all things eye love

107

2010-02-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

psalm 107

:4,6 some wandered in desert wastelands...He delivered them

:10,13 some sat in darkness...there was no one to help...He saved them

:17,19 some became fools through rebellion...suffered...

He saved them...He healed them...He rescued them

:23,28 others went out...He brought them out of their distress

he is always there...

never does he leave

never does he forsake

he is always always always there

what would it look like to always be there for someone?

to forgive them through everything?

to love unconditionally?

to give up yourself?

we get in binds all the time...

discouraged...

let down...

and sometimes we turn to no one...

or the wrong one

looking for an answer

a way out

a way through

and he is there

to deliver

to save

to heal.

to do for us what we cant do for ourselves

or each other .

premonitions

2010-01-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

so im enjoying this overcast saturday.

already been to the market,

cup of tea in hand.

just relaxing prior to having to go to the gym.

(although after the gym i get to relax-ish in hot yoga)

i turn on the television and my favorite actress is on...

sandra bullock...

i wish we could be friends. shes so down-to-earth.

anyway...

my LEAST favorite movie of hers is what im watching now.

PREMONITION

the movie begins (sorry for those who havent seen it) with her husband dying and throughout the movie she keeps flashing back to just prior to his death.

in trying to prevent it from happening she actually is the cause of the accident.

just doesnt make any sense to me!

i love words and thought that googling the definition of premonition might help me get this a bit more...

premonition [ˌprɛməˈnɪʃən]

n
1. an intuition of a future, usually unwelcome, occurrence; foreboding
2. an early warning of a future event; forewarning

ok, so i knew thats what it was, duh, but i still cant grasp that an intuition actually....

you know what,

nevermind.

the director did what he wanted to do.

so now i turn my premonition understandings to God.

we have this book that forewarns us of future events.

both good ones and bad.

we have an ability to see and understand where our existence is heading.

what the future holds.

so why dont we listen to it more closely?

why not rely on it and heed its warnings?

i just dont get it...

the bible is a blessing. God didnt have to tell us anything

what does He owe us?

and yet we keep this book hidden in our nightstand collecting dust.

its our owners manual.

we need to address it daily and see what new revelations God blesses us with...

which direction each day is headed,

each year,

each lifetime,

until the premonitions God put into place come to pass.

new year, new food

2010-01-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

ok post my liver flush i TRIED to maintain a 100% clean eating/vegan diet...

i wont lie...

i failed.

sometimes you just can't deny yourself that yummy, gooey, choc chip cookie.

i do have, though, a 90% plant based diet and im still trying to decide which foods my body functions better on.

not so easy but i think ive determined that dairy doesnt suit me well.

lame.

while on my flush i searched the internet high-and-low to find recipes for a new eating lifestyle and i came across these two that i fell in love with...

and

fiber-girl.

gone raw has a plethora of recipes for raw eating. now i know that a total raw diet just isnt possible for most of us.

its pretty time consuming and quite socially limiting but we can snatch up a few of the recipes every once-in-awhile.

i really like the concept of raw desserts like this

TIRAWMISU...

click HERE for the recipe.

or look into higher fiber foods for healthy weight loss as fiber-girl.com suggests.

here's an excerpt from her website explaining this in detail.

High fiber foods contain "sneaky" calories. Not only are the carbs (and therefore the calories) in fiber indigestible, but each gram of fiber burns calories as it works its way through your digestive tract! Watch how it works with this apple - that apple contains five grams of fiber, and that fiber has four calories per gram that are not digested or absorbed in humans. So you can actually subtract twenty calories from the original one hundred. Each gram of fiber causes your body to burn seven calories,

so metabolism negates thirty-five more calories (5 grams of fiber times 7 calories per gram), giving you a net retention of only forty-five calories from your one-hundred-calorie apple. Only 45% of the calories absorbed!

WOW

looks like im living on popcorn and apples now..LOL

this year, a new you may mean new food. do what suits your body best and remember to just be active and choose food wisely to maintain optimum health.

and.....

enjoy that cookie every now-and-then!!!!

