the knotted needle

and here we are.

2011-05-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

oh, my little blog. i have missed coming here more than i thought i did. the passed couple of months have been filled with sweet second grade faces, lesson planning, paper grading, house hunting, lease signing, gift registering, graduating, envelope licking, invite sending, and wedding crazy-ness. wheeew. and in between it all i have left very little time for myself to sit, think, or create.

i've realized during this spell of "creative dryness" that i have to have some sort of extrinsic creative activity going on in my life in order to keep myself sane. i've missed coming to this little spot, if only a few times a week, to let myself type all of the little details and thoughts that are collected though out each day.

the wedding countdown is down to 2 days. yes, 2 days. that means we're in the middle of the wedding-tornado. this tornado is filled with ribbon and flowers and lots of final decisions to be made. but in two days, zach and i will be married, i will finally be able to breath, and i can finally get back into taking time to create once again.

i hope you haven't given up on this little corner of the web-o-sphere. i have some ideas that will be coming here soon, including a re-launching of a completely new knotted needle store. i'm excited about all of the little changes that are currently creating this new life of mine!

thank you.

2011-01-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

a few months ago i posted about the book cold tangerines by shauna niequist. it's no secret that i love this book. i love the way that shauna is so so real in her writing and how she pours herself into her books. i've told everyone i know to read it, have given it as gifts, and written a quote from nearly every page of the book in my journal.

i-love-it.

shauna also has a book called bittersweet that i have been reading through recently, and let me assure you, it's every bit as good as cold tangerines. the other day while i was reading bittersweet i began thanking God for putting things in our lives at specific and designated times, like that exact book for this exact period of my life.

the term bittersweet is a bit of an oxymoron that we can use to identify many situations in our lives. i'm currently finding myself in a bittersweet period of life. the sweet side of my life is filled with thoughts of finally receiving my degree and becoming a teacher, being married and beginning a new life with zach, and learning to live in this world as an adult rather than a full-time student. with every sweet situation a bitter one generally is along side of it. for me, the bitter part of my life right now is moving out of my comfort zone that i have known for the passed 4 years. i will have to say goodbye to friends and instead of seeing them everyday, i will only see them every-so-often. i will have to say goodbye to relying fully on my parents for support and will have to learn to adapt to having a job all day where i can't take naps between class.

last night i began to think about this bittersweet state of life that i am in and i realized that i'm currently right in the middle of the bitter and the sweet part. semi-sweet maybe? tomorrow i will begin student teaching in my hometown with a sweet little class of 2nd graders. this means that i have moved home for the semester, leaving me in a state of limbo between being a college student and an official adult. i'm not a real teacher, only practicing, and i'm not a real wife yet, only engaged and planning for marriage.

one of the quotes at the beginning of bittersweet states, "bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a sliver of lightness on even the darkest of nights, a shadow of hope in every heartbreak, and that rejoicing is no less rich when it contains a splinter of sadness."

i love that quote. what a beautiful picture these words paint of the hope that God shows us during even the most bitter of times.

i can feel God stretching me. stretching my legs and arms, mind and soul, heart and spirit in order to prepare for the next leg of the run that is placed before me. i am so thankful for this "semi-sweet" time in life that is allowing me to reflect on who i am and who i want to be in Him as a wife and future teacher.

thank you, God, for the bitter times and the sweet times, and even the semi-sweet times.

{photo credit}

"so when life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. and when life is bitter, say thank you and grow."

-bittersweet by shauna niequist

today was that day.

2010-10-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

i love the changing of seasons. even when we’re transferring from a season that i love to one that i don’t enjoy, i love the transition period and i especially love the first day that you begin to notice that change. and today was that day.

today i walked by myself alone to class. this is a rare occasion considering i have every single class with 2 out of 3 of my roommates. but this rare occasion gave me the chance to see the changes that have been going on in my little world.

half way through my walk to class, the wind began to pick up and all of the lifeless leaves were plucked from their home on the branches and were sent swirling through the air. it was absolutely magical looking, like the sky was snowing leaves and I was caught in the snow-globe. and in that very moment i just wanted everything to freeze. i wanted to take a video in my head that would replay that exact moment just like I remembered it. because in that moment it dawned on me how much i had missed changing while I was busy inside of my little world.

the mind is a curious thing due to the fact that one small detail can trigger a whole slue of thoughts. this sudden gust of wind that turned my world, if only for a second, into a magical scene and the realization of the world changing around me, struck something deep in me: if i’m so oblivious of the seasons changing, what other things have i missed while I was caught up worrying about projects, getting a job after I graduate, etc, etc, etc?

and then my thought pattern shifted into thinking about the stage of life that I am in right now and the stage of life that i am about to enter into. i’m about to jump into a lot of unknowns in my life and be surrounded by things that I am completely unfamiliar with. things like marriage, and having a grown up job, and living with a boy (the latter I am probably most unprepared for). and while i’m excited about this phase of unknown excitement that awaits, leaving this particular season of life is bittersweet. growing up in general is a bittersweet transition and the first day that you realize that that transition is taking place is always the scariest. and today was that day.

...and all because of a 5 minute walk to class.

counting down.

2010-10-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

in 5 days, i will be back in northwest arkansas cheering on the hogs with friends.

in 38 days, i will get to see my entire family while enjoying turkey and dressing.

in 48 days, i will be only one semester away from being a real teacher.

in 68 days, i will get to spend my 21st christmas morning waking up to see what santa brought.

in 208 days, i will hold a piece of paper in my hand that says i'm a teacher.

and in 215 days, i will be a married girl to this little boy...

soul friends.

2010-10-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

every tuesday night the bcm (baptist collegiate ministry) here at arkansas tech has our weekly worship session called fuel. i have enjoyed fuel so much this year, and i am so grateful for what the bcm has brought into my life spiritually and relationally through the passed 4 years as well as the people that make every element of the bcm work together. it's just really great...trust me.

this passed tuesday night we had several student speakers who shared their experiences regarding missions. one particular speaker talked about how she felt like she had found her soul friend while on her mission field this summer.

i love the thought of soul friends, people who you can not only be comfortable around, but who build you up and keep you accountable. and i sat in my seat thinking of all of the soul friends that i've found in my life and how completely blessed i am for the people who have been there for me through it all.

here's to finding your soul friends!

weekend roadtrip.

2010-10-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

this passed weekend we decided to pack our bags, load up the car, and spend the weekend in kansas city. there was actually more planning involved than that, but none the less, we spent the weekend driving in a car, watching baseball, shopping in fun stores, eating good food, enjoying friends, and laughing a whole whole lot.

it was a much needed break from the busy-ness of normal life.

today i'm thankful for trips with friends, the kari jobe cd, our student center serving starbucks coffee, and this face:

alison in ireland.

2010-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

i have always wanted to go to ireland. when i think about this country i picture rolling, luscious, green hills, enjoying an afternoon of tea with friends, and soaking in every inch of history that ireland has to offer.

{photo credit}

well, unfortunately i don't have a trip to ireland planned in my near future. instead, i am living vicariously through my sweet friend alison who is currently there studying abroad for the semester. she gets to wake up every morning and soak in the ireland air.

{enjoying fall on jbu campus last year}

the past few weeks i have been collecting fun quotes, pictures, etc to send to alison in a little packet. i've been constantly searching for different things to send her. i love getting mail and packages and i can't wait to send this to her!

have you ever sent someone a fun package who was in a different state or country? what did you send them? i need some more ideas please!!

happy hands.

2010-09-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

i know this video is making it's rounds on the web, but i still couldn't help but post it here.

new goal in life: learn this.

funky-slump.

2010-09-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

recently i've been in a funk. or a slump. i couldn't decide which word fits my situation better, but for all intensive purposes, we'll use the word funk from here on out.

i've been in one of those funks where i have so much to do and so much swimming inside of my head that i haven't wanted to do a single thing. and then that just adds and more and more to my "to do" list (i love a good to do list) which in turn sends me back into this awful cycle of doing nothing and blah-ness and, well...a funk.

and with this funk has come a slump in my blogging. i have come up with a zillion blog posts in my head over the past couple of days full of great stories, ideas, and projects. but as soon as i sit down to type everything out...poof! it's gone.

posts that include things like...

the weekend that a puppy named bandit came to visit...

the time that my roommates and i decided to "burn" all the wax out of our ears and our current obsession with homemade remedies...

{uggg, i know. but these little suckers work!}

my current favorite blog that has left me inspired to add more color to my life, start an inspiration journal, and turn all the letters ever written to me into throw pillows.

{www.alisaburke.blogspot.com}

seriously, she's so so cool!

and that's just a glimpse of everything that i have been dying to blog about.

but then that darn funk hit me. and here i am now, thinking of all the little things swimming around in my head but unable to spill them all out.

welcome fall.

2010-09-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

the sudden change in weather has caused me to shy away from blogging and work on small projects around this fun little apartment. last week we experienced rain, and in russellville, when it rains it pours. literally. but today it's sunny and you can smell fall in the air.

saturday was the first razorback game of the season in little rock. my sweet friend gentry's family always has a big tailgate set up for the game and we all head to little rock to prepare for a razorback victory. tailgating has quickly become one of my favorite things to look forward to in the fall.

soooooo many hog fans and soooo much fun!!

saturday was also mine and zach's two year anniversary. celebrated with a relaxing weekend together that has been one of my favorite weekends in a long time. and sweet little zach surprised me with a new camera. he is the best gift giver ever.

dear zach,

thanks for always making my laugh, teaching me about football and baseball, helping me make decisions, and being my better half.

here's to 60 (plus) more years!

cold tangerines.

2010-09-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

do you ever hear a song or watch a movie or try a recipe it was just so good that you wanted everyone that you know to listen to it, or watch it, or bake it? well, i've come across one of those exciting little treasures in the form of a book. and even though i'm only halfway done with it, i just couldn't wait to tell everyone about this book.

my sweet friend/roommate/bridesmaid/teaching partner kate got me this particular book for my birthday titled cold tangerines. i know, i know...weird name, but wonderful book. shauna niequist, author of cold tangerines, has totally drawn me in with her writing style and i have been having to force myself to put this book down at night so that i can get some sleep.

this book is all about living your life in the moment. niequist shares about how she felt like she waited her whole life for a "big" moment. she waited and waited until it finally dawned on her that the "big" moment lays in every single moment of every single day. and all of those little moments create our lives that have been intricately woven together my our Savior and the creator of the universe.

the only way i can give you a glimpse into this book is to give you a few passages that have stood out to me. read them, you won't regret it.

"But this is what I'm finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it. This is it, in the best possible way. That thing I'm waiting for, for that adventure, that movie-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully. This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets - this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience."

"I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift."

apartment living.

