Paperwhite Musings

Happy Birthday Tonya!!

2009-03-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

Bri thought of a great idea to show some birthday love to Tonya via our blogs and come up with a little creative acronym for how much we love her....

Happy Birthday Tonya!!

{hope you had a delightful day}

Totally amazing running buddy!

Organizer of all things

Never late

Young at heart

Always up for planning a party

Loyal friend

Entrepreneurial spirit

Incredible listener

Vino connoisseur

Avid lover of Jesus

Sew much to say!

2009-02-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

So I took a little break from the blog, and from pretty much everything else except for work the last month or so. I wasn't feeling at all crafty, and I had zero imagination for thinking up projects. I think the Holidays sucked it all out of me. But I am happy to announce that my creative juices are flowing once again!!

To jump start my creativity a few of my favorite crafty girls and I got together at Morgan's house earlier this month to sew some Amy Butler Frenchy Bags and work on a few other projects. I chose to do the frenchy bag. The directions are fairly easy to follow, except for #13 (I'll get to that in a moment), and I love how the bags turned out. You can see Morgan's bag on her blog. I have to say Thank You to Julie who coached us through the process, we couldn't have done it with out you!! Casey made some super cute felt hearts for her hubby for Valentines, Steph made a flag garland for a party, and Sarah made a very cute camera strap. It was so great being around such talented girls!!

The day after the craft day I had the idea to make another frenchy bag for my mother-in-law whose birthday was on the 13th. So it was back to Ikea for more fabric (side note: Ikea has the best fabric!). I was a little nervous trying to create the bag all by myself, but I was determined. And here are the results:

It was supposed to have a pocket dividing it in two, but somehow I sewed the pocket on the wrong side of the lining and so the pocket is now in between the lining and the exterior of the purse...cause you know, everyone needs a pocket they cant see...

Nonetheless, my mother-in-law loved the bag, and I had so much fun making it! Next projects on the list: another frenchy bag (for myself), book binding with Casey, and a spring skirt with Erin...I'm getting excited just thinking about them!

P.S. photos courtesy of my very talented husband!

A season for forgiveness

2008-12-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

So I am totally hanging my head in shame for probably the WORST blog series ever! However with the rumors of major cutbacks at my company I figured my job needed my full attention these last two weeks. To make up for such a horrible faux pas I hope to have a mass of beautiful posts when we get back from Paris...and maybe a few when we are there as well. For all those out there that did wait 'til the last minute to wrap gifts, or maybe you just like looking at pretty packages here are some favorites I have seen this year.

{To get this look they used craft paper and decorative foil. You can find the foil at craft stores or stores that specialize in cake baking}

{I realize how much I love the look of craft paper as gift wrap it's simple yet festive. These pompoms where made from leftover yarn. Here is a great pompom tutorial for those like me that cant naturally create beautiful things out of yarn!}

{Here is a more elegant gift wrap option for those that really want to impress, or maybe want to draw the attention away from the gift inside :). Laura Lapin used vinyl wall paper she got at a flea market for the white decorative paper and then red craft paper for the other. Seriously this Brit is one of the most creative gift wrappers I have ever seen.}

{This little snowman package from dSharp would be a great kids gift wrap option. She used different size circle tags to create the snowman image, but you could use really anything.}

{I love these shiny monogram packages!! You can use any font and any paper to personalize it for the person you are giving it to.}

{Ok this is probably the coolest one I have seen. It's vinyl wood-looking paper you can get at a hardware store and homemade snowflakes. I really wanted to do this but I had already bought wrapping paper before I saw this idea...rats!}

{And last but not least for the sewers out there, this is craft paper that is stitched up on the sides and painted to make it look a little more like a gift, perfect for little handmade gifts.}

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas filled with love and peace. See you in the new year!

A Super duper Giveaway!!

2008-12-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

I am taking a short break from all the gift wrapping to promote a 12 days of Christmas Giveaway over at Design Mom. If you are not familiar with her Giveaway's, they are AMAZING! Check out her blog on Friday Dec. 12 for your chance to enter 12 fabulous giveaways...Good Luck to all!

All buttoned up

2008-12-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being such a slacker, work always seems to get in the way of blogging! I have always been a huge fan of old buttons. Last summer when we were dividing up my grandmothers things there was an rusty old baking tin full of old buttons that I just had to have. There so sentimental to me! Any way here are some fun holiday wrapping ideas you can do with buttons...have fun!

This first idea found on Martha would be a fun craft for kids to do. Simply attach a button to a cork with double-sided tape. Place plain paper on a piece of felt or a folded piece of fabric (this cushions the paper so the mark will be even). And top with a pretty button tied on with baker's twine. A snap!

This next image found on BHG is a perfect use for all those old buttons! You can make pretty much any shape you want. I recommend sketching the shape on paper and arranging the buttons out as you want them before you start gluing. Happy wrapping!

Say it with letters

2008-12-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

Monograms add a special touch to most gifts, but I had never thought of using letters in my wrapping regimen. Here are some great ideas that add a unique touch to your gifts, and they are easy enough for even a novice crafter to try!

This is another dSharp creation (she is so crafty). She used an old house number for the number and a chipboard letter covered in glass glitter for the letter.

This "G" reminds me of a vintage sign you would find at a garage sale...I am now on the look out for letters! Hobby Lobby and Michael's both have a variety of chipboard letters and numbers that will work just fine though.

Images found on Design Sponge

One of my favorite parts about gift giving...

2008-12-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

I love making gifts look pretty, it's almost more important then the actual gift itself. My hope is that people hesitate before opening their gifts this year because of how pretty they are wrapped! So I think I will start my first series "Pretty Packages" in the hopes that your holidays will be brightened by some unique and creative wrapping ideas.

To start us off I have chosen a practical and very elegant wrapping idea. Anyone hate to tie bows? Or maybe they just never come out how you want them. Well Denise of dsharp has a very easy solution to this problem. She has created a series of letterpress buckles and accompanies them with gorgeous coordinating ribbon. Check out her etsy shop here.

Makin me Happy

2008-11-19T07:57:00.001-08:00

I found this image on Oh Joy! this morning and it immediately reminds me of my best friend... I can just hear her saying it right now. If you can read the script it say "Get in here." Its from Christopher David Ryan.

Etsy picks

2008-11-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

I love these rubber stamps on Etsy, but I know nothing about stamping...is it even called stamping, surely someone has thought of a better name. I'm so tempted to buy them, and make some cute little cards with them. Has anyone ever made cards with stamps, is it as easy as it looks? These are so cute!

The break up...

2008-10-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Full marathon I am going to have to call it quits. I don't have time to prepare for you, nor do I have the desire to run your 26.2 daunting miles. To put it plainly, I'm just not that into you. Please don't be hurt. Its not you, its me. I don't want to hate running, and you are making me hate it. Half marathon here I come!!!

paper n stitch

2008-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Has everyone seen paper n stitch? It's similar to Etsy but on a much smaller scale and it looks like you can submit your stuff for sale and they will promote it on their blog as well. As per their website they are a comprehensive website that will allow users to upload their own information and start promoting their work. The site will include plenty of features and offer something unique for buyers and sellers. I have been checking out the different artists and there are some very cool things. Here are some of my favorites, enjoy!

Maybe this will help...

2008-10-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

I found this via Lifehacker and thought I would pass it along. If you are like me you still have a lot of questions about the candidates and the key issues but dont know where to find some answers. Hopefully this will help a little...

It's hard these days to imagine how elections happened before the web grew to popularity. With all the instant-access news, video, data, and social networking available in a few seconds' time, election season is a prime time to dig in and find out where the candidates are getting and spending money, what's being said by and about them and which of it is true, and how to make sure you get your vote in on Nov. 4. Read on for a roundup of 10 tools to get politically savvy this election season and beyond.

10. Compare the candidates.

Unless you're working on a campaign, chances are you don't know where each candidate stands on every issue. McCain's take on net neutrality? Barack's stance on school vouchers? SelectSmart's 2008 Presidential Candidate Selector gives you the skinny on the major-topic stances of every candidate, including most of the third-party contenders. Those are the five-minute takes; for a multitude of quotes straight from the candidates' mouths on the issues, tryOnTheIssues.org.

9. Go poll-crazy at FiveThirtyEight.com.

Nate Silver is a total data geek, but he knows how to apply it to interesting topics. He proved that with Baseball Prospectus, which projects performance by players and teams, and he's striking out to do the same for election results. Silver's FiveThirtyEight grabs all the polls it can find, weighs them based on methodologies and past accuracy, projects data for regions where it can't find polls, then runs thousands of simulated elections to come up with a likely outcome. Silver's site currently has Obama walking away with it; if nothing else, it'll be interesting to see, come Election Day, how database projections fared with real people.

8. Get your video fix at YouTube's You Choose '08.

Sure, it's mostly campaign ads, he-said-she-said coverage, and other videos that are, depending on views, reassuring or infuriating. But YouTube's You Choose '08 section is a central source of all attacks, scandals, video evidence of gaffes and quotes, and occasionally, informative video. Bookmark it and feel better about fast-forwarding through the ads when they blanket your television in the coming weeks.

7. Follow the money.

Spending's become a much-debated issue, at least in this part of the race to the White House. Using some cool visualization tools, you can get all kinds of specific data on the wheres and whats of government spending. This Google Earth layer adds pinpoints wherever appropriated money is being sent, although it leans heavily toward military and homeland security bills. The graph-happy folks at Many Eyes have put together a ton of interactive (and usually Java-required) tools, including this earmarks visualization of per-capita earmark spending. Now you're not just mad, you're madly informed.

6. See what the candidates said about your hot-button topic.

Google Labs offers two neat search tools that let you get beyond the basic talking points and read or see the candidates speaking on any topic. In Quotes lets you type a term and see how Obama and McCain referenced it in speeches, interviews, and other places.GAudi, the YouTube-searching audio index tool, does basically the same thing, but points you to specific points in a video where they said it. Oddly enough, neither candidate has said anything so far about Google, Gmail, or YouTube, according to those tools.

5. Find out how and where to vote.

In all the never-ending debate and fervor of an election season, it can be easy to forget that it's all about, you know, actually showing up and casting your ballot. Google's Voter Info Map, run as a partnership with the League of Women Voters, makes short work of finding out if you can still register (today is the last day in New York and others, for example), where you go to vote, where to grab an absentee ballot, and your local board of elections web site.

4. Vote early with a no-excuse absentee ballot.

You probably don't know exactly what your schedule will look like on Election Day, or how crowded your polling place will be. In 28 states, you can skip the early-morning/lunch break/after-work jam and vote with an absentee ballot, no excuse required. The Early Voting Information Center runs down the particulars of getting the jump on your right as a citizen.

3. Track developing stories on blogs and news sites.

Political veterans (or just jaded political wonks) always see an "October surprise" in an election year. See what stories and trends are gaining ground and staying there with two search tools: Microsoft's Political Streams, part of its Live Labs, follows news stories across blogs, portals, and other aggregators, tracking how often, and for how long, it's getting linked and written about. Google's revamped blog search is more specific to blog-generated articles and the buzz they generate. Both are worth checking when you're looking to see how stories are spun, refuted, and propagated across the web.

2 Track fund raising and donations by candidates (and your neighbors).

Want to see what interests, businesses, and individuals the candidates are helping line the candidates war chests? OpenSecrets.org has maps, graphs, and details that can keep you busy for days. But, honestly, it's more fun to see who in your neighborhood is giving to whom. Luckily, you can get just that specific at Fundrace 2008, a Google Map mashup run by the Huffington Post blog network (you'll see their left-leaning post links, but the data is straight-up). You can search donations by street, city, company, or occupation.

1. Get beyond the spin at FactCheck.org.

Run by the non-partisan, non-profit Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, FactCheck.org has been a go-to source for years whenever politicians claims that they, or their opponent, did or didn't do something that just seems a tad bit unbelievable. You can track the latest spins and truths by RSS or email alerts, but the site updates pretty quickly with blow-by-blows after debates, major news stories, and other events that cry out for a little objective double-checking.

A little Cheeky

2008-10-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

I found some very clever letterpress cards at Old Tom Foolery, but they are definitely not for the easily offended!

Here are some of my favorites (you may have to click on the image to read the funny part):

Letterpress lovely

2008-10-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

Last year I really want to find the perfect little desk calendar for my office. I went back and forth between several I found on Etsy, but when it came down to it none really won me over. I just saw the Paper Source 2009 Calendar and I think I'm in love!

Here's a little peek...

2008-09-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have a strong desire to throw out all my random "mugs and kisses" coffee cups and fill my cabinet with these...They're from Crate and Barrel and only $2.50!

Inspired

2008-09-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

As we all try to get back to normalcy from the excitement of hurricane Ike, I am find myself with lots of creative inspiration. I picked up a new embroidery book and some fun new thread.Then I saw this picture on one of my all time favorite blogs. If the resolution isn't good, it's a bunch of tiny french knots all clustered together and then they thin out, so cool!

{making me so happy today}

2008-09-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have gotten in the habit of lighting candles lately. I have always loved to have candles around but never was in the habit of lighting them so they would collect dust and I would end up throwing them away. Here are my two current favorites:

Orange Vanilla is so lovely, and never overpowering!

Wild blueberries and Vanilla smells like heaven!

On my wish list for when these guys are all used up:

The sent is called volcano, but is smells amazing...its what they always have burning in Anthropologie when I go there.

Vous voulez parler français avec moi?

