Bluegrass In My Soul

Hey Ya'll ~
 It's only Tuesday {well, Tuesday is almost over, one hour to go} ... then it's Wednesday. And the week is half done. {that sounds negative... I should say... And the 3-day weekend is halfway here} But foreal, y'all it has been one heck of a week already!

Salt Marsh Sunset

God's grace is so good and so sufficient for me. And no matter what the trial is that I'm facing - I find myself surrounded in His love and mercy, forgiving me for the mistakes I have made, and guiding me to the life He has for me. All because I choose to be obedient to what is put in my heart. 

My heart has taken a new direction, disappointingly, without the person I had seen being in my life forever. And although it's painful, I know that He works it all out for the best. Whatever His best is, it's not my time to know the plan. Lives change and people change, and sometimes the change you want isn't what the other has chosen, and therefore I chose a path of being alone, for now.

In an effort to continue being true to myself, I usually turn to music. I suppose it's the integral part that music has always played in my life, that brings such comfort to my soul.

Whether it's my Momma playing beautiful hymns on the piano, a powerful song that is sung with such fervor it gives you chills, or the most complex and yet simple combination of instruments - I find peace and comfort in music. It brings me home. And it reminds me of who I am.

Craggy Gardens in the Blue Ridge Mtns

I've always had a deep love in my soul for bluegrass ... I love the rawness of the fiddle, the harmonious blend of mens' voices, singing a truth that has been around for decades. Perhaps it's the bit of Kentucky in my blood - my Kentucky Papa sure appreciates my love for bluegrass. And I know a couple of my cousins have come to love it too. Some of my favorite bluegrass and truly Southern bands are  
Blue Highway, Amanda Shaw, the Civil Wars duo, Amanda Shires (cast in Country Strong) and Schuyler Fisk.

 I didn't really have much of a direction for this post - so I guess I will close with this sweet song by Schuyler Fisk and Tim Meyers ... Be My Only ...One day, when God has prepared my heart and the heart of the man he has for me, I will be so grateful for the roads I had to travel down to get to where I was meant to be.



xoxo
B

It's A Calling

                       There's a joke around my organization's office that goes something like this ...

We're not in this business to get rich. This is a calling.

To some people, that may sound harsh. 

To others, you may question "Well, why bother working there??"

And in the type of get-rich-quick / convenience first / "me first" society that we tend to live in, I can't blame people for thinking that way. 

But, a job in a non-profit that benefits children who cannot help themselves, has been a "dream job" in my heart for over 5 years. Sure, I still want to one day be a full-fledged social/special events gal, or own a fun bakery+boutique, or open my own Pilates studio, but when it comes to where I wanted to be at this point in my life, I have landed. And thank the Lord above, I am loving it.

And I'm not writing about how much I love my job to convince myself or anyone else, but rather to count my blessings on where God has put me and the purpose that I'm serving. I was amazed at how instantly my teammate "Miss M" and I connected with each other. Our personalities are similar, our backgrounds are totally different, and we both rely on God! All that from the first full day I was at work. She hugged me and said "You know, I just had this feeling in my heart that you were the right person to be here with us". I jokingly said "Well, that's because I told God to handle this interview and job transition" ... and well, He did. And I'm ever so grateful for it! 

As I sit at my desk, not working directly with "our" children, I see the tasks piling higher and higher. The 18 emails that roll in during a 20 minute break. The constant meetings. 

....Just then, a happy little laugh resounds through the halls, as a child is on their way to see a clinical counselor or one of our M.D.'s. Or a cry of a child who is upset and confused, here for the first time getting the help they really need - and I'm suddenly reminded why I'm here.

My love for children and my heart to help them has brought me here. And when the days get long, the tasks become arduous, and when I want to say "just make it happen!!" without any effort on my part - all I have to do is see the face of any of the children or teens in our program and I'm instantly grateful for my life, my family, and all that has been provided to me. And I know that I'm raising the money and putting on the special events so that hopefully one day these kids can be grateful for the same things that I am.

This certainly isn't a preaching message. Nor is it meant to make you go out and adopt a bajillion children.

But do give thanks for the things you have, and consider the others in the world who have much less. We shouldn't just think of these children and families when they're "Angels on a Tree" in December, but year-round, while they're doing their best to survive. I encourage everyone to volunteer with some organization that fills your heart with joy. 

xoxo

B

Paris? Mai Oui !

There's just something about Paris that tugs at my heart. 

I've never been, and one day {hopefully soon} that will change. 

And when it does, y'all better hope my Southern roots are strong enough 

to eventually bring me back from there. 

I can blame {thank} HGTV for inspiring this post. As if I needed any inspiration or more reason to j'adore Paris, "House Hunters International" featured a girl in her late 20s who was moving to Paris and scored this amazing apartment there, complete with huge beautiful bathroom, tiny but pretty kitchen, all wood floors, all white, and built-in shelving, and then ... the best part ... windows that opened with door handles, over to a balcony that overlooks the courtyard. For $1600 / month. Who needs a house in the French countryside when I could have an inexpensive {comparatively speaking} place just in the middle of the city! 

When I dream of Paris, it usually involves .....

Fresh-Baked Bread

Artisan Breads !!

Decadent Sweets 

Laduree: Maker of Gourmet Macarons

Vintage Lovelies

Vintage grain sack cloth + watering can

Over-sized Windows with a View

Fresh Air with Floor - Ceiling Windows

Shutters in Provencal Colors

Balcony, please.

Lunching al fresco

Table for Duex, si vou plait

Fresh Fleurs Along the Sidewalks

Fill my house with Fleurs!

Unbelievable Boutiques

Repetto: Home of original ballet slippers

And of course, Flea Markets!

Flea Market Heaven!!!!

More Antique Heaven!!!

So, when the day arrives, I hope to have an un-restricted amount of time to spend in Paris, taking it all in and probably taking most of it home with me, too! 

It's my dream to go to Paris with my Momma - as we have such a 

love for all things Parisian.

It's also a dream to go with the Love of My Life one day 

and do all the romantic Parisian things!

But if you're offering me a ticket, now, I have to say ...

Bon voyage! 

xoxo

b

Pie Pops - Why Not ??

Happy Tuesday Y'all ~ 

I'm bloggin' about sweets again today, so if you're on a diet, I wouldn't suggest reading any further!

Just kidding! 

You can always follow my rule of 

"Bake It & Take It"

This is where you can enjoy one or two samples {okay, sometimes that's 3-4 cookies or 1-2 babycakes} before you take your dessert to a get-together. Simply important because you don't want to 

1. Unknowingly bake something nasty or tasteless
2. Offend your host/ hostess by not eating your own goodies
3. Swear it's a favorite when you've never made it before

 Simplest rules of party-attendee manners. 

Now I'm all off track - sweets. That's the topic today. And not just any sweets, but a good ol' fashion Americana favorite ...

Pie

There are obviously endless types of pies, but that's neither here nor there. 

I'm taking an old fashioned favorite and giving it new life. A fresh look on pie, if you will. 

A few years ago, "Cake Pops" became all the dessert-table rage. I mean, Red Velvet cake pops, Cheesecake cake pops, Pudding cake pops, Birthday Cake cake pops. For. Real. Y'all. 

Yours truly hasn't ever ventured in to making cake pops, mostly because the opportunity hasn't come along where I thought "let me experiment and if these fall apart then it's okay because I have plenty of time to re-make something totally from scratch." It just doesn't work like that around here! 

Now, pie pops, are a lot easier. And absolutely more cute than a cake pop {in my opinion}. 

Let's look at some of the prettiest pies in town .... 

Created by Me at B H L D N

 Now believe me, these are pretty simple to make. Think *tiny*. 

For the general "pie crust" you will need ...

• 1 3oz Cream Cheese
• 1/4 C. softened butter
• 1+1/4 C. flour
• Water

The goal here is to whip the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy, slowly mixing in flour. Add water as needed to make the pastry cling together.  Chill pastry for 1 hour.Cut into circles, put through the mini cupcake paper, and place in freezer for 20 minutes. Remove and immediately bake at 325* for 10 minutes.
 As far as the fillings go, you can use apple, punpkin, strawberry, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, lemon ... really your possibilities are endless! Be sure to fill enough of the crust to where it's "puffy" when you add the 2nd shell. Don't forget to insert the lolly stick into them when they're cooled. 

I think I'll need to make these for our next get-together! 

Source: gimmesomeoven.com via Erika on Pinterest

xoxo

B

 

Cabin Fever

Hey Y'all !

What could be better than an extended weekend, spent with friends, at a cabin, in the woods, in North GA. with no internet or phones, cooking big meals together, fishing and hiking, games, campfires and s'mores?

..... You can't think of anything better? Neither can I. At least not when it comes to indulging in fall and taking in more colored leaves than we get here in the "Southernmost South".


Dreaming of cabins, I just wanted to share some beauties I've found {>hint< that we should consider} that are less than 6 hours from us, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. Of course, it would be even luckier if we lived just an hour or two from here, but let's try and be content with where we are now. :-)

Natures Overlook, Escape to Blue Ridge. 

 

What A View!!

 

 

Escape To Blue Ridge "Tree Tops" Cabin

Back Porch of "Tree Tops" Cabin

I'm definitely loving "Moose Head Lodge", at an Escape to Blue Ridge Cabins ... this beauty would run $20 per person / per night if you take 10 friends. I think a lake house or mountain house is absolutely a must in my future, especially if I don't get to live near a beach ...

 

 

Hot Tub Overlooking the Woods? Yes Please!

Perfection.

 

$20 Per Night. 10 Friends. I think this is a "MUST"!

I'm so thankful that I've reached a point in life where there are close friends here, that are fun and like-minded individuals who can also plan and follow-through with an excursion or plans! If left up to the girlfriends of the group, we'll be vacationing in no time! And the best part, this is a fairly budget friendly trip. Split gas between 4 people in 2 cars, split the nightly rate for a cabin, pick up some groceries once you're in "town" and voila! Relaxation + fun begin! October is the height of the season in Georgia for leaf changing, so maybe just maybe we'll get to experience that.

Dreaming of vacations,

xo

B

Southern Gal Seeking Fall

Hey Y'all!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend thus far ~ mine has been relaxing and enjoyable with a bit of browsing the mall, a Tarjet run, get together with friends & such... nothing out of the ordinary and sometimes you really just need a weekend like that!

I know we're still a month + 2 days away from the "Official First Day of Fall" - and yes, it's still a blazing 97 degrees here with 110% humidity, but I'm already dreaming of cooler days and wardrobe changes. Football games that are enjoyable outdoors and decorating for fall!

North Georgia in October ~ Heavenly!

As I was wandering the mall yesterday, I found myself in the shoe department of {sadly} the only decent department store in this BigCity... and although I was there primarily to scoop up the cute Sperry Topsider sandals from this summer {thank you patience, now at 50%off!}

Finally Can Stop Wearing My $10 Tarjet Sandals with ZERO support!!!

I just couldn't help but look longingly at the first shipment of boots to arrive. {mind you - wearing shorts+tanktop and still too hot} I couldn't even bring myself to try a pair on {boots+shorts}.

But I know this fall I will have to break down and buy a pair of boots. For the past 5 years I had an awesome pair of suede black knee-high boots and they served me well, even traipsing around NYC  at one point. But then they bit the dust. So now comes the difficult part - black or brown? Heeled or flat? Leather or Suede? Honestly, I have the hardest time buying boots because they're such an investment and you wear them maybe 3 months out of the year. All griping aside, I do need a pair. And at 5 foot barely 2 inches, I tend to look dwarf'y in a boot that is higher than mid-calf with no heel. It's just a fact of life.

So here are my top choices for fall - 

In search of fall, I'm also in search of my beloved Burberry jacket that I purchased a couple years ago. Amidst all of the moving, I've yet to find it & quite frankly, that worries me!!!! Maybe it's still packed up in the winter stuff that is shoved under my bed ... hoping so!

