LINK PARTY!! Tuesdays with a Twist #181

I need to ask for advice. Most of you know I've had a couple of surgeries this year. It's been tough, but about to get much better. I got to go back to the gym for the first time yesterday! Fitness is very important to me and I usually work out consistently. As I begin again, though, I will have to proceed with caution and definitely have a plan from week to week so I don't attempt any movements too quickly. Would you be interested in a series of fitness posts on my blog? If so, what would you find most helpful? I am certainly not an expert in the field, and could only speak to what works for me.

Birds love snacking on elderberries!

 

How has your week been?  I can hardly wait to see your links today!

 

Mary @ Back to the Basics

 Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

Joyce @ Heavenly Bodies

 

Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being chosen.  Be sure to check all of our blogs!

Choosing features is so very difficult!  Take a look at this

Beauty Bag #3

 

from Mami Made It!  You probably guessed this is the third one she's sewn.  I love her fabric choices on all three cosmetic bags!

 
  If you have been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

We all love comments!  Please hop around and show some love!

The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Friday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features. 

And now for the party!

;-)  -Marci




 



A Lesson in Stage Make Up

 Many moons ago, I was active with my high school drama group.  Sometimes onstage, sometimes backstage.  I always loved all the vibrant makeup and costume options!  Hmmm...  I wonder where those photos from long ago might be hiding?  ;-)
 

 

 

 

 Recently, Twisted Flight Fitness, a local dance studio / fitness center, offered an amazing class in stage make up!  We have plenty of time to practice our new skills for Halloween!  I'm sharing the creativity of the awesome group!  (Please ignore the wild hair.  We were focused on our make up!)

 

You can see the theme was half glamour and half ghoul!  HOW FUN!

 

We were asked to bring our regular make up kits along with a small Halloween palette.  I found my palette at a local retail store for $6 and some change.

 



We were then taken, step by step, through the process of creating each look!





On one side we are all smokey-eye and red lipstick gorgeous,



 

 

and on the other side, it looks like we've had a really bad day!  ;-)  YIKES!  ;-)

 

 



Even though the participants in my class were adults, you can just imagine all the giggling and silly jokes!  We had such a good time!

 

 I am so glad to have spent the afternoon "playing make-up" with this fun group!

 

 Hopefully, it will be offered again!

Do we look scary?  ;-)

 

 Do you like being creative with make up?

 

 ;-)  -Marci

Link Party Feature!!

I have even more exciting news!!  My recipe for making

 

 

 

Tomato Soup

 

using heirloom tomatoes from our garden




is being featured today at Plant Based Pot Luck Party





hosted by Urban Naturale !  I am so very honored!  If you have a plant based recipe, I hope you can hop over and join the party!

;-)  -Marci

Link Party Feature

I have more exciting news to report!  My recipe for making

 

 

 

Tomato Soup

 

using heirloom tomatoes from our garden



is being featured today at Thoughts of Home on Thursday!



What an honor!  I hope everyone has time to hop over and join the party!

 

 ;-)  -Marci

Garden Guest: Tree Top Hummer

  The north side of our front yard is a certified  National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat.  Really!  We have a certificate!  You can do the same by providing food, water, cover and places for wildlife to raise their young.  It is so much fun to see all of the critters that stop by for a visit.  I have a series of posts to show you our Garden Guests.

 

If you would like to see more, please take a look at my Gardening Page  

 

  

The photos of this female Ruby Throated Hummingbird are somewhat grainy as my subject is a bit farther away than my camera lens can manage.

I wanted to share them anyway, as we frequently see this immature Redbud Tree used as a perch.  My goodness!  Just look at how tiny she is!

 

 I love this profile of the Tree Top Hummer!  Isn't she pretty?

What's happening in your back yard?

 

 ;-)  -Marci



Link Party Feature!

It's an exciting day!  My recipe for  

 

  

Cowboy Caviar  

 

is being featured today at the 200th anniversary of

 

Thriving on Thursdays! 

I am so very honored!  Anne of Domesblissity was one of the very first friends I made in this wacky world of blogging.  Here we are...  Still blogging along!  ;-)  If you have time today, please join her party!

 ;-)  -Marci

LINK PARTY!! Tuesdays with a Twist #180

The news this week...

