newest scripture books.

i am just thrilled to show you the latest styles of scripture books.

they may be my all time fave to date.

they are elegant. they are beautiful. they are just lovely.

{in my humble opinion. of course}

. . . i surely hope that you agree!

first. the merry & bright christmas scripture book.

this makes for a great christmas gift.

{you can chose the theme of scriptures: love, encouragement, life verses, etc}

second. the classic & chic checked scripture book.

this may be used for any reason at all.

encouragement. friendship. birthday. love. whatever you fancy.

the same is true for our third scripture book.

a very frenchie feel. black & white & tan.

a great coffee table book.

fourth. the good as gold scripture book.

perfect for a wedding or engagement gift.

fifth. the basic neutral book.

i love this one because it is gender neutral.

the perfect gift a mommy-to-be that is not finding out boy or girl.

it is also a great choice for any occasion. 

a sweet just because gift. or thank you gift.

our sixth book is fantastic.

if you are looking for the perfect teacher gift . . .  look no further.

this darling apple covered book is so sweet.

perfect for teacher christmas gifts. teacher birthday gifts. & teacher appreciation gifts.

last but certainly not least.

our holly berry merry christmas book.

a sweet way to wish family & friends a happy holiday season.

each book is 45 dollars.

the turn around time is about 3-4 days.

then depending on where you live . . . shipping days.

order yours today from my etsy shop.

these new items will be listed by the end of tonight.

tell me. 

which is your new fave?

do you have any great ideas for other scripture books?

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a fall spice cake.

i just love all the spices that aromatically sprinkle the fall season.

cinnamon. nutmeg. pumpkin pie spice. apple pie spice.

there is such comfort in all of those scents.

they just make me want to curl up on the couch 

with a blanket. a cup of hot tea. my lovie. & my baby bundle.

all while the house is filling with fall spices baking in the oven.

that is exactly what our afternoon looked like.

well. kind of . . .

while lovie watched football. and our little bundle took his afternoon nap.

this mama whipped up one of her fave fall treats.

and then snuggled up on the couch & pretended to watch football.

i will do anything to impress my lovie.

{it was only enjoyable because i had this beauty of a fall spice cake wafting in the air}

so i can hardly wait to share this spice cake with you.

it will quickly become a go-to in your collection of recipes.

it surely has been my go-to for nearly ten years.

{oh my goodness. have i been baking for that long? that makes me feel old}

i do have to admit.

i am a bit embarrassed to tell you.

this cake does. in fact. come from . . . eeeeeeek . . . a box mix.

there. i said it. its true.

pretty please don't judge me.

after you try this cake. you will be thanking me.

i promise. cross my heart. you will thank me.

not only because it is divine & scrumptious.

but because it is so impossibly easy to whip together.

so. here it goes.

one box yellow cake mix

{i whispered that to you. so that nobody else can hear}

one box of instant vanilla pudding mix

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup canola oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 cup of white wine

{it can be any white wine. cheap wine is just fine}

mix all of these ingredients together for about 4-5 minutes.

finely chop 1/2 cup of pecans.

sprinkle those into the bottom of a greased & floured bundt pan.

pour the batter into the pan. 

& then bake it for one hour at 325 degrees.

while the cake is baking. prepare the glaze.

oh. the glaze. how i love thee.

this glaze makes the cake incredibly delicious.

do not skip this step. trust me. you will love the glaze.

melt one stick of butter.

combine the melted butter with one cup of sugar & 1/4 cup water.

let this mixture boil for 3 minutes. stirring the entire time.

remove from the heat & add in 1/4 cup of white wine.

stir again. set aside.

when the cake is done baking.

poke a ton of little holes into the top.

{i use a wooden skewer}

then pour half of the glaze all over.

i mean. like drench it. drench it good.

the holes will allow the glaze to soak into the cake.

making it so amazingly moist.

after the cake has cooled completely you may take it out of the pan.

pour the remainder of the glaze onto the new topside of the cake.

cut. serve. & enjoy.

{try not to go back for seconds. i double dare you}

alright little lovelies. get your recipe cards ready . . .

your friends will certainly be asking for this recipe after you bake it for them.

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{healthy} chocolate chip oat bars.

ok. so. i have to be honest.

i am not sure these are really healthy healthy.

but the recipe does not call for butter.

& in my book . . . that means it is kinda healthy.

we will just go with it.

these hearty chocolate chip oat bars will knock your socks off.

for being so simple to make. so quick to bake. and so few ingredients.

they really are out of this world. 

even the most amateur of all bakers can bake these babies.

and you will most certainly be thankful that you did. 

here it goes . . .

in a mixer. mix the following.

2   1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1   1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces

2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1   1/2 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs

the dough will seem oily. and that is a good thing.

place the dough in a 9 x 13 greased pan.

bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes

allow the bars to cool for 15-20 minutes.

slice. serve. and enjoy.

these are ridiculously gooey. chewy. and filling.

yum to the tenth power.

healthy. right?!

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our daily workout routine.

being three months old can be tough work.

patch spends most of his days doing 

tummy time {ugh} stretches {ouchie} & exercises {phew} 

our poor babe has torticollis in his little neck.

simply put. 

patch has a tightened muscle on one side of his neck.

most likely from his positioning in mommy's belly.

this causes him to favor turning his head one way. weakening the other side.

thankfully. with a few months of physical therapy & some extra work at home

sweet baby patch will be super strong in no time.

so every day. multiple times a day. we do baby sit ups.

and spend lots of time laying on our left side.

{patch's tight muscle is on the left side of his neck. so it is hard for him to look left}

we practice reaching for things.

and use our most fave. can't live without. wee gallery art cards for tracking.

these wee gallery art cards are truly amazing.

you would not believe how intrigued patch is with these little guys.

it is the easiest way for us to get him to turn his head all the way to the left.

he will not take his sweet little peepers off these critters.

we talk to our friends. 

{who always come to say hi on the left side}

and we stretch as best as we can.

it really hurts poor baby boy.

bless him.

we go back to our left side laying for a few minutes of rest.

then we practice rolling from our side to our back. and our back to our side.

all in preparation for . . .

tummy time! 

look at how strong he is getting. yahoo!

we look to the left. and we look to the right. 

he works so hard he tuckers himself out.

and is in need of some serious tender love and care.

{which mommy is totally ok with}

so we cozy up on the couch & do a few more neck turns.

this is patch's little exercise routine cool down.

and he even gives smiles after a good strong workout.

but those smiles are short lived. because this boy is whipped.

time to snuggle up in his swing for a nice long nap.

but not before mommy sneaks in a few smooches.

those cheeks are just too kissable. 

being three months old can surely be tough work.

training to hold his head. and turn his neck. and sit up is hard stuff.

but we can't wait to see how strong our boy is when he is four months.

{i like to think that this counts as my daily workout routine. too. wishful thinking}

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new scripture books.

i am just overwhelmed 

with the tremendous support i have gotten on my

c'est si bon scripture books.

you all are so sweet to be so encouraging.

the books have been flying off the shelves & that makes me so happy.

{ and surely keeps me busy }

i have been working on a few new designs.

and wanted to share them with you.

first. a wonderfully white wedding book.

this book is so elegant.

i adore the brooch on the cross.

it is so pretty.

the paper is absolutely beautiful.

the understated & subtle stripe is just to die for.

i am truly loving this book for a new bride or a bride-to-be.

second. a beachy chic any occasion book.

this may or may not be my fave book so far.

it is just so lovely.

i adore the color combo. 

this book belongs on my living room coffee table.

the double shell embellishment is gorgeous.

it resembles a rustic mother of pearl.

love. love. love.

third. the stunning silver love book.

this book is great for many different occasions that celebrate love.

engagements. weddings. showers. anniversaries. and the like.

the paper is stunning. & the heart embellishment is perfect.

the perfect reminder to treasure every moment.

fourth. the monogrammed little missy book.

an updated version of the baby girl book.

i just think the monogram is the finishing detail.

it knocks this book outta the park.

so stinkin cute.

how darling is it?!

this book is also available in a little boy version.

blue & white striped paper.

white polka dot & burlap ribbon.

white cross with kraft paper monogram.

it is equally as cute & all boy.

hope you love these new designs as much as i do.

these new books will be going on etsy this afternoon. 

c'est si bon etsy shop.

be sure to place your order soon . . .

the babies are going out faster than you would even imagine!

good is so good. love that He is blessing this little ministry.

