shirt: LOFT cardigan: Old Navy jacket: H&M jeans: LOFT boots: JC Penney headband: Steve & Barry's (RIP) belt: thrifted

i'm 100% convinced that i have the most handsome husband in the whole world

my mood lately has been northing short of outstanding.  spring is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  come to think of it, it's better than carbs altogether.  and that's really saying something, because carbs are my best friend (or worst enemy, depending on which part of my body you ask).  there's nothing more satisfying than seeing the first signs of new life.  especially when those signs are found at the gorgeous home of my in-laws.  Eric and i got to enjoy some outside time today with the dogs before we went inside to eat dinner, at which point they roamed the property, finding dead things to eat and roll in.  Lily and Titan have asked me to emphasize to all of you that Grandma and Grandpa's house is the best place in the whole wide world.

in completely unrelated news, on Thursday, i met the husband of one of our group exercise instructors, and she introduced me as her boss.  this is still nothing short of bizarre for me.  me...i'm the boss?  obviously these people have never seen me dance around my house.  does this new sense of responsibility mean i have to stop eating Frosted Flakes, playing Lego Harry Potter and watching Teen Mom?

hat:  Loehmann's; necklace:  H&M; scarf:  knit by me; belt:  thrifted

it is impossible for me to describe the amount of destruction that titan has caused since we brought him home as a five-week-old puppy.  to our furniture?  nope.  to our carpet or our shoes?  nope.  but his toys?  they haven't fared so well, i'm afraid to say.  that dog has managed to destroy every toy that we've brought into this house.  not only that, but he has also attempted to hide the evidence...by eating it.  unfortunately for him, he doesn't understand the function of digestion very much and doesn't really count on the evidence presenting itself for all to see in our backyard.  seriously, that dog is a champ at passing cloth.

there has only been one toy that has survived the wrath of titan.  it is not made of rubber or some kind of steel.  in fact, it is the most fragile toy that dog has come across:  a little plush cow that i brought home for him the day after we brought him into our lives.  titan loves his cow, and it is absolutely precious.  he doesn't chew his cow, but simply carries it around with him, licks it on occasion, and is a snuggle champion when his cow is involved.  titan's cow is his best friend, outside of lily of course, and it's a beautiful relationship.

last week, John and Sherry over at Young House Love hosted a giveaway from Nella Designs that left me absolutely pining.  as one of only 3,630 entries, i totally thought the odds were working in my favor.  so you can imagine my surprise and disappointment when i wasn't the winner.

can i have one for every room, please?

i would love to purchase a custom silhouette from Nella Designs, but my pockets are a bit shallow right now, at least when it comes to purchasing things for my closet and our home.  so i decided to have a crack at it myself.  surely it can't be hard.  hmmm...now what is it that all of these tools in Photoshop do?

clearly i had no idea what i was doing.  luckily for me, the internet is a beautiful thing.  all i had to do was search for "silhouette in Photoshop" and i was led here.  and when i had no idea how to use the pen tool?  oh, looky here.

after just a couple hours of playing around, here's what i ended up with:

exhibit A for why i shouldn't be a fashion blogger

hi, my name is lauren, and i'm a cheater.

i know that it's supposed to be steppin' out saturday, but let me just tell you that a greasy ponytail and grubby clothes aren't really a good look on me, and tales of cleaning toilets and folding clothes might not make for the most exciting post i've ever written.

so, steppin' out sunday it is, then.

sweater:  banana republic, gift from my ma
dress:  LOFT ($10!)
leggings:  h&m
boots:  jc penney
belt:  thrifted, salvation army
pom/poof:  me

we go to church in eric's hometown, about a half hour drive from our house in fort wayne.  about a mile away from the church, there is an antique mall that i've been dying to go to for as long as i've known it's there, but for some reason, we've just never gone.  well, we finally made a stop there today after church, and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint.


