A lil Photo Shoot

I'm excited to be sharing this post today because it is something I have been sitting on for awhile.  A couple months ago I decided to take the jump and explore developing my blog more.  Since then, I've been taking a blog course called Blog Love (which I talked more about here), I finally landed on re-naming my blog loveMin, I've thought a lot about what I want my blog to be, what I don't want it to be, and in the near future I'll be working on giving it a face-lift. 

With this in mind, I decided that it might be fun to have a few photos of myself to use for my blog.  One thing that you should know about me is that once I get an idea in my head, it's hard to put it on the back burner.  If at all possible, I love to put a plan into action ASAP.  It was seriously my lucky day when I texted my friend (who happens to take lovely photos) asking her if she'd like to help me with a random little project, and she said "Sure! I can be free in an hour!"  It was fantastic! 

In less than an hour and a half I went from brainstorming this idea to cleaning myself up, throwing on a bright red lip, a photo-ready outfit, and running out the door in my favorite shoes to begin a little photo shoot fun.  I'd spotted a lovely cream city break wall with some bright red hearts right on the corner of a street in my town that seemed like a perfect location.  I mustered up all the inner confidence that I could and posed on the street corner as cars whizzed by- in hopes of capturing just a few lovely, artsy pics.  

After snapping a few pics on the wall of hearts, and staying as warm as possible (don't be tricked by the sleeveless dress, it was freezing outside), we decided to trek to one of my favorite local spots- The Ruby Tap.  On a normal visit, we grab a glass and make several trips to the self-service wine machines and maybe even some cheese to go along with it.  But this time, we grabbed a glass of wine and snapped a few more photos.  It has such a cozy, yet swanky/chic environment that it was a perfect spot to capture a few more shots.  [One of my favorites at Ruby Tap, is the image below on the left.]  

A few hours later we decided to wrap it up and head on home.  It was a blast and a great first experience of capturing some cool photos for the blog.  This is one area that I am hoping to improve on in the future- I'm even working my way towards getting my very own DSLR camera!!  But for now, I am so so thankful for my sweet friend Melissa who was willing to take these photos for me.  She was great! (Be sure to swing on by her blog The Hungry Milwaukeeian where she takes lovely pics of her culinary adventures in Milwaukee.)

I'm really happy with how these turned out, and excited to finally share some of them with you.  I look forward to incorporating these images and capturing more as I continue working on developing my blog space.  I have a lot of ideas in mind and a lot, a lot to learn.  Thanks for sticking with me as I continue to share both my joys and my struggles; I can't wait to see what God has in store for this adventure.  

xo

[Images by Melissa Yates]

More than a Conqueror

Image/design by Liz Carver via Hipster Scripture

Do you ever feel like your life is a battlefield?  No I don't mean like in the 80's song Love is a battlefield (and yet what a great jam)!  What I mean is, do you ever feel like you are trying to fight off some sort of heaviness, some sort of icky feeling, some sort of insecurity, or some form of "darkness"?  Like, no matter how hard you try to stay in a positive, good, joyful mood there seems to be this other force that is trying to bring you down?  Ick. I feel that that has been the story of my week this week.  

The best way I can think of to describe this weird phenomenon that has been taking over my days is like a little dark cloud that very unexpectedly, very unexplainably swoops in over my thoughts, covers over my positive thinking, and leads me to a place of panic.  (Check out my last post Looking for Growth Opportunities  if you want to hear more about what it looks like for me.)  

Unfortunately, this little dark cloud has got me panicked about my upcoming weekend.  There is nothing bad about it, in fact it is supposed to be a fun weekend with friends.  And yet for some odd reason I feel like I have to gear up, put on my armor and figure out how to duke it out against the anxiety that seems to work so hard to defeat me.  

For me, gearing up or preparing for battle looks a lot like grounding myself in the Bible- spending some time with the Lord who brings me peace, loading my mind up with scripture, with encouraging words like, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  Since I know I am not alone in this icky struggle to battle anxiety, I wanted to share with you what has got me all charged up and ready to fight the fight.

I have been reading in Romans, and today I was reading through Romans 8.  Please check out the rest of it, but in order to keep it brief (ish) I am only going to mention a few verses.  Romans 8:35, 37-39 says:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerorsthrough him who loved us.  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, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (emphasis added)

Ooh man, I felt like those words were speaking right to my insecurities, right to my efforts to be preparing for battle.  I mean shoot, it even fits in with my imaginary battle with the terminology of more than conquerors.  To be reminded that THERE IS NOTHING that will separate me from the Lord (in whom I find great peace when I'm struggling) and that through His love I am a conqueror - it gives me such great assurance that I can fight this battle.

Overall, what it gives me, is hope.  A hope that through Christ I really will someday be able to claim the victory over this little dark, anxious cloud that tries to steal my joy.  God created me, through his love, to not just be a conqueror, but to be more than a conqueror.  So that's what I'm going to try to be. I will put on my battle mindset, prepare for the ickiness of this world, and put my hope in the promise that Jesus gives us in John 16:33 where he says, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world!"

Those words have so often, as of late, been my battle cry.  I literally imagine myself carrying some sort of flag, running up a grassy hill, with my chainmail armor on (yeah, picture that) with a very serious, determined face yelling Jesus' promise "I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!"  

Go ahead, you can laugh or call me crazy... I'm kind of 12 in the way that I really imagine a storylike picture of things in my life sometimes.  But it helps me to visualize the fact that, yeah I am living in a dark world.  There is most definitely trouble.  I have to take action, to take charge to fight off the ickiness, the garbage that threatens to weigh me down.  It is not going to be easy, in fact it most often isn't.  BUT, as I take up this charge for battle, I don't have to worry about whether my hard work will pay off or whether the battle will be won.  It will be won.  Jesus promises me that.  And so this is where I must place my trust, my hope and my confidence as I struggle with anxiety.  In Jesus words that He has overcome, and his loving reminder that through him I can play a mighty role and be more than a conqueror.  

