accepting the answers

i must have cried at least three times this week.

see, i went back to school on monday, and it began the endless cycle of homework, assignments, no free time, and exhaustion. i'll be the first to admit, i wasnt thrilled about the sudden transition from happy summer to dreary fall. through it all, my family and friends and wonderful fiance have all rallied and i am ready to face senior year (i think!). this week was emotional. juggling a prestigious medical program, a wedding, family, and a semblance of a social life is not easy. so, i cried at least three times this week.

things got more emotional on tuesday, when news came that Drew would have an opportunity to head back out on the road as a manager. moving here and finding an 8-5 was the goal of pulling out of the industry a month ago, but it appeared that that was not the path for this next month. I was, of course, more emotional about him being on the road, compounded with the sudden onslaught of responsibility and school/work. i cried some more. but i thought about it...and i realized that God had answered the prayer i have been praying with an answer i didn't want to hear. i have been praying for drew, steadily asking that he would find something he loved, something that would pay the bills, and help create financial stability for this coming season. God gave it to us, in a way we never saw coming, but nonetheless, a yes. a gentle, kind, always faithful yes to our plea.

He always does.

i whine, complain, and demand for it to happen the way i want it to, but God always trumps my will.
and i'm thankful. because He gets it. way more than me and my little brain.

so here we go, headed into a little longer of band life, me at home and my Love traveling. and it's okay. it really is.

I'm thankful for the yes.

even if i didnt see it coming.

adjusting

this past week has flown by! my Love flew safely in on Tuesday. He moved into a sweet little attachment to my friend Andy and Kristy's house; like a half-studio that he is helping remodel. it's a huge blessing to us right now! We have spent the past few days just enjoying hanging out; running little errands and eating meals together (what a concept!) its amazing to have a steady date night every week, to see him daily, to just know he's within a few miles. I know girls who actually get sick of their husbands/boyfriends and i am pretty sure if they lived 2100 miles apart they wouldnt ever take it for granted again! yesterday he and andy put in a window. very manly activity. i sat on the couch and watched. which probably was a good thing since i am terrible with directions, tools, building, or anything related to hardware stores or house building.

i'm jetting off the caribbean on thursday morning, leaving my sweet boy to his own devices while i am gone...he will be busy job-searching i am sure. school starts up with a vengeance on the 21st...definitely gonna be an adjustment to juggle everything and our upcoming wedding as well, but its lovely to have him home!

The best of Fall 2010 Collections

I don't love fall clothes, but i DO love this season's lineup of dainty dresses and 40's style cardis. It's definitely a nice vintage throwback and a contrast to nasty, tight sleazy clothes. These pieces i can feel like a lady in!


This two-fer dress is from Modcloth. It's lovely, ladylike, and beautiful colors. iLOVE mustard yellow this season!



This plaid number is from Urban Outfitters. it's actually a lovely flannel and i'd pair it with knee socks and saddle shoes.



These amazing shoes are from Urban. It's a steep price tag, but i might invest in something like this for Fall...nice simple suede.



I actually bought this piece awhile back for a photoshoot and forgot about it, but I found it in my closet last week. It's from LULUS.com and i love everything about it. Nice fit without being too clingy, good length, and beautiful detailing of the lace.



Of course this one is from Anthro, but i LOVE it. I'd love to sew something like it and pair it with plain black pumps.



Another anthro piece...absolutely flawless pairing of fabrics.



Last but not least a beautiful cardi! LOVE LOVE LOVE the two-piece look of it!

eight days!

eight more days until my Love moves here for good! im desperately counting down the days...can't wait to finally not have to say good bye all the time! im leavin for the carribean on the 10th...can't wait to hit the beach with 5 of my best friends! then its onward to school and wedding planning! i'm getting so excited to be drew's wife!

NCLEX, work, job hunting

NCLEX, job hunting, work. yep..that pretty much sums up our life for now..looking for a temporary job for drew while i finish school, registering for all 8 credits for school, hunting for a house, planning a wedding. things just don't slow down for us! on a happier note, i got new glasses this week. hadnt had new ones in 3 years. when i first put them on, i started to feel faint and threw up because they were so strong. thankfully my eyes adjusted. i dont recommend sticking them on so fast...definitely a bad idea. i have been enjoying a very busy summer...i wish it would slow down. now its time to start studying for my NCLEX exam which is next year and is going to be hard for me because though i get excellent grades, i dont test well. i have real trouble with exams, so i am definitely starting early. eek. i am dying to sew, but i dont have time. maybe someday ;) i bought yards of beautiful vintage fabric and little buttons and everything, but i just cant find time or energy to devote to it. :(

fun and happy things

wow..summer is flying by. seems like i have rarely been home...!
my work has shifted to ten hour days, so im working 7-6, and it's definitely been an adjustment to drag myself out of bed!
i am thankful for my boss and the flexibility he gives me to allow me to work two jobs and attend school.

My little company is growing fast, and I just signed a new artist and have two more prospective artists signing with me in a few months. I'm thrilled. i LOVE my job and love building my new little "family" of artists. So far, i just fall more and more in love with my work. We are launching my website on the 15th of August, and I purchased a domain and site. It's all very exciting! If things keep up, I could begin working part time at my day job...it would surely be nice to focus on school. i'm taking 18 credits this fall term, and im not entirely sure if i will LIVE to the wedding at this rate....i cant remember the last time i slept...i'm taking the psychology of sports and intro to theories of criminal justice and law, and ten credits of nursing classes. its pretty much a recipe for no sleep until graduation. :) i'm also back with CCM...and i love it. writing has always been my love, and CCM is where i started, so im definitely loving the articles and things i am getting to do. we have a great team of people there.

in between my crazy travel schedule and my work, we are planning a wedding! december is our month, and we are deciding between two different days. hopefully when drew moves, we will have a little more time to plan and work on little projects. we are very, very ready to just hurry up and be married! im counting down the days until he's HERE...I have surely missed my Love, and am ready to adjust to him being home for more than a few days.

