that's amore monday

before i dive into my 'that's amore monday' i wanted to ask...how do you feel about the chrismasified bloggy blog? i tried to decorate my house & instead decorated my blog. do you feel overwhelmed or festive? i'm going to leave it either way...i was just curious about your thoughts. and...i'm posting this sunday night knowing that tomorrow is going to be more than hectic...kiss it tardy tuesday post. hope everyone is ok with me getting crazy with the posting schedule, because it's happening...now!

today for that's amore monday i say...

stop in the name of love!

how sweet is that stoplight?

i say stop in the name of love & express it! today i honor the love letter.

i know what you're thinking...who wouldn't love a love letter? who wouldn't just love someone special spilling gushy guts to them via note? well, i not only appreciate the love letter, i just melt over them.

.i love sending them. i love receiving them.

i know that saying things face to face is intimate & touching but via letter just seems so romantic & honest.

i like that you can keep what they say with you. you can read it more than once - you can't do that with a normal conversation {well i guess you could with a tape recorder, creepy}. you can remember special things & times. one of my favorite things about knowing ben for so long is that we have all of these 'artifacts' of getting to know each other & basically a paper trail documenting our journey together...some good, some bad, some deep, some shallow but all are so true to our walk together. i know that years from now i'll be so happy to have the ability to reminisce on our first years together.

i also love that people {myself included} sometimes write things on paper that are difficult to say out loud. you have the opportunity to chose your words so carefully - to be fully genuine & sincere.

i think my favorite part of a love letter is just that it is homemade. it's personal & made with care. i think that is the most endearing part of the love letter - it's full of love.

i'm a big fan of romance. whether you live in the same house with your love {like moi} or across the country from them, i think that a love letter is a romance essential. i like that you don't need a special occasion to leave a love note...just the fact that you're in love & you want to make someone feel special.

remember to love someone in a special way today. give someone the warm-&-fuzzies. keep the love letter alive. record your thoughts & share them. dress it up, leave it simple...you really can't go wrong if its from the heart {and is as sweet as can be}.

how do you all feel..do you adore a sweet note as much as me?

{images from flickr & are linked to their owners}

dirty & cold. we love weekend camp.

hey there friends. i don't usually make it a habit of blogging over the weekend but since this weekend is SO long i was going through withdraw without typing out thoughts & reading all of yours! so as promised i wanted to share some tiny snippets of our yl weekend camp experience! first of all, thank you so much for your prayers {to those of you who prayed}. i can't express enough how powerful prayer is & how vital it is in our ministry. we are so blessed to have you partner with us in that way.

secondly, it was a bomb-awesome weekend. like i mentioned, we took a smaller group from l.h.s. but it was perfect since ben & i were on our own for the weekend leader-wise. i was worried about how all these different girls from different grades & different "groups" would interact but they all had a great time. we played games that were rough, unifying and...DIRTY {see below}. they loved these, they left with busted lips and bruised hips and they loved every second of it. we sang songs at the top of our lungs, danced & twirled. they zip-lined & paintballed. and we laughed A LOT. most importantly though, the gospel was preached. it was difficult in an action-packed and short weekend to go deep in our conversations but i definitely feel like seeds were planted & i'm just praying that the lord will grow & cultivate that into something huge & faithful now that we are back home.

the day after we arrived back at home one of the precious little girls accepted Christ & asked him to be her Lord & Savior. gosh, what an awesome praise! i know that heaven is rejoicing & singing over this little one running toward her Father who loves her so lavishly!

here's the girls. we stayed in 'western town' & we rode a "cool bus" {instead of a school bus} everywhere we went.

i wish you could really tell how wet & muddy we were after the games...the pic doesn't do it justice. if you run a weekend camp & want to know the super fun games we played message me & i'll give you the run down. kids L-O-V-E-D it!

overall i'd say that it was a fantastic relationship building weekend. i will be in continual prayer that these girls will understand their need more & more & investigate their creator with ever increasing intensity. i pray that the Spirit will move in big ways - larger than i could ever imagine - His plans are so good!

{unrelated note alert}

i posted my 100th post this weekend! AH! i can't believe that i've rambled that much! thank you readers / friends / fam for following along with me via blog. i really adore your comments & thoughts. i love that i get to feel connected to people near & far, share ideas, get creative & get encouraged daily. ya'll are awesome.

YAY 100!

enjoy the rest of your weekend. tomorrow is 'decorate for christmas day' at the brzinski home! you can be sure i'll be posting some pics of holiday cheer.