Looking for Growth Opportunities

Image by Meghan Klein  via Instagram

One thing that I have learned about myself over the years is that I like the feeling of being in control.  I don't mean in a "I'm the boss all the time" sort of way, more in a planning way.  I'm a planner to a T.  I thrive on being organized.  I'm not obsessively organized (just check out the piles of clothes that have been on my dresser for weeks), but I love the comfort of knowing what's going on, of knowing what to expect.

I didn't realize how important feeling in control really was to me until I've been recently struggling with a bit of anxiety.  On the surface everything is going well in my life.  I have a wonderful husband, great family, I'm in a place of unemployment which I'm actually enjoying because it's given me an opportunity to pursue new things, to explore dreams I never thought I could.  I'm being intentional about choosing joy, about finding fun moments, about planning get-togethers and exciting opportunities.  And yet right in the midst of this joy- I find myself experiencing bouts of anxiety where my heart races, my chest gets tight, my breathing gets shallow, my mind goes into a downward spiral that often involves me feeling like I'm going to be sick or perhaps even die (yeah it's a little ridiculous).  A simple trip to a friend's house has got me worked up thinking "oh dear, what if I have an anxiety attack there?  What if I have to throw up?  What if I get sick and have to excuse myself to go home? What if I have to go to the bathroom and there's nowhere to go?"

I must admit it has been a really big struggle for me. Not feeling in control in these moments (and not understanding where it is coming from or why) has thrown me for a loop.  But this isn't where I want my focus to be...

This morning as I sat at my kitchen table with my potatoes, pancake, bible, and my daily devotional- I was really struck by the reading for today. [The following quotes are taken from (Jesus Calling) a daily devotional by Sarah Young.]

"Many things feel out of control." -- Yup.  Sure do.
"Your routines are not running smoothly." -- I wish they were!
"You tend to feel more secure when your life is predictable." -- Nailed it.  

But besides nailing my emotions on the head, the reading has given me an encouragement in dealing with it.

"When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities.  Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new."

I've basically been doing one half of that equation.  I have definitely been gripping His hand tightly because quite frankly that's all I feel I can do in those moments of panic.  I take a lot of deep breaths, self-talk, think of scripture, pray, and wait for the moment to pass.  But what I haven't been too good at is looking for growth opportunities and accepting the challenge of something new.  

It's so easy to go through life in our routines, trying to stay in our comfort zones.  But what Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 3:18 is that our lives are all about transformation.  2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."  Each moment, each situation, each struggle is an important part of the process of changing, of becoming more like Christ.

Dealing with this anxiety stuff, this reminder is difficult because it challenges me to consider even this as a growth opportunity.  I am so so thankful that in the moments of anxiousness I can cling to the One who protects me and know that He has overcome the world.  But now, beyond that, I need to think about how I can look at it as a growth opportunity to becoming a better version of myself, to becoming more like Christ.

The image at the top of the page is one from Meghan Klein's Instagram page.  [She was the assistant photographer at my wedding. Be sure to check out her webpage. Her work is lovely.]   With this photo she shared a quote that has been an encouragement and a challenge to me the past few weeks.  And I'd like to leave you with this:

"Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Him set the pace. Hold his hand in trust & the way before you will open up step by step."

Super Hero Murder Mystery Party

As a kid, birthday party options are endless- you can choose from Skateland, Chuckie Cheese, a tea party, a scavenger hunt, or a themed party extravaganza to name just a few. But I am a firm believer that fun birthday parties should not just be memories from our childhood. I think we should put just as much effort into making memories as adults as we did when we were children.

With this in mind, last year I decided that I wanted to do something outside of the box for my special day. I wanted to do something that would force people to step out of their comfort zones, be a bit creative, wear costumes of some sort, and have a blast. After much thought, I decided that a Murder Mystery party was just what I was looking for. I researched a ton on which game to buy online and landed on a company called Shot in the Dark Mysteries. I found that this company had the perfect set-up for a hassle-free, user friendly format (and they provide tons of materials and printables to make your party a success!)

Looking through all the options, I chose Murder at the Superhero Peace Convention.The storyline for this mystery is set at a Peace convention where all the super heroes and villains were convening to discuss hope for the future where peace would be declared. But right in the middle of the hopeful discussions, a murder is discovered. And so the story began...

Prepping for the party was a blast.  I invited a small group of friends, assigned them each their characters and emailed them a file on their character. [The file provided information on who each character was, some costume ideas, and things each person needed to know in order to help them solve the murder.]  Then I worked on making some of the details for the party:
- comic book bunting flag (idea from Pinterest)
- character file folders for each person (allowed people to be as prepared or not prepared as they wanted to be
- a backdrop for photos & a few Pow, Pop, Kapow props
- my costume for my character "The Crowned Prosecutor"

We had a really great time with this murder mystery party. It was a blast seeing the costumes that everyone came up with and watching how each person got into character for the mystery. The game took about 2 hours as we asked each other questions to try to determine who was the guilty character at the party. Finally, after everyone made their accusations the culprit was revealed and the murder solved. I would highly recommend doing this for an adult birthday party. It was so much fun to put together and a great time for everyone the day of.

I am hoping to brainstorm another idea for my birthday this year, but I have less than a month to come up with something! Until then... cheers to fun birthdays and celebrations!

xo

P.S. A few words of advice for hosting a murder mystery:
- give invitees 2 weeks or more notice- then no one will get stressed about a costume and if someone drops out it gives you enough time to fill the slot
- give incentive to solve the murder- have anyone who wants to put 2-3 dollars in the pot and whoever guesses the murderer wins the money!
- invite people who are willing to be a little adventurous and willing to be creative
- Party favors and prizes are always a plus. I put together a Best Costume and Best Detective ballot. Whoever got the most votes won a prize.

