by Bethe

Look at me, I got a makeover!

If you’re reading this in your Google Reader, you’ve just GOT TO click on over to my “real” blog and see my fancy new ‘do! I’m pretty excited about it.

Almost as excited as I was when my fancy, GINORMOUS yellow necklace finally arrived in the mail. I have worn it FOUR TIMES since Thursday night (overdoing it much?) and I’ve only had one measly comment about this super loud accessory.

Which can only mean one thing – I’m just going to have to wear it more often. That settles it.
PS–If anybody knows of a good chiropractor, I may need one after wearing this heavy necklace every day for the next, oh, 20 or so weeks.
Oh, and I know this is the understatement of the year, but it is BRUTALLY hot this week. Like, so hot my husband’s blind spot mirrors melted right off his car. So hot that I don’t even want to go swimming. So hot that all of my summer vegetable plants spontaneously combusted. Okay, so maybe I accidentally killed them, but how are you supposed to keep a tomato plant alive when it’s 107? 
I mean, really? 109 degrees on Wednesday? That’s just not okay. I think it’s time Mr. Right and I start looking for a place in the mountains. Or on a deserted island somewhere. Or maybe I’ll just cope by eating ice cream and sleeping with the fan on.
by Bethe

Currently…


loving: Statement necklaces and orange tops
reading: I’m usually a total bookworm but this year I’ve been using all my free time to sew or design things. I always make time for my daily bible study, and lately I’ve been reading through the New Testament in chronological order. I made it to  Revelation… so almost done! Next up I’m going to do the Beth Moore James bible study.

waiting for: Speaking of statement necklaces, I ordered this one online two whole weeks ago. They said it would take 1-2 weeks to ship… it was two weeks ago today, which means that I’m about to explode with excitement. I’ll be wearing outfits that accentuate this yellow beauty every day for the next week.
excited about: Going to my first Rangers game of the summer Friday night. Someone very generously gave us some AMAZING tickets. It’ll mean another item crossed off my summer bucket list.
missing: My ESL students. A few have called me over the last week to say hi and to show off their new English skills over the phone. It warms my heart that they miss me just like I miss them.

trying to:  balance healthy eating, lot’s of sleep, and discipline in managing my activities so as to keep my stress load under control. I’m successful some of the time. (I’ve found that bubble baths help tremendously.)
working on: Doing as much sewing as possible to get my etsy shop up and running. I’m also doing a few projects on the side that I can’t talk about, but are exciting and taking a little bit of my spare time.


enjoying: Snuggling with my nephew. Or, as my native-Spanish speaking friend mistakenly said this week, huggling. I kind of prefer huggling now.

using: Our TV, now that we finally have a digital antenna and a fancy-schmancy blue ray player that hooks up to Netflix and Hulu. (Have I mentioned we got rid of our cable months ago? Saved us so much money.)

wearing: My hair like this, thanks to a tutorial from this friend. It’s a combination of a poof, a french braid and a bun. My husband totally digs it, and it’s a great way to keep long hair off my neck on hot summer days.
planning: For a giant event at work in a few weeks – our local radio station will be doing their show live from my hospital and I’ve got 837 projects to complete before that happens, in addition to regular work things. It’s going to be a ton of fun though.
singing: I’m being weird about music too. I’m mostly listening to NPR. What is it with me with not reading and not listening to music? Besides, of course, The Civil Wars. I think it’s because my credit card expired and I haven’t updated the new info on my iTunes account, which means I haven’t bought a new song in about 10 months. Gee, it’s easy to become irrelevant quickly, isn’t it? Someone send me a playlist… quick.
needing: A work skirt that fits. Luckily I bought this with a coupon online – should be here next week. I bet it’ll look great with that yellow necklace, and I’ll finally be able to breathe again.


