the oscars.

Last night Danny & I splurged and watched The Oscars! We plopped down on the couch and commented on so-and-so's dress and so-and-so's hair, like it really matters. We also made sure to write down any movie we have yet to see, just so we can update our Netflix queue. I loved it- it was fun to watch the glittery gowns and red lips, just for a night! So these are my votes:

Best dress goes to:

Mandy Moore's red carpet dress! Did you see it?! Oh my goodness - it was just stunning. Just the right amount of glitter. And I loved that you couldn't tell where it started and ended. She was so beautiful and so humble. I will always love Mandy Moore. (I am humming "I've Got a Crush on You" as I type these words...ha!)

But I also loved these dresses:

Loved the bow in the back and the structure of the dress.

Sweet and very 14-year-old appropriate. I love how she kept saying, "I am just so blessed!" So darling.

Best hair/acceptance speech:

Natalie Portman- she is so beautiful! And that BUMP! I loved her hair...swiped over to the side and flowing down. I thought it was perfect. And her speech was so sweet and real. I loved that she said her most important role is yet to come.

Best couple:

Warren Beatty & Annette Bening. Did you see them on the red carpet? They were both choked up over the opportunity and he just kept saying how wonderful and beautiful she is. And really, isn't she?! That dress was a sparkly dream.

Best song:

The PS22 Choir. Oh my goodness- I have watched many of their videos on YouTube and I always think of what a wonderful teacher he must be to capture the hearts of these kids. They are just so sweet. What a beautiful way to end the night!

What were your favorites?!

the prettiest tea party i ever did see.

I forgot to share about the most beautiful tea party I had last weekend. It involved dainty spoons and cups, tiny sandwiches, an assortment of teas, scones, cookies, brownies, lemon curd, jelly, jam, clotted cream, and 5 dear friends.

Have you ever seen a prettier table?!?

new desktop.

Have you noticed it's getting lighter earlier and darker later!? I love this time of year. & I do believe it calls for a new desktop.

I chose this one:

Find yours at fossil.com.

Happy President's Day! I'm off to spend the day with my boys...

my valentine.

Earlier this month my car needed new brakes. (don't you hate car expenses?!) So needless to say, we agreed not to buy each other Valentine's gifts. Instead, we celebrated by making a Thanksgiving dinner (my favorite meal ever), watching a movie, and eating these pretty desserts from the bakery up the street (that one on the upper left is a cake pop. a cake pop!!!!). Oh, and he cheated by buying me these flowers. The bouquet was chosen because it reminded him of my wedding bouquet. Oh, I do love that man.

& you are up to date.

the mrs.

-i have been a busy lady with all this schoolwork. the countdown is 77 days until graduation. i also wrote out all the assignments i have yet to complete. i can count them on my fingers. holy moly.

-ministry is going great. i mean, great. have i mentioned lately how much i love my job? well, i do. so. crazy. much. i feel really blessed to be at our church working alongside such wonderful people.

-our high school winter camp is quickly approaching. it's been quite a process, as we're joining with 13 other churches to make it happen! i'll be speaking on the first night and i couldn't be more excited (& nervous).

-i've decided: the long hair is here to stay. but a little change in color might be in the works. a temporary change, though. i am such a scaredy cat.

the mr.

-Danny is ahead of schedule on his marathon training. he runs between 30-40 miles per week. last Sunday was his longest run so far at 17 miles! someone from his work told him it's good to drink a glass of chocolate milk after a workout. he did. it wasn't good. definitely not good.

-eats like a champ these days. man, it's hard to cook for a runner! i am staying stocked on homemade granola, banana bread, yogurt, crackers, and "gu" (ew!) these days.

-is so blessed with the work he has. really, its not at all about the work, but about the people he works with. he's crazy good at loving people.

the den.

-hasn't chewed one thing in 3 weeks now. this is monumental, people!

-runs with Danny about 6-8 miles a week. i wonder if its linked...

-is off of puppy food and onto bigger & better kibble.

-can successfully "wait", even when the front door is open! we are proud parents.

the little blue house.

-is getting used! when we decided to go for it, i was really scared. it was a jump up in rent and i wasn't sure how it was all going to work. but like always, God was in control the whole time. we went for it because we want to learn more about hospitality and caring for people and growing in relationship with others by inviting them into our home. & we certainly have been (learning, that is!). we have a goal of having 1-2 groups of people over per week, and so far so good. if God gives you something (gifts, talents, a little blue house), you better use it for his glory. right?! plus, if you have a house full of students, they'll help you eat your cookies and maybe even chop an onion for your dinner (my least favorite part of all).

bikes & stuff.

This weekend Danny and I (and our father-in-law and his lovely lady) rode bikes all afternoon! We rode through Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo beaches. We stopped half way to people & dog watch, our favorite part. To top off the afternoon we ate at the most lovely Greek restaurant and shared the "veggie veggie pizza" and a salad. As we ate we got to watch the sunset and the sky change colors. It was the perfect, sunny, salty, warm day.

I just love the weekends...

Oh, and I got a bike! Well, sort of. It is being built this week & I'll be picking it up this weekend. The best thing about it? It is on clearance in the stores for $49.50. No wonder I couldn't find a single store in all of California that had it in stock! Luckily, just when I was about to give up, one store 30 minutes away found one in the back. Huzzah- I am one lucky lady!

xo.

