Fashion Friday: Denim

I love blue jeans... denim shorts, skirts, dresses... I love them all.  What I like about these three outfits are the high-waistedness of each of the bottoms.  High enough so they are above the hip bones, but not so high that they feel or look stuffy. 

And these outfits make great weekend outfits. They are perfect for be-bopping around town on a pretty Saturday. And that is exactly what I intent to do tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, Andrew will be at the baseball field all day, my mom's schedule is wide open. So yard sales... here we come!

from here

from here

from here

 

Good Parents... Bad Kids

Well, I had my first class as a graduate student today. It was fun! Here is a quick snapshot of what we talked about:



Although there were some things that Dr. Friedman said that I disagree with, overall, I agree with his theory. I do not believe that children are, "born good until proven otherwise." Adversely, I believe that we are all naturally selfish creatures. I believe that we would all stay selfish creatures without the hand of God moving in our lives, and without His salvation. As we mentioned briefly in class today, children are born with certain traits and tendencies that may not be altered by the environment. The environment has power to shape and mold to some extent; however, as Dr. Friedman stated, it is not all powerful. And just as good parents can have children who behave badly as children, and even grow up into adults who behave badly, poor parents can have children who learn to make responsible life choices, and turn out well. One caller during the interview spoke about her bad relationship with her mother. The two had a bad relationship while Jill was growing up, and they still have a bad relationship even though Jill is now an adult. Jill brought up the idea that sometimes parents and their children, "just don't hit it off." I agree with this. We cannot pick our families, and maybe some children have parents, or a particular parent, whom, if given the choice, they would not have picked. Similarly, maybe parents have a child whose personality truly clashes with their own. To a parent and/or child living this situation, Dr. Friedman's theory would be a relief. It would give them the encouragement that it is not necessarily anyone's fault. There may not necessarily be anything wrong with the child, or with the parent. How these personality clashes are handled is possibly a different story altogether. My mother and sister have dealt with this issue since my sister's birth twenty years ago. The two just do not naturally get along necessarily.  Their personalities clash more than they mesh.  After years of struggle, they have learned to work through that, and to have a relationship in spite of that. There is nothing the matter with my sister; nor is there anything wrong with my mother. My mom and sister love each other.  My mom would literally do anything for Avery.  She would give her life for her, and in many ways, she has done just that.  Even my sister would say that my mom is a good mom. My mom has been exasperated with my sister, and with behaviors that my sister has displayed (and I'm sure the feelings go both ways).  Hearing this interview would encourage my mom, and remind her that a parent is responsible TO a child. They should be committed to being as good of a parent as they can be; however, a parent cannot be 100% responsible FOR their child's personality, choices, or behaviors.

Word from the Wise

I love this quote. Plus, my dad is Swedish, so it seems fitting.

:)

I begin class tomorrow and am INCREDIBLY nervous. I am just owning my nervousness now. It is useless to deny or resist it. I am plum nervous.

Stay tuned for an update on how it goes tomorrow!!!!

Rain, Rain....

And, this is how I feel today.  Is the rain ever going to stop?!   :)

Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

How I feel right now.

Goodnight!

Monday musings

Well, I start school this week, so my jitters have officially begun. This is typical of me. I get VERY worked up over, well, pretty much everything. I sometimes let nervousness, feelings of intimidation, and fear overshadow my excitement.

And then I have to remind myself...

I truly am excited.

And I can do it. :)

And enjoy it.

And it will be worth it.

Cupcake Garden

Last year around this time, I made these cupcakes: 

This year, I wanted to do something a little different, but equally easy!

Hence, these!

All you need are the suckers of your choice, sprinkles, green and white icing, and a leaf tip. 

Then you can bag the cupcakes up and send them on their way!

Doesn't get much simpler than that. 

Lazy Day

Well, seeing as how Andrew has had baseball all day, THIS describes my Saturday perfectly:

And to make me feel less guilty about my laziness, I simply refer to this:

Saturday Salutes

As Andrew and I are preparing to close on our new house, I definitely have decorating on the brain.  So it is no surprise that I am giving a salute to decor8, for the post on 8 Ideas to Spruce Up Your Space.  The ideas are totally practical, and make decluttering and redecorating seem more doable and less daunting.

