these are a few of my favorite things

This morning I was taking a shower, pondering about how thankful I am for my waterproof clock that gets me to work on time.  That got me thinking about all my other must-haves that I use everyday.

Thus, here are 9 of my favorite items that make me smile every time I use them.

1. waterproof clock. since I looove long showers.

2. heated mattress pad. it's like crawling into a warm, cozy nest of heaven.

3. metal makeup case. keeps all of my makeup in one heavy, clumsy, organized place.

4. tresemme hairspray. no matter what else I try, I always come back to this.

5. i home speakers and of course, my iphone. that was a double-whammy.

6. almay triple effect mascara.  love the formula and wand.

7. my mirrored wall decals. they're so pretty and fun above my bed!

8. secret natural mineral deodorant in eucalyptus blossom. works wonders and washes off nicely.

9. last but by no means least, the message version Bible. everything makes sense.

P.S. Vlog to come soon!  Keep crossing your fingers!

P.P.S.  What are some of your favorite items?  Link up and let me know!

wedding crush...it's pretty serious

via

So.  I have a serious problem.

I get really bad crushes.  On weddings.  It's not even funny.

My all-time favorite that I may or may not have been obsessed with for over a year?

This one.

Umm...

Please do yourself a favor and go to that site.  Now.

Then after you're done whimpering and sniffling over how ridiculously perfect they are, go over here and watch the video at the bottom of the page.

I'm sorry and you're welcome in advance.

sometimes

It's hard for me to think of myself as who I'm supposed to be.


I'm reminded of how much I love my mom when she takes me out to lunch, at Beau Jo's, just because.


I feel self-conscious when walking back to my seat after going potty during church.


I am mildly dishonest when I sneak french fries at work.  Shhh.


I can't imagine a world without my family.


I'm surprised that I still whisper secrets to my dog like I did to my stuffed animals.


I get a little too easily wrapped up in fashion photography blogs, cooking shows, and the Biggest Loser.


I indulge in guilty pleasures like Nutella.  On toast.  Way too often.


I wish all things in life were as wonderful as Pride and Prejudice.  I mean, c'mon people.  Perfect romance.

Go visit Young People in Love for the original version of this post!

sometimes you need a big dose of youtube

Morgan and I went on a YouTube video spree last night.  Go ahead.  Laugh your guts out.

To get the full effect, you need to watch this like 5 times in a row.  And then again...and again...

I'm SO SORRY about the title...but this video is so funny and true.

Being a former home schooler, this kinda hits home.

Don'tcha ever interrupt me when I'm reading a book.

Poor kid.

sorry i was just really proud of myself

(at work.)

me: Hey can I have some money?
ryan (new manager/marketing guy): No, but you can have your paycheck.
terry (the other new manager/marketing guy): You can only have your paycheck if you give me half of it.
me: You can have half of mine if I can have half of yours.
doug (owner): Aaaahhhh haha good one. *high fives and aha's all around*

'Kay.  I'm done.

p90x and other such things

The warm wind rushes through your hair, wraps around your body, whips beneath your feet, carries you along in a flurry of freedom and joy.  Nothing else matters as you glide along in symphony with the path you follow.

Does the same scene go through your head when you run?  I get kind of soap opera-y when I run.  If only you could see my thoughts played out.

I had to laugh because I sat down to write a post on working out and what do I see?  This post by Sydney.

Must be a sign or something...like GET IN SHAPE, MISSY.

Anyway, as much as I love running, I don't really do it.  Especially in the winter. (which just so happens to be my dear daddy's favorite season to run...maybe one day I'll see the light.)  So my consideration is to buy one of these suckers:

That's right, baby!  From flab to fab in 90 days.  Your thoughts?  Experiences?  I've heard nothing but good reviews from people who have used it.

But I don't know, people.  I just don't know.

I think I'll just keep drinking my little green smoothies (had my first one about 12 minutes ago) and doing my little pilates routine and maybe I'll break out those running shoes again.

P.S. If you haven't already done so, leave your comments on this post!  I need questions to answer on my upcoming vlog.  Otherwise we might just have an awk video of me saying "ummm hi so yeah this is my first vlogggg and yeaaah....." Help a sister out.

i have a question for YOU

BABY SLOTH!!! Is he not SO. CUTE.

Guys.  What if.  I did a vlog?!  (vlog = video blog)

Okay, it's decided then.  I'll do a vlog, IF you leave a boatload of questions for me to answer.

So all those burning questions you have been wanting to ask me, fire away.  (Example: What is your favorite color?  Do you prefer Cream of Wheat or Malt-o-Meal?  If you could go anywhere right at this moment, where would you go?  Who are you anyway?  I don't know...get creative.)

Readddy......go.

P.S.  I'm so excited!!!

lately i've been so broken

I want this post to be short.  To the point.

I'm so imperfect.  I'd like to be better, more perfect.

I'd like to tell you that I've buried myself in God, that through the trials and frustrations, I've used all the ink in my highlighters and that my Bible is tear-soaked and striped yellow through and through.

But no.

Here I am, struggling to realize I don't have to stand in the rain with bloody knuckles, knocking on His door to let me in.  I'm in.  I'm already His.

I feel like Hosea's wife.  I've forgotten I'm His.  But He will do anything, anything, to get me back, even if it means paying the price a slavemaster would pay for me.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm saying; all I know is that He has allowed me to be broken, like a clay pot, and I am so thankful.  Truly humbled that He would hear my prayer to be broken of myself, of my own will.  Now He is soaking me in water over my head to soften me, and next He will knead me and mold me into a new pot.  After that, He will set me in the fire to solidify who I am, then use me.  And then it's back to the water, I suppose.  Not that I mind; my life is not my own...it's His, through and through.

"If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there...." Psalm 34:18 message

cleanse

After being inspired to go on a 5-day, post-holiday-artery-cloggage cleanse, I woke up this morning and made me a plate of veggies.  Served alongside a gargantuan glass of water, I knew this cleanse would be a success.

EHHRRR. Wrong answer.

The carrots tasted like crunchy, orange soap.  And ten minutes later, I'm just as hungry as I was before.

Well.  I'm off to eat some cheerios.

song writing

I love to sit down at the piano and just play.  Play nothing in particular and everything on my heart at the same time.  Sometimes the songs that flow out of my hands will only be forever remembered by God, but other times I capture them just in time.

Here's one I just wrote.

P.S. It's a little rough...but they always sound best unedited.

today i took a walk and some pictures

Took down the Christmas decorations.

Favorite aisle. It's dangerous.

"Look ma! No paws!"

Baby whale.  All I know is it's been in my house since forever.

New mascara.

Lemon bars!  Make 'em every year for our neighbor.

Kind of fell in love.  Pretty sure they were wondering why I was shooting their house.

day 1 and here we go

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Isaiah 52:7

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Isaiah 61:1-2

I want this year to be different.

I want to make a difference this year.

I want God to light a new spark in me, one that is insatiably consuming.

I will try my best and trust God to do everything else.

Here's to You.