The Little Yellow House Blog

Bye Bye Blogger

2011-05-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have decided to say goodbye to my dear old blog. :( Blogger.. you have been good to me! It's just too much to deal with a job, starting a photography business, updating a website and keeping up two blogs. I will be posting all of my personal stuff over on my photography blog. Photography has just taken over my time and I can't say that I'm not thrilled! It's bittersweet. I will be updating my new blog, littleyellowhousephotography.com/blog regularly! My newest post is coming shortly; so if you were wondering what ever happened to Wall-E after my last post, you can read it here.

well hello there..

2011-03-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

Remember me?

I know it's been well over a month. We've been, well.... busy to say the least. So I took a month off from blogging!

For starters, we ripped up our stinky old carpet and put in new flooring. We didn't want to go all out and spend tons of $$ on very nice flooring, since we don't know how long we'll be in our house, so we went with laminate. And we love love love it! Jordan had our living room finished in a week! Have I told you how talented he is? Jack of all trades, that man is.

The guest bedroom was finished last night. I'll quit talking and just show you some pictures!

Here's what our living room looked like back in the old carpet days:

blah!

And now we have this!:

Ahh, it looks, feels and SMELLS so much nicer!

The photography business is growing before our very eyes. Every day we wake up and are in awe of what God is doing. Glory be to God for it all, seriously! Sometimes we think back and are like, wow! How did this happen again? and so fast? Our God is an awesome God I tell ya! We've found our niche, I would say, when we least expected it. When we finally let God have complete control of our future and stopped trying to make things happen on our own, God led us into something that we truly love (and gave us the talent & means to do so). When we get all excited and try to take things into our own hands again, we have to remind ourselves not to limit God, he's taken us here and will continue to take us to places we've only dreamed of going! I could talk about this for hours but I'll stop for now. :)

Here's a little update on Wall-E. He's currently in the "dog house" (pun intended). In the past week he has ran away from home & eaten through a door (I'm not joking, I have pictures).

We're on the fence about what to do with him. :-(

On a brighter note, Spring Break for me starts at 1:30 tomorrow! You will be seeing a lot more posts from me from now on! At least I think that's a good thing! :)

I've missed all of my blogger friends! I can't wait for some free time next week to catch up on all of your blogs & see what has gone on in your lives over the past month! I got a sweet "we miss you in the blog world" email from Megan. The sweet husband who used to give the me "when will you be finished?" eye when I spent so much time blogging, even told me I needed to blog again. haha!

So here I am and I am happy to be back!

Newlywed House Crash + Weekend in Pictures!

2011-02-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had the opportunity to crash at the home of my BFF-since-10th-grade. This was such a special treat because when she got married in August, she moved off to Orlando and I haven't seen her since! I was SO happy when she told me that they were moving to Nashville, because it's only 3 hours away! Another BFF and her soon-to-be husband were there, which made it an Uh-mazing weekend. I didn't want it to end! :(

Need some inspiration for your home? My friend Lindsay has only been in their new apartment for a couple weeks, but she already has it looking cute!

Lindsay & Caleb

If you want to know how to make that awesome picture collage, visit Scarlett's blog to learn! You will LOVE her blog!

We had planned on having a big photoshoot, but the freeeezing cold weather put a damper on that! So we took a few quick shots outside!

We even got in some pretty good group shots!

Oh, and I guess I should introduce you to Paris, their adorable, feisty Yorkie!

This weekend I realized how incredibly blessed I am to have amazing, loving & supportive friends. We have literally gone through so much together; from high school, being college roommates, wanting to kill each other sometimes (HA!), to celebrating each others marriages and careers!

I love these girls SO much!!

Launch

2011-02-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

This week has been a whirlwind!

I am so sorry that I've left all my readers with a "I'm sick" post for 6 days straight. You must've thought something went terribly wrong!

I'm okay!

I had a small allergic reaction to one of those six medications I was put on, but I'm much better now!

A lot has happened this week! Including the launch of our OFFICIAL website,

littleyellowhousephotography.com

We've had two amazing photoshoots:

Avery

and my good friend Brett and her family.

