counting my blessings

Day 6 of 2015. The past few days have been, for the most part, low-key. Slowly but surely I am recovering from the whirlwind that is the Holidays.
I thought that it would be a good time to count/recap some of my blessings from the first few days of the year.
-I got to see two very different movies with my mom this weekend, Birdman & Big Eyes. We both liked the latter, & only I liked the former. Despite that, it is always nice spending time with my mom.
-A dear friend is arrived in Costa Rica on Monday to live for a few months. I was able to spend a few hours with her Saturday helping her pack, than I got to tell here good-bye on Sunday just before she left home. Praying for her while she is there.
-I got to visit a neighboring church & perform with my music group, Adoration, on Sunday. It was a wonderful time worshiping together with other than one's "usual" group.
-I have a couple of crochet projects that I am currently working on that I am pretty excited about.

What are are some things you are thankful for at this start to 2015?

Take care & God bless,

Welcoming in 2015

Here we are at the end of another year. I don't know about you, but I tend to get a little depressed around Christmas and New Year's. I have gotten better in the last couple of years when it comes to Christmastime, but I still have to fight melancholy when New Year's rolls around.
As I have gotten older, I recognize that this annual low mood has a lot to do with my issues with anxiety. The "commercial" build-up to New Year's, the thoughts of change, & loosing another year can lead me to feeling anxious, and anxiety leads to depression for me. But I am working on choosing a better outlook when it comes to a new year. Count my blessings & be thankful for all I have. Realize that another year means new experiences, new people, & time to grow.
What do you look forward to in 2015?
I hope you all have a wonderful & safe New Year's, & a blessed 2015!




Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. -Hebrews 13:8

thankful

I thought this would be a good time to express some gratitude.
I am thankful for the simple things such as warm pajamas, fuzzy socks, and fleece blankets. I enjoy a good mug of strong coffee to start my day, or a relaxing cup of tea to end it. But I always fancy my hot drinks in a fun cup. I enjoy holding it from the curved handle, or if I am cold, holding it in both hands to warm me up.
I am thankful for the changing seasons. I am glad to have the variety. So many of us enjoy the autumn time & what it brings. I am thankful for the colors, the slight chill in the air, & the smell of bonfires on cold nights.
I am thankful for family & friends. I am thankful for time spent in deep, thoughtful conversations that  then turn into pure silliness & giggles. I am thankful for where & what time I am living.  I am thankful for my Savior & His love.
What are you thankful for?
God bless!

what I love about fall

Here it is the second day of October. I am so excited about the changing season. It takes a little longer for the weather to get cooler here in North Carolina compared to other parts of the US. So we do take notice when the temperature does drop. There is something about the Autumn time that excites many people including me. Is it maybe something biological engraved in us so we will have motivation to start the harvesting & prepare for the coming winter?  I don't know. I, like many other girls, love Fall fashion. I am ready to wear scarves, sweaters, & cute boots. I love drinking hot drinks such as chai tea lattes and London fogs. Burning candles, warm blankets & cuddles from the fur babies while binge watching Netflix are some of my preferred ways to spend my free time during this time of year.
What are some of your favorite things about the fall time?
Have a wonderful day & God bless!

What if Money were no Issue?

Happy October 1, 2014, everyone! Wow, October. Two months away from Christmastime!? Yikes. Lets not get to far ahead of ourselves, Hannah! Let's just enjoy Autumn for now. It being the first day of the month, I am going to write about the prompt from the list I found,which is,"What would you do if you won the lottery?". Well, I don't play the lottery, so I do not see this happening, but I understand the purpose of this prompt. If I happened to come across a great sum of money, what would I do with it? Whenever I hear scenarios such as this my mind jumps to those reality t.v. shows about how winning the lottery ruined the winners' life. I try and keep in mind that money will not solve all the problems in a person's life. Money is merely a tool. And if I somehow acquired a great deal of "tools", I would like to be a good steward of what I am allotted.
For one thing, I don't think that I would be able to stop work in some capacity even if I had enough money to live on for the rest of my life. But, a wonderful benefit to having enough money is that you have more freedom to pursue an occupation you enjoy. With that freedom I would choose I job where I could be creative. Maybe I would even "flip" a couple of houses to re-sell. As to what I would do for fun; I once read that people find more happiness in spending money on experiences rather than material possessions. I happen to agree with this school of thought. This being the case I would do some travelling. Tokyo, most Europe, Cape Town, to name a few. And of course I would hope I would have the decency to use the money in helping others. I really love charities that help individuals with an occupation. A "teach a man to fish" type of thing. Such as charities that give sewing machines to under privileged woman so they can create merchandise, or donate farm animals for a family to raise and to sell the products.
I want to also remember to be prepared, and save some cash for a rainy day.
Well that is all I have the energy to think of at the moment.
What would you do in this case?
Have a wonder day & God bless!

