My Signature Style

About two and a half weeks ago, I took one of those fun online quizzes regarding one's decorating style.  (You can find it on the Home Goods website.)  You pick five pictures that "speak to you" and it will tell you your decorating style. Well, my style turned out to be "Farmhouse Glam" -- such as hanging chandeliers above picnic tables!  I hadn't had a name for it, but felt, yes, this is so me!  I took it again today, not remembering what images I picked last time. Guess what?  I got the same results.  So, yeah, I think it's probably safe to say this my style.

Last January, Darlene over at Fieldstone Hill Design challenged her readers to make a Signature Style Board.  I saw it yesterday on Pinterest (which I love) and since I just started playing around with PicMonkey, I figured this would be a good project for me.  This is what I came up with:

It was really hard to pick only nine pictures.  I chose these from my Pinterest boards and I've really pinned a whole bunch in the past couple of years (I joined Pinterest back when you had to be approved!)  I love these pictures, but feel really bad for all the pics that weren't chosen; I really like them, too! So, if you want to see everything else I've pinned, come follow me by clicking here.

What do you think?  Have I found my signature style?

ONE WORD

So, it has been almost two years since I've written here. Time flies when you're procrastinating, doesn't it?

The first day of the New Year is always so promising.  We look forward with such bright hopes and dreams.  I love it.

I love a brand new calendar, new blank notepads for all those lists I love to write, and this year, a gorgeous new planner!

It's so pretty, it's almost hard to write in it!

Resolutions, I'm not so good at.  But I love picking one word as the theme and goal for the year.  

2010 was YES.

2011 was FREEDOM.

2012 was RELEASE.

2013 was DREAM.

2014 is HEALTH!

I definitely need to get my physical health back, but I know this word encompasses so much more than just that (as important as that is right now).

Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew intellectually, physically, spiritually and socially.

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

This year, 2014, I'm planning on increasing in the same manner! 

One thing I think is important to this increase is meeting you (if there's still anyone out there) right here on a more regular basis.  So...

HAPPY NEW YEAR and a toast to HEALTH!  See you soon!

(and maybe we'll catch up a bit, too!)

The Provision Room

I am so excited about a brand new blog called The Provision Room, named in honor of Five Little Peppers and How They Grew.  (You can get a free Kindle copy of the book here.)  My daughter and her friend have a vision for their homes and lives that can help all of us out, too!  


The mission for their blog in their words:

To prepare our homes—kitchens, pantries, and gardens—to be ready in case of emergencies or unexpected life changes. To do so we will not increase our food budgets nor cause our family to subsist on bread and water. We will strive for the following ideals:

~Real Food
We will not recommend you go out and buy food-like substances, just because they have a shelf life. We will learn to make Real Food last.

~Organic, local and sustainable whenever possible
This is not always possible, but is a lot more possible than people think. We’ll try to show you how we feed our families while being true to our values.

~Frugality
We will search out things that are genuinely good deals and not just short term solutions. We will strive to be good stewards of the family finances.

~Environmentally friendly
We will try to find ways to store our food and stock our pantries without resorting to a bunch of disposables that overfill already overfull landfills.

~Transparency
We will not act like we have all the answers and will show you our mistakes and learn to laugh at them!


They are also on Facebook charming us all!  You can also read more about them on the Prosperous and Successful blog were they are being featured this week.


This week they are having an pretty fantastic giveaway to celebrate their grand opening with all kinds of chances to win.  They are giving away a $50 gift card to Azure Standard, an autographed book entitled Year of Plenty that I can't wait to read, and a case of Venice Premium Biscotti.  How fun is that?!  The giveaway ends tomorrow (Wednesday) night, so hurry on over the party!

River Arvin

River Arvin Gombojav was dedicated to the Lord by his parents on Friday, February 3.  His four-month birthday.


As is my custom, I celebrated by giving him a little reception after.  So fun.

An almost finished table:

Taffy bouquet, milk was served in the little milk bottles

with blue-striped paper straw flags with River's name,

cupcake fondue with fun sprinkles and toppings, and a cafe latte punch.

And zigzag streamers.

His mother blogged all about it over at in other words....  Go on over and be blessed by the goodness of God.

