The Newelly-Weds

What's For Dinner?

2012-02-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

So last night I got the famous call from Ben on his way home from work; "what's for dinner?" . Nothing I suggested sounded particularly good to him, so he said he wanted spaghetti. I usually love a good easy spaghetti dinner, not much work for me, but for some reason tomato sauce sounded like the grossest thing in the world at that moment, plus I'm trying to gently encourage more veggies and less of everything else. So I politely asked him if we could have pasta with something other than red sauce, to which he skeptically replied "sure". I remembered this recipe I saw on Skinnytaste a couple days ago (loving that site!), so I scavenged the crisper and found enough to throw together this tasty dish. He loved it, and so did! A great balance of hearty and lightness. We paired it with a big ol' pile of salad and both walked away happy. Plus I didn't have to eat spaghetti sauce from a jar, hooray! Tricky me.

Pasta with garlic roasted broccoli, chicken and lemon.
(adapted from skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 oz whole wheat or brown rice pasta (I used trader joe's brown rice penne)

1 1/2 lbs broccoli florets

6-8 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and fresh pepper

1 Lemon

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°. place broccoli, garlic, and oil in a baking dish. Roast those bad boys for about 20 minutes, or until they are the consistency that makes you happy, stirring and turning them around 10 minutes.

While the broccoli is cooking, try not to lick your way through the oven door to get to the smell of roasting garlic, and make your pasta by following the package directions.

Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium to medium high. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, and sauté until cooked through.Remove the chicken from the pan and slice them up nice and pretty if you can. Or shred them, or just keep 'em whole if you're into knives at the table.

Reserve some pasta water before draining, then drain and toss pasta with broccoli. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (or more if necessary), cheese if you're having it, and some zested lemon and a little squeeze of lemon juice, oh and pepper to taste. Top the mound of garlic broccoli pasta joy with your chickens that you cooked earlier. Thank them for giving their little chicken lives for your dining pleasure before you cover them with more lemon zest and Parmesan cheese from their nice farm neighbor, Mrs. Cow.

nom nom nom!!!

New Beginnings

2012-02-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like motherhood has truly taken its toll on the blog-life. We have had a million changes happening in our lives in the last 8 months (which have zipped by at warp speed), and even if I would have had spare time to blog, I'm not sure I would have had the inspiration to, if I'm being completely honest. However, for the first time ever, I have made a list of New Years Resolutions of sorts. I am not a huge goal setter, it has never been a strong suite of mine, maybe fear of not acheiving them and therefore failing, or maybe just laziness, I'm not really sure which one. BUT, I have made a list of a few changes I would like to make in my life over the next year. They are attainable, realistic, and one of them just happens to be attempting to revive this little piece of internet. I made myself a promise that I would at least TRY. I have this problem with documenting important things in my life. I tend to leave them up to my memory, but I always wish I had some tangible things to treasure and look back on over the years. Plus, as my baby grows up, I would love for her to be able ot look back at theses beginning years of her life that she cant remember on her own, and see how much happiness she brought her mom and dad. So, without further adieu, my resolutions for 2012:

*learn to use my sewing machine. My mom gave me one a few years back, and I have never even taken the cover off.

*TRULY live within or below our means. More about this later, but I feel like we always SAY we are doing this, but over the years as our income has increased, our lifestyle has increased along with it. This has taken away from our ability to give above and beyond sacrificially. So in other words, our income has increased, our spending has increased, and our generosity has flatlined. We would like to give out of our first fruits, instead of our leftovers or abundance.

*Be more community minded. Live where we are. Not for tomorrow or next year or where we wish we were, but where we are right here and now.

*Exercise more regularly in a way I ENJOY, and not let it be a burden. I need to be healthier for the sake of my sanity and my family's sanity. This is not about being fit as a fiddle or lookin' sexy. Its about finding confidence again in my skin (stretchy as it may be at the moment) so that i can quit stressing out about it and pretending my husband wants to hear sentences like "I look like a popped beach ball". I want my daughter to see a model of confidence.

*Try out blogging again. Hense this first post of 2012.

*Scale back, minimize. Lets refer to the mounds of junk we gave to goodwill when we moved recently. Holy Moly. HOW did we aquire so much stuff in the last 4 years? Seriously rediculous. Our life has gotten so bogged down with STUFF, not even good stuff. Not bad stuff, just pointless stuff. I want to scale back and fill our lives with people and things that matter, and be a better steward of those people and things. This means having fewer aquaintences and deepening a few really great relationships we have. This also means getting rid of the junk we dont need, saying no to things on sale or offered to us for free unless we need them, and taking better care of the things that we have.

*Have a quiet devotion time every single day. I know this sounds crazy like I should already be doing this, annnnd you would be right in thinking such a thought. But the truth is, since having Evelyn, it has been hard to find time every day to just be quiet before Jesus. But I have quickly learned I SOOO need it. If I don't have it, I suffer, my husband suffers, and my daughter suffers. I need my cup to be full so it can overflow to my family instead of trying to drain every last drop out of myself and all thats left for me is an empty cup. Not ok.

So there they are! I will try and blog about them all individually and what I'm doing to carry them out.

Happenings

2011-10-27T14:54:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess motherhood has caused a slight lag time in the blogging. I suppose I have been a little bit busy! Evelyn is almost 5 months old now! I can't believe it! She is so much fun. Talking up a storm, laughing, rolling over both ways, trying soooo hard to scoot, and eating oatmeal cereal and avocados. The time is going by so fast, I'm just soaking in every minute! Well, since it's been so long, I won't try and recap everything that has happened in the last few months. Instead, here are some pictures to look at. Now that I know I can blog on my iPhone, it might be a little easier to keep this thing updated. I've still got my hands pretty full most of the time, so sitting at the computer is a pretty rare occasion.

Outings Galore

2011-08-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

We are a one car family. This means Ben usually has the car during the weekdys for work and Evy and I stick around the house most of the time. This is ok since she is still is the stages of nursing a lot and usually falls asleep on me for her naps. Its tough to get out during the day for more than a couple hours anyway, especially by myself. Anyway, when the weekends come, we like to try and do some fun t hings as a family. It takes some convincing sometimes since there are about a million things to do around the house.

Really, its like a war zone.

Thats ok, just promise not to be bothered if you stop by and you cant remember if you came to my house or to the Old Navy clearance section on black friday. messy.

But the important thing is this: its summer and my family is cute.

just at the lake!

I love nanna

but not as much as mommy and daddy

this is not my family, but I do love him.

Ben needed a $5 elephant ear at the zoo.

little pea pod

i know, kinda cute.

the fam.

not lovin the water so much

mama

super baby

Hi, it's me, but different!

2011-08-17T15:01:00.001-07:00

Well hi! I guess its been a while since I've updated this here piece of Internet! I've been a little busy :) We finally got our little bean sprout out of my tummy and into the world...though it took a lonnnnnng time! I'll write out the story another day, but the important thing is she is here and healthy and almost 3 months old now! WOW time is flying. Here are the quick details (in case you wanted to know?)...She was born June 2nd at 8:51 in the evening, weighed 7 lbs 4 oz, was 21 inches long, and is the sweetest thing ever.

Fresh baby girl!

I cannot even tell you how much this little peanut has changed our lives for the good. Nobody tells you all the hard stuff about giving birth and bringing a new baby home for the first time. It is the most challenging, stretching, gut wrenching thing you will ever do. BUT its also the most amazing, incredible, indescribable thing you will ever do. I never know there could be room in my heart to love someone so much! I thought I was pretty much an expert in being in love since I met Ben, but I basically had no idea. :-) I will never be able to logically doubt God's love for me again. The transition from wife to wife and mother is the fastest one you can make. Becoming a wife is a pretty graceful transition. Think about it...

you get to spend the whole day looking more beautiful than anyone else, with all your friends and family there, you get a diamond ring, and then you get to go to a hotel and...well you know. THEN you go on vacation for a week and practice some more...then you come home to tons of presents! What could be better than that?

Here's about how the transition to becoming a mother takes place...you spend hours (in my case days) in a kind of pain you didnt know existed, with people you dont know looking at your girly parts (not that you really care in that moment), then you go to a room where a stranger teaches you how to feed a human out of your own body parts, then you come home and nobody tells you what to do, you wake up every hour and take a concoction of pain meds, forget to eat for 8 hours, forget to go to the bathroom for a few days, keep a running chart of poops and pees and change a bagillion diapers, look up online with your husband what baby poop is supposed to look like, examine the poop, then worry a little bit, then laugh hysterically, then cry for no reason, then get scared, then realize again that nobody is going to tell you how what to do, then realize that youre a mom and you cant put them back, then get mad at yourself for even thinking that thought. Then you look at your husband and remember that he's your husband and not your roomie. Then you feel so much love your heart feels like its going to explode and you cry because you cant stand the thought of your tiny little baby ever doing anything except lay curled up in a ball on your chest with milk on her cheeks. :-)

Then one day you wake up and realize that this is who you are. You are a mom. Its not like being a mom is something you do, as if you need to have some time to "just be yourself", you are a mom. Its the best feeling in the whole world.

sigh.

It really is amazing. I am so blessed.

booger nose

somebody looks exactly like daddy!

kinda done taking pictures, mom.

my baby is naked

2011-05-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Its almost the end of my first week home from work waiting for baby. I have been very productive, but haven't rested very much. I can't seem to relax as much as I'm trying. I want her to be here so bad, I have a hard time waiting! I know she'll come in her own time though. In the meantime, I have been writing thank-you notes, running errands, doing projects, cleaning, doing laundry, having visitors, organizing, and forgetting to take breaks to sit down even though my feet feel like they have daggers in them. Seriously, so much aching of the feet.

