Family Heirlooms #blogtember

I can't believe that today is the last day of September... and the last day of #blogtember! :( I had so much fun with this challenge. It was refreshing to have fun and creative writing prompts to do almost everyday. I felt like I really did more real writing this month than I have in a while. It was also so fun to connect with other bloggers; to read their thoughts and be inspired by them was truly one of my favorite parts.

I want to thank Jenni over at Story of My Life for hosting this challenge. I'm going to miss it! I hope I can keep the creativity flowing! :)

Well the final #blogtember prompt is to share something that's very special to you, that was maybe given or past down to you. I chose two items, each represent both sides of my family.

My grandpa's (on my dad's side) guitar -

When I was 14 I became completely obsessed with wanting to learn how to play the guitar. For years I'd seen my grandpa’s small acoustic guitar sitting in our living room (my family & I lived with my grandparents at the time), he would pick it up and play on occasion. When I was a kid I would sometimes pick it up and pretend to play it. But most of the time I would run my fingertips over the bridge of the guitar just because I liked the way it sounded.

When he found out that I wanted to learn how to play he let me have his guitar to learn on, even teaching me some chords. The guitar, being rather small, was and still is the perfect size for me. Not heavy like some some are. I took lessons for a short time from a friend of my cousins. When we moved out of my grandparents house not long after that, he told me to take the guitar with me. And even 8 years now after his passing, here it remains.

I took lessons on and off through out my teen years and um ... still only know like 4 chords lol. But that's beside the point. Having his guitar means so much to me. He was a musician who mostly played the saxophone. He even played and traveled around in a band for a while. His love for music, listening and playing, was definitely passed down to his grandchildren.

My great grandmother's (on my mom's side) quilt -

My grandma passed this beautiful quilt, that was handmade by her mom, down to my mom years ago. It hangs on my mom's quilt rack and means so much to her. So much so that she has said it will later on be passed down to me. My great grandma handmade it from her kids' clothing and my mom thinks it's probably near a hundred years old.

To think of all the time and love that went into making it, to think of how much it meant to my grandma, and how much it means to my mom, makes me even more proud to someday have it in my home. Especially since I have a love for all things handmade and homemade. To think of the generations that have cherished it will make it extra special. Then to someday pass it down to my children for another generation to cherish. Keeping it in the family.

What makes these items or anything that can be classified as a “family heirloom” so special is the person it came from and the stories attached to it. I’m so glad that I have these as well as other things to treasure and remind me of my special loved ones. :)

Happy & Sad List #blogtember

Hey lovelies! So for this #blogtember prompt we were instructed to head to a coffee shop or even just somewhere we don't normally write and share things that make us happy & sad. Well I unfortunately wasn't able to to do that... so instead I chose my kitchen lol. While yes, it's still my home, it's at least a room I don't usually write in.

I even tried to give it a more relaxing "coffee shop vibe", if you will. I made me a pumpkin spice iced latte (which truthfully didn't turn out quite right, I can't even taste the pumpkin), snacking on a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie (my current addiction), water fountain on, and the scent of chia tea in the scentsy (this may be the best scent ever). Not to mention the calming music of OmmWriter. So yes, I think this will do! Sometimes ya just gotta improvise, right? :)

 

This prompt feels sort of reminiscent of the "Comfort Is" post I did last week so I'll try not to repeat myself too much.

Happy List -
The most important ones have to go first...
1. My relationship with God. He is my true source of happiness. It's when I'm actively seeking and putting Him first in my life that I'm most happy, content, and at peace. Apart from Him I'm not sure real happiness even exists.
2. My family. They are my best friends. I don't know what I'd do without them.
3. Baking (& cooking)! If you know me or read my blog I'm sure this is obvious lol. In the kitchen baking with some music on is truly my happy place.
4. Music. I could not imagine a life without music. It's like air to me. A good song with amazing meaningful lyrics... it can be life changing. And not to get too over dramatic here, but it's been a huge saving grace in my life.
5. Good conversations where you really connect with someone.
6. Coffee!! Right now it's nothing but Pumpkin Spice lattes for this girl. Iced though because it's still like 90 degrees during the day here in TX.
7. Chocolate. Self professed chocoholic right here. I need help, seriously lol.
8. Fall! This is truly my favorite season! Everything about it is lovely.
9. Live music! Haven't been to a concert in ages... last one was Switchfoot & Anberlin at Stubbs in Austin back in Oct. 2011. That is just wrong.
10. Large journals with pretty paper.
11. Arts & crafts supplies: pretty scrapbook paper, washi tape, mod podge, cute stamps, ect.
12. Art journaling & smash booking
13. Cute cafes. Like this one I fell in love with in Dallas some years ago.
14. Gilmore Girls reruns
15. My cat
16. Antique & thrift stores. The kind that go on forever and you can get lost in. Especially ones that have tons of pretty vintage Pyrex!
17. Roadtrips… driving with the windows downs letting the cool breeze in & some good music on.
18. Jazz music

