Merry Christmas.

Would not their Father see this?

Matt and I went to see Andrew Petersen's "Behold the Lamb of God" at the Ryman last night. As usual, it was incredible, but in light of all that's transpired in the past week, it was especially moving.

For those who are unfamiliar with the show, the first half is a writers round where Andrew and his friends come out and play various songs they've written. Then the second half is the production of "Behold the Lamb of God". Last night during the first half of the show, Ben Shive played this song. And it was perfect.




"I know you need a Savior
He is patient in his anger
And he will rise up in the end"

Magical

O-bla-di, o-bla-da, life goes on, brah!

The last time I was in Portland, I was single.

Now I'm back* and I'm married.

How weird is that?

What a difference 1.5 years makes.

At the risk of being cheesy, November 10th was the best day of my life. Hands down: best. day. ever.

I questioned my sanity when we decided on an outdoor Tennessee wedding in November. But lo and behold God sent us a sunny 73 degree day. I kid you not, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Not a single cloud.

People: I cried over the weather. It was just that perfect.

I was so worried about it being cold, or rainy or super windy and as it turned out, it was none of those things. I know that God loves us no matter what weather He sends, but our wedding day weather was almost like an added blessing, God's way of saying "Hell yes, this makes me happy!"

There are so many small moments I don't want to forget: getting ready with my ladies, seeing how perfect all the bridesmaids looked together, coming down the stairs in my dress for the first time,  doing a first look with my dad outside under the tree. Having to pee and laugh/crying before going up the aisle. Standing alone upstairs taking deep breaths thinking "this is it," seeing my sweet flowergirls, hearing Matt repeatedly interrupt our pastor during his vows, asking Matt, at the alter, how much he had had to drink that morning, seeing our gorgeous reception for the first time, watching all the glow necklaces and bracelets come dancing up through the tables, the awesome toasts, all the DANCING!!  I could go on and on, but being surrounded by our friends and family from near and far, all of whom have been so loving and supportive was incredible. The next morning as Matt and I drove to Atlanta, I cried over how awesome our friends and family are. Seriously, we are so freaking blessed. We have the best community.

For our honeymoon Matt took us to the Dominican Republic, where we stayed at an all-inclusive resort on the beach and we ate, drank, and swam ourselves silly. It was good to get away with no cell phones, no computers and no planning. In fact, it was the first vacation I've taken in 2 years where I didn't bring my laptop. It was awesome. Kudos to Matt for planning the entire thing and keeping it all a secret up until we stepped foot in the airport. My man is awesome.

Upon landing back in the states we drove down to Choudrant for Thanksgiving with Matt's family. We had a nice time hunting, eating southern food and going to see Lincoln (you know it).

Coming home was glorious and strange. Around 9pm Saturday night amidst my protests and cries of concern over his back, Matt carried me over the threshold of our little rental (his back survived). And thus began our life at home.

We are settling in.

My formerly single self struggles from time to time and there are days where I am overwhelmed by the idea of changing my last name, going back to work and settling into "oneness."  Something about coming down off of what I refer to as "the wedding high" feels much worse than the day after Christmas. And changing my last name, while totally optional, feels like leaving a part of myself behind. No one ever told me that getting married is in many strange ways, bittersweet.

Meanwhile, newlywed Danica is being stretched. I like my space. I like my way of doing things. I like my sense of order.  Some nights I lie awake wondering how my bed became so small and I wonder how long it will be until I grow accustomed to sharing everything all the time, and then I immediately feel guilty for not being over the moon 24/7 about sharing my life with someone.  It's strange... the very things you look forward to turn out to be the things that require the most adjusting.

I repeatedly tell myself that my identity is not in my relationship status,  my last name or my job title. My sense of happiness and self-worth shouldn't be weighted in my independence... but for a long time it has been.

Pastors everywhere will tell you that marriage brings out your "idols"... and here I am, not even 3 weeks in and that's proven to be true for me. I value my independence, my space and my way. I'm amazingly selfish, and like any three year old I want my space, my toys, my way. Mine. How ridiculous.

And then there's Matt. Matt who buys me apples and gatorade when I am sick. Matt who once researched my future employer just so he could help me with mock interviews. Matt who is the steady, patient, and kind "ying" to my erratic, impulsive and emotional "yang."  Matt who somehow manages to love me in spite of myself.  Heavens I love that man.

=)

*don't hate me stephen... i barely had 72 hours in town and work ate up every last one of them, otherwise I would have called and done dinner!!

Cloud 9

Still speechless.

Photos via badass Jackie Osborne
 www.jackieophotography.com

Hate to say I told you so.

In case you doubted me.

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B.

Exhibit C.

I rest my case.

Little Suzie Homemaker: Part 1

I'm pretty sure September came and went without an update. 

Here's what went down.

Moving: aka, the 5th circle of hell.

That's right, Matt (hubs to be) and I collectively moved our stuff into our new place.  It only took 3 weeks,  a Penske truck and roughly 1,100 miles. Now, one month later we still haven't hung anything up, but all the stuff is in!

Shower Power: 2 down, 3 to go. Shower's are the bomb.com, we are blessed to have awesome families and friends that are excited for us.

Freezer Meal Marathon:  I've always wanted to try making freezer meals, now with nuptials right around the corner and my travel schedule picking up it seemed to be the perfect time. Last week I went to Kroger with $150, came home and spent the next 4 hours preparing 18 (yes, EIGHTEEN) freezer meals.  I opted for the ziplock bag crockpot variety.  Each bag is enough food for about 4 adults, and all you have to do is dump the contents of the frozen bag into the crockpot and cook it on low for 8 hours.  So far I've only tried one of them (Salsa Chicken), but it was pretty good.  Hubs-to-be LOVES this since he can have home-cooked food waiting for him after work even when I'm out of town and our house becomes a bachelor pad. Since the bags make so much food he can have the guys over or have leftovers to take to work for lunch. Some dinners include: Hawaiian chicken sandwiches, shredded pork tacos, beef stroganoff, scalloped potatoes and ham, savory pepper steack, chicken curry, poppyseed chicken and MORE. Not gonna lie, I kinda feel like a badass.  Look at all those dinners!

Fall Arrived. Hopefully you noticed this. I had the perfect fall weekend planned a few weeks ago, but unfortunately my dad was hospitalized unexpectedly (things are leveling out now) so I flew home to be with him and my mom (totally worth it)!  So this weekend, since I was in Nashville I decided to get my fall on. I donned my jeans and boots, went to the farmers market and like any self-respecting fall lover would do, I dropped $30 on pumpkins and mums.  Proof.

More house pictures and a wedding update to come later. I'm pleased with how well it's coming together. Invitations went out on Thursday. Holla!

Warning: wedding post.

 I have caught myself intentionally not blogging about "the wedding," which apparently is the #2 thing to blog about (after birth stories, respectively).

After becoming engaged and using the internet to "look for inspiration" (read: steal and modify the ideas of others) I was suddenly aware of what is going on in blogland.

Did you know most wedding blogs are "styled shoots?" AKA: NOT weddings?

I'm not sure what tipped me off. the lack of guests, the number of bird feathers, the ridiculous number of Wes Anderson themed weddings..etc

At first I was mesmerized:  The dessert tables with their macarons  in perfect rows, the huge centerpieces with each exotic flower in it's place, the hollowed out antique book invitations, barn wedding after barn wedding without a trace of hay, the solitary picnic table set under a solitary tree in a large field in the middle of BFE lit only by candles, And the brides... the damn flawless brides... How were they not sweating? How was their hair so perfect? How were they affording a wedding full of perfect solitary tables under solitary trees in the middle of BFE lit only by candles??

Then the lightbulb went off and I realized that all these picture perfect weddings were far from weddings... they were freaking Posed Pictures! Those flawless brides? Airbrushed models hired by design crews or photographers who used these fake wedding shoots to lure in brides and then stun them with the  $5k+ pricetags for their respective services.

And that's when I stopped visiting wedding blogs.

Sure, most showcase plenty of "real" weddings but even those are done by kept women with an over-ambitious DIY gene or they are purchased at a cost that could sustain a third world country for a month or two.  

Heaven help me, my wedding will not be flawless, but it will be perfect, and it will be perfect because of the PEOPLE that are there.  You remember people?  The one thing most wedding blogs forget to show in their cookie-cutter unique-er than thou, posts?  I want pictures of my guests. I want gut shaking laughter, face morphing tears and awkward eating shots. I want pictures of my butchered cake (if there is any left of it, cause yes, it will be THAT good). I want shots of my grandparents dancing. And Lord knows I don't have to ask for pictures of a sweaty bride, because anyone who knows me knows that I am nothing if not a sweat-er (not to be confused with sweater)

Don't get me wrong, I whipped my DIY gene into shape and pulled off a few details that I am actually proud of.  And yes, I dropped more money than I intended to.  But this won't be any Wes Anderson inspired soiree as witnessed by my $10,000 photographer.  It will be us.