Designer Cheap

2010-01-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

we all wish we had loads of money, i know.

i wish i lived a carrie bradshaw, sex-and-the-city existence

full of menolo blahniks

and dolce & gabbana

unfortunately though most of us cant spend 800$ on a dress.

thats why there are designer bargain websites offering the same amazing styles at a fraction of the cost!

hautelook has these amazing alexander mcqueen sunglasses that retail at 295$ for only 109$

what a deal! also sites like

beyondtherack

and

gilt

offer great designers like zac posen and vivian tam on the cheap.

(well...cheap may not be the case ALWAYS but comparatively cheap for sure.)

i was in the market for an amazing leather bag, since someone broke into my car while i was at the gym and took my francisco biasia, and i came across gryson bags on gilt

for less that half the retail price!

so in todays economy, and with just plain smart thinking, its best to visit these sites when searching out quality pieces for a reasonable rate. after all, these are pricier because theyre built better and everyone needs a few key splurges!!!

new year

2010-01-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

whats the old saying.... new year, new you?

i like it.

so...

i think im going to reformat my blog...

i like the idea of posting everyday and i thought that having a format for each day would work for me.

it does and it doesnt:)

i dont want to post something that im not inspired about just because its what that day calls for and i was feeling like at times that what was happening.

makes sense, no???

so....

im going to post things that truly inspire me

motivate me

encourage me

(hopefully daily)

sweet finds, deals, recipes, thoughts, etc.

and it starts NOW...

(well....seeing as im tired and slightly unmotivated lets start tomorrow)

squapple salad

2009-12-28T23:09:00.000-08:00

so this Christmas Eve all i had to bring to family dinner was a side dish.

seems so miniscule but i had been crazy baking lady the whole week prior so i was ok cooking a bit more low key.

i, unfortunately, didnt realize until last minute that i had to bring a side...i was gonna bake dessert
(surprise surprise) so i had few options since i couldnt make it to the market.

i did have butternut squash

and some apples

so i made a "squapple" salad :)

ingredients:

1 butternut squash peeled & cubed

4 apples cubed

cinnamon

sugar or stevia

walnuts

dried cranberries

lemon

*put squash & apples on baking sheets and sprinkle w/ cinnamon & sugar

*bake at 400 degrees for 25-35min (until tender but not too soft)

*last 10 min place walnuts on baking sheet in oven to toast

*remove from oven & let cool

*place in bowl and top with walnuts and cranberries. squeeze 1/2 lemon over top.

so simple and it tasted soooo good!

sweater party

2009-12-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

whats in style is a constant question on my mind and

every now and again i come across the most fashionable finds....

finds that i MUST share with you all.

last saturday i think i found my answer to any holiday style dilemma...

who ever said holiday sweaters were ugly???

(obviously joking)

theres whitney & i...we both adorned red sweaters all by ourself!

ryan, whit, and i with all our holiday cheer!

this is josh..he doesnt wear glasses but he should. they look so studious.

my sweater was adorned with fabric i cut in circles and pinched then pinned...just like the coffee
filters. i also affixed gold tool around the collar. when i got there people said that my sweater wasnt ugly enough!!! ha.

he may think his blazer is cool but apparently i dont LOL

id like to think that this would be what Carrie Bradshaw might wear to an Ugly Sweater Party.

merry late christmas to all and to all a good night

lazy days....

2009-12-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

so my last post was tuesday and i, unfortunately, have no good reason for that.

turns out that some days (or 3) im

lazy

just plain ol' l-a-z-y.

so so sorry!

and ive kinda had some mental blocks. on wednesday i didnt have any

particularly amazing wedding idea

(well i always have a ton of ideas its just choosing one)

thursday & friday were busy.

ps...as i write this U2:rattle & hum is on tv.

my new fav channel PALLADIA. its amazing!

really, how does anyone NOT love this band?!?!

ok sorry about the tangent.

what i was gonna say is that my mind has been a bit blank and busy lately

but tonight at church something inspired me.

its a verse...

you are not your own; you were bought at a price

1 corinthians 6:19

WOW!

so this body i have is on loan. i understand that.

im a soul with a body NOT a body with a soul.

im still understanding.

but if i think of it as if this body on loan were dying and i said to Jesus

"ok ill let you have this body. can i live forever?"

and He said "sounds good to me"

(i often think Jesus to be pretty chill)

then this body is fully not my own.

you get it?

ok, but unfortunately it wasnt that easy...

no no no.

satan owned my body and hes not too nice so he wasnt willing to trade.

he wanted a body so God gave him Jesus'.

now i know it seems juvenile.

like im talking to 5 year olds here.

but often we need to get back to the basics and understand Gods ways with childlike faith.

so...

