BiFolds(Focal)

PROPS to the wedding prop.

I have this bi-fold door leaning on the wall at the back of our office. I used it for the most recent wedding I had the pleasure of helping to execute {SHOUT OUT ANDREWS! WOOP!}. 

For the past couple of months, in the post-wedding haste, its home has been where it fit. It's become "a place to hang your hat," if you will.

I find it a sentiment magnet.

A place that I've placed love and accomplishment.

Beautifully written letters that I will *forever* treasure. From friends, and family, and friends becoming family.

Winter greetings with fuzzy designs.

Best wishes and happy birthday's and congratulations...

...my cap and gown.

My year is summed up within these slats. My life is hung up on this peaceful little prop.

Here, on this little bifold, lies one of the most fantastic, thoughtful, heart filling, fitting, HANDWRITTEN cards I have ever received.

My Uncle, Ken...

Felt the only way to capture such a cluster of events...

*a graduation*

*a birthday*

*Christmas*

Would be to use a card with the phrase, "Mazel Tov," or "ALL OF THAT" in Yiddish.

"What a SERENDIPITOUS RECCOLLECTION and how fortunate I was to find just the right card" he states. 

He reminds me of my mother's constant eye on me from heaven, and... as always... beautifully states his love... and his pride... just being the super duper guy he is.

Wisdom card.

I mean... reallyyyyy let that sink in:

I made kind of a crappy dinner tonight {my sweet man chewed and politely swallowed until I admitted to failure. Love the man.}.

I cleaned up the mess and plopped down on the couch feelin sorry for myself... pouting and such... 

*I don't DO culinary failure very well...*

And there it was... sitting up against the wall all... proud-like. Decorated with

love and pride and journey and creativity and wisdom and time and tradition and family and friends and romance and 

ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Talk about reality check. 

Props to the prop.

FORGET the crappy dinner... I pretty much ROCKED at this year. And this bi-fold bi-focus was just the proof I needed.

Little things all around you... potentially BIG meaning behind them.
 Happy Monday!

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United We Mend, Divided We Stall

"Twinkling Tuesday..."

... it's a term I made up to help brighten my sister's morning today, and it ended up being so close to literal, I smiled from ear to ear upon the realization of it.

This is what my morning looked like. I caught up on that soul stuffing Word of God that I had been missing in my daily life for quite some time now. Our tree was lit, the message fit, and I suddenly began thinking of all the twinkling going on in my life.

Today is December 4th, 2012.

This year is coming to an end, and reflection has become a regular practice for me. Last month was Facebook's famous Give Thanks November (it was also, "no shave November," but anyway... I don't have a beard... so...). I didn't feel the need to post each day for the things I'm thankful for, and here's why:

1. I am thankful for the same BILLION things I'm thankful for any other month of the year. My posts would be long and repetitive.

2. I was reminded by the love of my life just recently that actions speak louder than words. I may be good with the ol' English language, but... he's right. So, I spent my days SHOWING those I love just how thankful I am for them.

3. HERE'S THE THING, YA'LL... there is only one thanks-giving, a TRUE praise that should trump all and cover all bases... and that's that of God's love. It's omnipotent, it's never dying, it's THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

I had forgotten, too...

I had forgotten what it's like to watch the sunrise through the window to the right, while admiring a sparking, ornamented, beautiful symbol of the season, sip on some warm Blueberry Cobbler coffee, to listen to AND... 

FEEL the love of God 

through the Word.

Upon closure of Pastor Stovall's message, I immediately shot a text over to my best bud. I needed her to help me pass along a message.

There is a girl in our lives that is going through a weeping season. 

PRAY FOR HER.

The same loss that we had suffered just a few months ago, has eaten at her so deeply that she has become a mere shell of who she used to be. She has walked to the valley and set up shop, ya'll.  I mean... she brought a generator, her favorite slippers, some numbing toxins and herself into the valley to stay. 

After the initial anger that came with the destruction she is burdening everyone else with, I chose to channel that anger toward my purpose in life, as God's daughter, to be quiet, and gentle... to love unconditionally and help to heal.

I'm requesting a little prayer.

THE WORD OF GOD...

It's the original social network, right?

United we mend, divided we stall.

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Oh, HEY THERE!

So here it is...

My first post in nearly TWO MONTHS.

WHERE have I BEEN!?

"Pack it in, pack it in, let me begin..."

School... {I GRADUATE NEXT SATURDAY!}

Planning (and executing) a BEAUTIFUL wedding... {My first as the proud founder of Worth Wiles Events!}

And Georgia for Thanksgivin'{Most likely on our way there as our permanent humble abode}!

And now... I'm celebrating {nearly}

1,000 views!!

I know, I know... it's not a HUGE number. But, it's a HUGE deal to me. It takes a lot of guts, you know--sharing so much of your life with such a large part of the world.--but I'll tell you, I'm so glad I made the step. The influence a simple happy thought can have on the rest of the globe is absolutely undervalued. 

I have a friend in a far away state...

... and SHE'S got a blog.

In fact, that's how we caught back up--on the subject of blogs--and since then, she has shared one of her own, her canvas prints business is building, she has sent me inspiration via the pony express,

{Super SUPER cute Island Wedding magazine all the way from Nantucket!}

and continues to support me from afar, and I, her.

[PEEP THOSE AWESOME PAGES HERE and HERE]

We both have had positive influence on each other, and I sure do hope I'm doing the same service to those 1,000 views (I'm so proud... tehehe).

Anyway, I don't expect to be barking up the blog tree this week... I've got to finish finals STRONG for my LAST week as a student at Flagler College!

**MOM, I KNOW YOU'RE PROUD, AND I LOVE YOU.**

Stay cool, mates. I hope you had a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving, and I'll be sure to check back in soon! 

