Vintage Photoshoot~~sneak peek!!

OH MY GOODNESS~~~~
today was a DREAM!!


Remember that little giveaway I WON a few weeks ago??
Well, today was the PHOTOSHOOT and boy was it F-U-N!!!!

My friend Jena came to help me get *ready*.

I DID MY HAIR IN CURLERS and it was only 9am!!

I LISTENED TO RAY CHARLES ALL MORNING LONG!

I PAINTED MY FINGERNAILS BRIGHT RED!

I GOT READY WITHOUT ANY LITTLE CHILDREN AROUND ME!!

(that alone was a treat)!!

Here's a sneak peek.....JUST WAIT til you see the rest!!!!

JOLYN IS AMAZING!! So laid back and easy to work with!
She set me right at ease and just did her thing while I fiddled around in my favorite room WITH ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS!

DID I MENTION HOW MUCH FUN I HAD!!!!???

THANK YOU JOLYN FOR THE SPECIAL DAY!!!!

I felt so.............YOUNG!!!!!!!!

"Wherever you go,
go with all your heart."
~Confucius

Facebook page

It's almost midnight and my toes are cold.

Should have started a fire tonight, but the sun warmed our plaster walls today and it hasn't felt too bad around here.....until now.

Just testing out something different tonight~~~I put together a facebook page for
Three Men and Their Ladies. Basically, it's going to be a glimpse into the

little things in life....the little sayings, the little doings, the little quotes, the little Little's.

You'll see it on the right if you scroll down a bit.

Good night all.....don't let the bed bugs bite....ugh, I can hardly say that anymore because there really ARE bed bugs all over the place! (NOT here, but I've been reading about them) gross!

"And if tonight my soul may find her peace in sleep,
and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower
then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created."
~D.H. Lawrence

Making Applesauce

I DID IT, MY FIRST YEAR MAKING APPLESAUCE WITHOUT MY MOM'S HELP!!!

I have the "youngest-of-8 children" syndrome in which I feel I can do no *difficult* thing without my Mother. And by difficult, I mean canning. To me, she is the MASTER, she doesn't have any instruction book she follows, she effortlessly flows from one task to the next until she has 200 quarts of applesauce sitting before her. I'm just along for the ride. Seriously.

But I decided I better grow up and this was the year I did.

Now, mind you, my two Amish nieces VOLUNTEERED to join me....or shall I say, rescued me.

It's a main point that they are Amish because they've been making applesauce/canning since they could use a knife, which was probably age 5. They instinctively know what they're doing.

I didn't even know how to cut the apple up without wasting 1/2 of it.

They kindly showed me.

And I watched carefully.

They came into my kitchen and told me what to do.

And I enjoyed every minute of it....THANK YOU ANNIE & BETTY, YOU WERE A BLAST to work alongside, you helped me learn a new thing today and gave me the confidence to do it! And you gave of your time and energy to stock OUR pantry....BLESS YOUR HEARTS!!!

Until next year.....

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees,
under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
~Nelson Henderson~

THE WINNER......

THANKS TO EVERYONE
who entered our 500th giveaway!!!

It was fun for me to put together and anyone that knows me knows I like me some fun!
In an awesome, wealthy world I would have sent EACH ONE of you this prize...I wanted to.

Every time someone else would enter, "oooh, I hope they win, that would be so sweet!" I would think.....especially when I could picture your homes and your children all snuggled in that cozy blanket! But alas, there can be only one!!

So here's how the winner was chosen:
random.org. I used "true random number generator."
entered number 1-84.

RANDOM NUMBER 62 WAS PICKED....

and the 62nd comment was from:

TERRI over at Consume Me from the Inside Out!!!
She also use to have a darling little store in town THAT IS MISSED SO MUCH called "Lulu and Tutz"!!

She lives HERE~~~

before I knew the person who lived here I did a post about this DREAM COTTAGE, because I would drive by it so often....just to find out it was Terri's parent's house!!!
SMALL LITTLE WORLD!!! Her parents have sinced downsized so her childhood home is now her adult home! So sweet!!!