God paid satan for me and he paid a PRETTY HIGH PRICE

if i dont own this body why do i continue to try to do with it what i want?

would i go paint someones house without asking what color they'd like?

no, id consult the owner.

so the point?

CONSULT THE OWNER

before i make any decisions that will affect this body or life i must first run it by God and the word (His owners manual) and see if He's cool with it.

Hes the owner after all.

Way easier said than done but im gonna try.

love for coffee....

2009-12-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

although i admit that i once wasnt able to start my day without any coffee...

i have been caffeine free for two weeks now!

it was totally unintentional.

my liver cleanse called for no caffeine and i havent had any since being "clean"

so what to do with all my coffee filters then???

i first used them layered as "flower" decor on this years holiday wrapping...

all you do is layer them and pinch the center underneath then hot glue/tape them to your paper.

(i like to wrinkle them for a more vintage look)

the other thing i choose to do was an arrangement on the wall....

i attached these to the wall with tape/pushpins.

same concept just executed a bit different...

i didnt use a template, just my "creative eye" haha.

pop-that-corn

2009-12-14T22:31:00.000-08:00

i love food!

and although i eat often and adore the extravagant tastes of

truffles,

scallops,

sushi (yum!)...

sometimes its the simple things in life that make me smile brightest.

i love pea soup

broccoli

POPCORN

truly is one of life's great and simple treats!

(i seriously have it almost every day)

and at 110kcal with 5g of fiber you cant go wrong!

1/4C popcorn in a brown lunch bag w/ a few spritz' of spray butter and some salt...

throw it in the microwave for 2-21/2 min (microwave times vary)

and you have perfect air popped popcorn!

Some of my favorite "toppings" are:

S&P popcorn- just add pepper

Kettlecorn- a bit of sugar and more spray butter

Mexican- dash of cayenne pepper

yum yum yum

(oh did i mention that the calories in minus the fiber content actually equal a 45kcal treat???)

Ugg vs. Emu

2009-12-11T23:38:00.000-08:00

Although this year is a bit of a frugal year for me,

and i'm making my Christmas presents this year as opposed to purchasing...

im still always on the lookout for a good deal.

Everyone loves Ugg Boots.

Well, everyone but me.

I dont see what makes them so special besides the fact that they were once worn by some celebrity which made most of America follow suit.

Im so thankful im not a name brand shopper.

I dont mind a few nice pieces, I love quality,

but what if you can get the same quality of an Ugg Boot for cheaper?

Now were talking!

The Ugg Boots are from Nordstrom

They retail for $179.95

These are Emu Boots from Macy's

and retail for $129.00

BUT

are on sale for $99.99

Both boots are sheepskin,

both are suede,

and both are stylish...

SO WHY PAY MORE?!?!

I was told by a few people that have lived/been to Australia that they all wear

Emu Boots, not Ugg Boots....

interesting.

There are so many cute Emu styles on their website...I want them all!

Bridal Style

2009-12-11T23:07:00.000-08:00

I have been fortunate to be able to style all of the shoots for the

talented Lynn Lugo

Lynn Lugo Bridal

Her designs are so chic,

so wearable,

so fun!

I love that her styles are modern enough to meet the wedding trends of

today while being classic enough to wear post-wedding.

Lynn's shoots are so much fun because she just lets me do whatever i'd like.

So any fun hair trend i've been wanting to try I get to!

This last shoot

(photos not out yet)

I was inspired by her beautiful one shoulder designs as well as the

beauty of vintage style circa 1930.

I did larger loose curls to one side one one model...

and a more flapper style side pin-curl look on the other model

(not pictured)

LOVE

Lynn...

her heart,

her family,

her friendship,

her style.

Check out her bridesmaid dresses and wedding gown here.

Dollar Wonderland

2009-12-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

I love CHRISTmas!!!

i love the tree,

the lights,

the friends,

the food,

i love it all!!!

i especially love decorating and making the house feel so cozy & magical.

one thing i dont like, however, is spending loads of $ on decor.

