g.k. chesterton, on adventures

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.

An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered."

~ G. K. Chesterton ~

I love traveling, 

and today, I'm quite missing Germany. This picture was taken in one of the quaint streets of our six-month home in Northern Germany. We had such great experiences there; no car, no telephone, and bare minimum computer access; lots of excellent food, long walks, bike rides, and exploring Europe by train.

Pretzels, pastries that were less sweet than they looked, and the ever-surprising mineral water; learning the language, riding tour buses, and getting stuck in foreign bathrooms. Ah, memories. :)

currently playing...

Music is a beautiful thing.
Whether it's classical, folksy artsy, or big band, music does much for the mind. I love having the ability to create a little ambiance while crafting, cleaning, existing, or simply talking with company.
Currently I have these songs stuck on repeat (thanks to grooveshark and youtube!), so get your groove on and enjoy. : )


number one// I Will Wait by the fabulous Mumford & Sons (because I really just love Mumford & Sons)


number two// Only You by Sinead O'Connor (because the music from this film is wonderful and I get teary-eyed every time I watch it!)


number three// Printemps by Coeur de Pirate (because after my one semester of French, I have this thing for French music ; )

alfred, lord tennyson on hope

I just love poetry and particularly poetry by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'...

 ― Alfred Tennyson

a wedding planning week

So, as you already know, I have a wonderful interest in wedding planning and day of coordinating.
Weddings are marvelous things and I love nearly every aspect about them; from the planning stages of choosing vendors, venues, colors, themes, and decor to the day of preparations and jitters. It's a neat way to become intimately involved in a bride's Big Day, allowing them to focus on the beautiful task at hand (getting married!), while I make sure all of the other things fall into place. It's really a sweet job.

This Fall I have the privilege of working with three weddings in various capacities, the biggest job being an assistant planner for a November wedding. One of the many great advantages to this position, is that you can still get work done even though you have a silly sinus infection (which means the tissue box is my new friend and I have abandoned my conviction about NOT blowing one's nose in public).So, for the next week or so, I will be focusing on gathering inspirations from the felicity collective (LOVE pinterest), making lots of lists, and emailing various persons. It's grand and I love doing it. : )

In other news, I am also planning this month's, yes, you can! installment, any burning suggestions? I have a few ideas in mind and just need to settle on one and do it. Ah, decisions, decisions!

{via}

hello august// grateful

Well, I wouldn't have thought I would say this but summer has really flown by quickly! As many of you know, the summer heat isn't really my favorite (I'd wear this all of the time if I could : ), however, this summer has proved to be very full of blessings, most recently our dear friends have come back from Dubai for a visit and we have so enjoyed their stay here.
As my youngest sister is sixteen, we miss having little ones to chase around, read books aloud to, and watch them do funny things. We are now getting our fill, let me tell you! I love going places with the kids and reading books to them, trips to the swimming pool have also been frequent, and there is no end to the songs we sing and games being played. Our home is very sweet with Little People in it. :)

In light of all of these blessings, I thought is timely to list the things I'm so grateful for...

...small and great evidences of God's faithfulness in the "everyday" life
...His mercies which are new every morning
...happily engaged friends (!!!)
...said happily engaged friends who have allowed me to be a part of their weddings this Fall
...tall glasses of home brewed kombucha (infused with berries, lemons, and ginger, thanks very much!)
...encouraging conversations with my best friends (sentimental warning: my sisters!)
...deep red gladiolas that brighten the living room
...quoting hilarious lines from hilarious movies (which really are better when you quote them)
...good conversations that go late into the night
...gun ranges
...newly found kindred spirits
...God's grace :)

What are YOU grateful for?