oreo truffles

i had a couple friends over last night for a little girls night! our boys went to a hockey game, while we stayed in and talked and ate pizza and talked and i introduced them to new girl and we talked some more and pretty much was a perfect girls night. and to top it all off, we made oreo truffles. so easy, so simple.

ingredients

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 pkg oreo cookies, finely crushed

2 pkg (8 squares each), baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted

directions

mix cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended

shape into 48 (1-inch) balls.

dip in melted chocolate

place on waxed paper-covered baking sheets

sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs

refrigerate 1 hour or until firm

we decided there was no going wrong with these. chocolate + cream cheese + oreos = in a word, delicious. so delicious in fact, that this was the only picture i got.

linked to tasty tuesday

give thanks thursday

last year i took the days of november leading up to thanksgiving to write about things i was thankful for. even now, a year later, i'm learning just how important a spirit of thankfulness is. after just finishing the 31 days of change challenge with the nester, i've decided to take some time just once a week this month to reflect on my blessings. i'll use the rest of my time enjoying them. (: and because i love to name things i've decided to call this give thanks thursday. [original, right? ;) ]

this week i am thankful for my crock pot...

i've had one for a couple years but i had yet to use it! i feel totally ashamed now. i had no idea just how much i was missing out! i the crock pot made chicken quesadillas for dinner. they are delicious. and so simple.

Source

and the best part? i'm gone for a few too many hours during the day for this particular recipe, which called for only 6-8 hours. my wonderful man stopped by my apartment on his way to work a little later on in the morning and put everything in there for me. and then left me this:

he makes my heart smile.

i'm thankful for moccasins. my feet are free spirits and do not like being in shoes! but the first time i slipped them into the lining of these babies... well, they were pretty tickled. it definitely makes the transition from summer to fall a whole lot more fun.



i'm thankful for this blogging community. this whole blogging thing is so amazing to me. it's incredible to think how people are sharing their stories through the internet... encouraging, helping and inspiring. these platforms we have been given are gifts and it's so lovely to be a part of this community. being open about our struggles, rejoicing together in triumphs and just having a good laugh at life every once in awhile.

welcome, new friends! i'm looking forward to taking some time this weekend to get to check out your blogs and get to know you better.

and a big thanks to casey, jami, jenilee, nicole, gussy, julie, kristan, ashley and sarah for providing these fun opportunities for us all to connect!

what are you giving thanks for this week?

day 31 :: this is not the end

i can't believe that it's day 31. all day long i've been thinking about how i need to have something profound to say to conclude this month-long challenge to cast out fear. but the truth is, today is not an ending; it's a day full of beginnings.

i named a few of my fears earlier in the month. in the last couple weeks i've made some progress:

i'm not finished decorating my dining room wall, but i have taken a few steps. i'm in the middle of redoing some of the frames, and the way they're turning out is giving me confidence that it was worth the risk of not knowing what i was doing. i'm excited to keep working on this project and to reveal it over the next few weeks.

this month has pushed me to focus a lot on writing as opposed to taking pictures. i posted a few unedited shots in my ten on ten series for this month. this fear has to do with being ok with being real and being vulnerable. pictures are a good place to start, but this also carries into what i write and share on this blog and in how i live my life. i need to not be afraid to be me, not an edited version of myself. so here's an unedited, blurry picture of me and my stud celebrating his bday at a hockey game, greasy bangs and all. (:

i'm still wrestling with anxiety and depression. the thing is it's going to take more than a month of writing about fear for me to win this battle. i'm waiting for a good day, a day i'm not struggling as much with it, and praying that on that day i can muster the courage to figure out a way to see someone to talk through these things.

i have a dentist appointment scheduled for this wednesday. to be honest, i called today to make the appointment. i didn't want to not have done it by the time i got to my last post of this 31 day challenge. accountability really does help cast out fear. (:

in this month i've taken first steps. and i'm believing these are preparing me to take next steps and bigger steps. that's why i can't just wrap this month up into a little package and put it away to gather dust. it's not the end.


fear was cast out once and for all on a cross for us, through His perfect love. and it's His perfect love that casts out our fear. but it's a choice we must make daily to live in His perfect love, abandoning our fears.

and with that, i'll say goodbye to this challenge. it has stretched me, but i have learned more about myself and more about my God. and i can only hope that maybe some part of it helped you. i'm not done writing on what i've learned and am learning. but i must admit i am feeling a bit relieved not to feel the pressure to post every day. (: thank you for joining me on this journey, friends.

sometimes sarah

hi, i'm sarah! and that's john, also known as the love of my life. he goes by stud on the blog. (: i moved about a year and a half ago from new jersey to western new york to be with him. and it was totally. worth. it. [except for the whole crazy amounts of snow thing. that i refuse to get over.] i plan events by day and try to fit in friends, crafting, decorating, and blogging in the rest. i'm a grammar nerd who loves playing volleyball for no grammatical reason. i love road trips and traveling and get excited to pack for any such adventure. give me an afternoon in a coffee shop with a good book and a journal and you've made my day. i have a love affair with music and chai lattes.

i started writing back in the days of myspace and decided a couple years ago to start an actual blog to write down moments in my life so that i would have a record of them. i've moved 5 times in the last 10 years and also thought it would be a fun way to share my life with friends and family.

i've been blessed to see this whole blogging thing grow to be much more than that, as i've found friends and inspiration through the blogging community along the way.

a little more about the blog...

sometimes sarah [writes]
i write about life, sharing my decorating and diy endeavors, visits with my family, adventures with my stud, things that are on my heart, encouragements i've received from God, and anything else that makes up my journey in these days that i have been given by Him.

sometimes sarah [crafts]
i moved into a new apartment six months ago. i'm in the process of making it a home. i'm trying to do it creatively and affordably. [spell check is telling me i'm making that word up. i'm going with it.] i have found so many ideas and inspiration in the blog world for this and love sharing what i've done.

sometimes sarah [shoots]
i'm by no means a photographer, but i love to take pictures. i love it so much i'll risk my life to take pictures of a gorgeous sky while driving. um, as long as there are no other cars on the road, ok? (:

sometime sarah [eats, drinks, and is merry]
ok, so it's usually more than sometimes. i'm a foodie and a lover of all things coffee, espresso, hot chocolate, you know... caffeinated and tasty (: i love to share when we've eaten a good meal or when i've attempted to bake or cook something.

sometimes sarah [reads]
thank you for taking the time to read my blog. it is so humbling that you would take a few minutes out of your day for me. i'd love to get to know you better too! feel free to leave a comment to let me know who you are or where you blog so i can stop by (: