Blogtember: Guilty Pleasures

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Water Fun

Can I first say that I hate the name of that.  I know what the term means: but basically it means indulging in something that isn’t necessarily good for us and getting pleasure for it.  So…hmmm, I don’t know how to answer that question.

Here are some things that I enjoy in moderation – but they necessarily aren’t good for me:

Dark Chocolate M&Ms

Ferrero Rocher

Ghiradelli Hot Chocolate with tons of whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup

Strawberry Twizzlers

Moose Track Ice Cream

Salted Caramel Rice Krispy Treats

Lazy binge watching of NCIS (yay, season premiere on Tuesday) or Gilmore Girls (finished the whole series in about 2 months) or White Collar

Blogtember Challenge: Vlog Boycott

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Just kidding about the boycott.

But, there will be no Blogtember challenge today from me because I don’t like to Vlog.  I like to watch Periscope but I don’t like to be on it.  I do not like myself on video – and since this is my blog…there you go.

I love being up in front of people – just don’t make me watch or listen to it.

If you wanna talk with me – let’s sit down and chat – or cook together, or, well, anything.

Blogtember Challenge: The Real Me

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Chattanooga Country

Social media often times get a bad rap.  Most say that who you see on the computer screen isn’t really the real person who is doing the typing. So…today’s question: is the real you and the online you the same?

Yes and no.  Only sometimes do I post pictures of me when I’m not wearing makeup and my hair is in a ponytail with my glasses on.  Truth be told – that is how I normally am.  However, I have gotten better and don’t wear yoga pants every day – that is more for my mister.

I usually don’t post ALL of my parenting failures – but I do post some.

I am sarcastic online – and I’m sarcastic in real life.  But, I’ve gotten less with both.  Because often times, sarcasm doesn’t give grace to the receiver.

Yes, that I do share what God is teaching me.  But, no that I don’t share everything.  I’ve gotten in trouble in the past for sharing too much on my blog – so I’ve definitely toned that down some.  So, if you really wanna know what is going on in my heart: then you have to be in a tight group of people, and we have to be talking in a non-public context (like face to face, phone text, email, private msg, etc.

I am more extroverted online – I’m definitely more of an introvert in person.

All in all – I really do think my online self and real life self (to my close community) is the same.

Blogtember Challenge: My Non-Existent Mommy Purse

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Blogtember Purse

I’m not really one of those girls that has tons of purses and always has it with her.  I usually have one that I pick up on clearance or at Goodwill just to get me usually to church.  I have a bag that goes with me every morning to where I do my quiet times: books, sketch pad, Bible, psalter, notebooks, and plenty of pens and pencils.

I do carry my wallet: receipts, the normal stuff in your wallet, and a pen, and a small pack of notecards just in case I need one in a jiffy.  You never know when a note of encouragement might brighten someone’s day.  My wallet is a made just for me handheld by my sweet friend Leah.  I love it – gray and yellow!

Now, my current purse is one made by my cousin in Alabama.  Its cream and gorgeous.  It stands up on the bottom on its own.  I love the buttons.  I use it primarily when I’m going to church or another church function.

It holds my aforementioned wallet, tons of writing instruments (notice a theme), phone (even though its usually in my hand or pocket), keys (though they are usually attached to a belt loop), my journaling Bible, notebooks for sermon notes (I have one for each book of the Bible I’m currently studying), some receipts, change, and maybe a tube of lipstick.  I really don’t know why I have lipstick, because I almost never reapply it when I’m out somewhere.

Anyway, what’s in your purse – or do you think there is some great bag out there that I just have to have?

 

Blogtember: Saturday Chillin’

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Pink Flowers

I’m hearing many great things from yall – how you are enjoying these random posts.  So thankful for BraveLoveBlog for putting it together – opening up community, helping us all get to know each other a little better.

So, here we go – these lists are fun and let’s you peak into my world a bit:

Reading… Deuteronomy and The Mark of a Man by E Elliot (for praying for my mister) 
Playing… “talls” with my little misters (mega blocks) and my new Canon 6D – gotta learn the new toy
Watching… NCIS Season 11 and 12 (to get ready for premiere).  Gotta catch my mister up.  And West Wing.
Trying… to get photo shoots lined up for the fall
Cooking… pumpkin muffins for a new member class tomorrow at church
Eating… Tonight will be a grapefruit and avocado salad (but I just split some nuggets and fries with my boys).
Drinking… Water and diet coke
Calling… I don’t like to talk on the phone, but I did just chat with a sweet NC friend who asked me to letter her wedding vows for her upcoming 2nd anniversary.  
Texting… with Bekah about using Heart Hope Justice to help her raise funds to buy a home to house women trying to leave abusive situations.
Pinning… Oh, I’m trying to revamp and relabel my Pinterest page.  Head on over there and give me some ideas of what you would like to see.
Tweeting… last night I was tweeting with my bestie about Friday nights, popcorn, and headshots
Going… to Publix this afternoon…again..they truly do make shopping a pleasure when I have littles.
Loving… lettering hymns – it helps me meditate on them in the morning
Hating… whining littles and my husband’s long hours and road trips (he doesn’t have them very much, but I’d rather have him at home than away)
Discovering… that I have an amazing husband who cleans up dead roaches and takes out the trash immediately after coming in the door from being gone for three days
Thinking… about all the places that I would love to travel to including NYC for Christmas next year – I can dream right?
Feeling…very weary
Hoping (for)… my mister to be able to get off work for a few days around new years so we can hit Jekyll with the boys..
Listening (to)… Come Weary Saints by Sov Grace
Celebrating… my older little mister’s three year birthday one week from today – a minion party at the park we love so much
Smelling… Pumpkin baking in my kitchen
Ordering… More diapers.  Potty training was going to start this week but I think I will postpone just a bit
Thanking… My bestie for listening to me much this week in all of my mommy-mess
Considering… how to make income with all my creative juices flowing
Starting… to love the early mornings – when most days I go to my nearest McDs to have some quiet time and drink some diet coke, especially now that it is getting hoodie weather.
Finishing…maybe cleaning off my desk – I stop and start, stop and start.  I know it would be a blessing to my mister!

Blogtember Challenge: TGIF

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TGIF

How life has changed.  I remember in high school it was close to a sin to sit home on a Friday night.  Our high school (at the time) didn’t have football, but soccer was the big sport and then in the winter it was basketball – then in the spring it was baseball or the beach or a movie.  You just weren’t cool if you were at home.

Then in college, it was pretty much the same way, just with different activities.

Seminary, well, most people had dates or ministry events or were home with their families.

Now…I love love love to stay home on a Friday night.  Even when we didn’t have any children, I always thought after a long week without my husband, all I wanted to do was eat dinner at home (or bring in something) and sit and chill.  So, that’s normally what we did.

Now, our schedules are very different.  He doesn’t get a weekend, so Fridays are just a normal day. He usually works till about 9pm on Fridays.  I put the boys to bed and watch something, read, take a bath, bake cookies, and wait until he comes home.  We never go out on Friday nights (and that’s ok because ATL traffic on a Friday is awful and every place is packed that you would want to go.

Tonight is a little different.  My mister is coming back from being gone for a few days.  I’m going to put our younger boy to bed at his normal time (after Friday Friyay) and keep the older one awake.  We will have popcorn together and watch a movie – probably the Penguins of Madagascar or a Pooh movie or something and see if he makes it up to see his daddy tonight.  That will be a special treat for both him and his daddy.

 

Blogtember: Travel Bucket List

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Travel Bucket List

My mister and I love to do everything together, but really here are the top two:

  1.  Do nothing.  That’s what he said early on in our marriage when someone asked him what he liked to do with me.  He said “we like to do nothing.”  That speaks of the busyness of our lives and how when we do get a chance to be together, we like to do nothing.  Sitting on the couch is our fave way to spend the evening.
  2. Travel.  We started traveling when we we were dating: the NC coast, Williamsburg.  Our honeymoon was a two week road trip up the East Coast visiting all the major cities and then the turn around spot was the number one thing on my bucket list: PEI.  I am a huge Anne fan, so that was a must.  And he fulfilled it.  It was awesome.

So, here are ten places that I still want to go with my mister sometime in our lives.  I figure if we do one every anniversary (not going to happen), we can knock it out in ten years, then move on to the rest of the world.

  1.  Spend a week in Paris with him.  He’s been to Paris, but it was with a missionary buddy of his – not his wife.  So, I need to go with him this time.
  2. Visit, photograph, and or climb every USA lighthouse.  I love the coast and I love lighthouses.  So, I figure why not.
  3. Hike Acadia.  He has been to Acadia National Park with a family member, but I want to go with him.
  4. One of this that I want to make happen is a rafting trip through the Canyon with the boys.
  5. Take a mediterranean cruise. See Greece and Italy.  Eat the food – experience the culture
  6. Take him back to Alaska.  I went on a cruise with my parents shortly before my Mister and I were engaged, but talking to him via phone was not the same as him experiencing what I think is the prettiest part of America.
  7. Napa.  I want to eat at Big Sur and travel the pacific highway and take my camera through the vineyards.
  8. Go to the Keys. My brother goes all the time, but even though I grew up in Florida, I’ve never been.  We did drive to the southern most tip of US 1 together (and the northenmost tip), but we turned around.
  9. Spend a few days hiking the AT.  Camping, roughing it, etc.
  10. See the castles of St. Petersburg.  Russia that is.  I’ve been to Moscow and I’d love to see it again, but I’d rather see some place new.