.last pic from etsy.com & linked to shop.

gobble gobble

happy thanksgiving friends. hope you have a fantastic day with family & loved ones. take time to give thanks for all the blessings you have in your life.

with lots of gratitude & love-

jen jen

this super cute banner is from etsy, you can find it {here} or maybe even get inspired to start a diy project...the place where it is hanging appears to be much warmer than it is today in ky.

.give thanks.

"Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the, mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. "

Psalm 95:1-7

while i almost didn't want to post a "thanksgiving" post to avoid being cliche, i decided that i have a whole heck of a lot to be thankful for & i should be sharing that with my friends in blogland - no matter how many other posts you've read just like it.

-----first of all i am SO incredibly thankful to have a sovereign Lord who loves me lavishly & unconditionally. i am unbelievably blessed by the gift of grace & know that i have the undeserved honor of being called a daughter of the Most High God. if that isn't enough to fill you with thanksgiving i don't know what is.

-----secondly, i am have the most wonderful family. i know that there are a lot of people out there who either feel pretty lonely or have a life filled with many broken relationships. i recognize that what i'm blessed with is really special. i am so thankful for all the amazing family members in my life that encourage & support me, laugh with me, cry with me, celebrate & dance with me.

-----my family also now includes my wonderful husband benny. no thanksgiving list would be complete without mentioning my hubby. marriage is so interesting because it really does give you the opportunity to grow in ways that you never would have to / get to if you weren't. i am so thankful for the partnership i have in the gospel & in ministry with ben. i love that we get to sharpen one another & push one another on toward the prize. i am so thankful to have a husband that is very different than me, that will balance me out, teach me alot & care for me deeply.

-----next, my friends & community. gosh - how awesome that i can depend on so many solid & faithful people. i am continually spurred on & amazed by the hearts & lives of the guys & girls that i spend time with. the Lord has most certainly blessed me with a fantastic community of believers.

------i am thankful for the mission we've been given in matthew 28 to "make disciples of all nations." i am thankful that the Lord wants to use those who follow Him to reach out to other people. i love that he has called ben & i to lafayette & that we actually get to see lives change, for the present & for eternity. what a privilege!

-----i am thankful for a roof over my head & shoes on my feet. i am thankful for warm showers & for coats. i am thankful for food {even though i'm picky about what i eat}. i am thankful to have a job {even though i don't really like to work that much}. i am thankful that we are provided for. i am thankful that we live in a country where we are free to believe what we want & where people are daily fighting to protect our freedom.

i pray that i will give thanks daily & in all circumstances. may we all rejoice with thanksgiving!

if you'd like to share some thing that you are thankful for, whether big or small, i'd love to hear it!

.image provided by flickr & linked to it's owner.

.a sweet award.

BLOGGERS! big news... i was given the kreativ blogger award! i was ever so sweetly nominated by savannah from 'pitter patter' & angela from 'tales of a short southern momma'. what a delight!

savannah also nominated two of my best friends in the whole wide world for the award. because of this fact & because i read her blog {obsessively} i feel that she would fit in perfectly with us girls. savannah - if you move about an hour south i'm pretty sure we could all eat lunch together & go flea market hunting each week! friends, you definitely need to check this girl out!

and for mrs. southern momma - she will make you giggle and laugh daily. she's got hilarious stories and great ideas. hop on over there very very soon!

here are the rules:
-thank the person who nominated me for the award: check

-copy the logo and place it on my blog: check

-link to the person who nominated me: check

-list 7 things people may not know about me: ok ok here goes the rest!

-nominate 7 creative bloggers

-post their links

-leave a comment on each

things you may not know about me:

{i pretty much tell you all everything so i don't have much else to share but...}

1. my family is ginormous. i know that isn't a word and i probably spelled the fake word wrong but it is huge. this is one {immediate-ish} side of the 4 sides of my family. and then i also married into a HUGE family as well. we invited 230 family members to our wedding between ben & i and that was only "closest" members {1st cousins & closer} - does that give you a hint? i've got 1 mom, 1 dad, 1 step-mom, 1 step-dad, 1 mom-in-love, 1 dad-in-love, 2 sisters, 2 brothers, 2 brother-in-laws, 1 sister-in-law & 11 grandparents between ben & i. i won't scare you with the list of aunts, uncles & cousins.

