New blog site

Devonly has moved! Please check out my new and improved blog here: www.devonly.com. All my past posts have been moved over to the new site, so everything I have done will now be available at that location. The new site will include all my recipes that have been catalogued for easy searching, a section dedicated to my jewelry and links to my Etsy shop, as well as all the other goodies that come with a blog. Please update your RSS links and bookmarks to make sure you stay close and updated on all the excitement here at Devonly. I hope to see you at the new site!

Roasted Acorn Squash with Grain and Warm Spice Salad

After an entire summer of light meals and fresh crisp produce, I start craving a warm hearty meal once the leaves start to turn. I know in some areas of the country it's still really warm, and turning your oven on sounds about as good as snuggling up to a porcupine. But here in the Pacific Northwest, fall has arrived! I absolutely love fall. It's by far my favorite season. Something about the crisp sunny days, bringing out the scarves and sweaters, the beautiful colors of all the leaves turning...and the food! I instantly want a slow-cooked roast, comforting potatoes, stews and warm fresh bread, ginger and cinnamon in everything, and squash. Oh, the magical squash! I don't think there's a thing I don't like about squash. Well, maybe that the majority of it isn't available year-round! There's nothing you can't really do with a squash. You can steam, boil, or roast it. You can chop it up, scoop it up, puree it up. It goes great in all kinds of stews, pastas, salad toppers, breads, pies, cakes, as a taco filling, a hearty addition to almost any entree, and in this case: it even acts as a bowl!

Which brings us to the humble acorn squash. It's small size and super-easy preparation makes it ideal for a quick, painless, week-night meal (and great for almost any number of people you happen to be serving). This "ease of use" so-to-speak, is why I've gravitated to it more and more over the years. I don't have to commit to a huge pumpkin or large butternut squash if I don't have more than one way I want to be using any said squash at one time. And not only are they so versatile and tasty, they're really good for you! Not only is it chocked full of vitamins (most noteably vitamin A, but in case you were curious, just the acorn alone has: vitamin C, manganese, potassium, folate, vitamin B complex, and omega 3 fatty acids [referenced here]), but fiber-rich and low in fat. And the ever-popular butternut is also high in folic acid. Now, what's not to like about all that!?!

So, if you haven't ventured down the gourd section of your local produce retailer, or think they are all solely used for decorating door steps and holiday table centers, I encourage you to pick up a little acorn squash and give it whirl. And if you end up not liking it plain, turn into these, which I know you'll love!

You will need:

1 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out

1/4 cup wheatberries*

1/4 cup couscous*

1 cup torn, packed spinach

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 TB pine nuts

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, finely shredded

2 TB lemon juice

2 TB apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 TB olive oil

1 TB honey

1/4 tsp. each: cinnamon, cumin

1/8 tsp. each: cloves, curry powder, turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash, cut side up, on a baking sheet or in a glass dish. sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dot with a little butter on the inside. Bake 30-35 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife.

2. Meanwhile, cook grains according to package directions.

3. Place spinach in a large bowl and set aside.

4. Toss together the raisins, pine nuts, onion, garlic, and carrot in another bowl, set aside.

5. Whisk together the lemon juice through the spices in a small bowl and set aside.

6. When the grains are done cooking, drain if necessary and toss immediately with spinach, causing it to wilt slightly. Add in the raisin mixture and dressing, tossing well to combine. Spoon into squash halves and enjoy!

I do hope you get to enjoy some of this season's finest produce, and not just in the form of your Thanksgiving Day pie.

Devonly,

Yours

* These are just the grains I happened to have on hand. And in fact, the couscous was a harvest grain blend. Feel free to use whatever grains you like or keep handy. Even a mix of lentils and wild rice would be nice!

Four

Four years ago today, you made me your wife. Four years ago, I didn't know how happy I would be four years later. Thank you for being my other half. I love you more than words.

Happy Anniversary, sweetie.

