Put The Lime In The Coconut And Let's Have A Pool Party!

Coastal Living: 8 Cool Pools

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Oceanside pools aren’t just for posh resorts. Find a style you’d love coming home to―whether it’s a luxurious infinity version or a petite lap pool that opens right up to your family room―and take the plunge

Coconut Lime Shrimp Skewers 

Sunset: Easy Luau Party

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Mix up some pineapple drops and dig into our finger-food version (no whole pig necessary)

Martha Stewart: Fruit Spritzers

Enjoy the essence of summer in a glass with cubes left over from fruit salad and a simple syrup made from sugar and water. Pour 1/2 cup of the puree into a glass filled with ice; top off with chilled sparkling water. You can also freeze the fruit-syrup mixture to savor the season even after it's gone.

Get-Happy Ideas for the Summer

Redbook: Free Ways To Have Fun In The Summer

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Summer can be freeing in more ways than one.

Here, free get-happy ideas for the season — and beyond.

Redbook: Diet Myths That Make You Fat

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We reveal the real skinny behind the myths that make you fat.

Southern Belles...

Marie Claire: What I Love About Me

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The belles of Charleston won us over with their Southern charm — and style

 Psalm 24:3-4

Words To Warm The Heart

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

Sir James Matthew (J.M.) Barrier

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction of being loved for yourself, or, more correctly, of being loved in spite of yourself.

Victor Hugo

Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character, sow a character and you reap a destiny.

William James

Let us not grow weary in doing what is right,

for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

101 Bits Of Summer Fun!

 Laura Winslow Photography

Free Download / 101 Bits Of Summer Fun!

Girls Just Want To Have Fun....

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining,

the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.

~James Dent

Summer Salads, Side Dishes and Desserts

Martha Stewart: Potato Salad Recipes

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A welcome addition to any barbecue, lunch, or picnic, these potato salads are sure to delight. Find your favorite classic recipes, or try a more adventurous version.

Martha Stewart: Our Best Grilling Side Dishes

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Elevate grilled meats with the perfect summer side dish. Choose from a showstopping selection of top-notch recipes, including potato salads, pasta salads, grilled vegetables, tomato salads, and lots more

Martha Stewart: No Bake Desserts

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No celebration is complete without a sweet treat to top it off.

When the heat rises outside, keep the kitchen cool with our selection of no-bake desserts.

These recipes are easy to make, easy to enjoy, and completely oven-free!

Cape Cod Style Finds

West Elm's fish sculptures and Pottery Barn's soap dishes are beautiful and delicate — an ideal addition to a bathroom or kitchen. Try sea-life printed guest towels and pillows for summer-themed accessories that can be changed
easily when the leaves begin to turn.

House and Home: Cape Code Style Finds

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You can't go wrong with a water-inspired blue and white palette. Rough finishes lend a beachy-cottage vibe, such as the aqua handblown bath accessories from Pottery Barn and West Elm's fish sculptures.   

What pretty bedding!

Pottery Barn: Coastal Whimsy Duvet Cover & Sham

Artisans print our shell-strewn bedding by hand, dipping

and placing multiple blocks for each tonal design. Drawn from antique

volumes of curiosities, the chambered nautilus, sea dragons, conch shells and more float lightly on lined cotton voile that feels cool and soft on the balmiest summer night.

Great Ideas for Outdoors Rooms, Decks and Patios!

Sunset Magazine: Great Ideas for Outdoor Rooms

Reinvent your yard with a new deck, patio, cottage, dining room, or curl-up space.

photo: Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Coastal Living: 15 Idea Filled Outdoor Rooms

 

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Life on the coast means spending more time outside than in.

Create the perfect hangout with ideas from these gorgeous spaces.

 

 

 

This is one my favorite places to visit!

 

 

Coastal Living: Exploring the Eastern Shore

 

Maryland's Chesapeake Bay offers quaint and memorable small towns,

fresh-from-the-sea crab, and lots of laid-back leisure.

House Beautiful: Bright and Bold Summer Beach House

Modern prints and bold flower patterns add plenty of pop to a

California bungalow designed by Krista Ewart.

