planting chums

today i'm linking up on aspire for planting chums.  sadly, this is week 4, the final week.  and i just found out.

so now for my four random facts. 

{1} i'm super plain.  i wear neutral colors just about everyday.  sometimes i look at bright & fun items and l-o-v-e them but they just don't feel like me. 

{2}  i have the biggest family in the world {ok i don't really know that for a fact} but i think it is definitely in the running.  additionally, i married into another "largest family in the world" contender so we have formed the super family.  {no one calls it that...but i might start to after this post}.

{3}  i love free things.  you want to get rid of something...send it my way.  i'll gladly take it off your hands.  my husband may call this characteristic "pack-ratting" but i think of it as "being resourceful."  sometimes when me or my girlfriends are preparing to giveaway bags of clothes we first let each other take a look-see.  its a fabulous thing to get a new wardrobe from your friend's discarded goods.

{4} i love to ruin pictures with my distorted faces.  it's even better if those in the picture don't know that i snuck in.  i love to share surprises.

"all we demanded was our right to twinkle." - marilyn monroe

so i have about 4 incomplete posts in holding.  i'm not keeping them hostage...it's just that i start them, have a bundle to say, get distracted or hit a "word wall" and must save them for later.  you are grateful for the "save now" button i promise...posting 'as is' would spell disaster .  so in lieu of half-written future posts, i'm just going to clear out my desktop and share some pretties.

{mayalu's photostream via flickr}

{unknown}

{absolutelybeautifulthings}

{flickr}

{domino}

{high heeled foot in the door}

{reinvented}

{sip slowly}

{sip slowly}

{martha stewart}

weekend rundown

it seems that i may be on a 'that's amore monday' hiatus...i think it will be short lived though.  i've just got a million of other thoughts on my mind...i haven't stopped loving things though friends...so it's only a matter of time before it returns.

{i think this is from flickr but i didn't tag it...dangit}

 
this weekend i was a total & complete bum.  i think this may have been the laziest weekend i have ever had {apart from one while being deathly ill}.  i was 100% healthy and lazy as can be.  on friday i made a "could do" list instead of a "to do" list which lead to very little actually being accomplished.  i must say that i feel refreshed & had fun as well.

for a little recap:

this weekend our leadership heard from a strong woman of the Lord about john 15.  about being dependent on the Lord rather than doing more acts.  about bearing the fruit that the Lord has produced.  about having a life that worships the Creator rather than worshipping our ministry or the "good" that we can do.  it's about Christ and knowing him more fully, rather than laboring to earn our grace or working to make our ministry "successful."  it was a powerful reminder to stay connected to the vine for apart from Him i can do nothing.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

-john 15:1-17

after leadership we headed off with a group of friends to little irish bar & grill.  as a large party but were prepared to be sweet & patient.  we got seated immediately {SURPRISE} so shamrock's was off to a good start.  from there we proceeded to invest in a 3 hour meal.  bless her heart, the server was kind but waiting on the 10 or 12 of us took her nearly forever.  by the time we got home i was ready for bed.  yes, i did go to sleep immediately following dinner {don't judge}.
 
saturday...
 
to start of the day we ran early morning errands to the bank {since they unexpectedly closed my checking card without sending me a replacement}, to best buy {since ben's charger died for his beloved computer} and to donut days {since we love donuts}.
 
from there my productivity takes a turn for the worse.  this may ruin all credibility to my love of scripture but i feel i must be honest.  for the vast majority of my day i watched 'the hills' marathon.  it's complete & utter garbage but i like it.  i'm so sorry but it's true.  oh and i caught up on the project runway finale!  my pick wins...hooray! 
 
while watching trash on television i also proofread my husband's very long english paper.  in most cases being nitpicky makes you annoying but being nitpicky also makes you a fantastic proofreader.  i hope that he gets all the A+'s.  he is such a good student!  i should show his kindergarten picture again shouldn't i? 

 
saturday was a rainy nasty day but before the big storm hit we made our way to the poston's.  silas was so tired he wouldn't even take his tiny hands away from his eyes for us to see him.  that little booger.  later more friends joined us and we had a night full of laughing and fun as we all wrapped up in kaitlin's new comforter.  she really loves her new comforter.
 
sunday...
 
further laziness ensues.  i can't even believe i'm going to share this.  ben & i wake up at like 8:15.  too early for a sunday.  we get in a wee little fight to start off the day.  no good.  we make up, i shower and then go back to sleep...yes back to sleep.  i "napped" from about 10 am until 2 pm.  yes, that really happened.  i can't believe i slept so much.  and after doing nothing for the whole day before.  how embarrassing.  sunday i did nothing {again} but i did get caught up in my reading for bible study about giving & treasure in heaven {which i would love to share with you soon}, did some dishes and also finished sending out our fundraising letters for camp.  i know those aren't huge accomplishments but they were things i was happy to take care of. 
 
we had an informational yl/camp meeting that afternoon for parents & campaigners {biblestudy} later that evening.
 

i had quality time with the Lord, with my husband and with my friends.  not too shabby for the laziest weekend of my life.

it's the little things

random jen jen strikes again

{via}

the only downfall to this gorgeous weather is that is also accompanied by my hated nemesis - pollen.  my head is so full & achy with snot i fear i can bare it no more.  my head may just explode {i apologize for that terrible mental picture}.  the great region of central kentucky has also been doomed to a week's worth of rain...coming soon.  at least april showers bring may flowers right?  OH NO...more pollen. boy, am i in trouble!

......


i've listen to a couple great talks lately & thought i'd share them with you all.

talk 1:  this is from a northern kentucky younglife leadership which is basically just a weekly meeting for the younglife leaders in that area to be encouraged, take care of business, be in the Word & in community.  it is very informal but a really awesome message about 'living differently' & about idols in our lives.  i plan on listening to it many times over.

talk 2:  this is a john piper sermon from a conference he did recently {i think}.  the page will take you to a list of talks; the one i recently listened to was 'did paul preach jesus' gospel?'  it's an awesome look at where your confidence lies.

......


is anyone watching LOST?  what the heck?  what's going to happen?  i'm so lost/confused/excited/hoping that jack doesn't become one with the smoke monster.

and with more tv talk...does anybody watch project runway?  season finale this thursday!  woot woot.  i have to dvr it so don't tell me who wins.  who do you want to see walk away with the prize?  emilio, seth aaron or mila?  i think emilio makes clothes most like what i would wear {out of the 3} but i would rather see seth aaron win it all...he makes a lot of fun/funky pieces & he seems to be the most original.  i want mila to burn all of her black and white clothes.  sorry, that was mean.  i just can't take them anymore.

......


have you ever had a dream with blog friends in it?  you don't really know them...you've never met them {or their families} but you all are bff / grocery shopping together in your dream?  does that make me the biggest creeper?

......

"he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

-jim elliot 

......


my header is giant but i did everything as i normally do...any ideas on how to fix it?  i need your help blog wizards!

WOWZERS

:200 posts full of:

people & things i love

my faith & heart

lovelies & pretties

homes & parties & friends

.life.

it has been so very fun.  i like you very much, my online journal / creative outlet. 

nine months in, i now feel comfortable-ish.  i'm less 'new' to blogging, & a tad less intimidated.  i've learned so much via blogland. i have read so many encouraging & inspiring stories, on topics from crafting to praying & everything in between.  i'm so pleased to have stumbled upon the wonderful wealth of information & insight. 

i have loved:

keeping up with my friends & family near & far

gaining new friends {even though it is strange to have friends you've never met}

learning

thinking deeply

creating

tutorials

pretty pictures

viewing others capacity to...work with their hands, be inventive, get creative, write beautifully, decorate, be honest & share truth.

here's to many, many posts to come.  thanks so much for joining me on this ride.

-all my bloggy love-

jen

boot straps

oh nashville, how i love thee.  more than nashville i love my girl friends.  when you add the two together i'd say you get a pretty unbeatable combination.  this past weekend a small group of girls went a few hours south on a mini-getaway.  we ate, shopped, laughed until our stomachs ached, and line-danced the night away.  we met strangers, sang, barely slept & saw the sites.