Sad List -
Not to bring you down or anything...
1. Goodbyes. Nope. Not a fan.
2. Living far away from people I love
3. When someone I love is sick or going through a hard time. When you feel like there's nothing you can do to help them.
4. Losing friendships
5. When people try to change you instead of just accepting & loving you for who you are.
6. When something I bake or cook doesn't turn out right. Okay, so maybe that's not so bad but this list was getting a little too heavy. :)

So there it is, my happy & sad list! I'm glad to see that the happy list is way longer. I think that's a good sign. That's the way it should be, right?  I hope you are able to find more happy than sad in your life today as well. Maybe sometimes we just need to search it out a little to realize it's really right in front of our face. :)

Review of “Fading West” EP by Switchfoot #blogtember

My all time favorite band Switchfoot is gearing up to release their 9th studio album entitled, “Fading West” on January 14th 2014! But since that still feels so far away (I mean it’s next year, for goodness sake! ;)) and they know we fans are not that patient, they’ve given us a three song EP to tide us over!

The EP opens with “Who We Are”,  a pop tinged ode to youth and finding who you are. If I’m being honest, this song is taking a while to grow on me. And even after a few listens, it still isn’t a favorite. Which is hard for me to say because my love for these guys runs deep and is pretty unconditional lol. The chorus features a children’s choir that, from what I understand, is made up of their own kids (the Switch kids? the Foot kids?). Which is actually very sweet and fitting for the song.

“Love Alone Is Worth The Fight” features an anthemic chorus and beautiful lyrics,“And we find what we’re made of through the open door. Is it fear you’re afraid of? What are you waiting for? Love alone is worth the fight.”  It’s easy to picture everyone singing along to this tune, it’s bound to become a live show favorite.

Third and final track, the oddly named, “Ba55”… took me completely by surprise and blew my mind! The experimental sound on this track is so different for them. The music itself is so intricate and interesting but the lyrics are also my favorite on the EP, "I want a fire that could burn me clean. Light the sky with my black eyed dreams. And let my soul fly. I want a fire to burn down the door. Let the wounds of my embers soar. And let my soul fly."  I really hope more of this sound shows up on the album. It’s killer and I’m addicted!

Another really exciting aspect of this project is that it isn’t just an album but a movie as well! “Fading West” the movie documents the guys’ lives making music, touring, and surfing.

“Inspired by such films as Rattle and Hum and Endless Summer, Fading West follows Grammy-winning alternative-rock band Switchfoot as they travel the globe in search of new musical inspiration and perfect waves. Part rock documentary, part surf film, and part travelogue.” 

The guys will be premiering the movie on the fall tour, which is already underway! I was actually planning to attend the Atlanta date when I visited my sister next month but unfortunately, it’s sold out! Ugh!! (Oh what’s that sound you hear? Just me… over here sobbing. Okay, so maybe that was a little emo of me, sorry!) Seems like this tour is selling out quickly so be sure to get your tickets soon!

One of the many things I love about Switchfoot is that they never make the same record twice. Their sound is always evolving and always changing. This album I can already tell is going to be no exception. This EP definitely represents a new sound for these San Diego, CA natives. The more I hear the more excited I get for both the album and the movie. And I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us!

Click here to purchase the “Fading West” EP

(This post is for Day 16 of #Blogtember: Review a book, place, or product.)

The Engagement Party – #blogtember short story

#Blogtember Creative writing day: write a (very short) fictional story that starts with this sentence: "To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century."

Creative writing day was a bit of a challenge for me.. which is why this blog is a few days late lol. Again this was another prompt I considered skipping. I’m not much of a story teller so I wasn’t sure if I could come up with anything. But late last night I got on OmmWriter (I’m crazy in love with that thing, I just can’t even.) and gave it a go! And I actually wrote something!

Now, as I said, I do not consider myself a story teller… so make of it what you will. It may be a little longer than most lol. Typical me to think I don’t have anything to say and then realize I have too much to say. But it was actually a lot of fun and I’m really glad I did it!

