love a loner.

love a loner. simple. 


i love this. this guy reuben over in aussieland came up with this concept - go read it. you don't need to travel across the world to impact a life. someone is aching to be loved around the next corner. the elderly lady in the produce section, the barista at your fav cafe, the guy you just passed on the street. even just a simple smile can speak volumes. it's right here, right now. 

photo: click on for the source. 17 year old nikoline from norway. you'll fall in love with her photography. breathtaking. 

xoxo.

tea time.

i love tea. 

there's something invigorating about a steamy cup of goodness held between your hands. mmm...as i sit here, sipping on my sleepytime vanilla. a little slice of heaven.


photo: from my travels to sao paulo, brazil in june. 


video: kula shaker. a brit psychedelic rock band. not a big fan of their music, but i thought this vid was quite humorous...



xoxo :)

the hunt.

the hunt has come. and gone. 


we secured the perfect christmas tree today. 9 feet tall. that beast of a tree dusts the top of the ceiling...which i don't think there's going to be any room for a star...poo...


first photo: yours truly @ the tree farm that our fam has frequented since the dawn of time. no worries, i left those baby trees alone. 


second & third photos: mikelle and whit, my baby sisters. tree hunting never looked this good, eh?


a second hunt has taken place this week too. the hunt for bambi. yes, i know, what am i thinking? me? wielding a rifle? laugh aloud. go ahead, i give you permission. you're not the first...


to answer your question: yes, i went hunting. craziness, i know. but quite honestly, i really enjoyed it. going with boss (that's my dad) before dawn, watching the sunrise in the middle of nowhere...that's bonding folks! not to mention watching him dress a deer. holy petes! he's my hero after watching that display of manliness...


go hunt my friends. not necessarily trees or deer. but something! because sometimes the pursuit possesses a greater reward than the actual acquisition. food for thought. 


xoxo :)

bring on the holidays!

...and the holiday parties begin! Last night we had our company holiday party which never fails to entertain ;)


Here's my sis/adorable date. We revamped a couple of old dresses to wear to the festivities. Amazing how with a little bit of determination and thriftiness - the old becomes new! But not without a little dash of the red lips...


i am uber excited for snow to get here. the holidays just aren't complete without that white blanketing the ground! 


here's what i love about the holiday season...


#1 - family time. christmas tree hunting is always a highlight. i still make the trek up north to join the search for the perfect tree for my parent's living room. it's always a battle between short/thin (my mom's preference) and tall/fat (us girls and my dad). we'll see who wins this year!

here's my sis mikelle "tree hunting" 3 years ago. i laughed every time i see this...


family time includes time spent around the piano, singing christmas hymns. gotta love a musical family! "what child is this" is a personal fav of mine...


#2 - snow. cold, yes. but so beautiful! make for some cozy moments indoors snuggled up with some hot coco...and don't forget the marshmallows!


#3 - holiday films. "white christmas" and "it's a wonderful life" are a must! bing crosby's voice...sigh...

...speaking of counting your blessings, thanksgiving is almost upon us! have a blessed time of food, family and giving thanks! 

xoxo

i heart . . .

this week i heart a few token lovelies like . . . 


wellies: my Tretorn rain boots arrived this week! yahoo! the slush, snow and mud will be no match this winter season! click on photo for Tretorn's blog. their guys boots/shoes are sharp too . . . 

cowl neck scarves: tomorrow a few lovely friends will be descending upon my casa for an evening of knitting! hoping to begin some magical scarf creation!

blazers: sophistication in an instant! love . . . 

OPI's holiday polishes: especially shim-merry-chic. gold holiday confetti in a little bottle . . . 

blessings on your week my dear friends!
xoxo

a coons.

New phrase - "a coons"


Spread it like wildfire. My sis (Mikelle) would use that phrase periodically to describe "a long time"...and it has since been frequenting my vocabulary and various conversations. I figured that since we're originally small town folk, that gives us clearance to use such a phrase. 

With that said, I feel like it has been a coons since I last blogged a little blurb. Even though only a few days have passed! Perhaps this week was simply moving at a glacial pace. I don't mind it though. Simplicity and peace allow for me to savor the little things in life...