{i promise my dress is longer than it appears..i'm not just wearing a shirt...jules}

my precious friend jenna already did a lil recap of the weekend {HERE} so i'd hate to just double up...check it out.  this is jenna...

she's buying boots from mike, the boot salesman.  he was very nice and we thought that sweet jenna and nashville mike might hit it off.  i'm obviously cheering with delight.

jenna did a great summary but she did fail to mention one vital detail.  we almost died in an elevator.  like 12 year old kids we had pushed all the buttons in a sketchy sketch parking garage elevator because we weren't sure what floor we needed to stop at.  we eventually found the correct level, two girls got out and the rest of us waited in the elevator.  we pushed some more buttons and...lo & behold the cart was moving but the door was not opening...10 girls trapped in an elevator.  it was hilarious.  needless to say... i am now typing on a computer and in fact, did not perish in our brush with death.  it opened about 45 seconds later {where further hilarity ensued - i must censor the next 90 seconds from blogland...}  

the entire 36 hour adventure was perfection.

{all of these pics were stolen from my friends...i didn't take one single pic myself}

the perfect date

my perfect date would include...


the love of my life, my husband benny {of course}
& would take up the entire day


we would sleep in a little & be in no rush at all.  enough sleep to be well rested but not so much as to waste the day away.

{via}

once we crawl out of bed we'd eat yummy fresh fruit for breakfast & since it is a 'perfect day' i wouldn't need to get ready...i'd look stunningly gorgeous without primping {i hate getting ready & stunningly gorgeous is certainly a stretch but hey...its the perfect day}

{via}

we'd start off the day with some time with the Lord...together.  i'd love that.  grace is afterall, how we'd be able to have such a perfect date.


we would spend the majority of our day outside while the sun is shining, it's warm but not hot.  maybe there is even a slight breeze.  i'd get to wear a dress {a soft comfy one not a fru-fru one}.

{anthro}

i'd love to go on a leisurely bike ride or even a few hours of hiking around the gorge.  a picnic on our adventure would be a must.  i also wouldn't hate swinging on seat made for two either.  if this was a date abroad i'd love to go sailing together...like on a sail boat.  neither of us would know what to do in real life but maybe on the perfect date we would.  we'd share excellent conversation, chuckle & play.

{via}

{via}

maybe benny would sing me some love songs...

{sip slowly}

for the evening portion of our date i can hardly narrow down what i'd love to do.  there are so many things that i enjoy doing with benny but would there be enough time to do them all?  perhaps not in one day.  i would love to go to a play or musical or concert together.  i'd love to go out dancing together or simply grill out at home & play a board game.  i'd like to let him pick...maybe this could be his perfect date too??

at the end of the day i'd love to be that 'good' kind of tired.  i'd love to fall asleep in the arms of my sweet husband after a long day of adventure, laughter & snuggling.

the greatest reality of it all is that while everyday certainly isn't 'perfect' for us we do have a life filled with joy & our days are so blessed...so amidst all this day dreaming of perfection i know any date we have is perfect because i get to be with my best friend!

what would your perfect date be like?

my friend amber is hosting a linky party with this question over on 'friend making monday' and i'll be linked up there.  check it out if you'd like to see other dream dates.

someday...

i'd like to...


be a world traveler & go exploring
have tons of babies {well maybe like 4}
bake all day in an apron covered in frills
spend my life kneeling before the Lord
have tons of flowers in my yard {instead of weeds & i want them to be flowers i love not just any old thing}
go on vacations with my hubby & bundle of babies & my friends & their families & their bundles of babies
sit around & have deep, meanful conversations with people i love
i'll never need a big ol' house but i would love a big ol' front porch
be in ministry all the years of my life
make clothes myself
have a red front door {preferably when i don't have a red brick house}
have my family over to our house for gatherings {once i learn to cook}
have faith that can move mountians
always have an open door
go sailing
wear dresses

{sip, slowly}

what would you like to do someday?

oh happy day

i could eat 1,000,000 reeses peanut butter eggs.  i know that it's not easter but easter isn't about candy anyway so i'm going to keep eating them.  also, you may  be thinking that a million is an exaggeration; it's not.

 yesterday, while driving around town in sweltering heat i came to the realization that i am a big baby.  for months i begged for warmer weather.  i hate shivering and being cold & i get cold in a flash.  the next thing i know, it is warm as can be, spring has arrived in lexington, & i'm loving it.  my dreams have come true.  two weeks later it's 88 degrees and i'm sweating everywhere.  i realize that i also hate being hot.  big baby.

