The Gourmet Flame in My Soul Has Been Reignited.

I am making Crème Brûlée. For the first time I might add. Not that I haven't wanted to in the past or anything.....I've just been so busy.

I know. A pathetic excuse for killing my creativity. I know.

After succeeding in cooking the whole Thanksgiving dinner (that is a story for tomorrow) and that being a smashing success, my gourmet side has once again surfaced. No more excuses. I'm going to buckle down and challenge myself...and spend oogles of my hard earned money on fancy foods such as artichockes and oysters.

I'm quite something in the kitchen, if those of you reading didn't know that. I really love to cook. And I love for people to love to eat my food. If I was vain I might call it art, but I'm not vain.....hehe.

And since I'm not vain (major hehe) I might add that it's kind of one of those gifts that God has given me. Okay...maybe not a gift, but most definitely a passion....appreciation.....utter adoration.

If I don't succeed in burning down the house after all of this is done, I will promptly post the recipe. (it's quite simple, actually)

With Love,

XoJuliaChild

Thankful for the Little Things

I take many things for granted; especially the little, day-to-day things that one hardly notices. But last night, trying to think of all of the things in my life I'm thankful for, it was the small, unnoticed things that kept coming to my mind.

Like watching Dick Van Dyke late at night with my family.

Or falling asleep on my bed with no blanket on, and having Sarah come up and put a throw on me and rub my back.

Or going out on a crisp, Fall morning with Hannah to play tennis.

It's the little things for me. The things that make my world go round, are the things that I'm thankful for this year.

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100

XoThankful

I GOT A CAR!!!!!!!

I have prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and PRAYED for about a year (okay, let's face it, I've been praying for a car since I was 10 lol)

And the Lord came through miraculously! Because let me tell ya, no human being could have brought in (and how) what He did :)



A 2000 shiny black Volvo S70.

It's bea-u-ti-ful. Like, I love it. Really. It's great.

It has prettyful tan leather interior. The seats are oh so comfy too.

I am on cloud nine at the moment.

Oh, and it gets 31 miles to the gallon. Oh yeah.

Pictures to follow :]

XoProudOwner

Hips Don't Lie.....or Maybe They Do.

My dog Elvis is an oddity, and when people first meet him they don't hesitate to tell me so. But the other day I heard a comment directed toward Elvis that I had never heard before.

This female visitor was watching as Elvis nonchalantly swaggered down the driveway without a care in the world, like he usually does around that time of day.

Female Visitor: That dog must be a girl.

Me: Actually, he's a boy. Why do you say so?

Female Visitor: That dog shakes his hips like I've never seen a woman do in my life. It MUST be a girl. Are you sure?

Me: Um........Welll....Let me check. Yep, I'm sure.

Apparently Elvis can shake his hips more than I can. That's okay though. I guess.

XoProudMama

The Amazing Thing About Grace.

Do any of you think of how even more wretched you would be without the Lord? I do.

I sin. A lot. And, sometimes I feel like I don't love the Lord because I sin so much. But then I have to think, God made us just the way we are. He made us human, fully knowing that we would sin and mess up every day.

But the other day I was being my normal self, judging the people of the bible and thinking, "How could the Jews NOT have seen who Jesus was?! I mean, come on! It was JESUS. They were so ignorant!"

And then the Lord kind of slapped me in the face and said, "Would you have believed my Son?"

.....

And the truth is? No. I wouldn't have. I would have been in the mob of Jews yelling to Pilot to release Barabas and crucify the blaspheming Jew from Nazareth.
I really would have.

I would have heard how Jesus said he was going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days and thought, "Dude, you're NUTS! Three days?!?! Do you know how long it took us to build this temple?!"

I would have been looking for an earthly king; one who walked around in fine garments and jewels. One who dwelled in a large palace, and had servants and riches we can't even imagine.

As humans, we take things SO literally. If the Son of God said that he was going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, we are so black and white that we can't even see that he means himself. (and when I say "we" I really mean "I")

So, I mourned for the fact that I knew what type of person I would have been, but then I rejoiced for the fact that it is ONLY by the saving Grace of God that I am who I am today.