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Viva la Vida

Live the Life

Do you guys remember that song, Viva la Vida? Coldplay? I was reunited with it during a random Pandora hit recently... and I was flooded with a piece of my life I had completely forgotten about. 

SideNote: I am very loyal to my portion of the responsibility in constructing the perfect Pandora playlist. I thumb up and thumb down regularly, expressing my preferences, sometimes it challenges me with a few live jams that are... decent... and I choose accordingly. 

It's like it has gotten to know me so well, that it now has the ability to dip into memories I forgot I had.

It's really fascinating how music can do that--take you back to a time that had a legitimate impact on you... that you have since then forgotten.

I'm in the business of emotion... of bliss... of unforgettable moments... and still, I surprise myself sometimes with how in touch I am with past... and... I CRY. 

I can't believe the life that I have lived thus far.

-The people I have met 

-The things I've savored in cuisine

-The places I've traveled

-The things I've experienced 

-The values I've learned

-The mistakes... that proved I was TRYING

-The heart-stopping, challenging losses

-The tears of happy and the tears of sorrow

-The royalties of friends and family

-The struggle with faith

I can't believe it. I cannot believe how much I have changed... how many pieces there are to my puzzle... it's... I'm...

SPEECHLESS.

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'Mater Pie

I'd like to thank Taste Of The South Magazine for this delectable vegetarian delight.

Tomato Pie is such a delicious combination of tomato, Gruyere cheese, onion and basil...

And with it's homemade crust fresh out of the oven, it's bound to WOW all who have the opportunity to try it. 

THE CRUST:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-size pieces of butter, 6 to 8 times. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition until dough begins to come together.

Remove dough from bowl and place on a clean work surface. Shape dough into a disk, being careful not to overknead. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, approximately 1 to 2 hours.

Remove pie crust from refrigerator and let sit 5-10 minutes

place tomato slices in a single layer on top of paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let drain for 30 minutes (prevents pie from being too watery). Pat tomato slices dry with paper towel and sprinkle them with basil.

Roll dough into 12 inch circle. Transfer to a nine inch deep dish pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.

Bake until crust begins to set. Remove weights and parchmen, and bake until lightly browned. 

Let cool 15-20 min

THE PIE:

4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 3/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese, divided

3/4 cup mayonnaise 

{SN: You can use Greek Yogurt to substitute for a healthier verson... I did.}

1 tsp hot sause

1/4 tsp  ground black pepper

{Your oven should already be preheated to 350}

 Sprinkle shell with onions. Layer tomato slices and basil over onions.
{SN: I "fenced" my tomatoes in with a yellow squash that needed to be used. Ended up being pretty good!}

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of cheese, mayo (or yogurt), hot sauce, and pepper. Spread cheese mixture over tomatoes. Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, 30 to 45 minutes. Check halfway through baking time. If edges are browning too soon, cover with foil. 

Let cool before slicing.

VOILA!

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Mention Monday-Florida State Tailgate For America

Seminole Athletes, Fans, Alumni, and Coors Light Presents...

Florida State Tailgate For America!

 For this Monday's Mention, I would like to highlight a couple of my favorite people on the planet... The founders and master minds of Florida State Tailgate for America.

With their powers combined, Paul Mitchell (Florida State Alumni, former boss, lobbyist, superb gentleman), and Matthew Roberts (Nole Nation Specialist, sport enthusiast, bacon lover), tailgating has been taken to another level, folks. 

Between the high energy, highly spirited, knowledgeable, and experienced hosts and the happy members, I'd say these guys deserve the Publix Tailgater of the Year awards they have collected, as well as the recently landed sponsorship of Coors Light.

To spat off a few spectaculars...

UBER amounts of food, private bartenders specifically for the spot, occasional ice luges, themed props, soundtracks, its six spots of occupation, games, fame, flat screen T.V.(s), oscillating fans for your comfort, SEMINOLE PRIDE and SO much more.

I just want to say... guys... you've never seen anything like this. Fans, friends and family gather from all over the nation just to take part in these weekly events season after season. It's tailgating on steroids. Its greatness and glory that oozes out of this crew, and it knows NO boundaries.

JOIN ME...

Be a part of the magic... after all, Y.O.L.O... or whatever.

Here are some snapshots of the brilliance:

THIS WEEK:

"GET GRANDMA OUT OF BED IT'S A BREAKFAST TAILGATE...."

Join us in chopping down Wake Forest at the

Shake & Bacon Tailgatacular Spectacular For America

CHECK OUT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR DETAILS

Florida State Tailgate For America is encouraging donations this season for 

Kidz 1st Fund

Fighting together against Fanconi Anemia.

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'Nole Threads

SEMINOLE SWAG

It's back!!

Bringing back Seminole style...

 

Here are my picks for this season:

1. Flash Dance Sweatshirt {$43.95}

2. Two Button Cable Knit Boots {$39.95}

3. Rhinestone Drop Waist Dress {$54.95}

4. Leather Tennies {$49.95}

5. Double Layered Tank {$33.95}

6. Sparkle Hat {$20.95} 

7. Logo Blackout Eye Strips {$3.95}

8. Fan Stamp {$5.95}

9. iPhone Case {$29.95}

10. Hoodie Duffel Bag {$34.95}

11. Polka Dot Knee Socks {$8.95}

12. '47 Baker Scarf {$28.95}

13. One Shoulder Romper {$37.95}

14. Hurley Seminole Tank {$26.95}

15. Ragland Fleece Boatneck Vintage Sweatshirt {$39.95}

16. Mako II Slub Long Sleeve Tee {$24.95}

17. Long Sleeve Logo Tee {$23.95}

18. V-Neck Tee {$34.95}

SEE THEM ALL here.

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