Y'all really blew me away last week! So many great photos...and thirty three link ups on a brand new blog hop? That, my friends, is remarkable. Treat yourself to some chocolate :)

<a href="http://pastorsgirlsponderings.com/"><img src="http://imgur.com/AS92y.jpg"/></a>
Is there a photo that makes you happy? One that warms your heart or tells a funny story? One that puts you on cloud nine? Here's your chance to share it! 
Just put up a post on your blog containing one photo. You can add as much or as little text along with the photo as you would like. After writing your post, come back here to link up - you have until Thursday at 11:59pm CST to do so. Don't forget to link back to me, whether it be via the above button or a link. :) And remember to visit others' photos as well! 
Some of you also voted on the winner or no winner for On Cloud Nine...it was a very close tie, with no winner having twelve votes and winner having fourteen votes, but I think I'm going to choose having no winner for On Cloud Nine. I hope y'all aren't mad at me! But it was so close...I think it'll just be less work overall. Eek. Now I'm scared I'm going to get my house blown up or something. *hides under bed* ;)

Alright, enough chatter. Here's my photo for this week...


I think it's pretty self explanatory, no? I've gone back and forth several times on this, but I think chocolate is God's gift to mankind. As if you haven't already, you know, heard that before. Several times. But hey, it's true! Or maybe, for those of you that don't care for chocolate, not. Oh well.
Your turn! I'm excited to see what amazing photos y'all will have to share this week. Have fun! :)
-carlotta

I never was really a blondie person before. They tasted a little too...blah to me. I like my baked goods really to be chocolaty, or at least have some chocolate to break up the flavors a bit.

Then, we found the best recipe in the world. Chocolate chip blondies.

I had no idea that blondies are actually supposed to taste like a chocolate chip cookie with the texture of moist brownies. Like these do. Actually, they're kind of like moist chocolate chip cookies in a pan. Yum.

Even if you've tried blondies before and didn't like them, make these anyway. And try to resist eating all the batter before you get a chance to put it in the oven.

Your life will be forever changed. I promise you.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

(adapted from this recipe)

- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

- 1/2 packed light brown sugar

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar

- 1 large egg

- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

- 1 cup bread flour

- A pinch salt 

- 3/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares. Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

What sweet treats have you been making (or craving!) lately?

-carlotta

Lately my mantra has been "Blogging isn't everything." I've repeated it to myself in the shower, while doing homework, while blogging.

For awhile, I visited others' blogs for the sole purpose of getting my traffic to my blog. I didn't go so far as to ask them to read/follow my blog, but I came pretty darn close to it a couple times. 

I wanted so badly to be a "bigger" blogger. I wanted to have tons of comments on every post. I wanted to have an insane amount of readers. I wanted this so badly, I began to neglect what was important. Instead of spending time with my family, I spent time on my computer. Instead of going outside and enjoying God's creation, I stayed inside with my computer. 

I was becoming addicted. And it wasn't healthy. 

My trip to Europe was so inspirational...and it helped me in many ways. It opened my eyes to the fact that there's so much more in life than blogging. I realized that while blogging is a whole lot of fun, it isn't everything. If I knew I was going to die in an hour, would I rather spend time with loved ones or try to grow my blog readership? I think we would all choose the first option without a moment's hesitation. 

Having said this, blogging has definitely benefited me in so many ways. It's motivated me to improve my photography. It's done wonders for my writing. And it's been so amazing to have a little circle of friends that I don't even know in real life. To tell you truth - being a professional blogger, like Ree from The Pioneer Woman, is my absolute dream job. :)

Do I love getting lots of comments on posts? Definitely. Do I do a happy dance every time I get a new follower? Yep ;) Do I love sharing my photography and getting feedback? Sure. But is blogging something that you need to be obsessed with? Is it everything?

Definitely not. There isn't anything in our life that is everything. The only thing we have that is everything is Christ. He's the one that fulfills every desire, the only one who can truly make us happy. And until he returns, or until I pass from this earthly world, I'm going to try to glorify Him in everything I do.

If you read all of this, thank you. I just needed to get it off my chest. :)

-carlotta

PS Don't worry - I'm not going to quit blogging. I love it way too much! I'm just slowly weening myself from being so dependent on the computer :)

I'm hopping on the Scavenger Hunt Sunday bandwagon again - it's so fun! You should give it a try sometime...there's something so satisfying about looking for specific photos.



1. Side lighting. I dug this one out of my archives, but there's something I love about this photo (it's in my header as well). Yes, I don't have a head, but still.



2. Jack o' Lantern. This may not be your traditional jack o' lantern...but it's a face on a pumpkin! Lilly created this lovely masterpiece - the face reminds me of Sponge Bob some how. Ha.

I played around with some textures and effects while editing this photo...what do you think?



3. Faces formed in nature. I realize this one is a stretch, but I couldn't find a face already in nature! So, using some supplies I found outside (berries, a leaf, and a piece of dried grass), I made my own face. I shall call him Billy Bob Joe. ;)



4. Sunset. I got this one out of the archives as well, as we haven't been having a lot of spectacular sunsets here recently. This was taken in Germany one night. It had been raining all day, but in the evening the sun, providing a gorgeous sky. So pretty.



5. Warm. The blankets on my bed. And yes, it's unmade on purpose. I kind of like the look of slightly messy beds.

On a side note, I have a huge favor to ask of you. I entered a photo in a PBTeen photography contest, and need all the votes (or "likes") I can get! The winner of the contest receives a $200 gift certificate and their photo gets made into a wall mural for the store. If you would kindly head on over here and vote for my picture, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much!

Happy Sunday!

-carlotta