It's awesome.

It's awesome...when you're reading The Hobbit and you laugh until you cry when you get to the part when Bilbo is rolling about on the floor shrieking "struck by lightening, struck by lightening"...and then you laugh until you can't breath imagining Martin Freeman as Bilbo acting that scene.  Don't know if that will be in the film, but I sincerely hope so.  That would be brilliant. ;)

It's awesome...listening to your brother and Grandma playing the piano together.  Those two are insanely talented.  Not that I'm a no talent bum or anything, but, in the words of dear Algy, "I don't play accurately--anyone can play accurately--but I play with wonderful expression."

It's awesome...when your Grandma brings you copies of her Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, and Gene Kelly piano sheet music.  She knows me well and I'm always up for some new songs!

It's awesome...when your Grandma can play the Bumble Boogie. =)

It's awesome...talking to friends after church on Sunday.

It's awesome...finding the complete series (seasons 1-3) of Wanted: Dead or Alive (with Steve McQueen) for $12 on Amazon.  Wooooooohooo!! :D

It's awesome...when it takes you a bit longer to get a joke and when you finally do you laugh harder than everyone else...and they laugh at you for finally getting it, but in a friendly way.  I'm not usually slow, but we all have our moments...;)

It's awesome...when there's a heavy frost covering everything - the ground, the bare twigs on the trees and bushes, the crunchy fallen leaves - and everything shimmers and sparkles in the moonlight, which is almost as bright as daylight.  And you get to walk to the barn through that magical world.

It's awesome...when you find out your friend really does have a set of bagpipes.  Really.  They are a glorious red plaid and everything bagpipes should be...except they don't work yet.  But they will, they will...

Have a wonderful, awesome day everyone! :D

Question:  Do you enjoy bagpipe music?  I want to know!

Outfit | Thanksgiving Day

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!   I certainly did.   Family and food.  It doesn't get much better than that, does it?   Here's what I wore today...

comfy & casual...with a twisty updo.

| o u t f i t |

floral print shirt - thrifted/gifted {thanks, dear!}

belt - fred meyer

skirt - christopher & banks

shoes - thrifted

And now I'm off to eat leftovers and {try to} recover from watching the creepiest, scariest Hitchcock film ever.

Bye-bye!

Question: What are some of your family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions?  I want to know!

Happy Thanksgiving & a SALE

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I wanted to let you all know that Wool & What-not is having a sale starting Black Friday and lasting through Cyber Monday.   Now would be the perfect time to get some Christmas shopping done!

Everything in the shop is 10% off!
+
Buy 2 Bow Belts and get the 3rd free!
Buy a Granny Square Purse and get one Bow Belt free!

And there you have it!  

I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed day tomorrow with your family and friends!

p.s.
Make sure to check out Kellie's shop sale and giveaway, too!

Wallpaper Wednesday | Merlin

Well hello there, everyone!   I'm feeling very bubbly and joyful this morning...which is unusual for me, at least before noon.  *grin*  Definitely extremely excited about my Grandma's visit - she's going to be here in 3 days!!!!  That's my excuse for excessive use of this "!" during the next week.

Anyway, time for Wallpaper Wednesday!   I'd really like this to be a weekly deal, but the thing is you can't force creativity.  Either it happens or it doesn't.  This past week though, after finding all of those lovely high-res images for Merlin, my creativity has been rushing along like an out-of-control truck...or something like that.  Hours spent in my room, hunched over Della (my laptop), watching Ivanhoe (BBC), guzzling copious amounts of tea and hot chocolate...it ain't always pretty, but it works for me.

The results thus far, are these...

- All pictures link to their full size image and are also available on the For You page. -

To say I love the way these two wallpapers turned out, is a gross understatement.   I LOVE the way these turned out!!  That's a bit better.   I also have one for Gwen and one for Morgana in the works, but they aren't quite ready to share yet.  Maybe next week...we shall see. ;)

Happy Trails, y'all!

Miscellany

Right now I'm listening to Christmas music and gazing happily at the gently falling snow outside.

