Tuesday, December 27, 2011

a new look in the kitchen...

so i was thinking about two things i got for christmas, that i very much love...and combining them.

 ill bake yummy treats in my new pink kitchen aid mixer...


while wearing these...


ill add a cute apron...and voila! id be the best wifey ever. these gifts could be just as much for boo as they are for me :)

what? you don't wear pumps when you're baking in the kitchen, looking flushed and beautiful, all while smelling like decadent cake batter? 


merry christmas...a few days late!

hoping everyones christmas was sweet and blessed. i have had such a wonderful time with family and thinking about the simplicity of jesus and his message; and his humility, which is part of his glory. 

here are the top ten highlights of my christmas:

1. having time to relax with boo (i am writing this in bed...and he is curled up, asleep, next to me! we live for days like today.)

2. the sweetest worship service on christmas eve...so simple and humble, like Him.

3. playing with my niece and nephew and attacking them with little kisses as much as possible :)

4. movies, movies, movies! at home, at the theatre, at family's houses...(my whole family went on christmas day...then as we were leaving my house at 10 p.m., boo and i spontaneously decided to go to another movie at 10:20) 

5. wrapping presents! i wish i had pictures of them...im pretty pleased with myself. dr. suess/how the grinch stole christmas was my inspiration for my color schemes and adornments!

6. coordinating my gifts for people: i gave my sister in law an adorable pie dish, pie server and pie cookbook. then i gave my niece a plastic pie making kit so she and mommy can bake together :). i also ordered my mom some rare childrens books that she had when she was a little girl...she cried when she opened them!

7. being completely spoiled by boo. he completely spoils me. i dont hate it.

8. a precious friend getting married to a wonderful man...it was a beautiful wedding.

9. my mom's mashed potatoes. enough said.

10. feeling overwhelmingly blessed by the people God has placed in my life...i love sharing my life with others and having them share theirs with me.

what were the highlights of your christmas? do share!!



Wednesday, December 21, 2011

glitter is my favorite color.

pinterest 

this girl is right...glitter for life! it's a color...it's an attitude. half the things on my christmas list are glittery. i cant help myself. 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

ornament craft exchange.

what a wonderful christmasy day today was! jason (boo's brother) and emilee came over and we went out to lunch, then drew names for an ornament exchange. we decided that we wanted to actually make our ornaments, so after lunch, we headed over to hobby lobby and schemed and shopped for supplies for about an hour, then came home to make our ornament for the person we drew! it was so incredibly fun. 

it just so happened that brian and i drew each other and jason and emilee drew each other. i made boo a UK basketball ornament:

boo made me a huge letter "C" with a snow-globe in the middle...it is very princessy and i am very impressed by his creativity :)

jason made emilee a snowman...it looked like something store bought, it was that good!

emilee's ornament for jason was so thoughtful. it looked like a big present and it had ten reasons why she loves jason inside. 

hanging our ornaments on the tree.

how cute :)


maybe we've started a tradition?

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

christmas decor.

 garland with lights and cinnamon scented pine cones. 


 pottery barn santa mug.

 our living room.


santa boot salt and pepper shakers & various christmas candles.

closeup of the tree.

greenery around the chandelier with sparkly snowflake ornaments and a table runner. 



oh, and christmas music playing allll the time! 

Monday, December 5, 2011

ahhh!! it's december!!!

hi lovlies!


wow, i am so sad that i have not been a consistent reader/blogger. the past few months have been a little crazy ("little" being an understatement here). school has been rough and made complete with more mental/emotional breakdowns than i ever think ive had in a semester (omg, i sound like an idiot...im not crazy, i promise). i feel like i have been stretched a lot these past few months with so many things, but i have found that when i am weak, He is strong! i feel like im in a season of learning what it means to be desperate. when i literally feel that i have nothing in me, i am desperate for Jesus to strengthen me and somehow work through me. He always does!!! this has been amazing to experience in all different areas of my life. it is a tough lesson, but He gets all the glory and i stand in awe of what He can do. 


thanksgiving was a blast. boo's brother who lives in nigeria, along with his wife, and their daughter, came home and surprised us for the holidays this year! the last we had seen them was last thanksgiving and they had been telling us that they had no idea when they were going to be down again, "definitely not any time soon," then voila, they show up and surprise us one sunday and are here until january 3! i am head over heels in love with their little girl, peyton, who is two and a half :)


anyways, i am getting so excited for christmas! the decorations are up and the shopping has been started. i am hoping to get some gifts wrapped this weekend. 


here's a little holiday inspiration for you!


are those cinnamon sticks around those candles? love them and the reindeer :)

ahhh dyyyyying, i love this so much. 

huge hanging ornaments :)

my mom actually got me a few of these santa mugs from pottery barn! they're on display around our living room.