SOOOO HAPPY FOR YOUR TERRI~~~
I'll deliver it to your home later this week!!!
(or if you drive by and see my car, just stop on in)!!!!

"Winter is the time for comfort,
for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand
and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home."

~Edith Sitwell~

social media addiction

I've been spending too much time on here.

It's been on my mind a lot lately, especially since our delicious and relaxing time away at the cabin last weekend....with no social media within reach,
(well it was in reach via my nephews iPhone and I checked in once and was disappointed in myself for even doing that).

I don't want this computer to be an idol.

A part of the definition of idol is~~~
"one that is adored, often blindly or excessively."

I want to "GUARD MY HEART ABOVE ALL ELSE FOR IT IS THE

WELLSPRING OF LIFE", (Proverbs 4:23)


TRUE LIFE is not found on here or anywhere else on this earth,

IT IS FOUND IN THE SECRET PLACES OF MY HEART...your heart!!!!!!!

So, later today I'm going to go buy a timer to set by my computer.
And when my time is up, then the computer goes off.
It's SO EASY for hours......HOURS to pass without realizing it.

Apparently my time doesn't mean much to me
because I've been handing it out for free for way too long!!!

If you'd like to read a beautiful article about this, a convicting one to be sure, you can click here. I would really encourage you to take the time to read it.

Here's a sample:

"I think that many young women become addicted to social media and neglect their families and children out of a God given desire to be loved, to have friends who care, to feel a sense of importance–to push away the feeling that we are invisible in this world of ours. The desire to be loved and known and validated is God-given. Yet, He intended for us to have real community where we are loved and have a place to fit with family–cousins, grandparents, parents, siblings."

"He slept a summer by my side,
he filled my days with endless wonder,

he took my childhood in his stride,

but he was gone when autumn came. "

~"I dreamed a dream", Les Miserable~

{{{500th POST GIVEAWAY}}}

~~THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED~~

It's hard to believe I started blogging about 3 years ago.

and it's even harder to believe
THIS
IS
MY
500th
POST....

(man, I *talk* alot....AND YOU READ ALOT)!!!!

It has become one of my favorite hobbies blending some of the things that are most special to me; writing, pictures, creativity, music, people, inner thoughts,
and THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE.....

all in one place!!!

SO TO CELEBRATE,
maybe YOU

could make some of this~~~

or perhaps some of this if you prefer~~~








pour it into this darling teacup~~~

with a few of these~~~

and a couple of these~~~

cozy up in this beautiful, huge cable knit blanket~~~

and read this inspiring magazine~~~

LEAVE A COMMENT,
any comment, (just be nice)
to be entered to win this cozy giveaway,
(if you become a NEW *follower* or share this post you can enter a second time)!!

THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED
ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

so check back then!!!!

"The best things in life are FREE!"

12 miles to Freedom.

I met a woman today that just saw her Mother for the first time in almost 2 years.

They live 12 miles from one another.

The decisions she and her husband have made to leave the Amish culture
has resulted in pain and rejection that many of us will never know.

I saw strength & courage in her eyes and heard the hurt in her voice, still thick with accent.

I don't understand it and yet it surrounds me.

This heritage that flows through my veins and has made me who I am today.


There is SO MUCH BEAUTY in it and yet there is a darkness that hides just below waiting to smother you or abandon you the minute you step out of line, out of tradition into a new longing for freedom.

I won't pretend to know what I'm talking about. All I know is what I see and what I journey through with those around me, those hurting souls that are in my circle of influence. Those men and women taking THE LEAP OF THEIR LIFE into the unknown.

New wardrobes.
New shoes.
New hair dos.

the basic items of identity are TRANSFORMED, can you even imagine the hidden places of the heart and mind that can't be seen by others? The SUPERNATURAL TRANSFORMATION that needs, (and will) take place right inside there? THE SOUL FREEDOM that takes years, possibly even a lifetime to sink in?

MARINATE IN FREEDOM AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS!!!

To any of "you" that may be reading this, to those of you that are in this place right now, (or have come out the other side) this DECISION MAKING TIME of turning your lives upside down and changing everything you've ever known.....I admire you more then words can even express.

There are moments when my personal desire for a deeper freedom is so intense and I'm not even dealing with the *superficial* aspects of it all.

Selling my horse and carriage for a car.
Teaching my children to speak English, (and not Dutch) when they are spoken to.
Contemplating the reactions of those around you that you love the most, your very Father and Mother.

You have COURAGE I will never know.

MAY ALL YOUR DESIRES FOR A NEW FOUND FREEDOM BE FOUND & CELEBRATED!!!

YOU

ARE

NOT

ALONE.

Dear Lord, let Your nearness be evident!!!

"He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of MANY WATERS. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD WAS MY STAY. He brought me forth also INTO A LARGE PLACE; He delivered me, BECAUSE HE DELIGHTED IN ME."
Psalm 18: 16-19

*song by Misty Edwards~~singing Isaiah 49*

1950's

WOW!! First of all, thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a little comment on Fridays post.....it's so interesting reading about who YOU are, (and I wasn't expecting all the kind words about this blog, so thanks for that TOO)!! Also, I've got some great new ideas of songs to download onto my ipod....thanks for sharing your favorite songs with all of us!!!!

So, a couple weeks ago I entered a contest here. Just one of those things you do on a whim, never thinking you'll actually win!!!! But, ALAS~~~I was the winner!!!!

Part of entering was sending the photographer a favorite picture of yourself, just YOU....and you won't believe it, (as much as we love to take pics around here)....I couldn't find a picture of JUST MYSELF that I liked, (they were all with Jake or with the children, or both).

THE PRIZE for this giveaway was a photoshoot with JUST YOURSELF and YOU have to come up with an outfit, a location and any props for the photoshoot.

Do you want to know my ideas?

I'm in my vintage kitchen on a beautiful sunny day,

with my favorite apron on and my big ol' mixing bowl in hand, vintage looking containers strewn about, or maybe I'm putting on a record on my new little record player or reading an old vintage magazine while drinking a cup of coffee at my kitchen table, then my vintage phone rings and I'm talking to my friend....
all the while, I'm wearing something like this~~~

or perhaps this beauty??

OOOOR, maybe this one.....

and I have on a string of pearls and high heels

and my hair looks like this....

and my lips look like these....

I don't know....maybe this is all a perfectly good waste of a perfectly good prize!!?? Maybe I should just be *practical* and not play dress up or pretend I'm something I'm not......

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

If you were in my black heels what would you do?

Remember, I get to pick~~~

1.)wardrobe.
2.) location.
3.) props.

"She glances at the photo,
and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes."
~Frank Deford~

A little bit about you

Sometimes I wonder who's out there reading this blog.

In all honesty it feels so narcissistic to me, probably because it is!
MY blog about MY life and MY family and MY stories and MY views.
I really do want to "offer" more then just pictures of our latest vacation
or thoughts about my favorite fabric softener, (which is Snuggle lest you wonder)!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Behind every click is a PERSON and I often think about who YOU are & where YOU might be and I'd love to know more about YOU this weekend.

If you have the time would you be so kind as to tell us all:

{YOUR AGE?}

{WHERE YOU LIVE?}

{YOUR FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME?}

***(feel free to stay annoymous)***

I think it might be cool to see who's all stopping by.

There are, according to google, 133 million blogs out there!! OH MY!!! And so I really do appreciate those that take the time to read my ramblings and the stories about our short life here on earth. I enjoy this little community "around my kitchen table" in blogland and am interested in knowing more about who you are!

“Yes, blogging is entertainment. It is performance.
Each blog post a show, sometimes an opera,
sometimes a 30 second commercial."
~Lorelle Van Fossen~

Birthday Tea

Last year during one of our barn sales there came a nice man.
He kindly asked me if the beautiful armoire was for sale,
(which was holding some of the linens). I said it was not. He turned and looked out to a car parked across the street and smiled faintly, shaking his head no. It was then that I saw this beautiful woman and realized that she probably sat in there with baited breath waiting for her man to come back with a resounding yes.

I felt bad.

And Jake didn't want to move that beast back into the house.

So as he waited to cross the street, I yelled out, "wait, never mind, I'll sell it!"
And the deal was made.

A few days later on a lazy Sunday afternoon this nice man and Jake moved said beast into their darling little home just a few blocks from here.

Days and months went by and I kept thinking of this nice couple and the fact that they lived so closely and that we weren't friends. And then one fateful day there came a comment on my blog post. Actually, it's This one . You get to read our first little conversation! xoxo.

And then one day I drove by and saw her outside with her adorable dog, wearing the cutest green jacket I ever saw, (she was wearing the jacket, not the dog)! I pulled my car in. I was wearing my "cleaning clothes", fresh from cleaning a home, with my 3 tired kids in tow. And she welcomed us in. And my children knocked things down in her nice, beautiful home. And I breastfed my baby on her couch. And we talked. And I left.

And we became friends.

And God smiled.

And then this year I had a birthday tea for her along with our other dear neighbor friend Jess, (whom I ALSO met at one of our barn sales several years ago)!! I'm sorry, you're probably over it, but I think it's awesome to meet new people and to actually GROW INTO FRIENDS is one of my favorite things. I felt such a kindredness with Jess from our FIRST TIME MEETING and that continues to this day.

And so, part of the reason I posted this blog today is because my friends are sick, (or taking care of sick ones)! Michelle isn't feeling well. And Jess's daughter is really sick too. (And this song by Frank is dedicated to you Michelle in honor of your recent escapade to the beauty herself~~NYC.....in which Jess & I were asked to be guests, but then Jess got a dog and I had to dress 3 kids for my brothers wedding....and our $$ was all gone)!!

So, dear friends, I hope remembering this day together and our friendship and the way we met will bring a smile to your face tonight!

xoxo from down the road.

OH, and here is Michelle's blog which you will enjoy because she is HILARIOUS and HAS A WAY WITH WORDS and she has WONDERFUL PICTURES because she's A PHOTOGRAPHER and is amazing at what she does!!

"I like her because
she smiles at me
and means it."
~Anonymous~

Tom and Becky's Wedding.

What a BEAUTIFUL DAY OF CELEBRATION!!
Not only of LOVE, but of LIFE and NEW BEGINNINGS!!
*you'll want to pause the music @ the bottom of this page*

"All I have needed Thy hands have provided;
GREAT is THY FAITHFULNESS, Lord, unto me."

Little cabin in the woods

We had a delightful time earlier this Summer with some dear friends of ours....friends that are cooler then the flip side of our pillow!
They have a beautiful cabin in the woods....perhaps it shouldn't be called that though,
because it's more like a HOME away from home.

We're not talkin' deer heads on the wall here....MaryJo works for Ethan Allen so that may give you a little idea as to what it looks like!! This is a yearly tradition so here's a glimpse of the place from last years post. And here's a post about a more "fancy" night we had together with our oldest children! Let's do it again MJ!!!
This particular day we went for a walk together when suddenly, from over the hill comes this Amish woman, probably mid 60's just running....fast!! As in, I'm out for a run to get some exercise, in her dress and all, big smile on her face, keeping great pace. You go girl!!!!
We were all a bit shocked.
Watch Out!!
It's HOT!! ;)
Making a HUGE dinner over the fire pit is a highlight of our time there!

doing what we do best~~

RELAXING AND LAUGHING
and letting the kids make a mess!!

Caught red handed!!!

Looking forward to enjoying this yearly tradition until we're not 'cool' anymore and our kids want to stay at home while we go! :(

"It is one of the blessings of old friends
that you can afford to be stupid with them." (and that we are!!)
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

OH, ONE MORE THING~~~THE 500TH POST FOR THREE MEN & THEIR LADIES IS AROUND THE CORNER SO IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME AGAIN,
CHECK BACK IN ABOUT A WEEK!!! FUN TIMES AHEAD!!!!