Physical therapy is going well.  My hip is rebounding nicely.  Saturday we spent the evening with friends who are part of revitalizing Downtown Springdale.  They wanted to show family and friends the progress they've made so far.  Their establishment will be called The Odd Soul which will offer multiple craft beers as well as bottling availability for brew hobbyists.  Their building is old and charming with tin ceiling tiles and rough brick walls.  Over time, the building has been several different businesses.  Our friends are tearing down inner walls and re-vamping the space.  They hope to open around mid-November.  They gave tours of the building and shared their excitement for things to come!

 

How has your week been?  I can hardly wait to see your links today!

 

Mary @ Back to the Basics

 Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

Joyce @ Heavenly Bodies

 

Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being chosen.  Be sure to check all of our blogs!

Choosing features is so very difficult!   With the mornings a bit chilly, I'd like to choose something Autumnal again this week.  Take a look at these

Neutral Pallet Pumpkins

 

from of Faeries and Fauna Craft Co!  How pretty!

 
  If you have been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

We all love comments!  Please hop around and show some love!

The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Friday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features. 

And now for the party!

;-)  -Marci



 

Garden Guest: Hummingbird on a Feeder

  The north side of our front yard is a certified  National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat.  Really!  We have a certificate!  You can do the same by providing food, water, cover and places for wildlife to raise their young.  It is so much fun to see all of the critters that stop by for a visit.  I have a series of posts to show you our Garden Guests.
 

If you would like to see more, please take a look at my Gardening Page  

 

  

 

 

 My pretty little guest is a female Ruby Throated Hummingbird.  This feeder hangs on our back porch near a pot of Red Cypress Vine.

The seeds were a gift from my friend, Lois, who is originally from Louisiana.  Lois told me Red Cypress Vine can grow quite aggressively in deep Southern states.  Here in Arkansas, it is a lovely annual that blooms in late Summer and early Fall.  Since Hummers are attracted to trumpet shapes and the color red, this is a perfect plant for inviting them to visit!  They will cruise the feeders and, of course, the plants in my garden.  Their favorites seem to be a couple of Native Honeysuckles and native cross vine.  I've written about cross vine before HERE and THERE.  They also enjoy our Red Buckeye Tree in early Spring.

 

 

'Such a pretty little guest! 

I'd like to give you one more hummingbird tip.  Notice there is a goopy something on the hanger of the feeder?  As clean feeders are placed each week, I add a thick layer of petroleum jelly a couple of inches wide to the hangers.  This discourages ants.  They won't touch petroleum jelly. 

 

 What's happening in your back yard?

 
;-)  -Marci

Slow Cooker Pear Butter Recipe

We have a sweet friend with an orchard who recently brought a huge tote bag filled with ripe pears!  Yummy!  So, what are we to do with that many pears in a short amount of time?! 

 

Pear Butter, of course! 

 

We adapted a recipe we have for Apple Butter.  We've had this recipe for quite a while.  I'm not sure where it originated.  It's in a big folder we have for favorite recipes in my Handsome Husband's handwriting.  There are only four ingredients!

 

Slow Cooker Pear Butter Recipe

 

12 - 16 Big, Ripe Pears

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

 

Wash, core, and rough chop pears.  There's no need to peel them with this recipe.  Place all ingredients in slow cooker and toss to mix.  Cover and cook on high for 4 - 5 hours stirring occasionally until soft and cooked thru.  Pure' in food processor then place back in slow cooker.  Cook on low until the pear butter is as thick as your family likes.

 

Pretty simple, huh?  ;-)

If you like the little zinnia bouquet, stay tuned.  I am writing a tutorial for another post!

;-)  -Marci

A Weekend of Independence

This year I had to undergo two surgeries six weeks apart.  {sad face}  There was only one weekend between the two procedures where I was released from limitations.  Labor Day Weekend.  We decided to make the most of it and get away!  {happy face}

 

 

You might remember how I love Jason Pritchett's music, so I looked at his tour schedule.  He was performing only three hours away from us in his hometown of Independence, Missouri!  The hotel room was booked and bags were packed.  We learned quite a bit about Independence in the process.  Did you know the Santa Fe Trail, California Trail AND the Oregon Trail all began in Independence, Missouri? 

 

 

 

The Santa-Cali-Gon Festival is in celebration of this fun bit of trivia and happens to be on Labor Day Weekend!  Harry Truman was from Independence.  His library and museum are located there.  Oh, and it's home to The Big Biscuit, who happens to have the best motto I have ever read in my life!

 

 

 

 

Big Biscuits are Better. 

Yes!  Yes, they are!