2008-09-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

I am trying to follow through with some of my New Years Resolutions, and brushing up on my French is next on the list. Mike and I have been talking about taking french lessons for about a year and we finally dove in and bought a program. Its called the Rosetta Stone language program, and it comes highly recommended. I was very skeptical at first, but its what the CIA uses to teach their operatives languages so I figured it was good enough for me :). There are three levels and several sections in each level. And it used visual and auditory techniques to help you learn. There is no memorization of vocabulary involved but a lot of sensory repetition. Our goal is to be conversationally fluent by Dec. when we go to Paris. So next time you see me feel free to ask what I am learning. I get really nervous speaking to people in french so I want to practice on my English speaking friends first :).

In case you were wondering

2008-08-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

So I was tagged along with everyone else I know to do this little randomness list. At first I thought there is nothing people don't know that is worthy to be random enough to post on this list, but I think I came up with a few good ones for you!
Here are the tagging rules:
Post the rules on your blog
Write 6 random things about yourself
Tag 6 people at the end of your post
If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

6 Random things about me
-I get nauseas right before landing every time I fly...this is a rather new thing for me probably with in the last 4 yrs. I hope it goes away soon.
-I have HORRIBLE handwriting (I am a lefty) and always envy those with pretty handwriting...of the top of my head this girl has very pretty handwriting.
-I wish that I could draw or paint. I feel like that is a building block to creativity that I am seriously lacking. When I was in college I sketched wedding dresses, and seriously considered moving to New York to go to design school. Looking back I think New York would have laughed at my drawings and sent me right back to Texas.
-i fell off my bike in 6th grade while racing my brother to tennis lessons and fractured my skull, I still don't like to ride bikes that much. And no I was not wearing a helmet...I know tis tis.
-I won't go number 2 anywhere else other then my house. If I am staying at a friends house for a few days I won't go unless its an emergency, and at work you can forget about it!
-When I grow up I would love to live in the South of France (not the touristy side but the other side) and open up a coffee shop or flower shop or both!!
OK I know most people have already been tagged, but I think I can come up with six that haven't:
My hubbs-because last night you were making fun of this little game :)
Catherine Swaffar-because I know you have a ton of random things people don't know about you.
Phil Coffman-I know you've been dying to get into this game just like mike!
Monique-I know you've got some randomness you can't wait to share.
Julie A.-You seriously need a new post, I think blogger might giveaway your web page :)
Erin Wallace- We all need a little new mommy randomness!

Grosgrain

2008-08-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

Design Mom beat me to the punch, but I have been wanting to showcase Grosgrain for all my mom friends to see. I have already commissioned this mom to make all of my children's clothes (at least in my head I have), she is amazing!! And she is trying to market herself right now so she is constantly giving away her clothes for free! All you have to do is go to her blog and click on create a link and you are automatically entered to win the featured clothing. Go check her out!!

Plain White Tee...

2008-08-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

I want to pass on a little secret my best friend Catherine let me in on a few weeks ago. The men's Hanes v-neck tee is the perfect t-shirt for any occasion. You can dress it up with pearls or other fun jewelry, wear it to workout in, or with jeans and flip flops. Regardless of the occasion you will always look perfectly put together in your crisp white tee. And it only cost $10 for a 6 pack!! I prefer the comfort fit, its a bit longer then the perfect fit. I hope you enjoy this little secret!

The unexamined life is not worth living...

2008-07-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about community today, and what my friendships look like compared to what they used to look like. I have distinct memories of my friends knocking on my door when I was a little girl. They would come unscheduled and unannounced and we would play until someone was called home to eat dinner. At the end of our play dates we never took out our barbie planners to schedule next weeks visit, it was just understood that we would play again soon. Where did that simplicity go? I find myself longing for more of the small town mentality that my Brenham friends have where everyone just drops by at the leisure. I hate that my life is scheduled so far in advance, leaving hardly any room for spontaneity. Will it always be like this? How do I make it not like this? Do act, to my friends, like the kind of person that will welcome them in at any given time or day? All I know is that I want my friends to feel like they are always invited to come knock on my door anytime, and I will always love a play date!

The secret is out!!

2008-07-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Alright sit down before you read this as the news could be shocking (not really but at least really exciting!) After two years of serving at Foundry UMC, Mike has decided to take off his worship leading hat for awhile to sharpen his skills in other areas. He has accepted a job at the College of Biblical Studies as their media producer. But even more exciting is that we get to go back to Crossbridge!!! And all though we will miss the friends we have made at Foundry we are overflowing with joy that we get to come back to our Crossbridge family. Ok back to work, I just wanted to share that with the blogosphere...it makes it seem that much more real!! I am counting down the days!

Simple goodness

2008-07-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm in my first real week at the new job, and my days are still sort of a blur of information. I know it will be like this for a bit, but I am enjoying it nonetheless. I am trying to take lots of deep breathes in between all the chaos so as not to go crazy! And today I have discovered my very own flavia machine next to my office with all the FREE tea and coffee I could ever want. You maybe thinking "what's the big deal with tea and coffee?" Well flavia has individual packets of interesting teas and coffees (like Kenyan dawn and malawi garden tea) so you can customize your drink to your liking! It's like I am my own Starbucks barista! Today I am trying the raspberry energizing tea. It's a little tart, but pretty tasty! I am thinking about switching to the exotic chai for the afternoon!

A work in progress...

2008-06-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

I start my new job on Tuesday but I have been preparing for it all week. This was me late last night researching my docs!

Beach please!

2008-06-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am trying to plan a little vacation getaway for Mike and I before I start my new job. Oh by the way I got a new job!! I start July 7th at Memorial Hermann Southwest. It's going to be exciting, but it's definitely bittersweet because I have LOVED working at the Sugar Land hospital. I will post more on the job when I start.

Back to my question at hand. I am looking for a place to getaway and relax for a few days before I start the new job. My first thought was Mexico, maybe Cancun as it is close and you can find good deals on line for cheap hotels. Then Mike brought up Corpus Christi which we may be able to drive to instead of having to get plane tickets. We also have friends that just went to St. John's Island and loved it. If anyone has any good suggestions on place to go and stay for a short little beach getaway I would so appreciate the advice!!

Please Pray

2008-05-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

I got a call this morning from my step-mom telling me her niece Aimee was diagnosed with Leukemia yesterday. It seems like her little family has been going through a lot the last few years and this news is just heart breaking. Aimee's younger sister Allyson was diagnosed with a severe case of Autism about a years ago so most of the focus has been on her care lately. They have amazing parents (Theo and Sung Chu) but I can't imagine the grief and sadness they are feeling right now. I know none of you know them but I would covet your prayers for them during this time. I will update as I get more info on their situation.

This is a picture of Allyson at our wedding. I couldn't find one of Aimee but they look a lot alike. Thanks in advance for praying!

A bit of silliness

2008-05-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

We lost power at the house for an hour or so last night. Lucky for us, it was a gorgeous night to be outside. It was cool and breezy, and our little family had a great time. I practiced some sewing which I haven't done in forever, Callie "talked" to the dog next door, and Mike took pictures…

Such a fun night!

I think I have the itch...

2008-05-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it would happen to me...at least not so soon. Tell me if these symptoms seem familiar.