All my love,

Devon

Finally! I'm getting to posting some of the jewelry that I've been working on! These few pieces were a commissioned group that I was handing over to the future owner, so I was forced to quickly photograph them before they left Devonly. But I also got a brand new lens for my birthday from my dear husband, so expect more (and much better) photos soon. And there is LOTS to photograph! However, not too soon - we're headed to EUROPE next week!!!!!!!!! Can I get some more !!!!!!!!!! (can you tell I'm a little excited?) Neither Jason or I have ever been, and well, needless to say (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) we're pretty excited about it.

Anywho....back to what I was saying....jewelry! These dainty, flirty little pieces are so fun yet simple to wear. I always get so many compliments when one is strung around my neck. The necklaces hook by threading the stone through the metal piece. Forgive me as I don't remember what that is called at the moment...do you know?

Hopefully, there will be more like these popping up in my Etsy shop very soon! Hope you like them! As for me, I'm off to get ready for our trip - the countdown has begun! And my list is ever so long, so friends and fellows, have a wonderful week!

Devonly,

Yours

Just do it

Don't think about this happy little accident I discovered. Just make it, eat it, savor it, and make it again and again and again.

You will need:

Juice from one lime

Half of one small red onion, thinly sliced

Radishes, sliced

Feta cheese

1. Toss the red onion in the lime juice and allow to sit for 3 hours to one day until "pickled".

2. Toss together desired amounts of the onions and remaining ingredients and serve. Toss with a tiny bit of balsamic vinaigrette if desired.

I have been so in love with quick-pickled veggies this summer, especially red onion. And steeping them in lime juice is a quick easy way to do that while avoiding all the sugar from more conventional forms of pickling. This little salad would be a perfect side to pulled pork, grilled chicken salads, or just in mass quantities, as I've been enjoying it over simple greens. It's the perfect mix of salty, tangy, and has that umami sensuality to it.

Devonly,

Yours

Lavender-Fennel Ice Cream with Fennel-Black Pepper Shortbread

I love to experiment with odd combinations of flavors, and have really begun to explore more spices/herbs. I also have been tumbling around the idea of a fennel seed-inspired ice cream flavor in my brain for quite some time. Fennel and black pepper, fennel and strawberry, fennel and ouzo…(my culinary imagination can really run wild sometimes!). Then low and behold, the talented Miss Orangette posted a straight-up fennel ice cream recipe! So, I thought, well I should give this a try just plain and taste my way through different combinations with this fennel seed that has been captivating my attention for some time. However, being the procrastinating type that I am, I had yet to make this ice cream when I found and impulsively bought (and proceeded to impulsively eat) a lavender-fennel goat cheese from my local Whole Foods. Aha! I found my combination! I had been perfecting my lavender ice cream recipe for a few months now and have finally found one that is a cut above the rest. So, why not just add some fennel seed to that? So I did. The combination of the aromatic lavender and the subtly pungent fennel seed is just plain delicious. I know it sounds a little odd, but the fennel is rather subtle sly in this combination. The lavender is the first taste you get and the strongest, but if you close your eyes and think fennel, you get a soft ending to your bite of the mildest licorice. And for those of you not crazy about fennel, or a licorice of any kind, you will probably not even know it’s there. It’s sweet, refreshing, and oh-so-summery.

So now that I found my simple yet complex ice cream, I needed to flair it up a bit. So I whipped up a batch of what I like to call “crookies”. It’s kind of a cross between a cracker and a shortbread cookie. I took a basic shortbread cookie recipe and made it savory with lots of black pepper and more fennel seeds. Just in case you didn’t taste it the ice cream, you’re sure to get a punch of the fennel in the crookies. To eat with afternoon tea, made into ice cream sandwiches, or gobbled up straight out of the cookie jar!

Lavender-Fennel Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons dried lavender seeds

2 Tablespoons dried fennel seeds

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon raw honey

1 cup granulated sugar

10 egg yolks

1. Combine the whole milk, lavender, fennel, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-high heat until milk begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and honey in a non-reactive bowl and whisk until well incorporated and the mixture begins to lighten in color.

