simple thoughts

Noonday collection ambassador!!

2012-01-26T07:31:00.002-05:00

{jessica, the founder of noonday & her little fella Jack

recently brought into their family this fall}

i'm beside myself excited to share with you what i believe is not only an honor

but truly a gift to me from the lord.

when i was in my 20's the lord gave me a desire to work as a nurse

& primarily care for children with cancer.

i went to school with that purpose in mind, my eyes were fixed on that goal.

i loved my job. loved that job.

i loved working with families and getting to know them as they would

frequently return to the hospital for their childs chemo and treatment.

while that was truly a heart wrenching job

and i saw many sweet children pass on

i knew i was exactly where He wanted me to be.

after gregg passed away and i had several little ones of my own

i found that working in that particular job , in a high acuity situation

was too hard for just a single mom who could only work one day a week.

plus those children need the continuity of full or part time nurses.

i sadly left that field & began what would become a ten year job in telephone triage.

while that was a good paycheck & i was technically still in nursing

i truly missed the connection and contact in oncology.

several months ago the scheduling matrix began to change at the hospital

and i was beginning to get requests to photograph many friends.

i didn't want to leave the security of a regular paycheck

but knew it was time to move on.

i started my photography business last fall & am thrilled to be doing what i love

& what i'm passionate about!

i decided that a portion of each session

would be given back either in donation or purchasing a product from a couple companies

that i had chosen.

one of the companies i wanted to invest in was

Noonday.

i purchased the acai bead necklace & the embira seed bracelet

& began to wear them to photo shoots.

i loved it when someone would comment on the jewelry i was wearing.

this gave me a great oppportunity to share ...

each piece purchased through noonday provides a pathway out of poverty for the artisan.

handmade, fair trade beautiful pieces.

i loved telling my client that a portion of their fees that they had paid me

were actually supporting a widow or an HIV infected beautiful person

often times in countries i couldn't even locate on a map....

but i'm working on it!!

while my photography business is a wonderful creative outlet for me

& i will most definitely continue that,

i knew i'd need to persue another way to supplement our income

over the holiday i began to read & pray about starting my own

business with noonday.

i had my phone interview with the founder, Jessica

(pictured above) and was immediately smitten with her.

her enthusiasm and passion was contagious.

her story can be found here.

i called dan immediately & knew in my heart this was absolutely what i wanted to do.

dan & i prayed about making the financial investment

& all the other thoughts and concerns that come with starting not one

but now two businesses for me in less than 4 months.

i have wanted to do something intentional,

something purposeful.

i've wanted to find a way to somehow touch another person

like i was able to do when working in oncology.

while i may never meet these women

(although i'm praying for the opportunity this fall!!)

the position of being an ambassador,

someone who represents another,

for them & their craft is a huge honor and privilege.

supplementing our income is icing on the cake!

i could talk about noonday

jessica

the artisans

their stories

the stories of adoptions

the cool ways this fell into place

all.day.long.

in an effort to keep this from an epic post

i'll wrap it up here.

(for today anyway.wink)

for those that have asked,

you may most certainly order from my website.

for my local friends,

i will schedule my launch party in the next few days!

for those that prayed for me while i interviewed

& made this leap, thank you thank you!

pinch me!!

(at the bottom of my home page is my noonday button,
feel free to use if you so desire. i would be so honored!)

~~~~

"no other name

is mighty to save...

jesus.

i will carry your name

jesus, your name....

forever"

chirsty nockels

{mother & son}

2012-01-25T08:48:00.002-05:00

jill & i met via blogging.

jill was the very first client that scheduled a session with me

when i began my photography adventure.

i have to be honest & tell you how intimidating it was for me

to go from photographing my own children

to photographing a new contact...whether we've been talking on line

& emails or not, it's still a brave move to make.

while my client may like my style
or like my previous work,
as in any art form

things are a little different when that client is now paying me

& i have yet to create the art of that particular person.

being a people pleaser

combined with the desire to have my clients be pleased with the results

of their session,

can make for a nervous rookie photographer.

all those fluttering butterflies in my stomach disappeared with jill.

besides being rock star gorgeous

she was so warm & gracious

kind & encouraging.

between her old gringos and her fabulous free people wardrobe

i knew we'd have a great session.

her little man has the most charming personality.

love that little guy!

& a modeling agency surely needs to snatch him up!

the interaction between them was priceless.

the expressions he made with her

& the way his little eyes lit up looking into her face...

he clearly loves his mama!

i loved it!

thank you so much jill!!

you are an amazing mom & it was an honor

to photograph you with your precious son!

~~~

"you're the lord of all creation

& still you know my heart"

christy nockels

oops!!! forgot to tell you about the $25

2012-01-24T06:44:00.001-05:00

Source: foreverexq.tumblr.com via Paige on Pinterest

OOPS!!

i totally forgot to tell you yesterday

that if you sign up on Minted now

or open an account

via the link above or the link on yesterday's post

you will receive $25 off your order!

score

one of my readers ordered two journals

plus shipipng and minus the $25

her entire order came to less than $15

ok...you may now return to your regular scheduled programming

~~~

yes

my fashion inspiration

will be taken from the above image.

the elementary age child...

that says a lot about me, i realize this.

complete

of course

with ponytail

& crown barette

Minted journal love

2012-01-23T07:25:00.001-05:00

while these images are sorta crummy,

i wanted to share one of my favorite gifts i gave the girls at Christmas.

minted carries the cutest journals ya'll,

the cutest!

you can personalize the cover

the interior

& choose lined or blank pages.

all for $16.

they're a no brainer.

they recently listed several cute ones for valentines too.

{i can't believe i forgot to mention...

if you order now through my link,

you'll receive $25 off your order!!}

i had a great time picking out the perfect one for each them.
on the inside page you can add another image
or a little book plate design.

i ordered one for me too...forgot to photograph that one. shoot.
anyway,
was out christmas shopping & they even called to make sure one of the words/phrases was correct.
excellent customer service too!

i also

wanted to share how i presented them to the girlies on christms eve.

they each had a little silver box with a piece of jewelry to open

& one of the journals beside their place setting.

the journals are delivered in a little white sleeve.

i simply added one of the glittered letters i've had for years

from wendy addison

& the little angel wings were from pottery barn.

we ordered our Christmas cards & my business cards

from minted & will most definitely return!

you can access Minted here

{ a sisters session}

2012-01-21T07:21:00.002-05:00

a big shout out of thanks to this precious family

who graciously allowed me

to take loads of images on their property this fall!

i'm so tickled to have you as new neighbors

& see you care for such a wonderful home

& true treasure in our community!

and your girls are simply delightful!

"you are everything you've promised

your faithfulness is true

& we're desperate for your presence

all we need is you"

christy nockels

valentines ideas & answers to your questions

2012-01-19T07:44:00.001-05:00

i have a few cute valentines day gifts ideas for you
& actually another one i'll post in a couple days
but for now, enjoy a few of these ideas
most of which also have special deals attached
&
i've received several questions from the last several posts
so hopefully i've got all the links for those goodies too~~

boho wrap bracelet found here

my readers will receive 15% off just enter COWGIRL15 at checkout

& you will also receive free shipping!

offer good through 1/26

silhouette bracelet found here

i love collecting different versions of some of the classics,

especially jane austen's work.

"With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work, this Penguin Threads edition includes cover art by Jillian Tamaki and deluxe french flaps.
Commissioned by award-winning Penguin art director Paul Buckley, the Penguin Threads series debuts with cover art by Jillian Tamaki for three gift-worthy Penguin Classics. Sketched out in a traditional illustrative manner, then hand stitched using needle and thread, the final covers are sculpt embossed for a tactile, textured, and beautiful book design that will appeal to the Etsy(tm)-loving world of handmade crafts.
The Penguin Classics Deluxe series has been celebrated for its unique packaging and innovative design. The books of the Penguin Threads series will make truly special gifts and will be welcome additions to any craft or literature lover's collection".

Adele fans will love Live at the Royal Albert Hall

"my little money jars"
from Lil Light O' Mine

on sale here
for $23, originally $30

any of the fabulous art prints from

Jones Design Company
make sweet gifts

for those of you who asked about a couple pieces from my jewelry board post

you can find this little number right here

the coat from this post is actually on sale at old navy

i bought caroline's in the store early november but they are still on line
& even a 30% off deal going.
caroline was not a fan of the pink but today

i talked little bit in to purchasing the white one.

score.

& the sign from this post

is available by emailing andy

andrewshanelowry@gmail.com

metion SIMPLETHOUGHTS in your email and you

will receive 10% off
your purchase ....
you may choose your own design...verse, scripture,the options are endless!!

okie doke...i think that's it!

