Let's move along now, shall we?

This place has been pretty deserted lately, sadly. Unfortunately I haven't the time nor creative inspiration to keep it up, so for now it'll just have to be that way.

I did join tumblr though, check it out: http://simplypixie.tumblr.com/

This way I won't leave you all completely, and with tumblr it's much more casual and less time consuming, which is just what I'd like right now.

Thanks again sticking around people, let's keep in touch, okay?

Reflection's Foolishness

The reflection only shows a shadow of who and what you really are. 

Don’t let that shadow fool you.

Never

Seeing Underneath

I saw heaven in the clouds

And a world underground.

Spied a painting in the sky,

Whispered a goodbye.

Held a life in the palm of my hand

Only to let it go again.

Let's Make Lists

This is not the post I had planned (you'll get that one later. Shush.), but I have an idea. 

Let's make two lists. #1: Things you're grateful for today. #2: Things you've learned. List as many as you want (unless you're the obnoxious type that'll take that to the extreme. In your case, keep it to a few.) I'll start. 

Grateful for:

Clouds like that over a lake at sunset.

Creative writing.

Milk chocolate.
Nature.

Learned:

Some people make punching a hole in a wall sound like a great idea.

They're God's way of teaching me patience.

I'm not liking said lesson in patience.
There's this someone who will never let you go, or let you down. His name is Jesus.

Running in loosely tied shoes is a bad idea.

Your turn!

Don't You Ever Grow Up

via

I was stuck with fifteen 2-3 year olds for a small portion of time recently, and loved every minute of it. 

"Read this?" She was a shy, blonde haired, blue eyed, clingy little girl who I had been carrying around. She sat herself down on my lap as soon as I sat down on the floor, handing me one of those little children's books with corny stories that rhyme. I smiled as I took it. "Sure."

"Can you put this belt on?" Before I could even open the book, three more came at me. The boy held a toy construction belt out with hopeful eyes, one very outgoing chatterer rambled in my ear, and the other stood a little distance away, eyeing the book. 

"Of course, turn around," I replied cheerfully as I helped him put it on. It only took a couple seconds and the shy one was patient, unlike the chatterer. 

I was only one page in when said chatterer got a better idea. 

"I want you to come see my house!"

"In a minute, I have to finish this story first." The other one had come up and was now sitting beside me, listening intently to the story, waiting politely until I had finished reading to make excited noises or comments. 

"But I want you to come noooowww." She pouted and poked at the book as if that might make it disappear. 

"Not now honey, but I'll be finished soon. Don't you want to listen to the story?" I gave her a look to make it clear that I wasn't going to be bullied into moving, and she decided that listening wasn't such a bad idea after all. The nice thing about these kids is that they won't try as many tricks on a stranger, making it easier for all of us. 

A few minutes later, I was over by the little play house, listening to the chatterer with the shy one still on my lap. She had said only a handful of words the entire time, but I could see her taking everything in. 

I wish you wouldn't grow up so fast. I brushed a wisp of honey blonde hair out of her face as she looked up at me with those large blue eyes and handed me a toy. What will you be when you grow up? Who will you become? I wondered silently as I watched the room filled with small, young, energetic, loud humans. It reminded me of this song. Things are so simple at that age, but those little lives won't stay this way forever.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Funny how I always had an answer to that question when I was a child, but it was always something different.

Life is so short. First you're here, then you're there, and it's all too easy to get lost between the here and there.

What do I want to be? Exactly what God wants me to be. Whether he shows me one step at a time, all at once, or just tells me to shut up and live today for now, I know he has my entire beginning, present, future, and ending in his hands; and I wouldn't want it anywhere else. 

Who have you trusted with your future?


Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. -  Proverbs 3:5-6 

This Is Where I Pretend to Explain My Absence

I'm still here, just in case you were wondering. Just enjoying life, summer and outdoors as much as possible, which has left me little time for the blogging world. I'll get back into everything in a bit, worry not, I haven't forgotten you.

Also, thank you again for your continued support, and for following, commenting, and just nosing around my little space.

Oh, and the answer to the riddle? Silence.

Keep your head up high. Life's a gift.

Riddle Me This

These Days Are Summer Days

These days are summer days,

Soon past and forgotten,

But for now to be cherished,

Today and tomorrow,

Forever and always. 

These days are summer days.

The cool quiet breeze,

The hot, scorching sun.

The fresh smell of trees

And the song nature sings.

Misty early mornings

Will whisper your name

Calling so quietly

With the lure that it brings.

Cherish this always,

And never, ever forget,

Before there was death

There always was life.

Savor today,

Make a new memory.

Forgive and live on,

Let go of things past.

Don’t waste a moment, for

These days are summer days.

Special Moments

The hill seemed to have no end, it simply kept winding up. Just when you were sure you were almost there, you'd round another bend only to see a dozen more looming up ahead. He was dead tired, but bless his huge heart, he put everything he had into it. 

I could feel his labored breathing as if it were my own; even for the riders the hill workout was hard work. Being the smallest team, I held him back behind the other two, pacing his stride and finding the easiest way up for him. This irritated him to no end - he hates being last. Every now and then he'd give me a random burst of energy, and I'd let him come up alongside one of the others, but always asked him to come back after a few strides. As the path got steeper and the hill became eviler in our eyes, the bursts of energy became less and less, until he was simply focusing entirely on keeping up with the longer legged, taller thoroughbreds ahead of him. 

Trotting was getting extremely laborious for him; I could even see the other two beginning to slow. As we rounded the second last turn, he faltered, and for the first time ever, I felt his stride become as tired as he actually was. 

I want a break.

"We're almost there, just a little further. I know you can do it," I kept my voice light and encouraging.

Just try to keep the trot,  I told him through my hands before I let the reins slide through my fingers. He took the opportunity to stretch his neck out and find his own pace, and sure enough, he kept the trot.

Rounding the last turn, he asked me again when we would be done. 

"We're almost there, just a little further. I promise, just a little further!" I went up into a  half seat as I touched him gently with my heels. 

Go get 'em.

He jumped forward at the cue, surprising me with one last burst of energy that he had apparently been saving up. He cantered as close as he could to the others, putting his nose at one of their flanks. I cheered him on as he poured everything he had into that last run.

If you want, I can go faster. I know I can. I felt his draining energy, but at the same time, there was a solid determination and will in his stride. I believed him.

It's okay. We're here. I touched the right rein gently as he dropped down to a trot, then a walk, sides heaving and slick with sweat. 

We kept walking towards the edge as a breathtaking view came to greet us. I gazed out over the valley, stroking his sweaty neck as he stood for a moment and relaxed his entire body with a huge sigh.

"You did it pony," I whispered, running my fingers through his mane. "Good job."

***

P.S. I entered this into Pearls on a String's photo challenge. Check it out?

Neon Melon - Review

Let me get this straight: I'm not a girly girl (seriously? Pink? Fluffy dresses? Enough makeup to look like a clown? Gag.) I love color. Especially bright, in-your-face obnoxious colors. 

When I saw the large bin of neon nail polishes for only $1.99 a pop, both the penny pincher and color lover in me came to an immediate agreement: Must.have. (and that is not often). 

The End.

But not really.

I got two other colors, neon orange and dirt brown (want to see? Let me know), and while I have not tried the latter yet, I love both the neon colors. 

  

If you've tried it before, you know how hard it is to to capture neon's true color. The left photo is an accurate representation of the color of my hand. The right is pretty much the actual color of the polish - depending on its mood. Sometimes it decides to turn into strange hues in different lighting. I swear it was plotting against me.

This color is streaky, it took me two coats on top of a white base coat to get the right shade. And side note: the white base coat on neons do make a difference. It brightens and brings out the color without you having to layer on enough polish to paint a small house. 

The drying time was fast, probably around 1 minute. It also chipped fast, but that's normal for me since I work with my hands a lot. For the average wearer, I'd say this would last a good 2+ days before chipping. 

What's your favorite nail polish color?

A Scrap of Fiction

I'm not entirely sure about this. 

I like this piece on its own, for even though it is short and technically not a true short story, it (for me) came across deep enough and solid enough to stand on its own. However, I've been toying with the idea of lengthening it and making it into a proper short story. Take a look, and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is most welcome! Oh - and if you have any ideas for a better title, I'd like to hear about it.

And as usual, this is entirely mine and you are not allowed to take it. If you would like to link back to it, ask first. 

Now that we have that out of the way, here it is:

To Share A Heart

The sense of misty nostalgia settled in as the paper unfolded. It crackled as she smoothed it out with both hands on her desk, taking a deep breath as she leaned forward, placing both elbows on either side of it. Cupping her chin in her hands, her eyes scanned over the paper before coming to rest on one particular part.

I miss you. I love you. I hope I never forget you fully, because you were one of the best friends I have ever had. You’re something special; I hope you know that. God protect you and quicken your soul. Until next time we meet, be it on this earth or on the other side of eternity.

So free, so honest. So open. She stared at the paragraph for a long time, the gentle whisper of the wind brushing past the open window as the old clock ticked away the seconds. Tracing her finger over the words, a small smile broke through, though it only brought out the sadness in her eyes.

“Sharing your heart was always so easy for you,” she murmured. It was true. The difference between them was night and day. One was open and free; the other closed and guarded. No matter how hard the others tried, the latter forever refused to open up. She was always private, always mysterious, though it never made her any less human.

Forever is a long time to never see you again, her brain mused silently. It had been a year to the day. Not a single one of those days went by without some kind of reminder of what she had lost.

“I miss you.”

The whisper was so soft, only the speaker could possibly hear it. She closed her eyes as her lower lip trembled, every ounce of pent up emotion straining her voice. A quiet sigh escaped as she laid her head down on her arms.

“God, please watch over them, wherever they are.” She buried her face deeper into her arms, as if trying to hide her moment of human brokenness. “I wish I could’ve told you…” but she stopped in mid sentence. Shaking her head, she took a deep, shaky breath and lifted her head, facing the world once again as her eyes took on their usual determination. But before she got up to walk away, her eyes softened once again as the words she never said, and every bit of emotion she never showed floated dreamily across the room, evaporating into the air as it faded away.

“I miss you. I love you. There’s no way I’ll ever forget you…I hope you know that.”

Today, Be Grateful

1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 

I’ve been seeing way too much negativity lately. Too many are dwelling on things that are trivial and utterly pointless. It’s not worth wasting another moment of your life living off irrational, negative emotions.

So today, be realistic. Be grateful. If you have a house to live in, people and a God who loves you, don’t have to worry about your next meal, and have clothes to wear, you should see that you already have everything you need to be happy.

What are you grateful for, and what makes you happy? I’m loving crazy, wild colors.

Open your eyes people. God is good, and life isn’t perfect, but it sure is beautiful.

Don't you dare forget that.

Pixie

A song I’ve been loving: He Said

The Forever

via

Eggless Pancakes

Sooo.......you know those moments when you plan on making something, assemble all ingredients only to find you have just ONE main thing missing? 

Yeah, I just had one of those moments recently. 

Thankfully, the plan was pancakes, the missing ingredient was eggs, and pancakes can be easily made without eggs. The problem? They don't get as tall and fluffy as they do with eggs. I'm sure you won't mind though, this recipe is delicious. 

Never made pancakes before? That's okay, they're pretty easy.

Tip #1: Melt butter in the pan you'll be using. It makes for less dishes to wash later. 

#2: Always add the liquid ingredients last. It mixes better this way. Don't argue. 

#3: Whisk just until it all comes together and is mostly smooth. If you over-mix, you'll reinvent hockey pucks. Or door stoppers.

#4: Use just a tiny, tiny bit of oil to fry them. They don't need much. Promise.

And last but not least, you can keep the finished pancakes warm in the oven while you fry up the rest, or simply stick the entire finished batch in for a few minutes before serving. 

That's it! The full recipe is below. Questions? Just let me know.

Eggless Pancakes

Servings: 4-6

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

cinnamon, to taste (optional)

nutmeg, to taste (optional)

1 1/2 cups milk

2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons butter, melted

coconut oil or butter, for frying

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well and pour in remaining ingredients. Whisk just until mixed.

Heat a pan over medium heat with a tiny bit of coconut oil or butter. Spoon rounds of batter onto pan and cook over medium low to low heat until browned. Flip and cook other side. 

Serve hot with butter and maple syrup!

New Design! And a thank you

Look! New design! I like it. Pretty snazzy, no?

Thanks to Olivia for all her work on putting this together. 

Also, I just want to send out a big fat thank you (since I am generally horrible about compliments and thank you's and the like) to everyone who stopped by and read, followed, and commented (as well as to those who will be doing so in the future). You guys are making this so much fun!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a tasty recipe and step by step photos.

Keep your chin up, life's beautiful.

Pixie

Simply Trusting

"Reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. Confident expectation of something; hope."

Trust. It's a simple word, holding much deeper meaning than meets the eye. 

To trust is to place reliance and confidence on someone, or something. It's a delicate thing, this thing called trust. If it breaks, someone's bound to get hurt. 

In in world full of mistrust, misplaced trust, and broken trust, who do you trust fully, deeply, and honestly?

I know who I'm trusting.

The Infamous First Post

Well all things have to start somewhere, don't they?

I'm Pixie. Yes, that's a nickname. What's my real name? Until I get some things straightened out and plans put together, don't hold your breath for that one.

Bear with me, this blog has a lot of work ahead of it. But just so it doesn't look quite so empty (and to get that first post out of the way) you shall have this to stare at until I get around to posting more. Which might be whenever.

So who am I?

I'm a teenaged girl. I ride horses, love writing, baking cookies and running barefoot. Among many things, I appreciate honesty and find people amusing. I'm an imperfect work in progress, but am completely saved by grace.

Does the rest really matter?