Creating Through Life

I Won!

2012-03-02T11:45:00.002-06:00

I found a new blog just a little while ago called Someone's Gotta Pay. I have to say the name really threw me off at first but when I decided to check it out and learn the meaning behind the name I was immediately drawn in. The author of the blog has such an inspiring heart for Jesus. Her mission is, "to make little choices to love a BIG world." She shares the love she has for the Lord with her readers and encourages others to think about the choices they make each day and how it impacts others. I wish I had found her blog sooner. She shares some really great information that gets you thinking. I've been working on reading through her past posts and have really learned a lot about things I didn't know much about like, "The Dark Side of Chocolate."

She recently hosted a giveaway on her blog and I won! This was the first giveaway I've ever won. I was so excited that I would be receiving a box of caramels from a shop on Etsy called The Sugar Gnomes. Etsy is an amazing place, if you've never been there you MUST check it out. There's nothing better than supporting local business and artists. I was blown away with the love that was radiating from the caramels I received from Lisa at The Sugar Gnomes.

Even the box she shipped the caramels in was decorated with her adorable Sugar Gnome logo. When I saw this box I was VERY excited to see what was inside.

The box of caramels was packaged beautifully and came with a personal note. I could tell how much love she puts into everything she does, she thought about every detail.

The details did not stop when I opened the box. Each confection was wrapped up tight and they were bundled together with a delicate string. I love how she packaged everything! The top of the box had a note with directions and stated that the scrumptious morsels pair nicely with a vintage bourbon or deep red wine. O my, are you drooling yet?

I keep referring to these confections as caramels. No that's not accurate. They are not just caramels! They are Fleur De Sel Caramels and they are so DIVINE.

I hope you'll stop by The Sugar Gnome's shop and find out for yourself. It's so worth it! How good does it feel to be a part of something bigger just by making little choices? Like the choice to support small & local business.

I really appreciate Aimee at Someone's Gotta Pay and Lisa at The Sugar Gnomes. Keep doing what you do girls!

Crock-pot Potato Chowder

2012-02-29T10:48:00.003-06:00

This Potato Chowder recipe is something we make over and over again. My husband isn't too fond of soups, chowders or the like but this one he devours. It's super easy to make and so comforting. The optional toppings really complete it. If you want to prep the potatoes ahead read yesterday's post, here.

Some of my families' favorite things to top our Potato Chowder with include:

- crumbled bacon
- shredded cheese
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- cream cheese (garlic & herb is yummy)
- chives or scallions
- parsley or cilantro
- salsa
- pesto
- blue cheese (we like any kind of cheese really)

What's your favorite chowder or soup topping?

Potato Chowder (click here for printable recipe)

Cooking Time: 8 1/2 to 10 1/2 hours 

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt

All you have to do is place all the the ingredients in Crock-pot and mix. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

Enjoy!

Tidbit Tuesday (Soaked Potatoes)

2012-02-28T07:45:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had to use a large amount of potatoes for a dish and wanted to prep them all ahead of time? The good news is you can! Prepping food is often the most tedious and boring part about cooking. Especially if you have to scrub, peel and chop pounds of potatoes. You can do this all the night before you plan to make your dish!

All you have to do is clean your potatoes, peel them if you want and chop them up according to the size you need. Next you put them in a big bowl, completely cover them with water and place them in the refrigerator until the next day. As long as they are completely covered they won't turn brown. Before using the potatoes you just need to drain and rinse them.

I always do this before I make a big batch of Crock-pot Potato Chowder. I like to prep as many of the ingredients as I can before I make a crock-pot meal then I can just throw everything in the next day. Tomorrow I'll be sharing my Crock-pot Potato Chowder recipe. See ya then!

Don't forget to share your Tidbits! I would love to feature you and or your blog. Just post a picture on Facebook or e-mail me. I even made a nifty button you can grab.