"we elves like to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup." okay, guess what movie has been on a lot in our house ;)


all photos via pinterest. 

Sunday, November 6, 2011

november weekend goodness.

what a fantastic november weekend it was. not only has the weather been so perfect and autumn-y, but my roommate came to visit. we, along with our boos, caught up over coffee and fantastic local, organic food at wildflower cafe. i had the most amazing seasonal dish... butternut squash ravioli with nuts and goat cheese. it was heaven. and i miss this girl like crazy.


and today, my mom, sister, and two friends from our hometown went to see WICKED! if you've never seen it before, you need to. you'll never look at the wizard of oz the same again.


totally loving november... and there is more goodness to come! hope you all are enjoying this wonderful month as we get ready to transition into the holidays... YAY!

Friday, October 28, 2011

coffee in bed.


staying cozy on this chilly morning with coffee in bed. happy weekend. xoxo

Monday, October 17, 2011

happy sweet 16 to my not so little sis.


she is all grown up!! and what an awesome young woman, sister, daughter, friend, basketball player, guitar player, song writer, worshipper, comedian, entertainer, and dreamer she is. she is so godly and i couldn't be more proud :)

Saturday, October 8, 2011

oh, just some thoughts, recent happenings, and answered prayers.

truth: i am a tired, stressed out mess. 
truth: i hate social security offices.
truth: i am constantly asking Jesus to not only cover my sin, but to cover my stupid, human errors (he always does)


last night, boo and i went to kings island. they have their halloween events going on through the month of october, so it had a fun fall effect to it (although i HATE the scary houses...we only did two and i just do not like to be afraid...don't make fun of me for being scared of those). we rode some awesome rides and just got to act like little kids. to me, there's something romantic about theme parks and carnivals at nighttime. and i truly have the best husband ever. he is just so wonderful in every way....i really can't get over it. and i will never apologize for being mushy on here... i am his biggest fan!


also, the Lord has answered so many prayers lately and i am so thankful. after i got married and moved away from my college friends, life was busy, but very lonely. many times, with tear-filled eyes, i would just ask for God to give me a girlfriend, or a community of some sort that i could grow in. He was gracious to fulfill my request. a few months later i found out that my best friend from high school had happened to not only be moving back home, but to begin walking with the Lord again. not only this, but my small group from high school has been reunited and we are beginning to meet again...with another girl who had not been walking with God, but now is! we are meeting on tuesday evenings and are going to start reading "how people grow." i am so excited and beyond touched with how my Lord and Savior provides for me and moves to answer my prayers. when i am sluggish, doubtful, and tired in my faith, i remember all the kind things He does for me. 


there is so much i am learning right now, but life is crazy busy and i hardly have the time to post...but i really need to find time to post about what i am learning about what it means to be the bride of Christ, because it's awesome. 


i hope you all are blessed... i know i am, even in the midst of the tiredness, stress, and everything that life  and the enemy throws at us sometimes! 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

comfort food, soothing music, incredible lyrics.

what a crazy past few days it has been. i cannot wait to simply go home tonight and eat a slow, sit down (but easy) dinner with boo. i have had chicken marinating in italian dressing for the past 30ish hours and as soon as i get home i'm going to pop it in the oven and serve it up with some rice and fresh fruit. some comfort food, soothing music, time to sit down and be thankful sounds absolutely divine. 


speaking of soothing music, i adore brooke fraser. speaking of brooke frasier, i adore the song "faithful."  i am unable to attach a video, so just go here to hear it and see the lyrics. listen to the words...amazing.