Yep. we got our first "real" snow of the year a week ago!  It starting snowing during the night and didn't stop till the next night.  It wasn't snowing very heavily though, so we only got about 6-8 inches total.  Like I said, it's currently snowing again and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. =)

Last Friday, my bro and I had a bunch of our friends over for a game night.  We all had way too much fun playing our special version of Pictionary for several hours.  In our version (sometimes known as The North Idaho Homeschoolers Version;) there are two teams, one list of words, and whichever team gets through the list first wins.   Plus each team is in a separate room with the list somewhere between the two, so you have to run out of the room, get your word, and run back to your team.  Yep, it's lots of fun!  After two families had to leave, the rest of us played Apples to Apples until around 11:30 PM.   And yes, we were really starting to lose it towards the end there. *grin*

Do you know what happens when you're trying to open something that requires a sharp object, there are four guys in the room, and you innocently ask, "Does anyone have a knife?"   Almost instantly, there are four assorted pocketknives being held out to you.   I only needed one! ;)

Right now, my ewes are visiting Earl the ram at a friend's house.  I'm sure they're having a grand time, but poor Maggie (aka The Nibblin' Lamb) is missing her mommy a bit.  I've been spending extra time with her to try and make up for that.  The girls will be coming home around December 8th.  I'm hoping and praying for clear weather.

Oh, and the most exciting news - my Grandma Barbara is coming up from CA for a visit!!!   She'll be here in less than a week.   I think it's been about 2 or 3 years since I last saw her, so yeah, I am super excited and cannot wait! :D

I'm set for winter reading material for a while!   I decided I needed to read The Hobbit again before the first film comes out next month.  It's no fun if you can't point a finger and say, "That wasn't in the book!"  Hehe - at least for me.   Reading Ben-Hur, Wuthering Heights and David Copperfield for the first time, although I've only started Ben-Hur so far.  I'm LOVING it!!  The other two, Angel Train and The Parting, are just what I call "filler" books - light, easy to read in one or two days.  Angel Train...well, I love westerns, but this one was rather poorly written (imo) and I found much of the plot twists and story line to be a trifle cliche...not to mention the heroine was rather irritating.  The Parting I have read before and loved, so I thought I might want to read it again.

And lastly, something to think about...

This includes both those you meet in real life and those you meet online.

Well, I'm going to make some hot chocolate and curl up by the fire with a book.
Happy Trails, y'all!

Doctor Who Blog Party | Giveaway Winner {Button Badges}

I don't usually make apologies for not posting as soon as I said I would on my blog.  Because, well, it's my blog and real life comes first.   But, I do want to apologize for not sharing the results of the Doctor Who giveaways sooner.   Real life has been extremely busy lately.  So, there you have it, an apology and an excuse.  *grin*

Due to circumstances beyond my control (don't you love getting to say that?), I cannot announce the pendant/keychain contest winners at this time.   I will do so as soon as I possibly can.  Thanks for being patient. :)

Today, I'm announcing the winner of the Doctor Who button badge set from Kellie Falconer Design.

And the winner is.... *drum roll*

Anne

Congratulations, Anne!  

Please contact me via email with your mailing address within the next 7 days to claim your prize!

edithmacalpine{at}gmail{dot}com

Happy Trails, y'all!

I ♥ Thursday | no. 7

This week I'm lovin'...

Bradley James & Colin Morgan singing/miming You're the Voice by John Farnham.
Even if you don't watch Merlin, this video is a scream!  Seriously, do yourself a favor and watch it...

I love the friendship between those two.  It really comes through in their performances as Arthur and Merlin...even though Arthur is a dollop head most of the time.   A lovable dollop head, to be sure...with an adorable smile.  *grin*

And yes, I have that song stuck in my head...and now you do, too.  You're welcome.

I'm also loving the beautiful costumes in Merlin...

Who doesn't love a flowing red cloak, and there are plenty to be had in this show, believe me!
I love the jewel tones worn by Morgana - green, red, purple, blue - and also the softer pastels worn by Gwen - lavender, peachy pink, pale gold and blue.

