Oh Irving....

It is almost Thanksgiving!!!! I am so excited. I don't know what you are doing for turkey day, but I hope that you have a great time doing it. As for me, I will be feasting with 30 of my closest friends and family at my Aunt and Uncle's house. I will also be doing a creative presentation on the history of Thanksgiving. Don't be jealous, my family is just obviously that cool.
Creative presentations aside, I am so looking forward to wearing some of my comfiest/cutest clothes, eating delicious food, and communing with my favorite people while we reflect on all the blessings in our lives. Just by that day I will be truly blessed.

Anyway, the title of this post says it all. Granted, I borrowed the line from the ever-eloquent Irving Berlin. But I find it to be so true. The world we are living in is such a volatile place- it's ever shifting, ego-centric, scary place. And there are a lot of days that I find myself lamenting the state of things and feeling helpless and angry that I can't change it. I can't grab people by the shoulders and shake them to their senses, and even if I could what right do I have? I don't have all the answers.


What I do know is this: I just deleted a whole rant about people and how disappointing they are when it comes to social causes. And I am really glad I did. Because I got to the end of it and I realized something.
I didn't feel any better.
I was just as bad as the rest of them if I wasn't willing to do more than just write a post on a blog that no one follows.
I am disgusted at the self-centeredness of our society, but am, at the same time, defining it so perfectly with my own egocentric rantings about others. How others need to take a stand, need to shut up and stand up. But how dare I accuse them of doing exactly what I just was.

That is what makes me so sad about America- because at the end of the day I am just as guilty as the rest. And perhaps that's why we are turned around right now- because we have been relying too long on others to get up and go for us when what we really need is to do it ourselves.
That is when real change will happen. That is when real good will prevail.

So today, instead of ranting about schools and politics and welfare, I choose to focus on what I have to be thankful for. I have a loving family, a job, great friends, always enough to eat, a car and money to put gas in it. I have freedom to go anywhere and do anything I can dream of. I have the right to post what I think online without fear or persecution or imprisonment. I can "grow up" to be whatever I want to be. Most of all, I am saved and cherished by a God who loves me, good days and bad, and has a plan for me and my life. He even loved me (and you!) enough to send his own son to the death to pay the price set on my head from the day I was born.

I am truly blessed. And I bet you are too. Even on your worst day, there is always a silver lining. What do you have to be thankful for today, and everyday?


Also, for those of you, my non-existent followers, that would love some crafty updates, just hold on a few more days. My mom and I are making cards AND decorations this weekend, and I promise to keep you informed! Here is a sneak peek of what we've already done a test run on... :-)

It's a trifold card! And it still fits in a regular envelope. Looks complicated, was so easy. Just make sure you're wearing your patient cap when it's time to cut out all the precisely measured pieces. You can find the tutorial we used here, from the blog "Busy With The Cricky."


Have a great Thanksgiving folks! I am thankful for you :-)

Ode to November

Ok, don't judge.
I know I've been terrible about updating this guy. You've missed countless favorite things thursdays, and I know you all care so much about what I like, so...

Just know I've been thinking about you! I haven't forgotten. Every time I open my internet browser the screen shot of my blog glares at me and says "update me! update me!" in that little voice that cartoon characters get when they shrink down to pea size. Yeah, it's that dramatic. Every time.

But a new leaf is turned! It's FINALLY November which is great for a few reasons.

1) It means that October is OVER! I had so much going on in October it wasn't even funny. We hosted our statewide youth convention at our church, we put on our biggest event of the year for our own youth group AND somehow, amidst the exhaustion, I managed to get my stuff together and move. It was amazing. So even though November pretty much kicks off the crazy Christmas stuff for me, it will seem like a piece of cake compared to October 2012 for this girl.

2) November means Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving. I get to see my family, I get to eat super delicious food. But the best thing I love about Thanksgiving is that it reminds me to be thankful. I love the history of Thanksgiving and how it means something different to everyone. I'm blessed with a family that loves a pretty idyllic day- kids table, all the fixings, board games, etc. But I'm also blessed with a family that knows how much we have to be thankful for, and I always end up having some really great conversations with my relatives about life. It makes for one of my most favorite family gatherings all year.

3) November means the election is almost over. Whoever wins, no matter what, it just means that the political ads will finally be over, and that's all I have to say on that subject.


I'm sure I could go on and on about all the things I love about November, but I also don't want to bore anyone, so I won't.
p.s. you're welcome.


Since my last favorite things post was in July, I thought I would just give you a short list of some of my favorite things that would have maybe probably most likely been featured if I hadn't been so lazy. The following are a few of my favorite things.

• tribal design jewelry
• sweet potato pie (never had it before this year! tragedy!)
• my new kate spade phone cover (it's beautiful)
• the amazing things you can do with yarn (this is from the youth event previously mentioned)
• the constant flow of 40% one item coupons from Michaels... all accessible on my iPhone.
• Trader Joe's White Cheddar Corn Puffs. SO GOOD.
• clutch wallets, especially sparkly ones.
• my mustache's from history mug
• "What to Expect When You're Expecting," the movie. One of the funniest I've seen lately.

So that's really all you missed! Not anything life changing, I'm sure. Except maybe those white cheddar corn puffs... mmm.

Without trying to go overboard on all the holidays at once, I am happy to announce that I have officially started planning my Christmas gifts. We do three different drawings between my two sides of family, plus the usual friends and close family to buy for, so early planning is essential. Especially when you have my father for TWO of them. The man doesn't want anything! I'll figure something out, I know, and it will probably be food oriented.

Gifts being said, there are some relatives of mine that have a far better chance of seeing this than others. Example: my little brother might try and snoop on here to figure out what he's getting from me (fat chance, sucker!) but my grandmother has never used a computer and has no interest in doing so, therefore I can post all I like about her gifts because she won't find out! My family is good at secret keeping, so don't worry about that. :-)

I have some really cute ideas brewing on holiday things, and I officially started a Pinterest board dedicated to Christmas. I resisted for a long time... I wanted to reject the notion that I couldn't just lump my Christmas crafts with my regular crafts, but alas, this categorical brain of mine rejected my rejection.  It happens, ok?

Bottom line, I'm happy to be back! And get ready for some ultra-cute and super-thrifty ways to celebrate and gift to people this season! But don't forget to enjoy November while it's here :-)

What is your favorite part of November?

favorite things thursday

It's that time again! It is the third thursday of the month, and we all know what that means: ITS FAVORITE THINGS TIME!

I don't know about you, but the weather here in Oregon has been really strange the past week. Last weekend was simply lovely, even though I got burnt to an absolute crisp, but since Sunday it has been cloudy, humid, and never over 80 degrees. Very odd for this time of year. But I am handling it pretty well. And by pretty well, I mean I haven't melted to a puddle or been cranky (as heat has been known to do to me.)

This favorite things post has a lot to talk about today, partly because a week ago I had an actual favorite things party! It was so much fun, and everyone had a great time!

Here are some of the highlights:

The food: deconstructed caesar salad. mini greek chicken pitas with tzatziki sauce. caramelized onion dip (OMG DELISH.) circus {animal cookie} truffles. lemonade and iced tea. oven roasted potatoes.

the favorite things: world market earrings. Avon smudge corrector nail polish and mustache stickers (that was me!) Joe-Joes and citrus fruit gum drops from Trader Joe's. Memo pad, fine point sharpie, and Voss water. Mini stamps, chocolates and bottled Frappuccinos. Watchamacalit candy bars. Olay super moisturizing body wash. Bath and Body works candles and a toothbrush (from my roommate who just got accepted to dental hygienist school-super cute.) Tropical fruit skittles. Neon nail polish and a file.

I made the brown paper packages tied up with strings so that everyone could take their favorite things home in a cute bag, and also the little cards to say what each food was. You can find recipes and tutorials for most of those things on my Pinterest board "Party-tastic."(http://pinterest.com/caitlinsfortune/party-tastic) 

Which, by the way, if you aren't following me on Pinterest, please do! I only pin the good things :-)

I know I just had a whole party about favorite things, but I had some serious hard decisions to make for this installment of Favorite Things Thursday. After a lot of thought and some deep personal searching, I have picked my official favorite things for July.

1) Stephen Fry in America

 Stephen Fry in America is a six episode mini-series documentary from the BBC that takes you on a journey through all fifty states, as seen through the eyes of a non-American citizen. While he has gained quite a bit of fame and fortune in America for his bit parts and writer/director roles, he is known throughout Europe for his wit, his refined taste, exceptional education and use of it, and for being a general and well loved man-about-town.
This television series, available on DVD and through Netflix instant, is a unique and wonderful look at the land of the free. Fry embarks on a cross country odyssey having recently learned that he was almost born in America instead of in Britain; or as he so eloquently puts it, "a Steve rather than a Stephen." To see America from an outsiders point of view is rather interesting, and it gives you a glimpse into some of the lesser-known parts and habits of the country. Plus, it leaves you talking in a British accent, and there is nothing wrong with that!

2) anchor jewelry
I know I am not alone in loving the new trend for anchors in fashion. I have been fascinated with them for a while, and not just because nautical things are cool (although I do adore my blue and white stripes...)
I fell in love with anchors almost a year ago because of this.
Hebrews 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

That verse has lifted me up and stuck in my soul ever since I read it. So when my birthday came up about six months ago, one of my dear friends got me a small, bronze necklace with an anchor on it from Forever 21. I have loved it so, and made this little guy to go with it.

