A few years ago, my sister Tatum lived in Ghana as a missionary. So in what is considered the most surprising decision my father has ever made, we went to visit her for two weeks.

My only request was that I wanted a souvenir that spoke to me about Ghana and about God. And though it was my first choice, Ghana doesn’t do airbrushed t-shirts or license plates. [I know, I was disappointed too.]

So I bought a ring in Ghana. Adinrka symbols are found throughout the Ghanaian culture, so I researched the symbols and found the exact one. The one that would always point me to God and remind me of Ghana. In a small jewelry store that looked and smelled of 1945, I found that symbol on a silver ring.

To read the rest… head over to my bloggy-vacation home- (in)courage.me.

Here’s another installment of YouBlog- where I introduce you to one of your fellow blogmies. Remember the goal is to get to know each other! Many of you readers/commenters were born to be friends- I just know it. And I’m out to prove it!

Yeah, I know YouBlog is a Thursday thing. And today is Wednesday. But it just felt right. Go with it.

Let me introduce you to Shaunie. She is first blogger to be featured that has a photo blog as well as a writing blog. I love photo blogs because I’m totally jealous of legit photographers. And Shaunie’s pictures, her view on life, is really beautiful.

The picture that Shaunie used in this post titled STAND FIRM says so much to me. I absolutely love this post. It speaks to me personally and I also really enjoy her writing style.

Hope y’all enjoy it. Skip on over to Shaunie’s blog and check it out. Peruse around some of her other posts and her photography. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Hey you! Yeah you, blogger. I want to feature YOUR BLOG! So just email me at annieblogs [at] gmail [dot] com and put “YouBlog” in the subject line. Or leave a comment. I don’t know… just get in touch with me.

A few things, as usual:

1. The lisp. It is STRONG in this video.

2. I know that owning a mixer won’t get me a husband. [It was just a joke.] You don’t have to send me a long email about trusting God and staying away from baked goods. I’m trying to do both things.

3. Mandy Mann is singing to you – you can check her out here.

4. Here’s the oreo post I mentioned.

5. And to my dear wonderful subscribers, why don’t you clickity click on over here today? I’m not sure you can see the video in the feed readers….

Oh happy day.

Update: I totally forgot to mention a very important factoid. The only reason I was able to get this mixer is because my sweet mama gave me gift cards. Like, piles and piles of gift cards. It was very kind of her. I will bake her something in the shape of a gift card as my token of thanks.

A few things before we get started. [Consider these the "announcements", if you will. And I know you will.]

1. Sweet Angela over at Becoming Me graciously featured me this week on her blog. So go check it out and read some facts about me that you probably already know but you can pretend are fascinating and novel and other adjectives of that nature.

2. I also have my first article up at the SheSeeks website. So bop over there and read/comment about mentoring relationships and how accidental they can be.  [And if you aren't reading the stuff at SheSeeks, you are totally missing out. Sure, we can still be friends, but I'm gonna feel sorry for you every day.]

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I absolutely must tell you about my weekend. In bullet point form, because that is how I am feeling.

- I started my Friday with a meeting about Help-Portrait. Check it out. I’m kinda giggly clappy about the whole thing- I’m not a photographer [duh], but I’m excited to be helping equip photographers to GIVE pictures instead of just taking them.

- My friend Marie and her roommate DJ came into town on Friday night.

- We went to a show- Joy Williams opening for Andy Davis. We sat at a big long table with the likes of Marisa and Jeremy and seriously, it was one of the best shows I’ve been to in Nashville. Joy was flawless. Andy killed from start to finish. An amazing show.

- Saturday we started with a breakfast at the restaurant that might soon receive the label of “Annie’s favorite breakfast place in Nashville.” Which, if you haven’t heard, is meaningless quite the honor. It’s called Sky Blue and the breakfast bowl with veggie sausage makes me want to stay there and never leave. I’m not exaggerating. Well, I sorta am. But I’m serious when I say it’s delicious.

[That's a ridiculously long paragraph about breakfast. My apologies to lunch and dinner.]

- Then Betsy, Marie, DJ, and I went to Carnton Plantation [as evidenced here]. Our tour guide was like, MR. BATTLE OF FRANKLIN, and he knew so. very. much. I kinda think historical tours are beyond awesome, so I was in heaven. The guide had some strong feelings towards this particular battle, and when a man in our tour called is a “skirmish”, well, let’s just say he fell out of favor quickly. Sadly I also fell out of favor- I asked a question prematurely. I obviously screwed up his flow and from then on, I stayed quiet and kept my head down.