everything was so beautiful and organized.  all of the above pictures are from two booths, which i absolutely fell in love with.  i have a plan to purchase the drawer from the top right corner to hang on our living room wall, and add three old mason jars filled with billy balls.  i also found a small dresser, which is the whole reason we went, for only $20.  it looks pretty worn, but it's solid wood and nothing that a coat of paint can't fix.  i am in desperate need of some craft organization, y'all.

then it was back to eric's parent's house for dinner, which is something we do every week.  we always take the puppies down and drop them off in the "stable" while we go to church.  then, while we eat dinner, they get to run around outside in the woods until their little (or massive, in titan's case) hearts are content.

this is the part of my sunday that truly makes it feel like a day of rest.  the in-laws property is so peaceful.  my wonderful mother-in-law fills our bellies with delicious, warm food, and i find comfort in a mug of freshly-ground coffee and the company of family.



i have been finding more and more value in a Sabbath day lately.  i didn't have an opportunity for any rest last week, and the only word that i can manage to come up with for the way it affected my whole week is that i felt weary.  i understand why we are commanded to rest.  i've also come to understand that rest doesn't equate to laziness.  i find my rest even when we are away from home on these sundays.  i find my rest in family, in some solitude, and most importantly, in Christ.

Exodus 34:21 Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest.


how do you recharge?

okay, i swear i'm back.  this week has been all kinds of ridiculous with my blasé attitude toward just about everything.  i don't know what my funk has been, but i think i've been pulled out of it by a simple walk with my hubs and our pups.

every winter, i go through this phase where i forget how much i need the outdoors.  it's easy to desire the warmth and comfort of the indoors, curling up under a blanket to watch sweet november.  so when eric called me on his way home tonight to ask me to get ready to take the dogs for a walk with him, i was resistant.  really?  do we have to?  can't we just let them run around in the backyard?  eric persisted.  so i bundled up and we headed out, each of us with our respective dogs in tow, cookies stocked in our pockets for positive reinforcement, and me with my camera.

i breathed in the cold, crisp air, felt the slight sting of it on my face.  i walked side-by-side with my husband, the love of my life, with the snow crunching under my boots, the dogs tangling themselves up in each other's leashes, and embraced it all.  whereas the hustle and bustle of the rest of this week has left me thinking, "this is my life," this walk allowed me an opportunity to get away from it all, slow down, and put things in perspective.  "this is my life."  how incredibly blessed i am.

the tree came down today, and the last of the presents found a proper home.

christmas lists have been traded in for new year's resolutions.

today is a time for reflection, and tomorrow is a time for new beginning.

there is something absolutely magical about this day, and my day truly summed up my 2010 experience.  i started it off with breakfast in bed.  the hubs made me eggs, toast and coffee (swoon).  the love that i have experienced from him this year has been more than i could have ever hoped for from someone.  wedding events and honeymooning were wonderful to us in 2009, but 2010 was the year that really solidified this whole marriage thing for us.  we finally met some days that tested us, which was a new experience as everything prior to that had been roses.  but you know what?  we still haven't had a real fight.  i think that speaks volumes of our communication and willingness to swallow our pride.  but even more than that, i think it speaks so highly of the ways that God works when you allow him to take the reigns.

today was also mind-boggling crazy.  there was a huge to-do list and not everything ended up getting checked off.  i have felt so often this year that i just fill and fill my time.  i started my first full-time job at the end of last year, so this is still fairly new to me.  on top of that, i have begun to go deeper with my leadership in young life, spending more time with girls outside of our weekly club meetings, and also taking on a small group on sunday nights.  i trained for three races this year, and as if all of this wasn't enough, got a new puppy and started a blog.  somehow it all just works, although nothing seems to ever get crossed off the to-do list, at least as far as my house is concerned.