We are having SO much fun!

I hope all of you have had a blessed week! I've missed all my blog friends!

heavily medicated.

2011-01-28T13:39:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor today after sleepless night #3 and feeling "flu-ish".

(I seem to be fine during the day but when it's time for bed, it kicks in).

The room felt like it was literally spinning when I woke up this morning.

The doctor's visit was interesting, to say the least.

After telling the nurse my symptoms, she proceeded to tell me the various tests they were going to run...

flu test, chest x-ray, blood test...

BLOOD TEST?! (gasp!)

Yes, I'm the girl that faints after getting shots or "finger pricks"; esp. after having blood drawn.

It's never good.

Today was no exception.

Lets just say it took me a while to get on my feet.

2 hours of dizziness, 1 cup of water spilled everywhere, 1 cup of Coke, a cookie, a nurse having to call my husband to the back, getting sick to my stomach in front of the nurses and having to use a trash can (embarrassing), a pregnancy scare (don't worry, we're not), my first wheelchair ride, and a couple X-rays later, I was walking out of that place with a diagnosis.

(mild) Bronchitis

Sinus Infection

Not cool.

Those poor people probably thought I was the most dramatic person to ever enter a doc in a box.

I promise I'm not.... I just really really reallly hate to have my blood drawn.

And to think... I used to be a nursing major.

(It doesn't take genius to figure out how that could've gone).

Also, I had 6 prescriptions to get filled... SIX!!

I feel like I'm 80!

Someone buy me a pill box!

Wedding Photography

2011-01-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

I pulled out my "wedding box"...

and my old wedding stuff is still photogenic!

Did that even make sense?

It's late. I should be sleeping.

Tomorrow is Friday, y'all!

Can I get an Amen?

Goodnight everyone!

Overwhelmed with joy.

2011-01-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

Wow!

We just put our website up last night and I'm overwhelmed with the response!

I even got an email about shooting a wedding!!!

I'm pretty sure the Lord is letting us know which path to take!

With this though, comes insecurities.

Everyone has them.

About different things, of course.

I often second guess myself.

Putting myself out there with this blog and a photography site isn't typical of me.

What I've learned by doing so, however; is the encouragement from friends, family and even people I don't know is far greater than those insecurities! I know who I am in Christ, and I will pursue anything He puts in my path to pursue!

I'm so thankful for those who have encouraged me!

You know who you are! :)

Love you guys SO much!

I know not everything I do or say will be accepted by everyone.

A wise ~~man~~ someone once said:

via

Sadly, this will always be true!

Here are a few encouraging scriptures:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)

“Cast all your cares on Him for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind” (1 Timothy 1:7)

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wing's as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."(Jeremiah 29:11)

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

How comforting is that?!

My security isn't in this world, it's in Christ!

Update

2011-01-26T17:20:00.000-08:00

I wasn't feeling so great today (I hope I didn't catch something from the kids at school), so I came home and took a nap.

Look who was checking on me from the foot of the bed.

Yeah, it is a little creepy when his head pops up out of nowhere, but he means well!

(You can read his thoughts over in Wall-E's World)

Sorry I've been MIA here lately, our lives have been busy!

Jordan and I created a photography website.

We've decided to make it a "side" thing unless we're led differently!

Don't worry, we're not quitting our day jobs or going into debt..

We're taking what we have and allowing the Lord to completely to lead us!

(More photos to come! esp. after this weekend :))

And yes, those pictures of me are to show off the wonderful work of my husband!

I finally picked out my birthday present!

I can't wait to get it in the mail so I can post about it! :)

You can now read my posts, as well as the posts of other amazing bloggers over at Sited and Blogged.

I became a contributor this week!

I can't believe it's Wednesday already!

Who's ready for the weekend?!

Song of the Day

2011-01-24T15:09:00.000-08:00

"Come near to God and He will come near to you."

James 4:8

Sunday Photo Album

2011-01-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

Look at him...

Even as I am annoying him with the camera while he's trying to watch some sports thing on the tv....

He humors me with a smile.

