A girl can dream right?!?

I love searching house plans.

Chances are I won’t build my first home but I think I am in love!!!

All Things Heart & Home Guest Post

There are blogs that make you want to redecorate your home…

and those that make you want to try a new craft project….

those that make you wish you were a better photographer, cook, etc…

& then there are those that just stop you in your tracks & make you think!

I have been so blessed by Robin @ All Things Heart & Home since finding her blog.

Although she would never admit it Robin is so profoundly wise! And her wisdom comes from her honesty & speaking from the heart!

I have learned from Robin that we all leave a legacy & it is our choice what that legacy is. We must choose to be present & conscious of our legacy in the making.

If I could wish one thing for you in 2010 its that you follow Robin’s blog & be inspired to live your legacy!

I asked Robin to come on over and share some Legacy wisdom with you, so without further ado…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Living My Legacy~One Day At A Time

Robin Gay

All Things Heart and Home

“Every child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right”.

Proverbs 20:11

I believe that each one of us is living the legacy that we will one day leave.  It doesn’t really matter if we acknowledge it. How we live today is how we’ll be remembered when we’re gone from this earth. It’s become my passion to be intentional about living my legacy. I wasn’t always this way though. My eyes were opened on a cold January afternoon fourteen years ago. It was a trip to the grocery store that changed my life…

Juggling the complex schedules of four teenagers was pressing in on my last nerve. Truth be told, something was always pressing on my last nerve. That day I still needed to grocery shop and do a mountain of laundry.

I left the kids at home and headed to the grocery store.

Inside the store, I pushed the cart up and down the aisles trying not to mow down the huge display of spam. Who eats spam anymore? How old is that stuff anyway? My mind was racing with nonsense when my buggy nearly hit the back of his heel.

I gasped and the gray haired man turned around.

“Hello, neighbor” he grinned.

Standing there, in a dark blue suit, crisp white shirt and a shiny red tie my neighbor Robert, looked completely put together.

“And how are you this fine day Robin?” He sounded surprisingly chipper for a man who’d just six months before lost his wife of thirty years.

“I’m okay Robert, how are you doing?” My voice dripped with pity. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you” he said looking down and stuffing his hands in his pants pockets. “ It was hard at the end. She put up a fight though.”

Suddenly, he looked right into my eyes. “It’ll probably sound terrible to you, but I’m kind of excited about starting over.”

Pregnant pause. What the heck do I say to that?

“Well, that’s good.” I stumbled. “So is there anyone in particular?”

“No, no, no. Not at all. I just know what I’m looking for this time. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but it would be someone exactly opposite of Sheila.”

Dear Father in heaven, could this GET any more awkward?

“I mean, I loved her” he added quickly, “but she and I had a rocky thirty years. She was, I guess you’d say, a little difficult.”

He forced a laugh. “She’d say the same about me. Anyway, next time, I want less drama. More peace. And more laughing.”

Time stopped. My chest felt heavy. I couldn’t breathe. This was a God Thing…

We said our good byes. I felt overwhelmingly sad. For them. And for my husband Mike and I.

The lights in the store were too bright. I looked at my feet. The floor was too shiny.

That’s how Mike would feel if I died tomorrow…

It was true and I knew it.

Uptight. That was me. Life as a rule overwhelmed me. Some days I went from drama to drama.

Finally getting to my car, shivering, I put my head in my hands and wept. Slowly the heater started to warm the cold air around me as I heard a clear message from God’s heart to mine.

If I die before Mike, I don’t want him to look for someone who is the opposite of me. Like Sheila, I needed, less drama. More laughter. More peace.

That very day I came home and wrote down what I wanted Mike to say about me when I was gone. What I wanted my children to say about me. The list has become my commitment to living my legacy.

*She loved God passionately

*She loved her family passionately

*We always knew she was praying for us

*She made our house a home. Peaceful and safe

*She supported us and encouraged us constantly

And for Mike to say…*She was my best friend

That’s a nut-shell version of the legacy I want to one day leave. I’m so thankful for that cold January afternoon when my eyes were opened to living my legacy~one day at a time…

 

 

 

Sarah Cain Designs Winner

Congratulations Annie Shaw!

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 4 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Brown Paper Packages

Sweetpea & Angela @ Brown Paper Packages rock! Best friends since high school, these two ladies not only have 8 children between the two of them, they turn out some awesome projects!

I love their Holiday projects!

 

There simple home decor projects rock too!

And who doesn’t love ladies who know how to spoil a teacher rotten?!?

(I know this teacher does)

Go check out these ladies at Brown Paper Packages for many other inspiring ideas!

 

 

Don’t forget the Sarah Cain Designs Giveaway!

