Critty Joy

Your Favorite....

Okay Lovelies...

I missed you last week but one look at my reader today and I just marked it all as read.  I have been feeling so behind (email, blog reading, etc) so I decided to just start over.

I started thinking of something Kristen does at Exemplify and....

So I thought I would ask YOU to share with me your favorite post you wrote last week...or a favorite post you read by someone else... or both.  :)

Share the links in the comments and I shall come visit!

Also... I would so appreciate your prayers Thursday.  I have a big job interview that would be fabulous.  It's at Noon (EST).  Thank you!

<3,

Memorization and Accountability.

As I mentioned in my finish year January update post I am not doing so well with my scripture memorization without the accountability aspect!

After doing the Siesta Scripture Memory Team last year I realized doing 2 verses a month was very doable...even for someone who is not good a memorizing.  I am also realizing that having to comment twice a month with my verse was great accountability because I did not want to miss even one time!

Several of you mentioned you were interested in doing some accountability.

So I thought I would ask those of you interested to comment here and with any ideas on maybe how we could do it as a group.  (Please make sure that you leave an email address with your comment!  That way I will have all the information in one place.)

Emails could get a little crazy but it's an idea.  Or we could have a blog.  Or a FB page but some of you might not be on FB.  Or I could host a Memorization Monday twice a month where we post our verses in the comments.  

I would really appreciate the accountability aspect with as many of you that want to join... and I would adore your ideas for how we could do this.

I will be in the comments today discussing ideas with y'all!

It's Christmas Card Time!

I hope you and your family had a delightful Thanksgiving for those of us who live in the US.

Christmas time is offcially here!

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the cards.  There is nothing like going to check the mail and seeing envelopes you just know are Christmas cards.  

I adore all Christmas cards but photo cards are my favorite :)

Last year I used Shutterfly for our family Christmas cards and will be doing so again this year.  I actually use Shutterfly through out the year because they offer calendars, cards, photo books, and photo gifts.  Now that I have a niece I enjoy giving others gifts featuring her.  Each year I also make a photo book telling the story of my neice.  I am so excited she will have those to look back on as she grows up.

My family's 2010 Christmas Card.

One of the best things about creating a card at Shutterfly is you can customize it totally.  Last year was a hard year with the loss of my Memaw and I wanted to honor her in some way on our card...so I did that.  Of course we had to share about sweet Toccoa too.  I still adore that card! :)  

This year I am still unsure of which card to pick!  There are so many to choose from but I do know I will go with something simple.  

Over the next week I will gather my family together and we will take a photo and then I will puruse the photo cards again (okay...probably several times!) to chose the card that will be our family Christmas card.

Right now my favorites are...

 

 

Yes.  I put a lot of thought into our Christmas card because I find them so special.  

Do you send Christmas cards each year?

 

***I recieved 25 free Christmas cards for submitting a post about Shutterfly.  The thoughts and opinons expressed in this post are my own.

Christmas Party Friday's?!?!

I know, I know....you are wondering why I am talking about Christmas on November 1st. Last year I had a fun idea to host a link up on the Friday's in December and do a different Christmas theme each week.  I ended up calling it Christmas Party Friday!  

I am thinking of doing it again this year but wanted YOUR opinion....and ideas if you have them.

I first introduced Christmas Party Friday (you have to scroll down a bit to see the introduction) in November and gave all the details here.

We did a Christmas recipe link up, Christmas M&Ms (music and movies), and then a Creative Friday in 2010.

I was wondering if those of you who blog would be interested in participating again.... just answer yes or no below!

 

 

If there are more yes than no answers....I will be asking you soon for party ideas :)

 

Ramblings and Musings...

I am feeling random today so I thought I would share some randomness....bullet point style! 

 

❦ I am so excited!  My dear friend Kristen (Schiffman) has a new ministry.  Talk21.  It is just getting started and will launch in early 2012.  For now you can read her blog or listen to radio broadcasts she had done in the past.