I love him.

Today was a relaxing day.

God is teaching us so much.

We want to honor him first, in everything we do!

It really is so so so important.

This afternoon we drove up to Noccalula Falls where I got some pictures of the falls...

and Jordan...

...got pictures of me.

I hope everyone has a blessed week, full of peace and love that can only come from He that created you.

P.S. Our dog is so demanding, he demanded his own blog...so we gave him a page. It's called Wall-E's World... check it out on the tabs!

FYI, he's a little bit of a whiner... and complains A LOT!

P.S.S. I have two Giveaways in mind that are coming up very soon! Get excited! :)

DIY Home Renovation Tip #1

2011-01-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

Thinking about doing some DIY home renovation?

It's quite the process if you are doing it yourself. However, DIY can save you tons of $$$.

We are done with ours for now, but I thought I'd pass along our tips for all that goes into successfully renovating a home.

image credit

Every week I will be posting a tip, advice or a "how to" on home renovation. Trust me, I have tons of inspiration left from our home to post for several months. After that, who knows when we'll begin another project? :)

Tip #1

Before you begin, make sure you have a vision of what you want your home to look like.

"Where there is no vision, the people parish"Psalm 29:18

(replace the word people with kitchen, living room, bathroom, house, relationship, etc. It applies to all of those, don't you think?)

This is extremely important if you and your spouse are remodeling together.

Just make sure you are on the same wavelength with what you want.

A vision is where it all starts.

Daydreaming about what our home would one day look like is what kept us going during those long, messy, and sometimes, floorless weeks.

It even helped to draw out our vision.

Jordan did our kitchen here (scroll to the end), with paint.

Since then, I have found floorplanner.com.

This website is amazing, it lets you sketch your entire home or even just a room. You can move furniture around, add appliances... just about everything. This website could be great for rearranging as well!

(You can check ours out here).

What is your vision?

Lens Hunting

2011-01-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

My Birthday is in 18 days?!

Exciting.. I know!

Jordan asked me what I wanted..

Um... a new lens for my camera, of course!

but I can't decide which one! :/

So those of you camera savvy people, I need your help..I'm struggling with the decision!

I either want the Nikkor AF-S 50mm 1.4

http://shop.nikonusa.com
(A little on the pricey side for my my budget...BUT might be worth it? I'll def. be looking for used or refurbished ones)

or...

Nikkor AF-S 35mm 1.8

http://www.adorama.com
(Still a prime lens...not as fast, or quite as good and the 50mm 1.4, but lower cost! )

I know the last time we were left with a decision, we went the more expensive item, our iMAC. This is different though... I'm not sure if the more expensive lens is a need?

Camera people... help!

Nikon people.. got any old lenses you want to sell? :)

The husband and I are off to see a movie. Which one, you ask?

Um.. that's another decision we have to make. :)

(we're a little indecisive, if you can't tell)

Haaaapppy Friday everyone!

Breakfast Pie

2011-01-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

Breakfast is my favorite meal...

so we had it for dinner!

Just another peek into e-mealz:

we had..

Breakfast Pie

Hot Cinnamon Apples

Tea Biscuits

The breakfast pie consisted of hash browns, eggs and bacon.. with a few other yummy ingredients!

The cinnamon apples were absolutely delish!!

And my favorite part.. it only took about 30 min. to prepare and cook the whole meal!

I promise I'll stop posting about e-mealz soon, but right now I'm just so excited about these yummy, easy, low-cost recipes!

P.S. The sick husband says he appreciates your prayers! It's just a sinus infection, but you girls who have had sick husbands before can understand! :)

WILW and Awards!

2011-01-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

School is back in session and I feel like I've neglected my poor blog and readers! Sorry guys!

I'm back! :)

It's time to play along with What I'm Loving Wednesday by Jamie.

I'm loving the versatile blogger award I received from Beth Ann. Thank you so much!!

Rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award
2. Answer 10 questions
3. Pass it along to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy
4. Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award

The 10 Questions (and my answers, of course!)
1. Why did you create this blog?
I started this blog to keep family and friends updated on our newlywed life and home renovation. It is still that today, but has become kind of a "prayer journal" for me as well. Although there are things that are kept for my personal, intimate relationship with God, you will see a lot of my hallelujahs, trials and triumphs as I walk this Christian life I have happily chosen. As I have grown from 5 followers to 56, I've wondered if I should share the things I've been sharing, and the Lord has led me to be more open about my relationship with Him. Sure, there will be those who are offended, but if my personal testimony could help even just 1 person, then I know this blog has served it's true purpose.
2. What kinds of blogs do you follow?
I follow A LOT of blogs! Mostly newlywed, Christian women. I'm also interested in blogs about fashion (cause I need all the help I can get) and photography. I enjoy reading new recipes as well!
3. Favorite make-up brand?
I seriously don't have one. Maybe I need one..
4. Favorite clothing brand?
Ann Taylor loft happens to be my favorite.. but I love any place where I can get a great deal!
5. Indispensable makeup product?
concealer and mascara!
6. Favorite color?
turquoise! :)
7. Favorite perfume?
I wear different scents from Victoria's Secret... I NEED a new perfume though. My friend wore some the other day that I absolutely loved. I forgot the name of it though!
What was it, Scarlett?
8. Favorite film?
I love comedies and can't chose just one.
Some that I can watch over and over again and not get tired of are Dumb and Dumber and Christmas Vacation.
9. What country would you like to visit and why?
I want to visit the French Polynesian islands! Tahiti, to be exact. Why?... because that place is AWESOME!10. Would you rather forget to put mascara on one eye or forget blush on one side of your face?
I would rather forget the blush!

And now to pass along this award, here are just a few of my new favorite blogs (in no particular order& I tried not to use blogs I've given awards to before):
1.Kristen at Just Thinking
2. Mallori at Aiukli- Because Life is Beautiful
3. Jenny at DIY Newlyweds
4. Miss J from The Smelly Life
5. Mara at Home Shabby Home
6. Alison at Life and times of Alison and Justin
7. The Fresh Cut

(now back to WILW...)
I'm loving these cute boots I got for just $6. Yes, I said only $6!! I love deals!

photography by: the husband :)

I'm loving Photoshop!
I learned so much during my snow ~~days~~ week and I can't wait to take more photos so I can edit them!
FREE photoshoot anyone? I'm serious. Contact me at thelittleyellowhouseblog@gmail.com

and of course, I'm loving my husband!
He's sick right now. :(

There are a ton more things I'm loving right now.. but I have to go take care of my sick husband! :)

until next time...

Post #50

2011-01-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

God has swept me off my feet, once again.
The second verse this month that I'm choosing to memorize is:

"Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”

Psalm 40:5 NIV

wow!
we. are. blessed.
Remember that!
Praise the Lord, for He is good!

e-mealz

2011-01-15T08:36:00.000-08:00

As you all know, for our 21 Days of Prayer we are committed to eating in for every meal, for the rest of the month. To some, that might not sound like a huge deal.
It is for us.
Going to dinner or lunch after church is one of our most favorite things to do!
It's not that I don't like to cook, I do...sometimes.

It's that it takes so much time to make something really good, when you can go out to dinner and it tastes a million times better.

That sounded lazy, didn't it?

Don't get me wrong, I do get in those moods where I want to cook up something new and yummy; and I do cook at least 4 out of 5 nights of the week on a regular basis.

It's the weekends that are a challenge.

Last night was our first Friday night to stay in and cook. Can you believe that?
We have gone to family/friend dinners on weekends where we've cooked in, but never at home by ourselves.

I've been trying e-mealz.

It was easy.
I signed up, chose where I shopped and got a list for 5 meals this week.
(It's $15 for 3 months of recipes, they send you a new list every week.
Use the code DAVE [you know..Dave Ramsey, he's big on e-mealz] and get $2.50 off).
It gave me a shopping list and totaled up the amount my grocery list would cost. I was impressed!
The great thing about it, is I can save all the recipes and grocery lists for months to come!
And plus, you can choose meals for 2 people so you don't have to be wasteful!!

