hello again//life update

My how time flies! It's interesting to me how it seemed easier to blog when I had more on my plate, alas for the rhythm of life that has a tendency to go by ever so quickly.

Lately I've been...

purging// items from my room! Things had a way of piling up during the flurry of weddings last year; estate sale finds and potential crafts alike were thrown into quite a jumble. Let the sorting begin!

traveling// just day and weekend trips this time; my sister and her family moved about two hours away, so we've been taking advantage of the short distance and excellent gas mileage from my prius (yes, it really does hum :) As you can see from the photos, the Munchkins are growing up rapidly, we've got to be there to soak it all in!

setting knitting aside// for a wee season. Perhaps its the cold weather or lack of vitamins but my poor wrists have been aching lately! It was a toss up between yoga and knitting and the yoga won; while both activities are stress-relieving, the latter does better at keeping me in shape. The good news is that I really do have a reason to wear yoga pants now.

baking// the cold weather insists! Lots of breads and pot pies! Thankfully, it's all for other people, so no lasting effects on me.

 reading// I've taken it up again, at long last. Currently on the "must read" list are This Momentary Marriage, Each for the Other, A Shelter in the Time of Storm, and Keeping Honey Bees.

What have you been up to lately?

 

 Though the crafting schedule has been put on hold lately, I've been recently inspired by this adorable post concerning reminderwear; I'm thoroughly convinced and can think of quite a number of little people that would benefit from these highly useful articles of clothing. What wee lassie wouldn't want a shirt that says, "Remember, I'm only TWO"??

Recent Groovy Finds// Two Sides of Lonely, Suddenly, You Never Need Nobody, and Lakehouse,
Recent Funny. True. Interesting.// His faithfulness, my workout story, the happy life before cell phones, the reason to eat chocolate, and finally, don't hate.

changing seasons

At least, this week it is. This morning, as I was walking home from the voting booths (voted!), a delightful chill was being carried through the trees and propelled by the cars speeding past, so much so that I felt the need for a bit of lightweight wool around the neck. Sometimes it's the simple things, I tell you. Walking in the chilly air with a scarf, walking through the rain (pouring or misting) and being among the sand and sea are things that I consider to be on the "sweet and simple list". They just come naturally and often don't last terribly long, but they're a part of the things one remembers about a day or vacation.
Ah, to be back by the sea...

So, my fall swing of wedding planning has come to a close and I must confess to be a mixture of sadness that the planning/coordinating is over (for now) and contentedness that sweet friends are married; there is certainly a satisfaction of looking back at a job well done, reviewing what I learned and making notes of what to do next time. I've had many a person ask me what I'll be doing now that these weddings are over and quite honestly, I'm looking forward to getting back to "home life". Since September, I've had a few things on hold and how is the time to get back to them. As usual, I'll start with a teux deux list and will start working to knock it out! A major thing that's been lovingly placed on the back burner is my dear etsy shop, I don't even remember when I put it on vacation but it's time to break out the knitting needles and sewing things again. I'd love to focus on selling to brick-and-mortar shops around Houston, Austin, North Carolina, and New York (it certainly helps to have friends in different parts of the country!). Working with people is something that I really enjoy and is a factor that I have sorely missed by selling primarily on etsy, more on that thought later. :)
Also, now that I'm not quite so busy, I have more time to be nannying! In the past month or so, I've had the pleasure to begin regularly nannying for a family from my church, and there have been so many fun experiences thus far! Currently there are seven children in the family and as the top three children are older and self-sufficient, I mostly work with the younger four.
Robert (age 2, whom I refer to as "Michael Darling") is my new little buddy and we do have a grand time together; he's a marvelous grocery shopping buddy and has a great love for my humming car (because it really is the car that loves to have fun); HEB and Trader Joe's are our current hangout places. (I just. love. Trader Joe's.) Be expecting photos of "my" new seven children soon. It's all a change of pace considering the schedule I've been keeping the past three months but I generally consider change to be a beautiful thing; at the very least, it's wonderful for the creative mind to have a new schedule every now and again.