Be Prepared: Before, During and After Earthquake

Don't you just love this closet?  I sure do. 

In the middle of the night last night, I heard something fall and I jumped up out of bed. At first I thought that it might be the beginning of an earthquake. But then no tremor, so I just went back to sleep. I use to live in Japan as a kid so I know what it's like to experiences earthquakes on a daily basis and for some strange reason, several times this week, I keep feeling tiny tremors that apparently are spiritual and not an actual event.







This morning we learned that one of the clothes closets in a back bedroom had falling down during the night. Mystery solved. So my husband decides that he had better get busy and fix this; which of course means a handy dandy trip to the hardware store. He gets into the car parked inside our garage, hit the garage door opener and proceeds to back out. Then he hears a loud crunch, he stops, gets out of the car and discover that he's driven over our brand new coffee maker that the USPS carrier has left in front of our garage door. Needless to say our brand new coffee maker is history and as for my husband well he's not a very happy camper.






With that being said and because things around me seem to be breaking through no fault of my own; I've decided that it might be best to read up on how to "Be Prepared: Before, During and After Earthquake" Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe.



Be Prepared: Before, During and After Earthquake

Do you know how to prepare for and survive a major earthquake? According to Department of Conservation scientists, it will be critical to have the right answer to that question somewhere in California sometime in the coming years.



Many people think having bottled water on hand is a good idea. That’s true, as long as you have enough. Many are certain that standing in a doorway during the shaking is a good idea. That’s false, unless you live in an unreinforced adode structure; otherwise, you're more likely to be hurt by the door swinging wildly in a doorway or trampled by people trying to hurry outside if you’re in a public place. To learn what  you should and should not go please go here to read more

Fire Up The Grill

Bison Burger with Mushrooms and Spring Onions

CHOW: 9 Juicy Burger Recipes

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From how to make a burger with Heubert Keller to Moroccan kefta meets backyard barbecue with a Middle Eastern Lamb Burger!

CHOW: Go Beyond Grilling and Get Smoking

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Channel your inner caveman/-woman by caramelizing fats over smoldering hardwood.

The intoxicating scents could very...

 
 
 

 

Grilled Chicken with Root Beer BBQ Sauce

 

 

Bon Appetit: Grilled and BBQ Chicken

 

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Whether simply seasoned and thrown on the fire, or slathered in sauce like a proper

barbecue dish, these thirteen chicken recipes will keep your grill active this summer.

The Warrior Is The Child

Joan of Arc


The Warrior Is The Child

Lately I've been winning battles left and right

But even winners can get wounded in the fight

People say that I'm amazing

I'm strong beyond my years

But they don't see inside of me

I'm hiding all the tears

[CHORUS]

They don't know

That I come running home when I fall down

They don't know

Who picks me up when no one is around

I drop my sword and cry for just a while

Cuz deep inside this armor

The warrior is a child

Unafraid because his armor is the best

But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest

People say that I'm amazing

I never face retreat

But they don't SEE the ENEMIES

That lay me at his feet ....

 

PSALM 68: 1-2

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.

Read more

The Hal Lindsey Report

150,000 Christians are killed each year.

Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world.

Dessert Building Blocks

Be still my heart...

Double Chocolate Cream Pie

Don't desserts taste better when they're easy to make? We think so (hence this creamy, chocolaty pie). Go on, that first bite's all yours!

Photo: Randy Major

Coconut Cream Pie with Pineapple

Cooking Light: Cream Pie Recipes

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Fluffy and light, these confections make the perfect ending to a delightful meal.

Basic Dessert Tart Crust

Chow: Dessert Building Blocks

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From a versatile tart shell that can handle any sweet filling from lemon curd to chocolate ganache to learning to how to make a tangy, lemony spread for your baked goods...

NASA: to lift up and carry off

The six-man crew of the Endeavour(Mark Kelly is far right)

Image: NASA

Space Shuttle Endeavour launches with antimatter experiment

Just before 9 am East coast time, the space shuttle Endeavour launched for the International Space Station. Endeavour is the penultimate shuttle to fly and is carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), a US $2 billion space mission . . .