Calm & Peace

2012-02-25T11:35:00.000-06:00

This is the last week for the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge. Calm is the theme, I would say that's definitely a challenge. As I pondered the word calm I couldn't stop thinking about the word peace. The words calm and peace are similar words meaning tranquil and content.

To me being calm and at peace is deeper than just an emotion. It's more of a destination, a safe spot, where you feel nothing but comfort. Comfort in knowing that you are loved and taken care of. Hope for the future. To be at peace is to be completely content. I believe we feel a stronger sense of peace sometimes more than others because we are imperfect people living in an imperfect place. There will always be storms to get through.

I've been recovering from surgery and have spent many days resting in bed. It hit me one day when I woke how calm and at peace I was; and as I looked around my room I saw reminders everywhere. I was sent gorgeous potted plants, which I LOVE more than just a bouquet of flowers, and many well wishes. Here are some of the images that reminded me that I was loved and helped me to feel calm and at peace.

Jewelry & Chocolate

2012-02-23T13:06:00.000-06:00

I don't know too many girls who wouldn't love some new jewelry & some chocolates. I was blessed with both this Valentine's Day! I know I'm a little behind but I'm just now able to enjoy my loot. Did you get anything special?

I can't remember the last time my husband got me a Valentine's Day gift. We usually make a yummy dinner together and sometimes he gets me a potted plant. This year he got me a bracelet! It might be because he felt bad that I had to have surgery. I've been really excited about this bracelet. Unfortunately I've been stuck in the house still recovering, so I've worn it and admired it while lounging. It makes me feel nice though.

I've been wanting a bracelet that has the quote "not all who wonder are lost" by ~Tolkien. I'm quite a wanderer but I wouldn't consider myself lost ;) Because of my wandering my husband isn't too fond of even grocery shopping with me, I can get very distracted from the task.

My new bracelet is so awesome! I'm disappointed I didn't discover this company sooner. It's made by HorseFeathers Gifts, a mother daughter team. You can read the inspiring story about how the company started HERE. My husband got me a Wide Cuff in the color Pewter. With a Quote and feather charm. The neat thing about the bracelet is that it's interchangeable. The Quote and charms can easily be changed. I had entirely too much fun taking pictures of my new bracelet. I consider it to be a wearable piece of art.

I'm really impressed with the quality and care that was put into this bracelet. Sometimes cuff bracelets are bulky feeling and the leather is hard. That's not the case with this bracelet. It's made of soft leather and the genius way it clasps in the back allows the bracelet to lay surprisingly flat. I can't say enough good things about it. It even arrives wrapped up beautifully. I look forward to getting more pieces from this company in the future. You should check them out at horsefeathersgifts.com

On top of getting a bracelet I was sent the most delicious box of chocolates from my parents. They came from Shenandoah Fine Chocolates and were a welcome reminder of the valley. The Apple Pie truffle was my favorite! It reminded me of the Apple Blossoms that are celebrated every year in the Spring.

If you are ever in the area of Winchester, Virginia you should stop by. They even have what they call the Chocolate Bar Restaurant that serves a variety of foods & drinks. You can go to shenandoahfinechocolates.com to find out more. It looks like they are working on creating an online store so hopefully those of us who aren't local can purchase their divine chocolates soon.

Just for the record I will always be honest with you. Neither one of these companies gave me anything to give a review. I just like to share good things with others. Besides if they did ever offer me anything you would be the first to know because I would love to have a giveaway!

Passion

2012-02-20T09:55:00.000-06:00

This week's Winter Photography Challenge is to capture Passion, click HERE for more info. What's your passion? T. Allan Armstrong once said, "If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you."

My passion is throwing pottery. It makes me feel alive and complete! I love to capture my pieces through photography. I decided one snowy morning to open up a window and balance some of my recent pieces on a brick ledge. I thought the snowy background was perfect and an opportunity I didn't want to pass. What do you think?

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come ALIVE."

