Friday, November 11, 2016

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  The cooler weather that this week brought has definitely made for a more pleasant week around here.  Or, maybe it was that extra hour of sleep I got due to Daylight Savings Time...oh, wait, I lost that hour, plus a few more on election night. 

Speaking of America, let's move on to my first favorite of the week.  


Today is Veteran's Day!  Thank you so much to the courageous and selfless men and women that have fought for our great Nation.  I've blogged about my favorite veteran before, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share a little about my granddad again.  

My favorite Veteran is my granddad.  He is also who I named my son, Jesse, after.  My granddad fought in World War II and was a Prisoner of War for nineteen months in Germany.  Let's just think about that for a minute.  For NINETEEN long months, my granddad went to bed (which was made of wood shavings and a burlap bag), wondering if he would see his home country again.  For NINETEEN months, my granddad ate food that caused him digestive problems for decades later, wondering if he would gather around the dinner table with his family again.  In fact, he lost fifty pounds as a Prisoner of War.  For NINETEEN months, my granddad listened to people talk about him, in a language that he did not understand.  For NINETEEN months, my granddad battled things like frost bite, malaria, and was even unconscious for three days, without any medicines or medical care.  Nineteen months! 


My granddad passed away when I was sixteen years old.  I had heard a few stories about his war days, but I never really understood what he had done for me and for our country until I had my own kids.  Part of that was because I was a kid and probably didn't show much interest in history, part of that was because my granddad was a man of few words (completely opposite of that little Jesse we have running around now).

After nineteen months as a P.O.W. my granddad was rescued and flown to San Antonio, Texas to recover.  He married my beautiful grandmother three months later.  In 1995, a few months before his death, they celebrated fifty years of marriage.  Not everyone that serves our country gets to come home.  Today,  let's take some time to be thankful for the men and women that have fought for our country!


How do I begin to transition from that...hmmm...how about relaxation.  I'm not a big ice tea person, but I love a good cup of hot tea in the evenings.  I have been drinking Sleepytime Tea for a while now, and absolutely love it.  This week I got a wild hair...I know, I'm out of control...and tried the Sleepytime Vanilla Tea by Celestial Seasonings.  It was so good.  If you have never tried Sleepytime Tea, I highly recomend it.  It realxes me and makes it so easy for me to fall asleep.  I also enjoy the Peppermint Tea this time of the year.  


Isn't that mug adorable!  I posted a similar one on my Instagram last week that I liked, and my sweet friend, Crystal, made me one a few days later.  I am loving using it everyday!!  Thanks again, Crystal!



Speaking of friends, I need to give a few friends of mine some shout outs!  Who's already Christmas shopping?  

First off, my creative friend, Windy, (who actually needs to start her own blog) just started her own business, New Dawn Designs.  She specializes in handcrafted wood signs and gifts.  If you're looking for a unique Christmas gift, be sure to check out her website.  She can personalize it, and ship it to you, too.  Who doesn't love shopping in your pajamas?



Also, if you're a long time reader, I featured my friend Jenny from California on my very first Meet & Greet, last January.  Jenny and her husband specialize in reclaimed wood home decor and furnishings.  I actually have my eye on this beauty right now.  Be sure to check out their Etsy site!

(Hint, hint, to my hubby)

My friend, Heather, has the cutest mugs, glasses, jewelry, decals and lots more gift ideas in her Etsy shop.  I have my eyes on a few things from her store, too.




So cute!!!


Last, but not least, here's what's been going on in Blog Land lately:

On Tuesday I shared my very favorite soup with you, Holiday Tortellini Soup.   


You can also find the link to all my other delicious soups I've shared lately...you know, now that it is finally feeling like fall here in the south!


On Thursday, we partied like a princess!  I'm sharing all the fun details of my sweet girl's third birthday party.  


That's all I have for you today!  Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!  

Emily 

Linking up with the Friday Regulars:












11 comments:

  1. Happy Veterans Day! So thankful for all that served and serving!!
    Thank you for the love and support!! I can't wait to check out the other Etsy shops!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good morning sunshine! I been having a cup of Sleepytime tea every night, I have love that stuff for years! It really does make me sleepy and I have had a terrible cold so it's helping me a little bit in the evenings. What a sweet sweet week for you my friend, that mug and the stuff from your friends etsy shop is so so cute! I hope your week is beautiful just like you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Em! I cannot do tea I'm just a coffee girl. I will do hot green tea when I am under the weather but other than that I have to have the black stuff. Have a great weekend....how cold is it now in Texas? We get our first hard freeze tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Emily... I am a tea drinker only on cold winter days. My fave is Bengal Spice. Love the princess picture. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love Sleepytime tea!! I have not tried the vanilla one but I will for sure try to find that one this weekend. I still need that coffee mug! Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning Emily, I LOVE sleepytime tea (I drink it every night). I am going to try the vanilla sleepytime. YUM! What an interesting story of your granddad. My grandpas are both veterans and I love hearing about their stories. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  7. How amazing! I cannot even imagine being strong enough to survive that. What a hero.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a story about your grandpa! Mine served too but I think he had like a desk job or something.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love your Friday Favorites! The mug is adorable and those wooden signs are beautiful!

    Sarah Bell
    Trendy & Tidy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Many thanks to your grandfather for serving. Wow, he went through a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love that old photo of your grandfather. Such a sweet way to honor him. In the winter months I drink a glass of green tea before bed almost every night. I should try some sleepy time tea though.

    ReplyDelete

Blogger template designed By The Sunday Studio.