A few things on a Tuesday.

I've been under the weather since Saturday night with a nasty case of strep throat, so I've had ample time to catch up on blog reading, Netflix watching, and lounging around in my robe and glasses. It all sounds lovely aside from feeling completely miserable.

I thought I'd share a few things I've stumbled in on in the last few days that I thought you'd enjoy...

+ "A Casserole Is Not Enough. Except When It Is." My mother in law sent this to me and it's just so full of truth. As one who gives meals and receives them on a regular basis, it's vital to remember why. Beautifully written.

"A casserole, baked until bubbly, seems like such a small offering in a home where someone is lying in the bedroom, fighting that last enemy, death. Cheese and noodles in a foil pan - so flimsy in a place where a child is chronically ill, where a family has been deserted by a sin-craving father, or where cancer is every moment growing under a woman's skin. 

Waving chicken-and-rice in the face of death seems so pointless.  

But - as my husband so kindly reminds me - it's not."

+ If you're a blogger or a blog reader (which I think accounts for everyone reading this post), this post by Ashlee on supporting the bloggers we love is a must-read. I wish I would've written it myself. Let me just "Amen" every point she makes.

And I do all of that because I love this blog. I love it because I work so hard at it and because at the end of the day, I feel like this blog is a little piece of me. It’s my life story, all wrapped up into one tiny website. 

Do I wish I could make money off this blog, this thing that occupies so much of my time and effort? Of course I do. Do I feel entitled to make money off this blog, because of the fact that other people are reading it regularly and often gaining something from it? Not really. 

Because at the end of the day, it is my choice to blog.

+ Are you as fascinated as I am with the Malaysia Airlines flight? What in the world do you think happened? Maybe it's false hope, but I think the plane landed. Oh, those families. My prayers are with them in this agonizing not knowing. I cannot imagine.

+ I've just released three new tutorials over the weekend in the shop: the fabric peony, the ruffled rose, and the pleated flower. They are $2 each, perfect for adding to your Emma clutches, and they're instant downloads, so you can get started right away. I am having a blast with these tutorials and have lots of ideas for more. Thank you for supporting me in this. It means the world.

+ Though I've never been a shepherd's pie fan (or really given it a chance), Summer's Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie looks simple, comforting, and delicious for a rainy day.

+ We are addicted to a local chocolate ice cream here in Raleigh that's (dangerously) within walking distance and not that great for our wallets. Thankfully, I just found this dairy free coconut chocolate ice cream that tastes so similar and can easily be made from home. Score!