- Saturday night consisted of a UGA victory [barely], a quick bowling game for my dear friend Hollie’s birthday [with a dance-off that made. my. year.], and then sushi with another wonderful Annie.

- Sunday was church, lunch, goodbyes to Marie and DJ, some time with our Capetown team [check out our cute pic], then, as every Sunday should have, a quick snoozle.

- Our church has started new classes called “intensives” on Sunday nights. So I’m taking the class about how to study the Bible. After two hours of taking notes and listening close, I came away with this big idea- I need to be cultivating humility at every opportunity.

Cultivating humility.

I don’t even know how to begin that, but I told God I wanted to do it, so I’m pretty sure He’s gonna take care of it.

Yikes.

- Finally, I played a crazy late night game of capture the flag. 3 thoughts then I promise I’m done:

1. We aren’t teenagers anymore. Bodies can’t run, jump, switch direction, etc. as well as we could ten years ago. One injury 45 minutes into the game reminded us all of it.
2. I fell down. A lot. I mean seriously, y’all. I’m ashamed of myself. I could blame it on the random hill, or the roots of the trees, or the weak former cankle, but mainly it has to do with my inability to keep my feet below my body when said body is in motion.
3. But it was super fun and a great ending to a great weekend.

Your turn- what was the highlight(s) of your weekend?

**Remember to sign up to win Daisy Chain, check out Angela’s blog, and my article on SheSeeks!**

Oh y’all.

Y’all.

This book. I’m at a coffee shop [read: in public], so I really can’t get too emotional about it, but trust me. I want to.

My friend Mary DeMuth wrote Daisy Chain. I heard mention of it long before I read it myself.

Shame on me.

Here’s the official description of the book:

“The abrupt disappearance of young Daisy Chance haunts the small town of Defiance, Texas. Fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper searches for answers in this gritty and compelling story of love and sorrow, revealing God’s hand of redemption in impossible situations.”

I started the book and finished it about six days later. And for about the last four nights I was reading, way too late into the night, I wept. Like, put the book down and feel the moment kind of crying. Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest child and I have major issues with feeling responsible for my siblings. Maybe it’s because at points, I felt like I was literally standing there and experiencing the moment with the characters. Or maybe this story is just real enough to affect my heart.

I didn’t laugh a lot while reading this book. That’s not the purpose of it. I felt the book, that’s for sure. It’s deep. It’s beautiful. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and yet it gives redemption like a deep breath after being under water too long. I had to pray as I read- not for the characters [though I've done it before without realizing it], but for what God revealed to me about my life and my heart within the story.

I think you should read it.

You can buy Daisy Chain here. The second of this trilogy, A Slow Burn, is also out, but I haven’t read it yet. I will. Don’t you worry about that.

I received a free copy of Daisy Chain at a writer’s conference recently, so I thought that one of you might like that. I have a nifty new GIVEAWAYS page, so head over there and you can enter to win this copy.

Have you read it already? What did you think? Have you read Mary DeMuth before? I’d love to hear other things by her you think I should read.

Have a great weekend.

[PSA: Hey. I want you to know something. Mary didn't pay me or ask me or encourage me to blog about her book, or giveaway a copy. I just feel that this series of books is written beautifully and tells a redemption story is such a unique fashion that I can't help but tell you about it. So know that this post isn't an advertisement- I'll tell you when I run a commercial. I promise. This isn't one. I just love the book. Okay? Okay. Now, carry on with your weekend.]

Here’s another installment of YouBlog- where I introduce you to one of your fellow blogmies. Remember the goal is to get to know each other! Many of you readers/commenters were born to be friends- I just know it. And I’m out to prove it!

Here is my sweet friend Allison. She’s a Nash-girl, much like myself. We actually met a few months ago when she began to live the freelance lifestyle. We went out to lunch to answer the one question that all new freelancers have:

“IS IT SO AWESOME?”

And my answer is always:

“AB-SO-FREAKIN-LUTELY!!”

Cause it is awesome to get to do this writing stuff for a living. It is also fairly awesome to be friends with Allison. She has such a sweet heart and seems to be at peace at the core of who she is. It makes her very calming to be around.

My very favorite post of Allison’s is one that she wrote after her mission trip to Ireland. You know how I feel about that area of the world, so it just made my heart swell and wish I could just on a plane RIGHT NOW and hurry off to Scotland. She is such a talented writer.

So scurry on, blog readers. Take some time today to see Allison’s world. And tell her AnnieBlogs sent you. I promise you won’t regret it. Or your money back.

