Happy New Year!

Well, Another year as come and gone. It seems like we just rang in a new year and here comes a new one again. I have couple of resolutions: To get better organized at home. I have no problem being organized at work. In fact, I was voted most organized by my co-workers. Ha, if only they could see my mess at home. I also want to make a budget and stick with it so that I can move out. Check on the picture to see a better view.

Anyway, I'd like post some pictures I'd like to share. I've been meaning to post this before now. They are of my Autumnal and Christmas decor. In my Autumnal decor, I set up the table for my grandmother's and my birthday. I used a carriage lantern that I bought at Southern Living party. The candle that's in it is from Habersham Candle Company. Those are some of the best candles. You just about don't have to light them for the fragrance to be released and they release for a long time as well. The candle had what looks like jewels and glitter adhered to the wax. So going with that look. I bought glittery fall foliage swags and loose leaves. Once I was through with using it as a table centerpiece and moved it to the mantle. I was very pleased with turned out, because it was actually a challenge. But I was not nearly as pleased as I was with my Christmas mantle.















My colors are blue, silver, and white. It doesn't matter if it's Christmas or not, those are my colors. It's what I'm attracted to. I like to use stars and snowflakes. I always envision a snowy winters night where there's snow on the ground and a crystal like stars scattered about a velvety midnight blue sky. I'm not exactly how I got this vision, but I think it was from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Charlie Brown is walking with his pathetic tree under a clear December night. The stars shone bright, heavenly, and holy. It is scenes like that, be it real or animated, that I feel small and insignificant. It makes me think of my current wallpaper on my desktop. It is a photo of the heavens with the verse "When I consider the heavens What is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care from him?" Psalms 8. What more can I say. I love the night sky for other reasons. It's just the most beautiful, awe-inspiring piece of creation ever.

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Now playing: Sarah Brightman - Deliver Me
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So Many Things....

It's been too long. I had intended on posting a happy Autumn post back on the first day of Autumn. But I didn't get to. My laptop died last week after weeks of having it looked at. The special banner I had made in Photoshop was on it. It's not lost though. My brother was able to gleam my files from my hard drive and store them until I can get a new laptop. Which may not be until after Windows 7 becomes available. I liked the look and layout of Vista, but it was otherwise a pain. But anyway.....

















This past weekend I went up to Clayton, Georgia for the Anita Conley Area fall retreat for Mary Kay. You could see the hint of changing leaves in the trees. It was cloudy from Friday to Sunday morning. Which was not good weather for taking pictures of fall foliage. On the way home, we stopped by Tallulah Falls Gorge State Park, which isn't all that far from Clayton. The sun came out for some good picture taking. In between Clayton and Tallulah Falls in one of those "blink and you'll miss it" towns called Tiger. In this small town of Tiger is a roadside attraction called "Goats on the Roof." I couldn't resist stopping and taking a picture. And yes, there are real goats on the roof. There are little goat houses and with grass and a rooster on the roof. You can send goat feed in a tin can up a conveyor belt to feed the goats. It was the most hilarious sight to see.



















Back tracking a bit though. My mom and I stayed an extra night. And after an all day cloudy day Saturday, the day was closed out by a pink (how appropriate for a Mary Kay weekend!), gold, and purple sunset. The picture to the left is the view from our balcony. We weren't so lucky Friday night. It rained off and on that night. But in some ways I feel like that sunset was the best part of the trip. Out of the photographic opportunities, this was one that had to the most color. I tend to like rainy days, but I do like a splash brilliant--but not bright--color. I like my colors rich and deep. I found that in this Autumn sunset in the mountains of North Georgia.

In a later post, I will share a little bit more about Goats on the Roof and Tallulah Falls Gorge State Park with pictures. Meanwhile, I'll add one more picture. I can't resist it.

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Now playing: U2 - Magnificent
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Baking Day!

Happy Labor Day!

After coming home from working half a day today I did some baking. While it wasn't from scratch, it was still good. I had bought a cookie mix at Hobby Lobby over the weekend. The cookie mix was Pumpkin Spice Cookies. The mix came with cinnamon icing which tastes like a cinnamon roll. It's a really simple recipe, great for someone who doesn't have a whole lot of time for baking from scratch. All it requires is 5 tablespoons of room temperature butter or margarine and 2 tablespoons of water. I added a third tablespoon. It just seemed a little too dry without it.

The actual baking doesn't take long....but I guess cookies don't take long anyway. I'm more familiar with cake baking rather than cookie baking. These take 10-11 minutes according to package directions. After going the 11 minutes, I left them in for another 5 minutes. I wasn't pleased with the doneness at just the 11 minutes. But adding the extra minutes seemed perfect! Beware though, this particular mix doesn't make a whole. Especially if you're wanting to make big cookies. Normally, how I dip the dough on the sheet is with a ice cream scoop or a cookie dough scoop. You can make decently good circles instead of ragged irregular cookies by using a scoop. Particularly ones that have a scrapper in the scoop to help get the contents out on the cookie sheet. I have two different sizes, which the smallest one I could've used had I found it. I did find it only after I put the cookies in the oven. When I used the bigger scoop, it made only eight cookies. So ended up halving it, making 16 cookies. The package says 12-24 can be made. If you were needing to make a lot, get more than one mix package.