So what did we have on our first Friday night ever, to eat in?

Greek Chicken, Seasoned Noodles, Ceasar Salad and Rolls

Here's what the typical e-mealz recipe looks like!
(I took pictures so you could see the progress)

Chicken Ingredients:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3 green onions, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

Greek seasoning

Directions:

Thaw chicken and place in greased casserole dish.

Mix together diced tomatoes, diced onions and diced celery.

Top each piece with tomatoes, onions and celery.

Sprinkle generously w/ Greek seasoning.

that Greek seasoning was YUMMY!

Cover and bake @ 350 for 30 minutes or until tender.

Seasoned Noodles Ingredients:

1/3 pkg egg noodles

4 oz cream cheese

(2 T butter, 1⁄4 c parmesan, garlic salt)

Directions:

Boil noodles and toss w/ cream cheese, butter, parmesan and garlic salt. Heat and stir often until cheese is melted.

Serve with salad and rolls.

Now Jordan and I are very picky eaters.

I'm big on the look and texture of food.

I'll have to say that I wasn't very excited to try it, by the look of it.

It was actually VERY good.

Jordan was obsessed with the noodles!

What a wonderful dinner!

I encourage you to try it!

Snow Day #4

2011-01-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

Can you believe this is my 4th snow day this week?

It's insane.. and I'm going insane stuck in the house all by myself!

I've had a lot of time on my hands, and to avoid some much needed house keeping, I've done some blog editing..

New header!! Yay!

You might notice a new tab at the top called "Love Story".

Just a story of how my sweet husband and I met and got married! :)

Also, If you check out the "Our Home" tab, I've got some new stuff in there for you!

Floor Plans!

Oh yes, I've had that much time on my hands!

I hope you enjoy!

Also, I had a comment earlier on my Photo Editing post about my wedding dress.

The story of my wedding gown is unique.

I wasn't the typical "go into a store, find the dress and cry" girl.

I've said this before, but I'm not exactly a "big spender", and my wedding gown was no exception.

When I began searching, I knew I wanted 3 things:
1. strapless
2. lace
3. sache

After months of searching for the perfect one, I was at a little bridal shop in Auburn with a good friend and found this cute little dress for only $150!!

The only thing it wasn't, was strapless. So I figured I could have someone make it strapless. If they could, great! If not, I'm only out $150!

So I went for it!

strapless: check!

lace: check!

sache: check!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-01-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Here is what I'm loving on this very cold, Wednesday morning.

I'm loving that the husband and I got 2 long snowed in days together. He had to go back to work today and I'm ready to get out of the house, but the first 2 days were awesome!

I'm loving that my dog has a routine every morning. He knows as soon as I wake up, he gets fed and then gets to go outside. This is great and all until you want to sleep late. Then he starts whining in my face and pawing me until I get up. He's my alarm clock.

I'm loving the exciting things happening my my friends' lives right now!

I'm loving peanut butter oreos and this recipe I found, here.

I'm loving Restoration Hardware!

I'm loving my wonderful husband, of course!

I'm loving how great our God is!

snow day extended.

2011-01-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought our snow day was over, we find out we're out again!
Both of us!
I LOVE snow in Alabama... it puts life on hold and gives everyone a chance to relax...and to play with their snow loving dog!

yes, those are my way cool wind pants from JV cheerleading..they came in handy

Also..

I have a talented husband.

He excels in almost every creative task he takes on.

When I was too cold to go back outside yesterday, he decided to photograph the wintry beauty.

Have a blessed Tuesday!

Schools Out

2011-01-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

Yay for extreme winter weather in Alabama!

School's out, Jordan's off work, there's tons of snow outside, and we stayed up late playing in it.

Yesterday we prepared for power outages by heading to the grocery store and stocking up with food that doesn't have to be cooked. Can you believe they were completely out of bread?! We also borrowed a gas heater (we are all electric) should the power go out.

It didn't!

The snow fell fast, and within a few hours there were 4 1/2 inches on the ground. That's pretty huge for Alabama. We got our bikes out and ~~rode~~ slid in the snow! I haven't seen that much snow in Alabama since '93!!