It won't be flawless, but it will be perfect.


Cheers to November 10th!

Ten

This past weekend was my High School 10 Year Reunion.

I didn't go, but I did stop and think about the past ten years and all that has come and gone and changed in that time. Oddly enough it's all documented in this gem of a blog. 

Which is creepy now that I think on it.

Ten years. Sounds long, and feels short until I think of all that's gone on in the last decade..

2 universities (3 if you count summer school)
1 diploma
14 countries
30+ states
3 cars
RoadTrips to California, the grand canyon, OBX, Crater Lake, Chicago, NYC, Boston, San Fran, Seattle, Denver/Boulder/Winter Park, Austin, Walt Disney World etc
3 Mardi Gras'
2 music tours (i use the term "tour" lightly of course)
1 EP
Three relationships.
Three breakups.
A short stint of NCMO's and illegal activity 
A 5 year period of under-employment
120+ job applications and resumes sent
2 waitressing jobs
1 internship
1 telemarketer position
1 scholarship data entry position
Dozens upon Dozens of Nanny Families
2 trips to summer camp.
Roughly 15 music students.
A two month period where I sold my stuff and lived off of garage sale money
I dabbled in the dessert business.
I went on food stamps.
I cried a lot.
I laughed a lot.
I questioned where the hell my life was going as friends everywhere got married, had babies and developed careers.
I lived in 4 different states and spent a summer abroad.
I went into (a lot of) school debt
I got engaged. Twice.

I made friends, I lost friends. I gained weight and lost weight. I prayed a lot. I drank a lot. I yelled at God a lot. I changed majors, I changed states, I changed my hair. Etc. Etc.

Needless to say the past 10 years have not been low on drama, confusion or wanderlust.

But they haven't been low on 'awesome' either.

They say your 20's are for mistakes and your 30's are for making money. I once nannied for a woman who agreed, saying that she always refers to her twenties as "the dark ages."  With my 30's fast approaching and a significant life milestone only a few short months away, I can't help but feel blessed by how God has been weaving my story.

Sure, I hate parts of it... but every bit, from food stamps to travel bonuses, has brought me to a place where I cannot deny that God is working in my life, whether I believe it or feel it or not.  Ten years ago, in times of doubt,  I had to rely on Biblical stories of God's faithfulness. Fast forward a decade and now I can simply look at my own life for proof that God is good, even when things hurt. And sometimes things hurt really, really bad.

I haven't arrived, and I'm certainly not at a pinnacle of achievement by any means. If the past 10 years have taught me anything, it's that life is like an ocean scattered with islands.  We swim and we swim and every now and then we reach an island where we can rest and look around at how beautiful things are and drink it all in. But inevitably, after awhile the sand erodes and sooner or later we have to swim some more.

As cheesy as it is, I know the next ten years will have plenty of swimming, maybe even more than I have ever had to do.  But thank God I've spent the last 10 years learning how to swim.  And better yet, thank-you God, for proving that there will always be an island. 

"Sometimes the worst things that happen to you, the things you think you can't survive...are the things that make you better than you used to be." ---Jennifer Weiner, "Fly Away Home"

Beyonce.

So I'm getting married in less than 4 months.

This along with my new-found ability to fry eggs to perfection has made for a very exciting summer.

Plenty of change. Plenty of emotions flying around.

Adjectives fail me.

It's very.... humbling. Which is something I never considered this stage of life would be.

But there you have it.

I see a lot of fried eggs in our future.

“I have been bent and broken, but — I hope — into a better shape.”

- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations  

more to come.....

"Go to Paris to be in Paris..."

My 101 list ended awhile back now.  Maybe you noticed. Maybe you didn't.

I noticed.

I even sat for a spell feeling sorry for myself for not accomplishing more of what I set out to do.  But then I remembered that's not the reason we make lists like these.

And to fight the risk of doing things simply to say that I've done them, or to cross them off a list, be it bucket or to-do, I've decided to take a haitus from the world of 101's. A sabbatical if you will.

Make no mistake, I'm not slowing down. In some ways I'll be living more fully. (or is it, "living fuller?")

