I have tried to write this post three times now. I don’t think this one will be any better but I promised myself not to erase it. I am moving blogs. I will now be located at The Snail’s Life. Be sure to change your browser’s and re-subscribe to the new location. I will keep this blog active and periodically check in on it.

I am excited about my new blog  but it feels kinda sad leaving this blog. All my friends are here. I do hope that you will follow me over to blogger. Please stop by the new blog and say hello. I feel like I moved into a new house with a new neighborhood.

1. Everyone is super quiet and I gasp extra loud. This Sunday the pastor challenged our community to be still for five minutes each day (no ipod..complete silence). What made me gasp was when he mentioned he wanted to gradually get to an hour of silence!

2. I used the force. When our church prays for people we stretch out our hands toward the people we are praying for. Every time I do this I feel like I am using the force (maybe I am).  

3. Responded to a rhetorical question. Yup, that would be me, the one is the middle raising her hand admitting to lying this week. Glad to know you. 

4. Laughed extremely loud at a mildly funny joke. It was a play on words I couldn’t help it.

5. Picture this everyone is seated. It is super quiet. Mr. Snail and I walk in late. I trip (in front of everyone). Everyone “acts like they didn’t see it”. I laugh at myself. It is still quiet. 

Every family has that one crazy aunt….glad to be of service.

Filed under: Adventures ]]> http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/truth-funny-things-i-have-done-in-church/feed/ 1 asnailslife IMG_8615_0899_edited-1 http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/picture-me-domestic-self-portrait-contest/ http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/picture-me-domestic-self-portrait-contest/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 22:01:18 +0000 asnailslife http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/?p=2853 ]]> Hi Friends,

Scrolling through my blogs this morning I came across this self portrait contest on The Letter 4.

I thought that it would be kinda fun to take a self portrait of me being domestic. That word domestic always makes me think of cows…random thought. Anyway, it took me a few hours to think of something fun and available (I couldn’t milk the cows because I don’t have any). This is what I came up with.

That screams domestic doesn’t it? I think so. I mean I can’t get more angelic than reading a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and snacking on Nutella.  Let me, let you in on a little insider knowledge that isn’t the store size Nutella. Oh no dear friends! That is the extra huge, I’m sharing with 30 of my closest friends size, except I don’t share with others unless I really like you or I am related to you and thereby obligated to keep relational peace.

So that’s me being domestic, greedily eating Nutella from the jar with my hands and reading.

Happy Friday

This picture is about 6 years old. I found it today as I was cleaning out some junk drawers. I looked at myself and thought what advice would I give myself if I could blast to the past. This is my advice:

Be courageous…wimpy doesn’t become you.

Your not fat eat the cake don’t count the calories. 

Enjoy the moment things happen so fast and then they are gone.

Don’t take your self too serious you born to be silly. 

Whatever the season of life you are in, thrive in that season. Don’t just get by. 

Give people second chances and thirds and fourths (keep counting) they are a student at life too. 

Give grace

Be creative. Don’t be afraid. Art is for you…an expression of you

Your husband is your best friend for life so play nicely

Give people high fives whenever you can (it makes them feel better).

Make friends with the butcher. He knows how to cook meat and he usually has some recipes up his sleeve.

Read your book .There will be time to clean and get groceries. You only have your “good eyes” for a little while. 

Make every action count. 

Don’t read bad books…seriously life is too short for that nonsense. 

Don’t be afraid to say no thank you, but always do so with a smile and a compliment. 

Laugh at yourself and other cute things you see along the way. 

Being alone feels strange at first, but being in your own company is the place that you find yourself. 

Do the best work you can whether it be at school, work, or volunteering. Never give anyone work that isn’t your best. 

Filed under: Adventures ]]> http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/advice-from-laura-2-0/feed/ 0 asnailslife 198_10098081962_546306962_627273_3244_n http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/nutella-nirvana/ http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/nutella-nirvana/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 14:57:01 +0000 asnailslife http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/?p=2841 ]]>

So we stood there facing each other, nothing but a jar of Nutella separating me and my dear friend. We had both just devoured two enormous chicken fajita roll ups. She asked “so do you think we have enough room for dessert?” Honestly, it was a valid question. You should have seen the size of those fajitas (Goliath would have been full). We both looked at the Nutella for a few seconds. We smiled at each other, and opened the lid.

