A glimpse into my thoughts...

Wedding Photos- Part 6

2011-12-30T10:33:00.032-06:00

And last but not least, our reception!

Our reception was AMAZING and so much fun! The food, cake, desserts and candy bar was amazing. We danced all night long. I saw people I hadn't seen in years and spent time with those who meant the most to us. It was such a fun celebration and I really enjoyed it!

Our venue was perfect. It was a recreation of Pensacola in the 1900's. It looked like an old town inside which was perfect for our theme and ideas. Everything came together so perfectly. It was a great way to end an amazing day.

Wedding Photos- Part 5

2011-12-29T15:23:00.055-06:00

And now back to the wedding photos/posts. We only have two more, so bear with me :)

Now, I will feature the Wedding Ceremony.

Our Wedding ceremony was perfect and so heartfelt. We really put a lot into it and that is how I feel it should be.

The wedding party walked down the aisle to Til Kingdom Come by Coldplay. The song couldn't be more appropriate for mine and Ben's relationship. It's such a beautiful song and was perfect for our wedding. I walked down the aisle to an instrumental song called Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros. It's one of my favorites and made a perfect processional. We showed a slideshow/montage of photos of both of our lives at the beginning as well as photos of the two of us together when we were in our teens. It was played to the Beatles' tunes "In My Life" and "I Will. Two of our friends played music and sang beautifully. My uncle officiated the ceremony and did a tremendous job. We wrote our own vows in addition to the traditional vows. My Dad read "The Blessing of the Hands" and prayed the sweetest prayer over our union. We took communion and lit a unity candle while one of my favorite hymns, "In Christ Alone" was played and Ben's precious grandfather read a beautiful blessing over us. There were lots of tears and laughter. It was one of the most sacred and holy moments of my entire life. The ceremony lasted about 40 minutes which some might deem as a bit lengthy but it was so pure, spiritual and precious and I wouldn't have changed a single thing about it.

Here are a few photos. I also included a photo of our program.

Home.

2011-12-28T11:05:00.004-06:00

I have exactly 3 days left in my home town before my husband and I venture off and move our lives to Charlotte, NC.

It's quite crazy.

I arrived home from work yesterday evening to find my sweet husband organizing, packing and cleaning. He's a gem. I married the best person ever and he blesses me and kills me with kindness every single day. I am beyond thankful for the companion that God has so graciously given me and I love being married to this man.

I'm dealing with a myriad of emotions on a daily basis. One day I am super excited about the move and embracing change and the next day I am completely overwhelmed with sadness to leave my "home".

But today something hit me.

Home is really not a location. My home is in the hearts of the people who mean the most to me. Now my home is with my new husband, wherever we may end up. Together, we are at "home". Home is where I feel joy, hope, love, safety, peace and kindness. Home is where I can "be myself" and let my hair down. Home isn't always concrete.

However, I am very much looking forward to making a new house, our home, EVENTUALLY.

I'm embracing this new adventure with an open mind and heart. There is a lot of uncertainty and anxiety but I feel at peace and the support we feel from loved ones is unreal. God has richly blessed us- maybe not soley in dollar signs or material possesions but in a much more valuable way and I am not complaining.

Here's to 2012- a great adventure and journey with the love of my life by my side.

NEWS

2011-12-21T09:41:00.001-06:00

With the new year rapidly approaching, I've been quite reflective of this past year and all of the WONDERFUL memories that were made and moments that were shared. I would venture to say that 2011 has been the best year of my life. From getting engaged to the man I adore and love with all of my heart, planning the wedding of my dreams to marrying my amazing new husband- it's all been such bliss and perfection. I couldn't be more thankful for my husband and the new life we've begun together. It has been so much fun and is only the beginning of the most beautiful, anticipated journey and adventure.

God has blessed us immensely and given us so much more than we deserve and we are ever so thankful. His grace really is sufficient and He is the ultimate provider and caretaker. Why I ever worry is beyond me because He truly never lets us go without. It will certainly be hard to out-do 2011 but I believe that 2012 holds so many amazing opportunities and excitement as we begin a new journey...

Which brings me to "our news"!!!

And NO, I am not pregnant as you might otherwise suspect. We JUST got married, people. Geez. ;)

We are actually packing up our lives and moving to Charlotte, NC in approximately 3 weeks!

Crazy, I know.

Life has a way of unsuspectingly throwing surprises at you and this certainly was one of those surprises! The series of events that unfolded around this decision are pretty crazy and have only confirmed that this is in fact the next step that God has ordained for us. So, we are officially taking the plunge!

While this is an exciting step, it is also very sad as it means that we are having to leave our wonderful parents here, our dear, sweet friends who mean so much to us, our church family, our amazing jobs, our cozy little apartment that we've made our home and leaving Pensacola in general as we love it so much because it is in fact, "home" to us. Bittersweet is an appropriate word to describe our feelings and emotions toward this new step.

It's going to be a unique season of transition for us so keep us in your thoughts and prayers, if you will. We firmly believe that God is leading us in this direction and we've learned that where He leads, He also provides. We have faith in this truth and are thankful for His guidance in our lives.

To those of you in Pensacola, we'd love to see you before we leave! However, we know how crazy the holidays can be and understand if that is not possible. We love you all and you mean so much to us! We'll be back to visit and you can always visit us :)

To those of you in Charlotte, get ready because the Rhodes are coming in town TO STAY this time! :)

We love you all!

Wedding Photos- Part 4.

2011-12-16T09:24:00.043-06:00

Part 4 will consist of our wedding decor and food. I LOVED picking out the decor for our wedding. Our theme was vintage/antique and I rummaged through thrift stores, yard sales and antique stores for months to find unique and beautiful pieces to serve as decor/centerpieces. I handcrafted some things by myself and with the help of my creative Mom and sisters. I truly loved perfecting this part of our wedding. It was all so special.

Our centerpieces consisted of old lanterns, antique booka, antique cameras, mason jars, photos and wildflowers. Every centerpiece was different, yet similar. I loved that. I used lace overlay on every table and tied lace around the mason jars. It all came together so nicely.

HUGE thanks to my Mom- she was in charge of overseeing the reception hall being decorated. We only had three hours to decorate the whole place before the wedding and I was unable to be there for it. She had an amazing team of family members and close friends and they knocked it out very quickly and it looks GORGEOUS! It was a dream. Better than I expected and so beautiful. I teared up upon entering. We had a candy bar which was a HUGE hit and a cake table. We did a traditional wedding cake as well as specialty cakes from a famous Pensacola Bakery called J's such as a lemon chiffon cake, mocha espresso chocolate dipped cakes and coconut cakes with raspberry filling as well as a plethora of petit fours. Apple Market (a local grocery store and catering company) did our catering and it was DELICIOUS. We had meatballs, chipotle wings,
spinach artichoke dip, mediterranean platters with hummus, pita olives etc, fresh vegetable, fruit and cheese trays, chicken salad and bread and cracker trays. It was all SO delicious and our guests went on and on about how great it was. I don't have any photos of the food, unfortunately :(

Anyways, enough rambling for now. Enjoy these photos! :)

Wedding Photos- Part 3.

2011-12-09T09:08:00.050-06:00

I do realize that I am biased to the statement I am about to make but I am convinced that we had the best wedding party ever! It was a rather large wedding party as we had a very difficult time narrowing it down, so we had 18 attendants. I know, crazy. 8 bridesmaids, 8 groomsmen and the cutest ring bearer and flower girl that there ever were! The ring bearer was our adorable nephew, Jackson and the flower girl, Lily, is the cute little daughter of Katie, one of my bridesmaids and a dear friend.

Not only was our wedding party so dang good looking but I'm pretty sure we had the most lively wedding party with the best and most hilarious personalities! The entire day was a blast and was spend with our closest and dearest friends- it was an honor to have each and everyone of them in our wedding.

And now on to our epic wedding party photos...

Sisters.

Unfortunately the little ones weren't with us while we did our photos due to needing their naps etc. I'm pretty sad we didn't get any photos of them with us. Really sad, actually. Look how cute they were though! I mean, have you ever seen a cuter duo? I can't handle the cuteness. The green suit was Ben's uncles from the 1960's and Ben also wore it when he was little. I'm so glad it matched my wedding colors and Jackson could wear it!

There you have it, folks! Part 4 coming soon :)

Wedding Photos- Part 2.

2011-12-06T14:17:00.050-06:00

As somewhat traditional as our wedding was, we went a non-traditional way for the sake of having the quality of photos that we desired.

Our wedding ceremony started at 7:00 pm so it was nice and dark soon before the ceremony began thus creating an obstacle to take photos afterwards if we were going to do them outside. Our photographer suggested that we do the "first look" where we see each other before the actual ceremony. I wasn't too keen on the idea as I wanted to have that special moment of him seeing me for the first time when I came down the aisle to him. However because I know that photos are the most precious and everlasting thing you have after your wedding, we opted to do the "first look" and get all of our photos done beforehand. AND I'M SO GLAD WE DID.

Our photographer set it up to where Ben's back was toward me as I approached him. He got our expressions of seeing each other for the first time and it was a very emotional, sweet and intimate moment and it didn't take anything away from when I walked down the aisle- they were both very emotional moments that enforced the happiest tears I've ever cried.