Anyway, I have no choice but to wait on my little one to arrive, and while I am waiting I have been dreaming of seeing her in all her sweet little outfits. Right now, shes naked. That's a cute thought. She has been naked her whole life, and she will not even know what is going on when I put clothes on her. I bet babies think that it is uncomfortable to be in clothes after being naked in a warm bath for nine months. I know I would! Here are some of my favorite things (mostly dresses, which I know is unrealistic) I am looking forward to putting the little kumquat in. I can't show you my favorite little newborn outfit yet because I'm taking her home from the hospital in it and it can't be revealed to the world. It just can't. Its my rule.

This came as a set from the Carter's outlet, so summery.

The pants have THE tiniest ankles ever.

This used to belong to Allison, my sister-in-law-even-though-i-hate-that-term, when she was a baby (25 years ago). Given to me from our cousin, given to her by Ben's mama when she had her first little girl.

Again, used to be Allison's.

Again. And this one has ruffled panties to match.

I used to call them "Sunday panties" when I was little.

This is my favorite. From The Children's Place. (on sale, $4).

Again with the matching panties.

From Ben's mom, I think from Target.

I don't know if I'll be able to put her in all of her clothes. I might have to change her outfit 9 times a day to get them all on her before she outgrows them. What a sad thought! I don't want to think about her growing yet, just getting here!

37 Weeks

2011-05-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Update- Week 37:

Well friends, I am headed into week 37 of being pregnant, which means I'm full term! This little peanut could be here any day :-) This morning at our appointment we got a little surprise when our doctor wheeled in the ultrasound machine to take a look at Evelyn. We haven't seen her since week 20 when we found out she was a "she". We could barely see her because her head was SO low! This is a good sign, and our doctor said she is looking down and turned sideways. I'm not gonna lie, I wish I knew what she was pointing at when she was showing us her limbs and whatnot, but I had to pull a Rachel from friends and pretend I knew what she was talking about (raise your hand if you know the reference I'm talking about). Confession! :-) I am feeling pretty good except for being really really tired a lot of the time and having very sore feet! I also have heartburn like no other! I will be glad for that to go away!

This last weekend we went to Ikea and got a chair and some shelves and organized everything in her room, so its all ready other than some artwork still missing on the walls! My tasks for the week include:

♥ Target for batteries, sugar free candies, baby monitor, etc.

♥ pack our hospital bag

♥ fold some laundry

♥ clean the bathroom

♥ empty the camera and video camera and load it with fresh batteries

♥ take lots of naps

♥ oh, and did I mention NOT going to work, since Friday was my last day :-)

I'm so excited to meet my girl! Seeing her this morning on the ultrasound put me in the best mood. Now I'm off to take a little nap with my puppy!

And just for fun, here's a picture of her room...

not the best picture, I took it on my phone.

Have a happy Monday!

Tiny Crafts

2011-04-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Last week I started on this little craft I have been wanting to do for Evelyn's room. I haven't been able to find any crib mobiles that I really like, so I was inspired by the one over at Young House Love, and wanted to give it a shot! I was trying to wait until I am done working to start on any crafts so that I have plenty of things to keep me busy, but I couldn't wait!

Here's what I did:

♥) I bought a bunch of fake flowers and plucked off the little buds one by one.

♥) Poked holes in the bud section of of the flower (the little part at the bottom), and threaded some lightweight floral wire through.

♥) once I had a ton of flowers threaded on, I wrapped the wire in an asymmetrical sphere kinda shape.

♥) I hung them all at different heights from a little wreath from the craft store.

Easy as pie (but kinnnda tedious)

soooo many tiny flowers.

The finished product! I love how it turned out!

Here is what her view will be, from in the crib.

♥

All together the whole thing only cost me about $35 and a few hours in front of the TV plucking off flower buds and poking holes!

Still to come: a big ol' chalkboard for above the changing table, some artwork for the walls, and some tissue paper garland.

This is the fun stuff!

Some Things I'm Looking Forward To

2011-04-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well friends...its been a while! As you could probably guess, I have been one tired girl lately. I've been doing my best to try and relax as much as possible and take care of this little peanut in her last few weeks in my belly. Home stretch though...only 5 1/2 weeks left until her due date. I'm praying she comes a little bit early since I'm in a wedding on June 10th!

Anyway, I am still working almost full time for about 2 more weeks, so I am trying to conserve all my energy so I can make it through those last couple weeks. Other than work, I try not to do too much that I don't have to. Things are starting to get just a tad tight in there...and I'm jusssst about ready to get this little babe out of my belly and into my arms! I have been day-dreaming about things I am ready to enjoy again. Don't get me wrong, its worth all the things I've missed out on in the last 8 months. Here are just a few things I'm looking forward to after our Evy gets here.

Running.

Or exercising in general. More than just walking around the grocery store or on the treadmill at a speed of 2 for 20 minutes. Yes, 2.
I'm looking forward to having intentionally aching muscles and a sweaty face that isn't pregnancy induced. I'm excited about actually using my abdominal muscles for more than pulling myself out of bed :-)

Planting an herb garden.

Since I'll be home this summer, I'm planning on planting some yummy herbs to enjoy allll summer long. This one sure is cute...

Tomatoes.

I will be planting some of these too...and eating more.

Right now they give me the WORST heartburn, so I have to limit.

Cooking.

I have been cooking up a storm...but only because we have been trying to save our pennies, which means cutting lots of corners and having lots of the same things over and over. I'll be glad to be able to have a little more time in the kitchen.

Toes.

Being able to see my toes again. True story.

Sushi :-)

I know I can still have sushi without raw fish, but I'm too scared to.

I don't want to risk getting any weird bacteria or anything. I don't know. I'm weird.

I haven't had any shellfish this whole 8 months.

Heels!

I will not be one of those moms who sports her high heels to the grocery store or anything, but I do love a good leg-enhancing heel on date night :-)

Clothes with an actual waistline.

I am dying for a summer dress. Yes, it may take a while before I can rock something like this again, but please believe I will not be giving up femininity for motherhood. I miss my waist.

Coffee.

Regular coffee. I have been having only decaf on occassion, even though one cup a day is totally fine during pregnancy, I thought it would be better just to cut it out. When I'm nursing I'll probably be enjoying that ONE morning cup a whole lot.

And most of all...

I'm looking forward to actually SEEING my baby girl. I can't wait to hold her and kiss her and smell her and change her poopy butt and feed her and dress her up and look at her and tell her how cute and precious she is

♥

faulty water bottle+exhausted pregnant lady...and Day 2

2011-03-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

Today's math lesson:

Faulty water bottle on bedside table with a lid that doesn't actually screw on tight

sprawling around in the night because pregnant lady has to turn over every 13 minutes or her giant hip gets a cramp

knocking over 16 ounces of ice water at 2:00 in the morning all over my pillow, slippers, bed, and alllll the way underneath the bed where I can't possibly reach it.

(combined this with the most exhausted person in the world, and the result is a lot of tears in the middle of the night).

I'm glad I have a patient husband who doesn't make fun of me when I cry over spilled ice water.

I have to say I am starting to reach that point in pregnancy I keep reading and hearing about, where you start to revert back to the beginning stages of feeling so tired all you want to do is sleep all day. I still feel great physically, no sickness or pain, but I'm starting to get SO TIRED again. I was sick last weekend, so I stayed home from work on Monday, went in late on Tuesday, and guess what...I'm home again today. I am up long enough to eat some breakfast (at noon?), and let it settle, then I'm going back to bed. Lets just hope its a rough week, since I still have about 2 more months left at work and I hate calling in to say I can't come. Side note...everyone I work with is amazing. They are so supportive and never make me feel guilty for not being there...I just hate having a responsibility and feeling like I can't do it. I need to get over it. Ben is so encouraging too. He always encourages me to take care of myself and listen to my body when I need to rest. I'm a blessed lady.

Anyway, all that to say, my update on week 28 of pregnancy is that I am bloated from drinking a large bottle of glucola at the doctor on Monday, and I am a tired girl. I am sitting on the couch staring at the computer like a zombie (i think I look like a zombie too), thinking about crawling back in bed. Its gonna happen any minute, folks.

But before I fall asleep...

Day 2:

What makes you uniquely you?

I don't really know how to answer this, I feel like there are a million things put together that make me unique. Here are some to give you an idea.

I have never had a nose bleed

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pioneer really bad until I found out that in order to grow a garden you had to pull weeds every day.

My dad was a pastor all growing up.

My family is from the South (Tennessee).

I don't like Easter decorations.

My favorite food is mushrooms.

My other favorite food is chocolate.

I don't like chocolate and mushrooms together, but that's not unique because nobody would like that unless they are a nut.

I change my mind 147 times a day.

When I go to a restaurant, I really need to look at the menu BEFORE I sit down so that I don't get overwhelmed with the decision making process of ordering under pressure.

I hate math but I like numbers.

I love art but not when someone tells me I need to do it a certain way.

I hate cats

I would rather change a poopy diaper than wash a stranger's dirty dishes.

I really like shopping by myself instead of with other people.

One time I met Hilary Duff in the airport, and she said "what's up, yo?"

When I walk in the house, I leave a piece of whatever I'm carrying in every room I walk in, and none of them are the correct place for that item.

I wore the same toe ring for 6 years without taking it off. I took it off 6 months ago and my toe still has an indent.

I got engaged in New York City.

There are a few things about me. All random, nothing too deep. I am a little bit sleepy for that! If you're still reading, I commend you! Hope you all have a delightful Thursday.

hot chocolate, tacos, magazines, and cribs

2011-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

We have been havin' ourselves a lot of fun lately! This last weekend we went all over Portland looking for a dresser for Evy's little room, with no luck. We won't give up though! We saw a couple things we really like, so that's a start. We also found some cute fabric for a crib skirt and maybe a couple pillows, so we'll go back in few weeks with a pattern so we know how much to get. When I say "we", I really mean "I", because I don't think Ben really loved the fabric store. That's kind of a girl thing :-)

♥

My cute husband treated me like a million bucks this weekend. I ended up being really sick on Sunday, so I got a sweet surprise...breakfast in bed! ♥ I forgot to take a picture because I was so hungry, but I will say he even put a little flower on my tray! Then he touched up the paint in the baby room, and even vacuumed it and totally cleaned it out.

