Lost Track of Time....

I knew it had been a bit since I posted, but I didn't realize it had been 2 whole weeks! Yikes! So not what I wanted to see.

No excuses just have gotten caught up in LIFE!  Since my last post, my daughter Stephanie has celebrated her 20th birthday, we are still knee deep in wedding preparations. I have gone to the FRG Level 1 training and I am still soaking up lots of military knowledge.

I have made lots of pinterest recipes over the last few weeks.  Some that have definitely been added to my recipe box and some of them were, eh.  I have also done a few pinterest crafts.  I had a blast doing these. The first is a heart wreath made with felt roses and the second is picture frames that can be interechanged to coordinate with the holiday. 

I hope you all have a great week! Stay tuned later this week to learn how the cake testing goes for the wedding.....

Pay it Forward

Do you remember the movie PAY IT FORWARD that debuted in 2000?   The plot was:

When 11½-year-old Trevor McKinney (Osment) begins seventh grade in Las Vegas, Nevada, his social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Spacey) gives the class an assignment to devise and put into action a plan that will change the world for the better. Trevor's plan is a charitable program based on the networking of good deeds. He calls his plan "Pay it forward", which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for a third party rather than paying the favor back.
Trevor does a favor for three people, asking each of them to "pay the favor forward" by doing favors for three other people, and so on, along a branching tree of good deeds. His first good deed is to let a homeless man named Jerry (James Caviezel) live in his garage, and Jerry pays the favor forward by doing car repairs for Trevor's mother. Trevor's efforts appear to fail when Jerry relapses into drug addiction, but Jerry will pay his debt forward later in the film by talking to a suicidal woman, who is about to jump off the bridge.
Meanwhile, Trevor's mother Arlene (Hunt) confronts Eugene about Trevor's project after discovering Jerry in their house. Then Trevor selects Eugene as his next "pay it forward" target and tricks Eugene and Arlene into a romantic dinner date. This also appears to fail until Trevor and Arlene argue about her alcoholism and she slaps him in a fit of anger. The two adults are brought together again when Trevor runs away from home and Arlene asks Eugene to help her find him.
After finding Trevor, Arlene begins to pursue Eugene sexually. Eugene has burn marks visible on his neck and face, and he initially resists Arlene's overtures. When they finally sleep together, he is seen to have extensive scarring over his torso. Arlene accepts Eugene's physical disfigurement, but abandons their relationship when her alcoholic ex-husband Ricky (Jon Bon Jovi) returns to her, claiming to have given up drinking. Ricky's return angers Eugene, whose own mother had a habit of taking his abusive, alcoholic father back. He explains that his father intentionally burned him, and he warns Arlene of Ricky's potential to abuse Trevor. When Ricky resumes his abusive behavior, Arlene realizes her mistake and asks him to leave again.
Trevor's school assignment marks the beginning of the story's chronology, but the opening scene in the film shows one of the later favors in the "pay it forward" tree, in which a man gives a car to Los Angeles journalist Chris Chandler (Jay Mohr). As the film proceeds, Chandler traces the chain of favors back to its origin in Trevor's school project. After her date with Eugene, Arlene paid Trevor's favor forward by forgiving her own mother Grace (Angie Dickinson) for her mistakes in raising Arlene, and Grace, who is homeless, helped a gang member escape from the police. The gang member then saved a girl's life, and the girl's father gave Chandler his new car.
Chandler finally identifies Trevor as the originator of "pay it forward" and conducts a recorded interview in which Trevor describes his hopes and concerns for the project. Eugene, hearing Trevor's words, realizes that he and Arlene should be together. As Eugene and Arlene reconcile with a passionate embrace, Trevor is deliberately stabbed while defending his friend Adam against a group of evil bullies, and he consequently dies at the hospital. This news is reported on television; Arlene and Eugene are soon visited by hundreds of people who have participated in the "pay it forward" movement, gathering in a vigil to pay Trevor their respects (a la Field of Dreams).

I remember watching this movie and thinking that is an awesome idea.  I have always tried to have that outlook on life.  Recently, not far from where I grew up there has been a lady who has been doing this at a local coffee shop.  She goes in purchases a cup of coffee and leaves $100 asking that the next customers receive free coffee until the money is used up.  The only thing she asks for in return is that the customers "Pay it Forward".  See the article that appeared in one of the local newspapers today. 

Bluffton coffee shop getting national attention for 'paying it forward'Read more here: http://blogs.islandpacket.com/41033#storylink=cpy

I think we can all learn a lot not only from the movie that was made years ago but also from this anonymous lady.  What are you waiting for?  PAY IT FORWARD.....It can be as simple as making a friend a cup of coffee ... Who's in??? We all need to pay ......it forward, think of all the people you can bless. Even if you don't comment consider paying it forward to the people around you who need it most. It maybe as simple as helping someone out, giving some one some change or a simple sending a message to someone in need of comfort. I challenge you my friends.

DIY Homemade Vanilla

I will NEVAH (southern way of saying "never") buy vanilla extract from the store again! For Christmas, my MIL gave me some vanilla she had made. Guess where she found the recipe? Yep, pinterest!