Not only were we able to get the photos we wanted but we weren't rushed for time nor were we stressed about our guests having to wait for us at the reception etc. It really took a load off and we were able to thoroughly enjoy every single moment of the day without being stressed about time or anything. It was such a calm and perfect day for me. I genuinely believe that God gave me such a peace and joy that I can't even really describe to you. It was the most perfect day in every way.

Our photographer did an incredible job of capturing our "first look" as well as all of the other photos he snapped. We are beyond pleased with the outcome of our photos and this is only a fraction of what he got but these are my favorites :)

Oh, and I do believe I married the most handsome and stylish man alive ;)

Wedding Photos- Part 1.

2011-11-30T09:29:00.027-06:00

Because there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of photos, I will not post them all at once. I'm going to do them in sections :)

I will begin with the photos of all of us getting ready. Getting ready for my wedding was one of the most precious things. Having my sisters, Mama, Daddy and all of my closest friends with me was so special. I was as calm as can be, didn't stress AT ALL. In fact, everyone was stressed by how calm I was. I just wanted to soak up and enjoy every second. Being stressed and being a "bridezilla" only ruins these sweet, special hours that you only get once in your lifetime. I wasn't about to ruin them.

Our photographer did an AMAZING job with capturing every moment of our day- I can't even describe how happy I am with the outcome of our wedding photos- they are PERFECT and have exceeded my expectations.

Here are the "Getting Ready" photos :)

Ben and I's "first look" coming next. Stay tuned :)

October 28 was truly perfect.

2011-11-07T09:37:00.002-06:00

I am officially a married woman! I have the most amazing husband in the world. Our wedding was a dream come true. It was actually greater than a dream come true. It was absolute perfection. I can't get over how amazing the day was and only wish I could re-live every second all over again.

Here's a preview of what is to come :)

-Mrs. Rhodes :)

Wedding bands.

2011-09-15T12:36:00.002-05:00

We went and picked out my wedding band last night. AMAZING. I love my ring and the band really compliments it.

Ben is still deciding on what band he wants :)

Invitations.

2011-09-15T12:00:00.007-05:00

We sent our invitations out at the beginning of this week. That was a crazy feeling. Definitely makes it that much more official. So exciting!

A very talented and creative friend designed my invitations for me and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. They turned out perfect!

Her blog can be found here.

I included a photo of us as well as a piece of lace- something a little different and I just love lace :)

I love them.

Update.

2011-09-15T09:27:00.025-05:00

Oops, I've been a bad blogger lately. Sorry.

Wedding planning has indeed consumed my life but I am certainly not complaining. I've loved every minute- even the stressful minutes. We're currently 43 days out from the big day and I couldn't be more excited about marrying the absolute love of my life! It's all so invigorating and exciting!

My bridal shower was a week and a half ago and oh my goodness, it could not have been more perfect. I am so overwhelmed by all of the love showered on us from our dear family and friends. It has left me speechless. This has been one of the most amazing seasons of my life and I can't even begin to put into words how blessed I feel.

Here are a few photos from the day...

My love and I before I was off to the shower.

Absolutely amazing decor! HUGE props to my bridesmaids for putting everything together so elegantly. Everything was so my taste and style and they know me all too well :)

The table at the entrance.

More decor.

Gift table.

So many gifts!

The cake table. The cake was a HIT! The lady who did this cake is also doing our wedding cake- she does amazing work!

Gorgeous and it was so delicious!

Food table- we're also using this caterer for our wedding! It was nice to get a preview of what we will be having plus lots more! Absolutely delicious and beautiful!

Opening gifts was so overwhelming but so much fun! We got some incredible things.

Gift from my sister :) She knows me well!

So many gifts.

Hand embroidered pillow with our initials on it- such a sweet and thoughtful gift.

My lovely bridesmaids minus two. Yes, we have a pretty big weddng party!

My beautiful, amazing sisters!

Sweet friends.

My bridesmaid Hannah coordinated the shower- she did an amazing job!

My amazing future mother-in-law and I!

My lovely Mom and future mom-in-law!

All in all it was an absolutely splendid day spent with some of the dearest people to my heart. Ben and I are truly blessed beyond measure!

I love being a bride, by the way. It has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

I can't wait to be Mrs. Amber Rhodes. I truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world. God has given me the most wonderful man to share my life with and every aspect of our wedding planning has been so seamless and has just fallen into place. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God made us for each other and His provision has been a testimony to that truth!

43 days until the best day of my life.

Summer favs.

2011-07-12T10:02:00.005-05:00

Spinach salad with strawberries and red onion drenched in delectable Rianna blush wine vinaigrette. Absolutely refreshing and delicious and makes for a perfect summer snack/meal.

The book "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. I just started reading it for the second time and it's gripped my heart all over again. A definite must-read.

Polaroids, old suitcases and trees. Why not put them all together and make something unique? Here is my latest creation- the polaroid tree!

Mustard yellow shoes.

Mustard yellow tank, messenger bag, braided belt and striped cardigan.

Pinterest Addict.

2011-07-12T09:46:00.003-05:00

Have any of you jumped on this bandwagon yet?

Yet another social networking site to procrasinate on and spend ridiculous amounts of time on. However, this site tends to inspire and motivate rather than just reading about what everyone else is doing and not doing on sites like facebook and twitter.

I'm obsessed.

I could pin all.day.long.

Come follow me!

:)

They were right.

2011-06-15T08:50:00.006-05:00

Last night I cooked dinner. I cooked a meal that I grew up having and one that was a family favorite. As I was peeling potatoes, tears began to swell in my eyes as a sense of nostalgia crashed over me and made me miss home and my family more than you can imagine.

Growing up.

Two words I always wanted. Something I yearned for and looked forward to as a kid.

"The grass is always greener. If only I could drive. If only I could stay out past 11:00. If only I could work. If only I could move out on my own and test these wings and find "my place" in this gigantic world. If only mom and dad would understand me and let me do what I want"

So now I'm here. Grown up. On my own. I have a car, an apartment, a career, a fiance' etc. I'm happy and I know that the best is yet to come but there is a part of me that is heartbroken at the fact that the comfort and protection of home is so far behind me. It's a somewhat scary and exposing feeling.

They always told me, "don't wish these years away because soon they will be gone and you'll wish for them back".

I didn't believe them.

I believe them now.

Save the dates have been sent!

2011-06-10T08:29:00.004-05:00

I got to design my own. It was fun!

Wedding-ness.

2011-05-27T11:00:00.013-05:00

My family came into town last weekend and we marathon wedding planned all.weekend.long. It was a lot of fun, a little stressful and totally wonderful.

All of us at the reception venue.

Ben and I at our reception venue :)

Dad, Mom and my sister, Ashton with wedding decor!

Baby sis, Hannah and I.

Other baby sis, Ashton and I. She's my maid of honor :)

Daddy and his girls.

Mama and her girls.

Mema and her girls.

"The look"
The whole Collins Clan. Love them so much.

We got a lot accomplished over a very short weekend that went by much too quickly. I got my dress and I adore it so much. It's lovely and I can't wait to wear it!

154 days. AH!

The Engagement Photos.

2011-05-26T09:25:00.046-05:00

Wedding planning, work, family visits, etc. That pretty much sums up my life quite nicely. Thought I would share our engagement photos we finally got back after much anticipation.

Enjoy!

We're getting married in 155 days. That is insane.

Just another teaser :)

2011-04-29T11:03:00.002-05:00

Still waiting on getting our photos back from our engagement shoot the other week. So far I'm loving all the proofs she's sent me! So, here's another.

Real Sneak Peek (Engagement photos)

2011-04-19T15:12:00.003-05:00

Our photographer sent us two samples! And I'm REALLY anticipating seeing the rest of them.

Engagement shoot preview.

2011-04-18T08:52:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we had our engagement shoot. It was so much fun. We went to some really unique and beautiful places and took a ridiculous amount of photos. I can't wait to see the end results! I got this darling dress at goodwill for the shoot.

And here's a little preview :)

Our wedding is in 193 days. It's been a month and 2 days since we got engaged. Time is not slowing down by any means. It's craziness. Lots to look forward to :)

Invitation crush.

2011-04-07T11:13:00.009-05:00

So, I'm really excited about designing my invitations! To me, that is such an important part of planning as they go out to each individual guest and can be somewhat of a preview of what is to come. I have a very creative friend who is going to be helping me and has already given me a few different websites to gain ideas from. I have been browsing them all and have found some of the sweetest templates to inspire me.

The only negative thing about wedding planning is the millions of options you have for literally EVERYTHING- I am a very indecisive person by nature. Needless to say, narrowing things down wedding-wise is going to be extremely difficult for me. AH!

Inspiration.

2011-04-04T08:58:00.016-05:00

I'm leary of posting EVERYTHING for my wedding for all of the world to see before I actually get married (because that might ruin it, right?) but I will post some photos I am gaining inspiration from :)

I'm currently obsessed with wedding blogs and I've found quite a few that I have absolutely fallen in LOVE with.

I've already begun to collect odds and ends here and there as I go- a lot of my ideas are DIY and I'd much rather gather materials along the way, rather than trying to get everything at the last minute. Plus, it gives me an excuse to shop ;)

There is OH so much to think about. I already picked my bridesmaid dresses and colors! I did meet with the girl who is going to be doing my flowers this week which was a breath of fresh air. I'm going to try on dresses this Saturday and Ben and I are having our engagement photos done this Sunday. It's going to be a busy yet fabulous weekend!

