When It Rains...

Today is normally Pinspiration Thursday, but I'm sorry to say I'm just not able to deliver this week.  Y'all know that old saying, "When it rains, it pours?"  No, it doesn't just refer to salt.  It describes my life right now.  We've had some difficulties and disappointments come at us over the last couple of weeks, and I am working hard to just breathe deep.

We just got our tax refund and I was super excited because it means we are paying off a hospital bill from a procedure Littlest had in November.  No sooner did I settle in with my relief, then I got "the call."  You know the one...the scary kind from the nurse at your doctor's office?  This one was from my dermatologist's office and as it turns out, I need surgery on a spot I had removed recently.

Yikes, but okay.  It isn't melanoma, it's pre-melanoma.  So, surgery is a disappointing but necessary precaution, but not a terrible setback.

Then my sweet Hubs tore his ACL last Friday.  Poor guy, he was just playing aggressive basketball with a bunch of other old guys, who knew you could get hurt doing such things?  He will need an MRI and reconstructive surgery.  So, that's hard because we have the financial piece on top of the emotional piece; limited function in his knee is a big deal for him and for this active little family of ours.

And there have been a few other disappointments as well.

What to do when it isn't just raining, but pouring down on you?  I was wondering that yesterday morning when this devotional was delivered to my inbox.  Then a friend forwarded the same one to me.  And another friend texted me with similar encouragement, just when I needed it.  The hands and feet of Christ, at work. And each reminder is a moment where I was touched by Jesus, heard Him saying, "Michelle, you just need Me. You don't need to know what the future holds.  You don't need to have it all mapped out.  You just need Me."

My sweet friends, there is such peace in knowing Him and being anchored to Him. Keeping my eyes on Him, for my hope and my salvation, that's what has refreshed me today even as I walk through this valley.  I pray encouragement for each of you, too.

"When I said, 'My foot is slipping,'"

     your unfailing love, Lord,

     supported me.

When anxiety was great within me,

     your consolation brought me joy."

                                       ~Psalm 94:18-19

Paleo Sausage Balls (that actually taste good)

Hey what's up?

So my Whole 30 adventure has lead the Hubs and I in some excruciating exciting directions, food-wise. There've been some hits (hello, Italian Sausage Soup) and some misses.  One example is the BORING Paleo Sausage Balls recipes I have seen out there.  Maybe I'm super hard to please, but they all were just bleh.  So I made them better, and mine are Whole 30 compliant too. Here's my recipe (don't strain your brain, it's super challenging):

Ingredients:

Photo: Jimmy Dean

2 packages Jimmy Dean All-Natural Sausage (or equivalent)
3/4 C almond meal
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1.5 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients together with your hands, and form into balls.  Bake on cookie sheets for 20-25 minutes (mine took longer because they were kind of large).

Enjoy!

These were so good that I will keep using this recipe after the diet ends, possibly with the addition of cheese, assuming all goes well with reintroducing dairy.

Hope you love!

Almost Home

Today is Day 20 of my Whole 30.  Ten Days Remain. Just about three weeks in, and I am pretty proud that I have stayed true to the "rules:" no grains, no sugars or sweeteners, no dairy, no legumes, no canola or seed oils, trying to eat grass-fed meats and organic produce when I can.

For me, the real fun part will come when I start reintroducing food after Day 30, but I have a HUGE success to report already!  I have discovered that I am sensitive to foods in the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplants. I am still "testing" to figure out if I can have small doses of certain nightshades (small amounts of chopped up jalapenos?  A-OK), but I know for sure that large doses of tomatoes and some spices from peppers are causing wooziness, fog-brain, fatigue and headache.

Hallelujah!

Okay, so I am super bummed to have to avoid salsa, chili, and tacos.  SUPER BUMMED, do not get me wrong. Before Whole 30, I ate salsa every single day.  And on Whole 30, its hard to stay away from tomatoes, actually.  But it is so amazing, and so empowering, to know that I have the power to avoid my "tired days," just by avoiding tomatoes.  I have been living with these symptoms for at least 10 years, people.  This is an amazing discovery.

Why did it take the Whole 30 for me to discover this? Well, when you are eating tacos with tortilla chips, corn salsa, and a Corona, it is a lot less obvious what might be causing your symptoms.  So, even though I have mapped my foods and migraines before, it was impossible to make the connection.  With limited ingredients in my diet, it became a lot easier to see connections.

Also, I have brought this up to my doctor previously.  I told her I feel woozy after I eat tacos or salad, and she talked to me about my body processing carbs differently from the average person.  So, I cut out the MSG and called it a day.  I accepted the fact that eating salad makes me tired.  I don't blame my doctor; after all I think this is probably a pretty rare reaction. But I do offer you this encouragement, such as it is: if something feels off, it probably is.  There may be answers out there, that even your doctors don't have.  It's your body, you know it best!  Dig deep for the answers, it is worth it!

By the way, I have had some fun trying new recipes (it helps combat the agony of missing old foods.  Cheese plate, I miss you so.)  Tune in tomorrow for a Paleo Sausage Ball recipe that actually tastes good.

Pinspiration Thursday No. 7: Mixed Metals Jewelry Organization

Hello Lovelies!

