I love the transformation ...

"To Journey without being changed is to be a nomad.
To change without journeying is to be a chameleon.
To journey and be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim."

~~ Mark Nepo

I am my journey!
You are your journey!

From http://lmbartelt.wordpress.com

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A new food blog on the block!

So tonight my niece wrote her first blog post. She is creating the blog as a part of the web analytics class for school. So interesting what kids are learning in school. When I was in college, back in the Dino age when we chiseled our work into stone, we didn't have that type of technology. The fanciest we ever got in college was to create a make believe business and try to make it profitable competing against other teams in the class.

Anyway, my niece's blog is New York Girl in a Florida Food World ... I love the name!

Driving friends to her blog will help her to get the 'numbers' that she will have to analyze for her class, so please drop by and comment on her post(s), share it with your friends. Let her know I sent you.

Maybe she'll like it and keep it going long after she has gotten a good grade ... I hope so!

There's a new food blog on the block my friends!!

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Simplicity

Found this on FB ... Love it! .... sometimes it is just that simple.

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It's just a little bothersome

The trolls are back. You know those people who make nasty comments, then have the nerve to advertise their product or website in their comment and actually expect that you would publish their comment. I'd say they aren't too swift. I just mark them as spam and move on.

But, I thought I'd bring back word verification on comments for a while in the hope they go, go, go ... far away.

Fellow bloggers ... any suggestions?

~Maria

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Flow ...

{{FROM THE ARCHIVES 10.07.11}}

I’ll take the rocks …

Image by grungepunk2010 via FlickrThere are days when I look back and wonder why a person’s path snakes so wildly. Could I go back in time and re-write the script, would I want to do that?
No, I don’t think so!
Our paths come together like a confluence of rivers, with meaning, with precise timing, creating a dynamic energy. There are many rocks in the rivers, sometimes there are boulders. Often there are downed trees and lost items being pushed by the waters. Sometimes the rains come and cause the rivers to overflow with abundance and most times, it is good, other times the rain floods areas that had the best of possibilities, changing the landscape and the view. Yet, we keep flowing, whether we know it or not and it is in the flow that peace comes to us and we see the changing of times and accept the landscape for what it has become. In the end, we hope the landscape was beautiful, wild and even crazy. Perhaps, others will remember it as having great purpose.
Would we have wanted no rocks or boulders, or downed trees or are those the very things that set the landscape and direct the energy for future paths to flow?
I’ll take the rocks, the boulders and the downed trees. Along the way, much will probably get lost and that is all right because I will have created energy and a landscape for those who will follow. 

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Happy New Year!

Nothing is impossible! 
I hope this New Year brings you all much joy and happiness and is punctuated by the glory of God's blessings ...

do you remember
the night we drove
out into the inked darkness
until the hum of the city
evaporated into contrails streaked above us
like some Pollack canvas
that night I looked up at the sky
and its infinite display and I said
“doesn’t it make you feel better
to know you’re made of star dust”
and you laughed quietly, and replied
“you’d rather be up there, wouldn’t you?”
and I think that’s when you first knew
I would always be tripping over things
because the ground didn’t interest me
in the slightest

~~The Origin of Clumsiness by Anna Peters

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Sweetgrass Baskets by Charmayne

Check out my good friend Charmayne's beautiful sweetgrass baskets. She hand makes each basket in the beautiful lowcountry of South Carolina. Wonderful for your home and as gifts. There is so much wonderful history in the story of the sweetgrass baskets, that you won't be able to resist!

Visit her site at Sweetgrass Baskets by Charmayne

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Guest Post by Pearce Corbin -- DIYHoliday Decor

The holidays are here and interior designer in-the-making, Pearce Corbin has a few ideas for do-it-yourself Holiday Decor that you can make with your family. ENJOY and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

BIO:
Pearce Corbin is an interior designer in-the-making and a freelance writer for MyProjectorLamps.Com. He’s a lover of vintage furniture and has a special affinity for spooky couches. In this guest post he shares DIY holiday decorations you can make with your kids!

thegoodielife.com

5 DIY Holiday Decorations

With holidays fast approaching, the desire to decorate for this festive occasion begins. Not
all decorations need to be bought and in fact, many beautiful decorations are simple and
inexpensive to make. Even better, many of these do-it-yourself projects can involve the kids
so they can be taught the holiday spirit as the whole family prepares the decorations. Here
are ideas for five easy holiday decoration projects to complete at home.

