it's been quite the week.

Hello, Friends! What a lovely, lovely, lovely day. Let's enjoy it, because it looks like a "wintry mix" is going to hit Columbia on Friday supposedly. Gross.

1. I've been looking at this picture all week-- I can't remember exactly where I saw it first to credit-- and it makes me so, so happy. The colors, the lighting, the patterns and textures... It's just good.


2. On Wednesday I leave for beautiful California with Cait and Swhite! Since Cait left all of her stuff out there in LA after graduation, including her car, she absolutely needed us ;) to fly out there with her and then drive it all back to the East Coast. Cross-country trip, anyone? I am way excited to spend so much time with my best friends on a welcomed adventure, and to get to meet all of Cait's college friends and see her life for the past four years! I'll try and be good about taking pictures to share when we get back. I will also try and coerce Colin into blogging a little while I'm gone!

3. Also, I think that you should check out Laura Marling. She's been an accomplished artist for years now, and is still only 20 years old! Her sound is simple and beautiful. Her boyfriend isn't too bad either (Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons)!



4. The other day was a really awesome thrifting day-- took a short break in between work and a meeting to go to His House with Katie, and it was so fun! Here are some of my finds...

I am such a sucker for older/vintage housewares. I think that most of the new things put out these days, like casseroles, cookware, dishes...etc. are boring. Everything's stainless steel, white, or black! This old thermos ($0.25) is in great shape and I love the color.


This blazer ($1)! I have been on the hunt for a good tweed blazer and look every time I go thrifting, and I finally found one! I wore it today to church and love it. This is the sign of a trusting friendship-- there was no mirror in the store, so I just put it on and asked Katie yes or no. It was a yes!


And lastly, these belts ($1 each)! I have so many dresses and tops that need to be belted, which has become my favorite thing to do, and these do the trick. They're in fun colors with gaudy buckles, and I love them!

Not pictured is my awesome pampered chef stoneware baking pan ($1). When I got home I checked online and saw that they retail for about $65 on Amazon.com.... wow. Find of the day, for sure! I can't wait to make apple crisp in my new pan! Thrifting is my favorite hobby. It provides hours of relaxation at a very, very low cost, offers me a chance to be a little creative with my dress, and it helps feed my desires to nest/decorate.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Love Came Down

Mountain high or valley low
I sing out, remind my soul
that I am Yours, I am forever Yours.

Thanks be to God.

God is good, and wise, and merciful.

The past months have been hard, but slowly and surely, there is more happiness. there is more rejoicing. there is more sharing. there are fewer tears. there are fewer heart-wrenching moments.

I just wanted to share with you all something really cool that God has done (and is still doing). This wonderful epiphany came upon me about a month ago, but I only shared it with Colin and one other sweet friend of mine because I was overwhelmed. I thought it might encourage someone else, so I'll write. I was so taken aback after our miscarriage post at how many women came out of the woodwork via e-mail/message and shared something so similar happening in their own lives. It opened up my eyes (and heart) to the pain that so many of us face and will face over miscarriage (and other pregnancy-related issues). Thank you so, so much for sharing your hearts and prayers with me.

After our baby passed, I spent a lot of time journaling. I've kept a journal for years now, and it's the best way I've found to pray and process with the Lord. One afternoon, I decided to look back at my previous entries (one of the main reasons I keep a journal-- to be able to look back) and something huge socked me right in the gut. Literally, it almost took my breath away. on July 23rd of this year, I wrote (exact quote)...

"I never want to doubt You and Your provision. I want to stay in faith and trust! Continue to strengthen Colin and I to confess Your goodness, no matter the circumstance. Father, I can't help but feel as though You are preparing me to suffer. I could be wrong, and will not expect some immense pain to immediately come upon me, but I want to be ready to confess You as my only good."

That alone was enough to bring understanding and even encouragement to my heart at that time. Even previous to that entry, I had written very similar things, such as asking the Lord to do what it takes to make me a woman of unwavering faith. I even wrote a little entry on similar things here. That is what He has been teaching me the past year or so. But as I was reading that, I had a moment of dejavu. I remembered discussing the idea of the prosperity gospel (via John Piper's sermon) with Caitlyn (who I shared this with) in a message that we had sent back and forth this past year. I looked it up, and in our discussion I wrote to her...

"I love that video...I so agree, it riles me up so much...it is so moving. Cait, don't you feel like God may be teaching us this and pressing this on our hearts to prepare us for something, maybe? Such a scary thought, but true. Paul writes somewhere in Philippians 2 (?) that we are called to suffer with Christ...not just to believe in Him. ah."

Thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus. I DO NOT believe, as some do, that the Lord causes miscarriage (or any death) to happen in order to sanctify us or do something in our lives. That would be completely antithetical to who I know God to be. But what I do believe is that He intends to use the painful things so that we may trust Him, love Him, and serve Him better. I see now that Jesus was speaking to my heart and growing me in areas that would ultimately help me to rely on Him and cling harder to His promises in the time of suffering that followed. This epiphany (for lack of a better word) has filled my heart with more adoration for our Jesus.

When we first found out I was pregnant, our prayer at every chance was us simply keeping our hands open (a theme in Colin and I's relationship) and entrusting our little baby to Him. I'm thankful to know that nothing is our doing, and give all credit and praise to God!