Handsome Man's Ma sent him a care package this past week that included a Pumpkin Butter candle. Heavenly. I seriously can't resist fall scents, and just when will Starbucks roll out those Pumpkin Scones and PSL's?? {Pumpkin Spice Lattes} ... well the company is actually running a promo on their Facebook Fan Page to determine which city loves PSL's the most, and that city will get the fall menu ONE WEEK EARLIER than the rest of the country!! The fall menu is available to every location on September 6th. Y'all, that is only 16 days from now!


What's your favorite fall item? When do you start to decorate for fall? I promise I'm trying my best to take life day-by-day, but all this girl wants is some cooler weather!!

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday! 

xo

B

Spell It Out Loud !

Hey Y'all!

You must forgive me, I'm back to workin' full time and my creativity hasn't had much of a chance to flourish in the past few days {hence no blog posts} ... I was really proud of myself in my stint of unemployment / "summer vacation" for all the blogging I did. I suppose one day when I'm retired I will be a super-creative-old-lady :)

So, I'm back to work & definitely learning a lot these days. The non-profit I'm working for is just even more amazing than I could have imagined, and seeing faces to the stories I've heard makes all that I do, worthwhile.
I've been there a week but I can see already how some of the employees have been there for 15-30 years and still love it! I thank God for this job and am so glad it's a fit!

Now on to the creative stuffs - y'all might or might not know, but I am kinda a big fan of board games. Isn't every 80s baby?? I mean, we didn't have cable or MTV until later in our lives {at least in my parents household we didn't} so the hours whiled away playing games and actually interacting with each other.
And that is something that I'm really glad Handsome Man and I enjoy doing together. At first, we were "Yahtzee'r's" but then I bought him "Farkle" in his Easter basket and we are now "Farklers". And the trend spread to his family, and mine, and well, we should probably teach everyone to Farkle :)

Getting sidetracked - so I love board games. And I love the creative second life that you artsy people out there can give to old pieces of games. Most commonly, I just love those scrabble tiles. Maybe it was the hour long Scrabble matches at my Mama and Papa's house with cousins while growing up, each of us having our own Tupperware "colored cup" for the summer - and my endless losing at the game {in all fairness, I was the youngest until Lulu came along}.

I have seen some really creative uses for the actual Scrabble tiles, and then some cute replica pieces to use in parties, around the house, in art, at weddings ... here are some of my favorites!

 

 

 

Uhm, How Could You Say No??

 

 

Well Suited For The Above Photo !

Loving the PinWheels & Scrabble to Celebrate!

 

 

 

I Could Nap For That!

 

 

 

Cute Little Decor Accessories!

Alright y'all - I've got to get a decent night of sleep and I'm so looking forward to the weekend, where I'll get to spend time with Handsome Man, friends, and relax!!!

Be A Blessing To Someone Tomorrow! 

xo

b

19 Days More !

Hey Y'all!

I can't help but be in the mood these days for some football!!!! Watching the Bucs pre-season game Friday night just got me all excited for NFL & college ball to be back!
I know that I posted not long ago, about the countdown+traditions of my Florida State Seminoles. But today, we're down to 19 days. And boy do I have some ideas churning in my head for football season in general...

First up - I was born&raised a Dol-Phan, but have become a Bucs fan from when I lived in Tampa & it just worked out perfectly because Handsome Man is a Bucs' man through&through!
I bought my first Bucs t-shirt last fall & {admittedly} felt a tinge of guilt, for all the years that my Daddy had dressed me in aqua and orange, but oh well! This year, I scored some cute NFL wear from Victoria's Secret "Pink" line...

I also am ready to start decorating for fall, and although the 98 degree temps aren't helping that cause - I have made a fun little wreath for football season. It's all about Florida State!! I borrowed some inspiration from Etsy....









& then went to JoAnns and bought the floral foam wreath holder, 4 coordinating garnet+gold fabrics, as well as 3 little wooden letters "F"- "S" - "U" that I will hang inside of the wreath. Here's a step-by-step of my process ...