I'm sure I'll be back one day with another 101 tasks when my will and inspiration well  are in need of  a boost, but for now I will do things to experience them and I will go places to be in those places... and I've never really needed a list for that.

Until then....

"...The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life, is an achievement, not something that will fall into your lap because you're a nice person...  You'll note the founding fathers took pains to secure your inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness-quite an active verb, "pursuit"-which leaves, I should think, little time for lying around watching parrots rollerskate on Youtube.  The first President Roosevelt, the old rough rider, advocated the strenuous life.  Mr. Thoreau wanted to drive life into a corner, to live deep and suck out all the marrow.  The poet Mary Oliver tells us to row, row into the swirl and roil... The point is the same: get busy, have at it.  Don't wait for inspiration or passion to find you.  Get up, get out, explore, find it yourself, and grab hold with both hands....the fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct.  It's what happens when you're thinking about more important things.  Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view.  Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.  Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly.  Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion-and those who will follow them.  And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself.  The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special.

Because everyone is.

....Make for yourselves, please, for your sake and for ours, extraordinary lives."-David McCullough

Very Superstitious

Sometime in my early twenties I developed a superstition of sorts that the song that played at midnight the morning of my birthday would be an indication of what sort of year I would have.

At 21 it was Will Hoge's  "Woman be strong" 

This year I was at my friend David's show where he happened to be playing this song as midnight came and went.

I try not to put much thought into it, but so far  28's song is upholding the superstition as well as 21's did.

And I don't mind a bit.

(ps. if you don't remember David, you really should remind yourself) 

Polaroid Love

Hello all.

One of my favorite blogs is celebrating a reader appreciation week by having awesome give-aways daily!

Don't miss the fun!

Click HERE!

true

Mair-Wedge

Last month I had the opportunity to be Maid of Honor at my brothers wedding.

To be honest I always figured I would never be a "Maid of Honor" since my only sibling is a boy and all my girlfriends have sisters. This thought was always bittersweet. On one hand I had escaped all that dreaded responsibility. On the other hand, it was kinda sad to think I wouldn't have the chance to play the role.

The role this party-planning, multi-tasking perfectionist was BORN to fill.

Or so I thought.

If you think I am about to wax on about how well I lived up to the task, think again.

Turns out, I made a lot of mistakes, and being the maid of honor to your sister-in-law-to-be can at times be a little tricky.

So below is my advice based on what I did right, what I did wrong, and what I wish I could go back and do (if time and money were no option).

As it stands I've got three more weddings (that I know of) coming up this year, and if  nothing else, I hope to be a better friend, guest and bridesmaid in the future.

So future bridesmaids, MOH's (that's maid of honor's for all you non-wedding knowledgeable folk out there) and friends of those betrothed, take note!

1. Start saving.  Weddings are expensive for everyone. This is no shocker.  Be honest with your bride about your financial situation. If they are worth you being in the bridal party, then they will understand and respect you all the more. But don't forget, this is your friend, and likely a close one. Lord willing they will only have this day once.  Make it count. Save up and be prepared.

2. Unless the bride demands it, avoid having a bachelorette party the week of the wedding.  Think about it... she is exhausted. You are likely exhausted. Anyone involved with the wedding is going to have their mind stuck on a million little details, none of which will likely involve having a fun night out with the ladies.  Not to mention, what if she has lingerie she needs/wants to return?   Besides, I think we can all agree that life is more fun when you spread out the celebrations.  Try picking a night in advance when the majority of people can attend.  Then for those who live-out of town and can't come party hardy ahead of time you can set up a time to do something relaxing the week of the event. Nails? Massages? Sips and Strokes? Paint-it-yourself pottery?  You be the judge.

3. Speaking of bachelorette parties. As a woman nearing 30 I have been to many a bachelorette party out in the clubs,  but what if your Bride is anti groping-by-strangers, conservative or not-yet 21?  Never fear dear reader. Below I have listed some awesome alternatives to the raves. And remember, you can always mix and match.  Personally I am a fan of anything that ends with gay club dancing as it tends to be a grope-free zone for women with the best dance floors and dj's in town. (sorry mom)

• Dueling Piano Bar
• Kareoke Night
• Fondue Party
• Book a room at her favorite restaurant
• Line Dancing
• Poker night
• Casino excursion / Racetrack outing (earnback the money you put into that dress)
• Go Camping
• Sips and Strokes
• Paint-it-yourself pottery
• Spa Trip
• Rent a pontoon boat and party on the lake
• Scavenger Hunt
• Get tickets to a concert, musical, ballet, symphony
• Take your victorian bride to high-tea?

4. Gifts. Good gracious, the gifts. From the showers, to the bachelorette party to the actual wedding; by the time your friend has sealed the deal you may very well be broke.  Thankfully hindsight is 20/20 and I have lots of random ideas for gifts regardless of your pricepoint.  If you are looking to think outside the box and want avoid the typical "sheet set", place setting, or victorias secret thong consider the following:
(these are also safe options if the bride is joining your family... nothing is more awkward than shopping for panties for your brothers future wife... no matter how much you love her!)

• Buy her a roll of 100 stamps.  Seriously, anyone planning a wedding will appreciate this.
• Have her car cleaned
• Order/Make her a custom hanger for her dress
• Order/Make her stationery or address stamps with her new last name/ address
• Never underestimate the power of a gift card =)
• Pay for her wedding mani/pedi
• Get her a massage (or two or three)
• Get her a facial
• Prepare a couple casseroles for her to freeze so that she has food to eat when she returns from her honeymoon
• Find a classy robe
• Stock her fridge or pantry while she is on the honeymoon
• Make her a Junk Drawer
• give the couple a movie night package
• Purchase a date night for the couple as they will be broke for a few months post wedding/honeymoon:
• sporting tickets
• movie gift cards
• theatre /ballet / symphony tickets
• Pair a board game with a bottle of wine

* Sidenote: Make groupon you friend! They have deals for most of these things all the time

5. Last but not least, The extra mile:  Other nice things to consider.  These are things that, again, seem so obvious in retrospect. Most start with the word Help...

• Make a plan to have finger foods in the prep room the day of the wedding. 
• Help the lady pack/move. Plan a packing party  Get volunteers and provide pizza.  Perhaps your gift to her is the easy move into her new home.
• Help the lady address those nasty yet beautiful invitations.  Bring wine.
• Help the lady have FUN. Have a wedding movie countdown. My guy friends do this prior to the start of baseball season where they watch a baseball themed movie once a week for a month until the big day. (silly boys) Let's face it, we have WAY more wedding movie arsenal. Even the bad ones will be worth the laughs.
• Help the lady keep her perspective. yes the wedding is a big deal, but it is not the end all be all. Institute "no-wedding-talk" evenings. Get her a magazine that has NOTHING to do with weddings. Go watch Kill Bill.  

Oh death where is thy victory?

"Like" This.

"...There's an essay by Zadie Smith, from the New York Review of Books, in which she suggested two "different ideas about what a person is, or should be." Smith identifies as "Person 1.0": "a private person, a person who is a mystery, to the world and-- which is more important-- to herself." 

But she also worries that this idea of personhood is "nostalgic, irrational, inaccurate," and that it no longer exists. It's been replaced, among people just a few years younger than her, by "Person 2.0." And Person 2.0 might be far more in touch with a world in which you go online and flatten yourself more than any snarky skewering tweet ever could-- building profiles that express your existence as a network of likes, dislikes, favorites, and habits, then roaming a web full of targeted ads that think you're predictable enough to sum up all those habits and show you what you'll want to buy. Person 2.0 has an entirely different sense of interior and exterior, public and private, and the relationship between what she likes and what she is. 

But Person 2.0 presumably still hates having anyone size her up as obvious and predictable-- hates it even more than Person 1.0, you'd think.... 

If you think of people as private and mysterious, the first thing you usually want them to do is start groping around earnestly attempting to explain their insides to one another. But if you live in a world where people are constantly asked to explain themselves in networks of "likes" and "curated" content-- if you live in a world where music lovers roam around Austin clocking one another's styles and tastes and tweeting savvy dissections of it all-- if you live in a world where people already think they know so much about all the ways other humans have tried to express themselves-- then a bit of high-quality quilting might actually be a valid way of trying to short-circuit all that. If communication keeps reducing itself to a network of tastes and references, well, maybe it's possible that you could create a web of references so complex, subtle, and unexpected that it actually starts climbing the far slope of the Uncanny Valley, and moves from seeming flat and inhuman to seeming mysterious and peculiar again. Maybe you can stitch together something so strange and new-- turning, who knows, bits of extreme metal, Korean pop, and classic salsa into one coherent thing nobody expected-- that it might as well be a mysterious inner self. Like a Tao Lin novel, filled with a billion affectless references to things in the culture around us, but leaving the characters' interior lives bizarrely shrouded and unknowable and only guessed at-- way more secretive and half-glimpsed and special than anything Person 1.0 would ever come up with. 

