Archives for 2013

Stitch Fix: Fix #2

March 10, 2013 by Amy 16 Comments

I was SO anxious to get this second fix from Stitch Fix. The first one was incredibly fun but I didn’t end up keeping any of the pieces. I couldn’t pull the trigger on the one dress I loved because of the price.

I heard your fixes get better as you go and with a little extra credit thanks to some of you that used my referral link, I had high hopes. Thankfully, this second fix didn’t disappoint.

Item #1: Pop of Color Scarf

IMG_4500-001

You can’t see it well but this scarf had streaks of orange in it as well. I loved the scarf but I *just* bought a black and white printed scarf that same day so I’ve opted out on this one.

Item #2: Striped Sweater

{The jeans and shoes don’t necessarily go, sorry.} Oh man, do they know the way to my heart—stripes! I love everything about this sweater and it’s a keeper!

Item #3: Dolman Sweater

I loved, loved the fit of this sweater and overall style but the color was just off for me. If this had come in a different color, I would keep it. I don’t know, looking at it now, I’m thinking it could be super cute with some white capris or shorts for the spring. What do you think?

Item #4: Sweetheart Dress

I love everything about this dress. It’s flowy and girly and bright and printed. It’s going to be perfect for spring with a jean jacket and great by itself in the summer. I’m a little concerned about the fit though, especially in the sides. Here it is with the jacket. What do you think?

Item #5: Owl Dress

I want to love this dress so much. I love owls, I love the style, I love the fit but I’m just not a huge fan of the color and print.

So, better than the first, yes? I’m telling you, just getting the box and seeing what they picked out is 90% of the fun. I hardly care if I actually keep any of the pieces but I’m glad I found at least one this time!

I’d love for you to try it out at least once and use my referral link…for every person that signs up, you get a $25 credit to use on your next purchase!

Laundry Room

March 8, 2013 by Amy 5 Comments

After we started scheming about our new bar—which we haven’t started on yet—we decided that we should take the upper cabinet there….

and move them to our laundry room for a little boost with new wall paint and freshly painted cabinets.

We haven’t painted the walls since we moved in 9 years ago and who knows how long it was since the previous owners had painted so it’s due.

Wall paint and cabinet paint can totally transform a space. So many people are doing creative things in their laundry rooms and I want to take advantage of this time since Scott is so willing to clear it out and help.

So help? Fast? We want to paint the walls this weekend.

First off, I love color but I’m afraid it can lead me astray and rooms end up looking hokey instead of creative.

Let’s not discuss the cobalt blue and lime green bathroom we had when we first got married.

First, let’s look at my kitchen and the laundry room as-is. Here’s several views.

And here’s a bunch of paint combos I picked from Houzz.com

Modern Laundry Room design by Toronto Kitchen And Bath Braam’s Custom Cabinets

#1 White wall/white cabinets

Contemporary Laundry Room design by Minneapolis Design-build Highmark Builders

#2 taupe walls/cream cabinets

Contemporary Laundry Room design by Edmonton Design-build Marcson Homes Ltd.

#3 gray/taupe walls/white cabinets

Traditional Laundry Room design by Other Metro General Contractor Valiant Homes

#4 blue-gray walls/cream cabinets

Modern Laundry Room design by San Francisco Architect Claudio Ortiz Design Group, Inc.

#5 cream walls/blue-gray cabinets

Traditional Laundry Room design by Seattle Home Staging Seattle Staged To Sell

#6 gold walls/white cabinets

Traditional Laundry Room design by Cedar Rapids Kitchen And Bath Fashion Par Kitchens

#7 cream walls/darker cream cabinets

Contemporary Laundry Room design by Toronto Interior Designer Sealy Design Inc.

#8 wallpaper/white cabinets

Laundry Room design

#9 gray walls/white cabinets

Traditional Laundry Room design by Detroit Interior Designer AMW Design Studio

#10 blue walls/cream cabinets

Do you see my dilemma? I picked out TEN combos and that’s not even to speak of finding the right shade of any of those colors.

Help! Which do you think would look the best in our space? Feel free to throw out another combo I didn’t even pick.

Matching Passions and Roles in the Household

March 7, 2013 by Amy 11 Comments

image credit

The other day on Facebook Scott posted a status about all the things he had done the morning on his day off–got the kids to school, exercised, read his Bible, washed dishes among a few other things. Part of me felt guilty about the fact that he had done the dishes, and usually does, even though traditionally that’s part of the woman’s role.

Scott and I have learned, though, that he’s just better at it. He cares more when the kitchen is dirty and is quite passionate about how the dishwasher gets organized.

He Takes Her Role

For years, I did the dishes and every single time he would complain because the cups weren’t resting at the right angle or the dishes weren’t being loaded back to front or I had too many spoons in one container.