I rejoiced for the fact that I am nothing without Him, and that I couldn't live a day without His guidance.

So now I have to go around thinking, "Don't mourn about the fact that if you lived in the 1800's you would have owned slaves and treated them like dirt (because I would have, I know myself), but find complete joy in the fact that God made you into the young lady you are. A girl who has so many flaws, and sins more times in a day than she can count, but a girl who loves the Lord with all of her heart, and a girl who desperately wants to show that love and grace to others."

I know I ramble, and can't put all my thoughts together logically, but this is my heart today; here for you to read, and contemplate.


XoSaved

Laura, I know a lot about guns, so let me tell you about it.

Yesterday morning as I was going to put something away in my parents room, I walked right into a gun-cleaning party. Christopher and Daddy were (aka, Christopher) in sheer ecstasy as they were running a cloth up and down the barrel of one of there many guns.


"What kind of gun is that?" I ask. My all-things-guy ignorance coming to the surface.

"Well Laura, I know a lot about guns, so let me tell you about it." Christopher sweetly says to me.
"This is a 22. You can shoot, squirrels, turtles, and small animals with it."
"This is a shotgun. It's different than a rifle where it shoots shotgun shells, and not bullets. Shotgun shells have teeny tiny tiny tiny bb's in them, and when you shoot them they spread out and hit the bird in different places."
"This here is a 17HMR. It's a rifle, and shoots bullets just like the 22. The 17HMR is used on rather large varmits, like groundhogs and porcupines."
"Laura, do you understand?"

O.O

"Yep, uhuh. I understand perfectly."

Not. (I didn't really say that. I wanted him to feel like he had taught me something and not confused me in a way that I can't even explain.)

Skip about 30 minutes into the future, when I am singing happily off key in the shower.

*knock knock* The door swings open and in marches Christopher.

I peep my head out of the shower curtain, and wipe the water from my eyes.
"Bud, I'm taking a shower."

"Laura, here is a shotgun shell!"

I look down to the tip of my nose where I now have a shotgun shell practically shoved up my left nostril.

"That's great Bud, but I'm taking a shower."

"Laura, do you remember what I told you about shotgun shells?"

"Christopher, I'm trying to take a shower."

"But Laura! Do you remember?"

"Christopher, do you not see that I'm taking a shower?"

"Laura, when you get out of the shower, I will show you my deer gun okay?"

"Christopher, if you don't get out of this bathroom right now I will run downstairs naked and throw all of your guns in the pond. Okay?

"You'll really like my deer gun, Laura."

"I'm sure I will."

XoLou

Since the Economy is Shot, I Now Have to Pay $1 for Every 8 Minutes I am Massaged, So Sayeth my Sister Sarah.

The economy is shot. People are losing their jobs. People are losing their homes. They no longer drive through McDonalds on every whim and desire they have for a scrumptious Big Mac. Oh no. My sister Sarah no longer charges $1 every 12 minutes she massages me. She now charges $1 every 8.


Do you feel my pain?

At the dinner table:

"Laura, the economy is shot. The only income I have is what I bring in from massaging you. (note this child is only 9.) I have to go up on pay. I can't go around with just a few quarters in my pocket at any given time. We live in a fallen world. I will now charge $1 for every 8 minutes I massage you. NO BUTS."

We live in a sick, sick world.

The End.

XoContemplatingExistence

{WINNER}

So, we put all the names in a hat (call me old fashioned if you will) and drew.


AND THE WINNER IS:








KIMMIE from Kimmie's Corner!!!

Congratulations, thank you so much for entering my giveaway!

You can email me with your contact information at:

antique[dot]beauty93[at]gmail[dot]com


Thank you to everyone who entered, I promise we will have another one of these very soon!

Have a Blessed Day!

XoLou

Giveaway Closed!

Alright Everyone, this giveaway is officially closed!

I am so happy that through this giveaway I have gotten to "meet" so many wonderful new girls!!
We will definitely have to do this again!

