help!

so as some of you know, i have been dying to update our bedroom for quite some time now. and by update, i just mean make a headboard. :) i love the red/aqua/white color scheme because we already have a dark red comforter and need something to go with it; however, it has become increasingly impossible to find the color combo that is in my head, so i have opened up my mind to other options. i've found that i also like red and grey color combo, a light blue and red, and just red and white. but now i just can't decide what would look best large and in charge resting behind our bed.

so this is what i have found as far as my options go:










feel free to give any suggestions and/or opinions! :)

give more, spend less

this year our church participated in advent conspiracy, which challenged us to "worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all." for me, it really motivated me to be more thoughtful and intentional about my gifts. it's easy to just go in a store and pick out something, but knowing that i could save that money and donate it to a worthy cause made me second guess my spending actions this past holiday season. whether it meant coming up with an idea and comparing prices to find the best deal or simply making it myself, i was determined to be more thoughtful and cost-efficient.

one of the names we pulled for christmas on joel's side was his cousin jennifer. she's been in the process of redecorating her and her husband's condo, and her latest project was their dining area, which she made black and red. it came out SO good, and once i saw it, i knew what i could make her. i love personalizing things, and the fact that she enjoys cooking made it all just come together. after playing around in indesign and finding the perfect recipe box at macy's (can't go wrong with something in martha stewart's line!), this was the final result:











as for my friends go, we all decided to draw names again this year. i pulled natalie, and after some brainstorming, i finally thought of a cute gift i could make her. she has the cutest little dog, sicily, that is her world. she is so in love with that dog, and it's the cutest thing ever. sicily doesn't shed or stink, so she's ok in my book. i decided to do something for her room that reflected her and sicily and that matched her decor colors (blue and white). my original idea was to find a white three picture frame and design letters for each window, which would have been N & S. as hard as i looked, i could not find a picture frame that i wanted for a good price. so i went ahead and decided to just find a normal sized picture frame and create a family monogram with her and her precious pup's initials. i looked for some ideas online and found a really cute monogram that i was able to recreate but just made it cuter. :) i ended up finding a good size size frame at goodwill, got it matted how i wanted at hobby lobby, and spray painted it white. i think it came out cuter than my original idea, so i was pleased. plus, the total cost was less than $10, and that always makes me happy. here is what the frame looked like before:




and after:




she loved it, and here's a pic with the whole family:



kate decided that she wanted to give val a cookbook. i showed her the cards i made for jennifer, and she thought val would love some too. so i created recipe cards to reflect val's style. she doesn't really have a specific color combo for her kitchen, so i made each divider and meal course a different, fun color. instead of the cookbook, kate ended up giving val the cards and then wrote some of her favorite recipes that she thought val would like or want to try out. it was so thoughtful, and val absolutely loved it! here was her reaction:





here's a closer look on how they came out (not the best pics but i'll post some better ones later):





it was so much fun to see everyone's reactions and hear how much they loved their presents. it even inspired me and joel to make our valentine's day presents this year. i was surprised that he was so willing to make my present, and he informed me that he is quite crafty as well. i'm just excited to see what he has in mind. :) i'm in the process of gathering supplies for his, and i'll be sure to share some pics after v-day. i'm sure i'll love whatever he comes up with, but i did tell him that i didn't want flowers or candy. his response? "oh no, i'm not falling for that one again." haha! i love that man more than my little homemade valentine's day present will ever express.

chocolate craving

so i too have begun the “eat healthier after new years” resolution. i stared temptation right in the face yesterday as i only had a bite of joel's cake and ice cream as we celebrated the birthdays of our cg leaders, brad and tori. i know i could just exercise, but i’d rather just not eat as much. is that bad? soooo i wanted to share what i have found as far as sweets go because i have a MAJOR sweet tooth, and i know some of y’all do too. :) chips ahoy candy bites (aka satisfy my chocolate craving ensuring that my clothes don’t get too tight bites) are the most delicious things i’ve come across since the pringles stix i talked about last year. there are about 17 in a pack and super yummy!



i also really enjoy the chocolate cakes that hostess makes that are 100 calories. they make a ton others, but i’m just so smitten with these, i haven’t branched out yet.



these delightful forms of low calorie chocolate deliciousness help me shed off some of the holiday pounds…someone had waaaay too much oreo bark! i know everyone tries to eat better after the holidays, so i figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more sweeter options as far as low-calorie eating goes.