2010-09-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

can i just start by saying that i really really REALLY love living in my new apartment. seriously. i don't know how i ever crammed all of my junk into a dorm room. having an entire room, a living room, and a kitchen is so fun. i'm getting spoiled.

my roommates and i have had lots of fun the past two weeks making this little apartment feel like home. we've made lots of trips to goodwill, tj maxx, and hobby lobby. and somewhere between the spray paint, old picture frames, and various trinkets, i think we're cozying into this space.

my personal favorites in the apartment include:

1. embroidery hoop collage in my room.

i haven't quite positioned these little boogers quite right yet, but i'm getting there. thank you apartmenttherapy.com for inspiration!

2. fun throw pillows on the couch.

thank you tj maxx and crafty roommate gentry.

3. book/remote basket on the coffee table.

thank you thrift store for the $1.00 price tag.

4. kitchen chalkboard.

thank you hobby lobby for the scratch and dent clearance aisle, and camp war eagle for the "joy" cheer that has made it's way to this board.

5. picture frame collage in living room.

thank you goodwill for 50 cent frames and colorful spray paint for the re-vamp.

6. owl drawing in my room.

thank you talented fiance for your sweet art skills.

7. butter dish.

thank you tj maxx for your cheap prices.

8. little owl friend.

thank you sweet old lady at a garage sale that decided that you didn't need this anymore. this little owl has made its home a-top of my bookshelf.

twenty-one years.

2010-08-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

in honor of my 21st birthday, my friends and i decided to venture to a nearby town and go on a wine tour and do a little wine tasting. all of us recently turned 21 and know very little about wine, so we decided we would learn a little bit through this experience.

this particular town houses four different vineyards and wineries. on the way there we ended up getting lost and found ourselves in the middle of one of the vineyards. and even though we weren't suppose to be there, it was so so pretty!

once we got there we enjoyed our tour and learning about how wine is made. and even though i'm not a fan of wine, it was a fun way to spend my birthday afternoon with sweet friends.

saturday evening we all went out for dinner and ice cream. after we loaded up on sugar, the boys insisted on riding go-carts. boys will be boys, huh?

if i have learned anything in my 21 years of life, it's to enjoy little moments. even if those moments include watching 23 year old boys ride go-carts like 9 year olds.

happy dance.

2010-08-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago i won a giveaway from fern&flora. up for grabs was a sweet little leaf necklace from, none other than, meg from meg's musings. and when i received that little email saying i was the winner, i may have done a little happy dance all around my house.

my "winnings" arrived the day before i headed back to school. meg's packaging is a-dor-a-ble! and the packaging is just the beginning to the fun little treasures inside!

this necklace is going to be so perfect in a few weeks when the weather cools a bit and crunchy leaves are on the ground. i-can't-wait.

check out more of meg's creations at her shop.

school days.

2010-08-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

and it's finally here: school!

i'm all unpacked and nearly settled into my new apartment and loving it. not having to live in a little dorm room this year is a huuuuuge blessing. no more cramming everything into a half of a room, no more caf food, and no more loud people running down the hall at night. hallelujah!
but the best part of being back at school is seeing these faces.

and friday i turn 21 so, the four of us have decided to take a wine tour in a nearby town for the afternoon. fun! and saturday night we're celebrating all summer birthdays and having a dinner in our apartment. i really have the best friends ever.

cheers to senior year!

friday favorites.

2010-08-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

1. 72 hours.
in 72 short hours i will finally be reunited and living in a little apartment with these two cuties.

to say the least, i'm pumped.

2. amy butler wallpaper.
amy butler has done it again. she's stolen my heart by creating beautiful patterns, this time in the form of wallpaper. ugh, i love this.

oh my, i really love this pattern.

{photo credit}

3. norah jones.
dear norah, thank you for making beautiful music that inspired me to finally get busy on making pillows for my new room. {pictures of the pillows to follow!}

happy friday friends!

guest blogger. chad hall.

2010-08-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

so, i have this friend. his name is chad. if you don't know chad in person, he's a hard person to describe. i can only hope that you have someone like chad in your life. every time that we hang out with chad i always end up with a stomach ache from laughing so much.

anyways, whenever we hang out, chad is constantly saying "chelsea, is this going to make it on the blog!?" so, last night as we were enjoying our ice cream after our weekly dinner date, i asked chad "chad, do you just want to do a guest blog post for me?" his face instantly lit up.

and so, without further ado, i give you chad:

_______________________________________________

Xing Ped? by Chad Hall

This summer has been, well different.

In case anyone is wondering, I have taken over the blog, affectionately known as The Knotted Needle. Really, I am just writing this one blog post for today. The one you all love, Chelsea, will be back very soon… I am guessing she will have to do some kind of “let me follow up with this blog post, because some of you may be really really confused after you read it kind of post”.

I started a blog once, but I failed at it and deleted it, because I could never think of anything to write about. I always felt like what I thought was cool, was kind of like...well, boring.

I can assure you that before I wrote this, I looked at about 20 blogs just to see what people talk about, and there are some weird people out there. I came across a blog that was devoted to this woman’s cat. Meet Phoebe. If you would like to read more, visit meowdiaries.com…

I also thought about writing what Chelsea, Zach, and have done, but Chelsea has that covered right here. So why would we want to read that twice? However, I will let you see what we look like!

I think what you might be interested in is that sometimes I just flat say things I do not mean to say, they just come out of my mouth. For example, last night we were driving down the road, we had just left Buffalo Wild Wings in Har-Ber Meadows, this place reminds Chelsea of Central Park… I just agreed with her, it was a whole lot smaller… and kind of looked like it, I guess, anyway… I was driving, and all of sudden out of my mouth came… Xing Ped, what the heck… Somebody that works for a street department must have been really confused… painted right there on the road it was as backwards as it could be… somebody could be really confused by that, maybe they need to fix it. I mean, come on, Har-Ber Jones, I shortened it for effect as celebrities always do, have plenty of money to get right on that.

Also, I guess I was really excited about something, and again out of my mouth, to the laughter of Chelsea and Zach, I said. Oh The Knetted Nodle, I really don’t know you would spell that, but I said it… and to think, I have a degree in Communications.

This has been a great summer, Little Chelsea will go back to her great college town, ha, of Russellville on Sunday for her last semester, and that will leave all sorts of adventures I guess for Zach and myself.

I am ok with blogging as long as it is like this, where I only have to do one every now and then, if anyone would like me to be a guest blogger for your blog, please feel free to contact me. I promise I will write something different for yours. I do and say a lot of dumb things, so I am sure I could conjure something up.

I was reading the newspaper the other day, and all of a sudden, I see a word I have heard but never written out. “COJONES”. It is Spanish, and I looked it up… please do the same… I think you will be surprised what people are saying when they are using it.

Well, I guess I need to go, my office sits next to a door that leads outside, and sometimes I think people leave it open on purpose to annoying the heck out of me, and I need to close it.

If I were famous I would end by saying, come see me perform live at some crazy theater, but really you will just have to come see me in Fayetteville at my apartment. Please call before you just show up!

pillow love.

2010-08-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

next week is the big week: move-in week.

everyone will be unloading their cars and loading up their rooms in preparation for the new school year. and what do i have on my mind right now? pillows.

this year i will be living in an apartment with 3 other girls. i'm so so so excited! a couple of weeks ago i purchased a plain white down comforter with the intentions of making different pillows to go on my bed. the problem: i'm having a little trouble coming up with inspiration for my pillows. i've realized that making pillows is definitely not one of my favorite things to sew on.

and while i sit here with a mental block for my own pillows, i'll share a few pillows that were created by others who obviously weren't having my problem.

{photo credit}

earrings galore.

2010-08-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

so, i have this problem: i'm really bad about getting stuck in a creativity rut. i make something and then that's all i think about; creating that exact project in different ways.

for example,

lately i've been stuck on earrings. i've never been an "earrings person"- i've always been the simple pearl stud wearing girl. but for some reason, fun little earrings have been calling my name lately.

and i responded to that call by whipping up the following:

and this is just a glimpse into this recent obsession. oh dear, have i gone earrings crazy?

and because i enjoy making these little treasures and i can only wear one pair at a time, i decided to add these as an item in my etsy shop. like a style but want a different color? well, more than likely, i have it! {seriously, i've made a lot of these!}

friday favorites.

2010-08-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

1. rifle paper co.
if you're not familiar with rifle paper co, let me tell you, it's pretty great. anna creates cute little cards, prints, and other paper creations that are really wonderful. i love all of them.

when i am a real teacher with a real classroom, i really want this print for my desk.

{photo credit/see all the products here!}

2. how i met your mother.
i started watching this show a couple of years ago when i started dating zach. i was hooked nearly instantly and we spent the next few months catching up on past seasons. i love this show for a couple of reasons:

it's a feel good show
one of the characters is a teacher
the show is told through the view of looking back on life
everyone of the characters reminds me of someone i know
and it's coming back september 20th! mark your calendars!

3. lake days.
i can't believe that i've gone all summer and i have yet to spend some quality time on the lake! that's all going to change this weekend though. we have plans to get up tomorrow and take our boat out and spend the day on the water. yay for fun summer days!

cheers to another friday!

bloggins.

2010-08-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

every time i sit down to blog, i'm reminded of the death of my camera card reader and the lack of pictures that my blog post will have. but i finally broke down and ordered a new one last night from amazon and hopefully i'll be back to adding pictures to posts in 3-5 business days.

and because i'm without pictures to post, i thought i would list a few of my favorite blogs at the moment. if you're like me, you are constantly stumbling on new blogs to read and follow. my bookmark menu is getting ridiculously full these days.

1. gussy has a lot to say {and sew}

maggie, the brains behind the ruffle-y gussy products, is just really wonderful. a couple of years ago she decided that she wanted to learn to sew, checked out a stack of books from the local library, and went at it. before long she was sewing away and soon started her own business. and now she's doing it full time!! ah, how great is that?! her signature look is her ruffle and it is incredibly cute. not only does maggie share her products with her readers, she shares what's going on in her daily life and business tips on her blog. ahhh, i just really love this blog!

visit gussy here

2. {meg's musings}

do you ever stumble onto a blog and it's just so cheery and fun? well, if you haven't then you can click this link and find that cheerful joy in meg's blog. i love reading about her day, seeing what inspires her, and looking at the beautiful jewelry that she creates. it's really wonderful. trust me.

some of meg's sweet little earrings.

you can visit meg here

3. today's letters.

so here's the deal, lets say this really cool girl decided to start writing letters to her husband, her family, co-workers, and nearly anyone or anything else. not just normal letters, mind you, but short little sentences capturing her very thoughts perfectly. and there you have the concept of "today's letters". i started reading this blog after my friend elizabeth posted about it and how much joy is brings her. and believe me, it will bring you joy. quirky, lovely, genuine joy.

blog tagline:

"there are many things that can change a life. a letter is one of them."

visit today's letters here

monday monday.

2010-08-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

today:

i was suppose to get up and run. didn't happen.
i spent the morning in my pj's drinking coffee.
i visited the library.
i organized my closet.
i substituted my usual vanilla dr. pepper for water. (pats self on back)
i visited with a sweet friend over yummy chips&salsa.
i ran into another sweet friend at the local coffee shop. yay for small towns!
i began to mentally prepare myself for school starting back up.

and today i am thankful for my family, my friends, and the love i receive from them.

{photo credit}

ps- i've come to the realization that poppies are my favorite flowers. how pretty is this poppy field?! i wish i could take an afternoon nap in it.

friday favorites.

2010-08-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

1. cheap nail polish (that lasts!)
if there's one thing that i really love, it's nail polish. but if there's one thing i really hate, it's paying a lot for nail polish, especially when it doesn't last. uggggh. but i've seemed to have found the answer: sinful colors. you can find this brand at walgreens and it's only $1.99! yay!! i have really thin nails and i can never find a polish that stays on for more than a day without chipping...but these little babies are like magic. i'm going on 4 days and not a chip yet!

i would highly recommend "boogie nights", "soul mate", "gogo girl", and "folly". nail polish colors always have such silly names.

2. diy-home face scrub.
i ran across a blog the other day dedicated to at-home beauty secrets. one tip that was shared was a recipe for a lemon-sugar facial scrub. all you have to do is put some lemon juice on a cotton ball, dip the cotton ball into a little sugar, and then scrub away! i tried this out last night and it made my skin so so soft! using a scrub gets rid of dead skin and extra dirt left by sweat and make-up. i think i'll make this part of my daily routine!

3. new glasses.
i few months ago i found an online store for optical glasses that are cheap cheap cheap. i've been searching high and low for green glasses and i finally found them here. i ordered a red pair and a green pair. hopefully they'll be here soon...and they'll be all i've imagined them to be.

there are lots and lots of cute, cheap glasses over at the zenni optical website!

happy friday friends!

lazy thursday.

2010-08-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

i have dubbed today "lazy thursday". seeing as though it's 1:30 in the afternoon and i'll i've seemed to accomplish today is bathing myself and drinking 3 cups of coffee, i think this day deserved the title. and besides, it's raining outside, something that we haven't seen in this part of the country is quite some time. rainy days are meant to be spent cuddled up with a good book or watching a good movie. or at least that's how i'm justifying my laziness today.

so, i had this big post all ready to go for today. i was going to tell you about cheap long-lasting nail polish that i have found, my current obsession for making earrings, and the new dress form that i snagged earlier this week. i was all ready to go, all i had to do was upload and edit all my pictures. i plugged in my card reader....and....nothing. it won't work. blah!! so here i am with a picture-less post, which i hate hate hate. so, i'll keep working on the pictures and cross my fingers that i can get them uploaded.

ps: i wish i were spending my lazy thursday in this room.

{photo via you are my fave.}

you are special.

2010-08-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

if you haven't read or heard of the book you are special by max lucado you're missing out on a sweet inspirational story. i was first introduced to this book a couple of summers ago when i worked at camp war eagle. we would read this book as a bedtime story to our campers and i soon fell in love with this book as much as my cabin full of 6-year-olds did.

this morning in church, this book was used in reference to finding our identity in christ. i love when stories are written for children but have an ageless and important message that is carried out. i love the power of a message that is carried out through an innocent children's book. and i love that since rereading this particular children's book today i have been thinking and praying about my identity in christ.

if you haven't read this book, you're in luck! i found a video on youtube of the book being read aloud with the pictures shown on the video. now, i'm the sort of person that likes to read a book in her head and create voices and such to create the story just like i want it. so, needless to say, this version of the story doesn't quite do it justice for me. but, if still gets the storyline across. next time you are at the library or bookstore, search this sweet little book out and read it to yourself. you can even create voices too.

and before i go...

"therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. because of our faith, Christ has brought us into the place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

we can rejoice,too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. and endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. and this hope will not lead to disappointment. for we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love."

romans 5:1-5

this past week i have looked to this verse repetitively, and sure enough, this verse was apart of the message taught this morning. talk about an assurance from God.

i've learned this week that it's okay to be sad and mourn over hard times in our lives. it's okay to question what happens next. and it's okay to feel a little bit of emptiness over the loss of someone. because we have hope...

"and this hope will not lead to disappointment."

friday favorites.

2010-07-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

1. jewelry making.
i've been searching through different etsy shops lately and seeing all of the sweet dainty jewelry that so many have listed. so may times i have been tempted to purchase some of these little treasures but i couldn't get myself to buy something that i might be able to make. tuesday i made a trip to hobby lobby and found myself lost in the jewelry making aisle. i found a couple sweet little charms that were exactly what i was looking for. and to top it all off, everything i bought was 50% off! ah, hobby lobby, you have my heart.

i ended up making a pair of earrings and a small necklace. total cost for both: $4.07
[pictures to come...i'm experiencing a little technical difficulty with my card reader...boo!]

2. broadway plays.
i am so so so so so excited because tonight we get to go see "beauty and the beast" performed at our local arts center! beauty and the beast was my favorite disney film growing up and i've always wanted to see it performed live. yaaay! i can't wait!!

3. playlists.
i love playlists. i make a playlist in itunes, wear it out, and then create another. here's what this week's playlist has looked like:

quelqu'un m'a di- carla bruni
valentino- diane birch
tighten up- the black keys
just you and me- zee avi
mushaboom-feist
click, click, click, click- bishop allen
the honey tree- mostar diving club
today has been okay- emiliana torrini
chasing pirates- norah jones
hey na na- katie herzig
you make it real-james morrison
baby boomer- monsters of folk

have a lovely weekend and enjoy the company of those close to you.
ps- thank you all of the sweet words, thoughts, and prayers. each means a lot to me and all effected by this sudden passing.

finding peace.

2010-07-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

before i go any further, i am warning you that this post is not one filled with projects, recipes, etc. this post is more or less all of the thoughts and emotions that have been swimming around in me over the passed 24 hours and here is where i have chosen to spill them. often times i piece my thoughts together in my head like i'm writing them all down in a chapter book. they're often jumpy and rarely all fit together, but so many different emotions have been evoked that i am writing it down, however it may turn out.

the passed day has been a rough one for me, my family, and many of my friends. last week i posted about praying for a close family friend as she went through cancer treatments and the roller coaster that cancer can set a body on. our sweet friend passed away last night and is once more whole in the presence of our Lord.

to give a little background, the sweet friend that i am telling you about is the mother of one of my longest friends, erica. erica and i met on the first day of kindergarten and were best friends throughout our school years. our moms were both younger moms, and soon made a connection as well. our younger sisters were even the same age! before long, our families had become close. erica and i shared may of life's adventures together. from the excitement and suspense of first day of kindergarten, to slumber parties where we would stay up all night and write with a flash light the name of the boy that we just knew that we were going to marry someday in our middle school years (we were both entirely wrong), to moving to college together, and even up until recently when we both got engaged only a week apart.

in may erica's mom, lori, was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma cancer, a cancer that is known for it's rapid growth and only effects 4 in a million people. lori's case proved to spread unbelievably quickly while the doctors continued to look for new ways to treat her. the cancer would not respond to chemo causing lori to become weaker and weaker.

over the pasted day i have spent a lot of time in prayer searching for peace. i have had many loved ones die, and, while lori was not "blood related" to me, her passing away has hit me harder than any other death i have dealt with.

i've been thinking a lot about how sweet lori was. she was beautiful and caring. and then i got to thinking about how it is such a shame that it took this for me to really appreciate her. isn't it sad that we wait until the death of a person to really point out all of their great attributes? while a person is here on earth we take them for granted. we don't give things a second thought....until someone is gone.

we are always told to "live for today, because it may be your last". we hear this, but having that actually sink in is an entirely different story. there are times when i find myself nearly thinking that i am invincible. that nothing bad will happen to me or my family. this is me in my obvious blinded state. and while i sit and think that maybe nothing bad will happen to me, i realize that just as easily as lori was told that she had cancer in may, and passed away less than 3 months later,...that could have been my mom. or sister. or dad. i've realized over the passed day that life is more fragile that i have ever believed it to be before.

a scene in my head keeps playing over and over: erica and i were out to lunch earlier in the year and talking about how we were both hoping to get engaged soon. we giggled and dreamed about planning our weddings and living our married lives. i specifically remember saying "do you know how much fun it will be if we get to plan our weddings together? our moms would have a hayday!" and every time that this scene rewinds and plays itself again in my head, my heart hurts a little more. erica is getting married in october and i wish with everything that her mom would have been able to be there on her special day.

while it's easy to dwell on the shock and darkness over this situation, God has promised us a bright side to everything. right now lori is not hooked to monitors or weak from treatment. she is whole. and just a beautiful as we all remember her to be. and while those effected by this death may not see the good that can come from this now, i continually pray that we will see the purpose for this someday.

and if you read and followed all of that, thank you. say a prayer for this family and all effected by this quick loss. may we all find peace and comfort in our saviors arms.

and if you would like to read about lori's journey or learn more about leiomyosarcoma cancer, visit lori's website at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lorikauffman

yum yum!

2010-07-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

ahh, i enjoyed my quiet weekend...i hope all of you did as well!

i have lots of little thoughts twirling around my head today, but my brain keeps going back to thinking about the peanut butter pie that is sitting quietly in the fridge. so, today i will tell you about this yummy little treat and suggest that you go out immediately for the ingredients so that you can enjoy your very own slice tonight.

i decided friday that it had been far too long since i had enjoyed a nice piece of this pie so i took matters into my own hands. for this treat you only need a few ingredients: vanilla, cream cheese, cool whip, peanut butter, milk, powdered sugar, and graham cracker crust. is your mouth watering yet? cream cheese, peanut butter, AND cool whip!? yes please!!

peanut butter pie

8oz cool whip

1/2 cup of peanut butter

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

3oz cream cheese

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

little bit of milk (this is what my recipe said, i just guess-timated)

directions: combine all ingredients in bowl. pour mixture into graham cracker crust. keep in refrigerator.

and that's it!

your taste buds will surely thank you.

friday favorites.

2010-07-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

1. roald dahl.
sweet sweet roald dahl. this week i've found myself lost in the pages of james and the giant peach and matilda and remembering while i loved his work when i was younger. one of my assignments for this coming semester is to have several children's chapter books read by the end of the semester. i've been trying to get a head start on the assignment and have been enjoying journeying through the ocean on a giant peach and discovering the richness of books with matilda.

2. pretty houses.
i've got the fever to live in a real house with real rooms and real decorations. this fever has probably been brought on by this post that i stumbled upon a few days ago. so many diy projects, colors, and pretty little trinkets that i just love. i can't wait for the day that i get to use all of these ideas that i've gathered up to decorate a home.

also, you are my fave just wrote a post about using barn doors inside. oh dear, my wish list for a home just keeps growing!

(photo credit: apartmenttherapy.com)

3. quiet weekends.
for the first time in many many weeks there are no plans for this weekend...and i am so grateful. i'm ready for a relaxing, quiet weekend to re-coop from the week!

i hope you have a relaxing weekend as well!

catching up.

2010-07-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

this week:

1. i have been working photography and around the world camp. this week i have "visited" australia, china, and africa so far. it's so fun to watch the kids learn new phrases in different languages. fun and entertaining. next week is my last week of camps...it's gone by so so fast!

2. i have enjoyed lots of catching up with friends. today i got to enjoy a yummy red velvet cupcake and a cup of coffee with my sweet friend elizabeth. she's at a "shift" in life and we had lots of catching up to do. one thing i love about elizabeth: her laugh. i left thanking god for her sweet laugh.

this evening zach and i got to have dinner with our friend chad. i think i laughed for 95% of our dinner. chad is pretty indescribable but so fun to be around.

3. i have prayed and thought a lot. recently a close family friend was diagnosed with cancer and the situation has gotten worse very quickly. over the passed week i have had this heavy feeling in me and i can't quit thinking about our sweet friend that is experiencing so much pain right now. i realize that all i can do is pray for her health, her family, and her sense of peace as she goes through this. i keep telling myself that we serve a god that is bigger than cancer.

4. i have realized that summer has absolutely flown by. it's nearly august and i have no idea where my summer has gone. i am so not ready to start schoolwork yet...yuck!

5. i have had no time for projects. my project list is beginning to pile up, but between work, catching up with friends, and catching up on sleep, my little projects have had to take a backseat. but i have lots of ideas swimming around in my head that will hopefully soon be placed into reality.

6. marks another week off of the wedding countdown. we're at 10 months to go!

7. i have missed a lot of my friends a whole whole bunch. and even though i'm not ready for the school work to start piling up quite yet, i'm so ready to see some of these cheerful faces on a regular bases:

fun with friends.

2010-07-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

friday afternoon zach and i left out to meet some of our friends in branson, missouri. what a fun weekend of laughing, shopping, visiting, and relaxing!

friday night we enjoyed a late-night round of mini-golf. i was not so good at it, but enjoyed the quirky-ness of the mini-golf course. i was so impressed with how many people were out mini-golfing at 11pm! i was fading fast since it was long passed my bedtime. we stopped for an icee break on the way back to the hotel and settled in for the night...or so i thought. before i knew it, the boys had turned our room into circus olay.

oh boys...never a dull moment.

saturday morning we woke up and made our way down the street to krispy kreme. yum yum! then it was off to the outlet malls where we found lots of fun deals, including pants from gap for our groomsmen! it's a huge relief to have that checked off of our wedding to do list.

saturday evening we had tickets to the dixie stampede, a dinner/show that incorporates the audience in a civil war "battle". they bring you lots of yummy food that you are required to eat with your hands while you watch the show. we had so much fun! i got in trouble at the beginning of the show for taking pictures, so all we have are pictures afterwards.

after the show, we drove around town looking for our next adventure and, of course, the boys found their way to the go-cart track. us girls decided to be the photographers for this little event.

today we woke up and rushed to breakfast, did a little last minute shopping, and all headed out on our separate ways.

what a fun weekend with friends! several times this weekend i caught myself feeling so thankful for the great relationships that i have been blessed with. relationships that are filled with joy and compassion. thank you God for sweet friends and fun weekends.

and now it's time to prepare for the week ahead. i can only hope that a wonderful weekend leads to a wonderful week!

friday favorites.

2010-07-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

1. birthdays.
this week i knew three people celebrating birthdays, one being my sweet fiance zach. so this week has consisted of birthday treats, presents, birthday dinners, and sewing gifts. i love birthdays! (pictures to follow later on...)

2. skirt and dress tutorials.
i struck blog gold this week. i found two blogs that are right up my alley: posts full of how to make sweet little skirts and dresses....yaaaaaaaay!! i was so excited i just had to share this with everyone here.

first off: ruffles and roses- www.rufflesandrosescrafts.blogspot.com
i found this blog and right off the bat i saw a link titled "summer of skirts" yeeeeek! here are a few of her skirts that i'm loving:

i ventured out and tried my own version of the red skirt tutorial that she posted. it ended up turning out pretty well!

next: grosgrain- www.grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com

i found this blog through a link on ruffles and roses. grosgrain features lots and lots of fun dress/skirt/shirt/etc tutorials. love it!

3. trips with friends.
this afternoon zach and i are heading out with a few of our friends on a little weekend getaway. we're heading to branson, missouri which in only about 2 hours from where we live. branson is a fun, cheesy little town filled with shopping, shows, and music. the boys are super excited to ride go carts while us girls have plans of hitting up the outlet malls. i've been so excited to get away for the weekend and spend some time with sweet friends.

enjoy your weekend!

project skirt.

2010-07-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

i'm always in this constant dilemma: i love wearing skirts and dresses but they're always too short. during the school year when i am in the classroom teaching, i'm expected to dress nice and appropriate. the problem with a lot of styles you find today is that they're not exactly appropriate...let alone classroom appropriate!

which lead me to drastic measures saturday night. zach had left for the weekend to attend a friends wedding reception while i was stuck back home due to the fact that i had to work. so saturday evening i found myself with nothing to do but surrounded by stacks of fabric. solution: make a skirt.

whew! now i've got the first one out of the way and can hopefully make a few more a little more smoothly.

friday favorites.

2010-07-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

1. rainbow cupcakes.

ever since meg over at "whatever" posted the recipe idea for rainbow cake, i have been wanting to try them out! and with zach's birthday this wednesday and my new pyrex bowls at hand, i had no excuse not to go ahead and whip these little goodies up.

2. she&him.

she&him has been on my ipod playlists for...well, a long time now. individually i love both zooey deschannel and m.ward, but collaboratively they're 1000 times better. august 29th they will be at a music festival in st.louis called loufest. i would really really really love to go.

3. project sneak peaks.

my etsy shop is about to get lots of fun new additions. here are a few teasers of what's to come.

happy friday!

friends, fireworks, and fame.

2010-07-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

bare with me...this post could get lengthy.

yes, yes, yes...i know that it's july 8th and i'm just now talking about how i spent the 4th of july weekend. i've been a little behind and "off" on everything this week, so it seems to fit that i'm 4 days late on posting about the weekend.

as i mentioned in my previous post, we began the weekend by visiting my grandparents. one of my favorite things to do is go to garage sales/junk stores/antique stores and rummage around to find little treasures. and saturday afternoon, we did just that. my grandparents live in a town full of junk/antique stores and i love it!

lately i've been loving old pyrex dishes. i think it's because it reminds me of going to my great-grandmas house when i was younger, but i just really love the look and feel of these little treasures. i found a few while we were out on saturday.

i also found a jade sugar shaker that i am so excited about!

did i mention that i really love searching for little treasures?

moving onto sunday...zach and i headed south to join a few college friends to celebrate the 4th. we got to see lots of our friends, ate yummy food, and had a great view of the fireworks.

last week i won tickets to see kris allen perform on monday night. so monday afternoon my sister and i got to meet and greet with kris and listen to his sound check....fun! we had tickets for the show later that night but decided to skip since we already had our own private show and i wasn't feeling too hot.

kris allen is super nice. i got all kind of nervous when we went to take the picture and couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound dumb. i ended up blurting out "our mom is going to be so proud".

and she was.

items for sale and a happy 4th to all.

2010-07-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

while my etsy page isn't completely ready yet, i've added a section to the blog title "the knotted needle store" located on the left. you can view some of the items that i've been working on to place in my shop. if you are interested in any of the items, email me at theknottedneedle@gmail.com or leave me a comment. i'm also available for custom orders, so if you seem something that you like but you think you might want a different color/pattern, just email me!

i have a few little ideas swirling around in my head for some new bags, little pouches, fun earrings, and cute hair accessories. be sure and check back for new listings soon!

and last but certainly not least, i hope that everyone is having a wonderful fourth of july weekend. today zach and i tagged along with my parents to head south and visit with my grandparents. while the boys kept the fort down at the homestead, us girls decided to do a little antiquing. an entire post dedicated to my findings will be coming soon! tomorrow we are headed to a little celebration with some of our college friends. the fourth is such a fun holiday!

so, enjoy something off the grill, a piece of watermelon, fireworks, and time with family and friends tomorrow.

pictures in june.

2010-06-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

this weekend was really great. mine and zach's friend from college, danielle, came up for the weekend to spend some much needed time with us. we had a fun time exploring fayetteville all day saturday. we began by stopping by the farmers market which i absolutely love. there's tons of people, lots of live folk-y music, beautiful flowers, colorful fruits, precious furry friends, and other fun, cheery things. after the farmers market we hit up target, chick-fil-a, the mall, and hobby lobby. the perfect combination for a lovely saturday!

zach and i have been working on our wedding website lately. the only problem was that we had very few pictures taken together that would be worthy of going on our site. so, saturday evening we ventured out to have danielle take a few pictures of us to use.

having pictures taken of me is just not my thing. i love having photographs around and i enjoy taking pictures of others, but having mine taken is just not one of my favorite things. back in the fall i won tickets to see taylor swift off of twitter so zach and i got to go watch her concert in little rock. afterwards we talked about how it was a good performance but she seemed a little awkward...like she didn't know what to do with her arms or something. well taylor, i feel your pain. that's exactly how i felt during these photos: awkward and unsure of what to do with myself.

but the good news is that i think we got a couple of good shots to put on our site and our "for real" engagement pictures aren't until this fall. maybe by then i'll get over my picture anxiety!

although the site isn't completely done, you can visit our site here:

http://www.projectwedding.com/ourwedding/zachandchelseaswedding/

ps- i've got lots of projects ready to finally be placed in the shop! check back later this week for the opening of the shop!

facelift!

2010-06-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

notice anything different? or should i say notice that everything is different here now! zach has been working over the passed two days to give this blog a complete facelift...i love it! i decided that since the focus of this blog has shifted to all of the crafting and sewing associated with the knotted needle, it was appropriate to rename this blog to fit. "faith and compromise", the original name of this blog, came from a song from matt wertz. there was no big meaning behind the name, just the fact that i liked the song and the lyrics. while i still enjoy matt wertz, i thought that it was time for a little blog revamp. and i must say, i'm loving it! we're working on more changes so keep checking back.

and in memorandum of the old name, a tribute by matt wertz:

enjoy the new view!

favorites.

