the wise little owl.

#febphotoaday [1]

2012-02-09T20:21:00.003-06:00

Round 1 of February Photo A Day...

"Your view today" // foggy day in Austin

"Words" // courtesy of Jarah

"Hands" // nighttime in Austin

"A stranger"// Lots of them at the Color Run

"10 AM" // breaking in the new shoes

"dinner" // A bachelorette feast

"Button" // late for work

"Sun" // great is Thy faithfulness

wednesday words to live by.

2012-02-08T08:32:00.002-06:00

via

miscellany monday

2012-02-06T08:30:00.001-06:00

I swear the weekends move at warp speed. Monday just comes too quickly. Alas, it's that time again. Here's a random little recap...

1) I know I posted about photo a day last week, but I decided to just start up with the February list instead of catching up with January. I'll post my first batch tomorrow.

2) This weekend, I did something called The Color Run. It's this awesome 5K where they throw powder paint at you, so by the end you're (supposed to be) all colorful. Sounds fun, right? This is a great example of when reality is so much different than expectation.

It poured the night before, and the race site turned to mud. They didn't really tell us that going in, so about half a mile in, we turned a corner and it was just all mud. My shoes got so stuck at one point that I took them off. My beloved shoes that I've done my half-marathon training in were ruined. By the end, the only color I was covered in was brown. There was a fun color fight at the end, but it was windy and cold and we had to walk 2 miles back to the car. All in all, I could have done without that, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

3) I also saw The Artist this weekend at Alamo Drafthouse. It was a really cool movies that just kind of mesmerizes you. The dog in the film totally deserves an Oscar nomination, in my opinion. Highly recommend! And any movie is better at the Drafthouse, with delicious food, friends, and hilarious pre-show videos.

before the show started

4) As I said before, my running shoes got totally ruined in that 5K. I almost had a panic attack thinking about the fact that my race is in two weeks and I'm having to break in new shoes, but I calmed down and accepted reality. I was planning a 12 mile run Sunday to be my final intense run before I start tapering, but I listened to my body and stopped after 10. I'm definitely still getting used to the new shoes, but the plan is to wear them everywhere so they get good and broken in before the 19th.

5) Anyone else totally bored by the Super Bowl? The last minute of the game was the only exciting part. The half-time show was just okay in my opinion, and there weren't a ton of great commercials. I'm starting a campaign for a Beyonce/Jay-Z performance next year. And hopefully my beloved Texans will be in it!

This was the coolest commercial in my opinion!

It's Monday. Let's do the dang thing.

Prepare to laugh.

2012-02-02T08:54:00.000-06:00

Proof that kids are way more awesome/funnier/smarter than adults.

Wednesday Words to Live By

2012-02-01T07:24:00.000-06:00

Print by Ian Coyle, check out his awesome work here.

What I'm Loving {miscellany monday}

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hola amigos! I hope it was a restful weekend for you. It was mostly a lazy one for me besides a long run on Saturday. Instead of my normal weekend recap, I've compiled a list of things I'm really loving at the moment. You might notice the majority of these are food-related. Don't judge.

1) Detox smoothies & hot lemon water

via

Every morning, I drink some variation of the Glowing Green Smoothie. Mine are usually brown because I add berries, but still pretty tasty and so nutritious. I've definitely seen a difference in my complexion since I've been doing this consistently. I drink hot water with lemon squeezed in before bed. Without sharing too much, it has been great for my digestion.

2) Running

via

Did you know I'm registered for a half-marathon in three weeks from yesterday? This weekend I ran 11 miles, a personal record for me in terms of distance. Even though I was exhausted on Saturday and insatiably hungry yesterday, I'm so happy with my training so far. I've never been this close to completing my goal of running a half. It's exciting and nerve-wracking! My goal in the next couple weeks is to stay healthy and injury-free.

3) Laughing Cow Cheese

via google

I've been eating this with pretzels and carrots, and I'm going to try it on sandwiches next. My fave is French Onion! I love a delicious, healthy snack.

4) Spaghetti Squash

via

I've been a bit skeptical about this particular type of squash, but after roasting one for myself, I'm a fan. So much more nutritious than pasta, and it tastes so good with some hearty spaghetti sauce. I'm excited to do some more experimenting with some of my leftovers.

5) Documentaries on Netflix

I watched two documentaries this weekend. The first is called More Than A Game, and it's the story of Lebron James and his high school teammates. I didn't realize how much of a phenom he was even then.

The other is

Second, Life In A Day. Basically, people from all over the world shot footage of their lives on the same day in July of 2010, and it makes up a sort of time capsule for this one day in history. Pretty interesting!

6) Naps

via

I took two this weekend. Enough said.

7) Sprouts Farmers Market

I'm not sure if this is a national chain or not, but I'm loving my local Sprouts market. I know this isn't technically a real farmer's market, but a lot of their produce is cheaper than a normal grocery store. They also have things I sometimes have trouble finding in a chain grocery store, like nutritional yeast and Ezekiel bread. Going to Sprouts has become a weekend tradition for me in the past couple weeks!

Linking up here...

I'm praying for a good attitude at work this week, because last week was rough. Let's show this Monday who's boss!

Photo a Day [Days 1-6]

2012-01-28T22:26:00.001-06:00

You might have seen this floating around on the interwebs. It's a 30-day photo challenge with daily prompts as follows...

I'm posting on Instagram (@skfrawley) daily, but here are my photos from the first week.

Day 1, "You"

Day 2, "Breakfast"

Day 3, "Something you adore"...my new London print from Jarah!

Day 4, "Letterbox". I took it in an unconventional direction.

Day 5, "Something you wore"

Day 6, "Makes you laugh"...the irony of reading a book about fasting in Chick-Fil-A.

There you have it...random little pieces of daily life. I <3 Instagram.

fill in the blank Friday.

2012-01-27T08:28:00.003-06:00

How can I pass up blanks about traveling? One of my favorite things ever! Link up here.

1. My favorite place i've ever traveled to is Cape Town, South Africa and Greece.

2. Everywhere is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by reading and watching movies .

4. My three must-haves when I travel are warm socks , earplugs and a good book.

5. My favorite travel companion is can I say myself? I love traveling solo and meeting up with someone at the destination.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is when I flew to Frankfurt en route to Africa by myself and wandered around the airport for hours trying to find people I had never met who were in my program.

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is everything I ate in South Korea.

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in Portland (in the US) or London.

9. I have been to 29 states in the U.S.

Friday. Pay day. Good day. Happy weekend!

Wednesday Words to Live By

2012-01-25T08:18:00.000-06:00

Print by Jane Laurie, from here.

Over The Weekend

2012-01-24T08:33:00.002-06:00

I meant to post this recap yesterday...whoops! I had a low-key and productive weekend, which was just what I needed. Here a few instagrams I took along the way

1. Remnants of breakfast on a lazy Saturday morning.

2. Watching the Food Network.

3. My daily "green" smoothies, which is usually more brownish.

4. My haul from Sprouts...2 pineapples (they were $1 each!), grapes,

spaghetti squash, eggs, Ezekiel bread, cherries, and pears.

5. Lunch in progress.

6. Until next year, Christmas tree.

7. I fought the law, and the law won.

8. Double-duty sports watching: Niners v. Giants, and US Women's soccer

Other highlights included:

Eating at Chuy's and playing Phase 10 with new friends.

Buying new undergarments.

Getting a haircut.

An 8-mile hill workout.

And an incredible sermon at church about idolatry...check it!

Good weekend!

current soundtrack

2012-01-17T22:53:00.000-06:00

Who needs some new music recommendations? I went to Houston this past weekend, and in preparation, I went a little crazy buying new music for the road trip. I have some Itunes gift cards to spend, and others I got for $5 on Amazon.

Here's what I bought...

1) Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown

Sample:

2) Quiet Company, We Are All Where We Belong

Sample:

3) Givers, In Light

Sample:

4) Phil Wickham, Response

Sample:

5) John Mark Mcmillan, Economy

Sample:

6) Death Cab For Cutie, Codes & Keys

Sample:

Bonus! Maybe I bought Taylor Swift's new single mostly because Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights is in the video. I can neither confirm or deny this. But here's the video anyways...

Hope you find something new among this mish-mash to listen to and love!

Fill in the Blank Friday.

2012-01-13T07:12:00.000-06:00

Listen up, y'all. It's Friday and for me, it's payday, which means I've got a little pep in my step. Let's start the day of right by filling in some blanks. Link up here.

1. The last thing I ate was a frozen Reese's peanut butter Christmas tree, followed immediately by a detox smoothie. They offset, right?

2. The last song I listened to was the theme song for The Wonder Years.

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Shannon}...son, nano, I suck at this game. Too many n's and not enough vowels.

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick I want to say black, but that could get depressing. So I say green because it brings out my eyes.

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find my wallet, car keys, some receipts, an umbrella cover for my broken umbrella, concealer, hair product.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to hit the hay.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is toss-up between anything Motown and The Wobble. I'm a woman of fine tastes, what can I say...

I hope you made it through the weekend in one piece. I'm off to Houston this weekend to spend some time with my parents and cheer on the Texans (and hopefully tackle a big run!). Have a lovely weekend!

Wednesday Words to Live By

2012-01-11T08:09:00.000-06:00

miscellany monday [weekend roundup]

2012-01-09T07:43:00.000-06:00

Hey homies! I had another busy but fun weekend.

1) This past week was Free Week in austin where a bunch of music venues have free shows. I went with some friends to see Quiet Company, among others. They always put on a fun show!

2) Then Saturday morning, I set off to run some hills in Austin. The half marathon I'm training for is very hilly, so I was really needing to work on that a bit. It went better than expected, and I got some really pretty views out of it. I found a new running route that might be my new favorite!

see the Austin skyline in the background?!

3) On Saturday afternoon, I watched my football team the Houston Texans win their first ever playoff game! I'm so proud. On to Baltimore!

4) On Saturday night, my roommate Lesley got married! I'm so excited for her and Carlton. She looked beautiful, and the set up was great. They had it at the For the City Center, and they did an awesome job of dressing up a blank canvas.