Welcome to Pinspiration Thursday, where I am getting off my behind and acting out on some of these gorgeous pins.  This week I got all organizey about my jewelry.  As a jeweler, you would think I've been on top of this all along, but no, I had never given it the good ol' college try until now.  I tell all my clients to take off their jewelry at night and always put it in the same place.  Doing so will protect your jewelry and prevent it from getting lost.  It helps if you have a pretty place to keep it, right?

Here are my original Pins from my Organizing & Keeping Home board:

   

Photo: You Put It On

Photo: Whippy Cake

So pretty, right?  And my versions.  Some kind of bar to hold long necklaces? Check.

I used a towel bar we didn't need after our Powder Room Reno.

Tiny frame for my most important rings?  Check.  (Scroll down for a quick How-To).

Oh!  A bonus!  Framed cut-out metal for earrings?  Check.

Here's how the whole thing comes together, in my closet over my dresser:

Gold and silver and bronze (hello, Olympics) and sparkles and shiny pretty black, all smashed up together? I love it.  Is it possible to be too wordy with pictures?  Because I am about to be.  Sorry.

Peacocks lookin' after my watches and bangles.

Small earrings and studs chillin' in a crystal box.

I might be super sentimental about my hubs.

Geodes my boys gave me, because I like natural, unexpected things when I decorate.  Better if they sparkle.

Have you spied the other little theme in here?  It's birds.  I've got this guy draped with bracelets:

We've already mentioned the peacocks, which I am crazy about:

And there's this princely fellow decked out in more bracelets, looking downright perfect for the job:

Oh!  Some notes about how I made stuff.  The frame for my earrings came together super fast using these supplies from Hobby Lobby:

Those tin snips work awesome, but please wear gloves as the edges can get sharp:

Once it was cut to size, I just taped it in with duct tape (super professional, fancy method, I know).  The hooks hang right in the cut-outs:

But for the hoops I needed some sort of hook to help out.  So, let's look closely at my *gorgeous* solution:

PAPERCLIPS! Hey, like Tim says, Make It Work.

To make the frame for my wedding rings, I cut sparkly scrapbook paper to size and popped that into the frame without the glass.

Then I pushed in a clear, standard-size push-pin, right through the backing and everything. Of course I added an adhesive rhinestone to mine, just because.  You can see it a little better in this picture:

What about the deadly sharp tack sticking out of the back, you ask?  Another super-professional-fancy-pants method:

And that, darlings, is what I have been up to.  Thoughts, please!  If not on this project then maybe on your own Pinterest projects?  Life?  Parenting?  Ice dancing as an Olympic event?

P.S. I'm lovin' the Linky's at:

Milk & Cuddles

    
  

Is It Spring Yet? Let's Go to the Beach Now.

Well, we had our blizzard.  The boys sledded and built a snowman and got rosy cheeks.  The Hubs got his snow fix for the next 10 years (that's how long we had to wait for this snowstorm, after all).  I enjoyed it too, and now that its melting I am soooo over it.  Who is ready for Spring?  Can I get an Amen?

To get us all in the mood for warm weather, how about we take a fun home tour today?

Apparently I have a thing for profiling other people's beach houses on my blog.  I'll change that as soon as I acquire a beach house of my own, so...that would be...never!  Ha!  In the meantime, please enjoy this amazing beach bungalow which belongs to friends of ours.

This is the main living area.  You enter into the kitchen, and if you keep walking you go through the dining area (and this cute bench) and then the living area.  On both ends of the house are decks to enjoy the beachy breezes:)

     

This place truly inspires in terms of what you can do with a small space (this entire house is 832 square feet!  Believe me, it feels MUCH bigger!)  Note the clean surfaces, clear chairs at the dining table, the use of white and the eye-catching pops of color--all expert methods of making a small space feel bigger.  

Check this out: they purchased their home after the previous owner passed away, and all his stuff was still inside.  I know, they are fearless.

They basically had to gut the place, except for the strange but welcome brand-new stainless appliances the previous owner had in his ramshackle kitchen.  They painted everything, and installed those gorgeous whitewashed floors.  Then the talented lady of the house got busy and put her adorable personal touch on everything.

I *love* that items found on the beach make it into the decor, even when those items are plastic soldiers.

To give you an idea of how much work they've done, check out this before and after of the exterior:

Run down, dingy...and the decks are falling apart.

Yay!  Clean and fresh and gorgeous in green!

If that doesn't put you in the mood for warmer weather, I don't know what will!  I know we've got a ways to go, but I can dream...thanks for dreaming with me today.

Happy Love Day

I have a confession to make.  I know it may shock you, so you may want to have a seat.

I don't like pink hearts.  I am ambivalent about pink and red as a theme.  I'm really on the fence about pink in general, to be honest.  Candy hearts gross me out.  With the exception of some ceramic plates, I don't own any Valentine's Day decorations and have zero motivation to decorate for today.

I am the grinch of Valentine's Day.

A former Valentine's Day decoration.  That I used to have.  It was kinda cute, I guess.

Maybe someday I will change?  Maybe my heart which is two sizes too small will grow bigger?  I can picture a very cute mantel done all in white with a touch of blush (not pink).  Sorta like this one:

Photo: This is Happiness

That's a good sign, right?  Maybe you will forgive me though, because I am BIG on love.  In fact, I LOVE love!  It's what God is all about, it's what family is all about, and it is the best most wonderful stuff in the universe.  So, in spite of the fact that I am a total freakin' grinch about Valentine's Day, allow me to wish you a

very

happy

LOVE

day.

With oodles of love,