Author / Bethe

by Bethe

Christmas Card Criticism

I absolutely LOVE creating and sending Christmas cards. It’s just something I love.

But what I don’t love is the criticism I get in response.

Like one year, when I sent one card to two girls who were roommates. And they raised a huge stink because they had to SHARE the card. Their feelings literally got hurt.

Now, did they send ME a Christmas card? No.

Well this year is no different. Since I’m hand-making my cards, they take a very long time, so I’ve been sending them out in batches. No rhyme or reason, I’ve just sent 20-30 at a time, and I’m working on finishing my third batch. Other than my immediate family who of course got the first batch, the order in which you receive my Christmas card has no bearing on how much I like you.

And yet, apparently I’ve already heard grumbling. I never realized folks compare Christmas cards!

And of course, the grumbling has come from people who have yet to send US a card. (Every person who has sent us a card has immediate gotten one from us in return.)

Boo.

by Bethe

Hand-sewn Christmas Cards

I wanted to show you the Christmas cards I made. It was actually quite easy… I just printed the cards on white cardstock, then sandwiched them around a piece of red fabric, and sewed them on my sewing machine with red thread. The hardest part was cutting everything out – the sewing part was a breeze.

I experimented with different types of sewing – zig zags and straight lines – and found that the simplest technique looked the best.

I’m very pleased with how they turned out, and they were some of the least expensive cards I’ve ever sent (good for our Dave Ramsey budget). The most expensive part was the fabric (but I had a 40% off coupon) and the postage. Which is a good thing, because combining our two families means that we sent out a LOT of Christmas cards this year! Speaking of which… to my blog friends, if you want to exchange Christmas cards (which would be so fun!) message me on Facebook and we can exchange addresses. This only goes for blog friends whom I also know in person…

In case you want to see where I got my inspiration, I got it from Pinterest. Of course.

by Bethe

A little of this, a little of that

I got a little burned out from the 30 Days of Thankful. I’m still thankful, but glad to not have the pressure to post every day.

So now we can catch up on what I didn’t write when I was being so thankful.

-I’m tired of finals. It’s horrible for me to admit, but I am. Sick of it, and I’m not even the one in school! Mr. Right does a fantastic job juggling school, work, and me, but finals means a month of intense studying… there’s just no way to get around it. Which means many nights I go to bed and he’s still downing coffee and pouring over books. I’m proud of his hard work, and I’m happy to say that it ends TOMORROW!

We’re going to celebrate with a big night out. It’s what we do. And this semester is definitely worth celebrating (he had a really good semester).

-I got to teach my old Sunday School class last Sunday, and I’ll teach again this Sunday. My how I’ve missed it. But I’m also confident that it’s not what I’m supposed to be doing right now… that this chapter in my life’s book is meant for ESL. For now. But the occasional teaching still warms my soul.

-Mr. Right got a promotion. I’m not sure I’ve mentioned it yet…but he did. And I’m so proud of him.

-I’m having a disorganized Christmas. I have so many projects I want to do for my house and for gifts, but they’re all half done. So is my shopping… and the last of my Christmas cards. I’m not really sure how to finish any of it. But even so, this has been a particularly wonderful, quiet Christmas, and in the end, felt wreaths and hand-sewn cards aren’t the reason for the season anyway.

-Mr. Right made me cornbread last night… he just took a box of Jiffy, added half a can of corn, one can of mild green chiles, and cheese. Oh my word, it was to die for. My New Year’s Resolution is going to be to eat cornbread every night.

-I’m two weeks in to our half marathon training… Saturday I was supposed to run four miles and barely walked two. Fail (I blame it on a killer headache). But last night I was supposed to run three and went for the fourth… and if felt fantastic. I had completely forgotten that the first three miles are hellish, and then something clicks and miles four through eight are absolutely fantastic. I guess that’s what they call “runner’s high.” My fourth mile felt amazing, which is encouraging because I was starting to second-guess this decision to run a half marathon. And I burned 455 calories… which made me feel less guilty about eating TWO pieces of cornbread.

by Bethe

Oops! Marketing Gone Wrong

I am an avid collector of examples of bad marketing. I’m not sure what that says about me, that I take great delight in other peoples’ mistakes. I guess that’s what happens when you work in the industry for as long as I have.
Get ready for some cringe-worthiness. 
The first ones come from this magazine, which showed up in my mailbox last week:
It was their annual spotlight on attorneys, where attorneys are featured because they’re the best of the best because they were willing to pay the advertising fee.
I’ve never hired an attorney before, but I guess if I were to shop around for one, the first thing I would want to know is whether or not they have a fluffy purse dog. 
I’m assuming these firms don’t have PR people. But if they did, I can only imagine his/her reaction. 
“You’re telling me you want to take a picture… for your ad… with your fluffy white dog sitting on the judge’s bench? Do you really think that screams ‘I’m a great commercial litigator?'”
 But as much as I adore fluffy purse dogs, my favorite ad was for this divorce attorney. Because nothing says “Let me help you with your divorce” like an attorney with a shotgun.