You can kind of see my outfit...I e-mailed this to my parents to get their opinion. I added some jewelry and a different belt, but this is basically it. My go-to lately has been blazer, dress, belt, and tights. Luckily, it was around 70 degrees on Saturday so I didn't have to factor in the weather.

I had some friends at the wedding, so it was a lot of fun.

first dance

centerpieces

I also let Lesley's dog hang out in my bed (which never happens) later that night, because she seemed a little depressed.

5) In addition to a marriage, I celebrated a birth and an engagement this weekend. So many milestones! My dear friends welcomed their 3rd little girl to the world on Saturday night, and my friend Lisa got engaged on Sunday night. This is such a fun time of life!

And two sidenotes:

6) Last week, I had a dentist appointment to get some cavities. I forget how horrible and traumatic that can be. Due to lots of novocaine, I couldn't feel my face from my eyeballs down. This is me looking puffy and numb afterwards, trying to smile with all my might. Pretty pathetic. I've rededicated myself to dental hygiene because I don't want to go through that again.

7) Read this. It's "20 New Year's Resolutions for 20-somethings", and it's chock full of some random and helpful advice.

Phew, what a weekend! Time to conquer another week.

the opening gate of glory.

2012-01-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

via

I've talked about The Valley of Vision before, so I won't go on about it too much, except to say buy yourself a copy pronto! I read this prayer on the first morning of 2012, and it stirred my heart. I prayed it over this year.

I know I already did my "resolutions" post, but I have great hope for this year. I know God is always working, but I'm praying that this will be a year that I look back on as one of the turning points of my life. I'm praying for change and growth and a relationship with God and others that's way beyond anything I've ever experienced. I want freedom and boldness and courage and joy and love. And the incredible thing is that's what God wants to give His kids if we just ask.

Truth in Jesus

Life-Giving God,
Quicken me to call upon thy name,
for my mind is ignorant,
my thoughts vagrant,
my affections earthly,
my heart unbelieving,
and only thy Spirit can help my infirmities.
I approach thee as Father and Friend,
my portion for ever,
my exceeding joy,
my strength of heart.
I believe in thee as the God of nature,
the ordainer of providence,
the sender of Jesus my Saviour.
My guilty fears discourage an approach to thee,
but I praise thee for the blessed news
that Jesus reconciles thee to me.
May the truth that is in him
illuminate in me all that is dark,
establish in me all that is wavering,
comfort in me all that is wretched,
accomplish in me all that is of thy goodness,
and glorify in me the name of Jesus.
I pass through a vale of tears
but bless thee for the opening gate of glory
at its end.
Enable me to realize as mine the better,
heavenly country.
Prepare me for every part of my pilgrimage.
Uphold my steps by thy Word.
Let no iniquity dominate me.
Teach me that Christ cannot be the way
if I am the end,
that he cannot be Redeemer
if I am my own saviour,
that there can be no true union with him
while the creature has my heart,
that faith accepts him as Redeemer and Lord
or not at all.

Here's my encouragement to you...regardless of where you're at in life or with God, I encourage you to open up the Bible and start reading. I don't have it figured out, and I still struggle with the motivation to be consistent and engaged with reading scripture. But I can tell you that when I open up the Word regularly and read, even if I don't understand or absorb most of it, God does something. The Holy Spirit will speak but you've got to take the first step.

miscellany monday

2012-01-02T08:37:00.000-06:00

Hola amigos! Here's my holiday weekend round-up, miscellany style.

[1] I started off my New Year's Eve with a 7 mile run. My friend Maddie came and ran the last 4 with me, which was great because she kept me at a faster pace than normal and she distracted me from feeling like I was dying. I'm still sore! We did our stretching down by the lake afterwards, and I was reminded once again about how beautiful this city is. It was also in the 70's this weekend, and I was loving it.

[2] My NYE celebrations were fun this year and pretty laid back. I decided to go into things with pretty low expectations, because I think this is the most built-up holiday of the year. I went to dinner at Jorge's with some girls and then did a little party-hopping. It was actually really fun, mostly because I was with a great group. I was happy to ring in 2012! True to form, I didn't take any pictures, which is a shame because my outfit was real cute. Maybe I'll do a re-enactment.

[3] I also did some major cleaning out this weekend. I went through my closet and got rid of about half of my wardrobe on Friday night (wild!). I had three piles: throw away, donate, and sell. It was astonished by how many clothes I had accumulated, some that I had never worn. It's really challenged me to be more responsible when I shop AND to be continuously getting rid of clothes/shoes as I add new pieces. My closet is so clean now! It's going to make moving in a couple months so much better!

[4] I also unsubscribed from a bunch of e-mail lists that have been clogging up my inbox. I'm pretty anal about this particular thing. Currently, I've only got about 9 e-mails in my main inbox. I have lots of labels and folders for things I want to keep, and other e-mails get immediately deleted. I'm slowly taking myself off the lists for e-mails I never read. It feels good! I like this guide for keeping your inbox clear...

via

[5] I got a blender for Christmas, and as part of my holiday detox, I've been trying out some smoothie recipes. I've just been putting a couple handfuls of spinach with frozen fruit and a couple ice cubes. Such a great way to get lots of nutrients. Anyone have any good recipes I should try out?

[6] And finally, some words to take to heart in this new year...

via

I don't have to go to work today! I'm going to sleep in, go to noon class at the gym, run some errands, and maybe treat myself to a pedicure. Oh, and probably see a movie tonight with friends. I love this Monday!

Looking back, looking forward

2012-01-01T10:16:00.000-06:00

As I said a few days ago, everything changed in 2011, but I see how God has used every last bit of it for my good and His glory. This is my yearly post where I look back over my adventures and accomplishments, and look forward to the next year.

In the year 2011, I...

-Visited Lindsey in the D.R. and had ourselves a bona fide adventure.
-Ran a half-marathon relay and celebrated my dad running his first ever official half marathon.
-Saw Amos Lee, went to ACL
-Had a snow day.
-Moved to a new neighborhood.
-Had a perfect trip to Utah, skiied for the first time, and just enjoyed being with a faraway friend.
-Started and finished an internship, maybe my last ever but maybe not.
-Got a master's degree and added some letters to the end of my name.
-Watched a dear friend get married.
-Made some amazing new friends that I will hold on to.
-Woke up with the roosters to celebrate the royal wedding!
-Became an organ donor.
-Lost my license twice.
-Watched my poor little car get towed for the first time in 6 years of living in Austin.
-Got my first full-time job.
-Went to Miami with my family.
-Loved the final Harry Potter movie and re-read the books in celebration.
-Watched hours and hours of soccer during the women's world cup.
-Was mysteriously ill for most of the summer, and for the first time, truly appreciated health and medicine and healthcare. Between that and 90+ days of triple digit heat in Austin, it was an interesting summer.
-Started an intense discipleship program that has been challenging the heck out of me.
-Visited the ER.
-Turned 24.
-Got addicted to Pinterest.
-Went on a tour of the East Coast and made a whole lot of memories. (Parts 1, 2, 3, & 4)
-Did another NaBloPoMo 30 Posts in 30 Days challenge in November.
-Went to Dalhart for Thanksgiving and Houston for Christmas.
-Was challenged deeply by God and grew in love of and faith in the Lord. Amen!

For the year 2012, I hope to...

-Keep a weekly sabbath time.
-Go on some fun trips. So far, all I have planned is London in July, but I hope to go visit family and have a few other adventures.
-Write my compassion kiddo at least once a month.
-Run (or walk or crawl if I have to) the Austin half marathon in February.
-Floss at least 2 times a week.
-Try to finish as many thing as possible on my 25 before 25 list, because this is the year I turn 25! I can hardly believe that.
-Prayerfully cultivate a joyful and sacrificial spirit at work.
-Make more new friends and keep the old ones!
-Cut down on my sugar intake significantly and get my eating habits in check.
-Explore the Hill Country (area surrounding Austin) a little more.
-Take more pictures, especially with people in them.
-Make more trips to Houston to spend time with my parents.
-Cook more real food for myself and share recipes here.
-Share the hope of Christ more.
-Perhaps (maybe hopefully) get a puppy.
-Save some money and start paying off my grad school loan.
-Comment more on other blogs and build some blogging friendships.
-Make God's Word my first priority everyday.
-Love sacrificially in big and small ways.
-Eat more greens and protein.
-Quit biting my nails.
-Grow as a writer.
-Improve my hip hop skillz.
-Give more of my stuff away and not accumulate more than I already have.
-Redesign the blog.
-Try out some of Austin's famous food trucks.
-By His grace, love God more and the world less.

I got some work to do! I'm ready to say goodbye to '11 and hello to a new year...

make it happen

2011-12-31T10:40:00.000-06:00

May 2012 be the year that you make it happen, whatever it means for you.

the year of growing pains.

2011-12-29T07:27:00.000-06:00

What a year. I have a post coming up this week with my usual recap and resolutions for the next year, but I wanted to also wrap this year (moreso than any other year so far) up with a more serious post.

I think I'll look back at 2011 as the year I really grew up, or at least started the long process. So many things contributed to this: the decision to move, finishing school, graduation, getting a job, etc. Everything has changed, and I'm an adult now apparently. Sometimes I feel that, and sometimes I still feel like an 18-year-old playing pretend.

I'm wondering how the transition happened. I didn't just wake up one morning and immediately feel older and more responsible and decisive. There's a verse in 2 Corinthians that begins, "we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed." I identify with this. I have felt pushed far beyond my own capabilities this year. I've felt inadequate and confined and isolated and unprepared. But even in this pressing, though it doesn't feel great, God has been at work. He uses it to produce maturity, because He works everything together for good. And I can take comfort in knowing that even though I may be tried and tested, I will never be destroyed because I am a child of God.

Now I know maturity is all relative. I'll look back at this time and think about how I was still such a baby, the same way I now look back at my 21 year-old-self and marvel at how little I knew then. That being said, this is what growing up means for me right now in December 2011 (remember, I'm still learning the basics).

It means making sacrifices and not doing things I really want to do. It means sometimes saying no when I want to say yes and yes when I want to say no. It has meant taking care of myself emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It has also meant taking more ownership for my home and finances. It has meant deciding to be true to myself and what I want my life to be about.