25 things I learned in 25 years

I have been meaning to post this for over a month now. This past July I completed a quarter of a century of life. I am now 25 years old. Bam. I honor of my birthday, (over a month after the fact) I thought it would be a good idea to post 25 lessons I have learned in my lifetime. Now, I am not saying that I am perfect at practicing these facts I have learned. I have just found them to be true. And they are listed in no particular order. Here we go...
   1) Do not take yourself too serious
   2) It is better to give than to receive
   3) Show more gratitude
   4) Count you blessings everyday
   5) Take the time & effort to show others that you care about & love them. You never may know when it will be your last chance.
   6) Laughter is GREAT medicine
   7) Do not worry about having many friends, put the effort into quality friends
   8) It is good to break a sweat everyday
   9) Find a hobby that you love, & DO IT
   10) Try to take your experiences, especially the hardest one, and grow & learn from them
   11) DO NOT let bitterness into your life!
   12) When having a conversation, listen. Don't just wait to talk. (Thanks, Pulp Fiction)
   13) Sometimes is best to just shut up, Hannah!
   14) Do not let your expectations get in the way of enjoying the moment, or what actually happens
   15) You can't judge a book by it's cover
   16) Worrying is pretty much useless, & causes more trouble than it is worth
   17) Always be polite
   18) There is no reason not to show kindness
   19) Make whatever life gives you an experience
   20) Try to encourage others as often as possible
   21) But, you cannot please everyone (some people are impossible to please)
   22) Start my day in prayer & scripture
   23) Be patient with others because you do not know what they are going through
   24) Making others happy will lead to your own happiness
   25) Forgiveness is more for the one who was wronged more than it is for the one who committed the wrong

God Bless!

high 5 Friday

Happy Friday Everyone! How was your week? I hope it was great. How was mine? Pretty nice..

1) Mother's Day. It is always nice that we take time to remember & be thankful for our moms! I love my Momma dearly.

2) Baking cookies is one of my favorite hobbies. I love it! I love trying new recipes & techniques. It is hard to beat a fresh, made-from-scratch cookie. Recently I discovered a new technique for baking cookies. Oh joy! So excited! I will post more about this in the future ;)

3) Earlier this week one of my "adopted" brothers (who is a member of our music band) return home for the summer from college. He spent a few hours at the house laughin' & jammin' with the fam :)

4) Referring back to Mother's Day; we had a Sunday dinner with the family in honor of our moms. It is wonderful when you can enjoy good food & good times with loved ones. (We are Baptist; We love to eat).

5) I love the warmer evenings. It is so relaxing when you can spend time out on your porch taking in creation.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Try the link party :)

God bless!

high 5 Friday

Hello dearies! Happy Friday to you all! I hate that I have been slacking on my blogging. I want to write more than just once a week. I will try to do better.
I hope you have all had a wonderful week. I know I did. Here in North Carolina, the temperatures have been pushing 90°F. Summer is coming. Surprise! I don't like being out in when it is super hot, but I have been enjoying taking the dogs for walks in the morning before it gets hot. The temperatures have been ideal for me in the mornings.
Are you ready for Mother's Day? Don't forget it is coming up this Sunday. Remember to do something special for that special lady that you are blessed enough to call "Mom" (or whatever you call her).

Week in review

1) My grandmother (a.k.a Nina) turned 80 years-old this past Monday. We celebrated her birthday by having a family & friends over for a semi-outdoor lunch. The weather was beautiful & there was a lot of love shown to my grandmother. I am glad she had such a nice time.

2) I have really enjoyed my Julep Maven subscription. I have been going through a nail polish crave in the last few months, & Julep has been helping get my fix. I am really loving this beautiful blue polish I received in this month's box, called Jeanne. It is a happy, summery, robin's egg blue. So fun.
If you are interested in subscribing to Julep Maven, click here.


3) We have had a nice taste of summer before it gets too hot. Perfect time to rock the shades.

4) I finished shopping for my Mom's Mother's Day gift, yeah!

5) I am glad that I have a plan for what I will fix for Mother's Day lunch. I found a similar recipe on-line: Chicken Eugene from allrecipes. I think this is a predominantly "Southern" dish. I have only tried it with the dried corn beef, chicken breast & cream of mushroom soup. I have never used beacon & sour cream in this dish, but I am sure it is delicious. It is simple to prep & I can put it in the oven before I leave for church & it will be done be the time we are back home. It is a wonderful recipe for inexperienced cooks. I serve the chicken over rice & with steamed broccoli.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Have a wonderful weekend! 