~~~

"you're the lord of all creation

& still you know my heart"

chirsty nockels

doing something now

2012-01-18T07:24:00.000-05:00

i was signed up to volunteer for Passion 2012,

long story short, it logistically proved to be something i couldn't pull off.

when i explained to savannah i wouldn't be there,

she was so disappointed.

disappointed i couldn't be there

& probably disappointed in me in general.

she said, but mom, it would be an opportunity for you to be involved in something big.

i felt horrible that i had let her down.

she went

she rounded up a LOAD of friends

she worshipped

she gave

she rocks.

( i watched the live stream & was blown away)

my girls have taught me so much this year.

taught me about looking outside our little world

& the need to share the gospel

& give or help those in need.

savannah has a huge desire to give.

she's going to do big things herself

but i love that she has a giving spirit

to go along with a successful goal/task oriented mentality.

emi gave three weeks of her summer

to serve the people in peru

& love on sweet children in orphanages there.

( all while hobbling around on her broken ankle that occurred basically

as soon as she arrived)

madi would love to travel to uganda one day.

she has a heart for the people there

& prays for and supports

Invisible Children

i talked to savannah months ago & told her i really felt like

i ( not dan in anyway) had failed her

in not having a world view.

in not showing her that her own mom was a generous person

a person concerned about other people

in other parts of the world.

i apologized for failing her.

that sweet child,

she simply replied to me,

"but mom that's ok.

i've been able to learn it from watching trevor ...."

( that boy has a huge selfless heart & wants to make money & give it away!)

what an awesome element in their relationship.

we can't always be all things to our children

but when they grow up

& see characteristics in others that impact them

that's awesome too!

i love this generation of kids

i love that they don't want to wait

to make changes in our world,

but they want to do something now

& i do too....

i signed & mailed a contract yesterday for a new business adventure

that

as soon as i get a few things squared away i will share with ya'll

...as for now, i am beyond excited!

the biggest excitement i have about this new adventure

is that i am going to be involved in something big.

bigger than just all about me.

bigger than just a paycheck.

bigger than just a job.

i've been trying to find a niche where i could do something

make a difference

somehow , in someway.

i LOVE that this new adventure is a medium where i can do just that....

now!

~~~

"Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the Church
Let the righteousness of God be a holy flame that burns
Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives
We believe You're all to us"

chris tomlin

we finally meet!!

2012-01-16T21:48:00.002-05:00

i've shared secrets with her

we've cried together

we text all the time

we chat all the time

we laugh. a lot.

while her glass is eternally half full, she's shared some of her heartaches with me.

( i consider that quite a privilege)

sure 'nuf,

i told her i'd do the wildest thing ever,

come speak at an event she's whipping up.

an event that is truly about encouraging each other

& reminding YOU of the beauty within you.

the hope within you.

an event that has been in her heart

& soul...

she has a heart like none other.

a heart to build up, encourage, bless,

pray for, & love on.

she's like no one i've ever met.

she's selfless & kind & warm and real.

anyway...

we talk about our college age girls

& our babies

our tall dark & handsome hubbies

& sweet tea.

she's stunning~

a drop dead gorgeous blond

with grace & poise.

she's wonderfully drippy sweet

southern as they come.

her sayings crack.me.up.

all the time.

i love this girl & am honored to call Sibi my friend.

the only thing we hadn't done

was actually meet in person

& get some serious hugs, laughs, tears & maybe

just maybe

a squeal or two.

she texted me friday afternoon & said she was coming to atlanta

the next morning with her sweet girl

to get some work done,

so, we hooked up for a quick visit at

none other than the Varsity

(who says i don't have class)

had a ball!

i'm going to do a little shameless plug here for

The Pearl Event.

for more information,

please swing over to sibi's

& here too

or edie's.

we'd love to meet YOU in nashville on march 10th!!!

oh my!!

~~
"& let everything be lost in the shadows

of the light of your face

let every chain be broken from me

as i'm bound in your grace"

christy nockels

{the findleys~a family session}

2012-01-14T08:13:00.000-05:00

i have several sessions from this fall that i just never had a chance to post

so here's the first.

thanks to the joys of facebook, this gorgeous blond & i were able to reconnect again for the first time since highschool

& yes, she's "much" younger than i!

such a fun family.

honestly, she might have been my very first session of a family that i didn't already know prior to that day. but they were super fun & made my awkward early entry into my new entrepreneurial

adventure, smooth sailing!

thank you findley family!!

the infamous coat & a winner

2012-01-12T06:32:00.003-05:00

i found this coat a few months ago....

at old navy.

can you believe?

it looks like it should have been 4x the price.

i loved it.

caroline hated it.

i mean almost cried because i made her wear it "only for a quick photo session"

hated it.

said it made her look like she was 5.

i told her if i coulda found one in my size

i would have risked looking 5

to have that pretty coat.

so sadly, the coat, with tag pinned underneath the arm,

please don't turn me in to the old navy crowd

was worn for all of 17 minutes to snatch up these little images

then returned to old navy...

don't hate me but i think they're long gone...

sigh

& finally,

congratulations amy

you've won the $50 gift certificate to

simply french market

i'll convo her & let her know you'll be sending her an email too

& ya'll can connect that way!

have fun shopping!

don't forget she's offered my readers a 20% off your entire purchase
just entire PKblog
coupon good through sunday evening, january 15th.

~~~~~~~

"You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find"

matt redman

a fantastic sign by Between You & Me

2012-01-11T07:44:00.001-05:00

one of my most favorite friends in the blog world is

tara from Between You & Me.

i'm sure many of you know her already,

if not, i think you're gonna love her too.

she & her cutiepie hubby just so happened to move to Athens this fall

& just so happen to work at Athens Church where my college girl attends

& they just so happen to make fantastic signs.

(that's not an exhaustive bio, just a few important details for today's post. wink)

their family rules sign is all over pinterest

so, andy & tara can create a family rules sign for you

you can choose whatever your little heart desires.

when they contacted me i knew the first thing i wanted for our sign

was a literary quote.

being huge Narnia & all things C.S. Lewis fans

i really wanted something from one of the narnia books.

Lucy & Aslan are my two favorite characters in all the world.

so...i chose the following.

the spiritual meaning behind this passage

is very special to me too.

so here's the skinny~

tara & andy will gladly create a sign for you.

it measures 4 feet by 2 feet.

it's a very substantial piece

& very well made.

i love mine. love it!!

please contact them at andrewshanelowry@gmail.com

for pricing & further details.

for the remainder of January

you will receive a 10% discount

just include SIMPLETHOUGHTS in your email to them.

my photos are yuck and make my walls look sorta muddy

& all my white look sorta weird

but it's been dark & gloomy for days & i really wanted to get this post

up. so don't let my photography scare you away

try not to covet my circa early 90's light fixture.

it's a doozy isn't it?

its on the list ya'll, it's on the list.

anyway..

it's always a big thrill to hear the UPS guy

stop in front of our home.

i told dan i was expecting a pair of ballet flats from nordstroms

& a sign from tara this week.

clearly the sign is what arrived.

i'm including this image so that you too

can have your hubby greet the UPS man

when he delivers your fantastic sign.