It hasn't meant that I can't cry or have bad days. Both of those definitely happen. It just means that even on those days when I want to hide, I have to take responsibility and fulfill commitments (e.g. go to work). It hasn't meant that I can't be spontaneous and do fun things. It just means that I have to remember that sleep and rest are a priority. It hasn't meant that I can't go on trips or take days off, because I already know I'd lose my dang mind if I never took a day off.

Slowly by slowly, I am learning what I value most in life and actively pursuing those things. I fail at it most of the time, but Even though this year has been hard, I can say it's been worth it. Here's to another year of growth in 2012, however that might look.

The Frawlidays, 2011

2011-12-26T13:36:00.000-06:00

Hello friends. I had a wonderful Christmas at home and wanted to throw a tantrum when I had to leave today. It went by too fast as always. Here's a little recap...

My mom was a baking machine, and I got to help her on Christmas Eve with one of my favorites...snickerdoodles.

There was some dog drama over the weekend, which is to be expected when you have 5 dogs under one roof. Long story short, a dog who shall remain nameless bit Sammy (the brown one) which resulted in him having to stay the night at an emergency vet and have surgery. I'm happy to report Sammy is doing well now and she-who-shall-not-be-named is back on her way to the panhandle.

Bella!

Sammy's battle wounds

my favorite dog

bella! again

We had a very low-key Christmas Day, which was just perfect. Everyone woke up around 8, ate breakfast, and then started the present opening.

My first Christmas ornament

An ornament I made in Kindergarten

A blender and a crockpot!

A Harry Potter snuggie...you heard me

Some of my haul

We watched some Christmas movies and then later my Grandpa and some friends of my parents came over for dinner. My Grandpa has Alzheimer's so it was really special to have him there. We opened some presents with him, and my sister showed him a book of her and Daniel's wedding pictures.

After dinner, we skyped with my Uncle and his family in New York and my Aunt and her family in Florida. My grandpa was a little freaked out, but it was so cool to be able to see them on Christmas! And I know they really appreciated being able to see Grandpa.

I didn't take a picture of my Christmas Day plate, but this is my plate of leftovers. My mom outdid herself with this meal, including the family favorite mac & cheese and a baked potato casserole that was off the chain. And I actually ate some salad with my meal!

she-who-must-not-be-named

Bailey boy

Today, Heather and Daniel left early to go back to Dalhart and I hung around to go see a movie with my dad. My mom met us after the movie at Chelsea's, my favorite, and then my mom and I checked out a few holiday sales.

best chicken salad ever!

Over the break, we watched: Holiday Inn, Home Alone, White Christmas, A Muppet Christmas Carol (my fave), War Horse, and Mission Impossible 3 (just me and dad). We ate a ridiculous amount. We laughed a lot and barely left the house. It was perfect! I can't wait for the next time we're all together again!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:25:00.000-06:00

From my family to yours. Hope your holiday has been filled with love and joy.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

[Isaiah 9:6]

The Incarnation

2011-12-24T10:20:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I come across things on the interwebs and think immediately, "you gotta blog that sh...tuff!" This was one of those things. I love spoken word, especially when it's about Jesus. This is perfect to be thinking over on Christmas Eve.

I love the word from St. Augustine at the end:

Man’s maker was made man, that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast; that the Bread might hunger, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired on its journey; that the Truth might be accused of false witness, the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Foundation be suspended on wood; that Strength might grow weak; that the Healer might be wounded; that Life might die. -Augustine of Hippo (Sermons 191.1)

What Christ did when He came to Earth...I'll never understand it, but I'll celebrate it for as long as I shall live. Merry Christmas Eve!

fill in the blanks, christmas style

2011-12-23T07:56:00.000-06:00

Who can even believe Christmas is in two days?! Celebrating today with some Christmas-themes blanks brought to us by Lauren.

1. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is I know you want me to quote Elf, but I will just say by showing an extra measure of kindness during this season (and making delicious treats to share).

2. The thing I love most about Christmas is time off from the hustle of life to be with my family .

3. The holiday season is a time for being with family and friends, giving and receiving gifts, good food, and celebrating the Gift of gifts.

4. My favorite thing to eat at the holidays is all of the baked goodies that my family has been making for years. My mom was telling me all the things she's made or has planned to make, and let's just say I'm bringing my stretchy pants home for Christmas.

5. I will be spending Christmas my parents, sister, bro-in-law, and Grandpa. And 5 dogs.

6. Tis better to (give or receive?) I like both. I can't try to act like I don't love receiving gifts, but I also love the giving.

7. I'm dreaming of a fun and relaxing Christmas.

I'm going home to Houston today after work! Merry Christmas!

how to be the star of the party.

2011-12-21T07:46:00.000-06:00

I brought a little holiday treat for my coworkers (nurses, clinical assistants, docs, physical therapists, pharmacists, etc.) to say thanks for the hard work they do day in and day out.

Little did I know the frenzy I would cause with my little gesture of gratitude. I was treated like a rockstar for the day because everyone was so obsessed with the deliciousness that I brought. And the crazy thing is, it's probably the easiest thing I've ever made. I guess it's true that sometimes simple is best.

Here's the recipe, so you can be a rockstar at your next party too. (found on Pinterest, naturally)

Rolo Turtles

You'll need:
Square pretzels
Rolos (I recommend buying at bunch of rolls at the checkout so you don't have unwrap each one)
Whole pecan pieces

1) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2) Lay the pretzels out on a baking sheet. Put one rolo on top of each pretzel.

3) Pop them in the oven for 4-5 minutes until the rolos are soft.

4) Once you take the baking sheet out of the oven, immediately press a pecan piece gently on to the top of each rolo.

5) Ta-da! Now just let them set, either at room temp or in the fridge to speed up the process, and you're ready to go.

I made around 60 of these candies, and it took me about 20 minutes total. Perfecto!

Make these and prepare for holiday glory.

Who Comes This Night

2011-12-20T07:43:00.000-06:00

I really struggle to focus my heart on Jesus at Christmas time. There is so much attached to this holiday by the world, and a lot of it is fun and special. I love so many of the traditions of this time of year.

But what's important about Christmas is this: God came to Earth as a baby. He came to Earth, not with loud trumpets in glory, but in humility. He stepped down from Heaven and into time, became flesh and blood, to save us. It doesn't make any sense! It's so unconventional and opposite human logic. My mind doesn't grasp His thoughts and His ways, and that why He's God and I'm not. And my heart is beyond grateful to serve a God so loving that He would be born into physical poverty in order to bring us eternal riches that are beyond measure. Hallelujah!

This train of thought was started by listening to "Who Comes This Night" by James Taylor. Enjoy.

Who comes this night, this wintry night,
As to the lowly manger?
The Shepards and the Kings did come
To welcome in the stranger.

Who sends this song upon the air,
To ease the soul that's aching?
To still the cry of deep despair
And heal the heart that's breaking.

Brother Joseph bring the light
Fast, the night is fading.
And who will come this wintry night
To where the stranger's waiting?

Who comes this night, with humble heart,
To give the fullest measure
A gift of purest love to bring
What good and worthy treasure.

Brother Joseph bring the lamb
For they are asking for him
The children come this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.

For those who would the stranger greet
Must lay their heart before him
And raise their song in voices sweet
To worship and adore him

Brother Joseph bring the light
Fast, the night is fading
And who will come this wintry night
To where the stranger's waiting

Brother Joseph bring the lamb
For they are asking for him.
The children come this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.

Pure of heart this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.

weekend recap [miscellany monday]

2011-12-19T08:06:00.000-06:00

My weekend was full and festive.

[1] I started it off with a fair trade Christmas market/house show with my friend Jill. It was in the most amazing little house not far from where I live. I'm scheming ways I can get the family that owns it to let me live there with them.

Ross King sang some Christmas songs, and I tried sipping vinegar for the first time. The guy making the sipping vinegars got the idea when he was in Portland and is thinking about starting a business. Verdict: when mixed with club soda and a little liquor, surprisingly tasty!

[2] Then I went home and changed to get ready for seeing Matchmaker Band. After almost leaving the house with two different shoes on, I headed downtown. Think about the ultimate wedding band playing the best of Motown and music from the 60's and 70's and doing it well. That's this band. It was so fun, and we definitely danced the night away. I also saw Lunchbox from The Bobby Bones Show, a popular radio show here in Austin. I finally crawled into bed around 2:30 and slept hard.

pardon my awkward hands

with my friend Leslie

dancing pictures

[3] After a late night, a lazy morning was in order. I ate breakfast in bed and lazed around until 11 or so. Then I went to yoga and then to a massage. I was so relaxed it's ridiculous. I definitely fell asleep on the massage table because I had a couple dreams. Hope I didn't do anything too embarrassing in my sleep.

[4] I capped off the day with some soup, a nap, and hanging out with some friends and watching How I Met Your Mother. I've never been a fan of this show, but I may be starting to come around.

[5] Yesterday morning I woke for a 6-mile run and then iced my shins & ankles with some unconventional ice packs. I'm signed up for a half marathon that's 2 months from today, so it's time to get it in gear.

[6] I also did some baby holding in the church nursery, churching, and present wrapping. I'm done with all my shopping for family, and now I'm just hoping and praying everything arrives before I head home. Just a few more days before I'm in Houston celebrating with my family!

Here's to hoping this week passes by quickly and painlessly!

fill in the _____ friday.

2011-12-16T07:35:00.000-06:00

Well, my homies...here we are. Another Friday. In a week, I'll be hitting the road to Houston to spend Christmas with my familia. I'm so excited, so this week is going to feel like a million years. Let's start out the weekend by filling in some blanks with Lauren.

1. My most favorite "little thing" is a cup of tea in a warm house with rain falling outside.

2. I'd give anything to be able to dance like Beyonce.

3. I can't believe it's almost 2012 already. Where has this year gone?

4. The one thing I'd like to achieve today is take a nap after work because I'm going to see a band play tonight and it doesn't start until 10! Don't they know I'm a grandma and 10 is my bedtime?!