In Love with Life: Sunny with a High of 75

I am pretty stoked today because I just found out that one of my favorite bands, Relient K, is coming to Milwaukee in May!!!  I first listened to them in 7th grade on a youth group trip, and have been a fan ever since. It all started with the song Sadie Hawkins Dance which is just a fun, somewhat dorky song that is just great to jump around too (I was in 7th grade after all).  And that's just one of the many fun, random subject, songs that makes Relient K who they are.  And yet what I really appreciate about their music is that underneath all the jokes and funny lyrics, is a deeper message of hope through Christ.  Songs like For the Moments I feel Faint, Let it all Out, and Deathbed (10 minute song, but worth listening all the way through) are slower ballads with amazing lyrics.  When I'm in a bummer, blah sort of mood, I often find myself turning on Relient K to bring me words of encouragement and also lighten my heart, put me in a better mood.  In fact, one of my faves that I tend to listen to, both when I need to get in a good mood and when I'm sick of winter, is High of 75.  Here's a snippet of the lyrics:

We were talking together
I said, "What's up with this weather?"
Don't know whether or not
How sad I just got
Was of my own volition
Or if I'm just missing the sun
And tomorrow, I know
Will be rainy at best
And the forecast, I know
Is that I'll be depressed
But I'll wait outside
Hoping that I'll catch sight of the sun
Because on and off
The clouds have fought for control over the sky
And lately, the weather has been so bi-polar
And consequently, so have I

But now I'm sunny with a high of 75
Since You took my heavy heart, and made it light
And it's funny how you find you enjoy your life
When you're happy to be alive

It totally describes how I feel when I have those blah moods; those days in winter when I am just waiting for the sun to come out and bring joy.  But then the chorus goes beyond that and reminds me of two things.  One: Christ has indeed made my heart light, and for that, I have a reason to be joyful.  Two: We really do enjoy life when we're happy to be alive.  It comes from a choice to be happy, to choose joy!  [Which fits perfectly with my resolution to be more in love with life!]

Music is one of those things that helps me change my attitude, to be more joyful.  I am thankful for the lovely band Relient K and the music that they create that brings me joy!  If you haven't heard them, check them out.  Perhaps I'll see you at the concert in May ;) 

(Images by Jered Scott via RelientK's website)

Latest Obsession: Midi-rings

                 Image & rings by Galisfly via Luulla.com

I have a slight obsession with the new trend of mid-knuckle rings.  I'm not even sure what they are called... midi rings, mid-finger rings, knuckle rings- who knows.  What I do know is they are LOVELY.  Unfortunately in my area, they are not so easy to find in stores.  After a bit of research and some lovely emails from my favorite magazine Nylon, I have found a few spots where they can be found. So I thought I would share them with you!  Here are a few of my faves.

I love these stacked alphabet rings from Catbird that you can get in midi-ring sizes too!  Also check out their adjustable arrow ring.  Love it.

Image via Catbird

Or what about this fun & playful lightning bolt ring featured in the #Nylonshop?!  They also have a star and heart midi-ring.  All for only 12.00 a piece!

Image via Nylonmag

What do you think?  Are you jumping on board with this trend?  I can't wait to add a couple of these beauties to my collection.

Have a lovely Tuesday!!

xo

**UPDATE**

I finally found some midi-rings since posting!! I found them at Urban Outfitters for $6.00 a piece! Check out my Instagram page  to see a pic of the ones I ended up with.  Enjoy!!

Worth Celebrating

Today my surroundings aren't quite the usual living room atmosphere or the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood coffee shop that so often sets the tone as I post.  I decided to switch things up a bit today.

I'm currently cozied up in the corner of a window seat in the swanky, 3rd floor secret sweet spot that I love to frequent, otherwise known as Cuvee, a lovely champagne bar.  Blame it on the artsy culture of the Third Ward, or my view of colorful buildings and the lot across the street where we took some of our wedding photos... or perhaps it's the fact that I'm sipping on a champagne cocktail called Tickle Pink, but I am finding myself in a particularly good mood.

Soaking up this moment and allowing myself to get lost in the delightfully pink bubbles as they float to the top of my flute that is so delicately rimmed with pink sugar, I feel like it's a moment worthy of celebration. Finding myself in this joyful mood, I'd like to share something with you that has caused me to celebrate in the past week.

Ever since I can remember, I have had a hard time titling things.  Be it a paper in high school, an article for the Ripon College Days (the Ripon newspaper), or my final project for my senior seminar, coming up with a title that was both catchy and fitting was always like pulling teeth for me.  When I first started this adventure, and found myself trying to name my blog, I wasn't sure what to call it.  Let's be honest, I wasn't really sure what blogging was all about or what I wanted it to be.  So instead of putting a lot of thought into it and coming up with something super creative, I named the blog exactly what it was- New to Me.  [Of course I tried to make it a little fancier and wrote it in French; I was a French minor after all ;).]

But now I find myself in a different place.  Things aren't quite so new.  I've gotten acclimated both in my marriage and in this crazy place we refer to as the blog world.  So for the past couple of months I've been feeling like it's time for a change- for a growing up of sorts.  This blog has changed from being just a fun outlet to meaning a lot more to me.  I am still figuring out what exactly that means, but what I do know is that I want this space to be true to me.  I want it to portray who I am, who I want to be, and what I hope for my blog to become someday.

Putting a lot of time, thought, bouncing ideas off sweet friends, and a few nights where I lay awake brainstorming and vetoing most of the crazy ideas that flowed through my mind- I am so excited to tell you that I finally landed on a name!!

Welcome to the unveiling of "loveMin"- a blog about the journey to develop a lifestyle that exudes love, joy, inspiration, and Jesus.  

There are a lot of details I have yet to work out.  I don't know how I want my new name to look, how I want the design to change or any of that. What I do know is that I have a lot of ideas, goals and hopes for my new space.  There's a lot behind why I chose this name and what it really means to me, and how I want it to affect my page from here on out- I plan to share this with you, but I'd like to save it for another day.  I know this is just the beginning- but I can't wait to keep moving forward.  For now, I am so excited to share this "news" with you.