See, cute guy.

We made our way out to Ikea since we were disappointed by not finding anything on Saturday, so we bought Evy's crib! Look at this handy man.

Ta Da!!! Our little blueberry will sleep in here. I can't believe it.

There is no purpose of this picture. I just think its funny.

♥

We have been trying to find fun things to do to get out of the house without spending a ton of money or going out to eat, since we're trying to save as much as we can. One of the things we have found that is so fun is going to Borders, grabbing stacks of books and magazines, and reading while sipping on something yummy. My sipping is usually a little yummier than his (this is obviously mine). Look closely and you'll see he is reading some crazy books about stocks and mutual funds, and I am reading a pregnancy book, Making Magazine, and Whole Living.

Another fun thing...taco night. Always a favorite. Just look how happy it makes this guy...

The spread.
We usually don't go with crunchy, but we loved it this time. Pretty classic. Adding a little bit of super food to them...black beans, plain Greek yogurt, and of course avocado.

muy bueno.
Enjoy Evy girl!

Being married is the best. I can honestly say I have so much fun with Ben, I would rather be with him than anyone else in the world!

Day 1

2011-03-05T09:23:00.001-08:00

Project 31.

Day 1.

What does beauty mean to you?

Hmmm, starting out with the deep stuff. Here goes!

I think beauty can come in a million different forms. When I think something is beautiful, it means that I am finding a deep appreciation for it either to my senses, or my soul...or both. Beauty is when I can see the creativeness of God's hand in something else. I am a lover of beautiful things. Who isn't?

But here's the thing about beauty...the bible says beauty is vain. What does that mean? Sometimes when I read that, I have a hard time understanding why a God who made so many beautiful things, including women, says that beauty is vain. I really don't think it means that I should not be beautiful. I also don't think it means don't make myself lovely for my husband. I think it means that beauty according to the world's standards, is vain...as in someday, it will be gone. The verse goes on to say, "..but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." (proverbs 30). This is what lasting beauty is.

I work at a retirement home. The average age of our residents
is 90. Everyday I look at people who are at the end of their life, and all their
worldly beauty has faded. Not even one of them has been able to fight off the
effects of age on their body and mind. Every single one of them, no matter how
healthy and stunning they may have been in their younger days, has a million
wrinkles, crooked fingers, drooping eyelids, grey hair (or no hair), a hunched
back, and yellow teeth (or no teeth). There is one couple, John and Irma who are
in their 90's. She can't make him dinner anymore, he can't build her a house or
buy her nice things. They can't go dancing anymore, they can't make
love.

This last year, the celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
Everyday they go to breakfast together, walk back to their room, come down to
lunch, walk back to their room, walk down the hall to dinner, check their mail,
buy milk, and go back to their room. They are companions. They have children and
grandchildren and great grandchildren. They are still together and loving each
other after 70 years of watching all their physical beauty fade away right
before their eyes. And they are still side by side. Beauty does not stand the
test of time, and there is no point in spending thousands of thousands of
dollars on products and surgeries to make your skin tighter and your boobs
perkier. A man and woman who have had an entire lifetime honoring God with their
lives, through every season, even when all the beauty is gone

That is very beautiful.

♥

Our Story

2011-03-03T21:27:00.000-08:00

Check out my new page with mine and Ben's little story. In my words of course...because its my blog. so there.

Project 31

2011-02-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

I decided that since I have been in somewhat of a blogging slump lately...

...

and since I really do love using this thing here to encourage other people and to encourage myself and share my thoughts and ramblings, I will embark on something way unheard of for me. An ongoing series that is actually ongoing.

Gasp.

But wait....

There is a purpose to my little goal. I am going to try my hand at a little something I found via She Breathes Deeply, a sweet baby blog of someone I don't know, but was totally inspired by when I found her blog.

Project 31. This is taken from her blog, and I'm still waiting to hear back on how to link up to hers if I can. We'll see how this goes, I love the idea of it. This is going to be a big challenge for me in some ways. I can't promise I'll do it every day, but I will try and make it as consistent as I can! But cut me some slack, I'm withchild. The list is full of things I'm not exactly the most comfortable doing, posting pictures of outfits occassionally. But hey, here goes nothin!

What is "Project 31"? It is a collection of thoughts, ideas,
and women who potray beauty in a inspired way. "Project 31" is you celebrating
your God given beauty, and celebrating the beautiful women around you.

The meaning behind the project is taken from this:

Proverbs 31

10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.

12 She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with
her hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar.

15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion
for her maidservants.

16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.

17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night.

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.

20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of
idleness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “ Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

THE LIST:

Day 1. What does beauty mean to you?
Day 2. What makes you uniquely you?
Day 3. Who is someone you know who inspires beauty?
Day 4. Style 31. Post a pic of you in your favorite outfit.
Day 5. Write a blog thanking someone who has made your heart come
alive.
Day 6. Jaded beauty. Has the world's definition of beauty ever jaded
you?
Day 7. Write a blog to encourage another beautiful woman.
Day 8. Have a beauty secret (e.g. hair tip, make up tip)? Share,
please!
Day 9. What virtues do you value in yourself?
Day 10. What is Jesus teaching you as a wife, mom, or friend? (Or just woman in general?)
Day 11. Post a recipe. Or if you don't cook, try a new recipe and write about how it turned out (pictures please!).
Day 12. Write about what wears you out as a woman.
Day 13. Write about something you would like to change about yourself for the better.
Day 14. Style 31. Post an outfit pic!
Day 15. Write to encourage a friend. Inspire her beauty.
Day 16. Write a letter to your daughter, or a young girl in your life. Tell her what beauty means.
Day 17. Write about 3 things that make you happy.
Day 18. Describe your personality.
Day 19. Write about your favorite comfort food (we are women- we ALL have comfort food!)
Day 20. Write about your job and why you love it or hate it.
Day 21. Write a letter to your husband to encourage him (or if you are single- your
future husband.)
Day 22. What are some needs that need to be met in your community? Blog about how to extend your hand to those who need you.
Day 23. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
Day 24. What is Jesus teaching you presently?
Day 25. Style 31. Post a pic of your favorite comfy clothes.
Day 26. What do you hope your grandchildren will say about you someday when you are gone?
Day 27. Write a blog to encourage someone and build their confidence!
Day 28. Write about your insecurities as a woman.
Day 29. Write about "a day in the life of me." (Pictues are great!)
Day 30. Who is your role model as a woman?
Day 31. Write about your dreams and goals as a beautiful woman!

Learning contentment

2011-01-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; and in every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. -Phil. 4:11-13

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

**Disclaimer: I have no idea what it is like to live by the same "humble means" talked about here. I am aware that I am rich beyond measure and fall heavily on the "prosperity" end of this verse.

I have never really been the type of gal who needs to have the most expensive jeans, make the most extravagant meals, have the cleanest house, or go on the best vacations. I grew up with parents who pretty much taught me that if we're too busy to clean the house top to bottom, we're still having people over, because they are our friends...and if they don't like a pile of papers on the dinng room table, or dust bunnies in the corner, they can have their own opinion, and they probably aren't good friends anyway. My parents were very gracious hosts, but my dad was a pastor, and my mom worked her buns off doing this and that to help out, so we didn't have the cleanest house and the most put-together-looking-life. At Christmas, if I wanted the boots all my friends had, I was probably going to get the ones that looked just like them from Target. Honestly, I think that made me a better person today.

When I started my own life, got married, had my own house to take care of, my own dinners to make, my own clothes to buy and laundry to fold, I started out pretty easy going! We had a tiny little one bedroom and it usually had a big pile of clothes on the dryer and some dirty dishes in the sink, hand-me-down EVERYTHING pretty much...and everyone was ok with that. Well, somewhere along the way, I seemed to get a little less ok with it. Don't get me wrong, the dishes were still in the sink, 80% of what we owned is still from garage sales or thrift stores or was given to us, the clothes were still on the dryer, and the couch, and the dresser, and in the washer (where I forgot about them for 2 days and we couldn't figure out what the mystery sour milk smell stinking up the house was until we found them). Everything was pretty much in the same order as always, but I began to get less and less ok with it being that way. Being at work full time made me resent the housework that I probably wouldn't feel like doing anyway, but the sheer fact that even if I did want to, I wouldn't have the time or energy to. Needing to go out to Chiptole twice a week because I forgetting half the things at the grocery store I went to get in the first place thwarted my dinner plans made me a little more upset than before. The fact that everyone seemed to have brand new sectional sofas and flat screens, and our tv still had (has) a big giant box on the back of it made me disgruntled. Regardless of why, I found myself really upset that my life was not in perfect order all the time. As if I had EVER been like that, or had ever even seen a model of needing to be like that in my own life. God (through my sweet and patient husband) is teaching me to simmer down. Take a break. Enjoy the blessings in my life. Don't spend my energy on things that don't matter. Besides, nobody cares what your house looks like anyway. Think about it, when you go to someone's house for dinner, is the first thing you think:

"gosh its so clean, this person is awesome, nowwww I know I can have a good time"?

...or

"ew they didn't dust the top of the chairs, sick, I'm never coming back, I can't wait to leave"?

No, of course not. I always think

"wow, what a gracious host, wow, what a warm house, wow, what a fun and relaxing time I'm having because Susy Homemaker isn't running around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to was the dishes before she sits down to talk to her guests".

(not word for word, of course.)

Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE having a clean house. I LOVE making dinner for my hubby. I LOVE making our house a nice place to come home to. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Susy Homemaker, in fact, its all I want to do! I can't wait to stay home all day and make our home lovely and smell good and take care of our babies. All I am saying is that God is teaching me to be content in what we have, the condition that its in, and give myself a little grace on the the things that really don't matter. I'm so proud of our life that God has given us. We're SO blessed. We have everything we could possibly need. I love our home and everything that fills it. Including our marriage. I am ashamed for ever wanting anything more. God has so richly blessed our lives.

So come on over! Don't bother taking off your shoes at the door and I promise you can put your dirty dishes on the counter and I won't even think about touching them until you leave! :-)

A Couple Weekend Happenings

2011-01-25T19:52:00.001-08:00

Just a couple pictures from my favorite happenings last weekend.

It was filled with the cutest niece alive, sunshine all day Saturday, antiquing, tiny baby slippers, biscuits and gravy, and lots and lots of washing and folding towels. There aren't very many pictures because once again, I forgot to document the fun because because I was too busy enjoying it!

Avery hiding under the table.

Yes, I am huuuuuuge! ♥

We found these adorable little booties at an antique store and snatched them up.

I can't wait to put them on Evelyn's little feet!

Can every day please be the weekend?

problem

2011-01-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

I am noticing a potential problem in our household.

Dog toys...

look a little bit too much like...

baby toys.

Today I got brought out a little stuffed frog that my mom got for Evelyn. I wanted to hold it because its cute, and Tangle....freaked out. He thought it was for him and would not leave me alone. He whined for a good 20 minutes straight begging for me to give it to him. I was actually so annoyed. We have been wondering how he will do with another little perosn in the house, since he's pretty needy. Things like that make me a little nervous. He is such a good dog, but i definitely won't be allowing a dog in the house that chews up baby blankets and eats stuffed animals, and steals food off the high chair. No thank you.

{dog}

{dog}

{dog}

{baby}

See what I mean!?

teeny weeny

2011-01-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't already know, we found out we're having a little baby girl!

We couldn't be more happy to have a healthy little lady on the way. We went to our 20 week ultrasound last Monday and got to see all her little fingers and toes and her cute face and round head. We even got to see her empty her bladder. I'm sure that will get old after a while :-)

Here she is

♥ Evelyn Rosemary Newell ♥

I can't stop looking at her little picture. We are getting all geared up to get the nursery cleaned out and ready for decorating (yipee!!!), since Ben was totally blessed with an office right down the road, we got to move all his things over there and make some room! Now he won't have to share a room with baby! As we've been excitedly browsing ideas for the room, registering, and enjoying this fun time of feeling her gentle little nudges inside, I've been getting into a tiny bit of trouble with the....clothes. oops. I have been a good girl and haven't bought anything (i mean much) yet, but have been tagging little things I see here and there...I have a running list. This is the best. I am so happy we're having a girl (though I would have been happy either way....honest to goodness).

adorable coral sailor stripes

a girly little bunny

obviously this is happening.

girls are made to wear eyelet anything.

I love the waistband

Frills for days.

of course, not clothes, but classically girly

this is not girly.

it is also $58, which means it will never happen.

but its still cute

Oh this is going to be fun!

♥ ♥ ♥

Painting the Town (Living Room) Red. (and white).

2010-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Its my favorite time of the year.

That's right.

Christmas decorating time.

I'm a little late on posting my pictures this year, but I'll have you know I was NOT late on getting the decor up. We didn't hesitate. We tackled it like champs. Pregnant, tired, champs. Day after thanksgiving, we all (the whole fam) headed out to Helvatia Tree Farm to pick out the perfect tree. And it was. (perfect).

see, told you.

I was so exhausted from tromping around the tree farm all day (don't get me wrong, it was fun), but I couldn't just let the poor tree sit naked and lonely, in an un-christmasy house. I had to suck it up and get to decorating. I documented a few things along the way, so enjoy!

Our homemade star made out of clothes pins from our wedding.

I never seem to find a star i really love, so on our first Christmas I made this guy.

It has held up pretty well.

Jars full of salt and candles. Courtesy of Gifted Magazine.

Cheap, only 5 cartons of table salt at $.75 each,

and candles from the dollar store. 4 for $1.

Some festive recycled wrapping paper in cheapo frames.

A little homemade garland from a few years back.

Candy canes.

Because it is Christmas.

That's all.

More jars.

I have a billion jars, so I use them every year.

lots of ways to change it up.

Birdies on the tree.

These guys are from Starbucks a few years ago,

they went on sale after Christmas so we cleaned out the whole store.

Classic red and white.

I'm not sure if I'll ever get tired of this or think its cheesey.

Its Christmas.

Awww. I love it. Keep posting your decorations, if you haven't already. Which I'm sure you have because its December 9th.

Happy Christmas.

I'm happier than a pig in poop.

yes, I just said that.

right now please

2010-11-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Below you will find a list of things I would like to do right now please.

drinking this mug of cocoa.

and licking the cup.

being the only person allowed in this store for a whole day.

be still my heart.

sitting at a table with my family, eating this.

but with more gravy.

playing with my sweet husband in this.

and shoving snow inside his coat.

chocolate+holiday cup=friday

2010-11-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Salted.

Caramel.

Hot.

Chocolate.

In a holiday cup.

♥

♥ ♥ ♥

Some New Things

2010-11-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today I tried some new things.

I have only lived in the Portland area for a few years, so I'm still not only learning my way around all its many neighborhoods, but around the hundreds of delicious restaurants and fun places to go and see in the city.

Ben and I had been planning on going out to breakfast this morning, since we almost never do that. We decided on Gravy on Mississippi, since I had never been and heard wonderful things about the brulee oatmeal. I was pretty disappointed in my decision though. I got there and decided a gigantic scramble sounded better. It was delicious, but I could only eat about 1/4 of it as I coveted my neighbors bowl of oatmeal with crusty sugar on top. Next time. Don't get me wrong, not knocking the scramble. It was great, but not crunchy topped oatmeal great.

After breakfast we headed over to Vivace for a little hot chocolate and took some silly pictures.

Then we headed up to a place I've never been, the Pittock Mansion.

Such a beautiful drive!

I love the fall!

I love new places!

I love mansions!

I love hot chocolate!

I love leaves!

Please Excuse Me...

2010-11-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

Please excuse my absence in the last month(s).

I have been a little bit preoccupied doing this:

Ok, so that's not me...but maybe it will be in a few months

♥ ♥ ♥

That's right folks....we're pregnant! about 10 and a half weeks along and so excited!

Lots of baby posts ahead, so stay tuned! Any guesses on the sex?

(we won't know until after Christmas)

Droooool

2010-09-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

i want:

maybe throw a boy in there too somewhere.

{but that's beside point}

Due to my current obsession with everything farm-like,

Farmhouse Wares

and

White Flower Farmhouse

feeding my love for updated rustic decor. I could spend hour on here! If only I had years to collect all these things from antique stores and flea markets. I would save a lot more money, that's for sure. Nonetheless, just looking is making me so excited to have a little house some day :-) enjoy, my friends.

♥

Yes please to all of these items.

♥

Fill In the Blank Friday

2010-09-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hooray. Fill in the blanks. That's what we're doin' today. hey hey hey.

its a song.

If you feel so inclined, copy and paste the questions and your own answers on your blog and link it up to Lauren's heeeeere.

1. The strangest thing I've ever eaten is alligator jerky. sick.

2. I wouldn't be caught dead in public with pajama pants on. Not sweats...we're talkin' full on PJ's...with bananas or monkeys or something like that...know what I'm talkin' about? Come on folks...put some jeans on.

3. When I am 75 I will.... look back and say,

"well, that was fun".

4. If I had to be named after a place I would want to be named Carolina.

5. My name is "Amanda" - after a girl my dad new in high school who he said was "the sweetest, most kind person" he ever knew. I'm not sure if i totally live up to that but I hope I'm at least a little bit worthy of nice girl's name. - "Lee" - after General Robert E. Lee. Just kidding, I'm not sure if that's really true...I'm pretty sure its just Lee because it sounded cute with Amanda.

6. My all time favorite photo is a photo of mine and Ben's feet standing on a cute stone landing on a date. I love it because I remember taking it so vividly, and how much fun we were having. It was the night before we left each other for a whole month while we were dating (which is like torture when you're in l-o-v-e). It will always be one of my favorites.

(my friend put a little caption on it for me, kinda sweet)

7. If I could afford it I would quit work immediately So i could begin working on the following things I would then have time for:

.plant a garden.cabinet makeover.bedroom makeover.replace the carpet with hardwood.have a baby.take my dog to a Brittany trainer.buy my mom & dad a boat.fly to India.start a REAL recipe book.spend more time with family.work out more.

Joy The Baker

2010-09-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

I just need to share this with you all.

Joy The Baker

Does everyone already love her?

If you don't currently love her, you need to love her. Her blog is hilariously real.

Trust me you will love it, but you have to read every word. She's a crack up.

party time

2010-09-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been itching to throw a party or a small dinner to savor the last moments of summer while we still have it. Not that I'm sad. I love fall, but that's another post. Here are some lovely ideas I have been drooling over lately.

{All images found via Erin Ever After}

maybe a farmer's market inspired table of color

a frilly buffet of sweets

so girly. i need an occasion for this. A baby shower?

quick, someone get pregnant with a girl whose name starts with "R"

perhaps something along these beautiful lines.

"L is for Libations". i love it.

again with the paper bunting decorations

a colorful, whimsical, vignette

I'm gonna need a lake for this one. and only one guest.

so many romantic and woodsy details.

Now all I need is an occasion. Actually, scratch that, no occasion necessary.

life. life is the occasion.

♥

Things I Have Been Doing

2010-08-31T08:37:00.000-07:00

really exciting post title. I wonder what it will be about?

Last week Ben was gone in Arizona for work all week, so I put myself to work a little bit, with the help of my bestest good friend Annalore, and gave him an office face-lift. I erased all my pictures of it because he was being sneaky and snooping through my phone. So I don't have any before and after photos. I'll take some more and put them up now that its not a surprise anymore. He was pretty excited though, he said "i want to sleep in here". I said "not ok".

