365 Blank Pages

How perfect to have my first post as The Blissful Thistle on New Years Day- a new beginning. I give credit to Brad Paisley for these words of wisdom and encouragement  “Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” 

 

How true is that? New Years evokes so many deep emotions for people. And I confess that I tend to get a little emotional on New Years Eve...For me it is a time for reflection of the past year's accomplishments and challenges and it is a time of thanks for all those accomplishments and challenges. I have much to be thankful for.  

 

New Year's Day for me is a bright, new beginning and I welcome it- even on a day like today when the clouds loomed and my house is the opposite of orderly and organized (I thought about posting a picture of my closet to illustrate this point!). 

                                                                                          My wish for you all in this New Year is that no matter where you are in this roller coaster of life, that you please accept today as a new beginning. A new, fresh book full of 365 blank pages just waiting to be written on. Your book will inevitably have pages that will have sadness, anger and maybe even regret, but your book will have pages of joy, hope and laughter too ( I wish you many, many of these pages). Remember that while God knows your story, You hold the pen, you choose how this story of your year is told.  It's a good book-enjoy writing it!                                                                                           

Many Blessings & Happy New Year!

~SarahCate~

Inspired by Coco...

Happy December Bloggy Friends! I am enjoying seeing all your wonderful Christmas projects and decor. You are inspiring!

As previously mentioned- my absence and the long story that goes with it. I'll fill you in.

Its really not a very long story afterall....its quite a classic tale of the one who looks seemingly forEver to find a job, finds job, throws herself headfirst into her job and then ends up entirely in over her head and miserable in said job.  You know that story. And for the first time in my working life (and being that I am almost 40 and this is the first time I have felt this, I consider myself blessed) I have been in a situation that I just felt that the heart & soul I put into the job was just not worth the stress & unhappiness that was coming with it.

But I stuck with it.  Why? First of all because I am not a quitter and I am ever hopeful, I really thought I could turn this around and make this most of the job and the opportunity that could possibly come from it.  And lets be honest-quitting a decent paying job in this economy with 1 son in college, 1 son in high school & a hubby VERY VERY near retirement from his military career, is NOT the wisest of choices.  My family told me to quit.  My husband told me to quit after the 1st time I came home in tears and full on snufflelump snorts. (God Bless him!) My friends told me to let it go. Even a co-worker commented that she didn't know how I put up with what I did and said she would have split if it were her....Yet, I didn't quit. Glutton for punishment- who me? So one morning while I browsed the internet for some kind of inspiration to lift me away from this situation...I found this lovely quote from Coco Chanel....

"Don't spend time beating on a wall hoping to transform it into a door"

...and it spoke so very loudly to me. So I did what I needed to do...I told everyone I knew I was looking for a new job. Why that? ...because we all know, in today's world it Is who you know, and I have some amazing friends who know Lots of people. I got quite a bit of feedback(love my Sav friends!) , but I really didn't jump on any leads until one...from one my most wonderful sources of inspiration and.......I got the job!!!! I have tried to be very even keel about it, but I will let you know, I.Am. Stoked. I am Not looking forward to the longer commute (40 min as opposed to 8) but I immediately fell in love with the job and most importantly, the warm feeling I got from my co-workers to be. It was refreshing. I am looking forward to be in a role that I can support and be supportive. I am feeling very blessed!

Giving my notice was hard simply because I know I leave my current place in a huge lurch and I honestly care for them.  But it felt so good to give that notice, this has been weighing on my mind for 4- 5 months.  I have been praying for the right thing to happen for me and I feel it is happening, now my prayers are that they find the right person for the job. I feel confident there is someone out there who would fill this role perfectly.  It was hard for me to let it go for alot of reasons, none of which really have to do with money, to be honest, I feel defeated in some ways, it really was too for me to handle....but...I learned so much about myself from this job and I am coming out feeling pretty darn strong...and that is a great feeling.  I feel so very much at peace. I have done the right thing for my sanity and for my family. Phew..that was 14 months of Interestin  ;) So there you have the where I have been!  I fully expect to be busy in my new role, but there is no way it can be as mentally & emotionally exhausting as my previous job. And I welcome my new challenges and look forward to growing in this role.

And since I just cannot have a blog post  without sharing a photo...back to doors! ( I could have taken a picture of my fav Coco Channel parfume..but I don't have any! I am currently in Love with Tocca Brigitte- its 1 of my favorite things!...link below!) So doors it is!

 

Savannah has some Beautiful doors and you should know, I have no qualms about snapping pictures of people's front doors, especially at Christmastime. This simply beautiful set of classic red doors belongs to the Lutheran Church of the Ascension.  Which is such a beautiful church on the inside as well, if you are even in The SAV check it out!  Their Christmas door decor is simple, pure & just lovely.  And of course it has a meaning....2 doors...2 openings...more on That later ;)

 

Have a wonderful week!

 

 

 

 

                  Blessings to you all!