5. The last thing I want to do today is change out of my sweatpants and go to work. But alas, I must.

6. If I were writing my own blank today, it would say: the one thing I want most this Christmas is...

7. My favorite candle scent is pumpkin spice for sure.

So far on my weekend docket, I am going to see this fun Austin band and do a little dancing, massage booked for tomorrow, and a long run on Sunday. The weather in Texas is less than ideal, but I'm excited about the weekend anyway!

A Wednesday Word

2011-12-14T07:11:00.000-06:00

Brought to you by Mr. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain.

Happy 700th post to me!

photo credit

Miscellany Monday

2011-12-11T07:14:00.000-06:00

This is going to be very miscellany, written in real time.

1) Have you seen the show on ABC called Revenge? I got into it when it first premiered and then got busy. I've been catching up on hulu the last week, and it is so good! I like it because it's not raunchy...just a good, old-fashioned revenge thriller.

2) I'm continuing making my little healthy life tweaks. I've started including ground flaxseed in my oatmeal, and I'm planning on getting some nutritional yeast to try out.

looks mmm mmm good

3) I ran 5 miles on Saturday and followed it up on Sunday with ~15 miles in spin class. My legs officially feel like they're about to fall off.

4) I went to the mall this weekend. Big mistake. Having to park 100 miles away from the entrance and trying to navigate through the crowd without getting trampled on does not put me in the holiday spirit.

bah! humbug! (via the google)

5) Did y'all know I'm a hip hop dancer? I guess I should qualify that by saying it's only been three weeks since this new development. The reason deserves a whole post of its own, but suffice it to say, I'm growing fly-er by the week. If you would like to be fly also, you should start with The Wobble. Maybe I do it in my room by myself. Maybe not.

That's the best I can do today. The Christmas countdown is on for me. Now let's all go out and make this Monday our you-know-what!

Austin Stone Live

2011-12-07T21:08:00.001-06:00

My friends. I'm here to tell you about something exciting. It's called...

The very gifted worship leaders at my church here in Austin got together and created a live worship album. Most of the songs were written by our worship leaders and pastors, and we've been singing many of them as a church for a while.

I'm really proud of this, and I know it's been a labor of love for these talented men and women. Please go buy it! In doing so you support our church in our local and foreign missions and get some pretty beautiful music in return. You can go here to buy or here to listen to the songs.

PS- Another cool feature on austinstoneworship.com is that there are free videos that teach the instrumental parts of the songs and explain the theology behind each one. Go buy it today for you and all your friends!

Pinterest Redux

2011-12-05T22:20:00.001-06:00

I went to a birthday party last weekend, and when I was getting ready,

I remembered and outfit I pinned on Pinterest.

I decided to recreate it with what I had in my closet and put my own spin on things...

Cardigan and pants are from Gap.

Denim shirt and necklace are from Old Navy.

Belt from Urban Outfitters.

Flats are from Target years ago.

It was a perfect outfit for a winter party, I must say.

I got lots of compliments too!

If I'm going to waste all my time on Pinterest,

it's about time I start actually do something with those pins.

full of cheer

2011-12-05T21:00:00.001-06:00

It's ho-ho-ho-fficial, ya'll. I'm in the holiday spirit. On Friday I mentioned that this Christmas season feels different and weird because I'm no longer classified as a kid. So, this weekend I did a few no-fail activities to get myself in the holiday spirit.

1) I bought and decorated my very own Christmas tree. It's a 4-foot tall, Charlie Brown-esque little thing, but I'm loving it. I found it on sale at Target, and bought some ornaments and a bow to put on top that were also on sale. I'd guess the whole thing, tree and decorations, cost less than $75. Considering I started from square one, I'm pretty proud of that. It's brought a whole lot of Christmas spirit to my little apartment.

2) I went shopping. I "adopted" a kid in the foster care system here in Austin, which is pretty much the best thing ever. It makes me so happy to get a list for a little one and get to shop for gifts. Bonus: my assigned kiddo is a baby girl...even better!

3) I jammed to this song. I'm loving the whole album, but this one especially has me dancing every time. Turn up your speakers and get after it!

4) I remembered that no matter my stage of life, I'm celebrating the coming of Christ. He's the same yesterday, now, and forever. Guys, He gave up being God in Heaven, to come love us and teach us and die for us. How can my heart not grow three sizes (at least!) just reflecting on that?!

I'm now ready to embrace this Christmas season. No side hugs here, we're talking full frontal bear hug.

fill in the blank friday!

2011-12-02T07:56:00.000-06:00

Not gonna lie, it felt great to have a day off from blogging yesterday. NaBloPoMo was hard this year, but I'm so glad I made it! This week's blank are all about the holidays, so I couldn't resist. Here we go...

1. The holiday season is a time for celebrating Advent and the birth of Jesus! Also Christmas lights, parties, white elephant exchanges, tacky sweaters, and roaring fires.

2. Snow makes me giddy and nervous. Giddy because it rarely snows where I live, so it's a special thing. Nervous because people from Texas don't know how to drive in it, so it can be kind of scary on the road.

3. The best comfort food to eat when it's cold out is any kind of soup. I eat it all year round, but it's best in the winter time.

4. Winter is the best time for drinking hot chocolate and being especially kind to one another.

5. I can hardly wait for baking some tasty Christmas treats, watching my favorite Christmas movies, and spending a couple days with my family at Christmas time.

6. When it comes to holiday gifts I prefer to find special gifts that the recipients will appreciate and use. I hate giving fluff gifts that have no meaning. I wish I was better at making gifts myself, but I'm not quite there.

7. If I were to rate my excitement about the holiday season on a scale from 1-10, I would say I am at about a 6. This my first grown up Christmas where I won't have much of break because of work. I think that's why this holiday season feels kind of weird and different. But I do love this time of year, and I plan on celebrating the season!

We made it to the weekend, friends! Hallelujah!

What fun holiday plans do you have lined up for the weekend?

show compassion this christmas.

2011-11-30T07:48:00.000-06:00

I wanted to save my most important post of the month for the last day.

If you're looking for something great to do this Christmas to give back, may I suggest doing so through Compassion International?

There are a couple ways to do this...

1) You can sponsor a child (or two or ten!) each month. There are children all over the world who could benefit from clean food and water, medical care, and education with your sponsorship. Click here to look at some child profiles.

I've talked about Rachael Kendi, the little girl I sponsor who lives in Kenya. I love getting letters from her and getting to see her grow up. I hope to meet her one day!

2) You can also choose from the Christmas catalog to put money towards helping Compassion families. There's so much to choose from including a goat, soccer balls, and vaccinations!

3) Give to the Child Survival Program, which supports mamas and their babies with prenatal and health care, nutrition, and training. You can read more about that opportunity here.

4) Support young leaders from some of the world's poorest countries who are a part of Compassion's Leadership Development Program. These are young adults who are going to make a difference in their community and you get to help them do that.

5) Lastly, Compassion also has funds to meet some critical needs like disaster relief and disease prevention all around the world. You can choose what to put your money towards depending on what you're passionate about. Read more about that here.

***

I really believe in this organization. They are very transparent with how the donated money is spent, and they are not shy about putting Christ at the center of what they do. If you're considering it or on the fence, I encourage to look at the site and pull the trigger! You won't regret it!

Christmas Tunes

2011-11-29T08:24:00.000-06:00

Let me be up front...I hate about 93% of Christmas music out there. Surely I've blogged about this before. Oh yeah, I did last year. And uh oh, I've gone from hating 90% last year to 93% this year. It's getting worse as the years go on.

Anyways, I say "bah humbug!" to the stuff they play on the radio. It's too cheeseball for me (no offense intended if you love it). Sunday was the first day that I had a legit desire to listen to Christmas music. Here are a few albums I'll be listening to this year to get me into the holiday spirit.

1) She & Him, A Very She & Him Christmas

2) Hillsong, Born Is The King

3) Vince Guaraldi Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas (this is my go-to)

4) Dave Barnes, Very Merry Christmas

5) Various Artists, The Hotel Cafe Presents...Winter Songs

6) James Taylor, James Taylor At Christmas

7) Various Artists, Elf

8) NoiseTrade also has a ton of Christmas albums

to download fo free!

Your ears are in for a treat! You're welcome.

miscellany monday [holiday recap]

2011-11-28T07:50:00.000-06:00

Back to life, back to reality. Here's my Thanksgiving recap, a la Miscellany Monday.

1} I was the first one awake on Thanksgiving Day. I was afraid it had been cancelled and no one had let me know. Once everyone got up, we started working on the food, watched the parade, had breakfast casserole, and watched some football while cooking. Perfect way to spend the day.

2} At Thanksgiving linner (because we ate around 2:30), there was me, mom, dad, Heather, and Daniel. My sister and I unknowingly wore the same outfit...denim shirt and black jeggings/leggings. Sister, sister. We had turkey of course, gravy, stuffing, sweet taters, regular taters, mac&cheese, deviled eggs, green bean bundles, rolls, and cranberry sauce. We go pretty all-American on this holiday, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

And these two beggars weren't invited...

3} I contributed 3 dishes to Thanksgiving. Deviled eggs, for which I do not have a recipe. I just throw in mustard, mayo, salt, and pepper to taste.

Homemade cranberry sauce. This is the first time my family has ever had it homemade. Some people were skeptical, but it turned out delicious, perfect balance of tart and sweet. I used this recipe, except I subbed the agave for honey. So easy!

And sweet potato casserole. I used this recipe, which was great. The only thing I'll change next time is making a little more of the topping for full coverage.

4} I filled up on mac&cheese, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, one green bean bundle, and a little bit of turkey. My motto on Thanksgiving is: Go carbs or go home. I had quite the happy place by the end of the meal.

5} I didn't take any pictures of the desserts because things got a little crazy and chaotic after dinner. Which is all I'll say because what happens in Dalhart stays in Dalhart, but we had pumpkin cheesecake, no-bake pumpkin pie, and gooey butter cake. I was so full from dinner, but I enjoyed the cheese and butter cakes very much.

