it be fun to just drop $214.00 on a jacket? Didn't happen;)

Dressing room snapshots;)

We went to a cool toy store and then a fun General Store. Love General Stores. I did get a few things in there. They had barrels of candy. BARRELS!

BTW doesn't my big chick look BIG? She was like a little mother hen this weekend. She was so sweet with Sophia. I think babysitting may be in her near future. Eeeek!

We ate at the famous Tupelo Honey cafe. Have you ever heard of it? The food was outta this world. I love me some comfort food and this place delivered. Maple bacon...oh my:) Check out their cookbook here.

She had so many amazing vintage things to put up. Decorating was easy! Love her style. The guys were so helpful. We kind of just pointed and said do this, do that...and they DID! No grumbling, no complaining. They were awesome:) Now the curtains are officially hung...pictures are in place. My sweet friend and her family have a lovely home. It was such a blessing to have even a little bitty part in that.

We love this family. We've kind of adopted them as ours. They are just like us except waaaay younger;) God has big things in store for them. I have no doubt that happiness will reign big for them here in Asheville, or wherever He leads them in the future. Keeping my fingers crossed it might be a little closer to Richmond.

Have a blessed day.

475. My new dress from Jeanne...check out her link yesterday featuring MWAH! Be apart of her "Get that Look" series and win a Gift Certificate to her shop!!
476. comfort food

477. wood fired pizza

478. good company

479. the little things Sophie says

480. cozy blankets and comforters

481. heart to hearts with a dear friend

482. a guy friend for my honey

483. yellow and white chevron

hits the spot

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I'm sitting here in my darkened office. The rain is coming down hard. In the background, in between the showers, I hear tree frogs croaking. Oh how I love to hear them sing. Every now and then I crave a dark stormy day. It quiets my soul..beckons me slow down. It awakens my senses.

This past week I fought some kind of virus. My stomach was a mess. I had absolutely no energy. When I'm sick I go into stealth mode. I quiet down. I walk a little slower. I avoid talking. When I lie down it's in the fetal position. I look for comfort in any shape I can find. I texted my friends to lift me up in prayer. That's what friends are for right? To lift up.

Is there anything more comforting than hot tea? I'm not sure if it's a southern thing or not, but my girls here are into tea parties. I feel the need to get up to speed with the tea thing. I'm more of a coffee girl, but I am finding that tea hits the spot. It soothes me to my toes.

I found myself at HomeGoods recently (shocker I know) hunting down the perfect tea kettle. Somehow microwaving a tea cup didn't seem appropriate for company. So my first step in the tea thing was to invest in a real live kettle...one that whistles. I know. I feel so fancy now, like I could almost pass for tea person;) Next is a tea set I guess. Maybe that should be the thing I hunt for when I go antiquing...gradually build a little mismatched set. Sounds fun.

Target has these new dishes in their white collection. Oh how I love to hold my bumpy textured mug and sip on this Aveda tea. Have you had it? It's seriously the best tea I've ever tasted. It has this sweetness that zings ya. You are not expecting it and then there it is. No honey or sugar needed. Perfection.

Speaking of honey did you know that a tsp a day of local honey a day can help seasonal allergies?? A friend of mine who is all into natural remedies told me this lately, and it seems to make sense. Luckily I have another friend who is a beekeeper. SCORE! Is that not the coolest thing ever;) So I'm pretty sure I'm golden on local honey...yay! I've never been a big honey fan, but if it can keep the scary Virginia allergies at bay I'm all in. Apparently I live in a very high allergy state...oh joy. Dang those trees!

Another thing that I crave...that soothes me when I'm sick is Cream of Wheat. My momma used to make this for me growing up. On my icky days last week I wanted some SO BAD and we were out! Couldn't wait to get my hands on a box. I'm curious...what comforts you??

Have a blessed day.

468. bees that work for me;)

469. cream of wheat

470. prayers from loved ones

471. the soothing sound of tree frogs

472. the sound of my tea kettle

473. the soft glow of a lit candle

474. a weekend with friends

Chicken and Cornmeal Dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I love it when I make a recipe and instead of whining and complaining... I get moans of pleasure. YES moans of oooh this is good. When my folks were here I made this recipe. So easy. Just right out of my handy dandy crock pot, but moan worthy;)

Again this recipe came out of the Diabetic Slow Cooker 2012 magazine. It's called the Chicken and Cornmeal Dumpling and here's what you need. This is the original recipe. I usually double it.

2 carrots, sliced...about a cup

1 celery stalk, sliced about 1/2 cup

1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn. I only had canned, it worked great.

1/2 of a medium onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic...i used minced garlic from a jar...maybe a teaspoon or so.

1/2 tsp of dried rosemary or 1 tsp fresh, crushed

1/4 tsp pepper

2 chicken thighs, skinned.

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon flour

1 recipe cornmeal dumplings (I DOUBLED): Mix 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and a dash of salt. In another bowl combine 1 egg white, 1 tbs skim milk and 1 tbs canola oil. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

1. Combine carrots, celery, corn, onion, garlic, rosemary and pepper in crockpot and top with chicken. Pour broth over all in cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 31/2-4 hours.

3. If using low heat turn to high heat and remove chicken to cutting board. Cool slightly then shred. Transfer back to crockpot. In a small bowl mix milk and flour until smooth add to cooker.

4. Drop cornmeal dough in spoonfuls onto chicken mixture. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or more until toothpick comes out clean.