Only in Texas, people.

Here’s another marketing “oops” that I will forever love… in honor of the holidays, be sure to pick up a special Chanukah ham during your next grocery visit.

Or, for all of my fellow Rangers fans… this credit card promotion was sent at the end of this year’s pennant race to a friend of mine who lives in Arlington. Home of the Texas Rangers. When we were neck-and-neck with the Angels. I’m sure every Rangers fan wants a credit card featuring the enemy.

by Bethe

What was I thinking?

My husband has peer pressured me into running a half marathon with him. I did one back in 2008 and while it was a wonderful experience, I also promised myself that I would never do it again. I’m just not made to run long distances. And I’m a huge wimp. And it takes forever.

Now, organizing a marathon, I can do. I’ve helped with our town’s local marathon every year since 2006, and it’s one of my favorite things to volunteer for. I may not be good at running 13.1 miles, but I’m very good at handing out t-shirts to 20,000+ runners.

But I do remember how tight my tushy was after I ran that half marathon, and how my metabolism stayed crazy high for months after I finished. This year when I spent so many months stuck at home sick, I mulled the idea of running another race as a sign of health victory. I’m big on marking wins. And so, in honor of reducing my tush and celebrating some good doctor visits, I’ve decided to jump right in. I’ve been running for a few weeks, so thankfully I’m already up to about 3 miles.

I have no plans to make it a fast or pretty half. The last time I ran it, my goals were to (1) not die and (2) not throw up. This time my goal will be to have fun and to do my best.

Now I need to start thinking about what I want my shirt to say… it’s the best part of a race, putting some witty slogan on your back for all those people behind you to enjoy. Not that there will be many people slower than me, but I’m hoping for a few. I welcome your suggestions.

by Bethe

Freedom!

We’re debt free!!!!!!!! (everything but the house)

After eleven months of saving like no one else, we are officially debt free! The car was paid off Friday and we went out Friday night to a fancy dinner to celebrate.

It feels so good.

But we’re not done. Since we’re already used to living on a tight budget, we’re going to stay hunkered down and save so Mr. Right can buy a bigger car (one with a backseat, just in case we want to fill that backseat with babies someday) and then we’re going to work on knocking out a chunk of our mortgage.

So we’ll be keeping those envelopes for the time being. Or forever. I kind of like them now.

by Bethe

Thankful… an endcap

It’s my final day of my 30 days of thankful. This one is a no-brainer.

Even more than my family, even more than Mr. Right, I am thankful for my savior, Jesus Christ. I am thankful that he saved me, not just from a life of sin, but from a meaningless and directionless life and instead, through his grace, has given me a life of purpose. A life of joy.

What does this joy look like? Last week, it looked like four of our English students plus two of their relatives sitting with me at a church service. It was watching one of our guests cry when the preacher talked about Jesus. It was having one of our oldest students tell me that she loved me like her daughter.

I am full of joy.

by Bethe

I am thankful for Mr. Right

Friends, I feel like a zombie today. It usually happens right after a particularly large special event. This week I practically birthed a free-standing emergency room, and after three days of putting on a huge grand opening, doing four last-minute media stories, and working some crazy overtime hours at a pace that feels a lot like a sprint…
I’m pooped. Which is why I’m still doing my 30 days of thankful, even though it’s now December. I’m choosing to be thankful in December, and to ignore the fact that it’s because I’m behind schedule.
Oh, and I should tell you that Mr. Right is trying to peer pressure me into running a half marathon with him in February. That husband of mine knows I’m a sucker for a good challenge, and I could use the motivation to work out hard. But I also remember swearing after my last half marathon that I would never. run one. again. 
Which is why I was back on the treadmill last night for my first official training run… 3 miles. It was ugly. But I did it. And the whole time I pictured my hiney looking like Britney Spears’ in the I’m a Slave for You video back before she went crazy. You remember… that’s the hiney I plan on having after I run 13 miles. Only mine will be more covered up.
So back to being thankful…
You knew it was coming… on day 30 I am thankful for Mr. Right. 
I am thankful for the way he showed up, after 29 years of waiting, and swept me off my feet with an unstoppable determination to woo me. I think that determination has only gotten stronger over our first year of marriage.
I am thankful that he’s a hard worker. Not only is he a full-time seminary student but he also works 30 hours a week at our church, and in his spare time volunteered with me at our ESL program, mentors guys on the side, and helps fellow students with their evangelism practicums. He has a stamina that I will never match, and yet it’s fun to watch how God has uniquely gifted him, differently from me, to bring Him glory.