Hey you! Yeah you, blogger. I want to feature YOUR BLOG! So just email me at annieblogs [at] gmail [dot] com and put “YouBlog” in the subject line. Or leave a comment. I don’t know… just get in touch with me.

That’s what I feel like I am in currently.

A blur.

I love vacationing. I don’t love when I fill my post-vacation with hours upon hours of catch-up work. So it’s 9:04am and I’m already on my second chai, I’ve written a few hundred words, and I’ve sat in my pastor’s office and cried my eyes out.

Amen.

The beach ruled. It was relaxing and I read a ton and I wrote an interesting “did I really just say that?” article about being single. I’ll let you know if the editor publishes it or sends me to counseling. Or both. That wouldn’t be so bad.

Speaking of editors publishing me, I had another article in Susie Mag this month. It’s about a topic very near and dear to my heart: the importance of Puppy Chow at spend the night parties.

I am, if nothing else, a hard hitting journalist.

I have a few more articles coming out in Susie Mag over the next few months, so why don’t you just subscribe? Especially if you have a teen/tween daughter in your house, I think they will totally love it. Annie article or no Annie article. My cousin Julianne reads it and loves it- right, Julianne?

Speaking of articles, my friend Shannon wrote an AWESOME article for SheSeeks. Go check it out.

Weren’t we talking about the beach? I’m so easily distracted by…. well…. everything.

Anyways, I finished Andrew Peterson’s book North! Or Be Eaten and let me tell you, if you aren’t already hooked on this series, can I encourage you to get hooked and quick? Cause I need some more people to discuss this with. (Here’s the link to his first book- On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. So grab that one, read it, then get North! Or Be Eaten. Then let’s talk. For real.)

I also managed to avoid receiving a severe sunburn. Sure, it meant I lathered in 45 SPF and only stayed out in the sun from about 9:30am-11:45am, but I’m telling you- nothing hurts like driving 9 hours back to Nashville with burned extremities. I seriously should have been born with red hair- I am that fair-skinned. I would have been irresistible to the fellas in the Middle Ages.

We relaxed, read books and magazines, watched football…. and goodness gracious, I think us Georgia Bulldog fans have a tough season ahead. Don’t get me started. I’m not going to turn into one of those football-whiny-bad-team-I’m-so-angry-I-hate-the-NFL-draft-because-it-ruined-my-life-or-at-least-my-2009-football-season kind of blogger.

But I could. Oh how I could whine.

Weren’t we discussing the beach?

So anyways, I forgot to take any pictures, but it was a beautiful experience. Seven of us ladies went, but then a handful of our Nash-buds were in the same general location, so we hung with them some too.

And I slept late every day. Without shame.

So, there’s my holiday weekend. Now back to the tough grind of doing my dream job.

A few questions:

1. How was your weekend?

2. What books are you reading right now that I should totally check out from the library?

3. Uh…. anything else you want to say to me? Cause I’ll just be sitting here writing on a deadline for the next zillion hours, so any distractions are totally welcome.

I have a very addictive personality.

Not meaning that I’m addicted to bad things. [Except ice cream.] Nor am I saying that you should be addicted to my personality. I mean that when I find something I like, I’m addicted.

I’m hooked.

I. Can’t. Quit. It.

So I thought that for your Labor Day weekend, I would list for you some things that currently have the attention of my addiction.

Read It:

Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth = I just finished this book. I’m blogging about it next week. With a giveaway. I cried while reading for the last four days. Lord. Have. Mercy. Good. Book.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel = Two of my friends told me I HAD to read this book. I said, “A tiger? And a boy? In a boat? No thanks.” Then I couldn’t put it down the entire time I was in Chicago.

Real Simple Magazine = During these trying economic times, most of my magazine subscriptions have died off. Save this one. Every single month, they are giving me tons of tips and ideas to help save money. As well as giving me permission to wear bright orange fingernail polish thank you very much.

North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson = This is my beach read for the weekend. I adore his writing- it is hilarious and creative and different than anything I’ve ever read. I love books that let me escape. This one does.

Hear It:

City Of Black & White by Mat Kearney = My friends are so.very.tired. of hearing me talk about this record. It is definitely my favorite of 2009. No question.

A Sucker’s Dream by The Alternate Routes = I just love this album. It’s hard to remember what my life was like before The Alternate Routes. [Dramatic flair moment in today's post? Done.] And though their new album is awesome too, I’m really partial to this one.

Need You Now by Lady Antebellum = Y’all. This song.

Albertine by Brooke Fraser = I’m not musically savvy. I don’t say the “cool thing” about music. But I will say this- this record feels like autumn to me.

