thursday's ten: choose your own adventure...

um.  it's been WEEKS since i've posted.  so today's thursday's ten is going to be a choose your own adventure.  each number is something i need to tell you about/update you on.  so...comment with a number or two and that will determine which order i go in!





1.  our housing situation...the amazing God-story
2.  anthony's job
3.  my new job(s)
4.  the recipes i've been trying lately
5.  how much weight i ACTUALLY lost on the diet :D
6.  wedding updates
7.  our indiana shower
8.  pinterest ideas that i've actually used
9.  women of faith in atlanta
10.  our friend's visit this weekend

SO.  all will be talked about (geez, i'd better get to typing), you just choose which ones first :D

and...yeah.  i promise i will get to my google reader now and start commenting on all your lovely blogs that i have truly missed SO MUCH.  in my defense i've been moving for the last 2 weeks and just got internet TODAY at the new place.  :-)

thursday's ten: summer movie edition

so.  i haven't been to the movies since...
um, i don't remember. i do remember that i went with natasha, and that we laughed and laughed at inappropriate things...
right.
bridesmaids.
(a sometimes inappropriate but hilarious and somehow redeeming movie.  do i recommend?  depends on who you are ;-)

and before THAT?
i have NO idea what the last movie in the theater was.

so.

here's a short list (because there are probably more) of recent-ish movies
that i would like to see.  sooner rather than later
(hey, the good news is that we're moving about 2 miles away from the only $1.50 theater in the area...so that's cool)


1.  the help. 
but...i need to read the book first!  anyone local have a copy i can borrow?  i'm pretty sure the library will have a waiting list a mile long...perhaps i should just break down and buy it ;-)
2.  mr poppers penguins
i know, i know.  i'm a dork.  but...it's PENGUINS.  and the book is adorable, so why not the movie?
3.  water for elephants
(yeah, i told you it had been awhile...)
4.  cars 2
but of course!
5.  midnight in paris
why?  because it's paris...and critics actually like it so i'm willing to give it a chance
6.  captain america
because no.one.will.shut.up.about.it so now i'm curious :-)
7.  something borrowed
because my sisters in law REALLY wanted to go see it together and we never did...so i'm planning to have them over to watch it as soon as i get moved ;-)
8.  the adjustment bureau
because i'm a sucker for movies like this
9.  cedar rapids
because it looks stupid funny
10.  happythankyoumoreplease
because the storyline looks intriguing

what about you?  have you seen any of these?  tell me whether you think they're a must-see, a horrible waste of time, or somewhere in between.  and of course, if you have any recent movie recommendations please share them! full disclosure is that i had to look up recent movies to even come up with half this list, so i probably NEED to be told the good movies out there! :D

PLEASE feel free to play along!

thursday's ten: in a trail mix...

there is a POINT to this post, i promise.  i'll let you in on the secret tomorrow ;-)




items i would put in my create-your-own trail mix

1.  granola.  and i have a fantastic recipe for that...i should share it here sometime soon!
2.  dried fruit. cranberries have always been a particular favorite of mine :-)
3.  m&ms.  gotta have a little crunchy chocolate, right?
4.  nuts.  i am a particular fan of cashews.
5.  shaved coconut.  ok, *i* wouldn't put this in, but would you?
6.  dried ginger.  nom, nom.
7.  sunflower or pumpkin seeds.  nice crunch and added flavor
8.  wasabi peas.  mmmm, i LOVE spice
9.  peanut butter, butterscotch or chocolate chips (heavy on the butterscotch...)
10. pretzels (mini)

mmmkay, obviously those all wouldn't go in the same one... ;-)

please play along.  what would YOU put in a trail mix if provided all the ingredients?

thursday's ten: stuff i HAVE done for the wedding...

it's easy to get a bit overwhelmed at this stage
thinking of all that we have left to do
all the money we still don't have
(yikes)

so today's ten is all about what is DONE for the wedding.