More and more, I would wait and let him do it. Even when I tried, he would completely redo the dishwasher and I got to the point I just refused to put any effort into it because I knew it would be redone.

We’ve just decided I’ll cook to my heart’s content but he cleans the dishes. Certainly, if he’s working a long weekend and doesn’t have time or we have people coming over, I’ll do it but on the regular? He’s our kitchen cleaner-upper.

And you know what? It works beautifully. He loves having a bleached counter and clean sink and I love that he loves that.

She Takes His Role

Two summers ago I found myself in his shoes. Every single year our pool was a point of contention. The pool needed weekly, if not daily attention and he hated every single second of being outside with it. It aggravated him that it needed maintained so often. He hated going to the pool store and he didn’t have the patience to vacuum it like it required. It frustrated me to no end. I felt like he was being lazy and just plain didn’t care.

I finally decided if the pool was going to be taken care of, I just needed to do it. I’m the one that felt passionate about it. There really was no reason I shouldn’t do it except I had it in my head that he “should” do it because it was outside and traditionally that’s what the men do.

The last two summers I’ve taken care over the pool maintenance, we’ve had the cleanest pool we’ve ever had. And you know what? I LOVE taking care of the pool. I love the science and the satisfaction of everyone enjoying the clean water.

Follow Your Passion

What I’ve learned is that sometimes the person that should take a task in the household is the one most passionate about its completion, regardless of who tradition says should own it.

If you find local movers basking ridge nj over a task not getting done on the regular, perhaps you’re the one with enough passion to see it through. Stop listening to tradition and do what works for YOUR household. We all have different gifts, talents and even schedules that allows for different roles.

Hire It Out

If you are passionate about it and yet physically unable to do it, it’s probably worth the cost of hiring someone in to handle the task.

Neither one of us are great at landscaping and hiring a landscaper last summer to redo our front yard was one of the best things we’ve done. I don’t complain about how it looks anymore and Scott doesn’t feel responsible or incapable every time we discussed what to do about it. If you don’t have the funds to hire it out, trade services or items you own. Scott has used his handyman skills many times in return for someone else’s.

Share The Load

And yet, there are other tasks where neither of us are extremely passionate about it and whoever happens to be free will handle it. Car maintenance is a perfect example for us. Neither of us are really passionate about cars so whomever is near Autozone will pick up wiper blades, both of us will fill up the van when it’s empty and whmoever is driving by the car wash will run it through. Sometimes in the summer, Scott and the kids will wash the outside and I’ll clean the inside.

Neither of us really own those tasks so it’s a team effort to complete them. However, if YOU are really passionate about the car being clean and your husband just hates it, perhaps you need to own the responsibility of getting it cleaned weekly.

Follow Your Passions

The bottom line is follow your passions, even when it comes to household chores, regardless of how you’ve been doing it or what tradition says.

You might find enjoyment in your newfound task, friction will dissolve in your marriage and your household just might find the oil in needs to run smoothly.

What I Wore Wednesday 3.06.2013

March 6, 2013 by Amy 11 Comments

It’s Wednesday! I share my outfits from the week with The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday.

I pair my outfits with inspirational photos. Read more about that here.

Is the braid a yay or nay? Be honest.

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

The neckline and scarf are doing something weird. It was the end of the day and I was a little disheveled at this point.

Source: 500px.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: fairy-wren.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: epod.usra.edu via Amy on Pinterest

OK, I have to say even I am getting a little tired of all jeans, all the time. I’m looking forward to Spring and Summer when I can wear more shorts, skirts, and dresses.

I should finally give in and get some colored jeans but now it almost seems pointless with Spring just around the corner. It’s supposed to be almost 70 this weekend. I know some of you are buried in snow so I’ll try not to rub it in.

Anyway, I hope you can see past the lack of fashion this week and still see the beauty of God’s creation inspired by the color!

If you aren’t following the blog on Facebook, I would love for you to hop over there on your way out. Thanks for stopping by today!

Dryers, Rodents and Carrots

March 5, 2013 by Amy 4 Comments

I can’t get it together to write much coherent today after yesterday’s deep post so lots of random things today.

1 – Our dryer has been acting funky the last several weeks. I was at my wit’s end when it took THREE rounds to dry the girls’ clothes and then they still weren’t dry last week. We finally had a repairman come today and it turns out that we had a lint ball stuck in our vent system at a weird angle. Scott had cleaned the whole thing out but missed one odd spot. All is well now and we can return the dryer we bought and left at the store. Hallelujah!

2 – My next Stitch Fix got shipped today and should arrive Friday. Yeehaw! Thanks to some of you that used my referral link I have some credit and should have a little wiggle room (pun intended) on my budget.

