The Joy of Living

Smiling on a Friday

2012-02-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in a Starbucks getting my internet duties done for the day (I never realized how much I use this resource and goodness, can I say again that I cannot wait until we have it at home again?)...Anyway, I digress. Today my sweetie middle sister is coming to visit and we're going to show her the town. Or what we know of the town so far. We've already discovered several yummy places to eat and of course, want to take her downtown and on a hike somewhere (there is no end of places to go--we just need to choose where to go?!)

....this has been a bit of a wild week. My job unexpectedly called me up and asked that I come in for training yesterday and I'll be back at the office for the next 2 weeks starting Monday. And here I thought I was going to be off of work for a while. So amidst the unpacking and getting ready for my sis to come, there's also been work and adjusting to corporate life again. Goodness. That said, it is nice to sit here drinking an Americano and looking out the window to this pretty misty day. I love the range of people huddled in here--three old men talking about their days in the science industry, a lady talking (quite loudly) about teaching Sunday School and her experiences in that, mid-20s people huddled over i-phones and pads, mid-30s folks chatting over coffee and their laptops, and little old ladies sipping coffee and eating treats. There's hardly an empty seat and this is a big Starbucks. I like it here.

The Second Day up the 5

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

I wish to heavens I had taken more pictures on this second day but I'll admit that during the first part I was nervous--would the roads be bad? (they weren't.) We twisted and turned through the mountain road and my heart sang as the sun rose over the lake. I wish I had better pictures, but what can you do? We were on a mission! As we left Weed (CA), I noticed a cow made entirely of bits of metal parts in a field. It was amazing. Within a couple of minutes, we were enveloped in a cloud of fog as we made our way up to Yreka. As we were leaving that town, I looked to my right and out of the mist stood a huge metal dragon. I am not kidding. It was the most wonderful thing ever.

You'll notice that we went from mountains to high desert to farmland to FOREST. We finally arrived here at our new home in the late afternoon, wearily filled out the paperwork, did a walk-through and crashed.

Leaving California

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

On January 29, we woke up at 2:30 in the morning and packed up the last bits into the truck and cars. We drove away in the dark and started the trek up the 5. I have to say thank you to everyone who prayed for us--the week before the passes through Northern CA and Southern OR had been closed due to all of the snow. Merely a week later, we were driving through on clear roads with absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking views. What a beautiful drive it was!

So much of that first day was literally driving through memory lane for me. I've driven that freeway so many times through my life--many good memories there. I nearly shouted when I saw Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta in the distance. I'll show you Shasta tomorrow.

We Made It

2012-02-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

view off of our new porch

It's hard to believe that one week ago, one week ago, we were carrying boxes up to our new apartment and I was thinking that maybe the combination of a love for books and a second story apartment was a bad idea. The day was crisp and cool (for us) but the sky was blue with lovely clouds. It felt surreal and that has been the word of the week over here. We're so blessed and happy to be (nearly) settled. The first week's weather was kind to us and we've had blue sky every single day. I have to remind myself that this is not a week of a cold snap but that it is going to be like this until spring. Of course, comparatively, 40 degree weather is very doable. We look out onto a ridge off our back porch. If we walk down the street, we're in a forest. We keep on pinching ourselves--we live in a forest, we live in a forest! Chickadees and blue jays find bugs in the lichen-dressed trees outside our windows. We still don't have internet (I'm at a coffee shop as I type this) but once we do reconnect, I'll be on here more often, I promise. I'm going to post a couple days worth of driving up the 5 pictures--mostly for me, for memory's sake--apologies in advance for the blurriness but hopefully you can see some of the beauty we were able to experience.

Bye Bye LaLaLand

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take some pictures of the glowing city on our way home from the beach. The sun was hitting the downtown skyline and making it so lovely! Being that we were driving at a decent pace instead of rolling along in traffic, I was unable to get a clear shot, but I really like how these turned out. The dancing squiggly lights make me smile.

♥♥♥♥

Bye to Manhattan - Part 2

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

we finally arrived at the beach and what a glorious site we saw! ::love::

I'm so grateful for the time we had at this place and for all the memories made here.

I admit that I can't wait to hit the road for the Oregon coast--oh, how I love the Northern California/Oregon coastline. There's nothing like it.

p.s. we returned the live sand dollar to the ocean in hopes that it would have a second chance! hope, hope...

Bye to Manhattan - Part 1

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

We went to the beach one last time before we left. I'm not sure how we managed it but I'm so glad we went for it. I'm going to miss this place.

But you knew that.

and that was just the walk to get to the beach! more tomorrow...

Moving on Up--Seeing the Mountain

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

thought I'd post a bit of our adventures in coming to Portland and saying goodbye to L.A.; please bear with me as I tend to get uber nostalgic at different life crossroads. :)

“Oh, look, look!” We were flying to Portland several weeks ago for The Interview--both of us tucked into our seats among a plane of business people. T was reading Robinson Crusoe on his iphone. I was stitching away on a project fit for our adventure. I looked out the window at one point and saw a massive lake, its arms splayed out in a hundred directions. I knew that lake. The tree line formed on the edge and the brown line of dirt sandwiched itself between the water and the forest. “Look, I think that's Shasta Lake,” I told him. I remembered the houseboat days of summer on that lake. The hiking around its rim.

The stitchery called and I left my revelry for a moment. I don't know what caused me to look back out the window but when I did, I saw the mountain. The mountain that formed the horizon of my high school years and those twice-a-year college vacations. I knew that mountain. “Look, it's Mt. Shasta—so that was definitely Shasta Lake that we saw earlier. Oh look at it!” I was surprised to see it so empty of snow (and later beyond happy that it was since we would get to drive by it on our trek up north). It was so beautiful and it made me so happy to see it. I had been engrossed in my stitchery I almost missed the beauty around me. Isn't that like life?

This is the stitchery I was working on—I memorized this verse last year and had seen it to be true in our lives over and over again. (sorry for the poor quality of the photo...it is kind of in focus, right? :-/)

This is the only picture taken in Portland during our trip. I was sitting in the parking lot waiting for T during his interview, praying and trying to keep myself from over-thinking everything. The clouds were piling up and the sky was crazy blue. It was such a beautiful day. We little knew what great things the Lord had in store for us, that's for sure.

♥♥♥♥

Packing Up and Saying Goodbye

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've been quiet here on the blog as of late, though it has not been for lack of words to say. This month has been filled to the brim and overflowing with travel and surprises and excitement for us. The short story is we are moving to Portland. The long story might unfold here at a later time.

Suffice to say, we're excited, overwhelmed, happy, and having moments of looking at each other and saying, 'Are we really doing this? Are we crazy?!' The next week and a half will have us finishing up our jobs here in lalaland and driving the uhaul away up the 5. Oh, our beloved (and dreaded) 5 freeway! How nice that you will take us all the way there; how nostalgic that you will thread us straight through Redding, the home of my high school years.

