Farmgirl Paints

all aboard to...DC

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:31:00 +0000

This past week we made a quick, spontaneous decision to take the train into DC for Memorial Day weekend. We are not quick decision makers...er maybe I should restate that. MY honey is not a quick, spontaneous, on the fly decision maker. I'm a go anywhere, do anything kinda gal. Thank heavens he keeps my feet on the ground. Needless to say we balance we each other out beautifully.

So this trip was unplanned and sometimes those are the best little surprises. DC has been on our to-do list since moving here almost a year ago. How can you live so close to such an amazing city and not take full advantage of it right?!

We decided instead of messing with traffic and the stress that goes along with driving that we would take the train. BEST decision ever. None of us had ever taken a long train ride before. It was so cool...so easy. You don't have to check luggage. You don't have to go through security or wait forever. You just get on, find a roomy seat, sit back and relax. You can plug in your phone, iPad whatever and stay connected. It's definitely the way to go.

My sweet traveling buddy:)

It was also a wonderful way to take in the country side. Virginia is beautiful. Lush and green...so historic. It made for a peaceful ride.

Once we got there the wow factor started right away. This is Union Station. The architecture was so beautiful.

It amazes me the attention to detail that went into every little thing. If you love detail you would love DC.

Oh the feeling of finally getting to the room. Of setting down the luggage and taking your shoes off. A home away from home.

We set our stuff down for just a second and then took off. We couldn't wait to explore. It was weird walking the streets...seeing the history everywhere. We see it on TV all the time, but to be there in person was surreal.

The first night we walked by the Capitol, took in the Natural History Museum, and the National Archives. The archives were my favorite. They usher you into a dark room and you stand in line waiting your turn to see the Bill of Rights, Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Uh can you say AMAZING!! There was a poor guy who whipped out his camera to take a picture and the security lady made an example of him and had him escorted out of the building. I was so glad I didn't make that mistake. Talk about being mortified.

To stand over those faded documents and make out the signatures of Ben Franklin, James Madison and George Washington was goose bump worthy. The only thing that would trump that experience would be to visit the Holy Land and stand where Jesus stood. See the grave he arose from...the hill he was crucified on. That would be amazing.

This was the sculpture garden right in front of the National Archives building. It was SO crowded. They had some kind of jazz concert going on and throngs of people were standing around and laying on blankets. I didn't get it really. It was super hot and muggy and to go to the park and sit on the grass just didn't sound fun to me. I'm not a city girl at all though. People...lots of people annoy me. I need space.

The next day we went to the Ford Theatre. It's the place Lincoln was shot in the back of the head. Out of all the presidents Abraham Lincoln was my very favorite. Visiting the actual theatre and seeing right where he was on that night was powerful. The girls thought so too.

We finally made it to the White House. You kind of picture this moment as being special. But in actuality we were dripping with sweat. It was close to 90 degrees and HUMID, nothing but concrete to walk on and we had been walking a long long way. The girls were grouchy. I was on my period because anytime we ever have anything important...any kind of vacation...I'm always on my period;) And it's time to take the pic. Little Chick is acting out. She won't get in the picture, and all of a sudden I feel spit on my shoulder. Next thing you know I lash out and pinch her on the bottom. She runs off pouting and that's our White House memory. There you have it. Finally after some tears, apologies and calming down we got this shot. Welcome to vacation.

After the White House debacle we got some ice cream. Ice cream just makes everything better doesn't it? We made the LONG trek to the Lincoln Memorial.

Out of all the sights this is the one I've been looking forward to my entire life. It was powerful. Walking those steps. Standing small by that giant statue of a man who made such a difference in our Nation's history. I felt small and insignificant...but inspired. These people who care...really care for something. Who stood for freedom and liberty and for right. Those soldiers who gave it all up to protect and defend our nation. They deserve our utmost respect. They deserve to be honored. I am so proud to be an American. I don't always agree with how our country is ran, how things are accomplished, but I am forever grateful for our Founding Fathers who came in search of freedom and for all the men and women who have died and lived to protect that freedom. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Have a blessed day.

598. DC under our belts

599. our soldiers...the sacrifices made

600. freedom

601. memories with my family...good and bad

602. the luxury of a train ride

603. Godly leaders

thanksgiving in may

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Good morning friends. My family is on the move...we are heading somewhere exciting this Memorial day weekend. I can't wait to share it with you next week. EEEK!! I love a good long holiday weekend. I hope you all have something fun planned too. Tell me if you do:)

Okay so I was sifting through my pictures and came across these I took last week. Remember I gave myself an awesome birthday gift and signed up for an art class at our botanical garden here in Richmond??

I really really enjoyed the tranquility of that week. I didn't know a soul. I got in my car...GPS ready...and navigated through the city to a place I'd never been before.

I felt completely out of my element artistically though. I was challenged. And by challenged I mean I sucked at pastels;) It's all good though, because when you try a new thing you sharpen your other skills, and I think in the long run it will help me grow as an "artist".

I've taken a few art type classes, and every teacher just kind of guides you and then turns you free. I find that frustrating. I like hands on, show me what to do, kind of learning. And when I get frustrated I kind of shut down, and decide to throw it in the trash when I get home. Grrrr patience in the journey is not my strong point.

I mostly enjoyed sitting in the gardens and really just soaked in every little sound of the birds chirping...children laughing in the distance. I honestly need to stop and smell the roses a bit more in my life. How often do we really slow down and appreciate what's around us?

God created this! And it's there for me to enjoy.

Thank you Lord for what's right in front of me, if I just open my eyes and soak it all in. So master of pastels or not it was a very good week:)

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

My recipe this week is not really a recipe. I'm getting pretty simple here. I roasted a turkey, and as fancy as that sounds it wasn't. I bought a roasting turkey in a bag. Inside there was a cooking bag. I plopped it in a pan, cut in a slit and baked it according to the directions. It was DELICIOUS. I'm all about healthy, simple and easy. This met all the criteria. I added some instant mashed potatoes (remember I don't like to cook), homemade gravy (recipe was on the bag) and a veggie. So there you have it. A meal without a recipe:)

If you want, link up with me and let's feed our families:)

Happy long weekend friends:)

590. nature that begs me to appreciate

591. a thanksgiving dinner in may

592. weekend plans

593. lunch with a friend

594. clean bathrooms

595. a five mile run that made me feel invincible

596. my new favorite cuff
597. mani/pedi's with my sugar sistas

storing up

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:58:00 +0000

I was 6 years old when I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I know that seems really young, but I had a momma that had been teaching me about Him since wee little. When I started having questions she quickly directed me to the word and explained things. When the Holy Spirit started tugging on my heart...she was there to guide the way. When people talk about their testimony usually it involves a life of sin...going the completely wrong direction and then a wake-up moment. Mine wasn't like that. I feel like I was born into the family.