& so that you can get an idea of how substantial it is...

my hubby is 6"4'.

the sign is huge & wonderful!!

if you order one please let me know what you choose

& then send a picture.

i'd LOVE to do a follow up post of your signs!

"By Your wounds we are healed

& You have conquered the grave

& in Your rising, we will rise

To carry Your name

Above every name "

christy nockels

we need to go out & "do", mom

2012-01-10T06:52:00.001-05:00

i'm going to apologize in advance
as this post is a long one with loads of pictures
& hopefully two videos to share.

however what occured last week here in atlanta
could probably fill every blog post i might write for quite some time.
i wish each of you knew someone that attended
or was able to watch the live stream
or
will purchase the digital access pass to the entire event.....

savannah headed back to school last night.

as she pulled out of the driveway i began to have that weird struggle in my mind.

knowing she's where she needs to be & is doing SO well,

yet feeling like it will never be easy to letting one of them go.

i realized as i walked into her now empty room again,

she won't be home for a long visit again until school is out. in may.
sigh

it was nothing less than fantastic having her home & catching up. watching movies. coffee dates with friends. eating out. shopping. visiting. going to church together.

i guess it's a weird battle

our minds play

while we're in this phase of mothering.

don't you think?

this age, this 18yearold age, college freshman age

it might just be my favorite yet.

i loved the cute preschool age,

& the age where they loose their front teeth

& still hold your hand and call you mommy,

but i really really love this age she's in right now.

(see, there's hope for you with middle schoolers.wink)

cheering them on as they leave the nest

full of promise & so much potential

and yet

feeling like there's a vital part of the family unit

my family unit

that we're functioning without when she's elsewhere.

i know they must go.

we talked last week on the last morning of passion.

she told me multiple times, "i'm just sad mom. i'm sad that it's over".

we talked about mountain top experiences

& how after any big event

there is a time of necessary down time as you readjust.

but then she said, "but mom, it needs to be over. we need to go out & do

all that we've been equipped to do. we need to go ".

i sat there in the carpool lane

ready to drop little bit off

with that lump in my throat that i've come accustomed to

anytime she wow's me with some profoundly simple revelation such as that.

passion 2012

equipped just shy of 45,000 college kids to do just that.

go out, go back to their campuses, go forward towards their future

with a passion for the lord

to bring justice to the injustice in this world.

to begin to free the over 27 million people

enslaved. right now. 27 million people.

i'm sorry friends, but that alone blows my mind.
27 million. more than any other time in our history.
can you even wrap you mind around that?

these kids have an amazingly generous spirit

full of dreams

with the knowledge they need to make change.

i posted on facebook that they raised a specific amount of money

only to quickly realize my error.

i quickly went back & fixed it...

they GAVE over 3 MILLION dollars
not raised, they GAVE

3 million dollars towards various ministries/organizations to free slavery.

gave out of their empty college co-ed idon'thaveacareeryet pockets.

3 million.

the structure pictured below was a statue, huge temporary statue, built to represent the hand of worship & the hand reaching out to help others. it was covered with clothing & articles representing children involved in child labor. women involved in sex traffic and others bound into a life of slavery.

all 45,000 of the kids went out on the last night, silently, and light candles as a symbol of solidarity in their fight against injustice.

my words & descriptions are terribly inadequate

& while it's more powerful to have been there

it was super powerful to watch it

you can purchase a digital pass to have each

session downloaded to your computer

along with all the music right here

& i promise you , it will be one of the best spent $25 in your life.

i find myself just stumbling through my thoughts & words regarding this amazing event.

through my excitement as i watch this generation as they rise up

through my love for these kids that spent four days together.

they'll change our world, they'll change our world

the friend of mine that sponsored savannah & 4 of her friends

gave over $3,000 in support by the time the week was over.

( that i know of. knowing her, probably much more).

the last day she asked if she could treat them to a wonderful meal.

she wanted somewhere wonderful for them

yet savannah wanted it to be somewhere non-intimidating & fun too.

after getting loads of tips ( thank you facebook friends)

she chose Fogo de Chao.

wow.

it deserves a post of its own.

we had an incredible meal!

dan & i were blessed to hear each of their passion highlights

& how the Lord really changed their lives.

an evening dan & i will treasure forever.

the sweetest part of the evening was when we were able to connect with my friend

unfortunately couldn't get facetime to work

but all the kids gathered around my phone as she spoke to them

& encouraged them.

they thanked her over & over again...so sweet.

so yes, my heart is a little tender today as i'm missing having my girl

right here with me.

as sad as i am about that...i'm immeasurably more joyful as i get a front row

seat to her life & all the lord has in store for her

for her friends ( about 20 of them)

that all shared a powerful powerful week together.

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak,

words may be given me so that I will

fearlessly

make known the mystery of the gospel

ephesians 6.19

catching up & a giveaway

2012-01-08T06:54:00.003-05:00

i've been a tad behind over here on the blog.

this last week i was practically glued to my computer

trying to catch as much of the Passion 2012 live stream as possible.

if it wasn't for meals & laundry

i might not have ever surfaced.

i woke up yesterday so excited about attending church today

at passion city

only to realize it was only saturday.

