[Friday][Love]

It's Friday, and my heart is rejoicing. We've got a great weekend ahead of us. Tonight is the Year-In-Review at our church and I'll get to see all the videos my dear husband has been working so hard on. Tomorrow is coffee date with a friend, some crafting projects, and recording vocal tracks with the band. Sunday is church and then a family dinner with the Harnishfegers. I love weekends filled with so much to look forward to.

I thought I should let you know that I got the burgundy dress from this post. There were a lot of votes for the first green dress, but it was sold-out in my size. A little sad, but I was pretty in love with the ruffles and rich burgundy of dress No. 3. It came the other day while I was at work, and trying it on was the very first thing I did when I came home. I need to take in the sides an inch or so, but I think it's fabulous. I've got black patent heels, and I'm thinking a little gold belt and a long gold necklace would be the perfect additions. I'm already pretty tempted to wear it out for a Valentines Date.

Speaking of Valentines...here's a little video that celebrates love and style.

Just to warn you, it's pretty darn cute.

I love love.

I love loving and I love expressing it.

Once February hurries up and gets here I'll share my favorite crafts and projects to celebrate love.

I think I'll even start on a few tomorrow!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

C.

Vintage Fabric + Embroidery Hoops

I saw this little idea on pinterest the other day, and decided to try my hand at making a few for my sewing/crafting room. I already had a bag full of vintage fabric scraps, so it was just a matter of deciding on a theme and buying the hoops ($1.25 each). The only difficult part was the "H". I could have easily used the sewing machine, but hand-sewing sounded so fun. We've been hit with a snow storm and I thought it would be good way to relax and pass the time. Next time I think I'll use the machine.

I'm thinking about starting my Etsy shop back up. I would post a few clothing items I've made, do some custom vintage fabric hoop sets, maybe lacey jar candle holders, whatever little diy project I'm currently obsessed with, and definitely some vintage thrift store finds. What do you think? 

Come To Me...

I love mornings off. I love sitting on my couch, coffee in hand, bundled in a cozy blanket, listening to music. Even if I didn't actually drink the coffee, that simple act would be a jump start to my day.

This morning, the simple words of a song declaring the supreme value of the Lord carried me back 4 years, and across the 6,475 miles from my home in Spokane to the mountains of Cyprus. That song had been my theme, my heart's cry during those months, through every high and low, every stormy gale and sunshiny day. As the song ends my little home fetches me from afar, and I am confronted with today, and the truth that the value of the Lord in my eyes is not so supreme as it once was. All the things I must attend to and problems to solve have made their way to the top of my to-do list, especially on a day off.

Yet in this new year, there is an overwhelming HOWEVER in my heart. There is a new lesson I am teaching myself, a spiritual muscle of greatest value that I am exercising. It's called resting, trusting, and being. These wonderful actions sound simple enough, but they are fighting hard for the ground that has been taken over by the deeply rooted characteristics in my life called accomplishing, figuring out, and doing. And to guide us through this process, Max and I received this verse for the year, though I do think we'd be wise to keep it close to our hearts and minds our whole lives long.

Couleurs

Oh housey house house.

I've been wanting to paint the walls lately.

When we moved in they were all plain and simple off-white.

And thus they have remained.

It hasn't bothered me too much, until recently.

I'm loving our furniture and arrangment.

But it could certainly benefit from some paint.

Here are the colors I've found-

 Living Room and Bedroom-

 For the living room I want to do three walls gray

and then one wall yellow, the second one in.

Probably the wall with our gray couch.

And for our bedroom I want to use the dark blue.

I'm thinking of just leaving the other walls white.

Not positive yet.

For the Kitchen-

 We have white dishes and brown wood cabinets,

and a little vintage picture I want to get framed.

I think the green would be a perfect little accent.

For the bathroom-

Our towels are the the gray second from the top and the middle green color.

I'm not sure exactly what I'll do for the paint, but I love this theme.

If you are looking for color ideas,

I definitely recommend this site,

design seeds

Also, my hair is getting long enough to curl up. 

I just have to touch up a few spots with the curling iron.

The sun was shining through the blinds so pretty today.

I had to take a couple pictures.

I'm starting some work on another blog, more details on that soon.

And I've been looking for fun Valentines DIYs, so I'll have to share my findings.

love

love

love

C.

Snail Mail: A Resolution

We are now in week #2 of 2012 and I would have to say, so far so good!
I'm feeling like I'm on the right track to a wonderful year.

As far as resolutions go, my mind won't make itself up. The independent young lady in me wants to throw them to the wind and march to my own drum, and let it change tempos as it pleases. The getter-done in me loves goals. And even more than that, loves sticking to them until they're done. Yet, I still hold my resolutions loosely. I don't want to be a slave to "a good idea". My boss said this and I would quite agree, "it's not about working up the will-power, but walking in God's grace." And that's good stuff!

So a resolution I have this year is more snail-mail correspondence! There has been far too much reliance on facebook and the like, and that just isn't the same. In my high school years I would collage all sorts of cards and notes, and I loved it. But these days, it just doesn't happen. So to give myself a little help I made these lil' designs thee ol' computer.

