Say It Out Loud!

New Year's Resolutions.  Not.  They have never been my thing.

Words have worked.  JOY.  Trust.  Mostly JOY.

But, I've been noodling over this thought that was planted in my head recently by I-wish-I-remembered-who! Was it a blogger?  Probably.  If it's YOU, claim it in the comments here, will you?

The idea was that when you encounter people (friends, loved ones, strangers) and find yourself thinking something complimentary about them, SPEAK IT ALOUD TO THEM.

While Christmas shopping, I found myself pulling open the door to Panera, close behind another women who had the most beautiful colored coat on.  I don't remember the color now, and the color isn't what's important. It's what I did next that's important.  I touched her shoulder and said, "I love your coat.  The color is gorgeous!"  She smiled and thanked me.  But as she turned away, I saw that her smile stayed.  It cost me nothing.  We both moved through the door together.  No time was lost.  So, why don't I do this all the time?

I know most of the cashiers at my neighborhood grocery store -- even though I tend to go through the self check-out line.  But on this particular day, there was a new cashier, and I went through her line.  And then I saw... her fingernails.  I don't remember the design now, but the design isn't what's important.  It's what I did next that's important.  As she scanned my groceries, I said, "Your nails are beautiful!"  She smiled, and told me a story about them.  It cost me nothing.  I stood still directly in front of her while she did her job.  No time was lost.  Why don't I do this all the time?

"Sir... the black stripe in your scarf

really brings out your beautiful charcoal eyes!"

[The picture may be a bit of a *wink*, but the sentiment of this post is sincere!]

Both of the moments that I mentioned were just a small connection.  It's not likely that I will speak with these women again -- or maybe I will.  But did you notice?  Neither of the "connections" took any additional time. So why don't I do this all the time?

Please know that I am not trying to "toot my own horn."  Rather, I am trying to plant a thought in your head. WHAT IF.  What if when we found ourselves thinking a nice thought about someone, we expressed it?  What do we have to lose?  -- and more importantly, what would the person receiving our comment gain?

How far would this little task go in building people up and encouraging them?

I guess we'll never know unless we try.

My plan for 2015, is to try HARDER.  Will you join me?

Feel free to report back if you have interesting results!

[Linking up to Share Your Cup Thursday.]

2014 in the Rear-View Mirror

I have often scratched my head at these year-end posts, wondering why we choose to revisit blog posts all over again.  With all the tools we have [like Pinterest] to save the information that is important to us, it just seems unneccessary.  However, I read a blog post the other day where the blogger stated that this type of post was mainly for HER purposes -- and that made sense to me.

It IS interesting to keep track [for future blogging purposes] of what was popular -- but it's also interesting to see HOW people came to my blog, and I'd like to thank those bloggers first.

Heather @ Beauty That Moves

Patty @ Lemon Lane Cottage

Myquillyn @ Nesting Place

Trish & Bonnie @ Uncommon Designs Online

Ohio Farm Girl

Vee @ A Haven for Vee

Jill @ Still Keeping on the Narrow Way

Sarah @ It's On the Tip of My Tongue

Sue @ To Live, Love, and Journal Our Days at Pear Tree Lane Farmhouse

Kelly @ Talk of the House

My sincere thanks to these lovely ladies.  I appreciate your linky parties - or your outright links to my blog, that you include my blog on your "favorites" or "friends" page -- or in your sidebar, the conversations that we share via blog comments and emails, and the wonderful readers that you send my way.

Friends, please click on the blog-names above to check out their awesome blogs.

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And now, my TOP TEN POSTS for 2014.  This will be brief, and I'll tell you why...  Positions #10, 9, 8, 7, 6, and #4 are held by posts in the "MY KITCHEN" category.  Heather @BeautyThatMoves held the wonderful "This Week In My Kitchen" blog hops, and they were so much fun!  It was really interesting for me to see other family's kitchens.  It's amazing to realize the things we take for granted that everyone DOES, or everyone EATS!  I've also been intrigued by the different tools and techniques that people use in their kitchens!  If you read my posts there is a link to Heather's blog hops, and you'll be able to see some fun kitchens there.

#5:  The Quiet is Overrated is a fun little post about my daughter, a broken refrigerator, and noise.  I just re-read it, and find it still accurate - LOL.

#3:  Glimpses of Christmas is a look at some of this year's Christmas vignettes around our home.

#2: Ornament w/ Vintage Hymnal Pages - After three years, this crafty Christmas ornament post is still really popular!

AND #1:  Killer Hashbrown Casserole - If you spend any time here at my blog, you know that this recipe has stayed in my side bar as one of my ten most popular posts ever since I posted it after Easter 2013.  It continues to be a family favorite around here, too.

See?  That was relatively painless.  Here's to "good follow-up" on lessons learned here today. *wink

Blogging friends: Have you had a post that has surprised you with it's popularity?  Will you tell me about it??

A Simple Welcome to 2015

Out with the old... in with the new!

We have a few traditions when it comes to New Year's Eve.  They include:

• staying in with our kids
• eating some of our favorite appetizers and snacks
• watching movies
• watching the ball drop, and counting down the seconds till the new year with a glass of sparkling non-alcoholic white grape juice in-hand
• sweeping the front door open to let the old year out, and the new year in

The last is our most recent tradition, and is just a little something I read about.  [I wrote about it HERE.]  At the time (and still) it seemed so hugely symbolic to me... to let go of all that had been in hopes of something even greater to come.  This is not to say that anything in the previous year was particularly bad, it's just that you are freeing yourself from all of it, and moving unencumbered into the new year.

I don't mind telling you that it brings a tear to my eye every year.  On some level, I feel like my family is laughing at me as I sweep the door open, but I think that secretly they all "get" it, and are privately trapped in their own thoughts.  There is usually light chatter about the weather, depending on whether we are met with a bitter gust of wind, or a warm balmy night {One never knows in NEOh.}.  We don't go too deep with the thought process, still I think it's a good [if quirky] exercise.

Whatever your New Year's traditions, I pray that 2015 will be a year of blessings for you and yours.

Happy 2015!

p.s.  HERE'S an interesting list of things NOT to do in the new year!  Have a read...

A Fresh Start

Happy week-in-between Christmas and New Years.  I trust that you all had a wonderful Christmas.  Ours was great... though something about it was different this year.  My daughter swears that it didn't seem like Christmas due to the fact that we didn't have one iota of snow.  Not one.  The grass is green, and the leaves have now fallen.  (It was an odd year for leaf-fall.  Anyone else notice that?)  Anyway -- snow is a Christmas-must for my daughter, so she was disappointed.

As for me, I have to agree with her about something just not feeling Christmasy this year, though I think it has more to do with events leading up to Christmas, or should I say the lack thereof?  Some years, we do lots of festive things during the Christmas season, and this just wasn't one of those years.  No complaints.  Just a statement of fact, as I honestly can't see where we would've thrown in one more "have to be there" item on the calendar.

I had a medical issue to deal with during November and December -- and am happy to say that all is well. I'll spare you the details other than to say that all the fuss and calendar-arranging over it kind of robbed me of the energy to fuss much over Christmas.  Once upon a time I would cover the house with Christmas, but I have learned to be more discerning, and only use what seems "right" for each year.  As in previous years, this year was more about little vignettes around the house, rather than covering every inch -- which ended up being a good thing, because...

The day after Christmas, my husband cooked us a fabulous meal of Chicken Parmesan with salad and homemade bread.  While we ate, he said, "How about if we start cleaning the carpets tonight?"  Now, cleaning the carpets is not MY THING -- so, I've learned to take him up on it at every opportunity.  We decided to go for it, doing the downstairs by thirds in each room so that there was still someplace to walk.  He managed to accomplish the task over a period of three days, even getting most of the upstairs completed, while the rest of us reorganized the house around dry areas of carpet.  What a good feeling to have it done!  As a result, Christmas got cleaned up, gifts got put away, and the house got a general tidying up!  Hip, hip.... HOORAY! Even our daughter (who hates parting with Christmas decor - especially the tree) could appreciate the fresh start.

There are still some Christmasy decor items scattered around, and I will whittle away at those as I have time.  There are no overwhelming tasks involved.

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season, and our security guard son was able to be with us for both Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day -- what a blessing.  I was prepared to rearrange our traditions, so that he felt like he was a part of the whole process, and not forgotten or left out.  But, he took it upon himself to work things out, without any pestering or pushing by me.  It made me realize how much he appreciates our traditions.

I hope that your Christmas was filled with the blessings of health and family time, with fresh air and free time, with PEACE and love, and with THE SAVIOR!

As we look to 2015,  my prayer is that:

• I will prioritize the things that are really important to me in life, and let go of things that just don't fit.
• I will use my time, energy, and resources more effectively and efficiently.
• I will become braver about using the word "NO" in order to save some sanity at the end of the day.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that it is not MY JOB (alone) to save the world.  I just need to do MY PART.
• I will look (more often/more naturally) to the Lord for guidance rather than trying to handle so much in my own strength.
• God will use MY GIFTS in a way that allows others to see HIM.

Wishing you a blessed new year!  I'll be back sometime after school starts up next week... maybe sooner.

Happy New Year!

~2014~

Some New Year "to-do's"

Do you head to the stores after Christmas to shop the clearance merchandise?  I have never been able to bring myself to do this, as it all seems like such excess to me after a season of generosity.

