Aging With Style #2

Awhile back I asked for suggestions on topics of interest to you all and one of them was aging with style.I think that today might just be a good day for me to share some thoughts on that topic.Aging with style is a mindset, like so many things in life-it is a choice, an intentional action, a cohesive thought on where you are going and how you are going to get there.I sort of think of it as boarding a train, we wouldn't just hop on a train without knowing where it was taking us, or not having packed.So today I am sharing with you some of the items that I have packed for my new train ride into the future.

I must be honest, I am not so crazy about this new route.All of my children have officially flown the coop, in fact they are thriving without me.(Can you imagine that-they don't need my guidance anymore! Shame on them...)So this has left me with time to "fill."Hmmm...I don't like that notion of filling time-because in my heart I know that it should be savored, devoured, explored, grabbed, gobbled up and made use of-not filled.Life is short, life is precious, life is wonderful.

Do Not Coast Through Life At Any Age Never Ever!
"Insanity is coasting through life." Morgan FreemanI remember looking at my parents at the age that I am now and thinking that they had"arrived."That the train had stopped and they most likely were just going to coast from here on out.I say to myself now  "what a foolish girl you were."I mean seriously who wants to coast for the last 30 years of their life?
I know they had hopes, dreams and adventures to still be taken and it is holding onto those dreams, fulfilling as many that are reasonable that helps a person to age with style.

Those Hikers In Colorado-They Have HOPE!
While we were hiking in Colorado at a whopping 11,000 feet my husband and I had to take a little breather. As most of you know we live in Texas at a high altitude of 430 feet.The available oxygen at 11,000 feet is considerably less than at 430 feet.Well as we were leaning against a tree, several spry 80 plus year old's passed us without so much asa huff or puff.It was these older hikers dreams and hopes... that were keeping them vital and active -it is crucial to do so to age with style.Never, ever adopt the attitude of I can't, if there is a dream that you want to follow DO IT!

New Dreams, Exploration, Spiritual and Mental Growth
As I look in my suitcase that I have loaded up for the next years of my life I see I packednew dreams, exploration, spiritual and mental growth, letting go, new styles, acceptance and laughter.I'd like my train to take me to that new mountain to climb, let me explore the new possibilities whichexist in life and God please grant me the opportunities and sight to see them.

Look Forward With HopeFocus on looking forward to the future with hope of new experiences, joy in the present and gratitude for what was. Take those moments of sadness that some of the journey is behind us and replace it with complete joy for the moments, memories and delight in what was and what still can be.Love the life you have, no matter what "phase," you are currently in.
New Role ModelDelight in being a new role model for other woman, family members, and peers.Give your time with a generous heart.Be a woman with a lilt in her step who lives with intention, hope, encouragement and delight in her own life and by doing that she is able to be mindfully present in the lives of others, as well as her own.
Prayers of ThankfulnessLet all prayers begin with thankfulness for the many blessings that we have had.For those heartaches, disappointments, losses, and ill-health which have paved some of the path of life, make them lessons which make us stronger and not bitter.

Attitude is Everything (great read - Huffington Post by Dr. Hyder Zahed)
Are we going to have to push ourselves?You bet we are, but just remember how when you were a kid and pushed yourselfso hard to run down the street, jump rope, ride a bike, swim and in the end it felt so good.This will too.xo
Please Join Me~
Life And Linda, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, An Extraordinary Day

Dressing A Cake With Flowers

Hello all and welcome to a little overview of how to dress up your cake with flowers.Throughout the past few years I have developed a passion for adding flowers to our cakes.I just adore the transformation it makes and you know those flowers can also hide some frosting mistakes, and even a cake (heaven forbid) that sinks...

At Home With Jemma Recipe For Blackberry Studded Lemon Pound Cake

So, a little bit about the importance of  cakes in our family. Cakes have always been the go to dessert in our family, you see they just seem to be appropriate for any and all occasions.We have made them for Birthdays, Christenings, injuries, graduations, engagements, losses of life and loves, and just because.

Holiday Pumpkin Roll Recipe At Home With Jemma

My Mom was a cake baker extraordinaire and every cake that she made came from the finest ingredients layered on her built in lazy susan cabinet.At the time this cabinet seemed quite magical as sugar tumbled out and vanilla extract left tiny droplets on the wooden shelf, truly a confection delight at any age, especially a youngsters.