Thank you once again for reading this. I hope that, in some way it's able to encourage your hearts. He is at work in us and in the world. What a reminder.

grace and peace,
the wife.

cabin fever.

I miss being able to breathe. I miss having a real voice. I miss my ears not ringing. I miss being able to get stuff done. I miss showering, doing my hair and makeup, and putting on actual clothing. I miss seeing friends. To quote David after the dentist, "Is this going to be forever?" That's what I feel like. I'm the girl who is always sick. I've had a stinky immune system as long as I can remember, and as fate would have it, I married the guy with the best immune system in the world. He's been actually sick (like, for more than one day) one time in the four years I've known him. He insists on cuddling with and kissing me still, even though I'm a snotty mess, and I guarantee he won't so much as sniffle. Insane.

Basically I just wanted to stop in and share this song. I can't stop listening! Every now and then I find a song that can only be described as hauntingly beautiful (Mumford & Sons- I Gave You All, Death Cab for Cutie- Brothers on a Hotel Bed, Lovedrug- Thieving...). This is one of them, for sure. Check out the Civil Wars!




Also, this is the last entry that will be "posted" to my facebook, so if you want to follow our blog, follow it on blogger, google reader...etc. for updates!

grace and peace.

sickly.

1. Woke up this morning with a pounding headache, sore throat, and achey body. Immediately decided to go back to bed and slept until 4 (!!!) in the afternoon. Only glanced through our blinds at the snow... There are more significant things than snow when you feel like death warmed over, I think. You know how, when you're sick, you start to wonder what it was ever like to feel not sick? I've only been sick for 24 hours and already I'm feeling that way. ugh. All I have to say is, thank goodness for throat coat tea! I have been drinking it like nobody's business.


2. I just heard that the book, The Great Gatsby, is being remade into a newer film-- featuring Leonardo Dicaprio as Gatsby himself and Carey Mulligan as Daisy! I could not be more excited! I have such high hopes for this film. I have loved this book for a long time, so we'll see. Leo can't seem to go wrong.


3. I can't stop listening to Andrew Belle. his album, The Ladder, has been on repeat all night. In a few of his songs he brings out his banjo, also, which I love. His voice is so soothing, and I love the folky elements that he brings in this album. This song makes me want to go on a night drive in the summer, with my feet on the dash, holding my best friend's hand.



4. And lastly, because I love food... one of the simplest (but tastiest) things I prepared for dinner this week. I adapted it just a little bit from this recipe here. I followed her recipe, except I doubled it and instead of soy sauce I added balsamic vinegar (yum). This tastes AWESOME. Highly recommend it if you want something fresh, and if, like in our case, the spinach you have in your fridge is starting to wilt a little!

via broke and healthy.

Hope everyone is enjoying having some time off from school and work! Stay warm.

grace and peace, the wife.

it is so weird that it's 2011.

1. Last night Colin and I got to celebrate our four year (fifth annual) first date anniversary! That might sound silly to some (I mean, how many anniversaries can one really celebrate?), but for us it marks the beginning of something really sweet, and something big that God did in both of our lives. That's worth celebrating, if you ask us!

2. This morning I purged my closet. I love doing that, and try to every year at least. I was motivated by one of the blogs that I read daily, called Kendi Everyday. I just love her blog, and her style inspires me so much! She started a series a couple of weeks back on how to create a "Working Closet", as she calls it. A Working Closet is one that you can step into and not feel a) overwhelmed or b) like you need to go shopping immediately. It's a closet that has good, versatile, and useful pieces of clothing which allow you to create an outfit for any scenario without feeling stressed. Purging allows you to assess what you really do have, what you need to buy, and what you don't need. Read Kendi's article on purging here.

photo via Kendi Everyday.

3. Another thing. Recently I have become extremely interested in breakfast foods. Why? I have no idea. I really always have been the type of person to wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and just wait until I feel ready to eat something lunch-like. Until I saw this post on Apartment Therapy about one way to prepare cream of wheat and literally drooled all over my computer :)


OH! and, this article as well, on steel-cut oats. I've never had them, but I am easily put off by oatmeal because of its tendency to get glue-like and mushy. Mmmm. Thanks to my wonderful Mama K (hi, Mama!) and Apartment Therapy, I now know a little more about them and how to prepare them.


4. Also, I just recently got a job working at a new upscale Soccer/Sports pub off of Bower parkway on Harbison called the British Bulldog Pub (Woo hoo for being a college grad?)! Colin and I decided that something flexible and a little more fluid would be a good idea for me at this point in time. I have really missed having an opportunity to be around different kinds of people, as well. All that to say, this place is really going to be awesome, serving traditional British fare, such as bangers and mash (do i hear an Arrested Development quote coming on?), fish and chips, and cottage pie. There are also some more American-friendly dishes, like various salads, sandwiches, burgers, salmon, and pasta. We have 28 different beers on tap, too, so come out and visit! We are doing a soft opening this next week, starting Monday, and we're open until 12 am on weeknights/2 am on weekends. Located next to the Tobacco Merchant and Miyo's.

grace and peace!
the wife.