3 – We have a mole in our back yard. I don’t know why this is newsworthy other than it was kind of cool too see his tunnel across the back yard.

4 – We had some type of rodent in our house. While Scott was working on the dryer, he found pieces of dog food behind the dryer. He cleaned it out and then the next day? He found more food behind the dryer. We had a small hole in the bottom of one our walls so Scott fixed it and then the next day? No food behind the dryer. I shiver at the thought of a mouse running around with our dog food in the house.

5 – I made Cauliflower Soup tonight and even my pickiest eater Lexi gobbled it down. So. good.

6 – I used carrots from my garden in the soup. They were wimpy and not really ready to come out but I planted the seeds in September and I was anxious to eat them. I have a few more growing back there but I’ll have to clean them out before I plant our summer garden in a few weeks (!!!).

7 – I’ve been the same weight for six weeks now. SIX WEEKS. Do you know how hard it is to count calories, exercise 6 times a week for an hour or more and not lose ANY weight? I talked to a trainer and he said based on all I was doing, I wasn’t eating enough calories. Hence, Cauliflower Soup (see #5) AND a dinner roll tonight.

Alright, I hope your Tuesday is going well for you. See you tomorrow for What I Wore Wednesday.

On Love, Fear, Trust and Control

March 4, 2013 by Amy 8 Comments

Either the whole world read my post about God speaking to me about control and decided to all write and sing about it just to tease me or God really does have something to show me on the topic of control.

I think I’m getting an inkling about the whole mess.

When I was younger, I had my life planned out. I was going to college, going to get a job at a bank, get married and have 2.5 kids. That’s what I wanted so that’s what I prayed would happen and by golly, God was gracious and gave me every little bit of what my heart desired. I am blessed beyond even what I imagined and these things do make me happy.

But I admit there’s still something missing.

And that’s hard to write because I don’t mean to diminish what I have because I love it all so much.

I got to my 30’s and had checked all these things off my list and since then, I’ve realized I didn’t really have a plan past the job, marriage and 2.5 kids. I have no real dreams or plans other than making sure my kids love the Lord and Scott and I get along. There’s a fuzzy retirement to plan in 30 years but between all that I don’t have much direction.

I’ve decided, as I should have a long time ago, that God really isn’t going to lay out a 30 year plan for me. A document stamped with “God’s will” is not going to show up on my doorstep.

I know that God will show me daily what to do. I’ve been scared, though, to pray the scary prayers about where we’re going. The ones that say forget my plans, bring the rain and do whatever brings you glory, Lord.

And here’s what I’m learning. I don’t pray them because I don’t trust God.

I don’t. I mean, I trust him in a little sense but trust him enough to give up control and give him the next 50 years and say do whatever you want? No, that instills a fear I cannot communicate.

I say that as if I do have control over what happens. I know that I don’t really have control. God takes and gives as he pleases but I do think there’s something about someone laying down their lives and allowing God to work in ways he would not otherwise.

So I’ve realized that I don’t trust him enough to pray those prayers. Which means, in turn, that I don’t believe he loves me as much as he does. Because if I really believed he loves me as much as he does and wants good for me, then trust would be easy. I would know, without a doubt, that whatever control I gave up may be met with pain, but only for my good and his glory.

So I think at the end of the day, God has brought this word “control” to my mind but only to show me I still have fear issues and I still haven’t really learned yet how much he loves me.

And maybe the prayer right now should not be about giving up control, but perhaps instead show me how much you love me. That prayer might also bring the very same scary things too but when I frame it like that, I’m all in. And at the end of the day, I think that’s all He wants to do anyway.

50 Random Acts of Kindness

March 1, 2013 by Amy 7 Comments

Do you see me jumping up and down clapping? No? Because I’m jumping up and down clapping. I can not WAIT to share today’s post.

My friend Linda that I met through church and our Journey Group turned 50 this week and decided to do 50 random acts of kindness during the month.

I am turning 50 this year! I read on Pinterest about this woman that did random acts of kindness on her birthday. However old she was, she did that many acts of kindness. I thought it was such a wonderful idea that I wanted to do it for my 50^th! I turn 50 on February 27, 2013. My plan is to do random acts throughout the month of February and write about them. I know God will use the “acts” in other’s lives but I also know He can use it in mine. I am so excited! This may become a birthday tradition!

For a few of her items, she had planned an afternoon at the mall. I asked if I could go along so I could see the magic happen myself!

We met up at Barnes and Noble last Saturday afternoon and she started right away by picking a book and putting in $5 with a note.

How much do I love that Bonhoeffer’s face is looking on from the top shelf there. I think he’d be proud.

Dear Francis Chan, one of your readers is going to get an extra special blessing!