1. Garland Trees.
Garland trees with the colorful, bright tones of holiday tinsel are easy to make using
a variety of garlands and Styrofoam cones. Depending on the weight of the tinsel, the
garland might have to be glued to the cone with a hot glue gun. Some garlands are so light,
however, that they can be attached to the cone with pins. Each member of the family can
have a different-sized, different-colored cone to decorate and put around the house.

2. Holiday Wreath.
Yarn-wrapped wreaths continue to be popular and they are incredibly easy to make. You
need to have a metal wreath base in the size you want and then enough yarn in a festive
holiday color to wrap around and completely cover the metal frame, at least two times
around so that no part of the metal shows through. You can add a bow or other holiday
item at the end and you have a wreath. The kids can help you wrap the yarn, since this will
be the most time-consuming part of the project. They can even help choose the additional
decorations to finish the wreath. Other materials can also be used to wrap the base and you
can let the kids choose and experiment with different materials and designs. If the base is
not wrapped, hot glue will be needed to attach the other materials.

3. Table-top Candle Decorations.
Choose your favorite tea light scents and place them in a long dish surrounded by painted
beans or seeds to match the colors you have chosen for your holiday décor. This is
an instant holiday decoration that can add to the ambiance of your room quickly and
inexpensively.

4. Branch Centerpieces
Collect simple, large bare branches from the backyard or a hiking trip and then use them
to create a beautiful arrangement in a clear, glass vase. To add to the holiday spirit,
hang tiny “holiday accessories” from the branches. These accessories can be small pieces
such as seeds, painted in holiday colors, tiny wooden ornaments or even very small glass
ornaments.

5. Garlands
Garlands are also easy to make and the possibilities are endless. A star garland involves
cutting out stars from holiday colored poster paper and then threading it through at equal
intervals. The kids can each draw their own set of stars and cut them out. The stars can all
be the same color or you can mix and match and then hang the garland around the house.
Similarly, a snowball garland can be just as easily created, using small Styrofoam balls
and needle and thread. After these tiny balls are threaded through at equal intervals, the
snowball garland is ready to be used in the tree or hanging as decoration.



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My Top Five {Authors, Blogs, Singers and more}

Happy Thanksgiving all!!

My top likes {{as of today since this list changes more often than you'd think}}

My Top Five Seven Authors (in no particular order) ---

1. Karen White
2. Dorothea Benton Frank
3. Amy Hale Auker
4. Rudolfo Anaya
5. Sunday Larson
6. Laura Childs
7. Joseph B. Fussell

My Top Five Singers (in no particular order) ---

1. George Strait
2. Adrian Brannan (Buckaroogirl)
3. Brenn Hill
4. Reba
5. Sade

My Top Five Seven US Cities (in no particular order) ---
BTW I prefer small towns! Once lived in a village with a population of 11 and was quite happy!

1. Charleston / Mount Pleasant, SC
2. Albuquerque, NM (and most all those cities and town south of there)
3. Dallas, TX
4. New York, NY (well, that's where the family reside)
5. San Juan Capistrano, CA (most all of SoCal)
6. West Palm Beach, FL
7. Breaux Bridge, LA (fine people living there)

My top Five Nine Blogs (in no particular order and there are so many more that I love)-- 

1. Deep South Magazine
2. Charleston Grit
3. Frugally Sustainable
4. The Gracious Girl
5. Dirt and Martinis
6. The South Dakota Cowgirl
7. Guard'n The Planet
8. Horses & Heels
9. Fed Well

Places I would like to return to for a holiday (in no particular order) --

1. Italy
2. Sweden
3. Hawaii
4. Penang

What are your top fives, sixes, threes? ... place you want to go back to ... well you get it, I'm sure!

... What should I consider adding to my lists? ... any thoughts!

~Maria

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Keep it local!

