a true love story...

While checking my blog roll the other day, someone had posted a video about this terribly sweet couple! It looked interesting and once I started watching, I couldn't quit. (If I ever watch anything it is like 10 seconds here, go do something, 10 more seconds, do something else, etc.)  I had never heard of Ian & Larissa before, but this clip tells you about what sweet people they are. Both of them are very inspiring to me. You can really tell how much each of them love the Lord.





Isn't that just way too sweet?  After I watched the clip I found some of their cute wedding photos. Larissa sure knew how to decorate!

You can read more about Ian & Larissa on their blog.They even have a video clip of their wedding.


Hope this really just made your day bright! I know it did to mine.

~Susanna

Awesome-Tasting Food!! // chipotle chicken

I haven't done one of these in awhile so I decided to make up for it by posting a super awesome recipe!

Have you ever been to Chipotles? Of course you have and you love it right? Or do I even need to  ask... :)  I love Chipotles not just because it tastes really good, but also because it's healthy for you. They raise chickens the way you should.

The other day I made "mock" Chipotle grilled chicken. I don't think it tastes a lot like the real thing, but it was really, really good. It is also a ton of fun to make.


"Mock" Chipotle Chicken Marinade

1 (2 ounce) package dried ancho chiles  -I just used ancho chile powder because it was faster!
1 (7 ounce) can chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (discard chipotle pepper, skim out seeds)
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 red onion, quartered
1/4 cup oil (canola/vegetable/olive)
1 whole boneless, skinless naturally raised chicken (about 3 lbs, thighs work well too)

Soak dry chilies overnight in water, until soft. Remove seeds. Add chilies and rest of the ingredients in blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Stab chicken with fork to let the marinade soak in. If you're marinating overnight, you won't need to stab it too much. If you're marinating for an hour, stab it all over!

Spread marinade over chicken, refrigerate for one hour or up to overnight. After marinating, grill on medium high on an indoor grill where the chicken can be pressed flat.

If using a skillet, heat oil to medium high. Place a foil-wrapped brick on top of chicken to press it flat. If using an outdoor grill, use charcoal to make it ultra delicious. Place foil wrapped bricks to press chicken flat. You can also make this on a Panini grill on medium high heat. Place something heavy on top to weigh it down.

*If you want, you can throw all the ingredients into a crockpot (bones included), cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 4-6. You will have meat that falls off the bone because it's so tender and the consistency is similar to a stew! You can add 2 cups water or a low sodium stock to keep it from drying out.

Once chicken is cooked let it cool for a little bit and then slice into bite size pieces. Serve with tortillas, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and Chipotle Lime Rice. (That recipe is coming next week!!!)

I was telling somebody about this recipe and they were wondering what the chipotle peppers in a can looks like. So in case you're wondering the same thing this /\ /\ is what it looks like.

... and if you're too lazy to cook you can just go to Chipotles and let them serve you. :) 

If you try this recipe tell me what you think. WARNING: this recipe makes you drink water!

~Susanna

"New" Music

If there is one thing I love that would be music. Recently I discovered some "new" music that I can't believe I've never heard before.

So, have you ever heard of The Piano Guys? If you have that's cool and if you haven't then you're in for a treat...

The Piano Guys are these 2 fellows right here /\ /\. You kinda wonder why they call themselves the piano guys when one of them plays the cello. hmm.... Anyway, he does play piano too.

They make a lot of YouTube movies that I think are neat. The two below are some of my favorites.




It was hard to decide which two would make it on here as "my favorites". This arrangement is very well done and I like the songs they choose. Oh, and the scenery is just gorgeous!




My siblings have been going on and on about this song. They all want to play it now.  I can't really blame them.

Now that you've seen these two there are a ton more that you should watch. 

What did you think?  Aren't they pretty good?

~Susanna

8. pinning again...

Good morning everyone! I was up early today taking my Dad to the airport. (He's going to Mexico.)  Being at the airport makes me want to fly again!! Do you like flying? Or do you get sick?

I haven't been "pinning" for over a month, so I thought it was about time to do it again. Some of these pins are really exciting! Well, to me anyway.


1. Hair styles are always the best!

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2. Makes me want to host a party...

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3. This picture is super cute, but I'd change the hat for a "real" cowgirl hat. The old truck rocks!

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4. Now this dress really makes me happy. To bad I don't have one.

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5. Yesterday, I got a free birthday drink at Starbucks. I tried their new Mocha Cookie Crumble Frap. It was awesome!!

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6. I know I already posted this picture here, but I love it so much that I had to do it again!

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7. Breakfast here we come!! Aren't these things darling?

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8. A good packaging idea.

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9. Read, read, read...

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10. The only place you can see a really good sunset...KANSAS!

