Waiting Game

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So, fast-forward six months. We’ve now found out that our little darling is in fact a little boy. We’ve wrestled over work decisions, mine and Ben’s, resulting in a company change for Ben and an out-of-the-blue offer for me to go part-time, working mostly from home once I come back from maternity leave. We’ve laughed, cried (ok, I’ve cried), and looked forward to moment when we’d get to meet our little one. And here we are.

Yeah. 4 days. As in, it really could be tomorrow, but the doctor doesn’t really think it will be. I’m still working, which means that I’m pretty much useless by the time that I get home. Couch sitting is something that I’ve gotten very good at. We did actually go for a walk around the neighborhood on Tuesday night to try and get my body moving. My hands have been swollen (the right much more than the left) and that has made it really hard to get much work done. Yesterday, I went and sat in our friend’s massage chair. We’re talking a really nice massage chair. As in, he reviewed it for his magazine kind of massage chair. That may be going on the schedule again along with the walking. Mostly, it is just waiting…not so patiently. See, here I am waiting:

Really, I’m just ready to hold him, to meet him. To see what he will be like, what he will look like. Everyone keeps telling me that he better have red hair, but I’ll love him if it is red, blonde, or brown. So, we’ll just be here waiting until he decides it is time to arrive. Then expect the pictures to start flowing in!

Oh baby! (Part 2 of the story)

As soon as I got home from IL, I called the doctor and set up an appt. They told me that I needed to wait until I was at least 7 weeks, which put us at the week of Thanksgiving by the time they were able to fit us into the doctor’s schedule. I had to wait a whole month? Really?

The month came and went and there we were in the doctor’s office on a Tuesday morning. The ultrasound tech focused in on my belly and quickly said, “Usually I say, ‘See that little peanut there?’ But that’s not a peanut, that’s a baby! I’d say you’re more like 12 weeks along!”

I had almost made it through the first trimester without much hoorah. We excitedly told our families when we made our great Thanksgiving Day loop around central Florida. (Lakeland to Orlando for “supper” to Ocala for dinner and back to Lakeland) Once the family knew, we told our friends via some fun “bun in the oven” text messages. I made the official public announcement the following Monday, which was my birthday. What an exciting way to celebrate my birthday!

Back from Hiatus

{I've been holding this post until I write the 2nd half and apparently I need the extra motivation of it actually being out there in order to write the rest!}

So, the 2 of you that read this blog will have noticed that I took quite the hiatus from blogging. I have had quite an interesting time in the last 6 months. It all started back in October when after several whirlwind weeks (consisting of a bachelor party for Ben and then both of us heading to Kentucky for his best friend’s wedding), we were preparing to head up to my 10-year college reunion. One friend had picked up Holly and Ben was preparing Baxter to take him to another friend’s house. I really wasn’t feeling very good when he left, but I shrugged it off. Before he got back I had gotten sick…for the first time in over 6 years. And that was from food poisoning. It was already fairly late in the evening and I had a 6 am plane to catch. I started scrambling through the cabinets in the bathroom only to find that the box that should have contained a pregnancy test was empty. When Ben walked back in I told him what had happened and asked him what he thought. He said, “Well, we’ll just have to see.” He dropped me off at the airport dark and early the next morning and said goodbye until later that night. (He was catching the last flight out after work that day.)

I made it safely to St. Louis and made my way to my best friend, Stacey’s house on the Illinois side of the river. I told her my concern and we were both nervous and excited. I played with her girls and went to lunch with them. On our way into Greenville for the Homecoming Parade and Choir Concert, I stopped at Tarjay and picked up a pack of tests, excited to take them the next morning when Ben was there. We enjoyed more good times with old friends and I headed back to St. Louis to pick Ben up at the airport. As soon as we got to the hotel, we passed out, knowing that we’d have a packed day on Saturday.