that's how awesome it is...

~~~

i wanted to chronicle a few images from christmas morning

& then share about a fabulous giveaway.

as you can see,

an epic response from little bit on realizing

that her little envelope containing nothing but a phone number

was actually her new phone number

to use on sissy's handmedown phone.

woulda thought we'd given her a million dollars!

i was so excited for the girls to open their gifts.

i am every year, but this year i knew i had scored a few

wow's for them!

so fun to see the expressions of your loved ones

when they're loved on.

savannah had asked if they could have cutie jammies for christmas

so i scored these little cuties from old navy on a sale day

with an extra % off which brought them to about $4 a pop.

dan asked for one of the coolest gifts.

a special package of Atlanta Braves tickets.

two tickets for 5 games

including the home opener, one the weekend of july 4th

& one against the Yankees

(he's from Long Island)

he asked for this & plans to have a daddy daughter date

with each girl individually to each game

& then one with me.

too fun!

& now for a little treat...

savannah had ordered this fantastic burlap pillow for me

complete with the year we were married!

lovelovelovelove this little guy

& love that my sweet girl found it, picked it out

& ordered it just for me.

i posted this picture on fb & after receiving a handful of emails

thought i'd contact the etsy shop owner.

Terri has graciously offered one of my readers

a $50 gift certificate to her shop

Simply French Market!!

she has also graciously offered each of you

20% off your total purchase

just enter the promo code

PKblog

in the coupon section.
(coupon good through sunday jan. 15th)

so many great items in her shop

so, how about leave me a comment on what you might just order if you were to win

i will draw a random winner later this week

so good luck!

(anonymous commenters, please remember to leave me your name &nemail or else i have no way to contact you if you win)

"if faith can move the mountains

let the mountains move

we come with expectation

waiting here for you"
christy nockels

an embarassingly simple DIY jewelry board & my connection with beth moore

2012-01-05T06:35:00.002-05:00

good morning everybody

i'll be honest, the last couple days i've been glued to my computer watching as much of the Passion 2012 live stream as possible.
for those of you who've asked, i think each session expires after 24 hours...however, you can purchase the all access pass & have all of it available to you as they release them over the next few weeks/months. i highly recommend that!

i've bascially blown up my facebook & twitter accounts about #passion2012

i promise to talk about something else but i have a quick story to tell you.

so, tuesday morning i ran over to the mall for a quickie exchange. since passion doesn't tell you the schedule of speakers, i was completely unaware that beth moore was speaking live at around 11:00.

i was in anthropologie at 11:00 looking at everything, including jewelry.

i picked up a gorgeous pair of chandelier earrings, however since i have an empty post-christmas bank account, i laid them back down.

so, i come home later & watch beth moore on the live stream. low & behold, THE beth moore had on the earrings ya'll!!

couldn't find the exact color that "we" have/covet on line, but this is the pair in blue.

i'd bet the farm these were what she was wearing.

i shoulda screenshot the image & zoomed in

like any good stalker would have....sigh.

surely ya'll would be as excited about matching jewelry style with a

veritable star right?

it's like we're twins :)

so at the exact time i was picking up a gorgeous pair of anthro earrings, beth was speaking at passion...down the street.

isn't that amazing? sorta like a cosmic sign that we're kindred spirits or something....or that we just have the same taste in earrings. i prefer to see it as a kindred spirit sign!

i have a pretty good size inventory of jewelry

as that's my favorite accessory.

i needed to do something to make storage a little more efficient.

in fact, this little DIY project is so darn simple

that i'm embarrased to share

& it surely doesn't require step by step images

but the basics are as follows:

i used a 24x36 cork/message board

covered it with linen but burlap would be great too

headed over to lowe's & picked up upholstery tacks

measured & nailed them around the border.

while i was at lowe's i also grabbed some nickel plated style push pins

about 75 of those.

& went to town hanging my favorite necklaces.

i wanted this to be both functional & artsy pretty.

i keep my larger chunky necklaces on another display

but for the majority of them, i hung them on my board.

savannah is wanting to make a larger board

using vintage door knobs, knockers & drawer pulls

so i'm on the look out for those.

but for now, here you go...

my entire cost was less than $30

or you could swing by ballards

& pick up one for upwards of $219

okie doke, back to the live stream...today's the final day!

~~~

ps. many of my monogrammed pieces are John Wind

which you can find here

i have a story for you....& passion 2012

2012-01-03T06:46:00.002-05:00

i have an awesome story for you....it began several months ago, i hinted about it

but now it's time to share.

it's a little long but it's incredible!

i'm going to start out with my Savannah telling a little bit ....

"Since I’ve been to college, God’s hand has been more evident than ever. I can clearly see the people He has placed in my life, and even without knowing the extent of how important our relationship will be, I can tell the Holy Spirit is at work. UGA is known as the biggest party school in the nation, yet I feel like there is no way any other college could have this many people walking in His footsteps, praying in every move they make. I have never been so thankful for the family I grew up in, and I have never been so fully appreciative of the friendships God has given me. I am overwhelmingly grateful for His blessings and for His plan for me.

I want to share with you, as best I can, an amazing miracle I have been blessed enough to play a part in. The details God works out are sometimes impossible to fully explain, because our inadequate minds cannot entirely appreciate and understand how intricate His plan is. As my mom has shared with you her simple thoughts, I hope to share a few of my own in selfless thankfulness to His provision and His glory.

Passion brought me to a place of unwavering faith, of complete trust in God’s provision, of desire to share His kingdom. The things I once thought I knew and understood, I then had a cry in my soul to live out."

passion 2012

several months ago, i friend who i've never met in person,
(we'll name her marie to maintain her anonymity)

who simply reads my blog & has since become one of my favorite friends

a prayer warrior who has loved on & blessed my family

in ways that would blow your mind,

called & had just heard on talk radio

( she lives up in the midwest)

about an amazing event that would be held in atlanta january 2012.

passion is an incredible event for college kids
four days
with louie giglio, chris tomlin, david crowder, beth moore
andy stanley, francis chan
david platt...just to name a few,

she asked if i would allow her to support savannah & purchase her ticket.

savannah went last year & was one of the most pivotal events in her christian walk.

she came back even more focused & determined to carry the name of jesus

wherever he lead her.

my friend, "marie" also told me she wanted to bless not only savannah

but four friends of hers who wouldn't be able to go

otherwise.

mind you, the tickets were $200 a pop.

savannah was blown away & so excited.

she immediately knew a couple friends & prayed for a couple more.

the cool thing....the night before marie's call to me

smk's sweetie trevor had prayed that the lord would make away for one of his best guy friends

to go to Passion 2012.

he had not told smk about this yet.

(don't you love hearing how God orchestrates details?!)

smk tells the 4 friends their tickets have been paid.

tears are shed, "no way!!!"s are said

& plans were made.

marie then sent each of the 5 kids a new crisp $100 bill

to them as "i know things are tight in college. do something fun with this money".

she then smk $250 check

to distribute between each of them as $50 to donate

once they were at passion

fast forward to january 2, 2012...

savannah has rallied about 2 dozen college kids to be part of the

40,000

college kids who are spending the next 4 days at the georgia dome!

this awesome generation of kids

will lead our country

they are a generation on their knees

with hands lifted high in praise to God

they carry His name

wherever they go.

to marie...our family has often wondered if you were "real"...

your generous spirit has blown us away

& inspired each of us to love in whatever way we can.

while we could never send $2,000 to a college co-ed

whom we've never met

we can do something

& we can pray for these kids.

i am eternally grateful to YOU!!!!!

this investment will have eternal rewards

& i love that in heaven one day, we will get a glimpse.

so marie, thank you. you know we love you & love watching

the lord work through YOU!!!

thank you....

to savannah, i'm more proud of you than ever.

your open unashamed love for the lord is remarkable!

He is going to do BIG things in & through you baby girl!!!