Also, the horses in this show are drop-dead-gorgeous!!!   See for yourselves...

I found all of these beautiful, high-res images at this website.  They have hundreds of high-res images, both promotional and from the episodes themselves, including screencaps.  It's not often you find a site like this, folks, and my little graphic design loving heart almost stopped.  I was just a few steps away from hyperventilating, as my brother can attest to since I dragged him over to see all of the beautiful pictures. *grin*  Yeah, high-res excites me.  And yes, you will be seeing Merlin wallpapers soon! ;)

Happy Trails, y'all!

It's awesome.

It's awesome...when you're leaving the Post Office and an older man using a cane holds the door open for you, even though he's having trouble just walking through himself.  And then you hold the second door open for him.

It's awesome...holding one of the most adorable little one-year-old girls you've ever seen on your lap.  They're so plump and cuddly at that age, and I just love kids anyway. :)

It's awesome...watching the same little girl and her sister playing with fuzzy pipe-cleaners during church.  Those things keep them distracted forever!  I'm tucking that idea away for my future children.

It's awesome...when the guest speaker's sermon at church is "Does God Care About You?"  And you spend the next 30-40 min. hopping all over the Bible reading passages that say "Yes, He does!"

It's awesome...when you're blog reaches over 100 followers!  Hooray!  Lots of followers isn't my goal, but I'm not going to deny that it makes me super happy!  Thank you all!! :D

It's awesome...when all of the before-the-snow-comes clean-up is done outside and you can spend your days warm and snugly by the fire, reading books, playing music, watching movies and beating your mom at Blokus. *grin*

It's awesome...sipping hot chocolate on a chilly morning.

It's awesome...when you finally hit upon the perfect way to up-cycle/re-fashion that thrift store find from five years ago.  I'll be sharing pics later. :)

It's awesome...when there has been road construction on the highway right where you live all summer and they finally finish the new overpass, on-ramps and off-ramps.  It's fantastic!!  And sooooo much safer than before.  There used to be a lot of accidents right there because of the Silverwood theme park.  Yeah, there's a theme park close to where we live...sort of in the middle of nowhere...it's a bit weird.

It's awesome...when you're driving on the overpass for the first time and woo-hooing at the top of your lungs all the way...and then you realize how much of a country hick you really are. hehe

It's awesome...talking to friends on chat.

It's awesome...when a friend from church says she  visited your blog and it was one of the most fun blogs she's ever visited.  That made my day.

It's awesome...looking at a newborn baby's fingers.  They are amazing.

It's awesome...when you realize once again just how blessed you are.

Have an awesome, blessed day everyone! :)

50 Questions Tag

Hello everyone!  Goodness, I needed a rest after Doctor Who week!  So much fun, but it was a bit tiring mentally as well.   I'm sorry I haven't responded to any comments lately - I fully intend to do that this coming week.  Also, I'll be announcing the contest winners and the button badge giveaway winner this week, so stay tuned!

And now for a random tag which I found on Ally's blog and also on Never Grow Up.  It looked like fun, so I thought "why not?"  Besides, when have I ever been able to resist a tag?  Here goes...

1. Are you young at heart, or an old soul?
Definitely young at heart...seeing as I'm only 23, I should hope so! ;)

2. What Christmas present do you remember the most?
Like Ally, my American Girl doll, only mine was/is Kirsten. :)   Actually, I got Felicity for Christmas too, several years later, but Kirsten was my first.  I played with them and carried them around with me until I was 15, and they still have a special place in my room.

3. Name one physical feature that you like about yourself, and one you don't like.
I like my eyes and hair.  I DO NOT like my nose.  I've finally learned to live with it, but I really don't like it.  Which is why, when watching movies with me, you'll hear me say, "Wow!  That guy has a nice nose!"  Yeah, I notice noses. ;)

4. What holiday do you most look forward to?
Christmas, of course!! =D

5. How is the relationship between you and your parents?
Pretty good.  My mom and I are very, very close.  I tell her everything.  My dad and I, not so much.  We get a long alright, but we're both quite stubborn.  I inherited much of my personality from him and sometimes there are major clashes of wills and opinions.  But I love him so much, and I know he loves me, so it's all good in the end. :)

6. You've got the TV on, but you're not really watching. What channel is the TV on?
We don't get TV.  If we did, I would watch the Turner Classic Movie channel.  *bliss*  And between that and the internet I wouldn't get anything done, so it's a good thing we don't get it. ;)

7. If you could pick anywhere to live the rest of your life, where would it be?
Right here in North Idaho!  I love it here so much, and Lord willing will never, ever leave.