I have gotten so many compliments on it, and once I started making them for friends THEY started getting so many compliments! As well has being fashionable, they are also meaningful for me, which is why I love them.

3) greek chicken
This is the only food item from my Favorite Things party that I don't have a recipe for on Pinterest, and that is because my mom invented it.

Okay, I know she didn't invent Greek flavors, and God knows she didn't invent the chicken. But what I mean to say is that she made up this recipe, and it is one of our family's all time favorites.
It is delicious any way you cook it: barbecue, oven baked, skewered, sautéed, anything. Hot or cold, by itself or on a salad, or in a sandwich... the list literally never ends. And, bonus, it is SO EASY.
See for yourself:

Greek Chicken

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. dried Rosemary
1 tsp. Basil
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Mix all ingredients.  Marinade for about 3 pounds of chicken.  Drain marinade prior to grilling.
Could also be oven baked at 375 until juice runs pink from chicken.
For best results, marinade overnight.

When I made it for my party, I baked it and served it on these adorable (and tasty) mini pitas I got at Trader Joe's with tzatziki sauce from Open Nature and a diced tomato/cucumber mixture.

The other best use for this recipe is to make the marinade but leave a little bit out from the chicken. With the left out marinade, slice up good french bread and brush it on both sides. Grill until the little black grill marks appear but bread it soft. Oh my word it is good. We dice the bread up and mix it with the chicken, kalamata olives, romaine lettuce and a light balsamic vinaigrette. You'll never want to eat anything else again.


So there we are, another Favorite Things Thursday!
What are your favorite things this month?

celebrate america

This is a strange week.
It was kind of like a holiday weekend because of the Fourth of July, and although I worked at a car wash for the first half of the day on Saturday, I went to a first birthday party later that afternoon and then rented a movie and relaxed the rest of the day. Sunday was probably my favorite service all year long at church: we call it "Celebrate America." It is so AWESOME! Not until I started attending my church 3 years ago did I realize how much of a sucker I am for grand displays of patriotism.
We deck the sanctuary out in bunting and flags, and the choir prepares a medley of traditional American songs. We always have a guest speaker who has served in the military at some point, and we honor all the men and women of our congregation that have, past or present, served our country.

It is easy to get caught up in politics and tradition and the spectacle that Independence Day becomes. We get so focused on the picnics and the flags and the barbecues and the sparklers that we forget what the day is really about. As I looked around the service on Sunday, and even as I looked at my own reaction to the events, I realized that there is a stark contrast of the appreciation for freedom between my generation and older ones. I don't know if it is because they have lived through things and witnessed things in America that my peers can't imagine, or if it is because we are more inclined to mockery and sarcasm than previous generations.
I am a former history major and someone who grew up on PBS and documentaries. I am someone who loved American history from a very early age, and was the girl that idolized Ken Burns and Garrison Keillor but could have cared less for popular artists or celebrities of the day. As such, it hurt my feelings when people couldn't name at least half the states or place them on a map. It astonished me when people, adults even, didn't understand a basic timeline of American events. It drove me nuts when people couldn't even sing the National Anthem correctly or recite the pledge of allegiance. How could you not know? From my recollection, elementary school wasn't that hard. More than that, how could you not CARE?

Even I fell into the apathy trap. I stopped being shocked when people didn't know what I had always taken for granted as general knowledge. I gave in to the reality that most people didn't care. We are country that has so many distorted values, acknowledges that they exist and that we need to change them, but then does shockingly little about any of it. We are resigned to appreciate mediocrity on so many levels.
But in that service on Sunday, I realized that I do care. I am thankful for our nation, and as messed up as everything feels sometimes (don't get me started on the education system...) the fact stands that I live in a prosperous nation. I happened to be born in a country that is idealistic to a fault. But I would rather live with the sometimes foolish notion that any dream I have can and will come true if I am willing to buckle down and do the work than to feel hopeless or that no matter how hard I try it will never pay off.

My favorite part of the service was when we prayed for our country. I understand how powerless you can feel in such a big country, and with so many decisions really being out of your hands. But if I want something to be different, and I want it to change, I have to do what I can, how I can. And sometimes all you have left to do is pray.

"The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live."
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (MSG)

So I will be praying for my country. I will be praying for my leaders, national and local. I will be praying for a new revelation in the young people of the nation, for good leadership, for good choices, and for a new reverence and appreciation of freedom. Tomorrow, I am going to sleep in and then go to a barbecue with good friends, and we will watch some fireworks while we eat s'mores. But I can only do that because I am an American, and I am beyond blessed to be one.