❦ Want to help an awesome girl win 10,000 dollars toward college?  Just go and watch her video and every view counts as a vote for her.  It is her own original song and it is beautiful.

❦ I stayed up way too late Saturday night finishing a book.  It's been a while since a book kept me up.  The book?  Sarah's Key.  It is heartbreaking yet moving.

❦ I also spent way too much time on netflix over the weekend watching the show Eureka.  I was not a sci-fi fan until about two years ago I discovered Doctor Who...and then Firefly and now...I am a sci-fi nerd.  I mean I am a nerd anyway so it's all good.

❦ Discovering new music is one of my favorite past-times and I found a song that I just cannot stop listening too.  Redeeming Love.  I am sure there will be a post coming about this soon as it resonates with some lessons I am learning.

❦ I have been doing a great deal of brainstorming for something that has potential to be somthing great here at CJ blog....I will share more on this later ;o)

❦  As of Late is this Thursday!  I hope you will join me and share what has been going on with you lately.

 

What have you been reading, watching, or listening to, Peaches?

7 Things.

Hello dear ones!

I have missed you....and boredom has reached new heights this week.  I am feeling a little better but the doctor says this is going to be a slow process...so I am learning to slow down. I am not sure what blogging will look like over the next few weeks but I will be popping in :)

I thought it would be great to end my week on a fun note... My dear friend Jenn tagged me in this fun little blog meme so I just had to join in and tell you some randomness about me.

1.  I still have Christmas movies on my DVR.  4 of them in fact.  I just love Christmas movies so I recorded my favorites and I am keeping them for a day I need some happy in my life.

2.  I am a chocolate snob.  Once I discovered Cadbury's in England way back in 2003 there has been no going back from being a chocolate snob.  Hershey's....ha!  If I need american chocolate I will go with Dove but give me European chocolate any day!

3.  I am a RE.  (re-reader and re-watcher)  I love to go back and re-read my favorite books...it's like visiting with an old friend.  I also love re-watching my favorite television shows.... Veronca Mars, Psych and I am starting to re-watch Friday Night Lights in anticipation of the final season coming soon.  (If you have not watched Friday Night Lights and you have netflix...you must go check it out....best show ever.)

4.  I am a devotional hoarder.  I seriously have 7 on my little "study" table.  The one I am using most right now is called Solo and I love it but I am getting a new one called Bread for the Journey by Henri Nouwen... I think I will be using these two for a while though.

5.  I have a big thing for quotes.  I love them.  I have a notebook on evernote for my quotes and then divide them from there.... Quotes on such and such.... I have erhm 30 different sections.  Yeah.  

6.  Nothing makes me happier than when a friend says they saw a butterfly and it made them think of me.  Since I adore butterflies so much and they make my heart happy....this is one of my favorite compliments to hear.  :)

7.  I have a thing for personalized items....notecards with my name or a C.... embroidered things... I love getting them and buying them for others.  I am thankful Etsy offers this wonderfulness from onsies to necklaces....especially since my niece has a very unique name.  :)

 

So there you have it...

Now the thing is you are suppose to tag some people...I have decided to tag YOU...if you comment consider yourself tagged.  What can I say...I love hearing about others and what fun would it be to learn 7 random things about you.  You can do it in a post (just let me know) or here in the comments :)

 

Have a wonderful weekend,

10/10/10 :: It's My Birthday, Let's Celebrate!

Today is possibly the best October 10th to have a birthday because of the date...

yep...

10/10/10  

Since I think that is fabulous I am going to have the number 10 as the theme for this post ;)

First a shout out to 2 bloggy friends that share my birthday....

Happy Birthday Tracy and Bobbi!!

My friend Tara gave me this idea....I am going to tell you 10 things I LOVE! (My first love is my Jesus but that's a given!)  

♥ Miss Toccoa Hayden...the cutest niece in the whole world :)  And my whole family...of course!

