oh capri.

I am obsessed with these Capri candles from Antrho. Justin even loves how they make our home smell so refreshing, and they also make great gifts!

The containers crafted from recycled glass add something special to every room.
With 100 hour burn time and paraffin-soy wax blend,for $28 you can't go wrong.



They come in two scents I adore. Currently, I have the Aloha. It captures the scents of freshly picked orchids, jasmine and gardenia, entwined with white blossoms. Volcano is the classic smell that Anthro is known for with tropical fruits, sugared oranges, lemons, and limes, redolent with lightly exotic mountain greens!

Go home and light one up with a glass of wine...ahhh, the weekend in deed!

{photo credit: www.anthropologie.com}

new chapter.

It has been almost two years since I updated my blog! My friend, Meg, inspired me! In the past two years I met an amazing man - now my husband, moved to Nashville, changed jobs, and we just bought a condo that we are making our home. I feel so blessed!

{photo credit: www.sarahbgilliamphotography.blogspot.com}

an apple a day.

Thankful today is Friday...inspriration for the day...Apple Cider...can't wait to cuddle up on the sofa with a quilt to enjoy!



Ingredients
6 cups apple cider
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves 6 whole allspice berries
1 orange peel, cut into strips
1 lemon peel, cut into strips

Directions
Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.

Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string.

Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.

Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.

Remove the cider from the heat. Discard spice bundle. Pour into your favorite big mug, adding a fresh cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Of course I have to give the nutritional info...

1 cup of cider equals: 163 calories 0.1g of fat

Solitude

Well the day finally came...my last day of selling commercial printing! Friday was my last day at work. As I drove away and merged onto 52 West the past three years started running through my head- how I ended up selling commerical printing and thankful I landed at Stratton. The drives I used to make to Irvine, sitting in traffic for three hours on Fridays, not getting paid on time, my back and face breaking out because of the stress of it all. I remember thinking...I have a college degree...what am I doing?! Looking back I see God had His hand in it all. If I wouldn't have taken the job in Irvine, I wouldn't have ended up at Stratton where I learned so much about marketing, print, design and most importantly, my passion for publishing.

My boss let me go a week earlier than planned, but surprised me by giving me my paid two week vacation. It was certainly God showing me once again...Hang in there Emily- I will bring good from all of this...keep listening...I will show you the way. So here I am typing a blog on a Tuesday morning at 8 am. All I have planned today is lying by the pool, reading a book- by the way... Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert http://www.amazon.com/ is a perfect read for me at this time. I highly recommend it for any one going through change- having lunch with a friend, and then going to the gym for Cardio Muscle. Yesterday, (my first day not having to go into the office...the first time in four years) driving around Del Mar and La Jolla I noticed all the beautiful things by the ocean- the trees, the way the tide is right on time, the flowers, the fresh sea breeze, the cliffs...I could go on and on...while enjoying all these moments, it hit me...God you are so good! You gave me two weeks of alone time. Time to spend with you in harmony, so you can fully prepare me for what is to come with the move. I am so thankful for this time. I will cherish each day. Thank you for blessing me with the amazing San Diego experience- it has changed me and through it you have changed me. Looking at life through your eyes and not my own.

Stepping Stones

Life's a dance you learn as you go...it is all about one step at a time. This week has been a very trying one. Monday I had to move all my items into storage and leave my lovely ocean view room on Stratford Court. Thankfully I have wonderful friends to stay with through the month to save me from paying rent, but it has been a major adjustment living out of a suit case. I feel so out of place. I didn't work out all week, which is not like me at all. I have been so emotional all my energy was drained. Tuesday I gave my notice at work. My boss took it much harder than I thought she would. The rest of the week was very awkward- I felt at any moment she was going to walk in my office and tell me to leave. Working for a small company you become like family, so things are taken much more personal. I felt like I was breaking up with a boyfriend. Each day got better as we both realized it never would have never been the right time to tell her I was moving back south. I still am unclear as to when my last day will be, but I know it will be in the perfect time. If it is earlier than I had planned I will make the most of it and enjoy more days at the beach. This week I have had a hard time with people not being supportive or encouraging. It reminded me that you have to follow your own dreams and no one else's. I really don't know how much more emotion I could go through in one week. The days are getting fewer to spend with Ted, leaving a job and not knowing what the future holds for the next one, moving stress, and to top it off ...finding the answer to a question you have had for over four years isn't the answer you were hoping for. Two years ago I would have been devastated, but now, thanks to maturity, a stronger relationship with God, and faith I am able to look at it all and be thankful!! I have found the good in it all. I am thankful Ted came into my life and all the wonderful memories we share. Thankful for a new career opportunity where I can use my spiritual gifts and work in an environment that fits what God designed me for. Thankful I will be closer to family and wonderful friends. Thankful I finally have the closure I longed for, for four years! Thankful God is working on me and my future husband. I know His timing is perfect and He will bring it all together at just the right time. Tonight I will make a list of all the things I would like to do and be and have in my life. I am slowly getting there as I learn some big lessons. I ended my week with reading The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall today while sitting by the pool. It is wonderful and I highly recommend reading it for some inspiration. I will leave you a few thoughts from the book.