You might ask yourself what is the big deal about vanilla extract. Well for bakers it is a staple and a necessity.  You can never have too much. 



I found a recipe over at Bake at 350. (http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2011/09/diy-vanilla-extract-works-for-me.html) I will definiately be making some vanilla for gifts this year.  I didn't realize how easy it was to make.  All you need is vanilla beans, vodka, containers and a cool dark place to store.

Check out the recipe over at Bake at 350 and see for yourself just how easy it is.  Let me know what you think!

Have a great day!

A Place 2 Call Home: A Pillow Cover Giveaway!

Check out my new blog friend over at "A Place 2 Call Home"!

A Place 2 Call Home: A Pillow Cover Giveaway!

Are you a carrot, egg or coffee bean?

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the p...ots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word. The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.

He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked. "Darling, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. She humbly asked. "What does it mean Father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently.
The CARROT went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The EGG had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The GROUND COFFEE BEANS were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

How about you? Are you the CARROT that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength? Are you the EGG, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or a layoff have you become hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart? Or are you like the COFFEE BEAN?

The bean changes the hot water, the thing that is bringing the pain, to its peak flavor as it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and make things better around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
So, I guess I don’t need to ask the question again…

Is there a PAUSE button?

You know the Windows screen saver we used to have on computers that looked like things flying through space?  Well, that has been my brain for the last 24 hours! I have been looking for the pause button but it is nowhere to be found.

I have pieces flying at me in the form of blogging, decorating, crafting, the new year, my daughters wedding and the unknowns of my husband's deployment.

I want to do more with my blog and be more to others.  I am addicted to reading blogs and always glean so much from them that I want that for my own blog. Decorating/crafting is a passion that I haven't done much of the past few years. And it is time to get back to it.  Pinterest is my inspiration!  If only there were enough hours in the day.The new year....setting realistic goals, being a better wife, mother/stepmother & friend. My daughter is getting married in 3 1/2 months and my husband will be deploying in 6 months. There are so many emotions that come with it.

I know I am rambling....see that has been my brain.  I need to stop and breathe. Inhale and exhale and remind myself to take it one bite at a time.  Isn't that how you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.....

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3082/3160981764_c6ac4c5ac0.jpg

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

December 2011

WOW! Where has 2011 gone?  It seems just like yesterday it was January. Who knew 2011 would bring so many new chapters in our lives as well as milestones?  For our family and friends that may be scratching their heads, I guess we need to update some pertinent details of our lives before going on to “new chapters” and “milestones”.

In the midst of two different divorces, God reunited two old friends from high school and blessed our broken roads. Some may say it is a “fairy tale” story, but when we reconnected we both admitted having feelings for each other 28 years ago.  Neither of us would act on it back in the day.  We both valued the friendship we had and were afraid to ruin it.  Fast forward 20 plus years to a class reunion at our alma mater’s homecoming game…. we ran into each other and over the next few years we would stay in touch via email and facebook, updating each other with the current happenings in our family’s lives every so often.  When we found ourselves in the midst of our separate divorces we became sounding boards for each other.  Once everything was said and done, we started dating.  On October 20, 2011, we both said “I do”. 

We have four children between us…..Jeff has two sons; Charles, 14 and Luke, 9.  I have a daughter, Stephanie, 19 and a son, Caleb, 17.  Stephanie is engaged to a wonderful young man named Paul Vincent.  They have set a wedding date of April 28^th.  She is currently enrolled at Savannah Tech and pursuing a degree in dental hygiene.  Paul works for his dad who owns an auto body/car care shop. Caleb is in 12^th grade at a vocational school where he is in his 3^rd year of welding. After he graduates…well…we just want him to graduate at the moment.  He plans on going to the fire academy and doing welding on the side. He is still an avid sportsman, ALL YEAR LONG!  Charlie is in 9^th grade, loves to skateboard and is quite good at it. He plays on a traveling baseball team where he is a catcher and outfielder.  Luke is in 3^rd grade and eats, breathes, sleeps and talks baseball.  He always has a ball of some type in his hand.  Luke pitches and plays shortstop.  He too is on a traveling baseball team.  For approximately 7 months out of the year they play ball at least two weekends a month.

Along with bringing two families together, I am learning all I can about military life. I am completely new to it and am like a sponge, soaking up all I can.  I have A LOT to learn.  I never would have thought I would be married to a Soldier or living the military lifestyle, but I am.  I wouldn’t trade it.  During our first month of marriage he has been gone for over half of it.  Needless to say, we cherish our time together.

Jeff is the new Commander of the 218^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company out of Charleston for the South Carolina Army National Guard. While I think this is a big deal, he is happy just to have a “big office” and not be sleeping on the back of a tank anymore.  Over the next few months he will be preparing the unit for deployment in 2012.  Jeff also plays with his band Southern Blue. They play a mix of southern rock and blues.

I am working part time as a manager of two tanning salons here in Myrtle Beach. I have 8 young ladies that work for me and at times I feel like I have 8 more daughters.  Thank goodness we won’t be paying for those weddings. 

Well, that’s about it for us.  Each one of you has a special place in our hearts.  We hope y’all have a Merry Christmas.

The Blankenships