(it is only up for a month after all)

so this year i went minimal.

all i did was the tree,

two stockings,

and my $2 decor find...

SNOWFLAKES!

i found these felt snowflake cutouts at the local dollar store.

yes you heard me right, one dollar!

all i did was affix them to my curtain rod with green raffia and a winter wonderland it became!

even oscar loves them!

Pizza Pizazz

2009-12-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

ok, over summer's end I had an impromptu dinner party...

It was anything but planned and involved 8 people...

so i had to think of something fast

( considering i had just gotten off work)

and easy.

pizza!

i dont know anyone who doesnt love pizza!

so i made this bbq chicken pizza

as well as

a grilled veggie pizza.

all i can say is YUM!

im posting these recipes by Crystals request...

here you go girl, since you loved them!

(doesn't she make the cutest halloween scarecrow?!?!?)

bbq pizza...

Ingredients:

1 store-bought pizza dough

1lb chicken thighs

2C bbq sauce of your liking

1/2C red onion

1 1/2C shredded cheddar cheese

1C chopped mushrooms

1/4C chopped basil

s&p

*place chicken in ziploc with 1C of bbq sauce and s&p. coat well and refrigerate 30min-overnight

*set oven to 425 degrees

*let pizza dough come to room temp (rest 20 min)

*cook thighs in skillet on stove until cooked through

(this should only take about 5-7 min)

*once cooked let cool then shred by hand

*when dough has set stretch/roll to desired size.

*place dough on pizza stone or cookie sheet and bake 5min

*pull out crust and begin to assemble:

i layer bbq sauce

shred the chicken by hand and arrange

place the onions & mushrooms on top

then cheese over ingredients

*bake in oven for 12-18min

*then sprinkle with basil and bake 1min

veggie pizza

Ingredients:

1 store bought whole wheat pizza dough

1/2C zuchinni

1/2C mushrooms

1/2C onion

1/2C bell peppers

1/2C tomatoes thinly sliced

1C shredded mozerella

olive oil

garlic

basil

*set oven to 425 degrees

*let pizza dough come to room temp (rest 20 min)

*when dough has set stretch/roll to desired size

*place dough on pizza stone or cookie sheet

*brush dough with olive oil and minced garlic

*bake 5min

*cook first 4 veggies in skillet over medium heat until softened

*arrange veggies on dough and top with mozerella cheese then fresh sliced tomatoes

*bake 12-18min

AND EAT!!!

Cheap Date

2009-12-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

so last weekend my roommie amy and I went out...

we wanted to get all fancy...

(which for me usually means a dress)

and have a girl date.

i didn't have adequate time to actually think about what i was going to wear

so i darted into my dress closet...

yes i have a dress closet...

and pulled out this lovely number from target.

ok,

this dress is last season clearance for $7...

seven dollars?!?!?

luckily i was already wearing this $8 headband from a local boutique

Madam Butterfly

and LOVE LOVE LOVE to wear

socks+boots whenever I can,

so this ensemble came together quite effortlessly. YAY.

(last thing i stress about is what to wear)

my boots were Candies from Kohl's for $35

and

my socks were $12 @

Anthropologie

dress $7

headband $8

socks $12

boots $35

vip entrance to dance

late night lamb sliders

a cheap GREAT girl date!

($62 outfit for those like me that didnt major in math haha)

Clean&Unclean

2009-12-02T23:56:00.000-08:00

So I'm on day 3 of a 10 day liver cleanse.

A client of mine told me she had recently done it with amazing results.

She blogged about it on www.fabitimes.blogspot.com

Naturally, upon hearing about this great way to cleanse yourself I decided to do it.

Because the liver holds so many toxins its recommended to cleans twice a year.

This basically entails emptying your system clean through apple juice, fasting, and salt water drinks then flushing it out with olive oil.

Not so appealing I might add. (and the release of toxins in my largest muscles is killing my legs)

So I had a bit of a lazy day today at my friend Kristina's.....

FYI...her Snuggie, NOT mine LOL.

Anyway, getting into bed I opened my bible to Mark 7.

It was just where God had me open.

No agenda.

No plan.

Just read.

So Mark 7:1-23 talks about clean & unclean.

Jesus is preaching and says in vs. 14

"Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.

Nothing outside a man can make him unclean by going into him.

Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him

unclean"

He then goes on in vs. 18

"Are you so dull? Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the

outside can make him unclean? For it doesn't go into his heart but into

his stomach, and then out of his body."

God is good in his direction!

It was funny to open the bible to Jesus saying that nothing is unclean (other than that which is the evils of the heart- vs 20-23) on my 3rd day of cleansing.

I don't know why I feel the need to free myself, in my body, of the things of this world. What is or isn't in my liver isn't going to make me holier, or more righteous. Eating a raw foods diet vs. being vegan vs. loving meat doesn't really matter to God. He wants us to steward the bodies he's given us wisely, but ultimately He looks for a clean heart, not a clean body.

Don't hear what I'm not saying....God honors our decisions for our bodies as long as those decisions are made with the purpose of honoring Him. We each need to respect how each other chooses to care for their body without judgement. I may choose to eat only unprocessed foods....you may love ice cream.....these things aren't the issue.

The issue is the heart.

Do I only eat whole foods because of health reasons or because I want to look like what the media says is pretty???

Do I run daily because I want to be able to physically "run the race to win the prize" alongside my spirit-man or because it allows me to eat cake???

Do I practice hot yoga because it gives God 90 minutes of my day to speak to me when my mind is still or because its trendy to do???

So you see, all things can be used to glorify God, our bodies especially, if our hearts are right.

Jesus said it himself, nothing that God says is clean is unclean.

Nothing you put in your mouth makes you evil....it's the deceiving heart that leads us astray.

So while I'm doing this cleanse, for the health of my body, I'm asking God to purify my soul as well. Because what good is a clean body to God if its filthy with sin???

Wisdom Tree

2009-12-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

This is the baby shower I did for my good friend Jessica

I didn't exactly have a theme...I used polka-dots and elephants as my decor.

She was having a little boy so the colors were orange & blue.

I homemade a plethora of yummy treats...

turkey pinwheels

pear salad

strawberry trifle

cookies

I also made (instead of playing any lame baby shower games) a

Wisdom Tree.

This was Jessica's 2nd boy so I didn't feel like she needed the typical mom advice

that is given at many baby showers.

Instead, I used store bought tags and stamped an elephant on them.

Then in the ear of the elephant I wrote a number.

In a glass jar I put tickets with numbers on them.

The "rules" were to write advice to the son at the age of the number you drew on the

tag with the corresponding number.

So let's say you drew 12.

Find the elephant tag numbered twelve.

Maybe write...

You're mom is much cooler than you think.

Trust her when she says stay away

from girls.

They do stink and cause trouble.

Also, don't be afraid of standing up for what's right.

Dont try to fit in.

GOD created the universe and HE loves you and thinks you're cool.

That's good enough!!!!

Jaime&Ryder

2009-12-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

These are my friends Jaime & Ryder...

She is whom I consider to be one of my "foodie friends".

She just gets it....food that is. We love to bake, and create new

dishes. We both adore epicurious!

Homemade gifts, blogs, etsy, and crafting we both adore.

So it seemed fitting that shed have delicious food at their wedding...

I thought they had the best idea,

they choose to serve a wonderful market dinner of fresh salads,

delicious meats,

and wonderful desserts,

to their guests themselves.

This way they got to greet all their guests and not miss a soul!

GREAT IDEA!!!

Once the dinner was dished out and dawn had settled, the party began...

There's my friend Mike and I getting jiggy with it

(in case you haven't caught onto my humor yet, i don't use the term "jiggy" seriously)

And once the guests left and the stillness set in....

the wonderful marriage began.

Hooray for Hats!

2009-11-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

I love etsy!!!!

With the cold weather rolling in hats are a must. Not only are they functional

(since most of the body's heat escapes through the head)

but they are oh so fashionable!!

Im currently loving all things handmade so these choices from etsy are my favorites...

these Lita Rietz hats are only $42

(she's out of Portland and has some beautiful dresses too)

Check out her etsy store and do some peaceful handmade holiday shopping from home.

Give Thanks

2009-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

"Let the peace of Christ rule in you hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

-Colossians 3:15

peace (noun): the absence of hostility

harmonious relations

stillness, silence, serenity

thank-ful (adj): conscious of benefit received

feeling or showing gratitude

I love words...

