First International Indie Bookstore Day - May 2, 2015

I am not sure why this particular day never existed before.  I just happened to see an article on my FB feed that pointed me toward it.  I have been frequenting used and independent bookstores for as long as I have been able to drive to one.  There is just something different about the feel of local/indie bookstore.  It is the difference between The Shop Around the Corner and the big chain store Fox's Books in You've Got Mail.  

The chain stores seem all bubble wrapped and shiny and often seem familiar to every other one you have ever visited with the same name.  There is nothing new and adventurous about that.  I venture to say that the only one that has not felt that way for me is the chain of Half-Price Bookstores I have visited over the years.  Come to find out they are independently owned and that explains that!  You can go to the link and find one near you.

An indie bookstore has character, charm and local color.  It is as original and creatively designed as the people running the place.  It is unique and quite often has a very "unique system" for organizing the place although most try to follow a library John Dewey system of sorts.  It has a certain charm and smell when you walk in.  I often enter with great anticipation and take a deep breath as I open the front door to my favorite bookstores.  I am a book sniffer, too... I cannot help myself.

Upon reading the article I linked above I am grateful that the best things can come from hard times. This is a beauty for ashes kind of situation in my opinion.  They attribute the small explosion of indie booksellers to the worsening economy.  They go on to discuss why they think that played a role in the increase but I, honestly, don't care so much as I am just glad it happened.  I would live in a bookshop if I could!

We had a used bookstore that was dreamy here but it shut down.  It was, honestly, just poorly run by a guy who drank on the job, yes.... he even bragged about it and smelled strongly of it when you would go to the counter to check out.  It was a pretty horrible experience when he would get all "sweary and loud."  Management is everything in the retail business and his management just stunk.  

On the opposite side of that is the most brilliantly run bookstore I have every visited and it is just 45 miles north of us.  The Coas Bookstore is a huge store (with two branches now) in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  They have a fabulous online presence, too.  If you live too far to shop in person you can go online and check out their amazing selection of used and new books.  The in-store experience is the best, though.  I go every chance I get and am a regular contributor to their inventory.  I read books I own and then pack up a box (or ten) and take books in whenever I go.  While I am shopping they go through my box (or boxes) and load my credits for purchasing into their computer system.  I scan my little membership card upon check out and it applies my discounts to my current purchases.  I never pay much when I take books in and they always have a wide variety of great books from which to choose.  

The best part is not the fabulous selection or the homey feel but the customer service!  They are so friendly and they know their store and their books and can help you find anything you are searching for within minutes.  They even use walkie talkies with all the employees who are in the "stacks" for quicker service.  It is, by far, the best indie bookstore experience I have ever had.  I believe they even claim the title of the biggest used bookstore, at least in the southwest, if not in the United States.  I am thrilled that they are so close to us.  If you are ever in the neighborhood you need to go.... no, really, you should even make a special trip to JUST GO there!  You will not be disappointed.

Do you want to read more about this fabulous Indie Bookstore trend?  Check out this article!

Go find an indie store tomorrow and settle in for an adventure!

What is your favorite Indie Bookstore?
Please share!
If I am ever in your neck of the woods I want to go and visit!

A little fun clip from my favorite Indie Bookstore Britcom.... Black Books starring Dylan Moran.  You can enjoy most of the series on YouTube now.  Just a head's up.... he gets a little drunk and "sweary" sometimes, too... but he is so funny in this series!  LOL

Planning for April Meals and Holidays

I cannot believe it is already the last Friday of March.  The week behind us has not been so stressful but with allergy season in full swing I have not been super productive.  I have, however, found some lovely links for you.  I am thinking about planning meals a lot this week.  I am also starting to think toward Easter and Passover.  We started the 1 Peter Study with Love God Greatly and I am continuing to read the Bible through and work through the If:Equip passages and videos to prepare us for Easter.  I have enjoyed my study time a great deal this week.  The more I study the more I want to study.  I have also been listening to some of the daily readings again on YouVersion.  I love that they have audio on many of the translations.  It is good to hear God's word read aloud.