BIG things

& i love sitting here on the front row & watching you!!

~~~

sorry this was a longy...i feel like i shortened some of the details

just to get the point of the story across to you.

i HIGHLY encourage you to watch some of the live stream.

you will be blown away!!

please join me in praying for savannah and her frieinds as they attend Passion this week & the impact THEY will have on their world!!! #passion2012

do you see Him? He's here with us....

2011-12-29T21:59:00.000-05:00

before i begin i want you to know,

i humbly took these images of a gorgeous new home around the corner from my own home.

i contacted a family member related to the home owner &

asked if i could have permission to write about what i saw.

the images & the poignancy of this site.

these images break my heart...

however i also see HOPE here.

& that is exactly what He wants you to see too...

this was obviously to be someone's dream home.

i envision plans & details layed out on a kitchen table for quite sometime

until this gorgeous home came to fruition.

it was stacked stone & gorgeous

a circular drive

a large pool in the back.

i had never gone inside but knew it was to be on the tour of homes

for the highschool my girls attend...

then just before thanksgiving, it burned to the ground.

all those dreams, all the newness

gone.

it's truly a horrific site to see the remains of a fire.

it's frightening and dark

it hurts your heart whether you knew the home owners or not.

years of personal belongings & dreams

gone.

a few weeks after the fire

dan asked if i had noticed the manger scene.

i was quite certain it had not been up prior to the fire.

sure enough, it was built after the home burned down.

the sides of the structure....were the sides of her grandchildren's bed...after the fire.

(the grandchildren also put up the Christmas tree for her after the fire)

the thought that a nativity scene was built

after

the fire.

after the horrific incident.

out of the mess

out of the seemingly hopeless situation

there sat the manger.

right in the middle of all the mess

sat the manger.

i pondered on how symbolic that scene was.

how powerful.

what a true picture of how He came.

He left Heaven's throne

where angels sing Holy Holy Holy to Him

never ceasing praise.

He left that

to come into our world

your world.

if you have ever thought your sin was too big

or your past was too dark

your heart was too far gone

or the things you've done are too messy for Him.

it's not.

they're not.

NOTHING

is too far gone for Him.

she was an unwed pregnant teenager

he was a simple carpenter.

he figured he'd honor her & go ahead and marry her

but divorce her quietly later.

she claimed she was a virgin

& that the Holy Spirit came upon her

& that she would deliver the savior.

the one they had waited long waited for

to free her people.

no one believed her.
of course no one believed her.
what a scandal.

they thought their savior was to be a mighty warrior

that he would come to the golden power city Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was the holy city where the temple was located.

they sure weren't expecting a baby...

in Bethlehem.

nothing good came from Bethlehem.

mary & joseph were traveling & realized she was soon to give birth.

it actually didn't happen in a barn

it was a hollowed out indention in the mountain

where animals could hide for shelter.

there was yuck there, messy smelly animal yuck there.

it was not clean nor was it quiet.

it was dark and messy.

an angel shows up to shepherds.

shepherds were smelly & dirty & poor.

the shepherds were tending to the sheep

that incidentally were being raised and would be taken to Jerusalem

for sacrifice for people's sin.

are you following this?

how amazing is that detail.

the first people that found out that their savior

promised about 400 years earlier

had been born

were the shepherds tending to the sheep

that were the sacrifice for sins.

yet HE was to be THE final sacrifice for sins.

i love that detail.

the shepherds weren't even allowed in the temple

yet

HE came to them.

not in a fancy church with perfect pews & a steeple

but

to them.

out in their filth & dirt.

on a dark night.

THE light came to them.

majesty in the mess.

that's how He came.

if you have ever felt you couldn't make it to God

please know

that Jesus

came

you

Christmas.

YOU

& that my friends

is the HOPE of glory.

the HOPE that all will be made right one day.

the HOPE that you were never alone.

as i drove around the back of this home that dark dreary rainy day

it took my breath away

to see the cross from the church across the street

through the burned down ruins of this home.

the cross, the scene of his death, on one view.

the manger, the scene of his birth on the other view.

the cross

the reminder that HE came

oh He came alright,

not to who "they" thought

or to where "they" thought

but He came

& then He gave His life.

no more slaughtered sheep

no more blood of any clean animals.

He was the perfect sinless one.

He gave His life for us.

freedom

hope

peace

& love

all right there

to view

through the dark charred mess

He was there all along.

majesty in the mess

hope in the midst of a storm

or a fire

or cancer

or divorce

or unemployment

or famine

or fear

Emmanuel

God with us.

do you see Him?
He is Emmanuel

He is here with you...

& to the homeowners

my prayers are with you

as you rebuild your home & your hearts

my prayer for 2012 is that my life, my words & actions, my home
glorifies the Lord.
that whatever glimpse you get into my life
through reading these simple thoughts i have
while somedays it's a silly thought
somedays it's heartfelt
that He is glorified.

~~

isaiah 61.3
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

romans8.38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

luke 2

one of my most favorites! {catherine ~a senior session}

2011-12-29T07:42:00.001-05:00

since it feels like i'll never get all our christmas photos

edited & a 'final christmas post', or 4 written

i want to share one of my most favorite sessions from this past fall.

catherine is one of my precious abby's best friends.

i was thrilled to be asked to shoot her senior photos.

she is gorgeous & such a "just as beautiful on the inside" young lady

who just so happens to be headed to UGA in the fall...

& i think i know a certain AXO who is hoping to see alot of her during rush ;)

i had searched high & low for a fabulous vintage suitcase for her session.

i knew i wanted to capture the 'going away'-ness of her senior year

& thanks to the magic of facebook, a friend scored one at an estate sale &

even swung by to drop it off as i was walking out the door to photograph her!

we headed over to the tracks which incidentally are across from the police station.

adds an element of fun to a session when you incorporate an illegal walk on the tracks.

is it illegal? anyways.

as i began to talk through my plan with catherine we could hear a train coming in the distance.

i figured we could go ahead & get started but her mama would have nothing to do with it.

i was momentarily frustrated with the train's poor timing

& then i realized what fabulous shots it would be

to have the train moving in the background!

perfect!

catherine is laughing so wonderfully because her mama was freaking out.

freaking out i tell you

that we were too close to the train!

thankfully we lived

& she didn't ask for a refund

& we got what i believe are some of my favorites. ever!

congratulations on UGA sweet catherine!

may the rest of your senior year be filled with wonderful memories

& excitement for the future!

her performance & en pointe

2011-12-28T06:53:00.003-05:00

caroline has turned into quite the little dancer

on her last day prior to christmas break,

her teacher told her that she would be promoted to pointe class as soon

as she returned from break!

she is so excited!!

she has quickly made some wonderful friendships with several of the girls

from the studio who are in her grade at school. they are such sweet girls & i'm so happy

to see her so happy!

the fifth grade put on a fantastic holiday musical

& caroline's junior company did a little tap presentation.

super duper cute!!

i love having a ballerina in the house again.

madison danced for many years & i truly miss

her nutcracker performances.

here are a few pictures from her performance a few years ago...

still so beautiful.

a quick update & a reminder for Creatively Made

2011-12-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

i hope i've never given you reason to believe we're all angels around here.

with five women in the house

things can get a little snippy around here. sometimes.

we can argue over makeup, either the wearing of too much makeup

or who took someone else's makeup

or someone could use a little makeup

to someone's maybe not old enough for makeup.

to who call's the tv

or are we watching The Grinch

or Polar Express

because someone thinks Polar Express is creepy

to can someone please walk Brinkley

to can you please put away your laundry

& why is your room such a disaster

to mom, why are you in a bad mood

to if you break your iphone, you won't get another

can we please eat out

to we always go mexican

to what the heck was that status all about.

you get the picture right?

well, all the stars and planets and everything else aligned

because the snittiness & bickering & grumpiness completely subsided Christmas Eve.

completely. subsided.

seriously.

we enjoyed the service at Passion City Church

after a huge lunch.

caroline & savannah spoke briefly in their perfect british accents

came home & played our traditional game of find the pickle.

we time each girl & the winner usually wins a bag of m&m's or skittles but

this year i forgot to pick up a bag, so cash it was.

congrats madison on your victory!

Christmas day was wonderful

& cloudy and cozy.

a wonderful day to celebrate His birth!

i've got loads of pictures to download from the last couple days

but for now i wanted to remind you about Jeanne Oliver's

Creatively Made e-course

{rediscovering the beauty of your gifts}

i have been looking forward to this for quite some time.
i hope you'll join me
~~

Creatively Made E-Course from Jeanne Oliver on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:41:00.001-05:00

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2. 7-14

merry & bright, a winner & some randomness

2011-12-22T19:55:00.002-05:00

i hope each of you is having a wonderful time this week being with your loved ones.

perhaps you're still shopping

& wrapping gifts.

or maybe you are committed to life in the kitchen for the next few days.

we headed over to the library today....that's what you do when it's 3 days before Christmas

& you're out of money!

i made a little snack.

pop 4-5 bags of light butter popcorn & remove all the kernels

melt one vanilla bark

& pour over

add sprinkles and cinnamon candies...or whatever your heart desires.

peppermint stick cocoa & such

2011-12-21T08:24:00.001-05:00

i have a cutie patootie treat if you need any last minute gift ideas.

mix this up & add a couple cute mugs and you have a precious gift.

Peppermint Stick Cocoa

1 c dry milk

1 c cocoa

1 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c mini chocolate chips

1/2 c crushed peppermints

layer ingredients in a quart size jar

on your gift tag the directions read:

mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

for each 1 serving mix 1/3 c mix with 1 c boiling water