There you have it – now everyone knows what to get me for gifts (airline miles) and we need to be independently wealthy.

Blogtember Challenge: Back to the Future

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I am 16, going on 17

I was a whole different person when I was 16.  The year was 1993.  Danny Wuerffel played for the Gators.  My brother was a senior and started driving us to school.  I sang in a traveling musical group for my high school.  I switched churches and went out on my own in that arena.

Dearest me:

First of all – love Jesus more.  It is not about all these games that you are playing, not about getting the cutest boyfriend, or being the most popular – all of that will fade even before the yearbook comes out at the end of the year.

Second, when it comes time to pick a major in a few years: pick something that you are passionate about – not just something that will pay the bills.  You love photography – even when you capture it with that little yellow and black throw away.  The world is going more digital – learn it

Third, make relationships work.  I’m not talking about the guy you will date or the guys you wanna date – but make sure relationships are important to you.  Community and friendships and mentoring – all those centered in Jesus – will stick with you and make you a much better person.

Last: travel.  I know you love to go on little trips to the coast or just like to hang out – but travel as much as you can.  Don’t just read about it in books or watch the world from television.  You will have many opportunities in the coming years to travel the world – don’t say no.  Traveling opens your mind and heart to the world God created to reflect His glory.  Go.

And most of all – love.  This life is not about you.  Live well and love often.  Cook more.  Capture moments.

Love – your 38 year old self.

Blogtember Challenge: My Favorite Season

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Danny @ Southern

We are only a few weeks out from the official start of Fall, but I think the PSL craze has made Fall come a bit earlier every year.  Fall is definitely my favorite season – and always has been (with Spring coming in a somewhat distant second).  I grew up in Florida so we really didn’t have seasons, but when I moved to North Carolina to start seminary in the winter – I knew Fall has to be pretty and not so cold.

Why is Fall my favorite season?

  1.  Football. No, it definitely isn’t the most important reason, but its probably been the longest running reason why I love fall so much!
  2. Start of school.  No, i’m not in school anymore, but I always loved getting the school supply list then going to buy them.  I could buy school supplies every trip to Target and never get tired of them.
  3. Cooler Weather.  I love a medium temperature.  I’m not one for sweltering heat, but I would love it if everyday was 60-85 with blue skies and a thunderstorm.  That’s what I’d like to live in.
  4. Fall leaves.  Call me crazy, but when I think about the turning of leaves, I think of the beauty of death.  As a believer, I know that all creation is groaning to be restored to its Maker.  And we can’t have life without first having death.  That’s why fall and winter have to come before spring.  But, I love the sound of walking through leaves.  I’m glad though I never had to rake them in Florida though.
  5. My anniversary.  My mister and I got married in the fall.  It was a perfect blue clear sky day one which I will always remember.
  6. My boys birthdays.  The next two most important days in my life are the days I gave birth to our sons.  Ones birthday is in September and ones is in October.  Both Fall blessings.  I can’t wait to celebrate them every year with pumpkin pictures!

What’s your favorite season?

Blogtember: How’d I Name My Blog

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Hydrangeas

I skipped yesterday, not because I was meaning to, but sometimes you just need to put down the computer, grab some chipotle, and watch an NCIS marathon with my mister.  That’s what I did last night instead of blogging.  I hope yall don’t mind.

So, today is Labor Day – but for the Blogtember Challenge the question is how’d you name your blog.

I’ve had several, because I’ve been blogging for ten years, I don’t always keep the same emphasis.  It is ever evolving

My Thoughts on the Word was just that.  It was my first blog – and really a blog, a personal journal on my thoughts from my quiet time.  That was about it.

Kims State of Food: that was my first food blog.  I started it to share recipes for the college girls I hung out with.

For the Love of NC was a blog dedicated to my travels around my lovely state of NC.

This Whole Life was the first time I attempted to connect all the blogs together.

Applesause and Grenadine was another food blog attempt.

Now, I’ve had kd316 since 2011.  I love it.  It has everything: my photography, my recipes, my health journey, my book reviews and resources, and my random every day thoughts.  I named it that because kd (my initials, and now that I’m married, my middle initial is still d, so it works.  Also, its my favorite verse: Colossians 3:16 “Let the Word of Christ dwell in your richly…”  I want the gospel to permeate every bit of my life – just not my “Bible” time.

kcreatives is the subtitle for the blog.  Intention: Creative.  Because life has a lot of mundane moments and I don’t want to live in the mundane.  I want to be creative with my time and talents and let that part of God’s character come out in me.