Maybe? Probably not. This isn't a good long-term plan. But for a moment there I could see why you'd try it. It has the advantage that nobody will ever be able to size you up and design a 140-character comment that puts you in your place."

The full Pitchfork article found here is even better.

(thanks morgan for the tip)

(and yes, I DO realize the irony of posting this, thanks.)

I'm thankful for my Kindle

But I will never lose my love of books.

   

You heard it here first.

I just paid off my federal student loan.

Books!

To Listen.

"Listening is the oldest and perhaps the most powerful tool of healing.
It is often through the quality of our listening and not the wisdom of
our words that we are able to affect the most profound changes in
the people around us. When we listen, we offer with our attention
an opportunity for wholeness. Our listening creates sanctuary for
the homeless parts within the other person. That which has been denied,
unloved, devalued by themselves and others. That which is hidden.
In this culture the soul and the heart too often go homeless.
Listening creates a holy silence. When you listen generously to people,
they can hear the truth in themselves, often for the first time. And in
the silence of listening, you can know yourself in everyone. Eventually
you may be able to hear, in everyone and beyond everyone,
the unseen singing softly to itself and to you." ~Rachel Naomi Remen

I'm sure she thought I forgot about this. But, no! For you Linda!

-----------------------------------

Rules

1. Post these rules.

2. Post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

5. Tag 11 people and let them know that you’ve tagged them.

11 Random Things

1. When I was young I named my favorite tree. Bernetta. She was great.
2. I also buried at least 3 different time capsules under Bernetta's limbs with my gal pals. Just like that one Full House episode. (you know the one).
3. I am weeks away from potentially paying off my federal student loan. One down, one to go.
4. Until this year I had never seen Christmas Vacation.
5. In high school I decopauged everything. ev-er-y-thing.
6. When I was 16 my family moved and in the new house I convinced them to let me paint my floor black and use it as a chalkboard.
7. My only brother (only sibling!) is getting married next weekend.
8. I didn't own a cellphone until I was 22. If I could get away without one now, I would.
9. I have an HGTV + red wine work night problem
10. Tebow and Tswift? I'm not sure heaven can handle that.
11. I want a house of my own to decorate! I blame HGTV

11 Questions from Linda

1. 1. Have you ever pooped your pants? Not full on no. Come close though! Unless you count as a lil babe... then yes, obviously.
   2. Did you just lie in your answer to question #1? Nope!
   3. What are you proudest of having done? It's a tie between being published on PostSecret and running the half-marathon.
   4. What is your first memory of The Internet? I would tie up the phone line every afternoon to log onto AOL 2.0 and chat via AIM with people I just saw at school, specifically Jordan (my first HS crush)... till my mom kicked me off.
   5. What is your favorite book from childhood? A nerd from birth I have always loved books. Picking a favorite seems unfair! Here are a few that stand out: The Boxcar Children, Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie (a favorite for any freckled gal) and all those sad stories about teens who get cancer.
   6. How long can you hold your breath? Apparently about 55 seconds.
   7. What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten? I've had a few too many good meals... but one that stands out was from Tavern on the Green in Central Park (RIP) I had a leg of lamb over polenta and it was heavenly. Seriously, divine!
   8. If you could revisit one place that you've been to before, where would it be? Swaziland. I miss it very much.
   9. What's your favorite treat/snack? POPCORN.
   10. What's the one thing that you swear you'll never do? I don't swear against anything anymore. The minute I say I'll never do something, I find myself wanting to do (and eventually doing) it.
   11. What are three goals that you have for yourself this week? No gluten (failed), Enjoy the weekend, Buy a new dress

11 Questions for Others

1. The world is ending. You have 48 hours. What will you do with those 48 hours?
2. Are there any words of wisdom you would like to pass along?
3. What has been the happiest moment in your life thus far?
4. Do you have a nickname? How did you get it?
5. Was there a teacher or coach who had a strong influence on your life? Tell me about them.
6. What do you plan to do when you retire?
7. Who is your favorite relative?
8. If you could interview anyone from your life, living or dead, but NOT a celebrity/public figure, who would it be?
9. How has your life been different from what you'd imagined?
10. The word praline... is it PRAY-leen, or PRAH-leen.
11. What are your thoughts on Zooey Deschanel?