So we're packing and sorting and saying goodbye the best we can. We're trusting and believing and taking hold of the hand of our Savior, Jesus. Honestly, the things God has orchestrated to make this happen are nothing short of miraculous. If I wasn't a believer, I might think they were coincidental but there are hundreds and thousands now (believe me, I've been writing them down!) and perhaps I would rethink that word. When I read that list, it's all I can do to not shout. The other day I couldn't help myself and read some of them to my husband--"Can you believe this?" I asked. "Look here, listen to this--I prayed for this specifically--and here is the answer!" No, God is not a genie who grants us our wishes but He is most certainly a Provider and a Father who dearly loves his children. I will not say that this journey has been easy and full of daffodils and lilies but it has certainly been worth it, especially for my soul's maturity's sake. ;0)

Once we're settled up there, I intend to write more (frequently? maybe?)...I don't have a job lined up to begin with and knowing my old self, I won't feel settled until most of the boxes are done away with (which keeps one from taking pictures and blogging). But after that, I'll come back. And I look forward to sharing this new adventure with you. from lalaland to portlandia? This should be quite the adventure.

♥♥♥♥

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

my Christmas cactus decided to bloom last week right before we left. :)

What a wonderful, wonderful trip to Boise. This year we decided to gift each other a family photo, cookies and an ornament per family rather than buying individual gifts for everyone. And wow, to see how each family interpreted that was so much fun. I'm especially happy to look at the bar off my kitchen to see a row of smiling family faces...I miss them!

Now that Christmas is over, it is by no means the end of gift-giving, though. In the next four weeks, we have 3 birthdays coming one after another. After spending some time with Emma last week, I was inspired to make her a dolly blanket from my yarn scraps so I whipped that up yesterday. It was so easy and fun to do. One of the stripes is from yarn that I used to make her baby blanket five years ago (sniff, sniff). She loves to draw so we are also going to put together a sketchbook with some colored pencils for her. I had so much fun sitting with her as she drew and told me what was happening in each picture.

Little miss mouse (Emily) is going to be turning two a week before Emma, so I think she's due for her own tutu. She followed the big girls around as they danced 'ballet' for us and held her skirt in her right hand like she was a little lady. Too cute.

Well, a happy new year to you all!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

we wish you a very merry Christmas and joy for the new year!

take a moment and think about the true meaning of Christmas this year...

and many moments to love those around you...

♥

I Bring You Good News

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:8-11

One of my favorite images of Christmas is that of the shepherds in the fields that night, maybe walking back and forth to stay awake and to make sure their sheep weren’t wandering off. I think of that dark sky and the crunch of dirt under their feet…the quiet that engulfed them on every side. They were just doing their job and then God showed up. Well, first an angel showed up and scared their socks off.

“I bring you good news!” the angel said. “Good news that will be give everyone great joy”—joy like they’d never known! Could they have imagined what this angel meant? That the hope of this world had just been born a mere walk away? I wonder if they gathered their sheep together and trooped through those sleepy Bethlehem streets to see the baby. Or if they assigned one of the younger shepherds to watch the flocks for them. “We’ll be right back!”

What I’m most struck by is how they ‘hurried off’ to see if what the angels had told them was true. They quickly dropped everything and went looking for the baby. And they found him. What a reminder to act immediately on what I believe rather than waiting or holding it inside.

♥

As I’m posting this, we are throwing the last minute things into our bags and heading off to the airport to see the family in Boise! I’m so grateful to be able to spend Christmas with my family this year. We haven’t all been together for the last three years, so this will be a treat! I hope you are able to make some precious memories with your own family and friends this year. I've pre-posted a little image for tomorrow morning but most likely I'll see you in the New Year!

We love to read Christmas stories during this time of year, and there are so many wonderful Christmas stories out there. Here are some of our favorites:

Christmas is Here-a sweet book about the meaning of Christmas
Corgiville Christmas—we had a corgi growing up (what a wonderful and sweet dog he was!) and we always loved Tasha Tudor’s drawings as children. I still do.
The Gift of the Magi—every time I read this, I choke up. I especially love Lisbeth Zwerger’s lovely watercolors

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light..."
Isaiah 9:2

Last year as we prepared for Christmas Eve dinner, my mom turned the lights down low and began lighting candles. She explained to Emma and Alex that they could look but not touch the candles at their table. Their eyes lit up as they watched Nana light the tall red tapers in front of them and they immediately began to heave huge sighs. Their mom saw what they were doing and said, “Please don’t blow the candles out.” It made me laugh to see how quickly she read their minds. How their little faces shone as they were captivated by that light!

Maybe this is what it means when the writer of Hebrews urges us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Could he also be saying the opposite—when you fix your eyes on Christ, the world loses its luster in the presence of true brilliance? I want to be caught up in loving Jesus like that.

♥

I saw this recipe for gingerbread playdough and am so excited to be giving it as Christmas gifts to the littlest munchkins this year. Who knew homemade playdough was that easy to make? The hardest part was assembling the ingredients!

...And The Soul Felt Its Worth

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

What an image! I sat at our keyboard and read them again from the hymnbook perched on top. I had been trying to play through the song (funny how that used to come so easily ::sigh::) and stopped as the words began to come alive. I’ve sung this song a thousand times and never really thought about the picture that was being painted. A town asleep after a bustling day, the sun long gone and the darkness deep, a baby’s first cries echoing. That baby being the light of the world, the hope of our salvation.

Last Christmas I stood next to my family and sang carols at their church. Singing with my family wells up so many precious memories that I was more croaking than singing. The tears came.

The choir swayed and smiled and sang their hearts out, the band gently playing. The advent candles were lit by a family from the church and the dad read the portion of Scripture. My heart ached. The choir director asked us to sing another song, one that I had up-until-then relegated to Celine Dion and Mariah Carey territory only (aka, you need to be able to sang to sing this song…no squeaking allowed.) But we stood and the music began and our voices rang out the life-giving words:

‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

Had I ever seen this lyric before? The soul felt its worth at the coming of Christ. All the emptiness was filled, all the hopes were met, the purpose and meaning was found.

♥

Pull out an old hymnal or google Christmas hymns like Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, and O Holy Night. Take some time to read the lyrics and sing those songs today.

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

“You crown the year with your good blessings and you leave abundance in your wake.”

Psalm 65:11 (NET)

Another idea…make a gratitude journal this year. A couple of years ago I drew out the things I was thankful for. This year around springtime I began writing them down as part of the One Thousand Gifts project. A friend in college taught me through her example about looking for God’s gifts for us each day. She considered everything a gift and I do mean everything. I had never really looked at life that way and her perspective opened my eyes to that kind of seeing. Later on, I realized that my mom had been like that all along—exclaiming over the tips of new green on the trees and the garden coming alive in her letters.

The beautiful thing about having your eyes opened is you begin to see the layers upon layers of blessing that we’ve been given. You write out all the ‘big’ things—family, friends, job, home—and then you begin to see the ‘small’. Look at how the droplets of water form on that plant. That little bird sings outside our window at the same time every morning—wonderful! A cup of soup becomes a miracle, a hug wraps you with joy. It really is quite amazing.