SO good and extremely healthy. I've found that all the recipes out of this cook book are a little bland, so season according to your own preferences:)

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Link up my friends. Let's share and FEED OUR FAMILIES!!!

Have a blessed weekend.

463. a weekend with friends

464. spring weather

465. birds chirping

466. a good sweat

467. hair love

our happy place

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

There is something about the morning light filtering into our home. My living room becomes brushed with soft shadows and a certain sense of joy fills my soul at a new day...a sun filled blank canvas.

The windows have been bare so long I really just got used to them. I didn't have grand plans to dress them. I was a little afraid actually to block any light. I'm a light girl. I desperately need it, so I was surprised at how much I fell in love with these IKEA curtains. They warmed up the space so much. Seriously I think IKEA needs to be paying me or something. I'm like a walking commercial lately;)

Honey loves them too. I don't know how many times he commented on them. Love it when that happens. Usually I'm talking him into things...didn't have to this time;) I thought the fuzzy polka dots might be too much. So wrong!

While I was editing I found some more sweet moments from my parent's visit. Here's mom giving dad an impromptu haircut in the yard. Remember we are just country folk. The neighbors just have to get used to it;)

Little Chick loves a good game of UNO. She rocks it too. Competitive little thing!

Every day mom called home to leave a message FOR THE CAT! It was hilarious...here's an excerpt...Molly it's momma. I just want you to know we'll be home in a few days. Make sure to eat your food and drink your water, and when Jim comes over to take care of you come out and say hi. Don't hide. I don't want to worry about you. We love you Molly. Sam and Kaley (the dogs) do too. Keep the faith.

That's my momma;)

Big Chick had to give a concert of course;) We just signed her up for her electives next year. Switching back to band. We are just not pleased with the orchestra program here. I think band will be more fun...more music...the chance to march eventually. We are going to look into private lessons for the viola. She's just a music lover through and through.

Candid shots of my dad coloring. I love how whenever crayons are around they somehow find their way into his hands. He loves to color. Love that childlike side to him.

Story telling time with Grandma Dixie. My mom can spin a tale.

Okay so I saw a door painted with chalkboard paint recently and swooned. We recently took off a door and I knew just what to do with it.

Oh how I love chalkboard markers. They work like a charm. You can get them at Joann's. Got the fun knob at Hobby Lobby of course.

This corner was the perfect spot...all nestled in with the polka dot lacy curtains. We love this Bible verse. What a great reminder to let God build the house...to not try and do it yourself. Oh how I need that reminder every.single.day:) The room is officially finished. It's our happy place. It feels like this house was always supposed to be ours.

Have a happy blessed leap day;)

455. chalkboard paint

456. creative inspiration

457. HOME

458. coloring outside the lines

459. a handy honey
460. energy
461. friends who bring me herbal supplements when i don't feel good
462. silky hair

feels like home

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Okay this is going to sound bad, but one of the biggest things I miss about Minnesota was our local Ikea. It was my happy place. I could just mosey through the store collecting ideas, grab a few little (cheap) things here and there...eat some meatballs and mashed potatoes for $5.99 and call it a day. I LOVE IKEA! I've been meaning to get to the one here since we moved, but it's not a mere 20-30 minute drive. It's a jump in your car as soon as the kids get on the bus...drive fast...shop and eat fast...make it home just the nick of time kind of trip. BUT SO WORTH IT!!

(Lenina)

(Joannie)

So a few weeks ago I grabbed my "sugar sisters", and we headed out for our First Friday fieldtrip. Back story...several weeks ago I was at lunch with these girls, and we did a pinky swear that we would be there for each other. We would let each other in. It's a conscious effort to do that with people. Friendship is an investment of time, energy and trust. We just decided it was worth a pinky swear moment.

We walked the aisles. We gathered ideas. And for me it was like being back home. Don't you love that you can walk into a store or restaurant chain and it's pretty much the same everywhere. Even though this Ikea was a little different, it was still the same. It felt like home. So nice that I can drive an 1 1/2 hours and get that feeling.

We did good.

I've been waiting around for the perfect barstools and let me tell ya they are expensive. At least the ones I kept finding. I found these for $69 at Ikea. When Mom and Dad were here we spruced them up.

My friend Tiffini just recently redid some chairs and they were gorgeous. She made her own chalk paint...click here for the recipe. Chalk paint is really expensive if you buy it premade, so I thought what the heck I'll try it out. You mix 2/3 paint to 1/3 plaster paris. At least that's the "chalk" I used. There are various recipes. It was really a trial and error process.

The paint was SUPER thick and went on extremely gloppy. I don't think I stirred it in long enough. Mom was helping me and it took a good three coats to cover the chairs.

The color is off in this picture, but the chairs finally turned out great. I sanded them to give them a worn look and then waxed and buffed them with furniture paste. They really add an awesome punch of color to the kitchen. I'm hoping to figure out a numbered stencil to add to the front of each chair. Tiffini did a no. 1 and no. 2...it looked so pretty. I think stenciling is beyond hard. Kind of chicken to try it.

I also found a funky rug and curtains. Initially I wanted a furry, soft on the toes rug, but when I saw this one it made me rethink that. My friend Joannie assured me it was THE ONE! Do you think it's too crazy? I like crazy. Oh and the curtain post is coming. I also made something super cool to go behind that denim chair in the corner. It's so fun fluffing the nest;)

Have a blessed day.