This last weekend we had some good times relaxing and hanging out with the family. Since I'm lame and always forget to take pictures, I'll show you a few things that the last week/weekend have entailed...

Frozen yogurt for dinner 2 out of the 5 nights I was home alone. The other 3 nights included one night of happy hour, one night of cereal and a bag of kettle corn, and one night of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Hello college student.

Hanging out with this little stinker. She is getting so big I can't even handle it. She was pretty hilarious at the farmers market and the fountain. Soooo much to look at. I freakin' love her!

We stocked up on veggies and fruit and BBQ sandwiches. Funny story of the day: Rachel (sister-in-law) got a thing of fries, and whilst standing in line, an elderly gentleman came up to her, tapped her on the shoulder, and the following transaction took place:

man: "are you gonna eat all those?"

Rachel: "no, I'm sharing them."

man: {reaches out and grabs a french fry off her plate and EEEAAATS IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER}

What the heck?

Anyway, here's the cute baby to look at...with my giant hand.

Since I was feeling project-happy while Ben was gone...I also rigged up this little guy here. I have been needing a place to display all the cute invitations, cards, and save-the-dates I have been getting and I got tired of a ream of paper being dumped on my kitchen floor every time I open the fridge...so I decided this was a better option. Look at the stinkin' truck one on the left. I guess you can't really see it, but it belongs to my friend sweet friend who just got married with a country wedding. Her pictures are adorable.

So there are a couple things i have been up to. Some of the other include delicious dinners with friends, visiting a new church downtown for the night, brunch with my parents, and work...which is unnecessary to blog about.

And now, go check out miss Lauren's giveaway!

2010-08-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

15 things i ♥

about my dog

(because I'm mad at him for waking me up 4 times last night with his giant 60lb body sprawling all over the bed and kicking me in the face and barking at shadows and scaring the crap out of me at 4 AM).

1. the way the top of his head smells (it still smells like puppy)

2. he barks at strangers walking by, which used to annoy me, but now it makes me feel safe :-)

3. he is the cuddliest dog in the world.

4. he growls like he's so tough but his tail is wagging out of control

5. he can chase a bird all the way around the lake without getting tired

6. he eats his own poop. (ok i actually hate that)

7. he is always excited to see me

8. he loves to play in the baby pool

9. he's a champion hunter (in his own head)

10. he gives kids kisses but never bites them

11. he knows the best tricks

12. his little head tilts when he hears the words "bone, walk, run, park, camp, birdie, peanut butter, daddy, ride, and play."

13. he is friends with everyone, even shy, grumpy old dogs

14. he knows when i'm sad

15. he's not afraid of anything {except balloons}

There, I love him more now. Works everytime.

♥ ♥ ♥

Busy busy

2010-08-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Oops. I went to Ikea.

♥

Twice. Two days in a row. I am busy working on a very sneaky project.

more to come....

muwahaha

Things To Look At

2010-08-20T08:43:00.001-07:00

Well, I am aware that I have been m.i.a. in the blogging world lately. Sorry 'bout that folks. Sometimes I get so busy in real life that by the time i sit down to blog, all my thoughts have left me, and i don't really know what to talk about anymore. You know what i mean? Anyone? (you're lying if you say no)

Anyway, it seems like I always get on here on Friday and do fill in the blanks with Lauren, but today its all about TV, and really, I wouldn't have much to say...since i basically hate TV and think its a big giant waste of time and most of it makes me sad for our world. Call me out of touch. R.I.P. Lost. :-( So, since its Friday, and I won't be filling in blanks, I will just leave you with some lovely things I enjoyed seeing in Blogland throughout the week.

♥

Becca's sweet family shoot at life at 1521
♥

a DIY s'mores bar at Dandelion and Grey

♥

A french country wedding at Design*Sponge

♥

creating my own version of these

Goat.Cheese.Stuffed.Turkey.Burger.with.Homemade.Roasted.Red.Pepper.Longest.Name.for.a Burger.Ever.Burger...Burger.

its friday, ok? I'm allowed to be a little off my rocker.

I hope my weekend is as yummy on my eyes and my tummy as the week has been. Seriously, you need to make those burgers. So good. I didn't use the pepper relish, i just roasted some peppers and slapped them on there. easier. thats what I'm all about.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Saturday Edition

2010-08-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

Fill in the Blank Friii...

uhhh...

Saturday!!

Today for Breakfast I ate: a piece of Dave's spelt toast and some plain greek yogurt with honey. funny story...i bought some greek yogurt cups at Whole Foods the other day, and i decided to have one for a snack...as I'm thinking to myself "this is the most delicious thing i have ever eaten in my life...whyyyy is this so good?", I look down only to find that it is not non-fat...nor is it even low-fat. BUT instead...it has 280 calories...14 grams of fat...and 23 grams of sugar...(and only 6 grams protein). UMMM...excuse me...was i eating ice cream only not as good and for a mid-morning snack? pretty much!

My go-to/never fail recipe is: coconut macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi.

Super easy...just salt and pepper some mahi steaks...pan fry them on one side...then flip, brush the other side with light coconut milk and pile it with a mixture of melted butter, crushed macadamia nuts, and panko bread crumbs. Then stick them in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the topping is crusty and the fish is flaky. SO good, and always a crowd pleaser.

Something I eat that people think is weird is: Cottage cheese with almost anything dipped in it. chips, veggies, tortillas, toast, pretty much anything. I must say though...when i was a kid..my favorite thing to eat was white rice leftover from dinner the night before with butter and sugar. absolutely no nutritional value...but probably just as good for me as fruity pebbles! Try it, its delightful.

My worst cooking disaster ever was: my freshman year of college i really wanted to cook something for my roomies...so i decided to make the recipe on the side of the saltine crackers box....i don't think i need to say anything else.

If i could eat one flavor of ice cream for the rest of my life it would be: the flavor i tried last night for the first time...Tillamook's Espresso Mocha. Oh dear it was so delicious. It tasted like these milkshakes we used to make at The Beanery where i worked in college with like 8 scoops of vanilla ice cream, and 2 shots of espresso mixed with ground chocolate. This ice cream is the only thing I have found that is even close to being as good as those shakes. And yes, I said 8 scoops of vanilla ice cream.

One food I hate and avoid at all costs is: Raw Onions. Its my only problem with Chipotle..all the salsa has huuuuge chunks of raw onion. Seriously people, sick.

What is your favorite meal? Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner? I'm going to say dinner. I like eating at the end of a long day. It is relaxing and I love sitting down at the table, whether its at home, with friends, or at a restaurant. I like the act of sitting down for a meal. Plus, dinner is really the only meal that I spend any time planning for/making. Its rewarding to see people enjoying what you put some effort into making for them.

Thanks Lauren! I always love talking about food...as we all know ♥ Have a happy weekend everybody!

{very} young love.

2010-08-06T08:35:00.001-07:00

Look at my cute parents.

My dad is hilarious. My mom is 17 here. Thats how old she was when they got married. People say I got married young (20).

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

By the way, if you're wondering why she is so tan...she told me they used baby oil mixed with iodine.

safe.

The Great Outdoors

2010-07-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

25 things I ♥.

{about camping}

1. swimsuits instead of underwear

2. lakes

3. paddle boats

4. dirty feet for days

5. campfire smell

6. sunscreen

7. french press

8. spaghetti on a paper plate

9. peeing in the woods

10. hiking

11. being in nature for three days straight

12. peanuts

13. licorice

14, judging the time of day by the sun in the sky

15. no cell service

16. no facebook

17. cereal all day long

18. justifying Shasta grape soda

19. pretending like lake water makes you clean

20. waking up with the sun

21. NAPS

22. watching Ben fish

23. being kinda scared of animal noises at night

24. new tunes for the trip there

25. s'mores with Reese's

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Going camping this weekend at 3 creeks lake with some friends. So excited for a much-needed break from the world!

Do you camp? How do you camp: roughin' it or fancy pants camping?

Blanks + Friday = fill them in.

2010-07-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Fill In The Blanks
(because its Friday and I said so)

1. A very nostalgic place that reminds me of being a kid is

Tennessee. I have lots of fun memories of being at my Nanny Marshall's house. I could go on and on but now is not a good time to be gushing out memories.

{see}

2. If someone really wants to show me how much they love me

they should do something thoughtful for me. Something that i know they put a little effort into. It doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate. For instance...once for my birthday Ben got me an art easel and some canvasses, paint and really nice brushes. TOTAL surprise. i never said i wanted this, but he knew i loved art and it would be special to me. thoughtful.

3. Lately I've been wondering a lot about

what our life will look like in one year.

4. When it comes to saving money

I am getting better. I always assume we don't have a lot of extra to save, which is not true. God bless my husband for the budget. I'm with Lauren, I don't live out of my means. I want to save up for important things...scratch that...experiences. vacations, parties, dinners, events. Things that make memories, not possessions.

5. I'd prefer

tent camping

over

fancy camping

any day!

i hate when i see people camping with tv and refrigerators. But to each their own.

6. I wish I knew how to make

gardens grow. When i have space for one, I want to grow all my own veggies and have a hen to make me some eggs. That way if the economy falls apart and the grocery stores are empty, I will know how to take care of my family...pioneer woman style.

7. I'm just waiting for

the next season of our lives. ;) I have a certain itch that I would like to scratch before too long.

♥ ♥ ♥

Thanks Lauren, fun fun. Go to her blog and link up your answers if you please!

....

2010-07-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

I go bye bye now.

oh wait...its 2 pm on Thursday. nevermind.

one of these days...

2010-07-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

This wall of flowers will be present in my house....with smelly little kids in those beds.

{see}
♥

25 things I love.

