Craftily-retarded

I told her to put the sale on hold while I went to get another color of thread. Anticipating this, I took my time, found the color, lingered briefly at the scrap fabric section and did a little ::sigh:: and then went back to the register. Behind 4 people in line, I quickly realize that this woman did not put my sale on hold. Rather, she waited. For me. And my lingering. Of course now embarassed, I quickly apologize and make sure it was verballized loudly that I thought she was going to put the sale on hold. She just scowled at me. I think her name was Marie. Marie didn't like me much after this point. I sheepeshly walked out of the store with my shoulders hunched but with a little skip in my step because 1, it was cold outside and I was wearing my favorite scarf. But 2, I finally got the supplies for the craft I wanted to do and was determined to not let the sun go down without completing it.

Ok, so I'm slightly craftily-retarded. I have visions of grandeur, of being able to sew, and of having this natural inclination to do something once and do it awesome....ly. Hence my eagerness to get started on these super cute felt boutonnierres (that's the second time today I've had to look up how to spell that word) that are the first page of my new book. But, as most visions do, it crashed. I wasn't born into one of those families where everyone is gorgeous and all they have to do is look at a sport, craft, or musical ability and suddenly they can not only do it, but do it real well. Yea....not me. But hey, what is a not-so-crafty college graduate with less than 20 hours of work a week supposed to do with all her extra time? I sure don't know, but I figured I'd attack something that I am generally less than successful at.

5 hours later, I have 1 lopsided, POORLY sewn felt boutonniere, in which the only thing I was happy about was that I finally let my mom teach something about sewing. I learned a whip stitch (ps, I added "learned a whip stitch" to my list of awesome things I can do...it's currently number 3 behind "can make mayonnaise"). 

And so this is the final product...

And since I was too embarassed as to how it turned out to pin it on my dad for a picture, I pinned it to myself and attempted to take a successful picture of it.

So this is what I'm doing with my time....crafting...the one thing I swore I would never do.

Have a great weekend!!

It's that kind of day...

It's just kinda been one of those days.

You wake up to that picture and your heart races for a second when you think that that condensation on your window may very well be ice, but then are quickly reminded that you live in south florida and at 8 o clock in the morning, no window will be covered in ice. But you know it's still cold outside, which means the likelihood of getting out of bed before it warms up is, haha, highly unlikely.

It's the kind of day where you may have had plans to do things. Be productive. Be creative. Plans mean nothing on days like these. In fact, the only productive thing you may have gotten done on days like these is you finished that book that's been lingering on your bedside table for quite a while. You know which one I'm talking about...

It's the kind of day that at the end of it, even your cat scowls at you for doing nothing......and he's a cat.

New Projects...

 The above? It's happening today...

 And if I can find enough cute colorful cupcake liners.....this too...

And....something is happening to this wall....i'm not gunna share yet in case it's a complete disaster... : /

5 Senses

This is what I hear: kids laughing while horseback riding
This is what I see: 4 homeless people on the 4 corners of an intersection
This is what I feel: the crisp pages of an unread book
This is that I taste: my first go at tandoori chicken
This is what I smell: my mother's perfume down the hall hours after she left the house

Letting go is hard to do

How do you watch someone you love walk in the complete opposite direction from what God desires and do nothing about it because you can't? Because they won't listen to you. Talk to you. Hear from you. It's feels like you're standing there, screaming at the top of your lungs at your best friend who's blindly walking towards a cliff and they don't hear you. You just want to run up to them, shake them, and tell them "This is NOT what God wants for your life, you are worth so much more than this!" But they've closed their ears; their eyes; their minds; their hearts. And there's nothing you can do....but pray. Pray for God to reveal Himself to them. Pray for them to fall to their knees before Him.

Trust Jesus.

Kenneth Copeland and other things

You've been waking up later than me. Only by 5 minutes, so I don't put it past you. I just smile. Tea is your drink of choice because you're on this Daniel Fast and let's face it, coffee without cream is a little bit unbearable for you.

I've noticed you have this process. Get up, make tea, take care of the animals, kiss your husband goodbye, get out your bible. When I come out of my room to wash my coffee cup because I can't finish the whole thing and I hate those rings that appear on the side after you've left the old stuff in there too long, you've got your bible open and the tv on. Kenneth Copeland is there, talking with Gloria. I roll my eyes a little bit, even though it's been a year. You love them each morning. It's your thing. Although I'm not a name it and claim it kind of a person, I appreciate what they do, even if I can't stand to listen to it for more than about a minute. But you like it, and it gives you joy, which makes me happy.

Every.morning. You and your God time.....and Kenneth Copeland. I don't think I could have a mother better suited for me.

Those times

There's nothing quite like those quiet times in the morning. Before work. Before traffic. Before tempers. The quiet time to spend with God.

When it become unbearable

It took me 2 rounds of The Swell Season, Ascend the Hill's "Hymns" album, a go at the Once soundtrack and maybe a Justin Beiber song that snuck in there somehow (i'm not gunna lie about it), but I finally cleaned my room. It gets to the point where I can't stand to live in it anymore, and much to the satisfaction of my mother, I attack it with gazelle like intensity. Not the speed though, because let's face it, when have I ever been quick at getting things done?

Cats:: What it really means to work for affection

He really makes you work for it. My cat. It's never very easy, but when it happens, you know you've won, if only for a moment. Most of the time, I just annoy him to the point that he turns his back on me. **side note, the colors in this picture were a complete mistake but I sorta like how it turned out**

Though sometimes, he might tolerate me enough to let me take a picture of him.

In the end, he's my best friend :)

Happy Sunday!!

Boston: You have my heart, even though we've never met

Clearly, I am living in the wrong city. Stolen from my friend's Tumblr account Ghanda-Ghanda, there is everything I love in these two pictures, including the bay windows, the obvious nook that has to exists in one of those apartments, and the red ivy on a brick wall. And black shutters. And terra cotta. And lampposts. And iron balconies. And fire escapes. I think it's time to visit Boston...

It's how I::

It's how I spend my morning: reading

 

It's what I wake up to: inspiration

It's how I live my life: complete chaos

It's how I love my Jesus: completely

Kate Leaderstorf + John Gaunt

I don't really know them. I don't know John at all and I only remember Kate from when she went to CCA. The thing about volunteering with the wedding ministry is that you have the opportunity to step into the lives of two special people right at the point where their two lives become one. You don't have any previous expectations or callous judgements to tarnish your view. You just see them. And it's beautiful.

Little miracles would probably be what I would use to describe their wedding day. Rehearsal went great, everything seemed ironed out. And then the wedding comes and it's like "wait, I thought we practiced this?" To list a few? Musicians who didn't know they were playing, so improvisation occured. Mad props to Dan Lupo for being so flexible. A slideshow that came very close to not being played because the wedding team didn't realize that "it takes two to make a thing go right."

But the little miracles are what matters most. According to maid of honor Marla, that's what the whole wedding had been filled with. For instance, not only going into JC Penney and getting $80 shoes for $20, but also to come and find out that the only sizes they had left happened to be the exact sizes of the 4 bridesmaids. Or the little "ring bearer" who was taking a ride in wagon up the aisle was crying like crazy until those doors opened up and suddenly he was hushed. Or the dvd slideshow that we wanted played at the ceremony, only to come and find out that not only did we need to book a sound guy, but also a video guy. Upstairs and down stairs. A phone call to Jack the head video guy and few training moments later, Jake Butler pulled it out and was able to run the slideshow. In the nick of time. Or the dancer who was not only full of nerves, but also very congested and coughing every few minutes. Scared that she would go into a coughing fit onstage, we prayed and the Lord was faithful.

It's just those little miracles that you see in the simplest of things that lets you know that God not only is always there, but He works things out in a way that make you chuckle. He knows what will make you laugh.

And so this post is getting way too long. Today another wedding and rehearsal, and then tomorrow another wedding. Busy weekend. I'm gunna go ahead go and fist bump with Pastor Bob at a sweet wedding.

My thing

I found it! I did! I'm very happy. Alright, so those of you who follow some blogs know that each successful blogger has a thing that they do every so often that is personally them. Whether it's Jessica Claire who does "Things I love" or Jasmine Star who does "Kisses + Disses", they all have them. Well, I think I found my thing..... "5 senses". Alright, it seemed a little more climactic in my head, but we'll work on the delivery. In essence, it's about my 5 senses and what I have observed using them over the past week. I'd like to say I'm a pretty observant person; I notice things, people, smells, and tastes (sometimes too indulgently). That being said, I think I'll put them to good use. So I'll start it on this blog, and then when I get all professional with my own wedding planning business, I'll transition it over to my wedding blog. It'll be epic, I know it will.

This week in: The 5 Senses (as design elements come into play, this will be more fun, bear with me)

Sight: I saw a homeless man rolling up his sleeping bag after spending the night on a bench near the beach
Hearing: The sound of my ugly alarm going off at 6 am
Touch: A cashmere sweater. It was the first time I'd ever touched one
Taste: This time it was a simple dinner prepared by a woman who has more strength and is more solid in her faith then any woman I've seen in a long time. ::thanks Becky Gardner::
Smell: A pizza stone getting broken in in the oven. Moldy eggs and old play dough is all I'm going to leave you with.

Sunrise this morning