poverty is taking over our wild wednesdays...

image found here

Yes, this month we may be tightening up our budget and cracking down on our mis-spending, but we truly don't know what poverty is.

However there are many people all over the world, including North America, that really do know all about poverty.

While I find it a tinge difficult to shrink a food budget for this family of six down to our new amount of $100/wk.

Many don't even have a small portion of that.

Both Don and I, along with our kiddos, are deciding to work towards being debt free in a little over a year.

Thanks to our dear friends, Matt and Leah sharing their budgeting style and aiding us in ours', we have managed to make this a possibility.

We have always left our budget as somewhat of a mystery but we are making some drastic changes to make this happen.

It is our desire to eventually help those who truly are living in poverty through a pre-chosen venue.

We can only do this by cutting back in a menagerie of areas, one being travel.

We love our wild wednesdays but they are going to be spent creating things to sell through our Etsy shops

in which to aid in our goals.

So although sad in some ways, I feel it is a very happy thing to know that we will be dancing the debt free dance and enabled to bring happiness to others who normally wouldn't have food or shelter.

I am hoping this new spot in our journey will be inspiring for others and not a disappointment to our blogging friends.

Happy Wednesday!

Share the love!

xoxo

love,

All of us

things i am loving this morning...

these homemade cinnamon buns and the delicious smell they fill our home with...

these two little sweeties, looking out our window...

(I always think they must look so cute to passersby.)

 

Don and my honey lattes made with local delicious honey and cinnamon on top...

the last little bits of our garden going into our evening meal

and last but not least a sweet little award from Megs.

Happy Tuesday and thank you so much for all your sweetness toward my new shop.

Big hugs to all of you, wonderful friends!

What are you loving today?

xoxo

ta da...

  Its finally up and running!

I know..

I know I am not the best at being sly

but here it is.

Thanks for all of the good guesses and patience.

xoxo

fashionably late....

Alright...

So, no throwing pies, screaming or yelling and definitely no temper tantrums and stomping of feet

but, ahem...

I am not ready with our surprise yet.

(With 4 children and a super busy life, I seem to be fashionably late here and there, much to my frustration.)

Huge apologies to all.

I am going to try to appease you with a little before and after I am working on for the

untold event

which....no promises but I am hoping to have everything ready to share with you all sometime this weekend.

So keep your eyes peeled.

Happy Friday, everyone!
YAY for weekends!
xoxo
~dee

we heart thursdays...

(above) This gorgeous bit of work by our lovely friend, Barb.

(above) Illustrations by this London based illustrator/graphic designer.

Gini's blog and shop. (below)

Pretty pictures and lovely posts here.

Cute little Lingonberrytoe

wild wednesday in pentiction and apex, b.c......

(please tell me you all understand why I miss this gorgeous province)
This beautiful couple is my cousin, Steve and his beautiful bride, Carol!
This Wednesday, thanks to my cousin Sheri, I am doing a virtual wild wednesday to the
incredible Sheridan wedding.
Sorry we couldn't make it home in time, Steve and Carol.
We wish you the very best in your life together!My handsome brother, Kevin and my very gorgeous parents. (above)and the lovely, Aunt Sally with her fiance, Marty (above)My pretty and very talented cousin, Sheri with her husband, Andrew.
(thanks for letting me steal all your photos!)

My lovely cousin, Shawnda and her beautiful family (above)
psst...Shawnda if you are reading this..that dress on you...WOW...You are absolutely stunning!

(above and below) my massively gorgeous cousin, Krystal and her insanely cute son, Malakai
I want Bella to meet him...wouldn't they look so adorable playing together.

The gorgeous couple: Carol and Steve (below)

Congrats cousin Scooby Steve-o and your beautiful wife, Carol!
I miss everybody so much it HURTS!!
(k...so I shed a little too many tears of homesicklyness over these photos)
Happy wild wednesday!!
What are you all up to?
xoxoxo
love,
~dee

happy birthday to my amazing mom....

I love you mom!
You always listen to me when I call home crying because I miss you all.
You pray with me when things are just to big for me to deal with.
You are the sweetest in so many ways...
like when you gave a ton of time and energy to help me when I had the tea house,
for all of the time you spent with our children,
for all you gave to me as a child, along with about half of your closet when I was in high school.
(Good thing you had such amazing taste in clothes.)
You gave wise advice and loads of love.
You made my life full of fun and adventure.
You are such a wonderful teacher, friend, cook, baker! Your home is always perfect and full of peace and the delicious smell of cinnamon rolls.
You are such a lovely nana and mom!
Happy Birthday!
(I hope it is full of good things for you!)
I love you!
xoxo
love,
dee

something i am working on...

I think for today I will let you guess what I am up to and maybe tell you about it on Friday...
I have been working hard at something for awhile now and I am not sure why
I am slightly afraid of jumping in with both feet on this one.
Sometimes circumstances just push you over the cliff and you gotta do it.
Are you all curious and sitting on the edge of your chairs?

Happy Tuesday and wishing the best on whatever you are up to too!
xoxo
cheers,
dee

here it is ...

• 1-¼ cup Water
• 3 cups Organic Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Organic Ground Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoons Organic Ground Cloves
• ½ teaspoons Organic Ground Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoons Organic Ground Ginger
• ¼ cup Organic Molasses
• 1 cup of Organic sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup of Organic Canned Pumpkin
• 2 cups Organic Whip Cream (liquid form)
• ½ cup of Organic milk
• 2 whole Shots Organic Espresso

· First, pour the water and sugar into a small saucepan, and simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved.

· Add in the molasses, sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream and pumpkin.

· Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until thermometer reaches 230 F, constantly whisking.

· Add in the spices, and continue to simmer for another 6-8 minutes or until thermometer reaches 235 degrees F.

· Chill and pour the syrup into a bottle. Store the bottle in the refrigerator.

· Now, make 2 shots worth of espresso using your espresso machine.

· Use the steam nozzle to froth the milk. When the milk is hot and frothy, pour in the espresso and pumpkin spice syrup and give it a good stir. Top with whipped cream if desired and sprinkles of nutmeg and organic sugar.

(We used a small coffee grinder to grind our spices by hand.)

things i am loving this morning...

the comforting smell of Asian incense burnt in multiples from Pura Vida
(I think this type may be commonly used in Buddhist temples from what Theresa told me.)

the indulgence of a homemade pumpkin spice latte
(complete with organic sugar, real pumpkin and hand ground spices in the syrup)
Let me know if anyone is interested in the recipe for this syrup. I am so loving it.

candy from home
(a big thank you to the kid's, grammy and grampy for these along with an inspirational and loving visit....we ALL miss YOU so much already!!)

the knowing that though the world may be huge...
in light of its massive size,
we are not really that far from home.

What are you all loving this morning?
Love,
Dee
xoxo

my friday's findings

Bella's favourite toys are not really toys...

I love the treasures (like this vintage lamp) that I have found in thrift shops more than things I buy new. They have more fulfilling memories too...

I cherish quiet moments reading a love letter that I adore....

which is why I am writing this new blog...
(I really started this blog to keep my heart in a good place but I if you need encouragement...
I would be happy to share.)

What are your findings this Friday?
Have a lovely weekend, all of you beautiful people!
xoxo