Thursday, September 8, 2011

being emotional is not a weakness.


being emotional is not a weakness. how many times as a female have you been told to “be strong” or to “be logical” or to “think with your head and not your heart” every time you feel something deeply?
before i go any further, let me just say that emotions are never a weakness in and of themselves. it is our responses to our emotions that have the potential to be sinful. we have all been there and we all know what that looks like: lashing out, speaking or acting before thinking, seeking revenge, etc. in the same way, logic and reason have the same potential to be a weakness in our lives if they go against the Word of God. and many times we stray against the teachings of the Bible in the name of “logic.”  but we must remember that worldly wisdom is not God’s wisdom (1 corinthians 1:25).
as women, we tend to feel things very deeply. oftentimes, we have been told that this is a weakness. however, i believe that being emotional and sensitive is a part of our make-up. i do not think that this was a mistake on God’s part. in being created with a deep ability to feel, we have such a potential to be empathetic, nurturing, to fight against injustice, to love others deeply, all for the Kingdom. many times i find in myself an emotional response to God’s love, grace, and goodness. as a result, crying is one of the ways that i worship Him. and although God is to be worshipped based on the truth of who He is, whether we feel Him or not, emotions give us a great capacity to worship and respond to the Lord. 
please understand me when i say that just because women are  (typically) emotional does not mean that we are not logical. and just because men are (typically) logical, does not mean that they are not emotional. i am simply trying to reverse the misconception that women are weak because of our emotions, when in reality, being emotional is one of the ways that we are created in the image of God.
the truth is that God created emotions and that He Himself is emotional. His emotions are written all over the Old Testament because of injustice and the unfaithfulness of His people. His emotions are evident through Jesus and his experiences of betrayal, suffering, compassion, empathy, weeping, persecution, and joy. 
and so i challenge you not to squelch your emotions in exchange for “strength,” but to put your emotions under the lordship of Christ and to let His Word be your guide as to what your responses to your emotions should be. if you do, your God-given emotions could be the root of your greatest strengths. 
pinterest

Monday, September 5, 2011

happy blogiversary!

dress up and twirl is one year old today! 
hope everyone has had a fabulous labor day weekend! 
photo from pinterest 

meditating on this verse:
‎1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 

Friday, August 26, 2011

inspired by ballerinas.

the ballerina bun: 






ballet flats:




tulle:



photos via pinterest. 

there is nothing more ladylike, no? 


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

blessed are the pure in heart.

blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. -matthew 5:8


this has always been my favorite beatitude, for reasons that i can hardly articulate. i think it's because thinking about seeing God puts me in a state of awe, wonder, and gives me a deep desire for intimacy with the Lord. to see Him and know Him. to see Him gives me direct contact with Him and assures me of His love for me and power in my life. 


a pure heart is God's heart. it's where our desires are conformed to His desires. it is where we make anything outside of God's will non-negotiable for our lives. it is where we hate our sin and the sin of our brothers and sisters. it's where we are no longer deceived by other lovers that take away our focus from His face. the pure in heart will see God because they are not distracted by, or looking to, anyone else. their eyes are fixed on His face, their hearts belonging to no one else.


the impure of heart will not see God because they have given their hearts away to other idols. think about it. our eyes follow our hearts. our eyes can only see what we've given our hearts to. 


what have you given your heart to that is blocking your vision from seeing His face? 
what have you averted your eyes from His face to?


 only the blood of Christ can purify our hearts and bring us back to Him. may we see Him and know Him intimately. 


"a pure heart is one to which all that is not of God is strange and jarring." john tavler





Thursday, August 18, 2011

mischief.


sometimes, when boo is gone, i like to get into his FunDip stash.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

yellow springs.

a student i mentor introduced me to the cutest hippie town today. now im wishing i took more pictures, because these dont do the place justice. yellow springs is a wonderful little town with woods, downtown restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and shops. 

lunch today was from ha ha pizza. they custom make their pizza from scratch. i had a whole grain crust with tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta cheese for my toppings :)

antique, hand-made, and pottery shops and a little shed that cooks roasted nuts :)

thinking i am going to need to bring boo to this patio restaurant.

this was the cutest store, called "heaven on earth" with one of a kind finds. i scored a pair of pretty brown leather heels for $12. they have everything!

i cant wait to go back! it was the perfect way to spend a free summer day, since those are quickly coming to an end!

Monday, August 15, 2011

love & feminine beauty.


Your femininity is most beautiful, most nurturing, graceful, other-centered, when you know you are loved. Let God make you, through his tender and personal love, the beautiful woman he intends you to be. -Jani Ortlund


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