I have a friend who is a WONDERFUL crafter. She can do everything from sewing to knitting to cooking... and anything in between. She also recently started a blog chronicling all of her crafting and homemaking adventures.  She has even provided a few tutorials for those of you who may actually be proficient enough at sewing to follow along with her.  Unfortunately, I am NOT.

Here is a list of reasons everyone should own a pet!  P.S- Did you know that elephants have the longest memories of any animal?

For those of us who just LOVE words, here is an online rhyming dictionary that is super duper fun if you have a few minutes of downtime to kill at work one day!  And if that's not quite enough for you, here is a synonym finder!

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers

Living Large

After a year in a six hundred square foot apartment, a 1,400 square foot house is gonna feel huge!!!! I can't wait!

And here is what I came up with:

Fun for your Friday

I don't know whose dog this is, but she is precious!  



Thankfully, it is getting too warm for booties here... finally!  But we may have to get some for Lady before next winter.

Daydreaming

Moving right along from the laundry room to the bedroom.

This bedside setup, from Real Simple, is perfect for a student, or for someone who needs to read and journal in order to unwind each night.

I love the white bedding paired with the quilt and blue wall that pop.  And the quilt also acts as a nice cushion against the metal headboard.

These next few pictures are from House Beautiful, and they are exactly that: beautiful.  I love the book cases that are built into this wall.  

Purple and yellow are two of my FAVORITE colors!  And I love the big chandelier hanging from the ceiling. 

 And again, I LOVE yellow... and pink.  And green.  I just love color in general.  I really like how they have the yellow backdrop against the right wall. 

My favorite things about this room are the headboard and the light blue walls. I also like how clean and put together the white bedding looks. 

Almost FRIDAY

Ruth

My grandmother came up with a Bible character for each of her grandchildren.  I am not sure what her reasoning was behind which grandchild she paired with which Bible character, but she always called me her "Ruth." 

It just so happens that in my devotions last night, I read some of the story of Ruth.  I have probably read it a hundred times.  But last night I noticed something that I never had before.

When Naomi and her husband Elimelech moved to Moab, their sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah.  In their culture at that time, marriage meant that the woman took on more than just her husband's last name. She claimed his family as her own, his religion as her own, and his homeland as her own.  She left the "old" her behind, and began a new life with her husband.  When Ruth married, she took on the God that her husband claimed.  She began life in relationship with her new husband, and most importantly, with GOD.  This new relationship with God did not protect Ruth from heartache and tragedy.  After being married for only ten years, Ruth and Orpah's husbands died.  When their husbands died, Ruth and Orpah had a choice to make.  When they were at their weakest, Naomi, their new mother, gave them a choice.  In Ruth 1:8, Naomi said this to her daughters-in-law:

“Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me."

In the middle of their heartbreak, they had a choice to make.  They could return to their own lives, and their old selves, or they could continue down a new path with Naomi.

The more logical choice would have been to return to their homeland, their own families.  Orpah did this.  And we do not hear anything else about her.  Maybe her life was fine after this point.  But we will never know, because her remarkable story ends there.


Ruth chose the path of her new life, with her new God.  And she became a wonderful example of righteousness.  The EASY thing would have been for her to return to her comfort zone.  But when we have an encounter with God, it should change the paths we choose.  It should change the way we live.  It should change the way we look, act, talk, dress, eat, work.  It should change everything about us.  Everything.  In order to experience the fullness of God in our lives, we MUST leave our comfort zones.  We must leave our old selves behind, and claim HIM. 

Out to Dry

The sun is FINALLY shining here, and the weather is gorgeous!  I have been waiting all winter for this!

Andrew and I have purchased our first home.  I have been hesitant to say anything up to this point, just in case something did not work out, but.... so far so good!!!