8. Have you ever spent a night in the hospital?
Aside from when I was born, nope.

9. Do you enjoy being with only one or two friends, or with a large group of people?
Usually I prefer the company of one, sometimes two, close friends.  However, I love the occasional good, noisy get together with a large group of good friends!

10. Do you like the type of music your parents listen to? Do your parents like the type of music you listen to?
Yep.  We all like Bluegrass, some Christian contemporary and movie soundtracks...plus a lot of eclectic  weird songs that make us laugh.  Although, I also really love bagpipe music and none of them are very wild about that.

11. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Potatoes...or pizza.

12. Do you believe in a god?
I absolutely believe that there is one true God, and that His son Jesus died for my sins and saved me.

13. What's you're favorite hashtag to track?
I'm on Twitter, but I haven't the foggiest idea what the hashtags are all about. *shrug*

14. When you were young, what would you dream you would be when you grew up?
A mom. :)  I also considered dog grooming, dog training, professional horse eventing, vet tech, and other animal related careers.  None of those ever came to anything, although I would still be interested in dog training as a side business.  Maybe some day...

15. Do you want to have more friends than you have right now?
Nope.  I mean, I'm always open to making new friends, but I've always preferred to just have a few really good friends.

16. Have you ever met someone through the Internet, then met them in real life?
Yes!  You can read about it here and here.

17. Tell me about the last book you read.
I haven't had as much time for reading lately, but I think it was a Beverly Lewis Amish fiction and I liked it.  I'm currently reading All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot.   He's probably my favorite author ever and I'm loving it.

18. Predict what your life will look like a year from now.
Oh dear...I don't think I will.  There are a lot of new and exciting things going on in my life, and I wouldn't want to predict where they might be heading.  Just praying that the Lord's will be done in all things.

19. Early bird or night owl?
Definitely night owl!  No doubt about that.  Especially if I have a book to finish or a sewing project I'm working on...and that's what I'll be doing tonight.  Watching a movie and sewing like mad!

20. Where do you live? Be as general or specific as you want.
Idaho.  Specifically the panhandle.  It's absolutely beautiful here.

21. What was the longest car ride you've ever taken?
When we drove across the US to the east coast to visit family in North Carolina.

22. What is your ethnic heritage?
On my mom's side Austrian (still have family there) and some French.  On my dad's side Ukrainian (as you could tell if you knew my last name, but it's so unique I don't share it online - we literally know and are related to everyone with our name;) and Polish, with a bit of French, Irish and Scottish thrown in for good measure.  I love studying my family's roots, and one of my dad's aunts has done a considerable amount of research, so that's fun.

23. Do you want to live until you're 100?
I'm content to live however many days the Lord has for me, but I honestly don't think I'd want to live that long.

24. Do you practice what you preach?
I sincerely hope so.

25. Have you ever laughed uncontrollably when it was socially inappropriate?
Only all the time. ;)

26. Do you often skip breakfast?
Yes.  Usually because I forget to eat.  Eating/food is not a real big deal to me.

27. Would you want to know the exact date and time you were going to die?
Goodness me, NO!!  How horrible would that be?!

28. Describe your neighborhood.
Rural.  Mountains.  A dirt/gravel road in the country.  We know all our neighbors for several properties over on both sides of us, although we don't see them socially very often.

29. Name a TV series you didn't enjoy until after it ended.
Most TV series that I watch are from the 50s and 60s, so they're definitely over.  Wanted: Dead or Alive, Andy Griffith, Leave it to Beaver, Dennis the Menace, Mission: Impossible, Get Smart, Gilligan's Island, etc.  The few modern shows I watch are Doctor Who, Sherlock and Merlin, all of which are still running.