Saturday morning, we got up and I took two tests and they both immediately showed 2 lines. As in no waiting- immediately. I came out in tears to Ben. Happy tears. Trying for 17 months tears. I texted Stacey like I told her I would. We went about our schedule as planned. I showed Ben the campus and took him by all of the special spots. That is until I got tired. I now knew the reason that I hadn’t been able to get through the day without needing a nap. I now had a good reason to go back to the hotel and take a good long nap before the Reunion Banquet. Even better, I now had a good reason why I had to buy new jeans to wear to the reunion. So many questions were answered with those 2 little lines. I did take one more test when we got back just to be sure and yes; it too immediately showed those 2 little lines.

The banquet was wonderful and so was the informal class gathering at our class sponsor’s house. My head, however, was spinning. Ben was grinning and proud. Our little family was growing. We headed back home the next morning after a brief stop at the Gateway Arch (which was closed) and the old Courthouse (which was not closed). The next part of our story came about a month later…

(To be continued)

Coming soon...

A real post. No joke. I know that it has been 6 months since the last one, but trust me: a real post is coming! It's all up in my head. I just need to sit down and write it. And "it" may turn out to be like 12 posts. So, hold on to your hats.

A "Rich" Legacy

It's been 15 years since Rich Mullins passed away. I've been seeing it all over Facebook: tributes, old recordings, and such. This morning I played the 2 albums that I had on my iPod while I worked. I found myself questioning why I only had 2 albums on my iPod when I knew that I had more of his albums at home in my collection. (Yes, I still have an extensive CD collection. So sue me.) I realized that part of the reason was because I haven't listened to very much Rich Mullins since I got my iPod in 2007.

Why in the world would I not really listen to much Rich Mullins for 5 years? Good question. In reality, it has been more like 6 years. I hadn't even realized that I had done it until today. My ex-boyfriend was a huge fan of Rich Mullins [And "fan" is really an understatement] and when I broke off our almost 4-year long distance relationship in 2006, I apparently broke off my love for Rich Mullins music as well. It got me thinking; what else have I let go by the wayside since then? The best way I could think to describe it was like it was the opposite of Julia Roberts' character Maggie in "Runaway Bride." Maggie only ate the same kind of eggs as the man that she was with, never knowing what she actually liked because she was trying to be like him. I guess I felt like I couldn't like Rich anymore because that was his thing. The thing is that I liked Rich long before I even met him. I can't even count how many times I listened to "Hold Me, Jesus" in college. In fact, he entire "A Liturgy, A Legacy, & A Ragamuffin Band" album was in constant rotation in the room that Tracy Lee and I shared my freshman & sophomore year. I even worked at a Ragamuffins concert in the Spring of '99 in St. Louis with our CCM Seminar class. His music is such a part of my history. How could I leave that on the sidelines for 6 years?

I'm sitting here this evening listening to the "Jesus Demos" and wishing that I had never stopped listening to this man sing stories about our Lord. There are so many things to learn from the stories and the songs. Rich got it. He understood, at least in part, how this life was meant to be lived. He understood how to be a child of God and be ok with being a "child." I feel like I have to have it all together. I've lost that child-like wonder that brings me close to Him. I need to revisit the things that I've put on the sidelines. The books that I gave away, the music that has just been sitting up on the shelf. I'm not controlled by the past or the things that are in it. I am a child of God. I am loved by Him not because the things that I have or haven't done in the past, but because I was drawn to Him and put my faith in Him.

This is a really hard thing for me to write about. I don't like to talk about that part of my life. It seems like another lifetime ago. It is part of me, though, and the Lord brought me through it. I can't regret what happened. It is part of my story, like it or not. I am still His beloved child. I need to remember that. Maybe this is just what I needed.