Perhaps this is why the apostle Paul asks us to be thankful over and over again in his letters. “For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” he says. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) As we practice gratefulness, we begin to notice our souls brimming with abundance, and we learn that we were made for this.

♥

Any journal will do since you’re listing…buy one for a friend and tell her what you’re doing with yours as an idea to get her started.

Filled with Joy

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

“You have done great things for us and we are filled with joy!” Psalm 126:3

Last January, Beth Moore posted a message on her blog about memorizing 2 verses a month throughout 2011. If we wanted a bit of accountability to do this, she suggested we do it as a group and post our verses on the 1st and 15th of the month. I knew I so needed Scripture sinking into my soul so I signed up and wow, what a blessing of a year it has been. I look back on my spiral and see the struggles and joys and victories and so much of what God was teaching me this year printed out in my handwriting. I won’t lie—it wasn’t easy to do this for a whole year, but God was so faithful and helped me to do it. I keep on praying that these Scriptures will not just be rote memorization but lifeblood to me.

♥

Give it away: God’s word brings so much hope and life and joy and what a sweet gift it can be to someone during this time of the year. To make your own spiral, take 12-24 blank 3x5 cards (decorate the edges if you want to be fancy), punch a hole in one edge and string a piece of ribbon through to tie. Another idea (that I admittedly stole from a friend!), is to make a week-long verse encouragement pack. Choose 7 verses and write them on blank 3x5 cards, decorate or stamp the edges, then place in an envelope. Give these to a friend who needs an extra boost of encouragement (these are great to give to someone who is going on a trip—you can make them a verse card for each day they’re gone).

Some thoughts on memorization on a holy experience. Beautiful.

A Love Note

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is the simplest things, isn’t it? We were given a precious gift of a pack of colored pencils last Christmas from an aunt. She explained that we could use these to write or draw love notes to each other in our first year of marriage (and beyond) and what a gift it has been. We both love drawing so it wasn’t much of a stretch to get the habit going, but what started as a little note here, a silly sketch there has grown into pages upon pages of our journey. It really is beautiful. I’m so grateful for this! And honestly, I would never have thought of it. Thank you, Aunt C!

♥

A love-note book can be so simple—a blank journal and a pen tied on with a bow is all you need to get started. Add some colored pencils, crayons, or markers if you want to be fancy. The point is to let your spouse know you love them. Also…make sure this is a grace-filled activity. If one partner isn’t that keen on the idea, that’s fine. You can still leave notes for them in it!

Cookie-Making Time

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

When I was little, part of our Christmas tradition was making batches of cookies from the cookie press. We had a Mirro press with which we made holly wreaths (complete with cinnamon candies for the berries…I never did like those candies, but anyway), spritz, and velvet cookies. I have the recipes copies from the original booklet and they call for lovely combinations like shortening and peanut butter or cream cheese and butter. Oh, how I loved these cookies! I remember sneaking dough from the refrigerator and thinking it was the most wonderful thing ever.

We received a cookie press for a wedding gift, and I’m looking forward to trying it out today. We’re heading up to my mother-in-law’s place to make goodies and to spend the day together. I’m going to try my best to be a grown-up and not sneak tastes from the dough.

♥

Spritz cookies recipe
Vanilla Peppermint Fudge recipe
Peppermint Bark
I'm also thinking of making chocolate bark since it's so easy...melt dark chocolate chips, pour onto parchment paper (that is in a baking dish) and sprinkle with whatever topping you like. I'm thinking sea salt or candied ginger or even swirling in some slightly melted peanut butter would be ah-mazing. Place in fridge to set (or if you're desperate like we were a few weeks ago, the freezer works faster. Just don't forget that it's in there!)

The Common Graces

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

“So, what did you get?” Her eyes meet mine as we’re sipping coffee one afternoon. I feel that old feeling surge up. I want to say, ‘Why does it matter?’ but I mumble my list. Suddenly the book of poetry and the homemade ornament and the Christmas socks seem so small. She tells me her list and I feel it again—a mixture of self-pity and self-righteousness.

Poor me, we don’t get very much at Christmastime. But wait, that’s not what it’s about anyway. Poor her, she doesn’t see what Christmas is all about. But maybe she does and I’m just jealous. I keep quiet.

I leave later with a sense of confusion in my heart. Why can’t I just be real and tell her the truth? Why am I so two-faced? Both grateful for what I have and delighted with the treasures I receive and yet wishing I had more. Why are the common graces not enough?

I want to live in such a way where I can lovingly and honestly answer her question. Where I can give and receive and be truly grateful. I believe that this isn’t something that is won easily and without a daily request for God’s help. Aren’t we all so bombarded with the exact opposite message in this world? One of More! More! More!

Let’s live out gratefulness and grace today.

♥

Some thoughts on common grace by Mike Fabarez
Beth Moore’s treatise on comparison—So Long, Insecurity.
and this blog entry! "if we were all the same, how would the world get to see the immense creativity of our God!?"

Jehovah Jireh

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Maybe I’ve told this story before and I’ve forgotten. This is why people faithfully tag their entries, I suppose. Anyway, forgive me if it is a repeat, but it makes my heart brave to think about it.

When I started at this place, it was a God-send. I had been looking for work for quite a long time and then a job popped up. I interviewed, got the job, and waited as red-tape prevented me from starting for six months. Started, worked for a year, and my department closed. I remember sitting in the COO’s office and hearing the words, "We don’t have a position for you" on my birthday. I had known this was coming for months and had spent quality time panicking and asking everyone I knew to pray. But on that day something happened inside of me (clearly God at work) because I felt calm. A realization hit me as she spoke that God had complete control over this situation. He was watching over me.

At the end of our conversation she suggested I walk down the hall and ask about a job opening with the consultant the hospital had hired. It felt strange to do so and I admit I didn’t want to do it, but I had nothing to lose, so I went. I was hired with that firm a week or so later.

The Lord provides. Abraham said this after God provided a ram for him on Mount Moriah and afterwards the people said “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:14) Isn’t that true? That sometimes we have to hike all the way up the mountain in faith, trusting that he will provide an answer, a future, and a hope for us. And when we reach the top, we find that our legs have been strengthened and our hearts have been changed and maybe even our question has been refined. More than that, we find that He is enough and He is our provision. I don’t know what my next job will be but I am reminding myself over and over, Jehovah Jireh—the Lord provides.

♥

Could we echo that provision by providing for others?

One of my (and now our) favorite Christmas traditions is picking our presents for others in these catalogs.

GFA
Compassion
Samaritan’s Purse
Operation Christmas Child (one of my favorite memories as a child! Sooo glad we did this…)
Union Rescue Mission (or your local mission—they really need help in these tough times)

On the First Day of Christmas...

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today will be the last time I stand in line with my coworkers in the basement of the hospital to wait for our Christmas luncheon. The old cafeteria will be lit with Christmas lights and decorated with red bows. The executive team will be lined up and piling plates high with food. We’ll walk with our trays to the dining area and look around for a place to sit. And we will eat and talk and ask about each others' Christmas plans. Afterwards we’ll walk to a conference room to receive our Christmas mug and a handshake from the CEO, eat a dessert and drink some coffee and listen to the employee who volunteered to sing that day before heading back to the office.

Our team has diminished to the three of us, with only me being there full-time. This is how it works—coming in for a project and ramping up the team, finishing the project and saying goodbye one by one. I started this project as a hospital employee, my boss just having left, and me a department of one. And today I smile because I’m a department of one again, packing boxes, closing files, finishing those last to-do lists.

And so life circles back around and I pray that I have learned the lessons I was to learn here rather than circling back weaker than before. I feel at times that these moments are so long and drawn out and then that which never seemed to end is gone. Did I give thanks for the mundane tasks as well as the overwhelming joys? I think that is part of what Advent is all about: slowing down…drinking in these moments…listening to God speak through his Word… quieting our hearts.

12 more days…

♥

Is it too late to talk about making Christmas decorations? I cut out little birds from craft paper (paper bags work perfectly too), and we wrote what we’re thankful for on the front and back. Hole-punched them on top and strung them together as a garland around the house. We are blessed!

A Gift for You

2011-12-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had some time to draw and paint...which my husband then scanned and printed...we began talking about how fun it would be to make a little calendar. It probably would have to be a perpetual calendar since I don't see it coming out in the next three weeks! Anyway, it's nice to set aside that much-needed time to create. The last thing I want to do is make this another To Do item, but when I am more intentional and take these moments, I find so much joy!

Ann Voskamp has a little calendar of Thanksgiving on her website today...it is lovely and full of her beautiful images. I like the idea of using it to record a blessing every day.

Pretty Amazing

2011-12-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

I watched this and gasped.

A Storm in the Night

2011-12-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

(photo by Yessenia Toscano on KPCC site)

Wednesday night was loud and noisy, the wind blowing and howling outside as we tried to sleep. The electricity went on and off but for the most part stayed on. In the morning, I walked to my car and marveled at the amount of palm branches littering the sidewalk. Still, it wasn't that bad. I drove in to work and took my normal exit and gasped. My trees! The magnolias and pine trees and eucylyptus...they were snapped in two and lying in the road. In fact, there were few trees that had not been affected by the storm. It was really sad. There is a hedge of bamboo on the edge of the L.A. Arboretium that is always kept so pristinely that I've run under a hundred times; that hedge was leaning heavily over the sidewalk and onto the road. Wow. The wind is a powerful creature...

Ornament-Making Part Two

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

For these ornaments, we started with my husband's photos of flowers that he's taken over the last year. Most of the time that we go on walks, there is a camera on his back so each of these photos remind of us of the different adventures we've had. There is even an ornament made from photos from my wedding bouquet. (though those pictures were taken by the amazing Stephanie!) :)

These were pretty time-intensive...Selecting them, printing, punching out the circles, applying adhesive, and assembling, but I really like how they turned out. They are very small--close to the size of a silver dollar--which I think adds to their cuteness. Oh, I love the ornament above with the pink bougainvillea!!!

I can't wait to give these as presents this year! :)

Let the Ornament-Making Begin!

2011-11-26T13:34:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was lovely this year--spent it with the husband's family which is always fun. They spoil us with a lot of good food and laughter. I took off Friday this year and pulled out The List of Things to Do and ornament-making was right up there (after doing laundry and going on a run ;)). We decided to make ornaments for each family this year rather than do a gift per person. We'll also make treats and give everyone a picture of ourselves (mom's request). This gives me an excellent excuse to pull out the recipes for chocolate bark and toffee and other yummy things that I don't want to make and eat by myself (ourselves).

It took a while to come up with an idea for ornaments, but in the end, we settled on two designs. One that is 'me' and one that is 'him' using each of our talents and loves. I made these thinking of the Scandinavian ornaments I love so much, so these are an ode to my heritage. And his use his gorgeous photography...but I'll show you those tomorrow.

Today's a GREAT day to create!

2011-11-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

i think today is a great day to create! go make something! :)

One Year

2011-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today is our first anniversary.
I hardly know where the year went.
There are so many snapshots framed in my mind from that day.
The little girls 'practicing' walking down the aisle which meant they were making endless loops around the conference room table (did I mention the 'bridal room' was a board room? ha!)
The beautiful flowers and smiles on everyone's faces. Friends. Hugs. Family I hadn't seen in ages. Good coffee. A bite of a cupcake. Tons of little kids running around and laughing.
Chatting with my dad and feeling like I was going to burst with joy and nervousness. Eating a sandwich.
My cousins and aunt and uncle setting up the morning of--I could cry because of how wonderful they were.
The sleeping ring bearer. Oh well. At least he looked cute.
The beautiful day--thank you, Lord! It had rained all week up until our wedding day and I was starting to envision us all squished inside the house for the ceremony. Which would have worked...but...
Seeing my soon-to-be husband at the end of the aisle. That was the best part.
I don't say this lightly that this year has been such a blessing.
A year of growing and learning and falling more in love.
Thank you, Lord!

11-11-11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post something since today's date is so fun. However, it seems the only photos I have on my camera these days are pictures from Manhattan Beach. Oh well. I do like this mile marker. The design is so fun with the little pier and the waves. Happy Friday and Veteran's Day, everyone.

Beach Bird House

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

seen at Manhattan Beach...seems we've been there a lot lately :)

I think it would be fun to make birdhouses. Maybe someday I'll make a series of them, starting with the bird lifeguard house. Love the surfboards!

Terribly Delicious Sandwich

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, I made a terribly delicious sandwich for our lunch. It was terrible because it probably had 800 trillion calories in it and enough fat to keep us warm through the winter, but the deliciousness won out. This is something you eat and then have to take a nap afterwards because your body is saying, 'what just happened?!' mmmm It was really simple, though, if you'd like to try it.

Toast ciabatta bread in the oven, slice in half (after cooled, of course!)
Made an avocado spread out of smooshed up avocados, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes (for a kick of heat)
Cook a few pieces of bacon, pat excess oil off and break into pieces
Slice up a ripe tomato
Slather the bread with the avocado spread, top with bacon and tomato
Wrap sandwich in napkin because it will be messy!
Eat sandwich in bed so you can take a nap immediately upon finishing. ha!

