Month: January 2016

White Pottery

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Developing a collection of anything can be quite fun. The joy of the hunt for particular items. The excitement of finding a piece to add to your collection can be addictive. Then the satisfaction of displaying for enjoying your collection makes the effort worthwhile. One of my favorite collections is white pottery. I love white dishes, vases, bowls, sugar and creamer sets, etc.  The contrast of the white and the painted or darker background is just beautiful. Sometimes the intricate detail or the curves of a piece really speaks to my creative side. I have purchased my collection online, in stores (for example Horchow, Dillards, Mikasa, and Tuesday Morning), antique shops, Goodwill, and many more. You would be surprised where you can find additional pieces for you collection. Here are a few pictures of my favorite pieces in my collection.

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Items in a collection do not have to be perfectly matched. In the picture above, the sugar bowls, a creamer, and gravy boats are partnered based on the color.

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In this photo, I mixed two collections, white pottery and brown transfer ware. (I LOVE brown transfer ware, too.)

The only don’t in a collection is to not over do it. Too much of a good thing, can sometimes look messy. I have bought pieces that I later donated to Goodwill. I keep my absolute favorites. The main idea is to have fun with your collection. Happy collecting!

Pancake Goodness

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breakfast served

Almost every Saturday morning, I make my youngest son’s favorite breakfast, Pancakes. He loads the down with syrup and really enjoys eating his breakfast. I started to worry about all of the sugary sweetness and lack of nutrients in his breakfast, so I decided to change things up a bit. I am still making his pancakes. However, I added rolled oats to the mixture to provide more fiber and nutritional value to the breakfast.  Now, if I can get him to cut back on the syrup. Perhaps, once a week is not so bad.

Below is my recipe for making these pancakes. They are delicious as taste like regular pancakes.

2 cups any brand complete pancake mix

1/2 – 1 cup ground rolled oats (I grind them in my mini food processor. I recommend that you start with 1/2 cup. I like more rolled oats in ours.)

1 1/2 – 2 cups of water (One and a half cups of water will make the pancakes thicker. Add water to your liking.)

2 teaspoons of sugar.

Mix all ingredients.

Cook on the griddle and then voila…

rolled oats pancakes

Here are the rolled oats that I used.

Rolled oats

Enjoy your rolled oats pancakes. You can add fruit, jam, etc. I love them, too, with just a little dab of butter and syrup.  This is a great way to start the day. I hope that you have a “marvalous” Saturday.

My Favorite Hair Styling Tools

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Sunday morning, I looked down upon my favorite paddle brush for my hair. If it could have talked, it would have said “I’m done.” Quite a few of the bristles were bent and after 4 years of use, the time had come to say goodbye. Honestly, I used the brush way past its life expectancy. It is recommended to replace your hair brush when worn or every 1-2 years. However, mine worked quite well over the past few years. The bristles felt great against my scalp and detangles like a charm. I cannot even imagine using another brush. So I made a special trip to the Aveda store on Sunday to purchase a replacement. I love the Aveda stores, the products, the scents, and the staff are great. Aveda is a blog-worthy topic all on its own.

After I arrived back home, I used the brush immediately. My scalp enjoyed every stroke. I will probably not wait as long to replace it again, as it felt remarkably better than the old one. The replacement paddle brush was welcomed into the collection of my favorite hair styling tools. Pictures above are the few combs that I use, as well.  The first comb on the left, whatever it is called, is great for loosely moving through curls. A professional stylist could probably tell you what it is called. The second comb is a pin tail comb,  which I use to create my long smooth swept bang look, to make perfectly straight parts, and for separating my hair for flat ironing and placing hair rollers. The fine tooth comb side of the pin tail is not for everyday use to comb through all of my hair. The comb on the far left I use to move hair conditioner through my hair. You can use the Aveda brush for that, but I do not want to get conditioner underneath the paddle of the brush. If you want more information on the paddle brush, check out the site below. It will be $25 “marvalously-spent” dollars.

Aveda wooden paddle brush, image copied from Aveda.com

http://www.aveda.com/product/5292/16651/Hair-Care/BrushesAccessories/Aveda-Wooden-Paddle-Brush/index.tmpl

 

 

Running the Race

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I mentioned in a previous post that I am getting serious about my running in 2016. To achieve this goal, I joined a running training program. I can visualize my goal and how great it will feel to run a 5K in March. I even look forward to joining my sisters in a race. However, the path to get there, although a straight one, will not be easy. I completed my first training session on Saturday with Luke’s Locker near White Rock Lake in Dallas. I was excited to see there were almost 20 in my group of beginners. Sometimes, it feels good to know that you are not alone. During our session, I started strong, got tired during the middle, and pressed hard at the end. It was only the 30 minute evaluation and most of it was walking! When I ran, I ran faster than my normal pace, which probably caused my deterioration in the middle and exhaustion at the end. However, I completed it. I completed it! (Needed to say that again.)

It is not so much important that completed, as much as with whom and how I completed it. I honestly made it to the end through prayer. I prayed at the start, again when it began to get hard, and then during the entire end to make it to the finish. I thought that this is how we should face any challenge. First, we should remember that God equips the called. Be confident in your God and what He plans to do through you. Therefore that challenge you are facing, know that God has prepared you for it. Second, pray for HIs guidance and trust that He will. Next, when it starts to get hard (and it will), pray and praise Him as you persevere. Then, when it so hard that you want to quit – really quit, pray without ceasing knowing that you will make it. After you have successfully navigated through the challenge that God set before you, PRAISE HIM!

I repeated the Saturday training, again on Sunday evening. It was still a challenge. Yet, I found it to be a little less challenging and I was able to run a bit farther and longer.  Whatever your challenges are that you are facing, know that you are not alone and remember this passage from Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV):

“1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Have a “Marvalous” Monday!

To learn more about the Luke’s Locker Training, go to the website below: http://www.lukeslocker.com/Training/