God bless!

high 5 Friday

Happy Friday People! I hope you are enjoying the beginning of May 2014. Let's review my top five highlights of the past week, shall we?

1) I was able to have a little jam session with one of the bros this Sunday afternoon, after church. It is always nice to make music! I played my ukulele & he played his guitar. I need to post a video of his playing. My brother is an uber talented guitarist!


2) From Monday, until Thursday morning our area was on high alert for a severe thunderstorm. This storm had done some horrible damage, even costing some lives in other parts of the country. The weather experts were predicting that we would have sever thunder storms, hail & tornadoes. We were all on the lookout and preparing. I mowed my grandmother's like a wild woman I went so fast. My dad prepared the lawn for rain. All my area saw was a light shower Wednesday night.
So I am thankful we were spared a terrible storm.

3) My mom had a successful cataract surgery last week, and received a good bill of visual health from my boss, an optometrist, Yesterday at her post-op. Hurray for good vision!

4) I finished watching the first season of the British reality show An Idiot Abroad. This is a travel show that follows someone, Karl Pilkington, who never travels & captures his reactions & utter confusion to the new cultures he experiences. I watched most of the episodes by myself & would laugh out loud. I love Karl. He makes the funniest observations. Being a Southerner, I feel that Karl is the British equivalent of what is know around here as a "good ol' boy". I also watch the show just to hear Ricky Gervais' awesome laugh.

5) I have been looking forward to celebrating my grandmother's 80th birthday this weekend. I am hoping for a nice time with friends & family!

How was your week? Any fun weekend plans?
Check out some more high fives from the past week on Lauren Elizabeth's blog!

God bless,

being thankful

I haven't been crocheting a lot lately (or not enough to write a post about), nor have I taken many photos. But while I was riding in my Jeep I decided that I should write a post of gratitude. It does a body good to express gratitude. I know I don't do this nearly enough.
Now, I am not one of those weird people who is never in a crabby mood & acts like everything is wonderful. I have my regular moody moments. And I know that things can get pretty horrible and you need to have a crying/screaming moment or two. Life is not always wonderful, but I have learned from experience that it is good to take time & smell the roses and be thankful for them.
Here are just a few things I am grateful for:

• My mom had a successful cataract surgery. I am thankful that all went well with that.
•  I was able to spend time singing and laughing with my brother & a dear friend the other night.
•  I am thankful that we have had some nice rain to clear the air of pollen (the pollen where I live can be pretty hardcore).
• I am thankful for the longer, warmer days.
•  I am thankful for what Christ did for me & what this past Sunday represents.
• I am thankful for where I am, & at what time in history I live. 
• I am thankful for the peaceful quiet times, and the loud & crazy times.

What are some things you are thankful for?

"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:18
 
 God bless!

high 5 Friday

Happy Friday lovely people! I hope you all had a beautiful first week of April. It has been a wonderfully sunny week here in N.C.. I just noticed yesterday that there is that oh too familiar yellow/green layer of pollen covering all the vehicles in view. I am sorry allergy sufferers :-/
But in keeping things light & happy, here are my five favorite happenings from this past week:

1. I saw the movie God's Not Dead on Tuesday night. It was a wonderful film. I, as a Christian, highly recommend it. It was so uplifting, & it blessed me that evening. I really made me think of this verse: So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. -Matthew 10:32-33


2. While mowing my grandmother's yard, I barley missed running over this baby bunny. He was so sweet & precious. I am so glad that my aunt knows someone who was able to keep him until he is ready to be on his own.


3. I loved the colors in my April Julep Maven box! I have been using the blush I received for the last couple of days. I am hoping to paint my nails with the polish this weekend.


4. The Dogwood trees around my house are starting to bloom. I wouldn't say that Dogwoods are my favorite tree, but I do really love them.You know Easter time is on it's way whenever you see dogwood flowers in the South. I have heard people use the Dogwood to tell the story of the crucifixion. The flower has four petals, like the four sides of a cross. The flower has a center that looks somewhat thorny (representing the crown of thorns). And the most common color of the flowers' is white (Jesus washes you whiter than snow). 


5. I had my yearly physical this week (which is not fun) & received a clean bill of health (good to hear). I am not trying to brag, but am trying to show gratitude for the fact that I am, at this moment, healthy. I have many friends & family who are not blessed with good health, & I realize that we are not promised a lifetime full of health. Most people I know, & probably most people you know, have died do to failed health. I try to keep in mind that my hardiness is not infinite & I should appreciate what I am blessed with right now, & know that it can flee at any moment. 