~Howard Thurman

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find it's something you're tremendously passionate about."

~Steve Paylina

Laparoscopic Surgery

2012-02-17T17:19:00.000-06:00

The surgery I had on Valentine's Day was a success! It was very clear to me that the Lord was there every step of the way. No matter what kind of surgery you have it can be a scary thing. I'm sure there are many of you reading this who know what that feeling is like. Thankfully my procedure was in-and-out and minimally invasive.

I suppose my biggest fear was the unknown. I didn't know why I had such huge cysts growing inside me causing so much discomfort. I also didn't know exactly what would happen when they got inside. My husband and I have chosen not to have children yet. We've been married almost 5 years and it's been fun to just be us. I couldn't help but wonder if I was going into to surgery and would come out having lost my chance to have children. It really hit home when I had to sign the paper giving permission to take my ovaries if necessary. When they got in there they found that my largest cyst was attached to a fallopian tube. By God's grace they were able to take care of the cyst without harming anything else.

The doctor took some great pictures while she was in there. I'm not really into that kinda thing. I don't like to see pictures like that. My husband was very excited about the pictures. One of the first things I remember him saying when I got out of surgery was that I have beautiful insides. He's been able to stay home with me the last few days while I recover. He keeps smiling at me randomly and says how beautiful I am inside and out. He thinks he's so funny.

The recovery hasn't been very fun and I feel like it's been more painful than when I had my knee surgery. I know that I'm going to recover much faster from this surgery though. Hey I'm already sitting up blogging. Blanca has been taking good care of me too. Since she's such a big hairy girl my husband doesn't allow her on the bed. She makes me feel better though so he's been letting it slide lately. I'm looking forward to my follow up appointment with my doctor and learning the root cause of the cysts.

As always I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them the best I can. Advice is always welcome too!

Come back soon. I have a post scheduled about Passion that I wrote before surgery for the Winter Photography Challenge.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T08:04:00.000-06:00

Today is a day we should tell everyone we love how much we love them and appreciate them, not just those we call spouse, fiance, boyfriend or girlfriend... So to my faithful readers I say "I Love You" and "Thank You." I made you a special Valentine. I hope you like it!

The Latest

2012-02-13T09:50:00.002-06:00

Notice anything different about my blog? Look to the top right. See it now? See those fun little acorn buttons? I'm so excited! I've been admiring other bloggers' social media icons and I wanted some of my own. I've been going back and forth for quite a while now trying to decide if I wanted to purchase a set, use a free set or make some of my own. After spending entirely too long fiddling around with Photoshop I finally decided on those little acorns. What do you think? Do you like 'em? Clicking the first little acorn will take you to my RSS feed where you can subscribe. The second little acorn will take you to my Pinterest boards, I would love it if you followed me :) And the third acorn will take you to my BRAND NEW Facebook page! I'm hoping that this page will provide another avenue in which I can connect with you lovely people. LIKE ME, LIKE ME! Please :)

If you don't already have your own set of social media icons. There are a ton of resources out there. I found the post on Adventures of a Small Town Mom particularly helpful, read all about it HERE.

Can you believe that Valentines Day is almost here? I hope you're ready! I like to call it Love Day, a day where we tell everyone we love how much they mean to us. I'm getting a VERY big present tomorrow. Surgery :( You may have already read my Debbie Downer post Feeling Icky and gotten an idea of what I've been going through. I was ordered to get a CAT scan done a couple days ago where they discovered I actually have large bilateral cysts. They will need to go in there to drain them and determine what kind of cysts these are. As you can imagine I'm nervous. It's hard not knowing. But I'm thankful that I have a Father who does know and he's watching over me. I believe in the power of prayer and if you're reading this and feel led to pray for me, I appreciate it more than you know.

P.S. Don't worry I would never have forgotten about you on Valentine's Day. I have a special Valentine scheduled to post that I made just for you. Come back tomorrow so you can see it!