"I will never doubt His promise though I doubt my heart - I doubt my eyes
My Deliverer is coming - My Deliverer is standing by"

~"My Deliverer" The Jesus Record (Rich Mullins/Mitch McVicker)

Somewhat Social

Most people who know me know would tell you that I am not the most social person. I am an introvert by nature, as in I'm pretty certain that I scored 99 on the scale when extroverted was 0 and introverted was 100. If it wasn't 99, it was 98. But, for the last ten years, I have been somewhat social. I realized this today as I was setting up our church's social media sites. (Yes, Trinity has reached the 21st century and now has a Facebook page and a Twitter account!) It started back in the Fall of 2000, my junior year of college, when I began helping my friend Mark moderate the message board for his band, The Normals.

{Side note: Does anyone else remember The Normals secret site: "The Attic?" Wow. That was a long time ago!}

From there, I went on to be a part of many different boards. I even created and moderated a board for a nation-wide nightly radio show on WAY-FM out of Nashville for a while. All of that seems like a life-time ago. In a way, I guess it was. The thing is, I forgot how much I enjoy promoting and supporting causes/people/groups that I really believe in. I'm really excited for the chance to be a part of something like this again! You can follow Trinity here and check out our Facebook page here.

My brain, the jukebox

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love music. I usually have something playing at my desk at work or on my phone or ipod. (Right now I'm listening to Michael W. Smith's instrumental album, "Freedom." It's one of my favorites that I used to listen to while I journaled in college.) [side note: just realized this album is almost 12 years old. Yikes!] The past few days, I've realized that whether the music is playing around me or not, I always have a song in my head. It is so important for me to make sure that the song in my head is one that is uplifting and God-honoring. The song that have been on my short playlist the last two weeks are as follows:

"Restless" by Audrey Assad
"Grace" by Laura Story
"Perfect Peace" by Laura Story
"The Reckoning (How Long)" by Andrew Peterson

The lyrics to these songs are so encouraging to me. I struggle so much with my restless heart and am longing to truly rest in the grace that has been offered to me. My prayer for the year has been Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV):

⁶  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (source)

 I have to be intentional in this. This is why I struggle so much. When "life" starts happening, when there is laundry to be done, dishes to wash, dinner to make, dogs to feed, when Ben has to work the night shift and I'm left home by myself with the puppies, my intentionality goes out the window! I shift into "just get by" mode. I wasn't made to "just get by!" I was made to thrive in Him. I was made to REST in Him! And so, I lay there at night and listen to the jukebox in my brain, reminding me that "I am restless 'til I rest in you, O God." Reminding me that He says "I will give you perfect peace," and that "My child, I love you. And as long as you're seeking My face, you'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace." And knowing that someday He will come to take home His own. These are my comforts. He is my comfort.

Would you pray that I continue to rest in Him? What are the things that keep you from resting in the promises that you know to be true?

Until next time,

Go under the mercy.

Not As Strong

We are frail
We are fearfully and wonderfully made
Forged in the fires of human passion
Choking on the fumes of selfish rage
And with these our hells and our heavens
So few inches apart
We must be awfully small
And not as strong as we think we are

"Not As Strong As We Think We Are"
~Rich Mullins

This song came on this morning on my alarm clock and reminded me of the reality that I like to try to forget.

Food for Thought (Thanks, Blair)

“So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!”  -Martin Luther

Found at Wild & Precious

Thanks, Blair. I needed to read that today. I need to start posting more things that are inspiring me and challenging me!

Confessions

I hate having to ask for help. I always feel that now that I'm almost 32 {really? is my birthday really just over a week away?} that I should be able to take care of myself and my family. For the last week & a half, Ben & I have been down to one car. (Sometimes I really hate cars, but mostly just when they stop working.) Ben started his new job yesterday. {BIG YEAH!} But that job is in Tampa, which is almost an hour away. And he has to be at work at 6:45a. That means that I have to find a way to get to work and to get home from work on nights that he has class over in Tampa (like tonight). I'm having to ask friends for rides and it is killing me. I hate inconveniencing my friends. I even had to ask my boss today if I could borrow his truck next week while he is out of town so that I can make it in to work and take care of any errands for the office since I'm one of the few that will be in town for the week. I know that at the heart of it all it is because of pride.

