Be Beautiful.

Let.

 

My New Favorite Song.

Sex, Marriage, and Fairytales.

Love.

Never Look Back.

Growers First

One for One.

Alright, so if you keep up with this blog, then you should know by now what Toms are, and if you don't then you're missing out.  Anyway, I am so excited, because Toms is now coming out with a beautiful, new product.  Toms ballet flats!  They are so cute and fun!  I cannot wait to get my hands on these!  And like all Toms products, you buy a pair and they give a pair.  It doesn't get any better than that!  So splurge and buy a pair or two or ten, because it's all one for one! I want Toms ballet flats!

My Big Sister.

Today my big sister's 26th birthday.  I am so blessed to have her in my life.  Her love and devotion to Christ are such an encouragement.  In one week, her husband and her will be traveling halfway around the world to Ethiopia, where they will be working in a hospital for a month.  When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, helping people was the last thing on my mind.  I wanted to do something for me, something that would help me make money, something that would give me a "good" life.  That was until I saw her passion for Africa.  Whenever she would come back from a mission trip, she would be overjoyed about it, but also filled with anticipation for the next time that she would be able to go back.  And that is when I realized that I didn't want to work a job for me.  I want to own a business, but I want it to be one that helps people.  I don't quite know what that looks like, but Gabrielle has inspired me to look beyond myself and truly see the needs of those around me.  And for that I am thankful.  And I'm proud.  She is going to do incredible things, and I can hardly wait to see the impact she will have on Ethiopia and those who know her.  Happy Birthday! I love you sis!

But Seriously.

I'll take that as a challenge.

Dreaming of Home.

I'm Human.

A Little Encouragement.

"You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.  You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." -John 16:20


". . .the Father himself loves you because you have loved Me and believed I came from God." -John 16:27


"I have told you these things, so that you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

For the Love of Books.

Curling Up with a Good Book.

Used Book 

by Julie Kane

What luck-an open bookstore up ahead

as rain lashed awnings over Royal Street, 

and then to find the books were secondhand,

with one whole wall assigned to poetry;

and then, as if that wasn't luck enough,

to find, between Jarrell and Weldon Kees,

the blue-on-cream, familiar backbone of

my chapbook, out of print since '83—

its cover very slightly coffee-stained,

but aging (all in all) no worse than flesh

though all those cycles of the seasons since

its publication by a London press.

Then, out of luck, I read the name inside:

The man I thought would love me till I died.

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

Something New

I think I might have found the best website ever!  Ok, so it's not as good as pinterest or postsecret or anything, but it is pretty good.  It is tittled "Oh, So That's What That Really Means" and it gives funny but true definitions of common words.  Anyway, enough of my rambling.  Here's the link and you should definitely check it out! thatswhatthatmeans

A little quote from One Tree Hill

Light Outside by Wakey! Wakey!

Looking back to avoid the road ahead.

Today I found myself looking through pictures and into the lives of some people that I haven't talked to in a couple of years, people that I used to be really close to and could't imagine my life without them.  I began to wonder what my life would look like if I had continued to be friends with them. If I had followed my heart and not my head.  If I hadn't moved.  If I hadn't gone to a school so far away.  If I had called them or texted them more often.  My life would be so different.  As I look forward into the next semester, I find myself feeling scared.  I don't know what the future holds.  The people whom I looked to for everything two years ago aren't those people anymore, and I fear that might be the case for the people that I feel like I can't live without now.  I'm afraid that I will let them down, that I will disappoint them, that I will feel them getting "too" close and push them away, that I will burn bridges.  And so instead of focusing on the future, instead of allowing myself to open up to all of the possibilities that await me, I'm looking back.  I miss those days when I was a little girl that didn't care about what was happening in the next week or year or decade.  I miss not having a care in the world.  I miss being able to mess up and everything being okay because chocolate ice cream and my mom could fix everything.  That's not the case anymore.  And that scares me more than anything.  I'm sorry for the rant...I guess I'm just scared of disappointing those who I want nothing more, than to hear the words "I'm proud of you" from.

Repurposed Toms

As some of you know, I love Toms.  They are my favorite shoes and I have loved them since I was a freshman in high school.  For those of you that don't know what Toms are...they are canvas shoes, and when you purchase a pair, you are in fact purchasing two pairs....one for you and one for a kid that doesn't have shoes.  Unfortunately though, when you wear them as much as I do, they start to get holes.  So, instead of buying some new ones (I'm on a budget...), I just fixed my old ones!  I purchased material from Walmart.  I didn't get canvas, but I found some fun zebra print!  I started out actually sewing material on them, but when I got to the front tip of the shoe, it was really difficult to get my hand down in there, so I turned to the lovely super glue.  It worked really well, and now I have one of a kind, hole-less toms! (sorry about the picture quality...I had to use photo booth, because I don't have a camera right now)

Also here is the link, so you can go buy a pair of TOMS. 

Words to live by

A Little Quote from John Ed Pierce.

Cajun Spice Mix Recipe.

This is a delicious recipe complements of Food Network.  It's great on chicken, fish, shrimp, and in pastas...and probably many other things as well.  



Ingredients
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup cayenne
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup garlic granules
1/4 cup ground black pepper
2 tablespoons onion granules
2 tablespoons oregano, dry
2 tablespoons thyme, dry


Directions
Mix all ingredients and store in a jar.


I stored mine in a mason jar with a label on it...simple and easy. 

Cajun Chicken Pasta.

I'm home for Christmas break and we all know what that means...I'm back in the kitchen with a new recipe.  I found this one on The Pioneer Woman blog.  If you haven't seen it yet, you NEED to check it out!  She has everything!  Anyway, it was absolutely delicious, and aside from some chopping, it was so easy!  Also, it's a pretty spicy, so if you LOVE spicy, then you are in for a treat, and if you don't love it, well you can reduce the amount of spices you're putting in.

So let's get started!  Here is the list of ingredients:

Ingredients

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste(Don't freak out if you don't know what this is...just click in it for the link to the recipe!)
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture(It doesn't get a lot thicker, however after sitting in the fridge overnight, it is much thicker). Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and bon apetite!