My  friend whipped out her ipad faster than I could blink, and before I knew it we were making the most delicious Nutella cake. The Novice House Wife is just plain incredible. I owe my foodie bliss to her. She posted a recipe entitled “The Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake Just For One”. I should have known from the title that it was going to be great. A recipe for one, with just a couple ingredients  and cooks in 3 minutes. Life, my friends, is so unexpectedly pleasant.

*Disclaimer: I am not much of a chocolate person. I don’t detest chocolate but I don’t dream in chocolate either.

This recipe may have changed my mind about chocolate. It was so moist and soft and delicious. My brilliant Nutella loving friend  sliced up strawberries and “twinkled” it on top of this mighty cup of happiness. Let me just tell you….some things are just meant for each other, like strawberries and Nutella.

I took a chance in 2010 and attempted to grow my first garden. You can read more about it here if you are interested. I had a large piece of unused “dirt” in our backyard and I thought it would be the perfect place for a garden. What I soon discovered was that it wasn’t a patch of dirt at all but a hidden marsh! Although, I did yield a small crop that year (I rejoiced over the few chilies I grew). I knew I was hot stuff after that first garden. I am human, hear me garden!

The next year I decided to that it was time to get rid of the muddy backyard and try something different. My husband and I both decided that concrete would be the best alternative to mud. We spent most of the summer treating the ground behind the brick wall getting it ready for my garden.

I started all of our plants from seedlings. Click here for more on that. I was extremely proud when we put these little guys in their new home and they just took off and started producing fruit. Oh the joy! Then the wind came and that was a sad day.

I think I sat there and cried for at least 15 minutes. I was just devastated. Thanks to a comment from one of my readers who suggested that I continue to care for my garden and not be discouraged from the set back, my garden came back to life and produced double the crop that I had the year before.

To be honest this year is starting off kinda unmotivated. I started off with good intentions to start all my plants from seedlings (in January) but that’s about the same time that we adopted Darcy and most of my attention went to her. My seedlings didn’t last very long…I was disappointed but nothing that can’t be fixed. I went to the farmer’s market and met a really passionate gardener who got me started with pineapple mint and chocolate mint and gave me advice for the few seedlings that made it to “transplant day”. This year my garden is a hybrid of seedlings grown from seed and plants I bought from the farmers market (technically he grew them from seed).

I will keep you posted on my gardening adventures as I am sure there will be some interesting stories to tell (there always are) and some interesting bugs to photograph (they totally creep me out…especially the tomato bugs).

Picture Source: Making it Lovely

I thought that this “A time to create box” was super fun and creative. Nichole over at Making it Lovely shows you the step by step. Interested? Click Here. This project got me thinking you could use this same idea and fill it with another theme as well. I was thinking a cupcake making kit with liners, frosting, cupcake mix and sprinkles. Or for the mom who enjoys gardening you could put some fake grass on the bottom of the box and put some seeds and gardening tools and a magazine. The possibilities are endless.

Picture Source: Ikea Hackers

This photo instantly reminds me of a dear friend “The Artsy One”. She has several lanterns scattered all over her backyard. I love it. I seriously do. I sit out there and imagine I am camping, or in a diamond mine, or a lighthouse keeper. Yes, I have a wild imagination but it’s fun. So back the lanterns…they are neato!

Want to make one? Click here to find out.

Picture Source: Meek + Chic

I LOVE this gift idea. If you click here you can get the free download and the instructions for this project. It is the perfect thing for the coffee drinking mama. I think a 5 dollar gift card would pair quite nicely with this gift.

Have a great day friends!

Filed under: Crafts ]]> http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/in-case-you-are-still-stumped-for-a-mothers-day-gift/feed/ 0 asnailslife http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/everything-good-i-learned-from-my-mom/ http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/everything-good-i-learned-from-my-mom/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 15:12:31 +0000 asnailslife http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/?p=2825 ]]>

Mother’s day is on Sunday and to be honest I ALWAYS have a hard time picking something out for my mom. My mom isn’t picky or anything like that. In fact, I think if I made her a painted macaroni magnet, she would proudly display it on her fridge and comment about to every visitor about her creative daughter. You laugh, but I am so serious.
The reason that it is so hard is because she is better than some basket of body spray and lotions. I don’t want to give her nothing at all, because quite frankly, that’s not my style. I am still on the search and if anyone has any ideas please let me know in the comments.

While wandering the aisles like a lost sheep, i started thinking about all the things I love about my mom. This post is dedicated to her.

My mom is amazing because…

She loves the library and taught me how to love it too. The library was our magical place. She would take us weekly and then we would have a McDonald’s picnic in the park. When we got home, she would read to us for what felt like hours. We would all fall asleep with the books as our bed.

She makes friends with everyone from the grocer to the janitor. I think her trick is she sees the good in everyone right from the start.

She is extremely patient. This is one quality that I haven’t mastered. I do admire it in her though.

She loves to laugh.

She spends time with God every morning not because she has to but because she wants to. (4AM early!!!)

She gives second chances, and third chances and nineteenth chances.

She is my number one fan. When I first started blogging she was only reader for a month. I didn’t want to let her down so I kept blogging so that she would have something to read.

She taught me to “always put your lips” on before your significant other comes home. Basically, smell good and put lip gloss on before you walk in the door. Has always worked for me.

She has her priorities straight and she doesn’t waver. I overheard a conversation once in which she interviewed for a job and they asked her what her to list her priorities in order of importance. She replied “God, my family then my career.” I will never forget that.

Her home is a place of rest. My friends would come over to hang out with my mom. Yeah…she’s that cool.

She is the person I look up to the most. She is the first person I call when I have a question, and I don’t trust Google to give me the right answer. My mom is the best no doubt about that.

Filed under: Adventures ]]> http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/everything-good-i-learned-from-my-mom/feed/ 4 asnailslife 404666_10150610238951963_546306962_10883707_470620486_n birthday weekend 155 http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/things-im-afraid-to-tell-you/ http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/things-im-afraid-to-tell-you/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 15:21:49 +0000 asnailslife http://asnailslife.wordpress.com/?p=2819 ]]>

Made Under My Life wrote this post the other day and I have been thinking about it ever since. I thought that Jess was extremely brave to write that post. Her post challenged me to push past the glitter and frosting of my blog and allow readers to really get to know me. So like jumping into the pool without testing the water here we go.

Things I am afraid to tell you….

1. I don’t like to play competitive sports.I have been told that I am athletic so that isn’t the problem. The problem is when people start arguing over a play or the score. I get really nervous.

2. I have this secret insecurity that I am overweight. So when people talk about dieting I get the feeling I need to do it too. 

3. I am afraid to run. I used to run 3 plus miles every day, seven days a week. After a sports injury to both of my feet I’m afraid to hurt myself again.

Oh my gosh this post is hard to write..

4. I can’t cut straight. I am laughing at this one because it is kinda of goofy. Seriously, I can’t cut a straight line. My dear friends who have come over and tried to sew with me know this statement is true. 

5. I don’t like to measure when I am cooking. I like to estimate. I know there are some bakers and cooks out there shaking their heads at me and I know that you should measure but I am a risk taker.

6. When entering a room full of people I don’t know, I get nervous. You wouldn’t know this by observing me because I look like I am a social butterfly and as comfortable as a clam….but I’m not.

7. I pray over my dog, Darcy. I know this is silly too but I do. If I know we are going to be doing something that is going to be challenging for her, I pray about it.

8. I’m not the perfect little Christian girl you might have imagined. I mess up. I hurt my friend’s feelings. I don’t read my bible every day like some other more diligent committed folks I know. I gossip (insert shock face). I’m just a chick in need of grace and that’s my primary reason I NEED God.

9. Volunteering isn’t my favorite thing to do. Many times while volunteering I think to myself “I could be getting paid for this.”

10. I have a secret love of roller skating. I am not very good at it but I love it.

Only a few more to go..

11. I wish I had a better relationship with my grandmother. I act like I don’t care, but I do.

12. I really like nerdy things like board games and super hero movies. I don’t just do them because my husband like them….I secretly really enjoy doing nerdy things too.

13. Sometimes I pretend I am the main character in a movie and someone is following me around filming.

14. I love to make up songs about dumping out the trash or taking Darcy for a walk.

15. When I eat Kraft Mac and Cheese it just feels like home. I can picture me and my family sitting down laughing and munching on mac and cheese. I purposefully go down that aisle when shopping for groceries just to pass by the blue box and smile.

Wow, that post was a tough one to write. Le Fin.