fresh produce....REALLY fresh!

A week or so ago, I picked the first ripened tomatoes off my plant. Just a couple days ago I decided to try one. It was SO good! I have never, ever eaten most of a tomato in one sitting, much less eaten almost just a tomato for a meal. I have never really wanted to eat that much of a tomato by itself. But, I cut a slice, paired it with a little mozzarella cheese and some pesto - and oh my! It was wonderful! I even tried it with just salt and liked that too. I couldn't believe it! Now I understand why my mom, aunt, and grandma always say that they love homegrown tomatoes. I do too!!

Finally Finished

I found the coolest vintage bird illustrations on Etsy not long ago and thought they'd be the perfect touch for our living room update. They're kind of an odd size, though, so it took be a bit to figure out what kind of frames to get for them. Finally I picked some out this morning and here's the completed look. The photos don't quite do it justice, but I am really happy with the finished product!

The top photo is a robin from a 1913 book, and the bottom is a Lady Gould Finch from a 1906 book.

The Littlest Daisy - SALE

Check out my shop as I am participating in the Yart Sale on Etsy! (Art + Yard Sale = Yart Sale)

life is good.

new mercies streaming from heaven. gorgeous summer weather. a bouquet of sunny yellow daisies on my counter. a gracious & loving husband. anticipation of visiting family. quiet morning with "Sunshiney Day Blend" coffee. a deliciously fresh grapefruit. a so far untouched budget for June. soundly sleeping daughter. the finishing touch on my updated living room ordered & in the mail. promise of a call from my mom. the beginnings of a summer tan. a healthy family. one remaining year of Heath's seminary. the happy prospect of Ainsley's "good morning" smiles. good friends. a "new" car with working air conditioning. money enough for our expenses. the love of the Father.

life is good.

My Love/Hate Relationship With Change

When it comes to change in my life, my usual instinct is to duck and cover, stick my head in the sand...you get the idea. But, I love to mix things up in our home - new decor, a little touch of color here, a new picture there. I've been dreaming and planning and searching for awhile now for new fabric to liven up our living room. I found some gorgeous fabric at Hobby Lobby (quickly becoming my favorite craft store - they have GREAT sales!) for curtains and some coordinating fabric for pillows. AND I found lovely curtain rods at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for less than half their original price! I finished the curtains recently, and Heath helped me hang them last night. I wasn't too sure about them when I went to bed, but this morning I keep looking at them and smiling. This is a good change!

Here's a peak at the results:

the curtains

the pillows
and the pillows-to-be

Mark's Brothers Big World Coffee Roasters

My dear friends have started a coffee roasting business in the Dallas area. When my parents & brother were here visiting, we made a trip up to their location and bought some coffee beans. I was excited to try it because the descriptions on their website just sound amazing. The two I most wanted to try are the Ethiopia Sidamo, which is said to taste like blueberries, and the Sulawesi Torajaland, a bold coffee. So far, I have really enjoyed the Sulawesi Torajaland. This is a great coffee - bold & dark & great in the morning!
Greg also gave me a sample of the Tanzania Peaberry Songea; before I even read the description, I thought it tasted fruity. Yum!!

Seriously, if you like coffee, even a little, you should really try these coffees! Not only are they fabulously tasty, but the beans have been purchased at a fair price and roasted right. I love the "Big World" philosophy behind this business! Check out Mark's Brothers Big World Coffee Roasters website for all their info!!

Officially...

I am now 25 years old! This is, despite popular emotion, a very exciting thing for me. I love birthdays, and I love being one year older. Seriously. I have no qualms about being "one year closer to 30." Birthdays are my New Year's, when I reflect and pray about the last year and look forward to the next one. I am a diligent goal setter, so I always take time to write out a list of things to work on.

Yesterday was a splendid day of fun, and I was ridiculously spoiled! My wonderful parents and littlest-almost 6 foot brother came to visit this week, so I decided to take 2 half days off from work. It was a blast for me to see them play with Ainsley. We went swimming in the indoor pool at their hotel and tried to teach Ainsley to blow bubbles in the water. She enjoyed the water just as much as ever! After swimming, we rested and stopped at Starbucks for a little treat.
They took us out for dinner last night to the restaurant of my choice - that means no cooking for me! I chose Applebee's because I wanted the Maple Butter Blondie for dessert. And it was so good - all of it! Plus, my sweet husband showed up with a bouquet of brilliant sunflowers for me! I adore getting flowers!

Last, but not least, I was in bed and quickly sound asleep at 10:30pm and didn't even wake up until 6 when the alarm went off! (And if my excitement over that doesn't make me sound one year older, I don't know what does!!)

What a great birthday! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!!!!