Tocca Brigitte Parfume
http://www.sephora.com/brigitte-P221135

Back From Outer Space With a Sandwich

...so here I am! Alive & still kicking...I have been so insanely busy I feel like I have spent the past few months on a strange planet, I can hardly believe I have any kick left, but I do! So much has gone on- its insane, it would take me weeks to catch y'all up on Everything so my quick update for you- myself, my hubby & boys are all well & healthy- for that I count my blessings daily!  I certainly hope this post find you, my bloggy friends, well and recovering from Thanksgiving festivities with friends & family. I am enjoying reading all your Thanksgiving posts.

   Our family hosted a lovely little Thanksgiving for some friends of our oldest sons from college. It is always nice to bring a little piece of home to these kids so far from home.  We enjoyed ourselves and ended the evening feeling Really old. And really warmed by these kids, excuse me, young adults and their outlook on life. I know people my age who don't have it as put together as these kids...ack-er-young adults!

   Of course I made lots of food & now have lots of leftovers, I think I prefer leftovers to the actual dinner! We have made the turkey sandwich a meal atleast once a day and I always chuckle at how differently we all eat our sandwiches. The items on the counter for the sandwich making include pepper, Old Bay, Slap Ya Mama cajun spice, salami, bacon, Miracle Whip, mayo, ketchup, dijon mustard and cheese. One of my children has attempted to put all of the above listed items on one sandwich. He swears it was tasty- I simply stood by with the Pepto.

This year I made the Best darn turkey sandwich Ever!

   Keep in mind I am not a food photographer- so this picture does it no justice, but trust me- its awesome.  The ingredients are simple and pretty much a smathering of Thanksgiving leftovers...potato bread, turkey, stuffing (warmed of course) bacon and cranberry sauce. (this year I made the Lemon Cranberry Sauce from the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Clean Eating magazine- recipe to follow) with some Smart Balance light mayo & Emeril's New York deli mustard. I cannot believe I have never thrown these ingredients together before to make a sandwich! It was a whole Thanksgiving meal between 2 slices of bread. Awesome!

 

Here is the Lemon Cranberry Sauce recipe. You can make this up to 5 days in advance, so its great for those of us trying to save time anywhere & anyhow.

 

Ingredients....

1 lemon
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup sucanat (I used agave nectar because I had it in my cupboard)
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, add cranberries, agave, salt and half a lemon zested. Bring the mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes until cranberries just start to burst. Now is great time to taste it to check out the sweetness factor. Remove from the heat and let cool. Place in a sealable container and put in the fridge until you are ready to serve. When it’s time to serve, place the cranberry sauce in a pretty dish with one final topping of fresh lemon zest...so simple and so tasty.

I hope y'all are well!
More to follow!!

Settling in Suburbatory

...I grew up in the Boonies. Not as far removed from society & such as some, but a good 15 + minutes to anything remotely populated. While I loved the 10 beautiful acres we lived on (and mowed & gardened) I hated it. I used to wish my dad would move us to a real neighborhood, one where mail was delivered to your front door (not 1/4 of a mile down the dirt road) one where there were sidewalks and people came to our house for Trick or treating not us driving to find a neighborhood. One where my friends could come over whenever, not when my parents or their parents could take the time to drive us around.
   Life with the Hubs has taken us to different housing situations. We have had the quiet neighborhood- no sidewalks but the mail came to the front door, kids trick or treated at our door. The country living - close enough to town but far enough that the sky was pitch black at night. The duplex style home smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood. And now- after searching for a home forEver- we settled on a house in surburbatory. And I have learned that I don't belong in the suburbs. I in no way mean this as a jab at my neighbors, who for as close as we all live to one another, I do not know, but I am sure they are nice people. (although I am still unsure of the woman who sits in her garage all day smoking- my Hubby calls her our back-up ADT) And my little "hood" is decent. It's safe. It's close to where we need to be. The house fits us. And for these things I am Absolutley Thankful. My problem with living here is that I feel absolutely stymied creatively. I feel completely boxed in. We have a nice yard, and a beautiful privacy fence that separates us from the woods (& the creek where the gators live...). But in the mornings when I look out on my backyard & that fence, I can't help but think of good ole Bing singing "Oh give me land lots of land under starry skies above, don't fence me in".
   I crave something more spontaneous and not so planned. I crave wildflowers, not manicured flower beds. I crave sitting outside on a warm evening and not hearing people next door talking. I feel no photographic inspiration walking around mile 2.2 mile loop. Zilch. Zero. Zip. And the house. O the house. It is a good little house....but it too lacks individuality.
   Luckily for me (and my dear sweet hubby who has worked so hard to provide for us and just does NOT need to hear me whine about these things) I live in a cute little town, a cute town full of neighborhoods Just Like Mine- but cute nonetheless. And I live in a town that just a stones throw from my home in Suburbatory is this.......

    This makes me forget all about those fences! This gorgeous sunset view is attached to this piece of land....

   .....which is completely out of my price range at the moment. But oh just looking at this makes my creative juices flow! So until then, I will love my little house tucked in with all the others and I will make it a place where I will bloom and one day some other woman will step outside and admire the beautiful roses I have planted, the bottlebrush trees I nursed back to health and all the little things I do to make this more my home.

Happy Monday to you all.

For Sanity's Sake- I Am Back!