Proverbs 29:23 ²³ One’s pride will bring him low,
but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

And I feel like I am being brought low. It's affecting everything. My mood has been ornery at best. I find myself crying for the stupidest reasons. I've gotten angry at Ben for turning the car into a toolbox on wheels. I mean, seriously, where ELSE is he supposed to put his tools that he needs for work than in the vehicle that he is driving TO WORK. Work that he hasn't been able to go to for 7 weeks. I should be thrilled that the car is full of tools and that my husband is working. But no, I turn into Mrs. Snippy-pants and complain that I don't have a backseat.

Philippians 2:14-15 (ESV) ¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or questioning, ¹⁵that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

That one was one of our memory verses a few weeks ago. Talk about things coming back to bite you...

1 Peter 4:9 (ESV) ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

I've done quite enough grumbling. I need to be thankful for my friends who have shown us their "hospitality without grumbling." I need to be able to admit my need for help. I am not self-sufficient.

2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (ESV) ⁴ Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

And so I have something to work on. Dependence. It isn't a dirty word. It is a beautiful word. And here I thought that I had gotten pretty good at the whole "dependence" thing as we dealt with Ben being without a job! But here we are. He's peeled back another layer of the onion and there is my sin stinking up the place again.

Would you pray for me? Pray that I will be able to work through whatever it is that is keeping me from depending. Pray that I will continue more and more to lean on Him. That I will be able to admit my needs. That I will not be stubborn and think that "I can handle this myself." Pray that I will let myself be blessed by my friends. That I will not deny them the opportunity to be a blessing.

Thank you, friends.

Color love

I have been trying to be a little more ambitious with regard to the design of our church newsletter. I don't want it to be something that looks bland and therefore is disregarded when it comes in the mail. In the past few issues, I've been looking to Design Seeds for inspiration.

These were the palettes that I used for the November Newsletter (available for download here:


{Autumn Gold}


{Color} Barked


Autumn Gold

Now I'm working on the December Newsletter and trying to figure out which way to take it. I need some color inspiration! I don't want to take it too "holiday," but I don't want to make it too "winter" just yet. Comment with some of your favorite color schemes (with links or color names) for the coming season. I'd love to find something that I can use!

Really, I'm still here

I promise. I am. I know that I haven't blogged in for.ev.er. I've been really crazy busy working on fabulous things like this and this for work. We (not as much me, but I've been helping with some of the admin stuff) have also been working on an App for Trinity and Community Bible Reading. {Available on Android right now and on iPhone soon!} We also just finished the October Newsletter!

In other news, Monday was Ben’s and my 2nd anniversary! {P.S. I hate trying to figure out the proper way to write that. I know that is the correct way, but it looks weird} Things are a little tight right now, as Ben hasn't had a job since the 23rd (*see below), so I tried to make an anniversary dinner at home for him. It didn't turn out so well. Thankfully, I knew that my parents were sending us some money for us to go out to dinner, so we did just that! Ben took me to Smokey Bones where we watched the Rays lose Game 3 of the ALDS. {Note: This is the other thing I've been spending time on - watching and cheering on my Rays!}

*Yeah, I forgot to mention that. The company that Ben was with since July didn't have enough work to support the employees, so they had to lay them off. It stinks, but God has been faithful in providing other opportunities for Ben to do small jobs (and some not-so-small jobs) here and there.

Moving on! My mom, my aunt Donna and I also went to The Barn for their Fall Opening on Saturday! The morning was absolutely gorgeous and when I left the house it was 57 degrees. In Florida. I know. We walked around and looked at beautiful things like this:


And when we got hungry, we stopped on The Back Porch for a little lunch.


It really was a fabulous day. I love getting the chance to hang out with my mom and my aunt.

And now comes the part where I say that I won't let it be a month before I post again. Really. I'll try really hard.

winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Look at the beautiful print that I won from Caroline of {good times never seem sew good} and Bethany of Red Robe Designs!