I'm forever grateful that I had a great grandma, grandma and momma that were Godly women. Whether they prayed over my life directly or not...their walk with the Lord was sowing into my future...a covering of sorts. Our pastor talked about "storing up" on Sunday. When I think of storing up I remember that scripture that says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." Matthew 6:18-20.

Our pastor wasn't talking about storing up earthly possessions, he was referring to a storing up of future generations. We store up when we cover our kids with prayer. We store up when our lives, because of our faith walk, have that trickle down effect of mercy and grace. It's passed down from generation to generation.

He talked about David. That for generations after David had died God kept sparing his descendants. There was favor on them, not because of what their lives were showing, but what David had stored up for them with his own life.

I want nothing more than for my own family to have a destiny full of favor from the Lord. I want them to not be able to run from His love. I want goodness, mercy and grace to chase them down the streets. I want them to be used in a powerful way. I want them to have both feet firmly planted...not one foot in, one foot out. I want a covering to keep them all the days of their lives, and that they would never stray.

I want their lives to be full of fruit. That they would be giant killers...Champions for God. That's all;) I want to carry on that legacy from my family tree, and for them to do the same with their children one day.

Maybe you didn't have that Godly family tree. Maybe there was no one covering for you or standing in the gap. It's never too late to start a new tree. To store up for the future. I'm trying with all my might not to get caught up in the fleeting here and now. Oh to be able to keep my eye on the prize...

Have a blessed day.

586. an annointed pastor
587. antibiotics for my little
588. Godly role models
589. strawberry shortcake

leading lady and winner winner chicken dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

First of all THANK YOU sweet friends. There is nothing like a birthday to make you feel so special and loved!! I was showered with little messages and happy birthday wishes all day long (starting with my Sasha girl who texted me at 1:30 in the morning...she wanted to be first;)) and it just made me happy to my toes. Oh and when I got home from my art class I had big beautiful butterfly balloons tied to my mailbox with cookies tucked inside, and flowers on my porch!! To say that I've made some wonderful new friends since moving to Richmond is an understatement. I am blessed, blessed, blessed:)

Last week I finally got some things done that I'd had on my to do list. I went with a friend to a local nursery and quickly realized I was in over my head. Do you do that too? I was standing there with flowers and plants in every direction completely overwhelmed. Thank God for Joannie who directed my attention and helped me figure out what I wanted to do.

It could have been the super cute goats that distracted me or the chickens! I love me some chickens. Maybe it was the fun playhouse or...

...the goofy trees. Not sure, but we finally got it nailed down and when I got home I was a planting fool. I filled my big front baskets with flowers and then put herbs in my old double wash basin.

Something I've been wanting to do for well over a year now. Love it when it all comes together.

But before we made it home we hit Ulta. My girl Alicia has been giving me great ideas with her Happy Day Projects. Have you been over there yet? I'm a little slow linking up. This post counts as two of her challenges...but I figure it's better late than never. A few weeks ago she challenged us to try a red lipstick. Now I personally think red is hard.

This one is "leading lady" by Lorac. Kind of love the name. Do you pick a lipstick based on the name too? Remember that line in The Holiday when Kate Winslet is having dinner with the old man and he helps her figure out that she's not the leading lady in her own life?? And it's a light bulb moment for her. Love that scene and it made me buy the lipstick;)

My blog crush Kelle Hampton told me to get "Wine with Everything" by Loreal. And since that girl knows her red lipstick I also ended up with it. Have no idea why I need two red lipsticks, but that's how it went down. It's growing on me. I'm trying to be brave and just go for it. Something about the red does make me happy. So thanks Alicia for pushing me out of my comfort zone. I'm sorta loving the bold pop of color. Even wore it to the gym the other day;)

So this week for Feed my Family Friday...the recipe comes from my friend Lenina. Her family calls this winner winner chicken dinner and I can see why.

It's super easy too.

One roaster chicken.
A bottle of Lawry's marinade.
A bag of steamed vegetables.

Marinate your chicken with the Lawry's for approximately an hour. Place in roaster with lid at 425 for 1 1/2 hours. When there is about 10 minutes left, steam veggies in microwave, and then add to the chicken. I also added some water in the bottom of the roast pan in the beginning, and midway added some chicken broth because it dried out. When it's all done the chicken is coming off the bone it's so tender, and the veggies are tender and seasoned with the marinade. YUMMY!!!

Okay you know the drill. Link up and let's feed our families:)

Happy weekend friends.

582. one that I wanted to keep;)

583. feeling known again

584. laughing hysterically with a giant sombrero on my head

585. facebook for helping people remember my bday...ha!

in capable hands

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Months ago as a treat to myself I signed up for an art class the week of my birthday. Yep today's my bday:) I thought it would be cool to challenge myself and learn a new medium. To go somewhere I'd never been before, and master a new craft. Do something I was a little afraid of.

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond is amazing and they were offering an oil pastels class at the botanical gardens. Perfect. I can do art outside. It will be beautiful. I'll be learning.

This is my teacher Sarah. She's wonderful. She's been doing this for years. She went to art school, and worked in an art supply store. She's been teaching for some time, and has had her work shown... A LOT!

This is her art.

It's breathtaking. I stare at it in disbelief, because after just a few days of playing with pastels it seems like an impossibility to create anything even remotely similar to that.

This is Jim Dine, another amazing artist. I love his work. She brought me these examples to show me what can be done with pastels.

This is my "art". That's supposed to be some trees and a grassy patch;) It didn't quite turn out like I'd hoped. It's my amateur attempt at creating what was right in front of me. It's SO frustrating learning something new. You see it, but the technique and skill are not there and no matter how hard you try it just won't take shape! It makes me want to crumple the sheet of paper and throw it in the trash. I look at this and think I will NEVER learn how to do it. I will never be able to make these lumps of wax and pigment into anything beautiful.

That's my natural tendency. If it's too difficult I just want to stop. I'm hard on myself. The irrational side of my brain doesn't always compute that it takes LOTS of practice to get really good at something...that it takes determination and persistence. Impatience is always nipping at my heels.

My teacher obviously didn't start out a master. She's worked her way to the level she is today. And now through her own experiences she knows just how to patiently encourage, and give praise where it's a stretch to say the least. She won't let me give up, and I love her for that.

The fact is I'm a giant "lump" too. I'm beyond grateful that my Creator doesn't throw in the towel and walk away when I don't behave beautifully, or when I'm less than what He intends for me. I'm an imperfect piece of work, but with every misstep...with every attitude adjustment I'm being sculpted, and the vision He has for me is taking shape. I'm far from a masterpiece yet, but I'm in my Master's capable hands. What better place to be.

Have a blessed day.