Remember to check out Lauren Elizabeth's blog, & see her post & link-up list of other's blogs (&/or link your blog to the list!).
God bless!

March 2014 instagram roundup

March seemed to fly by relatively smoothly for me. Nothing too exciting nor too stressful. The fam & I watched the season finale of The Walking Dead last night, & when one watches a T.V. show like that, your life can start to look pretty stress-free in comparison.
As for my area in N.C., I think that winter is behind us (thank goodness). The next couple of days should be sunny and warm (must take more pictures). I am a big fan of the month of April, & I am happy it is that time of year again.You know the best date is April 25th? (insert Miss Congeniality reference).
How was March for you? An favorite moments?
God bless!

high five for Friday

Happy Friday, peeps! I hope you all have had a wonderful week, and or have a fun weekend ahead of you. We have made it to the last weekend of March 2014! Can you believe it? I don't know how the weather has been in your neck of the woods but around here it seems that when ever we take one step forward with a nice sunny, spring like day, we then take about two steps back soon after that with cold and wet days following. I recently discovered a blog by Lauren Elizabeth. I have really been enjoying her site. She has a link-up party every Friday, High Five Friday, where she lists her 5 favorites of the past week and gives other readers the chance to link-up their blog and share their 5 favorites. I thought this is a great & fun idea, so I decided to participate this week. Be sure to check out Lauren's blog to see her High Five Friday, & a chance at discovering some new blogs to enjoy. 1. My little brother & sister-in-law treated us to Smashburger Monday night as a very sweet thank-you gesture for helping them move into their new house. Smashburger is a delicious burger joint, with a very cool atmosphere. My whole family thinks this place has some of the best, if not, the best burgers we have ever tasted. Their burgers are made from fresh, 100% Angus beef, and the burgers are prepared a ton of different ways!  When you have a taste for one, there is not much that can beat a good burger! ( I would have taken a photo of the hamburger, but I ate it too fast. You'll have to settle for this cool sign instead). 

2. Here is another food reference, hehe. I purchased this gelato by Talenti at my local grocery store the other day out of pure curiosity. To the best of my knowledge, I have never tried gelato (aka: Italian ice cream) before. Yummy! I bought two pints; Sicilian pistachio (seen below), & sea salt caramel. Both of these flavors are delicious & super creamy, & the ingredients taste very fresh. This is a little pricey treat, I paid about $4 for each pint (so I will save my next purchase of Talenti for a "special" occasions), but it is super tasty. I have taken my time and held back the urge to devour the whole container in one sitting.  I ate about 1/3 to 1/2 each pint in a sitting at a time over the past week. The lid is a screw-on, therefore resealable. I finished the pistachio first, cleaned it out & have been using the container to store cotton swabs in my bathroom. So,, really the $4 was an investment in bathroom storage ;)

3. My sweet little maltipoo, Owen, had a haircut recently, & this has been very beneficial in our cuddle time. Less stinky hair

4. I am loving all of the new blooms. My dad loves flowers. He planted a ton of hyacinths last year, & they have started to pop up all over the yard. I love the deep blue color of most of the flowers, & and the surprise pop of the fuchsia hyacinths that are scattered amongst them.


5. My last favorite of the week is this Youtube channel I rediscovered the other day. The channel is The Tommy Edison Experience. Tommy, who has been blind since birth, explains his perspective on life and certain experiences as a blind person. He talks about his childhood, how he doesn't understand what colors are, & explains how he can function without sight. He has a great sense of humor: he has a video of him making play-doh sculptures, guessing the color of scented markers, & he even shows how he uses Instagram. Yes, you can follow a blind man on Instagram (check it out)!  He really makes me smile. I love his outlook on life & his great personality. You should check out his channel!



Have a great weekend!
God bless!

27 Springs

I am so happy that we are having some beautiful weather these first days of spring! This year has been a much colder March then we are used to here in North Carolina. It has given us a greater appreciation for a mild, sunny day.
Another thing I am thankful for is that today is my parents' 27th Wedding Anniversary. Since they were married on this day their anniversary and springtime has become synonymous in my mind. I try not to take for granted the fact that I do have parents that are still together. This is quickly becoming a novelty in today's society. Their marriage has been a great blessing in my life, & the lives of my brothers'. I wish them another 27 years of marriage!

Happy Anniversary to mom & dad!
A happy spring 2014 to you!
God bless!

Some random facts...

I was in need of  inspiration for a post idea, so I thought that a random facts about me post would be a good idea {in the least narcissistic way possible ;-)}. So,,, let's get to it.