3. Strain the lavender-fennel seeds from the milk and slowly begin to temper the warm milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly.

4. Return the mixture to the large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, 5-8 minutes. You will know it will be thick enough when you draw a line across the back of the wooden spoon and it holds those borders.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the whipping cream. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight.

6. Follow manufacturer’s directions on an ice-cream maker and freeze until firm, at least one hour.

Fennel-Black Pepper Shortbread “Crookies”

1 stick butter, at room temperature

½ cup shortening

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds

1 egg white + ½ teaspoon water

freshly ground black pepper and crushed fennel seeds for rolling

1.Combine the butter, shortening, and sugar in a large bowl and beat on low until well combined.

2. Add the flour, salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds and beat until mixture begins to ball up.

3. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and roll into a log, covering entire log with the wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Place the black pepper and crushed fennel seeds onto a cutting flat surface, such as a cutting board or large plate. Brush the outside of the log with the egg white and water mixture and roll in the pepper and seeds. If the log is too soft after rolling in the seeds, re-wrap in the plastic and refrigerate until firm again.

6. Cut into 1/4” slices and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until slightly golden-brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely.

Serve cookies and ice cream together, as a sandwich, and enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours

Monday Morning

Look what was waiting outside my front door on my lavender to greet me this morning!

After some light research, I discovered this is a yellow crab spider. Luckily they are not poisonous and avoid humans at all costs. I also learned that they are sometimes referred to as "flower spiders" because they tend to wait on the petals of flowers to catch their prey, or "wandering spiders" because they do not build webs, but are more active hunters. They are also found mostly in Kentucky. Poor little guy is a LONG way from home!! It caught my eye right away as I walked outside - the contrast of colors from his bright yellow body to the purple lavender is stunning!

Oh, and if you ever wanted to do any research on spiders via the inter web, I must advise you not to have just eaten a hearty breakfast if you get slightly queazy at the sight of very large spiders on your computer screen. I might be a little green still...

Devonly,

Yours

'Round Here

Summer has just begun around here, so it seems. That includes:

The first canning of the season: Red Tomato Marmalade.

My first colander full of harvested veggies from the garden.

Lots of laying in the sunshine and rolling in the dirt.

Curious and energetic chicklettes.

Checking for eggs...

...Nothing yet.

Hope your summer is full of long days and bright sunshine!

Devonly,

Yours

Rainy Day Grainy Salad

Bulgar. Most commonly known in the Greek dish, tabbouleh. While tabbouleh is great, sometimes I'm just not feeling something Greek. So, I decided to give the humble bulgar a second chance at something, well, not Greek. This salad was thrown together literally with ingredients I had in my kitchen or garden and thrown together quickly. It makes a great lunch salad and would be great as a main entree topped with a little grilled chicken. And ok, if you're feeling the Greek thing, even a little feta cheese mixed in would be a nice addition. This is somewhat a more hippy-dippy take on a classic "rice and beans" combo, except the "rice" is the bulgar and the "beans" are the lentils. I like to use black beluga lentils - they have a nice small size and don't get mushy in turn making your salad more of a "dip" and the color is beautifully contrasted with the rest of the ingredients. Plus you can buy them pre-cooked and cooled at Trader Joe's for practically pennies!

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgar, cooked according to directions and cooled

1 cup cooked and cooled lentils

3 stalks celery, quartered lengthwise and diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

3/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

3 green onion stalks, chopped

2 cups arugula (or more for us arugula fanatics!), roughly chopped

2 TB fresh squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 TB sherry vinegar

1 TB honey

2 TB grapeseed oil (or other light oil)

Salt and pepper*

Combine the bulgar through the arugula in a large bowl. In a separate small dish, whisk together the remaining ingredients and toss with the bulgar mixer to combine.

* Be sure to season this salad well. Enough salt and pepper can make a world of difference in the quality of a chop salad like this.