2010 has really been a year of discovering myself.  i have explored my passions, my heart and my faith.  i have been tested in ways that i would have never imagined were possible and discovered both creativity and strength that i never knew i had.  heading into 2011, the sky is the limit.  my new year's resolution for 2010?  to run at least a half marathon.  what i accomplished?  two half marathons and a full marathon in which i raised $2900 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  take that, 2010.

watch out 2011, because i'm about to blow your mind.  especially with these three in my life.  as long as i've got their love, nothing can hold me back:

that's right.  i was spoiled for Christmas.  on top of numerous other things, the hubs, my in-laws and my bonus check all pitched in to get me what i've been patiently awaiting for a long, long time.



meet my Pentax K-x.  she obviously needs a name, and i haven't come up with one yet, but i am now accepting suggestions.  my initial thought is louann.



the hubs, doing what he does best (call of duty).

 


i can't believe how good our 5-month-old puppy is with our friends' baby, emmett.  at one point, titan snuggled up to the little guy and laid his head in his lap.



eric was making him laugh.  precious.





it's painfully obvious how much these two love each other.

 there is no better way to end a monday than with good friends and family in our happy little home.


i know, i know, i've been seriously slacking this week.  but i'm pulling double-duty today to make up for it, including a tutorial for a floral headband.  just a little teaser to start your day off right.

our little photo session on saturday went well...cold, but well.  i haven't gotten all of the pictures back yet, but this one is the clear frontrunner for our christmas cards, which i still haven't ordered.  you say christmas is next week?  well, poop.

i continue to learn the joys of being a blogger on a daily basis.  the newest one?  free stuff.  shutterfly is currently offering 50 free holiday cards to bloggers.  all you have to do is blog about your favorite holiday cards from their collection.  i knew there was a reason i've been putting off ordering cards.

this isn't even a chore.  i love shutterfly.  i used their site to create amazing photo books for our parents as a wedding gift.  my cousin falynne has also created photo books and collages of the adorable owen (remember him?)  do you have family that you're looking for a personal gift for?  if so, make sure you check out all of shutterfly's photo gifts here.  they have such a wide variety of quality products; there's really something for everyone. 

initially, all of the cards have such a visual appeal that it's hard to narrow down the field.  i mean, seriously, take a peek for yourself.  however, i am adamant about the fact that my christmas cards must say merry christmas.  no happy holidays, no peace & love; Christ is the reason for the season and he has to be present in my well-wishes for others.  so that helped somewhat.  eventually, i came up with my top three:

if there is anything my husband hates, it's shopping.  the second we walk into a store, by the look on his face, you would think someone just told him his puppy died.  so when he suggested we go christmas shopping together earlier this week, initially my jaw dropped.  then i got excited.  and then i became skeptical.

i have to admit, he rocked today.  the dead puppy face made minimal appearances, even after six hours of shopping.  we managed to finish up both of my brothers, one of his sisters, his mom, his grandma, and all three of the kids we picked off of the angel tree at church.  i also found a dress for my work christmas party next weekend and snuck in a purchase for eric while he wasn't looking.  all-in-all, a pretty successful shopping day.

i don't know if he would have made it without the stop we made at the food court to eat at panda express.  the man loves panda.

after shopping, we changed into our jams and watched "the muppet christmas movie" while we finished decorating our tree.  it's so much fun pulling all of the ornaments out of storage.  every year for christmas, my grandma gives all 14 grandchildren (16 now with spouses) an ornament.  how she has always managed to keep track of what we all like amazes me.  for 8 years, my theme was "i love lucy":

i realize my love for this woman may be bordering on unhealthy.

the only way to describe today is glorious.  i think God knows we hoosiers need this one final beautiful day before we begin to slip into the miserable dark, slushy, 60 degrees-in-the-"comfort"-of-your-own-home winter a lovely winter wonderland.  it's days like today that make me love the midwest.

so i went home for lunch and sat at the picnic table outside to eat.  i soaked in every bit of the sun's rays i possibly could and spent some QT with the pooches.  if the sun is still up when i get home, i may have to get one last nap in the hammock in before the cold rain heads in tomorrow.



i love you campbell's chunky tomato with pasta soup...even with all of your dang sodium.

let's face it, i don't know if i can be wordless.

last night was a comfy-sock-wearing, one-tree-hill-watching, irish-coffee-drinking, crafting type of night: