These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

New inspirational planner...just perfect :)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world"

Love these earrings...

And these!

Favorite engagement picture of Travis & I

Aerie perfume is my favorite right now!

Ebay treasure I bought this past summer

In love with these shoes. I found them at Target and it was love at first site :)

Dessert Anyone?

Decided to share an amazing APPLE PIE recipe to any who are lucky enough to stumble upon it. Probably the best crumb top apple pie I have ever eaten! No exaggeration! It's a more liquid version, but gooey and delicious! :)

Ingredients for filling:

1 tsp. salt

2 c. white sugar

6 tbsp. flour (all purpose- or if using self rising, do not add the salt)

2 egg yolks

2 c. water

2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Cook on stove until very thick. Continuously stir at lower heat so that egg yolks do not solidify.

Ingredients for crust:

Rolled pie crust

3 baking apples (I'd recommend Gala Apples), sliced as thinly as desired

Directions:

Purchase a Pillsbury (or generic brand) rolled pie crust (usually in the aisle with the crescent rolls & cinnamon rolls). Unroll into pie plate and fill with apples. You can also sprinkle some lemon juice onto the apples to keep them from turning brown as quickly or avoid cutting them until the filling mixture is ready to be poured.

Pour the filling over the apples, covering the entire pie plate.

Ingredients for crumb mix:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. shortening (part butter)

1/2 c. light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt (do not have to use salt if using self-rising flour)

Mix together with mixer until it looks like a crumb topping. Use hands to sprinkle the topping over the entire pie. It usually makes enough to top two pies.

BAKE at 375 degrees until crust is brown on edges... usually about 25-30+ minutes depending upon the oven.

ENJOY! :)

Ps. Vanilla Icecream is a nice touch to this dessert! Mmmm!

Empty Souls, Hollow Homes

Those Words You Don't Mean

Sitting alone and it's silent,

Your words are screaming at me,

Tryin' to figure out the meaning,

It's like a puzzle missing a piece,

I feel I'm racing so quickly,

But my feet are planted on the floor,

You'd think such a torn up heart,

Couldn't take anymore,

I lay beside pillows and blankets,

Pretending I'm not alone in the dark,

Wishing those words in my head,

Would find another beat up heart.

So I'll lay here in delusion,

Hoping to feel your hand on mine,

Instead of wide awake confusion,

Wondering if it will last this time

___________________________________________

Uneventful day. Just needing to find some purpose. I just can't make sense of it all. Maybe that is my problem, I try to make sense of everything, even things not meant to be taken as logic. How can one so used to filtering the world through logic, acquire a different filter? Relinquish control? Me? I wouldn't know how. I guess I am a control freak after all. I feel as though I receive zero direction in life. Occasionally I'll receive a convicting thought or two after the fact, but before hand... nothing. Awesome. I really love how this whole thing is turning out. Religion, I mean. Raised in a Christian home I have been given all of the "answers", so to speak. However, those cliche responses are not enough to satisfy me. I want to find more for myself. Maybe that is the control freak within me speaking, but either way, I need to find what's best for me. However, I can't seem to do so. I seem to end up on dead end roads with wooded areas all around and no glimpse of the light. Maybe sitting around and waiting for the trees to fall down isn't the best option, but I'm not sure which route to take. Is it not better than getting more lost or taking the wrong road? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I'm wasting time waiting for nothing. Would I know a sign if I ran into it? Probably not. I'm too busy looking for a sign to even recognize when a real one appears. What to do with me? A hopeless cynic with some major control/anxiety issues. Could I be a lost cause? Or simply trying to find a cause that seems to be lost? Either way, God, a little direction would be greatly appreciated. Please & thank you.

Gravity

I feel as though I am in a slump lately. I'm not sure why. Everything seems to be going right for once. I'm home, finished with school in Tennessee, with family, with my fiance, enjoying free time, but something is off. Hmm. Christmas was excellent. Lots of time with family, both Travis' and mine. It was much-needed. I finally got a new camera that I am extremely happy with. My sisters surprised me with it on Christmas Day. Wonderful surprise! It's a Canon 1200 SD and I highly recommend it, especially for detailed close-ups with a digital... great quality and automatic scene detection! My mom just bought one today as well. Speaking of my mom, I am all shopped out. Aside from the annual Christmas shopping madness, she has drug me (willingly & unwillingly) to so many stores lately that I am over shopping (temporarily of course). This is another indicator of my slump... me? tired of shopping?... strange. I only wish I could figure out what has got me so down, it's a bit annoying really. Maybe I just need to adopt a little more creativity in my life. I haven't had any time for hobbies due to the hectic holiday festivities. It is quite possible that I just need some creative therapy. Hmm... but what to make?

In other news, I exchanged my wedding dress for an ivory version of the same dress. I think it was the right decision. I won't be able to see it until it arrives in March, so I am very anxious. I just think it will look much better with my skin tone. I also might have possibly found the song that I will walk down the aisle to. It's a piano version of Look After You by the Piano Tribute Players... it seems to be the perfect song in my opinion. Lots more wedding details to look forward to. Next on the list: Save the Dates. I need to start putting them together & getting them sent out before mid January. It's hard to believe I am getting married in less than 6 months. Maybe I am just going through pre-marital anxiety or something that has to do with leaving home and anticipating immense changes that are about to occur in my life. 22 years of doing things one way then having to change definitely warrants some anxiety, right? This was my last Christmas at home, and it wasn't even a typical traditional Christmas since Travis & I attended each other's Christmas activities.

I feel so old lately. Like I'm experiencing an early form of a quarter life crisis. I'm only 22, but in just a few months I'll be married- a wife! That's a whole new phase of life. I am definitely looking forward to it, but feel as though I have so much to learn. I don't want to turn into an old woman just because I gain a new identity as a wife. I want to still have fun like a 22 year-old should. Travis & I do most things together anyway, maybe it won't be THAT much different. A little nervous, but that's normal. Mostly excited more than anything. I have figured out that I am so not ready for the idea of kids. I used to think that I would want them shortly after being married. Now, I am sure that will not be the case. I actually get a little freaked out thinking about it. Let's hope that they will remain several years down the line.

Here is a picture of my new favorite necklace taken by my new camera!

Okay, enough ranting, time for bed. Goodnight. :)