6} On Thanksgiving night, we watched the Texas/A&M game. If you're not from Texas, you may not know how big of a deal this rivalry game is, but the stakes were even higher than normal this year because with A&M's departure to the SEC next season, these two teams may not play each other for a while. I'm proud to report that the men of THE University of Texas pulled off an exciting 27-25 win, decided with a game-winning field goal with 3 seconds left. I thought I was going to pass out or have a heart attack, I was so stressed. We put A&M in their place one last time, and it feels real good.

via

7} My sister's sister-in-law and brother-in-law (or my brother-in-law's brother and sister-in law, whichever is easier) had a baby boy 5 weeks ago. His name is Harrison, and on Friday I got to hold him for two hours straight. He slept like a little angel the whole time. Man, I love babies.

8} I went for a run Friday morning, because there's a half marathon in February that I'm running come hell or high water. I found some hills to run in the plains of Texas. I planned to just do 3, but it started sprinkling and getting windy so I ended up doing 4. It works. Fun fact: when it gets windy in the panhandle of Texas, it smells like cow poo.

Now on to Christmas...I'm starting my shopping today with Cyber Monday deals.

How was your holiday?
Are you planning on doing most of your holiday shopping this year online or in stores?

learning to love John Piper

2011-11-27T16:10:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of John Piper? He's a really prominent Christian theologian out of Minnesota. He cares a lot about the Bible and interpreting it correctly. He's the hero of a lot of my pastors and good friends of mine.

Here's the thing. I've never been able to finish a John Piper book. He's just a really smart, and his writings usually go straight over my head. He also kind of scares me. If you've ever listened to one of his sermons, you probably understand what I mean. That being said, brother John has a lot of good, important things to say. He will probably one of the most prominent theologians of this era quoted 100 or 500 years from now.

Thus I'm learning to love and appreciate Mr. Piper. Here's a really great quote about the definition of grace (from his book Future Grace):

Picture salvation as a house that you live in. It provides you with protection.It is stocked with food and drink that will last forever. It never decaysor crumbles. Its windows open onto vistas of glory. God built it at great costto himself and to his Son, and he gave it to you. The “purchase” agreementis called a “new covenant.” The terms read: “This house shall become andremain yours if you will receive it as a gift and take delight in the Father andthe Son as they inhabit the house with you"

Would it not be foolish to say yes to this agreement, and then hire alawyer to draw up some kind of schedule with monthly payments in thehopes of somehow balancing accounts? You would be treating the house nolonger as a gift, but a purchase. God would no longer be the free benefactor.And you would be enslaved to a new set of demands that he never dreamedof putting on you. If grace is to be free—which is the very meaning ofgrace—we cannot view it as something to be repaid.

small town scenes

2011-11-26T22:35:00.001-06:00

I'm enjoying one last day with my family cooped up together. There are some gusty winds outside making it feel like it's in the 20's so we're staying in today. Tomorrow I head back to Austin to get back to real life, so I'm going to enjoy it. In the meantime, here are a couple pictures from main street in Dalhart...

fill in the blank

2011-11-25T13:24:00.001-06:00

Happy Day After Thanksgiving/Black Friday to you! I hope you're having a restful, relaxing holiday. Or if you're one of those who got up early (or stayed up late) to score some Black Friday deals, more power to you.

I've never really been into thatI have some pictures from our Thanksgiving day, but today I'm filling in blanks with Lauren.

1. Waking up at the break of dawn to go shopping is my idea of torture. I'd much rather shop online from the comfort of my own home. Especially when people are getting pepper sprayed!

2. If I were to go shopping today I would be on the hunt for oh gosh I don't even know what's popular right now. Maybe some clothes or a new ipod to run with.

3. The best thing I ate yesterday was macaroni & cheese, sweet potato casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce. It was a great meal all around.

4. Something I've been learning lately is how to handle criticism without taking it too personally.

5. I cannot start my day without brushing my teeth and chugging water. Two rituals that get me off to a good start.

6. My nighttime attire consists of shorts or pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. Nothing fancy.

7. I am looking forward to a couple more days with my family, holiday festivities, and hopefully running a half marathon in February.

Have a happy weekend!

Praise & Thanksgiving [Valley of Vision]

2011-11-24T09:10:00.000-06:00

via

A Puritan prayer of Thanksgiving:

O MY GOD,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unseal,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing sense to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrow and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express,
for what thou are to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my friends!

Dalhart, here I come!

2011-11-23T07:28:00.000-06:00

Dalhart in 1938...via

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!

I have a half day at work today, and then I'm headed to the airport to fly from Austin to Houston to Amarillo, where I'll meet up with my family and drive to Dalhart.

Are you wondering about this place called Dalhart? It's where my sister and brother-in-law live in the Texas panhandle. Here's a visual...

via

We'll be having a small-town Thanksgiving, and I couldn't be more thrilled! It's time to kick off the Frawlidays. Look out, West Texas, here comes an excited city girl.

In the mean time, have a happy Thanksgiving! I hope you stuff yourselves silly and enjoy being with friends and family. I know I'll be doing both.

How-To: Get Potluck-y

2011-11-22T07:57:00.000-06:00

photo from Steven Bush's instagram

Guys. I don't know about you, but potluck season has kicked off in full force in my life with no sign of letting up until after the holidays. I mentioned yesterday that we had a church-wide potluck on Sunday, and it got me thinking about the rules of potluck.

However as I thought about it more, I realized that the first rule of potluck is: there are no rules. So here are just some handy guidelines and tips to maximize your potluck experience...*

1. Never cut in line. I don't care if you're a kiddo or a little old lady, do not cut in line. I don't care if you want to stand in line with your friends, they can go to the back of the line with you if it's that important. Bad things can happen when you get between someone (read:me) and a table full of food.

2. Get there early. This is important for a couple reasons. You want to get the food while it's hot. You also want to pass through the line while the good stuff is still there. However, there is something to be said to getting there late to surpass the line and get fresh food that the stragglers are bringing. Tough call. I still say get there early, and then make a second pass when the line goes down for new stuff.

3. Choose wisely. Unless you're going to be balancing two or three plates on your arm, you only get one plate at a time. Sure, you can get seconds, but you never know what will be left by the time you come back through the line.

4. If you can't tell what it is by looking at, proceed with caution. I'm not saying never put go for something you don't recognize, but just know you could end up with spam casserole or jello surprise taking up precious space on your plate. You can do what a friend of mine does and smell it, but just make sure no one's watching.

5. Once you go through the line, put your plate of main courses and sides down, and go immediately to the dessert line. Just trust me on this.

6. If you don't like something after the first bite, move on to the next thing. There are too many delicious things to be filling your tums with something you don't like.

7. Pace yourself and take breaks. You'd be surprised at how much more food you can eat if you just take a little break in the middle of your meal. But don't overdo it unless you want to be miserable for the rest of the day, can I get an amen?!

8. Now, and most importantly, sit down and enjoy. Preferably around a table of loved ones with some football playing in the background, but that's just me.

In all seriousness, I love the holidays because it means getting together with friends and family. Above all, it means celebrating the coming of Christ to this world. I hope you enjoy this time of Advent and anticipation of His arrival. I pray each year that God will focus my heart on that rather than everything else tied to the Christmas holiday, and this year is no different. But that don't mean I can't enjoy me a potluck or two.

*Please read with 40% sarcasm and 60% unadulterated truth, as it was written.

Miscellany Monday [weekend recap]

2011-11-21T07:47:00.000-06:00

Man oh man, I had a full and fun weekend.

[1] On Friday, I babysat for two kiddos that I love dearly and hadn't spent time with in quite a while. They grow up so fast! It was a great way to end a long week, watching classic Disney movies and hanging with my girlies.

[2] On Saturday, I woke up to meet a few friends at a free boot camp. I didn't take any pictures, because who really wants to see that?

[3] Then I piddled around in the afternoon and made a dessert for a potluck the next day. I made these pecan pie bars. They were super easy and I had most ingredients on hand, but they were just okay for me. I don't love pecan pie, but if you do, you'd probably really like this recipe. They went really fast at the potluck, so that says a lot right there.

[4] On Saturday night, I went to South Congress with a few girlfriends. We ate at Homeslice, which according to many Austinites, is the best pizza in Austin. Oops, I broke my pledge to no eating out until Thanksgiving. One time in 3 weeks isn't too shabby, I suppose.

love this shot

[5] As mentioned on Sunday, I went to a potluck. It was an Austin Stone St. John campus-wide potluck, so there were lots of people and lots of good food. It was fun to get together as a church family to eat, watch football, and enjoy our community.

this was towards the end so pretty much everything had been picked clean

these tables were full up just a little while before. look at the size of the screen!

That was my weekend in a nutshell! I love getting to know new friends and experiencing new things in Austin.

And I don't even care that it's Monday, because my Thanksgiving break starts Wednesday at 1 pm...wooo!!!

Psalm 103

2011-11-20T09:07:00.001-06:00

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

his acts to the people of Israel.

The LORD is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide,

nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.

For he knows our frame;

he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

But the steadfast love of the LORD is

from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children’s children,

to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, O you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!

Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!

Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

dreams, stress, and a happy list!

2011-11-19T08:27:00.001-06:00

I had a dream last night about seeing Ryan Gosling and Jason Bateman in Austin. They were wearing Kingwood High t-shirts (my alma mater), and my sister and a bunch of my friends were with me. It felt so real. I actually remember thinking in the dream, "This will be a really great blog topic, because I haven't written anything for tomorrow." You can imagine my disappointment when I woke up and realized it was just a dream. But, hey, I'm still blogging about it, so I guess things worked out just fine!

I had a hectic week at work. It was pretty stressful, although through some praying and asking a few others to pray, I got through it without biting anyone's head off. Success! I did make a grown man cry, but that's another story for another day...

via

In light of this week, where I struggled to stay positive and keep perspective, here are some little things that are making me so happy these days (inspired by my blogging hero, naomi):

1) Having a 10-week-old baby fall asleep in my arms. There are few other things in life I can think of that are better than that.
2) Being complimented on my outfits at work.
3) Having a weeknight or two to myself at home with no plans.
4) My possibly unrealistic dreams of getting a puppy. It's fun to think about for now.
5) Making a Christmas wish list.
6) Knowing I'm only working 2.5 days next week.
7) Getting lots of good hang out time with wonderful people.
8) Starting to fill up my calendar with holiday festivities.
9) The weather we've been having in Austin...highs in the 70's, lows in the 40's. I wouldn't mind if it stays this way all through winter.
10) This. So ready for the movie to come out in March!

