My Club ...

tonight i am hosting my Cooking Club

it is anywhere from 6 to 12 women who get together

once a month

we pick a theme ...

tonight is

squash

we take turns at each other's homes

each one of us getting a chance to host

we each bring a dish that includes our theme

we talk about our dish

we laugh

we eat

we drink wine

we top off the night with coffee

so many different women ...

a writer, one who loves to bake, one who just went through a divorce,

one who has a child with cancer, one who just lost her sister, one who

just had a baby, one who is about to have a baby, one who always brings pizza

no matter the theme, one who only brings wine because she can

not cook , one who just moved to California

 ... yes this is my group.

and i love them

it is something that i look forward to every month

and tonight i get to host

so excited ...

photos tomorrow!

xo



Choices ...

yesterday i made a decision ...

and let me tell you it was a tough one

you see i got offered an amazing opportunity ...

a fabulous decorating opportunity

one that i have been waiting for

one that some perhaps maybe dream of

but the thing is

is that it also was time consuming

and needed to be done within the next month or so

and even though

i so wanted this

it just isn't the right time

so i made a decision ...

after days of going back and forth

and praying

it became so clear ...

now is not the time

now is the time to focus on my family

now is the time to spend every moment i can with my husband

now is the time to get me together before

i am on my own

yes ... i have made a decision

one of my favorite scriptures is ...

... let your yes be yes and your no be no

Matthew 5.37

you see i knew in my heart way back when i was asked to

do this ... that i should say no

there is just way to much going on now

my husband's deployment, projects we need to do around the house

before he goes, spend time with the kids

but i got excited

i got really excited at the thought of this opportunity

and what it may lead to ...

but deep down ... i knew

and now this morning i realized

you see that is God

that tugging inside... that feeling deep down...

he is attempting to make my path straight

and yet i am trying to do my own thing

not HIS

because when it is HIS plan ... i always know... there is no tugging

there is no hesitation

when it is HIS plan i am amazed at how doors open

yes... this morning i made a decision

xo

Chalk it up ...

i am

a lover of chalkboard paint

ooooo yes ...

i love me some chalkboard painted things

walls ... tables ...

actually a couple of years ago my husband

had to pull the plug on the whole chalkboard thing ...

yep

he thought... ahem...

that i was getting a wee bit carried away

you see i became a bit addicted to the whole chalkboard look

at one point we had our kitchen done... hallway done...

a wall in Sib's room done... basement wall done ...

and i was about to paint the wall next to the toilet in the bathroom

when the ax came down

i know right? how fun would have that been ...

soooo ... i gave in and over the past few years

i have slowly weened myself

now we just have the hallway upstairs

but i love these photos ...

oooo and if you want to have the fun of chalkboard paint

but not the black or green color ...

go here and check out Martha's recipe for

chalkboard paint using any wall color you have laying around

(scroll down to bottom )

it is a good thing!

xo

just a little time ...

i love this chandelier

and how simple ...

just a grapevine wreath that you can pick up at any

wal-mart for a few dollars

decorated with leaves etc ...

a few tea lights tucked into some hollowed out

mini pumpkins ...

and run a sturdy twine or wire through to hang

perfect from a low tree branch or  from a hook on your

porch ceiling

even the tea lights in the window ... love love love

ooh fall ... i am so glad you have arrived!

xo



Mama said there would be days like this...

it has been awhile ...

actually it has been so long that this morning

when i tried to log on to my blogger account it asked me for my password

and ...

those of you who know me

know i am not a write things down type of gal

so to be honest

i could not remember it

nope

not.at.all

i was trying everything i could think of

and then... finally...

it opened up

and now i still do not remember what i put in

*sigh*

i have been catching up on things

around here these past couple weeks

housework

friendships

bills

decorating the house

decorating other people's houses

lots going on here in the Ford house

but i promise to be back tomorrow ...

have i said this before?

i m feeling a little bit like i have posted this before ...

yes

most likely i have

*sigh*

until tomorrow my friends ...

xo



Coming down from the high ...

a look at this past weekend ...

Sunday night was my fall show ...

the porch was packed full ...

and

it was the most perfect night 

a huge THANK YOU to all of you who stopped by

next week i will post some things that i have left over ...

just a few things that are too pretty to be packed away

have a great weekend everyone!

xo