Found It

Perfect...I finally found what I was looking for. I obsessively collect old family photographs from other people's families. I buy them at antique shops, because I can't stand to see people's precious family memories not being displayed and cherished. I know...this is such a weird thing about me! I'm a little bit choosy...they have to have a good story. Today, I was looking through some books about Neoclassicism and look what I found:
How cute is that? And historical (this is Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello). I really envision all of them being framed with white mats, but now I'm thinking I might go for a warm neutral on the mat and either black or wenge oak frames. I think I want it cover the wall of a stairwell, but until I have a stairwell, I love this ribbon idea. Sometime, maybe I'll post some of these antique photographs I have.

Theology

Tonight at church a little boy named Drew was telling me about how Satan wanted to be greater than God, so God made him leave heaven. He told me he read that on the back of his Bible. I learned this when I was, like...15. So, I was impressed. Then he said, "And God's greater than everybody. No body can be greater than God. (pause) Not even Santa."

Wow.

Love Them

Joya, Ashley, and I all got together for Valentine's day...and it was so much fun. Here's what happened.

I decided to spiral curl my hair. I did it in 8 layers and hair sprayed it before, during, and after each layer. That's 24 layers of hair spray. That should hold.

We decided to go where everyone else was going for dinner...Greenville...without a reservation. So, by the time we got to the restaurant, the hair was not so "presh." See:

Dangit. Then we sat outside in the freezing cold weather because there was no room inside and we had to wait an hour (which was about 3 hours less than the other 12 places we called...)

As you can see, I decided to wear that zebra dress out...and so did Joya. :) So our dinner was amazing and we had wine, which was a fun new thing to do (I'd never had it with food!). Then we went to the movie New In Town, which by the way is a HILARIOUS movie that I will buy (and I don't buy movies), so you should see it. Then, inspired by the movie I talked in a Minnesota meets Penelope accent almost the whole way home. As you can imagine, everyone loved that. ;)

I had made us chocolate mousse to have at Ashley's apartment. Shh...it's a lot healthier than regular mousse--it's made with tofu and no cream, except for the dollop on top. :)

And then, Joya and I drove home in really bad fog with 25' visability. It was really sketchy, and I wished we had just stayed at Ashley's!

This was one of those nights where you're just glad that you're exactly where you are and you don't want it to end! I have great friends all over this country! Love them.

Chick fil A Makes My Heart Smile

On this Valentine's "eve" (haha...no, but seriously, someone said that today) my friends and I celebrated with a early morning trip to Chick fil A for their heart-shaped chicken biscuits. If you have not had a chicken breakfast biscuit there, you have yet to live. You must go. Regularly.

I watched their sign turn on this morning I was there so early (that's what you get for having teachers as friends!).

This was well worth it. :)

My dates this morning were Joya and Mary Chath:

I routinely wear pink or red for Valentine's day (or eve, apparently.) I think it's festive and kind of Scrooge-like not to.

Not totally sure how I contorted myself to look like I'm sitting on Joya's lap...it's like she's the Valentine's day Santa or something. :) But, I'm not, for the record.

My List

My roommate and friend Lauren has this list with a bunch of things on it that she wants to do before she dies. She calls it her "Bucket List," the things she wants to do before she "kicks the bucket." Now, here is what you have to understand about Lauren...the girl has been to China, Guatemala, and Africa. She's got an adventurous spirit. So, her list says things like skydiving. Everytime she talks about something she wants to do on her bucket list, I feel so awkward because I want really simple things in my life...I don't get that excited about world travel or jumping out of an airplane. So, I've been on a quest for the past couple of weeks to figure out what I do want to do or see before I die. Everytime I think of something, I write it down. I think I'm done for now, so here it is:

• Hike a fourteener.
• Visit the creation muesuem in Cinncinnatti, OH.
• Run a half marathon.
• Visit an Amish community.
• Go to Hawaii.
• Ride in a horse drawn carriage.
• Go to Israel.
• Go to the Met.
• Be the recipient of a love letter...and have a lamp with love letters in it (long story).
• Go to New York.
• Go to Venice and ride the streets in a Gondola.
• Impact my family for Christ.
• Be a stay at home mom.
• Ride a tandem bicycle.
• Own a real picnic basket.
• Kiss in the rain.
• Learn to do classic dances, like the waltz.
• Hike the same trail in 4 different seasons.
• Provide a home in my home for a pregnant teenage girl.
• Have a bona fide collection.
• Own a famous chair.
• Learn American Sign Language.

Round One...Here Goes Nothing

The job search has offiically begun! This weekend, I got my first 10 cover letters written and printed and bound my portfolios. On Monday, my first ten potential employers (aren't I optimistic?!) will receive this packet:

My next five will go out by Friday, and the remaining 10 will go out by next Monday. Pray!

Women's Tea!

The Women's Ministry at Anderson puts on a high tea every year. I love it! Each table is hosted by a woman from our community or from the school. She brings her China and decorates a table and then sits with a group of eight girls and shares her own story with us. Each table is decorated for a holiday. I admit...I'm a little choosy about where I sit, but every year I've ended up at the Valentine's day table! This year it was super cute: she put covers on the folding chairs, used gold chargers, and white roses were the centerpiece. Loved this. Here I am with "Mary Chath."

My second choice for tables was cute too...maybe a summer garden theme? That's not a holiday though, so not sure. But here it is:

I always come away from this event very encouraged. You sit with girls you don't know all that well, and it is fun to see that there are so many commonalities and that you can develop relationships that way. There is usually a speaker, but this year they had four women at their own table up front and they miced their conversation. These women were all in their young 30s and told stories about the pivotal point in their lives where God really changed the direction they were going in and refined their character. I was astonished to hear that these women were talking about things that had happened in high school, as young children, or in college...and they were still dealing with the ramifications, and daily surrendering these things for God's glory. I think I tend to think that if I just get through one season of my life and go into the next, I'll be able to move beyond those defining moments. One woman encouraged us that every thing that happens in your life is a part of your story and that story has value and purpose in impacting the world for Christ. A lot to think about...