576. learning to be messy

577. flowers, and trees and birds that sing to me

578. friends who make me feel special

579. the luxury of taking an art class

580. that i made it another year;)

581. my girlies who surpass my skill any day of the week!

passing the baton

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

From the moment my first born was placed in my arms it was like a whoosh! Every emotion that you can possibly feel dumped on me all at once. You know a what in the world just happened, I'm a mother, holy cow sort of feeling. Nothing can prepare you for that. It's lightning bolt worthy and for me it was beyond surreal. With every experience and every little step in growing there has a been a milestone. First tooth...major. Potty trained...hallelujah. First day of school...sad and displaced etc... But there was one rite of passage that I've been waiting for. Wondering when that day would finally happen and it did on vacay. Yep my baby moved on into "womanhood".

It was like time stopped for a split second. Even though you know it's coming, you see the changes...mood swings, cravings, obvious maturity it still knocked me off my axis for a split second and it took me back. I could remember that day in my own life like it was yesterday. And as I prayed with her and we acclimated there was this page turning sensation, and a feeling I can only describe as a passing of the baton.

That's what we do as mother's. We cradle their hands. We watch them navigate the exact same things we went through. We pray hard. We hold our breath, and exhale a sigh of relief when they succeed...and ultimately we pass the baton. When I think of Mother's day and all that it means to me this is the crowning jewel. This is what we get to impart. And it's priceless.

The last night of vacation honey and I clung to each other in bed and cried. We do that sometimes. Something about vacation and the collection of all those memories makes us both sentimental. It's not lost on us that in a few short years they will be gone. Making their own way...passing the baton with their own children. Then I guess we get to experience the whoosh feeling of grand babies. I kinda love the thought of that. It's all good...one page at a time;)

Happy Mother's Day!

572. being there

573. strawberry shortcake

574. my mom is still with me

575. having two girls

cuffs galore & korean BBQ

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Hi girlies it's FRIDAY! I have no idea why, but I feel like celebrating!!! I love Fridays. I wanted to tell you about my friend Brigetta. She wrote a book and it's going to be FREE this Saturday! FREE people. I've downloaded it from Amazon. Haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it's going to be awesome, because frankly she's awesome. So check it out here.

Anyhoo I've been doing some stuff for my Etsy store this week, and it feels soooo good. I'm not one to talk about my shop very much. I'm not sure why, but self promotion doesn't come easy for me. I more or less just wait for orders to come my way, but I've been hoarding these belts for way too long and they need to be used up!

Can you say stop the madness! People collect all sorts of things...salt and pepper shakers, hand mirrors;), quilts, coins etc...I'm officially a belt collector. I'm on the constant look out. I love them because they make incredible jewelry. I can never have too many, but they need to be used. So expect to see lots of new cuffs going in my Etsy store in the near future.

This week I tried two of the link up recipes from last Friday. See I really do fix what you link up:) The one I chose to show here was the Korean BBQ Ribs. SO GOOD! Seriously my little chick was moaning and she does NOT moan about food! She's the pickiest eater ever. So I think we have a winner.

I even got big chick in on the cooking part. She made the cabbage chicken salad that Barbara posted about in her link post. I'm not the best at having the girls help me in the kitchen. It's a disservice to them really that I don't like to cook. I need to do better. After a recent slumber party at a friend's house my oldest came home and gushed about how her friend got up that morning and just whipped up some pancakes. I'm like okay I guess I need to encourage this a bit;) It's time.

Barbara's Korean BBQ Recipe:

1 1/2 cups tamari sauce

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup sesame oil

3 tbsp veg oil

8-10 cloves of garlic crushed

6 green onions chopped roughly

4 pounds of short ribs

toasted sesame seeds

Here's how...

Combine the soy, sugar and oils, in a large bowl. Now add garlic and onion save a little for garnish. Stir together, put ribs into a large Ziploc bag (may need two bags) pour marinade into the bags and shake several times to coat. Refrigerate for at least four hours turning bag once or twice.

Heat grill to med-high heat, drain excess marinade. Put ribs on grill for about 8 minutes on each side...garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds & onion.

Okay girlies, grab my button, link to your recipe and let's FEED OUR FAMILIES:)

Have a great weekend Mothers:)

567. "moving on" alumni brunch

568. having more energy this week:)

569. feeling a sense of accomplishment with my shop

570. stormy skies on soccer practice night...shame on me

571. anticipation of a special mother's day weekend

it is well with my soul

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:45:00 +0000

We go to a contemporary service at church. Actually there isn't a choice, and most of the time I love it, but there is a part of me that misses the hymns. The old familiar songs I grew up with as a child. This Sunday I was singing along and all of a sudden they started one of my very favorites...It is Well With my Soul. Oh how I love that song.

When I was in high school our church choir went over to England and I was one of the "signers". I stood in front of the various congregations, nervously shaking to my core, and fluidly did the sign language to that beautiful song. At sixteen I didn't really understand the significance of the lyrics...the power in this man's message.

Horatio Spafford pinned this song after he had just lost his four daughters in a shipwreck. He was in complete and utter despair. UTTER DESPAIR! Can you imagine? And yet he wrote this:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
- Refrain:
  It is well, with my soul,
  It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

I look at my own life and all that I hold dear and I think to myself would I be able to whisper those words if I lost it all? Would I have that complete faith and trust in my Lord on that day?

Would my focus be on what really matters?...that our lives here are temporary and that heaven is our real home. That my sins are nailed to that cross and I don't have to carry them anymore. I love his focus. I love that despite his pain, he kept the truth close to his heart and didn't go down that path of why me?

These people are my everything, but they aren't really mine. They are loaners. They are entrusted to me, but ultimately they are HIS, as is everything.

Oh to be able to say and mean it to the core...It is Well with My Soul.

Have a blessed day.

562. hymns

563. a sweet early bday gift from this gal

564. lots of cuff orders because of this gal and this gal

565. money provided to fly home this summer

566. running for 30 minutes without dying

**the beach pics were taken on La Jolla beach by San Diego

so i'm not a size 3 & caprese quinoa

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:34:00 +0000

After my shower the other day I went for my comfy shorts. You know the ones that look sorta cute, but more than anything the fit is just right? I pulled them on and they were SKIN TIGHT. We are talking sausage roll tight. My blood pressure immediately shot up. I started doing sumo squats to try and stretch them out, the whole time I'm fuming under my breath. Did I shrink them?? Did I gain more weight?! Finally I ripped them off and kicked them around the floor a bit, frustrated that another article of clothing was going to my twelve year old. Then I picked them up and looked at the label. They WERE my twelve year old's!!! WHAT? So then I'm like oooh I could actually pull up a size 3 pair of shorts;) HA! Uh can you say psycho?! It took me about a millisecond to lose my joy and then another millisecond to get it back again.

I'll be honest. I've been down on myself this year. It's been a roller coaster emotionally with the move etc...and I've put on about 15 pounds, which makes me mad. Going on vacay recently and eating like a banshee didn't help much either, but that's besides the point;) The thing is as women we can be really hard on ourselves.

