Pinterest Challenge Week 3

Next up is...

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

I normally don't bake things that have so many steps because I just get overwhelmed but I am glad I did, this cheesecake was delicious.

It didn't exactly look the best but I am sure if I pulled up the tinfoil and put it on a platter I could make it look presentable.

This "challenge" thing is reminding me how much I wish there was a "did this" button on pintererst.

Live Joy.

Thrifting.

Nothing says a Saturday in fall like a little thrifting with the roomsies.

First we stopped by a garage sale. I am such a sucker for garage sales.

Leaf platter $1.25 and a Giani Bernini cross over purse for $1

Next we went to Goodwill. I like the Goodwill in Steubenville because it is smaller than the one back home and thus less overwhelming. Here is the loot.

Don't you just love the owl detail on this belt!!

And I just love this mug, I thin it is so gorgeous!! (Sorry I can't figure out how to get it to upload flipped.)

Yellow Platter-$2
Mug-$0.50
Sweater-$4
Jeans-$7
Owl Belt- $2.99
Other Belt- $2

I love Saturday's thrifting because you are able to find unique items that are good for the environment and the bank account.

Live Joy.

Pinterest Challenge Week 2

Up this week was a suggestion from my Stacey and she found it here.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

I used the site for the recipe to make the syrup.

Because I don't like really sweet sugary things I used only one cup sugar and a half cup of agave nector. However if I was going to do it again I would do the same thing but do twice as much of the four spices so that I could use less sugary syrup to get the same amount of flavoring. (Are you still getting the vibe that recipes are inspirations rather than rules for me?!)

The lattes were tasty and if you are wondering about dairy options I used rice milk and it turned out just fine.

Let me know if you try it.

Live Joy.

What I Wore Today

So I love other bloggers posts about what they are wearing so I thought I would periodically post a series of photos of what I have been wearing even though it feels incredibly awkward and vain to take so many pictures of myself.


Summer Sunday---Mass and visit with Grandma



Now tell me honestly, does this outfit fit my age?

Saturday---Lazing around in the house doing homework, Lord's Day and Gilmore Girls Party

You already saw this outfit once with the new necklace post but I thought I would show it again so that you could see the whole outift.

Ignore the wet hair and nerdy pose. The jeans are the best part of this outfit. A friend didn't like them anymore and gave them to me. Score!!

Sunday---Mass, hanging out, and Angel commitment

I don't normally do mirror shots but my roommates were gone and I wanted to get a picture of the outfit for this post.

I had white wedges on for Mass and have been wearing my brown Birkenstocks throughout the rest of the day.

Saturday---Thrifting and such

The dress is my roommates, one of the best parts about college living!

Sunday----Mass

Live Joy.

Fall-i-fying.

So in line with this whole autumn pinterest board, I have also ensured that our house has a little fall-i-fying. I didn't go crazy, that will come at Christmas, and even then I have to save some for real-life-family-mortage-home decorating.

Really once this post is done you will be like why did I even bother mentioning it because it really is only a few things but a few little things really change the atmosphere of the whole place.

I already had some fall looking flowers from home so I just put those in a pretty glass next to our gold lamp and my beloved Belgium Madonna and Child Jesus.

Next took a little creativity and alot of indecision. I literally went back and forth in Wal Mart from the glass bowls, to the candles, to the beans and back to the candles. In the end I am very happy with the end result and love how it makes the house smell so delicious. The whole thing is a combo of a square glass bowl, dried chick peas, and a mulled cider candle.

I also had some stuffed scrawcrow-ish dolls that we hung up on our "gallery wall". So what else could I do after fall-i-fying the house but sit down with a Our Lady of Guadaloupe mug full of cranberry apple tea and just take in fall with friends.

Live Joy.

Grow Where You Are Planted.

Fr. Dominic Foster gave an inspiring homily today.

He began by comparing St. John Vianney to Fr. Mike Scanlen. Simplified, his point was that St. Vianney wouldn't be a saint if he had false pride and none of us would be here, at Franciscan, if Fr. Mike Scanlen had false humility. Both grew where they were planted.

We too must prosper where the Lord has us. Live in the moment. Embrace the current place you are in your vocation. Wish not for things you don't have but enjoy the things you do.

Grow where the Lord has planted you.

Live Joy.

New.

Dont' you just hate when you find something on the internet and you just convince yourself that you really really want it. A horribly wonderful reality.

So I lost my miraculous medal a weekish ago and it took me a while to find it. During that time without, I began the search for a new one, just in case. While perusing etsy I came across this beauty that I just had to have. Well long story short I ended up finding my miraculous medal necklace but still really wanted the necklace so I splurged.

Wasn't I delighted when it quickly came, I opened the envelope and this pretty little thing was in.

With the ribbon off.

The beautiful necklace itself.

There are six charms on it. Three charms that individually say "faith", "hope", and "love", an angel wing charm, a crucifix with three pearlish beads, and a St. Michael charm. I chose the St. Michael charm and it could be interchanged with a whole list of saint and angel charms she offers.

I am enjoying the outfit possibilities with this new necklace and have already worn it once. Ignore the silly face and awkward pose.