Marjorie's Apple Bundt Cake Recipe At Home With Jemma

Today I am sharing with you my love for dressing cakes with flowers.Adding flowers to a cake adds an incredible aesthetic power.
All of the cakes here today came from my kitchen for one reason or another, as you know our family doesn't really need much of a reason to make a cake!
Links to the post are underneath each photo.

At Home With Jemma Woodland Shower Ideas

There is a difference between edible flowers and safe flowers to place on a cake or to use for garnishing.
Edible flowers are grown specifically for human consumption, and are Certified as Organic.If they are not organically certified, they should not be placed on a cake.Before eating organic flowers always remove the pistil and stamen.
Decorating/garnishing flowers are a non-poisonous flower which is not necessarily organically grown and therefore must not be eaten.These flower are for decorative purposes only and must be washed prior to use and a decorative barrier placed between them and the cake.There are products that you can purchase for this, or make your own out of wax-paper.If in doubt about a flower leave it off or dress your cake with faux flowers.

Southern Hospitality Guest Post All Occasion Chocolate Cake

A few weeks ago when I was welcomed as a guest at Southern Hospitality, one of the questions I was asked was what type of flowers I recommended for decorating cakes.
(If you haven't met Rhoda from Southern Hospitality yet, drop by and say hi, she is a fantastic Lady!)
I thought that with the Holidays nearly upon us, and all of us wanting to give our Holiday desserts some extra goodness, that this was a good time to clarify this concern.              I have provided a short pinnable reference for you on using edible flowers.                    However, I would also recommend these other sites for more information.                                                 Mercola-42 Edible FlowersGardners Supply Company-Edible FlowersWikipedia-edible flowers

The flowers that I used on these cakes were a combination of faux and real and we did not eat any of the real flowers.  I made a barrier out of wax paper.

Thank you so much for joining me today, I so enjoyed having you stop by.Any tips to share, we'd love to know.Happy Cake Decorating!
XO
Please Join Me~Life and Linda, Love Of Home, Life On Pearl Street, Jann Olson,Blue Sky Kitchen

Sweet Woodland Baby Shower

So, my last post left us all with me wearing my new outfit and heading to Oklahoma to visit 
and help host our daughter's Woodland Baby shower.
I really want to tell you all how much I appreciate your support and kindness, as I share 
fashion finds and wear them.
It is a new chapter of my life and you welcomed me-thank you.

I left our home on Friday morning and drove the four hours to Oklahoma with lots and lots 
of rain but arrived in good shape and ready to set up the goodies for the baby shower.
I am very happy to share the details of the shower with you, as I think that you could use 
this theme for many gatherings.
It is simple, sweet, natural and classic.
  


  All social gatherings must have flowers and greenery, it is a absolute must to include them in your budget when hosting a party.Flowers add texture, interest, color and are great fillers for empty spots on your tables.
Great place to purchase flowers is Costco, your local market and of course Trader Joe's. For the woodland theme Baby Shower we used the following:a. Eucalyptus b. Sagec. Boxwood stemsd. Carnationse. Baby's breathf.  Cotton

We used two different types of faux garland, one boxwood garland, and the other floral.

We combined three delicate gold deer which held tea candles, a variety of mason jars and 

gold candles to create various vignettes on tables and throughout her home.

For our color theme we used green, pink, gold, clear, white, and natural.

Rebecca and I wanted to serve the cake on a large  bark slab, but goodness gracious those 
slabs are so expensive. We chose to use a wood slice instead, and improvised by 
purchasing a extra large wood slice and setting it on top of  a mud pie pedestal cake stand.

We covered the slab with wax paper before placing the cake on top of the slice, trimming
the wax paper to fit just underneath the cake, so as not to show.
Frost the cake while on the slab, so you don't risk the chance of the cake falling apart.
Add some real and faux flowers and of course a cute little deer on top of the cake after 
frosting.

We purchased this galvanized metal and wood sign for the party, knowing that it would
be transitioned into the nursery.

We added a burlap runner, cotton, mason jars with flowers, paper straws placed in a white 
ceramic vessel, and a rustic metal two tiered cake stand, for the dessert table.

As a thank you to our guests we purchased Linen bags from Saveoncrafts, stamped them 
with a deer, filled each bag with a pack of sunflower seeds and tucked them in mini clay 
pots.
I love these linen bags, they are not flimsy.