+ Constant cooing over other peoples babies

+ Overwhelming urge to hold any toddler in sight

+ Sudden impulse to shop for baby clothes

+ Spending countless hours on the Internet looking for the perfect nursery

Diagnosis please? I have always told people I want to wait for a long time to have kids. Since I got married I have never felt in any hurry to procreate. We love to travel and go out with friends and I have it in my head that all that will stop when we have kids. My husband has always been very supportive of this, but I know if I told him today that I wanted to have kids he would be so excited. I have kind of felt like the odd ball because so many of my friends this year are pregnant and having babies. I wondered is there something I am just not seeing?

Mother's Day came around this year and I really felt like God was telling me that I really do want a baby, and that I will be forever changed but in a wonderful way, not a stifling way. I have also always been so afraid of the actual birthing process. I like to know exactly what I am getting into before I jump into situations, and no one can prepare you for this. But I am slowly giving up my fears and embracing the possibility that one day I will be a mom and mike will be a dad. It sounds crazy just typing it :).

But I have a few questions for you mama's out there: Does the itch go away or does it just get more and more intense? Should I make a plan, like we are going to start trying next year? How do you not let the itch consume you? These are the thoughts swimming through my head.

Back from the real world...

2008-05-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ok I am just going to pretend like I have not been gone for a month and pick up like I never left the blogosphere. I will for sure explain in later posts the many reasons why I was gone for so long, but for now can we just forget it ever happened? Thanks!

Ok on to more fun things, like our lovely weekend getaway!

We had a wonderful time at Hotel Zaza. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who just needs to get away for a few days. It's the perfect location for a weekend of good restaurants, good running trails, great art, etc.

Friday night we got a bit of a late start to the hotel so we just grabbed late dinner at Hungry's and head to the hotel!

For breakfast we had the most amazing hot chocolate I have ever had...seriously this stuff was the best and I consider myself a hot chocolate aficionado!

We went on a lovely run around Rice University, Mike did so well even though he doesn't love to run like I do. We did a lot of give and take compromising that weekend so we both got to do some of our most favorite things!

We then headed over to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the much anticipated Pompeii exhibit. They had free audio tours to go along with the exhibit to enrich the experience with some background info. We also saw another awesome exhibit by a Japanese artist. She did an entire collection of photographs based on old fairy tales...very dark but very cool!!

Then in honor passover we headed to Katz deli for a late lunch/early dinner. I was starving so I pretty much inhaled my cabbage salad and lox, and mike enjoyed his enormous Reuben sandwich.

On Sunday we got to enjoy a wonderful worship service at Crossbridge, and see a bunch of old friends! And then headed down to Brenham for our weekly visit to our "extended family" at Christ Church where we met this lovely couple!

All in all this was the best little weekend getaway we have ever had!! More pictures and posts to come, and thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Getaway!

2008-04-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Mike and I are getting away this weekend...all the way to the museum district in Houston! We aren't going far, but I am so excited to be intentionally "on vacation" for the next few days!! We are staying at Hotel ZaZa, it's the old Warwick hotel right in front of the big fountain off of main street. We have big plans to go to the Museum of Fine Arts and see the Pompeii exhibit, perhaps go to Ruggles for dinner and of course our favorite cafe, Salento for coffee!

Tomorrow we want to visit the new Discovery Green park in downtown, lunch at Fogo de Chao for my little brothers birthday...and hopefully over to the Angelika to see Smart People.

Sunday we are so excited because Mike is taking the day off and we get to go to Crossbridge and visit some old friends! I'm sure there will be a trip to Brasils in there somewhere and hopefully a bit of shopping too, lots of picture taking, Bible reading and fun conversations! Can you tell I've been thinking about this a lot lately???

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will post picks of ours next week!
A Bientot!

O4.O8.O8

2008-04-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today is crazy at work so I have no time to post, but I did want to say to my super sweet husband who I love more and more every day Happy Anniversary!! These have been the most wonderful two years, I have loved doing life with you! Here are a few memories from our special day.

On the bridge outside the reception. I remember it was a beautiful Spring day.

Our little party favors of tea and cookies. I remember Christy, Steph, and Bri helping me put these together for hours one night!

I love Tim's face in this picture!

Right after the ceremony. Oh the day was such a blur!

Driving away in the coolest mustang convertible courtesy of Monty and Jessica

Horrible, terrible, no good very bad day...

2008-04-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my lack of posting. I haven't been feeling very creative or inspired lately. Hopefully my trips to Round Top this weekend will get my artistic juices flowing!

And I apologize in advance as I use this post to vent just for a moment. Today was one of those days that you feel like nothing is right with the world. It started off with me sleeping in way past my alarm, which I can usually handle but it seemed to throw my whole day off. Then I get to work and am bombarded from the get-go with one issue after the other. Which is somewhat normal given the nature of my job but I stayed up late with Robin last night and was a bit off my game. With my sleep deprivation, came my heightened sensitivity to EVERYTHING so no matter what someone said to me I interpreted as they hated me and I sucked.

So in no particular order here is the horribleness that was my day: a process I have been helping fix at the hospital completely fell apart this morning, my hair looked ridiculous today, I had to calm several angry physicians for various reasons, a co-worker hurt my feeling, the chicken noodle soup in the cafeteria was disgusting, I'm pretty sure another co-worker wants my job, one of the flowers I planted is dying and I can't for the life of me figure out why, I got stuck in traffic on the way home, which never happens, and I felt like a failure on more then one occasion.

Driving home I was feeling so much anxiety and for really no reason at all, and it dawned on me how do people live like this without God. How do people have days where nothing goes right or makes any sense and not have the hope of the heavenly Father to come home to? Don't worry, I am not going to get out my soap box. All that to say once my thoughts were no longer focused on myself and were properly focused on more important things i.e. the Lord, my horrible, terrible no good very bad day didn't seem so awful after all. I will try to remember this next time, hopefully at the beginning of the day instead of the end! Thank you for listening to my silly rant.

Tennis anyone?

2008-03-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

I used to play tennis all the time when I was little, but have not had the opportunity for the last few years. I'm not interested in getting involved in competitive tennis, just something fun and active to do on a Saturday morning. Since I have been out of the tennis loop I have no clue about racquets. I dont want anything fancy or too expensive, just a good basic one that will allow me to play every once in a while. So all you tennis buffs out there please advise! And anyone interested in playing with me let me know!

Embroidery!

2008-03-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

We had our monthly sewing circle on Saturday and it was super fun! Even as I wrote that last sentence I could feel myself morphing more and more in to a little 80 year old woman who loves to talk about needle point and her azaleas...back to the post at hand! I came fully prepared to create something with the new fabric I got from Ikea, but once I got there I wasn't really in the sewing mood, I just wanted to talk to everyone. I didn't, however, want to walk away from my dedicated sewing day with nothing to show for it, so I decided to expand my crafting and learn how to embroider. It totally opened my eyes to a whole new side of sewing! Now I can add fun little details to all the things I construct! For my first attempt I did a simple cross stitch of my initial "C" in a pretty blue turquoise color. I was searching online for some more embroidery ideas and came across sublime stitching. This site has everything you need to start embroidering, and the patterns don't look like something my great-grand mother would choose!