Hope your weekend is just grand!

blankety blank blank

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hello my people. You know how I said last week that I was so glad it was Friday. That week was nothing compared to this week. This week takes the prize for the most stressful, up and down week of full time work thus far. I'm handling it in positive (hard workouts) and not so positive (eating two ginormous cookies at work in a short period of time). The thought of Thanksgiving is what's getting me through today and into next week. Just get me to Wednesday baby!

Time for the weekly blanks! Thanks to Lauren for consistently doing this link-up, especially while growing a little human in your belly!

1. A nervous habit I have is biting my nails...I go through phases of getting better, but lately I'm off the wagon.

2. Something that makes me sad is the episode of Law & Order I just watched about sex crimes against women in areas of conflict in Africa. I was getting pretty riled.

3. Today I am thankful for right perspective and the power of prayer.

4. My favorite room in my house is the living wherein I sprawl out on the couch and watch TV and nap.

5. I can't stand people who are rude and unkind, especially for no reason.

6. If I had an extra $100 to spend on whatever I wanted today I would go to a spa. I need a massage in a bad way. Or maybe I'd put it in savings, but how boring is that.

7. The last person (people) I hung out with was (were) a few girls from missional community. Love them!

What are your plans for the weekend? I'll be babysitting, watching football, hanging out with friends, and partaking in a church-wide potluck. Bring it on weekend!

An Ode

2011-11-17T07:40:00.000-06:00

This post is dedicated to tea! Besides water, tea is my favorite beverage, especially hot tea. I drink it almost every day, even when it's hot outside. I prefer proper English breakfast tea, but I branch out every now and then. It warms my body and soul. You should try it!

via

Dear readers, what's your favorite thing to drink? Coffee or tea or something else? Hot or cold?

Healthy Changes

2011-11-16T07:14:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are a couple things I've been doing lately to focus on healthy and whole living.

-I'm working out on some days but not every day. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out. For the past couple years, I was consistently working out at least 6 days a week. For the time of life I was in, it worked for me, but I was always feeling tired and hungry, leading to bad eating choices. Since I've started working, I've implemented a 2 days on, 1 day off schedule. My weeks usually include spin class, runs, boot camp, weight training, and cardio in the gym. I make my workout schedule at the beginning of the week, and then I don't have a chance to think about it or talk myself out of it.

-I'm learning about real food. I like the idea of knowing about everything I eat and steering clear of overly processed things. It's hard, and I definitely haven't been perfect...the other night I ate Cheez-Its and cookies for dinner. But I'm making the continued effort to cook for myself and stay away from ingredients I've never heard of.

Here are just a few blogs about whole living I've been loving (there are so many good ones!):

100 Days of Real Food

Healthy Tipping Point

Carrots 'n' Cake

Yes I Want Cake

-Along those lines, I'm cutting down on artificial sweeteners. I love the pink stuff, but I'm trying to limit myself. I know there are all the reported health hazards, and I hear that. I'm down to half a packet a day. It's progress.

-I'm continuing to drink a ridiculous amount of water. This isn't new. For the past few years, I've been drinking 100+ ounces of water a day. It's a habit now, and I'm telling you, it does wonders for the body!

-I'm increasing my veggie intake. I can eat fruit like it's going out of style, but I struggle with vegetables. I've been bringing a small salad to eat with lunch and eating at least one veggie with dinner. I want to get as many vitamins and nutrients from my food as possible. My favorite discovery: kale chips. Tear some kale leave, put a little olive oil and salt (and any other seasonings), and stick it in the oven for about 10 minutes. Delicious and nutritious!

*This part is important. I want you all to hear what I'm about to say. Eating right and exercising help me to feel great and stay positive. BUT my identity is not found or rooted in these things. It's found in Jesus. My value and worth don't change dependent on how I'm feeling that day. Those come from Jesus. I like being healthy and fit, but I have struggled long and hard (and continue to do so) to reject the lie that how I look or eat determines my value. So if I post about these things, it's important that you know where I'm coming. This is stuff that helps me and that I enjoy, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they don't satisfy. I just needed to put that out there for future reference.

Now...what are some little changes you've made or want to make for the sake of health? I'd love to hear any tips, recipes, favorite blogs, or ideas y'all have!

Miscellany Monday

2011-11-14T07:15:00.000-06:00

This is a very random assortment of thoughts. I guess that's what miscellany means!

[1] Yesterday was the first weekend morning I haven't had to set an alarm for in months. I slept til 8:30, and it felt so good.

via

[2] I've got a post coming up of a couple little things I'm implementing to stay healthy and feeling good. It's been so good to detox and refocus after vacation!

[3] I'm registered for a half marathon in February, and I haven't really been running consistently. I ran yesterday, and it was pretty rough. I've got some work to do.

via

[4] I spent 5 hours on Saturday hanging out with a couple girls in my Women's Development small group talking about theology. It was refreshing and challenging. Then how did we unwind after some intense studying? The Biebs.

via

[5] I'm 90% sure I'm going out of the country next summer. I'll give you one hint where.

via

[6] Have I already mentioned how excited I am for Thanksgiving? Time off work, family, football, and food. So ready!

Now let's kick this Monday's booty and show it who's boss!

Pinterest Favorites {4}

2011-11-13T15:51:00.001-06:00

Another round of pinterest favorites? Don't mind if I do! Enjoy.

via...Did you get the hint in my post on Monday?

via...lasagna soup

via...too much

via...fall fashion

via...clever

via...salted caramel, almond, pretzel, and marshmallow popcorn

via...what a dream

via...stereotypes

via...amazing!

via...I want this

via...the sweet potato casserole I'm making for Thanksgiving

via...this would be the perfect date

via...can't handle the cuteness

via...need

via...so neat

You can look at my boards here, and if you want an invite, leave your e-mail in the comment section!

So many pretty things! Which one is your favorite?

Sunday Giggle

2011-11-13T15:07:00.001-06:00

I need a day to recuperate from blogging my trip, so here's something to make you laugh this Sunday.

I totally feel where this baby is coming from. Sometimes listening to Biggie Smalls is the only thing that can calm me down too. Girl after my own heart.

Enjoy the day! Monday will come too quickly.

East Coast Tour {part four}

2011-11-12T12:47:00.001-06:00

We made it! The last day or so of my East coast vacation. We had a seriously delicious breakfast with the rest of the B&B guests and then set out to do a little more exploring of Asheville

I love the leaves. I could have taken a thousand pictures of all the colors. We don't get it like that in Texas ever. I would stop mid-sentence to exclaim about how beautiful it was.

We did a little walking around Asheville, despite the rainy weather. The card I'm holding below reads: "I wanna know what love is. I want John Krasinski to show me." Where my Office fans at?

Then we went off the beaten path a little to find some great trees for a photo shoot. Pictures just can't do it justice.

It was so good to see my friend and just hang out. She has made a big transition in the last fews months, and I'm glad I could walk through that with her a little.

This trip was so restful for me. Very little beats quality time with the ones you love, am I right? So here we are at the end. I hope you enjoyed reliving this trip with me.

Let me give you one piece of advice I've learned from life: Go have some adventures. It doesn't matter what age you are, the time for living is now. Visit far-away friends, go somewhere you've never been, and try some new things. It's so worth it.

See you tomorrow, amigos.

Fill in the Blanks

2011-11-10T20:19:00.001-06:00

Sike! I told you I was going to finish recapping my trip, but I'm filling in blanks instead. Just a little somethin' to break the monotony (name that tune?). And also, I just didn't have time to get things together for my trip post.

Here we go!

1. My favorite new blog of the moment is tales of me and the husband and carrots 'n' cake. Can't pick just one.

2. Something I am thankful for is my bed. I just really love it and miss it when I'm at work.

3. Something that made me laugh this week was Rick Perry's little boo boo in the debate. My favorite part is when he says "oops" at the end. As though that makes up for it! I had a good laugh at work over this, and no, I don't usually take this much delight in someone else's mistakes.

4. An item that is currently on my wish list is Harry Potter 7.2 on DVD. Comes out today! Don't hate me cuz you ain't me.

5. I am excited about it being almost the weekend and Thanksgiving being so close. Also, I got a mini-raise at work! For doing absolutely nothing!

6. If I were a color I would be a nice earth-tone green.

7. My favorite way to spend a chilly fall day is wrapped in a blanket on the couch watching movies (or football) and drinking hot chocolate. This needs to happen soon, like tomorrow.

ALSO:

1) Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served and are serving! I have lots of family--both parents, grandpas, grandma, aunt, uncle, and cousin--and a couple friends who have sacrificed a lot to serve the country in this way (which you can read about here, here, and here). I am grateful for each of you!

2) When I was in high school, I was obsessed with 11:11. I always though I'd get married on 11/11/11. No lie. But I think we can all agree that it's God's grace I'm nowhere near marriage, so yeah. That's that. Happy 11/11/11!

Cheers to freakin' weekend, my friends!

East Coast Tour {part three}

2011-11-10T07:34:00.000-06:00

So after a good night's rest, Jarah and I enjoyed some more catching up over oatmeal and tea (for me) and coffee (for her). Our first stop was Smithfield's so that I could sample some real Carolina BBQ. I had some delicious fried chicken and tasted the sauce. My opinion, it's good, but Texas BBQ is better. However, the hush puppies there were crazy good. Some of the best I've ever had.

Then we headed to a couple museums in downtown Raleigh and walked around taking it in. Did you know that if two adults go to a kid's museum without a child, you will get weird looks? Yes, it's true.

We also ate at a place called Toast in downtown Durham. And Locopops. Don't forget about those. At night we laid in bed watching Captain America and Easy A. Arguably, Stanley Tucci's two greatest films.

The next day we got things in gear quick and headed west towards the mountains. We stopped at Bojangles for lunch (so good!) and had a nice little roadtrip.

I have a lot more pictures of the leaves and fall landscape for tomorrow, but for now I will just say, it was off the chain! The further west we got, the more amazingly beautiful the foliage was. I was in awe.