 

To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century. When I agreed to cater this event I had no idea it would be an engagement party for stuck up socialite & State Senator's daughter, Grace Carrington and her apparently long time beau, Grant Williams. Just hearing his name made my stomach churn. "It couldn't be the same guy, could it?" I thought. But when he walked into the office last week, holding Grace's hand to discuss the menu, my heart almost stopped.

As we caught each other's eyes, he appeared noticeably flustered, but very quickly recovered. He, of course, acted like he didn't know me. "Grant Williams, and you are?", he asked, shaking my hand. "Lindsay Wright", I croaked. He didn't miss a beat & was the very picture of cool. I, on the other hand, avoided his glance & barely heard a word Grace said as she babbled on for the next hour about free range chicken & place settings.

The night of the party had arrived and my team & I had spent the whole day prepping the food:

Brown Butter Butternut Squash Soup

Fig, Gorgonzola & Honey Tartines

Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken

and for dessert…

Chai Spiced Pear Tarts and Wedding cupcakes

As the party started and we were serving the guests, I couldn't keep my mind from wandering back to my chance meeting and whirlwind romance with Grant last month at the lake. He was so handsome, charming, and funny. And as he led me to believe, unattached. We spent three amazing weeks together, falling in love... or so I thought. Then one morning, before I woke up, he just picked up and left. Leaving behind only a note with little to no explanation, saying he had to go and that he'd call me. I guess I now know why he never did.

Putting the finishing touches on the cupcakes, I feel a tap on my shoulder, "Lindsay, I need to talk to you". I could barely speak, all I could do was stare blankly at this guy who broke my heart. I mean, was I just some last hurrah before he decided to take the plunge? "Grant? What do you want?", I asked. "Shh, not here, they'll hear us.", he said as grabbed my hand and pulled me out the back door...

(Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Comfort is… #blogtember

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Comfort is:

*Being with my family

*My home

*Cooking dinner with my mom

*Today: decorating for fall, chicken & dumplings in the crock pot, and pumpkin chocolate chips cookies to snack on.

*A warm shower

*Fresh linens

*Comfort food like the Chicken & Dumplings I’m cooking today. Which of course is even better on a cold day.

*A favorite song

*Being curled up on the couch watching Gilmore Girls

*My cat

*Coffee – the smell & the taste

*My bedroom full of all my favorite things

*A warm & perfectly timed hug

*A smile

*Baking with music on in my kitchen

*The smell of vanilla, brown sugar, & cinnamon

*Fall… everything about it

*Christmas

*grocery shopping.. (is that weird?)

*Chocolate chip cookies

*Prayer

Random Photos of My Random Life…#blogtember

Wow, I think that may be my cheesiest blog title yet but it’s all I had lol. This #blogtember prompt is only photos! Though I can’t help but break the rules just a little bit and add a few words about each one. So below are some random photos from the past few months of my life.

A field full of huge sunflowers I saw on the way home from Waxahachie, TX in July. I had to stop myself from becoming a sunflower thief because I was kind of dying to steal one or two!

 

Pretty rainbow after a rain storm, also on the way home from Waxahachie.

 

Photo of me, my sister, & our dad at Yummy Finds cupcakery in Victoria, TX back in July!

A fall wreath that I made this past weekend over Skype with my sister. Proud of how it turned out!

Cotton field hidden in the back roads of my town. I’ve found myself riding by this spot a lot this past summer and it has sort of developed a special meaning to me.

A lovely pink Pyrex baking dish I scored at the antique store in my town!! Am in love with it!! :D

 

More antique store finds; kangaroo salt & pepper shakers and a vintage tin sign.

Summertime at the bay in my town.

Letters To Some Special People…#blogtember

So this #blogtember prompt has us getting all sentimental, writing a “love letter” (that doesn't necessarily need to be romantic) to someone in our lives. Well there are a few people that I decided to write short letters to… I’ll try not be overly cheesy. But that may be hard as cheesiness tends to be my specialty lol.

To this special pink haired girl (wearing a zombie unicorn dress in this photo :)), my little sister, Cecily -

(Cec & me while she was visiting this past 4th of July.)

