Fridays are for Favorites #48

Oh, it’s Fridayyy! Whohoo! Somehow, even though I work this weekend, Friday remains exciting…must be the years of conditioning 🙂 How’s your week been, friend? I hope you were able to appreciate some little moments that made your everyday extraordinary! This week has been busy, but good, I’ve tried to step away from photographing every single thing and just enjoy those moments cell phone free…plus who wants to see photographs of all my homework anyways? 😉 We are looking forward to sunshine this weekend and on my day off, I hope to plant my tulip bulbs. I’m crossing my fingers one will survive until spring…my green thumb is pretty much non-existent so here’s to hoping tulips are resilient! 🙂

As always, here’s some life and links that made my everyday extraordinary this week. The links are especially encouraging today so make sure to bookmark those for some weekend reading! Have a wonderful day! 

Life Lately

Love in Action. Yep, that’s my sweet husband taking the dog a walk in torrential rain. It’s hard to tell in the picture, but it was POURING. We appreciate the rain, and are extremely grateful to have been spared from the flooding, but when you have a puppy who goes stir crazy like a toddler very quickly — walks are a necessity, rain or shine!

Apple Pie Bread. I told y’all last week that I wanted to try this recipe, and I did! I brought this bread still warm over to a game night with friends and per their report (and in my humble opinion), it was delicious!!! To make it gluten free, I simply subbed out the regular flour for a GF flour blend and watched the cooking times closely. Highly recommend — it tastes a lot better than my photography skills attest 😉

Fall weather and leaves are here! Our yard is a jungle right now due to the rain and seeding (we wait to mow for a couple of weeks), but it doesn’t take away from the colorful leaves starting to spot the grass. After the rain passed on Saturday, the weather has been gorgeous! Also — I’m trying to practice my photography skills, and I thought this photo looked interesting — don’t laugh 😉

Successful New Dinner Recipes. When I take the time to meal plan and cook dinner, the last thing I want is for the meal to be less than delicious. Hence the reason why I’m usually not that creative with dinner recipes because I’d rather be assured of my success with tried and true recipes. However, I do love incorporating new recipes once in a while, and I especially appreciate when they are good enough to be added to the rotation! This turkey chili taco soup passed the test, and was even more delicious for leftovers! (Oh, and did I mention it literally took twenty minutes start to finish??! My favorite kind of meal.)

Dallas the Dog Picture of the Week

{photo credit Melinda Jean Photography}

Look at that handsome boy! We took our second annual fall family photos a few weeks ago, and we received our gallery this week. Dallas did a wonderful job of posing — all it took was lots of treats and squeaky toys 🙂 We are so happy with the photos, I will have to share some more later. Winston friends, if you’re looking for a photographer, we can’t recommend Melinda Jean Photography enough!

As for Dallas when he’s not modeling, he’s still a bit of a terror this week — disobedient every time we turn around, yet wanting to cuddle the next moment. Who knew dogs even have hormonal shifts?! Haha — part of the reason I’m writing the good and the bad is I want to remember this in fifteen years when we consider getting another puppy!! 😉 Thank goodness he’s cute…

Links Lately

Let’s start with the important stuff in life — how many of you have been as devastated as I was to find that Chick-fil-A changed their BBQ sauce?? Why would you change perfection, right? My grief was lifted this week when I saw this video of how the Bring Back the BBQ campaign was successful, and Chick-fil-A has listened to the people. Hallelujah! 😉 Here’s to November!

“…social media gives us a million reasons every day to feel discontent, jealousy, isolation, anger, frustration, comparison, and any number of other blood-pressure-raising emotions. Sure, there are plenty of good things about it. But there are also seasons in life when the bad things outweigh the good things and our poor, battered hearts could really use a rest.” After reading this post by Ariel Lawton at She Reads and watching this video she references by Dr. Cal Newport, I’ve already deleted Facebook from my phone, and I’m debating doing another complete break. I wrote what I learned from my first social media fast here and here, and I’ve done a few more refreshing breaks since then. And this year — I mean I may do it at least until November 8 and its aftermath is over…can I get an amen??!

“Creativity is tricky like a chameleon. Some days you catch it by the tail and hold it up to the light, profoundly captivated by all it’s colors. Other days it scurries across your path, only to quickly disappear again. Always just beyond your reach, refusing to be captured. But the very thing that makes creative work so hard- it’s uniqueness, is the very reason why we shouldn’t give up on it. Your art is your art. My art is my art. No one but you can do your creative work and no one else can do mine for me.” This quote says it all — if you’re looking for encouragement in your creative life or life in general, hope*writer Amber Salhus’ In Your Dreams: When Creative Work Feels Impossible is a must, must read.

“I turned 43 this week, and like every October 5th, I started my birthday new year by setting goals and intentions. This year my intention is simple. I’m going to “Show Up”. For my friends, for my family and for my community. I know that there will never, ever be a time I regret showing up in life. However, not showing up? I have deep regrets about making that choice over the years.” Challenging and inspiring, Kristen from Dine & Dish – It’s Time to Show Up – had me asking pointed questions about my own choices on this topic

“There are also sturdy moments where we see the beauty in all of this and can smile at what is to come with great confidence in an unfailing God. But the fruit? It lives out on the limb doesn’t it? Do we always have to risk to grow? I believe yes. The best lasting growth comes from risk taking.” Beautiful encouragement and poignant reminders by hope*writer Jenny Howell – When Risking is Winning [Even When It’s Hard] 

Yummy Link of the Week – By now y’all know how much I love cinnamon in every form, but the ultimate use of cinnamon has to be in cinnamon rolls. I mean it doesn’t get any better…except maybe when you turn them into cupcakes! These Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes by Grandbaby Cakes are now on my to-bake list (which, in case you were wondering, is very very long… 😉 ).

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What’s making your everyday extraordinary this week? Have a fantastic weekend!

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Linking up with Heather — check out more Friday Favorites here!