I love new experiences

2008-03-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been filled with new experiences and I have loved every one of them!

+ New fabric from Ikea...there fabric is amazing!
+ Letter press class with Casey...read her blog for more details and pics!
+ 10K run with Julie and Christy...we beat our pace time from the half marathon we did in Jan!
+ Ft. Bend Cares Gala...I've been to gala's before but never a casual "denim and diamonds" one!
+ Trip to Enchanted Forest...we are updating our garden and I have been researching different nurseries. Enchanted Forest was like stepping into a fairytale!
+ Watching The Three Amigos...I've always heard references to this movie but never seen it for myself and it was hilarious!
+Boiled chicken tacos for dinner...last night we boiled chicken for the first time and it was delicious and so healthy!

Try something new a different this week. It will surely brighten your day!

New arrivals!

2008-03-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

I love at the beginning of every month getting a little email from JCrew announcing their new arrivals. This particular batch of new arrivals looks amazing! Here are a few favorites that are getting me excited about Spring!

Pictures taken from JCrew.com

I think I broke it

2008-02-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

I was working on a sewing project last night and the fabric I was working with was very thick. I passed it under the needle and my machine made a weird noise and just stopped. I ripped the fabric out from the knotted thread, and put in a new needle that is for heavy weight fabric. But again the machine would stop after a few stitches and make a funny noise. I then decide maybe my machine cant handle this type of fabric, so I tried to sew a few stitches in something very thin. And again the same thing happened. Have I broken my brand new sewing machine??? Please help!!

Get to know your Candidates

2008-02-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Texas primaries are just a week away, and I hope everyone is going to go vote! I want to encourage everyone to take a few minutes and get to know the candidates. Check their websites: here, here, here, and here.

I went to Austin a few weeks ago with my leadership class and we got to meet with several state representatives. It was very enlightening for me to meet the people that are making the laws that govern our state and our country. It also got me thinking… All of these people are very real, ordinary people like you and I. They all have a sense of civic duty to make a change in the world, and they all have a heart for the people that they represent. It became increasingly more important for me to get to know who they are. These people make decisions that can dramatically affect our country and our own lives, and for the past 25 years I haven’t really taken much of an interest in them. Why not? Sometimes I feel like politics in this country is only for a closed group of people. Like not everyone can understand it…very much not true by the way! So I resolve to get to know my candidates before I vote for them. And I want to be more involved in supporting the candidates that I vote for with my time and resources. I strongly believe that ever vote matters! I know it does not always feel that way, and it’s usually easier not to care, but you should! Go get involved…it’s a lot easier then you think!

WhichWich

2008-02-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

I really want this sandwich shop to do well in Houston, so I figured I would give them a little bit of free advertising. Everyone needs to go try this place!! We first fell in love with whichwich in Austin, and it was always a treat to go to when we visited friends there. A few weeks ago we were running errands in Houston and saw a sign for a Whichwhich shop!! We found out they have a few in the houston area, and hopefully will be building one in Sugar Land. But please if you ever have a sandwich craving this place far surpasses subway and quiznos. A few sandwiches we have tried are the Avacado&Tomato, the BLT, the Turkey and the Club and all are fabulous! If you are feeling very hungry try the hommade chips...they are delicious!!

Why are jeans the hardest things to shop for???

2008-02-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

Jeans are not a thing I buy very often because I end up going insane by the end of the shopping experience. But I really need a new pair of everyday jeans, and so my quest begins. Bootcut, long and lean, hip slung, trouser are just a few of the zillion ways people are describing jeans these days. So what is a girl to do, but try on a pair of a every style to ensure you get the right fit for your body. This however is complicated when you add in words like tall, regular, short, and petite. Oh how do you decide???

I ended up after several stores and even more hours of shopping buying this pair from the GAP. But they dont carry petite or short sizes in the store in this particular jean so I would have to get them hemmed. And to make matters worse I really wanted the dark color of this jean, but no store in the greater Houston area had it so I settled for the lighter color. And of course the day after I purchased them buyers remorse set in and I was on the search again for a more perfect pair. Are you starting to see my problem yet? I know I am a little bit of a freak, but seriously who knew jeans would cause this much stress in my life. (Not really, there are far greater things to be stressed about, but I am having a girl moment right now.) Ok so on to a solution. I was searching online at various stores and have found a few cute choices. Here are my options. Option A. I love the trouser cut on these and I also love how casual they are, perfect for a t-shirt and some ballet flats! The only negative with these is they wouldn't work with a more dressy top. Option B. I haven't seen these in person so I dont know just how dark they are, but I love the 5 pocket style! Option C. These are a bit on the pricey side, but I have heard that for jeans sometimes it's worth putting up a bit more cash because they last a lot longer. And I love the crisp wide leg style of these. If you have a favorite jean out there please share your knowledge, because right now I am feeling a little lost. Thanks for listening to my rammblings.

Newness is a good thing

2008-02-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

So I tried the filled pancakes recipe this weekend for my little sewing party and I was pretty pleased at the outcome! You can click on the link for the recipe I used from Williams Sonoma but I have heard you can use any pancake recipe and fill it with your favorite pancake compliments. We used two different fillers for a little variety, nutella (yum!) and an apple and cinnamon mixture. It was so easy to do and the presentation is very nice. I think I am going to try an egg and cheese filler next time! Here are some picks.

And to chime in with Casey, and Mel I had so much fun at the sewing party. I had pretty low expectations going into it. I really thought I was just going to watch others, but Erin convinced me it was time! So tada here she is, my first pillow!

I love to bake!

2008-01-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have realized that I dont necessarily like to cook, but I LOVE to bake. Even reading through recipe books gets me excited. But I usually tend to bit off a little more then I can chew. I tried baking bread on Monday, but I dont think I was patient enough with all the yeast rising process so I dont think I got it quite right. Mike still liked it, but I told him I can do better. This weekend I have several opportunities to try my hand at some new recipes I will hopefully get some pictures up of how they turned out.

I am going to attempt this one for Saturday! It's filled Pancakes!

All you expectant mothers out there

2008-01-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

I found this very cool website called growmodern. Some things on there are a bit modern for my taste, but there are also a lot of very neat desgins. I like a lot of the toys, clothes and furniture, they're things you wouldn't normaly see in stores. Here are some of my favorites from the website.

Office decorating...

