little lamps

it's day 38 of above 100 degree weather in texas. picture the scene from wizard of oz with the wicked witch melting...that's what i feel like.

one way i try to keep cool is by closing all my windows and relying on simple lamps in my room for light. (note: i would much rather sit in a semi-dark room with natural light than having to bear the fake-yellowish tint from lamps...anyone else feel me on that one? one of my college roommates thought i had a weird thing for dark rooms.)

one of my favorite lamps in my room is a blue vintage teacup lamp. it has added it's little charm to the 3 different houses i occupied in college.

just look at this anthro teacup lamp. it's sublime.

one blogger created her own rendition of the lamp. (plus a DIY "how-to").

"i will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; i will counsel you with my loving eye on you."

psalm 32:8

woven chains

you know what's the best news to hear in the entire world? when classes are canceled. yes, texas has been experiencing an arctic freeze. and that is not an understatement. we texans just don't know how to cope with any temperature that falls below freezing.

but with that big freeze has brought freedom from several classes, lots of cups of hot cocoa, and sleepovers with friends who lost all power. and it's also really fun to shout how cold it is at the top of your lungs whenever you have to go outside.

when i saw this bracelet, it made my day a little warmer. i am in l o v e with that picture. i wish i could reach in that picture, snag them, and wear them all the time. and guess what, you can make the woven one all by yourself with these instructions. now go.

“but i will sing of your strength, in the morning i will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

psalm 59:16

portable fire pit

one of my favorite things about winter is sitting so close to a warm fire that it feels like your back is going to burn right off. how wonderful is this little guy? it's a hand-crafted portable fire pit. you can even make one yourself with this easy guide on karen's website. happy crafting!

"he defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing."

deuteronomy 10:18

world wide web of pumpkins

i hope your halloween was spook-tacular. since i am without a camera charger, i did not take any pictures for my weekend of camping. so i am waiting to post until i have pics from friends.

so here are some pumpkins from around the blogging world in celebration of halloween and fall.

(via unruly things)

(via design*sponge)

(via hither and thither)

(via me)

'come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!"

proverbs 7:18

dudecrafting

how marevelous. a guy made an old ladder into a new bookshelf.

who says dudes can't craft? this guy proves it's possible through his ultra-manly blog.

"great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble."

psalm 119:165

pretty pretty pencils

it's time to get crafty and spruce up my pens and pencils with this little idea from free people. after all, it would make note-taking in class far more interesting.

"but may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, 'let God be exalted!'"

psalm 70:4

weekend = success!

this weekend was good. fun times with with friends and lots of laughter.

it began with the grease sing-a-long. and oh boy, was it well worth that $10.50 you have to pay at northpark. my cousin emily and i could NOT control our laughter. it was just too good to be true: a bunch of people packed in a movie theater, singing their hearts out, and attempting to mimic the hand motions.

oh i wish i could post the video i snuck because it is just TOO good! but dear blogger.com thinks the file is too large for my posting.

saturday i got to spend some time with my sweet friend julie who was in town for the weekend. after a delish lunch at breadwinners, we came upon this funky place and created our very own, one-of-a-kind friendship bracelets. it was so so fun and i highly recommend it to anyone feeling especially crafty. the great thing was, it was cheap! my bracelet set me back a whopping $8.50!!

looks like a million bucks, huh?

lastly i leave you with a snippet of this band that did a little gig at my church saturday night. let me tell you, they were ultra cool! (need i mention they are from california!) my dad was so inspired, he purchased not 1, not 2, but THREE of their cd's.

"he said: "o Lord, God of israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way."

2 chronicles 6:14

the pilot of all blogs

i'm going to call this the pilot of my blog postings.

life is too short to get caught up in busy days and forget about the simple pleasures of life. so this blog is dedicated to all the simple days, simple moments, and simple times in my life when i can sit back and soak in this beautiful life i am blessed with.

today my friend Kenzie Chesnut and i decided to make the most of this memorial day weekend and get crafty. with kenzie's initial idea and my knack with crafting supplies, we got to work. somehow our little project turned out to be quite a time-consuming event. but the result was two cute shabby-chic-and-athro-worthy earring holders that even martha stewart would be proud of.

inspired? in awe? moved to make your own? i thought so.

continuing our day of making the most of life, we decided to rent this documentary:

sounded like the perfect film to watch while we were crafting...until we realized it was in spanish with only english subtitles. determined to make it work, we tried taking turns narrating the movie, only to realize that crafting and following intense storylines does NOT work.

due to my thrill of creating this blog, i am now desperately trying to follow what could be a life changing film.

"but we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth."

2 thessalonians 2:13