I work out. I kill it at the gym. I eat healthy most of the time. I believe our bodies are worth fighting for. It's not wrong to try and look good. Because to me looking good equates feeling good. What is wrong is letting satan steal my joy when I can't fit into a size 3 or if I don't like how my face looks in a picture etc... There's some kool aid being passed around in society that we have to be itty bitty to fit in...to feel pretty. Well I'm not buying in. Speaking of pretty...thank you for all the sweet compliments from my previous post. I hope you know I wasn't fishin' for them. I was referring more to a feeling than an outward appearance, but I'll take it. Made my head about explode.

I went to lunch with a friend recently and she started off saying, "I don't want to offend you" and immediately I was like oh no what is she gonna say. She went on to say that she's starting to think about aging and it's bothering her a bit, and that if it bothers her than it really must bother me. I was like oh how so?? In a nutshell she went on to tell me she doesn't care about her looks...and it's apparent that I do. Whew I was worried it was going to be something bad, she didn't offend me at all. I do care. I've mulled this one over and there is nothing wrong with caring. Caring to me means taking CARE of yourself and I think that is what the Lord calls us to do with our bodies. We only get one. It's when we get out of balance and either don't care enough or care too much that it affects our lives and that's when there should be a check in our spirit. That's what I had the other day...a little what the world are you freaking out about check!

Since we are talking about caring for ourselves, this gal has done just that. I'm so inspired by her fit journey, and apparently she eats a lot of quinoa. I've never had it, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I found a yummy recipe here.

Fresh Caprese Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
-1/2 C quinoa
-8 oz fresh mozzarella
-1 carton grape tomatoes, halved
-fresh basil (I only had cilantro)-2T olive oil (I used maybe a tsp or 2.)-salt & pepper

Method
1. In a medium sized pan, bring 1 C water and 1/2 C quinoa to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer on LOW until all of the water is absorbed. This should take anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes. *Cooking your quinoa on low is extremely important. If you let it simmer on a hotter flame, the water will absorb too quickly and the quinoa will turn out hard! (I've heard you can cook it in a rice cooker too.)
2. Cool the cooked quinoa in the refrigerator for at least an hour before preparing the salad.

3. To prepare the salad, slice grape tomatoes in half [hot dog way] and cut the block of fresh mozzarella into bite size pieces. Mix together. Then add the chopped basil and cooked quinoa and give the salad a toss. Next, drizzle on the olive oil and season with a little salt/pepper (to taste). Give your salad a final toss and serve cool or at room temperature.

I'm not sure what I think of quinoa. While I was eating I took too big a bite and about killed myself on a tomato or hunk of cheese. Geesh! Cut it up small! After that I was scared to eat anymore. It's supposed to be really good for ya. That's all I know. I'm sure I'll try it again soon:)

So I'd love for you to link up a recipe and join in the fun.

Have a blessed weekend friends.

556. friends you can talk about anything with

557. lunch at baker's crust with my first friday girls

(chasing a fly)

558. how my honey makes me laugh out loud

559. big chick's new smile;)

560. having this place to spill my thoughts

561. you for loving me with your words

vacation pretty

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:44:00 +0000

There is something about vacation that makes me feel pretty. I'm not sure if it's the extra effort I put into feeling tropical...like the coconut lime lotion I wear or the spray tan that gives my skin it's glow. Maybe it's the outfits that I never wear at home that seem too fancy for every day, but magically make me feel special when we are far away.

Maybe it's the casual summer dresses or the platform sandals that squeeze my toes, but make me feel tall and sexy. Why do I save these for special occasions?

Or perhaps it's the lack of doing that makes me blossom. The free falling of the days that remind me there is no concrete plan. We are here to relax...to enjoy every minute. I want to bottle up that feeling of bliss...of no expectations and wear it around my neck like a gentle fragrance.

I want to remember the wind whipping my hair. The feeling of cool sand between my toes. I want to imprint how the sun warms my shoulders, how the laughter of my children pulls my heartstrings, and how Honey's hand fits perfectly in mine...every single day. I want my senses to be tuned in, no static, to notice even the littlest of blessings. Yes, I want to feel pretty from the inside out...vacation pretty...even on a plain old Monday.

Have a blessed day.

551. honey's birthday
552. getting "it" done
553. new neighbors
554. lush green everywhere
555. feeling pretty;)

farmy retreat & FMFF

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

Okay so remember back to when we had the house painted? I screwed up big time in one room, and had it painted almost the identical color it already was. Uh yeah...oops! Kind of figured that out when I came in to check on the progress, and I couldn't tell where they had been. Oh and the snickers and laughing in the corner was a tell too. Finger pointing and remarks in Spanish that I couldn't translate made me fully aware they thought I was a goof. And I was. But it's hard to pick out colors for an entire house. Girls I was in over my head!

Needless to say the spare bedroom was never my favorite room. It was kind of thrown together and never really looked like me. The walls were beige. Beige! So since I've been pinning black walls forever on Pinterest I decided to go bold and just go for it. This color is called Gravel Grey by Benjamin Moore and it actually looks like a really dark navy versus grey.

Other than a wall color idea I really didn't have a game plan. I had seen a yellow dresser at my sweet friend Alicia's house and kind of knew I wanted a bold yellow somewhere. So a seed was planted and an old black dresser got a redo;)

I spray painted that bad boy bright yellow...scuffed the heck out of it with a palm sander, added some numbers and new knobs and now it's the BOMB. I LOVE IT! It just looks happy.

I was also on the hunt for a long tall dresser. Something to sit the TV on and display some pretties. My friend Kim recommended a great antique store and told me to go asap. I had been there before and had completely forgotten about it, but that's where I ended up finding this sweet piece.

The next day I ran into Kim and told her about my find. She starts telling me about the piece she had fallen in love with too. Low and behold she whips out her phone and I had bought the exact piece she had her eye on. I about died! Seriously out of hundreds of pieces of furniture I picked the exact same piece.

I felt bad painting it. Knowing I was altering her beloved piece too. The pressure was really on. What if I screwed it up? I ended up spray painting it and I usually never do that. It was so much harder than I thought. For some reason it started bubbling and dripping. I guess I should stick to brushes;)

In the end I glazed it with a metallic finish and painted the knobs silver. I love it.
REALLY love it.

Usually when you start a room you have a plan....a jumping off point. For me it's almost always bedding. This time it was a piece of artwork. I had a funky rooster painting that I seriously loved and wanted to incorporate turquoise, red, yellow, navy and white. Good luck finding bedding that will fit into that color scheme. I about fell over when I saw this duvet at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It was happy dance time:) It blends in beautifully and looks like I had it custom made.

It screams BECKY now. I go in there and never want to leave. Oh and I raised the bed too. Made a world of difference. It's my giddy, make me want to jump up and down room. Gotta have one of those right?;)

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

So on to Feed My Family FRIDAY!!! On vacation I had THE most amazing sandwich. We are talking best sandwich I've ever EVER tasted. We went to the Hotel Coronado on Coronado and ate at the Sheerwater Restaurant. This bad boy was $22. Best money spent. There had to be about that much crab meat there right? Holy cow!! Anyway it inspired me to find a good/healthy crab cake recipe. On Pinterest I found one here. I've changed it quite a bit, but it was my jumping off point.