I have spent some time menu planning for the month of April.  I am adding some categories to bring a little more creativity back to our system.  We will do a Pasta night, Asian night, Mexican night, Comfort Food night, Soup and Salad night, Vegetarian night and a CORD night.  CORD stands for Clean Out Refrigerator Day (got that from an old Once a Month Cooking book on the shelf).  I am trying to wean us down to one dessert night a week.  I am also trying to be more diligent in preparing things ahead for breakfasts and lunch.  I am going to add a day each week to make things for the freezer.

With all this talk of food most of my links are food related this week...

The standard things like muffins and waffles are easy enough to make ahead and freeze but here are a few more great ideas that I pinned this week.  I have some standard quick bread recipes that make great breakfast breads and I think adding a coffee cake (Overnight Coffee Cake) every now and then might be a really nice treat.  I want to make something that the kids can just take out of the refrigerator or freezer and heat up.  The less work for me in the mornings the better.  That way they don't have to wait on their arthritic mom to be moving quickly enough to feed them all.  They will be grateful, too!

We eat a lot of eggs so I thought this might be a great option for them... Egg and Spinach Quiche Cups - I would, personally, use whole eggs instead of just egg whites for this one.  I will be doing a test run on these soon.

Kat over at InspiredtoAction has mentioned that she does a bulk batch of burritos to freezer for her family so I took some time to look for a recipe to test drive soon.  This one is the one I like so far... DIY Frozen Breakfast Burritos

I thought if the burritos worked why not breakfast sandwiches so this will be happening soon, too.... Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

There are days when my children just want a good thick smoothie to get them started so this is a great idea, too,  We can have Smoothie Kits ready to go in the refrigerator for them to drop in and blend.

Now, this idea might be a smaller serving than the kids would prefer but I have a jumbo muffin tin that might make it a better size for those teenagers.  I know my husband and boys are fans of oatmeal so this might be a great quick solution for those hurried mornings... DIY Freezer Oatmeal Cups

After all this work to prepare meals for my family I think I am going to need a little treat for myself once I get the chance to sit down for a few minutes.  A lovely Chai Tea would certainly do the trick.  I found a great recipe at Food52 for an Almost Instant Chai Recipe.

Now, for two more articles for Passover and Easter for your enjoyment...

Passover Holds a Special Meaning for Christians

10 Fun Ways to Keep Easter About Jesus

We have a slower weekend ahead and I have several books in progress that I am hoping to have some cozy time to enjoy.  Stuff in my "to read" stack for the rest of the month and forward...

and a commentary I am starting this weekend for the 1 Peter study...

I also have a great new resource I picked up to help me start to organize my personal recipes that I have written.  I have fallen in love with the Moleskine line of journals since I started my Bullet Journal last semester.  They have them for just about anything you can imagine from cooking/baking to music, wine, organizing, budgeting, etc...  Their website is a writer's dream!

I cannot wait to get started...

Happy Friday!

Some Favorites for Friday - Welcome to Spring 2015 Edition

Hold onto your hats folks... the wind of Spring is kicking up and there is lots to share!  True to form we have had wind and rain to get this new season started in style.   I love rain... it makes everything feel fresh and clean and after the dust left by the wind it has been nice.

this graphic comes from She Reads Truth... isn't it beautiful?

 Let's not waste any time jumping right in today...

*   I have one straggler from last week's St. Pat's Day lineup that I found later.  It is a list of 25 Irish Sayings to Live By.  Very fun and informative!  I love learning about other cultures and languages.  Hope you can work one or two of these into your daily conversations soon.  Hahaha

*   I discovered some new things this week.  I may be way behind the times on these things but I wanted to share them anyway.  I discovered a fun new remodel show called Fixer Upper and I am in love!!!  Since our home has been in a constant state of remodeling for the almost 12 years we have been here I find this show very inspiring and fun and it is set in Texas, too.  Hope you give it a look-see.  

*   I also found a new grammar site to use with our homeschooler called Grammar Bytes.  It is full of terms, examples, videos, tips, rules, and practice pages using different grammar elements.  Have a look around and see if it is something you guys can use, too.  Look out for the shark!  He will BYTE you... ;)

*   I have a weekend project I found on Pinterest this week.  It is an organizing caddy for all those pesky electronics cords.  I have my shoebox ready to go and I will try and work on it tomorrow afternoon.  It is a great rainy day project and we are expecting a rainy day so it is perfect!  

