good things thursday: photo dump

 

My flowers are the prettiest they have been all summer.

I hate to see them go. I also still have a few monarchs lingering around. :O)

 

 

While Peter was home, we did some southern cooking....Peter's fried chicken along with kale, fresh limas, sweet potatoes, pickled beets, & sweet tea.

 

 

 

 

fall front steps.....

 

(I've since killed the mum) :O(

 

 

 

Finished off the laundry room with this....

 

 

Mom gave me the wood tray/wall hanging (Walmart) earlier this summer and I finally ordered vinyl lettering (etsy). Love it!!! :O)

 

The other thing I hung in the laundry room was this cute chalkboard (Hobby Lobby), which I'll change out seasonally.

 

 

 

I made these quick & easy pumpkin spice muffins this morning...

 

recipe HERE

 

 

 

 

Jaxson wakes me up wayyyy too early when Peter is gone [this particular morning it was 4 a.m.]!! I was wide awake and she was like this about half an hour later!

 

 

 

I found these pics on Peter's phone. I had asked if he would take some pictures for me while at work. He's not a fan of picture taking, but I love seeing where he's been while he's at work. I think the sunset pics are as he's running the bay and the burned building pic is in Baltimore [it's one that was used in the filming of Ladder 49]. Perk of his trip...while tied up in Salisbury, he got to see Logan and Lindsey for a few minutes. Still hoping they will all soon get on the same schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spooky moon....

 

 

I really tried to get a good picture, but my night photography skills are lacking.

The sky definitely looked like Halloween was around the corner!

 

 

The Happiness Project: October 2015

The Happiness Project

October 2015

Pay Attention: Mindfulness

Part One: Meditate on God's Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Two: Examine True Rules

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Three: Stimulate the Mind in New Ways

 

Learn how to paint....

 

 

or draw....

 

 

 

or dance....

 

 

 

 

 

Part Four: Keep a Food Diary

 

-eat healthier

-eat less (stop eating out of habit or boredom)

-eat less processed foods

-eat more veggies & fruits

-drink more water

 

 

 

 

[bathroom update]

So, I loved the Sea Salt paint so much in the laundry room, I decided to give the bathroom a fresh coat too.

 

 

curtains: target

 

 

I had trouble finding things to hang in the bathroom. I resisted doing a coastal theme (although, it would look great with the paint color). I found this pallet sign at Hobby Lobby, which I love!

 

This picture shows the truest color of the paint. <3

 

 

light bar, towel bar, curtain rods, hardware and faucets are all brushed nickel

 

 

shower curtain: JCPenney

 

 

I love the ruffles!!

 

 

The framed burlap came from Walmart. I bought a small monogram and painted it grey to put in the frame.

 

 

Our tiny linen closet holds a lot as long as it stays organized. I stack rolled towels and keep rolled wash cloths handy in a basket so they take up much less space. I keep my make up in a drawer organizer, and the two bins on top shelf hold extra toiletries.

 

 

I resisted the urge to paint the sink base and cabinet dark grey. The cabinet is only a few years old, but the sink base is the original (24 years!). New hardware and a coat of paint perked it right up!

 

This picture is a few years old, but here's a before....

 

wall color: Spiced Vinegar (a yellow-y tan)

 

and after....

 

 

....much better! :O)

 

The Happiness Project: September 2015

Catching up on....

 

 

The Happiness Project
 

September 2015
 

Pursue A Passion

 

 

 

Part One: Write a Novel

 

 

September's theme was pursuing a passion and making time for it. Happiness research predicts that making time for a passion and treating it as a real priority instead of an "extra" to be fitted in when you have a free moment (which most people don't seem to have these days) will bring a tremendous happiness boost. I totally agree!! :O)

 

 

Gretchen's passion happens to be books and writing, so the first part of this section is  "write a novel". To most people, including me, this just sounds too daunting, but I think you could substitute this for any passion you may have. If you have always wanted to run a marathon, do it! If you have wanted to climb a mountain, do it! If you want to experiment with new recipes or learn more about French cooking, do it!

 

Pursue that thing that you are passionate about, make time for it, learn more about it, enjoy it! My passion is blogging and photography. I absolutely enjoy it and it does make me very happy. I don't always make time for it, and when I can't seem to get around to it, I miss it. My goal this month is to spend more time taking pictures and learning more about photography. I also want to set aside more of my "free" time for blogging now that work is over.

 

 

 

Part Two: Make Time

 

Give yourself permission to do the things you love and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Three: Forget About Results

 

"One thing that makes a passion enjoyable is that you don't have to worry about the results. You can strive for triumph, or you can putter around, tinker, explore, without worrying about efficiency or outcomes. Other people may wonder why you've been happy to work on that same old car for years, even though it's still not running, but that doesn't matter to you. An atmosphere of growth brings great happiness, but at the same time, happiness sometimes also comes when you are free from the pressure to see much growth."

 

 

 

Part Four: Master a New Technology

 

Just when you think you've figured it out....a newer, faster, better, more efficient (and more complicated) model comes out!! While I can do basic computer stuff, my blogging knowledge is sorely lacking!! I seriously need a course in all the how-to's of blogging. I would LOVE to attend a blogger's convention someday or sit down with an advanced blogger to learn more. While my blog is functional, there is a lot of technical stuff that I just don't understand that would really make it better and easier for me to keep up with blogging.

It's kind of a "learn as you go" thing for me, but I could put more time and effort into mastering the latest "how-to's" of blogging!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Happiness Project: August 2015

Catching up on ......

The Happiness Project

August 2015

Contemplate the Heavens

 

 

Part One: READ MEMOIRS OF CATASTROPHE

 

 

For the month of August, Gretchen suggested reading books on catastrophe. She read memoirs about people facing death. After reading numerous books on this subject, she wrote: "As a consequence of reading these accounts. I found myself with a greatly heightened appreciation for my ordinary existence. Everyday life seems so permanent and unshakable---but, as I was reminded by these writers, it can be destroyed by a single phone call....the diagnosis changes everything."

 

"We should always live fully and thankfully in the present."

 

"As I became more aware of the preciousness of ordinary life,I was overwhelmed by the desire to capture the floods of moments that passed practically unnoticed."

 

She decided to start a one sentence journal.....a place to record the fleeting moments that make life sweeter but that so easily vanish from memory.

 

 

Side note: While looking for books on catastrophe, I came across this one. I haven't read it yet, but put it on my to-read list for later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part Two: KEEP A GRATITUDE NOTEBOOK
 

I think this is a great idea, but I have tried numerous times over the years and failed miserably. Sometimes. I think I use my blog as a journal, not always noting gratitude, but as I look back through the years of blog posts, I feel grateful for all the awesome things in my life.

 

I gave Mom a cute gratitude journal for Christmas last year, but you can use a simple journal or even a spiral notebook.

Here are a few that I really love.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a binder similar to this that I could easily turn into a gratitude journal...just need to print out monthly pages. November would be a great month to start!! 

 

 

 Part Three: IMITATE A SPIRITUAL TEACHER

Even as a Christian, you will have problems, heartaches, and fears, but in submission to the Holy Spirit, we will discover greater peace and joy and develop a greater understanding of God's greatness and love for us.

Submit your future to God, trusting Him to bring great good out of both the positive and negative events in our life.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thes. 5:16-18