Even from the beginning, it was a little nerve-wracking doing these. Linda didn’t want caught and worked quickly to place the money and get outta dodge!

Linda then wanted to bring some joy to children and decided to hand out Tootsie roll pops.

I love the smile on the lady’s face in the background. Random acts of kindness affect more than just the recipient!

This mom was really thankful and was bouncing her baby up and down.

Several parents actually declined the candy at first, but relented when their kids were so excited. I’m telling you, some of the kids just pressed their presents to themselves like it was a treasure.

She also gave out coloring books and crayons with a note

This little guy was saying “thank you” by the time I snapped a picture. I’m telling you, Linda was like a RAOK ninja!

I caught this one on her way out of the story but I LOVED this one. You can see the man with the beard and hat just inside the store through the glass holding his son with the coloring book.

Linda dropped it off and left but after the man read the note, he came out of the store and yelled down the hall “Happy Birthday!” and winked at her. I wish SO MUCH I could have gotten that wink full of joy on camera.

She also handed out these mirrors.

We stood outside Forever 21 hoping to give them to young girls. When Linda’s husband Rob and I spotted this little girl with Downs dancing in the window, we both looked at Linda and knew she should have one.

After she explained to the family why we were giving it and they read the note, they were SO thankful. The man just kept saying how nice it was.

She gave another to this teenager who was walking around with a group of friends. She had a birthday button on and she was thrilled to get a little gift from another person having a birthday.

Linda was also armed with flowers. Don’t you love the light shining behind her?

The lighting is terrible here (did you know the the lighting is so unpredictable at the mall!!) but I just had to show you this lady receiving her flowers. She just couldn’t believe they were for her.

Linda gave each of the women a set of flowers and the lady there in the middle gave her a hug before they left. Strangers hugging in the mall! It’s just too much!

Linda also gave tips to the workers cleaning the tables.

I hope you can see how thankful this lady was to receive it.

One of my favorites is when Linda gave the custodian a full bouquet of flowers.

After Linda walked away, she was so happy!

I’ll be honest and say every single one was nerve-wracking. I was just taking pictures and I was nervous for her! Several people were very untrusting and Linda had to explain what she was doing. It was all WELL out of her comfort zone but knowing she was making their day gave her courage and all of them were thankful after they understood.

I love thinking about each of these people today and how they might think back to that afternoon. All of this took her less than an hour but I’m sure they will remember it for years.

And that was just 7 of the 50! Linda has been keeping track of everything she’s done so without further adieu, here is the full list:

50 Random Acts of Kindness

1. February 5th: Two of my neighbors have been sick and I happened to hear about it, so I put together a care package for each of them and left it on their doorstep. It contained a can of chicken soup, a brightly colored mug, herbal tea, a few chocolates, because chocolate always makes you feel better, a small pack of tissues, some little rolls to go with the soup and a get well card, wrapped in a brightly colored bag.
Though both neighbors were touched, one neighbor in particular, was very touched. He has a long term illness and when I saw him the day before my ‘surprise” he was really down. I saw him the day after my “surprise” and his whole countenance was changed. A little love goes a long way! God thank you for using me! May this little act open doors for his salvation.

Click through for the full list..this is already so long!

What I’m Into – February 2013

February 28, 2013 by Amy 18 Comments

Last month I mentioned candles and have been so happy to find this scent at Bath and Body Works.

Mahogany Teakwood really should be called Abercrombie & Fitch Store. Smells just like it when you walk by!

I have another scent coming and hope to have that on the March list!

I’ll save all the books I’ve read for another post but I’m seriously into this book.

So far it’s really changed some of my perspective about prayer and looking forward to it finishing up in the next few days.

I know this one’s weird but I’ve been into recovery drinks. Last month I mentioned I’d been doing P90X.

We’ve continued through February but this month I started drinking a recovery drink afterwards. Makes such a difference! I don’t feel worn out or dehydrated anymore. The girls even like it.

I got these Lia Sophia earrings at a party recently and I just love them.

I can wear them with almost anything. Per usual, they look way better in person.

It’s interesting, I keep wanting to add some TV shows to this list because let’s face it, I’m usually into them. But really, I need a what I’m NOT into post for those. Nearly all my shows have been disappointing me lately—Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Nashville, even Modern Family! I think I’m ready to give many of them up.

One thing I have been watching but I’m not sure I’m into yet is Doctor Who.

I’ve watched 9 episodes of the first season and I’m still not hooked. Doctor Who fans, what am I doing wrong??

And finally for the techie folks, I’ve been really into the Genesis Framework for WordPress.

Which means, people, I have a brand new design waiting for you! Squee! It’s not quite ready to launch but I am just LOVING the framework. Makes designing so much easier!

What’s your favorite thing right now?

I’m linking up with LeighKramer.com