But first, I must sort through all of the wedding leftovers; runaway receipts and lists must be tracked, wedding flower urns to be returned, and emails to be sent. After that, I'm very much looking forward to filling up the weeks with nannying, sewing, knitting, running (my new found exercise love), and-hopefully-more estate sale finds (I'm always on the hunt for linens, eclectic plates, and glass jars!).  November begins my very favorite time of year (in case it's slipped your notice), there are so many things I love about the chilly months not only because they're chilly but because of the things that November/December/January bring. Birthdays, hot apple cider, and dinner outside under white twinkly lights are just a few of the things that make this time of year special to me.

What about you? How does your November look?

hello october// breathe

Home again from The North Carolinian wedding. It was marvelous.
I don't know what I miss more, the sand and sea, the glorious weather, the foods, relaxing views, or the dear friends! The time there was truly a sweet blessing.
If there was a perfect wedding to begin my solo coordinating venture, this was certainly it. The weather wonderfully cooperated with the outdoor wedding, the salty wind kindly swept away ever bug/annoying mosquito and brought in a delightfully cool atmosphere. Champagne toasts and delicious foods followed the sweet, tearful ceremony (yes, it was their first kiss!), and after all of that, the dancing! I must confess that while I have little experience, I love dancing. It's a fabulous addition to any gathering and so much fun when there are willing, unafraid partners. The Bride and Groom rowed away for their wedding exit and fireworks were added to the farewells (the Bride's brother had a lovingly developed plan for their getaway :)
From start to finish, this little bee was quite wonderfully busy! I don't actually remember eating much more than eggs and orange juice in the morning, but then again I don't really remember having an appetite---much too many things to do and see! One of the many things that I realized over the weekend was the "Brain to Paper" aspect; once something was written down, it completely left my head! It's something that can be extremely helpful and so very dangerous at the same time. It remedy the latter, I developed the Sticky Note System; conveniently located on the inside of my wedding binder/brain, I keep all of the urgent, wildly important items that weren't already printed or need my attention. And they're hot pink, which to me, is pretty cool and adds to the "important" factor.
Lest you think I was running around the entire time like a chicken with it's head cut off which I was, I must tell you about one of my favorite times during the wedding day.
The backyard looked just like the end scene from Father of the Bride (empty wine glasses abandoned on empty tables, cake bits littered, chairs moved about, a space once filled with people now bare), only a handful of guests stayed behind for the after party (because nearly every party has an after party); only the necessary amount of chairs situated in a relaxed circle, I filled everyone's glass, some with white, some with red, and some with something bubbly. A light wind was in the air, breezing just enough to blow this curly hair about in a gentle way. There really is something about sitting down with a glass of something at the end of a crazy, busy day. The Father of the Bride sat down with his guitar and serenaded us after-party guests with whatever songs came to mind (his rendition of this wonderful song was probably my favorite of the ones he sang that evening); some danced but the majority of us sank into our chairs and sweaters, drinking in the delightfully relaxing night. It was beautiful. After the guests from that after-party left, Mirium (Bride's cousin), Evelyn (close family friend), and I enjoyed a pot of tea; party animals, I tell you.
Perhaps is was the busyness of the day that made the after-party enjoyable and relaxing in a sweet way.

There is so much more I'd like to share about the trip/wedding but this was probably one of the memories I treasure (people person alert!!). More pictures and memories will come, I'm sure!

This week, I'm heading off for the second wedding in my wedding planning trio! You already know about Emily, a very dear friend and the second Bride for this year. It's going to be a marvelous wedding, scottish theme (!!!) and will be filled to the brim with new friends, old friends, delicious food, and a beautiful, God-honoring ceremony, what more can one ask for?

So, should you wonder this week (or in the weeks to come) why this space is a wee quiet, well, just know it's because beautiful people are getting married, and I'm so excited to be a part of their special day.

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?