Arrrr!!! We be talkin' like Pirates this day Matey!

As I'm sure probably none of you know, today, September 19, is National Talk Like a Pirate Day! Yeah, it's legitimate. There is a web site and everything. You can check out the official site here.
Here is how this whole crazy holiday got started. So, you have two guys, John Baur and Mark Summers, and they are playing tennis right? On June 6th 1995. And as the game progressed they randomly started shouting pirate words at each other. And then the lightbulb came on. Shouldn't there be a national holiday where everybody celebrates talking like pirates? Almost definitely (Imagine that said in a Johny Depp voice)
Why celebrate it on September 19th? Because June 6 was D-day, and of course they couldn't compete with that. September 19th was Mark's ex-wife's birthday so that was how that date came to mind.
And like all great ideas, this one took a backstage to the hassles of everyday life and the creators almost forgot about the holiday they had invented. Until in 2002 they happened upon the email for journalist Dave Barry. They told him about their holiday and that the world needed to hear about it. In September of 2002, Dave Barry published his article about National Talk Like a Pirate day. And the rest is history....
So there ye be! Now get out thare ye bilge rats! There be just one day to talk like real swashbucklers. Don't let this pirate ship pass ye by!

A truely inspired dish

I love pinterest. Just love it.
I had to share this recipe with you today because it made my taste buds so happy! I know it will make yours happy too!
This week the Most-inspired-thing-i've-stolen-from-pinterest award goes to Foodgawker.com for their...

Lime Infused Honey Crusted Chicken Breast

Have you seen anything more beautiful?! And the recipe is so ridiculously easy!
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup limes plus zest (about 2 limes)
2 Tbs of honey
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
2 lbs of chicken

Mix it all up and marinate overnight.
And that's it!
I modified this just a little and it still tasted great. I used a little less olive oil, more chicken, and used what I had already as far as spices go. My husband had no words to describe how this tasted. Just sound effects. So you know it's good.
Thank you foodgawker.com for making me feel like a culinary goddess!
Go ahead and try this. I promise you won't be disappointed.

The Real Heros

This is a time to remember.
I'm pretty sure everyone knows what tomorrow is. I just can't believe it was 10 years ago. I remember it so clearly. I was only 10 then. I remember getting ready for school and turning on the radio. The first plane had just hit. I was really confused and ran to tell my mom about it, who was in the shower. She assumed it was an accident. The second plane hit right after she joined us around the radio. I was young, but I was so sad and scared. We didn't have t.v. so I didn't see all of the footage then. I'm not sure I wish I would have.
Before we left to school we heard about the Pentagon. My mom started crying. She told us that my grandpa was supposed to be having a meeting in there that morning. We still went to school. I don't think we really did anything that day.
We got a call later that day from my grandpa. He had been across the street when the plane hit. He was ok.
My husband introduced me to this picture a few days ago. It's inspiring. For any of you who don't know, the FDNY on the little boys shirt in the right of the picture stands for Fire Department of New York.
The real heros.
Talk about inspiring.

So, this is an idea I have been playing with in my head for a long time. You know, one of those awesome ideas that you are so excited about but just never do?
I first saw this in one of my favorite books, The Guerilla Art Kit by Keri Smith (Which I will be talking about more later). I saw it today again on pinterest and decided I needed to post about it. Maybe some of you will beat me to it!

TADA! Yes this is real. Here is how you make this amazing MOSS PAINT!

• A couple handfulls of moss
• 12 oz of buttermilk (or a can of cheap beer)
• 1 tsp of sugar

Mix in a blender until it's all liquidy. Then go ahead and paint it on a wall! Moss likes shady, wet areas so make sure you spray it with water every day!
Sounds easy right? And awesome? I'm just wondering where I can find some moss... If you try it let us know how it goes!

Smore? Why yes please!

I figured today I would share a little thing that put a smile on my face. A couple months before my wedding I had an epiphany. I had been trying to think of the perfect refreshment to serve at my wedding. Something original, something yummy, something... Not to expensive.
That's when it hit me.
I had to have a Smores bar.
Later, my aunt found a picture on pinterest where somebody did something similar. Mine was just a little different.

This is as we were setting up. Well. As my mom and aunts were setting up. I was walking around in a big, pretty white dress taking pictures :)
You can kinda see all of the jars and dishes and stuff. Most of that I bought at the DI. I found some super cute candy bowls and apothecary jars that just needed a little bit of love. I also bought a couple of cheap plates from Walmart and some cute candlesticks from the DI. All I had to do was epoxy them together and Voila! I had a super cute stand that I could heap my chocolate bars onto that will certainly be used again and again! 

Ta Da! All we had left to do was heap in the goodies! You had the choice of three different graham crackers, Nine different kinds of marshmallows (yes, I said NINE different kinds! Try toasted coconut. It blew my mind), and three different kinds of chocolate. Pick out what you want, and then sit down at your table and roast it! We had four cans of sterno at each table. Roast, and enjoy! 