You need:

16 ounces of lump crab meat. I bought mine in a can.

1/2 cup of planko bread crumbs. I used Ritz crackers instead. I love Ritz.

1/4 cup chopped parsley. I used chopped green onion instead.

1 egg

1/4 cup lite mayo

1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning. I used some crab leg seasoning I got on vacay in Gulf Shores, Alabama years ago. Same difference.

Mix all the ingredients together. Using an ice cream scoop make crab cakes and place on cookie sheet. If preparing the same day refrigerate for at least an hour. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. SO GOOD...not quite as good as the Sheerwater but a winner:)

Okay girls you know the drill. Grab my button, link to your recipe URL, and let's feed our families:)

Have a blessed weekend.

546. busch gardens today with my big chick

547. honey's birthday weekend

548. my book club girlies

549. cupcakes in my near future

550. crab cakes:)

the glass house

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

(In the bathroom at one of the airports...motion sick!)

Last week was a wee bit challenging. I had what we like to refer to in the Strahle house...pttd. Post traumatic trip disorder. You see I don't travel well. I LOVE to travel. Love to see new places and people watch, but instictively on travel days I wake up and my body just knows. It does. Weirdest thing. Anyway our flight home was awful! The flight was canceled and booked for two days later. Finally we got a new flight, one to Denver (with the worst turbulence EVER) and then to DC...2+ hours from our house. All in all it took us 23 hours to get back to Virginia. So when I wildly dramatically declared that I would never go back to California it was PTTD related. I feel the need to clarify;) I spent most of last week regrouping. Trying to get my groove back on. Why does vacation do this? We are supposed to come back all refreshed. Didn't happen!

Okay so back to vacay pictures;) I'm such a goof. I know there is a parallel between glass houses and life, but I can't remember what it is. So I googled "glass house" and found some lyrics for a few different songs. Uh whatever you do...don't do that. Man there is a lot of garbage out there. Anyhoo since I can't remember the point I'll make up my own.

We stayed in a glass house on our vacay. I spent hours on the Internet searching, and since I'm scared to death of getting bed bugs, we thought staying in a house might be better. Especially one made of glass walls and concrete. It seemed safer. Less for them to attach to or something. I know I'm a little paranoid, but bed bugs are the WORST. I know someone and it's an awful, sad story.

The house was a perfect escape. It couldn't have been any more different than what we have back in Virginia. It was one of those mid-century modern homes redone. Completely decked out in retro furniture, sparse decor and all white walls. Like every single surface in the house was white. Could that be any more opposite than my style or what? It was just the ticket. Every morning we awoke to natural light. HEAVEN! I love my current house, but if there was one thing I would change this would be it. I need light and unfortunately my house doesn't get much. So a week of light was perfect.

The back yard was completely private. We're talking tall hedge, big fence, low sitting neighbors, lots of bushes, palm trees...the works. There was no looking in. Yet it was a little disconcerting having no walls or coverings for privacy. I went outside and snapped pics of honey one night and he didn't even notice! How creepy is that?? Even our bathroom was all glass.

One of the perks of having a house is not having to share. I know shame on me, BUT I could go out in the morning and walk around in my pj's:) I didn't have to suck it in or worry about looking pretty in my swimsuit. Sitting by the pool in privacy was a brand new experience.

If you look real close behind me...above the couch in the house...there is a naked lady picture. It's one of the only things hanging in the house. When I first saw it I was like...nice. Very kid friendly and appropriate;) Her face looks just like a young Barbara Streisand. By end of the week I was almost mesmerized by it. Wishing I could have taken it home with me;) Ha! Wouldn't that look great hanging above our bed in Virginia??

Still not sure of the perfect glass house tie in except to say it was a nice departure. Getting over the exposed feeling took about a millisecond, but apparently I'm used to having people see right through me;)

**I'm going to post a recipe Friday...and show the black room:) Just FYI.

Have a blessed day.

541. making memories

542. departing from the norm

543. fuchsia

544. hearing my girls giggle

545. coming home to color

on the wild side

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:04:00 +0000

I was laying in bed last night wide awake with blog posts bubbling up in my mind. Not sure if that's a sign, maybe it was the sweet pleas for me to say a little something;), but I feel like taking a time out. I'm officially blowing the whistle...my hands are waving in the air and I must speak. HA!

I've figured a few things out over the last few weeks. First I'm hard wired to blog. It's just who I am. I love to share my life. I love to write. I LOVE to take pictures. The first few days were incredibly weird. I was so used to writing posts that I couldn't relax. I even carried a notebook with me everywhere to record my thoughts! Geesh girl get a grip;) Then the reality of oh I'm like on a mini vacation set in and it was almost a relief not to blog.

After the comments died off another shift happened, and finally for the first time in the last almost 4 years I got a little revelation that...wait for it...someday...when the season presents itself...I can stop blogging!!! I KNOW that sounds ridiculous, but for years I've looked at my friends and family and thought how do they do it? How do they live their lives and not TELL everyone about it? It seemed an injustice not to record every moment and to document everylittlething. But I tell ya girls blogging can become like a job...one in which I presently do not get paid and that's where it gets fuzzy. So with that said...I'm still on a break, but I just HAD to blog...and I'll be back here and there because I have to. 'Nough said:)

For Easter we flew out to Palm Springs. Honey and I have been there 5 times! We've always stayed over in the lush golf resort area, and almost always had it paid for by his company, and it was wonderful. This time we took the girls and we rented a house...more on that later. But there was a shift, and as wonderful as our relaxing vacay was that will probably be the last time we visit sunny California for like EVER! We are on the East Coast now. I don't know what we were thinking hightailing it THAT far when our weather here was actually better. Sometimes you just keep doing the same thing you knew before without even realizing it. Time to make a change. I'm thinking Florida sounds nice next time;)

I'm so glad we chose to visit the desert on Easter. Out of all those trips West we had never explored Joshua Tree National park. Even as we were driving up I was skeptical. I mean how much fun is driving through a barren desert gonna be? Is this a giant waste of our precious vacation time??

NOW I can honestly say it was one of my very favorite days there. We piled into our car. We filled up our water bottles, took our final bathroom break and prepared for who knows what on our 2 hour, desolate car ride in the middle of nowhere. Sound like fun??

To say it was beautiful even in it's barren state is an understatement. If you look really hard you can find beauty anywhere. I have an appreciation for flowers that can bloom with the littlest amounts of rain, and animals that can survive in the harshest environments and somehow adapt and survive. It's a lesson in nature and a lesson in life.