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

love

I am in a group with 5 or six other newly married gals studying through a book by John Powell called "The Secret of Staying in Love". Its such a wealth of good wisdom on all relationships through communication. The book is out of print, but if you can wrangle up a copy, I highly reccommend it (nerd-alert). Anyway, one of the ladies in my group told us about an exercise that she and her husband did at their pre-marital counseling that sounded fun. They both separately wrote down 100 things that they love. it could be anything. colors. food. places. smells. anything. Then they gave it to the other person so they could always have some help to think of something special to do for the other person. Sometimes I think i expect too much of Ben...like he is superman and is supposed to be sitting around all day long thinking up exciting dates and cute things he can do for me that he knows I will love. get real. Do I spend all day doing that for him? Probably not. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to start compiling a list, 25 at a time. It puts you in a suprisingly good mood, dwelling on the things you love.

25 things I ♥ :

1.Time with Jesus in nature

2.family camping

3.babies

4.houses in the country

5.hardwood floors

6.Ben's itchy legs when he crawls in bed.

7.peaches

8.wildflowers

9.bunnies

10.fluffy shirts

11.antique furniture

12.almost anything in Anthropologie

13.coffee with vanilla cream

14.dresses that twirl

15.red

16.Christmas socks

17.my doggy

18.turquoise glass

19.going away on the weekend

20.dates

21. yellow

22.pink nail polish

23.Purell

24.India

25.tire swings

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

its pretty wonderful listing things you love.

try it!

time for a break.

2010-07-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

My life is going a bagillion-mazillion mph.

Here's what my schedule this week looks like:

Tuesday: work, softball game, fold laundry, make dinner, bed.

♥

Wednesday: work, run home and stuff something in my stomach, house church til 10

♥

Thursday: work, book study, grocery store, pick up Tangle's flea medicine, make dinner, gym, budget

♥

Friday: work, gym, dinner with friends

♥

Saturday: RUN, clean my house, take pictures of Becca and her cute family, pick up Ben.

I notice a lot of work...and absolutely no "nothing" time.

Ben and I have really been working on slowing things down a little bit, but I think we have come to this consensus:

Life is busy.

relationships take effort and time.

Time for yourself doesn't fall in your lap.

you have to choose to relax, it doesn't just happen.

We have decided to choose the relationships that are the most important and valuable to us and pour into them. And make time to do what is important to us. So, we have started to make a plan for EXTRA saving (aside from our regular savings, thank you Dave Ramsey) for things we want to do.

First on the list:

We don't have a camera, our last three have all pooped out on us, so the next one we get will be a fancy one (i don't know anything about cameras, i don't even know what that picture is..but it looks neat and impressive!).

second on the list:

a..

...VACATION.

maybe somewhere like this:

with a little of this:

or maybe this:

and this:

or, perhaps this:

we'll just have to see what we're in the mood for! :-)

What are you planning for?

Fill in the Blanks...(sans clever play on words)

2010-07-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Fill in the Blanks!

1. My favorite thing about this week has been

Seeing Ben work so hard at his new job. Seriously, he is doing so great, he's going to be one of the best they have ever had...I think he is working harder than anyone else alive...14 hours a day without complaining...just looking at the long-term benefits. I'm so proud of him! (not to mention he looks pretty dashing in his suit and tie).

2. The weather this week has been

SO amazing. Its so hot and it smells like Tennessee (which means it smells hot)

3. The last (interesting) item I received in the mail was

my Better Homes and Gardens. Cute little summer party ideas. I wish I could garden and then maybe I would be able to actually read the other 50% of the magazine?

4. The last movie I saw was

My Sister's Keeper. Ummm...if you want to cry for two straight hours go ahead and watch it, otherwise...don't bother. Its kinda depressing.

5. If I could be doing anything I felt like today I would

♥have about three hours of quiet time

♥turn the temp down about 10-15 degrees

♥go for a run

(my legs don't look quite

this awesome in running shorts)

♥make something exciting for lunch

♥paint my whole bedroom

♥go to Ikea

6. As a teenager I was

a little too ready to grow up.

7. I wish I could trade lives for the day with

thats too hard. I love my life! I would probably trade lives with Laura Ingalls because she had an awesome life full of cabins and gardening and pioneering.

Happy Friday!

Raise your hand if you're glad today is Friday!

(hand raise)

Dont forget to go to Lauren's blog and link up your answers here!

Cute as a Button

2010-07-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

uhhh, can you say cute?

These little cookies are destined to be the staple at my next girly gathering

(i don't actually know when my last "girly gathering"

was, but I'm sure I will have one someday, right?)

this little recipe from forty-six at grace

via how about orange I even have this little Demarle Silpat baking sheet, a gift for my wedding from my dear friend Lindy.

Dare I say...my most useful wedding gift?

I think so.

jusssst darling, don't you think?

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Cowgirls and boys

2010-07-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Its already Wednesday!!!! That is an amazing fact that I just had to share, and also the fact that I have not posted anything since last Friday. woops. Well, Friday night for TJ's Birthday we had ourselves a gigantic homemade southern dinner of the following:

fried chicken.

mashed potatoes.

corn bread.

watermelon.

baked beans.

sweet tea.

cupcakes.

Then I got to go pick Ben up from the airport after his week-long trip to AZ for work. I missed him!!! I had such a full tummy when I went to pick him up I thought I might fall asleep on the way to the airport...I even made him drive home. :-) (for safety, of course).

Saturday we headed to the beach for some AMAZING weather which we were not experiencing at home. There was not a cloud in the sky and we caught the most amazing sunset after some pizza and arcade games...yes we are awesome, and ten-year-olds. (i have no pictures because i was having too much fun to take any. sorry. use your imagination, kids.

Sunday, for the 4th we put on our boots and bandannas and went to the St Paul Rodeo! I have been to some Rodeos before, but boy did we stick out like a sore thumb at this one! HA! I was informed multiple times my "boots were outside my jeans", and that I "can't ride a horse with my boots like that", and that my "boots have silver trim on them".

Thank you.

cheese.

hipster rodeo?

cowboys.

"please do not take photos with our hats"

uhhh.

seester

(the iPhone takes way better pictures, huh?)

We caught the fireworks from the parking lot right over this HUGE wheat field...we were so close I thought debris would fall on my head.

Oh, and I ate a corn dog, which was the highlight of my night obviously.

Looking forward to a HOT rest of the week and a beautiful weekend!

Have a fantastical Wednesday.

Happy Birfday Teedles!

2010-07-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday to my bro today...

Trenton Joseph (TJ) Newell.

He's 20 and he did it!

TJ is not only a strapping young man of God, he is also a leather-working extraordinaire! He and his pal Ian have started making homemade leather pieces and have created quite the little business for themselves.

intorducing:

RELIK; trinkets and doo-dads.

the family

eight quarter pouch

the smallet

card pouch with red safety belt

He made me the ladies envelope wallet for my birthday back in May and I love it! I get tons of comments on it. Its all hand sewn, burned, and stamped.

Check out their creations, become a follower of their blog HERE, and pick one up for yourself. All one of a kind and totally original.

Maybe I'll host a little giveaway too? what do ya say? hey hey hey?

k, that's all. Happy Birthday TJ,

I Love You,

ya old fart!

Food in the Blank...

2010-06-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Today's fill in the blank game over at Lauren's blog is food themed...therefore I will play along!

(because i enjoy eating food)

1. If I could choose my last meal it would be

Pizza, hands down. Then red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

2. My favorite person to share a meal with is

Ben, and not just because I eat with him all the time. Its because he is the most appreciative eater I have ever seen. He loves everything. I remember one of the first things I made him was grilled cheese and tomato soup and he just about fell over in his chair. He said it was the best thing he had ever eaten (i think he really meant it), and he says that about everything you feed him. If you want to feel good about what you're making for dinner, feed it to my husband and you'll feel like a champ.

3. The best meal I've ever had was

on a date with Ben to Blue Hour downtown Portland. I had fried risotto cakes with truffle cream sauce and i almost died. It was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. Maybe I was just starving, but I was literally scraping my plate in the fancy restaurant. The lady at the table next to me even leaned over and said

"that good, huh?".

no joke.

4. The one food that makes me feel instantly better when I'm having a bad day is

Frozen Yogurt.

Half tart, half cookies and cream with strawberries, mangoes, blueberries, and mochi. I do love an old fashioned glazed donut, but sometimes, if my bad day has anything to do with eating too much gluten, it can make me feel worse after the 30 seconds of consumption has passed.

5. My absolute specialty in the kitchen is

hmmm, good question. I think I'm a little too new to cooking to have a specialty quite yet. I must say though, I know how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwhich. fancy.

6. The city that has the best food is

New Orleans

and my favorite restaurant there is

Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter. You must go there once in your life and beignets with powdered sugar and cafe au lait.

If you get them to go, they put them in a paper sack and literally DUMP powdered sugar in the bag. Its the most delicious thing in the world, and if you can experience it in NOLA its even better. I love them so much we gave away little personalized helpings of the mix as favors at our southern themed wedding.

7. My favorite healthy snack is

shelled edamame, or a piece of toast with a few slices of avocado and tomato. And I always love a good banana.

8. In my opinion the nationality which has the best food is

Italian. Cheese, garlic, pasta, tomatoes, mushrooms, bread, wine, so amazing.

9. If I could learn to cook anything in the world (and be really good at it!) I'd choose

probably sushi, because it is such an art. Either that, or cake making. I don't really have the patience for these kinds of things.

10. The most outrageous dessert I've ever had was

at PF Changs, the Great Wall of Chocolate. Its a huge slice of chocolate cake laying on its side and it has like 8 layers. Its massive, if the cake was standing up with would be at least a food tall. Not the most delicious cake i have ever had, but it was hilarious to see all the forks at the table devour it in about 2 minutes. It reminded me of the movie Matilda where the fat kid has to eat the chocolate cake in front of the whole school. Anyone know what I'm talkin' about?

