Twiggie Makes by Candace Grahl

My mother in law was in town this weekend to help out with the monkies while hubby was away. This meant a little more free time to myself and I got to tackle not only my inbox but also my feed reader (which I knocked out completely on Sunday, went back to check on it today and am yet again waaaaaaay behind. Blergh.) But while sifting through literally hundreds of updated feeds I found some little gems along the way that made my back straighten and my eyes perk up just a little bit more. So here ya go: Top Ten Pretty-To-Me Links.

1) Vintage Paper Parade I just love this etsy shop. Super simple but super cute stationery - I can not narrow down which is my favorite, love it all! (and Pepper Design Blog is doing a giveaway so head on over to score some adorable and f-r-e-e goods)

2) Red & Teal Wedding While perusing the archives of one of my favorite photography blogs, I found this little gem and it blew me away. I would love to say I have the cahoonah’s to do such a bright color scheme for my wedding but isn’t it gorgeous?! And the cake, did you see the cake? OhMyGoshIJustLoveIt. LOVE. IT. *swoon* *drool* *sigh*

3) Best Easter Baskets Easter is one of my favorite holidays but sometimes the “cutesyness” of it overwhelms me. However, I am always a sucker for a beautifully designed and executed Easter basket. My favorite? The dyed Easter basket. So incredibly simple but so lovely.

4) Beautiful Cherry Blossom Cookies Aren’t these cookies amazing?? I don’t think I could bring myself to eat one! Wait, who are we kidding - of course I could. But I would take tons of pictures first.

5) DIY Ruffles and Lace Tank Top Sewing can be such a fussy process, one that irritates and bores me but I think I will blow the dust off of my sewing machine to make one of these - pink puffy *heart* this.

6) Only the best cake ever Today. (cuz we all know I will change my mind when I find another one tomorrow) but still, so stunning (Brandi, I think you should have this cake for Bug’s 2nd birthday party. Just a thought *wink*).

7) Macaron pops Love me some macarons. Love me some lolli’s. Love me some Bakerella.

8) Shauna Younge I am a huge Amy Atlas fan and love seeing what her genius-mind comes up with but I found another pro in the dessert bar field and I can’t get enough of her stuff either! Her “LOVE” dessert table knocked my socks off - so sweet and I am totally digging the silhouette’s.

9) Pentunia Pickle Bottom Cosmopolitan Carryall I mean, the name is just fabulous on it’s own (Petunia…so lovely). But then the description makes my eyelids flutter “Sapphire blue and Ocean Mist vintage inspired floral European cut velvet with coordinating sapphire blue wool tweed and sapphire blue water resistant lining” What does it all mean? I don’t care. All I know is she takes my breath away.

10) Simple yet Adorable Cuppie Today kicked my butt, especially between the hours of 3pm to 7pm, so to stumble upon this little gem really brought a sense of peace and tranquility to my mind. Is it weird that food does that? No? Good. A little yummy topped with sweetness on a backdrop of happiness. I know it’s weird but I’m 10% auditory, 90% visual so it just happens that way. But man, isn’t it a beauty.

So last week was a doozie. And I mean…yeah. All attempts at blogging were dashed any second I tried to muster up a post. I would enjoy - no, LOVE - to talk about it but it seems like it’s so much, so detailed & so incredibly personal that I don’t know if this is the correct platform in which to air it. Bottom line is I have been suffering from depression (again) for the last six months (and those of you who know me in real life or who followed me from Laughing Daisies know this is something I have struggled with for over ten years), until this week when the Lord clearly & very painfully, I might add, set me straight that it was not a depression but instead an intense time of spiritual maturity.

See? Heavy stuff.

While I stand today completely wide-eyed at all that the Lord has showed me in just a weeks time, I don’t want to scare anyone off or jump head-first into a big theological post. I feel like these building blocks in our faith are given not just for us but for others to bear witness to, but I also want to respect the process & share it in it’s time & as the Lord ordains it. So the jury is still out on that one but please delight with me as the Lord has put a new song in my heart to bring Him praise. He is so good!

On that note, here are two other posts I’ll link you to for todays reading. One I wrote for my sweet, bloggy friend Amanda over at Impress Your Kids, a great blog designed to impress your kids with the knowledge of God, as commanded in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. I recently read a book on how to give the Biblical blessing & it has changed the way I am speaking to & blessing my children, my husband, & those around me. A definite must-read as a parent, in my opinion.

The other post is by another dear friend who took my headshots for me for my biznass (to be unveiled in the near future, hopefully, as I get the guts to do so) & their recap of it. Super fun, SUPER TALENTED, super great team at Kellan Studios, can’t say enough good things about their work or their friendship.

I really want to come up with a Top 10 for tomorrow but am drawing a complete blank as to what to do. Any ideas? Suggestions? I’m thinking of turning the tables on you to have you answer ten questions for me since I know some but not all of you & I wanna shake things up a bit. Consider this your warning.