Monday, May 28, 2012

Honest Housewife : Dearest Friend


Dearest Friend,

My heart beats with excitement and I am thrilled to be in a place of sharing life with you. We are at the beginning of a very beautiful relationship. I just know it!  My prayer is that honesty would connect us here and that there would be no walls between you and I.

Just like you, I am a Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother and Friend. Maybe we don’t share all of the same roles, but within at least one of these realms we do.

Here’s a brief resume of sorts… Just so you can have a better feel for who it is that you’re getting to know.

First and foremost, I am a passionate believer in Jesus Christ and have been as long as I can remember.
I am 27 years old, and live in the beautiful state of Oregon.
And while Oregon is currently my home, I have had the joy of living about a third of my life overseas. {in Europe, Africa & Australia}
The oldest of three, I have a younger sister and brother who are very dear to me.
Though I come from a broken home, it has been mended in its own way, and I am still close with both of my parents.
It has been two and a half years since My Love and I said, “I do”.
Hubby works as an attorney, while I stay at home working to take care of our family.
On March 31st of this year I gave birth to two handsome baby boys.
Known for my big heart, I think it somehow managed to get even bigger now that they’re around!
Aside from Bible College, I have no big degree or piece of paper to prove some lofty education.
The small certifications under my belt are these…
I’ve had Ministry and Leadership training from Bible College.
Went through an intense Equipped To Care counseling course.
I am a certified Montessori pre-school teacher.
First Aid and CPR certified.
I’ve obtained my Food Handlers permit.
And I am a proud published poet {one little poem from the 8th grade}.
I’m pretty much a big shot, right?!

Really, I’m just your average young woman, doing my best to live according to Gods design. I make mistakes and sometimes don’t even learn from them until much later.
I like pretty things and get distracted by the many day-dreams that flood my mind.

It’s 10:23pm right now, and both of my boys are sleeping soundly in their cribs while I’m out on the living room couch, writing to you and wondering when they’ll wake up to eat again.

… Being a woman is tough. What with all the shoes we fill on a daily basis, it’s no wonder we’re known to cry far more often then men do! Cleaning, cooking, managing finances, decorating, preparing, teaching, encouraging… the list goes on and on and on.
As much as our lives get busy and packed with a thousand and one different things, it is so very rewarding! Yes, I’m tired, and my body feels a bit run down {I haven’t slept a full night in 6 weeks-I haven’t even slept a full 4 hours in 6 weeks!}, but still, I am more than ever, glad to be alive, and because of my sacrifice for these boys, I get the privilege of knowing a new depth of love.

So again, I write to you with the hope that honesty would connect us.
You will read of my bad days, and my good. I’m not perfect, not in the slightest!
But I do my best to rise above grumbling and complaining and face life with gratitude in my heart.
God has given me life, and I want so very much to thrive in it!

Thanks for listening!
I pray that this letter finds you well.

Sincerely,
Amber Dawn

-image via amber

Welcome Back...


The wait is over and we're up and running again!  I so hope you love the new design as much as I do.  Please take a look around.  Visit the "About" page to learn more about the vision of Pink Peony Style and stop by the "Contributors" page to meet our lovely team.  Don't forget to follow us via Facebook, Twitter, E-mail or Blogger! 

What do ya think??

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Mango Black Bean Salsa

A few years ago, my friend Sharon shared this fabulous Mango Black Bean Salsa recipe with me and it's been a staple on my spring table ever since.  {I'm not going to lie - I forgo the chips and dive in with a spoon, every once in a while.}  I've made adjustments here and there, but it's a pretty fool proof recipe - one you're sure to wow a crowd with!  Hope you enjoy!



Mango Black Bean Salsa
You'll need : 

- 2 Ripe Mangos, diced into bite sized chunks
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced into small pieces
- 1 Jalapeno, diced into small pieces {optional - use less if you don't like it spicy}
- 2 T Cilantro, chopped 
- 1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Can Sweet Yellow Corn, drained
- 1 Juicy Lemon
- 1-2 t Olive Oil
- 1/2 t Paprika
- Salt & Pepper, to taste

  1. After preparing all of your chopped and diced ingredients, combine mango, pepper, jalapeno, beans and corn in a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over top and toss.
  3. Add cilantro, salt, pepper and paprika.  Toss again. {I add more salt, lemon juice and paprika as I see needed.} 
  4. Put into an airtight container and let refrigerate at least one hour prior to serving. 
  5. Enjoy with your favorite {gluten free} corn chips!

I love that this recipe is so colorful and so fresh!  And the best part about it is, it gets better with age.  {Not moldy kind of age, ha!  I promise, it won't have time to mold once you serve it.}  It's a great day-before recipe, the flavors meld the longer they refrigerate.  

Are you a salsa person?  If so, what's your go to summer salsa recipe??

Lots of love...




Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Oh Sunshine!

I have to say it's been exceptionally beautiful here on the central west coast, and I don't mind a bit!  Sunshine is just medicine to my soul!

I had a peek of the new PPS website yesterday and it's beautiful, if I do say so myself!  I cannot wait to share it with you, dear friends.  I'm also excited to introduce you to my lovely contributors in the very near future.  A super group of girls is forming and PPS is about to explode with greatness!  :)

Here's a taste of my day....lots of love!

{My apartment was lacking florals today, so I picked up these beauties for the coffee table.}

{Spring has arrived!!  Leafy green salads & Crimson Iced Tea on the lunch menu today.}

{ Happy to see sunshine! }


- images via danya collyer





Thursday, April 12, 2012

Naked Arms Need Bfrend Bracelets

It's time to shed the sweater and show those arms again.  {Well, in most parts of the US anyway.}  Now that we're ready for sun-kissed skin, tank tops and tees, why not douse those forearms with a little eye candy??  One of my favorite trends, as of late, is the stacked bracelet.  Bold, gold and bright - it's an easy {and affordable} way to make a statement.






Designed by Monika Hibbs and introduced last year, the Bfrend bracelet has made quite an impact on the fashion world and I'm diggin' it!  Bright, bold color against a chic gold chain - does it get any better??  At $44 a pop {a little on the pricey side, but stacked with multiple forever21 bracelets a girl can splurge, right?} - one of these fun bracelets can easily spruce up your spring wardrobe.  {Bracelets may be purchased here &/or here}

See for yourself!







{This one's my personal favorite!}

 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

What do ya think?? Do you love the stacked bracelet trend?  Do you have a bfrend bracelet?  Which is your favorite color?

xoxo









Tuesday, April 10, 2012

PinkPeonyStyle.com Reborn....




What's Next??
Now that the Calvary West craziness is winding down, I'm moving ahead full speed with PPS.  You won't see as many posts as usual over the next few weeks, as I'm making a LOT of changes.  Are you ready for this??  PinkPeonyStyle will soon be sporting a beautiful new blog design, a more regular post schedule, more info about my music ministry and life as a pastor's wife and a worship leader, and a whole lot of beautiful home decor, design, fashion, and healthy recipes!  I couldn't be more excited about what's ahead!

Join me!
PinkPeonyStyle.com is building a community of creative and passionate women who desire to share their gifts, while empowering and inspiring others to be who they were created to be!  Want to join in on the fun??  Over the next three weeks, I will be searching for and building a team of creative women who have a passion for all things design, home decor, fashion, food, art, music, and/or photography.  If this sounds like YOU, please take a moment to contact me via PinkPeonyStyle@gmail.com.  
Tell me how you would like to contribute, why you would be a great fit for our team and how/when you can best be contacted.

Become a Sponsor
Interested in what will soon be happening here at PPS but don't have the desire to be a regular contributer??  Or have a business, product, blog, ministry and/or website that you would like to promote via PPS?  Become a sponsor via {for a limited time only} FREE advertising space or sponsor a giveaway to one lucky PPS reader.  Please e-mail PinkPeonyStyle@gmail.com for more information regarding sponsorships.
Tell me about your business/blog/product/ministry and how you would like to sponsor PPS.

I hope you're excited!  The countdown is on & PinkPeonyStyle.com is about to be reborn.  Don't miss out on the fun - join the PPS fb page,  PPS twitter, become a follower via blogger or email updates ---> or add PPS to your Bloglovin feed --->.

Lots of love - 


- image via 



Easter Recap

Good afternoon dear readers!

I so hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend.  We certainly did.  While it was busy, it was wonderful.

You didn't hear from me all last week because from sun up to sun down, I was scrambling to complete our new Calvary West building.  I had the privilege of transforming a large multi-purpose room into a beautiful and welcoming video sanctuary.  {I promise, before and after pics are coming.  I'm still adding a few finishing touches to the place.}  Easter Sunday was the launch of Calvary West and it was a hit!  We had a few bugs to work out during our first service {unfortunately}, but our second service was full - we had to bring in extra chairs.  Nothing warms my heart more, than to see (1) a FULL sanctuary, with people still streaming in & (2) people enjoy a space I created.

Here are a few weekend photos I snapped on my iPhone....

{Main Sanctuary Stage}

{Calvary West}

{Arrangements I made for Easter}


{Chalkboard signage that hangs above Calvary West info center}

{Blakely desperate for attention after a long week of me away from home}

{Brunch hubby and I had yesterday as we rested}

{My new Know Your Value print from the wm boutique!  Thanks Allie!}

{Driving around town today....it's a bit gloomy}

Our Life Group is having a potluck dinner tonight and I need to come up with a yummy gfree side, so I better get to it!  I would love to hear about your Easter.

Lots of love...





- all images via danya collyer





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