happy birthday Simply Sarah-Anne!

Wow, time flies doesn't it? Seems like just yesterday I was pulling together Etsy sellers & writing up the giveaway posts for my first blogoversary celebration, waiting in anticipation to see who won what giveaway. But in reality, that was a year ago and you're 2 now. So, happy birthday Simply Sarah-Anne! Here's to many more blogoversaries over the coming years. 

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Yes, I just wrote a birthday post on my blog FOR my blog and yes, I realize that I do the same thing with human friends. I'm certifiably crazy and you can commit me to the mental institution now.

But, this blog connects me to my human (blogging) friends and I'm so grateful for that. Simply Sarah-Anne is like that mutual friend that introduced you and your best friend. Through my blog I've met so many inspiring, Christian, gorgeous (Yes, I just pulled the beauty card, but I seriously follow all the blogs that have the prettiest authors out there.) bloggers. Is it possible to be in debt to something that's not alive? Because I am forever in debt to my blog for leading me to all these wonderful ladies.


This blog means friendship to me and through that I'm encouraged on a daily basis, both in my walk with Christ and life in general. I hope it means the same to you and my readers stick around for another year...and another and another and another. 

In addition to the friends I've made, I've grown as a writer and challenged myself in so many ways. From my photography (I bought a DSLR and just this year, switched to shooting in all Manual), outfits (I used to wear blah stuff over and over again no matter what), and projects (like i said, inspiring people inspire you) I've grown so much. Call it peer pressure, but it works for me...seeing someone else do something so I can take the plunge and do it yourself.


So, happy birthday to Simply Sarah-Anne. Here's to many more friendships to be made and blog posts to be written!

thanksgiving 2011

Ah, Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday, only second to Christmas {I mean, DUH} because I love the emphasis put on family and, of course, the food. In fact, cooking the food is my most favorite part of the holiday...something about seeing your family enjoy the food you worked oh so hard on makes my heart happy. As tradition in my family goes, we make green bean casserole, my grandma's family recipe stuffing, and mashed potatoes. GET IN MAH BELLEH.

After sleeping in {can I get an amen on that?!}, watching the Macy's Day Parade, and a big breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, we went to Gran Jan's to spend the afternoon with her & Mr. Jim just like last year!

Green Bay Packers on Gran Jan's big flat screen. Clark takes just the mere act of watching football seriously.

Mr. Jim brought Dr. Pepper for me & Clark. We really like him ;)

I'm pretty sure I talked the timer into dinging a little soon than it should...I was just SO hungry!

Our table!

As if the game on wasn't enough football for the guys, they used Dad's HTC to sstay updated on the other games being played.

Clark: "Hello? No bro, I'm just chillin' with my Dad and lookin' oh so handsome while doing it."
 

We also admired the handmade backgammon set from Africa.

Finally FOOD!

Clark got the honors of cutting the turkey up. He was so proud...

...and so hungry he couldn't look at the camera.

Lining up!

I fell asleep after the meal only to be woken up by something (namely, someONE). It was nice while it lasted!

After we had let all the food settle in our tummys, we set out on our annual Turkey Day walk to the park off of Gran Jan's neighborhood.

Mama & Gran Jan sat on the benches while the rest of us tossed us the football in the waning sunlight. It was amazing and the perfect way to end the day.

Poor Clark...he COULD NOT get himself to flip over the chin-up bar, so Dad helped him.

Then Dad HAD to prove he could flip over the bars too.

And then the Master Herself had to show her family how it was done.

OH HAI!

And THEN we all had to have a go at the monkey bars. We all failed, except for Dad. While we were doing all this, Gran Jan just stayed on the bench and watched. Smart woman.

Heading back!

Back at Gran Jan's we had pumpkin pie & watched MORE football & played Rummikub.

We packed up and headed out, then went home and watched a favorite movie of all time, Iron Man! & played Scrabble and went to bed late. It was awesome.

So readers. How was YOUR Thanksgiving?!

the ABCs of thanksgiving {2}

Remember last year's ABCs of Thanksgiving where I linked up with Hannah's mama, Rachel? I'm doing it again this year {but different than my ::shudder:: scrapblog thing...forgive me? it was a newbie blogger mistake} and you should too!

{Another year from God} Blogging Friends, Birthdays, Books {Cameras, Camp, Clark} Dance Parties and Dad {Email} Fires, Football, Family {God} Heaven and Holidays {Inspiration} Jesus {Kindness} Laughing, Love, and Laptops {Movies and Mama} Naps and Netflix {Outfits} Playdates [the teenager kind], Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Pinterest {Quirkiness and Quiet Times} Religion {Seasons} Texting {Unfailing love [from God]} {Vacays} Word of Life program {X [just the letter. stealing that one from Rachel herself}} Youth Group {Zest [for life]}

Happy Turkey Day {gobble gobble} readers! Hope you and your family had a grand time eating yourself into a turkey coma...I know I did :)

thanksgiving break, baby

I'm free! Free from schoolwork, free from any special chores/housework, and apparently grammar rules as well because I'm pretty sure you're never supposed to start a post/paragraph with "I". My bad.

Here's to staying up late, sleeping in, reading the Hunger Games & any other fun book I want to {instead of school textbooks. bleh}, catching up on blogging, movies + TV shows, eating good food and spending time with family. Oh yeah, and watching football Ahhh, it's gonna be a good 4 day weekend.

Happy day-before-thanksgiving, readers!

scarves are amazing, agreed?

Two outfits posts in ONE week?! Craziness. I promised more outfit posts so I didn't wanna dissapoint...although I will probably go a week without sharing an outfit. It's just the way I roll.

