December

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December (& 2017) Happenings

Wow. It’s time to say goodbye to December and goodbye to another year. This makes me all kinds of nostalgic! There’s just something bright about a year beginning in all its possibility and newness. But first, I’m taking one last look at 2017 and the month of December with the usual rundown and some fun yearly favorites.

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on the bookshelf

New on the bookshelf this December: One Christmas in Winter by Bell Renshaw, Desert Duet by Debra E. Marvin, A Log Cabin Christmas Collection by various authors, The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano, A Sweethaven Christmas by Courtney Walsh, A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White, Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren, Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale by Amanda Dykes, and both A Season to Love and A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese.

on the blog

Ordinary SnowflakesDecember popular posts:

  1. Best of 2017
  2. First Line Fridays # 7: Ordinary Snowflakes
  3. First Line Fridays #8 Special Christmas Edition: The Story of the Other Wise Man
  4. The Joy of Christmas Book Tag
  5. Favorite Quotes from “Persuasion” by Jane Austen

The Esther ParadigmjpgDecember popular reviews:

  1. The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon (plus author interview)
  2. I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones
  3. A Cliché Christmas by Nicole Deese

textgram_1488839984.png2017’s most popular posts & reviews:

  1. I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones
  2. How-To: Solar Dyed Yarn Project (With Kool-Aid!)
  3. 4 Reasons to Read Inspirational Fiction
  4. Best of 2017
  5. Favorite Quotes from “Persuasion” by Jane Austen
  6. Top Ten Tuesday:  Top 10 Books on my Winter TBR
  7. Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Favorite Jane Austen-Esque Romances
  8. Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books with Bookish Heroines (and Heroes!)
  9. Book Spotlight & Author Interview: My Unexpected Hope by Tammy L. Gray
  10. The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

in the kitchen

December was a month for baking, both on the job (cupcakes galore!) and for family. My favorite new recipe I tried was, yet again, from a “Bake From Scratch” magazine. It was the Spiced Coconut Oil Cake with Bourbon Glaze. I’m always on the lookout for easily-adaptable dairy free recipes, and this one was simple! (I substituted coconut almond milk with a tad of vinegar for the buttermilk.)

on the screen

Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express was a cinematic masterpiece. The costumes, cinematography, script, and even the little moments I found humorous all work to portray the era and gripping story line perfectly.

The Lady EveThe Lady Eve — sometimes a little silly, this is still the classic era of film at its best. Barbara Stanwycke is as glamorous as ever, and Henry Fonda plays the rare comedic relief piece as his world is turned upside down by “Eve” and her schemes. My favorite scene involves HIS father looking for his breakfast!

around the web

My year in books on Goodreads 

So many best-of book lists! Kara, Rissi, Becky, and Beth‘s to name a few.

THE INSPYs ARE OPEN! Check out Rel’s post with all the details. The INSPYs are annual blogger/reader nominated-and-judged inspirational fiction awards, given in several categories. Go vote for your favorite books now!

2018 plans

So far, my 2018 to-do list is short. Besides a few work-related plans, I’m going to be participating in the Mansfield Park Read-Along Amber is hosting starting January 3rd! (PS you’re invited to join!)

And, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next SSD installment in February, as just announced here. Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Road Less Traveled. The steady story and character development of these movies is always my fav!

Thank you for being my blog readers and friends in 2017. Now, time to ask for your feedback!!! What would you like to see from me on the blog? More reviews? More guest authors? More bookish (or non-bookish) discussions? Movie reviews? I’ve been toying with that last idea for a while… 

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December Photo Challenge Revisited

Hi, everyone! Last year (2012), I participated in a December photo-a-day challenge. It was so much fun!

December Photo a day Challenge copy[9]

I thought I’d share the links here to all of my posts and photos from last year, just for fun. Or, you can visit my photo set on Flickr to see them all!

1. Your View Today     2. Favorite Holiday Movie     3. Red

4. Joyous     5. Today’s Temperature     6. Shopping

7. Bright     8. Ornament     9. Something You’re Reading & 10. Wrapping Paper

11. Green     12. A Beautiful Sight     13. Family

14. Christmas Tree     15. Favorite Holiday Song

16. Outside Christmas Lights & 17. Presents     18. Stockings

19. Candy Cane     20. Tree Topper     21. Peace & 22. Tradition

23. Scarf      24. Favorite Part of Christmas Eve & 25. Morning

26. Grateful     27. Night Time & 28. Words

29. Sky View, 30. Your Winter Wonderland, & 31. Fun

Are you participating in a photo challenge this December? I would love to follow your progress ~ leave your info in the comments!

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Final Photos of December Challenge ~ Happy New Year!

December Photo Challenge, Day 29. This is a view of my skyline…or rather what was falling from the sky. It was gloomy and overcast this day, but the snow was beautiful. This photo was taken with the HDR painting photo effect on my Sony A65.

December Photo Challenge, Day 30. This little cardinal was hungry in the snow. He found some bird seed.

31. "Fun" Ombre Rain by courtneyec90
31. “Fun” Ombre Rain, a photo by courtneyec90 on Flickr.

December Photo Challenge, Day 31. For my final photo, I chose this macro of raindrops on my windshield. This photo was taken with my new lens–I’m really excited to use it for macro shots and distance shots (it’s a Quantaray 70-300mm Macro lens).

I would like to say Happy New Year to all my readers and followers! I hope that you have enjoyed seeing my adventures this December  through my photo challenge posts. I think I’m going to take a break from photo challenges this January, but I have plans for upcoming photography and craft posts in the next few weeks.

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December Photo Challenge 27 & 28

28. "Words" Not A Fan

28. “Words” Not A Fan

December Photo Challenge, days 27 and 28.

This is another photo of me and my niece hanging out after supper.

This quote is from Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman, a great and thought-provoking book exploring what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

 

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Merry Christmas! ~ Photo Challenge 24 & 25

25. "Morning" Puzzle by courtneyec90
25. “Morning” Puzzle, a photo by courtneyec90 on Flickr.

Merry Christmas! I hope you all have had a blessed day, and that you took time today to remember the reason we celebrate Christmas – our Savior’s birth!

 

December Photo Challenge, days 24 & 25. My favorite part of Christmas Eve is dinner (and dessert) at Grandma’s house. It’s so fun to see all my aunts, uncles, and cousins I don’t see very often. We always have a lot of great food and a fun time visiting.

This morning, I began a country scene puzzle I got from my parents.

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December Photo-a-Day Challenge 21 & 22

22. "Tradition" Cranberry Crisp Candy by courtneyec90
22. “Tradition” Cranberry Crisp Candy, a photo by courtneyec90 on Flickr.

December Photo Challenge, Days 21 and 22, “Peace” and “Tradition”.

I think this photo of a pine at sunset is very peaceful. It is a great example of natural beauty in Arkansas!

This Cranberry Crisp Candy is a tradition at my house. We make it every year around Christmas. It combines great sweet and savory ingredients for a perfect combination of flavors – with a slight crunch from Rice Krispies!

Here’s the recipe:

1 package vanilla-flavored almond bark (or white chocolate almond bark)

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

3/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

3/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Combine dried cranberries and almonds, set aside. Melt almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl, stir in Rice Krispies and half of the cranberry-almond mixture. Spread on to parchment-lined baking sheet (candy should be about 1/3 inch thick). Sprinkle remaining cranberry-almond mixture on top and press in slightly with your fingertips. Let cool and set up completely. Break into small pieces. Enjoy with a cup of tea of coffee!