After fun in the snow, we decided to make snow cream. It's so easy!

In a large bowl, mix together:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1 1/2 tbs. vanilla (some say 2, but I don't like too much vanilla)

8 cups SNOW!

stir! hurry before the snow melts!

Enjoy! :)

Here's what we're going to do on our day off:

1. Play in the snow! Our neighbors are pulling people around on knee boards with a four wheeler. We're going to get in on some of that!

2. Watch our ~~football rival~~ alma mater play for a National Championship against the Oregon Ducks.

photo: bcsfootball.org

3. Begin 21 Days of Prayer! Remember? We aren't eating out for 21 days, starting now! Doesn't look like we could drive anywhere if we wanted to anyways! Thanks to a friend, I'm also looking into joining e-mealz. They make eating at home easier by compiling a grocery list, totaling the price of your list (depending on where you shop), and providing easy, quick and yummy recipes (they better be yummy)!

4. Jordan's having fun on the iMac making videos. Here's his first one:

5. Relax, cuddle and drink hot cocoa!!

M Family Preview

2011-01-08T22:49:00.000-08:00

This is Holli.

She's pretty much my oldest b.f.f. We've been friends for like 15 years... that's the majority of my life...wow!

This is her husband, Judd.

And this is their son, Braxton.

He likes to play with sticks, rocks and anything a normal two-year-old boy would want to get into..everything!

They live where I'm from..

(yes, that's a chicken house in the background..)

This is their dog, what's-his-name... ?

Thank you guys for having enough confidence in me to let me take your pictures!

Location: The historic Clarkson Covered Bridge

Photo Editing

2011-01-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

I love editing photos.

Since school started back and I haven't been able to visit family or friends very much, I'm running out of things and people to take pictures of!

So as I was loading our wedding pictures to our new computer (R.I.P. Dell), I thought to myself, wouldn't it be fun to edit them?

I loved our wedding photographer; she did such an amazing job!

Since we have the rights to our photos and all, I thought it would be super fun to edit such (already) good quality photos.

Annnnd it was...

Before

After

Before

After

I'm very much into older looking photos right now. Can you tell?

stylish blogger award.

2011-01-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

Yay! I love awards! I haven't won very many, so this is exciting for me! Thank you so much Sara and In my Tennis Shoes for the award! I'm flattered!

There are 4 duties to perform to accept this award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

7 Things About Myself:

My life is prioritized like this: 1. God 2. Husband (family) 3. friends 4. career 5. fun
I'm an Auburn University graduate, but a closet Bama fan! Roll Tide! :)
I'm relatively new to the blogging world and LOVE it!
Chocolate is my absolute favorite ~~desser~~t food ever! Make that chocolate and peanut butter..even better!
I have the most talented and creative husband ever. I'll have to post some of his videos on my blog sometime!
I would LOVE to pay someone to shop for me. I tend to buy boring clothes. Help!
I love to organize things, but absolutely do not have the skills to keep things organized.

15 New Blogs I Enjoy!

These might not be "new" blogs, but they are new to me!

Megan at Mackey Madness
Crystal at Surviving a Teacher's Salary
Megan at Across the Pond
AE Jones at Organized Stress
Natalie at A Little Blue Notebook
Ashley at Eisy Morgan
Sheena at the little red house
Michaela at Michaela Noelle
Rachel at In No Simple Language
A Darling Little Life
Sarah at Newlywed and Decorating
Mrs. Newlywed at And they lived Happily Ever After
Victoria at Our Love Never Fails
Jamie at This Kind of Love
Joanna at Virginia is for Lovers

Whew! That was a lot of linking, but these blogs are pretty awesome (and of course stylish)! Enjoy!

Song of the Day

2011-01-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

More like song of the year.
Have you ever listened to a song a million times and never think anything of it... then months later you hear it and it feels like it was written just for you?

This is one of those times.

This song is beautiful.

This is What it Feels Like (To be Led) by FFH

Click here to to listen.

