This photo shoot was a bit spontaneous, and that's how it normally goes. ;) We grabbed our bikes and cameras, and then drifted to the end of the road while the sun was setting. The lighting was pretty great, so I kind of drug Lyssa over to a nice spot and started snapping pictures. This is what came of it.
Are you spontaneous?
"My life is spontaneous and things just kind of happen."
Ingredients
-8 ounces butter -1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 cup powdered sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-¾ teaspoon salt
-1 ½ cups all purpose flour -For the coating:
-10 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
-1 ½ teaspoon peppermint extract (make sure to get peppermint, not spearmint)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Cream butter until light and fluffy, then add the powdered sugar and
mix until combined. Stir in the salt, vanilla and cocoa powder. Mix
until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter resembles a thick
frosting. Add the flour and mix just until it is combined, making
sure to not over mix.
Form dough into a ball. Knead a few times to bring together, then
flatten into a disk between half an inch and one inch thick, cover in
plastic wrap then place in freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove dough from the freezer and roll it out really thin on a
floured surface, about 1/8-inch. Cut cookies using 1 ½ inch cutter
Place
cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies
from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. While
the cookies bake, make the peppermint coating. Chop the baking chocolate
into very small, thin pieces. Place over a double boiler, and stir every so often until it is completely melted. Stir in the
peppermint extract. Feel free to add more peppermint as you see fit, but I thought the amount called for was perfect. :)
Gently drop the cookies, one at a time, into the chocolate coating. Turn to
coat entirely, then lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork
and tilt against the side of the bowl until the extra coating drips
off. Place on a parchment or plastic wrap-lined baking sheet, and repeat
for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or
freezer to set.
Viola, now you have Thin Mint cookies!
No big hoopla was made. We had a BBQ with some good friends, and then helped them clean out their hangar. It was pretty fun actually. :)
I don't feel different, more grown up, or anything like that. Parents always tell their kids, "Don't try to grow up too fast." When I was younger I never really understood that or took it seriously. I just wanted to be as mature as possible. Now that I am older though, I wish I could go back and just enjoy some of those younger years.
Not that being older doesn't have its perks. (: But I've slowly been learning (and still am) that we should be content where we are, live in the here and now, instead of always dreaming about our future. Yahweh has placed us where we are for a reason. We may not know what it is at the time, but we need to trust Him and walk by faith.
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.
You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words?
Be prepared, I definitely have more than one. (:
For Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) we traveled to Tennessee, and we had an amazing time! It is so beautiful there, I almost didn't want to come home. I met so many wonderful people, and I really truly miss them. A lot.
Now we are in fall. Yes, I am standing there with the rest of you, wondering how on earth it is almost November. Almost winter. Geez louise.
I know this post was a long time in coming... But you know how you've been gone from your blog for awhile, and you just don't know how to come back without apologizing all over the place? Yeah. There is my predicament.
Anyways, now that I have some great inspiration, I'll hopefully be posting more. I'm still working up the courage to make the promised vlog, I also have two photoshoots to share with you! They were so much fun to do!
The time has come again, for our annual week long camping trip. It will be so awesome to just relax, take a deep breath, and clear my mind. Some real posts will be in order when we return, pinky promise. :) I'll have a ba-willion (yes, I just made that up) pictures to share with you, and stories galore. (can you tell I'm just a tad excited?)
So without further adieu, I bid thee farewell. (waves her hankie back and forth, vigorously) (; {p.s. I just found a great new song, so what the heck are you waiting for?! Click this link and listen to it!}
:)
Hey there everybody, yes I am still alive. (: I just wanted to give you guys a quick update on whats happening...
Hopefully next week we will be able to go on our yearly camping trip. My camera and I have been out shooting lots of things. Fall is here!! Our friends just had a baby girl. :) I am going to attempt to make my first vlog, thanks for the inspiration Abby! A real post is coming soon. And this made me happy. :)
After a cool clean rain, everything is new. That sweet smell that you almost can't describe, the perfect droplets of water resting on refreshed flower petals. The soft sound of raindrops rolling off the rooftops, thunderclouds being pushed along by the insistent wind.
Thou, O Elohim, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
Psalm 68:9
He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
Psalm 135:7
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
Okie-dokie, I'm pretty excited here. :) Let's just say right off the bat, that the people over at Copper River Bag Company are really, really awesome. You may ask why I say that? Well, as you might have already guessed from the title of this post, and those pictures up ^^ there, that I got to do a product review. And lemme' tell you somethin'... "Holy Fedora Batman, they did not disappoint!"
I looooove this bag (is that a little obvious?)! Everywhere I go with it, I get compliments left and right. The crinkly tan leather, the adjustable strap (comfyness!), along with all the cute little American flags (okay people, I get excited over small things here) make this bag p-e-r-f-e-c-t! :D
I would recommend this bag, or any of their others to anyone. If you'd like to browse around their camera bag section, here is the link. They also carry cell phone cases, wallets, iPad bags, Macbook, and messenger bags, laptop bags, and accessories! Every Copper River Bag is built to last a lifetime and comes with a 100 year warranty! Whoo-hoo! The thing I really love about Copper River though, is that its a family run business. Isn't that so cool? Read the rest of their story here. :)
Alrighty then! What, you're still here? Why aren't you checking out their shop?! Now scoot! ;)
Here are a couple of their other bags, which I also adore...
Well, it has been quite a while since I posted last. And believe me I have stuff to talk about, but I started school this week, and things are a little crazy. But on another note, I am happy to say that I was awarded the Liebster Award by Mandie. Thanks, lady! It has been a long time since I was awarded, so this was a happy surprise. :)
Now before we begin, I just wanted to let you know that I had to google what "Liebster" was... I found that it is a German word that means (n. sweetheart, beloved person, darling). Aww, how nice is that?! Now I'll officially start to call everyone liebster :)
Rules //
1 // Each person must list 11 things about themselves. 2 // Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUST
create 11 questions of your own for the 11 people you will nominate with
this award. 3 // Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post. 4 // Go to their page and inform them of the nomination. 5 // Absolutely NO tag backs. 6 // Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers
Eleven things about myself //
1 // I got a sunburn yesterday while we were at the waterpark, but it did add to my tan instead of taking it away :D
2 // I finally figured out to keep my hair in a ballerina bun !!
3 // My two favorite blogs are this one, and this one
4 // My favorite colors are coral and mint
5 // Herman and I have been taking some awesome pictures, post coming soon!
6 // Three words to describe my personality would be... shy, at times very loud, and a dreamer :)
7 // I am five foot five, at present, and cannot reach anything in the kitchen cabinets...
8 // On my reading list this summer, The Wonder of Charlie Anne (great book! read it!)
9 // It is very hard to come up with eleven random things about yourself, as I have now realized.
10 // I hope to be getting some new glasses in the near future. O.o
11 // I have been singing this song, and now I can't get it out of my head!
Mandie's eleven questions, and my answers //
1 // What is your favorite type of food (Mexican, Italian, Indian, American, etc.)?Italian! 2 // Are you more right or left brained?I wasn't sure, so I went and took an online test, and found out that I am right brain dominant. Who knew? :) 3 // Are you logical or impulsive? I suppose I can be either, it depends on the situation. In general though, I think I'm a tad more impulsive. 4// What is your favorite season of the year? Spring is my favorite time of year, everything is fresh and new. After a long winter, it reminds me of all the beautiful things Yahweh has created. 5 // Do you have many or just a few friends? I have many friends (i.e., people I've met and had a great time talking with), but we aren't all close like I think real friends should be (i.e., knowing what the other person is going to say before they say it, or knowing just the right thing to do/say when your bud is feeling low). 6 // Do you prefer solitude or to be in a group? Groups are really fun and all, but there are just times when a girl needs some silence. :) 7 // Play a video/computer game or watch a movie? I would rather watch a movie, I think :) 8 // Singing or dancing? I really love both, so I can't choose! 9 // What is your dream job? My dream job is to become a godly wife and mother, who truly resembles the Proverbs 31 woman. But if getting married isn't what Yahweh has in store for me, my passion is lifestyle/portrait photography. :) 10 // Do you live in the here and now or are you a dreamer? I am a dreamer 11 // Are you happy with the way God made you OR are you struggling in that area? I have definitely struggled in that area before. Many times actually... Right now though, I feel pretty good about myself. Thank you for asking! :)
Here are the eleven questions the people I tag have to answer...
1 // What is the most adventurous thing you've ever done? 2 // If you could choose anywhere to go for a vacation, what would be your pick? 3 // Have you ever eaten desert first? (guilty!) 4 // Did you cry at the ending scene in Tangled? (again, guilty!) 5 // How tall are you? 6 // Would you ever go swimming in the winter? 7 // If you could only have one thing for breakfast every morning for the rest of your life, what would it be? 8 // Contacts or glasses? 9 // What is one of your passions? 10 // What is the most embarrassing this that has ever happened to you? 11 // Favorite Scripture verse?
Alrighty then, time for the lucky people who will be tagged!
So far, this has been a great American Summer. And now I'm realizing that it's almost over... I'm surrounded by cottony clouds, blazing sunsets, doggy licks, new friends, and blooming flowers, and I want it to last forever. But while it's here, I'll enjoy it to the fullest. Toting my camera Herman along everywhere, making sure to capture every last drop of this American Summer...