& enjoy

( thank you pinterest)

you know it's funny,

i'm sorta embarassed to tell ya'll this

but as much as i LOVE decorating our home at Christmas,

usually by Christmas day, dare i say after lunch

i'm ready for it all to be gone.

but

this year i am really enjoying our home.

maybe it's because i was a couple weeks later than usual getting things up

maybe it's because each year i simplify a little bit more

maybe, just maybe i'm a little more content.

either way

as i came downstairs this morning

& the wonderful smell of the chubby tree

& the twinkling white lights against the windows on a dreary day

& the christmas cookies i had for breakfast

& the packages are all waiting to be opened by happy people...

i soaked it all in

& i love it.

i don't want it to be over....

ps--don't forget about our giveaway.

you still have time to enter here!

cool yule, atlanta homes & lifestyles

2011-12-20T07:52:00.004-05:00

wanted to share with ya'll, jill sharp brinson's home here in atlanta.
jill is the creative director for Ballard Designs.

via

atlanta homes & lifestyles magazine.

& yes, i am completely smitten...
it's safe to say that i love absolutely everything about her home.
so much so that i

might just need to do a little appreciatory ~~stalkeresque~~ drive-by!

Peace of Thread giveaway

2011-12-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

i want to introduce you to a wonderful organization, Peace of Thread.
i purchased the bag pictured above & LOVE the story & the ministry behind the bag.
my bag is gorgeous & made with exceptional quality.
the fabrics are AMAZING!

let me share their story, in their words...

Denise goes to the Middle East for 7 years, learns Arabic, works with a non-profit, and falls in love with the culture and people.
Meanwhile, stateside, a group of people called Generation Salaam (Arabic word for “peace”) are developing friendships with Iraqi refugees in Clarkston, Ga. Over the course of our friendships, it surfaces that their biggest need is jobs.
Denise comes home and meets one of these women and gives her an old sewing machine. This woman is thrilled and the story begins.
Shortly thereafter Generation Salaam does our annual summer camp for the kids and while the camp is happening, Denise and some other “Threaders” teach the women how to sew.
The women love it and want to continue beyond just the summer camp week.
We audaciously think we can start a business and give it a go.
After months of training, getting connected to fabric distributers, finding wonderful designers, and rounding up more volunteers – we find ourselves at the beginning of an adventure!

Chic bags. Inspiring stories.

Peace of Thread is a division of a local, non-profit organization that empowers women who have come to the United States seeking refuge from war, persecution & poverty to make a new life for themselves and their families. The women of Peace of Thread hand make high quality and one-of-a-kind accessories using top-of-the-line, re-purposed fabrics.

they have offered, one of you, the bag of your choice!!

you may choose something from their online store

if you are chosen from a random drawing

which i will announce thursday.

normally i don't ask you to jump through hoops

but my desire is to introduce them & help get their name & ministry seen.

so...

how about swing by their site & leave me a comment on which item you would chose from their store if you won.

for each of the following, leave an extra comment...

~ "like" them on facebook

~tweet about the giveaway

~blog about the giveaway.

( so ultimately, you could have 4 opportunities to win)

i have seen the faces of these women, i would love to bless them

during this Christmas Season.

ps. when you click on bags, this will give you a description of each style.

the shop link will direct you to the current styles available.

clicking on each style will then direct you to which color options are available.

ok...go forth & visit!

(my bag, is the pom.)

wrap it up

2011-12-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

i'm telling you what,

talk to women about shoes

ask their opinion

& seriously we have a great blog conversation going on!

ya'll are awesome.

i loved, LOVED all the comments.

i put it out on facebook too ( the metallic vs glitter tory's survey if you missed it)

& totally enjoyed all your enthusiastic responses.

i loved hearing about all the granny's who in their 90's were still rocking

the glittered kicks look!

lesson of the day....

you're never too old for glitter!!

as far as the shoes....well...i'll keep you posted.

i've wanted the metallic forever.

in fact, had promised myself that if i dropped a jean size

after training last year for the half marathon i'd splurge & treat myself.

obviously

you can see how far that got!

anyway...while we're on the topic of all things gold & glitter

i thought i'd share some of my gift wrap with you.

years ago i would wait until i'd tucked in each of the girls

& then spend christmas eve in a christmas wrapping frenzy.

shoot me now.

these days, what i try to do, is put everything in boxes as soon as i purchase.

i tell the girls, NO peeking.

their loss if they spoil the surprise.

then i get everything wrapped early.

i love for the outside of the package to be as fun as the gift itself.

well, it makes for a pretty view under the tree anyway.

some of the things i use:

i print small silhouettes of the girls & glitter the edges

tinsel

vintage christmas cards, i glitter those too

ornaments & glittered snowflakes.

paper shred & wired ribbon.

years ago i printed out little endearments

& cute little sayings on cardstock & re-use those each year.

i also try to collect gift boxes during the year.

pretty much anytime i buy something from anthro i ask for a gift box...shhh....

sequins, glitter, purple polish. all in one post.

2011-12-14T06:49:00.001-05:00

i didn't share this on the holiday walk

because, well, it's the bathroom

(& try not to covet our 80's hardware)

but the funny thing...it's emi's favorite room that i "decorated".

poor child, lives in a home where the bathroom is the fun room.

i love to photograph brink looking out the window.

it's so cute when i've been out running errands & as i pull in to the drive

i can see his handsome face looking out the window for us.

as soon as i get to a certain spot on the driveway, he runs away & heads

over to greet us at the door.

yes, we are such creatures of habit, he & i.

wanted to share my latest obsession
&current fave color.
it looks sorta like a crazy purple color
but it dries to a nice plumy grey color which actually sounds yuck
but it's pretty. really.
scoundrel if you wondered.

ran out and did some shopping the other day.

when i unpacked my goodies ( some of which i can't show yet)

i realized i had quite the color scheme going on.

sans the plummy grey polish of course.

the little nutrcracker ornaments are from crate & barrel

& i used them as gift toppers.

i had asked santa for some wild & crazy gold glittered TOMS

which i am probably technically "too old" to wear.

so in an effort to help santa, not sure if i'd need a different size, being glittered and all

i made a very helpful run to nordstroms

& low and behold

they had gunmetal sequined ones.

heaven help me.

i'm probably way too old to wear sequin kicks but i couldn't resist.

i wrapped them for him immediately because i really want to wear them now. right now.
just like the Butter polish, they look better in person.i promise.
just peeking out under long jeans....not with shorts or anything crazy like that. fear not.

& just in case you wondered,

here's proof that i do indeed wear shoes other than my cowboy boots.

& since we're talking shoes

& clearly i'll wear anything,

hence the sequined TOMS,

i would love your opinion.....

sequined or metallic

& haters of gold shoes, please don't respond!

( & dan, don't worry. i'm not shopping for tory's...just an innocent hypothetical survey! wink)

a Christmas Eve table & my love for gold

2011-12-13T06:52:00.001-05:00

i want to share with you a little place setting i have in the dining room for Christmas Eve.

i'm not usually one to have the places set for days but

i found these goldish champagne chargers at Micheal's, on sale of course

& loved them so much i wanted to go ahead & enjoy them.

i have used silver ones for years but i am completely in love gold this year.

i went through a gold & silver phase about 12 years ago

after ~~copying~~ being inspired a friend's veritable mansion home

where everything was very formal

and gold

and she had drapery and angels everywhere.

not really 'me'. but i tried to make it me because i thought she was awesome.

that was before the black & white and color phase

which was well before operation minimize

& let's paint every room in the house creamy white

& buy white furniture.

wow, i feel like our pastor on sunday mornings

getting way off track!

just kidding buddy!

back to the gold~

now i feel the look, vibe, feel, whatever you wish to call it

in our home is what i'll stick with.

commitment at it's finest.

adding in some touches of gold (again)

has added a little elegance to our very casual home.

back to the table~

each of the girls has a little something to open on Christmas eve

& no girls, it's not jammies again.

so each gift is in it's little jcrew silver box with some gold sheer ribbon

( this was martha's line from--gag me--kmart but you can find it at target..i think)

a little vintage paper shred

& a glittered letter from walmart.

the place card holders are little ornaments from michaels, in the dollar section.

the eat drink & be merry napkins were from lemonademakinmama.

the vintage style lollies are from cariboo coffee.

i printed off their names onto cardstock & glittered the edges.

in all honesty,

i probably spent more time setting the table

then i will actually preparing the Christmas eve meal! ha!

my friends....&The Pearl Event

2011-12-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

we met through blogging.

we have become the best of friends.

we've laughed together and cried together too.

we share secrets & a love for seaside

we love pearls & all things southern

we love our families like crazy

but the thing that knits our hearts together

is our love for jesus.

Sibi is the real deal ya'll

she is an encourager like you've never known.

she has a heart that wants to glorify the Lord, no matter what the day holds.

her perpetually half full glass

her love for her family truly inspires me...

well, we've been keeping a little secret.

today as i hurried down stairs to check my texts & my inbox

i felt like a little girl on Christmas morning, wondering if Santa had come.

was "it" real...

well it is ....

it is with just about every possible emotion

that i announce

The Pearl Event II ~ the Double Strand!!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

9:00 ~ 4:00

The Opryland Hotel

Magnolia Ballroom

Nashville, Tennessee

& guess who else will be there....

EDIE!

lord have mercy !!

i can't say enough about how much i respect this wonderful woman!!
my girls & i , we all have a little crush on her
& would love to move in with her!

i'll be honest,
when sibi first asked if would come,
i almost laughed in her sweet face. actually, i did laugh.
sat at dinner that night & explained to my hubby how many reasons why i shouldn't go
not the least of which included
"BUT I CAN'T DO PUBLIC SPEAKING!!"

he looked at me and said, what day is it on?
i'll be there...
(actually i'm not sure boys are allowed...wink!)