2. i am a gift card queen. with a giant & generous family like the one listed in #1 you accumulate many gifts. between christmas, birthdays & various occasions i have acquired the most massive stash of gift cards. and it seems to never gets depleted, i use them & use them & just as i think i'm running low...there comes another holiday where my stack of cards grows & grows. it has always been such a blessing & especially now through this first year of marriage.

3. i am allergic to fruit. the allergy didn't develop until i was 18. boo! i don't like many things that are good & healthy for me but fruit is one of them so it is a tragedy that nearly every time i eat some delicious fruit my mouth gets big hot bumps inside of it and my throat starts itching horribly. 4. my eyes are a really weird color. when i was in first grade we were learing how to make tally charts by separating everyone in class they their specific color. i got in one group and then my mean teacher said no, you have gray eyes and made me stand in a group all by myself. how tramatic! now they have changed into some weird green / gray / brown mixture. the top half of my eye is brown, the bottom is greenish and i have a dark gray ring around it all. my mom accused me of using latise {the brooke shield's eye-lash grower} because it can darken your eyes...nope they just naturally went pigment crazy!
5. i L-O-V-E making hideous faces in pictures. i don't know why i think it is so funny but i do. call me a 5 year old i don't care. i also love to mess up other people's pics with my nasty faces. here is one of my all-time ugliest faces. i CANNOT believe i am sharing this with blogland. the girls will probably take my kreativ award away. here it is...don't throw up.

6. benny & i met when we were 15, i was a freshman who just moved to northern ky and he was a sophomore who had just moved to northern ky. we met at my locker. awwww...7. i have really stretchy skin. super stretchy. this isn't the absolute stretchiest that i can go but its a good neck capture.

now to nominate some other folks for the award! i send this award to:

[thirsty hearts]: my dear friend ang sharing as she goes through life, marriage, ministry, pregnancy & by next week...having a brand new baby boy!

living with lindsay: very crafty lady with TONS of diy projects!

all you need is love: one of my very best childhood friends, cassie gives glimpses into her new life in jasper with her hubby, new home & precious puppy, chip. i love to see all the home-y remodels they do!

lovely scribbles: nikki & i recently found each other & much like savannah & i, i think that we are destined to be friends. she is a crafty crafter & is a calligraphy master. she is always sharing super sweet ideas!

grey umbrella: christi. oh i i love her blog. she has a great mix of all different types of things on her blog, always keeping you on your toes! she also has a really special feature where after certain posts she links you to other ideas along the same lines of what she just shared at other neat blogs. mmm...love this!

{i know the award calls for 7....i'm doing 5...don't hate me}

images that aren't mind are provided by flickr & are linked to their owner

that's amore monday <3

so today for that's amore monday i thought i would share something i love / hear some thoughts from you. first of all i would like to say that i am very pleased that this will actually be posted on monday. as it should be. second of all i am wiped out from weekend - which i will share with you soon - SO this may not make a whole lot of sense but just go with it. that's what friends do.

today i love mixing it up. i love to go on adventures and see new things. i like to mix up the relaxing & resting with the going & doing. after a long weekend out in the middle of nowhere indiana i thought i would see what you all think {since i love them all}. remember...this doesn't have to be what you actually do or where you actually live, but rather play fantasy & favorites.

are you more of a hustle-&-bustle, stay in the action, walk around town, want to live in the city type of person?

.enjoying the city parks & touring all the attractions.

.going out on the river or lake.

.walking to work, a concert, a coffee shop or a friend's place.

.living up the night life & going to see shows.

the city sounds fun to me but i only love it for a little while. i like to be able to go in for a baseball game or to see a great band. i like that you can walk to where you're going. and city transport {subways & taxi's} even have a little luster when you don't use them often. i like skylines & interesting people. i like to see the different types architecture, the city's claims to fame, as well as it's hidden treasures. just call me a tourist why don't you.

or do you just swoon over a weekend in the country. out in the middle of nowhere with not much to do & a whole lot to see?

i love the structures you see out in the country. i like that it doesn't feel modern. i love old stone and weathered wood.
i adore tree tunnels. i like to be surrounded by nature. i think that it is awesome to get to experience God while enveloped in beautiful creation.

oh & fields. it is a weird thing to love but i do i love them. whenever we're driving and there is a large field of tall grass, dead corn or gorgeous sunflowers i think...snapshot. i would love to have all those pics of worn slatted fences holding in tall breezy growth.

need i say more?

i think the country is so fun because you get to have imagination. you can make up games to play & go out into the wilderness. you don't get cell service so you actually can talk to people you're with. you can see the stars at night because there aren't any competing lights.

so here's the point when i should probably pick one of the two especially since i'm asking you to. but like i said i like to mix it up. i like to see a little of both every now & then, it helps me appreciate the unique & wonderful aspects about each. in all actuality i think i'm neither the trend-setting city-slicker & i'm not a down-home country girl {although i do love a day down on the lake}, i think i am just the plain jane suburbanite.

i love neighborhoods. not necessarily cookie cutter homes or anything but i do love homes that aren't too far apart. i like having a manageable yard and friends near by. convenience is huge for me - i love being near to work & ministry & kroger {oh yes kroger}. as lame as that sounds i would always love to live in a place like that. especially once we have kids. one of my favorite things growing up was that we lived within walking distance of probably 80% of our friends, we could play outside all the time together, ride bikes & go to the pool. i want our future little kids to be able to do that with neighborhood friends too! the suburbs also often lend themselves to being in between both the city & the country so you can easily get to either, at least that is how it has been in my life. mmm...that sounds like home to me!

so what's the verdict? how do you like picturing spending your days no strings attached?

would you go city-life or country living?

{all images provided by flickr & linked to their owner}

pretty & practical

i've been seeing these little treasures in decorator's blogs all over the place and THEN i was appalled as real simple featured these this month as a must have. "NO!" i thought, "now everyone is going to know about these pretty pieces & snatch them away from me." then i realized this is a season of giving {and i should really be giving every season so fine...} these are penguin hardback classic novels. they have come out with this awesome line of books that fancies up any shelf, they unify but still add interest & color, AND they actually serve a purpose as they are great novels in history! real simple says they go for $20 a pop but they are about $13.60 on amazon.

i'm not much a collector but i would like to start collecting these...one by one.

how great would these be on the shelf in the den?

or in a stack in your office / all purpose craft room?

{that's my dream} yes please! i will take them all!

add a set of these to my list of 'things that i would like to have appear at my home for free.'

there was a flickr album dedicated just to these books....i had to steal sorry. check it out from the original source {here}

my two cents

last week on friday i gave you 'a penny for your thoughts' & today i'm giving you 'my two cents' i see a friday theme forming... i won't commit to it yet just in case i get flaky {ie: that's amore tuesday this week}

-so here are my thoughts for today-

the song "so this is christmas" is the saddest christmas song ever. ok maybe that isn't true but it makes me really sad whenever i hear it.

weekend camp starts tonight. please be praying for ben & my energy to keep up with a bunch of high schoolers, pray for everyone's safety and that they will have one of the best weekends of their life, and most of all pray that the lord will be at work in the hearts of our friends while they are hearing the good news of the gospel.

why is it that i live my whole life thinking "if i only had just a little more free time i could do ____" but then when i have a free moment i never want to do those things?

i have been a borderline basket case this week. please make it stop.

ben & i decided to come back to town on saturday next week {after thanksgiving} to decorate our house for christmas. i am soooooo excited. i want to go get a tree next monday :) are you a real tree or fake tree person? i think we'll get fake. don't shake your head at me.

i love mittens & cozy things. i love blankets & snuggling. i want to bake some homemade cookies soon.

i've waited too long to christmas shop and it's not thanksgiving yet. i hate how crowded it is EVERYWHERE in lexington on the evenings and weekends. it makes me want to stay in...which is fine if i had already purchased all my gifts for fam & friends!

i went to the neurologist {as mentioned} & turns out i just have "common" migraines. that means that i have all the symptoms linked with just a good ol' regular migraines without having a warning signal {like an aura or tingling sensations that come with "classic migraines"}. he basically said that there is not too much to worry about - there wasn't really cause for concern or for further tests. hooray! and he did mention that there is a preventative medicine that can help to never headaches....can you imagine!? but that i was really on the borderline for that. it is a prescription that i would have to take everyday & does have potential side effects {like all meds} so it is for people that have migraines very frequently. for a few months i was having them a couple times a week but now i've gone back to my norm - once every 3 weeks or so {hence me being borderline for the med, sometimes a lot, sometimes a little}.