 

Downtown Independence is lovely with a grand old courthouse.  Saturday, we enjoyed the street fair portion of SantiCaliGon.  There was too much to see, really.  I'm not sure we made it to all the booths.  It's hard to say how many blocks of vendors there were?  Some were in long tents while others lined the streets.  We purchased a couple of bracelets for me and a wallet for Handsome Husband.  Big spenders, huh?  Any kind of food vendor you can possibly imagine has a presence at SantiCaliGon.  We chose lemonade and coconut shrimp.  Both were delicious!

 

 

 

 

Sadly, after having surgery, I tire very easily, so we checked into our hotel.  Handsome Husband caught up on football while I took a nap.  At sundown, we headed back downtown for concerts!

 

First up was Damien Gunn and The Magnificent Bang Bangs.  This was a very entertaining band and we had a great time!  Then...

 

Jason Pritchett!!

 

 

 

 

He led with "Life Comes at You Fast".  I sang every single word that is on his CD as loudly as I possibly could!  It's what I do!  ;-) 

 

Sunday we hiked the very pretty Blue Springs Lake for just a bit and then headed for home.

  

 

 

 

It was a nice little trip!  Handsome Husband would like to make SantiCaliGon an annual trek for us.  I completely agree!

What have you been up to?

;-)  -Marci

Tuesdays with a Twist #179

The news this week...  Another surgery for me is in the books.  No surprises on this one either and the anesthesia issues from the first surgery were managed.  The medical teams for both surgeries were excellent.  I was treated with such kindness.  Interestingly, while I was in surgery, my Handsome Husband and everyone else in the lobby were evacuated because of a fire alarm!  He said the fire trucks arrived almost immediately and determined someone had pulled a fire alarm.  No one was ever in any danger.  Whew!  When Handsome Husband came to recovery and asked about it, no one in the surgery area knew about it.  I am curious how hospitals manage fire alarms?

 

How has your week been?  I can hardly wait to see your links today!

Mary @ Back to the Basics

 Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

Joyce @ Heavenly Bodies

 

Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being chosen.  Be sure to check all of our blogs!

Choosing features is so very difficult!   With the mornings a bit chilly, I'd like to choose something Autumnal this week.  Easy & Budget Friendly Autumn Floral Arrangements

 

from Janet at Rosemary and Thyme  I love the rich Fall colors with the rustic vase!

 
  If you have been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

We all love comments!  Please hop around and show some love!

The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Friday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features. 

And now for the party!

;-)  -Marci




 

Labradors Adopted

 

We were super excited when we brought home our Labrador puppies.

Our little 9 pound Chihuahua mix has adopted them for her own.  It takes a special Chihuahua to be a Labrador momma!

 

In this series of photos, you can see Abigail is teaching them how to dig.  (They actually don't need any help in that department!)
 

Digging seems to be awfully exciting!  ;-)

 

 ;-)  -Marci

Book Review: Love Song

by Sharon Gillenwater

 

 

 PHOTO SOURCE

 

Partial Synopsis from Google Books:  When famous country singer Andrea Carson returns to her hometown to recuperate from a life-threatening illness, she seeks nothing more than a respite from the demands of stardom that have sapped her creativity and ability to perform. Yet shortly after her arrival, Andi's old high school friend Wade Jamison helps her to realize she needs inner healing as well.

My Thoughts:   If we are honest here, paperback romance is usually not the first thing I reach for when I am reading.  No judgment intended, it's just not my thing.  This book was a gift from my aunt, though, so of course, I read it.  I am glad I did!  ;-)  My aunt is always knows which books I will like!  ;-)  This is a very sweet Christian book based in a small town filled with kind, lovely characters.  I definitely recommend this one, even if Christian paperback romances are usually not for you!  Does the handsome cowboy get the girl and ride off into the sunset?  Well, you'll just have to read the book!  ;-) 
 



What have you been reading?

 

;-)  -Marci

Tuesdays with a Twist #178

The news this week...  We took a quick little weekend trip to Kansas City.  It was wonderful to be away.  We saw Jason Pritchett in concert in his hometown of Independence, Missouri and had a great time!

 

The Big Biscuit was one of their sponsors.  Their motto made me laugh.

 

How has your week been?  I can hardly wait to see your links today!

Mary @ Back to the Basics

 Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

Joyce @ Heavenly Bodies

 

Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being chosen.  Be sure to check all of our blogs!

Choosing features is so very difficult!  How pretty is this Shabby Chic Blanket Storage Basket

 

 

from Penny's Vintage Home!  I love this pretty makeover!

 
  If you have been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

We all love comments!  Please hop around and show some love!

The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Friday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features. 

And now for the party!

;-)  -Marci