What She Wore Wednesday ~ Turquoise Dress

This fine Wednesday features Layla in a cute turquoise dress that she wore to church this past Sunday.

 She looks so cute in this dress! The ruffles and pleats make it not so simple, but it's not too busy.

 We took the picture at the beach as you can see... :)

 I know this picture isn't very good, (it was getting dark), but this is her complete outfit that she wore to church... Shoes, hair clip and all...

~What She Wore~

Dress: hand-me-down (from our aunt) $0
Tank: Target $3
Hair clip: homemade $0
 Shoes: wal-mart $10

Thirteen dollar outfit, seriously? That's cheap!

So, how did you like it?
 And by the way, sorry it's so late and I am just now posting this. Internet again...

Well, I best be going... We are about to enjoy some coconut macaroons. Layla will post the recipe soon... (Just to excite your taste buds...)
Blessings,
Hagen
 

Video Friday {No. 6}

Happy Friday, Everyone!

 Today we are going to share a short little video of one of our favorite creatures, the Coquina Clam.

We love watching these little creatures dig down into the sand. I am always amazed at how strong God made them! Each time a wave sweeps over, the clam burrows itself quickly into the sand, out of danger.

Coquina clam shells come in a rainbow of colors, varying from pinkish-purple to creamy yellow. Most of the time, the inside of the shell is the prettiest! I think the Coquina Clam is a good reminder of ourselves... even though sometimes we may not feel pretty on the outside, we must remember that God is our creator, and has made us in the likeness of His image!

We hope you enjoy this little creature and reminder as much as we do!

Blessings,

Layla & Hagen

Picture Post

I desperately wanted to do a blog post, but to be honest, I had no idea what to post about. But, of course, it hit me. I ought to just do a picture post! You know how I am...

I'll start with a few amazing photos of our beautiful Texas sky...

The other day there was a beautiful rainbow, but what was even more beautiful about it was that God sent it and reminded us of His promise before the rain came! Isn't that extraordinary? Just another reminder of His great love for us! 

I can't help but feel like I over-did the editing on this it, but I couldn't bring myself to undo it. What do you think?

Again the Lord showing His mighty hand through His creation!
 

 Marvelous...

 
 I like that you can see the family over in the background in this one and how tall the clovers look!

 Vine-ing branches...

 Rustic wood...

We've been calling this flower,
 "The Mad Hatter's Hat," and, 
"The flower from Wonderland!"
Anyone have any idea what this flower is called?
Whatever it is, it is fabulous! 

 Rainy day reading...
(Photo courtesy to Layla on that one.)

 Baby O and her bright blue eyes!

 Okay, so obviously, Olivia likes blackberries! :)

 Miniature sand dunes...

 Layla & I.

 Trees...

 ...Trees...

...And, more trees! I love them, so many different kinds. One's bark might be jagged and course, and others smooth. Some leaves thick and glossy, and others thin and brittle. 
I. Am. A. Tree. Hugger.

Baby O just so happens to be a tree hugger also...

 ...And loves gazing at the sky...
(Can you tell who she gets it from?)

Well, I do believe it is getting late...
I trust you enjoyed these pictures, yes?
Have pleasant dreams and a great Thursday!
Blessings, 
Hagen 

Recipe~ Cider Tonic

Need a quick pick-me-up this summer? Try one of my favorite drinks!

This drink is not only tasty and refreshing, it's chock full of health benefits!

A safe detox- Each of the three ingredients in this drink are great for the body, flushing out unwanted toxins.
Aids in digestion- Apple cider vinegar not only provides good probiotics, but it's also acidic, helping in the digestion of food and absorbtion of vitamins.
Immune booster- Full of antioxidants to ward off bacteria and fungal infections. 

I know this isn't an original recipe, but it is a recipe I love!
 All you need is:

8oz filtered water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey 

The best vinegar to use, in my opinion, is Bragg's (sorry to brag, hehe). If you are new to apple cider vinegar, I would suggest you start with 1 teaspoon of vinegar first, just to get used to the taste, then up it to 2 teaspoons.

You can also make a big jar to put in the fridge for a quick, cooling summer drink. It tastes a bit like lemonade! 

There are so many uses for ACV (apple cider vinegar). From intestinal health to hair care, I love it! Thank you, Lord, for apple cider vinegar!
Blessings,
Layla

Recipe~ Honey Cheesecake

Another recipe on a Wednesday... maybe I should call this 'What She Ate Wednesday'!

Now this was a first for me. I love cheesecake, but for some reason I have always been a bit intimidated by making one from scratch. Let's just say there are rational and irrational fears. This one was certainly irrational! So, I faced my fear, and this was the result...

-What you need-

 For the crust
1 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup pecan (or almond) flour
4 Tbls butter, melted
1 Tbls honey  

For the filling
8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup honey
4 eggs

 -What to do-

1. Heat your oven (or toaster oven) to 350*

2. Put the oats in a blender or food processor, and blend for a few minutes.

3. Pour the blended oats, pecan flour, butter and honey into a 9 inch pan. Mix together, and press into the bottom and sides of the pan. 

4. Bake crust for 10 minutes.

5. While crust is baking, cream together the cream cheese and ricotta in a large mixing bowl.

6. Beat in the honey and eggs, one at a time.

7. Pour mixture into the pre-baked crust.

8. Bake for 30- 45 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs.

9. Cake is done when the middle is firm to the touch.

10. Let cake cool in the fridge for at least 5 hours, but over night is better.

 Easy-peasy, huh? It was so delicious! I love the texture that the ricotta added, and the oat/pecan crust almost tasted like a graham cracker crust. What's even better is that I didn't have to use any sugar! I can confidently say that I am over this irrational fear!

 I was short on fruit for topping, so I served mine with homemade lime jello. If you try this recipe, I would love to hear what kind of topping you made!

Keep calm and Bake on!
Blessings,
Layla

 

A First For Us...

Hey everyone, we are excited to announce:
We just did our very first guest post! Isn't that awesome?!?! It was very fun but it almost felt like we were breaking into someone else's blog!
Hannah's blog, that is...

 
 We wanted to do something that a lot of our readers would be interested in. And thrifty shopping is certainly something I think we all love, right? I mean, who doesn't love to save money?
 
So go check it out and
 see how we save some bucks!
10 Tips for Thrifty Shopping  

Let us know what you think and if anything stood out to you!

Blessings, 
Layla&Hagen

Video Friday {No.5}

               

It's Friday, and your long promised beach video is finally being posted! Can you believe it?!?

I have to admit I am no videographer... Photography is more my thing, so... yeah...

                


                  

 So, what do you think?

Not to long ago I wrote a poem about the beach and I thought I ought to post it. It matches...

Nautical Peace

Upon the shore I walk,
the gentle breeze with me it talks.
The moist sand between my toes,
I'll never know from whence it comes or goes.
The sound of waves crash in my ears,
the noise, my mind it clears.
More than seldom a shell is found,
just waiting there upon the ground.
The bright sun shines upon my skin,
it soothes me from within. 
As I watch the ocean,
I see its rapid motion.
But suddenly, I notice the sun has just now set.
I realize that night and I have met.
As I walk away, I watch the moon slowly rise,
and it shines upon the tides.
I bid the waves farewell, but just for tonight.
I soon shall return at mornings first light.

Well, how was that? Obviously, poems aren't one of my strengths, but it'll do. ;)

Well, I hope you enjoyed this post!
It feels good to post a video again! 
Blessings, Hagen