Odds and Ends of Life

Hey y'all, 

Soooo HI! I feel like its been forever! But I have (several) good excuses. Which I will spare you the details of. We shall just say that finals are OVER (cheering wildly) and I'm happily installed in my summer job. 

Last weekend was a little, I just have to say it - horrendous. I was (suppposed to be) moving and there was all kinds of miscommunication and misunderstandings and I ended up sleeping in my (completely) bare room on my futon mattress Friday night. Not the best night ever. Long and short of it... I ended up packing some dishes and putting them into (very inaccessible) storage. So I had to buy some new ones last night. 

I say "had to." Truth is, I have a huge tiny obsession with dishes. Its a good thing I don't have very much room or I would be very tempted to buy, like... a TON of dishes. 

But I settled for this absolutely ADORABLE plate and the sweetest ever tiny bowl (which I could not get a good picture of to save my life). 

Oh my gosh! Do you love it or what!? I'm so in love with those colors right now! The little bowl is that sunny mustardy yellow of the inside ring of the plate. 

Aaaaannnddd... just because I had just gotten paid, I splurged and bought this. SO EXCITED to try it! 

Make it the best ever day, y'all! 'Cause its super to be alive today! :)

Good afternoon, May.

Living, in its barest form, is simply putting one foot in front of the other, right?

It is a road trip of decisions and memories and consequences, at times filled with pleasure + goodness, other times mundane. Sometimes it is painful too, and there are things we'd all rather forget.

But May? The time when the trees are blossoming and the air is laden with the newness of cut grass and wildflowers... this indeed is the time to smile and rejoice!

"For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill out hearts with His love."

This morning I tried not to awaken and crawl out of bed. The early sun was chasing away the last of the stardust and turned my walls to honey colored wood. My art pieces and drawings stood out in black + white contrast. I made baked apples with cinnamon + walnuts for breakfast.

I am reading through Romans again and scribbling bits of poems on scraps of paper, trying to organize my life as I take yet another step. My walls are filling up with portraits. Creativity is bursting forth.

Ah, life.

And it's the afternoon of May 2013.

The day I pretended to be Ina Garten.

I am a very bad cook.

Everyone knows this. I have made Pumpkin Bricks (aka: Pumpkin Bread without a rising agent), unleavened bread by accident, and even ruined a can of tomato soup. I am just not that handy when it comes to the kitchen, not to mention impatient and clumsy.

Enter Ina Garten and her Barefoot Contessa books, a birthday and a trip MgGuinnes Sisters' store to buy some yummy ingredients and suddenly.... cooking may not be that bad.

I am a nanny, and as such, my job comes with multiple different excitements, and this was one. Yesterday and today were spent happily cooking barefoot in a mansion kitchen with Michael Buble and Norah Jones for company.

The results? Happy me, who found out I really can cook, and the amazing-ness pictured above. My employer did most of it while I helpfully watched and offered advice, drank a homemade Starbucks brew and then took photos of the finished result.

Those cupcakes? German Chocolate with coffee and Coconut Icing. And I got to decorate them.

If I put that on a resume, would I get hired?

I gotta think so.

DIY: creative bits of life in a book.

 I had just a little time this afternoon, and after wading through an entire trunk full of pictures and several boxes, I had found a collection of photos from the past years of my life. I may not be very old, but I had quite the stack. My brain began to work out ideas and inspiration boards for a book featuring the randomness I had just found, when my eyes lit upon my hand-written books and short stories.

There is some poetry, a song or two, lots of short stories and endless ideas. I keep them, rather un-romantically, inside a purple folder. Then I had the brilliant idea of combining photos, quotes, paper, ribbon and texture into one little book.

After just an hour, it looked amazing. And by amazing, I mean that my brain was literally hopping from one thing to the next, storing up ideas and having the time of my life just being quiet and creating.

I have forgotten the simple happiness of just bits of ribbon and gold pens. It all came flooding back, room peaceful, birds singing outside an open window and just me, sitting on the floor being busy with remembering.

It's all about Details: Buttons

 It could be just a regular shirt, and a few well-placed buttons change the whole thing! My fellow Huckleberry, Tori, goes for detail while I tend to go for silhouette. I am terrible about the small things, being well known to forgo necklaces of all sorts a little too often, yet always running towards the big and bolder bangles.

Over a winter of dressing well everyday, I had to come up with unusual ideas to change up the same old outfit. Details began to emerge. Buttons here and a double-seam there. Pearls and nailpaint and shoes with bows. I was out of my comfort zone and it felt great! As I am searching for a summer work wardrobe, detail becomes more and more important!

Who's in with this years neon color palette?  Who's in for button-detail?

Hello Spring!

I had Winter Here

 Achingly fast, brilliantly slow, beyond perfect. I wintered here, my secret spot, away from family and friends, making new family and friends. I froze and played in snow and drove in my first blizzard. I sat at my window for hours and just cried for all the goodness that God has given me, for all the sacrifice Jesus made for me to live. I drank tea in abundance (English breakfast + spearmint) and laughed with those I learned to love. I hardly took any pictures, I wrote 3 notebooks full and my laptop crashed.

It was a good Winter.

And here we are... spring around the corner (or here already?) and this little blog is functioning again. We've plans and more to be made. There will be pictures and quotes and more huckleberry-ness on its way!

