it's the holiday season *

I'm so excited about this new etsy shop that is opening...

Simply Rosie Images

Check out the lovely holiday cards that my beautiful and talented friend Rosie of Simply Rosie Photography has created with photographs that she takes. They make me want to sit by the fire and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa, or to put on the brightest colors in my closet and go for a walk on a cold winter day. 

Visit her blog to enter to win a set of them for your very own!

Good Luck! 

(but secretly I hope I win them, and if I do, perhaps if you leave me a note here I'll mail you one!

Cuz getting snail mail is too much fun!) *grin*

harvest party!

Tonight we enjoyed a lovely time at our friend {molly}'s harvest party.

Delicious healthy foods.

Meeting new friends.

Carving pumpkins . . . 

would be contest, but there was no one competing in our tier bracket.

*wink*

I think our 'chillaxin cowboy' is totally cute!

jarfly greeting cards

I'm trying to win some super cute cards from a talented artist : Jarfly.  

Check out her collections here!

( and feel free to enter the contest yourself )

Wish me luck!

october {in retrospect}

What follows is part of a retrospective blog posting composed & written March 14, 2012 :

{Oct. 2, 2011} & {Oct 11, 2011}

REI GROUP INTERVIEW ~ I couldn't hardly sleep the night before this interview. But determined to rest as much as I can, I just laid there in bed trying to remain calm. At the interview I met two girls outside the doorway of the room. They were muttering, 'I hate group interviews!' and in my nervous desire to succeed I just replied with a smile... 'I love 'em, at least they allow us to feed off one another.' What a goon I am. :P  Anyways, long story short... of over 250 applicants, there were 25 candidates in the room, many of whom were just as cool or amazing as I was, so I really didn't know how they would pick me... and they were saying that they were hosting another interview later in the day with about the same number.... they only needed 12 or so... but after a week of agony... and being 'forced' to apply on Monday for another job at PJA {portland jewish academy} as a substitute assistant preschool teacher (which I ended up also interviewing for and getting the job)...I got the call from REI on {Oct 11, 2011} and they offered me a position as a Sales Specialist (which actually paid more than the cashier's position that I was applying for in the first place)!! WOot! Thank You Lord for Your provision!

september {in retrospect} part two

CRABBING ~ to wrap up this month was a weekend trip to the coast with our friends {dan} & {temple} to go crabbing. So much work, but so much fun. And fresh crab is so delicious.   Here are some fun pics from that time:

The evening after we got there we got to do some beach combing and we found some useful crabbing materials that had washed away from previous crabbers' adventures.  It was fun digging in the sea foam, seaweed/kelp, & driftwood, unearthing(do you call it that?) little hermit crabs, multi-legged starfish (aka sunfish), and other things.  Later in the evening we built a fire and enjoyed the sea-breeze and each other's company.

The next morning after a quick breakfast we ventured off to our secret crabbing spot.

  

 

baiting the crabs with chicken and fish.

My handsome {hubby} hard at work.

 

 

The guys going to fetch the crab pots.

The lovely {temple}, the Great crabbing instructor.

 It was fun to play Monopoly Deal and BananaGrams with the {hewett} clan... minus our sweet {erin} (if you're reading this, we really missed you!)

It was {temple}'s birthday... and she's beating us!

 

 

 {dan} watching the game... of course.

We drove out Thursday afternoon and stayed til lunch on Saturday. Had to get home and prepare for the group interview that I was going to have on Sunday.  It was a fun time after the first week of school. Can't wait for next year's trip!

september {in retrospect} part one

Here begins the series of long blogs that are written and posted in retrospect.
{actually composed: March 14, 2012}

Bear with me, it's for prosperity sake.  

~ September 2011 ~

A VISIT from one of my favorite people... {anna casey}. I'm always excited when I get a call from her, because it usually means that she is planning to come into town soon...maybe even with another friend or two. And that means lots of fun adventures! So along with going to Oneonta Gorge and the coast for oyster roasting it was great time of meeting a new friend and catching up with a dear one. *love her!*  (forgive the blotchy lense... my {hubby} needs a new camera).

 

        

(photos taken Sept 9, 2011)

REI called!!!! and I got a phone interview right then with a set date for a group interview.

So timely, since I was leaving for a week long trip to visit our relatives in Boston that next week.

PAINTING with friends is always something I like to post about. It's actually not that often that I get to sit down with a friend and allow the creative juices to just flow. This time with my friend {kristina} was the day or so before leaving for Boston.

(photos taken Sept. 17, 2011)

BOSTON... this trip had such sweet timing. Just before Erik started his graduate certificate program we embarked on this little jaunt across the US to visit his brother, wife, and two nephews. It was my first time out there and they were gracious to take us around to see some historical sights and send us out on our own some as well. We were even treated to a day trip to Martha's Vineyard. The leaves had not yet turned but the our time was so sweet. Thank you all for the wonderful memories! We hope to come back soon!!

   

 

"Mom, the sky! It's BLACK!!" 

 

 Mike's Pastry's... "Tony, Tony Cannoli, I've been looking for you!"

~ ^^ Paul Revere ~

Where the shot that was heard from around the world was... near this bridge.

 

 

 

Then on to Martha's Vineyard...

The sun was actually really bright while we were out on the water... *squint* forgot our shades.

 

 

  

 

(photos taken Sept. 20-26, 2011)

Some of our friends were also in the area attending an extension of their Bible school program. It was sweet to see them. We truly had a wonderful reunion/visit. Here is {odie} and I. Also {erik} and {jed} with some old family friends. 

Also during this time we were saddened yet privileged to attend the memorial service for our friend's father who had finished his long battle with ALS. This precious family is a living testimony of their father's life of service and shepherding. The Lord is sweet in all His divine arrangements.

 

My sister-in-law sent me home with some interviewing clothes... Yeah! it's great to have a sister with whom I can receive some hand-me-downs from. *grin* ...oddly enough, REI didn't require me to dress 'up'... such a great casual outdoor store... I won't need a whole new wardrobe if I got the job there.

September... to be continued...