**All photos above are property of Brown Paper Packages**

Sarah Cain Designs Giveaway

I came home this week with this beauty waiting in my mailbox!

It’s a stunning jersey knit scarf with a beautiful altered peony broach from

Sarah Cain Designs!

I love it!!!! It’s a little rustic, a little whimsical & a lot beautiful!

Sarah has graciously offered to do a giveaway for my readers for one Scarf & Broach set!

So to win your choice of a Scarf & Broach head over to Sarah Cain Designs and leave a comment below telling me your favorite set! (Be sure to leave me a way to contact you)

For a chance at extra entries….

~ Follow my blog & leave a separate comment letting me know!

~ Blog about this giveaway on your own blog with a link back to this post, then send me the link in a comment!

Giveaway will close 1 week from today!

Enjoy checking out the fabulous scarves!

Pantry Parade

 

I am convinced the only way to have a neat, pretty kitchen is to have a pantry!

My small galley kitchen has 11/2 feet of counter space separated by a sink & no that isn’t a typo. I have one small cabinet under my counter that is usable and 4 above my sink, the middle two have no second shelf in them. About a year ago I purchased two of these…..

Great for use in a pantry but not the best looking thing for an organized looking kitchen. It just looks like shelving that I have piled stuff on.

But alas a girl can dream & pray that when I find my dream home, it will come equipped with a beautiful LARGE pantry like these…

www.womansday.com

www.orgoptions.com

http://thehomeexecutive.wordpress.com

www.visiondecor.net

www.mcivercustomhomes.com

Cozy Spaces

I have always been a sucker for a little niche to snuggle in. When I was a teenager I had a pampasan chair that my mom would often find me huddled in instead of my bed. There is just something about a cozy space…

Photos from Coastal Living

Confessions of a non-foodie

I love food…..

BUT

to say that I am a picky eater is probably a major understatement, especially when it comes to vegetables. My list of veggies that I like and prepare is limited..

corn

green beans

potatoes

sweet potatoes

butter beans

cabbage (usually only cook it about twice a year)

& lettuce.

Yes sadly that is about it. Every now & then hubs can talk me into some frozen broccoli, zucchini, canned asparagus or black eyed peas or carrots in a roast. So part of my resolve for health this year is finding vegetables that I like and are easy to prepare.

I have found my first one!

Acorn Squash!! picture via Food Network

I compared tons of recipes then ventured off on my own. Here’s what I did….

Preheat oven 375 degrees.

Cut the acorn squash in half & scoop out seeds.

Rub the inside of each half with 1/2 TBSP butter and sprinkle lightly with salt & then a little heavier with light brown sugar.

Place in a small casserole dish (to keep them from tipping over and spilling out the butter)

Cook for 45 minutes.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees and cook another 15 min.

Yummy!

Acorn Squash has a very mild flavor (great for picky eaters).

So what are some of your favorite easy to prepare veggies for picky eaters?

320 Sycamore

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As promised I am sharing my favorite blogs with you this new year. So first up is Melissa from

 

Melissa’s home is chocked full of inspiration, ideas & darling vignettes.

My intention was to share with you some of my favorite posts from 320 Sycamore, but folks, to do this I would essentially have to just repost Melissa’s blog but here are a few of my favorites from this past Christmas.

Oh and might I mention that her home was decorated this beautifully even though she was moving during Christmas!!!!!! Can’t wait to see how she decorates the new home!

Beautiful garland!

I LOVE this box of balls so much that I already have next years tree planned and I hope to get started on the decorations for it in January (Its ok…….go ahead call me crazy)!

Very classic & elegant! Love a little earth with my bling!

One of her darling vignettes I was telling you about.

And just incase Christmas decorating isn’t enough to entice you, how about a little DIY home reno before and after….

before….

After….

If you don’t go check out Melissa over at 320 Sycamore you are SO missing out!

 

**All of these photos are property of Melissa @ 320 Sycamore***

2010 Resolution

Health

Hubs and I have been talking about resolutions for a few weeks now. During that time, Sarah @ Clover Lane had this inspiring post. Just in time to as my resolution list grows longer and longer. All of my resolutions seemed to revolve around a central theme luckily…….Health. Both my physical health & my spiritual health.

I have always been a “big girl” as long as I can remember. And probably 90% of the time it doesn’t bother me. But this year has been an eye-opener when it comes to health…..not size……HEALTH. At this point in my life, I don’t care if I ever get into a size 12…..yes that was once my goal, but I want to be healthy!!!

By the grace of God, I was born with a perfectly healthy body & over the years I have neglected that gift.

I think growing physically healthy will allow me to grow spiritually as well. Here are just a few verses that are helping me get a jump start!

 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

 

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

May you all have a very healthy 2010!