Devonly,

Yours

Chicklettes

The Chickies are getting SO BIG! However, sad to say: turns out one is a rooster. I had already contemplated what I was going to do with a rooster if I ended up with one. Well, maybe not exactly what I was going to do but whatever it was it involved not keeping it. BUT....

He's the nicest, sweetest, gentlest (need I mention quietest?) one of the lot. He will gladly hop right up into my hands and perch on my arm. He will snuggle up on my lap and lay down for a nap. Oh, I'm so torn...Jason keeps reminding me they are food and not pets, but just look at them! You try telling any Polly Ana with half a heart beat you want to kill that soft little fluff ball that thinks you're it's mother and well...it's just not gonna happen. That being said, anyone know of what I can do with a rooster or where I can send it that they won't give it the 'ole Anne Boleyn?

They do this really cute thing when I take them outside in the sunshine - they half lay/half fall down onto one side and spread their little wings out. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen! I had two perched on my arm doing just that. What a sight to see! I was tickled pink. I will definitely have more pictures to come soon. I actually took these pictures last week and they already are so much bigger! Their feathers are just popping out of them as fast as you can blink.

Until then, chirp chirp and peep peep!

Devonly,

Yours

The Wind Beneath My Soul

A cool spring breeze whistled through the house this evening, dancing sunshine across my neglected piano. There was laundry to be done, dished to be put away, and a never ending list of things to do. But the ache of forgotten chords drew me in.

My tired and warn fingers flew across the soft, cool white keys as my heart soared and wept with music that sings my soul. Music that has known so much sorrow, joy, suffering, and hope.

My fingers grew tired and sore, and the cool breeze turned them icy cold. But still I kept playing. Like two lovers being reunited, my piano embraced me and I fell hard on it's shoulders.

You feel like home.

Devonly,

Yours.

Rhubarb Crisp

I have never actually cooked with rhubarb before, it seems quite intimidating to me actually. I never know if I should cook it sweet or savory, if it is a vegetable or a fruit? This year, however, there have been piles of it placed next to the juicy cartons of strawberries and instantly the combination makes me want a fruity crisp. My first attempt at making this crisp involved strawberries, and it was a disaster. I couldn't tell if it was the "compote" ingredients I used to cook down the rhubarb, the strawberries, or the fact that I accidentally doubled the amount of butter necessary for this amount of topping. Either way, the second batch was much more successful so I'll just give it to you straight. I tried it out on my friends, and it was passed around the table and devoured in minutes flat.

This is a little tart, so you can always add more sugar to your taste, but I actually really emjoy its tartness. Serve with some vanilla ice cream or lemoncello, and you've got a spring dessert that is worthy of company!

You will need:

About 1 lb. rhubarb stalks (8 stalks), leaves and ends trimmed

zest and juice from one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup + 2 TB Bisquick

1/2 brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 TB ground flax seed

1 TB wheat germ

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the rhubarb into 1/2" slices and combine with lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occassionally until rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Combine the oats, Busquick, brown sugar, cinnamon, flax seed, and wheat germ in a bowl and mix to combine.

Pour the rhubarb into an 8x8" baking dish, or other very cute baking dish you may have. Top with the oat mixture and pour the butter over the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until crust is nicely brown and juices begin to bubble up from the bottom. Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

There's nothing like baking with in-season produce and enjoying it at it's peak! Hope your family loves this as much as mine did.

Devonly,

Yours

The Gregorys + three

We have three fluffy, chirpy little additions to the Gregory family! Meet Henrietta, Pepper, and Lucy! I haven't chosen which name will go with which chick yet, I'm still getting to know their personalities. But one has quite a set of lungs on her, so I'm thinking she might be Pepper. They are the cuttest, tiniest, softest little fluff balls ever! They are all Cuckoo Marans, and I can't wait to see their "chocolate" eggs!

Since it's a yucky rainy day outside, we just have to look out and take a peek at their new home. Tomorrow if it's nice I'll take them out on their first outing!

They seemed very curious and inquisitive about the yard. Or maybe they were just admiring the pretty flowers in the window box Jason just installed outside our kitchen window.