Shabby Apple Boysenberry Pie Apron Guest Giveaway

Shabby Apple Boysenberry Pie Apron Guest Giveaway

Love this sweet apron!

Love like this...

My dear friend Sara Frankl (Gitzengirl) lost her father unexpectedly very recently. Sara is one of my favorite people. We met through mutual friends and though we've never hung out "in person", she is a dear friend. Sara is one of those people who makes me want to love people better and be more like Jesus. Sara has health problems that don't allow her to be outside of her home, but she is nothing but joyous, radiant and selfless. When Sara's father passed away, I thought of the ways we normally "love" people who lose loved ones. We send flowers, or we go the service...for Sara, these aren't realities. Her health problems don't allow for flowers or many types of gifts, so I bought a card. I realized that sometimes, it's hard to love people without the crutches of easy fixes. All I can give my dear friend is love...in written words, in simply praying for her. i can't hide behind a bouquet (though those are often sent with good intentions), nor can i slip into a funeral and pay my respective dues. i have to love her in new ways, different, unexepected ways. maybe that's just a card. maybe it's a facebook note.

Sara is good at teaching others to love like Jesus because she does it every single day. Now it's my turn to love her, and i have to look for ways to be creative. Love doesn't always come clothed in the ways we think it should.

a little update on our life

we just celebrated one year of being engaged, and we went back to Nashville to where drew proposed last july. We had a blast on our vacation, spending time in Nashville, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Montgomery and Birmingham. We definitely are undergoing lots of changes, but it's all good, and we are excited. We are getting married this December, the official date is yet to be announced, we want to lock in all our vendors before we announce it! (Can you tell we both do concert and event coordination?!) Drew is pulling out of the music industry for a little while as well, and making plans to move to Oregon! We are completely thrilled to be living in the same city. Please be praying for a job for him, and for us as we learn to adjust to this change...I graduate in June 2011, and then we will have to see where God leads us in both of our jobs. In the meantime, I will keep working at SOU, and also working as a publicist and artist manager. My company is taking off, and I love what I do. I also am going back to writing for CCM, and am excited for that new venture. Then it's onto new adventures of being married (YAY!) and starting our life together :)

oh, sweet summer

with drew off tour, we finally got a few days to enjoy no work, and all the sunshine! we tripped down to gulf shores, alabama, and saw his aunt, and spent two glorious days laying on the beach, shopping, and eating! sooo nice to have a break off work, and school and tour.

daydreaming...

...about the day when my sweet almost-husband will work 8-5 and then come home to me. i miss him.

he is such a hard worker. he loves what he does, and he does it well. i appreciate the little things...

today, he helped me find a return flight for july, paid our cell phone bill, made time to chat with me, made me laugh, and still made his flight on time...back on tour for the next three days until he picks me up in Birmingham!

Someday, he'll go to work in the morning...and come home to me at night. sounds lovely.

waiting.

i lack patience. i am inherently, stubbornly, impatient. right now, i am waiting for the next 5 days to pass so i can head to sweet home alabama and see my Love! i'm waiting to graduate. waiting to leave for the carribean. waiting for our wedding. waiting for real life to start. waiting for the fall term of school. waiting on some concerts. waiting on a paycheck. but waiting only accomplishes so much. i have to continue to focus on other things, because Life keeps right on happening. Life never slows to accomodate complacency. God expects a challenged heart even in the waiting season. I love john waller's song "waiting", where he says,

"While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait


We can run the race while we wait. We can worship while we wait.

I was chatting yesterday with another band wife; her husband is gone much of the year on tour. She said, "isnt waiting the worst? you feel like your heart is literally going to explode until you can see him again!" and i said, "oh i know!" then she said, "but God uses that time, grace! He grants you extra patience and every time it doesn't get easier but you get stronger. and it strengthens your love for your husband and your dependence on the Lord. and oh, how it makes you depend on the Lord!"

so i choose thankfulness today, instead of impatience. i will watch God work in the next five days even as my heart wants to badly to run right by the next few days. I will be eagerly anticipating time with my Love, but also time for God to do what He wants in the next few days :)

the very best of forever 21

I have decided to highlight the very best of Forever21's summer collection. I love very select pieces from forever 21, though their clothes do not last and tend to wash very badly. However, for summer clothes, I have found some very chic pieces that i love! so here is the best of their online store:



This is a darling madras romper, with cute vintage details like the criss cross back and nice color scheme.



This darling mustard skirt is soooo cute and looks more Urban Outfitters than Forever21. I love the studs on the back pockets.



This sweet little top is very Blair-esque and would look so great tucked into a black skirt with flats for a professional summer look.



A darling mickey and minnie tank that i would tuck into a fitted black skirt and pair with a pink hairbow and wayfarer glasses.




I would belt this cute chiffon dress and pair it with saddle shoes and a beaded headband.

this is where i'm headed...

IN SEVEN DAYS...off to sweet home alabama to see my Love! it's been over 40 days since i last saw him, so i am very excited...
i'll be going to orange beach while im there...looks lovely, huh?



then...off to HERE in september!!! St Maartens island in the Caribbean!!!! headed there with 8 of my best friends for a girls trip to celebrate our last summer together before graduation next summer!