♥ Butterflies

♥ Laughing until you cannot catch your breath.

♥ Long chatty emails or skype conversations.

♥ Flowers.

♥ Creating.

♥ Encouraging Others.

♥ Travel.

♥ Books.

♥ Friends.  Every single one that God has brought into my life...if you are a reader of this blog I consider you a friend too!

 

Of course this list could go on and on but my theme is 10...so I will stop. Sigh.

 

To help me celebrate I decided to do a little something fun for YOU. I am giving away a 10 dollar amazon e-giftcard!  (Internationals can enter we will just have to figure something else out!)  

--Leave a comment on this post telling me something you love and you will be entered!  (Make sure you fill out the email address part of the comment form!)

--For an extra entry you can "like" Critty Joy on facebook (I am going to get a little more social over there!)  Just leave a separate comment saying you did! 

Here is the fun part.  The giveaway is only open TODAY on my birthday!  I will close comments at 11:59 tonight.

Let's party!

 

I want to know.... (plus a surprise!)

Lately I have had several lovely new commenters and it brought to mind this question...

Who are you?  

I would love to know about you, Peaches...those of you who come here and read my ramblings and musings.  For which I am so grateful.  You have no idea how much each of you (even those lurkers!) bless me!

Then I thought...hmmm.  I could ask and give you a little incentive to answer!

So everyone who comments on this post and answers one of the questions below will be entered into a little giveaway.  I am, of course, going to keep the prize a secret but it is something I enjoy and hope you will too.  (it is open to everyone!)

You only have 48 hours to comment....I will close the comments on Thursday, July 1st at 11:59 p.m. and use random.org to choose a winner and announce who won on Friday. 

Just choose one of the questions (or more!), answer in the comments, and you could win the surprise.

What is your favorite scripture or quote?

What is one random fact about you?

What is your favorite book?

What is your favorite musician, band or song?

What is one thing you would like me to know?

How did you find my lovely internet home, Critty Joy?

I look forward to reading your answers....and sending one of you the surprise!

 
 

What am I Missing? Movies.

I have a membership to netflix and it has definitely got me through some rough nights when sleep likes to play peek-a-boo.

A little while back one of my favorite Lovelies, Amanda, mentioned a movie on twitter.  I was immediately intrigued because it had the word Austen it.  Well I am a lover of all things Austen so I checked it out.  And the best thing.... it was available on watch instantly.  Plus it's 177 minutes long.  Could it BE any better?  (a reference for some of my lovelies ha!)

The movie?

 

Lost In Austen.   The premise is great and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Enough to watch it twice ;)

Check out the trailer.

I also have old favorites I watch just because I love them....Everafter, Sweet Home Alabama, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and You've Got Mail.

My netflix queue has lots of goodness but I have been spending time with some of my favorite Friends!

Now it's your turn Peaches....

What movies have I been missing?  Or do you have a favorite I should see?

 
 

What am I Missing? Music.

I am a music lover.

From jazz to classical to rock and roll to pop.

I love it all.  (Okay...except rap...and some hip hop....)

There is just something so wonderful about it.  It goes straight to your soul.... beautiful. And sometimes it is just fun and playful.  I must admit right now my guilty pleasures are the Glee cast and Lady Gaga.  They are fun and dance worthy!  I could really go on and on about music....Adele, Wicked soundtrack, Kings of Leon....

So right now I am loving a few specific artists.  

Needtobreathe is my current can't stop listening, go to band.  Soulful voice.  Fantastic rhythm and sounds.  Love them.

My quiet music right now is Lindsey Kane and Emily Lodes.  I found Lindsey on noisetrade and I absolutely love her lyrics...it poetry set to music.  Emily's music is just as beautiful...and you can download her music on her website.  They help quiet my heart and just worship.

And as always my favorite is David Crowder Band.  LOVE them.  You can worship with one song and dance with joy with their next.

Now it's your turn...

What am I missing in music?

   

Tomorrow...it's movies!