2010-06-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

if you haven't visited the you are my fave blog, you probably should jet on over there. it's definitely one of my faves and when i saw that the following was listed as a favorite of the day, i was pretty excited.

chelsea flower show

i definitely think i need this to hang above my sewing area. what are the chances zach might let me hang this in our future living room? hah.

another favorite that i ran across while blog surfing was the pleated poppy. if you visit her site, you'll soon see that lindsey is creative and inspiring. i instantly fell in love with this top that she so bravely made:

so, i bet you can guess where this is heading. yes, i'm venturing on to clothing and am going to attempt to re-create this shirt. the smart thing for me to do would be to buy a pattern for this shirt, follow it, and come out with a cute shirt like lindsey's. but, i'm going to do it the hard way without a pattern and see how it goes. yes, i'm cheap, lazy, and just really ready to dive into this project. let's hope i don't go crazy before it's all said and done!

tagged.

2010-06-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

getting this little etsy shop together has been a longer process than i thought. i've been working on different projects to place in my shop but i haven't made the plunge to actually list them. zach and i have been talking and decided that my little blog here needs a little revamping. hopefully in the coming days you might see some improvements to my little corner here.

one fun little thing that i have been working on for my shop are tags for all of my products.

i know that these sweet little tags will more than likely end up in trashcans, but i think they are a cute addition. even to a trashcan.

old shirt, new look.

2010-06-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

this afternoon i was browsing through some of my favorite blogs and i kept finding myself running into a pattern: embellished t-shirts. now, when i think of embellished t-shirts, i think of a twelve year old that has gotten ahold of a bottle of tulip paint and a bedazzeler and gone to town on a denim jacket. that's not the type of embellishments i was swooning over on these blogs...i'm talking about fun, cute embellishments that create a new look to an old t-shirt.

after getting a little inspiration from blog-land, i rummaged through my closet and found a few old t-shirts that i decided to embellish upon.

shirt number 1: the ugly yellow shirt-

i have always really hated this shirt. BUT it was cheap and i really like yellow, so i bought it thinking i could always just wear it under a cardigan. i added a row of fabric flowers around the collar to add something to this not-so-wonderful t-shirt.

better, huh?

t-shirt number 2: the gray-stained t-shirt-

i use to really love this shirt. it's soft and super comfy, but a little incident with some bleach gave this shirt a nice pink blotch right in the middle of the shirt. so, i decided try a little experiment with this shirt. i soaked it in bleach for a few minutes thinking that it would turn white. wrong! it turned a pale shade of yellow...even better!

i really liked how the seams stayed gray on the shirt. of course i couldn't just leave the shirt like this, so i made a fun little flower to add onto the side of the shirt.

t-shirt number 3: the simple tank top-

like most girls, i have lots of these cheap tank tops in nearly every color floating around my closet. i found an adorable tutorial (i can't remember the site that i found it on, but i'll keep looking and post it later!) that gives an ordinary tank top a nautical twist. the tutorial used a navy blue tank top but the first tank that i came across in my closet was this gray one so i went with it.

to "embellish" this simple tank i added ruffles around the collar and a tie right at the neckline.

ta-da!

after this evening i feel like i almost have a new wardrobe! what a great way to turn old shirts into a new creations.

order up.

2010-06-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

whew! between work, beginning my online summer class, dinners with friends, visiting family, and taking care of my mom who recently had hand surgery, i haven't had much time to create very many new projects or post pictures of what i have made this week.

last week i received my first order! my sweet friend amanda contacted me and placed an order for two bags: one for herself and one for a friend that is getting married soon. i was so excited to get started on this project!

i met with amanda last week so that she could pick out the colors for her bags. she picked out the cutest color combos!

thanks amanda! i hope you enjoy carrying and giving these bags away as much as i enjoyed making them!

last weekend zach and i ran across some old wooden windows. i have big plans today to redo one of them and turn it into a bulletin board frame to place above my sewing area.

hopefully i'll have a cute new bulletin board to share with you next time!

necklaces, headbands, etc.

2010-06-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

i've been trying to savor the passed few days because come monday, it's back to the working world. i love my summer job because it is extremely flexible, laid-back, and fun. BUT, it doesn't provide me with a sewing machine so i felt like i better get as much done as possible while i still can.

yesterday i found an old fake-pearl necklace that was extremely long. i don't think i have ever worn it, so i decided to do a little snipping and sewing to create a new look out of the necklace.

i had my sister lindsey model one of the necklaces for me. she really didn't want to me post this picture...but i just think she looks too cute, so i couldn't resist! shhh!

other projects that i've been working on:

headbands:

journals:

bags:

i have a few little details to add to this bag before it's completely finished, but it's almost there!

i have a feeling that even though i'll be working, i'll still make time for these little projects.

ps- the etsy store is almost up! hip-hip-hooray!

covered in burlap.

2010-06-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

so maybe my recent obsession with burlap has gotten a little out of hand. i just really love the look of burlap and it is so versatile for the types of projects that i have been working on. i loved the little clutch that i previously posted about so i decided to try a couple of variations of it. here is one using a fabric that i instantly fell in love with.

last night i was looking at my keyring and noticed that my little pouch that i keep my student id, gym card, etc was looking a little din-gy. what better way to spruce it up than with a little burlap and a cute little flower?!

i woke up this morning and saw a pile of burlap projects. and i love each and every one of them.

i've decided to take the plunge and create my very own etsy shop. it's called "the knotted needle". i don't have anything listen yet and zach is working on making me a banner for the top of the shop. i'm so excited to get started with this!

ps- if i personally know you or you are in the northwest arkansas area and you want to buy something from my store or something that you have seen on here, email me at theknottedneedle@gmail.com. that way you don't have to deal with shipping and handling costs and can customize what you want exactly.

sew,sew,sew.

2010-05-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

because i don't begin working for the summer until june, i've had lots of time on my hands to work on projects, visit little shops, and simply enjoy a break from the busy-ness. i've absolutely fallen in love with my new sewing machine. i love being able to create something in my head, execute it, and be left with a fun, adorable product.

i've gotten into a little routine of getting a vanilla dr.pepper from sonic at 2pm and then dedicating the rest of the day to sewing projects. the other day while i was at hobby lobby, i found some burlap material on sale and decided to create a project with it. i ended up making a little wallet-ish project.

i loved the yellow leafy fabric so much that i decided to make an apron using it later on that night.

i've had a few people ask me about buying bags, etc. from me. i couldn't believe people want to buy my stuff! so anyways, i'm currently contemplating starting an etsy shop. i decided that it might be a good way to make a little extra money to go towards the wedding. but in the mean time, i'm just content sewing little projects with my vanilla dr.pepper every afternoon.

next project i'm tackling: headbands!

journals.

2010-05-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago i found a tutorial for handmade hard cover journals, and seeing as though i'm a pretty big journal fan, this tutorial was right up my alley. i never fill up an entire journal, but i'm constantly in search of cute ones with the most perfect type of paper for writing (types of paper really do make a difference...to me at least!). when i stumbled on this tutorial from curiously crafty, she ensured me that "if she could do it, anyone could do it". i questioned that statement at first but my crafty/journal-loving side told me that i had nothing to lose. i was pretty happy with the results and i can't wait to make some more of these fun little books!

spreading joy.

2010-05-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

i have so many favorite blogs that i like to keep up with that my bookmarks on my computer are beginning to get a little out of hand. i think it's time that i do a little organizing and categorizing to keep myself sane.

one of my favorite blogs is called "whatever". an incredibly talented and creative mom of 5 shares her day-to-day adventures of raising children all while doing so in a fun, creative, colorful way. i just love it. and i hope that one day i can be a mom that is just as fun and creative as she is.

on this particular blog the author keeps a list of her favorite things that she has come across on the internet. she updates it nearly every day and, i have to say, it's one of my favorite things when i start going through my blog list daily.

this was a post from the katherine marie photography blog that was included on the favorites list last week. love love love:

the idea behind “card drops” is to leave something for a stranger—it could be a kind word, encouraging note or exact change to buy treat.

“The smallest act of kindness
is worth more than the
greatest intention.”

—Oscar Wilde—

Every act of kindness counts.
Don’t have time for a card drop? YOU could—

Buy a candy bar for a gas station attendant.
Hold a door.
Drop a dollar in the toy isle (on purpose!).
Leave change in a soda machine.

----------------------------------------

cute, huh?

counting down.

2010-05-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

yesterday marked the "one year until we get married" date for zach and i! it makes this whole wedding thing a little more real when you can countdown under a year for your wedding. our location is booked and we are so so so excited about it. it's at an old orchard with several barns for the ceremony, reception, etc. it's definitely us.

i also bought my wedding dress on thursday! everything is falling into place. now we just have to wait until may 21, 2011.

i will carry you.

2010-05-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

i've been reading a blog now for about a year by a wonderful woman named angie smith. angie is the wife of todd smith who is a singer in the christian group selah. angie and todd have been blessed with 3 beautiful girls who are spunky and full of life. two years ago, angie became pregnant with their 4th daughter named audrey. they soon found out that audrey had many problems including an overly large liver. after months of tests and scans they found out that audrey would not live once she was born. the family made the decision to wait and allow audrey to make her way into the world when she was ready and see what the lord had planned. audrey was born on april 7, 2008 and passed on three hours later. the family was able to spend those precious hours taking pictures with little audrey and cherishing that sweet time together.

nearly 9 months ago, angie found out that she was pregnant again with a little baby girl named charlotte. charlotte was set to arrive in early june, but it soon became apparent that there was something wrong with this pregnancy as well. unfortunately, baby charlotte seems to have a lot of the same conditions that little audrey had. today is angie's birthday and i just read on her blog that the doctors have decided to go ahead and deliver charlotte tonight at 10pm.

this family and their story has been heavy on my heart the passed few days. i can't imagine the emotions that are running through each of them right now. i write this post in hopes that others will read their story and pray for this sweet family.

i encourage you to take a look at angie's blog. she is such a sweet lady who has a passion for the love of her savior and is an inspiration to women everywhere. she is a great writer and has been given the gift of words in how she is able to express herself. she wrote a book called "i will carry you" which tells the story of audrey and the struggles, emotions, and triumphs that their family went through.

if you click here, you can download angie's book as an ebook for free. i downloaded it last night and haven't been able to get much of anything else done.

angie's blog: http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/

this picture was taken of angie's girls right before audrey was born. such a sweet, innocent reminder of the fragility of life.

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
      and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
      Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
      as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
      Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
   Every moment was laid out
      before a single day had passed."

Psalms 139:13-16

graduation.