I miss you… like crazy!! Before I get to the mushy stuff, allow me to pout for just a second: I hate that my best friend, concert & baking buddy had to move hundreds of miles away from me. I hate that we never took a train to Seattle and begged for a job at Tooth & Nail. I hate that we never opened up our rockin’ music venue and cafe where we would have gotten Showbread to play the first show. And I hate that we never crowd surfed at a rock show.. (okay, so maybe it’s a good thing we never did that :p). But…

I love knowing that no matter what happens.. no matter the crazy ups & downs or the miles that separate us that we will always be close. I think time has proven that. I love knowing that we can get through anything.  And I love that we still make a way to do fun things to together even if that means baking cookies & making wreaths over Skype.

I have learned so much from you over the years. The way you have overcome struggles in your life and come out even stronger. I’ve always admired your individuality.. the only person I know that would wear a pink tutu to a church convention lol. I would always walk away totally inspired by one of our late night conversations about God & life. Or reading an amazing blog you wrote.

I know that life has changed so much over the past couple years. We both have new lives & new dreams, and I think that’s a good thing. But what will never change is that I’m still your big sister, I love you, and will always be here for you.

To three awesome gals, my cousins Pam, Erika, & Ashley: - 

(Ashley, me, Pam, & Erika @ my grandparents house back in 2000)

(Ashley, Erika, Pam, & me! With Ashley & me sort of hogging the camera just a bit, ha! I think this was taken in 1999)

Oh my, where do I start? lol Some of my most favorite & fun memories are with the three of you. Being homeschooled from the time I was in the 5th grade, I didn’t really have the “typical” teen years, but I feel like you guys provided that for me. Because of y’all I have a lot of fond memories of my teen years (& beyond).

Riding around town all day with the windows down listening to all the late 90’s pop music, talking & laughing (really loudly) for hours in my room, the totally insane obsession we had with *Nsync (Yes, I went there :p) lol, going to *Nsync & Backstreet Boys concerts, and all the many other fun & weird things we did back then. The four of us, always together, we were such a little group. It always makes me smile thinking back on it all.

Even though now that we’re all grown up and don’t get see each other as much as we’d like, I still love you gals like crazy! And I’m so glad that we still talk and still make time to be a part of each others lives. You’ve never just been my cousins, you’ve been my friends, you’ve been my sisters. We’ve had our ups & downs over the years but we always seem to find our way back to this circle and I hope that we always will. - (Kiwi ;))

Self Portrait #blogtember

I have to admit that I was going to skip this #blogtember prompt… which is why I’m a couple days late with it lol. But I thought that I needed to stop being such a chicken and just do it.

See, I’m just not really the self portrait type. I don’t take “selfies” (Sidenote: that term really needs to be destroyed lol.) very often and I only change my Facebook profile picture about once a year. My only excuse is that I, like so many of us, am my own worst critic. Very rarely is there a picture of myself that I’m completely happy with.

But it felt a little weird if not slightly inauthentic to skip this prompt. And I started to realize that it’s not about looking perfect but more about showing who you are on your blog.

As I said, I don’t take self portraits very often but these are a couple I took in July on the way home from my churches state convention with my family. It was a 6 hour drive, I got bored, pulled out the camera, and just started snapping some photos lol.

I don’t know if I’ll ever really be comfortable taking self portraits and I know I’m far from being alone in feeling this way. But I think it’s important even if you feel that way to take them every once in a while.

I mean, I’ve been blogging for years in this space and have hardly posted any photos of myself (which is so not typical for a blogger lol). And that just feels wrong. If you read my blog you should know what I look like.

I think it’s good to remember that someday your children, your spouse, your family will cherish photos of you. They’re not going to care that your hair wasn’t perfect or that maybe you had gained a few pounds. They’re just going to see the person they love.

Weekend Chill Out Playlist

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Hey lovelies! Thought I’d share a small playlist to help you chill out & relax this weekend. These songs make me want to just jump in the car, roll the windows down, and go on a road trip. Somewhere. Anywhere.

A road trip, good music, good company, & some iced coffee…sounds like the ideal weekend to me. 

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Happy weekending! :)

Let’s Go Shopping! – Favorite Online Shops #blogtember

So let’s talk online shopping, shall we? I honestly don’t do very much of it. And when I do it’s typically music from Amazon and the occasional Etsy purchase. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t love browsing! Oh I’m like queen browser, not just online mind you, but in stores say like, Hobby Lobby. I can spend way too much time in there. Just ask my family, it tends to drive them nuts.

But today’s (okay, technically yesterdays..)  #Blogtember challenge is to share our favorite online stores! So I will share some of the ones that I love browsing the most… and at some point, will make a purchase from lol.