I couldn't be in the desert without thinking of the Israelites. Normally I'm a little hard on them. I mean come on they had just witnessed miracle after miracle with Moses. How hard headed could they be?! It's not every day you see the Red Sea part for you and become dry land. That's incredible, and yet they grumbled and complained and started doing their own thing in the wilderness. They deserved to wander around for 40 years right??!! But while I was out there for a measly couple of hours I'm thinking to myself how in the world did they do that? I would have been right on board complaining about the cold nights and the HOT days. I would have surely been mumbling about the quail and manna again...even if it did magically appear morning after morning. Guess what else appears morning after morning...a new day...new mercies...a fresh portion of Grace...and yet I can forget to give praise and appreciate that daily provision. I'm just sayin' that little walk in the desert was unforgettable.

And if you think I could go a whole 2 hours without peeing you were so WRONG! I officially have a bladder the size of a grape, so sue me. Finding a rock to hide behind became a priority and hoping and praying there wasn't a snake behind me ready to dig it's fangs in my behind was a real concern;)

My favorite part was the Cholla cactus garden. There are all kind of warnings and beware signs posted. They make it very clear that you do not want to get close to one of these beauties because they are nicknamed the "jumping cactus" and will magically reach out and sink their spikes right into your soft flesh in a New York minute! And apparently getting one out is excruciating.

We respected the signs. We stayed on the little gravel path...for the most part. We heeded the warnings, but what is it about a warning that makes you want to test its wise words. It was hard not to just reach out and touch one. They look furry and cute. Could it really be that bad?

We made sure to scare the girls thoroughly before we headed out on our little nature hike. The fear of painful cactus spikes, and rattlers really did put a love in their hearts for the desert. I'm sure of it;)

Finally we did spot the infamous Joshua Tree. Wish it would have been sunset or sunrise and it might have been a magical picture with silhouettes and such, but it was noon. Not the best lighting. Oh well, and if you don't want to venture into the park there are hundreds of these trees in Yucca Valley for free.

After the park we were driving home and I saw a cute little strip of antique malls and a fun coffee shop. I had to do some begging because Honey is not the most "off the beaten path" person you've ever met, but he finally gave in. Bless his heart. And so glad he did. We found a great place to eat and hit up some so so antique spots. Antiques in the West are very different than what I'm used to. Lots of rusted metal junk, mining equipment...cowboy stuff. Not really my cup of tea, but it was still fun.

Okay so that's all I got. Phew it feels good to share. Thanks for listening. I'll be back.

***EEEK and I almost forgot to tell you I'm officially on Instagram!!!

Three days into my break I discovered that Instagram is now offered for the Android smartphone. YEEHAW!!! Instagram is just a fun little app you add to your phone to jazz up your pics and share your world instantly. It's super fun, so while I may not be blogging much I'm still around. If you want to see some more of our vacay pics or just what's going on in my super exciting life;) look for the little camera on my sidebar or look up farmgirlpaints on Instagram.

Have a blessed day.

535. having a place that's all mine

536. readers who missed me

537. time spent with my family

538. memories that will stick with me forever

539. revelations from my Lord

540. instagram;)

clean tacos and a step back

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This week was exhausting. I painted a room black! CRAZY!! Torturous, but I'm loving how it turned out. I'll share pics later when it's all put together. So with that fun project and life in general I wish I could say I threw together several healthy meals for my family, but it just didn't happen. I did however see this recipe on Beautifully Rooted. It turned out to be a great thing to throw in the crock pot and then eat quick before we were out the door for soccer.

It's called Easy, Fresh and Clean TACOS!!

You combine chicken, garlic salt, sliced onion, frozen corn, can of diced or stewed tomatoes and taco seasoning all in a crock pot and let it cook 8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high. Shred and then just pile the meat on some corn tortillas. Add some cheese, cilantro, light sour cream and there you have it...a really easy and healthy meal. FAST.

Before I announce the winner of the Beautiful Soul piece I just wanted to let you girls know I'm taking a little break. I've been going through the motions lately. I'm in a burnout rut and I've felt for a long time that I need to step back a bit. I have a tendency to ignore that voice and keep on going because blogging is my favorite thing, but I need to be obedient.

So for the next few weeks I'm going to turn off my computer...EKKK! I'm going to take walks. I'm going to jump on a plane, and fly several thousand miles away with my family, and do nothing but take pics and lay in the sun!!!! And when I get back hopefully the creative bug will bite, and I'll get some things added to my Etsy store that I've had on my heart for awhile. It should be good. Really really good. I'll miss you something awful. I know I'll go through withdrawal from hearing from you...but I'll be back;)

The Winner of the give-away is:

Tracy from Loving Pretty Things

So here's where you grab my button, link up and share what you've been feeding your family!! Thanks girls. Keep taking pictures of your meals. You'll need some recipes to share when I get back;)

Have a blessed day.

530. a chance to regroup

531. soccer season begins

532. quiet time

533. rediscovery

534. vacation with my sweet peeps

shifting focus

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:22:00 +0000

I had a dream last night that I was in Paris with my mom and dad. We were in the coolest store ever. When I got outside I noticed the Eiffel tower, and I went to reach in my purse to pull out my camera and I didn't have my purse. I ran back into the uber crowded store and frantically looked everywhere for it without any luck. I woke myself up crying.

My camera is by far my favorite earthly possession. It's an extension of me. It gives me the chance to timeline my life. It captures, documents and tells our story. I'll let you into a little secret...I actually like taking pictures more than I like painting. I know! Crazy!!

A few weeks ago I dropped my favorite lens. I quickly swooped it up and put it on my camera to see if it was okay. It took me a bit to get it on. I had to kind of force it on. Once it was on it worked. Yay! Fast forward a couple of days to when I tried to remove it...uh not happening:( My camera is now officially a fixed 50mm! Dangit!!! To have it fixed will ultimately be expensive and I'll be without my baby for 4-6 weeks.

In the scheme of things that's not a huge deal. At least it's my cheapest lens...my favorite lens. It could stay on forever and I would still take lovely photos, but I'm bummed. Before I dropped my lens I was struggling with lens envy. I had my eye on a new one, a very expensive, completely unnecessary lens that in my blurry eyed lens lust would have given me the perfect shots.

I'm convinced God works in mysterious ways. Not sure if He allowed me to drop my lens to teach me a lesson, but it definitely did. Amazing how I no longer think about that shiny new lens. I'm just grateful to have a camera that works. I'm content with my fixed 50 mm shots. Something in me shifted to gratitude instead, and that's a very cool thing to have in focus.

Have a blessed day.

525. eyes being opened

526. fresh paint

527. antiquing with my joannie

528. dairy queen dipped cone

529. recognizing that i have more than enough

secret garden

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:53:00 +0000

Hello my sweet friends. It seems this last week that every living thing in nature has finally awakened. The birds are full of song. The little buds have burst forth on most of the trees, and they are filled with blossoms, and now the leaves are starting to unfurl. It's breathtaking. Nature seems to be showing off and I'm it's biggest fan... practically clapping my hands with delight!