   Has it really been 5 months, almost 6, since I have sat & blogged? Sigh....it has. While I have indeed kept up with all of you (I find that I log in to read your blogs more than I log on to Facebook or even my personal e-mail & you have been my respite on busy days) I have faded away from the blogging world. Ladies, Life has been busy..busy is good. And I do take busy as a Blessing. But I miss This.

   So let me fill you in! Yes, as some of you know, I Finally got a job. (Cue the angels singing please). I was so very blessed to have a wonderful friend step in on my behalf and place herself in front of my prospective employers and say...well, I don't know exactly What she said, but they hired me. (11 months of job-searching thank you Dear Friend!) And I love the job. Professionally, it was a huge leap for me- I am not trained in this field (law), it has been a learning experience for sure. Thank goodness I like to learn! Personally, it has been an experience. I have found myself asking God for much guidance. It is all a learning experience and I have learned more about myself than I ever anticipated.  But I love the job and am super excited to get to begin something with it that is more related to my business background and my love of real estate. And can I mention- I Love, Love, Love having an excuse to buy wear cute shoes! (although my hubby does not seem to think that Wellies really qualify as work shoes....I am working on finding a way to show to him that indeed they do!)

   Of course the Job means less time from home...way less time from home...which makes me sad. I have managed work my hours so that I am home in time to cook dinner every night (this is a Big Thing for Me & our family) but...the creative side of me is suffering. I went months without really taking pictures. My sweet hubby noticed this and surprised me with a new camera, which I hate to say, I have used twice. But I love the gesture- what a man!

   My Famile: the Hubby, Man-Cubs & fur-babies all remain well..they are healthy & happy and I could not ask for more! We are less than 2 months from our oldest son's highschool graduation, a thought which honestly as I type the words kid of makes my heart feel heavy. I have attempted once to shop for a dress for me to wear to his graduation and I left Macy's in tears. I may be a wound a little tight....ya think? Man Cub 2 is itching for that driver's permit- I am reluctant, I have seen him on a riding mower. It wasn't pretty.

  So, there is the update. And now, the Plan..I have realized that for my sanity's sake, I need to cook, I need to snap pictures and I need to write...and as I fastly approach Thirty Eight (gulp) I need to start making me a priority...so you will see me around again ;)

(Speaking of pictures........

.....you know I can't Not post atleast 1 picture! This was taken on St. Patrick's Day in Savanna, Ga. An absolutely gorgeous day, and an absolutely fantastic place to celebrate St. Patrick. Enjoy!)

   Ta Ta For Now!

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

        I often have people tell me my pictures are beautiful and that I am so lucky to live in such beautiful places. Honestly...I don't think I am lucky to live in amazing places...I think I am blessed to see the beauty in where-ever it is I am. I owe the desire to capture that beauty on film to my Grandpop...to the eyes that see that beauty...God gave me those & for that I am thankful. Those eyes let me see this view not with fear of the storm that was rolling in with those clouds, but in awe of the beauty that was right then.

 May your days be seen with eyes wide open!
Happy Wednesday!

Goin To The Chapel & We're Gonna Get Married...

   Before you read Click Here :) it makes reading this so much better!
    Hold your horses....it's not me...my wedding day happened 18 years ago...but 2 very dear friends to my Hubby & I are Goin to the Chapel and they're gonna get marriiiieeed and I could not be more excited and I really restrain myself from launching into this song every time I see the Bride to Be!
    First of all I must tell you- I love...LOOOVVVEEEE this couple. It's very rare that the Hubs & I both really latch on to and really like a couple..both of them.I know I don't need to explain that...I know y'all know what I mean.  But this couple- we both just adore. They are, as my mother would say, Good People. They just blew us away when they asked that we stand with them and witness as they exchange their vows. We are so honored, and so very excited to see them tie the knot! So the wedding planning has commenced! And in my helping this bride to be come up with idea for dresses, flowers and such, I have figured something out...there is a reason God did not give me daughters, and this it. Wedding planning. O my gosh- I would be a Holy terror to a daughter and to my hubby's checkbook if I had to marry a daughter off! There. Are. So. Many. Wedding. Pretty. Pretties! How on Earth do Brides decide on just ONE bouquet? Just ONE cake. Just ONE dress? Shoes...hairdos..churches...Aaaaaaaa. It's all so pretty, I want it all!
    Now I got married in 1993 & we had a very small wedding. A very small, very quick window to plan it and get it done. (My hubby likes to tell people he had to marry me quick before I changed my mind) For months before we actually set a date (like 2 weeks from the day that we set the date) I had all the bridal magazines, I had an idea of all the pretty pretties...but lemme tell ya bridal magazines vs Pinterest. Pinterest Wins. And it is Pinterest that has thrown me into a Wedding Frenzy.
    To prove my case...just for the fun of it....go to Pinterest...search wedding...and then I will see you in a few days. I sure hope my son's future brides are ready for me! I got plans people! And say a prayer for my friend..I am trying not to Overload her inbox with ideas and colors and suggestions, like since she has two locations in mind, I think we can swing two separate ceremonies. That's not overkill is it??

I will take them all please! (photo via Pinterest)

So Pretty! (photo via Pinterest)

Have a beautiful day!