But, this year, I had the opportunity to get out to one of my favorite stores, and I was tickled to find... not more stuff for me or for our home -- but gifts for next year.  Really cute stuff, super-inexpensive, --and nothing that would have to be exchanged for another size.  I've been on the receiving end of that, and it's just no fun.

This year, I had so much fun stocking up on things for others that I didn't give much thought to more stuff for myself.  But, through the years, I've learned a couple of tips that help me to avoid "I wants" in the new year.

1.  I "unsubscribe" to e-mails that notify me of the next great thing that I need to have.

2.  All mail-order catalogs that come in the mail immediately go into the recycle bin.

I know myself, and when I linger over these things, I get the "I wants."

If you're looking for contentment in 2013, I can assure you -- it won't come with more stuff.  I, for one, am trying to keep it simple, remembering that contentment is not getting everything I want --but rather being satisfied with what I have.

May you enjoy great contentment in 2013!

Also: for those of you who may have missed the comments in THIS POST, please know that in addition to making Christmas gift-tags with your old greeting cards, you can also donate them to a good cause HERE.  Thanks for the tip Bethany!

A First Time for Everything

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions.  Why?  Because... I'm not a super hard-core, goal-oriented kind of girl.  (Go ahead, "awwww, poor girl!"  I hear you out there.)  I'm just being real people.  I'm more of a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" kind of girl.  So, you know the whole resolution thing just kind of sweeps right by my without much credence.  Totally lost on me.  I know.  Pitiful.

But, I'll tell you one thing that I have experienced guilt over during the last year -- and wish to do better at it.... birthday cards.  I used to be the girl that had a card in the mail for everyone's birthday.  I was great at it.  And then, you know... stuff happens.  You have kids, you start pinching pennies, and the cost of a greeting card goes up.  Yeah.  Stuff like that.

You may remember that I wrote THIS post that was pretty scrooge-y.  But since I posted it, Jill and I have come to an agreement that we won't do cards -- and we promised not to be offended over it.  P-R-O-M-I-S-E-D.  Here's the thing though: we do gifts.  And I say if a person's handing you a gift in person, what's the purpose of a card?

On the other hand, there are lots of family and friends with whom I do not exchange birthday gifts.  And for them, I realize it's nice to receive a card that says your remembered on your special day.  For some reason, 2012 was a rotten year for me when it came to keeping up with those cards.  Right up to the very last days of the year... rotten.  I forgot so many birthdays, and then when I'd remember one, I'd feel guilty sending a card to that person since so many previous birthdays had been forgotten during the year.  I know.  Messed up, right?

In 2013, I am turning over a new leaf.  I'm going to purchase some birthday cards HERE to have on hand.  Since I know that half the battle for me (at least during the winter months) is actually going out to buy the card, I'm going to be ready!

So... I guess... maybe... I've made my first New Year's Resolution.  Ever.

Well, you know what they say.  There's a first time for everything.

Happy New Year!

A 2011 Rewind and a Thank You!

I've probably been craftier in the past year than I have been in a long time.  I've been so inspired by great bloggers, and all of the wonderful ideas that they share.  Obviously, Pinterest has also been a HUGE part of my inspiration as well.  I don't really consider myself a "major crafter," so it makes me smile to think that my craft posts have been some of the most-visited on my blog!  Here's a look at some of the big ones from the past year.  (Click on the link below each photo to see more.)

Ribbon-tied Brag Book

Inspiration for Spring

Decoupage 101 ~ No Rules

Vintage Paper Chain

Winter Scarf Wreath

(It's not too late for this one!  If you're worried about it looking too Christmasy,

just change out the scarf for a different color!)

Were you crafty in 2011?

What was your biggest source of inspiration?

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Recipes were also big around here -- especially as the holidays approached.

Three of my most recent recipe posts bypassed all of the others to date.  They were:

1. Holiday Cheese Ball

2.  Sweet Pepper Poppers

3.  Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups

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A Big THANK YOU!

I so appreciate my top referring sites for 2011.

Thanks for sending new friends my way!!

aliedwards.com

www.lifeingraceblog.com

gooseberrypatch.typepad.com

www.abeachcottage.com

theinspiredroom.net

kellisblessings.blogspot.com
hookedonhouses.net

[I'm tipping my hat to google and twitter as well!]

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Here's to a great 2012!

God bless us, every one!

~Sally

December 31st ~ Year End.

Tomorrow begins a new year.  I have been a blogger for two short months.  My blog statistics show me that I have had visitors from all over the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Greece, Brazil, Israel, and Norway.  I'm so glad that each of you have found your way here, and I hope you'll return again in the new year.  Blogger statistics show the "top ten" for various time periods, so if I did not list your homeland, please give yourself a "shout out" in the comments.  I'd love to know you were here.  Thanks for stopping by.  See you in 2011!