The home is a blank canvas.  AKA:  It is absolutely perfect for us.  So, I am starting with the obvious... some inspiring laundry room pictures, thanks to Better Homes and Gardens.   I guess living without my own washer and dryer for the past five years has made me REALLY excited to have a laundry room that does not require traveling down four flights of stairs to get to.  My mom said that by the time she and my dad had their own washer and dryer, she was so excited that she wanted to wash everything in their house... and she did, because she finally could!  :) 

Hang in there! We are halfway to the weekend!

Two, four, six, eight...

"I've learned people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

The past few weeks, my job has left me feeling incredibly drained.  There is a particular situation that has been going on with a client that has totally affected my life at work, and even when I am physically away from work.  I have woken up in the middle of the night thinking about this situation, what the solution may be, what I should have done or should be doing differently, etc.  Even when my body is not at work, that is where my mind has been.

And today I read this:

When I feel responsible FOR others...
I fix.
Protect.
Rescue.
Control.
Carry their feelings.
Don't listen.

I feel...
Tired.
Anxious.
Fearful.
Liable.

I am concerned with:
The solution.
Answers.
Circumstances.
Being right.
Details.
Performance.

I am a manipulator.
I expect the person to live up to my expectations.


When I feel responsible TO others...
I show empathy.
Encourage.
Share.
Confront.
Level.
Am sensitive.
Listen.

I feel...
Relaxed.
Free.
Aware.
High self-esteem.


I am concerned with:
Relating person to person.
Feelings.
The person.


I believe if I just share myself, the other person has enough to make it.
I am a helper-guide.
I expect the person to be responsible for himself and his own actions.
I can trust and let go.


I have read similar things before, and these are things I know, but today they really resonated.  I have crossed certain boundary lines with this particular client that I told myself I would not cross.  I learned a lesson.  And I am now reminded that I am not responsible FOR my client.  I am TO be the best social worker, encourager, and guide, that I can be.  But I am not to make decisions FOR, or do things FOR my client, and I should not feel responsible FOR the things this client chooses to do or not to do.  And it certainly should not rob me of my personal time, time with my husband, and sleeping time!  If I feel responsible FOR a client, it seeps into my personal life and negatively impacts those around me.  I have learned my lesson and will not let this happen again.  I will not let a client have such power over my mind and emotions, and I will not attempt to have that kind of power or control over a client... even in the name of "helping" him.

"We are all something, but none of us are everything." - Blaise Pascal

Too Precious Not to Share

Being Willing

This is SUCH a good video, and worth the five minutes. 



I realize that the video is referring specifically to the dog, but the same idea translates to Christians.  It may be stretching it a little, but it reminds me of the way that God uses us.  He does not use us because we are perfect; He does not expect perfection.  He uses us when we are willing and available.  And He gives us all passions and gifts, and works within those.  He capitalizes on the strengths and personalities that He created us with.  We can all be great "service dogs (or people)," but we all serve in different ways... bird chasing, surfing, whatever! 

Saturday Salutes

Daily Love  features different artists each week, and posts a new love story each day.  They are great for a pick-me-up, or just to remind yourself that there still are real-life love stories!

My Fridge Food is a neat website that lets you pick from checklist all the items that you have in your refrigerator (and/or cupboard), and then generates recipes that you can make from the items you have on hand! 

Not only do these banana split bites look DELICIOUS... but they are also adorable, and seem very easy to make! 

Photo from here

Click here for 24 housekeeping tips.  As a newlywed, I am always looking for little hints on how I am "supposed" to be doing things around the house.  I still feel like such a novice, so these helpful tips are great!

Andrew had to go to the sleep doctor this week, so with that in mind, I found this interesting:


Via: Psychology Degree

This is just precious.

And, along those same lines, this next story just takes the cake for me this week.

Click here to read the whole story... I just wish Debby would keep Finnegan instead of releasing him back into the wild.  He seems so at home with his new family!

You have to watch this video all the way through the get the full effect.  The two otters are holding hands!  

And, seriously, how AWESOME is God that He creates animals this cute!

Look how tiny he is!  My favorite picture in the strip is the second to last.  He looks so adorable.  I just wanna love him!  I do love animal; maybe more than people.  Maybe I am in the wrong profession.