449. warming up a space

450. finding just the thing you've been looking for

451. the color RED

452. graphic stripes

453. my sugar sistas!!

final touches

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:33:00 +0000

I'm sitting here hiccuping like crazy. I hate the hiccups. Drank some seltzer water and there you go...hiccups all.day.long. Oh well. Editing these photos made me a little melancholy. My folks left early this morning. I never get used to the goodbyes. Never.

This picture was taken on one of our fun outting days antiquing. Got dad wrangled into one of my mirror shots. Notice his sweet hand on my back. Had to black and white this one out because my hair looks like straw. Have I mentioned how much I'm hatin' on my hair right now? Anyhoo I get it fixed Monday and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the one. That this will be the evasive magical hair lady who gets it right. It's almost like looking for a pot of gold under a rainbow...does it exist??

The fun thing about antiquing is the back story on every piece that you find. These photos were taken in a pool hall. Mom, dad and I decided to go fancy;) We were starving, so we found the closest place we could find. It promised the best food in town written in marker on the window...so it had to be good right?? The food didn't disappoint, but I've never felt more creeped out in my life. From the second I walked in the door an icky, wouldn't want to meet him in an alley man had eyes on me. You know the head to toe check out, but this wasn't the flattering kind. This was the make your skin crawl, fearful kind. Couldn't wait to get out of there...no matter how good the chocolate cake was.

Okay so here was my find of the day. When I go antiquing it's always with a certain thing in mind. This time it was for a shoe dresser. We've been throwing our shoes in a basket by our door and it was not working out so well. Shoes were always sprawled out all over the floor. Hated that messy cluttered look. It was time to find some organization.

Saw this beaut in the corner...ugly as all get out...but just the right size. I knew she was just plain enough for me to put my special touches on. She had to be MINE! Her price tag was a little high however (I'm finding that must be an East Coast thing), and I was holding my breath while the sales guy made a call. In the end I got her for a very respectable price. It always pays to ask if they will come down. In my experience they usually do.

Yesterday I had my dad rough her up for me a bit.

Mom and I added the color. Got this paint on the discount rack for $7 at Home Depot. Perfect color. Knew I would use it one day. Love me a bargain.

Once it was dry, I sanded the edges and used a little walnut stain to bring out some wood tones on the edges.

The last step was putting on the paste and letting it dry and then buffing it out a bit. Oh and yes those are flip flops IN FEBRUARY! It was 79 degrees here yesterday. What in the world? I've never felt that ever in the middle of Winter. Oh glorious day.

Oh and then the last last step was adding the bling. Amazing how knobs can transform a piece of furniture. It's my favorite thing. Actually it's usually my first step to inspire my end result. Hobby Lobby has the best selection and they are usually always half off.

Here's the end result. I got my knobs for $2 each. Steal!! I love how she looks parked right by that busy door. All of our shoes fit perfectly.

My keys and change fit perfectly in the little butterfly mirror I got at HomeGoods. Doesn't my keychain look great there??;) I sell those in my Etsy shop by the way. Any leather can made into a personalized keychain...just FYI.

Oh and see that sweet little vase on the top. I got that from a friend for Christmas. It makes me happy every time I look at it. I had no idea when I was painting this dresser that it would match so perfectly. Tell me that wasn't made to go right there in that special spot:)

After all that work it was time to head for dinner. Our last meal together. God gave us the most beautiful sky on the way home. His creations take my breath away. Can't wait to show you all the other projects we worked on this week. Our home is getting all the final touches added and it feels so good.

**Oh and just in case you missed the B.Rooted post I did...here's the link. It didn't post until later that day.

Have a blessed day.

444. the perfect piece for the perfect spot

445. transformation

446. having helping hands

447. a week of projects done

448. sunsets that make me want to gasp outloud

Curry and Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Good morning girlies. I miss you. Mom and Dad are still here. We've been busy with fun projects and running here and there. It's been a good week. I wanted to take a minute and share a recipe with you that I found in my April Issue of Oxygen. It's Curry and Ginger Butternut Squash Soup.

I have to tell you that I'm a huge soup fan. Love all kinds...especially anything creamy. Despite it's texture this recipe is super healthy and perfect for a chilly winter day. If you love a little spice, this one's for you.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
4 cups water
2 tbsp canola oil or to lighten the recipe just use 2 tsp
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place face down in a baking pan with water. Bake for 45 minutes or until soft. Let cool....save water it was cooked in.

2. Heat oil in pan in large skillet or soup pot...add onion and garlic and saute until golden. Stir in curry powder, ginger and salt and pepper. Simmer on low for a few minutes.

3. Pour the squash water into the skillet and heat. Scoop out cooled squash flesh and add to the skillet. Remove from heat and let cool. When it's room temperature puree all of it in a blender or food processor with the broth. Serve.

So to join in the linky party. Just grab my button, link to a recipe post and let's Feed Our Families:)

I'm posting at Beautifully Rooted today. I hope you come over and read my post called "Are you a visionary??";)

Have a blessed day.

439. projects getting done

440. time with mom and dad

441. flipflops in february

442. meeting my new neighbor..miss jane

443. finding an awesome antique mall;)

good to the last drop

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Mulan is officially over! Yippee. Mom and dad made it in for the last weekend. I love the effort they put into being good grandparents. That drive is not an easy one and yet they came.

I can't tell you what a blessing it was to see my girlie pursue, follow through and see a dream to fruition. I am beyond proud of her! It's something we did together. It's a new chapter for us both. Just look at those little girls staring up at Big Chick. She got to feel famous for a second. Love that!