I'm So Granola

2011-11-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

I'm steadfastly working through a notebook of printed off recipes that I've accumulated over the years this fall. Part of this is a form of housekeeping--if the recipe is awful, why am I keeping it? Another is because I got stuck in a rut of 10 meals that we seemed to be eating constantly. Or maybe we weren't, but it felt like it. I know I definitely was in a rut for breakfast, having eaten my version of muesli since last April. A couple weeks ago, I couldn't take it anymore and bought some (gasp!) store-bought granola. It was pretty good but now that I've joined the ranks of those who make their own, it's hard to go back. It just doesn't taste the same at all. So, I pulled out the recipe notebook and there, lo and behold, was a vanilla almond granola recipe that I had never tried. I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and so made a batch. Yum. This granola isn't too sweet and is definitely not clumpy, but it is crisp and delicious with plain yogurt. My husband, who eats a version of apple pie every morning (oatmeal with cooked apples dressed in cinnamon and honey), even admitted to sneaking some. Though it is named, 'vanilla almond', this granola has a very subtle taste. You're using 4 teaspoons (!!!) of vanilla but the flavor is slight. I like that.

I used the following recipe from everybody loves sandwiches, but took out the vanilla sugar that she suggested.

vanilla almond granola

4 c old-fashioned oats
1 c sliced almonds
2 T flax seed
3 T brown sugar
1/4 t salt
1/8 t cinnamon
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/4 c honey
1 T almond butter
4 t vanilla extract

Preheat to 300°F. Mix the first 6 ingredients in large bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine oil, honey, and sugar. Stir honey mixture until it just begins to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in the almond butter and vanilla. Once the almond butter melts, pour the hot liquid over the oats and stir well until thoroughly mixed. Spread granola on a large rectangular baking sheet or pan. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Break apart and store in an airtight container.

Manhattan Pier

2011-11-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

On the day this picture was taken, it was so overcast at the beach that you couldn't even see the horizon. The clouds came down to kiss the ocean...more like meld into the waves since there was no distinction. Oh, I love the fall and winter at the ocean! The entire atmosphere becomes quiet and mysterious and golden.

More Sunset....

2011-11-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

These branches at sunset were practically neon. Absolutely breathtaking!

Beach Sunset

2011-11-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

how i love eucalyptus trees...
they remind me of childhood. we had a treehouse at grandma and grandpa's house in a huge (to us) eucalyptus tree.

Up Close

2011-11-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

Usually we have to stop several times on our walks at the beach to take out stray pieces of this bark. However, up close these pieces are so very lovely in the sunset light.

Peaceful

2011-10-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

at Manhattan Beach...

Inspiration Friday: Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta

2011-10-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last summer my parents and I visited the Getty Museum here in L.A. and I bought this beautiful little book of selections from the mira calligraphiae monumenta. Calligrapher Georg Bocskay was commissioned by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to create a book of calligraphy which showed different styles and illuminated letters. Instead of drawing 800 alphabets, he showed off his skill with mirror writing and intensely detailed lettering. It is so beautiful.

PDX: Japanese Gardens

2011-10-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

(photo by my husband)

Highly recommended: the Japanese Gardens in Portland, Oregon. Visit in July. (Okay, that's the only time I've been, so visit whenever you want...Any other recommendations? It would be gorgeous in the fall, I'm sure of it...) Bring your sketchbook and/or camera. Stay awhile. Take the tour, even if you are anti-tour like me. (I married a tour-taker.)

This place was so breathtakingly beautiful. It felt like we were in a painting.

Drawing hands

2011-10-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Another difficult thing to draw...hands. But it is interesting, nonetheless. I'm amused at how my mind wants to draw these as opposed to how they really look. This is really good practice for me. I'm hoping that my little girl drawings will improve even if they are still not meant to look realistic. I think it'll be better for them to have somewhat real hands instead of blobs.

Inspiration Friday: Ron Crabb

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ron Crabb creates incredibly beautiful digital work. I saw a documentary on him on lynda.com last weekend and wanted to clap at the end. A portion of the documentary and a 'start to finish' look at how he does what he does is free here. It's refreshing to see someone who is doing what they love and who has created a life outside of the Hollywood scene (even though his matte paintings are used in movies, he and his family live on an island in Washington...reminds me of Marian Bantjes and her island in Canada. :))

Have a beautiful weekend!

Phoebe Sketching

2011-10-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

My beloved black phoebe. I love these birds. :) I'm particularly proud of this one because I drew all the negative space first. It really helped with placing everything together properly instead of just eyeing it.

PDX: Rose Garden

2011-10-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

(photo by my husband)

The ruffles on these roses reminds me of the square dancing dresses that my sisters and I used to dance around the house in. We would have loved to have a dress with ruffles like these! Gorgeous.

Ponyo Love

2011-10-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

This movie makes me so happy. On the Ponyo dvd that we rented, they had all the storyboards so people like me could sketch them. :)

Happiness!!!

Sketchbook Feet

2011-10-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

You can giggle. Feet are not as easy to draw as they seem. But they're fun to draw, so I've been practicing. I think this is the first time I've ever sat down and drawn a real, bonafide foot. Usually they are wrapped in cute shoes so I don't have to go there.

Cars aren't easy for me either. Must practice more...

I Miss You, PDX

2011-10-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

(photo by my husband...)

Maybe it's the coffee

Maybe it's the green

Maybe it's the people

Maybe it's the treats

Whatever it is, I miss you, Portland.

Love, me

♥♥♥♥

Inspiration Friday: Marian Bantjes

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

(flower petals digitally arranged by Marian Bantjes)

A couple of years ago, my boyfriend (now husband) took me to a talk by Marian Bantjes at Art Center College of Design. I didn't know who she was but he assured me I would like her work. Okay. So we went and listened and laughed (she's a great and interesting speaker--not at all boring and/or snotty about how wunderbar her work is, though it is quite wonderful.) One of the things, okay THE thing I Love about her work is the depth of the layers in it. She is great at creating an initial connection where you think, 'oh, what a cool pattern' but then if you look a little closer, there's more and if you look closer, there's even more. And then if you are me, you start having slight heart palpitations. I was in need of oxygen by the end of her talk, mostly because this woman's work has soooo much detail and I couldn't even fathom the amount of time and patience she put into it. She showed us beautiful writing in sugar, patterns made of feathers, patterns made of pasta, and gorgeous valentines day cards that she had had laser cut from christmas cards. wow. The lynda.com feature on Marian Bantjes is also interesting and so her. Love that. (I realize I'm suddenly talking a LOT about lynda.com but their documentaries are really great, not to mention their online training. And no, I'm not employed by them...:))

Stop by her site for some inspiration this Friday and enjoy the weekend!

Bird Sketches

2011-10-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry in advance for the poor image quality of these (and the forthcoming) sketch photos. These particular little birds were copied from The Boy Who Drew Birds, one of my favorite children's books (about John James Audubon). These were fun to draw--I just took the book out, found a couple of pictures I liked and pulled out the pencil (and then colored pencils) to do the drawings. You learn so much when you copy other drawings like how the artist might have made different decisions. I highly recommend it.

2011-10-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

(watercolor squares by me)

Fall tried its best to come to L.A. last week. We had rain and cool breezes and nights where we had to close the window. Oh wait, we always close the window so we won't breath freeway fumes all night. But if we didn't live two blocks from the 134 we would most definitely keep our window open in the summer with the exception of last week.