"In the end, a person is only known by the impact they have on others."

"Problems may only be avoided by exercising good judgement. Good judgement may only be gained by experiencing life's problems."

"Faith is all that dreamers need to see into the future."

"Life at its essence boils down to one day at a time."

TODAY IS THE DAY! Make the most of it.

Pop, Soda, Cola - How about H20?

As many of you know, I have not drank soft drinks for almost nine years. It all goes back to University of Alabama Volleyball Camp. Our team listened to a speaker talk on health. One thing she stressed was how unhealthy soft drinks were for us. She showed an example of what placing a battery in coke would do. The acidity is so strong- it eats up the battery. This was enough to catch my attention. I slowly weaned off sodas the next few years. I went from loving Dr. Pepper to only drinking Sprite in college. Another reason I stopped was because I didn't want the nine hundred dollars spent on bleaching my teeth peed down the drain!

Now I want to share the information to let you know the effects of soft drinks.
Does rampant cavities, frequent mood swings, and erratic energy levels sound like how you want to live? I didn't think so...but soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks have become the largest source of calories in the American diet, replacing white bread. 450 different varieties of soda are sold in the United States. The first sip you take of soda you have already given it permission to wreck havoc on the body. It corrodes the teeth, confuses the appetite - regulating hormones in the digestive tract, attacks the bones, and encourages the organ breakdown that leads to diabetes.

Pack on the LB's
Americans drink an average of 18 ounces of liquid candy daily, if you fall into this category, you're adding about 225 calories to your diet. Over the course of a year, these drinks could be adding 24 lb's to your bottom line.

Slow Processing
Drinking soda will not only increase your bottom line, but it also stresses the body's ability to process sugar. Some scientists now suspect that the liquid candy may help explain why the number of Americans with type 2 diabetes has tripled from 6.6 million in 1980 to 20.8 million today.

Pearly Whites not so Pearly
How does using corrosive acid for mouth wash sound? That is what I thought..."Soda eats up and dissolves the tooth enamel." says Poonam Jain, director of community dentistry at Southern Illinois School of Dental Medicine. Here is what the speaker at Volleyball Camp was talking about...Battery acid, for example has a pH of 1; water scores a 7. Jain found that sugar-sweetened sodas came in at 2.5, while diet sodas scored 3.2. Soda's acidity makes it even worse for teeth than the solid sugar found in candy. By eroding the enamel, soda speeds up the decay process, making it easier for bacteria to enter the teeth. The acidity also weakens bones- causing more chance of osteoporosis through the loss of calcium.

Slim Sodas
Almost a third of all carbonated beverages sold in the United States are diet. But are these drinks really any healthier? Not particularly. They might not contain 10 teaspoons of sugar, but it has it own problems: caffeine, acids that promote tooth erosion; and artificial sweeteners. Diet sodas may not even help ward off weight gain.

An explanation may come via a recent animal study at Purdue University. The found that artificial sweeteners can interfere with the body's natural ability to regulate calorie intake. This could mean people who consume artificially sweetened items are more likely to overindulge.

Sugar-free drinks aren't healthier for your pearly whites, either.

So it all boils down to...H20. Good ole' water is the healthiest diet drink of all!

Quiet Time

The start of a new day is refreshing. There is nothing like waking up to the serenity of morning. Birds chripping, the calm ocean, the sun has just begun to start its climb, the moisture still on plant leaves...I just love this time. It is so special- like God is saying, "Look what I have given you today, it is yours to create the day you choose."

Mornings at 7:00 am is when I choose to have my quiet time. This is time set aside for me to focus on and listen to Him. I either light a candle, go on a walk, or sit by the pool or kitchen table with my journal. I write out my prayers and speak as though He is right there with me. I have kept a prayer journal for the past three years. It is amazing to go back and read to see what the outcomes actually were. God gives us comfort in knowing He is in control of everything, so we really don't need to worry about any of it. When I start my days off with quiet time it puts everything into perspective. Having a personal relationship with Him is so rewarding. It causes less stress, gives me Joy, and a sense of calm in the darkest storm. Without it, I am not sure if my decisions would be so confident and discerning. He craves time with us - it helps us live the balanced life that was planned for us to enJOY.

I challenge you this week to pray about when your quiet time should be. Mornings aren't for everyone. You will know when the best time to fit your lifestyle is. Don't miss out on His best for you! When you ask and listen, He will show you.

Thought to ponder: "Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failures keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going!"