Happiness is....

discovering that I have a store credit a Zappos.com.


The result: This new pair of black stilettos. I know that Jared and Makenna will both make fun of me and call them my, "Witches' Shoes," but I love them! There are few things that make my heart sing like a pair of really high heeled shoes. I fully realize that I will someday break my ankle or worse because of them, but until then.....

Children's Books

If you're looking for some new reading material to share with your children, give these a shot. They are all super cute!!!

The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz

Grumpy Gloria by Anna Dewdney

The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel

Tried in All Things

Last night for Family Home Evening, we watched the short movie, "Tried in All Things," in which President Gordon B. Hinckley tells the story of three young men who rescued the suffering pioneers of the Martin and Willie handcourt companies.

I've heard the story countless times, but it never fails to leave me choked up. There are many stories of heroism, suffering, and sacrifice, but this one is particularly meaningful to me. Maybe it's the fact that I hate cold water with a passion and can't imagine voluntarily crossing an icy river over and over. Or maybe it's the fact that the boys were only eighteen and ultimately sacrificed their lives. Whatever the reason, this story holds a special place in my heart. I hope that I can someday hear this account and know of a surety that in their place, I would do the same thing.

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

We watched this last night for family movie night. We'd been planning to watch Beethoven, but the disc was too scratched. This movie was on the watch instantly menu for Netflix, so we decided to give it a shot. I had very low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. It was one of the cutest movies I'd seen in a long time! I loved the sweet, romantic story and the quick, witty humour!

Fifty Recipes Project: 1, 2, & 3

Recipe 1: Chantal's New York Cheesecake: My new recipe project started off with a bang with this delicious cheesecake. It was so yummy!!! My family loved it. It's a basic, but delicious recipe. I tried to include a link, but I couldn't get it to work. If you want to check it out, just go to allrecipes.com and look up Chantal's New York Cheesecake. As suggested by reviewers, I reduced the amount of flour by half for a creamier texture. I also thickened the crust by using two cups of graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 Cup of melted butter and two tablespoons of sugar. Give this recipe a try. I think you'll like it. Just don't make the same mistake I did by baking it in a 7-inch springform pan. The top puffed up over the top, then fell. But it still tasted delicious!!

Recipe Two: Breakfast Casserole: Unfortunately, neither my family nor I cared much for this dish. It was full of sausage, croissants, hashbrowns, and cheese, so I was afraid it would taste like plate of grease. It didn't. It was actually dry and very bland. How could something so fattening taste so blah?!!! I had lots of leftovers to give away. At least my parents' dogs enjoyed it.

Recipe Three: Creamy Swordfish on Noodles: I'd only eaten swordfish a couple of times, but I was hooked from the first bite. Yum yum yummy!!! Unfortunately, my budget doesn't enjoy swordfish nearly as much as my taste buds do. I simply couldn't bring myself to spend $18 for a bag of frozen swordfish, so I bought frozen chicken instead. It was still really good though!! Unfortunately, my family didn't agree, so I probably won't be making it again. :-(

Lost In Translation

Sending out a big, "Thank You!" to Boden USA ( A clothing company based in Great Britain) for giving me a good chuckle with their men's Spring fashion lineup. Check out some of the highlights-

chic red pants

Blue and White Floral print shirt. This also comes in three other pretty versions. My favorite is a pink and blue flowered pattern.

Don't you just love these floral cargo shorts?

This shirt is also quite lovely!!

I personally love floral prints (red pants-not so much), but I don't know a single man who would wear any of these creations. I've heard that European men dress less conservatively than their American counterparts and this seems be proof of that. Obviously something has been lost in translation.

Yummy!

I love, love, love this perfume! And someday I might even own some. Yummy!!!!!

Secretariat

Last night we watched Secretariat for Family Home Evening. I really enjoyed it!!! Yet afterwards I couldn't seem to shake some feelings of sadness and melancholy, and I couldn't figure out why. Afterall, the movie had a happy ending..... Eventually I came to the conclusion that the movie had stirred up feelings of sentimentality. The captions at the end reminded me that nothing stays the same. Parents die, children grow up, relationships change, and so do we. I guess that's why it's so important to love and cherish the people in our lives today and to fully enjoy the present because we never know what tomorrow will bring.

I know it's a little early.....

I know it's a little early to start dreaming about Easter Sunday attire, but wouldn't this be a great outfit, especially if I could find some chic blue, lavendar or aqua heels to go with it?

Amazing Grace

I love this movie! It's based on the life of William Wilberforce, an anti-slavery pioneer. It amazes me that one man could accomplish so much and help so many people. His progress was typically slow and unfruitful, yet he persevered in his fight against slave trading. And after a long, difficult struggle he was able to change the world and save his fellow men from bondage. How many lives did he save? How much pain did he alleviate? I'll probably never know, but I'm grateful that he possessed the courage and determination to stand up and fight for his convictions.

After watching the movie, I wanted to learn more about John Newton, the author of the song Amazing Grace. Popular belief asserts that he converted to Christianity while running a slave ship and immediately turned the ship back to Africa and set the slaves free. The reality is quite different. In fact, he became a slave ship owner after his conversion to Christianity. It was only many years after his conversion that he became a voice for abolition.

Reading about John Newton's life reminded me of the gradual process of conversion. It is a day by day, little by little process for all of us, and we grow line upon line, precept upon precept.

On a lighter note, each year my parents visit a small branch in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Guess what they have glued onto the back page of their hymnals??

Trish Waldron: Designs For A Different World

Try as you might, you will never guess where I discovered a fabulous jewelry company! True Value Hardware in Overton, Nevada. Back in November my mom asked me what I'd like for Christmas. I was clueless! But a few days later, I called her saying that I had found just what I wanted! I filled her in on the pieces in the picture above and she promptly bought me them for Christmas! I love them! Below are some other fabulous necklaces by Trish Waldron.

Aren't they gorgeous??!!!

Julie & Julia

I recently watched the movie Julie and Julia. I loved it! It's been a source of inspiration for me.

Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the inclination to work my way through an entire cookbook this year. Sigh....

However, I would like to try something on a smaller level. So, I am setting a goal this year to make all 50 dishes in my recipe box at allrecipes .com . I'm excited!!! Stay tuned for my adventures in cooking. Bon appetit!!!

The Search For The Perfect Tee: Part One

A few years ago I went on a quest for the perfect tee. I searched high and low with little success and had finally despaired that I would never find the ideal tee. And then came MODBE!!! I was hooked as soon as I tried on the first cap sleeve! I lived in tee-shirt bliss for the next few years, ordering tops in every color of the rainbow. Then the unthinkable happened, MODBE closed it's doors!!! I'm still mourning...... And I've worn all my MODBE tees into the ground.....

So, the time has come for me to move on with my life and find a new tee-shirt supplier. So far I have tried two tees.

No. 1. THE HALF SLEEVE from DOWNEAST BASICS

Pros: Nice cut, long,comes in many colors, relatively inexpensive $14

Cons: Way too flimsy

No 2. CAP SLEEVE from THE MODBOD

Pros: Love the gorgeous turquoise color, soft, long

Cons: Definitely made to be worn UNDER a shirt.