It was at this point of the photo shoot that I was aware that Harley was trying his hardest to climb up in the counter to check them out, having his back two legs on the ground and the other two on the counter! He just goes bananas when they're around. I introduced each one to him and he was shaking so hard his teeth were chattering! I'll have to wait until Jason gets home and can help control everyone before I can snap a few photos of the interactions.

Meanwhile, Jason has been working hard on getting their coop built:

The outside shell is all put together, now it's just to complete the house-part, the nesting boxes, the doors, and the remaining chicken wire on the outside. Oh, it's going to be so cute! (It even has a little flower window box! Oh!!)

In other news around here, I've been making some wonderful necklaces that I can't wait to show you! Hopefully I will have them up by the end of the week, and listed in my Etsy shop. Until then, my friends, it's off to bake muffins, dance with the broom, and pet the puppy.

Devonly,

Yours

Winters-Not-Quite-Over-Yet-Vegetable Soup

Just when you start seeing fresh tomatoes and berries in the grocery store and start daydreaming of the long summer nights, eating outside until it's late, and all the magical produce that comes with warmer weather, you look outside and realize it's still in the 40's - 50's and raining. And then all you want is a warm bowl of comfort.

I made this soup for some friends and we (mostly I) ate it up so fast, I didn't have time to take a picture of it! Yes, I know this is like breaking the first cardinal rule of blogging about recipes - not to post a picture, but imagine it looks something like this:

Plus a dash of this:

Got the jist? OK.

You're gonna need:

I large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, cut in quarters lengthwise and chopped

2 celery ribs, cut in half lengthwise and chopped

1 small acorn squash, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into 1/2" cubes

about 6 cups GOOD chicken stock

1 (14oz) can chopped tomatoes

1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

2 TB freshly chopped basil

1 TB freshly chopped thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 bunch chard

Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat 2 TB olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot, stirring until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and still for 1 more minute.

2. Add the acorn squash and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the ribs of the chard and set aside. Slice the leaves of the chard into quarters and roughly chop about 1" thick. Add the stems of the chard and the remaining ingredients minus the chard leaves and cook until heated through, about another 10 minutes.

4. Add the chard leaves to the soup and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. To serve, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, or any other favorite hard nutty cheese.

I also made mine the day before and let it sit overnight before re-heating and serving, and it was delicious! This soup is so comforting and reminds me of home so much, I hope it becomes a staple in your home and warms you up on a chilly spring (or winter!) evening. Enjoy!

Devonly,

Yours

Springing into a new life

WARNING: This post is a little out of my norm - it's a reflection and meant to be a release for me. And it's a little long. So pour a glass of whatever you enjoy, and if you make it to the end, thank you.

Every spring, correction: every change of season, I get this little itch inside me for change, for newness, for life. It creeps up and crawls all over my insides making me want to break out of every restraint I have around my life.

I want beauty
I want life
I want freedom
I want soul

As Maroon 5 played over the satellite music station at the salon today and I made hair color and waxing appointments for grouchy Seattlites, I longingly looked outside and thought of my Dahlia bulbs that needed planting and the cute, colorful!! (we were all black at work...it's very hard to wear all black all the time) spring outfits that needed to be found and strutted about.

I thought about my friends, scattered all over the west coast: what they were writing, painting, building, reading, and how they were nurturing their souls and building character. And how cute they all looked doing it (Side note: this is the amazing thing about my network of friends - they look cute doing just about EVERYTHING. It gets to be rather annoying...just kidding, friends, you are the color in my photos, and the lace on my dress). And I began to feel myself become a little jealous. Thinking how much I've neglected this little blog that was started to inspire me, you, and be a creative outlet for me and how I missed it yet didn't have the energy to put into it or much of anything lately. Thinking how I've not been the friend or the wife I want to be.