Hope you're all doing wonderful ♥

This is where...

2011-03-30T08:56:00.010-05:00

my blog becomes an outlet for me to gush over all things wedding. Is that cool? Seeing that I'm getting married in exactly 212 days has got me thinking about it 24/7.

This is the day we dream about our entire lives. As little girls we fantasize about every intriciate detail of our perfect wedding day- the day we truly get to feel as through we're a princess and start the beginning of forever with the man we love and who loves us wholly.

Marriage is a funny thing. It's one of the biggest, most important decisions you will ever make- the thought of finding that special person you will spend the rest of your life with is amazing and knowing full and well that it's "right" couldn't feel more amazing.

I am still on cloud nine with the way everything is going. I'm trying not to become too overwhelmed with details and planning because it is A LOT and can become increasingly overwhelming in no time.

So, my handy dandy wedding planning book came in the mail just last week and I've orchestrated a wedding checklist from it to help me stay on track. We'll see if it actually helps.

I've already mentioned that we booked our church and reception venues! That is a huge relief. Now the daunting task of forming the guest list is before me. Here are a few photos of the church and reception venue...

I'm so excited about our reception venue. It's absolutely amazing. It's a recreation of picturesque downtown Pensacola in the 1900's and couldn't be more perfect for our theme and style. Ben and I adore it and I have so many wonderful ideas that I can't wait to see in reality! The awesome thing about this venue is it really doesn't require a ton of decorating other than centerpieces, guest table, food tables etc. Take a look... That's all for now. I assure you there will be a lot more wedding updates for those interested :) Stay tuned. xo

Crazy.

2011-03-28T09:22:00.003-05:00

I'll be doing this for real in just a few months!

Wedding on the brain.

2011-03-24T09:08:00.003-05:00

I got engaged just a week ago and life has been a whirlwind ever since. A great whirlwind, at that.

I couldn't be more excited to plan the most important day of mine and Ben's life together! I am elated and I still don't think my feet have hit the ground quite yet since all of this happened.

We signed the contract for our reception venue last week (pictured above- bottom left) and it couldn't be more perfect and charming. I completed our wedding site that you can view here. We're going to check out a potential church this weekend for our ceremony. It's actually the church that my grandmother grew up attending, so it has special significance. Things are officially rolling!

SO much to think about and do and the thoughts can be completely overwhelming. I don't want to lose sight of what this is all about and get caught up in all of the little details that I forget to enjoy and truly savor these next few precious months. So I think the key is to just relax and enjoy every little bit of planning.

Oh and we set a date! October 28. 2011 shall be an incredible day. We are so excited!

Thank you so much everyone for the congratulatory wishes! They truly mean so much!

Yesterday was the best day of my life (to date, anyway)

2011-03-17T12:48:00.011-05:00

It was my 24th birthday yesterday and my incredible boyfriend took me on the most AMAZING picnic EVER. He took me to the park where we had one of our very first dates so many years ago when we were much younger (teens) and also the park we have visited many times before. It's a beautiful park in the the historic district of downtown Pensacola overlooking the water. One of my favorite places in our city. The weather was PHENOMINAL. It could not have been more perfect in anyway. The sun was shining and the light breeze and 70 degree temperatures were impeccable.

Ben spread out a blanket and got the most delicious food from a quaint deli in Pensacola.

We sat and ate, talked about how gorgeous and perfect the day was and just enjoyed each other's company. It was just such a sweet, special moment and I was thoroughly enjoying every single second.

Lo and behold, he begins talking about memories we've had in that park (some, awkward but most, amazing- we were laughing about it mostly) and he then goes to pull something out of his jacket pocket and continues talking about how he's always known that he wanted to spend his life with me and then he ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM!

I was speechless to say the least- tears immediately surfaced and through my clouded vision I looked down at the most perfect, flawless, gorgeous , breathtakingly beautiful ring I have EVER seen in my entire life (and I AM NOT joking)...

He then went to his car and got "THE JOURNAL". Rewind to when I was 17 years old- Ben gave me a red leather journal when he first started showing interest in me. He knew I loved to write and he knew I loved red. He wrote a sweet little note inside of it and it was the first gift he ever gave me. I actually never wrote in it. I just kept all of our things within it- pictures, letters etc. When Ben and I got back together in 2009, I made that journal into "Our Story"- I started from the very beginning of the day that we met, through the heartbreak of our seperation, in between when we were apart all the way up to our reuniting in October of 2009, including pictures, letters, memories and conversations we had that I printed and kept. I also included scraps from dates we had been on and so on and so forth. I worked on it while he was gone on tour last summer and gave it to him when he returned home. The journal still had many empty pages and so he took the time to write in it almost every day from when I gave it to him! He documented our holidays together, times we were apart, special times and dates and just the sweetest, most romantic things you could ever imagine. He wrote in it the night before he proposed and it was the most beautiful thing I have ever read.

I read the second half of the journal in it's entirety and continued to bawl my eyes out. I was absolutely overwhelmed in every sense of the word and could not stop feeling like I was in the most amazing dream I had ever had.

A couple had watched us from a bench the entire time and came over to congratulate us. It was so sweet.

I did manage to snap a picture (believe it or not). Kinda nice you can't see my red eyes and runny makeup through my sunglasses. I assure you, it's there.

And the ring again...

It's perfect.

He's perfect.

We're perfect together.

WE'RE GETTING MARRIED IN OCTOBER! I am elated. I couldn't be more happy or sure about anything! The plans are already rolling! I can't wait to marry the love of my life.

Homemade spring.

2011-03-09T10:05:00.006-06:00

Well, the beauty of spring has officially made it's debut! Flowers and trees are blooming all around here in pretty Pensacola. See?

I love it. My sinuses, however, do not.

To celebrate, I crafted this masterpiece (actually, I didn't even have a hint of spring on my mind when I made this but it sounds good, so yeah).

Photo frame- .49 cents

Floral Fabric- .79 cents

Polaroid of the love of my life and I- Free!

I quite like it and it goes nicely with my excessive frame collection and display pictured below...

Hope you're all well!

Etsy Revealed...

2011-02-21T10:46:00.001-06:00

Here it is! I've only listed a few of many, many items but I'm excited to finally have it up and running! Check it out...

Too Good To Be New

More items coming!

Valentine recap.

2011-02-16T08:56:00.014-06:00

I love my Valentine. He is the sweetest Valentine that ever lived, I assure you.

So, I made him a homemade valentine to show my love.

And I filled a basket with so much goodness. A Will Ferrell dvd (because he loves Will Ferrell), wine, chocolate, candy, love notes etc

But I came home to ALL of this.

Betsy Johnson sunglasses and jewelry! He spoils me rotten.

But I don't mind it one bit :)

And he took me to a Japanese Steakhouse and we ate the best filet mignon and chicken teriyaki.

And here we are.

But it wouldn't be right if Ben didn't look silly in at least one picture. It's like his signature thing.

He's the greatest and I absolutely adore him.

writer.type

2011-02-15T09:59:00.003-06:00

Found this last weekend at an antique mall.

What's that? Do I know how to operate it?

Um, no not really. However, I wouldn't be opposed to learning.

In any case, it makes for a neat piece of retro decor and for this, I have a few ideas :)

In the spirit of Valentine's Day.

2011-02-14T09:08:00.005-06:00

As commercialized and somewhat silly the holiday can be, I can't help but love it all the same.

Love is a good thing.

I can't wait to go out with my dear tonight.

Happy Valentine's Day!

In the process.

2011-02-11T10:31:00.009-06:00

I've created my etsy account!

I finally thought of a clever and unique name.

I have a room full of goods that I've been collecting for months on end.

I have models ready to exhibit some of these timeless finds.

Pretty much, my site will be up and running SOON and I'm pretty excited about it.

Sneak peek...

Check back soon for the reveal!

Project guest room minus a bed.

2011-02-09T08:41:00.006-06:00

On Wednesday, I stumbled upon this lamp in good.will and paid a whole 2.99 for it.

I changed my guest room up a bit.

Got the chair at good.will for $12, pillow at a local thrift store for a quarter, record player at good.will for $10, mirror came from good.will and I paid $2 for it. Ben found the desk for me at a thrift store as well as the record player on the desk that plays 45's. The Elvis picture came from an antique store in Hickory, NC and I paid $15 for it. The sutcases were $1.77 and believe it or not, from a thrift store.

Altogether, everything you see here was under $60!

There you have it! All I need is a bed and you're more than welcome to be my guest!

Well, I'm sick.

2011-02-03T20:24:00.005-06:00

I was diagnosed with pharyngitis, an ear infection and a sinus infection today. Yes, all of that. I waited in urgent care for nearly 3 and a half hours to be seen and diagnosed in less than 15 minutes. It's crazy how that works. Basically, I'm not planning on leaving my couch or bed for the next couple of days.

My boyfriend wins the award for being the most awesome. No joke. From driving me to urgent care and waiting for hours in a room full of really sick and highly contagious people...

To bringing me home and tucking me in only to go back out in the cold to get my prescriptions filled and pick up my favorite soup from Olive Garden. Then bringing it back to my house and waiting on me hand and foot. I'm so thankful for him in every way- he truly is the greatest blessing ever, treats me so wonderfully and kills me with kindness every single day. I adore him.

So, I'll be out of commission for a couple of days but when I return, I plan to share my guest room project I'm working on. Still looking for a bed but I've got some cool things going on as well as some more thrifty finds to share :)

Hope you're all feeling better than I am.