This morning I woke up to a card on our coffee table. It said lots & lots of sweet things in it but my favorite was, "I cant wait to grow old with you and look back on our lives together with smiles on our faces..."

I love this man so much I am about to just burst at the seams.

Happy Valentines Day to the love of my life!

PS Today would have been my dad's 48th birthday! I love & miss you, Daddy!

home is wherever i'm with you.

Seriously, I cannot get enough of this song:

First heard by this darling daddy & daughter duo:

First witnessed by my bestie Carley on Ellen:

You in love yet??? Enjoy your "home" this weekend. & give out a lot of love.

friends are fun.

Last Saturday evening we had a lot of dear friends over. Burgers, chips & salsa, veggies & hummus, fruit salad, coffee, s'mores, a fire, scary stories that we've told since our teenage years, twinkling lights, bocce ball, documentaries, and constant talk of Netflix. Oh, how I'd love to re-live it right now!

I hope you have a lovely weekend! See you Monday.

PS I love that my sweet husband is looking at me in the first picture. If I'm within his eyesight, his eyes are on me. We seriously can't get enough of each other.

dear husband.

Dear husband,

Every time I smell my armpits I think of you. Thanks for sharing your deodorant with me.

Thank you for not getting annoyed when I get the Subway song in my head and sing it over and over all night. (five...five dollar...)

I love that we can laugh and sing and dance at the end of the day. You are the best dance partner.

I am really proud of you and your dedication to this marathon. You are my hero. I'll be there cheering you on.

It really is the best thing in the world to do ministry alongside you. I love watching you use your gifts.

Thanks for always saying you love my cooking, even when it is clearly not lovable.

Sometimes in the morning you think I'm still asleep. But I'm not. I'm laying in bed watching you through the crack in the door. I like to watch you read your Bible and journal. And I like to spend that time praying for you.

You never seem to mind that I get your pillow wet from my freshly-washed hair at night. Thanks for that.

One day, we'll be parents. I really get excited when I think about that. The best thing about it is that I know you get equally excited!

I love that you leave me secret notes on our chalkboards.

Thanks for being patient with me as I've learned to drive stick shift. I think I've got it now.

I am completely, wholly, overwhelmingly, madly in love with you. I am so glad we get to grow old together.

Love forever,

Your wife

PS Will you be my valentine?

boomers.

This is one of our favorite places to go...Boomers Coffee Shop in downtown Upland. It's just a few blocks north of us and has the best drinks and muffins you can imagine. It's right next to the Metro, which makes for a lovely day of people watching. And any coffee shop with board games is my kinda place. Try the Chai Loco...seriously, you will not regret it.

on the super bowl.

Super Bowl. Let's talk.

-Even though I was only there for the snacks and commercials, I was pretty pumped when Green Bay won, given the fans I was sitting amongst.

-The half time show was just wonderful. I really loved it, despite all the criticism I am already seeing out there. Every year I am amazed at the stage they pull out. Where it the Love was such a surprise! And Usher? I'm not sure what he's singing these days but I know that he was one of the first CDs I ever bought! So he and his awesome dancers get my approval. And I loved all the light-up outfits. Danny wants to be one of those dancers for Halloween. Ha. And did anyone else see the one guy in the bottom left corner who forgot to turn off his lights during one part? I love catching things like that. Anyhow, I have been singing I Gotta Feeling ever since. That's one song I don't mind hanging out in my head for a little while.

-The commercials were fun, as always. I loved the talking baby- creepy and hilarious at the same time. And the Doritos commercial was just disgusting and wrong enough to keep us laughing all night. Oh, and loved the Beetle commercial. So so clever!

-Danny and I ended the night watching the movie Buried. Ah.... I am not even sure what to say yet. I woke up and the first thing I told Danny was, "I think it should have ended like this..." Apparently I was thinking about it all night!

-Cheers to a good week. I'll be spending the start of mine in the library writing pages upon pages. Here we go...

wall art.

So we just went for it. Started arranging & re-arranging, hammering & hanging. And this is what we ended up with. Well, it's actually not the end yet...we still have some adding to do, but you get the idea.

Surely you have heard of Nan Lawson, right? We bought 2 prints from her and love love love them.

And ya, that picture is totally sideways. It's hard to find a vertical 5x7 around here! Am hoping that I'll get to print one this weekend. Picture printing...that's the hard thing about digital cameras, ya?

Tonight we have a date night & tomorrow we are having a lovely dinner party to celebrate friendships. It's going to be a great weekend, y'all!

See you in this space on Monday.

xo.

new.

new look.

same blog.

happy Wednesday!

i choose fruit.

I spend Monday mornings with 2 very special high school girls. We meet early, drink coffee, and share life with each other. I am so proud of these girls- my heart just swells with joy for them. They influence me more than they will ever know.

This morning one of them shared this article and it spoke straight to my heart. Hopefully it speaks to yours, as well.

IT’S QUIET. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose love . . .
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy . . .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace . . .
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience . . .
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness . . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness . . .
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness . . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I choose gentleness . . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control . . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

From When God Whispers Your Name
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1994) Max Lucado