I'm super excited about this, and hope that it can be a new name, a new space that both you and I come to love.

Thanks so much for joining me on this journey- I can't wait to see what's to come.

xoxo

In Love with Life: A huge Birthday Balloon

Growing up, birthdays have always been a bit of a celebration in my family.  A 'Happy Birthday' banner placed on the mantel, often accompanied by a balloon or two, were always a pleasant surprise when we came downstairs on the morning of our special day.  And you could never get through the day, let alone the morning, before mom and dad would come into our rooms, with a smile and a hug, singing Happy birthday to you!!  Another exciting element of the day was being given the power of choosing our favorite meal to eat on our birthday night.  Interestingly enough, even when we were little we, didn't choose chicken nuggets or ice cream or something.  My sister often chose Cheeseburger Pie, and my favorite was Chicken in a Basket.  (Much to my dismay, they do not create the potato shoestring baskets that made this meal- otherwise this would still be birthday meal of choice.)  Coming home from school, the birthday fun would begin with dinner followed by a tasty dessert (also of our choice) and then the fun part, presents!! Sometimes grandpa and grandma would be there to partake in the fun as well.  It was really great.  And in addition to the birthday fun on the actual birthday, we were given the opportunity to celebrate with our friends in one way or another.  I remember several tea parties, probably a few at chuckie cheese, dress up parties, surprise parties in high school, and lots of other memorable moments.  My grandpa used to say, "You girls are lucky!  Your birthdays go on for weeks!!" 

Since then, a birthday has not gone by without a celebration in our family.  As I prepared for my sister's upcoming birthday last week, my husband commented- 'man, you guys and your birthdays... they're so extravagant!"  I never really thought about it that way until he said that.  We really have been blessed to build a discipline of celebration around our special days.  I know it may sound a bit ridiculous, but I think it fits in perfectly with the mentality of choosing joy.  You can either let each day go by without choosing joy or fun, or you can make a point to be happy, and have a blast!  

So here we are, me 26 and my sister just turning 29, and we still put a solid effort into coming up with new ways to celebrate.  This year, I was pretty excited about what I came up with to bring a little joy to my sister's special day.  And thus we meet, the Big Balloon. :) 

I have seen many pictures of huge balloons on wedding pictures, or on various images from my Instagram feed, but never have I seen one in person.  I was STOKED when I found out that I was able to get one of these beautiful things at a local party store.   I felt like a kid in a candy shop when the clerk presented me with the 36" of pink joyful goodness.  :)  Clutching the balloon with fear that it might escape my grasp, pushing it through my car door, as well as trying to drive without the balloon bopping around in my sight in my rearview mirror- made getting the balloon home a trip.

But the best part of all was surprising my sister.  Bright and early on her birthday I decided to grab a few donuts, the balloon, and be at my sister's house before she went to school.  And the funnest (yes I said funnest) part was, I didn't just ring her doorbell, instead, I called her and said "Hey, can you do me a favor?  Can you look outside for a second?"  A little confused, she peeked out her bedroom window and saw me standing there in her driveway with the huge balloon.  She was ecstatic, she kept giggling over the phone and said oh my gosh, oh my gosh, that balloon is huge!

Before heading off to school I took a picture of her (image above) and her "balloon buddy" as we referred to it for the rest of the day.  It was so so fun to bring joy to my sister and celebrate her in a way as random as giving her a big balloon.  [And it was also a ton of fun to make her lug that balloon around everywhere with her for the rest of the evening... I called the photos "Steph and her balloon parts 1, 2, 3, and 4" see images below]  She means the world to me- she's my best friend.  Such a loving, caring, beautiful, encouraging woman, who I could not live without.  I am so blessed to have her in my life, and so thankful to have the opportunity to bring her joy.

So, cheers to the little things in life that make people happy, like huge balloons.
My hope is that this week, you might take the time to celebrate those you love, and find joy in the small things.

xo

Happy St. Patrick's Day Mani

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and had a fun holiday! My sister's birthday is a few days before the crazy day, so celebrating her birthday tends to include a bit of Irish goodness and a few green beers. In honor of the day, I decided to create this simple shamrock manicure.

Have a great Sunday night! 

Xo 

In Love with Life: Dance lessons Pt. 1

For as long as I can remember I have been a dance-aholic.  From sock hops in middle school, to homecomings, formals in college, to wedding dances, or an occasional club visit, you can pretty much guarantee that you will find me on the dance floor.  It is just one of those activities that brings joy almost instantaneously.  I understand that this isn't the case for everybody.  Some people need a little liquid courage, or just would really rather sit on the sidelines, but not me.

Thankfully, my husband, too, is quite the dancing man.  If we're at a wedding and the dance floor is struggling for people to start off the night, you can count on us to be the first ones on the floor.  We are most certainly not pro-dancers, but we just love to dance!  And no, I don't mean the bump and grind, gross kind of dancing.  I mean the jumping around to the music, shaking your stuff, a little cupid shuffle here and there- the FUN kind!! I'm not even sure where the thrill of it comes from, but I don't really care- it's great!!

I know I haven't always been as confident in the fun of dancing.. I remember in high school I was always nervous about it.  I wanted to feel free and not worry about what others thought of me, but well, it was high school so that was a bit hard.  But something changed in my college years- maybe it was the cocktail I had before we would attend a "lounge party" (as the dance parties were called in my day), but honestly I don't think that was it.  I think it all comes down to being confident in yourself, okay with looking a little funny, and just really allowing yourself to have a blast with it!

Besides the typical wedding dance fun, I have a bit of a fondness for salsa dancing.  Last year, I even went to a salsa lesson with a girlfriend of mine, you can check out more about that here.  But the thing was, I didn't necessarily want to learn salsa on my own.  Going to a club with just your girlfriends can be great, but it becomes a bit tricky when you're married.  I don't want to get hit on anymore.  I don't want to have to worry about whether or not the guy I am dancing with gets that I am simply dancing with him and there will be no advancing beyond that.  This setting can still be fun, if with you're with the right crowd- but it's still a bit tricky.  So in order to avoid this, there is a perfect solution... my husband too, must learn to dance.

Thankfully, since my husband (who I'm pretty sure may have danced MORE than I did at our wedding!!) likes to dance, it wasn't too hard to approach the topic of dance class.  And at the silent auction for the Oscar Gala, my dreams became a reality!  We bid on and won a package with Fred Astaire Dance Studios for 2 dance classes and 1 practice party.  I was stoked!! Since I have been on a mission to be more in love with life, to intentionally seek out joy, the idea to take a dance class fit right in.

Wednesday night we began the adventure.  Before our lesson, we were encouraged to dress as if we were going out on a date night.  So Chris wore nice dress pants and a collared shirt - and I followed suit wearing a purple, fun-to-spin-in, skirt with a black top.  Arriving at the dance studio, we put on our dance shoes and were ready to jump right in.  We met our instructor JR who took us into the ballroom right away.  The next 40 minutes flew by as we learned basic steps of the Rhumba, Foxtrot, Waltz, and the push-pull.  We learned how to have proper frame for each of these dances, and spent a brief amount of time on each dance, moving about throughout the studio.  Accomplishing each of these basic steps and receiving positive feedback from our instructor, he even allowed us to learn the basic step of the salsa (which is not usually part of the intro class).  Which of course brought me great joy, because that's really the dance that I have the most fun with.  As our time in the class came to a close, my husband escorted me off the dance floor with a smile on his face.  We both had a blast, and are definitely looking forward to our next lesson at the studio.

Needless to say, I am pretty excited about this new adventure, about this new way of working towards being in love with life.  I am so thankful for a husband who supports my crazy ideas and does it with a joyful heart!  [He even suggested we consider signing up for the beginner's dance program - 5 lessons, 2 practice parties, and a ballroom cd!!]  I am a lucky lucky girl.

But besides learning a few basic dance steps, I have walked away from this experience realizing how easy it is to make fun happen.  Sure, in most cases, it costs a little money... but isn't it worth it?  I'm so glad that instead of just talking about taking a dance class, we actually did it- we made it happen.  Is there something that you have been dying to try, or that you have on your bucket list?  I encourage you to take the next step to find out more, and MAKE IT HAPPEN!

I can't wait to share more with you about this dance class and the joy that I'm certain it will bring. Until then, be intentional, go out and do something fun!! You won't regret it.

xo

The image above is from a friend's wedding reception, captured by Lindsey Stayton Photography

Fulfilling Purpose

This is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately.  I think it's a totally natural question to ask when like me, you find yourself in a place of transition, of being "in-between things" as I always answer these days when people ask me, "So what do you do?"

I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with the question 'what is my purpose'.  It's a great one, because it keeps me looking forward; it helps me to dig deep and think about in the long run, what do I want to do with my life and why.  But then on the other hand it sometimes feels like a weight on my shoulders.  On days when I feel less optimistic about finding my calling, thinking about it sends my mind into a spin.   It's the double-edged sword of: This world is full of opportunities- there are many ways that I could find purpose and make a difference VS. this world is FULL of opportunities, how can I possibly determine where my next step should be?

In my mission to be in love with my life I have thought a lot about what inspires me, what gets me motivated.  And I have allowed those to be the things that determine my next steps in the past couple weeks.  That's what is leading me towards putting more effort into this journey with my blog .  But, even amidst choosing joy, there is always the dark voice in the back of my mind that tries to creep in, asking- "well what are you doing this for?  What's the point?  You don't even have a purpose.  Who really even cares, just give up!" When I have moments like this, it is hard not to get discouraged.  To get caught up in the self-destructing mind spin of thinking maybe that little voice is right, maybe I have no purpose, maybe I'm not doing anything that is positively affecting this world, maybe I'm not going to find my purpose.

Struggling with this dark voice lately, I was glad when I stumbled across an encouraging word in my Bible reading.  Psalm 138:8 spoke directly to my fears and questions of purpose.  It says,

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever-- do not abandon the works of your hands." 

This verse jumped off the pages and really spoke to my heart.  The first encouragement that spoke to me is this, "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me."  It doesn't say, might fulfill, it says WILL fulfill.  It's not a question, not a doubt; it's a promise.  And the second is this.  "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me."   This is a part that is so near and dear to my heart.

About four years ago, I had a big perspective change in my life.  It's a big piece of my life story, one of the parts of my testimony that I get really excited about.  Here's what I discovered...

My life is not about me.  It's not about my desires to be good, loving, caring, and Christ-like.  Instead, it is about God's story- about His love, His purpose for this earth, and how He wants ME to be a part of that.

If you've never thought about this before, I know it sounds super strange.  It almost sounds like we have an arrogant God who only cares about this big picture, but that's not what it is at all.  God is a loving, caring god who has a wonderful plan for this world, and He loves you and me so much that he wants to give us a place in that plan.  [I had no idea this post was gonna feel so 'preachy' sounding, so forgive me.  But it's just a huge piece of my heart so I feel like I have to share, in order to be true to who I am.]    

It's a lot to think about.  I know.  It took me awhile to understand the difference between these two perspectives, but once I did- it was a HUGE shift for me.  It is this perspective change, this understanding that I am a part of God's desire to love and redeem the whole world, that really gave me an understanding of my place in this world.

What I'm now realizing is that for me, it's not really a question of what my purpose is, but of how I am going to fulfill that purpose.  