Project shelves and some other neat stuff.

2011-01-31T22:36:00.011-06:00

My beloved Ben found these shelves at a thrift store and hung them in my apartment for me to showcase the dvd collection and my camera collection. I just love how this space turned out.

And then I got an idea, so I changed it up a bit by adding an old suitcase and some awesome vinyls.

Altogether, I spent no more than $35.00 on this entire section. I paid $3.50 for the chair, 50 cents for the pillow, 50 cents for the suitcase, around 1.19 for each record (yes, they are ORIGINALS! Crazy.) and $25.00 for the wrought iron tree which ends up being the priciest piece you see here.

I quite like it.

And last but not least, one of my most favorite things that my little sister got me. A shadow box for my earring collection. Not only is it practical but also decorative and a neat way to exhibit my jewelry. I love it.

And that's all for now.

Skyisms.

2011-01-28T08:45:00.005-06:00

It's been an unbelievably beautiful week down here in the sunny south. These are just a few examples of mornings this week in which I captured the sky's loveliness.

This morning in particular was my favorite (yesterday morning).

Thank you, God for painting us the most breathtaking pictures every day. They astound me.

Part Deux.

2011-01-26T09:06:00.005-06:00

Here are few more of my thrifty finds.

1960 Imperial savoy mint green snapshot camera. In my opinion, there are few cameras out there that are as cute as the green plastic Savoy! Also, my Kodak Brownie Holiday from circa 1953. Totally love them both and both were under $10.00! Unfortunately, their film is so far past extinct but luckily they're cute and dainty and make for fabulous decor.

The radio I found at an antique/junk yard in North Carolina and paid only $8.00 for.

I found this unique, decorative wrought iron tree at the same antique/junk yard in North Carolina and fell totally in love with it. This aired on being a bit more pricey at $25.00 but I just had to have it! My sweet Ben actually ended up purchasing it for me and I am very much thankful. It's great for a focal piece or could be used to hang jewery on. I love the mint green and even the rust that bleeds through the color.

I just made over this area in my bedroom. The dresser was free and Ben totally surprised me by painting it and changing the ugly metal handles to delicate and beautifully painted glass knobs. I love it. The shadow box was a Christmas gift from my little sister and is perfect for my vintage earring collection. The radio was found at a local thrift store as well as pretty much everything else you see. The plaid chair came from good.will and I only paid a mere $12.00 for it! I was indeed a happy camper that day.

So, here's the deal. I love doing this and sharing my finds and ideas with all of you. I'm very seriously contemplating starting an etsy site so that I can buy, refinish and re sell items. I think it would be a fun project to do on the side that would also generate a little income. What do you think?

Hope you're all having a most lovely day!

Thriftiness.

2011-01-25T08:54:00.011-06:00

As most of you know, I thoroughly enjoy thrifting. It's a hobby and is also very therapeutic for me, believe it or not. It's so much fun to find things that people deem as "junk" and make it useful and beautiful. As a matter of fact, I probably thrift shop more than I grocery shop. That is quite sad. I hate grocery shopping though, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.

Last week, I found a few really neat things and I figured I would share them as well as the makeover I gave my bathroom :)

I found all of this at good.will for a little under $16.00. I absolutely love the mid century tea and coffee serving set and it looks fabulous in my dining room.

I got all three of these suitcases for $1.71. No joke. The two smaller ones were inside of the larger one and I don't think the thrift store had any idea. In any case, I was pleased when I discovered them! Can't beat it.

I decided to give my guest bathroom a makeover because it was most definitely bland and the epitome of boring. Everything you see in here was purchased from a thrift store with the exception of the shower curtain and toilet seat cover.

And I don't know where I got this idea but I really love this suticase that I found at good.will for only $3.00 and I wanted to display it somewhere. Why not stuff it with towels and washcloths? Also, the ottoman that it's resting on was found at good.will for about $6.00.

There you have it!

Inspiration.

2011-01-21T10:20:00.004-06:00

I feel like I need this kitchen.

And this bedroom

Geez, I might be green with envy right now.

Hi.

2011-01-20T09:15:00.003-06:00

This is my family (plus 2 boyfriends who ARE family). I miss them dearly. They're the best. No seriously, they're incredible.

Sometimes I get really homesick and cry and then Ben makes me feel better. He's simply wonderful.

Today might be one of those days. I really miss them.

It's the little things...

2011-01-17T10:28:00.015-06:00

..that make my days so much brighter.

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Where you invest your love, you invest your life.

2011-01-13T09:40:00.009-06:00

Life is absolutely beautiful. There are just those specific times and moments where I just sit and take in everything that is surrounding me- the beautiful people I get to share my days with, the amazing man who loves me through every high and every low in life, the fact that I have a God who is more gracious, loving and compassionate than my human mind can even fathom and the simple beauties that surround me every single day. I love the sky and the sun. Every sunrise and sunset captivates me and I always have to take a picture of it's beauty. I love life. I love the people in my life. I love God and I love creation. I am so thankful and rich in blessings.

God is SO good.

I took the last couple of days to reflect and resurge. I had some really good alone time and was able to work through some things in my life that I wish to change. It was healthy and I encourage everyone to take the time to do so if the need is there. The minute I feel like I have "everything figured out and worked out in myself" is the minute that I absolutely don't. God is teaching me so much about selflessness and about being "truly" humble and really loving and accepting others.

I'm in a place in my life where I wish to trade all of my judgement, bitterness and strife for love, acceptance and grace. To be like Jesus and to truly help those in need is my heart's desire and plan. I have failed to seize opportunities and I truly wish to change that. God opens big doors and little doors for us to touch others EVERY single day and I pray that I remain alert and attentive to those opportunities. Sometimes I get so engrossed in my own little world of my job, boyfriend, friends, church, facebook, twitter etc. that I tend to neglect the reailty around me.

I'm so thankful for everything that I am learning and experiencing and I pray that I remain teachable and pliable so that God can soften my heart and mold my character. It's all about willingness and submission.

My heart desires so much.

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor"
Romans 12:9-10

Gifted.

2011-01-06T09:43:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite gifts I received this year (among many, of course) is this gorgeous locket from Ben's sister containing a photo of Ben when he was little. The locket came from an antique store that she owns and operates and isn't only beautiful and delicate but now holds sweet sentimental value as well.

I love it so much and will treasure it forever and ever.

Hello, 2011!

2011-01-04T09:09:00.018-06:00

New Year's Eve was great! Ben and I went downtown for the third year in a row and coincidentally, it was only the third annual "Pelican Drop" that Pensacola has ever done. Therefore, I've been to all of them. My dear friend, Katie also accompanied us. All in all, it was a great way to ring in the new year!

They estimated there to be around 50,000 people and I would guess there were likely even more than that. Not kidding.

Oh and The Band Perry played!

New Year's Kiss :)

I am so thankful for everything that occured in my life during 2010 even though there were some very challenging and heartbreaking times. I am beyond thankful for the relationship I am in and would say that 2010 was also one of the best years of my entire life in that aspect! I've grown so much in this last year and honestly wouldn't change anything about it. God has truly blessed me.

I'm excited about 2011! I know it's going to be a great and exciting year. I have lots of hopes for it and I've set goals for myself that I am going to work to attain.

I hope you all have a very blessed and Happy New Year!

A Christmas to Remember... (picture overload)

2010-12-29T08:48:00.072-06:00

I simply won't be able to accurately convey how wonderfully amazing yet absolutely insane this Christmas was. It will certainly be one that I will never ever forget for many reasons. I was so blessed to be able to take an entire week off of work to be with my amazing family and not only that but my sweet Ben was able to accompany me. I am so blessed.

Ben and I left fairly early on Friday, December 17 to make the drive to Charlotte. We made good time to Atlanta but once we got to Atlanta we found ourselves at a dead stop for nearly 4 hours as a semi truck accident had occurred. Not the funnest way to start a trip but it could've been much worse.

We finally made it to my parent's house late that evening and their home decked in lights was as welcoming as ever.

Home sweet home.

The next morning we went to a fabulous antique/junk yard where you rummage through old warehouses for antiques and collectables. I was totally in my element and had it not been for the freezing wind and snow flurries, I could have easily spent an entire day there.

Ben and I. Cold but oh so happy.

Sweet Emily and I with some of our treasures.

That evening my family as well as 4 other families in their neighborhood (who are good friends and we grew up with some of them) had what they called a "Progressive Dinner". Basically it's a 5 course meal that consists of h'orderves, soup, salad, a main course and dessert and you go from house to house for each course. It was really a neat idea thought up by my oh so creative mother. We had a really fun time! Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures of this joyous occasion but here is my little sister Hannah and I just before.

The next day we did some Christmas shopping!

Hannah and her boyfriend, Sully.

On Monday Ben and I along with my Parents drove over to another town in North Carolina where Ben's grandparents and aunt and uncle live and spent some precious time with them. I didn't get any pictures of this time either but it was such a blessing to be able to spend time with them!

Monday evening my parents took us to the Billy Graham library in Charlotte. It was absolutely amazing and very moving. If you're ever in the area, take the time to go. It's totally free and it will most definitely impact you.

It was decorated so beautifully for Christmas.

My sister with Ben and Jesse - dear family friends.

On Tuesday night my parents took all of us girls and our boyfriends to a restaurant in uptown Charlotte called "Cabo Fish Taco". We had a lovely time. We finished the evening with tarts and caramel salted brownies at Amelie's French Bakery in uptown.

Ben and I at Cabo.

Ashton and her boyfriend, Billy.

And Hannah and Sully!

All of us - minus Mom and Dad.

When we got home from dinner and dessert we decorated sugar cookies as it is a yearly tradition for our family.

On Wednesday evening we did our family Christmas as we were going to be in West Virginia for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Mom and Dad took us all to PF Changs and then we went home and opened gifts. It was such a good night! Mom and Dad totally outdid themselves this year.

My beautiful Mom and I at dinner.

All the Collins girls!

The Men.

Dad was pretty proud of this item he picked for Ben's stocking. Haha!

On Thursday we headed for the beautiful snowy mountains of West Virginia! It was quite a drive as there was lots of snow falling and Ben and I were in my car and my car only has front wheel drive. Not to mention, my windshield wiper fluid would not spray because the motor burnt out. Needless to say, it was quite a frightening drive through winding mountain roads in snow and ice and a cloudy windshield. We were following my dad but we had to make a few stops just to clean off the windshield. It was crazy.

We finally made it to our destination after all of that...ALIVE.

Look how Beautiful!

This is the house I lived in when I was little.

On Christmas eve we had a delicious dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's house, did lots of laughing and then all gathered around the piano as my uncle played and took turns singing and playing. It was really special.

Christmas Day started out to be wonderful but was cut short for Ben and I as we had to make an attempt to get out of the Mountains and back to Charlotte before the "Blizzard of 2010" made it's debut. Here are a few photos of Christmas day...

Just before we left.

We said our goodbyes, I did some pretty extensive crying and we got on the road at around 3:00 pm. We were going to drive to Charlotte, sleep at my parent's and then get up early Sunday and drive back to Florida as I had to be at work Monday morning. My Parent's and sisters stayed in West Virginia. It was so hard leaving.

The first portion of the trip was great- no snow, clear roads and my car drove fine through the steep mountain roads.

After we get out of what we thought was the most dangerous portion of the trip (ha, little did we know) we drove right into the middle of the freaking blizzard of 2010. Not even kidding. We made it to Virginia and as night fell, the snow picked up, the roads were blanketed with ice and snow and it was quite possibly the scariest drive of my entire life. I was doing all that I could to keep Ben calm as he was the one driving but I couldn't help but pray and utter "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." over and over again which in turn made him nervous and it just wasn't a good thing.

We finally make it to a town in Virginia called Wytheville and decided to pull of for a breather. Keep in mind- niether of us had ever driven in snow before in our lives. We live in Florida, people. We stopped, filled the car up with gas and went inside to sit and talk. I started bawling my eyes out as I was terrified to get back on the road. The gas station was packed wth people getting off the roads. Ben talked to someone from Philidelphia who stated "I wouldn't even drive in this". It was THAT BAD.

We contemplated getting a hotel but we were only 130 miles from Charlotte and with it being Christmas night, we just wanted to get there, sleep and then get home to Florida on Sunday. So, Ben made the decision to get back on the treacherous road and attempt to track it to Charlotte. As he was about to turn onto the ramp to get on the Interstate, I started crying and expressed my fear and with that, he made a U-turn and we got a hotel. He's so sweet. Thankfully we got one just before the place was bombarded by weary travelers with the same fear and smarts. I'm so thankful we made the decision that we did as there were SO many accidents along that stretch of road that very night. We heard of one fatal accident just two miles up the road and then the next day we counted more than 20 cars in ditches and in the woods. It was INSANE. I feel confident that we did the right thing.

Nothing like Christmas in a hotel.

The view from the hotel room the next morning. Gorgeous. Snow is so deceiving.

My car the next morning.

We packed up and got on the road around 10:00 am. We didn't want to leave too early as we wanted them to be plowed before we got back on. Smart of us. The roads were fine but we did see lots of fallen tress and wrecked vehicles which only solidified that we had in fact made the right decision to stop. We finally arrived in Charlotte around 12:00.

The entrance to my Parent's neighborhood. Gorgeous.

Mom and Dad's beautiful snow covered house.

Ben and I grabbed lunch and went back to my Parents to pack up our stuff and rest a little before we got back on the road. At this point, I wasn't sure leaving for Florida would be the wisest decision as we had already lost a good portion of the day and wouldn't get back until really late and the snow hadn't really stopped completely. If we didn't though, I would miss work on Monday. Stress overload. I texted my boss who was totally gracious and understanding.

Just when I thought I could de-stress and get some significant rest, my little sister calls me screaming and crying that they had just been in an accident and that they couldn't get my Dad out of the vehicle only for the call to be dropped suddenly after. My heart dropped to the floor, my stomach was in knots and I couldn't even see or think clearly. I finally got a hold of them again and they stated that the vehicle had ran off the road and was hanging off of an embankment over a creek and that my Dad couldn't get out of the car because anytime he would begin to make movement the car would begin to tilt and would flip over into the creek. Hannah sent me this photo...

And I lost it again. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I prayed and prayed and cried and cried and even fell down the stairs at my Parent's due to my panic attack. Ben was so sweet and supportive and called his parents and grandparents to pray. My Parent's friends who live in their neighborhood came over to be with us as well.

They did manage to have a wrecker pull the vehicle out and everyone was OK. It was a very scary hour though and I can't even imagine what my Dad was going through! I was so thankful and relieved. After all that my Dad still decided to drive home to Charlotte and of course Ben and I were there awaiting their arrival. I was never so happy to see my family and especially my Dad! Thank God for his safety!

Ben and I left Monday morning to head back home and we made great time! I think God had mercy on us after all that we had endured.

It was most definitely a "Christmas to Remember" and one I'm sure will be shared for years to come.

I hope you all had a safe and joyous Holiday Season!

Our Date :)

2010-12-15T09:40:00.007-06:00

We had a nice date evening last night for our One Year Dating Anniversary!

I made Ben a basket filled with one of our favorite wines, chocolate and a nice Burberry Cologne along with a handmade card.

He gave me a picture frame for the picture he made me last year along with beautiful roses and a card.

I got all dressed up.

He took me to my favorite restaurant ever, Fish House and I got this delicious dish.

It was a lovely time. I feel truly blessed.

1 year.

2010-12-14T08:54:00.036-06:00

Today marks one year that Ben and I have been "officially" back together. You can read some of our story here.

What a year it has been! I am so unbelievably thankful for our relationship and for how everything has unfolded. It was undoubtedly God's perfect timing and plan. I am so blessed and ridiculously happy in every aspect of the word.

We are celebrating tonight and I am SO looking forward to it.

And now for our year in photos...

Benjamin Andrew Rhodes, I love you and you have no idea how thankful I am for you.

Christmas Festivities.

2010-12-09T12:16:00.005-06:00

I hosted my very first mini Christmas party at my house last night :) It was just a thing I did with a few close girlfriends and it turned out to be really nice!

I enjoyed the preparation for it as well as the outcome.

A few photos...

Hope you're all having a joyous Holiday Season! I can't believe how close Christmas is!

A bit of a Christmas throwback

2010-12-07T10:11:00.005-06:00

Who doesn't remember being dressed up in the most uncomfortable clothes ever and having to have your picture taken for a Christmas card or photo to send to all of the family?

Ash and I do. And there are more where this came from. How about our Amish dresses? We were awesome. Thanks, mom.

That year we got our first car ever. It was probably the best Christmas I can remember to date (As a little kid, anyway).

We were stoked (and freezing in the below zero West Virginia temperatures). I remember that day so vividly.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my little apartment :)

2010-12-02T09:13:00.012-06:00

Ben and I went Christmas tree shopping for my apartment last night! It was SO much fun. This is the first time in my life where I have lived alone and had my own place to decorate. I have so many wonderful memories of putting up Christmas trees and decorations with my family and Christmas has been and always will be the greatest time of the year in my eyes. I have the fondest Christmas memories.

I contemplated not getting a tree because Ben and I will be driving to my Parent's the week before Christmas, so I didn't really see much sense in decorating if I'm not even going to be here. However, Ben was very adamant about getting a tree for my apartment. He stated that he was buying it, it was going to be real and we were going to decorate it together. Love him!

Needless to say, I'm very glad that he talked some sense into me!

Shopping for decorations/ornaments/ribbon etc.

Loading her up!

A little dinner and cheers paired with some Dean Martin Christmas in the record player before we got started.

The finished product!

Us with our tree creation.

We had such a wonderful time together and I will always cherish the memory. I am so blessed and thankful. It's a good thing he loves Christmas as much (or maybe even a little bit more) than I do!

Merry Christmas!!!

Thankful.

2010-11-30T09:44:00.011-06:00

To have been able to spend Thanksgiving with my incredible boyfriend and his precious family. It was absolutely wonderful and memories were made that I will never forget. I am so grateful for Ben's family and I feel so "at home" with them.

I didn't get many pictures but I was able to snap a few with my phone and Ben's mom took a couple.

Ben and I arriving. (The "Lil Wayne" shirt I bought him as a joke and he wears it! Ha!)

Beautiful Thanksgiving table.

We were able to sneak away from his grandparents for a little bit on Friday to drive 2 hours to Charlotte and see my family. It was so nice to be home. My Mom had already decorated for Christmas and my Grandparents and cousins were there. It was such a special time. Short but definitely sweet.