learning: How to sew a few things. And how to start a small business – this is pretty foreign. But I love it.
listening: After writing about my lack of music lately, I just turned on Pandora and Matt White’s Love started playing.
wishing: That I was less of a worrier. I’m a planner, and I’m prepared, which is good. But worrying over things I have no control about? It’s not healthy, and it makes me tired. And so I continue to pray that God will fill me with faith and joy, and I continue to be reminded of how desperately I need Him, because I’m hard-wired to do the opposite.
doing: I just finished hosting 7 parties in the past 4 weeks, including 5 that were at our house (not work events – personal events). It was the the most fun month ever. And I’m worn out. So for the next few weeks I’m doing NO party planning at home. Just relaxing. And of course, planning lot’s of parties at work, since that’s what I do for a living.
praying for: Oh how I wish I could share my list of prayer requests, but not at this point, in this venue. The good news is that I know God can totally, 100% handle my needs. So I’m praying with confidence, and feel free to join along with me. 🙂 
dreaming of: Getting to reveal my new online store with my fancy new logo and a few things that people might actually want to have for themselves. Soon, my friend. Very soon.


Want to play along? What are you currently up to?
PS–I got this idea from one of my favorite blogs, Jones Design Company. 

by Bethe

Chocolate wisdom and leopard ruffles

Isn’t that just one of the greatest quotes ever? What a treat when I opened my beloved little chocolate from a secret stash bequeathed to me by a coworker. That stash is only for the most special of occasions… like when I try to cut back on caffeine. Which I’m trying to do – not an easy task when you average about six cups of coffee a day… on a good day.
My goal is two cups a day. Today I made it to two cups of coffee and a Diet Coke because I met a dear friend at Chick-fil-a, and I just couldn’t bring myself to order water. I was so strong on Paleo and so weak now that I’m off of it. I think I’m a total all-or-nothing kind of girl. Dang it.
This past weekend I threw a classy bachelorette party for one of my dearest friends who is getting married next week. I absolutely can’t wait, it’s going to be one of those weddings of the year, helped by the fact that it also happens to be a dear, dear friend. And there will be good food. And my dress is somewhat forgiving. And I’m wearing nude pumps that would make Kate Middleton swoon. It’s a win-win.
I promise to post new pictures soon, but wanted to show off my fancy new ruffled tablecloth. I learned how to make this on YouTube — ahh, YouTube, you have changed my life so. Mr. Right wasn’t a fan of the leopard print and pink ruffles, somehow he doesn’t find it as neutral (and awesome) as I do. When I assured him that I could re-use some of the fabric I purchased for the party in our house – he wasn’t so game. So I may have to make some leopard ruffle pillows for my new etsy shop.
Speaking of etsy shops – I promise you I’m working hard on creating inventory so I actually have something to post. Because as beautiful as an empty shop is… well, it really isn’t very beautiful. In the meantime, I have a few friends who have inquired about special items… if you have something you want, I am happy to create something ahead of time before I launch the store. Just leave me a comment and we can discuss. 
And to the sweet person who stopped Mr. Right yesterday at church and told him that she can’t wait to buy something from my little shop – you are officially my very favorite person. You know who you are (ahem, Michelle–BLESS YOU). 
Speaking of Mr. Right – I got to help him out at church yesterday. He’s usually busy running all over the place and we never actually see each other at church, and I’ve busied myself by volunteering behind the scenes with the production staff – mostly because I get to wear a cool ear piece and headset and look official and stuff.  Kind of like a member of the FBI, but in a dress. But now, one week out of the month I’m officially Mr. Right’s right-hand-gal helping him with a new member class he teaches. I do very important things like sign people in, hand out books and pick up response cards. Basically the class couldn’t run without me. Okay, it could. But I like to be helpful and it’s nice to serve Mr. Right and my church at the same time. Besides, I love to hear him teach and love on people. 

And since my sweet nephew Luke has been hogging all the pictures on the blog lately (my goodness, isn’t he adorable?) I thought I’d include a picture of our beloved niece Ella. We got to hang out at the pool yesterday, swam with our favorite girl, I watched Mr. Right do flips off the high dive, and then we ate a huge dinner on the patio overlooking the pool. It was a pretty great outing.

Ella will be a big sister in October and we will gain another adorable nephew who will probably hog the blog with all his cuteness. And of course I’m about to start his baby quilt, which may also delay my pillows. Thanks for your patience, I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having getting geared up.

by Bethe

I love a good sappy romantic gesture

I’m a sappy romantic – if you are too, you need to read this article about the man who planted a heart-shaped meadow for his late wife.
For Mr. Right’s birthday his parents and I flew him to Knoxville, Tennessee to visit his best friend. This trip was a lot easier than the two weeks he spent in India, but even after four days I am so, so happy that he is coming home today! For some crazy reason when he’s gone my schedule goes out the window and I end up staying up way too late doing random things. I definitely do well with a routine.
Since everybody I know seems to be out of town this week, I used the time to do all sorts of projects I had been wanting to do but didn’t have the time. And I fit in a few movies and bubble baths, of course. 
by Bethe

A crazy busy girl with some wild dreams (and a picture of a cute baby if you make it to the end)

Starting a teeny tiny little business out of your house is SO MUCH FUN. It’s the most fascinating thing I’ve ever done – to figure out all the ins and outs of what I want to do and then how to make it a reality.

Like, I hired a CPA. Because having a small business requires all sorts of tax-y things (like paying sales tax, complicating my income taxes, and giving me some wonderful write-offs that are kind of awesome).

I purchased supplies. And organized my sewing studio.

I chose a name. And designed a logo. I can’t wait to show it you, but as with any true marketer, I’ve got to build up some suspense. (You know, like the do on The Bachelor… the most dramatic rose ceremony ever!)

I went to the Post Office to figure out shipping stuff. That wasn’t nearly as much fun as organizing up my sewing studio.

I created my first piece of merchandise. I’ve got to make several more before I launch, and I’ve got to take pictures with a better, fancier camera than my iPhone.

It’s a list-making-girl’s dream. And also a lot more involved than I thought when a few friends told me they’d like to buy a pillow from me.
But it’s a true adventure, nonetheless, and the process is as much fun as the end result. Which I really hope involves selling a few things. Not enough to get rich, but enough to supplement that habit of mine of buying fabric… and clothes. But mostly fabric.
So stay tuned for an official announcement and virtual grand opening for my little online shop. If you were here, I’d probably serve you some Diet Coke and my husband’s famous chocolate banana cupcakes. But let’s face it, if you buy a pillow from me, I will probably figure out a way to get you that chocolate banana cupcake as a big-hearted thank you. Heck, we might even cook you dinner. We’re a sucker for dinner parties.
And even though this doesn’t have anything to do with ruffled pillows,  this little man is one of my very favorite people on the planet at the moment – here’s another picture of my precious nephew who turned one month old today.

God bless America. Can I get an amen?

by Bethe

Another holiday, another party

In case you haven’t noticed, Mr. Right and I love to throw parties. Like, we are hosting FIVE different parties at our house this month. Maybe we’re a little crazy, but it’s one of our very favorite things to do together.

When I first met him, he was hosting a monthly dinner at his house that would easily draw 20+ people. And, well, it was nothing for me to have 30+ people at my house for Easter, or church functions, or well… I didn’t really need an excuse. We both plan events as part of our job, so for us, it’s a match made in heaven.