30. Have you ever bought a product from an informercial?
Nope.

31. What is one thing you could never forgive?
Betrayal.  Loyalty is very important to me.

32. What part of the past year sticks out in your mind?
Renewing old friendships, finding a good church.

33. What is your favorite sport?
I don't really do sports, either playing or watching.  However, I do enjoy playing badminton with friends and if given the chance will watch horse events, dog shows or baseball on TV.

34. What has been troubling you lately?
The decided lack of unity within the church today.  So much time and energy is wasted by arguing over stupid things like whether girls should wear pants or not, or whether dancing is wrong or not.  Do we believe in God and in His Son Jesus and that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?  Okay, then can we let each family study the Word and decide issues like modesty or dancing for themselves without judging?   Um, yes - those things have been troubling me lately.  And no offence to anyone who does believe that girls shouldn't wear pants and dancing is wrong. :)

35. Who was your first crush?
Okay, so I've always liked boys.  A lot. *grin*  I had a myriad of little boy crushes when I was younger.  And I am not going to name names - you never know who is reading your blog. ;)  I did have a pretty serious crush for about 5 years when I was older.  I finally realized that, although the guy is a great guy, it wasn't right for either of us.  (btw, the crush was completely one-sided as far as I know;)  So, now I'm just waiting for the Lord to bring me my farmboy. *smile*

36. Where is your favorite place to go out and eat?
Olive Garden.

37. Give me an unpopular opinion you have.
Hmm...umm...I cannot think of anything at this moment...now I'm feeling very mainstream.  Ouch.

38. Describe a person that inspires you.
Just read this blog.  I am continually inspired and encouraged by this young lady, who I am blessed to call my best friend.

39. If you could earn minimum wage doing what you love, would you?
Yep...actually, isn't that what I already do with my Etsy shop and my sheep? *grin*

40. Describe the last time you were very angry at someone.
Amazingly enough, I can't think of anything recently.  Cool! ;)

41. Where would you prefer to live? A city? The suburbs? The countryside? The mountains?
The countryside/mountains.  They're one and the same here.

42. Where is "home" for you?
Idaho...where my family and friends are...also, my grandma's house in California.

43. Where do you and your friends go to hang out?
Farragut State Park during the warm weather and someone's house during the cold weather.

44. Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever bullied anyone else?
Nope.  Also nope...except for my bro.  Older sister's privilege. ;)

45. Is it possible for guys and girls to be just friends?
Absolutely!!   I have a lot of guy friends.  They're like brothers and I love them all dearly.

46. What are the 6 songs you listen to the most?
While I'm Waiting (John Waller), He's a Pirate (POTC  soundtrack), Ain't That a Shame (Pat Boone), That's How You Know (Amy Adams from Enchanted), I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, The Phantom of the Opera from the Phantom of the Opera.  And it really varies from week to week.  I have a lot of favorite songs, but I do listen to those I named a lot.

47. If you could meet anyone on earth, who would it be?
Olivia de Havilland, Julie Andrews or David Tennant. *smile*

48. What is your favorite blog currently?
No way - I'm not going to choose favorites!  If I comment on your blog, then it's a favorite. :)

49. What's the farthest you've ever been from home?
North Carolina

50. What's the one thing you're afraid of?
Snakes and heights.  I also have irrational fears, although I guess they fall more under the heading of "worry".  Like the time I just about had a panic attack thinking about how one of my kids could potentially drown in an animal water trough...and then I had to laugh because I'm not married and don't have any kids yet.  Still, I have a plan all worked out for keeping the water troughs and buckets covered.  Doesn't hurt to be prepared, does it? ;)

.....

Well that was fun!  I'm not tagging anyone, so if this looks like fun and you want to do this, then please do!

I hope you all had a wonderful day!  I certainly did - a quick trip to the library, then spent the afternoon sewing while watching The Great Mouse Detective with my mom and bro.  I forgot how fun that movie is!

Happy Trails, y'all!