So often we use words in the wrong context and even more often we don't understand what a word fully means.

Peace & Thanks

These are easy enough to say but much more difficult to LIVE.

What would it look like to spend a day at peace?

I mean total God-given peace?

Allowing "the peace of God to rule your hearts"?

To live, for just one day, peacefully can be difficult. To walk in silence, to remain still...

(especially now with the consumer holiday fast approaching) is a challenge.

I encourage you to spend this season in peace.

Bake cookies for loved ones instead of going to the mall.

Make your cards at home with candles lit and holiday music on.

Really relax and enjoy this season...

a season of Peace.

And in your place of rest, be thankful for all God has given you.

Be thankful that there is ONE person that loves you for that is far greater than any gift you could receive.

Be thankful...please today write 10 things you are thankful for....truly thankful for.

1.Jesus and his grace

2.My mother and all her craziness

3. God's provision!!! (in these tough financial times)

4. My Sam Edelman boots

(ok I seriously am thankful for theses...I got them on the Nordtrom Anniversary Sale!!!)

5. Jessica and how peaceful life seems to be when Im with her :)

6. My body and the fact that it hasn't given up on me yet despite all I put it through

(hot yoga, run, lack of sleep, etc.)

7. Rick & Kathy Martinez the lead elders of my church....they are two amazing people and his heart,

wisdon, and knowledge astound me.

8. My computer so I can BLOG!

9. Food, Food, Food....and praise God we dont eat manna anymore!

10. YOU....thank you for allowing me to play a small role in your life!

'Tis The Season

My Apologies

2009-11-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

Ok guys...

Im soooooo sorry that I have been a bit absent. This weekend was my mom's birthday as well as Thanksgiving weekend so I was swamped!

Mom's birthday went well. It was a Mexican Fiesta with a taco bar. Not too much to it. As it turns out, this was my mom's first birthday party. She's a lovely lady (a bit off her rocker LOL) and she felt so blessed to have the people she loves together.

I need to do things like that for her more often!

Im needing to recap and make up for the days last week that I missed. I'd like to share my "Thoughts on Thursday" and some "Fashionable Friday" ideas with you.

I'll start with my favorite morning pick-me-up...

Energizing Oatmeal Pancakes...

YUM!!!

I ate these daily when I was training

(for about five weeks)

and I never once wished for anything else. I'd even look forward to sleeping because

I knew I'd get to wake up to these :)

Ingredients (one serving)

*6 egg whites

*1/2C oatmeal

*1t cinnamon

*1 packet raw sugar or stevia

Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl and cook over medium heat. Mine usually take about 2 minutes/side. I top with spray butter and pure maple syrup.

OH THE SIMPLICITY.

These are amazingly versatile! Some of my favorite variations are :

- 2T peanut butter either in the mix or spread on top

- fresh blueberries or muddled strawberries in the mix

- pumpkin butter and syrup on top

The possibilities are endless. Let me know if you create a variation to share...

I'd love to hear it!

The Apple of My Eye

2009-11-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of my wedding reception from October 2006.

The theme was

"Keep me as the apple of your eye"

Psalm 17:8

The colors were apple green & chocolate brown.

Every table was named after an apple.

The invites (which i'll post another Wednesday) were apple trees.

An apple served as the place-cards.

Back in 2006 "The Perfect Pair" was a popular theme and I loved the color theme but, as I often do, I had to be different. I couldn't do what was in all the magazines at that time. I do love green fruit though so apples were it! I was reading through Psalms one morning and came across this verse and the theme of MY wedding was confirmed! God is funny like that...

Brown-Bagging It

2009-11-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Although we'd like to say that we are all

SUZIE HOME-MAKERS

with the cutest gift wrap on hand,

sometimes...

WE JUST RUN OUT!!!

We may have scraps of paper

or tissue

or ribbon that seem to never be quite long enough

lying around but all our "good wrapping" may have been used and very last minute we need to wrap a gift.
Now, I am a firm believer that the wrapping is just as important as the gift inside.
Let's face it...
we all judge books by their covers.
So, in a bind,
I have the perfect go-to gift wrap always available in my pantry.