After reading the verse "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me" - I am walking away feeling encouraged.  I feel such a strong affirmation that even though right now I have no inclination of what my next steps are, or what my day-to-day, future job calling may look like, He does in fact have a purpose for me.  And HE WILL fulfill it.  But not only does he know the what of my purpose, He also knows the how.  And I am confident that in His perfect timing, I will know that part too.

I'm not alone in this... You, too, ARE GOING TO fulfill the purpose that the Lord has planned for you. Is this something you've thought about?  My hope is that if you haven't, you might.  It's a difficult question to think about, but it can be so so rewarding.

xoxo

Mustache Manicure

HAPPY FRIDAY!! 

I have been thinking about this manicure for awhile and decided that today is the day.  Nothing like a lil mustache fun to brighten up the day right?!  I paired my fancy lil mustache with a springy pink color in hopes of convincing spring it is time to arrive.  Topped off with Seche Vite and I'm good to go.  

P.S. Who decided that mustaches were cool?  They are everywhere- magnets for your wine glasses, erasers, flasks, nail art!  Nevertheless, I dig it.  :) 

Have a fab weekend!  
xoxo

In Love with Life: Blog Love

A couple weeks ago, I shared about how the statement "Be in love with your life. Every minute of it." really challenged me to think about what it means to be in love with life.  It made me think about how I can choose to be joyful - to choose to be glad and turn my back on the darkness that is so much a part of this world.  Since first thinking about this statement, and considering how it affected my life I have decided that this is going to be somewhat of a "New Year's Resolution" for me. I want to challenge myself to "choose to be glad" by being intentional about doing things that I love, doing things that bring joy to my life.  I am really excited about this challenge, because I think it will be a great adventure.  It will give me an opportunity to pursue fun, to be creative, come up with new activities to try out, to basically find more fun to be had.  

My goal is to share with you once each week about how I am pursuing joy, or more fun in my life.  I'd like for it to become a regular feature on my blog.  I think it will be a great way to dwell on the joy in my life, and to share with you in hopes that you, too, might find more joy!  

With that said, I'd like to share with you my first feature of In Love with Life.  This past week I decided to finally take the jump and explore more in developing my blog.  For the past year, this blog has been a fun adventure- just something that I have done here and there whenever I felt like it.  Over the past few months, its been on my heart to put more effort into my blog.  I'm not sure where it's coming from, or where it's going to end up- but it's been something that motivates me, gets me inspired and so I'm going for it!  

My first step in developing my blog, (besides the random google searches on how to make it prettier, mess with the html coding and css, etc) is taking an e-course created by the lovely Elsie at A Beautiful Mess.  What it is, is an online course with 12 sessions where Elsie helps you think through a lot of blog basics.  I'm only two weeks in, but so far we've covered topics such as "What's the point?" and "Finding your Online Voice."  Honestly, I'm LOVING it so far.  It has helped me really think through what I am doing this for and what I want it to be, what I don't want it to be, etc.  [If you want to know more about the course, click on the button on my sidebar- Blog Love Student.]

This is just the beginning of this journey, but I am so excited about it- and so excited to be able to share with you what I'm learning and loving.  My hope is that I might not just develop my blog to be something beautiful, but also that I might learn more about myself, and through the process be an encouragement to you too.  

Have a fabulous week- and go seek some fun!! :)
xoxo

Defeating Death

Today my heart is a bit heavy as I mourn alongside a couple friends whose father just passed away unexpectedly.  I have to be honest and say that it has shaken my world a little bit this past week.  Death is such a strange and heavy thing, that no matter how much trust you have in the Lord's goodness, it is still hard to understand and hard to process.

When I say that it shook my world a bit this week, what I mean is that it was a bit difficult not to internalize what was all happening.  It was too easy to become fearful, to be worried about the shortness of life, to think about the loved ones in my life and how impossible it is to even think about losing one of them.  This is a fear I have struggled with ever since I was little.  A month or so ago, I shared about my struggle to work on fear - this ongoing battle to choose joy and trust that there is a God who already won the victory against the evil one.  

Arriving at the funeral yesterday, I would not have guessed the overwhelming feeling that would be on my heart when I left the service.  Although the room was full of sadness, mourning the loss of a loved one who would no longer be with us- there was a much stronger feeling.  Amidst the sadness was a great sense of JOY!  Joy in the knowledge that God is greater than death; Joy in the knowledge that the man who will be missed from this earth is in fact in a much better place than we can ever imagine, he is with the Lord!  In times such as these, where death brings thoughts of darkness and heaviness- it is SO good to be reminded of the truth that Christ defeated death and the power of evil.  THAT was the overwhelming feeling that filled the church yesterday. 

Leaving the service I was a bit surprised that I was walking away feeling encouraged and challenged.  Encouraged that God truly shows up in heavy moments such as these, just as He promises He will.  That He really is a God of love and peace even in the most difficult times. That He is good and will protect me.  That there is no moment I will have to endure alone.  That He will provide and give me the strength to make it through even the most difficult of times.
And challenged to leave a legacy as strong as the one left by my friend's father.  

From the tributes and stories shared by family members and good friends it was evident that he was a man who truly exuded Christ and was all about loving and encouraging those around him.  He took every opportunity to share his story of how God transformed his life from one of brokenness into one of love and joy.  He was proud to introduce anyone he could to the Lord, the one who redeemed him.  He was a man who really deserves the words "well done, good and faithful servant." 

I want to leave a legacy like that- where it is more about Him and less about me.  My goal on this earth is to love and to encourage others, to share the joy that I have found in the Lord and introduce others to Him so that they too may come to know the One who defeated death.  My hope is that today you might be both encouraged and challenged.  That you would be encouraged to know that you are loved, and that there is One who will provide for you even in the worst of times.  And challenged to get to know Him, and put your trust in a God who deserves it.

 

Fave Photos from 2013

Photography is an inspiration to me.  It is such a beautiful way to capture special moments. Here are some of my favorites.  Disclaimer: most are wedding photos.  :) **Special thanks to Marissa Maharaj for capturing our wedding day so beautifully.  Check out her webpage here.  Enjoy.