2010-05-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

this weekend was techs graduation for spring 2010. we had several friends graduating this year so we made the trek down to russellville friday night to participate in all the graduation festivities.

and this time next year it will be us in caps and gowns.

project one.

2010-05-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

as i've posted several times previously, i couldn't wait to get home for the summer and have ample time to sit down and sew and create fun new projects from different fabrics. well, i wasn't taking into account that my sewing machine was slightly ancient and more or less eats the fabric rather than sews it. frustration ensued. i've had my eye on a new brother machine for awhile now and, lo and behold, i found it used on craigslist monday night! i picked up the machine on tuesday and have been enjoying every minute with my new friend.

i have been wanting to create a cute tote bag for quite awhile now. i love love love big bags that allow you to throw nearly anything into. the requirements for my bag had to be as follows: large. sturdy. cute. i found some wonderful fabric that i immediately fell in love with at hobby lobby and couldn't wait to get started. but, as i was wondering the aisles of hobby lobby (aka, what i think heaven may be like), i stumbled upon the canvas bag section which just so happened to be 50% off. i found the perfect sized heavy duty bag for $2.50. i decided that since this was my first project, i could just add some details to this bag first so that i can get the hang of using my new machine and the move on to making my other bag next. i was pretty pleased with the outcome!

these flowers are quickly becoming one of my new favorite things. they're super easy, cute, and can be used to embellish anything. all you have to do is do a running stick through a strip of fabric, draw it up once you reach the end, shape it into a flower, and then hand sew it all together. i gathered a small piece of fabric for the middle of this one but i've done some with buttons in the middle that turned out cute as well. i even made one to attach to my dogs collar this morning. i think it made her feel pretty.

word of warning: sewing on these bags isn't as easy as you would think. maneuvering the bag through the machine is a bit awkward. i'm sure a more experienced sew-er would have no troubles, but if you're a beginner like me and want to try this out, don't get too frustrated with trying to get the bag situated in a position that allows you to sew.

one more reason i am in love with target.

2010-05-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

yesterday while browsing through target we found them. THEM. the perfect bridesmaids dresses. i nearly fainted from excitement when i saw these dresses. they're perfect for our laid back style wedding. i have been searching everywhere for the perfect gray dresses only to hit road blocks everytime. i've learned that gray is tricky, it's usually either really dark or really light. we went to david's bridal yesterday and my options were either dark gray or silver. no, no, no, not what i wanted.

best part of these dresses? i got all five dresses for the bridesmaids for less than the cost of one dress that i originally was going to get. hallelujah!!

if you're planning a wedding, look at some department stores for dresses. i never really thought about going anywhere but a bridal store for the dresses but it's a much cheaper route with lots and lots of options.

imagine these dresses with cute light yellow flats or heels. yes, yes, yes!!

hola summer.

2010-05-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

before the end of the semester i decided to take a two week blogging break so that i could focus on finals, projects, and all of the extra odds and ends that come with the end of the school year. well, finals have all been taken, projects have all been submitted, and it's officially summer break!

every year i like to make a "to-do" list for summer. not a "you-have-to-get-this-done" type of to do list, but a "it-would-really-be-great-if-i-did-this-this-summer" type of list. here it goes for summer 2010:

make lots and lots of fun sewing projects
take more pictures
ride my bike to work *(see additional comments below)
learn a little more on the mandolin
read adult books vs. the hundreds of children's books that i read during the school year.
visit friends
plan weekend trips to various places
find crafty ideas for the wedding.
cook yummy food.

and the list goes on and on. it's a continual work in progress.

* comments on the bike: so, you may remember that last summer i decided to turn my grandmas old bicycle into a project, and with some help from zach, some elbow grease, and a fresh coat of paint, the old bike had a new life breathed into it. but, what i didn't realize was that when you have an old bike, you're going to have lots of problems.

my bikes problems: the wheels were wobbly, the brakes didn't work so well, the gears didn't shift, and riding for more than 10 minutes would result in lots of sweat, loss of breath, and a pinch of frustration.

BUT, i have a sweet fiance that is always thinking of ways to surprise me and who is really great at finding good deals on craigslist. so now i have a REAL bike that will go up hills with ease, has gears that shift smoothly, and is perfect for the many bike rides that will ensue over the summer.

summer projects.

2010-04-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

because i'm completely exhausted and can't think of much to blog about this evening, i'll share a list of sewing projects that i have collected over the passed few weeks. my plans are to try out all of these cute little projects this summer while i have ample amounts of free time. we'll see how that goes!

if i were the type of person that called things "presh", i would definitely describe these baby shoes as just that. i have several friends and family members that are expecting or just had babies so now i have an excuse to try these cuties out.

i can't wait to make a cute apron! i don't do a lot of cooking now, but i think if i made a cute apron it would be more of an incentive to get cooking. i'm thinking a cute floral print on this would just be adorable.

i've been wanting to make a cute tote bag for so long now that it's nearly ridiculous.

i love scarves. and i love love love ruffles. what a perfect combo to try out!

now, if i could only bypass the next 2 weeks and head straight into getting started into these projects!

challenge.

2010-04-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

i've always wanted to be a runner. one of those people that runs everyday and actually enjoys it. instead i'm the type of person that despises running and is nearly afraid of it. but things are about to change...

my dear friends kate and gentry and i were talking about how we want to become runners. gentry and i are on the same page on the hatred of running while kate's pretty athletic and doesn't mind a good run every now and then. we decided that we're going to start jogging/walking/running little by little. our goal is to build up so that we can do a 5k easily. today was day 1 and we jogged a mile and then walked a mile. i learned 3 things about running today:

1. running is all in your breathing. kate shared this little secret with us today. if you keep a good rhythm breathing, it's much easier to get through your run.

2. the music that you listen to and where you run is key. i've always tried running with music that will "pump me up" and is up beat. this evening i tried running to something a little more calming and it was so much better to jog to! also, we decided to run outside on a path that's covered with trees. it was much better scenery than a gym with lots of buff people around.

3. it's so much more fun to run when you have friends with you. even though we all had our ipods in when we were jogging, it's so much more fun to have people with you so that you push one another.

even though it's only been one day and we still have a long ways to go, i think my relationship with running is already changing a bit. we might be able to be friends after all.

options, options, options.

2010-04-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

i've realized that planning a wedding is just really not good for a person who has a hard time making decisions. and i'm definitely that type of person. there are just so many fun options that go along with planning a wedding, it's just so hard to decide!

but i have already had a little change of heart about what the bridesmaids will be wearing. originally, the girls were going to be decked out in these fun little blue numbers with these sassy blue floral heels. i absolutely love these shoes.

but the more i think about it, the more and more i realize that this just isn't me. i found a wedding that had a gray/yellow scheme that i love. so i found these dresses and i'm thinking these shoes.

i'm searching for some cute gray dresses for the bridesmaids. and go with yellow shoes like the ones above.

i feel like such a bridey-bride talking about this. and as bad as i am about making decisions, it really is fun.

we went to a wedding this weekend for our friends amy & ryan. it was a beautiful, simple wedding. the entire party wore toms shoes which was really cute. i really enjoy going to weddings, but they just make me even more anxious to be married.

dog.

2010-04-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

this is the dog that zach wants us to have when we get married. i have to admit, he is pretty cute. although i'm pretty fond of golden retrievers and labs, i think i could manage to see this face around.

and zach wants to name the dog beefy. infact, his list for dog names includes beefy, omar, and trixy. i laugh everytime he brings up these names. he responds with "it's either the dogs or the kids". and then i laugh even more.

a tree grows in brooklyn.

2010-04-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

i have yet to find the time to finish the book a tree grows in brooklyn that i started ages ago. one day when i was little i stayed home from school and my mom and i watched the old movie version of the book but i've yet to actually read it. but i do really love this quote in the book:

"'dear god', she prayed, 'let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. let me be gay; let me be sad. let me be cold; let me be warm. let me be hungry . . . have too much to eat. let me be ragged or well dressed. let me be sincere--be deceitful. let me be truthful; let me be a liar. let me be honorable and let me sin. only let me be something every blessed minute. and when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost."

spring fun.

2010-04-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

what started out to be a strictly homework-only weekend turned out to be a productive, fun, relaxing, enjoyable, springtime-fun weekend.

i spent friday and saturday in the library developing lesson plans for kindergartners, typing up parent letters, and writing about playgrounds. zach was working in bentonville on a project called helpportrait on saturday so i thought this would be the perfect opportunity to stay in russellville for the weekend and get some work done. but sneaky little zach decided to pay me a visit saturday night and a break from homework was just what i needed.

what followed was an adventurous game of disk golf, playing sand volleyball late into the night, lots of laughing, and enjoying time with fun fun friends.

weekends in the spring are just really the best.

mamaw.

2010-04-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

this is my mamaw's house. she passed away this summer but on my way home for spring break i decided to stop by and pay the house a little visit. when i was younger we use to spend every spring break here. we would bake mud pies, feed turkeys, walk to the little gas station and get ice cream, and never once realize that there was a lack of tv at her house. three generations of my family were raised in this house. i wish it could whisper stories that occurred within its walls. the house looks quite a bit different now, but the memories are still there.

2010-04-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

"the most relaxing recreating forces are a

healthy religion, sleep, music, and laughter.

have faith in god--learn to sleep well--

love good music--see the funny side of life--

and health and happiness will be yours."

coming soon.

2010-04-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

last night zach and i were driving from his house and began to talk about some of the plans, hopes, and goals for our future together. besides careers, owning a home, and having children, we got on the topic of someday owning our own little business nestled somewhere in an old downtown district. that’s all it took to get the little wheels in my head spinning!

since then i’ve been thinking of cute little shops filled with flowers and pastries, art gallery stores with prints, cards, and stationary, woman’s boutiques with clothing and home décor, and vintage book stores with coffee counters set up in the back. all day I’ve been creating my own personal perfect downtown filled with all of these types of shops.

daydreaming about the future is beginning to become one of my favorite pastimes these days.

sewing.

2010-04-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

in an effort to avoid working on a project, i'm sitting on the couch, drinking a nice cup of hazelnut coffee, and blog surfing.

one of my goals for 2010 is to successfully sew a dress. a wearable dress. i've always loved being around beautiful fabrics with fun patterns and i decided earlier on in the year that this was the year to dust off the sewing machine and get busy.

i stumbled onto this book the other day while i was at barnes&noble and immediately put it on my "i really really want this" list.

101 projects!? yes please!

4 weeks.

2010-04-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

drinking pots of coffee at midnight can only mean one thing...it's the end of the semester.
i have 4 weeks left, 10 big projects to complete, and 0 time for a life.

on a positive note, the weather has be beautiful. when i get out of class all i want to do is lay outside in the grass and take a nap for an hour or two. in 4 weeks, that's exactly what i'll do.

but for now i'm home for the weekend. enjoying family, a little break from school, and playing with these two little ones.

spring break.