This is going up somewhere on the wall in the bedroom so that I can see it first thing every morning. Between that and the "Who can I bless today?" print from Cap Creations that I have at my desk at work and at home, my attitude will hopefully stay positive!

{"winner, winner, chicken dinner!" courtesy of Caroline when she tweeted that I won the giveaway.}

Inspiration Workshop {Week #10}: A Day In My Life

I'm linking up again this week with the Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop! The prompt this week was: "A Day In My Life!"

My day starts early since Ben has to leave for work by around 5:45. Every morning starts the same way:


Start the kettle so that I can fix Ben some hearty oatmeal.


Hearty oatmeal
(Note the early time. They really do have one of those in the morning too!)


Make sandwiches for Ben's lunch.


Pack lunch.

Then Ben makes his way out into the kitchen to eat breakfast.


Holly-dog has to make sure that no oatmeal gets on the floor.

Ben leaves for work and Holly-dog and I go back to bed for a little while. I know. I keep saying that I'm going to try to stay up after Ben leaves for work, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm really hoping that now I'm getting a good night's sleep on our new bed (thank you, Ikea! LOVING this thing!), I will be able to do it. Monday is the day. I can feel it.

6:45 rolls around and I get up and start getting myself ready for work. Lately, it has been so hot that my hair ends up in these:


Re-purposed matchbox from my favorite curly-haired Italian.

I feed the Holly-dog:



Then it's off to work!


Trinity Presbyterian Church, I'm the Administrative Assistant.

Desk essentials:


Water and coffee (cup from Monogram Chick)

Looking in:


(Don't be confused by the Windows toolbar down there. Just running Parallels on the Mac so that I can open all of the Publisher docs that some of our staff still use.)

Looking out:


Hard at work, I'm sure.

No, really. This is what I've been working on:


The August edition of the Trinity Newsletter was mailed out on Tuesday afternoon and I just finished up the Worship Folder draft Wednesday afternoon when I took this pic.

At lunch I run home, take out the Holly-dog, and grab some lunch.


She's just too darn cute! Wish I could have her with me at work!

Wednesday night means Worship Team rehearsal:


Some of the music we're working on. For a list of all the songs that we do in Worship right now click here.

Last night I had to run to the store after rehearsal. I love my Publix supermarket.


Trying to remember to be green.

I came home to find Ben working on a tool review for a friend of ours. Pretty nice deal, actually. Ben gets some tools for work and in exchange writes the review. Holly apparently thought that the box that the tools came in was supposed to be used as a platform for her to reach the bed:


Again, could she get any cuter?

I finished up the day by doing some laundry so that Ben had clothes to wear to work:



Then I did the dishes and got coffee ready for the morning:



After that we headed to bed (in our NEW BED!) to get a good night's sleep so that we could start all over again in the morning!

It's not a very exciting life, but it's our life and I'm thankful for what God has for me right now. I need to remember that when I feel like I'm not doing a lot or that I'm not making a huge difference in the world. I'm doing the work that God has called me to right now. If I'm glorifying Him in what I'm doing, I AM making a difference, great or small.

Inspiration Workshop {Week #9}: THE BEACH!

I'm linking up again this week with the Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop! The prompt this week was: The Beach!

Now let's get serious, folks. I am a redhead.


I don't tan. I burn and freckle.

And I live in Florida.

How can a redhead survive at the beach in Florida? I'll tell you!
It's called a beach canopy.


A really big beach canopy

Also handy (as seen above):


A big floppy beach hat
(Awesome, stylish Italian friend is suggested, but not necessary...well, not necessary for anyone but me, that is.)

I really do enjoy the beach once I actually get there.

I especially love the beach on the west coast (of Florida, that is) at sunset. And not just because I can come out of the canopy! Florida sunsets are the best!

I also loved the beaches in the Dominican Republic when I was there on a mission trip 4 years ago. I know that I took more pictures, but this was the best one that I could find to post:


The water was absolutely gorgeous and super warm.