*   I have been using the Plan To Eat site to menu plan since January and I am loving it.  You can always click through on the link in my left-hand column to find out more at anytime.  There are no strings attached to just click through and check it out.  Even if you don't want to use their service it is free to get on their e-mail list and they send great articles and recipes out each week.  You can also check out their Facebook page and everything there is free, too.  This week's article is all about "What is Seasonal  in Spring?"  They are great about encouraging us to use real whole foods and seasonal ingredients to prepare meals for our family that are nutritional and wholesome.  

*   I read through a few great articles this week.  

- An article called Still Life by Liz Curtis Higgs 
for us older ladies in the bunch

-  One entitled 9 Unbiblical Statements that Bible Loving Christians Believe. 
I believe this is self explanatory and it is very good!

-  A great article/review on the new Cinderella movie called 
Cinderella:  Have Courage and Be Kind

*   There is a new study starting up on Monday with the Love God Greatly group on 1 & 2 Peter and our little Bible study group will be diving in with them.  There is still time to get on board.  This time there is no registration outside of making sure you are on their e-mail list to get the blog posts and the free study material links.  I encourage you to study along with them and share it with your friends, too.  Check out their blog for all the details!  They are on Facebook, too, if you want to sub to their page.

*   Two more things to share with you.... it is nearly the end of tax season and if you were wondering how long to keep certain papers this is a great printable guide to post to remind you.  How Long Should I Keep It For?   It is a free printable from Clean Mama  While you are there have a look around.  She has a great blog!

*  I tried a new recipe this week and wanted to let you guys know about it.  It was not hard to do and not very time consuming but it was so delicious.  It is going into our regular lineup now.  It is Oven Fried Chicken w/ Honey Mustard Sauce.  Mercy!!!

I leave you with this beautiful worship song I downloaded to my ipod this week.  May God bless you and your family this weekend as you celebrate the beginning of Spring.  

Favorite Things.... St. Patrick's Day edition

With St. Patrick's Day on the way next Tuesday I thought I would share the things I have been reading through and searching this week.  I am getting ready to send a package to the oldest and wanted a "package-able" snack that I could make.  I found these two great recipes that should do well in the mail if I wrap them well.  I am making them both today.  I already know the package won't be there by Tuesday but I can guarantee my oldest will not mind one bit as long as he gets to enjoy everything once it does arrive.  

The first recipe is a white chocolate, Bailey's Irish Cream and pistachio fudge recipe that is super simple.  The hardest part of this recipe is the stirring on the stovetop.  Here is my first shot of the stuff as it goes into the refrigerator to chill:

The second recipe is one I will be trying this afternoon.  It is a Pistachio Lime Shortbread but I think I am doing it without the lime just because I don't want another trip to the store this week.  Haha  I seem to go far too much for stuff that is last minute these days.  I will try to remember to get back on and share some finished photos of everything.

I find that, while it is cool to write my own recipes, it is not always necessary when other people have some delicious stuff, too.  I am not nuts about only using my own recipes and am willing to give others recipes at least a try.  If I love them they go in the file to use them again and again and I will gladly share them with the world and give full credit to the culinary genius who brought them to us.  

I do play in the kitchen and write my own recipes from time to time, though.  I did make a paleo cheesecake for a friend this week and winged it a bit.  I am writing what I do down as I go and when we have a real winner I will share it with you.  I am grateful for my guinea pigs that are willing to try my stuff (family and friends locally).  I am grateful for those who tell me what they would change or what they loved that I should keep.  My friend Sherrie got to do that this week for a pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust.  I made it in a little pie pan just for her.  I also forgot to take a photo of it before I took it to her so I will have to do it again to show you.  I am a bit spacey sometimes.  Ha!

We typically celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a meal and a movie.  Our standard movie has become A Quiet Man over the years.  We have tried other movies that just don't satisfy us like this one.  It does not hurt that John Wayne is in it.  My husband loves all his movies.  

I also love the blessings of the Irish people.  One of my favorites was shared in a printable format and I thought some of you might really love it.  I think this one is getting a frame for display in my home very soon.  This blogger, The Girl Creative, is sharing a 

PRINTABLE ST. PATRICK’S DAY SUBWAY ART

 for us!  I love freebies!!!

