lately...

Well... I've been pretty absent from my blog over the past month.. and really neglecting Motivational Monday. So I figured I'd update you on my life over the past month to play catch up. Hopefully soon things will slow down a bit and I can get back to blogging about crafts and food :) 

It's only Tuesday and my week has been not so fabulous. Early Monday morning I woke up to someone ringing my doorbell (It's not rare for me to dream about people knocking on my door/ringing the doorbell, I know right) so I assumed I was dreaming, until someone knocked and rang the bell again. I started freaking out, looked at my phone... it was 4 AM! Cue HUGE freak-out .. then they start beating! Like so loud, I opened my bedroom door and my whole apartment was bright red and all I can see if firetrucks outside. I flew the door open to find a firefighter, he comes in shining a light in my apartment, I FREAK out! Like in a loud, kind of screaming but not crying voice I say something along the lines of "OMG, what is going on, what is happening? Where do I go, what do I do?! I don't know why I'm acting like this, I feel like I'm freaking out but I feel calm but I have no idea what's going on. I think I'm still asleep." He interrupts me and is like ma'am, please calm down. You are ok, there has been a fire in the building and I'm checking to make sure you have no smoke in your apartment. I felt so bad for him, I'm sure he was doing all he could do to not laugh, my behavior was a little intense. I'm blaming it on the fact that I was uber confused and still asleep AND a little scared. So I go to the window and see this... 

You can't see everything and I'm really not trying to over hype this but I counted 10 trucks. And there were firefighters everywhere, outside, roaming down the halls... I still have no idea what happened. But it reaks... like someone burned a whole lot of bacon and popcorn.. I assume it started on my floor because the other floors don't smell. I know it was around the corner and the whole trash chute and elevator downstairs are burned pretty bad. Soooo needless to say I didn't sleep the rest of the night, the firetrucks were there for a few hours and were loud... that's another thing.. HOW in the world did I not hear these million trucks coming or outside my window. I was SO tired that night so I must have been deep in my sleep cycle. 

So then Monday afternoon it rained like crazy and somehow my car windows rolled down without my knowledge. My car interior is still soaked.. no telling how long this is going to take to air out. Just fabulous! 

Anyway, I have had some good weeks this year so far. Valentine's Day was fabulous. I got these beauties... and Brian I went on an awesome walk through hillcrest and cooked a delicious, 10+ meal! We're actually a pretty amazing team of cooks! 

Hayden got to come to work and hang with me for a little while the week prior- after a lunch date with Whitney :) 

I also did some more work to my apartment! I finally decided to paint a wall in my living/dining room area and it looks FABU! I will have to take some better pics of it and post them later.. I also moved my fabulous DIY mirror to this wall and it pops now and looks amazing! 

I also FINALLY got my long awaited drill from my Christmas list and I went to work immediately. I had these really annoying doors in my kitchen that looked like shutters and had no point but to take up space and frustrate me. The same with my bathroom... three doors in one tiny bathroom... so I had decided, when I get my drill I will take down the kitchen doors and I will remove the closet door in the bathroom and just organize it to look pretty and use lots of baskets! So I did.... and I'll post about them later but here's a preview :)  

SO much better!! Obviously my apartment isn't very clean but I snapped this quick pic to send to my mom :) 

Also, celebrated a few birthdays this past month... Sydney and Laura both turned 27! And we actually celebrated both at Boscos

And then there was more time with my favorite little 7 month old... 

And that's pretty much what's been going on! Here's hoping the week gets much better from this point out... :) xoxo 

Motivational Wednesday?

So I forgot to post motivational Monday, again! And then I forgot on Tuesday so lets try for a Motivational Wednesday this week!! :) 

Lent, Day 2

Happy day to you all.... Happy Lent and Happy Valentines Day!  I've always had mixed feelings about Valentine's Day... I don't love it but I don't hate it. Single or taken... but I do love hearts! And I love them all year around. 

This year (and last) I'm lucky to have a fabulous best friend of a person that I call my boyfriend. But also I'm lucky to have some other Valentine's in the form of my family and friends :) I love you all very, very much! 