Two things I love very much.

Anchors. Because I love the sea.

Hot Air Balloons. My grandmother loved them. 

She passed away shortly after I got married.

So for me and my siblings, they are a very special thing.

The designs are simple, but I'm alright with that.

C.

Dress Love

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but I love dresses.

L-O-V-E

I could post and pin dresses all day long.

So I have to put restrictions on myself.

Max's sister is getting married the end of March, which is very exciting.

It also gives me the perfect excuse to buy a new dress.

Here are some stipulations I have made for the task at hand:

1. Steer away from distracting colors
(red, orange, yellow, etc.)

Max's sister is going with more neutral colors,

and I don't want to look like the crazy sister-in-law.

2. A moderate budget.

Under $75, preferably around $50.
Which I've actually found to be quite doable.

3. Comfortable.

duh.

4. Fun to dance in.

Max and I love dancing.

I don't want a dress that will act as a straitjacket.

So I've been looking at all my favorite websites for dresses.

Zara, Modcloth, ASOS, Bannana Republic,

Anthropologie (obviously not much around $50),

Shabby Apple, Piperlime, Dorothy Perkins

Here's what I've found,

 

Max really likes the last one.

I'm not quite sold on any one in particular.

What are your favorites?

Any other store suggestions?

green

sweetheart

burgundy

one shoulder

mocha dot

Wintry Walk

We've been having glorious weather lately. Glorious for January in Spokane that is. There have been lots of blue skies, and last week we had a high of 52 degrees which broke the previous record set it 1897 of 51! Hallelujah. God must be thinking of me. 

It was wonderful to have some extra days off for the Holidays, and Max and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The other day we took a walk to a park near our house and loved the soft wintry look everything had. The baseball field had somehow accumulated a decent amount of water, which partially froze over, and there were lots of random little ice patches. Everything was so beautiful.

 Before we were officially together and for a short while after, Max and I took a lot of winter walks together. One in particular, has some of the sweetest memories. It was New Years Eve, well New Years Day, technically, because it was about 1:00am. Much like this day, I was all bundled up, and didn't pay much attention to the cold. I was in love. We didn't talk about that though. We didn't hold hands or exchange a kiss. There was just deep friendship. 

 

I've been watching a BBC mini-series and drinking lots of tea in attempt to get over this obnoxious head cold I've come down with. Not how I wanted to spend my day off, but not entirely awful. Oh well, at least the sun is shining through my windows.

C.

revelation on the 73rd

As I was reading the Psalms this morning a section of verses jumped out and pierced my heart. I love when that happens. The biggest struggle for me when reading the Word is just reading. I'm not into reading as a duty. I'm into discovering, being confronted with my human nature, and being changed. I believe the Bible is a divine book, so why should we have such ordinary encounters with it?

Back to the Psalms, here are a few excerpts from chapter 73 that I have been mulling over-

¹ Truly God is good to Israel,
         To such as are pure in heart.
 ² But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
         My steps had nearly slipped.
 ³ For I was envious of the boastful,
         When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.       
 ⁴ For there are no pangs in their death,
         But their strength is firm.
 ⁵ They are not in trouble as other men,
         Nor are they plagued like other men.
 ⁶ Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
         Violence covers them like a garment.
 ⁷ Their eyes bulge with abundance;
         They have more than heart could wish.
 ⁸ They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
         They speak loftily.
 ⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens,
         And their tongue walks through the earth. 

---

¹⁶ When I thought how to understand this,
         It was too painful for me—
 ¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
         Then I understood their end. 

--- 

 ²¹ Thus my heart was grieved,
         And I was vexed in my mind.
 ²² I was so foolish and ignorant;
         I was like a beast before You.
 ²³ Nevertheless I am continually with You;
         You hold me by my right hand.
 ²⁴ You will guide me with Your counsel,
         And afterward receive me to glory.
         ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but You?
         And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
 ²⁶ My flesh and my heart fail;
         But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

 ---

That was a good chunk of scripture. 

Now please allow me to share a little background and my thoughts.

Working in an office that does payroll, I can get loathsome when I see clients getting $50,000 bonuses every other week. And working at Rockwood Bakery it was hard to see women come in with a brand new Burberry purse every other week. But the hardest for me is that everyday we encounter those who speak mockery at God and at His Kingdom. Unfortunately my response is usually frustration, envy, and comparison- a lot of heart/foot slipping. I don't believe these people to be violent, without hardships, and having eyes that bulge [disturbing visual image], but I do have that spite David is talking about. I think about all the travels I would like to have but can't currently afford. Friends that are sacrificing so much to sow their lives into the nations. Orphans and widows that can't afford the most basic necessities. There's spite and frustration, and there's also some heart-breaking.

Let's get to the revelation part- entering God's sanctuary and getting the greater glimpse, seeing how short-sighted I am, how temporal and vain. Everything else dulls and the beauty of knowing Christ becomes the greatest reward. And verse 25 is just wonderful. I would love to find a cool typography of it.

Those are my thoughts for today. 

I find them to be a rather good starting point for 2012.

I hope you are filled with thoughts that both challenge and strengthen your heart today.

C.