Now I'm really thinking that Ben & I need to hit the beach at least once before the summer is over. I'm sure that he will be thrilled since he could live at the beach and surf! We'll probably be hitting the east coast beaches for sunrise instead of the west coast for sunset, though. Heck, it's Florida. We could probably swing both!

Inspiration Workshop {Week #8}: Your Inspiration

I'm linking up again this week with the Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop! This week's prompt is somewhat of a free-for-all: "Your inspiration." I've thought a lot about what inspires me.

I've been listening to the music of Andrew Peterson for a little over 10 years now. I have lots of great stories involving him and his music. My husband has even more since Andrew was his middle school camp counselor! (Note, this was LONG before we met. Our first real communication back and forth involved Andrew and his music!) Andrew is "The Proprietor" of The Rabbit Room and one of my favorite musicians. His "Counting Stars" album came out last summer and I've listened to it more times than I can count. Here's a little peek into his writing:

I can see the storm descending on the hill tonight
Tall trees are bending to your will tonight
Let the mighty bow down
At the thundering sound of your voice

~"The Reckoning"

Source: nature-hd.com via Mysti on Pinterest

But the rulers of earth could not control Him
They did not take his life--he laid it down
All the chains of earth could never hope to hold him
So in the night my hope lives on

~"In The Night"
Andrew Peterson, Ben Shive, & Andy Gullahorn
(a.k.a. "The Captains Courageous")

Here at the magic hour
Time and eternity
Mingle a moment in chorus
Here at the magic hour
Bright is the mystery
Plain is the beauty before us
Could this beauty be for us?

~"The Magic Hour"
Andrew Peterson & Don Chaffer

Source: shutterbug.com via Brenda on Pinterest

A thing resounds when it rings true
Ringing all the bells inside of you
Like a golden sky on a summer eve
Your heart is tugging at your sleeve
And you cannot say why
There must be more

~"More"
Andrew Peterson & Pierce Pettis

I could go on and on with the lyrics. The words paint a picture that draws you into the story. The story is one of hope and redemption. The story is just part of the "capital S" Story - the Story of us all. The Story of God's love and sacrifice for us. And if that doesn't inspire you, I don't know what does.

Hi, my name is Anxiety and I'm, well, anxious

I am anxious. I always have been. I hate it. I hate having my mind jump to the worst possible conclusion. I hate not trusting my Lord. I have struggled with it for years. I have even been on medication for it at one point when it was making me so physically sick that I had lost tons of weight. I lay awake at night and sometimes have to use a relaxation script (thank you, podcasts!) to calm myself down and get to a place where I can slow my mind down enough to fall asleep.

A week ago Friday (7/8), I heard this broadcast of Erwin Lutzer's "Running to Win:" Renamed By Christ. I've heard this sort of message before, but this time it really hit me. Maybe because it was out of the blue or perhaps it was because of a particular phrase that he said. He was talking about coming to the place where we can admit our position to Christ. He said that we should come saying,

"'My name is Anxiety.' Then Jesus can say I'm going to rename you and call you peace."

My name is peace. No, literally, it is. My middle name is Irene.

Irene is a name derived from the Greek word εἰρήνη (eiréné) meaning "peace".

How have I lived for all these years acting the complete opposite of my given name? I know where my hope lies. I know who guides my life. Matthew 6:27 says, "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" I don't know why I do it, but I know that it certainly isn't adding anything to my life other than more sorrow. And I was not made to live in sorrow.

I've been stewing over how to write this out and if I should post about it for over a week now. This past Friday, I decided that I really needed to. You see, Friday afternoon, Ben lost his job. He's been with his company for just over a year and has worked his tail off on the job and in the apprenticeship schooling program (electrician). Due to a boss losing money and Ben being in the wrong place at the wrong time (in the way of someone looking to get rid of someone on the job), he received a termination notice on Friday.