In many ways, it felt like a break. This summer (and now fall) has been stretching, to say the least. I've been quiet here on the blog, not quite knowing what to say. Its mostly work stuff anyway which is a bit boring to rehash. But it has taken a toll on me and I'm tired. Its a long, drawn-out story, but I'm pretty much positive (love the ambiguity) that I'll be losing my job soon. So I've been looking elsewhere and asking within the company to see if something else might come up when this job is finished. Ironically (maybe) this job is not going down without a bang--whew, it has been BUSY. This is probably good, though, so I'm not sitting alone in an office and weeping. (I'm kidding...I think.)

The busyness at work has made me really tired when I get home so I've been using some of that down time to work on my drawing. I'll post some pictures in the coming days of some of the things I've been attempting. I won't post any of the heads or profiles I've been working on since they all look like a cross between primitive man and C3Pio. For reals, people. They are scary. But hey, we all have to start somewhere, right? Of course right.

Bert Monroy

2011-10-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

(image by the amazing Bert Monroy)

Bert Monroy is my hero. I watched a documentary about him on lynda.com (my other hero!) last night and was inspired, encouraged, and just plain happy upon finishing it. He paints his pictures in Photoshop, and they are stunning...super and incredibly detailed down to the tiniest pixel. Go to his website and zoom, zoom, zoom in on his work. You'll be amazed. :) And to top it all off, he seems like a really nice and giving person. Love that.

Something to Think About

2011-10-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

A friend posted this quote from Ira Glass the other day, and I have to repost it because it is just so good. I honestly think it can apply to many areas in life.

“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

Marriage Thoughts

2011-09-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

sand dunes in Montana de Oro state park

Read this short article today about a couple's marriage. What a beautiful picture of what it can be.

Drawing Life

2011-09-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

sketching on our honeymoon. yes, i know i hold my pen incorrectly.

i've been enjoying johwey.com immensely this summer. love the book sculptures and paper cutouts and flower printing. she's even reinspired me to work on art journaling again. wonders!

i'm thinking of making something really small about our wedding since i've completely come to an impasse about what to do with the pictures, bits of memorabilia and desire to make it all work together with little sketches and quotes and journaling...i'm thinking it might be two projects--the more formal wedding picture book and then the artsy book where i can cut up pictures and paint them and such...we'll see. i thought this was going to be the thing i'd want to jump straight into after the wedding but ahem, it has been the very last thing i've wanted to do this year. ah well. i guess i'll join the ranks of friends who are still sorting through pictures three years into marriage. :) oh no, i'm that person!

the good news is i'm almost finished with the honeymoon sketches/photo book! i'll show you some snippets of it when i'm finished. :)

Saying Yes to God

2011-09-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

photo credit - tim moraitis

Hopefully it isn't too late to post this link to a webcast about saying yes to God...it is available to listen to until Thursday night (September 8th). Look for the link on the upper right hand on the webpage that says, 'Yes to God Webcast Replay on Demand' and click it! :)

Wedding Advice

2011-09-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

a little sign in harmony, ca

we're going to a friend's wedding this weekend, which has me waxing nostalgic over our own wedding nearly a year ago. let's see, last year at this time...oh, yes, last year at this time, i was very stressed out. let's not talk about that. let's do talk about something very important i learned. i didn't even realize i had learned this until a few days ago, when i came across a quote i had copy/pasted from a wedding site last fall. it rang so true that i wanted to share it with you. it rings with truth.

Choose happiness. I spent way too much of our engagement driving myself crazy with what-if scenarios and worrying about things that didn’t make a single iota of difference on our wedding day. We’re trained to think that we need stuff in order to have a pretty wedding and that we need to look a certain way to be a “real” bride, when really joy begets beauty and not the other way around. Enjoy your day and your community, let the little things go, bask in being married, and that will be enough. (Sharon, contributor to apracticalwedding.com)

Carlsbad

2011-09-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

We went to Carlsbad last weekend, just for the day. It was so pretty. We sat on a bench overlooking the beach and watched the surfers and the people crowded onto the tiniest beach I've ever seen (or at least seen in a while.) Also poked our heads into a used bookstore and came out with a couple of new (to us) books. Afterwards, we refueled with Americanos and walked around one of the lagoons (which are incidentally, right off the freeway.) You wouldn't think something so close to the rushing of a freeway would be peaceful and beautiful but it really was, and once we turned a bend (or two), we were surrounded by huge palms and eucalyptus...just lovely.

The End of Summer

2011-09-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

This little girl started kindergarten this week!

Yes, I know. Fall doesn't begin until mid-September, but I still associate the end of summer with the start of the school year. (Too many teachers in the family, I suppose.) I even felt like mourning the loss this morning when I announced the first of September to my husband. Goodness.

I hope you all had a wonderful summer!

Beautiful Encouragement

2011-08-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've been blessed and encouraged over and over by this blog. the images are rich and meaningful. the words thought-provoking and full. i haven't read her book, one thousand gifts (yet), but have been writing down a thankful list since may (as she encourages her readers to do. basically, you just write down everything you're thankful for each day or whenever you remember.) this weekend, i read over that list and it took my breath away--all the tiny and big ways that God has provided and heard this past year built up to be a mountain of blessings. (and a huge reminder that he is here and working as i come to the end of this job assignment!)

The Drawing Blog

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

photo credit: Breezy Tulip from The Drawing Blog

What a lovely little blog about drawing! I've read a few posts and am bookmarking this one to go back to in the future. For the past couple of weeks, I've been doing an art lesson a day out of my never-used (ahem) Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain workbook. It has been an interesting process as I usually draw quickly and admittedly, don't don't take the time to really see an object. It has also been interesting seeing my husband's sketching process which is very different from my own.

Grace

2011-08-29T09:35:00.001-07:00

This took my breath away.

This was grace - short film from Andrew Laparra on Vimeo.

Happy Friday

2011-08-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

oh, thank heavens, its Friday.
it has been quiet here on the blog as i've been packing our trailer at work for the last two weeks and have come home exhausted every night. goodness, who knew packing is so tiring? (okay, that's a rhetorical question) anywho, the packing is done, the move has mostly happened and i am now at home having rested after having some coffee and some delicious fruit and chocolate. much, much better. even the weather has cooperated and given us a cool, delicious evening.
so happy friday, everyone...
i'll be back soon.

Pearl Bakery

2011-07-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

we were amazed at how inexpensive (and delicious) everything was at Pearl Bakery.
(yes, we ate a diet consisting of coffee + treats for most every meal. but since we walked all over tarnation, we felt we earned it. ;))

Dove Vivi

2011-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

crazy amazing pizza from Dove Vivi in Portland
cornmeal crust + balsamic onions + grilled sweet corn = wow.