Sherri’s Ink -

You may recognize Sherri Dupree Bemis from the awesome band, Eisley! Who are one of my favorites bands ever. Well not only is she a super talented musician but girl can draw! I’ve been dying to buy one (or 5) of her lovely prints for my wall. Her art has such a quirky, whimsical feel to it! These are a few of my favorites:

 

Custom Catastrophes -

This store is owned by another musician, Ariel from the band Icon For Hire! This girl can rock and it definitely shows in the clothes & accessories she designs. Ariel is actually known to set up her sewing machine right on sight at the bands merch table, making things for fans to buy at the shows. Though I will say, while I love love her designs… I don’t think I could pull most of them off lol. Now my sister could totally pull it off without a hitch… but she’s just cool like that. Whatcha gonna do? lol A few favorites:

Kitsch Cafe -

This is hands down my favorite Etsy store to peruse! They have an abundance of vintage house wares, home decor, fabrics, & craft supplies. These are a few things I’m currently drooling over:

Retro Planet -

My sister just introduced me to this place and oh my gosh, I want everything in this store!! They have basically everything you can think of to give every room in your home a retro vibe. Drool worthy, I tell you! A few faves:

Also, my cousins just opened up their own Etsy shop a couple days ago called, Stolisomancy, where they sell lovely things like this Jade Stone Ring. Be sure to check it out!

Happy shopping!! :)

A Turning Point – Culinary School #blogtember

So this came in the mail for me… my welcome package & chefs “beanie” from Le Cordon Bleu!! I briefly mentioned here that I was considering going to culinary school and took a tour of Le Cordon Bleu in Austin this summer. Well I actually enrolled a couple months ago and I start in January!!! I’m going for a degree in baking & pastry which will take a little less than two years to complete.

I could not be more crazy excited and of course, a little nervous. And I must say, the chefs beanie, apart from looking slightly goofy on me, is making the whole thing seem a bit more real.

It’s funny, for as much as I have loved baking (& cooking) since I was a teenager, I honestly never even considered going to culinary school. For a while I wanted to pursue writing, as it was huge passion of mine… but that passion started to wane.  When I was younger I also considered being a counselor… but that didn’t quite fit. And of course there’s always the dream in the back of my mind of playing guitar in a rock band ;). But the only dream, the only passion that has not only stuck with me but has even become stronger with time is baking.

I love it. I’m actually smiling right now just writing about it lol. Dorky, I know, but true. Spending a whole day in the kitchen baking … well, nothing makes me happier. As I said I’ve loved it since I was a teenager but in these past couple years something’s changed. It’s gone from being just a hobby to becoming a passion. And not to be over confident but since it’s become a passion I feel I have grown into an even better baker.

My dad was actually the one who mentioned culinary school. Well truthfully, he’s randomly mentioned it to both my sister & I through out our lives but I don’t think either one of us ever took it seriously. But one day last year he walked in the kitchen, tasted something I made, loved it, and told me that I should seriously think about going to culinary school. And it was like something clicked. I love doing this more than anything else, I do it all the time anyway, and I’m not too shabby at it… why am I not pursuing it??

So this summer I took a tour of Le Cordon Bleu in Austin (which is just a few hours away from where I live). If you know anything about culinary arts you know that Le Cordon Bleu is known for its excellence & is one of the top culinary schools in the world. It’s actually where the great Julia Child studied in Paris. And the Austin location did not disappoint.

Let me tell you, I fell head over heels in love with this place! Huge beautiful kitchens with lots of professional equipment, including rows of Kitchen Aid stand mixers. A restaurant that all students have to work in at some point, and a vegetable & herb garden outside.

Seeing those kitchens just put the biggest smile on my face! Seriously, I was ready to bake! I wanted to run & hug one of the Kitchen Aid stand mixers & turn to my tour guide and say, “could you please leave us alone?”. Oh and it smelt like heaven in some of those kitchens. Especially one in particular where they were cooking sauces. Needless to say, I was sold.

Life is too short to not pursue what you are truly passionate about. I honestly don’t know why it’s taken me this long. Therefore it looks like come January I will be heading to Austin to learn all I can at Le Cordon Bleu! It’s a really beautiful thing when a hobby becomes a passion. And for that passion to become a career? Well that’s the dream, isn’t it? I have no idea if that will happen for me but I’m excited to see where this path takes me. I’m excited to wake up everyday and learn about something I really love.

This post was a part of the #blogtember challenge. Today’s topic is sharing a turning point in your life… this is definitely mine. :)