2008-01-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

I have a ton of wall space in my office and have no clue what to put on it. When I first moved in I was all excited about finding the perfect art work for the walls, and would always get jealous when co-works would come in with the perfect art work for their walls. But as time passed and work got busy, my walls were totally neglected. I broke down over the holidays and bought these. And just got them hung up yesterday! So my quest for office art work is back on. Here's my dilemma though. I don't want to spend a ton of money becausem, its my office, and who knows how long I will have the same office. Also the walls in my office are a beige color not white, so I am a bit limited with the type of colors I can choose, and the furniture is all earth tones. I went on etsy to see if there where any cool prints and I found a few that might work to do in a series of three. I would probably matte and frame all of them to give them a little bit of uniform look. Let me know what you think and if you have more suggestions, I am all ears! I never thought decorating an office would be so troublesome. I had so much fun decorating my house, and thought this would be fun too, but it has turned into somewhat of a burden. I want my office to feel warm and inviting, but also somewhat professional...please help!!

Going on an Adventure!

2008-01-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving bright and early (5:45 to be exact) to go to Virginia! I am so excited. But this trip has a very serious purpose...to choose paint color for my mom's new house that she is building. My mom is pretty much color blind and so I will be there to make sure she doesn't pick any ridiculous colors.
I am really excited though because it's my first trip to Virginia and it is snowing there!! Mike is jealous. I cant wait to take pictures of the beautiful scenery. My mom's house has a gorgeous view of the mountains.
And a little side bonus for me is there is an H&M approximately 12 minutes away from the airport I fly into so that will be our first stop! For all of you who have never been to H&M I'm sorry and I hope you get to go soon. This store has some of the cutest clothes at the cheapest prices. Me and a co-worker were talking today about franchising one in Houston as a side project...it could happen!
OK I'm off to pack! Have a wonderful weekend, and spend sometime outside!

I am officially a half marathoner!!!

2008-01-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Julie and I completed the half marathon last Sunday. For all those none runners out there that is 13.1 miles!!! Julie's husband Diego did a really great job documenting the day. This is hopefully the first of many races we will compete in together, we had so much fun. We started out the morning in freezing cold (45 degree) weather, but as the sun came up and our heart rates increased the weather was perfect! We met some great people along the race and heard a lot of great music. My favorite was a DJ on the corner of Montrose playing Soulja Boy. He had a little group of kids dancing to the music. It was exactly what I needed to keep running! Julie found a stray puppy that jogged with us for part of the race and I think she would have taken him home if he would have kept up with us. After the race we got loaded up on Advil and spent the rest of the day watching movies. All in all it was a great experience and we are ready for more races!!

This is us before we left for
downtown at 5 a.m.

Us right before the race with thousands of others!

This was us around mile 9, we were laughing at Diego!

And finally us with our medals and finisher shirts! We were so tired we could barely get off the floor. Can't wait to do it again!!

Christ Church Brenham

2008-01-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

This post has been in my head for about two months now and it is time to let out! I am trying to post more on the different ways in which I experience God to help me get out of my box and remind myself that God is everywhere. This idea came to me when we visited Christ Church in Brenham.

Picture, if you will, a beautiful, cozy chapel. The lights are dimmed and there is still a little natural light coming in through the windows as the sun begins to set. The pews are dotted with a handful of people talking together. There are a few small children walking up and down the center isle trying to avoid going back to the childcare room. The atmosphere is light and relaxed, yet genuine. People seem so excited to greet one another and hear about each other's day. No one is in a hurry to start the service...in fact we start about 15 minutes late. The Pastor gives everyone a chance to get settled, and then we begin.

We sing several songs together. Some of us just listening to the words, some with eyes closed and hands raised, and still others kneeling in prayer. It is a beautiful sight. Everyone is communing with God in their own way. After the songs, the Pastor (Justin) sits on a stool in the front and opens the Bible to the gospel of John. The congregation has been studying John for a few weeks now, so we begin in the middle of the book. This is when we start to recognize that there is something different about this place.

I was ready for a 3 point sermon, waiting for the intro story that gets everyone laughing. Half way through the sermon I was still wondering when the self-help portion of the sermon would begin, but it never did. None of the things I have been trained to expect in sermons came. We simply read the Bible together and let its words affect us. We even took a moment to share our individual reactions to what was being read. It was a beautiful time, and the most engaged I have felt in a Church service in a long time.

It was so refreshing to see Jesus' words in Matthew 18 come to life; "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." The presence of the Lord is so real, so palpable in these simple settings.

God is moving in Christ Church Brenham.

Let the flea market come to you

2008-01-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

I love finding vintage decorative pieces that make my house feel cozy but rarely have time to rummage through flea markets and Estate sales to actually find the stuff. I just found a website that is a solution to the problem. P.O.S.H. Chicago is an actual store in Chicago but also sells their pieces online. They have been around since 1997 and strive to offer something unique! They offer eclectic assortment of vintage Hotel Silver, Restaurant China & Flea Market Finds. I'm drooling just looking at all the pictures! Have a great weekend!!

Oh the Resolutions

2008-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

I too must offer up my take on the whole New Years Resolution. I have never had resolutions and this year for some reason the idea seemed intriguing. I wondered why this year of all years, and then I realized. This is the first year that my life's goals have not already been set before me. In years past my life goals have been things like get good grades, pass chemistry, graduate college, get a job, do well at job, etc. This is the first year I have felt like I can make some real goals without sacrificing my responsibilities!

Mike and I took a little vacation after Christmas to Austin and really got to reconnect. The holidays were so busy for us that we were need of some down time to recharge. It also gave us time to think intentionally about what we want to accomplish this year. I loved talking and dreaming about our goals for this year.

I struggle a lot with security and trust meaning for me to feel confident I have to feel like I am secure relationally, financially, etc. And my thoughts generally tend to lead me in to wondering and speculating when the bottom is going to be pulled out from under me. I am constantly thinking about what I will do if catastrophe were to strike my life. All that to say, its sometimes hard for me to dream about the future when I am constantly just hoping everything will stay the same. I share this to help explain why I have picked some of the resolutions. Lately the Lord has been giving me more and more confidence to dream big dreams.

So here they are in no particular order:
+Lead someone to Christ (I have been praying about my missionary goals and I know I am going out on a limb with this one, but I want to pray for big things!)
+ Take a French refresher course. (Mike is doing this with me so it will be fun! I love how he tries to pronounce things with a French accent...so cute)
+ Plant a vegetable garden ( I have always wanted a green thumb, but been to scared and overwhelmed to try it.)
+ Pray and seek the Lord more regarding our future (Mike and I have such big dreams that we want to see come true, but it all starts with prayer!)
+ Keep in touch with out of town friends (I realized over the holidays there are several out of town friends that I love so much, but only really see or talk to over the holidays. I would like to remedy that!)
+Continue reading classic books ( Steph got me started last year and I have loved it)
+Learn to sew (I got an awesome new sewing machine for Christmas so I am ready to learn...Morgan...Erin please help!!)

Ok there they are for all to see! I have such high hopes for 2008!

Through a new lens

2008-01-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!
My resolutions post is still in the works but here is a little glimpse for now of what the Haskew's have been up to lately!

Mike got a fancy new camera for Christmas and we have been having so much fun learning all about it. He has a flicker account where you can check out some of the pics he has taken. A lot of the pictures were taken before the new camera, but he updates it often!