Pastry in Portland

2011-07-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

a hazelnut macaron at Ken's Artisan Bakery

Back from Portland

2011-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

well, we're back...
portland was beautiful.
and we miss it.
(and all the treats we ate while we were there.)
:)

Chocolate Truffle Cake

2011-07-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

(photo credit: the wonderful Heidi Swanson)

we're off to portland this morning! but i thought i'd post a little yumminess before i go...

oh my oh my oh my

this chocolate cake looks like it is equivalent to eating a truffle. i'd imagine that eating it with a hot cup of coffee would be the perfect ~~breakfast~~ dessert. and the best part is you don't have to turn on the oven and lie sweltering around your house for an afternoon.
yum.

Huckleberry Cafe

2011-07-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

MMMM, speaking of being a tourist in our fair city...once the 405 (freeway) mess is cleared up, we are most definitely visiting huckleberry cafe! so i'm wondering, do we bike first then eat breakfast there OR eat first, then bike the coastline, THEN grab a coffee and treat at urth cafe? (yes, they spell their name funny, but you'll forgive them once you eat a treat! mmmm!!!!)

:)

Tourists

2011-07-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

(photo from a cup of joe)

I came across this picture today, and it made me laugh so hard. Its the tourist phenomena of everyone doing the same thing, I guess. Since we are about to be real live tourists in a couple of days, I thought I'd repost it.

Truth be told, I rather like being a tourist in my own city. Its fun to go to the museums and walk on the beach and hike on the trails that are written up in magazines. I promised myself to soak up this city when I moved here eight (?!) years ago and I think I've done a fair job of it. (granted, l.a. is huge and there are vast stretches i've completely skipped since i've done a large amount of repeat visiting to lovely places like agoura hills and manhattan beach...oops) Anyway, all that to say, I highly recommend being a tourist in your city or town one weekend. Take pictures. Wear walking shoes and walk all over the place. Go to the restaurant or cafe that everyone talks about but is 'not you'...why not? Also recommended: sit at said cafe and sketch while you tourist watch.

Portland, Here We Come!

2011-07-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

(photo credit: destination 360)

well, in a few days, we'll be hopping on a plane to Portland. i purchased the tickets ages ago and started planning for where we'd eat and what we'd visit but goodness, then time suddenly picked up its pace and swept us to midsummer and here we are, three days away from the trip. my parents lived in portland right after they were married, and i thought of going to college there before heading off to nashville. for some reason or another, i've wanted to visit for years and have kept a little file folder of snippets of 'things to do'. now those lists kind of pale next to the vast resource of the internet, but i've still kept my sunset magazine clips for posterity's sake. :)

we're staying in a little bed and breakfast and are planning to take public transit and walk all over tarnation (as is our custom). powells' books is a must as are an endless list of coffee shops and pastry shops. i'm sure we'll do other things too but those are the highlights. we have our priorities, people. i'm hoping that all the walking will work off all the sweets i'm planning to eat. otherwise, i'm in serious trouble.

midweek we'll hop on a teeny tiny plane (::gulp:: but it can't be worse than the ones i used to rollercoaster-fly from denver to colorado springs, could it???)...anyway, we'll fly over to boise to see one sister's new house and probably help unpack a bathroom or something, do crafts with the nieces at another sister's house and read magazines at my mom's house (with a cat curled next to me).

its summertime! :)

p.s. i found it amusing when i googled for portland photos that 90% of them pictured clear skies and sunny days. isn't that false advertising? :) hmmm

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hope you have a wonderful LONG weekend...we're off to collect some more shells this morning...

Summer School

2011-07-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'm in a summer school of sorts right now...just sketching my way through several books. this is from The Boy Who Drew Birds, an excellent story about John James Audubon.

Black Phoebe

2011-06-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

I love my little black phoebe...

More Bird Sketches

2011-06-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Shells

2011-06-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

reading "Gift from the Sea" and drawing the little pictures that start each chapter...

Bird sketches

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

some more sketches...i'm in love with the black phoebe and mountain blue bird at the moment.

a cup of perspective

2011-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

sometimes we need a cup of perspective, right? sometimes i need a big, steaming cup of it with a chocolate on the side.

Sketching

2011-06-25T07:00:00.001-07:00

i've been having fun sketching this summer. in fact, i'll share some more with you in the coming week. work has been go-go-go as we finish this huge project and home always has something to do so it has been nice to spend a few moments here and there to draw. i find it very peaceful.

Sleepy

2011-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

an here's a pic of my grandparents

2011-06-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

and here's a picture i painted of my grandparents...heehee

a little bird for gramma/pa

2011-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

i regret that i didn't take a better picture of this little bird painting i made for my grandparents. oh well. we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with them recently and i wanted to bring them a little something. i had been wanting to make a painting of the black phoebe that sings every single morning outside my bathroom window and here was my chance. :) it was really fun to play with the paint and bits of paper. i think i'm going to make some more of these.

Lovebird

2011-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

for my parents' anniversary, i made them a little card. i love them. :)

Emmalou

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Pretty soon we will be in Boise, and I am hoping to spend some time with Emma to make a craft. When we were going through our stuff after the move, we came across countless scraps of paper from art school and decided to roll them together so Emma could use them for her sketches. This kid draws every single night before bed, not to mention that she has notepads for drawings in the car and all through the house. I think she'll like some extra paper. :)

a happy birthday

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

today is my birthday so i thought i'd post one of my favorite recent pictures. i love how this shell looks like was stitched together...so beautiful! what a year it has been...last year, i was newly engaged and already in the throws of planning a wedding. it is so much better to be married than to plan a wedding.

my husband has been spoiling me like crazy with little gifts here and there and i feel so loved. :) is there where i admit that when i was asked what i would like, my list consisted of books and spices? the thought of new-to-me books makes me so happy. it reminds me of when i was a little girl checking out a pile of books at the library--2 or 3 reading books (most having to do with horses) and several craft project books. my mom found one of those project books years ago at a discard pile and gave it to me. every time i see that book, it makes me smile. it was all about making miniature rooms with scraps. to this day, i hesitate before i throw out a matchbox (should i make something with it???). seriously, now i'm starting to unearth some issues here. haha

anyway, last year i wanted to eat something scrumptious from home. this year i have a list of ingredients and am making my own (our own) scrumptious meal. salmon and veggies with an apple cider/creamy glaze. oh, i do hope it tastes as good as the recipe sounds! (its from this cookbook, of course.) we're eating 'light' so we can follow it up with a blueberry version of the strawberry summer cake. yum. yum. :)

To My Friend

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm glad your birthday is the day before mine so you can tell me what it feels like. Though we are countries apart, I do hope you have a wonderful birthday (make that, have a wonderful new year). I'm thinking of you today...

i love the Lord

2011-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

happy Father's day!

He Knows

2011-06-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

He knows the way I take.

(psalm 139:3)

I love my sister

2011-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

(a heart in my coffee cup)

Thinking of my littlest sister today on her birthday. I love her.

Nice View

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

this little pink flower has a very nice view. this was taken on that hike back during memorial day weekend.

Oh Happiness!