almost all the trees are bare but we still have leaves everywhere...all over our yard that is. raking = not fun; jumping in piles of leaves = VERY fun

last night we watched another installment of mrs. beth moore. it was about peace & as always it was fantastic. some of the points that stuck out most to me is that: to the degree that we are willing to let christ rule in our lives is the degree to which we will have peace. the more control that we have, the greater chaos we will bring. she also made some excellent points about being a peacemaker rather than a peace"keeper." i'm going to be working on that. i rarely pray for peace for myself but often do for those around me. i think i should be praying for christ's ever increasing authority in my life and HIS peace will sure follow.

happy weekend {almost} hope you enjoy your day & your weekend. do you have any cents / sense to share?

thursday night line up

on thursday evenings our dvr gets the most gigantic work out. benny & i are never home on thursdays so we must rely on this fantastic recording invention to fill our tv needs. we tape 4 hours of television and then watch it throughout the next week. excessive? yes. why would all the good shows air on one night, at conflicting times....geesh. there really isn't one other show that i care to watch during the week other than those that come on on thursday. that's silly.

the office.

'nough said. i was super faithful in watching it in the early seasons, i kind of fell off the band wagon and NOW that we can dvr i'm back in the game. i like old reruns just the same as the new ones but its kind of fun just to see something you haven't viewed before.

project runway.

i am a tad obsessed with this show although this season's designer haven't been my all time faves i have really enjoyed it. tonight is the FINALE. bryant park here we come! i don't want to mention names and spoil it for all those out there who may not be caught up.

ok. this is a show that i never wanted to share my love for via blog because 1. i'm pretty sure none of you have ever seen it and 2. if you did watch it you would probably be disgusted that i think its hilarious! it's always sunny in philadelphia is gross and stupid and i love it. danny devito is so small and troll-like...he's my favorite. i just shake with laughter for 30 minutes.
and finally...flash forward.
i'm still not really into this show but for some reason just keep watching it like i'm going to start loving it at any moment. that hasn't happened yet. i think i'm just biding my time until LOST comes back on. oh lost...how i love you!

so that's what my dvr has planned for the night while i'm out and about. it gets so much play. what do you think is worth 'saving'?

ps- i also watch 'the hills' sometimes on tuesdays. don't judge. i just felt like a liar when i said there wasn't one other show i watch. its trash i realize. i'm sorry.

time for your close up

today i want to share a closet dream of mine - i would love to be a great photographer. for the longest time i thought that my pics weren't as great as other's out there because i was working with a lesser quality equipment - so i was desperately coveting a fancy fance camera. THEN i read an article from a fellow blogger out there sharing images that a friend had captured on her iphone {see article here}. iphones are nice but the camera i use is definitely an upgrade from a phone camera and her shots were about a zillion times more awesome than anything i had ever captured. so it turns out that while nice cameras are great and all you've got to have an eye for staging & shooting to make anything beautiful or interesting turn out. then i see a yet another hopeful caveat... darby from {fly through my window} talks about her camera {here} surely because every single picture she takes is pure gorgeousness & everyone wants to know more. not to take anything away from darby's photography skills but most things she shoots are not styled or manipulated at all and are just breathtaking on their own so seeing those beautiful shots of everyday life make me think that a fancy camera could make all the difference. i would like to try out a fancy camera a few times and see what i am capable of. i don't want to go out and spend a huge bundle on something that i'm not even qualified to use, and even worse - continue taking wretched pictures & just add a giant price tag.

what do you all think? do any of you out there in blogland have a nice camera with adjustable lenses? was it worth it? do you feel like your pictures look drastically different after your purchase? i would love to know more about the topic since i am such a novice & definitely have some interest.

right now i don't know that i could ever justify spending the hundreds of dollars on one but a few years down the road when we start having babies i'm thinking i would really love to have a way to either improve my photography skills, get a fancy camera or do whatever other alternative there is to get some gorgeous shots of our non-existent kids & future family.

{image provided by flickr & linked to owner}

that's amore tuesday <3

i know i know it doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? forgive my tardiness. i hate being late but i am getting rather used to it. yesterday was just one of those crazy, hectic, can't even think straight much less have a coherent post days. better late than never right?

today i love these little gems. they are sweater slipper boots. i received a pair for christmas two years ago purchased from old navy. you're thinking..."two year old slippers...gross." they are actually still in fantastic condition since i only wear them in the house and i really only wear them a few months out of the year even though they are so cute you could wear them year round. since mine are from a few seasons ago mine look slightly different than those shown {i'll attach a pic later} but you get the gist. i love that they are fleece lined on the inside {mmmm toasty}, i love that they are cable knit & sweater material & i LOVE LOVE LOVE that they keep my little tootsies warm.

my feet are basically always numb & cold so slipping on these little slippers cozies me up & makes me feel cute all in one. i like to wear mine with boxer shorts most of the time.

if you're interested in them for yourself or for a christmas gift check them out {here}.

what's your "go to" comfort item?

i know rach will say her dots.