-I am a first born {yikes}. I have two younger brothers, Jordan, who is 11 months younger than me, & Jamison, who is 3 1/2 years younger. I would say we are pretty close. We have our sibling spats every now & again, but I would say they are two of my closest friends.

-One of the first things I notice about a person (if it is possible to see) is if he/she is right, or left handed (if you are ambidextrous; my mind is blown.) . For some reason, I find men more attractive if they are left handed. I am not the only one, my cousin thinks the same way.

-My current favorite Pandora stations are All Sons & Daughters, good acoustic Christian music, & Patrick Sweany, modern (& some classic) American blues.Until I was about 12 years old, I wasn't allowed to listen to secular, non-Christian music. The first ever secular album I had was Queen's News of the World (released in 1977).  My taste in music does differ from many my age. Once, I was wearing a Beatles t-shirt & a man asked "Can you even name all those guys on your shirt?" "Absolutely" I answered, "McCartney, Lennon, Ringo & George", pointing to each face. The man smiled and said "I see a lot of kids wearing old shirts like that & they have no idea who the people on them are". I told him "I'm 'legit".   

-If I stumbled upon Shawshank Redemption playing on television, no matter how far a long it is in the film, or the fact that I have see it numerous times,  I have to watch it until the end. Great movie.

-My family & I share four animals, 2 dogs & two cats:

These four furry creatures bring a lot of entertainment & laughter to our house.

I have been told by friends and strangers that I look like Anne Hathaway. It's the eyes, & maybe in some of my mannerisms. I don't know if you can see it from a photography alone.  

-I am a coffee lover. I enjoy every sip of my daily cup of Joe. I do try to limit my consumption to 2-3 cups of coffee a day. If I go over that limit I get jittery. From what I understand, the first person who introduced me to coffee was my great grandmother. My mom told me that when I was a toddler, my grandmother would take a tiny cup-package that you get of half & half at restaurants & add a couple of drops of coffee to the creamer and would sneak it to me to drink. 

-I, with millions of others, love Netflix. I could go into more detail, but I thought I would instead post a video of Gary Gulman's monologue about Netflix. Why? Because, 1) I love Gary, & want to share his wit with the world, & 2) because he feels the same way I do about Netflix & describes it better than I would. enjoy!

That is all I have for now!

Have a great day & God bless!

St. Patrick

I am not Irish nor Catholic, and I am not one to "party", so St. Patrick's Day has never been a very big Holiday in my book. But I have heard the story of St. Patrick and am very impressed with his willingness to serve the LORD & how he showed forgiveness to those who wronged him. I felt that it would be good idea to share a brief history of the real St. Patrick. I am posting a short video about him below. Also, I wanted to add something that the commentator leaves out, the reason why the shamrock is synonymous with this day is because, St. Patrick used clover (with three leaves, not four) to explain the Trinity to the pagan Druids of Ireland.
Here is a short video if you are interested in hearing a detailed story of the real Patrick:


I hope you have a wonderful day!
God bless!
hannaH

Forget about Winter, Spring is coming..

Here we are at the second weekend in March 2014. I definitely have spring fever! ("I have a fever, & the only prescription is more cow bell". Am I the only one who thinks that when they hear the word fever?) The weather has been cold and wet this past we, but the experts are forecasting a sunny weekend with spring like temperatures for my part of North Carolina. Oh joy!
I don't have anything on my calendar, expect breakfast out with my brothers for tomorrow, & church on Sunday followed by a choir boot camp (it is not as intimidating as it sounds).
I will try and be disciplined and take some pretty pictures for the blog this Saturday & Sunday since the weather will be beautiful.
I am really enjoying my first attempt at Tunisian crochet. I am so excited at all the new creative possibilities!
What are your weekend plans? I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
God bless!
hannaH

February (& January) 2014 in instagram

It is hard to believe that the first two months of 2014 have past. There were a couple of unusual (for my area) snow storms in the last two months. Around here everything closes down if there is a light powdering on the ground, and we have a vacation day. My family and I had 3 snow days off work in February and enjoyed playing in the snow, watching netflix, eating snow cream (see recipe) and other winter treats. But even with all this winter fun, I am looking forward to spring. We had a little taste of it last week. There are some early flowers starting to bloom, birds singing their lovely songs, and warmer temperatures.
How was February for you? Did you have a taste of the winter storm on the east coast?
In my crochet life, I have added some rows to my ripple afghan and all but finish a shell stitch cowl I for my mom. All the cowl needs is to connected the edges and it will be complete (photos to come).
I hope you all had a great February, and will have a wonderful March!
God Bless!
hannaH
P.S. If you are interested, you can follow me on instagram & see all my pics!