I have watched my sweet husband display the exact opposite of anxiety in the past few days. I have watched him display complete trust in a sovereign God who takes care of his children. I have watched him take care of me as I worry (surprise!) about what will happen and if we'll be able to pay all of our bills next month. I have watched him tear up at God's provision for us through our church family, who have already flooded him with contacts for job possibilities. I have watched him get excited about finally having the time to meet with men in the church that he hasn't had time to meet with due to an hour commute that started anywhere from 4:45 to 5:45 am.

Again and again, he has reminded me, not even knowing that I have been going over this in my head for a week.

Something that has also really helped me is praying through Psalm 23. Our Community Group has been using this strategy for praying. Taking a verse at a time and praying through that particular verse. Amazingly enough (ok, not really), by the time I get through the 4th or 5th verse, I'm already starting to calm down enough that I start to fall asleep.

I know that I have not conquered this sin. I know that I have miles to go, and that, in fact, it will be a lifelong journey. It is a constant placing of my anxious thoughts under his sovereign care. And there is no one better to give them to than my Lord.

Inspiration Workshop {Week #7}: Sunshine!

Linking up again with the Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop this week! This week's prompt was "Sunshine!" This is what I think of when I think of "sunshine":


I took this picture with Retro Camera on my phone back in May at "Mayfaire by the lake" here in Lakeland. (That's right, folks: no iPhone. Not cool enough yet to have "Instagram.")

I love the light right as the sun is starting to set.

Today, however, I went out right in the thick of it. I took the Holly-dog out for a walk and did a photo shoot at lunch. (Which was from 1-2 instead of 12-1 today.)

She loves the camera.



But mostly she loves to do this:



What I know for sure is that she loves being outside and wishes that our yard was fenced so that she could run around in the sun.



Oh! I almost forgot: the rest of these pictures were taken with my actual REAL camera! I finally found it after 5+ months looking through random boxes for it!

And so, I'll bid you adieu with one more shot of the Florida {stinkin' hot} sun.

What I Wore Wednesday {Week 8}

It's been a while since I posted one of these. Mostly because I wear the same outfits to work every week and all of my pictures looked the same. The last week or so I've actually put together a few new combos, so here we are!

Tuesday:

Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft (Outlet!)
Skirt: J Crew (Hand-me-down!)
Necklace: Forever 21
Scarf: 99% certain that it was my Grandmother's
Shoes: Payless

Wednesday:

Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft
Pants: New York & Co
Necklace: Kohls
Belt: Old Navy (from an old pair of pants)
Shoes: Payless
Flower in my hair: Thirty-One Gifts

And this is just for fun. I wore my hair like this on Sunday morning:



I had probably about 20 people come up to me thinking that I had cut all of my hair off. The answer is no. It's just Florida, it gets pretty hot and I'm always looking for different ways to put my hair up! Unfortunately, there are only so many places that I can get away with this look:



{I have gotten a little braver and worn this look out a few places!}

I'll be back tomorrow with a little bit of sunshine and an Inspiration Workshop post!

Inspiration Workshop {Week #6}: Pamper Yourself!

Linking up again with the Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop this week! The prompt this week was "Pamper Yourself!" Normally when I think about pampering myself this is what I envision:



Or maybe the bathtub from last week's Inspiration Workshop. Pampering myself this last week was much simpler.

On Saturday I drove the long way to Ikea all by myself. I took the back roads through Plant City so that I didn't have to deal with the crazy people on the interstate. I listened to a podcast that I've been meaning to listen to (Laura Story on Midday Connection).

I treated myself to Swedish Meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam at Ikea. I wandered around the showrooms, gathering tips and ideas for arranging things in our small space. I left only with the two things on the list and replacement bowls (for the ones that had the nasty fruit in them that I forgot about in the fridge. Oops.).

I drove home the same way listening to Laura Story, Melanie Penn, and Tara Leigh Cobble. It was lovely.

I miss the days when I would just take myself out for a drive and see where I would end up. I felt refreshed when I got back. So refreshed, in fact, that I took a nap when I got home. Because I could. It was a great day and I need to remember to take time to do it more often.