thrifty thursday + happy thanksgiving

Today's feature isn't Pyrex, or retro, for that matter.

But it is delicious. And thrifty ($1.69!). And I'm obsessed.

Behold! The Dan's cake wedge decked out in butter cream frosting & sprinkles.

Have you ever seen anything more mouth watering or delightful? I may or may not have at least one a week. I know it's full of artificial mumbo jumbo, but I can honestly say that I enjoy every bite without regret. You have got to try one.

Let me just tell you a little story about my beloved cake. A few weeks ago I had been dreaming about a cake wedge for a whole day. When I have a craving, it just simply won't go away. (That poor husband of mine better watch out when I'm pregnant!) I had to get some groceries and specifically chose to go to Dan's knowing that I could get my hot little hands on this goody.

So imagine my disappointment when I showed up to the bakery.

cake wedges = gone. julia = devastated.

I took my sad self up to the counter and started talking to the cute lady decorating cakes. I told her of my plight and how I just had to have one of them. She told me to come back in five minutes and she'd have one whipped up especially for me.

What? Are you serious? Heaven help me, it was my lucky day! And get this - she even let me choose the sprinkles! When it comes to frosting & sprinkles, my belief is that there is no such thing as too much. The more, the better!

I am thinking that I need to write a thank you note to the bakery lady who saved me - what a woman for showering me with such kindness!

With Thanksgiving celebrations today, I have really been thinking about how blessed I am. Sometimes instead of being filled with gratitude, I tend to feel sorry for myself. It's a little embarrassing when I think about all that I have. When I first found out about my gram's diagnosis, I was completely crushed. I remember going out and running errands the next day and thinking that my world fell apart the day before and why didn't everyone else's world fall apart with mine? It just wasn't fair.

I remember coming home and sitting at the computer, just feeling so sad. I turned my head and looked out the window to see this gift:

Our tree's leaves changing color. And not just any color. But yellow, my gram's favorite.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I am not alone. I am never alone. Life goes on, and we're all in it together. There is never a shortage of support, prayers, or miracles. People are always so willing to lend a helping hand. That's really what this whole experience is about.

This Thanksgiving I am really grateful for that reminder. I don't think I'll ever look at our tree the same again.

thrifty thursday + a challenge

This Thrifty Thursday post is two-fold.

1) To show off something retro, of course! Isn't this golden hearts Pyrex adorable? One of my dear friends brought it back for me from a thrift store in Montana. I love it!

The picture kind of throws off the size perception of this dish. It is huge and will be perfect for so many different things!

2) I also wanted to talk about something I'm participating in. It is a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in its entirety by New Year's. I know it seems daunting at 531 pages, but I promise you can do it. We started on Monday and will finish on December 31st by reading just 10 pages per day. I can't think of a better blessing in my life than going into the new year armed with the knowledge and truths that come from this book.

I finished the Book of Mormon this summer and am ashamed to say that I haven't been awesome at keeping up with daily scripture study since then. I have definitely noticed a difference in the days that I read and the days that I don't. When I found this challenge, I knew it was an answer to my prayers. I have already felt such a change over the past few days. Reading these verses will invite the spirit into your life and will allow you to receive a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.

Participating in the challenge with a group of people (who I don't know) is a great experience. It's empowering to know that we are all reading the same verses on the same day and being blessed. I love the church. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I can testify that it has changed my life and can change your life, too.

So please, join us! It is never too late to start, and you can never read the Book of Mormon too many times!

To visit the group blog, click here.

And if anyone needs a Book of Mormon, let me know and I will get you one.

anticipating conference

I seriously love Conference weekend.

I love listening to inspired messages. I always come away from it feeling uplifted, with renewed faith, and as though certain talks were prepared just for me - things I really needed to hear.

There's nothing quite like going down to the Conference center and being surrounded by so many people of my same faith. It's really powerful and the spirit is so strong.

Even just watching Conference on TV gets my heart going with excitement. The first weekends in April and October are simply wonderful times of the year.

I am so grateful for my membership in the church and for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me in and out. My testimony is strengthened every day. It's evident in so many ways - the help and guidance I receive during tough times, how things fall into place when I'm making good choices, the power of prayer.

And it's in smaller things, too. I went to Provo to listen to Nie Nie speak on recapturing beauty. (Oh my goodness, she is amazing. Her talk was incredible). My friend and I hadn't eaten all day and I felt like my body was screaming at me for being in starvation mode. But you know what, as soon as Nie Nie started to speak, I was completely full. Not one growl or rumble was heard or felt the entire time. I have to believe this was a gift from Heavenly Father because I was able to enjoy the talk, feel the spirit, and listen to a woman with so much faith.

There are many moments when I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is directing my life. And how grateful I am for that.

I bought this milk bottle because it is from the Deseret Dairy, which is run by the LDS church. It was more than I normally pay for retro-ness, so I slept on it for a day. When I woke up, I knew I had to have it and would gladly display it in my house.

I am so proud to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.