I have many friends who run small businesses and this is how they support themselves and their families. I try to go out of my way to shop from them. Why? Because they are my community, they are a part of my economy and because I can put a face and a story to the products.

Consider buying the things you need, and want from small local businesses and self-employed people. Do you have a neighbor who sells online, is there a local craftsperson in the area who makes jewelry or clothes? I’ll bet there is a local indie bookstore in your area. Just look around. I’ll bet there are some local Authors who would be thrilled to sign their book for you. What about that friend from high school who runs a small local floral shop and shows up each week at the local farmers market to sell fresh flowers and crafts? What is she doing this fall and winter, making garland or wreaths? Do you know the local farmers and ranchers or the people down at the feed store? They’d be happy to sell to you.

Then there is that friend or friend of a friend who does shop at home parties? Can’t beat shopping and socializing at the same time! How about that bakery guy with the delish cookies, those cookie sales help put clothes on his children’s backs. The lady that owns the hair salon, I’ll bet she’ll be happy to sell a gift certificate you can give as a holiday present. I’ll bet you keep driving by that little clothing store in the strip mall thinking, “I should stop there one day.” Do it now!

You know these people will treat you right because they are your neighbors, your friends, you see them going down the road.

Support real people, put the money into your local economy and watch it thrive.

From orgreenheat.blogspot.com

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In the dark

You have to get up early. 

When the sky is still dark.

Let the world unfold before your eyes, 

watch the break of day come over the mountain, 

follow the rays of sunshine that spray over the foothills. 

Listen to the wind, to the sounds of the day ahead. 

You have to get up early. 

  © Maria Norcia Santillanes 

ngm.nationalgeographic.com

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Tainted Focus

A degree of confusion has tainted my focus. I've been looking for part-time work in addition to my Contract Sales work with Cowgirl Dirt and I've been putting together a Business Plan for a small retail home show business I am considering.

Today I found a message on my voice mail from the local university stating they would like to offer me a full-time position. Well, that might sound nice but in the same breath the person said the job offer hadn't yet been approved by Human Resources ... say what?

I am really very torn between wanting to following my entrepreneurial instinct, living frugally waiting for 'it' to happen and working for a paycheck with benefits but to build someone else's career.

Sometimes I think being a 'Sagittarius' is just too much mental work ...

What's a girl to do, I say?

From honeyinthesun.com

~~

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Watching the Moon

There will be a full Harvest Moon or as some call it, a Full Corn Moon this weekend, Sept 29/30 so pReParE. This moon corresponds to the fall harvest and is sometimes also called the Barley moon because it is when farmers thresh the ripening barley.

Sweep clean the porches of your home and prepare for the change this full moon will bring! 

"Officially, the crest of the full Harvest Moon will happen on September 29, 2012 at 10:19 p.m. CDT (3:19 on September 30 Universal Time). Depending upon your time zone, the full moon will be September 29 or 30. But the moon will appear round and full on all the nights around this full moon." ~ EarthSky

Photo credit: Harvest Moon by scienceduck from the blog Golempoem 

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I'm walking, yes indeed, I'm talking 'bout ... Race for the Cure

Cancer is such a horrible disease. One I wish could be stamped out for good, but until then I'm walking ... won't you join me by donating to the cause in any amount comfortable for you.

Dear Friends and Family, I recently accepted the challenge to raise funds to support the Central New Mexico Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in its efforts to end breast cancer forever. I will also take part in the Komen Central New Mexico Race for the Cure® as part of this program. Please help support me in this important project by contributing generously to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central New Mexico Affiliate. Your tax-deductible contribution will fund breast cancer education, screening, and research programs. It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause - you can make your donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. More information on Komen Central New Mexico and its programs can be found at www.komencnm.org. Whatever you can give will help, it all adds up! I greatly appreciate your support! Sincerely, Maria To donate online, click here.

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Hey Frangelico, meet me after dinner!!