2010-03-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

i really really love spring break. it comes at just the right time of the year. everyone's exhausted, stressed, and cranky from school. what a wonderful idea someone had to create spring break!

my plans for this break were to get lots and lots of homework done so that i could have an easy rest of the semester. the problem with spring break is that it's just really tempting to just relax and forget about school. so, needless to say, i haven't gotten quite as much work done as i had anticipated. but i'm really enjoying this relaxing week.

tomorrow roommate/friend/bridesmaid kate is coming for a visit. we are going to try on wedding/bridesmaid dresses, ohh and ahh over other wedding decisions, and probably giggle a lot. i'm real excited.

ps- we booked our wedding photographer! we met with them this weekend and zach and i both knew that they were exactly who we wanted to capture our wedding day. check them out at jephotography.net.

history.

2010-03-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

i love old pictures. i wish the pictures that we took today looked like the pictures that were taken back in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. i love how people were posed, i love the coloring of the photos, and i love the simplicity of the scenery.

my grandma recently gave me a bunch of old photographs of my dad growing up and i decided to make a little display in my room with some of them. i love how each picture tells a little story.

i hope one day my kids and grandkids look at pictures of me and love those photos just as much as i love these.

time change.

2010-03-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

as hard as it is to get use to time change sometimes, i'm really thankful that it has come back around. i really like having longer evenings...i seem to get more things done.

after a couple of weekends of busy-ness, hectic-ness, and crazy-ness, it was really great to have this past weekend that was calm and relaxing. zach and i enjoyed a day in rogers that involved a trip to the jewelry store, eating samples at sam's, shopping for nice work jeans for zach, and eating chick-fil-a. that evening we decided to go watch alice in wonderland. we both decided that it was a great movie and should definitely be seen in 3D. wearing the 3D glasses was fun too. I imagined looking at the audience that we were in and comparing it to one of those old 1950's pictures where everyone has 3D glasses on.

it was just a really great weekend.

cooking, blogging, giggling.

2010-03-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

roommate kate and i watched julie&julia last night. we giggled along with the movie, wished we had a kitchen to cook in instead of an itsy bitsy dorm room, and contemplated quitting school and going to culinary school. needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed this film. cooking, blogging, and giggles are all right up our ally. we enjoyed a night of lounging on our beds, laughing, and eating lots and lots of popcorn.

right now i'm avoiding the inevitable pile of homework that i have starring me in the face by catching up on my blog reading, watching e news, and destroying a bag of chips and a jar of salsa. that culinary school thing doesn't sound so bad right about now.

strings.

2010-03-08T17:08:00.001-08:00

almost more than anything, i would just really love to be good at this beautiful instrument. i would even take mediocre.

start.

2010-03-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

even though it's a week late, i finally got the pictures from zach's camera from the night we got engaged and decided to post them anyways. seeing as though i've been through 3 computers in 2 years, i thought it might be a good idea to have these pictures and memories posted somewhere just in case.

the sudden change in weather has caused my mood to shift as well.

i really believe that the sunshine effects your mood and the sunshine over the past 2 days has already gotten me out of the "winter slump". my fingers are crossed that the sun continues to make an appearance throughout this week.

friday night zach and i had our usual friday night dinner/game night with our married friends bentley and spencer. bentley was sweet and got us a cake from rick's bakery in fayetteville that said "congratulations zach and chelsea". it was super yummy and we were very appreciative towards are sweet sweet friends.

wedding planning has officially begun. lots of visiting of locations, browsing through wedding blogs and magazines, and talking through how we want our wedding to look. we've set our date for may 21, 2011. even though we have 14 months, lots of places want us to book at least a year in advance to guarantee that we secure that location. it's stressful, fun, exciting, and all around joyful.

i think i'm going to like this whole engagement thing.

february 26, 2010

2010-03-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

i knew this past weekend was going to be a good one, but i didn't know that it would be a weekend that i would remember for the rest of my life.

on friday night zach and i had plans to eat at a new restaurant in downtown siloam that we've been wanting to try out for awhile. it was a fun date spot and had a nice atmosphere. our waitress was a fun lady who knew everything about the menu. i was impressed.

after dinner we decided to do a little reminiscing and go back to a place where we went on our first date: the top of the old buildings in downtown siloam. now, if you know me very well at all, you know that i don't like to break or fudge the rules. getting on this roof the first time we went up there was big for me. it was our first date and i had to be brave though. so anyways, we went back up there friday night and sat and talked for a little bit. after awhile we decided that it was time to go and i got up to get off of the roof. at this point, i'm just thinking about not getting caught! as i'm scurrying off the roof i hear zach say "chelsea, one more thing" and i turn around to find him on his knee. my heart absolutely dropped...in a good way! i was in so much shock that i think it took me awhile to say yes after he asked me to marry him. but i did, so that's all that matters.

i love that i can now say that i not only get to marry someone that i'm absolutely in love with, but my best friend and partner in crime.

zach has the pictures from the night that we got engaged so i'm sure i'll post those once i get them from him. here we are in front of a chapel that we would love to be married in.

so yes...

we're engaged

we're going to be married

and i couldn't be happier.

wednesday.

2010-02-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

i have loved this day.
i was productive and got things done.
my kids at the boys and girls club were great and we did a fun project.
i had the best white chocolate mocha at starbucks this evening with friends.
i laughed in class today until i almost cried.
i was greeted by the sun this afternoon as i drove to work and almost had to roll my window down. almost.
i started re-reading revelations. i use to be scared to read this book of the bible. i've prayed about it and have decided to re-read through it again over the next month.
i ate a blt. i think that a blt can pretty much make any day better.

what a lovely wednesday.

weekend highlights.

2010-02-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

1. this weekend started off with barnes and noble dwelling on friday afternoon. i got a lot of work done and felt accomplished.

2. friday night zach and i ate dinner with our married friends bentley and spencer. then we went to their house and talked and ate ice cream and played games and laughed at their cat. we like hanging out with them a lot.

3. during dinner friday night i got an update from my friend erica that she got engaged that evening. so fun! erica and i have been friends since the first day of kindergarten. i'm so glad that i'm still friends with people that i've known basically my whole life.

4. saturday was lazy day. we ate pizza, cheered on the hogs, watched mandolin youtube videos, drank coffee, stayed in sweat pants for most of the day, and enjoyed a day without class or work.

ps- i just really love weekends.

2010-02-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

new goal: try to make myself enjoy running. this goal may be near impossible...but i'm willing to give it a try.

love, music, and candy.

2010-02-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

even though i'm kind of on the side that thinks that valentines day is just a ploy to get people to buy candy and cards for people on a special day each year, i just can't help but love it. i love the hearts, i love the flowers, and i especially love the candy.

i had a really great valentine this year who completely surprised me with a beautiful mandolin that i have been eyeing for a long time now. now i just have to learn how to play it. needless to say, nickel creek has taken over my ipod over the past few days.

this week will consist of reading stacks and stacks of children's books, creating lots of lesson plans, and preparing for midterms that will be here in only two short weeks. something tells me that i will be needing large doses of caffeine from here on out...

he's baaaaack.

2010-02-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

old man winter has done it again.
this morning, to my udder surprise, i woke up to see everything blanketed in white. i knew there was a chance for snow but never did i dream that we would receive enough snow to turn russellville back into a winter wonderland! after making sure that classes were cancelled for the day, i made the executive decision to get a few more z's and enjoy this snow day properly.

while getting out and enjoying the snow is always fun, i decided to spend this day cooped up warm in my room with my coffee cup continuously full and getting caught up in the town of stars hollow with lorelai and rory gilmore.

gasp.

2010-02-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

i've found my next project...

buttons will always hold a special little place in my heart.

2010-02-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

"every time you step out

of your comfort zone,

you step right into God's

comfort zone."

snow.

2010-01-30T19:56:00.000-08:00

seeing as though russellville has accumulated about 6 inches
of snow in the past 2 days, i think it's safe to call this the
snow storm of 2010. as much as i love the snow when it's
falling and the first morning that you wake up and see
everything blanketed in white, i could deal without the
muddy, watery, dirty melting process.

snow days are always nice because it's a free day to do nothing.
you haven't had time to make plans so you don't feel bad when
you stay in your pajamas until noon. or find it unnecessary to shower
for the day.

so tonight, i'm going to continue to be lazy and snuggle up
in my snuggie (they may look silly, but they keep you cozy!), watch
all of the wedding/fashion shows on TLC, and catch up on some reading (a tree
grows in brooklyn).

goodbye snow, it's been nice for you to visit for awhile.

today.

2010-01-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

i've been reading a book by dale carnegie called "how to stop worrying and start living". my dad swears that this book can help and inspire even those with the worst cases of worry. my dad and i are the same in the sense that we both can get inspired by cheesy quotes and sayings or those tacky posters that you see posted all over the walls of middle school hallways. i guess that just does it for us. he gave me this book about this time last year but between reading my 800 page physical science book and keeping up in other classes, i just never got around to reading it. but i found myself diving into this book when i found it on my bookshelf a few days ago. after what seems like swimming in a sea of worry over the past couple of months, i decided i should give it a shot.

i love reading this book after my dad has read it because the pages that use to be white, are now nearly completely neon yellow from all of the highlighting he has done. a particular part that was highlighted goes like this:

"you and i are standing this very second at the meeting place of two eternities: the vast past that has endured forever, and the future that is plunging on to the last syllable of recorded time. we can't possibly live in either of those eternities--no, not even for one split second. but, by trying to do so, we can wreck both out bodies and our minds. so let's be content to live the only time we can possibly live: from now until bedtime. "anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall," wrote robert louis stevenson. "anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down."

so anyways, finding this somewhat-cheesy quote about only having to live in the present and carry a burden for the period of the sun has got me thinking about how i deal with the burden of worry that i carry.

thanks dad.

welcome 2010.

2010-01-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

christmas is over, the new years ball has been dropped, and we find ourselves at the beginning of a new decade. winter seems to be in full blast here seeing as though there as been snow on the ground since christmas eve. i've been in lazy mode the past few days, but when there's snow outside and the temperature has dropped into the teens, i find it okay to stay cozy inside.

yesterday i ventured out of the house to spend some time over coffee with two of my friends, ally and alison. both are encouraging people that have such a passion for whatever they do. it was so fun to catch up with them and be encouraged by the love that they have for people and for Christ.

alison friend.

ally friend.

currently i'm working on a list of things i wish to accomplish in 2010. today when i was reading through different blogs, i ran across this picture from the blog an open sketchbook.

so instead of making resolutions this year, i'm going to attempt to not fear failure. hopefully in january 2011, i can say that i did just that.

miles stones and celebrations.