Woke up this morning to our first snow. Can't believe it waited until the end of February. The heavy wet snow covered every little leaf and branch. I always loved that look. As we were coming home from the show last night the flakes were coming hard and fast. Visibility was horrible. If you veer off the road at all you are smack into the ditch or in a tree, so I can see why the world comes to a stop here when it snows.

As I type this I can see it falling off the trees...melting into the earth. As it should be! Tomorrow it will be in the 60's...weirdest winter I've ever experienced. If you can even call it winter. I'll be running around with my folks this week...showing them Richmond, working on some projects, making memories with my people. Hope you enjoy every last drop of your week too;)

Have a blessed day.

434. beautiful...melting snow

435. a week of company;)

436. new curtains

437. chicken and dumplings in my crockpot

438. FREE TIME!

Feed my family...FRIDAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hey girls...It's feed my family FRIDAY! YAY!! Okay this week was a little scattered for me, so I didn't get around to making a meal. I know. Trust me I feel awful about it, but I did remember an awesome recipe I shared awhile back.

This repost is for my foodie friend Lenina. She can whip up everything, but a homemade tomato sauce. After this post there will be no stopping her! You all are getting a top secret Italian family tomato sauce recipe that my Minnesota bestie Kristine shared with me. This is huge! Grab a pen. Schedule in some hours, and get some storage containers because this recipe is SO WORTH THE EFFORT! And once you do it you'll have lots of sauce to last you a really nice long time:)

**Things to note when looking at this. I miss my Kristine! Waaaa and I miss my hairgirl Brie:( The bangs were kind of fun. I want a redo. What do you think???

This is a rare occurrence...pay attention;) I don't do the recipe sharing thing very often. Cooking is just NOT my thing, but I do like eating and my friend Kristine is Italian and makes THE best sauce. We're talking finger lickin' good, so I asked her to come over and help me make up a batch and thought you might like to see how it's done.

We cooked it all in one big pot. So it was easy peasy clean up. The first step is to put 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil in the pot and brown 1 pound ground hamburger and 1 pound mild Italian sausage. Add 1/2 a finely chopped onion and cook VERY well until the meat is completely browned and the onion is translucent.

Next add a heaping spoonful of minced garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Next add in your sauces. This is what I had, but if you are going to the store buy 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes (if you can't find it you can use 2 cans sauce instead). Then buy 1 large can of tomato sauce and 1 large can of puree. Add this to your pot of cooked meat.

Then take a knife tip of baking soda and add to the simmering pot. It cuts the acid.

Add 1/4 cup white sugar. Season again with some salt and pepper.

Finally add 1 tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning. Make sure the sauce gets bubbly and then cover and turn it down to low. I had mine all the way down and it was still simmering. Simmer for 2 hours...stirring occasionally. Then cool for an hour and divide into containers. It makes maybe 3-4 storage containers worth to freeze for later. It is THE best sauce. Perfect combination of savory and sweet. LOVE it!!!

Okay girlies...I really hope you link up. Let's feed those poor starving family members...ha;)

Have an awesome weekend.

428. no more dust bunnies

429. spare room all ready for my folks

430. no school on Monday...yay!
431. a free bookshelf
432. a friend to go grocery shopping with

433. blogging friends who make me feel almost worthy of all their kind words

good fortune

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:57:00 +0000

We finally got around to taking Big Chick out for her birthday dinner. She picked PF Chang's...thank ya Jesus! Seriously one of my favorites and we rarely get there. We called up her bestie. Yes I said bestie and she came along.

Can I just say this girl is such an answer to prayer? There were a few times when I felt like oh my goodness what in the world did we do to her?? Those late night cry session. The lack of having someone to tell her secrets too. It broke my heart. Seriously it felt like I'd ruined her life by moving here, and then little by little a friendship grew and she confided in me that this girl was her bestie. PRAISE GOD...a bestie!!! And she's a complete sweetheart too...phew;) We all need at least one right??

We had an hour to burn to get a seat for dinner, so what did we do?? We went to Anthro of course. This is only the second time I've been there since we've moved here. Having an Anthropologie was kind of a prerequisite for moving here. I had to know there was a well of inspiration somewhere close and thank God almighty there was.

I hardly ever buy anything. I'm a little cheap that way, nut there have been a few times that I've lost my mind and splurged. I don't look back. It's kind of a lapse in good judgement, but the uniqueness of their stuff deserves to have spot somewhere right?

Oh and then there is Restoration Hardware. I can't walk through this store without thinking of my friend Lissa. It just screams LISSA! Oh the beauty of it all. If only I had a money tree in the back yard.

You know what dawned on me as I took this picture?? I can't pass a mirror without taking a picture of myself! What in the world is that about? Geesh!! Maybe it's because no one knows how to use my camera and if I didn't there would never be a picture of me on here at all. Love the squinty face...nice;)

Okay so good tip to know. Tell the waiter you are STARVING and it's your daughter's birthday and they will buy you TWO appetizers and bring her dessert. WHAT?? I know! Seriously we left there stuffed to overflowing and for the first time EVER little chick ate Chinese food. It was a special moment. She even surpassed us all and used chopsticks!!! Honey and I just looked at her in awe. I took a picture, because it was picture worthy, but it's so dang dark in there it didn't turn out.