1.  i have a DRESS.  hey, that's a big one :-)
2.  bridesmaid dress is also chosen, and everyone has ordered.  truth be told, i assumed we would have several dresses in the same material...but the SAME dress looked fantastic on everyone.  so i got my secret wish of having a matching bridal party!  it's the little things :)

what, you want a picture?  ok.

i was fortunate enough that all my nashville girls, including the flower girl, were able to come to the shop the night i made my final decision.  and anthony's mom & aunts, and my cell group girls.  it was a BIG party :D

here we all are:

ok...NOT.  that's actually from awkwardfamilyphotos.com
i can't show you MY dress.  my fiance does read this blog and doesn't want to have any idea.
but i can show you a couple of my girls :)

(mandy, hailey and kat)

 (laura, flower girl israel and natasha)

(ok, flower girl izzy by herself.  her dress will be red as well, by the way)

3.  reserved venues for the ceremony and reception
4.  secured our minister for the day, one of the most Godly men we know
5.  chose our photographer
6.  decided what to do about reception food.  this was especially hard.  wanting to step up slightly from nuts and mints and yet not break the bank was a challenge!
7.  created the wording for our invitation...now to order them ;)
8.  created a save the date.  we're collecting all the email addresses now for them.  yeah, we're a bit behind on the invitation and save the date bit.  eh.
9.  booked our engagement photo session
10.  at least have a cake PERSON...now to choose the cake!

oh, there is SO much more to do.  but at least i can breathe a bit easier knowing what's DONE! :-D

thursday's ten: wedding cakes, oh my

we're getting into the nitty-gritty wedding details now
like, well, what in the WORLD do i want to do with the cake?
i know that the main color of the wedding will be deep red, so it would make sense to have red accents.
i know i don't want a topper (at least not a bride/groom one)
i know i'll be carrying lilies
and i know i want it to be classic with an edge

and i canNOT find anything that screams at me
a friend is making the cake
so i can pretty much tell her exactly what i want
i just don't have a clue what that is!

here are a few that i've found.  all photos from google search.


1.
i LOVE the detail.  branches, birds...i don't think i would want quite this elaborate for myself, but i like the idea a LOT.

2.
very simple, but elegant...i almost think it's TOO simple though.

3.
something is off with this cake for me.  perhaps it's the width of the ribbon or the flowers on top that neither match in color or style...but it has some real potential

4.
i like the idea more than the execution, but it's a pretty rocking idea

5.
change the poinsettias to lilies and let's talk.  maybe.

6.

something doesn't quite match up here for me, but it's so fun!

7.

i wish, i wish i could see the whole cake.  but i really like the delicate beauty of what i see.  

8.

now THIS, with red accent flower and possibly a couple of other changes has true potential

9. isn't this fun?!  changing to multi-color would make me happy.  it would be all vintage and cool...but i don't know how expensive all that detail would be!

10.

i really like the white ribbon here, and the leaves are gorgeous.  quite nice, actually.  i don't know if i DO have a complaint here, i just don't know if it's "the" cake

 
maybe i should just give up and have this cake?
(it's a wedding cake made entirely of little debbie snack cakes.  um...hello!)

help me out!  did you have an amazing cake or have you attended a wedding that included one?  i'd love to see more pictures...

thursday's ten: apartment hunting edition

 ohhhh, this weekend will be fun
and i actually mean that :-)
although we will be exhausted to be sure

we're heading out saturday to begin apartment hunting
we have a comprehensive list
with amenities of each unit, community, and special features
and the price range of each place

and we're organizing all of them in order of our "on paper...er, spreadsheet" preferences

we've been SHOCKED that in our price range there are actually some really nice (we hope!) places out there
and since we feel like we have options
i thought i'd put a little wishlist out there :-)

now, we may find the PERFECT place that's missing one or more of these elements
but as of right now...here's the list.  at least from my end :-)