I was watching an episode recently of Yard Crashers on HGTV. Have you seen that show? Ahmed Hassan...master landscaper person, goes to various home improvement stores and ambushes people. What I wouldn't give to be in one of those Lowe's or Home Improvement stores when he strolls up with the cameras and crew. Seriously if you happen to work for the show and know where he'll be next let me know...wink, wink;) My yard would be perfect for your show. It would be like hitting the landscape lottery. If you saw my backyard you would understand my excitement.

Nice green propane lid.

Oh wait you CAN see my backyard! Here it is in all it's glory...ha! One giant mudpit. We have someday dreams of a patio, curvy edges, firepit...GREEN grass! It will happen, but for now we are in waiting. It takes some major moolah and/or know how to pull of a beautiful yard. Unfortunately we don't have either right now, BUT we can dream and who knows maybe Ahmed could help a girl out;)

Speaking of dreaming. Remember my sweet new friend Tammy?? THIS is her backyard! Uh I think if I lived here I'd never go inside. It was absolutely beautiful. Her honey is all about gardening. That's his passion and it showed.

She was so sweet to take me on a little yard tour. We talked veggies. We talked herbs.

I took pictures of every little thing. Cause that's what I do. The sky was so pretty through the blooms.

They had a sweet little path that led to this...

enchanted area.

They had sweet little flowers here

and there.

Nothing really speaks to me or makes me see God's beauty more than nature. It's His gift to us. Too bad the land has to be toiled! Wouldn't it be great to just walk outside and throw some seeds into the air and magically have yourself a secret garden?? Dang that Adam and Eve! They really messed it up for the rest of us;)

Here's to a bright new week ahead. I'm curious do you have a secret garden??

Have a blessed day.

**OH and it's not too late to link up to last Friday's post. One linked reader will win my beautiful soul giveaway. If for some reason the linky thing is not working, just link to your post in a comment, or give the recipe.

520. buds and blooms

521. the promise of a new season

522. breakfast today with my sugar sistas

523. making it to 5,000 meters rowing

524. big chick's first slumber party

the smoothie that rocks my world...and a GIVE-AWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:48:00 +0000

Good morning friends. We finally made it to Friday! I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes with you this morning. I kind of made it up myself or tweaked it from various sources. It's my mango smoothie. It's also a really great snack for your kiddos when they get home from school. It's the perfect blend of healthy and yummy:)

When I'm on the wagon and doing really good, it's usually because I started out the day drinking this! Not having bread in the morning somehow wires me to watch carbs the rest of the day. If I eat toast, or waffles or whatever then that's all I crave. Weird. For instance ya'll know I'm pmsing. Yesterday I had 2 pieces of toast for breakfast, a package of Ritz crackers for lunch...with swiss cheese and then before dinner I ate 3 scones! Oh yeah and before bed I made more toast! What in the WORLD?? Anyway that no bread thing isn't working for me as of late.

When I make my smoothie I load up the blender with tons of spinach...or a mixture of kale and spinach. We are talking two giant handfuls. I add approximately 1 cup of water, or you could add milk or a little orange juice if you wanted. Then add one scoop of protein whey powder...or half a scoop if you are watching calories. For me this step is super important because the protein keeps me from getting hungry in an hour.

I finish it off with one teaspoon of local honey, a few chunks of mango (but you can use any fruit) and two heaping spoonfuls of Greek yogurt. Again the Greek yogurt adds protein! Mix until smooth and creamy. SO GOOD! I also make variations of this with peanut butter, and bananas or raspberries. You really can't go wrong. If you know of a great green drink make sure to share your recipe with us.

I'm attempting to grow the Feed my Family Friday posts. I think alot of you lurk on Fridays;) Recipe posts tend to be a little boring in my book, but it's keeping me accountable with my goals for the year of feeding my sweet family. AND according to my linky page views the links are receiving between 6,000-7,500 hits. Who knew? That's so that's amazing! So link up friends:)

Okay so this week I'm offering a smaller version of my beautiful soul to one of my linked up readers. Don't worry if you don't have a blog, you can still be thrown in the pot if you leave a recipe in the comment section. So grab my button pretty please and link to your recipe post...not to your blog url. I'll leave the linky thing open until next Friday and announce the winner then. Can't wait to see what you've been feeding your families.

Have a blessed weekend.

514. sweet mango...makes me feel like i'm in hawaii

515. a new playlist

516. the hunger games movie comes out!

517. second chances

518. phone calls with long distance friends...brings me out of the pit
519. happy little songbirds

beautiful soul...give-away!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Good morning girlies. I'm linking with my friend Alicia today for her new Happy Day project. Wish I was feeling it. I hate PMS. It seriously distorts everything doesn't it?? Life is sweet, but PMS sucks. Anyhoo...her assignment was to visit a nursery. Luckily that was on my to-do list anyway.

I bought the cutest little red chicken feeder awhile back when I was in Illinois, and I knew just what I wanted to do with it. Last year when I visited my friend Lissa she bought one and it was filled with succulents. So me with my limited brown thumb thought maybe...just maybe, I could try that for myself.

It turned out really cute.

Speaking of cute;)

(heart banner is from Alicia's shop)

They are going on my fireplace mantle, but today they are adjusting. I've got them freshly planted and sitting on my deck soaking in some light and love. Once a week I'm going to sit them outside, so they can get a healthy dose of sunshine. I'm hoping that will do it. There are a few cactus mixed in and the lady said they need lots of light. EEEK! Who knows how long they'll live, so my project might fail, but at least I tried;)

Speaking of projects...I'm going to be adding some new art to my shop soon. I'm loving the painted beachy wood look right now. This beautiful soul is my newest piece. It just looks like it was made for that spot doesn't it?? To celebrate SPRING and just life in general I'm going to give-away a smaller version of my beautiful soul.

To enter you'll need to link up to the Feed my Family Friday post this week...I'll leave the link open until NEXT FRIDAY and that's when I'll announce the winner.

Good luck ladies:)

Have a blessed day.

510. my red chicken feeder

511. a new creative direction

512. my fergie love

513. a day to get things done

eye candy with tammy

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Hello my friends. Hope you all had a beautiful weekend. We wore shorts...IN MARCH! Can you believe this weather?? I was looking back over some pictures recently and found these tucked in my Photoshop files.

One of the moms I met at Mulan turned out to be an absolute sweetheart...actually several of them were:) From the second I met her I instantly loved her spunk. You know some people just have that spark...that thing that draws you to them. That was Tammy. Recently she invited me into her home, and then we spent the day going to all her favorite stores. What an amazing treat.

Doesn't she kind of look like Beth Moore?? She's a little spitfire too. When I told her that she resembled Beth she didn't know who I was talking about. I need to introduce them. Everybody needs to know Beth. You know we are tight right??...ha!

I got this picture of her last year at a conference. I think anyone who sits under her teaching feels a connection...like you know her and would love for her to live across the street. Anyway when I stand next to Tammy I tower her. Oh how I love to tower;) I'm only 5'4" so that feeling doesn't happen very often.