My lovely sister and I.

My two favorite sisters.

All in all, it was a wonderful and perfect holiday weekend spent with amazing people. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Ben's grandfather was home from the hospital and it was so nice to get to spend time with him. We took advantage of every moment.

I'm thankful for all of the amazing blessings in my life but mostly for the people I am blessed to share my life with. I can't imagine how lonely it must be to spend these holidays alone or with people who don't love and appreciate you and vice versa. God has given me two amazing families and a wonderful boyfriend who showers me with love and acceptance every single day. I really don't deserve all of this but I am grateful just the same.

I hope all of you had a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones!

I'm getting really excited about Christmas! Ben is going to help me put up a tree in my apartment tomorrow night, I have a fancy Christmas work dinner this weekend, so much Christmas shopping to do (I enjoy every second of it) and we will be leaving in just a few weeks to Charlotte where I will be for a week and then will be spending Christmas Day in West Virginia with my Mom's side of the family. Ben will be with me and I am SO excited for him to get to experience this with me. I can't wait. So much to look forward to in the coming weeks. This is undoubtedly the best time of year!

What a

2010-11-15T11:05:00.010-06:00

fabulous weekend!

The wedding on Friday was beautiful and a lot of fun.

Here are a few photos of my date and I :)

And Saturday I attended another wedding with my lovely grandparents.

MeMa and I. I just love her.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is in 10 days! That blows my mind.

I'm very much looking forward to it. I'll be accompanying Ben and his family to North Carolina to spend it at his grandparent's house. However, his grandfather has been in the hospital for the past week with pneumonia. If you're the praying kind, pray he recovers quickly, retrieves his strength and can be home in time for the holidays. He's such a special and sweet Man. I know this has been hard on Ben's family. These types of things are never easy to deal with.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Oh and my little sister, Hannah just started a blog so, go be a follower.

just because.

2010-11-12T09:20:00.007-06:00

I have two weddings to attend this weekend. I love weddings.

I may or may not have purchased two different dresses for both weddings for the sheer fact that I had a valid excuse to do so. Come on, we all know that attending a wedding = buying a new dress so therefore attending 2 weddings = buying 2 new dresses. Simple math, my friends.

Last night my love surprised me by cooking me a delicious dinner! Grilled steak, brussel sprouts cooked in soy sauce ( we LOVE them), fried okra and an incredible spinach salad. He's a definite keeper.

I feel like I harp on how amazing my boyfriend is on here a lot. I'm sorry if that makes you gag or roll your eyes. I've never been "that girl" before until now and I remember how sometimes it could be annoying when others would write or talk about things of this nature. I think it was more or less me feeling as though I would never experience what they were experiencing and maybe I was a bit jealous? Well, now it's here and I'm not going to lie- I'm totally relishing every second of it. I'm so blessed. I've never experienced anything like this in all of my life and this may be too transparent but I am so totally and completely in love and couldn't be more sure about anything.

We've talked a lot about future plans some lately and I'm getting very excited as to how things will map out. Life is so fun right now!

Kind of a goofy picture but I just love him :)

2010-11-10T10:01:00.004-06:00

I'm no fashionista by any means but our mall just got a new store called Cotton On and I'm obsessed already. Below are two of a few purchases I made last night.

Cardigan and dress together were under $30.00. Amazing.

Paired with a few favorite accessories and Wa la...

Leggings from Cotton On- $4.99

Belt from TJ Maxx- $3.00

Boots are Bandolino's Genuine Leather and I found them at a second hand store- $29.99

Bag from Target- $19.99

Aviators from Aldo- $8.99

good weekend. great family. amazing boyfriend.

2010-11-10T09:44:00.009-06:00

My family came in town this past weekend. I had been anticipating it for weeks and it was here and then it was gone. So fast. I miss them so much already.

My lovely sisters and I. Seriously, how beautiful are they?

All of us with Mom right before they left :(

It was a wonderful weekend. Can't wait to see them again in just a few weeks.

Monday, I got the sweetest surprise visit at work from my sweet Ben. He brought me a bouquet of beautiful flowers along with the sweetest card. I love him so much.

The Fair.

2010-11-02T16:07:00.008-05:00

Ben and I went on a double date with our friends to the Fair on Friday night.

We had a good time but the "Tiniest Woman in the World" freak show made me sad. I don't know what on earth possessed us to pay 50 cents to walk in and see her. It was heartbreaking to me and ruined my whole entire night.

However, here are some photos of our fun before things got all weird and sad...

We ate a funnel cake, too.

ramblin'

2010-10-27T14:35:00.004-05:00

Time is breezing by with no intention of slowing down. I'm sure of it. I can't seem to catch up with it and it's freaking me out. Um, WHERE did October go? It was just here and in like 4 days, it will be gone. Is it really almost Christmas? Again? Already? I feel like I haven't even had time to enjoy October. Before I know it, it will be thanksgiving and then I'll blink my eyes and it will be Christmas. Maybe I should try to stop blinking?

Goodness gracious. They say it only goes faster as you grow older. Can that please be a lie? Because if it's going to go more quickly than this- I'm seriously freaked out.

This month marks a year that Ben and I have been back together. How crazy is that? And I can't believe it's already been a year since my family moved. This is crazy.

I feel like these next few weeks/months will be like oh hey, happyhalloweenthanksgivingmerrychristmashappynewyear.

Why is it that when you anticipate something for so long, it goes SO quickly when it finally gets here?

I hope the Holidays aren't like that this year. They were like that last year.

Admittance to my social network addiction and attempt to "cool it", Alvarez and Fall things.

2010-10-20T09:40:00.004-05:00

I haven't been very good at social networking, period to be honest with you. I have quite a few comments and messages to respond to and I'm lagging behind.

Tennessee was fabulous. So fabulous. We were disconnected from the world and it was glorious.

Sometimes, I wanna throw all of my techie things off of my balcony but then I know I'll be so sad and mad at myself. It's kinda sad how dependant I've become upon social networking. I'm starting to realize how engrossed I really am. Then again, it's a great way to keep in contact but when I look at my phone more than I do a person I'm having a conversation with, SOMETHING IS CLEARLY WRONG.

I'm trying to change this and not be so addicted to computers and my phone. Sheesh.

Last night Ben and I carved a Pumpkin.

He's a Panda Bear and we named him Alvarez. I love him.

A Five Guys opened in Pensacola today. 2.12 miles from my house. This is very good but also very bad.

The fair comes into town this week. Tomorrow to be exact.

I want to go to a corn maze.

I love candy corn.

I love this time of year. Fall is the BEST.

Hope you're all having a great fall thus far!

Update with a recipe and a birthday boy!

2010-10-07T10:31:00.019-05:00

It's been a while...

Cold weather has made it's debut. Fall is officially here. Life is busy and grand.

Ben's brithday is tomorrow! He'll be 24. So, I did what any good girlfriend would do and I baked him a cake and planned a surprise dinner with our friends for him. It turned out fabulous. I am so thankful.

I figured I would share the recipe for this delicious strawberry cake with chocolate covered strawberries because it is like NO OTHER. (It's my mom's recipe, by the way)

Ingredients:

Strawberry cake mix (Preferrably the "Moist Supreme Pillsbury" brand)

Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Icing

Fresh Strawberries

White Chocolate Almond Bark

Milk Chocolate Almond Bark

1. Follow instructions on the back of cake mix. (3 eggs, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 1 cup of water)

2. Pour into very well greased bundt pan and bake for approximately 37 min at 350 degrees.

3. While waiting for cake to bake, melt your chocolate and begin dipping the strawberries in both the white and milk chocolate. (This recipe only calls for 10 strawberries but I always make extra for everyone)

4. Place your cake on a plate/tray to cool.

5. Finish dipping your strawberries.

6. Once cake is cool, place cream cheese icing into microwave for approximately 30 seconds (or until melted) and pour over cake, evenly distributing.

7. Adorn cake with chocolate covered strawberries (5 white chocolate and 5 milk chocolate)

8. Enjoy!

Ben had no idea. We showed up to the restarurant and many of our friends were there waiting for us. It was wonderful and the cake was a hit!

Lighting it up- all 24 candles :)

The Birthday Boy!

Happy Birthday, babe! So blessed to able to celebrate your life with you and I hope this is the best birthday yet!

We leave for Tennessee early in the morning to visit some of his family. Let the celebrations continue...

wow, mega growth.

2010-09-16T09:36:00.007-05:00

I straightened my hair for the first time in probably 3 or 4 months and the difference in length is INSANE.

You have no idea.

I've been trying to get my hair long for forever and I'm finally here. FINALLY.

Ben and his goofy faces. Love him :)

September 11, 2001.

2010-09-11T10:14:00.001-05:00

Like so many others I vividly remember every intricate detail about that day. Awaking to my mom in tears as she somberly broke the news and watching in utter terror the attacks that came upon our nation. It felt as though the world as I knew it was coming to an end and in those moments, my eyes were glued to what I was beholding. It seemed so surreal.

Today marks 9 years since the tragic day we were attacked on our soil and so many lost their lives due to the fatal brutality of terrorism. So many spouses, children, loved ones, friends and co-workers were affected by these heinous acts and may we never ever forget the lives that were lost that day. May we never forget those who sacrificed their lives heroically to save another and may we never forget those who grasped the gravity of the moment and understood the threat as they courageously took matters into their own hands on Flight 93 when they realized their fate. May we never ever forget.