A Christmas to Remember

2007-12-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

So it's our first Christmas in our new home and we have had so much fun decorating, baking, and making it feel all nice and cozy despite this 80 degree weather (cold front it heading in tonight whooo hooo!) I took a few pictures to share with my blog friends of our home this Christmas.

Welcome to our front door! I found the little French horn in the center on my first adventure to Round Top with my best friend Catherine.

I thought up this wreath wall project sometime in the summer and started collecting wreaths in different sizes, shapes and colors. I had so much fun with this project and I really like the outcome!

Wreath wall from a different angle. I am thinking of keeping it up all year round!

I love this little photo holder wreath. I got it at the Paper Suitcase closeout sale for $2!! It is the prefect little holder for all our Christmas cards.

My favorite decoration is our willow tree nativity scene. My mother-in-law gave this to us a few years ago. I have been collecting the angels since I was high school so this is such a special gift.

I've been struggling to find something suitable for this little nook since we moved in. It's kind of an odd shape because it comes to a point in the middle on the back wall. Here I stacked a few old books and put a glass vase filled with candles on top. I like it for now, but suggestions are always appreciated! The Noel sign was also found at Round Top. I cant wait for the spring Round Top!!

A few Christmas-ee odds and ends!

I love the word Noel! We are even considering it for a baby name...maybe a middle name!

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree! How lovely are your fake branches. Yes we have a fake tree because Mike is allergic to ALL trees! But I love it despite it unauthenticness.

I hope you enjoyed my little Christmas Home Tour. Please stop by again. And have a very Merry Christmas! I love you all!

Things I am loving today~

2007-12-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, last week was a little crazy! I love all the holiday parties and getting together with friends you don't see often, but sometimes this season gets to be a little much. This week we are booked every single night with some sort of Christmas activity, so I am trying to take things in stride and not let my busy schedule consume me!

Today during lunch I stopped of at the new Whole Foods in Sugar Land. This is not just a grocery store my friend, this is a work of art! It's beautiful! It has a huge outdoor seating area complete with a rock fountain. I went in search for some yummy soup for lunch and came across a great selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. I settled on a cup of Spicy Pumpkin soup and it is delicious!! Lunch time doesn't usually get me this excited, but just the thought of Whole Foods being just down the road is enough to make me smile!

I also stopped in at a scrapbook store and found some AMAZING red and white striped grosgrain ribbon that I have been trying to find for several months. I cant wait to get home and get crafty with it!!

Have a great week and don't let the busyness of the Holidays stress you out!!

Advent is here!!

2007-12-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

I didn't grow up in a Christian home so the Christmas season for us was really all about making our Christmas lists and making sure we got everything we wanted. Since I have come to know the Lord I have been able to experience a totally different side of Christmas. This year God is really teaching me about the Advent Season, or the coming of Christ. I cant quite explain it, but it seems like everyday God has been reminding me and teaching me more about the Advent Season. I was reading Luke 1 today and was so moved by Mary's Song. I am very much looking forward to reading more about the Advent story and then one day being able to share it with my children :).
I've also been thinking of creative ways everyday this month to express my joy and eagerness for the coming of Christ! Some things are very simple like surprising coworkers with a little gift to make them smile. Or leaving a big tip for my waiter. Or sitting and talking with some of the sick people in the hospital I work in. It's little things like that, that make Jesus shine so bright! I hope everyone is enjoying Advent as much as me!

P.S. The picture ablove is from Ali Edwards

A homemade holiday!!

2007-11-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

The past few years me and my friend Christy have made a tradition of baking tons of holiday treat for family and friends and putting them in cute Christmas tins. This year however I really wanted to do something different. I just wasn't feeling the Holiday treats. I have come to love homemade gifts and so this year with help of some very creative friends Christy and I are getting crafty this year!! We went out last night and bought our supplies and will be having our Christmas craft day next week!! I am so excited! And I was shocked at how much cheaper all our supplies were compared to what we spent last year for all our baking supplies. I am a fan of thriftiness! I am feeling the baking itch a little though. And I am so glad my friend Amanda is having a little girls night tonight so I think I am going to whip out my spatula and mixer this afternoon and bake something yummy for the party!! If anyone has any cool holiday treats ( Morgan I am sure you do!) I always love new recipes!!

Christmas Swap!

2007-11-29T10:10:00.001-08:00

This is my first blog swap to participate in and I am very excited!! I dont want to ruin any of the surpises that my secret swapper will be getting so I will refrain from posting pictures til after she recieves it. It was such a fun experience putting together all the little packages and adding some of my favorite Christmas things into the gift. If you ever get a chance to be apart of a gift swap I recommend doing it! Plus you have someone else out there putting together a little package for you! I will let you know what I get when it arrives!

Laid to rest...

2007-11-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy week for our family. My grandfather passed away on Saturday night. It was very peaceful, and you could feel a sense of relief come over my family after he was gone. I cant imagine not believing in heaven at a time like this. I think I would be in despair had I not had complete faith in knowing my papa was in Heaven right now with Jesus. I actually found myself a little jealous. I cant wait for the day when I get to meet the Lord! The funeral was very nice they made the emphasis much more on celebration of life with God then on death. I got to meet a lot of people that knew and loved my granddad, and listen to some very funny stories. All in all my first funeral experience although sad was not to bad. After all of that was over we went and had a really nice dinner at a new french restaurant Brasserie Max and Julie with my immediate family. It was actually my step mothers birthday and we tried to make it a special day for her too. The next weeks and months will be very interesting to see how my family comes together in the absence of my granddad. I am praying that God would do a work in all our lives and teach us more about Him through all of this!

8 Miles!!!

2007-11-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Julie and I ran 8 miles this morning!! The longest both of us have run. It was quite a feat. We started off early this morning, the sun was just peaking out over the horizon. The first two miles were a little rough, but we hit our stride and by the fourth mile we were both feeling great. Julie and I have been running buddies since this Summer. We are training to do the Houston half marathon in January. Our runs have been so amazing for me. I don't think I could have stuck with this had it not been for my sweet running buddy. We hold each other accountable to keep running and push each other to run further and faster each time. I remember about a month ago we were running and laughing really loudly. All the other runners on the road were staring at us with these puzzled looks on their faces like these girls are crazy! But our runs are so much fun. We talk, laugh, and have great fellowship. This training period has mirrored exactly what is said in Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." There have been many early mornings that I have wanted to stay tucked in my cozy bed, but God gently wakes me up and reminds me why I love to run and how good it is for my body. Just like he reminds me how good it is to read His word and how good it is to share the love he has shown me with others!

Currently reading...

2007-11-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

I heard a sermon out of Nehemiah this past weekend while we were visiting our dear friends Jared and Robin and their church Paradox. Their pastor Scott did such a wonderful job going through Nehemiah that I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I have been thinking a lot about what it is to have a vision for your life, and to be a visionary person. And to take from Scott's sermon, He talked about how Nehemiah saw what was and saw what could be. I feel like I get caught up sometimes in the small details of life that I cant see the bigger vision that God wants me to see. So I have been asking myself the last few days about what God's vision is for my life, and am I following that vision? I am still very deep in processing my thoughts, and dont have much clear direction yet, but I am so thankful that God uses these simple things in life to cause me to pause and step out of my cookie cutter Sugar Land life for a moment of reflection. More to come as I continue to process!