Thanks Lauren! Post a link to your own answers on her blog, here!

Have a delicious Friday!

♥

2010-06-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

Its beautiful (but freeeeezing) outside my window.

Here is a little question game to start off the week. It'll be a busy one for me!

six names you go by:

.Amanda.

....

.Hey.

....

."ding"(the bell ringing at the desk at my work).

....

."what's your name again?".

....

...i can only think of four.

three things you're wearing right now:

.navy/white striped sailor tank (F21)

....

.new mustard short sleeved cartigan (Target)

....

.turquoise jingley necklace (F21)

....

notice a theme?

Cheap

four things you want at this exact moment:

.sun.

....

.hardwood floors.
....

.a well behaved dog.

....

.a vacation.

two things you did last night:

.ate mahi-mahi and corn on the cob.

....

.hung out with my fam.

two people you last talked to on the phone:

.mom.

....

.ben.

two things you're going to do tomorrow:

.help out in NE.

....

.celebrate Father's Day again.

three favorite drinks:

.iced vanilla dopio with cream.

....

.iced soy green tea latte.

....

.plain ol' french press with

reallyreallybadforyoubecauseithashighfructosecornsyrupinit

vanilla creamer.

Play along if you'd like,

and have a delightful Monday!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

pretty pretty...

2010-06-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

please.

(see)

with a cherry on top?

joy. ful.

2010-06-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

What a joyful weekend!

This weekend was pretty incredible! Absolutely beautfil weather in Portland.

cough cough...finally...cough cough

We had tons of fun in the sunshine. It was a weekend of celebrating..Ben passed his series 7 exam on Friday so now he is one step closer to being licensed to sell securities! I'm married to a stock broker...weird! So proud of him, he got a 90% and its one of the hardest tests you can take. YAY HUSBAND! We went out to dinner with our families on Friday night to celebrate Ben's test and my daddy's big fat raise! ...and I almost passed out at the table because I was so tired from the week.

Anyway, on Saturday we got up and did one of our favorite things to do on Saturday mornings...Went for a drive out in the country and looked at old houses and dreamed of buying them and fixing them up and putting babies and dogs and cute furniture in them.

♥

(told you I would wear these this weekend)

We stopped at the cutest little place called SouthStore. A little cafe in an old house on the way to Newberg. I got an iced americano and a quiche. Ben got a turkey bacon and brie sandwhich (yum) and an iced tea. We sat out on the porch with Tangle who gets super tired in the sun. Its great. (and i got a new hat which is also great)

We went to champoeg park and laid out in a clearing with Tangle

(on the Pocahontas blanket, stylin').

We finished off the night with our friends Jeremy and Katy. Had (gigantic) burgers and watched The Departed. Not good. Well, good, but so much ridiculous language.

♥ ♥ ♥

Sunday morning it was beautiful again, and Ben went to play tennis with his bro, so I went for a run and to the gym, and came home and made the most delicious oatmeal with fresh fruities, yogurt, honey and cinnamon. I cheated on my iced coffee and made it with Starbucks Via.

Not bad actually!

laid out in the hammock and read for a little while...

Then went to Allison's pool and met up with Stephen & Rachel and baby Avery. Her first pool experience. It was pretty stinkin precious. She loved it! Ben loved it too. I think he needs one.
(a baby, not a pool)

Said farewell for now to my dear sweet little friend Laura. She is moving to Eugene and I will miss her sweet face! I love you Laura!

An amazing weekend! I am super blessed :-)

PS...its supposed to be sunny for the next 7 days. Praise Jesus!

a long friday.

2010-06-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

Its been a long week! A few things that are getting me through my twelve hour Friday work day...

cousins.

dreaming of this vacation.

my oregon print.

i ♥ my state.

yes, even now.

wishing for this dining spot.

an art project.

my mantle with a little inspiration.

my birthday present.

(which i will don again when the flood in my backyard dries up)

Annnd THIS video. which i'm sure is old news by now, but i just love it!

well, only elevn hours to go until an 80 degree weekend!

enjoy your Fridays!

Oh, hi!

2010-05-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Oh...well hi there!

Okay okay, I know that I have been a very bad girl...but i'm not really sorry because i have been having lots and lots of fun :-). Not that blogging isn't fun...but hey, the sun has been out.

Anyway, I thought i would share a little bit of mother's day festivities (i know, kinda late) with ya'll. We had my mom and dad and bro and sister in law (who is a new mommy) over on mother's day for a little brunch. It was so warm we ate outside!

sorry for the not-so-top-knotch-photography.

The Menu:

.mimosas.

.buttermilk blackberry scones.

.cheesey hashbrown caserol.

(via Paula Deen)

.fresh fruit.

The Decor:

hydrangea and ranunculus

$10.00

paper flowers made from tissue paper at the dollar store.

$2.00

place settings using things i already had

$0.00

mismatched vases wrapped in target dollar bin twine
$1.00

sunshine

$0.00

celebrity guest

(Avery)

a fun day celebrating my mommy!

i love parties.

♥

Drum Roll Please....

2010-05-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the lovely Diamanti giveaway is...

♥ Becca ♥

over at life@1521

(my hyperlinker is being stupid so i can't link to her page but here her blog address): http://lifeat1521.blogspot.com/

Here's what she won...

congrats Becca! Thanks to everyone else for playing along, now go get some goodies from Tori at her shop.

and have a happy Monday!

ps...home computer still down...blogging on hold until further notice! :-(

Procrastinaters Unite

2010-04-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you like to procrastinate.

(hand raise)

(see)

So, the giveaway drawing is postponed...

...because i'm busy.

...and also because more people need to enter its loveliness.

..and also my computer at home broke down so i can only blog at work which is not a good use of my time and i feel guilty doing that...

...so enter if you haven't already because i'll be picking a winner on...

SUNDAY!

A Very Pretty Giveaway

2010-04-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today is an exciting day for me.

why?

because I am hosting my very first giveaway!

I have been wanting to do a give-away for quite a while now, but haven't really had any excess of time on my hands to make anything particularly worthy of giving away. A lame excuse, i know this. Nevertheless...i was asked to do host a giveaway for an amazingly talented little lady, found via my friend Sharlyn, and her refurbished jewelry creations, which i absolutely have fallen in love with. introducing....

Tori at Diamanti

Her etsy shop is Diamanti, and its just perfect.

Am i allowed to win my own give-away? probably not.

Here is whats up for grabs.

i am envious.

here's how it works. its pretty easy folks, there are 3 chances to win.

1)go browse the Diamanti etsy shop and pick out your fav, come back and
leave a comment on why you like it.

2)leave another comment (thats two comments, double chances to win, yesss) if
you are a follower of this blog.

3)post a link to this giveaway on your own blog or on facebook, or twitter (but i dont use twitter so i'll never actually know), and leave a comment with the link!

I'll be picking a winner on Wednesday evening, April 28th.

And while you're at it, don't forget to enter Lauren's giveaway over at The Little Things We Do. maybe you'll win two, won't that be special!

Can i please?

2010-04-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Dear sun,

can you please stick around for more than two days at a time so
that i can do the following things.
so i can...

ride in this

walk down this

be barefoot here

go to this party

and eat these

carry flowers in this

and lounge here

(images found via erineverafter)

ummm, please? ok thank you, have a good day behind the clouds.

love always,

Amanda and her friends

♥

Fill in The Blank Friday

2010-04-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Fill that blank in right now. do it now.

then put it here so i can read it.

k? thanks.

1. The first thing I do in the morning is

go for a quick 3
mile run to get the day started....?
(obviously not).

I get up and get a cup of coffee that i didnt have to make because my
coffee pot is smart and made it for me, how nice of it. Thank you , thoughtful
coffee pot.

(wake up)

2. Every night before bed i set three alarms and pre-make the coffee so it
starts in the morning.

3. My favorite thing to do when I'm having a bad day is ...oops, go shopping..just a little bit
.

4. Something that makes me cringe is when i go to the gym and use the studio room when
there is no class going on...and there is ONE guy in there, grunting and
blasting fowl rap music with f-bombs and nasty lyrics SO loud that i can't even
keep count of my reps in my head. Then he starts rapping along and walking up to
the mirror and looking at his muscles in it...then realizing he is an employee
of the gym...and not just an employee...a manager.

5. Social situations are great, but sometimes I would rather be by myself in
some quiet space because i don't get that very often.

6. I like to collect anything old. I wouldnt say i really have a
collection of anything specific, jsut little odds and ends that grab my
attention or seem like a good deal.

7. Weekends are for not caring what time it is.

princess moment

2010-04-15T16:37:00.001-07:00

this pretty much sums up how i feel right now.

pout.

Sombody tell me to get over it already.

image from The Dark Side via weheartit

2010-04-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

.Happy Monday.

This weekend went by too fast! I thoroughly enjoyed the infrequent bursts of sunshine though! We got a chance to do our most favorite of things...BBQ. Ben's birthday was a couple weeks ago, and the family surprised him with a tiny little party and big fat new grill.

a little birthday banner

made out of a $.25 book
and some twine from the $1.00 bin at target

a proud man and his grill
(complete with bottle opener).

and a happy, muddy puppy.

Hopefull the sun sticks or around (or should i say, comes back) so Ben can try all his fancy-schmancy recipes on tips from his "BBQ Bible".

Got any good grilling tips or recipes to share?

Love love love love today

2010-04-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

I love today.

(toasty)

I am a happy girl. I am sitting on my couch with a cup of coffee, Ben is taking Tangle puppy to daycare (yessss), i have a new vacuum, there are daffodils on my kitchen table, i have four new springy items in my closet (OK lets be honest, they haven't made it to my closet yet, they truthfully still hanging over my dresser mirror so i can admire them), i have grainy, seed-filled, spelty, flourless delicious toast in my belly, and I have some marvelous things on my agenda today:

**not necessarily in this order**

1: rid my floors, dresser-tops, guest room chairs, and all other non-laundry-holding-intended items of unwanted laundry. Yes, i will be folding and hanging and sorting and singing in my pj's whilst doing so.