Today I mourn with those who mourn. As an American Citizen affected by these events I can't help but be somber and respectful as I look back and commemorate those who made a difference in their actions and lovingly and notably reached out to those in need. The self sacrifice expressed through their actions is a picture of true love and of true brotherhood- "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. I am humbled by those sacrifices. Our country was forever changed that day and there can be no denying that despite these grave occurrences there was a unity in our Nation that truly did something unexplainable.

Sometimes it's hard for me to believe all of the things I have witnessed throughout my life that will undoubtedly go down in history. The things that shook our nation, brought us closer as well as all of the things that have divided our nation. I imagine that we will behold so much more- it's undeniable.

I do not think that we realize how unbelievably blessed we truly are. We gripe and complain about so many little things that really have no significance compared to the trials and losses of others. Today, I remember the heroes and I remember all of the innocent blood shed and I can't help but sit here, tears streaming down my face in disbelief and in utter gratefulness that I am an American and that God has blessed me in ways unimaginable.

Many things have changed since that September morning in 2001 but one thing remains constant, the bond that every American now shares; unspoken but strong, we came together as a nation that day regardless of religion, race or creed and today we stand united on this 9th anniversary to remember the heroes of 9/11.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted"- Matthew 5:4

So, say a prayer for those mourning today. Say a prayer for our troops. Say a prayer for our Nation and it's leaders. Say a prayer for the future of our Nation.

Never forget and be grateful because we truly are blessed beyond belief.

Much Love,

-Amber

Recap.

2010-09-10T08:53:00.012-05:00

I don't know why I always feel as though I need an explanation for my absence so this time, I have no explanation. I could contribute it to being busy, having nothing to write about, not feeling like writing, etc. etc. Instead, I'll just say hey! :)

Last weekend was so good. SO good. I was able to spend some quality time with my sweet sister. The time went by way too quickly though. I am so thankful that it worked out for her to come and to have had the special quality time that we did.

It's crazy to think that we're both adults now, working real jobs and having so much more responsibility than we did just a few short years ago.

I never really imagined myself living away from my family and yes, I miss them more than you can even imagine but I know that this season of growth and maturity has been so crucial in my life.

It was definitely a treat to have Ashton visit me here and we had such a wonderful time!

And now for pictures...

Ash and I.

My love and I.

Ashton and Christie both came into town. Christie lives in California. We all attended a going away party for dear friends of ours.

My love and I again.

Antiquing.

Dinner with our grandparents :)

Don't leave :(

It was fabulous. Wish it didn't have to end.

yay.

2010-09-03T10:52:00.003-05:00

My sister is in town!

I'm really happy about it.

Hope you all have a wonderful labor day weekend!

fantastic.

2010-08-23T09:22:00.016-05:00

I have officially entered the iworld and I purchased the iphone 4.

I LOVE IT.

Had a superb weekend with the loveliest of people.

Enjoyed being lazy, snuggling up and watching movies with the sweetest boyfriend that ever lived.

Got to be a spectator while Ben tracked drums for one of our dear friend's EP's. He's the best drummer EVER.

Enjoyed testing out my handy dandy iphone camera.

Loved having cloudy skies and rain.

Did lots of smiling.

'Twas a lovely weekend, indeed.

And to top it off, I have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks!

Hope you all had a splendid weekend!

I can do anything.

2010-08-20T08:56:00.003-05:00

I fixed my broken camera, myself.

Pictures soon.

Tapestry.

2010-08-19T09:03:00.007-05:00

I was not a timid toddler to say the least. Conversation came natural to me and I never met a stranger. I began communicating quite efficiently at the tender age of two. I watch home videos of myself now and am absolutely stunned by my annunciation and word usage. Quite impressive.

I was the epitome of "big sister", as in, I always felt the need to sort of lead. Looking back on tapes, I see myself constantly assuring Ashton that she is a "good girl" and using words such as "sweetie" and "honey" as if there is more than the mere 16 months between us. It's actually quite adorable. It's amazing to look back on pictures and old home movies and watch this little person who is essentially, me. Amazing. I remember my childhood extremely well and was always such a happy little girl. I absolutely loved to talk and sing and would entertain anyone and everyone. I was in love with making people laugh and smile.

I would love to travel back in time and revisit those sweet memories. Being little had so many perks. There were no worries or concerns other than when you left your play-dough out by accident and it dried out, or worrying that we'd get caught doing something we knew was wrong. You know, such as sneaking cookie dough, staying up past bedtime giggling, and not being allowed to play with the neighbor girl for some reason that we were not aware of. 'Twas an easy and carefee little life we lived. Oh how things change as you grow.

I'm quite positive that I had the wildest imagination. This may have been due to the fact that I began reading earlier than usual. I was hungry to learn and found delight and pure pleasure in books. I remember how excited I was when I went to Kindergarten and learned that there was a vending machine for books! My heart skipped a beat as I slipped my quarter in to retrieve my first "Clifford, the Big Red Dog" book. From then on, I developed a vast love for books and proceeded to absorb all that I possibly could while reading. I thank for my Mom for passing this down to me.

As I grew older and changed, I became more reserved. A shy-ness crept in and plastered me with insecurites. I was no longer the "entertainer" and I withheld much. My sister and I actually switched roles. She was the one with hoards of friends and acquaintences while my close circle remained in tact. I sort of kept to myself and was overly sensitive. I cried over the most ridiculous things. I didn't whine, I genuinely shed tears because I was so easily hurt. I look back now and realize how utterly ridiculous I was, but at the time, my tender heart was so fragile that if someone ignored me or said my hair looked funny, I would hide and bawl my little eyes out. Little things would bother me for weeks, even months. I felt as though I had to gain and keep my friends by doing favors for them and even found myself doing their homework at times in order to maintain their friendship. I allowed myself to be taken advantage of and I did it with a smile on my face. I didn't know how to be tough and I was most definitely NEVER one to tease back, nor was I one to exclude. I hated the thought of hurting someone, as it essentially hurt me.

In 3rd grade, my teacher was a close friend of our family and she did not want to seem as though she was favoring me in any way, that she actually ended up shunning me. I remember coming home on several occasions crying because I was hardly allowed to demonstrate during class and during competitions and contests, I wasn't allowed to win. It was hurtful. Little things like this had a huge effect on me. I over analyzed even as an 8 year old. My brain is just programmed to think much too hard and come up with ridiculous scenarios as to terrify myself into believing the craziest things.

I was an extremely awkward and insecure pre-teen and teen. You really have no idea. It wasn't until I was about 15 that I began to come into myself as I grew and learned how to do my hair and make-up. (Thank God for that!) I can honestly look back on my teen years as being absolutely amazing though there was much heartache to endure. I had a blast and do not feel as though I missed out on anything. I thank God for allowing me to be apart of a church that, though in the end was a huge disappointment and let down, ultimately taught me more than I ever would have dreamed to know. I'm thankful for everything that occured, even the most difficult of situations. God shone through everything and shed light on so many things in my life through it all.

It's amazing how I can see attributes and characteristics that have carried down from my toddler, childhood, preteen and teen years. Of course, it all makes me who I am and I am all of this...

I am talkative and still feel the need to "mother" my siblings.
I am outgoing, silly and love making people smile and laugh.
I am introverted, shy, reserved, insecure and still a people pleaser.
I am sensitive, analytical and secretive, as in I bottle up my emotions easily.
I love to read, write and learn.
I am awkward and crazy, even weird.
I am loving, faithful and loyal.
I am learning and growing every single day, with every single situation I undergo and every aspect of life is uniquely beautiful.

I'm in love with a man who knows and loves all of my quirks. Ben has stood by me through some of the most difficult times and I can honestly say that I don't even know if I could have put up with me through it all. He's so patient with me and though my setbacks can put a strain on things at times, he is always more than willing to listen to me and let me soak his shoulder, if need be. I am blessed to have a relationship where I can be myself at all times. I never feel as though I have to mask anything. I can say weird things and ask ridiculous questions without feeling as though I may cause him not to like me anymore. I'm secure in his love and affection for me and even though I may not be the best at conveying my feelings, they are there and they are very real.

My life is like that of a tapestry and though what I may see from below is a mess of colors and string, when turned over is a crisp, clear, colorful picture that essentially screams, me.

I am blessed.

Impacted.

2010-08-18T11:36:00.009-05:00

Tears streaming down my face.

Due to a facebook status of someone I went to Bible college with years ago- a simple statement about a 26 year old young woman who passed into eternity today. It linked me to her facebook where there were literally hundreds of comments from people all over the world who were/are so impacted and touched by this young Missionary woman.

My heart is heavy.

I found her blog through her facebook as well as many other links and stories about this girl's life- a woman who has traveled to 20 different countries and committed her life fully and completely to reaching the lost and hurting, teaching foreign children, loving the unloved and uncared for and literally giving up her life to gain SO much more in return.

She died from a blood clot in her brain this morning.

I didn't know her. I've never heard of her but I know people who do.

I just read her blog and also read a tribute to her here.

Needless to say, I'm deeply moved.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me."
-Matthew 6:24-

"Denying of self" desperately needs to take place in my life.

RIP Joy Bausum. Thank you for heeding the call and touching so many lives, mine included.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

Psalm 116:15

testing.