{Dress} Old Navy {Scarf} Giveaway win from JANNYSGIRL {Tights} Target {Shoes} Hand-me-downs

This outfit was lookin' BLAH until I remembered my JANNYSGIRL scarf...thanks to Mama for reminding me about it. It took a boring outfit to a interesting one in no time flat. OK, I will quit professing my love for scarves now. 

Happy Lord's Day readers!  

harvest time

I'm no Brittany {one of the most genuine Christian blogging mamas that loves her kids and her farming life; check out her blog HERE} and I most certainly don't take amazing harvest/tractor pictures like she does. BUT! I just had to share what Mama said when we saw the tractors & throw in a couple of my own tractor pictures.

"Oh great...now the mice will start to come into the house..."

I just about died laughing. I mean, that's only something you'd say down in the country, amIright?! The answer's yes, BTW.

 

Happy Saturday friends! May your house be free of those little furry tailed creatures forever and ever. Or, you know...just until harvest time is over.  

authenic people {blog party}

You could interpret my choice to post yet another blog party {my such and such, in fact} many different ways. 1. I'm a sucker for blog parties. and 2. I'm a lazy blogger and like the "pre-made" blog posts that blog parties provide. And...yeah, that's it. Both choices are true, BTW.

Wanna join me in my laziness? Then head on over to Abigail's blog, read up on the rules, and link up to win some sweet prizes!

"Hiya! The name's Sarah-Anne, but some people call me SA...mostly because it's all around easy to say & remember. You're free to do whatever. I'm a homeschooled high school junior {say wha?!} at SC Academy, and love to take pictures of things that make me happy. Blogging is fun too! Stay awhile will ya?"

1} What's the nerdiest/geekiest/weirdest thing about you?

It's no secret that I love Doctor Who, I'm a new Hunger Games addict, and I'm not grossed out by flesh-eating beetles like the ones on Bones. Yeah, I let my inner nerd shine all the time, no exceptions. As for weirdness, I'm so organized that both my closet & drawers are color coordinated.

2} If you could live in a fictional universe from any book, movie, or television show, what would it be?

 Dude, that's hard. CHUCK has my heart, so I'd have to say it would be pretty darn cool live in Cali & be a spy.

3} Little or big, practical or frivolous, what is one of your favorite items in your house?

 Our blankets. We live in a reaaalllyyy drafty & cold house so we have about 5 blankets in the living room to curl up with on cold nights.

4} Do you like animated movies? If so, what is your favorite?

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Toy Story 3 have my heart.

5} What is your favorite household chore?

Laundry. Something about separating the loads by color and getting them all folded nice is soothing.

6} What's your favorite thing to get at Starbucks (or your favorite coffee shop)?

No secret on this: I love <3 a good Pumpkin Spice Latte.

7} What is your favorite pizza topping?

Supreme without mushrooms or onions, pleaseandthankyou.

8} Waffles or pancakes?

Dad's pumpkin pancakes are amazing, but waffles are so few & far between that I'd take them over a pancake. Sorry, Dad. 

9} Do you like to play games? If so, what is your favorite?

Yes, I play board games and physical games, but I love a good game of football.

10} Have you ever let anyone win a game?

Oh probably. But usually only if it's a little kiddo I'm playing against. 

11} Have you ever dyed your hair?

Nooo. And I never plan too.

12} Do you make your bed every morning?

Yes. Another weird & obsessive thing about me.

13} Picasso or Norman Rockwell?

Dude, I'm NOT a art person so I could not tell you the difference. 

14} Do you like carpet, tile, or hardwood floors?

Hardwood floors! I love carpet too but our 70's blue and maroon carpet give me nightmares. 

15} If you could put one thing in a safe under your bed, what would it be?

Myself. Also, my box of treasures, the book I'm currently reading, and my camera, but that's 4 things.

16} What's your favorite condiment?

Mayo! Love the stuff. 

17} Have you ever thrown up on someone (excluding when you were a child)?

Yes, my mom {but who hasn't?} I also manage to throw up on MYSELF from time to time if I'm just so exhausted from puking for 12 hours straight. True story. 

18} What was the last thing that made you laugh?

A text from Jack. Or maybe it was his bro Sam...it's hard to tell who's who when they take turns trying to confuse me. 

19} Think fast...what's the first song that pops into your head?

I always have a song playing in my head, so that's not really a fair question to ask me. BUT! Jar of Hearts has a special place in my ::ahem:: heart. 

What are you waiting for?! Go link up with Abigail already!  

the hunger games

I adore Lauren for introducing me to Doctor Who...more specifically, the Tenth Doctor but that's a whole 'nother post. Trust me & Lauren on this one. She's awesome in about every other way too, from her awesome slikkz in the kitchen and her camera to her bold outfit choices. I love her to death. Ilene's style inspired me to do outfit posts in the first place, and I love every.single.one of her pieces in her Etsy shop. And then there's Samantha...we basically have the same blog name {great minds think alike} & she has the best Pinterest posts. Plus, she's oh so pretty and has a great sense of style. She also influenced my opinion towards Tim Tebow. That's all I'm saying on that.

These 3 girls all share a common bond: their love for the book trilogy The Hunger Games. My cousin Sam had read the books last spring but I though they would be too weird for me. That was at the beginning of the year...and when I watched the trailer {which released yesterday}, I decided to give it a try. A few texts later, Sam arranged to give me the first book so I could see what all the fuss is about.

I've got one book to finish but I'm afraid that I'm going to put that one aside to start the Hunger Games. Anything I should know about it? Do tell!

**UPDATE** Yeah, I couldn't wait. I read the first two chapter last night {stayed up wayyy late to read 'em} & had to restrain myself from reading more. I'm going to have to physically hold myself back until I've finished the other book. If you're looking for me during Thanksgiving break, I'll be curling up with a cuppa tea & the book. Kthanksbai.