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Partying -- Country Style

It was my grandfather's 80th birthday! So friends and family gathered at the park in our small town that skirts the outlet. The outlet is generally not thought of as a swimming spot-- it's not very deep. In the spring it races with rapids and the town has a wild water derby. Now it's shallow and tranquil. We had fun tubing-- my greatest fear was encountering a water snake or snapping turtle but I'm happy to say no such meetings occurred.

 

The birthday cake my twin sister made-- talk about delish!

A Beautiful Mess challenge : Day 3

Thinking Out Loud

Day 2 : a beautiful mess photo challenge

So today started off busy and then I found myself in the Dollar General without a single place I was obligated to rush off to. It was really freeing. I didn't have a job to be at, no one was waiting for me, my dog wasn't in the car. It was just me. Alone. In the Dollar General. It felt really nice. I had run in there to grab inner tubes (which I will tell you about later) and wound up buying a couple odds-n-ends I've missed while setting up house for the first time. Heck, I even purchased Beulah some Lassie dog treats.

Sometimes, I feel lonely but I reckon even married people do... sometimes. It's life. But tonight as I drove home, I admired the traces of pink in the sky as the sun nearly set. I drove past miles of farmland and smelled to dewy fields. Simon and Garfunkel crackled through the radio of my 22 year old Volvo and Beulah was chilling in the passenger seat. At that moment I realized how much I really love my life. I mean I work hard and have little. I haven't been anywhere or done anything truly impressive. I'm a little nobody with a little life but I really am okay with it. I like my little life. I use to feel so inadequate then I realized I didn't have anything to prove. I thank God for carrying me everyday and for His grace and His example of Love. Love those who Love you. Love those who hate you. Love those who believe the same as you do and Love those who don't. There's a shocking amount of freedom in that.

A Beautiful Mess -- Self Portrait Challenge

So I read about A Beautiful Mess' 30-Day Self-Portrait Challenge and opted to join in. A few of the participants will receive an autographed copy of their new book... how cool is that? Basically, all of my product shots are self-portraits but I'm kind of looking forward to sharing some more candid shots from my life. You know, like tonight's photo where I'm overheated from New York's humid heatwave and working all day. I'm finally home with my Corgi and that makes me a happy girl. We will probably camp out on the living room floor again with the AC and watch an old movie. To me, that's partying but it doesn't take much to impress me. If you are joining this fun challenge please let me know in the comments! It's a great way to get artsy and learn a bit more about portrait photography without having an irritable model... like your sister. ;) I love my sisters but they hate having their pictures taken. I am going to rope them into a shoot along with their husbands though so I can have some fun photos of the family decorating my apartment. I've begun painting around here so I'll share some photos of the progress soon. I also want to reupholster and couple chairs and sew new drapes and curtains. I can hardly wait!

Rainy Thursday 2 Days Before the Wedding

Yup, my sister, Sarah, is getting married to the sweetest guy (Adam) the day after tomorrow! Did I mention I fixed them up? Wish I could do that for myself, lol. I am seriously bummed I don't have a date to the wedding but I didn't to my other sister's wedding so I know I can do this :o)

Today the tent is being delivered at my Mom's-- I hope! It's raining pretty hard now. Maybe it will taper off...

Tonight Adam's brother's are coming over so we can practice the music for the ceremony. They have great voices and skills! I think we all sound pretty good  together ;o) If I get a recording/video I'll share it with you all. After practice I'm going to try and commandeer them into helping me hang hundreds of feet of lights and all the paper lantern's I ordered.

The first shot is my bridemaid's dress ♥

The Telegraph Newsletter !

I am starting a newsletter! Please sign up at the top right hand-side of this blog or click here sign up . The goal is to give the folks who want to take the time to keep up with Let's Backtrack some perks like exclusive coupon codes and first viewings of new merchandise. Everyone who has kept in touch, made purchases, or just dropped a line to say how much they like what I do has meant the world to me. Sometimes in life we feel like our best isn't enough but that isn't the case with Let's Backtrack. You've all encouraged me and made this endeavor of mine not only profitable but more fulfilling than you can know. It's a lot of work but in an easy sort of way-- I think that's because I love it so much. Here's to a season like no other. I'm pulling out all the stops with fabric and design. I look forward to sharing some higher end designs but don't worry I'll keep the standbys, too :o) Thank you ♥

Pancake Love

When I was about 7 my sister's and I were at a homeschool group. There was a man teaching a writing class and he was asking the children interactive questions. When it came to me, he asked what my favorite food was. Without hesitation I said pancakes. I'll never forget, he literally laughed out loud. He didn't know that whenever I was taken out to eat I ordered pancakes. He didn't know that my parents had graduated from ordering me a short stack to a large stack. That waitresses would regularly try and convince my parents that the large stack was too much for a little girl like me. Once when the waitress came back to clear the table she insisted someone must have "helped" by eating some of my beloved breakfast for me. In her mind there was no way a skinny kid like me ate all that. Muhahaha. Well, nearly 20 years later and little has changed. Diner pancakes will forever be my favorite but my own recipe is high ranking.

                                                     
                                                     <--- Hannah's Old Fashioned Pancakes--->

1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2  teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
           ♥
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/4 cup milk  -- I usually let the milk sit for a few minutes to warm up a bit.

Add vanilla and butter to eggs. Stir in milk. Let sit.
Sift flour twice. Stir in dry ingredients.

Combine wet and dry bowls and let sit for a few minutes.  It usually puffs up a little. The batter is thick so I try and spread out the pancakes with a ladle in the fry pan. ♥