Lacey Jar Candle Holders: A DIY

Alrighty, so here's how it went-

And here's what I got-

And here's what I learned-

1.  Looking around on Etsy can be inspiring, and makes me feel better about my attempts at creating.

2.  Always save empty jars.  You never know what use you will find for them.

3.  Digging through the clearance boxes at craft stores is worth it. 25-50 cents for a package of cute lace!

4.  Beans are a great addition to little homey things.  And super cheap.

5.  It feels great to save $20 and go DIY.

I love the colors of lace I found, they don't really match anything else in my kitchen so I might have to re-locate them.  Until then, I think they look rather nice on our window sill.

Luv. Twuu Luv?


Marriage isn't a fairytale you walk into.  It's an adventurous love story you write together.

Next week will be 10 months of marriage, and for the last week I have been rehearsing in my mind all the hundreds of memories we have made, the dozens of life changing lessons I have learned.  In all honesty the thought of approaching our one year anniversary leaves me bewildered and... smitten.

I always get questions about how married life is, if I completely love it, or have found it more difficult than I thought.  I never know what to say.  I know that it's amazing and fun-filled.  But I know it's not for the faint of heart.

Every person, whatever leg of the journey they are on, encounters challenges, bruises, and face-plants in the mud.  Marriage is definitely no different.  Yet there is something so uniquely wonderful in that no matter how humbling a lesson may be, you won't be left alone to rot in fear, doubt, or self-pity.  You won't be allowed to. [Believe me, I've tried many a time]

Now I must share something more encouraging, another "every person".  Perhaps not every, but most people ask the question "how did you know?" The question struck fear in my heart for a long time.  Another familiar question, "what if you find out you were wrong?"  I babysat for someone who, in response to my statement that I wasn't into dating around, posed this question to me: "Let's say you court someone, fall madly in love, and get married.  Shortly after you find that you didn't understand how a relationship works, know who you are, or truly know the other person.  They turn out to be a jerk and no man at all."  Strange thing for someone to ask a teenage girl, right?  I still can't see how this applied to courting and not to other forms of relationships, but nonetheless it made me a little nervous. 
In answer to my first question, I don't know how I knew.  I just knew that life with any one else would be incomplete.  As for the scenario expressed by an obviously troubled husband, the cure for that issue is definitely having open communication with parents and other leaders in your life.  Because I did court, I fell madly in love, and I have realized every day following October 30, 2010 how amazing a man I married.

Dry Well

I saw this cement slab at the park last week. Walking past it on our way into the tennis courts I found it interesting and as we played, I mulled it over in my mind.  Dry Well. The words stung me.

They reminded me of the two brothers from A Christmas Carol.  If you've ever seen the muppet version [which is the best in my opinion], it's those hilarious old guys.  Death met them with the cold revelation of how selfishly they had lived, it haunted and tormented them to the point that they came to warn Scrooge of the soon-coming reward of his greed.  They were a couple of dry wells.  Giving nothing.  Just taking up space.

The picture also reminds me of a country song.  I know very few country songs, and the ones I do know, I know only because they are ridiculous.  The words are as follows:

I wanna talk about me

Wanna talk about I

Wanna talk about number one

Oh my me my

What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see

I like talking about you you you you, usually, but occasionally

I wanna talk about meeeeee

I wanna talk about me

This is one of my greatest fears; To come to the end of my life and realize that with all of my gifts and talents, all of the love and blessings I was given, I gave nothing back.  I was a dry well.  Too focused on myself and what I wanted to acheive, blinded from seeing the greatness of being a blessing to others.

Instead I want this:

 

Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

I love that verse.  That would be from the "Amen, I receive it!" genre.  The only issue I have run into is that in order for this verse to happen, a great deal of work is required of me.  I have never dug a well [duh], or seen a well dug, but I've heard stories.  In order to get those gusher, overflowing kind there is usually a significant investment of time and energy.  And in this case [involving the spirit], I believe it is a never ending, pressing deeper, going further battle.  But I know there are many rewards, and the rewards are sweet indeed.

Homey Things

I have been obsessed with house things of late.  I love finding new decorating ideas and personal touches and trinkets.  Fortunately for Max, I shop with a small allowance, a critical eye, and good self control. Mostly it's been a lot of looking and finding the perfect item.  My general rule for shopping is to look around, and if I find something I like, give myself a couple days to think about it.  If the item plagues my sleeping and my waking I go back, and if they still have it, it's a sign of destiny.  I buy it.



I've been looking for a smaller, unique candle holder for our kitchen table for a while now but have had no luck.  Since the wedding I've pretty much steered clear of Etsy [navigating through all of the "unique" and "handmade" items made me nauseous].  But I decided to plunge back in and see if I could hold my breath long enough to find something. And I got sucked into the deep. Several items, although overpriced, are good ideas for diy.  And thus, in the end I have to decided to craft my own candle holders.

Here are some other little items I liked.

  

Black Mini Candelabra

Yellow Floral Candle Holders



Nature's Bounty

Country Clock

    

 
These are from Anthropologie, but I am in love with them.

Script & Posy Dinner Plate



Atom Art Bowls

Hoorah Hooray

Looky what came in the mail... 

[Obviously something that made me ecstatic]

 

The test run on the shoes went great and I am looking forward to tromping and crunching my way through the leaves with these on!  And with the way our weather has been this year, I don't know when to expect it to hop out from around the corner.  But I will be ready for it!

I am in love.

Well, with a lot of things.

But these are the new thing.

I've been getting into Etsy again [especially the home stuff], so I will soon share some of my favorite items.

Tschüss!