THE GOOD 'OL BROWN PAPAER BAG
(I use standard lunch baggies for my home popped popcorn so I ALWAYS have bags)

Simply place your gift in the bag, place some scrap tissue in the top, and tie with whichever loose ribbon you have.
The good thing about this is that you don't need large amounts of tissue or ribbon so those scraps lying around are put to use!

I know this isn't rocket-science or anything new but It's helpful to remember that your pantry can serve as a craft-supply store at times.

Dark Banana Muffins

2009-11-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

These muffins warmed up with (spray) butter have got to be one of the best parts of waking up. With the butter & sugar substitutions + the whole wheat flour, these are a pretty guiltless treat.

1C all-purpose flour
1/2C whole-wheat flout
1t salt
1 1/2t baking soda
1t instant espresso powder

4 very ripe bananas
1/2C I Cant Believe its Not Butter Light (melted)
1/4C Splenda
1/4C granulated sugar
1/4C splenda (or standard) brown sugar
1/4C milk
1 egg

1C dark chocolate chips

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with pray or line with muffin cups
*In medium bowl mix bananas, sugars, milk, and egg.
*In another medium bowl mix all dry ingredients.
*For a well in dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
*Fill each cup 3/4 full and bake on center rack in oven for 20-25 minutes.
*Remove to cooling rack and let cool 15 minutes.

*Muffins can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 days..... ENJOY!

Best Boots

2009-11-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

Finally in November it seems to be feeling more like winter.

The nights begin earlier,

The rain is falling,

The baking has begun...

And its now time to

BREAK OUT THE BOOTS

These boots by

are only $50.00 on www.karmaloop.com and the perfect alternative to the pricier UGG boot.

Looking for a fancier boot to wear out on the weekend???

Here are my three favorites off www.endless.com

(free overnight shopping too)

Seychelles Spectacle Bootie $78.90-$99.95

Nine West Dabblit Ankle Boot $86.90-$108.95

Kelsi Dagger Rosabella Boot $199.95

Im also currently obsessed with

cowboy boots but a more equestrian riding boot is fitting this season so

I'm loving these $80.00 WANTED Stirrup Boots

on www.piperlime.com

The height + simplicity and the triangle toe + hardware = the perfect western rider

"Are you ready boots? Start Walkin'"

-Nancy Sinatra

Jigsaw

2009-11-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was reading a book I have

"4000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone" by Barbara Ann Kipfer.

The question asked if you'd rather have to put together a 30,000 piece jigsaw puzzle or read the dictionary cover-to-cover.

Naturally I gravitated towards the dictionary option because nothing bad could come of it.

Sure It'd take awhile...

Sure I'd get bored....

But...

I'd get smarter, right???

Then I contemplated why the jigsaw puzzle didn't appeal to me.

I came to the conclusion that I have no desire to put that much effort into something that I can look on the front of the box to see finished.

What's the point of spending so much

time...

energy...

and

frustration

with all 30,000 pieces to get the same outcome as the picture on the front of the box???

(just to say you did it, right?)

Well here's where my EPIPHANY came about...

GOD

is putting together the jigsaw puzzle that is each of our lives. He is patiently placing each and every piece exactly where it belongs. Even though He's seen the front of the box (the completed picture) He still takes the time with every placement making sure it fits just-right. He never throws his hands in the air exclaiming

"What's the point??? I already know! I'll just look at the box!!"

He enjoys seeing new sections of this life picture form. Sometimes it may take a bit longer for Him to get the right piece to fit- and we may get impatient and frustrated in the meantime, but eventually the perfect piece will fall into place! And once the picture that GOD designed is finished....

what a beautiful portrait that will be!

NOW...

once we start taking the puzzle and all it pieces into our own hands is when we find ourselves in trouble. We force pieces together even though they weren't crafted to fit just because we're tired of seeing an unfinished picture. We become lazy and half-hearted in our puzzle placement and, in time, we turn God's beautiful design into a 3rd grade finger painting

(at the absolute best)

So what's the point???

Leave your picture for GOD to put together if you desire anything museum worthy

(and don't settle for less than that)

"A gallery of paintings new and paintings old
I guess it's no surprise that I'm no Michelangelo

Every layer of mine hides a lovely design

It might take a little patience

It might take a little time

But you called me beautiful

When you saw my shame

And you placed me on the wall

Anyway"

-Nichole Nordeman, Anyway lyric

Amsale Amazing

2009-11-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, Wednesday has to be my favorite day of the week.