I encourage you to check this lady's shop out and consider buying your own charm necklace.

Live Joy.

Pinterest Challenge: Week 1

So as I started this semester I have had this goal of doing one pinterest craft, recipe, or idea each week. I know lofty goal on top of nursing school and college life. I probably have been doing it but not purposely so alas now I begin the adventure of purposely picking one thing a week, in fact I challenge myself to it. I however make the executive decision to excuse myself during midterm and final week, because I hear ringing in my ears the words heard over and over again around here, "you're a student first".

So thus the adventure begins.


I can hear, taste, smell and see Autumn on the horizon. The taste of pumpkin is on my tongue and cute fall clothes are practically trying to claw their way out my closet. Of course the next weeks will be filled with Autumn inspiration, in fact I have a whole board dedicated to Autumn.

Thus I present to you the first pin.

Pumpkin Muffins

So I didn't take any pictures of the process, I know bad blogger me. These muffins were SO easy to make. I mean really it doesn't get much easier than a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin. While the easiness of it was appreciated it lacked a little in yumminess. They weren't bad they just weren't especially tasty. They pretty much tasted like yellow cake with a hint of pumpkin. They were made better with cinnamon sprinkled on top but I suggest that if you are tempted to make this recipe that you add cinnamon to the batter, maybe even some pumpkin pie spice.

Is their a fall recipe you have tried already and fallen in love with?

Live joy.

Radical Conversion and Passionate Faith

I have this campaign, prayer, passion that keeps being put on my heart.

Jesus tells us over and over again in Sacred Scripture that if we ask in prayer, we will receive.

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith" -Matthew21:22

"And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks recieves, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks it will be oepened. -Luke 11:9-10

But how much do we really believe this?

Our country, society, culture is in deep water. So many people are drowning in their sins and aren't even aware of it. Arguably it is hurtling towards mass spiritual and moral destruction. Yet how much do we really pray that all this can abruptly come to and end and turn back to faith?

This is the prayer that is repeatedly been put on my heart with a deep desire to encourage others to pray it also.

A prayer for radical conversion and a return to faith.

Anyone who is familiar with the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe knows that she converted thousands of Latin Americans, who were deep in idol worship, to the Faith. This was going on at the same time that the Church was losing many people to the Protestant Reformation. You want to know what though, during this time there actually was a net gain of Catholics. This was deemed impossible, these people were so immersed in sin, yet they came to know the joy and peace that comes with faith. Our Lady's intercession is powerful, she wants souls to come to know and love her Son.

So I beg of you, pray for radical conversion. Have faith that impossible things can happen, for with God all things are possible. Ask in prayer for conversion and a return to the Faith in our country and have faith we will receive it.

Live Joy.

Blessings.

This past weekend I had a dear friend come visit. She graduated in May from Franciscan, we transferred in together, we are sisters in the same household (households-another explanation post for another time), she actually ended up being my Big in said household, and we traveled to Haiti together. Actually she had been living in Haiti this summer for 3 months.

It was such a blessing to sit on the couch until the wee hours of the morning catching up about real raw life.

We invited another friend over for breakfast. Drinking coffee, eating pancakes, and enjoying life.

Live Joy

Ordination and Installation of the Bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville

Woohooo no classes today!!

Being a student at Franciscan you get weird days off. Rather than getting President's Day off we get March for Life day off, our Fall Break always includes All Saint's Day and we don't get Labor Day off. Today is no exception. Today is the ordination and installation of the new Bishop for the Diocese of Steubenville, Monsignor Jeffrey M. Monforton. Due to the fact that the event is taking place on campus and all the professors have tickets to attend the Mass, we more or less have a three day weekend.

Now I must get off blogger, facebook, youtube and any other social media sites so that this extra day off can be filled with studies rather than surfing.

Have a great Monday!

I am a Squirrel

Well I didn't actually turn into a squirrel I just feel like one due to the massive amounts of food I have saved away for winter.

This whole process started with making two batches of pasta sauce, shredding some zucchini, preppping some squash, portioning zucchini bread and bagging random leftovers and freezing it all. Well then I went home this past weekend and came back with a last batch of yummy fresh foods.

See these yummy tomatoes?! They are just asking to be put into delicious recipes.

With all this yumminess I have made or plan to make Crockpot Tomato Soup, Marinara Sauce, Stuffed Peppers/Tomatoes, Eggplant Parmesean, Balsalmic Chicken Fajitas and Breakfast Sandwiches. But don't tell my roommates that I still have more to make because this is what the door to our freezer currently looks like thanks to me.

So if you see me wandering around Steubenville with a bag or frozen food, let me in, I bear gifts.

New Semester, New Classes

A new semester has begun and thus a new batch of classes. The line up this semester is OB and Peds.

My OB clinical will be at Wheeling which I am sups excited about because it is known to have alot of births. The clinical instructor I have for OB is the same professor who teaches lecture so I am happy about the continuity of information I will get. The first half the semester my Peds clinical will be at Child's Way-a day care for physically fragile children-and the second half at Wheeling.

The huge book filled with all the information for both classes.

Expects updates as the semester progresses :)