11 People I'm Tagging

If 11 people read this, then you should all answer at least one of my questions in the comments section. Fair?

Taste it.

“B” by Sarah Kay

As promised...

You guys.

Wait till you see this!

Before I got out of bed yesterday I went around the internet and I ran across this link and the photos blew me away...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2011471/Pictures-sand-Close-photographs-reveal-incredible-beauty.html

That is SAND.

The seemingly ugly, ordinary stuff we WALK on.

I'll spare you the deep thoughts on this, as I know you are already amazed at how God thinks of us more often than the total number all these crazy tiny gorgeous grains of sands that he made simply to be the ground beneath our feet.

But i will draw your attention to the the scientists comments on how sand is made.

(Personally, I think churches should ditch the purified silver/pruned branches analogies and use this next time!)

"Contrary to popular belief, sand is made as rocks crash and break in rivers and streams on their way to the sea, rather than the ebb and flow of the tides.
Deposits left by breaking rocks in the sea turns to silt and is much lighter so is dispersed over a much wider area out to sea, rather than on the shore line.
Some of the rock is soluble, but other bits remain and as they are slowly rubbed down over time they get smaller and smaller until they become what we know as sand."

In closing, this really spoke to me about how more often than not, our culture makes people feel ordinary or ugly. If sand, which to our eyes really is ordinary and ugly, can be that beautiful we just can't see it, then how gorgeous must we, who are made in His image, really be?

So in short... next time you feel ordinary or ugly... think of SAND.

See you on the other side. (take two)

Several years back I posted this, and it has been on my mind a lot lately.

Then last night at church we went over this very passage.

(It always creeps me out when that happens.)

One of my goals for 2012, was to really work on my prayer life. Lately it seems like God is giving me lots of opportunity to do this, and sometimes I get discouraged. As a kid when we had bad storms that drove us into the hall closet, we'd bring in apples and flashlights and books (and sometimes the laptop) to sustain us until the storm passed. Now, as an adult when I am dealing with life's storms, I'm having to learn what things I need to sustain me until the storms blow over.

This week it's the reminder of Jesus' words "Let's go over to the other side..." Luke 8:22

"Prayer can transport us to a safe room, a place of refuge, a storm shelter. The storm may be raging all around, but in the prayer room we gain confidence that God is going to get us where He wants us to be. It is a place of security, not freedom from pain. It is a place of certainty in the midst of questionable or confusing circumstances. It is a place of assurance in spite of the inability to see the other side. The storm room is not a place to live, but rather a place to which one retreats. The storm may last for a while, but there are lessons that can only be learned by sailing through the storm. Unlike a concrete reinforced storm room, our spiritual one is mobile. We step back into the winds, having partnered with God in creating an inward space that is tethered to Him. We're going to get to the other side." -D. Kelly

'Sup?

• I've scheduled a meeting with a legit accountant. One I'll actually have to pay. Blah.
• I've finished Keller's "Counterfeit God's" (so good. the epilogue = terrifyingly beautiful) I highly recommend this book!
• I've spent $30+ on antique Ball Mason Jars
• I also read "The Rainmaker" and "The Testament" and "Are My Friends Hanging out Without me?"
• I've booked all sorts of flights for weddings and work and trips for the boo.
• I'm slowly going through my unplayed iTunes music and listening to it all. There are some deletions happening...
• I went to the Louisville Palace Theatre to see Ryan Adams play a 3 hour acoustic show. (sans mandy moore) It was beyond lovely.
• I'm making plans to enjoy more of the arts that TPAC has to offer.
• and finally, I'll be greeting 28 on Monday.

To celebrate I think I'm gonna buy one of these.

Religion says, "Do."

Jesus says, "Done."

Sabbath thoughts.

Preach it.

Birthday Wishes

-Photos from the past 6 months.

-Opportunities to complete any remaining 101 tasks!
-Have my car washed, vacuumed and gorgeously clean. (it's been WAY too long)

-A day at the spa: mani-pedi, massage.
-Peonies
-Old School Board Games: LIFE, Trouble, Sorry, Connect 4, Guess Who, Battleship, Twister, Jenga, (Not Monopoly!)
-New School Board Games: "The Game of Things"
-This Blu-Ray Player

-cello lessons

-Have my t-shirt quilt finished!