Watch It:

The Bravo Network. Duh.

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So. There’s you a little list to keep you entertained for a few days. Coming next week…. a book giveaway, a Kitchenaid mixer, and a few laughs. And possibly something embarrassing. I can’t imagine going to the beach for a weekend and not do something dumb that you will love hearing about.

Have a great weekend.

Here’s another installment of YouBlog- where I introduce you to one of your fellow blogmies. Remember the goal is to get to know each other! Many of you readers/commenters were born to be friends- I just know it. And I’m out to prove it!

This is gonna be fun. Lara’s blog is super cute and so is she! She’s a Georgia mom, which you know always has a special place in my heart. I love people from that state. Like my family.

Seriously, I think you’re going to like her. She’s sweet and cute and honest. I have a soft spot for bloggers who are really honest. And that’s Lara.

I like her. And I like birthdays. So that’s why this post about her 41st Birthday is my favorite. It’s a good intro to Lara (in case you aren’t already reading her) because it kinda recaps, well, her entire life. I think you will dig it.

So get to know Lara today. Leave a comment and tell her AnnieBlogs sent ya.

How we doing on YouBlog so far? It’s honestly my favorite day of the week. I love getting to see you guys get to know each other. It’s a lifelong truth that I love watching my friends be friends with my friends. Especially on Thursdays. Apparently.

Do you wanna be featured one week as the YouBlog-ger? Cause I would love it!! Just email me at annieblogs [at] gmail [dot] com and put “YouBlog” in the subject line. Or leave a comment. I don’t know… just get in touch with me.

That title doesn’t work. Cause it sounds like a) I’m saying YOU are muffin-shaped and I would never accuse you of such a thing or b) I’m saying that I’M muffin-shaped and I would never admit that on the blog.

[So. With that being said, we press on.]

What it means is that I did a little breakfast experiment and I was totally thrilled about it. And the breakfast is shaped like a muffin. And I think you’re a champ. So that’s where the combo came from. I thought it would make more sense. Somehow to combine “breakfast,” “muffin,” and “champion” so you would know this would be a delicious recipe.

[I've over-explained at this point.]

Here’s what. I wanted to make a breakfast that was low in carbs, easy to eat on the run, and still awesome. So I figured that I could make little quiche kinda thingys.

[My ability to blog well seems to be spiraling downward. Let's insert a picture.]

Here’s the turkey bacon. I know, Sophie would tan my pork-free hide for using this fake stuff, but I choose turkey bacon. I cooked it up in the oven.

Here’s the bacon, post cook. [And I think it is rude that you noticed IMMEDIATELY the missing piece of bacon and no, I don't know what happened to it. Move along. Nothing to see here.]

So while the bacon cooked, I scrambled the eggs in a bowl. And then I chopped the bacon up. See, I had this picture in my mind of literally, mini-quiches. So I wanted tiny bacon for tiny quiche.

I gathered a handful of other ingredients, just cause I was home alone and when I’m cooking home alone I feel like I’m a big deal chef. [As evidenced by the "dry mustard". Sheesh.] I went ahead and mixed the bacon and cheese into the egg mixture and added those other really important and fancy ingredients. Like salt.

So then I ladled the mixture into a greased muffin tin. And pretty quickly you’ll see the main flaw of this recipe.

See how Mr. Muffin Top Middle is LOADED with goodies and Mr. Muffin Bottom Left is eggy? Yeah. Lesson learned. Next time I make these [and I will because good gracious I loved them] I will portion out the bacon and cheese and then pour the egg mixture over it.

[I'm betting many of you already had that trick in your cooking skillz bag. Now it's in mine, too.]

And by the way, I think each little muffin quiche [that would have been a good blog post title] needs a piece of bacon, crumbled, and one egg scrambled. Cheese to your liking. You, maybe a sprinkling. Me, maybe a cup. I like cheese.

I cooked them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until a knife came out clean when I tested it.

As you can see, there was a bit of what one might call “EXPANSION!!” They came out okay, but for some reason, spraying the muffin tins didn’t allow these little puppies to come out clean. I don’t know why though. Do you?

But y’all. They were really good. I ate one immediately. Then bagged the rest for breakfast the next few mornings. How cute is that little baggy of breakfast?

But I do feel like I should warn you: apparently this breakfast of choice will give you a bad case of the crazy eye.

[Sigh. I have no shame or discretion when it comes to embarrassing pictures. Sometimes I wish I did.]

So I hope you try this recipe, throw in some of your favorite veggies or other meats, and let me know how it goes.

But don’t say I didn’t warn you about the crazy eye.