Balanced all out with some yummy watermelon and punch! 

Sorry about the different qualities of pictures. I am at the mercy of what people have put on facebook :)

You know how they say that your wedding day goes so fast, you don't even get a piece of your own cake? I didn't get a piece of my cake. OR a smore.
Don't make the same mistake I did! Eat three or four!
That rhymed.

He called me Sister

There were lots of broken hearts and tears yesterday when a dear friend of my family sent an update on the father of the family's condition. They were told that after fighting his cancer for years, undergoing surgery after surgery and uncomprehendable pain and stress for his family, they found confirmed tumors growing in his lungs as well as several new tumors. Chemo can't treat it. There is nothing they can do, and they know his time here is rapidly drawing to a close.
This is a man who's entire career is helping others. He greets everybody, and I literally mean every single person, with a huge hug and smile. The first time I introduced him to my husband he got the biggest grin on his face and said, "Hey Brother! It's so great to finally meet you!" and gave him a hug. To him, every person is his brother or sister, and he treats them that way. He has an amazing wife who dedicates herself to her family, friends, and serving others. He has five beautiful children.
As I sat at the computer yesterday, dumbfounded by what I was reading, I thought, with tears running down my face, that if anybody deserved a miracle it was this family.
It truly made me think about how none of us know how much time we will have with our loved ones. And at night before we went to sleep, I kissed my husband for real. I opened up all of my senses and etched every detail of it into my memory. I thought about how much I love him and made a goal not to take any moment for granted.
It has inspired me to see how this family has handled this personal earthquake. Instead of asking for sympathy they have been reassuring Us that it will be ok. Instead of asking God why, they have been praising his name and thanking him for all that they have. And instead of mourning the time that they won't have, they are taking advantage of the time that they have been given. I am so in awe of this family and the insight and perspective they have on life.

Take a minute today and think about all that you have. Soak up every single detail. Don't take anything for granted.
Love you all!

And then it was Monday. A tip to make a strangers day Brighter!

Yes it's Monday. No stress though because it is also a holiday! Whoo hoo! I hope you all have an amazing Labor Day!
Have you ever had one of those days? You wake up late, burn your forehead with the strait iron, and don't get breakfast so your stomach growls all morning? I was having one of those days. Except it was also raining. After trudging up the hill to campus I stopped by the bathroom to try to fix up my flat, wet hair and clean up the mascara running down my face. That's when I saw it.
It was pink.
It was slightly worn.
It made my day.
It looked kinda like this. (Except pink.)

I am so sad I didn't think to take a picture that day. But since then I have been thinking, It really couldn't have taken the girl who put it up more than a couple seconds to scribble on that post it note and stick it on the mirror! And it made me smile all day! Who knows how many people that girl touched with something so simple?
Since then I have thought up a few similar ways to brighten someones' day. Disclaimer- I'm sure other people have done similar things, I don't claim to be the mastermind of these ideas.

• Print off inspirational/motivating quotes on a piece of paper, cut them out so they look like fortune cookies, and leave them places like in a window, taped to a light post, and other random places people will probably see them.

• Leave a nice note in the pockets of some jeans you tried on in a store.

Anyways, you get the idea. Try it sometime! You never know what impact something so small can have.
Spread the Love! Happy Labor Day!

Challenge still in Effect!

Happy happy weekend! Just so you know, You still have until Sunday night to take the challenge. Please, Please PLEASE come back and leave a comment saying you did! We all want to be inspired by you here! Also, guess what everybody?!?

Fall is coming!!!
Today the temperature dropped like 10 degrees! I think that is reason for celebration. Give someone a hug, write a nice note, smile until your cheeks hurt! Spread the love!!!
See you on Monday!

Pin-spired

This is a quote I ran across on Pinterest today. Doesn't it make you feel pin-spired?

Of course, I can't claim to be the brains behind this quote. But I agree to the truthfulness of it! Make an effort to do something today! The challenge from my last post still stands. Don't be shy! (go ahead and see what I did for the challenge.) No effort is insignificant!
One year I attended a Time Out for Women. Let me just say real quick, If any of you have been meaning to go but haven't, GO! And for those of you who haven't heard of it, Look It UP! It was fantastic! Anyways, one of the speakers that year named Mary Ellen Edmunds gave a talk on being happy and being productive. Mary Ellen fantastic and has wrote several inspirational books for women. That day she gave us a tip I will never forget on how to trick yourself into being productive. (I apologize for not having the direct quote. I looked for it everywhere.) She suggested that when we need to go running, but just can't bring ourselves to get out of our pajamas, to say, "Ok. I probably wont go running this morning. But I'll put on my running shorts anyway." and then, "Well, I might as well throw my hair up and get my water bottle. I'm still not going to go running." All of the sudden, you are dressed and ready to go. By that point you might as well go running anyway!
Since then, I like to tackle all of my big projects like that. One step at a time. Pretty soon the project is done and I don't know what hit me!
Good luck this week! Don't forget the challenge!