Christmas Gift ideas

2007-11-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

I am already getting into the Christmas spirit and its not even Thanksgiving!! I feel a little behind compared to some of my firends who have already started decorating their houses! Every year I try to get really organized and plan out my gifts months in advance but I always feel stressed during December. I usually pick some sort of theme for all my gifts and then personalize it to fit each person. For example a few years ago I was promoting literacy so I got everyone books that fit their personalities and had significant meaning to me and packaged them with a little something sweet to enjoy while reading. This year I have been collecting ideas as I go so I have several to choose from. My latest idea find is from Emily (who is an amazing blogger) on homemade beeswax candles. I am going to order the beeswax this week hopefully!! I am always looking for new Christmas gift ideas, so if you have them send them over!!

A french lesson

2007-11-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

This post is actually really for my wonderful friend Erin. She has been asking me to figure out how to pronounce the French word for "Arm Chair." It is spelled "Fauteuil." And just looking at that you could come up with some pretty funny ways to pronounce it. Well I have checked my sources and the correct pronounciation of "Fauteuil" is basically saying the word "faux" and "thoy" together quickly in your best French accent!! I love practicing my french, and hopefully we will be going back to France next summer so I better keep practicing!!

Run Much?

2007-11-06T14:40:00.001-08:00

I am looking for a treadmill. Does anyone know someone who is selling one? Or does anyone know of a good one to purchase? Thanks!

Hollywood here we come!!

2007-11-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

We are headed to Los Angeles on Thursday to visit our very dear friends Jared and Robin, and to celebrate Robin's and my birthday. We are bursting with excitement to see these guys and spend some time in LA. I know we have a few fun things planned, but if anyone has any must see places to go in LA let me know! We are also getting to go to their church on Sunday, and Mike is leading worship for them. It's been almost a year since Mike and Jared have played together and I know they are very excited to get to do that together. Robin has informed me that she and Jared are scheming on ways to get us to move there, so stay tuned! I could see myself in California! I will post pictures of our adventures next week!

Fun Find!

2007-11-05T07:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lag in posting lately. I dont know if this has happened to anyone else when they first started their blog but I was finding myself writing a post and then half way through hitting delete thinking to myself who is really going to want to read that. Anyway I am trying to get over my silly self and post some fun things! For those of you out there that like the finer things in life but really dont have the money to pay for them I came across this website called Bluefly. It has a ton of great designer clothes, shoes, and bags all for about 40% off what you would normally pay. I have not actually bought anything from the site yet, but I have been eyeing a few things! And when you sign up for their email updates they send you coupons all the time! Let me know if you have ever purchased anything from this online shop.

So many thoughts...

2007-10-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

As many of you know my Granddad is dying from Cancer. This picture was taken about a year and half ago at my wedding. This was the last time he was feeling well. He's been struggling for the last two years with pancreatic cancer, going between remission and chemo. About a month ago the Docotors finally said they had tried everything they could, but there was nothing left for them to try. My granddad doesn't give up easily. Through his battle with cancer he has always been very optimistic. He would always say "The Lord is not done with him here yet." So it came as a shock for him to hear that this was the end of the road. My family has really been doing a good job of surrounding him with love so that his last months and weeks will be pleasant. It's been a very hard thing for me to watch. It's a strange feeling to talk with someone and spend time with someone that you know will be gone soon. I have never experience a death of a family member so this is all very new to me, but its different then I expected. Maybe it's because he is fully cognitive and can still hold conversations with you, he just doesn't look like someone who is about to die.

Please pray for my granddad. I know he is ready to go to his eternal home, and it's so hard to see him in so much pain.

The Art of Sewing

2007-10-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to learn how to sew, but I am secretly a little afraid of sewing machines. I have used one only once before and I felt like I had no control over what I was doing and thread was going everywhere! But I have been seeing all of my friends make these beautiful creations with sewing machines that I think I want to give it another shot! I was reading the Living magazine and it had a picture of Martha Stewart's sewing machine in it. Apparently you can hook the sewing machine to your computer and choose a pattern to embroider and the sewing machine sews it itself! Technology never ceases to amaze me! So I am on a quest now to find a good inexpensive sewing machine to start my projects. If you have a favorite type or any helpful suggestions, I am all ears! I will post pics when I have started...unless of course they come out terrible in which case we will never speak of sewing again!!

Have a wonderful weekend!! We will be carving pumpkins and making pumpkin goodies!!

Holiday Ball

2007-10-12T21:07:00.001-07:00

So this is the logo for the event that has been taking over my life these last few months. It's the American Cancer Society Holiday Ball. But I can see the light at the end of the very dark tunnel I feel like I have been in. The event is in 14 days!!! I cant wait til Oct. 28th...life will be so much sweeter. Now I don't want you to get the wrong impression. I love planning parties but this will probably be the only gala type event that I ever chair. I have a million stories about the trials I have encountered these last few months concerning the event. Most are so ridiculous you probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you, so I will spare you all the details!! Needless to say this time in my life has been teaching me to appreciate more of the simpler things in life. It's seems like the blog world is in to lists and so I have a list of things that have made me smile this past week between all the tears and stress.
+ My hubby taking my car today to get washed
+Getting Christmas present ideas from a craft party I went to tonight...thanks Casey and Morgan!
+Holding a sweet little 6 week old baby
+Going for a run in the cool weather
+Talking with my sweet granddad (he's very sick but his spirits are always high)
+This one is a little silly but the TV show The Office always makes me laugh
+ A random road trip with my best friend Catherine
+ Inside jokes with co-workers
+ Turning of the leaves scented candle
+ The thought that it's almost Christmas!

OK I am off to bed before our busy day tomorrow!!

Pretty little things

2007-08-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

So I have proved to be a pretty pathetic blogger, but I am still learning! I wanted to post some pictures of a few things that have caught my eye lately.

These coasters are at Etsy, and I am really debating whether or not to get them. You always need coaster right?

I am slightly obsessed with owls these days. I am trying to find place in our house to put them, and I think this little framed piece would look great in our newly finished guest bedroom!

Ok more things to come...Next time I am going to try and upload some pictures of some of the rooms we have finished in our house. I also need help with bare walls...I have several! I don't like generic looking art so it takes me a long time to find what I like. All suggestions are welcome!

Have a great Labor Day weekend! Do something fun and unexpected!

2007-08-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

: ""

My Blog

2007-07-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have a blog!!!! This is a bit intimidating for me, but I have been inspired by so many other blogs out there I thought I would jump in and be apart of it. I found this chair by accident while I was looking for a picture of another chair I have been eyeing for my guest room,and I'm pretty much in love with it. Let me know what you think!