On the bookish front I am failing to stay in a book every day like I had planned this year.  I would speculate that most of that is because I have been on a cleaning and clearing tangent and that the internet is distracting me too much lately in between the cleaning and cooking and general upkeep of our home.  The bad side of that is less reading but the good side of that is less junk and a cleaner more pleasant home to enjoy.  It will all settle down once the home is more like we want it and I won't need to spend as much time doing that.

Emily and I have both discovered some new authors recently.  I thought I would just share the names with you and later I will share some of their books.  

The first one is Georgette Heyer.  Emily got five new books for her birthday from this author and LOVES them.  Heyer writes Regency romance novels, in the same vein as Jane Austen as well as  historical fiction and mysteries.  They are simpler reads but with cleaver characters and witty humor.  I am hoping to "steal" one (or all five) away from Em to read sometime this summer.  I promise to return them!

An author I just discovered is Gladys Taber.... she writes about life on the farm.  She was a writer for Ladies' Home Journal (a regular column which began in 1937 called Diary of Domesticity) and she wrote a column called "Butternut Wisdom" which ran in the Family Circle from 1959 to 1967.  She has an extensive list of fiction and non-fiction (memoir style) books which spanned the length of her entire adult life.  I just got a copy of her Stillmeadow Sampler in the mail last week.  A beautiful first edition!

Susan Branch introduced me to her, by the way.... 

Check out Susan's Page about Ms. Taber.

  I am slowly purging stuff as I go through each room and the breathing space is getting larger and larger.  We are, by no means, those hoarders like you see on that dreadfully painful show on A&E but we tend to hang onto things that are not really necessary sometimes.  Most people do.... I think it is a typical behavior that most people wrestle with at some point in their lives.  I had to come to the conclusion that I needed to let go of things I was not using or reading or that I would never use or read.  I now know that someone else might enjoy it much more than me.  Why would I want to deny them of that opportunity?  So, I let go.... and have not looked back on any of it.  I am still letting go as I no longer need something.  I still have my "treasures".... the things that I love most of all and enjoy having about me.  I am keeping old furniture that belonged to family members before us because I love it and I am gathering books that I love and know I want to read as I purge dozens of boxes of books I know I won't read.  I want my things about me.... things I love.  

That reminds me of a quote from the Quiet Man (one of my most favorite movies ever) spoken by Maureen O'Hara....

"I´ve dreamed of havin´ my own things about me.  My spinet...over there, and the table here   and...my own chairs to rest upon.  And...  And the dresser over there in that corner.  And...  my own china and pewter shinin´ about me."

A girl dreams of having the things she loves about her and this is why I won't ever have a sterile white existence.  I want a home that reflects who we are without being wall to wall junk and clutter for the sake of keeping stuff.  

My motto is.... "If I don't love it then it has to leave!"

So, that is the rambling list for this week.... I pray you have a delightful weekend with those you love most of all.  Feel free to share a favorite author or movie or recipe with us in the comments!  I love to discover new things and would love to check them out.

Blessings to you and your's this St. Patrick's Day!

More of my Favorite Things on a Friday

We are about to start our Spring Break for 2015 in about an hour or so.  There is a Jazz Festival this weekend so the kids actually have an event they still have to attend and play for tomorrow but then the week is ours.  We have a plethora of things we need to work through over the break.... some deep cleaning of bedrooms, scout merit badge classes for the boys, some repair and garden chores that need to be done and so forth.

As we start the weekend I thought I would take a moment to share some of the things that crossed my path over the last two weeks (since I did not share last Friday)  The list is diverse this week...

1.   The season finale of DOWNTON ABBEY!!!  Oh my goodness, it was magnificent.  Now that the season is over I think it is time for my daughter and I to head back to season one and go through them again while we wait for season 6 but THE FINALE WAS THE BEST EVER!!!

2.   This guy.... Eric Reed, is a jazz pianist but our 14 year old shared this with us this week and I am floored at this talent.  I hope you check more of his stuff out because he has got some serious skills!

3.   I discovered a new blog site this week.  It is called Hooked on Houses and it has houses from around the country that are for sale.  It is a home improvement/decorating inspiration and a half!  The homes are lovely and diverse for all kinds of tastes.  