It doesn’t matter that we have a little house, we love nothing more than to fill it to the gills with friends, good food, and lot’s of laughter. Plus now we have a system – he cooks, I decorate and occasionally help with the side dishes. And socialize.
This week was no different. We decided to throw a little July 4th party, thinking we might convince 10 people to come. We had 40. 
It was so much fun I didn’t take any pictures. Well, I took a few as folks were leaving together to  watch the fireworks at the lake a few blocks from our house… so all of the pictures are of folks’ hineys as they’re scooting out the door. Between you and me, there were no blog-worthy pictures.
Our party involved a hotdog cookout, and our friends brought sides and desserts. Most of our friends went Pinterest-nuts that day and brought several dishes each, so we had PLENTY of food, much of it was red, white and blue and covered in sprinkles. I had a little of everything and let me assure you, I declared the day a Paleo-free holiday.
But for now, here’s a few of my little projects I literally whipped up the day of the party. Nothing like waiting ’til the last minute, huh?

This frame will soon be a chalkboard, but until we get around to taking it to the framer to be redone, I decided to hot glue burlap to the back and then I pinned the patriotic bunting I made with scraps leftover from my nephew’s quilt. Total cost – $0.

I hung bunting like this in several places around the house – with our red curtains in the living room it made the whole house look patriotic. (For those who have asked, my sister made the picture above our mantle, which we used as a decoration at our wedding reception – I adore it.)

I will never be too old, or too sophisticated, to eat marshmallows. Admit it, you love them too. I call these my Star-Spangled skewers.

I am thankful for friends, for days off, for air conditioning in this blazing Texas heat, and for all the men and women who have fought so hard to give me freedom. Happy Independence Day.
by Bethe

A little of this, a lot of random

Oh, my dear friends, we have so much to catch up on.

First and most important – I am officially opening a little Etsy shop. Emphasis on little. I feel like such a big girl, sitting down with a CPA and going over all of the steps to make my little business legit. And to protect me from being hauled away from the IRS, which the rule follower in me is just a tiny bit worried about. But lucky for me my husband believes in hiring professionals to do important things like file taxes, so I’m all set. So in the meantime I have a logo to design, shipping information to research, and fabric to buy. I can’t wait to debut my little shop to you, my dear friends, first. Who knows, maybe you’ll buy a little ruffled pillow and think of me?

Speaking of husbands, can I just brag on mine a moment? My sweet husband has been so supportive of my entrepreneurial endeavors, even though it means a little time and seed money to get started. I married a man who wants me to dream big dreams, and he works hard to help me to fulfill them.

Speaking of big dreams… I’ve been praying that God will make me a visionary. Because I am not – I am great at doing things. Implementing other peoples’ visions. When someone comes up with a big plan, I’m the one with the notepad making to-do lists, figuring out how much it will cost, weighing the risks and benefits, the return on investment, mentally calculating how much time and energy it will take to make someone else’s dream a reality and mapping out a schedule on my calendar. And so often I find myself thinking, “That will never work.”

I don’t want to be that girl. I am realistic, but I serve a God who’s bigger than my to-do list. Bigger than the budget. Bigger than the resources available. I love people who dream big dreams and then God blesses them.

And so I’m praying that God will give me vision. Vision to see further than what I know to be safe and doable. Vision that requires miracles. Vision so I can support my husband’s vision and not sink into the quicksand of the “how will we ever do that?” questions. I want vision so that God can use me to do big things for him.

Is it a coincidence that after I started praying this prayer, a few very unexpected opportunities fell in my lap? Maybe. Or maybe not.

But enough of the deep talk. Tomorrow night we’re hosting 25-30 people for dinner at our house to celebrate July 4th, and I need to prop up my feet and dive into Netflix and turn off my brain so that tomorrow I’m ready to throw my party. Did I mention the party includes fireworks? Our city puts on a great show and there’s a great viewing area just down the street. One of my summer bucket list items involves kissing while watching fireworks. I’m pretty sure I’ll be crossing that item off tomorrow’s list.

I promise to post pictures of my party decorations later. I couldn’t help myself, I just had to whip up a few red, white, and blue goodies on my sewing machine so my guests feel special.

by Bethe

It was a good day… really.

So today I got to clean up a child’s vomit, and a man asked me if I was pregnant.