So this was my fortune. I thought it appropriate...cause I have lots of dreams from my youth. Don't we all? And some adult dreams...like a new friend for my girlie and that my little one would eat with us at PF Chang's. Wowza if dreams don't really come true:)

Have a blessed day.

423. chicken lo mein

424. stores that inspire

425. answered prayer

426. my little one outgrowing her picky ways

427. my James bible study

why i blog

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:25:00 +0000

I started this blog going on 4 years ago. I still can't believe that:) I remember not really knowing what in the world I was going to talk about, or what direction I would go with my posts. I didn't really have a niche. I didn't want to only talk about my kids, so I definitely wasn't a mommy blogger. I didn't take good pictures at the time, so photog blog was out. I hated to cook...and on it went. Then it kind of just happened...the me thing. I just started talking about what God put on my heart. I shared what He was doing in my life. It was all about me. Sounds narcissistic I know.

Alot of my friends and family didn't understand the blogging thing. They probably still don't. It's kind of weird to document your life and loves for all the world to see. It's a huge time commitment, and I have to be honest sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it. I wonder why after all these posts...after all this time I still do it, but deep down I know the answer. I've always prayed that God would use me. That he would take any gifts or talents I have and at the end of my life they would all be used for His glory. That is my heart's desire. I'm human. I have many failings, but I'm transparent and in that transparency...in that struggle...people see themselves. Cause we really are all the same. That's what it comes down to, and in my opinion life is meant to be shared, even if it's on the Internet;)

I've always had this little thing going on with God. Sometimes when I get tired and I start wondering why I still blog, which happens when I'm overly busy...he'll send me a sign, and I'll get a sweet letter from a reader. It never fails. It makes me smile from ear to ear because I know it's encouragement from heaven. Anyway I mentioned all this because several months ago I had a chance to share my faith with someone who reads along. The other day she wrote me and told me that she gave her heart to the Lord!!! How amazingly awesome is that!! I don't know about you, but I don't get a chance to be a part of something that major everyday. It's CELEBRATION WORTHY!!!! The first thought I had when I read her note was...even if only one person came to know you Lord then writing this blog for umpteen posts was worth it. She wrote her testimony here. If you get a chance go over and welcome her into the heavenly family.

Have a blessed day.

418. Tamara asking Jesus into her heart

419. the heart shaped cookie left in my mailbox yesterday...without a note

420. running outside today without a jacket on!

421. big chick's b-day dinner tonight

422. mom and dad coming friday

woulda, shoulda, coulda

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I have a Mulan hangover. It's like a bad dream replaying over and over in my mind. Not that Mulan was bad, but the songs are unfortunately forever engraved in my mind. It's haunting actually. I was trying to go to sleep last night and all I could hear were children's voices singing "written in stone" in harmony. Since I couldn't sleep I added up how many hours I spent at big chick's school last week...35 hours! YES I SPENT 35 HOURS at night and on the weekend. 35 hours where I wasn't at home with my honey or my other child. As magical as this play has been I'm really looking forward to it being over! 'Nough said;)

I had big plans on doing something fabulous for Valentine's day. You know make something special...something homemade with love. Didn't happen. Life happened instead and that's okay. My people know they are loved. A store bought love note will have to do.

Source

**If I would have had extra time, I might have whipped these up.

Source

**Or made these cute little heart banners....somethin'...anything!

Source

Or really outdone myself and made homemade Valentine's for little chick's entire 2nd grade class;)BUT WHO AM I KIDDING??!! I probably wouldn't have done any of that. The problem with Pinterest...and don't get me wrong...I adore Pinterest. It's that sometimes it makes me feel like a complete and utter slug! It's just a little overwhelming seeing all that creativity in one place, meanwhile I'm siting in my pj's, sipping coffee...dreaming the day away.

Well I'm not sure if it's the Mulan hangover, burnout or just the winter blah's, but I'm pretty okay with just being right now. I'm not feeling overly inspired lately, but with that said...I'm actually partaking in a wonderful new thing. This is going to sound ridiculous after what I just shared, but I'm going to be submitting posts for another blog about...

wait for it...

CREATIVITY!

I'll be one of 27 contributors to a new blog called Beautifully Rooted.

It's a daily gathering place, with lots of gifted women all sharing tidbits of their life, with the Lord as the common thread. I just couldn't say no. I mean initially I wanted to, but I really felt God told me to get off my lazy rear and move forward with what He's given me. I'm praying this new blog venture will help me continue to tap into those gifts, and to share it with others who are struggling to get their creative juices flowing as well. Anyhoo it should be great. I'm super excited. I'll be posting something "creative" every two weeks...starting next Friday, but today is the first day to check it out.

Happy Valentine's Day friends. Won't you be mine??

413. a steamy hot bath
414. tulips and roses from my thoughtful honey
415. God nudging me to get out of my comfort zone
416. having new opportunities come my way
417. staying home

the show must go on!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Well we've got the first 3 performances under our belt. When they say it takes a village to raise a child...let's just say it takes a big city to put on a children's musical production.

These kids have been in countless performances. They've had to learn tons of lines. Remember cues. Sing on key. Sit for uncomfortable make-up and hair sessions.

They are professionals through and through.

This is the director...Jennifer Hicks. I'm in awe that she and the other leaders were able to pull something this big together. It blows my mind really.

I have a little confession to make. I really don't like musicals. I think they are a tad corny. I mean breaking out in song mid-sentence. Just spit it out already. Do we really need a song??