A Night at the Oscars

I am a huge, huge fan of all things Award show.  If it's an award show day, you can almost guarantee that I will be sitting on my couch from about 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm (or whenever they end) as I soak up every minute from the red carpet extravaganza to the last award of the night.  I don't know what it is about the award shows, whether it's the fashion and the glam, or the excitement of the stars being recognized - regardless, I can't get enough.  So when my husband called me awhile back telling me he was given an invitation from his boss to attend a Black-tie Oscar Experience Gala, I nearly jumped up and down and quickly responded "Are you serious?!"  Needless to say, we were definitely on board and super excited for whatever encompassed this fabulous event. 

Checking out a few fashion sites, dreaming up my red carpet look, my afternoon consisted of getting glammed up.  My dress was a great find at a BCBG outlet- a black, one-shouldered fit and flare (fitted throughout my bodice and then flared out a bit mid-thigh).  I loved it.  And my shoes were a strappy dark gray 4" Calvin Klein heel.  I decided to go with a sleeked back pony with a bit of volume (thanks to a sweet friend willing to brainstorm with me), smokey eyes, and a red lip.  I'm all about a red lip- and thanks to the good ole folks at Sephora, I found a great go-to red lipstick that I think would look great on just about anyone. Check out Nars- Red Lizard if you're in need of a great red.  

Once all glammed up we headed downtown Milwaukee for the event.  But before I describe the experience, I should tell you what the Gala was all about.  Not only was this a fabulous way to enjoy the Oscars, but it was for a great cause supporting a Milwaukee organization called COA. "COA Youth & Family Centers helps Milwaukee children, teens, and families reach their greatest potential through a continuum of educational, recreational, and social work programs offered through its urban community centers and rural camp facility." (taken from the org website http://www.coa-yfc.org)  All of the proceeds from the event went to this organization - it really was a great cause. 

Not knowing much more than what the event was sponsoring, we weren't quite sure what to expect.  We arrived at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, made our way to the 4th floor, got our tickets, and made our way up the grand staircase after being stopped for a photo op.  Reaching the top of the stairs, I couldn't help feeling a bit giddy, feeling like a star.  There before me was the red carpet, lined with students from the COA program asking "who are you wearing?" "who is your vote for Best Picture?"  Cameras flashed as we made our way down the red carpet, only to be greeted with a glass of champagne upon reaching the end.  This was more than I had expected, I was ecstatic!  

After getting our photo taken at the YHTS photo booth (see image above), we made our way into the silent auction room where we were wowed with the extravagant prizes to be won.  Making bids on several items, chatting with some of my husband's co-workers and friends, the time then came to be seated in the beautiful ballroom.  I continued to be amazed by the event as on our seats we found official Oscar program books.  Because this organization has been putting on this telecast for so long, it became the only Wisconsin Oscar party officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences- meaning we were able to receive such things as these fabulous programs- the ones that the stars receive!!! (see image above)  Wine, a delicious white balsamic salad, a petite filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes, tinker bell peppers and asparagus, and a decadent chocolate dessert made the dinner a definite highlight of the evening. 

Finally the time had come for the Oscars to begin and we watched the Academy Awards via telecast.  Mark Baden from WISN 12 acted as MC and filled in the spaces where the commercials would take place with different contests, live auction items, and presentations about the COA organization.  I thoroughly enjoyed the awards- didn't Seth Macfarlane do a great job?  One of my favorite Oscar moments, was definitely the performance by the cast of Les Miserables.  Let's be honest, it gave me goosebumps. 

As the Oscars came to a close, we collected our silent auction items (a 4-pack of Bucks tickets and VIP courtside club passes, and 2 classes at a Fred Astaire dance studio - so excited!!), and made our way out of the grand ballroom.  Making our way again down the red carpet on our way out, I couldn't help but smile thinking about the fabulous evening we had just experienced.  

Go ahead and call me crazy for being so excited about the fun night at the Oscars- but I love love love fun, random experiences like this.  (A special thanks to my husband's boss who gave us this opportunity!)  I always dreamed of attending a red-carpet event!  And although this wasn't the red carpet of course, it was still in one way or another, a dream come true.  So cheers to dreaming big, and taking special opportunities to enjoy moments you never thought you could! 

xoxo

Crazy Love

I have never been a huge Valentine's day person.  In fact, I think I more often make fun of the holiday than I think of it's sweetness.  I think we should be recognizing the love we have for each other every day, not just on a day that is full of over the top flowers, candy, big gestures, etc.  But this year, I decided to get over my distaste for the holiday and just dwell a little bit on the love that the Lord has blessed me with through my husband.  With that said, I have to share a little story with you to give you a taste of the love I share with my husband.  

Two and a half years ago, before my husband and I were even engaged, he was getting ready to go back to graduate school (across the country from me) and he said that he wanted to give me something. He warned me that it was in a jewelry box, but not to get worked up because it wasn't THAT piece of jewelry.  Not knowing what to expect, I opened the box and found this beautiful opal necklace on a delicate gold chain.  I noticed that the box was a bit dusty and that it creaked when I opened it, which was a bit odd- but I did not anticipate the story that explained this mystery.  

When my husband was 12 years old, he went on a trip to Australia with a student group.  Among many activities, they visited an opal factory.  The factory explained how these are not the same as the opals you will find in the U.S.- that they are of a higher quality.... okay, let's be honest I can't remember the rest of that explanation, but it's not the point of the story.  My husband continued this story telling me how he knew he was going to buy a necklace for his aunt (because his uncle asked him to), and his mother, but then he told me how he wanted to buy a third one for a more personal reason.  He decided that he wanted to buy another opal necklace to give to his future wife some day.  umm.. WHAT?!  So he bought three necklaces, took them home, and hid the last one in his closet.  And 12 years later he dug out the necklace and gave it to me.