We rolled up to Black Mountain, NC, just outside of Asheville and made our way to the cutest B&B ever! If you're ever up that way, check out the Bella Luna Inn. The owners are wonderful, the prices are amazing, and the breakfast will make you want slap yo mama!

We spent part of the afternoon hanging out in Black Mountain at a coffee shop near and dear to Jarah's heart.

Even though the weather was nasty, we headed into Asheville to eat at Tupelo Honey. First of all, "Tupelo Honey" is one of my most favorite songs. Secondly, this place it legit. Get the sweet potato pancakes.

We drove (and by we, I mean Jarah) around Asheville a bit, and I got a little crazy with Hipstamatic.

Then we ended up back at the B&B watching episodes of New Girl and Modern Family. Then I made Jarah come up with games to play because I wasn't tired. It was great fun.

Whew. Lots of words today. I think I'll finish up tomorrow! Come on back for the grand finale...

East Coast Tour {part two}

2011-11-09T07:03:00.000-06:00

DAY FOUR

The next day, Monday, was my last full day in DC. We took the metro over to Georgetown for some shopping, sightseeing, and to have coffee with my old roommate Katherine. She fell in love and got married after moving to DC post-grad, and now she lives in the Georgetown area. I had been here before, but I forgot just how cute this place is.

Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of Katherine, but I did manage to get a picture of the giant cupcake I had from Baked & Wired. Priorities, people.

After some hanging out, Allison drove me into the city to drop me off at Kim's (another college friend) apartment. It was during that car ride that we realized we hadn't taken any pictures together, so we made a last ditch effort and got one good one. We also got pretty lost, but eventually we made it.

I spent the evening catching up with Kim, who's going to Johns Hopkins to get her masters in Middle Eastern studies. Schmancy. Then I crashed.

DAY FIVE

The next day I hung out at a coffee shop while Kim had class, and then we went to lunch. Again, no pictures of actual friends. I fail.

Pretty soon, it was time for me to get to Union Station and catch a train. I did some exploring in the terminal...

Then it was all aboard. I've never ridden a train more than within a city that I can remember, so I was pretty thrilled. I felt like I traveled back to the 1950's. On the way out of DC, I snapped a couple pictures of the monuments and other scenes.

I loved traveling this way. So low-maintenance and scenic. I had a row to myself, so I spread out and enjoyed the journey. Most of the trip was through Virginia, and I may have been listening to some songs from Pocahontas to set the tone. I highly recommend this method of traveling!

When I got to Raleigh, it was about 9 pm. Jarah came to get me from the train station, and we did a little catching up before hitting the hay. I was just excited to be there and ready for the next part of the adventure!

East Coast Tour {part one}

2011-11-08T07:38:00.000-06:00

DAYS ONE & TWO

First of all, check out my mad packing skills. I fit 8 days worth of clothes in a carry-on, and it was no small feat. That left me with no room to bring anything else back but memories, which actually turned out be a great blessing on my wallet.

My travel schedule there was a little crazy...Austin>Denver>Milwaukee>DC. It made for a long day but I kept myself sane with journaling, hot tea, a good book, and fresh-baked cookies on the plane. Any airlines (Frontier) that gives out warm cookies for free is a winner in my book.

Washington National Airport.

I got there Friday evening, was collected by Allison from the airport, and we headed into the city for dinner at Matchbox in Chinatown. Delicious!

The next, it was pretty rainy (which I was not prepared for), but Al and I headed to the museum district in the morning.

We went to the Newseum, a museum about the history of news. It's safe to say I was geeking out hardcore.

(clockwise) piece of the Berlin wall; signage from Berlin; great picture of
Presidents Clinton and Obama; and a picture that still gives me chills

Then we headed to meet some of my former college roommates and friends collected along the way for a proper reunion. We ate at Sticky Rice on H Street. The journey to get there was harrowing to say the least, and my shoes were totally soaked through, but we made it! It had been a couple years since I had seen any of these girls, and how crazy that we were all in DC at the same time. What a blessing!

Top Row: Emily, Jane, Allison, Kara
Bottom Row: Katherine, Krista, Annie, and yours truly

After lunch and drive-by of the Capitol for a group picture, Allison and I headed back to Virginny to rest up. And then it snowed...no lie. I wish I had snapped a picture, because it was coming down hard. Alas.

After hanging out for the afternoon, we headed back to H street to grab dinner and then go to a live show. We ate at Taylor Gourmet, and it was seriously delicious. I had a pork sandwich with peppers and onions, and shared some risotto balls and a cookie. Yum.

The band we saw is called Fanfarlo. You should check 'em out! They were great live and the lead singer is just precious.

DAY THREE

After sleeping in Allison and I headed back into the city (are you sensing the pattern?), and went back to the Newseum to finish taking it all in. It's one of the museums in DC that costs, so we wanted to get our money's worth. Definitely worth the second trip.

(clockwise) Newspaper from 1920; radio antenna that sat atop one of the World Trade Towers;
map about status of freedom of the press around the world;
newspapers from around the world published after 9/11 attacks

Then we walked by the Capitol and to the Eastern Market neighborhood. We had some hilarious conversations, but this walk was probably my favorite. We've been friends for 10 years and know each other well, so our true silly selves tend to come out when we get together.

Eastern Market is for sure my fave DC neighborhood. So much character! I'm sure it's crazy expensive, but that's where I'd want to live if I lived in DC.

After walking around the flea market and some surrounding shops, we stopped for a snack in Ted's Bulletin. It felt like walking straight into the 1950's. I absolutely loved it. Homemade poptarts, tea, and wine...winning combination.

That's it for the first couple days in DC! That Sunday night we went back to Virginia, ate soup for dinner, and watched Little Rascals. It was good to rest after a couple long days.

I'm having fun reliving this trip. Last two days in DC coming up tomorrow!

Miscellany Monday

2011-11-07T07:17:00.000-06:00

Hola friends! I'm back from vacation-land and back to blogging in real time. Today, I'm joining Carissa in Miscellany Monday after a couple weeks off from linking up. Tomorrow the recapping begins!

[1] My trip was wonderful, and I can't wait to share pictures and memories right here. That's coming up this week! I took a lot of photos, so it may take quite a while to get through them. You're going to be sick of this trip, but it's my blog, I do what I want.

[2] Today is going to hurt a little. Going back to work after a week and a half off is never easy. I think if I get today under my belt, I should be okay. I'm kind of ready to get back into the groove of normal life after a week of being on-the-go.

via...ha! sad but true

[3] I love to travel so very much, but there is something about hearing the flight attendant say, "Welcome to Austin, Texas" that brings a smile to my face. I've moved a fair bit, so the idea of a hometown is confusing for me. On the one hand, home is where my family is. But a piece of my heart will always call Austin home even when I move on from this place.

via

[4] After I go on vacation, I always feel the need to detox. I eat pretty well most of the time and exercise 4-5 times a week, but sometimes I get out of that rhythm and things get weird. It almost always happen when I go on vacation. I'm planning on implementing a few little things in the next couple weeks that I'll share here if I actually follow through. The first: No eating out until Thanksgiving, period. This partly for health and partly for the sake of my bank account. I'm actually looking forward to focusing on putting good things into my body.

[5] 17 days until Thanksgiving! It might be my favorite holiday, or at least tied with Christmas. This year, I'm headed to Dalhart with my folks to hang out with my sister and brother-in-law. Dalhart for the holidays is always an adventure!

That's all I got for today. I hope this Monday is kind and gentle to you!

"He opened His mouth and taught them..."

2011-11-06T08:34:00.000-06:00

On this fine Sunday, I recommend making yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) and watching this video. It's Jesus's Sermon on the Mount read from where Jesus preached it 2000 years ago.

Sermon on the Mount from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

"For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..." [Psalm 95:7-8]

Clive Staples Lewis, my man

2011-11-05T08:06:00.000-05:00

Something to think about today:

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

-CS Lewis from The Weight of Glory

Reader's Choice

2011-11-04T08:29:00.000-05:00

Because I believe in options, I'm offering up a multitude of videos to choose from for your viewing pleasure dependent upon your mood and interests.

1) If you want to be prepared for the fall season:

2) If you need a reminder that there's love in the world:

3) If you want to laugh hysterically (or maybe it's just me that thinks this is hilarious...):

4) If you just feel like dancing:

5) If you need a new workout (via my little celebration):

6) If you want to be inspired by creativity (check out this vimeo channel. It will probably make you want to leave tomorrow to travel the world):

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

It's up to you which one you choose, although if it were me, I'd just watch 'em all!

The Ghost of Profile Pictures Past

2011-11-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

I was scrolling through my old facebook profile pictures, and I thought it would be fun to take a trip memory lane with some of my faves. I realize this totally vane...a parade of pictures of yours truly. However, there are people in some of them, and this is my blog dangit.

From Liz's wedding weekend

Right before our master's hooding ceremony

Christmas time, 2010. This is Mr. Faulds and Mr. Gensler.
Right after we played the cups game at a bar like they do on an episode of Full House.
True story.

Killing time with Liz before seeing Mat Kearney play in August '10. Very fun night.

On the infamous Summer '09 Denver road trip after we got lost coming back.

Balloon volleyball on my 21st brthday. Not sorry.

Fall of 2008. Such a special time with these two.

Christmas 2008 at Trail of Lights. We were mad about something, and
I think I recall it had to do with evangelists handing out tracts.

Summer 2008, on a mountain in Greece. When I had a different blog.

Baptized in April of 2008
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4

Summer 2006, I think. Mission trip to Mexico.

One time my friends threw me a surprise birthday Harry Potter themed party.
And then I put everything on and took pictures of myself.

My friend, Sweet Melissa. Clearly before a UT game.
I forgot that it's a frog you kiss, not a fish.

On a beach in Busan South Korea, summer 2007.

My Banton Babes

Rebuilding trip to New Orleans post-Hurricna Katrina

I know this picture is super blurry, but I can confirm that yes, that's me with Santa Claus.
And no, I can't fast track your Christmas list.
And don't.even.think about asking me to get you back on Nice list.
Santa can be a diva sometimes.

Welp, hope you enjoyed that!
I sure had fun.