4.   Here is a lovely DIY gift idea for those coffee and tea drinkers in your life.... MARBLED MUGS!  I found it on Pinterest and was tipped off by my daughter who mentioned it so we could look it up.  Looks like a great Mother's Day project for all your crafters out there.  

Here is a photo from the site linked above of her work....

5.   Last, but certainly not least, that speech this week from Benjamin Netanyahu was the best speech I have heard in years.... maybe since Reagan took the floor to speak!  Wow.... just WOW!!!

If you have not seen it please take some time to do so.  It is only about 40 minutes long but worth every minute.

6.   One more bonus read this week..... Want to Hear from God? Slow Down.... is a beautiful article written for Relevant's online magazine.  It is a great site loaded with lots of great stuff.  

Now, let spring break begin!  I am off to pick kids up from school and then dinner and a movie will follow.  Have a great weekend folks!

Friday Favorites... with a few extras

This week has been so crazy full!  We started the week with a day off from school but there were two music rehearsals and a birthday celebration to fill that day.  We are in the middle of preparation for solo and ensemble and each child has two solos and two ensembles.  That means rehearsals every single day before, during, and after school.  In addition to the weekend competition prep there have been private lessons and some early morning jazz band rehearsing for next week's start of jazz band competition.  Needless to say, I am ready for the crazy season to be over again.  

I have had a hard week physically, too.  Now, I am sharing this with the promise from you that you will not chastise me.  I am a big girl and I know what needs to be done but we have obstacles that sometimes crop up so we deal with it and move forward.  Ok.... remember.... you promised, so, say nothing!  LOL  I have been off my Lupus meds for a week.  There have been extenuating circumstances but Dan is picking the meds up today.  I never think the medication is doing anything until I have to be off of them for any period of time.  My arthritis is a mess, headaches are plentiful, skin and ulcers in the mouth are angry and the energy level is zero.  I will be taking a double dose before bed and then resuming my regular schedule tomorrow.  I did not want to be off.... it was a matter of money and availability and life just happens.  We are good to go now....  remember.... NOTHING.... SAY NOTHING!  ;)

In other news, I had to get a new phone..... an upgrade from.... 

now, don't faint.... 

an upgrade from Galaxy S2 (yes.... the number two!) to a Galaxy Avant.  

I had to get a new one because the old one finally decided it would have a mind of it's own and start shutting down without any prompting from me and it was completely unreliable because of that.  Otherwise, the phone was in pristine condition and the tech guy even said that he had never seen one that old be in such beautiful condition.  What can I say... I take care of my stuff.  

Anything that gets broken is because my children break it.  Case in point.... the one crack on my phone screen was a child's doing.... the computer screen that got broken at Christmas was a child, etc...  My favorite phrase these days with them is, "You are too close to my technology.... or beverage"...  whichever thing they could break or spill.  LOL  I say it in kind of a "beep beep beep I am backing the giant vehicle" voice.  They hate it but it stops them in their tracks and my stuff is safe.  If I had used that with my computer over Christmas I might still have that little thing instead of this giant "visually impaired large text" computer I am typing on now.  Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the new computer but I really did love my old little notebook sized one.... really!!!  I am never fond of the new learning curve that takes place every time I have replace a tech device.  

Now, the reason we came here..... here are my favorite five things from the internet this week.  

1.  I have been researching some fermenting of foods lately and read this great article on this very thing this week.  It is 6 Cultured Foods to Make at Home.    Great simple ways to start doing this in your home right now.  

2.  Revive Our Hearts is working through a great series for Lent called The Incomparable Christ and the programs are listed on this page.  I enjoyed this broadcast this week on  A Heartbeat for Revival.... on prayer.  

3.  I am also getting ready to purge our pantry in the next week and over spring break soon so this article was of great interest to me.... 10 Ways to Squeeze a Little Extra Storage Out of a Small Pantry.  

4.  Are you trying to quit the sugar habit?  Here is a great read called 12 Tips for Quitting Sugar.

5.  This week we also saw another Chinese New Year.  Being in the Korean church we got to see some of the traditions that they do to celebrate.  All the Asian world stopped to celebrate this week.  They wear the traditional dresses of their culture and eat traditional foods but I found this article on reaching out during this time from the International Mission Board.  Chinese New Year 101 can help you understand and reach out to those in your community that are of this culture.  