My jaw dropped when he finished the story and presented me with the necklace.  I could not get over how sweet that story was.  I mean seriously, what 12 year old boy would think that far ahead, with no particular girl in mind, just thinking to himself 'hey, that'd be great to give to my wife someday!'  Needless to say, I am a lucky lady.  

Thinking about that story gets me every time.  I am seriously amazed at the way that God provided for me with my husband.  He loves me in such a beautiful, caring, selfless, wholehearted way that it seriously throws me for a loop sometimes.  And what I really appreciate is that he gives me a glimpse of the way that God loves us.  It is hard to imagine that God loves us in an even grander, more perfect way than we could ever experience here on earth.  I am so so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with this sweet, sweet man to spend the rest of my life with and to remind me of the One who loves me even more.  

Okay, my moment of mushy gushy, cheesey lovey dovey-ness is over.  Hopefully you made it through without gagging ;) But in all seriousness, my hope for you today is that you might know that you are truly loved.  Even if you don't feel it at this moment, I promise you- there is One who loves you much more than you can possibly imagine.  

xoxo

Happy Valentine's Day Manicure

Happy Valentine's Day!! As promised, here is my new manicure in honor of the day of love!

Polishes I used were: Essie (Fiji), Essie Luxe, Stripe Right (black, white, and silver) and Seche Vite topcoat.  This manicure was a lot of fun to create, but also a challenge coming up with something different for each nail.  I am definitely a bigger fan of my left hand than my right, but I suppose that goes without saying to some extent seeing as how it is the easier hand to paint.  :) I hope that you had a wonderful Valentine's day and felt loved and appreciated!

Xoxo

My Mani

Had a little fun with my nails while watching the Grammys.

Pinterest inspired, nonetheless.  Check out my "Nails I need" board on Pinterest to see where I find my inspiration.  Come back in a few days to see what I've come up with for my Valentine's Day Manicure.  

Xoxo.

Be in Love With Your Life

The moment that I first read this statement, I found myself in a place where I was pretty certain that I was not "in love" with my life.  A friend posted this image on her Instagram feed and I'm really glad she did because it got me thinking.  

I decided that there are two ways to attempt to make it true in your life.  You can choose to have a joyful attitude, regardless of what is happening around you- resulting in for the most part, being more in love with your life.  -and/or- You can choose to surround yourself with the things that you love, the activities, the people that truly make you happy, give you joy in life.  

The attitude change is more of a no-brainer.  It totally makes sense to just simply change perspective and decide to put more effort into enjoying each moment.  In my most recent work experience, I was very challenged to do just that.  

As I have explained in earlier posts, for the past year and a half, I have been in a land of in-between.  This place of in between led me to a position much different than my ministry assistant role at a church- I was now a sales associate at a women's clothing boutique.  My experience working at the boutique was a mixture of "I love this!  Fashion! How fun?" and "Oh my word, I'm so bored- could I possibly organize scarves for another minute?"  I tried SO hard to simply change my attitude, to be okay with where God had me for now, and enjoy as much as I could.  But day after day of trying to be positive I found myself asking the questions: Do I just need to change my attitude? Or is that not going to cut it, and it's really just an unhappy, stressful situation that I could easily cut out of my life?

But the choice of surrounding yourself with things that you love, is a bit more difficult to process.  On one hand I think it is a smart thing to do- cut out the things in your life that make you unhappy, or don't encourage you, replace with something you do love- and as a result you'll love life more.  But on the other hand, can we really live life that way?  Is it really fair or possible to just cut out the things that are uncomfortable or that are difficult?  I don't think it's very realistic in most scenarios.  But is it?  

In my situation, after much consideration and effort to change my attitude- the right choice for me was to move on from the position at the boutique.  It was such a tough decision, but I realized that the position was causing more frustration than joy most days and therefore it just wasn't worth it for me.  I understand that I won't always be in a position where I can just on a whim cut out the bad from my life to make myself more happy.  I am in a unique position where my husband supporting me financially gives me a little more freedom than the average bird.  I get that.  But what I am thankful for is, through this situation- thinking about how to be more joyful, to be more in love with my life, it really helped me gain perspective on the choice that we have to be happy.  

It is so easy to get stuck in a rut, especially when the winter blues hit, and think- ugh, I am stuck in this unhappy place and there's nothing I can do about it.  Sometimes I know that I am perfectly capable of just changing my attitude and being more joyful, but then I'm just too dang lazy to do anything about it!  So instead of being happy- I remain melancholy, lazy, with a bad attitude.  It can be so frustrating!! 

As I've thought more and more about this topic, I have decided to, challenge myself to be more in love with my life.  This post, this idea, has been brewing in my mind for the past 3 weeks and I am so thankful that it has because through it, I honestly think that I have experienced more joy.  In John 10, Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Notice He doesn't say, to have a mediocre life, or a life that's boring or lame- He says, "have it to the full."  We live in a world that is full of darkness and heavy things and sadness- all things that threaten to take away our joy.  But God doesn't intend for us to live a sad life!  Through Christ we are given the opportunity to live life to the full- to find Joy in Him.  

A couple in church a couple weeks ago wrote a song with the lyric that said, "Sometimes I find that gladness is a choice we make to step into the light and turn our backs on darkness once again."  What a great illustration!! I love this idea that not only does choosing gladness result in more joy, but it also means that you are turning your back on darkness.  So that is what I am challenging myself to do; to choose to be glad and turn my back on the darkness in this world.  And I challenge you to do the same!  

It all starts with a choice.  Maybe sometimes it will be truly cutting something out like my boutique position, or maybe it will only be a choice to choose to be happy.  Either way, it is so worth it.  If you made it through this lengthy post, I commend you.  And I want to encourage you to take a few moments to dwell on this idea in your life as well.  Perhaps it will be life-changing, who knows! 

xoxo