• Buy 1/2 yd of each fabric
• Buy a 12 inch wreath form
• Garnet+Gold acrylic paints
• Wooden capital letters for your school / team 
• Foam brushes to paint the wooden letter 

                                     Also, really loving sweet FSU gameday cotton dresses...

Well, anyways I hope y'all are getting super excited for football season! And enjoy the rest of your weekend!


XO
B

Re-Cap!

Hey Y'all!

I haven't posted since Monday & it feels like a longgg time has gone by since then!
I'm now semi-settled back in my BigCity home, took a few days and still getting a hang of everything that is going on at work {loves coming in at "busy season" for events}. I feel brain-dead like after your first day of school after summer break!

Well to catch y'all up - a HUGE thank you to my amaaaazing family and friends who were able to move me on Monday. Obviously I'd still be unloading the Uhaul without you guys!

Tuesday was orientation at work and going for a pee-test during our lunch break. Big fun now. I was in orientation with 3 other girls around the same age as myself, so that was nice. And found out that it's a very small world :) lots of "2 degree connections"! Orientation was mostly boring, and didn't apply much to me. The other 3 girls are family life counselors and I'm over in "party planning" so my foreal orientation was today with my boss David. He's awesome, very relaxed, likes to joke around and said over and over again, that we have to have FUN at work, or else everyone gets too stressed and it just doesn't work! My "other half" we'll call her "m-girl" is awesome and funny and certainly supportive thus far! She works primarily with on-site events and tours, lots of face time and recruiting volunteers, as well as handling some of the bigger campaigns. I do most of the press releases, promotional design, and special events for 2 of our larger annual events.
Tomorrow is "Casual Friday" and we can wear NFL team apparel. I wonder if I can wear my NFL apparel although it won't be supporting "our city" team!? ;)

Last night was the first night Handsome Man has been in town since I moved here, so he took me to dinner at Ted's Montana Grille {yum!!} and we walked around the outdoor mall. It was so nice to just be able to relax together again :) He's traveling this weekend, before school starts on Monday. One last hooray!

I'm not sure of my weekend plans, but I am itching to sell that Hoosier cabinet I have in my living / dining room. And then put that money towards buying a couch or a TV. Not sure which I should get first!? ;)
Well y'all- sorry this has been a tad different from my other posts, but not really in the creative mindset just yet {not settled enough!!}. Hope everyone has a beautiful weekend !

xo
B

Coupon Chic

Hey Y'all! 


I promised a couple posts back that I would be starting a new adventure in learning to coupon.
And I shared with you my humble beginnings - ziplock baggies labeled by food category. 
Then I promised that I would be doing a more Chic Coupon Organizing Method shortly. 


So, in keeping with the "money saving" ideas - I am promising myself that only after I have saved $30 in coupons {may take a few shopping trips} I will buy myself a very fabulous piece of organization.


Those of who you really know me - know that I certainly won't be toting about the grocer with my ziplocks hanging from my bag. I'll discreetly organize them prior to my trip {also to ensure I only purchase what I will need & use} and place them next to my debit card in my wallet. Not because I'm ashamed to coupon {uhm, no way!} but because Ziplocks just aren't stylish. And I have to save face occasionally! 


Do any of y'all have a preferred method of organizing your coupons? I'm trying to logically figure out a way to use the ones that will (A) Bring me the best savings (B) That I will use without the product expiring & (C) To use them before they expire. So, any advice on which method is most important?? 
I'd hate to go to all the trouble to print out coupons if I know I don't have room for / use for that item before its shelf life runs up. I suppose that should be rule #1?! Maybe I will discuss it with Handsome Man. He's excellent at this whole "logical thinking" thing ;) perhaps our best "balancing" act with each other! 

So, now to the fun stuff {aside from having more $ by saving more $} - 

here are my top 2 contenders for

Chic Coupon Organization: 

1. Monogrammed Coupon Holder with "Key West Green" print & hot pink script monogram       by Sew Girlie 

  

2. Fabric Monogram Coupon Holder in Pink Houndstooth fabric, black circle monogram              

by Sweet P's Boutique

I'll start saving money this week when I do my first big-ish grocery trip to stock up the new place!

xo

B