I will announce the winner of the Ecotools Intensive Hand Cream later today. :]


XoAntiqueBeauty

I. Got. A. Job.

PRAISE THE LORD!


I am so happy right now. I am no longer broke, nor will be the day after Christmas.
That's right world, Laura Lee Franklin got a job.

Who on earth would hire me you say? My momma's dear friend, Jenny, that's who. I now babysit (Rachel says that the word "nanny" reminds her of Julie Andrews. Go figure) and run her kids around a couple of days a week.

The pay is phenomenal, the boss is incredible, and the kids love to torture me and perform surgery. It's a fun time. Really.

I can now afford the lotion that I am giving to you.

Ain't I generous?

Now if I could only afford an education...

Laugh out loud, JUST KIDDING.

We all know "ain't" is a word.


Lovelovelove,

XoTheNanny


postscript- THE GIVEAWAY ENDS TOMORROW PEOPLE!

{Giveaway} *EVERYBODY SCREAM*

Hello friendsss, come a little closer.



Let me tell you something:



I absolutely wuv you.



So, therefore, I am going to have my first giveaway.



*SHOOP DA WOOP*



And this is no ordinary giveaway, oh no. This day, Friday, the day of our Lord November something 2010, I am giving away a bottle of Ecotools Intensive Hand Cream:::

I have extremely dry hands in the winter (if anyone of you just had the word "old woman" pop into your head, you are, from this moment forth, banished from my blog), and I have been leaving no stone unturned in my search for the perfect remedy. Let me tell you folks, here it is.
It's organic, it's natural, (is that the same thing?) it has jojoba oil in it (i'm guessing that's an important ingredient). I like the word jojoba. Jojoba. Jojoba. Jojoba.


It makes me giggle.


Anyway, here are the rules.


To enter the giveway you must:


1) If you aren't already following my blog, follow it for goodness sake.


2) Leave a comment telling me what your favorite part of winter is. There is no wrong answer. I will even accept "Mucking stalls".


3) If you want two extra entries, (as in, three total) post about my giveaway on your blog!



Ciao!


XoLouskyLou

***GIVEAWAY ENDS NOVEMBER 17th!!***

I Just Can't Kick the Caffeine Habit.

I have no will power. Coffee has once again taken over my life. It came swiftly one morning, like a theif in the night. Except, it was in the morning. BAM.


See, here's the thing. When I had my gallbladder problems, coffee was on the strict "GIRL DON'T YOU DARE DRINK THIS" list. Caffeine was HORRIBLE for my gallbladder, it completely sent me back to square one. But a few mornings ago after succeeding in getting only 4 hours of sleep, as I came groggily down the stairs, that sensuous aroma hit me over the head with a two by four. BOOM BABY. I had no choice but to give in. There was literally nothing I could do to stop it. NOTHING. Don't you judge me.

I poured myself a rather large mug full. Maybe that was the tiniest bit idiotic, but I wasn't thinking clearly (hence the urge for coffee). Thick, thick cream....lots of sugar (what can I say, I'M A CHILD). That first sip was a thing of wonder. Now, lets just imagine for a minute: 4 weeks sans coffee.

I can hear your sobs from my desk where I sit.

Ah, that first sip. Heavenly. Aromatic. Warming.

Second sip? I was passed out on the floor in sheer ecstasy.


Let me tell you something. IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ME.

NOT. ONE. THING.


I COULD HAVE BEEN DRINKING THIS STUFF FOR THE PAST 4 WEEKS.

I'm just sickened. Really I am.

But I'm not bitter. No I am not.

This has been a nice talk. We should chat more often.


XoLou

My Dream:

Just fyi: if someone decides to hijack my wedding like this just know that I will love you forever. The end.

Sigh....I Live a Good Life :)

Last night:

Great friends. Good Play. Laughing our heads off at random teenage jokes at Starbucks (oh to be 17)

I <3 Fall.

This Morning:

Steaming hot tea. Sharpie tye-dye t-shirts with the kiddos.

Lovely day :)

XoContent