SOOO.. Lent started yesterday. I started the day off bright and early by attending the Ash Wednesday service at Christ Episcopal here in downtown Little Rock. I finally decided for Lent this year that I'm going to go with the BUSTED HALO, Pray, Fast, Give calendar. 

Below is the calendar event for today.. each day they show an icon (kind of a tease as to whats to come) today's showed a picture of Katy Perry. You can't click on the day in advance, you have to wait until it's the actual day. So here's what I got... 

I pray for humility, honestly, because it’s very easy to be caught up in this world. — Katy Perry

FAST from your biggest worldly vice today (be it media, internet, alcohol, food, porn, politics, gossip, etc.).

PRAY for humility today. 

GIVE others the benefit of the doubt today.

Today I'm going with fasting. And I'm choosing facebook. So for today, no facebook... and praying for humility.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

Monday, a day late...

So I'm a day late with Motivational Monday.. oops! I love the saying I picked for today... LOVE IT! Hope it inspires you to remember this, always! 

LENT

I've been trying to decide what to give up for Lent for a couple weeks now. I always put a lot of thought in to what to give up.. I usually ask my sister.. who always tells me that I should take on something. I never can come up with something (with the exception of 2011) so I end up giving something up (the easy way) BUT I usually give up things that are pretty tough to give up. This year I really want to do something different, take on a daily devotional or take on something, I just don't know what!? I found THIS today.. and I like the general idea, I would like to switch it up though. 

My mom has also told me about the Fast, Pray, Give calendar on Busted Halo. And here's why... 

Traditionally, Lent was a time for personal conversion leading up to Easter, during which Christians practiced the spiritual disciplines of fasting, praying and almsgiving to strip away all that is unnecessary and become more mindful of their ultimate dependence on God. Let’s recapture the true meaning of Lent in ways that are actually relevant to your life. Each day throughout Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday, the calendar’s link for that day will become active, revealing a Daily Jolt for spiritual contemplation relating to Lent, and new and practical ideas for fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

 In the past I've done the following:

2006: no ice cream, at the time I was addicated to Shakey's 

2007: no chocolate

2008: no sweets

2009: no facebook

2010: no facebook, again... and no chocolate

2011: no facebook and I wrote 1 letter via snail mail each day to someone that either I haven't talked to in a while or just a letter to say thanks for being wonderful :)

2012: no shopping

So there, I think I've made my decision while writing this post. Share with me what you do, please. I'd like to hear others thoughts/opinions. Do you give up anything for Lent? Can you "cheat" on Sundays? Do you struggle to make it 40 days? I'd like to hear any thoughts! Thanks, xo. 

NEW Etsy!

Hello! I've got a few new listings up on Etsy, you can also check them out on my new "Designs" tab on this site... or by clicking HERE.

Psalm 121 Bird Canvas

Trust in the LORD canvas

Quote 16x20 Canvas

love thy neighbor

Usually I don't write about anything of any importance on my blog, but today I feel like I need to ask for some help... in the form of prayer. 

I feel like over the past month or so I've encountered so many friends going through some tough situations. All very different situations.. I'd just like to ask without going in to details for a number of unspoken prayer requests. 

I'm also including a song by Natalie Grant that I listen to when I am feeling down or looking for answers. This song gives me hope and reminds me that God is on my side, always present.. even when I've failed Him or think He's not listening. 

"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." 

Isaiah 40:31

Thank you. xoxo, ah

new design....

Hello!  Just wanted to point out to everyone that I've added some tabs to the top of my blog. Please click on any (or all) and check out the new stuff I'm adding. It will be easier to find things within my blog now, all DIY projects will be in one place! And the same with recipes, my designs, etc. It's a work in progress but please keep checking back... someday soon it will be FAB! 

xoxo

motivational monday...

Absolutely love, believe, favorite thing to look at.. everyday! This was the background on my old work blackberry.. so I could see it and remember this every. single. day. Trying to live it in my daily life. Happy Monday!