Checking In.

2011-11-02T19:58:00.002-05:00

Did you think I'd forget to blog on day 2?

Ye of little faith.

Actually, I thought about blowing it up. I'm having too much

fun enjoying my friends and finding rest for my soul.

But I keep my promises, and as such, here are a few photos to let

you know I'm alive and well.

very important people

best friend

the cap

D.C. was wonderful, and now I'm enjoying North Carolina with my dear friend.

Lots more pictures and stories to come next week, and until then,

enjoy the random assortment of posts coming up!

NaBloPoMo 2011

2011-11-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

Another year of NaBloPoMo is upon us. It snuck up on me this year. I actually had completely forgotten until Jarah texted me last week to remind me. Thank goodness for friends.

Let me explain for those of you who are totally lost. NaBloPoMo is a blogging challenge to post every day for the month of November. For some bloggers, that's no challenge at all. For this blogger, it's a tall order, especially because my life feels a bit hectic right now.

BUT if I did it both years of graduate school, I think I can muster the energy to make it. This will be my fourth year participating. Don't ask me how this got started or why I began doing it, but for me November = NaBloPoMo.

I've said before that blogging is my creative outlet, and this is a way of challenging my creativity in new ways. I have songwriter friends who do something called "7 in 7", 7 songs written and recorded in 7 days. This is my slightly less intense version, "30 in 30", if you will.

This may feel a little cheap that my first post of the month is technically just an intro post, but I promise more exciting days ahead. But if you're wanting to read something a bit more substantial, you can go read my first two posts from last year's NaBloPoMo, "How I Learned to Feel" and "love." They're two of my favorite posts ever.

Boo!

2011-10-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

Did I scare you? No? How about this...

Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

Followers Fest AND Fill in the blanks!

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today is a double link-up for me. I'm hooking up with Casey Wiegand and several others for a massive blog party, so if you're coming from there, welcome! Technically I'm supposed to be on vacation, but if you scroll down a ways you'll find posts on what I've been doing to celebrate Fall and a recipe for some delicious pumpkin cookies, among other things.

Secondly, I'm doing my normal Friday thing by filling in blanks with Lauren.

1. When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut, journalist, or teacher when I grew up.

2. As an adult, my dream job would be a full-time writer/blogger and mama to a full house of kiddos.

3. When I was younger I wanted to be just like my sister. I'm sure I was pretty annoying to her.

4. The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was a mouse. I was flipping cute, y'all, with my big mouse ears and painted on whiskers. I wish I had a picture handy!

5. My favorite childhood toy was Barbies. I loved making up stories for my Barbies, and I may or may not have played with them well into middle school.

6. The time I got into the biggest amount of trouble when I cut my own hair and then lied to my dad about it and told him it was my doll's hair. I didn't get many spankings, but that was one of the few times I can clearly remember.

7. I get daily inspiration from the Word of God and all the creative people I know through the interwebs.

Now for real this time...Posts for NaBloPoMo will start November 1st...until then, I'm out. But please feel free to read and comment to your heart's content!

Peace out, Texas

2011-10-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

For the next eight days, I will be going from the capital of Texas to the capital of the U.S. to the capital of North Carolina.

From Austin, my beloved city...

To Washington, D.C.

To Raleigh, North Carolina.

And back again.

I will be traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles, and here are some of the faces I will get to squeeze...

It's pretty ridiculous that I get to so many far-away friends in one fell swoop. Not to mention the legit fall weather. Just call me spoiled. I'm waking up tomorrow at 4:15 to start my journey, although I'm so excited, I may never get to sleep!

I would say, don't expect to hear from me, but NaBloPoMo starts November 1st. I can't miss out on participating for my 4th year in a row. If you're wondering what that is, I'll have a post up about it soon, and then I've got some things lined up for while I'm away.

I'll be back soon with lots of pictures and memories, but first I have to go live the adventure!

Miscellany Monday

2011-10-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

It's Monday, and time for my weekly list of random thoughts and happenings!

[one] Make sure you don't miss the recipe I posted on Saturday for delicious pumpkin cookies! Just scroll down a bit and you'll see it. It was while attempting this recipe that I learned an important lesson: butter expires. Who knew? Probably everybody else. It was making my dough taste all kind of funky, and I had to make an emergency run to Target halfway through the recipe. Live and learn!

[two] I got my hurr did on Saturday. I have SO much hair, so when I get it cut, my head instantly feels a few pounds lighter. It's pretty wonderful. Don't mind my dirty mirror and disaster zone closet in the background.

[three] Remember how my roommate is getting married in January? Well, this weekend we showered her with love and presents to get her ready for living with a boy. Not to mention there was some pretty tasty food to be eaten, which is my favorite part of showers. I made at least 3, maybe 4, passes at the dessert table.

[four] Saturday night Linds and I had a perfect evening to usher in the fall season in Texas. We made chili and cornbread, drank hard apple cider, and watched Hocus Pocus. It was absolutely lovely, and I'm pretty sure this will become a yearly tradition.

[five] I may have mentioned this before, but I work in the nursery at my church on Sunday evenings. I'm with the little babies, from 6 weeks old to pre-walkers. It's one of my absolute highlights every week. I always smell like baby afterwards, and it's the best. Parents are always super thankful for us, but I really want to thank them for letting me play with their cute kids for an hour. Best way to serve the church ever!

[six] I'm going on my D.C./North Carolina trip in 5 days!! My heart is bursting at the thought of how many of my favorite people I'm going to see over the course of 8 days! I have a feeling this week is going to go by sooo slooow in anticipation of my trip.

Hope this Monday treats you right!

Question time:
What's your favorite fall tradition?
Anything coming up in the next couple weeks that you're looking forward to?

Pumpkin Cookies!

2011-10-22T08:59:00.002-05:00

Bonus weekend post for the win! I wanted to share this recipe, because I took it to church and then to work and they were a hit with everyone. This is my first pumpkin recipe of the season, but I assure you it won't be my last!

Use white chocolate or plain old chocolate chips!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies adapted from this recipe on Tasty Kitchen
(my adaptations are in italics)

2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour (I used 1-1/4 white, and 1 cup whole wheat)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
½ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Butter, Softened
1 cup Granulated Sugar (I recommend cutting this in half or at least down to 3/4 c., you won't notice)
½ cups Brown Sugar
1 cup Pumpkin Puree (I totally didn't measure, and used almost a whole can)
1 whole Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1-½ cup White Chocolate Chips (I only had chocolate chip on hand)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. (Mine baked a little longer) Cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet. The recipe makes 36 small cookies or 18 large cookies.

Yum!

Happy weekending!

Fill in the Blank Friday.

2011-10-21T08:18:00.002-05:00

TGIF! Ringing in the weekend by filling in some blanks with Lauren. This has been the first week that it's actually felt like fall down here in Texas, so these blanks are especially appropriate!

1. Nothing says fall like a chill in the air, a fire in the fireplace, and football on the telly.

2. My favorite autumnal tradition is pumpkin picking, even thought it's been years since I've done it, and watching all the seasonal movies.

3. My favorite fall treat is pumpkin bread/cake with a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

4. Fall makes me think of family because I get to spend so much time with them during the holiday season...I love it so much!

5. Autumn free form word association, go! Pumpkins, cool weather, football, changing leaves.

6. My go-to outfit in the fall is a cardigan, button up, skinny jeans, and either flats or boots depending on the occasion.

7. My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving) Thanksgiving, hands down. I love the family, food, and football. It's kind of like Christmas Day but without the pressure of gift-giving.

This weekend I'm getting my haircut, have a wedding shower to go to, a Saturday night date with Linds to celebrate the coming of autumn, and church-related activities all day Sunday.

What are you doing this weekend?

"you haven't thrown up yet...you're doing great!"

2011-10-19T22:16:00.003-05:00

I had an experience on Monday night that I really just have to share.

Two words, people: boot camp.

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I was terrified. I sat in my car for a while weighing the pros and cons of this. Here's a twitter visual.

The trainer (dude in the top left picture) was super nice and encouraging.

I was winded after the warmup.

I had to sprint up and down a field while a girl with at least 4 inches and 20 pounds on me held me back with a resistance band. My sprint was actually a slow crawl whilst furiously pumping the arms.

Among the group of participants, there was the one girl who had to beat everyone in every exercise, you know that girl, and a sweet older couple encouraging each other through it. I was so impressed by them.

It's humbling for me, as someone who loves to workout and considers herself to be in decent shape. Not humiliating, just humbling. Nice to know I can push my body much harder than I have been. I got some encouraging words from other participants. It was painful. My legs were jelly by the end, and today I can barely walk. The aftermath twitter visual:

But because I'm a glutton for punishment, I absolutely loved it. I'll be back for more tomorrow.

UPDATE: It's tomorrow and I'm still embarassingly sore. But tomorrow, I will go back. For real this time!

miscellany monday

2011-10-17T08:19:00.000-05:00

The haps this weekend...which I didn't take pictures of. Linking up with lowercase letters.

-I canceled some plans and took Friday night off to rest and enjoy some alone time. I feel like I've been around people constantly for the past couple weeks, and that's hard for an introvert. It was amazing, and at the end of the night, I had so much extra energy.

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-I went to a dinner get-together with my grad school classmates. It was so fun to see them and catch up, because it's been way too long. I miss seeing them on a regular basis, but we're also so busy now with our real jobs. I'm hoping we make these happen a little more often.

Our big day last May

-I had a dream this weekend that I got married. Normal. But then on my wedding night in the dream, my husband and I shared a hotel room with two other couples. What?? Not okay. I can tell you right now, that is not how it's going to go down in real life.

-I had my first soup of the season this weekend. Nothing too fancy or homemade. I used Bear Creek Chicken Noodle Soup mix and added chicken. It's really good, y'all, and I'm going to have leftovers for day. Just be warned, it's a little on the salty side.

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-I also made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to share at church and work. Recipe to come!

-I'm rested up and ready to tackle this week! Have I told you yet that I'm going to D.C. and North Carolina to visit friends in a couple weeks? Well, I am, and the countdown is definitely on. 8 days with friends in place that actually has seasons. 12 days!

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Hope your week starts off well!