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the lollicake queen.

in a quaint little area of sarasota.

there is a little walking neighborhood.

with little shopping plazas.

and in this little neighborhood.

there is a darling little cake pop shop.

with an impossibly sweet baker behind the counter.

allow me the pleasure of introducing you to 

the lollicake queen.

where every girl gets her crown. gets her cake. & gets to eat it. too.

how sweet is that?!

the glass window display boasts the most beautiful cake pops i have ever laid eyes on.

with the most scrumptious of all flavors you could ever imagine.

like banana bread. & sugar cookie. & key lime pie. & coconut macaroon.

cookies & cream. & strawberry. & chocolate. too.

some baked with the goodness of old family recipes.

while others are new creations worthy of praise.

aren't they just the most lovely pops ever?

too pretty to eat.

well . . . almost.

it is quite impressive. every single pop is exactly the same size. same shape.

they have mastered the art of rolling the pops to perfection.

that may seem like a silly little thing . . .

but it is all about the details. 

it is the little things that make such a huge difference.

. . . like packaging. and bows.

which the queen has also perfected.

the little cellophane wrappers. pink bows. & crown tags. are just precious.

they would surely make for a beautiful presentation as a gift to a faraway friend.

oh! which reminds me.

the lollicake queen will ship her pretty little pops.

yahoo! yippee! woo-hoo!

by the end of our adventure to sarasota we had eaten every last morsel.

literally. we ate like eight cake pops. 

{baby patrick had his eye on the snickerdoodle pop. but grandma beat him to it}

so if you are in need of a sweet treat delivery to a deserving friend.

keep the lollicake queen in mind. she will make it happen.

but more importantly. 

if you are close by. take a little afternoon trip to the shop.

you will be oh. so. happy. that you did!

thanks for the sweets little miss lollicake queen.

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what a friend we have.

i treasure moments like the one i had this afternoon.

those real moments of clarity. moments of aha. moments of that is so right.

i was out driving with best-friend-ever-mom today.

{buying more supplies for those scripture books}

we were chatting about how the Lord has always been so faithful to us

while we were listening to one of our favorite hymns. 

what a friend we have in jesus.

this song is such an unbelievable reminder that 

we really have no need to worry about a thing.

because our great friend . . . well He has got the whole world in His hands. 

every little care. concern. worry. fear. trial. and tribulation.

He willingly holds in His hands.

and if we would just fold our own hands in prayer.

or lift our hands up to the Lord. loosening our tight grasp on the reigns.

we could be living in such greater moments of peace. 

all we need to do is go to the Lord in prayer. 

i wanted to share the words to this hymn with you.

in hopes that it gives you hope. assurance. & relief as it did for us today.

what a friend we have in jesus.

all our sins and griefs to bear.

what a privilege to carry.

everything to God in prayer.

o, what peace we often forfeit.

o, what needless pain we bear.

all because we do not carry.

everything to God in prayer.

have we trials and temptations?

is there trouble anywhere?

we should never be discouraged.

take it to the Lord in prayer.

can we find a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness.

take it to the Lord in prayer.

are we weak and heavy laden,

cumbered with a load of care?

precious Savior, still our refuge,

take it to the Lord in prayer.

do your friends despise, forsake you?

take it to the Lord in prayer.

in His arms He'll take and shield you;

you will find a solace there.

blessed Savior, thou hast promised,

thou wilt all our burdens bear.

may we ever, Lord, be bringing

all to Thee in earnest prayer.

soon in glory bright unclouded

there will be no need for prayer.

rapture, praise, and endless worship.

will be our sweet portion there.

don't you just love those words? i found such relief in each verse. 

i know that i am so guilty of worrying. fearing. fretting.

all the while. i have a gracious God who is asking to take the burden from me.

why do i so quickly forget of this wonderful gift of prayer?

i cannot believe that i have the privilege to exchange my worries in for His peace.

so. incredibly. grateful.

what a friend we have. indeed.

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twelve weeks.

baby patch is twelve little weeks old.

i simply cannot believe how much he has grown in such a short little time.

his little personality is getting bigger everyday.

he is quite a little lump of love.

he has lots of smiles for his dada.

and big blue peepers that melt his mama's heart.

and sweet little coos that make us giggle all the time.

and the most kissable lips i ever have seen.

and fifteen pounds of chub to make him an extra good snuggle bunny. 

i sure do love you. baby patch.

every little ounce of you.

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