{sidenote}: i am going to the dr. this morning which afforded me the time to write this lil post. i'm sure it will be no big deal but i'll let you know how it turns out!

every kitchen needs a table...

and here's ours!

we had to get the world's smallest table because our backdoor swings inside {versus swinging outside or sliding}, the light in the middle of the room & pantry door on the opposite wall. ok... it isn't the world's SMALLEST table but it is pretty close. i think that it is 36" X 36" which is absolutely perfect for the space. its a bar height table but it doesn't feel overwhelming or heavy in the space.one more bragging shot since i am so psyched about our new dining space! now we don't have to eat every meal on the couch or in our dining room with no light {we haven't hung up a new one yet}.

i also "fall-ed" it up with a super simple & cheap centerpiece!

gold charger from hobby lobby = $1.99

stolen pinecones from neighbor's front yard = FREE

khaki colored candle = bought two years ago at bed bath so FREE-ish?

i wanted to put a couple cinnamon sticks in there for the scent & for some more flare but a tiny tin at kroger was $5 so i decided to pass. some other fun options you could try starting with something simple like this would be to spray paint your "cones", run a ribbon in and out of the piece or even add in some decorative berries.

after i collected these wonders of nature from the end of the street i saw a few bags of them for sale at michael's. the were going for $4.99 for a pack of about 8. they may have been a bit more symmetrical than mine, and most likely had less sap but after seeing both i am definitely pleased that i stuck with my free hand picked ones!

yay for tables. yay for fall.

thank you weekend for all the fun.

guest room redo {the plan} connection

for some reason blogger stuck my post a week ago on my blog and i didn't want you all to miss the plan! i want to hear what you all think so check it out here:

GUEST ROOM RE-DO {THE PLAN}

the weekend approaches...

the sun shining...but i'm still freezing my tail off.

i'm certain that each of you is ready for the weekend just like me.

i can't wait to enjoy a little r & r, snuggle, be cozy, do christmas shopping & crafts, watch the o.c. with girls, wear sweaters, blog {the guest room vision} & visit friends & fam.

P.S. - the banquet was fantastic & a lot of friends got to hear about the mission of YL & why we do what we do. thanks for the prayers.

P.S.S. - exactly one week until weekend camp - keep praying BIG!

P.S.S.S. - project runway season finale part I was on last night. i taped it. don't tell me what happened...watching it should be added to my list of things to do this weekend. consider it added.

{image linked to its flickr owner}

ignorance is bliss: polyvore here i come

alrighty bloggers...you ask for more polyvore, i dish it. as you saw in {this post} that i mentioned polyvore, 1. to credit them 2. to introduce to them if you hadn't heard & 3. to basically say that i have no idea what i'm doing on that site.

the site is actually really basic, there is very little instruction or set up. it is a site that you "install" {i don't know if that is the right word} on to your tool bar and you are then able to easily bring items that you see on the web into polyvore. from your items saved in polyvore you can then make your own mood boards / inspiration boards etc.

if you go to www.polyvore.com & register it will lead you through a 5 {ish} step process of how to add it to your toolbar. i had to read it about 10 times before i understood what they were saying and then i watched the video with no sound {i had no speakers} and finally figured it out. it really wasn't difficult at all...i'm just a ditz. what's neat is that once polyvore is installed you can add images into your polyvore very quickly while surfing the net & store them until you would like to use them.

awesome things about polyvore:
- you can make one cohesive document of things you love.
- you can share that document with the world of polyvore or post through other streams like FB or blogs.
- it is a great way to store things that you are interested in and come back to them later.
- it links the product you saved to the vendor & the price. - neat -
- it makes you feel more computer savvy than you really are.
- you can see other people's polyvore pages for inspiration & ideas. its like an idea share-er. i haven't really looked through many but i think it has potential to be pretty interesting.