2011-06-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

"oh Happiness! There's GRACE enough for us and the whole human race!"

(david crowder song)

A Small Act

2011-06-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

we watched A Small Act last weekend and wow. i highly recommend it (though it is not for children as there are a few terrible images in the film of the violence that has swept through Africa at different times in her history.) that said, it was such a reminder of how our few dollars given to someone in need can truly go so much farther than we could ever have dreamed. i thought about how much we pay for education here in the states and how we take it completely for granted. of course i'll finish elementary school and go to high school. of course i'll go to college if i want to (even if i can't afford it, i'll take out loans...) but for so many people in this world, education is for the rich, education is something far off and hoped for...it is the promise of a better life and a break in the cycle of poverty.

we finished the movie with tears in our eyes. we are so blessed.
help us to give more and more out of that blessing!

Books Read Recently

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Books read recently (words above are typed below):
Tom's Midnight Garden - oh, i love how magical this book is! i wish more children's books were written like this (i.e. for children)
Transforming Grace - a great reminder that "grace isn't just for beginners"
Farmer Boy - reread this series this winter. wow. times have changed.
Five Children and It - perfectly captures children as they are. i love this book.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - (by Eric Metaxas) - a true story that reads like a thriller. Amazing story. (side note: anything written by Eric Metaxas is worth your time to read...great author.)

Cute

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

seen last march... :)

Succulent love

2011-06-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

have i told you lately how much i love succulents?
my husband loves them too. (the second ones are from his boutonniere and my bouquet!)

Tiny Things

2011-06-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

these teeny tiny flowers were raining down on us at the end of May (after a LONG hike)...they were so precious i had to take 8 million pictures of them. here's one.

An Hour of Play

2011-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

“You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” -plato

Very true.

for instance, my husband learned the other day while we were playing Pictionary (the two people version that isn’t really much more than drawing pictures and having the other person guess), that I am a mite bit competitive. I had flashbacks of my dad totally beating us girls on Candyland (and whooping it up) and my mom saying to him, “you need to let the girls win”…

But, but…

I have a feeling this quote isn’t exactly referring to board games, though.

Watercolors…

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is so sweet. It’s so fun to draw out instructions like this…this post is a reminder to do that more often.

(via bright as the dallas sky)

Encouragement

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love the ladies at Destiny in Bloom. Great encouraging articles.

See also: (in)courage. (they are a division of Dayspring cards…but their articles are written by several different bloggers and authors. Wunderbar! :)

Oh Blessed Day!

2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Oh! This blessed day
This blessed day of hope
Of quietness
Of thankfulness that rises
And spreads itself around into
The smallest things
Multiplying until everything
Is crowned with joy and light

This dark green leaf…I remember when your tree was filled with a thousand red glories. I picked a red leaf up off the ground and put it in my bible. I picked some more and placed them on the table. Day after day I walked down this street so I could see them—red against the grass, red against the blue sky, red against the black branches…such beauty! But then your tree was empty--blown by an early spring wind (our seasons are confused here—these trees were turning color in February) and I stopped walking that way. I didn’t walk that path for a while, only saw those beautiful silhouetted branches a few times…and then! Yesterday I walked by again, and the trees were completely clothed with green. The leaves danced in the wind and were that perfectly polished leaf-green. The color you get in a small box of crayons.

The steady thing in all of this was the tree—standing strong and upright and reaching its branches to the sky. The wind and cold and heat changed it over and over again but it never moved. Could it be that the one thing that could stand strong in our lives through all our seasons could be a grateful heart? A heart postured to look up and spread its arms wide, no matter what?

Great sketches

2011-06-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

These sketches are so much fun to look at. I love the detail.

A Long, Rambling Post about Food and Inspiration

2011-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

(peaches from my tree last year...oh, i miss that tree!)

I’m supposed to be writing my grocery list. But instead I am writing a post about cooking inspiration. That’s how things go sometimes.

I’ve really enjoyed pulling out my cookbooks and trying new things during the last (nearly) 7 months of being married. Before, I went through stages. Making everything including applesauce and jam from scratch then going on month-long year long frozen food only binges. Forgive me. Now that I have someone to cook for, and someone who graciously washes the dishes, I am finding myself more apt to stick to it. Besides my mother would be appalled if I wasn’t serving my husband a ‘proper meal’ for dinner. Sometimes those ‘proper meals’ are dressed up oatmeal dishes, but hey, sometimes a girl needs a break! (and besides that oatmeal is ah-mazing!)

Some of my favorite cookbooks to cook out of are:
Jamie’s Dinners and Jamie’s Food Revolution
A Homemade Life
The Silver Palate (this is my growing up food…though I admittedly use this only for special occasions—way too much sugar/fat/butter…ah, the 80s!)
Supernatural Cooking yum. yum. love Heidi Swanson. Please order her new book for me for my birthday. Thank you.
Feast by Nigella Lawson. Love. Love. Love. Only one recipe I’ve ever made out of this book turned out awful. But I highly suspect that is because I substituted, ahem, several ingredients. Don’t do that. (not until the second go-around at least)

For questions about things, such as how to cook pigeon (I’m kidding), I always go to:
The Joy of Cooking.

I admittedly just love reading portions out of it. Its amusing to read the rather large selection of casseroles and jello salads. My mom found editions for each of us girls that correspond with our birth year. I love my mom. The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis wonderful too. Oh, I love to read chapters out of that book. It makes me soooo happy it is ridiculous.

There are 8 cachillion food blogs out there now and so many of them have breathtaking photography and upcoming book deals…the benefit of this is the huge range of recipes out there to try from really good amateur and professional cooks. Some of the blogs I frequently cook from are:

Simply Recipes--One of our favorites is the Boston Baked Beans Slow Cooker recipe. This usually ends up being a meal for us along with homemade biscuits from another great blog. The story behind the ‘boston baked beans’ name is good too, and every time I pull out my jar of molasses, I think of it glugging down a city street in waves. The air must have smelled sickenly sweet. (Apparently, “glugging” and “sickenly” are not real words. You know what I mean, though.)

I go to 101 Cookbooks for gorgeous photography inspiration and scrumptious recipes. We make a version of her couscous/garbanzo bean salad at least once a month. Soooo good. She also wrote “Supernatural Cooking”…

This weekend, I’m going to make this strawberry cake from Smitten Kitchen. Again, her recipes never ever fail to bring great happiness in our family.

The Steamy Kitchen and Good Life Eats are great too, though loaded with ads. We’ve tried several of their recipes and all of them have been delicious.

What Katie Ate is bookmarked, though I haven’t tried any of the recipes. I am taken by the lovely photography.

Still, in the end, I always go back to Molly. Last week alone, we ate 3 meals from her recipes…amazing chicken meatballs made with cilantro, golden raisins and pine nuts and dipped in yogurt sauce, chana masala that made us both cry from happiness, and dutch babies (enough said). Yum. Yum. Yum.

Wow, that was so much fun typing all of that out. Now, what was I doing again? hmmmm