Seriously, people? I haven’t had a carb in 30 days! I’m feeling kind of awesome at the moment. I AM NOT PREGNANT AND PLEASE STOP ASKING ME BECAUSE YOU’RE GIVING ME A COMPLEX.
My husband says I should just throw away this shirt. But I love this shirt, so instead I’ve resigned myself to grabbing the offending person’s hand, holding it up to my baby-less belly, and reminding them that I HAVE NOT HAD A CARB IN 30 DAYS AND I’M DOING CROSS FIT LIKE A CRAZY WOMAN. And that I’m not pregnant.

Whew. Must. Take. A. Deep. Breath.

But anyway, other than those two things, I actually had a quite wonderful day.
Did I mention I cleaned up puke? If you know me, you’ll know why this is particularly laughable.
My evening is going to be even better, because I’m coming home to a box of freshly picked peaches from my in-law’s neighbor’s peach tree, and I am going to attempt to make my very first peach cobbler.
My chef husband will probably supervise. And stand there looking all cute and stuff.  
I can’t wait. 
by Bethe

The big reveal: backyard edition

Since the moment we got married and my house became our house, we knew we wanted to extend our patio. But there’s just something about owning two homes, working your hiney off to get one ready to sell, and having 9 months of two mortgages that can kill your appetite for a big project. So instead we sat on our existing back porch and dreamed up what we would do someday to make our backyard our little dream spot.
And then one day we saved enough money, Mr. Right made a few phone calls, and a few days later we had our new patio! I’m in love.
In March 2008 my dad and I built the stone patio you see closer to the house. Here’s a throw-back picture so you can see our process. Don’t I look sporty holding that… (um, is that an axe? I’m not really sure what it’s called.)
And as you can see, my sweet dad did a little bit most of the work himself. On that patio I’ve hosted big parties, studied long hours, and enjoyed romantic dinners with that man of mine.
But anyway, fast-forward four years, and we decided that it would be worth it to hire someone to build the patio for us. Mr. Right drew up the plans, marked everything off in the backyard, and then Jesus and his assistant Abraham (I promise I’m not making that up) poured the concrete and laid the bricks, which had been collecting dust in my garage ever since I built my house.
Those poles you see sticking up will soon be a pergola, and we’ll be draping lights between them. I’m a such a sucker for twinkle lights – I will probably sit out there and just gaze at them every night. We’re also going to put in climbing vines on the poles to add some texture and we have some landscaping plans with the yard to the left. I think the goal is to have nothing left to mow when we finish.
The patio furniture has special sentimental meaning – that same table and chairs used to live on Mr. Right’s grandparents’ patio and he he has special memories of sitting on their patio as a child, soaking in all of their stories. We may be adding another larger table, but that one will probably always be our favorite.
My husband surprised me with a sweet love note in the form of my very own vegetable garden, right off the patio and directly in front of my sewing studio window. We have an inside connection with the greatest soil/fertilizer known to man– there’s perks to having in-laws who own cows (unlimited free fertilizer) and a giant compost pile. Of course, I worriedly asked Mr. Right “Are you putting all that compost (ahem… cow poop) in your SUV?” 
He just laughed at me. This happens a lot when I ask city slicker questions like that.
Of course not. (I bet you would have wondered the same thing.)
In the meantime I’m busy researching fall vegetable gardens. To my uber cool, livin off the land, vegetable gardening blogosphere friends (ahem, Stephanie), I welcome any tips for this vegetable planting newbie. Because I really have no idea what I’m doing.
I’ve already christened my porch with a few quiet mornings and evenings spent gazing at our handiwork. Last week, while Mr. Right was working late at the church, I enjoyed a Paleo dinner alone on our patio, where I propped my feet up in a chair, leaned back and enjoyed an episode of The Bachelorette on my laptop.
It was magical. So was the watermelon. And for the record, that’s low fat chicken sausage. And while we’re clarifying things, I must confess that that’s store-bought zucchini, since my zucchini plants had to be sacrificed to put in the porch.
It was worth it.