another easy thing to do that i find works miracles is to just stop eating after 7pm. it seems easy, but once you start, you realize how often you ate late. so with that i compiled a list of things i do when i get hungry:

drink a glass of water
take a bubble bath with music (my favorite bubble bathing music is michael buble...bubble, buble...coincidence? i think not.)
read
clean, sweep, vacuum, dust, etc.
do some form of craft
check facebook
bug joel while he’s playing x-box
design an invitation for an imaginary wedding, shower, or party
watch a movie with joel
journal

there are a million things to do, and it's usually something productive that wouldn’t have gotten done had i given into my craving. and if i just can’t fight it and need to eat something, i’ll grab a bag a grapes that i froze and eat those (about 15 for 50 calories...1 WW point). but i'm always up for low-calorie snack ideas, so feel free to share!

happy eating!

new year

wow. i can't believe it's already 2009. but i am soooo happy its finally here! last year definitely had its ups and downs, and i'm better for it. but the new year is a great time to look back and move on. here are some pics from this past year that make me so thankful and remind me of the wonderful life God has truly blessed me with.


had a front row seat to see the pure joy of becoming engaged


i saw design work pay off in the highest form at the student addys by taking home a gold addy, 2 silvers, and the best of show...truly unforgettable


celebrated valentines day the right way ;)


went on picnics and spent a lot of time swinging and drinking coffee at the park


took a fun weekend trip to visit one of the most amazing couples


cooked lots of waffles and pancakes


began the "summer o' weddings" with good friends and a great couple (who are especially fun to play long hours of scrabble with)


experienced just how much my husband LOVES baseball, especially his beloved astros


spent time with the best friends a girl could possibly have


coordinated my first wedding for a lovely couple who i will always think of when i see polka dots. oh how i loved her dress...


discovered cake balls!!


finally agreed to play risk


...and got bored


witnessed the best serenade ever!!! mariah better watch out :)


got to play a special part in joel's cousin's wedding...6 years in waiting...joy doesn't even begin to describe it :)


ate a lot of year-old cake


celebrated a whole year of marriage


watched a best friend walk down the aisle and light up the room


weathered storm a la gustav


got a new job at LSU that made me realize just how good God is and that His plans are far better than mine


had a mini-high school reunion and wished there were more


found an honest couple that's so much fun to hang out with and easy to talk to


cheered for AHS from the stands for the first time since high school


had a snow day!

but now since its officially 2009, i get to think of what this year will bring. i'm such a sucker for new beginnings and start-overs. i love setting goals (probably because i'm a lover of lists), and i already set a few for this year:

1. cook more, bake less--as much as i love baking, its just not good for my waistline. joel isn't a big sweets person, and i always end up eating it or throwing it away. and i HATE wasting. i'm a product of "clean your plate" syndrome, and it hurts me to throw away perfectly good food. this is probably why the majority of my life (pre-joel) was spent being a little...ok, a lot chunkier. joel does love to eat hot meals, so i'll focus more on cooking and finding new recipes for what we enjoy eating.

2. do more coupon clipping--i always look for deals and sales everywhere BUT the grocery store. i'm stuck to buying the same stuff. but i have been reading more articles and blogs with strategies and tips on how to create meals around coupons or deals that are going on in the store. it takes more planning, but if i'll be cooking more then it should be worth it.

4. hard-core clean out closet--i have pieces in my closet from my freshman year of high school, not college, high school! i was 14; its time to let some things go. i found this a while back and thought it was a good guide for basic staples every wardrobe needs. i've been slowly working my way through the list, so i should be done by this year. :) plus who doesn't LOVE tim "make it work" gunn?

5. stop biting nails--my dad has been begging me to stop since i can remember. he even got some of that tabasco stuff that is supposed to fix nail biters, but i kind of liked it, and it backfired. he still fusses as me when i see him and he catches me biting them. i don't even realize i do it anymore and am convinced they just won't grow. granted, i've never made a conscious effort to stop. at least i don't think?

so consider that the condensed version. i have many more like learn how to use my AMAZING new sewing machine (so much fabric, so little time), finish all the craft projects i started (i have a drawer FULL), go through my wedding pictures (yes, i know...shame on me), go to bed earlier (its just so hard when there's so much other fun stuff to do), and the list goes on and on and always will.

i hope everyone had a happy new year, and i can't wait to see what it will bring!