Category Archives: Sweet Threads

Sweet Threads: Cherishing Every Stitch Of This Precious Life
Personal Posts by Andrea Dozier

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Little Andrea,

It’s ok to wear cardigans and use words like “enamored.”
Someday you’ll miss roller skating in your cement basement & shaking the backyard apple blossoms with your brother.
The teddy bear comforter that matched the one on Full House will feel like a foreign object from another life.

You’ll grow out of that tired old voice that never liked your round face or flat feet.
After a while you realize you just don’t have time to dislike yourself so much.
When you understand how to hold yourself in high esteem, it will come back to you.

Learning to cherish & nurture yourself is the secret to growing an abundance of healthy love you can freely give away.
For goodness sakes, get some sleep. Eat nicely.
Give yourself a good portion of the grace you give to others.
Respect yourself enough to know when to humbly make changes.

Cling to the truth that life is a lovely thing.
When the world offers a bitter cup, do not drink from it.
Hearts are meant to be strong, but they don’t need to be hard.
Accepting the risk of a vulnerable soul will cultivate poise.

Forgive often.

Never let anyone else make up your mind for you.
They may hover around the fringe of your life,
but the living of it is yours.
Not theirs.
Ask for wisdom but trust yourself.

Chasing gorgeous light & breathtaking sunsets will never cease to thrill us.
Thunderstorms will always make us uneasy.
Those bangs will always give us trouble.
You’ll discover that pink isn’t such a bad color after all.

I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing who you are, what has happened since then, and who we are now.
I’d like to think that at this point we’ve made peace.
Secret handshake & high fives, it’s for real.

-29 year old Andrea

dear little andrea | AndreaDozier.com

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ps: I want your swimsuit. ♥

Inspiration for this post:

We are celebrating Valentine’s Day by writing love letters to our little selves. This idea stems from one of my favorite quotes by Kris Carr, “Picture yourself when you were five. in fact, dig out a photo of little you at that time and tape it to your mirror. How would you treat her, love her, feed her? How would you nurture her if you were the mother of little you? I bet you would protect her fiercely while giving her space to spread her itty-bitty wings. she’d get naps, healthy food, imagination time, and adventures into the wild. If playground bullies hurt her feelings, you’d hug her tears away and give her perspective. When tantrums or meltdowns turned her into a poltergeist, you’d demand a loving time-out in the naughty chair. From this day forward I want you to extend that same compassion to your adult self.” This Valentine’s Day, take time to write little you a love letter. What are three things you would tell yourself? Show yourself some fierce love this month. ♥

Maiedae Blog by Savannah

Find me on Vine // Instagram // Pinterest // Facebook // Twitter
@AndreaDozier

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  • emma - February 15, 2013 - 10:40 am

    your website is inspiring i looked at it firstly because my husband is away for four weeks and my four children just got foot and mouth all at the same time and i was looking for remedies to soother their blisters we just moved to thailand for my health i have had 12 operations on aistralia in the last 4 years to no avail and for some reason found that i didnt need nearly as much morphine to cope whilst here your blog has made me homesick you website the look of it reminded me of all the time i tiik to make my home have the same feel your site does i miss all those pretty little things and life since we got here has been so stressful i miss my focus being on capturing but most importantly making the memories you document maybe i will make a site to record this journey of ours not very good at compuiter things but i will try please feel free to contact me back it is a bit lonely over here and for me style and function of things is what makes life that more precious but there isnt much of that in thailand i even had a shop in aistralia full of handmade things for everywhere in your house to just add some wonder i would love to hear from you if you have time

  • Jaclyn - February 15, 2013 - 4:07 pm

    Awww….i’ve been trying to tell you this for a while (loving yourself, that is)! i needed this today….and thanks for letting me know about the free books!! i lost my charger, though…but as soon as i find it, i will start reading it 🙂

  • Katie Swift - February 16, 2013 - 7:00 am

    I love this. It’s amazing how much we grow after we have children and realize that our childhood is truly over. Bittersweet but you definitely made it sweet in your post!