i'm allergic to everything.  my car is covered in pollen and apparently so is my face.  i've graduated from itching eyes and moved on to incessant sneezing.  and i don't have a dainty, girly sneeze.  it's loud & obnoxious.  borderline embarrasing really.

i recieved an award!  the beautiful blog award from wonderfully talented dawn at {lydia & pugs}.  she creates one of a kind, personalized stationery & accessories.  i want them all.  you must go check out her blog & etsy shop especially if you have a pup. 

thanks dawn!  i still need to forward the award on to some other lovely ladies but i can't right this second...i'm going to add 'em soon so please check back.

now this is terribly overdue.  i long while ago i won a giveaway hosted by my friend amber over at .{aefilkins}..  the giver was ms. creative, mandy at zillows pillows.  the pillow in the middle is the one i chose!  i took about a million pictures of it sitting in its new home on our couch but due to the terrible lighting and my poor photography skills i couldn't do it justice. 

one of my favorite parts of winning was finding out a littlle more about mandy.  she is working her way through school & is / is becoming a writer.  with each purchase she sends a little snipet or work that she is working on.  isn't that neat!?  i got the begininng of a short story she had begun the night before.  i love that.  thank you amber & mandy!!

here are a few more pieces i am coveting that are currently available in her store.  i'd like each one PAH-LEEZ!  at $20 a pop you really can't pass 'em up...most stores i've seen cost much more than that & you still have to buy your own insert.  i'd fill my whole house with zillow pillows if someone {benny} would let me.

i haven't been the best blogger lately.  i feel like i go through spurts of creativity / free time / desire to blog etc. and sometimes i'm just not in the zone.  i'm going to change my header soon which i'm excited about & start browsing for plain {but textured} background.  oh how i wish i could do all that myself.

and finally...its friday.  i'm not sure how much posting i'll be doing this weekend but i hope each of you has a fabulous weekend.  

sing praise

just wanted to stop in with a short but very sweet update.  benny's aunt mary jane is now off the ventilator & is breathing on her own!  big, full, deep breaths that were impossible up until a few days ago.  what a huge blessing!

this is her husband joe's current status:
"Post Op Day 3: GREAT NEWS. First breath accomplished!!! MJ is now extubated. Too many emotions to express. She looks so relaxed. Such a beautiful color in her face. To see her breathe so normally and not "fight" to breathe is simply a miracle. GOD is awesome. Tomorrow begins the removal of some of the 5 chest tubes that have been inserted. The journey has just begun. Thank you all for joining us!!!!!"

thank you to those of you who joined us in prayer & please continue to lift up her & her family during this time of recovery.

what an opportunity for praise!

"give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what HE has done.

sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice."

1 chronicles 16:8-10

that's amore monday

today we honor {drumroll please}... the headband.  i'm sure that any males reading this now hate me.  i recently purchased 4 cheapity cheap headbands {for $1 total} & love the ease of throwing them on & feeling a tad more 'put together.'  i'm now wishing that i had some fancy pants headbands to dress me up as well.

i have two headband gripes that i would like all headband-makers to acknowledge.  

1.  headbands that pinch/squeeze behind the ears.  i understand that we want them to stay in place but must they press so tightly?  why not add some kind of padding back there...just a little cushion to protect us!?
2.  my next gripe is directed toward headbands that go all the way around your head.  you know what i'm talking about right?  they never fit.  i recognize that my head is kind of small but why discrimate against women with mini-domes?  maybe making them adjustable or available in varying sizes would be appropriate?  just a thought. 

so enough of what i don't like and on with all the headband goodness.  here are a few that i definitely would love to add to my accessories pile.

{buy it here}

{buy it here}

{buy it here}

{forever21}

.if you  have a babe you need this.

{buy it here}

{j.crew}

{buy it here}

for a lil celeb inspiration

i.can't.wait.

to visit my little shan shan. 

so glad she's in town!

i'm sure you'll never guess why...{see below}

happy friday all. 

hope you each have a glorious weekend filled with sunshine & laughter.  i'm excited to visit friends, celebrate the marriage of two precious northern kentuckians, wear a dress & hold babies.

.i can't resist.