i called her later and told her , with tears of course,
i'm in.
there's a story there that i'll share later...

there will also be two of Sibi's other friends there,

Sarah Cantrell

her tender story is here

& Jane Matthews.

it's the desire of our hearts

to encourage you & love on you.

& share some of our stories.

we will have more information about the event very soon

but for now you may register here!

Please head over to Sibi's to learn more

meanwhile...i'm so excited...and nervous...and giddy....and overwhelmed...

&feeling kinda awkward....and blessed
...and in over my head...and tickled....
and my comfort zone is no where in sight!!!

xoxo

Merry Christmas! Ya'll come on in~

2011-12-09T06:14:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas friends!

i'm really tickled to share our home with you.

honestly each year i find myself simplifying my decorations just a little bit more than the year before.

i have boxes & boxes of Christmas decorations.

and quite the large collection of dept 56 snow village

but the last couple years have pulled out what i absolutely love

& been just fine with that.

having a large family, it's truly my desire to create a peaceful home.

a respite from our busy loud and crazy lives.

i think my girls would prefer i place every single ornament on the tree

& that i pull out everything we own for the holidays...but...maybe when we have grand babies! ha!

we loaded up with some fresh greens, white lights, silver and gold,

pulled out the mercury glass & grouped some of my collections together for more of a vignette look.

i'm still adding little touches here and there.

i hope you enjoy.

ya'll come on in~

our foyer holds our little nativity scene made in Uganda

i began collecting bottle brush trees several years ago.

this year i placed them on one of my mother in law's silver trays in the kitchen

where they could be easily seen & enjoyed.

i purchased the large gold frames at the country living fair. i walked around for at least an hour debating

whether to purchase them. what was i thinking? they're fabulous!

i'm so glad i snatched them up. i love propping them in different places.

one of my clients this fall brought me one from her own antique collection as a gift.

i have that one shown in the photo with the wooden snow covered tree.

my other favorite collection is my vintage ornaments.

i placed many of them in this large container.

i love having the fun pop of vintage color from both the ornaments

& the bottle brush trees in the kitchen.

a little vignette in our master bedroom

the framed card is one of the papaya glittered Christmas cards

a peek into caroline's room

emi's tree

& finally, our tree

& in the evening,

Merry Christmas!!

grammy's ornaments

2011-12-08T07:03:00.000-05:00

dan's parents, grammy & pop pop, were truly the quintessential grandparents.

he could fix anything

she could bake and sew anything.

at christmastime, she would bake Norwegian cookies

and play her manheim steamroller cd.

their home would smell of a glorious turkey in the oven

with all the fixins for our holiday meal.

while we always miss them,

i think they are even more missed at Christmastime.

early in our marriage, i was telling Lil how much i loved vintage christmas ornaments.

she proceeded to tell me she had thrown all of hers away.

oh say it isn't so.

Herb & Lil were minimalist before it was hip to be minimalists!

after dan's daddy passed away, we dan was painstakingly going through

& packing up their belongings.

he ran across a box of dozens of her vintage ornaments.

while i have no idea if she can see us from heaven,

i had to laugh.....she hadn't thrown them all out after all!

yesterday i pulled them out and placed them

(half of them actually...there are so many!)

in to dan's daddy's tool caddy, which was made by his daddy.

it's probably 100 years old.

another priceless "thing" that connects us to our past.

anyway, the caddy, it's huge.

if the pictures below don't give you an idea of the size

it's about 3 feet long.

i'm not exactly sure what i'm going to do with it

especially when all the girls are home

but for now it's hanging out on our kitchen counter

& on pretty days i will sit it outside on our porch.

thank you grammy!

maybe i'll even try my hand at making norweigan cookies one day.

no promises though ;)

last year , this was how i used pop pop's carrier

i love this artist, chapter 2

2011-12-07T06:58:00.000-05:00

first off, i realized my title from yesterday's post must have fooled a few of you

because i had a few more hits than usual.

sorry about that,

but seriously you must go through the holiday house walk so far!

today's homes include the holly mathis & the sara from sadie olive too!

alrighty,

i know we've talked about her before,

hence the title,

but i felt the need to share some of Janet Hill's

holiday paintings.

i love everything she does

& the whimsical titles she gives each one are so fun!

i love everything about this one~
reminiscent of my favorite icon, jackie kennedy

the not yet sick of chevron dress print

minnie wore white shoes after labor day print

french girl

i purchased this one after having my farmtable redone

this one makes me wish i was a ginger,

of course i'm smitten with this one too,

back in the spring i shared the austen dresses prints i purchased for madison's room,
they are also available through janet hill.

tour of homes & a family session

2011-12-06T06:28:00.001-05:00

Jen Rizzo is hosting a virtual holiday tour of homes.

the tour began yesterday and today will feature Dear Lillie & Jeanne Oliver's homes!

i think one of my favorite aspects of blogging is peeking into homes

& being inspired by their decorations!!

swing by on friday & i will share what Christmas looks like in our home this year.

this is the view from my big comfy white chair.

i start my mornings here usually on google reader,

having my quiet time, maybe reading a book.

last night before caroline climbed into bed, she said

mama can you wake me at 7:20?

if you're editing a photo at 7:20 you don't need to stop, you can just

come and get me when you're done with it.

guess that tells you what i've primarily been doing while sitting in my comfy white chair lately!

over thanksgiving break i was commissioned to photograph a young family.

the mom asked if i would come to their home for the session.
as she described the location

i realized i had driven by a few weeks prior and fell in love.

friends i have to tell you, i absolutely loved her home.

( i hope she'll blog and share some of the interior. if so i'll hook you up!)

from the pebble drive, to the large front porch with swings and linen pillows.
rich dark hardwoods, creamy white interior, huge lanterns
monograms, sprawling back porch with a swinging bed
& little edison bulb lights on the ceiling.

magazine worthy but better.

i won't steal any of her thunder with my inadequate description

but if i were to move in there today,

i would not change a single thing.

she greeted savannah and i at the door

and from the moment we stepped inside

the warm southern hospitatilty of both her & her hubby
and precious children

had us hook line and sinker.

we're hoping she'll need a nanny this summer.
or a cleaning lady! ha!

here are a few from that day~

thank you gary family

for the privilege of photographing

your beautiful family!

the greatest of these is love

2011-12-04T20:46:00.001-05:00

it was two years after gregg had passed away.

i was getting ready that afternoon to attend the funeral of an amazing woman.

carol st. clair was the type mother that i dreamed of becoming.

she was an encouraging wife, godly mentor,

& best friend to many.

she was a pastor's wife who along with another amazing mentor in my life

had blessed me with my bridesmaids luncheon a few years earlier.

she was truly wonderful.

her husband pastored the church where i met both gregg and dan.

she had courageously fought her battle with cancer.

she was leaving behind four great kids,

the youngest was ginny.

ginny was only eleven.

it broke my heart that she had passed away.

it broke my heart for her family.

another person who i thought hung the moon. gone.

i had not attended another funeral service since i had buried gregg.

i knew i'd see many friends there, most of whom i hadn't seen since his passing.

& to be honest, i was nervous.

i was sad and nervous and tenderhearted and well, just all around sad.

dan & i weren't married. we weren't even technically dating.

we had just begun to spend time together.

he offered to go with me.

he had coached their oldest son in basketball

& taught their oldest daughter in school.

he was close to them too.

i saw a side of dan that day that i had never personally witnessed before.

he was so tender with me.

he knew i was sad & tender about losing my friend.

& he knew i was sad and worried about being "seen" myself out in public as a young widow.

he was so sensitive towards me that day.

i'll never forget standing and talking to a friend at the service. i glanced over to him

& the look in his eyes towards me....well, i knew he loved me.

i fell hopelessly in love with him on that day.

how could i not?

that feeling of being protected

of being "known"

that feeling of loyalty.

it was a feeling of love that enveloped me that day

& has kept me safe and secure every day since.
it's the same feeling of love and security that i pray
each of my own daughters will come to know one day
through their own hearts and the man the Lord is preparing for each of them.

the last several weeks have been scary for me.

i've seen a couple different doctors and i've had some tests run.

while i was encouraged at my last appointment,

i still have a biopsy ahead before i can have some closure on this current trial.

dan has been that same loyal, protective, tender man to me.

friday he went with me to the hospital.

he sat in the waiting area while i had my tests run

& while i spoke with doctor.

we texted back & forth for the 6 hours the appointment took.

i had such peace knowing he was there.

knowing he would never leave me.

when it was time for me to check out, the discharge area was enclosed with a glass door

across the hall was the waiting area , also enclosed with a glass door.

i texted him & told him i was done.

we peeked at each other through the windows across the hall.

at that moment i recalled the story i told you above.

about how he looked at me that day so many years ago

when i was in another, albeit different, vulnerable tender place.

how i knew he loved me that day

& loves me still.

i knew.

this week in advent we ponder on how much jesus loves us.

while i am blessed to have a man in my life who loves me with a tender selfless heart,

we all have a heavenly father who loves us with a constant loyalty

drawing us to him tenderly.

to experience and be covered with his protective hand.

maybe you are in a place where you are single , still waiting on "him"

or maybe you're in a relationship where you don't feel loved and cherished,

my prayer for you this advent season

is that you know the love of Jesus.

while the tangible love of a man is often times "easier to feel"

i promise you , you will feel His love for you too.

he will never leave you. never.

& to my dan,

your heart of love inspires me daily to love others.

you are not a clanging cymbal

for you love me well.

you show our girls and others around you

what the love of jesus looks like.

merry christmas sweet man
i love you more today than yesterday
but not as much as tomorrow.

