.dessert + girlfriends.

Everyone loves dessert. It is a great unifier. If you have nothing else in common with someone, at least you both probably like dessert. I love dessert. Anything sugary is good for me! It doesn't even have to be chocolate. 

Moving to a new place is hard. And it is easy to feel alone. And overwhelmed. And stressed out all the time. And a million other bad feelings. So I decided to make some friends.

Facebook is a great tool to use to reach out to others. There area groups for pretty much any demographic you could think of. Including Marine Officer's Wives whose husbands are stationed in the greater Pensacola area. Who knew? Well, me, actually.

So last night we had the first meeting of the Monday Monthly Ladies Dessert Club. It was exactly what this gal needed. I feel refreshed and ready to serve my family.

If you feel overwhelmed, take a night off, eat lots of chocolate, talk about whatever strikes your fancy, and make connections. It's good for you!

.tea + cake.

This Sunday I would like to share a recipe that was first shared with my by a dear friend, C. It is simply delicious and an incredibly moist cake.

Click the read more below to find the recipe

.sand + play.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a couple hours with my boys at a playground by the ocean. I turned off my phone and just played with them.

I took deep breaths of the ocean air mingling with the smell of the blooming clover in the field. I slipped off my shoes and dug my toes into the sand.

It was wonderful. It was peaceful. It was refreshing.

Take some time today to remove yourself from the busyness that technology can force upon us.

Read a magazine. Take a walk. Hug your sweet children. Live.

.spring + faith.

A little thought to share concerning the coming Spring...

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."  ~Anne Bradstreet

 

And if, by chance, you are wondering who Anne Bradstreet was:

 

She was a 17th century immigrant to the Americas, and is considered to be America's first poet.

Anne had abounding courage to come to a new land, overwhelming faith in God, an abundance of love for her family, and a love for poetry.

 

What an excellent example of a woman of faith using her talents and abilities to affect her world.

 

information source

.paper + pencil.

Here are some of my favorite finds from this week around the internet:

Felix Doolittle is closing his Junior store. I am loving the medallions - totally not just for kids!

Hurry - the store will only be up through the end of the week!

Photo from Felix Doolittle's website

Anything letterpress is my favorite. Paper Source has some beautiful letterpress items including these gorgeous notecards!

Photo from Paper Source's website

These are just the cutest pencils ever over at The Carbon Crusader via Etsy- can you just see all the possibilities here?

Photo taken from The Carbon Crusader's website

 Did you find anything fun or unique on the 'net this week?

.home + crafts.

Moving across the country has given me the opportunity to set up a new home.

That is the one part of moving that I enjoy - figuring out where to hang pictures, how to arrange furniture, and general organization. I love the feeling of everything being put away and clean!

In this new apartment, I have an office! Office being a loose term for craft room. I am so excited! Since we have been married, I have never had a room of my own - and I have been busy arranging, and rearranging, hanging pictures, hanging curtains...

Today, I'd like to share one of my projects inspired by blog posts here and here.

I think it looks awesome! Especially from far away where you can't see the paint drips from where I got a bit lazy with my painting. I bought the frame lot off of eBay, and covered cork board with fabric, and voila! The fabric happens to be the exact same color as the walls, but it is fabric on there!

.atlantic + pacific.

It has been six weeks since my husband, two boys, and I moved from Seattle, Washington, to Pensacola, Florida. Phew.

We are finally feeling like we can take a deep breath and relax a little.

Last night we finished the final room that still had piles all over the floor! Hooray!

Although Florida does not feel like home, now I have my home when I walk through my front door.

My favorite thing about this place is the fact that it is the middle of February, and I can have my windows open! The curtains are fluttering in the breeze and I am going to take a little rest with my littlest guy.

Happy Tuesday, Friends!

.montgomery + monday.

Lucy Maud Montgomery is probably best known and most beloved as the author of Anne of Green Gables, but throughout her writing career, she wrote dozens of other stories.

 

Without a moment of hesitation, Lucy is probably my favorite author. Ever. I have read and re-read her stories many times, and often return to her whenever I need a visit from an old friend.

 

Please join me every Monday to read a short story with me. It will be a great way to start the week!

"His mother sat by the table, industriously polishing the best silver spoons..."

.vinegar + tomatoes.

Since my cross-country move, I have been loving having a slow cooker. It is the perfect way for me to get home-cooked meals on my family's table while living life with my two sweet boys.

 

 

The recipe I would like to share this Sunday is a brilliant recipe that I just adore - very tasty and makes the chicken very tender!

 

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

Recipe Source

Ingredients

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

Instructions

• Pour the olive oil on the bottom of the slow cooker
• Add chicken breasts
• Place sliced onion on top of chicken and top with garlic and dried herbs
• Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes
• Cook on high for four hours

I adore this recipe on its own with a vegetable side, but it is also a delicious addition to a pasta dinner, if meatballs aren't your thing.

 

Yum! I think we might have this tomorrow! 

.needle + thread.

Today I had a lazy afternoon with my sweet boys, J + W.
and decided to spend it with a little needle and thread.

I love taking thread and making something beautiful.

Check back later for what to do with a little bit of embroidery.

This was done on felt and is my own illustration.

.welcome.

One of my absolute favorite descriptions of the pleasure that can be found in crafting comes from Jane Brocket, in The Gentle Art of Domesticity:

"...the gentle arts are just that: gentle. They do not demand to be practiced. No one is obliged to pursue them. They have not been taken up by any government department and regulated and repackaged with health and safety messages and warnings. They are a matter of individual and personal choice. They can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest and the ability to thread a needle, break an egg, choose a color or wield a pair of scissors. They don't require complicated skills, qualifications, training or equipment."

I love the description gentle - as a girl striving to be a modern-day lady, I am very drawn to anything labeled thus.