The icing is no effort icing. It comes already made. All you have to do is knead it in it's package before using it. The best way to ice the cookies is to use a small icing spatula(see the above picture). And of course with any cookie icing you need to let it harden before stacking on a plate. If know anything about icing, you know that to have smooth layer is to use warm water on your spatula. I forgot to do that on my cookies. I was just so eager to photograph my finished product. A you can probably tell in the photo to the left. My cookies never stood a chance. I took several to my brother and sister-in-law and nephew. The rest my mom, dad, grandmother, and myself ate after supper as a dessert. They are no more.

For an idea of how they tasted. The cookie was spicy like what's in the name. But it also had hint of honey, even though the ingredients didn't have that as one. The icing still tasted like a cinnamon roll. So, it was a delicious combination of tastes, if you can imagine it on your tongue.

Mix Info:
In the Mix Cookie Company Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix can be found at Brand Castle.

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Now playing: Loreena McKennitt - The Lady of Shalott
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These are a few of my favorite things

I was inspired by a fun meme on Facebook to post about my favorite things about Autumn. The meme was "Favorite Five Things about Autumn." Where to begin?

• Autumn leaves. I love the vibrant colors of gold, fire, and ember. Especially when the sun shines on those leaves. It makes them pop even more. At the same time, have you ever seen those same leaves against a dark Autumnal storm? Just as vibrant, I think.
  
• My birthday, of course! I was born two days before Halloween. And that's my grandmother's birthday as well. I was her birthday present, her first granddaughter.
  
• Pumpkin Pie. I've only recently become a fan of Pumpkin Pie. I tried it for the first time last year, either at Thanksgiving or Christmas. I am a bit picky about who makes it. Store bought is never as good as homemade. That is goal of mine this year, to make my own Pumpkin Pie for the first time.
• Hot Apple Cider. While I like the drink itself. It's one of my favorite scents of the season. Ah! I still of the melted fragrance tart in my simmer pot from last year. I've been tempted to light it. But I want to wait until the season actually begins.
• The weather. Autumnal weather is perfect! It's not to hot and not to cold. The warmth of the sun is pleasant enough to lull you to sleep. Add in a nice breeze and you've got perfect weather. I don't mind the rain, too. I don't mind it in any season of the year.
• Baking. There's something about Autumn that brings the baker out in people. It could be the scents it brings to the home: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, and all those warm spices. It really brings a warm, welcoming feel to you when enter into the house. I'm thinking about baking my Granny Smith Applesauce Cake soon.
• Apples. Autumn is the prominent season for apples. My favorite kind of apple is--can you guess? Granny Smiths. They are the best apples for baking. But that's not why I like them. To me, they are the sweetest of the apples and are even better with peanut butter.
  
• Warmth. Strange that a season that brings in the cold should be so warm. It's the colors, it's the scents and smells, and the coziness of curling up with a book and blanket on rainy day. All those conjure up warmth during the cooling of days.

I could go on if I could think all and every thing I like about Autumn, but I think shall leave it at that.


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Now playing: Loreena McKennitt - Marco Polo
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Winding down

I feel as though I'm coming to you at the end of the story. But of course, it's not the case. It seems as thought my beginnings start as the weather prepares the earth--at least north of the equator--for the cold seasons. Already, I can feel Autumn in the air. I seem to be in touch with the season early on. It is my favorite season. A lot things, both good and bad have started in these months. I was born in the middle of Autumn. It was unusually cold that year for this part of the south--I've been told. Anyway, this year as been an exception.....

Over a year ago, I took a photography class. I didn't think I had much of an eye for it, but come to find out I did. Ever since then, I've refined my eye and I've become a better photographer just by shear practice. This summer a lot of the objects I've wanted to photograph, I've done. But I've also gained some new desires. I'm interested in weather photography. I live in the wrong part of the country for it. I still have some old desires. I have vintage and antiqued items I'd like photograph. It drives me crazy! I lack the space to properly do it. But I guess I'll have to improvise. I've still to capture a lighthouse and an old oak tree within the realm of my aperture.

As the Autumn approaches, I am in the mood for fall-ish projects, scents, and sights. I live too far south for a whole of color. Hopefully, when I take a trip to North Georgia in early October for a Mary Kay retreat, I'll see and photograph those elusive colors. Oh, yes! Be looking for some Autumn inspired post in the future!



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Now playing: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Free Fallin'
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