2: Home Depot trip for the following items:
♥ cabinet latches to prevent puppy intrusion under the sink where the garbage can is.
♥ one large can of chalkboard paint for the wall behind my kitchen table...which now is green and holds a much smaller chalkboard from ikea which never has enough room for all the things i need to remember in a day.
♥ one light switch cover, hanging lamp cord kit, and a wire basket for a little homemade lamp action (we'll see how that turns out...we all know i am bad at following directions).

3: A special anniversary drive in the country with miss Annalore.

(drive)

4: Coconut macadamia nut crusted Mahi mahi. delish.

5: A life-changing (not really), way too hard work out with Jillian Michaels, who I am growing to hate more and more. check it out here. prepare to have leg tremors.

Happy Saturday to y'all!

Fill in the Donut Holes...I mean blanks

2010-04-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

Fill In The Blank

why?

Because its Friday. Duh.

Its also...FRIDAY DONUT DAY! WAHOO!!!!

(see)

(a very small, tiny donut...with rainbow sprinkles)

here we go, fillin' it in...

1. The strangest thing I've ever eaten was

Alligator jerky in New Orleans. odd. gross. Tasted like fishy beef. if that makes sense.

2. My best friend is

the person who will laugh at me when I'm 80 and can't hold my farts in while i walk (i'm married to him).

3. If I could live in a different era it would be

late 1800's, early 1900's.

because

I want to be a pioneer and plant peas in my garden and live in a house made of sod like laura ingalls wilder.

4. I like

to sleep in on Saturdays, take Tangle to doggie daycare (genius invention), drink coffee and eat toast and eggs in my pjs with ben, put on saturday clothes (leggings, tennies, pony-tail, bangs pinned back, sweatshirt), maybe throw in one load of laundry and forget to fold it, finally get in the shower at 5 pm, light the BBQ, have some friends over, get back in pj's, watch a flick, fall asleep.

5. If you only know one thing about me it should be

That the only reason I get up in the morning is because of hope. Its because I have something greater that I live for. I am living to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. I wake up every morning knowing that i am loved unconditionally and redeemed, and that i have found everything I have ever or will ever want, and that I can live every single day with that assurance. You should know that anything good in me is not from me but from Him. :-)

*sigh*

6. My favorite book of all time is

"Little House on the Prairie", by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Actually, the whole set. My mom and dad used to read these to me every night, and then I would sit in his lap and he would let me read them to him. good memories. And I found out that my good friend Laura is distantly related to her! AMAZING! lucky gal.

7. The one beauty product I couldn't live without is

Big Sexy Hair spray-"spray and play". Without it, my hair is a flat, sad, lifeless mess...this stuff is magic on my hair. Makes it big and voluminous and just the right amount of textured without being sticky or crunchy. and it stays in there for a few days and gives you that second or third day hair look. Love it. Can't live without it. $18.00 bucks a can every two weeks better be worth it.

8. Blogging is

a whole new world that I didn't really know existed. Kinda fabulous. I love every one's uniqueness and I love when you find out that someone is really inspired our touched or tickled by something you said, not knowing if anyone would read it.

9. If I could star in a movie with any actor/actress I would want to work with

my bff (girl version) Anna. Nobody would watch our movie though, because we would be the only people who would think its funny. Everyone else would actually probably find it annoying. Raise your hand if you know what kind of friendship i'm talking about. (hand raise)

10. One of the best feelings in the world is

Dreaming up unrealistic plans with Ben and really not caring if they pan out or not, but knowing that it doesn't really matter because we will be together anyway.

Enjoy your own blank filling fun,

and link it up here to Miss Lauren's.

Happy Friday!

American Honey

2010-04-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

♥For my Mama and my Nanny♥

Listen*
She grew up on the side of the road
Where the church bells ring and strong
love grows

She grew up good
She grew up slow
Like American honey
Steady as a preacher
Free as a weed
Couldn't wait to get goin'
But wasn't quite ready to leave
So innocent, pure and sweet
American honey

There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime
And American honey

Get caught in the race
Of this crazy life
Tryin' to be everything can make you lose your mind
I just wanna go back in time
To American honey, yea

There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime
And American honey

Gone for so long now
I gotta get back to her somehow
To American honey

There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothin's sweeter than summertime
And American honey

2 years with My Lobster

2010-03-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today, on March 29, 2008, I married this handsom guy.

And I could not imagine being happier.

I love you Ben. Excited about many many more years and memories with you. I'm blessed to know you, and even more blessed to be loved by you. You're the best person I know. You've got me forever.

..........

I will always love you.

I will always let you spoon me in the morning with your scruffy chin.

I will always walk right next to you.

I will always make you grilled cheese with secret sauce.

I will always tell you Im the most proud of you.

I will always let you wear socks and sandals.

I will always dream big dreams with you.

I will always trust you.

I will always play with you.

I will always pick you first.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

year #2: Cotton

2010-03-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

In honor of our 2 year anniversary coming up on Monday...

Cotton.

in a cup

in style

on my feet

in a frosty field

sleepy time cotton

in the sky

on my taste buds

not sure if we will go traditional this year on the anniversary gifts. Pretty versatile though...maybe i'll come up with something fun.

Any good ideas?

( ♥ all images from weheartit ♥ )

Spring

2010-03-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

This morning the lady giving me my coffee told me i look like spring personified. that made me happy.

I am so ready. bring it on. I want to do this all day long.

(image from here)

that is all, because this is all i can think about.

the end.

"punch it back"

2010-03-22T08:04:00.001-07:00

This morning i told Ben that I felt like the day punched me in the face. He said "well, punch it back." i love him.

So, since I feel like Monday Morning smacked me in the face, I shall smack it back by thinking about things that I love...

Take THAT Monday!

♥ ♥ ♥

the cutest puppy in the world.

feeling tiny

a place in my heart on the other side of the world.

a mad tea party.

best friends

being a girl

building a little home and pretending

its the safest place in the world

being a lot in love

rainy day boots

baby bunnies

staying in bed way too long

frozen yogurt with strawberries

( all images except Tangle and me and Ben at the beach taken from weheartit.com )

half infuriating, half precious.

2010-03-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

there are no more words to describe.

♥ ♥ ♥

what on earth?

2 (+1=3) Things I Love Around My Home

2010-03-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am playing along with Kassi over at Bacwoods Fern today and sharing two things I love around my home....except I'm cheating and sharing 3 because i can't decide today. So there!

Drum roll please...

#1: This window. Its from my house that I grew up in. It was a little downtown bungalow and OBVIOUSLY it needed the windows to be replaced. This guy here was also in our wedding. I love it. such history.

#2: our coffee table we scored from Hollywood Reruns. Same place we get our yellow chair. $30. great shape. nice finish (minus a couple tiny bite marks from Tangle).

#3: This little yellow apron thirfted by the lovely Lauren and delivered to moi as a gift. I love it the little half aprons. so dainty! Brings me joy when cleaning dirty dishes...something that is almost impossible :-)

I love love love these 3 little things at home. Excited to see what YOU love. Don't forget to link up here if you play along!

Happy Tuesday

♥ ♥ ♥

"M" is for Monday...and Monogram

2010-03-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to my friends Katie and Dan's wedding. I met Katie at OSU and loved her instantly, you can't possibly NOT love her instantly. Anyway, she is super creative and spunky and unique in every way. Needless to say I was excited to see what was in store for her wedding. Besides the fact that she is naturally creative, she has spent some time working at anthropologie and now is a product assistant at Keen Footwear...so I knew we would be in store for some cuteness.

D is for Dan

can you tell she

worked at anthropologie?

stinkin' cute

and look what we got them!

what a coinkydink!

cute little lacy wrap action

by yours truly

Other than one of the most adorable weddings I've been to in a while, the weekend was full of reuniting with old friends, lots and lots of deep house cleaning (i mean scrubbing bathroom floors and ceilings with a toothbrush), a little sunshine, a cute date, homemade BBQ chicken pizza, and self-serve frozen yogurt adventures with family.

Now its back to the grind. Trying out four ten-hour days this week so i can have a day off by myself in the middle of the week to get things done around the house. We'll see if i make it through! It's spirit week at the retirement home where I work and today is slipper day...so i am feelin' cozy and warm today. Should make it a little easier :-)

Happy Monday,

enjoy whatever you're doing,

wherever you are!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Fill in the Blank

2010-03-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's Friday! I almost forgot!

Today i told my co-worker "i wish it was Friday".

Boy was I happy when she told me it actually is!

So, let's just Fill In The Blank with the lovely Lauren at The Little Things We Do. If you do your own, link it up here so we can see!

1. The best day ever was the day I decided to stop being stupid and hurting other people and to start trusting Jesus.

2. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast because i always have such an appetite at breakfast, and it makes me feel good, the idea that im fueling my boddy for the rest of the day. Plus i think having breakfast in your pj's with your hubby and puppy is just cute.

(see)

3. This weekend will be full of office decorating, laundry, weddings, cleaning, and hopefully some rest.

4. Never in my life have I had a bloody nose. I mean a natural one, unless you count Stephen (my big bro) kicking me in the nose when we were playing power rangers when we were kids.

5. The only thing better than shopping is shopping by myself with no time limit or budget...actually its not fair for me to say that, since that has never happened in my life...but i can imagine it would be simply amazing . yes?

6. I could really do with some napping by a river or something peaceful like that.

7. The most recent thing I bought myself was a few versitile things from Forever21. cheap and cheerful. A cute gray dress to dress up or down for work or play, a light purple flowey skirt (for spring, of course), a white tank with little fluffy ruffles at the neck, and a high waisted light gray skirt.

Happy Friday!

Have a magnificent weekend!

♥ ♥ ♥