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What are some of your favorites?

And I'm linking up with TheVintageApple for this post.


~Susanna

Introducing...

I was going to post this a couple of days ago, but my computer decided to quit. Amazingly, yesterday morning God enabled me to figure out the problem! Oh Yeah!

I am so excited to tell you all about my new adventure!!

I finally started my own Etsy shop called

 Lily Lime Creations!!!

Check out some of my items. 

click here for listing

click here for listing

click here for listing

At this point I am only selling handmade greeting cards. In the future I will also have some cute note pads and maybe some fun other stuff!

click here for listing

click here for listing

When I list a new item, I'll post about it that way you all can see it.

click here for listing

So, what do you think?? I'd love to know.

 Do you have an Etsy shop?

~Susanna

movie review: october baby

I don't normally do reviews of movies I watch, but I think people need to know about this particular one so here I am.

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A couple of weeks ago I went to see a new movie called October Baby. I didn't know a ton about it, which sometimes I like.  It can make a movie all that more exciting! But my sister, who works for the pregnancy crisis center in town, kept hearing all sorts of stuff about it and couldn't keep from telling me. of course. :) So, I ended up watching every single youtube clip out there the night before I went to see it. Oh well...it sure made the movie look good.

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By the time we got to the theater our group was made up of my mom, 2 sisters, my grandma, an aunt, a cousin, a friend, and me. My aunt and grandma almost didn't come because they read this  article against the movie. Needless to say, the author didn't want people to go see it. I'd already seen another movie the Erwin Brothers filmed and it was well done.

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What I thought -    I'll try to be careful because I don't want to give to much of the story away for those of you who haven't seen it.

First off, I'm going to cheat and steal their synopsis then I don't have to write one.  But who said that isn't legal? :)

As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.

After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted … after a failed abortion attempt.

Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future.

In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.

Abortion is a major, touchy topic where I live (Wichita, Ks) and I hear a lot about it. Abortion is just plain murder and they showed that well in October Baby. The movie also shows how that effects a person when they found out they weren't wanted so their mom just decides to kill them. I also saw how if affects the person who had the abortion and how it can practically ruin your life with the feeling of guilt and grief.

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Overall this movie is hard to watch. It's sad. It's real life. Things like this really happen. The problem they address is true. But the sad truth is that people won't wake up and see abortion for what it really is. I hope this movie will open your eyes and inspire you.
But this movie is also awesome! Very well done! Exciting! Fantastic! You never know what's going to happen next! The music is beautiful! It has some very funny scenes along with very sad scenes.


3 favorite people -

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1. I loved Hannah (Rachel Hendrix)!!! I felt like I could identify with some of her feelings of wondering why she was here. Rachel did such a good job making it "her story" and the whole thing seemed very real and alive.

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2. Jason (Jason Burkey) was perfect for this movie. He seemed like a very typical college student just wanting to have fun. It was awesome to see how he took care of Hannah. I don't know what she would have had done without him.

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3. John Schneider played Jacob (Hannah's dad). I thought he was great. At first he didn't have a very good relationship with Hannah, but then that all changed. And for some reason I liked his hair style in this movie. :)

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One thing I really loved about this movie was all the scenes with the ocean. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Couldn't have been better!


Should you go see it -  

YES!!!! RIGHT NOW!!! I totally recommend it for you to see! It wakes you up and makes you go, "Something's not right!".  It is totally worth $10. It leaves you with this feeling of needing to do something to change the situation. Also, make sure you stay and watch the credits because Shari Rigby (she is the birth mom in the movie) shares her testimony.

WARNING: bring a whole box of Kleenex's with you. Guarantee you'll cry. hard. 

Once you see the movie make sure you check out this site: Every Life Is Beautiful. You'll get chills from watching the different stories of God's faithfulness.

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That picture is so going on my pin board!!

Now, either go see October Baby or tell me what you thought of it.


~Susanna

blogger's block?

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...or is it that I've been busy and I haven't had a lot of time?  Both.  How do you cure "blogger's block"? Write about it I guess.
OR you could go dream on Pinterest instead. :) Works every time, right?
OR you could turn on Spotify and get down to work. Then you'll realize how much you missed blogging.  
Here is a post that may be helpful if you ever run into this problem.

Just curious now, what do you do if you can't think of something new to say?


Bummed

Today, my Swagbucks account got deactivated.  :( What a bummer. I'm still not sure how it happened. If anyone has ever had this problem I'd love to know how you fixed it.

Awesome

The weather was perfect today! Just beautiful! It just made me want to be outside ALL DAY LONG!!! But, I still had school to do, oh well...  AND I got my "free-drink-from-starbucks" card for my birthday!! Those can always make your day.


Did you have something awesome happen today?

~Susanna