And then I stopped myself. What's keeping me from doing that now? Even while working? I've thought for so long that I needed to go seriously part time or quit my day job to pursue myself and discover my soul more. But why can't I do it while working? Am I just using that as an excuse for not pursuing my passions and dedicating time to that? Part of it is that as we get older and think about bringing other little people into the world, I think about all the free time I won't have very soon, and the other part of it is that even though I don't work a full time job, there are a lot of other responsibilities on my plate with Jason traveling a lot and keeping up with the house, the dog, the groceries, the etc... And yes, it would be easier if I didn't have a job and that's what I really want. But maybe easier isn't what I need.

For the last two years or so I've been wanting to discover myself - to "arrive" at some point of knowing what goes on inside. And I'm not necessarily talking about counseling or therapy (which yes, I know would be a good thing to do as well). But maybe, hopefully, I've been doing that all along. Maybe, just maybe, in the piles of dishes, piles of dog hair and poop, in the nights alone and the tears, I've chiseled away just a little bit more of my shell and found a new part of me. And even though I don't necessarily have the journal entries, the paintings, the books put up to collect dust on my shelves, I have laugh lines, tear stains, plants that I've watched grow in, bottles (and bottles, and bottles!!) of wine in the recycling that have been drunk with friends.

So this spring, while life is emerging all around me, I will try and put to rest my desire to be the person I'm not, and embrace the person I am. I have to stop waiting for life to happen to me and make my life what I want it to be. Even if it doesn't look exactly like I thought it would.

Devonly,

Yours

Sweet tooth

Sometimes, all you want is a cupcake.

That's how today is.

Devonly,

Yours.

Hello, Monday!

Isn't it so in life, when you think you are making progress and something seems to be going your way, BAM! you are hit blind-sighted with failure and discouragement? I feel as I'm taking one step forward and two steps back in my studio. I was having such marvelous success on a ring using a beautiful piece of landscape jasper I started today to being with: everything soldered on the first attempt! It has been taking me 4-5 tries up until now. And then just as I was getting a little wind under my wings, the bezel was too tall and half the ring snapped off the back as I was man-handling it. So, I know it looks a little elementary and rough right now, maybe I can fix it. Oh, bother. It's all a learning process, I know. But I'm a little impatient (if you haven't already figured that out!) and easily discouraged when things don't work out just as I had planned them.

Well, friends, it's off to laundry, an energetic pup, and these! for an afternoon snack! Hope you've had a happy Monday!

Devonly,

Yours

Imitation Crab

Introducing the first necklace I have made!! It only took me, oh...about 5 attempts to solder and a few hours, but I did it! I tell you what, solder is quickly becoming not a very good friend. Oh, well, I will get it soon enough!

I call this little cute one "Imitation Crab" because I set out making it not even thinking of crab and after I had it all put together I saw nothing BUT a crab with those little googly eyes staring up at me. Funny how that happens sometimes. But I'm rather pleased with it and almost like it better thinking of it as a little crab.

I hope you've had a lovely beginning to your week! I'm still enjoying 4 (read it and weep) days off due to the salon being remodeled. And I love it! Actually, I believe this will be my new permanent schedule. I am going to part time to focus more on art and jewelry. Something I've never been able to afford (monetarily or emotionally), and am taking this opportunity to listen to my soul scraping at my insides and go for it! Those of you who know me know how much I've been struggling with this and also how hard this has been for me. So, I want to thank all of you for your out-pourings of encouragement, love, and patience as I have been arriving at this place. That being said, I've had so much peace in the past few days while Jason is attending a conference.

And I feel so blessed.

Oh, and I NEED to tell you of my favorite new thing!

It is WELL worth the $28. Your house will smell ah-mah-zing! I can't stop spraying it. I didn't know anything could smell like this. I'm in serious nesting mode and this is only one of a few things I purchased to make my nest a little more cozy. More to show you later.

But until then, I'm afraid I'm in the kind of mood that if I don't stop myself know, I will never shut up! So, adieu for now, lovlies.

Devonly,

Yours

Spring Has Sprung!

Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but spring is here and the cherry blossoms told me it's supposed to be 60 degrees tomorrow!