2010-08-16T12:12:00.004-05:00

I'm alive, I promise.

Just arrived home yesterday after making a last minute trip to surprise my family in Charlotte, NC. It was so much fun. They had no idea.

Ben and I showed up at 3:00 am on Wednesday morning and startled everyone with the exception of my sister, Ashton -who let us in.

It was a much needed trip. I'm missing them so much already :(

Not much else is new.

Hymn.

2010-08-03T08:45:00.007-05:00

"If to distant lands I scatter

If I sail to farthest seas

Would you find and firm and gather

'til I only dwell in Thee?

If I flee from greenest pastures

Would you leave to look for me?

Forfeit glory to come after
'Til I only dwell in Thee

If my heart has one ambition

If my soul one goal to seek

This my solitary vision 'til I only dwell in Thee

That I only dwell in Thee

'Til I only dwell in Thee"

good for my soul.

2010-07-29T10:10:00.003-05:00

"That is the best - to laugh with someone because you both think the same things are funny."

You know what makes you feel good?

2010-07-26T09:39:00.007-05:00

When kids like you.

Friday afternoon, a little girl walked in our office with her mother. I glanced at her, smiled and waved and she waltzed right over, jumped in my lap and sat with me the entire time. It was absolutely precious.

Made my day, really.

I had a fabulous weekend. Back to the grind today. Oh, Monday.

Hey, friday.

2010-07-23T08:57:00.008-05:00

1. Ben left for the weekend today. Bummer. Good thing it's only for the weekend. Bad thing that I won't get to hang out with him this weekend. Good thing I have fun things planned. Bad thing he won't be here for them. Ah well. Such is life.

2. Yesterday, work was fun. The other girls in the office and I literally laughed until we cried and I honestly couldn't even really tell you what it was about. It felt good though and needless to say, we didn't really get anything done yesterday afternoon. I think we're alloted that for all the work that we do get done though, right? Sure.

3. My boyfriend is sweet. He really spoils me. This is my "I know you love me and will do anything I ask" when I want something face. He always gives in. Most always, at least.

4. I had scorching coffee this morning that burned my tongue and now it feels like sand paper. This is really not good.

5. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see through someone elses eyes? Like do people with brown eyes see colors differently than people with green eyes? For instance, we all know and have been taught colors and shades but what if your blue was my orange or so on and so forth. Does that make sense? It's really a little bit frustrating to think about, but I just can't help but wonder. And how would anyone ever know? You could never look through somoene elses eyes. Ever. So, you just never know. It's kind of like people saying that dogs see in black and white. I beg to differ. My dog knew colors. I know it. How would anyone ever be able to tell that anyway? Or people saying when you have a dream that you're falling and if you don't wake up before you hit the ground, you will die in your sleep. Again, how is this really and truly proven? Ah, I could go on and on. For the sake of yours and even, my own sanity, I'll stop.

6. Sometimes working in customer service is exasperating. People really should consider what it's like to be in another's shoes. If anything, it has made me empathize with other CSR's out there. Gotta stick together. I truly understand. My motto is "kill em with kindness" and it works most of the time but then there are those ones who are going to be mean, rude and nasty no matter how polite and understanding you seem to be. I would be lying if I said that I never cried about it or took it personally. It's hard not to sometimes. Fellow CSR's, receptionists or anyone that deals with the public on a daily basis- you're incredible.

7. I'm going to the river on Sunday with some of my most favorite people. We're going tubing all day. I'm so excited. You have no idea. I just wish Ben could join. Dangit.

8. I need a vacation. Soon. Really soon. I think it's in the works. It needs to happen and SOON. Do you feel the emphasis on "soon"?

9. I would like to visit a zoo.

10. Have you ever thought about going an entire day without listening to any music whatsoever? Do you think you could do it? I honestly don't think that I could. I think the withdrawl symptoms would be so brutal.

That's all I got.

It's Friday. Rejoice with me!

movie love.

2010-07-22T09:39:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure we've set a record on how many movies we've gone to this year. Kind of ridiculous. Really ridiculous, actually. Especially considering the amount of money it requires.

However, we love it. And I especially love the Pixar 3D movies. Who doesn't?

They all make me cry. It's pathetic. Toy Story 3- cried. Up- definitely cried. They're just so heartwarming.

We went and saw Despicable Me the other night and it was really cute. Definitely heartfelt, funny and sweet.

I recommend.

Oh and aside from cartoons, Inception is probably the best movie I've seen all year. Astounding. Leo is just my most favorite actor.

So, there are my reviews- for what they're worth.

Happy Thursday.

Belated recap

2010-07-21T08:30:00.011-05:00

Of my weekend, that is.

Ben and I went antiquing all day on Saturday and we came upon some pretty fabulous things. Among them is this marvelous Polaroid Land Camera from circa 1957. It's in mint condition and I believe it works! I'm going to attempt to order the film that it takes so I can try her out.

Saturday evening, we went out to hear our friends play music as they are about to relocate to Nashville to pursue their dreams.

Bittersweet.

Alex and I

The boyfriend and I.

Jesse and I. He leaves next week :( So sad.

Jesse and Alex.

Speaking of my friends and their music, you should check them out- "The Gills". They have a fanpage on facebook.

They're in the process of spear heading a non profit organization for children with leukemia. Jesse has a story about fiercely battling leukemia.. Their cause is beautiful and there's a video on facebook that goes more in depth of what their dream and desire is. You can find it here.

I'm so proud of these guys and I know that they are going to do great things. Pensacola is going to be pretty sad when they leave.

All that to say, I had a pretty wonderful weekend. I hope you did as well.

Thank you, Dr. Wisdom.

2010-07-20T16:13:00.005-05:00

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love"

Couldn't be more perfectly put.

heartcry.

2010-07-19T08:27:00.004-05:00

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

I don't need to elaborate much considering this verse essentially speaks for itself.

I'm in dire need of cleansing and refreshing. My little complacent heart is swelling and desperately needs to spill over and lose it's density. I've become despondent and I'm lacking vitality.

I am keenly aware of what steps I must take in order to get where I need to be. It's a process and it starts right here. In this place of vulnerability and transparency. I have to do it for myself, not for anyone else and with no ulterior motive in mind.

"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit."

Psalm 51:12

friday randoms

2010-07-16T13:36:00.007-05:00

1. I was late to work this morning because I was throwing up....TMI? Sorry :/ I think I got food poisoning or something of the like. Maybe not.

2. This would be me after one too many cheeseburgers. Scarrrrrry.

3. I already regret posting this picture.

4. My friend, Beth made me fat with the "fat booth" application on her handy dandy iphone and then posted this picture on facebook. I think I might have a world record of comments on it.

5. I'm ready for the weekend. Ben will be gone next weekend. He gets to go to Los Angeles. I'm not jealous at all.

6. I need a vacation and as soon as possible, please?

7. Banana peppers are delicious and they actually helped settle my stomach. Weird much? I hate pepto bismol.

8. I feel like everyone around me is getting engaged, married and/or having babies and its freaking me out. We're not old enough for this! Wait...dang...we are. Scary.

9. My new favorite snacks are snap pea crisps from publix. (In the greenwise section). Try em.

10. Look at this picture of my sister and I from 2006. I just found it on my old photobucket account. Weird.

I miss her.

Bit of a throwback.

2010-07-14T08:46:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went through some old pictures and came across these...

I used to watch these kiddies once, sometimes even twice a week.

I worked/interned in a spanish church for a little over a year and my most favorite part of my job was hanging with these precious babes. Kinda miss it.

These just touched my heart and I thought I'd share. :)

Happy Wednesday!

A glimpse into my thoughts...

Wedding Photos- Part 6

Wedding Photos- Part 5

Home.

*NEWS*

Wedding Photos- Part 4.

Wedding Photos- Part 3.

Wedding Photos- Part 2.

Wedding Photos- Part 1.

October 28 was truly perfect.

Wedding bands.

Invitations.

Update.

Summer favs.

Pinterest Addict.

They were right.

Save the dates have been sent!

Wedding-ness.

The Engagement Photos.

Just another teaser :)

Real Sneak Peek (Engagement photos)

Engagement shoot preview.

Invitation crush.

Inspiration.

This is where...

Crazy.

Wedding on the brain.

Yesterday was the best day of my life (to date, anyway)

Homemade spring.

Etsy Revealed...

Valentine recap.

writer.type

In the spirit of Valentine's Day.

In the process.

Project guest room minus a bed.

Well, I'm sick.

Project shelves and some other neat stuff.

Skyisms.

Part Deux.

Thriftiness.

Inspiration.

Hi.

It's the little things...

Where you invest your love, you invest your life.

Gifted.

Hello, 2011!

A Christmas to Remember... (picture overload)

Our Date :)

1 year.

Christmas Festivities.

A bit of a Christmas throwback

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my little apartment :)

Thankful.

What a

just because.

good weekend. great family. amazing boyfriend.

The Fair.

ramblin'

Admittance to my social network addiction and attempt to "cool it", Alvarez and Fall things.

Update with a recipe and a birthday boy!

wow, mega growth.

September 11, 2001.

Recap.

yay.

fantastic.

I can do anything.

Tapestry.

Impacted.

testing.

Hymn.

good for my soul.

You know what makes you feel good?

Hey, friday.

movie love.

Belated recap

Thank you, Dr. Wisdom.

heartcry.

friday randoms

Bit of a throwback.

NEWS