Supply List for Sweet Woodland Baby Shower/ Woodland Party 
1.  Clay pots2.  Tiered cake stand3.  Linen bags4.  Seed packets5.  Galvanized metal and wood decorative pieces5.  White & pink carnations, eucalyptus, sage, baby's breath6.  Deer stamp & black ink pad7.  Various jars filled with flowers8.  Gold deer and tea lights (Hobby Lobby)9.  Greenery10. Wood Slab

Congratulations to this sweet family!

XO!
Please Join Me~
Love Of Home, Life and Linda, Julie's Creative Lifestyle, Designthusiasm, Inspire Me Monday, Four Me With Love, Life On Pearl Street, Bluesky Kitchen, Jann Olson, Simple Nature Decor

Fashion Friday & Glamour Farms

Many of you know that I enjoy fashion and for quite some time I had a Fashion Friday post on my blog. I was always on the look out for good quality, great price, fabulous fit and great styles.Today I am very pleased to introduce you to Glamour Farms, a wonderful on line boutique, where you and I will find exactly those things that I just mentioned.

This great company was founded by a Mother and her two daughters, and they are offering chic, fashionable and affordable designs made with us in mind.I feel so very thankful to have met this creative team at the Haven Conference in Atlanta.I am just thinking to myself, in this day and age how often do you really get to meet the owners of a business.

I do not take partnering with a company lightly, so when I visited with the owners ofGlamour Farms I saw a family business with a big heart. They are the sort of folks that by shaking their hand is sealing the deal, because they stand behind what they say and sell.So here is what I chose to share with you today!Since we are in-between seasons and knowing that Fall is just around the corner I chose this navy and mint medallion print Whitney Tunic/Dress. I love it's versatility as I am wearing it here as a dress, but you will also see it worn as a tunic.

Underneath I am wearing the Ahh-Mazing Long Tank, it is a comfortable body shaper which smooths and slims. It feels like a second skin and breathes. A perfect undergarment for hot or cold weather.One of my favorite things about the Whitney are the sleeves and the a-line styling.Keeping the Whitney a little dressy here I chose to wear a statement necklace and classic circle earrings with a simple pair of sandals.

If you happen to live in Texas or be familiar with it's weather patterns we can go from 100 degrees to 70 degrees in 10 minutes.So for me having a pair or two of quality leggings is a must and naturally Glamour Farms has justthe perfect legging for me, the Tummy Tuck Ankle Legging.I chose navy blue to pick up the blue in my Whitney tunic.

There was a little chill in the air too, so I tossed on this lightweight wrap, a pair of ankle boots and changed out my earlier jewelry for a more casual look.I think this looks a little bohemian now and I love how the Whitney can be dressed up or down.This fabric is amazing, it does not stretch nor does it wrinkle-perfect to toss in a suitcase for a weekend get away.

Glamour Farms is a small family owned business operated right here in the U.S.A. and I encourage you to pay them a visit and say Hi.If you would like to shop at Glamour Farms they have generously included a code for you to receive a discount on their products.Just use code ATHOMEWITHJEMMA981 for $10 off any purchase over $20.(regular prices only, not sale!) Discount code can only be used once.This code is valid beginning 8/22/2016 and ends on 9/25/2016 
*This post does contain affiliate links, you will not be charged extra for items purchased.*

I am heading to Oklahoma now for our youngest daughter's baby shower and I will be wearing this outfit!
Have a fabulous weekend my dears!XO

Oreo Cream Dessert

I have really and truly been meaning to share this decadent and simple dessert with you all 
since June!
I served it at our Texas Craft Retreat and there was not one spoonful left, so I suppose that 
means it gets a 5 star rating.
Here is the banner I made for the retreat and this link is how I went about organizing the 
Craft Retreat.
This dessert is definitely not for the faint of heart or those that are dieting, but if your Motto is
Eat dessert first, well this Oreo Cream Dessert is calling your name!

I have put together a little pictorial tutorial with the recipe for Oreo Cream Dessert located at the bottom of this post.

I wanted this to be such a special occasion for everyone at the Craft retreat that I served this
Oreo Cream Dessert in retro champagne glasses that were my Mother's.

Serving this Oreo dessert in these glasses really dressed up the event.

Thank you so much for joining me and I look forward to seeing you back on Thursday for our weekly link party and then on Friday for a new look at some Fashion Finds!
Are you in the mood to make DIY Sugar cubes?Just click Here.
xo