-world peace

50 Days left!

My 101 has only 50 days left! Can you believe it? Seems like only yesterday I was on vacation in Nashville (living in Austin) coming up with tasks.

Below are some tasks I have completed recently:

13. Get a Y Membership.

For the record, I got mine in mid-December, not as a new years resolution thing. I could do a whole post on how great and humiliating this has been so far. Maybe one day...

19. Send Christmas cards.

26. Start a wine book/journal

29. Get a new Mac

I'm counting this as completed, because even though I don't have a new mac, i DO have a new computer (via work) and it would be dumb for me to buy a second computer. (yes hipsters, I could get an ipad, but I already have a kindle.. so I'm holding off on that for now)

30. Buy a new iPod

I received my third hand me down this December. So I don't really need to buy one now! (It's still new to me, folks.)

38. Take a dance class.

Does Zumba count? It's my list. Zumba counts.

40. Have a water fight.

I won.

48. Get an external hard drive and store music and pics on it.

Finally, I know.

54. Play a benefit show.

Does planning and hosting a benefit show count? It's my list. It counts.

58. Participate in an artisan fair.

If participation includes purchases (it's my list: it does.) then I have done this repeatedly. BUT, I also made cookies for one last year.

66. Shoot a deer. Tear.

and tears there were...

Progress report:

Tasks Completed: 57

Tasks remaining: 44

Days Left: 50 and counting....

Remember Folks:

Day 9

Today is January 9th.

I'm up in DC (in the snow!) awaiting my first day of my new project. Tomorrow I'll meet the team, meet the client and begin the madness.

We're already 9 days into 2012. It's official: Christmas vacation is over.

Aside from this I don't have many resolutions. A few goals here and there... working on the 101 (progress post to come), working harder/smarter at work and in life, worrying less, rejoicing more, all in all asking myself regularly: 'Have you prayed about it?"

I do agree with the things these smarties had to say though:

Resolutions for 20-somethings.

That link from Hairpin that Morgan has posted a lot.

Happy New Year folks!

Resolve.

RIP 2011

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

2011 was definitely full of adventure, and I am kinda sad to see it go.

• I started my first project at my new job.
• I took a road trip alone to stand in 17 feet of snow on the edge of crater lake.
• I walked the Golden Gate Bridge, rode the trolley and went to H&M far too many times in San Fransisco with Heather.
• I rocked out mardi gras like a champ with team MoMiDa.
• My high school gal pals and I took a trip to Charleston where we rented a house, picked up 30 sand dollars and ate southern food to our hearts content while almost melting to death in the humidity.
• I introduced Luke to the Pacific Ocean on a cold rainy day in Oregon.
• The roomies and I ventured out to Virginia to hike, wine and dine with our old honorary roomies.
• Matt and I went to the Texas State Fair, gorged ourselves on fried food, rode the Texas Star, mocked Big Tex, saw the largest cows I have ever seen and cheered the Sooners on to Victory at the OU/TX game in Dallas.
• Mom flew up to Vancouver and we did a mother-daughter weekend in Portland before we road tripped up to Seattle to visit old friends.
• Matt and I spent a weekend in OBX for a friends wedding celebration
• I enjoyed two different trips to Choudrant. By the time the second trip rolled around I was practically a local. I even shot a deer. "When in Rome..."
• I took a week off and went to visit Luke in Germany
• I spent more time back home with my family this past year than I have in a long time!
• I karaoke'd far more than what is reasonably acceptable.
• I played tour guide for my parents and various co-workers who stumbled through Nashville at one point or another.
• I watched the Cubs win in person. Twice!
• My grandad survived a stroke and has been recovering exceptionally well!
• I learned I'd be a getting a sister-in-law in 2012.
• I finally ate at Hooters.
• I joined the Y.
• I learned how to use a PC and a blackberry (against my will).
• There were causal days spent watching football, roller blading in Shelby, hiking in Percy Warner, and eating Jeni's ice cream.
• There were celebrations with friends over graduations, weddings, engagements, babies and pregnancies.
• And of course there was a good night at the Melting Pot.

All in all, it was a very good year.

2012 has some big shoes to fill, but I've got a feeling it will rise to the occasion.

Rest in Peace, 2011.