So this is what it feels like to walk the wilderness
and this is what it feels like to come undone
So this is what it feels like to loose my confidence
unsure of anything or anyone
So this is what it feels like to walk the desert sand
and this is what it feels like to hear my name
and to be scared to death cause I'm all alone
but feel love and peace just the same
And this may not be the road I would choose for me
but it still feels right somehow
And I have never felt you as close to me as I do right now
So this is what it feels like to be led
So this is what it feels like to have it fall apart
to be totally unglued
and find out it I accept my brokenness
I get more of me, I get all of you
So this is what it feels like to be on shaky ground
Careful of every step I take
Realizing as I stop to look around
I look around and see everything a different way
and this may not be the road I would choose for me
but it still feels right somehow
cause I have never felt you as close to me as I do right now
So this is what it feels like to be led
and this is what it feels like to be led
So this is what if feels like to just walk away
from everything I thought kept me safe
to depend just on you for every meal
and find it's better this way
oh it's better this way
And this may not be the road I would choose for me
but it still feels right somehow
And I have never felt you as close to me as I do right now
like I do right now
And this may not be the road I would choose for me
but it still feels right somehow
And I have never felt you as close to me as I do right now
And this is what it feels like to be led
And this is what it feels like to be led
And this is what it feels like

This song is so relevant to my life right now, and I hope it encourages and blesses someone else who might need it.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Lots of love,

Resolutions.

2011-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Every year I make them... and every year I forget what they were by February.

Not this year.

This year I'm not only going to make resolutions, I'm going to set forth with a plan to ensure I go through with, at least attempting, my resolutions.

And my readers get volunteered to be my accountability partners, along with my husband, close friends and family! Yay for you! :)

So here goes:

1. Be a stronger spiritual being; therefore, walking closer with my God. In my opinion, this one should be a the top of everyone's list, every year. As pastor Chris would put it,

"We are not physical beings having temporary spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having a temporary physical experience."

What else could be more important?

If I make this my main focus, I have a feeling that the rest of my resolutions will follow suit.

Here's how I'm going to work at it this year:

Every January, our church sets aside a time for prayer and fasting to become closer to God, called 21 Days of Prayer.We believe that fasting isn't about starving yourself just to prove how much you love God. It's about taking distractions out of your life and devoting that time to hearing God. We have decided to stop doing one of our favorite things, eating out, for 21 days. We will cook all of our meals at home, even on weekends (that's going to be a tough one)! This will take a lot of discipline on our part, but in the end will give us more time to focus on our relationship with Christ. It will also be a huge money saver!
Reading a little bit of God's living word every day in the One Year Bible. (Our church website has a great version that's also a phone app now).
By joining the 2011 Beth Moore siesta scripture memory team! Thanks to a new blogger friend, Megan, (who totally wrote about this days ago and has inspired me to do it as well)! The scripture memory team is a commitment to memorize 2 scripture verses a month. A small commitment that, I believe, can make a huge impact on a life. Who wants to join?!

2. Become a better wife. Another very important resolution that I think all wives should strive for every year. To do this, I am going to make more of an effort to speak in Jordan's "love language" (I talk about it here) and show acts of service. I think I can do this by trying to make the bed in the mornings, making sure the laundry is caught up and there are no dirty dishes in the sink. Try is the key word here, but he deserves it!

We will also make an effort to attend at least 1 or 2 marriages conferences this year. Those are fun! :)

3. To use my gifts to serve others.

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace"

1 Peter 4:10

I want to take this scripture to heart this year and serve others. I will be looking for opportunities to volunteer and give. I hope to inspire at least one person this year.

4. Focus on my hobbies. Photography and blogging have become such incredible hobbies for me. I hope to learn more about my camera, different lenses and editing softwares. In order to do this I am going to take pictures every chance I get and keep my blog updated as much as possible!

Annnnd, that's it...in a nutshell!

Sure, there are about a million other things I'd like to accomplish this year, but I'm not organized enough to keep up with more than 4 (on this blog anyways). And that's less "keeping up" for my accountability partners too! :)