(Did I mention that Mr. Right has been chosen to be on the COVER of his seminary’s official brochure? I am so, so proud of him.)

I am thankful that he’s an amazingly creative cook. He just invested in a $6 smoker at an estate sale (we’re such big spenders) and since then has smoked everything he can get his hands on… pork tender, beef jerky, cheese… to Mr. Right, cooking for someone = love. It’s a total treat to come home after a long day to a home-cooked meal made by my favorite person.

I am thankful that he’s fun. He’s a cowboy boot-wearing hippie, a free spirit, and an outdoorsman. He has lived all over the country, but he’s most at home in the mountains, on his bike, or in the pool.  Before he came along I didn’t know anything about “gear.” It’s still pretty foreign to me, but I sure do love borrowing his super warm technical shirts, using his sleeping bags and camping backpacks when we travel, and sleeping in his “you never have to wash these, but I’m a girl so I do anyway” wool socks. 
He loves books as much as I do. He speaks Spanish and has created all sorts of funny nicknames for me. He knows how to build things. He loves his family.
I am thankful that he’s strong. That he has already demonstrated that he will stand by me during difficult times and fight for me when he has to. I am also thankful that he’s okay if I need a good cry, and that nothing grosses him out, including the threat of being puked on. I am thankful for all of the times he’s gone with me to the doctor when I was sick, just so I wouldn’t have to face it alone.
I am thankful for a husband who asks me every Sunday night, “What one thing can I do this week to make you feel loved?” I am thankful that he’s a spiritual leader who encourages me to pursue Christ, and who prays for our marriage daily.
I am thankful that he looks so darn cute in those jeans. 🙂 And I am thankful that he continues to choose me.
PS–I want to officially welcome Mr. Right into the blogosphere… go check him out.
by Bethe

Thankful… home stretch

I’m behind on being thankful… my only excuse is that I had teenage houseguests all weekend and then Monday I left my house at 6:00 a.m. to meet a newscrew to shoot a surgery and then went non-stop until I got home that night at 10:00 p.m.  Needless to say I was in a zombie-like state by then and barely able to brush my teeth, much less blog.

I’m still in a zombie-like state, but at least I’m sitting down.

So, in honor of days 26, 27, 28, and 29…

I am thankful for my sister and brothers-in-law. Three years ago my little family was just our core five, and now it’s busting at the seams. Some of the greatest additions have been all of the -in-laws: Dallas the police officer, Philip the music minister, Grant the oil and gas guy, and Michelle, the stay-at-home mom to our beautiful niece Ella (and fabulous cook). Each one has meant a special new friendship and has made get-togethers so much more interesting.

I am thankful for big family holidays – in our case it meant two massive Thanksgiving meals, two massive birthday dinners, and one massive out-of-town family dinner. Which is why my hiney feels a bit massive today, but I’m back on the running wagon, so I plan to slim it back down to Kim Kardashian size just in time to overeat again for Christmas.

I am thankful for foot rubs from my husband. And neck rubs.

I am thankful for some special girlfriends, mainly Katie, Andrea, Sara, Amy, Tera, Nyree, and Pam. These women have seen me on good days and bad, all dolled up and with tears and snot running down my face. And they still keep coming back.

I am thankful for Pinterest and the many Christmas projects it’s inspired, including my Christmas quilt, some Christmas wreaths, and my Christmas cards (which I will debut in a later post… they’re sewn!).

I am thankful for long bubble baths and good books… something I enjoyed Sunday night.

I am thankful that I will become an aunt again next summer when Sarah has her first baby. And I am thankful that I’m already an aunt to the fabulous 2-year-old Ella who has hit a really fun stage.

All of this thankfulness has just made my day a little brighter. Now I can get back to conquering the world… and start dreaming about that next bubble bath.