A River of Life

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [Revelation 22:1-2]

This has been my life verse for quite some time now. I can't totally explain it, I've just had an attraction to it. Our pastor preached a message on Sunday about the Holy Spirit and referenced this verse. It stirred in me with renewed passion- To see purity and life flowing from the holiest place, onto the dirty and dry streets, causing living things to spring up, bearing healing. Not just healing for an individual person, but for nations!

I love it. How could you not?

That brings me to my second matter of business.

Water.

I love it.

I know I've said it before, but there is something so magical about being by it and watching it stretch across the earth. In it I find hope, excitement, inspiration. If you've ever seen Chariots of Fire, or even if you haven't, you know that line he says about running. "And when I run I feel His pleasure." That's what I feel when I sit by the water. I'll be the first to say that its a bit silly to feel something so powerful while simply sitting, but it's truth, and there's nothing I can do about it.

When I was looking for a new image for the header of my blog I found a lot of beautiful water shots, but settled on this one because it was simple and imperfect. Yet it was true. That's what I love about the water. It can be very simple, but we are overcome by its strength.

To my third matter of business. After an amazing message on the water of the Holy Spirit, Max and I went out to the lake with my sister and a friend. Here are a couple shots. [ps. that dress is this summer's favorite.]

 

 "A cool breeze swept off her shores, and beckoned us to know her true blue waters."

Persona Vs. Personality

I've been thinking a lot about different personality types as of late.

Observation is my greatest tool in this expedition.  Talking and reading can excavate some information, but there is something amazing about simply watching.  Rawness and depth are revealed.

Here I would like to introduce my two opponents:

Persona

Vs.

Personality

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines them as following:
[I picked a few definitions out of the many]

Persona
1. An individual's social facade or front 2. The personality that a person (as an actor or politician) projects in public

Personality
1. The complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual or a nation or group; especially the totality of an individual's behavioral and emotional characteristics

---

It's a distressing thing to me that the line between the two has become so faded and dull. The demand for something acceptable overtaking the respect for individuality. A plain cover put on a wild and colorful story.
There are quite a few people who would confess to living their life as an actor- afraid of judgement, or plain old dislike for who they are. I find this frightening. Of course here and there everyone does act a little [for me it occurs most often in banks and various respectable establishments], and there are times when it is necessary to dress things up a bit nicer [for me, lowering my voice to a more reasonable decibel].

So the goal I have set before myself is to know personalities [and never hesitate to make mine known]. Enter conversation, encouragement, patience, acceptance, and trust skills. Talk about a deluge of things to acquire more of! And before all that is the harrowing task of laying aside my tendency for biting sarcasm. Talk about sacrifice!
But I am all about lists and to-dos, so feel free to join me as I venture into the uncomfortable and difficult, the uncharted and dangerous lands- the terrifying journey into the human soul.

Shhhhhhh-oos

I have decided that I am allowed to buy a new pair of shoes for fall. Perhaps you ask what my reasoning for this is? I have none. Simply put, it was an executive decision made by yours truly. There are just so many wonderful pairs out there right now. I have also decided that I want to order them, because getting packages in the mail is my favorite thing.

Oxfords keep grabbing my attention, but I really want something fresh.
Here's my list so far-



Dobbyn Gray Oxfords

 


Fluevog Everest Heels



Kimchi Blue Leather Heeled Oxford



Portable Art Platforms



Capped & Cuffed Booties

I've placed some restrictions on what I can buy [why am I so reasonable and responsible?] They have to be under $100 and not have too big of a heel [I really don't enjoy wearing big heels]. So basically my options are slim. But I believe in myself. I'll just keep searching until I find the perfect pair.

And We're Back!

We rolled into town last night about ten and rolled into bed as soon as possible.

As I was getting a few things out of my suitcase last night I was struck by how tired I was after vacationing for 5 days. It's a bit ridiculous. We work so hard to get ready for vacation, and then work hard again when we come home in order to catch up. But perhaps this is what happens when you fill your vacation with such a variety of activities.

 I thought we were a pretty good looking couple driving over for our show in Kennewick.

 Very fun show at the Red Room with Shannon Stevens and Hey Marseilles. We played with Shannon again on Saturday in Seattle and all felt so privileged to share the stage with her.

What are the odds that our two very dear friends, John and Leah, were getting married on the west side of state the day we were driving over! Max and I were so glad we got be there. Such a beautiful occasion that prompted tears several times. I really can't help it when two amazing people are joined so perfectly. I'm just a romanticist.

Lunch stop on the road!

 Two looong days of wearing contacts meant a glasses day was necessary. It worked out pretty well while it was raining. And then it got sunny. And I was trying to drive. Thus glasses with glasses. Pretty cutting edge.

This, I would call disgusting. A real quick glimpse at the sort of shopping opportunities in Sunriver. I believe that is supposed to be a nightgown.

Enchiladas for 32 Sonnelands at reunion. Two of those trays are double stacked.

 [Note: we did not eat all of them. There was a good amount leftover for lunch.]

Doubly exposed because there was lots of it. Reading time. And truck time with Josiah.

Neither of us are really that great at taking pictures. I'm usually more concerned with having fun than capturing every moment. But there were definitely some fun times. Lots of swimming [which for me equals reading in a swimsuit by the pool], biking, and hanging out. We also found what I like to call our "couple sport", tennis! I had played occasionally, but this was Max's first time and he was a natural [of course]. So now we are set on buying our own rackets and balls and hitting up the courts. Lucky for us there are some just a short bike ride away. We're pretty convinced that we're going to become amazing, fyi.

Vacationing allowed quite a bit of thinking, and thus writing, so I will be sharing more soon!