Baggage

For the past couple of Wednesdays, a sweet, timid, middle-aged woman has been showing up at church.  She comes in with a large backpack and about four or five more bags filled with who knows what.  She tucks them all around her on the floor.  She doesn't want any help bringing them in from her car or through the door.  If someone touches her or them, she gets a bit frantic.  From what she says and does, I realize that she is coping with mental illness.


As I watched her, I realized that she wasn't the only one who had brought extra baggage to church that night. Oh, some of us hid it better than she did, but we still came in juggling bags and then tucked them nice and tight around us.  They do help insulate us.  And help build a protective wall.


How do I know there were others with baggage?  Well, some have let me peek into some of their bags.  So I know some of what they're carrying.  But, basically I know because I brought in all kinds of baggage with me that night.  Some helped insulate me.  Some just made it hard to juggle the rest.


Jesus asks us to lay all of our stuff at His feet. (1 Peter 5:7)  If we seem to get a bit frantic at that thought, He doesn't grab or snatch the stuff out of our hands.  Can you imagine the searing pain of that? No, instead He comes along side of us, puts His loving arms around us, asks us to open just one bag, and then lovingly helps us unpack.

The One About Name Changing

Humor alert:  You'll only "get" this if either you know my family or if you've seen pictures of my family.  If you haven't, you might want to look around first.

I was cuddling on the couch last night with my four-year-old grandson.  Here's how our conversation went:

Me:  What's your name again?

Deonte:  Deonte!

Me:  Deonte what?

Deonte:  Deonte Correa!

Me:  What's my name?

Deonte:  Nana!

Me:  What's my real name?

Deonte:  (blank look)

Me:  What do other people call me?

Deonte:  Dorothy.

Me:  Dorothy what?

Deonte:  (blank look)

Me:  What's my last name?

Deonte:  I don't know.

Me:  Abdelaziz.

Deonte:  Abdelaziz.  Is that Papa's name, too?

Me:  Yes.

Deonte:  Is that Grandma's name, too?

Me:  No, her name is Jones.  You know, you call her Grandma Jones.

Deonte:  Oh, yeah. How come her name is different?

Me:  Okay, so Grandma's my mommy, right?  When I was born, my name was Dorothy Jones.  When I married Papa, my name was changed to his.  So now my name is Dorothy Abdelaziz.  

Deonte:  (paying close attention)

Me:  I'm your mommy's mommy, right?  When your mommy was born, she was Sarah Abdelaziz.  When she married Daddy, her named was changed to....

Deonte:  Correa!

Me:  Right!

Deonte:  When daddies get married, do they change their names?

Me:  No, just mommies.

Deonte:  So, what do daddies change?  Their color?

2012

Whew.  It's over.  2011, that is.

I'm emotionally drained.  But, I am slowly recovering and hope to be in ship-shape in not too long!

In all the sadness, in and amongst all the stress, there were two miracles.  Two little baby boys were added to our family.  Caleb Journey was born to Josh and Serena on July 27 (remember I was in Colorado in July?)

and River Arvin was born to Gana and Daja on October 3.

Oh, we do love babies around here!  Those two brand new ones redeemed 2011 for me.  Without them, I'd be hard-pressed to find the good.

Well, the "big" good, anyway.  God is always good and gives us so many every day wonders, that there is always good.  Always a gift from Him.  Always a smile to find.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.  Lamentations 3:22-24

And now it's 2012.

New Years Day landed on a Sunday this year.  What a wonderfully clean slate it represented.  A new day, a new week, a new month, and a new year!

Today my husband and I sat down to map out our goals and dreams for 2012.  No resolutions, just regrouping.  We'll do it again at the beginning of February.  Either to pat ourselves on the back or to kick ourselves back into action!

For the past few years, I've been choosing a word for the year.  Naming it, if you will.  I named 2011 FREEDOM.  2010 was the year of YES.  Do I sometimes forget what year it is as the months roll by?  Well, yeah.  But, it usually doesn't take too long before the year's name comes calling me back.

2012 is being named "RELEASE".  Not the most common of names, but a very personal one.  This is our year to release pain and illness, to release negative financial concerns, and to release excess possessions.  We are also opening our hearts, hands, and bodies to receive freedom and health.

Hey, 2012 is looking pretty good sitting there all clean and new!