Sofia has been at it again! This time she sent me a wonderful bottle of Frangelico. I was pleased to learn that Frangelico, in conjunction with celebrity Chocolatier MarieBelle, is set to unveil a limited edition truffle for the holiday season. The indulgent truffle, made with Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur, will feature a special design and proceeds will benefit pet charity Bide-A-Wee. The charitable confections, featuring adorable puppy and kitten logos, will be available in addition to the traditional Frangelico truffles.

I wanted to learn a bit more about this liqueur, one that made a home in my Dad's liquor cabinet for years but one that I had never really embraced before this time. "Frangelico is produced in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, its origins date back more than 300 years to the presence of early Christian monks living in the hills of the area. The Frangelico bottle is an immediate reminder of this distinctive history; shaped like a monk’s habit, with a traditional rope belt around its waist. To make Frangelico, local Piedmont hazelnuts are roasted and infused in a solution of water and alcohol. A number of natural extracts – including cocoa and vanilla - are blended with the hazelnut infusion and hazelnut distillate to create the Frangelico concentrate. The mixture is then left to mature in vats for 6 to 8 weeks. The resulting liqueur is pale gold in color, a rich texture, and a pronounced hazelnut flavor with hints of vanilla and dark chocolate. As a classic liqueur, it’s perfect after a meal - either with coffee or in coffee, or pour it over ice in a chunky tumbler." ~ Manga Bene Pasta

Piedmont is a large mountainous region in the northwest corner of Italy, ringed on three sides by the Alps, and also contains one of the country’s most famous lakes. It’s justifiably well-known for its wines and is the region which gave birth to the Slow Food movement. And although it didn’t last long, Piedmont was also home to the first capital of a unified Italy in 1861.

The confections will be available at the MarieBelle chocolate boutique in NYC and online at www.mariebelle.com and the truffles will be on sale beginning November 2012 through January 2013.

It's a winner!!

 As you might already know, Bide-A-Wee is a humane organization that provides shelter, care and compassion to homeless animals. During the 2012 / 2013 holiday season, a portion of the proceeds from the Frangelico Charity truffle will benefit the Bide-A-Wee organization.

   

I enjoyed this liqueur a good deal. It has a nice taste of Hazelnut and chocolate and I think it would make a very fine after dinner drink during the holidays or really, anytime.

Here is a nice cocktail recipe you can try for yourself::

Frangelico Truffle Cocktail

1 oz Frangelico

1 oz SKYY vodka

3/4 oz of espresso

Shake with ice and serve in a cocktail or martini glass.

Dust with chocolate shavings

For those who may not have espresso on a regular basis, you can try this simpler recipe that is really delicious!

Frangelico on the Rocks

- 2 oz Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur

- 2 oz Citrus Vodka 

Add both ingredients in a shaker, shake and strain into a sugar rimmed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sugar covered lemon wedge. 

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Rule # 1

Good morning,

It's not often that I feel I must add a rule to this blog but in the last week I have received several 'odd' comments where it is very obvious the commenter does not read this blog nor do they engage in the particular story for which they are leaving a comment. It seems clear to me, these commenters are making an attempt to post blind links to other websites.

Please know that I will not open the links nor will I approve the comment for publication to not only protect this site but to protect those who do check in on this blog regularly from clicking on a potentially bad link.

~Maria



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Are you interested?

Cowgirl Dirt is expanding into retail stores. If you are a retailer and would like to carry Cowgirl Dirt Cosmetics in your shop, contact Maria @ 505.506.5079 or maria@cowgirldirt.com .

Totally Western ∙ Totally Natural ∙ Pure Cosmetics

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It's a fiasco ...

Well, it's the 23rd and still the moving truck has not arrived. It's a fiasco and I'm getting a bit perturbed.

Sorry for being away so long but it's pretty difficult being without your stuff ...

What would you do if it happened to you?

~M

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Oh Boy!!!

Well, I am in New Mexico ... I'm not quite settled yet ... because ........

I . am . still . waiting . for . the . moving . truck . to . arrive!!!!!!!!!!

Which is making it hard to get anything done. I may not be posting often during this transition but I will return once all is running smoothly.


~Maria 

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I'll be back!!!

I am in the midst of moving from one state to another so I will be away for a bit while I settle in but continue to check back and browse posts ... I'll be back!