  • Andrea - February 26, 2013 - 10:17 pm

    Emma, wow thank you! I’m so glad you feel that way about coming “here,” but I’m so sorry you’ve had your hands really full lately! I hope they recover soon! You should definitely try to capture some memories, because clearly they are unique! It is hard to balance enjoying the moment with children & sharing it. I’m constantly trying to get better at it! Thanks so much for letting me know you were here & saying hi! Hope you are getting settled & feeling at home soon!

  • Andrea - February 26, 2013 - 10:18 pm

    Jaclyn, glad it was encouraging for you! Love her books, I’ll be sad to finish them all {including other works of fiction}!

  • Andrea - February 26, 2013 - 10:21 pm

    Katie, thank you! I completely agree about pondering these things after we have children and realize they are not babies anymore than we are! Believe me, I could write a book about the bitter parts. It was honestly hard to refrain from nit picking & releasing everything I regret. But that’s not really very productive & I really do try to see life for what it is… then take the good from it. Otherwise I wouldn’t have even got over the frustration of having flat feet. Ha.

Early Autumn and I’m afraid to admit that I worry about how we will do this.
The three of us have something of a history together & we’ve become a petite little unit of our own.
The task of being one in a more permanent sense makes the girl inside of me whimper.
Thankfully, there isn’t a lot of time for that.

Hungry boys.

Tired me.

Miles of monotonous driving each day.

Homework.

Emotions to soothe.

Energy to release.

Focus.

Neverending chatter.

They demand my complete attention.

I don’t know if there is enough of me to divide myself & give them slices that will satisfy.

As I’m preparing a delicious epicurean dinner,
{boiling a box of noodles & heating a jar of spaghetti sauce},
all of the pressure I’m under is making it hard to focus.
Steam kisses my face. Boiling water lifts my spirit.
I know the power of a timely meal.
These exhausted pots & pans, we are old friends.
They know my secrets & keep them in confidence.
When I stand at my stove, I am in good company.
Stirring noodles into golden halos…

<<< LIGHTS GO OUT >>>

I stop breathing for a moment.

Not now.

Not tonight.

It’s not a good time to deal with a power outage!

I don’t have the energy for this nuisance.

Just as I am melting into submission to accept the fate of a dark night-

<<< Laughter >>>

The mischievous cackle of a familiar two year old breaks the silence.
Damian Achilles.
My little, wonderful, monster was the culprit.

The light comes back on.

I breathe again.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been so euphoric to see those darn fluorescent lamps illuminate with their muddy yellow haze.
Little hands little feet little mind working in sync while Mama is preoccupied.
He was proudly standing on a chair flipping the forgotten switch from the other side of the kitchen.
The three of us laugh endlessly as he flickers the lights on & off in a reprisal of his newfound trick.
Deep giggles that send us spinning in a dance and wet my eyes from the sheer ecstasy of relief.

That laughter, that night, in that old kitchen,
has been sound of courage.
We composed something I was afraid couldn’t exist.
The echoes of our revelry nudge me through a drowsy winter that makes me ache to see over the grey.
We thrive and there is a psalm of laughter we have penned to prove it.

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“Nobody whom this war has touched will ever be happy again in quite the same way. But it will be a better happiness, I think, little sister–a happiness we’ve earned. We were very happy before the war, weren’t we? With a home like Ingleside, and a father and mother like ours we couldn’t help being happy. But that happiness was a gift from life and love; it wasn’t really ours–life could take it back at any time. It can never take away the happiness we win for ourselves in the way of duty. I’ve realised that since I went into khaki. In spite of my occasional funks, when I fall to living over things beforehand, I’ve been happy since that night in May. Rilla, be awfully good to mother while I’m away. It must be a horrible thing to be a mother in this war–the mothers and sisters and wives and sweethearts have the hardest times.”

Walter Blythe to Rilla Blythe in L.M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside

I have always loved Anne of Green Gables, so this summer I read the whole series. Although I enjoyed all the books, I’m obsessed with Rilla of Ingleside. I have read it twice and started it again. I do really hope someone makes this movie & does it beautiful justice {in the art direction of Downton Abbey}. I think L.M. Montgomery was a brilliant observer & the characters she molded are amusing.
I think she & I would be friends. Maybe in another life. ♥

 

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 Self Portraits iPhone 4 New Year’s Day | All Others Nikon D800

 

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  • Jaclyn - February 10, 2013 - 1:13 pm

    🙂 In response to your comment from our other post…

    You’re very welcome!!! Although our world is CONSTANTLY full of distractions, I admire you taking time to have a “normal” dinner in the midst of life and all it throws at us daily. Your sweet boys will always remember those moments (and you will too)…

    And I will have to find this “Rilla of Ingelside” that you speak of…;) Thank you for jogging my memory – I now remember finding that there were additional books after the 4-6 series back in the fall and was going to buy the 7-9 and they didn’t have all three, so I didn’t buy any. I will not have to venture to my favorite place soon and find that…:) Not too much longer and we’ll be back to warmer temps and SUN!!! I wish it would hurry!!!!!

  • Kara - February 10, 2013 - 5:06 pm

    “Is it Rilla my Rilla? “Yeth”….
    I would haft to say this book in the series is one of the best.
    Walter…sweet Walter…
    Thinking of you as Hold your fort down day after day…
    (Your kitchen looks lovely in your photos & your cooking…)
    Thanks for sharing your words & snippets of your life…
    Xo
    Kara

  • Andrea - February 13, 2013 - 1:22 pm

    Kara, I love that sentence! Thanks for your words about my kitchen! It’s grown on me, but I still dream of a fresh coat of paint & a new floor! 🙂

  • Andrea - February 13, 2013 - 1:24 pm

    Jaclyn, I read them on my phone/iPad and most of them are free! I love finding classic books to read! And I agree, the sun can come and stay as soon as possible! Some warmer weather would be a treat!

This recipe is a staple in our family. I believe it originated as a Pampered Chef recipe from my sister, and soon evolved into a family staple at all occasions. It is the reason I started to eat black & pinto beans, because I never ate them as a child. I’ve also heard other people say that even though they don’t care for beans, they do like this fresh & easy salsa. It is only a few ingredients and the cilantro gives it a fresh appeal. Especially at winter gatherings like that superbowl party coming up.

I made it for a Thirty One Party this past weekend & many people asked for the recipe so I thought I’d share it here.
I’ve modified it a bit since I like sweet flavors, so this is just a slight variation from the original one.

The guys in our family add Chipotle Tabasco sauce & sometimes we add jalapeños for a kick. I love recipes like this that you can modify very easily to suit your tastes or the occasion.

Super Bowl Salsa Easy Recipe by AndreaDozier.com

I double the original dressing since I want to have my salad smothered in it:

Sweet Dressing

Whisk all these ingredients until combined. Refrigerate until ready to add.
Can make a couple days ahead of time {flavor gets better over time, just re-mix when ready to use}.

I Cup White Vinegar

1/2 Cup Light Olive Oil

2 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Cumin {I usually drench mine in this}

1 tsp Dry Oregano Leaves

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Salsa

Rinse and drain beans and corn. Chop onion, pepper, and cilantro. Mix together in a large bowl.

Two Cans of Black Beans {Rinsed & Drained}

Two Cans of Pinto Beans {Rinsed & Drained}

Two Cans of Corn {Rinsed & Drained}

One Sweet Onion, Chopped

One Green Pepper, Chopped

About 2 tbsp of Fresh Cilantro, chopped finely. I don’t like cilantro stems so I always make sure to just use the leaves.

Drizzle the dressing over the salsa mixture.

Enjoy with a bag of your favorite flavor of tortilla chips.