1.  outdoor space.  i need a place to sit outside, a spot to grow things in, even if it's patio tomatoes.  i can get creative with a raised bed on an apartment balcony if i need to :-)  ideally our hammock would fit, but that's not a necessity.  i'm pretty sure we could "loan" it to someone in a spot where we could use it ourselves as well :-)
2.  a decent sized kitchen, or at least one with enough cabinet and counter space.  since we both love good food and cooking, and i LOVE entertaining, this is actually pretty crucial.  we'd love to at least have one that opens out into an adjacent space so that it doesn't feel completely closed off!
3.  washer/dryer connections.  i already have a w/d, so there's NO reason we should have to pay for laundry somewhere.
4.  an extra little closet (or in a perfect world a big enough utility area...and we've actually found a couple of floor plans that have that IN our price range!) so that we can stash emi's litterbox away from main traffic flow.
5.  space.  we're looking for the largest square footage in a decent layout for the money.  and we've been encouraged so far!  we're hoping to not have to rent any more storage facilities than i already have!  since we're planning on selling a fair amount of our furniture, that should be doable.
6.  stairs.  emi would be lost without them :-)  and i feel like if we could get a townhouse we would FEEL like we had more privacy, ya know?
(this is obviously the one on the list that is the lowest priority.  but seriously.  we've found a few options that as long as we like the community would be GREAT)
7.  a bathtub.  oh, how i miss taking a nice long hot bath every now and then.  i have a fantastic shower where i am...but i miss.my.tub!
(thankfully that one's pretty standard, but i still want to include it.  because i miss it that much.  ha!)
8.  light.  at least big windows, even if they are few.  i can't stand to feel like i'm in a dark cave, so i'd like as much natural light as possible. 
9.  a 2nd bedroom to be used for girls nights, guest room and office.  i have been told that i get to choose the decor all by myself if we end up getting an apartment with 2 bedrooms, and believe me ladies and gentlemen...i have a PLAN.
10. a walk in closet.  ok, so this is on my list and i seriously doubt that anthony has even considered it.  but in looking at floor plans, most of them actually have walk-ins, so...why not? :-)

every place we've looked at has the good amenities such as pool and fitness center, strangely enough.  so i don't have that on the list, or the fact that in some areas of town we'd prefer a gated community...because all the ones we're looking at in those areas actually are gated.

so...hopefully by this time next week we'll have our list narrowed down! and i'm totally excited.  i get to pick out a place to live with my (future) HUSBAND!  this is the first time i becomes "we" in the decision making process about anything besides the wedding itself.  :-)

thursday's ten: national day of prayer edition

in honor of today's national day of prayeri thought i would showcase a few written-down prayers
that have sustained time and denomination
speaking a heart's cry to our God for generations

isn't it amazing?  while the words of some are much more flowery than i've ever used...it's amazing how in tune they are with where i find myself at times.




Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.
I worship you as my first beginning.
I long for you as my last end.
I praise you as my constant helper,

 - Clement XI

- Mother Teresa

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

- John Wesley

Hallowed by Your name, Lord. Do whatever it takes to be holy in my life. Take your rightful place on the throne. Exalt yourself. Magnify yourself. Glorify yourself. You be Lord, and I'll be quiet.

- Max Lucado

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

-  St Patrick

Come, Lord Jesus, and abide in my heart. How grateful I am to realize that the answer to my prayer does not depend on me at all. As I quietly abide in You and let Your life flow into me, what freedom it is to know that the Father does not see my threadbare patience or insufficient trust, rather only Your patience, Lord, and Your confidence that the Father has everything in hand. In Your faith I thank You right now for a more glorious answer to my prayer than I can imagine. Amen.

 - Catherine Marshall

Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.

 - St Augustine

May the power of your love, Lord Christ, fiery and sweet as honey, so absorb our hearts as to withdraw them from all that is under heaven. Grant that we may be ready to die for love of your love, as you died for love of our love.

- St Francis

Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Living God,
you breathe in us
on all that is inadequate and fragile,
You make living water spring even
from our hurts themselves.
And through you, the valley of tears
becomes a place of wellsprings.
So, in an inner life
with neither beginning nor end,
your continual presence
makes new freshness break through. Amen.

- Brother Roger of Taize

O God of Second Chances and new Beginnings, here I am again.

- Nancy Spiegelberg

thursday's ten: things that make me go "huh?"

today's ten list


is one of those not-so-rare glimpses into my mind
where i'm a little baffled by the environment around me. for example

1. the royal wedding is not only trending on twitter, it's a promoted trend. do they NEED any more promotion? and who exactly is getting the proceeds there?!
2. on my least favorite kids show that finn likes: teacher suzie never comes up with her own lesson plans. she always waits for a 3 year old to do it. AND she's clearly a failed singer. she must live in nashville. the "big thing" she does for her kids every day is perform a song for them. i'm sorry, but most 3 year olds wouldn't sit still for half those songs.
3. storms have devastated the southeast, yet we're more concerned with a royal wedding. it's not that i don't wish them well, and it's not that i may not tune in to see the dress at least, but let's give a little bit of recognition to those suffering in georgia and alabama (among others). the death toll is over 200 as of right now.
(and it totally reminds me of last year when nashville flooded and the only news was that of a bomb threat in nyc that turned out not to be for real after all. is it any wonder i get irritated with media priority?!)
4. why are people so fascinated by trash tv? i'll just leave it at that...because i don't want to give any more recognition than these shows already have.
5. is it just me or are allergies WAY worse this year than most here in mid-TN? i want to chop my sinuses out on a daily basis.
6. why on earth do people participate in those copy and paste statuses on facebook?  you know the ones.  "it's CAT week!  if you have a cat who makes your life better, please post this in your status."
and people DO.
7.  on the facebook/twitter subject...do people not read what they write?  like, ever?  i so often want to bring my red correction pen to facebook with me...
(and yes i know i type without capital letters, but at least i KNOW i'm doing it.  i know how to type correctly.  and i apologize if it drives any of you crazy :-)
8.  i know, i know, i KNOW that whole wheat pasta is better for you.  but i don't get it.  how can you all stand eating cardboard?!  gimme my white pasta and i'll just eat less of it.
9.  the "end of the world" billboards.  if you haven't seen them, you don't live in the south. ;)
10. fast food restaurants that serve way too many options.  like fish at a burger place.  i don't trust mcdonalds to do a good fish sandwich, sorry.  and i heart mcdonalds, for real.

thursday's ten: if i were gonna buy an easter dress...

(which i'm not)...
but IF i were




here are 10 options that i would most definitely consider :)

1-4 from anthropologie

5 - 6
from victorias secret

7. from j crew

8. from ann taylor

9. from ann taylor loft

10. from new york & co

what about you?  what's on your dress wish list?
(i'm not getting one...because a wedding dress is on the horizon.  and a rehearsal dinner dress.  and a party dress for the girls night before.  no need for an easter dress too...)

thursday's ten: registry, registry

sorry for the late start today...it's been a crazy morning already :)

today's 10 is back in the wedding swing of things: things we're registering for
(i almost made a top 10 list of things finn plays with that are not toys.  like the water bottle he's been obsessed with for the last 10 minutes.  cracking.me.up.)

<center><a href="http://lorablogs.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/msmsctchr/tt-1.jpg" /></a></center>

(all these can be found on the websites of one of the three places we're registering...williams-sonoma, bed bath & beyond and target.  oh if ONLY ikea were near here...)

1. stand mixer.  of course.

2. food processor (haven't selected the brand/model yet)

3. something to make the office space a little more fun/funky.  like this lamp.

or this one

or this one (floor lamp)

4. a slipcover for his sleeper sofa...for the guest room/office

5. an air mattress (for camping AND guests.  wait, did i just write "camping"?  yikes.)

6. fluffy towels!

7. good knives (any advice on brand there??)

8. fun casserole dishes

9. a toaster oven

10. a vacuum cleaner.  because the two we have are kinda crap. (and by "crap" i mean mine sucks some stuff up and his sucks up less)

and of course, fabulous sheets. :-)

what was on your registry that you're glad you added?
what was on your registry that you didn't need after all?