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is being used to search space for some of the biggest mysteries of physics -- antimatter and dark matter. 

"Secrets of Paradise: Mysteries about Death"

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Manna Fest television host Perry Stone interviewed Pastor Walter Hallam whose teenage daughter Angela died in a plane crash.  After her death, Jesus appeared to him and revealed why people die. I share this because someone just might be surprised by his answers. 


He bore (NASA) our grief and carried our sorrows.

NASA (Hebrew): to lift up and carry off

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain

and bore (NASA) our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the LORD makes[c] his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];

by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]

and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

Old Meets New

DO-IT-YOURSELF

BHG's Fabulous Furniture Makeovers

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Uncover the hidden charm of a cast-off piece

with just a bit of creative thinking and elbow grease.

Old Meets New Thanks To Flea Market Finds

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A beautiful flea-market home proves that old things can coexist with a new space.

House & Home: Front Yards With Curb Appeal

House & Home: Front Yards With Curb Appeal 

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Freshen your outdoor decor and add value to your home with simple landscaping and gardening ideas that fit any budget. Small city porches and spacious rural homes benefit from a quick declutter, a few blooms and pops of colour to spruce up the front yard. Get tips and tricks on how to achieve a well-groomed entrance that will make your house the envy of the neighbourhood!

Southern Living: All-Time Favorite Outdoor Spaces

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Editor Rebecca Reed shares her top 10 backyard retreats.

Poetry In Motion

Walking through a desolate land

Look around, all I see is mud

It's pouring down

Close my eyes, take a second look

And I see beauty,

The beauty that could be

When the storm is over.

The beauty that's in store

For those who wait upon the Lord

From the ashes, from the destruction

Beauty is coming.

See the sun's ray

Shining through the clouds

Although it's pouring down

The flowers in the breeze

Give us hope for another day

And remind that spring is on it's way.

What once was

Bundled up, burdened under pain

Is now arising, out of the ashes into new life

As the flowers push up through the dirt

They start to bloom again

Reminding us of the beauty that's in store.

Walking through the desolate land

I don't see it how it is

But how it could be

He sees the beauty that will be

Not the destruction that is

And He takes our hands

Through these desolate lands

And He leads us through.

As we go through the valley again

It gets easier as we know the way out

Sometimes all we have to do is close our eyes

And see the beauty that's coming

And let that be our hope.

As we face similar pains

We know we can keep walking

Because we've been here before

So the way out doesn't seem as scary as it once was.

Sometimes our desolate lands,

Our valleys,

Our burdens and pains

Are really miracles in the making

Beauty in the waiting

That's been refined through the storm

Now arising stronger than ever before.

Sometimes our mountains

Are just little hills

And He's waiting to take our hand through it all.

Sometimes all we have to do

Is keep walking over them

Keeping our eyes on Him

As our mountains fade away

And what once looked so big

Now looks so small

When you're on the top looking down.

Walking through a desolate land

Look around, all I see is mud

It's pouring down

Close my eyes, take a second look

And I see beauty,

The beauty that will be

When the storm is over.

Imagine the beauty in a desolate land

See the hope in the middle of the storm

Sometimes our mountains that looked so big

Are just little hills waiting to be crossed over

Take His hand and don't be afraid

He'll lead you through,

He'll help you climb your mountain.

One day when you're looking back

You'll see the beauty that has been made

From all the ashes in your life

So don't give up

'Cause beauty is coming

Joy is coming

The morning is almost here

Spring is coming.

Take His hand through the desolate land.

BLESSINGS
 

Blessings is beautiful song by Laura Story about how God brings goodness out of disaster.
Kool Christian Girl made this video and wrote the poem that you just read that in
my opinion is all just "poetry in motion."

Your Invited

For Drinks on the Patio to watch . . .

The Run for the Roses...

All Creations by Polyvore

No RSVP

required for this virtual

Down-home Kentucky Derby Lunch

with Mint Julep's, cheddar grits & bbq shrimp party!

 Chile-Corn Custard Squares



25 One-Bite Appetizers

Check out these 25 party-perfect mini hors d'oeuvres.