Aside from it being the "hump" day (in which the rest of the week is an easy downhill glide) it's

WEDDING WEDNESDAY

The day of the week that we look at something having to do with amazing entertaining---usually pertaining to anything Wedding!

As I was browsing through bridal sites, as I often do, I came across this most beautiful wedding gown by Amsale Bridal (Nadine)...

www.amsale.com/bridal/amsalecollection/090718/nadine.shtml

Ths is most definitely my dream dress....it has ruffles & a pocket. Who doesn't love

RUFFLES & POCKETS???

(I know I do)

Palate Shelf

2009-11-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

PALATE SHELF

I am always inspired by the visual artists at Anthropologie...let's face it, who isnt?!?!

Everytime I'm in one of their stores I wish I had a million dollars to recreate their style.

Unfortunately, however, like most of you I live on a budget.

SO... when I was remodeling my bathroom I decided to decorate like Anthro (only cost effectively).

On a morning jog I ran past a weathered old palate and got inspired to make a shelf.

You can get a palate for free from most large stores (Target, Tous r' Us, etc)

I took a hammer to the wood until it was the size I wanted. You can sand this if you'd like but since Im not touching my shelf regularly I choose not to sand.

I then went to Home Depot and bought floating shelf mounts for $4.00.....

THATS RIGHT, $4.00!

& VOILA...

My $4.00 Anthropologie inspired bathroom shelf!

Butternut Soup

2009-11-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

PUREED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP...

Ok everyone, here's a recipe straight from my kitchen and its super easy and super yummy!

During the fall I always have a batch of this in my fridge...its the perfect heat-and-serve dish.

Ingredients:

3lb butternut squash cubed

2T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2C chicken broth

2T fresh chopped ginger

2T fresh minced garlic

1/2C chopped sweet onion

1t dried sage

1t allspice

1t cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)

1/2C plain greek yogurt

salt&pepper to taste

In a heavy pot sautee garlic, ginger, and onion over medium heat (about 1 min)

Add butternut squash and cook till tender

Pour in chicken broth and turn heat down to simmer

Add allspice, cinnamon, and sage and simmer 20 min

Remove from heat

Puree in food processor in batches with 1C greek yogurt and S&P to taste

Dish out and top with 1T greek yogurt and cinnamon

ENJOY!

A Wonderful Week

2009-11-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

Hello all....

I want to take a quick minute to let you know what to expect from my blog. I have a different daily feature Monday-Friday (even God took time off) as follows...

*Market Mondays: a look at seasonal recipes (mine or otherwise noted)
*How-To Tuesdays: all things crafty
*Wedding Wednesdays: entertaining and everything bridal
*Thoughts on Thurdsays: an expression of my heart/what's been on my mind
*Fashionable Friday: my niche; hair, fashion, accessories

I hope you enjoy your time spent here! This is going to be loads of informative fun!!!

Nice to meet you...

2009-11-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes you've got to let everything go- purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything...whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when youre FREE, your true CREATIVITY, your true self comes out."

Im 26 years old and often feel like i've lived more life than most other 26 year olds i've come across. I've walked through a lot and have had a rough past two years (to say the very least). Recently I decided to take control of my life by actually giving all control up. I have noticed that when I think I know best, it is then that I know the absolute least. Looking back over my life I've noticed a strong pattern...God happens to know what He's doing. So as for now, this season of my life, I'm finally accepting that truth and purging all the baggage and negativities of my past. Im living the here-and-now and expressing myself through all things creative.

IM FREE... And in my freedom my true self comes out. Fortunately, my true self is one of LOVE, design, art, expression, and vision!

My desire is that through my journey (my hopes, thoughts, ideas, passions, and wisdom) you are encouraged and inspired!

I am truly blessed by God to have the ability to create. As a hairstylist I'm given the opportunity daily to express myself through style and fashion.

Bumbe&Bumble founder Michael Gordon once said that "80% of a haircut is done with the eye, the other 20% with the hand"

Im thankful daily for the eyes that God gave me!

I LOVE...

fashion.

cooking.

decorating.

crafting.

entertaining.

CREATING....

This is my heart, my journey, my life...and I joyfully invite you to join. Enjoy the ride!