Her home was lovely. It was rich, elegant and eclectic. She uses lots of greens and oranges in her decor. Did you know those are my two favorite colors? I don't use them to decorate with though. Hmmmm wonder what that means?

She had a wine room in her house! Uh can you say that with me...she had a wine room IN HER HOUSE! It was chilled to the perfect temperature and everything. I've never seen anything like that before. Of course I don't drink wine, so it was a little lost on me, but I can appreciate that it's a cool thing!

Her daughter Chelsea's room. I met Chelsea backstage at Mulan...sweet girl. She's 17. I can't imagine having my girls be that age. I know it's coming, but it slightly terrifies me. Anyway this is a self portrait Chelsea did. I think she's amazing. I am really bad at drawing faces, so I can thoroughly appreciate how this girl rocked it! Love the freckles.

Okay so after a little coffee break and tour of her home we hit the town. Wouldn't it freak you out to have me come over? Me with my big camera in tow. Snapping pics here and there. She was such a sweetheart and didn't care at all! Love that.

We hit some of her favorite shops and can I just say shopping here is the one thing that makes me really miss the Midwest. It's expensive! The consignment stores she took me to were more than I would have paid for brand new. Like WAY more! I'm pretty thrifty. If I see a little coffee table I like, if it's coming home with me from a consignment store it better be less than a $100...way less. I found one I loved for like $450. WHAT IN THE WORLD? What is that about?

She introduced me to a very upscale shop called Williams & Sherrill. Over my budget, but worth the trip. It was eye candy everywhere you looked. They specialize in fabrics and wall paper, and the whole front section was home decor. I bought one little thing. A heavy metal home sign...black and white. I think it might find its place on our red front door.

I wanted to take pictures of everything in there, but I was afraid I would get scolded. I hate getting scolded, so this is all you get. Sorry. Thanks for tagging along with us. Are there any stores in your town that just inspire you? Tell me all about it;)

Have a blessed day.

505. an adventure day
506. shorts in march
507. dark chocolate pomegranate seeds
508. roasted plantain chips
509. my new nude sandals

winner winner and a napa almond chicken dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Our realtor called us last night and it's official. We only own one house again!!! I can't tell you what sweet relief that is. I physically feel the weight being lifted. She was also kind enough to let us know about the new owners. They've been married for 20 years and have 3 girls and a boy.

They loved every single thing about our house, and don't even plan to repaint any of the walls! That information alone makes me want to sob right here on the spot. I had put my fingerprints on every inch of that house...all the walk-in closets had a mural. So wonderful to know that they are going to enjoy them. Thanks again to all of you for blessing me with your sweet words. God is SO GOOD!

SO now onto Feed My Family...Friday! Let's see last week I posted a bikini picture and told ya my shape up goals. I did pretty good. Stuck to the exercise. Didn't do it everyday like I hoped, but I was pretty faithful. Oh and cutting out bread entirely didn't happen either. Why is it when I try to be too restrictive I go the other way? I'm not beating myself up. Realistically eating healthy has to be a lifestyle and not just a quick fix that you can't stick with anyway, so I'm on the right track.

This week's recipe is a Homemade Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich. Really really good! And HEALTHY! There's no mayo here ladies...so eat UP!!

3 cups shredded roasted or rotisserie chicken, without skin
1 cup red grapes cut in half
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup sliced almonds, honey roasted or plain

Dressing:
1/2 cup nonfat Greek plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Serve on any bread you choose. The healthy choice would be 100% whole grain or a whole wheat pita pocket. I got the mini croissants. Add a lettuce garnish and tomato if you wish and there you go!

Okay girls time for you to link up. Grab my button, so your readers know where to go and then link up to your recipe post. Let's share some food ideas!!:)

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

Can I just say first of all what a blessing it was to read all of your comments on that give-away post. You are all so grateful for the lives God has given you. It made me reevaluate my own dreams again and really fully appreciate that despite some other goals I have I'm living the most amazing life imaginable. I'm in love with my honey...I have the privilege and honor of being a mommy, and I get to do what I love every day!! These are dreams realized! YES!!

****Winners****
for Courtney's book and Suzanne's Card keyper are:

Verena

my dream: since moving to the States a couple years ago, I love to daydream about buying an old retro camper(you know one of those cute ones), packing up my family and traveling all over to see and learn more about my new home, no responsibilities whatsoever... oh it's so nice to dream

Jahorn 12820

A dream that has come true for me thus far in my life is that I finally found an awesome, man of God that appreciates me, rather than cuts me down. He treats me the way every girl should be treated :)

Congrats girls!! Email me your address please:)

Have a blessed weekend.

500. living the dream

501. pulling on shorts

502. speaking to a new session of the "moving on" class, and realizing i have done just that!

503. the house closed...yippeeeeee;)

504. juicy grapes

cutting strings

noreply@blogger.com (Farmgirl Paints) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:22:00 +0000

I'm sitting here full of emotion. We close on our Minnesota house tomorrow once and for all. All the pieces finally came together. We got our buyers!! God is amazingly good. Thinking about the house I can't help but reflect on when we first moved in. Big Chick was three and Little Chick was still in a car seat. We pulled up so anxious and excited. We had walked through the house when it was just drywall, now we would see it in it's completion. It didn't disappoint. The smell of fresh paint and carpet...the new everything. It was SO exciting. It was our first dream house.

Seven years and a million memories later I sat alone in that basement with packed boxes all around me...reliving all the family time we had spent in that room. All the things I had made in my studio, the dreams that had been realized. I kind of had a "moment" with the house. I thanked God for blessing us and for all the time shared there. I prayed that He would send a new owner that would love the house as much as we did.

It's been 8 months. We've been here that long! Can you believe it??

(the leaving post)

It actually feels like a lot longer. In 8 months I have made so many friends. I probably know more people here than I did in MN after 7 years. After the initial freak out of trying to find my place and constantly comparing Virginia to our Minnesota...it has finally become home.

Not sure when the happiness finally seeped into my soul, or when the morning dread disappeared. It was almost startling when it did. I remember driving around, probably winding down some tree lined path, and I could feel my heart FULL. Like really full. Ready to explode FULL! I don't know how else to describe it. Everything suddenly seemed to make sense. I didn't have to convince myself that I knew we had made the right decision...that someday it would all feel right. The day had come when I knew that I was walking in that truth. That the giant leap of faith planted us right where we were supposed to be. PRAISE GOD!

(the leap of faith announcement post)

So here's to looking forward...to plunging ahead to whatever else God has in our path. Here's to stepping off that ledge and blindly obeying. Here's to old strings being cut and new ones being tied up with careful hands. Here's to a God that hears my every plea and takes me by the hand and rescues me.

Have a blessed day.

**Don't forget to sign up for the give-away here. I'll pick the winner Friday.

494. spray tan

495. my tropical candle that makes me hear palm trees swaying

496. a new piece of art

497. a spurt of energy...clean closets

498. a new buyer for our home

499. closing that chapter and focusing on the new one

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