2009-12-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

this past saturday zach graduated from arkansas tech with his bachelors degree. although he's been off doing an internship this semester and it feels like he's already done with college, it was still nice to see him officially graduate and pass such an important life mile stone.

today we celebrated christmas with food, fellowship, and watching old home videos with family. contrary to the past few days, old man winter has finally decided to pay northwest arkansas a visit. what would christmas be without a little wintery weather?! the weathermen are all excited and calling for 8-10 inches for tomorrow. my past experiences with weathermen tell me that they might be exaggerating...but we can always hope!

christmas cheer.

2009-12-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

the christmas season is officially upon us! i have been so excited for christmas to come around this year and soak in all the fun that comes with this time of year. 3 finals stand between me and a much needed month-long break. we're almost there!

during finals week you have lots of free time to either a) study or b) work on lots and lots of crafty projects. thankfully my finals aren't anything you need to study for so i'm spending this week working on projects! i've recently been on this kick where i want to cover everything or make everything out of felt. it's so easy to work with and you can do nearly anything with it! how fun is this iphone cover? if i had an iphone, i would definitely be making this!

the happy season.

2009-11-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving is upon us and i am beyond excited for this holiday season! yesterday we spent the afternoon with zach's family for their thanksgiving meal and festivities. even though i don't know everyone that they're talking about, or all of the stories they re-tell, i just really love the feel of family. whether it's your own or someone elses family, there's something comforting about being surrounded by people who undenyably love each other.

i'm one project away from being able to breath easy and begin enjoying a little break...yay!

bring on the family, fun, and food!

first graders.

2009-11-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

Throughout this semester i have been observing in a first grade classroom as a part of an assignment for one of my education classes. i have come to a very important conclussion...i LOVE first graders! teaching them to read and sound out words, seeing how excited they get when they realize that 4+7=11...everything is a learning experience to a first grader.

i have been so blessed to be placed with great teachers during my observation hours over the past years that really work with me and help me plan for my future as a teacher.

thursday is my last day that i get to spend with my little first graders. i decided to make each of them a special card so that they know how much i really enjoyed being with them this semester.

project time.

2009-11-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

projects, projects, projects. that seems to be the key word for the week. one project that i have due coming up is to develop a learning center for first graders in an appropriate subject. kate, my partner/friend/roommate/co-teacher, and i decided to call it craft night last night and get this project under way.
kate is an A+ cutter, so she got to be in charge of cutting out letters.

we decided to go with math as our subject and call our center "math masters". what a fun project!

my job was to come up with some sort of pocket for students to pull word problem sentences out of. i decided to go with the owl theme and sew this little pocket together.

i don't know if children will learn from this center, but two college students sure have had fun making it!

headbands.

2009-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

living in a dorm seems to make me anxious to get home and get started on a craft project. maybe it's because i don't have the time to do projects or maybe it's because i don't have the room here, but i can't wait to have space to throw all of my craft supplies out and start working on something.

i've been searching the internet lately and i stumbled on these cute handmade headbands. i can't wait to get started on some over christmas break! you can find these and other crafty creations at one of my favorite websites: http://www.lushlee.com/

simple as it should be.

2009-11-09T20:53:00.000-08:00

what a fun weekend!
this weekend consisted of seeing old friends, meeting jenny&tyler and listening to them in a mini-house type concert that was so cute and fun (which unfortunately i don't have pictures of...i'm getting bad about remembering to take pictures...opps!), a razorback victory, eating chips and salsa...mmmmm, sonic happy hour, the "traditional" cici's on saturday evening trip, and watching season four of how i met your mother. it was such a relaxing, fun weekend...too bad it's monday again.

the busy part of the semester is here and i can not wait to kiss the fall semester of my junior year goodbye! today i registered for spring classes and i'm already ready to start in on those and get them out of the way.

golden.

2009-11-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

fall. ahhh, what a beautiful time of year! the trees have been exceptionally pretty the past couple of weeks and i wish they could stay that way much longer. but i guess that's why we can appreciate it so much, because it's only here for a short while.

we are fastly approaching my favorite time of year! i love this time between halloween and thanksgiving. everyone is gearing up for the holidays but we haven't yet hit that hectic season of deciding who does what and who goes where for the festivities. and the extreme cold hasn't arrived yet either. it's just a really really great time of the year!

the semester is wrapping up which means projects, projects, projects! one week from today i have to stand in front of a group of 3rd graders and teach them a science lesson on pumpkins. i know it sounds silly, but getting up in front of a group of 8 and 9 year olds can be pretty intimidating! getting out and actually teaching will be fun though.

and last, but not least, i started this book last night:

forgotten god by francis chan. zach and i are going to read it together and hopefully learn a lot. i'll let you know how it goes!

jenny&tyler

2009-10-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

if you have a little bit of time, i think you should watch this video. it will definitely make your heart happy. it made mine happy at least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE6QVe2ZMao

if you like this you should visit their myspace and tell them that you love them.

ps- they'll be in conway, ar on november 7!

weekend:

2009-09-28T17:27:00.001-07:00

this weekend consisted of:

backscratches
no homework
football
me winning taylor swift tickets on twitter (crazy, huh?)
seeing gloriana, kelly pickler, and taylor swift in little rock
meeting and greeting with gloriana
waiting in a parking lot to leave the concert for an hour
flag football game
sunday rests
dinner with friends
wishing the next weekend would come soon and we could just skip the week.

cloudy with a chance of meatballs.

2009-09-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

rain on monday. check.
rain on tuesday. check.
rain, rain, go away!

if you haven't discovered the elizabethtown soundtrack...do it now.

it's perfect for rainy days...or any other day of the week.

one.

2009-09-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

little zach and i celebrated being together for one year this weekend.

we've come a long way from this...

...to this.

i think we both look quite a bit different too.

but the most exciting thing about us celebrating our one year is that fact that while we were eating dinner saturday night, we spotted jim-bob duggar from 18 kids and counting! (soon to be 19 kids and counting...that poor woman!) he was outside talking on his cellphone as we drove pass and he gave us a little wave. what a nice man, that jim bob.

hogs,crafts, and mayors.

2009-09-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

razorback tailgating with friends? um, yes please!!

i have finally managed to obtain a job! i am now the art teacher at the boys & girls club. you can find me gluing popsicle sticks together, twisting pipe cleaners, and making tissue paper flowers everyday from 3-5:30.

last night my little friend gentry and i decided to get some studying done and headed over to hastings. there we met the mayor of dover, a policeman, and a minister. no, not 3 different people, we met a man who just happened to be the mayor, a policeman, and a minister. i got tickled at this and tryed not to giggle everytime the man told us another one of his titles. kind of funny...but real impressive!

hot hot heat.

2009-08-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

welp, it's that time again. i once again find myself in russellville arkansas, the city that seems to constantly rain, has more humidity than i ever thought possible, and is perfectly situated between the "big" cities of little rock and fort smith so that you can't pick up radio stations from either. okay okay, russellville's not that bad, but this year will most definitely be different. adjusting to the dorm life again is something that i'm not looking forward to, but my roommate, kate, and i are beginning to get things settled.

seeing people that i haven't seen in months has been nice, but i miss home already. i think i'm ready to start classes to get my mind off of it. my first two years i was so ready to come back and this year i felt the opposite.

it'll be a challenge, but challenges make you stronger.

forget your troubles, come on get happy.

2009-08-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

the other night i could not sleep for the life of me. i flipped through the channels and ran across a judy garland movie marathon on tcm. i'm a big judy garland fan as well as a fan of nearly any old movie. the movie playing was called "the clock" and it turned out to be another typical, yet wonderful old movie.

the plot line is some what cheesy: a young girl meets a young military man aboard and train, they spend one magical evening together only to find out that the next day he is to head over seas. their love just cannot wait so he proposes, she says yes, and they are in a race against the clock to get married before he ships out. and at the end of the movie he does just that, he ships out. and that's it. you never know how the couples lives go. does he die in war? do they get divorced? does she meet another man on her next train ride? we just don't know. i think that's why i like old movies so much. they always leave you hanging and you can imagine in the ending however you want it to be. the writer doesn't make your mind up for you.

okay, now back to the 21st century.

summer 2009...check.
what a fast summer! i can only hope the school year decides to fly by as fast!

summer sun.

2009-08-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

today i...
1.woke up to donuts that were delivered by my grandma. it was a nice surprise.
2.visited with my grandma and great aunt who are incredibly wise.
3. ate a b-l-t. yummm.
4. spent some quality time in the siloam springs library.
5. took advantage of sonic happy hour.
6. emailed all of my professors, only to have each of them respond with "yes, you will need the textbook for my course." i have 6 classes and each book is around 100 dollars. ewww.
7. finished making a picture frame to place in my bathroom at school.

summer sun...nothing but time to waste.

summer.

2009-07-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

goodness gracious, it's been nearly forever and a day since i've updated. i think sometimes you have so much to update about that you can't find the words to use. that's why i'm going to try and do this through pictures.

1. this summer i've worked with the city doing camps for kids. i can't believe that this is the last week of camps! it's been so fun working with the kids and watching them learn new activities. here are a few of my little campers during horse camp a few weeks ago.

2. this is my new family:this is amber, my sister lindsey, kyle and i out at my great aunts house. kyle and amber are our cousins and after their mom passed away a few weeks ago, they are now living with us.

3. my great grandmother (mamaw) passed away last week. it was a beautiful service and it was so amazing to see how one person could bring so many people together. my favorite part of the service was when anyone who wanted to say something about her could get up and speak. my aunt got up and told about how, even after her husband had been passed away for 20 plus years and she was over 80 years old, she would still get out the old love letters he had written her and she would giggle and tell you the story of how she made papaw fall in love with her. i just really loved that. now she's with him again, reliving those love letters and giggling.

sister lindsey and i at my aunts house over the weekend while we all celebrated mamaw's life.

4. this has been my summer project:

this was my grandmas bike and earlier this summer my grandpa gave it to me to restore and use. it was covered in dirt and rust and with some help from a pretty darn good boyfriend, a new coat of paint, and a lot of elbow grease, i now have this little bike to cruise around on.

recipe for cuteness.

2009-06-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

golf clubs + 11 boys ages 6-10 = pure cuteness.

some were so tired today that they passed out right on the course.

these 3 are my favorites. today they each gave me a flower (aka dandelions).

here comes the bride.

2009-06-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

my beautiful friend bentley got married this past saturday. i have known bentley since i was 3 and i can't believe that she's off and married. i'm so glad that we stayed in touch throughout the years and i was able to be apart of her wedding.

this is us a few weeks ago at her wedding shower. but in this picture she was bentley seal. now she's bentley kirkland. i like it.