draw backs that i've noticed so far {these may not even be real drawbacks but i don't see how you can do them thus far so they are draw backs to me}:
- i think the site is more fashion based than home based. i like homes better :)
- you can't upload your own pics. you have to upload things that you can buy off the internet. this was disappointing to me because i wanted to make a mood board based off goods that i needed to get, things i already have & inspiration i had found through other's designs. not possible. only items you can buy online.
- you can't take pics from site where they may be someone else's pics. examples: google images, flickr, etsty.com, ebay etc. it just won't let you.
- there is some warning in the beginning about some spec of what you upload...i wasn't reading carefully to know what it was but it causes your pics to be scrambled / choppy {like on my first polyvore attempt}. if you try and use it read that part more carefully and then tell me what the heck i need to change about my uploaded pics!

good luck friends & i can't wait to see what you cook up on that site. send me tips or tricks as you quickly speed past me in your knowledge of polyvore.

a penny for your thoughts

thoughts for the day:

-i realized last night that i don't have skills. how do you acquire skills that you don't already have - with little effort, i don't want to have to try very hard?

-sitting in a police car trying to catch speed violators on new circle road {a heavily traveled main road in lexington} at 5:10 pm is about the most moronic thing i have ever seen. catching someone speeding at that time on that road is about as likely as me wearing crocs or lifting 50 pounds over my head...its not going to happen. is it not obvious that everyone is sitting in stop-and-go traffic for MILES during that time? don't you see that no one is going over 15 mph? i'm sure there are far more productive things we could have them do with our tax payer dollars than sit and watch drivers NOT speed.

-tonight is our area YL banquet. ben & i are hosting a table & speaking at some others. there will be people from all over the community coming to hear about the mission, what we do and how to get involved if they'd like to. they/we will also be talking about the gospel so we're also praying that the lord will really be at work in the hearts of our friends that are there! it should be a fun night.

-it's starting to get cold cold cold. brrrrrrr. almost time for mittens & hot chocolate. i like these things.

-my mom & pop got us a kitchen table as a housewarming present & my handy husband who has many more skills than myself put it together for us last night. i can't wait to share it with you all...its perfect for us. thank you parents!! now i want to fill it with a beautimous fall centerpiece.

-my mom sometimes says "fiddle" & i think that's funny.


-i've been seeing a lot of two legged side-tables in catalogs and magazines. as soon as i tried to search for them to show you an example i couldn't find one. go figure. maybe because i don't know its correct terminology for such a table. regardless they are always pretty and styled beautifully but i can't figure out how they are sturdy. do you attach it to the wall? has anyone else noticed these tables in pics of entryways or dens? how do they work!?

update! amy sent me a link to a martha stewart version on a "half table" that is almost exactly what i was talking about. - that's what blog friends are for! - so helpful

{photo linked to how-to tutorial}

i tried to google "half tables" now that i considered that the 'right' terminology but still only got half moon tables and i really wanted to show you all some rectangular ones. boo google...but i still like you better than bing.

-yl weekend camp is 1 week away. prayers welcome. we are praying that the lord will give us some last minute sign ups & for god to be at work in the hearts of our h.s. friends - they are going to hear the good news of the gospel!

-two weeks til turkey day! we have an awful lot to be thankful for.


-a few days ago ben had to redo his pin / mastercard business because of some breach through through the bank. i looked over at ben shredding his paperwork {by hand we don't have a shredder} and then he put a couple tiny pieces in his mouth, mumbling..."you'll never get my number"

-for a while i was starting to think that i was just obsessed with home furnishings and design. i was feeling like i would love anything that anyone put in front of me. but the more i look around i see that i don't like everything and i don't care for every kind of aesthetic out there, which is great..different tastes make things interesting - it just makes me happy that i'm not being a design-lover with no preferences... i have a certain taste all my own.



-i'm going to buy paint this weekend for the house & make crafty crafts...i may or may not be able to share what i make with you.

have a glorious day & please share anything thoughts that you need to get out of your head & into cyberspace. i know you have some.

{image linked to flickr owner}

itsy bitsy

i have some pregnant friends right now...angie {due in december, having a boy}, libby {due in january i think, having a girl}, cory {due in march, not finding out the gender} & mandy {is 11 or 12 weeks along & doesn't know if baby will be a tiny gentleman or lady}. so far it looks like sweet libby will be the one who could get some use out of these precious little booties for her baby. aren't they darling?

additionally dear friends of mine...do not leave me "you're pregnant" comments just because i love tiny baby shoes...you know they are adorable.

shown above is the 'The Mon Cherie baby shoe/bootie/slipper' made by 'The Sugar Plum Tree' found {here} via {esty.com}