Hi.

Welcome back.

Do you have happy skin?

Hey ya'll,
Wow. I feel like it's been at least 300 years since I last posted... but here I am! I've missed this happy little place so much. I meant to make a New Year's resolution about blogging more... but. Yeah. Didn't really happen. :) So here it, almost St. Patrick's Day and I'm finally blogging. Thank you for the applause. 
Here in the South, the winter is much kinder in several regards: 1. It's shorter 2. It's not soo brittle-ly cold   3. It's not quite as dry  (which translates not as much static and your skin doesn't feel like its about to crack off of your bones) But still, it is a little dry and windy. So here's some tips on how to keep your skin lovely in spite of the dryness. 

The most important thing, in my opinion, is actually not moisturizer, though that is certainly exceedingly important. But more on that later... The most important thing is to keep your skin clean. The natural oils in your skin can act as a protector but often when combined with make-up and the daily grime of life, it can actually cause your skin to chap in the cold or wind.  Find a good cleanser that's not harsh or super abrasive. I use MaryKay Timewise 3-1 Cleanser for combination to oily skin.

 I'm very fond of the little micro-scrubbies that gently exfoliate my skin. Many people make the mistake of using a serious exfoliating product on their skin but please, PLEASE don't do that! :) Just because your face burns more when you're finished doesn't make it more clean. (I only say that because that is exactly what I used to think, and I know [ok, hope] I'm not the only one.) So lighten up a little bit! Throw away that sandpaper in a bottle and treat your skin to something a little softer- like MaryKay. It's pretty much a dream in a bottle. 
Next, absolutely find yourself a proper moisturizer. Nothing too thick or you will feel like you have a mask on all day; but too thin either, or you'll feel like your face will drip off. (Trust me. I have unfortunate personal experience with both of these extremes.) You want something creamy and most definitely oil free. I use MaryKay Timewise moisturizer and it's perfectly divine! 

You can put several layers on without feeling like you added an inch to your face and it creates a super smooth canvas for your make-up. It's even gentle enough to use on very dry skin or mild irritations when other lotions might burn a little. I've also tried the Botanicals by MaryKay and found it to be lovely as well. Moisturizing well and often helps keep your skin looking fresh and healthy. Go pamper your skin a little and see if you don't notice a difference! :)

A few other tips: ~wear sunblock   ~drink water ~don't wash your face with super hot water (it'll dry it out more) ~eat healthfully  ~just be gentle with your skin! 
There are many places that offer quality skin care products but MaryKay is one of my favorites. They have some outstanding, and affordable, options for skin care, as well as awesome make-up colors and gorgeous fragrances! Check them out online at MaryKay.com! And if you want to speak with one of their amazing consultants, drop me a line and I will put you in touch with one of the several awesome ladies that I know! 
Have a super weekend, ya'll! Enjoy the sun, the snow, the rain, the cold, the sand, the city.... wherever you are... ENJOY!      

Hey y'all, Welllll.... Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all that! Hope y'all had a fantastic holiday season and made beautiful new memories with people you love! I know I did!  This school break was absolutely what all school breaks should be like... full of sleeping in (YAY!), yummy food, people by the millions, warm fires, and even snow! I highly disapprove of snow in general but for Christmastime, well, I can make an exception. :) 

This is the view from my bedroom window. Kinda pretty, eh?  My fellow huckleberry, Olivia, and I spent an afternoon at Panera Bread in some fabulously comfy green chairs, drinking coffee and working on some projects. Mine was catching up on letter writing to deployed soldiers (one of my absolute favorite things to do!).  There was snow outside the window and pretty Christmas music inside and my sister making ridiculous faces at me across the table. One of my favorite memories from this Christmas. :) 

Aaaanndd... here I am, back at school and ready to take on a new semester! So here's to all the new things to be learned, new friends to be made, old friends to be loved on, mistakes to be made, and triumphs to accomplished! :)  Happy New Year, y'all! 

Christmas in the City- a visit to Pittsburgh

We are from the great city of Pittsburgh, and though not avowed Steeler's fans, we do love our city! 

 

Last Saturday the family took off for a day to see the sites. Pittsburgh at Christmas time is beautiful and cold. Great stone buildings stand tall along sidewalks, glass windows full of Christmas trees and lights. Every coffee shop called my name, and Crazy Mocha in PPG Place won. It was a Peppermint Mocha with soy for me!

There are several fringed buggies that make their rounds in the Cultural Arts District, leaving tracks in the snow.

PPG Place's ice skating rink is surrounded by glass buildings. Music plays loudly in the air as skaters make their rounds on clear ice. 

This bridge near the Point has a serene and beautiful view. I could stare into the rainbow lit waters for hours.

We road the famous Incline as darkness surrounded us, the lights below blurring in the soft rain. We ate dinner on the second story of McDonald's... smoothies and french fries dipped in milkshakes. We read the history of our steel city, we visited the subway, we walked to the Point to see the Christmas tree. We stood in line to ice skate, skates slung over shoulders in the darkness. 

We wish you all a Merry Christmas from the Steel City!

Wandering...

Hey y'all, 

This picture reminded of the beautiful quote you'll see below. It looks like such gorgeous, enchanted place, doesn't it? Somewhere I'd love to go on a lazy afternoon and just... wander. :) 

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king. ~J.R.R. Tolkien