5 1/2.  ;)  Along those same lines I got a copy of David Platt's new book this week.... he is the new director of the IMB that posted this article.  He is on Facebook.... I cannot wait to dig into this book.  He also wrote a book called Radical  (that our teens are studying in their youth group right now) and a book called Follow Me.  

The new book is called Counter Culture

And, here is one extra because I love Jon Acuff and his tongue in cheek way of really hitting a point.  Here are his 7 Ways to Give Up the Internet for Lent.  

Five of my Favorites from the week...

Do you like for me to share five favorites?  Is that something I should keep?  I am trying to find my way back to regular blogging and thinking through some things I want this place to become.  I want to share what I love but only if it is beneficial and helpful to someone else.  I want to share opinions but I tend to run people off when I do that.  Hahaha

This week will be a hodgepodge of media...

First, a video of what I did this week from P. Allen Smith and a photo of my finished project:

Here is how mine turned out... I made mine chunkier

I am still doing more... I have red cabbage and want to add grated carrot also.

I did recently make blueberry/strawberry jam, too.

Second is a link to a great article/list for you...

25 Ways to Practice Self Care

Third: A Link to a quiet new movie you may not have heard of...

Old Fashioned

Fourth:  A new recipe to try - Breakfast Cupcakes

Fifth:  A VALENTINE TREAT.... Red Velvet Oreo Truffle Brownie Bars  

I could overdose on these quickly!  Mercy!!!

So, let me know what you think.... should I keep sharing or move onto something else?

What does one do on a snow day?

We do not get a ton of snow where we live so the first thing I do is take some pictures to document it.  I probably share that documentation on Facebook for those who will never believe me without proof.  Hahaha

We are literally living in a Winter Wonderland today.  It has been coming down since about 6:00am... without stopping.  The kids are all getting out of school within the next hour or so and Dan is making his way home.  He is picking kids up as he makes his way here.  

So, what does one do in this weather?  

Maybe a bit of laundry to start the day.

I did make a run to deliver some food to a friend early this morning.  People here drive crazy in this weather.  It does not help that visibility is poor today but when you try to give them a wide berth and they are still ugly and try to push you off the road... well, what is a person suppose to do?  He did not kill me but one guy tried to freak me out.  I stayed the course and out of his way and hopefully, he did not kill someone else in his attempt to be a narcissistic road hog.

I came home to snap some photos and start a fire but as the snow has piled up higher and higher I have been randomly snapping more photos.

I have been doing a Plan To Eat video tutorial with Kat Lee over at Inspiredtoaction.com this week.  She has had a new session every day to teach us how to use the Plan To Eat system.  It has been very informative.

I have been spending time this week setting my new account up and plugging in recipes and menus and it has already been a huge help in making my week smoother.  If you want to be able to use your own recipes but still benefit from an online planner and shopping list then I highly recommend this system.  I have tried other systems but they send me THEIR menus and I never use all they send me because I am constantly substituting my own menus and recipes instead.  This lets me try new things but still use my old standby recipes and favorites in an organized convenient fashion.  There is even a button you can place in your bookmark bar at the top of your page and save new things you find as you roam around the internet, too.  It is an amazing system and very affordable!  Click on the link in my sidebar to learn more and, if you are so inclined, sign up for your own account.  It is SO worth it!

I am also plugging away at integrating the Bullet Journal system into my life more and more each day.  I talked about it back in October and I am still using it.  It makes my brain very happy to just have everything in one place all the time.  I have been updating and plugging in some new stuff today as I am working around the house and on the computer.  I have a few study notes I still need to add.

The inside is a catch-all for lists, reminders, quotes/scripture verses, notes, and planning my life in general.

The outside is a Moleskine purple thing of beauty!

It is my brain.

I am also boiling a chicken today...

There will be chicken and dumplings to warm my cold family tonight.

I am not sure what tomorrow will look like.  One never knows in the desert whether the sun will come out and all traces of a snow day will vanish so, we are taking advantage of it today.  The children will go out and try to play in it until they are too cold and then they will track muddy messes in but I don't care.  I can clean it all tomorrow.  I am a lover of snow and snow days because they are few and far between in this part of the world so we will enjoy it in all it's splendor until it is no more.