But this was GOOD! The songs made sense. The scenes kept me interested. They harmonized and sounded amazing!!!! I am beyond impressed.

These are just kids, but they made me forget they were kids. Can you find Big Chick?? Hint she's on the floor in the middle.

And the best part...they pray before the shows. They leave scriptures for the kids in a special place. It's encouraging and uplifting. It's for His glory...not their own.

There isn't a sense of self importance and competition. They seem to really love each other. It's like a big family.

The beautiful and talented Lindy...aka Mulan!

One amazingly gifted kid...Mushu...wow!

We had a little surprise on Saturday. It started spitting snow. I've never seen such a flurry of excitement. The kids had their noses pressed against the windows, heads bowed in prayer that it would stick. TOO FUNNY! It didn't stick by the way;) So glad. I really don't miss it at all!

Really the icing on the cake has been the sense of community. We are officially involved in something. A good something! The time zap has totally paid off. We have made some wonderful new friends and memories that we will never forget. Does it get any better than that? Now it's off to do 2 more performances today. Wish us luck...or break a leg or whatever it is they say...the show must go on;)

Have a blessed day.

408. adults who invest in children

409. giving a labor of love

410. learning to french braid

411. seeing my child live out a dream!

412. the sound of children singing

Feed my family...Friday & more

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hello my friends. It has been a cra-z-y week around here. It's been one of those weeks we could have had breakfast for dinner or take-out every.single.night, BUT because of this weekly Feed my family link up I actually made a healthy meal. Yep just one, but that's better than none. So yeah for motivation! Thanks for keeping me accountable.

On the menu this week is Chicken Tenders with Balsalmic Vinegar Glaze, and I've got to toot my own horn here and say these were restaurant worthy. Like sooooo amazingly good I can see making them every week. I got the recipe from my Oxygen Magazine Fat-Blasting Food Guide. It's on display at Target until 4/3/12. Great recipes packed inside.

You need:

olive oil

12 oz. chicken tenders

black pepper,

1 tsp minced garlic

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1. Heat some olive oil and add chicken tenders. Season with pepper and cook through approximately 7 minutes. Set aside. 2. Reduce heat and add garlic and saute one minute. Then add vinegar, honey and chicken broth. Simmer scraping the bottom of the pan for 1 minute. 3. Return chicken to the pan, stirring to coat chicken with the glaze. Heat through and serve.

Such an easy peasy recipe. Have you ever had the chicken tenders from Cracker Barrel? Reminds me of them. SO GOOD!!!! Don't forget to link up at the bottom of this post.

Had to share my sweet girl's b-day with you.

Then it was on to Mulan rehearsals...

Where complete chaos reigned. I'm working backstage doing hair and make-up. Needless to say getting 68 kids ready in full make-up, intricate costumes and braids is a challenge. Have to admit we are really having fun though. It's a great feeling to be a part of something special.

We are making memories here. We are building roots. My big chick will never forget what she was doing on her 12th birthday and neither will I. BTW don't ya just love my whacked out hair?? The two tone, wispy fake braid look should be my new everyday do...ha;)

The play begins tonight and goes through next Sunday...there are 9 performances. If you live in the Richmond, VA area you should definitely come check it out. You can buy tickets here. They have all worked so hard. The sets, costumes and lighting are amazing. What a talented bunch of kids!! HERE WE GO:)

Okay so don't forget to link up a healthy yummy recipe to share. Let's Feed our families!!!

Have a blessed day.

403. SHOWTIME!

404. surprises

405. reliving youth a bit

406. yummy chicken dinners

407. keeping busy...really really busy

the role of a lifetime

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This is my girl. My first born. The love of my life. The one who made me a momma. It took me a solid year after she was born to really grasp that truth. It seemed too good to be true. I still felt like a child inside and yet I got to wear the role of mommy...wow! Well today my baby turns 12.

When we moved here I remember the little worm of worry in the back of mind. Would she have friends by the time her birthday rolled around? Would she still be texting and calling her old friends instead of moving on and making new ones? Would she still be confiding in me about how hard it is not having a bestie here?

Funny how when you just let go that God fills in the holes. All the little crevices and cracks are, one by one, being filled in. My Big Chick is thriving. She's finding her groove here. It's tech week for her CYT Mulan play. Every single night this week she has rehearsals. I miss her. We plan on making the most of our hour with her tonight. We'll fill her room to overflowing with balloons. Cupcakes are on the menu. We'll grab Little Chick from school, so she can be with her before she leaves. We'll be waiting in her room ready to surprise her when she gets off the bus. Can't wait to see her face. Can't wait to see her feel loved. This being a mom role is still unbelievable...you'd think after 12 years it would be more real. How is it possible that I'm still pinching myself after all this time;)

Have a blessed day.

423. being a mom

424. having a 12 year old

425. cupcakes and shiny balloons

426. helium and giggles

427. remembering those first moments that changed my life

branching out

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi girlies...I'm branching out a bit and listing some of my favorite photos I've taken this year in my Etsy shop. I don't claim to be a photographer, but I LOVE LOVE to take pictures. Each and every one of these photos transport me to a special moment in my life.

It's amazing how photographs can do that. All the ones above were taken the day my momma and I spent the day antiquing in Illinois. We came home at just the perfect moment to catch the Illinois prairie set on fire! Love those shots. That rusty old mailbox is in front of my parent's house. My dad welded it with his own two hands many years ago.