Reminds me of that small town life. So let's take today and live as such. Because life isn't about all that hustle and bustle. It's about cherishing little moments...


Sigh...


Photo: A car wash sign in one such small town...


Melodic preferences of the evening: Nickel Creek :) Still stuck in the wonderful land of folk music...


xoxo

matthew 5:8

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God"


Today I received an email from a pastor-friend of mine lobbying for input for his sermon this week. The foundation of his message - Matthew 5:8 - for which he posed the question: "How have you seen God this past year" ? ? ? 


Asking for one-liners, stories, experiences - I responded with the following...


"Hmm - If I could sum up how I've seen God this past year, it would be tangibly. And tangibly isn't as easy as it seems. Indeed there is an indescribable joy in drawing closer to the heart of God, but it is typically accompanied by some degree of pain or discomfort. But it's within that brokenness that I've seen God more clearly than ever. That within my earthly rejection I catch glimpses of my heavenly direction. I consider my faith journey as a refining process - as day by day I continually learn what it means to love God and love people. To live as a disciple of Christ..."


Question of the Day: How have you seen God this year? What does that look like for you? 


xoxo ;)

art battle.

Plywood. Old Warehouse. Saturday Night. Art Battle. 


Saturday night was spent at this year's Art Battle. I hadn't attended in a coons (which means "a long time"), but opted to join my artsy-fartsy buds for the festivities...


The premise was a slab of plywood...and from there the options were limitless! Painting, carving, crafting...


I preferred #15 above the rest...too bad my pick didn't win...poo...


On the subject of crafting, I think I will resume my backyard painting madness tomorrow. Time to wrap up my outdoor projects before winter gets underway! Brrr...


Wise Words of the Day: Read a book. Drink some tea. Preferably peppermint ;)


xoxo

awfully crafty of you.

Today I've been on a crafting craze. Spray painting oddities in the backyard, antique furniture shopping, writing the last bits of my riveting abstinence talk for this weekend...

I'm revamping my bedroom/studio - have been inspired by the colors of autumn-turning-winter...especially the colors in these photos. They were taken this past weekend in Northern Michigan. Who knew that dead/dreary could be so breathtaking?? So peaceful/tranquil...the grays, blues, black...hello earthy tones!

Well it's 5pm EST and I've yet to put myself together to face the day. Whoops! Time flies when you're having fun! The outfit today is quite inspirational: spectacles for typing, sweatshirt from the 3rd grade (still as comfy as ever), no make-up, the half-braided hair, black spray paint still on my pinky finger...guess I'd better go wash up before tonight! ;)

Tonight's our monthly "Book Club". Well, it's hardly a book club. We never chat about books. More like a smorgasbord of girls coming together for some food, fun, and fellowship! 

Music of the Day: Anything "folky"...it's just one of those fall days...

xoxo

gumption.

gump⋅tion [guhmp-shuhn]

-noun Informal.

1. initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness

2. courage; spunk; guts

3. common sense; shrewdness

Gumption. Gumption. Gumption. 

That is the theme of the week. I didn't choose it. It chose me!

God's really lit a fire in my heart. Equipped me with a strength I've rarely encountered. To make decisions that might hurt. But decisions that in the end will bring God glory. 

I've concluded that the best decisions are often the toughest to make. Especially when you choose to let go of something that is very dear to your heart. But in the end, you know it wasn't yours to begin with. All things are a gift from God. Release them back to Him and in return He will either restore or replace it with something even more divine...more beautiful than before. 

Carrying on with our theme: Here are some tiny morsels that remind me of gumption...

RED LIPS: Big fan of a little va-va-voom. Photo courtesy of my dear Aline who snapped this during my stay in Brazil this summer!

“YOU WON’T RELENT” by Christ Quilala & Kim Walker. Anointed song. I can't get past it yet to savor the rest of the tracks on the album. It's just that powerful!

...so find gumption this week. Do something out of the box. Make a decision that's long overdue. Draw a line in the sand where needed. Pursue what brings you joy, even if you feel overwhelmed with the fear of failure. You'll never know if you never try. Life's too short to live safe. 

xoxo