Super Bowl Salsa Easy Recipe by AndreaDozier.com

The leftovers are perfect for lunch, by spoon or used in a tortilla with meat {like Chipotle’s corn salsa}.
I love that I now have a reference for this recipe, as you can see the original {above} from 2005. ♥

{iPhone 4 images & edited with Afterglow App }

 

 

 

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I’ve finally given up on the notion that I need more hours in day.
My history is brimming with accounts of the rise and fall of working late into night.
Always hoping to maximize my time by somehow extinguishing every bit of energy.
Always ending in a heap of frustration & fatigue.

Managing time is obscure when you work from home & dreams begin as indistinguishable blocks of mud.
And {military} life & children create additional components to the conundrum of getting one chance to create a life.
They don’t make ambitions futile, just the going about them & timing different.
Realizing that they are part of my dream,
is part of unraveling the riddle of how this will all take shape.

They say it’s in the silence that you shape the clay.

For me, stepping away from the hum of social media has been liberating.
Had to admit a need to focus on my weaknesses & redefine my attitude.
I’m shy to even voice my attempts to acknowledge this work in progress,
careful not to speak too soon.
Lest my current enlightenment give way to another dose of “teaching.”
On my blog I’m opening the veil to uncover this living memoir,
the process of etching a dream.

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You might notice a fresh look here.
For a year I’ve been going round and round about my “brand” and what to add.
Instead, stripping down & using my handwriting feels like home. ♥

Images iPhone 4 & edited in Afterglow App

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I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever be a good blogger.
Not for lack of content or words, but in practice & discipline.

Fingers crossed I’ll try.
That is, try to collect myself & make it easier to combine letters with pixels.

I’ve been shooting a lot more with my phone.
It’s interesting how it challenges me to take the very simple elements of photography to a more inspired format.
The limitations become stepping stones to achieving in-camera satisfaction.

Light & composition are vital, as they ought to be.
I feel less pressure & travel lighter.
As you’ve seen through the last sporadic posts, I’ll probably use it a lot more to keep up with non-commissioned work.
I can’t tell you how many DIYs, recipes, or moments with my kids will be trapped on hard drives that will never be shared publicly.
Not because I can’t access them, but because after I shoot & edit tens of thousands of pictures,
I am completely unmotivated to touch my own.

Here is a little treat I’ve been enjoying this week.

It’s so nice when you stumble across a recipe & realize you can make it with what you have on hand.
Even if you must sub a few things here & there.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Coconut Milk brought to you by my iPhone 4 & Afterglow App.

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I love love love Instagram & saw this recipe from @KaraGarber’s feed, {you can also find her blogging at B. H. Storm & Co. }.
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I just caught up on Season Two of Downton Abbey & since I watched it in one week, I feel lost without more episodes.
I also have a tendency to hear myself think in a pathetic mimic of a British Accent.
Someone please tell me this is a normal side effect.

I hope it’s not too early to start seeing hearts for Valentine’s Day. I’m not opposed. ♥

Find me on Instagram by @AndreaDozier, or online at http://instagram.com/andreadozier

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  • alli - January 18, 2013 - 11:26 am

    Love the new look!

    After watching Downton, I always find myself transported to their world at random moments of the day. : )

  • Jaclyn - January 19, 2013 - 8:56 pm

    I’ve always thought you were a very talented blog writer. I really admired your blogs back in the myspace/facebook days…it challenged me as an english major – especially since I always felt you were a much better writer than me and all I had was a piece of paper to show for it…LOL

    I miss those days…but I would never trade living a [real] life outside of social media and finding all that life has to offer. But that’s just me…;-)

  • Andrea - February 9, 2013 - 1:42 pm

    Thank you Alli! I am getting sad that this season is almost over!

    Jaclyn, wow, thank you. I feel really honored for you to say that! Writing has always been a very big part of me but I definitely wish I made more time for it! I think making everything quieter has been so healthy. I’m glad that we at least had a childhood without all the distractions!