You know I love me a barn picture. I have lots of them. I'll be adding to this one. Took it while driving to see my sweet friend Janie back in December. She's beautiful all alone in that isolated field. Love how the tree is her only friend.

These were taken last February while I was in Seattle. Sasha and I spent the day gorging on everything wonderful in life. Taking in as many sweets as we could stomach. Snapping pictures of beauty all around us. It was a day to remember.

These last five are from our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii last April. The landscape was rugged. Gorgeous in saturated color. The sunset was right out of a magazine. It was an honor and privilege to have my feet on that blackened soil.

All of these pics mean alot to me. Thought I'd share them with you too.

Have a blessed day.

418. colorful memories

419. a new avenue to create

420. a preacher who stands on the Word

421. sea salt dark chocolate...just a square

422. kind people who pour into my life

Feed my family...Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:04:00 +0000

Hello friends...it's FRIDAY! Hope your week has been good. We've got a big weekend planned. Do you have a Super Bowl party to go to?? WE DO!!! I played around with the idea of inviting some couples over, but chickened out. We don't drink and it would have been our first couple thing and the Super Bowl is kind of a man's man thing...so I just let the ball drop. THEN someone invited us..YIPPEEE:)) I can't tell you how relieved I was. It's kind of like a holiday and to spend it alone is just a tad sad.

This week I completely went outside of my comfort zone with dinner. It was a little more labor intensive, but so worth it. We never eat pizza...like NEVER! Isn't that sad?? A couple of years ago we started cleaning up our diet and pizza just kind of went out the door and never came back. So I can honestly say I've never made a pizza before last night. I thought this might be a good one to share, so you could make it for the Super Bowl. It's a BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA and it's good for you!!!!

I made the sauce from scratch...that's right ladies, from SCRATCH. I got the recipe from Oxygen Magazine (Fat-blasting food guide)...the April Issue. The sauce makes a huge batch that you can use it in four different dinners. It will keep in the fridge for a few months and will freeze up to a year. I'll be sure to share the other recipes as we go along.

Mango BBQ sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 mango, peeled, pitted and chopped

2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1 x 6-oz. can tomato paste

1/2 cup unsulfured organic molasses

1/4 cup apple cider

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

1 tsp salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in pot or skillet and set on med. high. Add onions, garlic and mango...saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil...reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat and cool. Transfer to blender and puree. Fill no more than half full at a time to blend. Transfer to storage jars.

Okay so after you make the sauce it's easy. Cook a pizza crust in the oven for approximately 5 minutes. The only one I could find was a rolled out thin crust. The recipe called for a whole wheat crust in the frozen section. Never could find it.

Cook a couple of diced up chicken breasts. Saute a half red onion, combine with the chicken and 2 cups mango BBQ sauce. Pour over the crust with 1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro and mozzarella. I bought fresh mozzarella from the deli section. Cook an additional 5-7 minutes until melted. MMMMM good!!!

It's your turn grab my button, link up with us and let's FEED OUR FAMILIES:)

Have a blessed day.

412. a cozy rainy day
413. a clean studio...i can think now
414. my hunter boots - they make me feel cute
415. new bible study on James
416. spontaneous roadtrip
417. meeting new couples...plans

the beauty hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Today was beyond beautiful. The sky begged me to come outside. I spent most of the morning in bed. I get horrible cramps. This month was exceptionally bad for some reason. Finally after laying there until my entire body was achy I decided to put on some tennis shoes, grab my camera and go for a beauty hunt.

January is a tricky month to find beauty. It's dormant. Every living thing is in wait. The leaves, the critters, all the little flowers...waiting just beneath the surface to break free. Do feel like you are in wait too??

If you ask for your eyes to be open to the lovely...you will find it.

Sometimes it's not in the package you were expecting. It may be covered in prickles.

It may appear to be a weed.

You may have to get really close to see it...down on your hands and knees. But when you go searching for it I guarantee you will not be disappointed. It's been there, right in front of you, all along.

Have a blessed day.

407. ibuprofen

408. feeling warmth from the sun in jan.

409. the luxury of being able to stay in bed when i don't feel good

410. recognizing and appreciating beauty

411. pine needles swishing in the breeze

oh my goodness!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Had my first binge day since I started my new healthy diet at the first of the year. It was inevitable eventually I guess. I cut sweets, soda and bread cold turkey. Didn't even allow caffeine. Saturday was spent painting sets right next to a kitchen filled with my favorite cookies....shortbread dipped in dark chocolate. Oh.my.goodness!!! I remained strong...walked on by.

Then the PMS hormones kicked in full blast on Sunday and my cravings for chocolate were just too much. I snuck a handful of frozen chocolate covered almonds, (I froze them thinking they would be too hard to eat...NOT) then because I'd already caved I thought shoot I might as well call it a cheat day. Next followed a huge bowl of buttered popcorn, 7 mini Heath bars, a giant buttered bagel with cinnamon and sugar...hmmmm what else??? Am I the poster child for what not to do or what?? Let's see what is the lesson here? I'm thinking if you are dying for something...like really can't get your mind off it dying...just have it. One little piece, and then be done.

Thank you so much for all the notes of encouragement and prayers concerning our house in Minnesota. We got a call from our realtor on Saturday night saying we had a new buyer. I know! Apparently they called all their realtor friends and explained what happened and kicked up a lot of interest. People were coming out of the woodwork!!! I really can't believe it, and as much as I'm relieved and excited about it, now I'm a little gun shy and feel like until the papers are signed anything can happen.

There is also this underlying sense of guilt. Within 24 hours my prayers were answered and another buyer came forward. I got so many comments and letters from readers explaining their own hardships and housing issues and to be honest they were a LOT worse than mine...and yet ours got resolved. I don't know why things like that happen. It doesn't seem fair at all. I don't have the answers at all except to say that his timing doesn't make sense. Your answer will come...IT WILL. Don't give up. Don't lose faith. He has a plan for your life...a very good plan.

Okay so I wanted to show you a little of what's been taking my time for this CYT play Big Chick is in. She's going to be a Chinese villager and warrior in Mulan...so proud of my little actress;) On the weekends I've been painting away. One of the big projects they had in store for me was a dragon. Eeeek...never done anything remotely dragon like before.

My friend Jean (she REFUSED to let me take her picture...geesh) and I started with a tracing machine and then that didn't work, so we sketched this dragon and a giant phoenix bird out by hand! Then we traced it in with charcoal and finally started adding in the details.

Jean took the phoenix and I took the dragon, so this is my dragon baby. I can't believe how good it turned out. They are going to cut around it and then hang it from the top of the stage somehow.

When they found out that I was artsy they had big plans for my skills. I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I was a little nervous that they had too much faith in me. But you know what? It's like anything else that I start. If I just begin...somehow HE is always there to help me figure it out. It's like that in life too. Just take that step of faith and the details will all come together. It just does. Love you girls.

Have a blessed day.

403. a dragon baby;)

404. a new friend to laugh with

405. prayers poured out for my family

406. answers and promise and hope

the deal's off!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:17:00 +0000

Just had an interesting conversation with the Lord while I was in the shower. It went something like this....Lord do you allow me to walk through crap sometimes, just so I can share it on my blog?? Just so someone who might be going through something similar can relate? Cause really it would be easier for me if we just stuck to smooth sailing. Unfortunately he didn't answer me back...he didn't have to;)

Honey just called me a few minutes ago and I could tell by his pensive...fake cheerful voice that he was trying to tell me something in the least dramatic, least painful way possible. Apparently the loan officer failed to tell our buyer that he needed a certain dollar amount in the bank to qualify for his VA loan, so his loan fell through. That's right girls I said it...the deal's off! Oh and the furnace in our old house isn't working...grrrrr.

Am I disappointed YES?! Am I mad at God? No. I wish life was easy. I wish it didn't require a huge amount of daily faith to get by. I wish that loan officers weren't ignorant! But the fact is that disappointment comes to all of us. I have a friend who just lost a baby...another who is going through a divorce. People write me about how they are waiting for answers to come...that their husbands have been out of work for a very long time...how they are so hungry for friends that loneliness has taken a hold of them. If we expect smooth sailing in life we are going to be let down over and over again.

I'm not putting the weight of this house mess on my shoulders. It's not for me to worry about. I'm continuing to trust. He's got it covered. Regardless of the outcome it will be alright. So there's the ugly truth. Life sucks sometimes, but joy comes in the morning. I can hardly wait for daybreak. **Please pray that a new buyer comes. Our realtors are scrambling.

Have a blessed day.

Feed my family...Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

It's time for another Feed My Family Friday...who's with me;)??

The recipe this week is for Beef polenta ragout. I went out of my box a little more and tried polenta for the first time. Have you ever had it? It looks really scrumptious, like it's going to be really really good. But it honestly doesn't have that much flavor. We even ended up getting the green chile and cilantro flavor by accident and it still didn't have much punch to it.

Okay so this is polenta. I didn't make any homemade. Didn't feel the need to go to that much trouble especially since I'd never tried it before. We found it in the organic section of the refrigerator aisle. It comes in a tube and you slice it. It's basically just cornmeal patties.

I sliced up the tube, put a little olive oil in a skillet and cooked it for a couple of minutes on each side. I salted it a little too. It's actually pretty good, and a wonderful substitute for pasta.

(this looks less than appetizing...but it really was tasty)

Meanwhile in a skillet I browned really lean hamburger and then added it to a slow cooker to simmer (on high for 3 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours) with a 14 ounce can of stewed tomatoes, diced carrots, diced onions, 1/4 tsp. black pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. The last 30 minutes I threw in some sweet peppers and sliced zucchini. You pour the beef mixture over the polenta and serve. Very healthy...colorful and hearty. I would recommend using lots of your favorite spices to give it a punch of flavor.

&lt;br /> &lt;br /> &lt;a href="http://farmgirlpaints.blogspot.com/search/label/feed%20my%20family%20friday">&lt;img vspace="none" hspace="none" alt="feed my family friday" src="http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu20/folly_surf_fisher/feedmyfamily-1.jpg" />&lt;/a>

Okay it's your turn. Grab my button, link up a healthy recipe, and let's FEED OUR FAMILIES:)

Have a blessed day.

398. book club with my new peeps

399. lunch in a tea room with sweet grannies

400. Noodles med. salad with marinated steak...yum!

401. being invited to a super bowl party

402. sweet comments about my house that made my head about pop off;)

Home Made Lovely

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Good morning girlies. Heather from Life Made Lovely recently asked me to be a part of her Home Made Lovely series. Every week she features a blogger's home. So far every single one has left me completely inspired. I literally let out a little squeal when she wanted to include me. I went around and took pics of most of my rooms, so now they will be all in one spot. If you are curious head over here today:)

Have a blessed day.