~~~

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

ps.
ginny is grown & married now.
she & her siblings each living lives i can only imagine
carol rejoicing over. i know she's proud of her children...
and grandchildren.
she loved well
& her legacy is one of love and loyalty too
xo

new phones & new friends with new hearts

2011-12-02T06:46:00.000-05:00

well

santa came early.

seems i dropped my phone in the toilet.

which incidentally, while sharing this little nugget of information in public

i thought my 15 year old would die a slow and painful death caused by utter humiliation.

as if

her mom mentioning a toilet & her proximity to said toilet

was just too much.

anyway

the only thing that died a slow death was my phone.

so i'm now president of the #iPhoneforrookies club

& yes, i love to use hashtags

while i twitter which i can now accomplish easily

thanks to my new jewel of a phone.

& i'm here to tell you

that if i didn't live with a 10 year old & an albeit embarassed 15 year old

i'd never learn how to use this little fella.

but i love her!!

the phone that is

( well my daughters too, but today is all about the phone)

i've been busy posting mobile uploads

such as black friday scores,

snuggling cuties home from college,

downloading instagram while hanging out in the doctors office

& coveting a stranger's louis bag,

taking photos of my happy place

after the 6 hour stressful trip to the doctor,

which incidentally restored all joy in my little world.

anthro, not the doctor.

wow, is my post confusing today or what?

chronicling the limber child,

but the highlight of having my new phone fun is this~~

jill & i have been blog friends for a couple years.

she lives in tennessee & we often times have some facebook banter

about smk's boyfriend being a huge UT fan.

jill has precious children

with awesome names like mimi & reagan

mary lawson & cooper.

& then baby hutton was born.

Hutton is a miracle baby.

predicted to be still born

proved the doctors wrong & decided to show up anyway!

she immediately had a pacemaker installed, a shunt placed

only to be told she also had a major liver problem.

she was later placed on "the" list to receive a new heart.

fast forward

7.7.11 her family received the call,

hutton would be receiving her new heart.

this sweet baby child is brave & strong

& the Lord clearly has a plan for good for her little

powerful life!

she was life flighted here to atlanta the week prior to thanksgiving.

she was unresponsive and critically ill.

reading jill's updates left me humbly praying for a miracle for this sweet little one

who i only knew through the stories of her mommy & daddy.

she's home now all well & happy

& playing yo gabba gabba

& hanging out with her iPad

like any other healthy almost four year old.

we loaded up the car the weekend before she left

drove to the hospital

& were able to meet her

& jill

& her beautiful sissies and daddy too

hug their necks

& rejoice in her life!

what a thanksgiving for her family!!

we love ya'll,

johnson party of 7!!

Who He is....

2011-12-01T06:01:00.000-05:00

I want to introduce you to a new bible.

Ann Spangler has teamed up with the God's Word Translation

to edit and create

The Names of God Bible.

The scriptures have many names for God.

I love to learn about the God i serve,

to learn "who" he really is.

The names used in the scriptures provide us with a deeper, more intimate knowledge of him

and his character.

Names such as Yahweh, El Shadday, and El Elyon,

tell us that God is lord,

he is almighty

he is most high.

In the Names of God Bible

you will learn background information associated with his names.

you will have devotional readings for each name

& learn the specific promises connected with each name.

I love this version.

It's a wonderful supplement to my daily devotions

& an excellent avenue for me to draw closer to the Lord

through the power of his name.