Pictures from Melinda's Wedding

Here is a slideshow of pictures from Melinda's wedding.  We had a wonderful time and were so happy to be able to share in their special day and she of course was GORGEOUS!!

Melinda - the bride

So, Melinda is married!!!  Melinda and Patrick were married Saturday evening in Hattiesburg, MS.  These pictures are from our bridal shoot in November on my grandfather's farm.  Melinda had printed out eight photos and had them around the reception site.  One of the photos in the slideshow was blown up and used as her main bridal picture beside the wedding cake.  The photographer was very gracious and did a little photoshopping to the picture and blew it up.






I will hopefully be able to update about the wedding (with a few pictures) in the next couple of days.  Enjoy!!

I. Love. Magazines.

I know that the internet is taking over and pretty soon some printed materials will be obsolete.  But, I am doing my darndest to keep magazines out of that grave site.  I love magazines.  I'm not sure if its that I love getting mail or what.  Honestly, I didn't realize my obsession until I had dozens of food and decorating magazines.  Then one day I had an idea; why not just keep the pages that I liked, found informative, etc and make my own "magazine?"  So that's what I did with all of my cooking magazines.  I spent a couple hours one weekend and pulled out all of the recipes that I liked, thought I might light, might one day like to try or basic recipes that I should probably just have on hand.  This project has become one of my favorites. Love getting my new magazines in the mail and scouring them for possible recipes.  I have pulled so many that I had to expand to TWO binders.  One is for main foods (categorized by type of meal, then by type of meat) and one is for desserts, appetizers and drinks.  My obsession has not slowed down and in fact has probably gotten worse.

One of my new favorite magazines is SHAPE.  I somehow managed to get a free year subscription and I'm hooked.  There are wonderful workout routines to try and information about food that really is beneficial to me.

And if you have been following this blog at all, you know how much renovation has been going on at our house.  The more our house is becoming a home - the more I want to decorate.

So, my new projects are going to be to create a binder for all my health related articles and one for all my design inspirations.

Then I get to keep them and update them in my new office!!

Old master bedroom to new office

So, I wanted to share one of my Christmas presents!  David spent a lot of time getting our front room (now our office) into shape for me for Christmas.  He also began working on re-finishing an old desk to put our new computer on!!  So, we almost have a complete office.  Well, there is still a little bit of work to be done on the room - all the trim has to be caulked and painted.  I am just so excited about how things are looking - I wanted to share now!

The first picture below is looking into the room from the door.  I shot at this angle to show that we took away some of the space in this room and added a closet (and left room for the master closet)

The second and third pictures are just more views in the room to show the space.  The closet still needs to be finished (sanding, mudding and paint).  The door and the trim needs to be painted and primed.

The picture to the left is of the entry way into the office and master bedroom.  Where the brick is exposed - we are going to put in shelves.  You will still be able to see the brick, but we want to make the space functional.  Choosing a color for this area was a little difficult because there was no way to transition the color from one of the dining room walls to the area.  So, we (David) picked out the brown and decided to paint the small hallway as well as the adjoining face of the dining room.

I really like the way the color choice turned out.  The picture below is looking into the dining/living room area from the kitchen.  I am so excited to finally see progress on the house and really feel like I am living in a beautiful home!!

click here to see what the room looked like before we began all of the demolition

New Years Resolutions

I tend not to make New Year's Resolutions.  I really am not sure why that is, but this year I am making an intentional decision to make resolutions and do my best to keep them.  One of the best ways I think I can be held accountable is to write them out here, in the blogosphere, and be kept accountable when I start to slack off.  So here we go.  Many may seem cliche but they are honestly things that I want to work on.  I'm sure there are others that can be added, but I don't want to overwhelm myself and then fail at them all.  :)

1.  to eat healthy and to workout to BE healthy (not for the purpose of being skinny) - this will perhaps be the hardest for me because it is more of a change in the way I think than the way I act.  I have been eating healthier in the past 6 months than I probably ever have.  I have been working out and thinking of ways that I can workout more.  I have been encouraging people to try new workout videos and games.  All in the hopes of being skinny.  And what has it gotten me?  Exhaustion and no weight loss AT ALL.  Last year I gained approximately 15 lbs (maybe more) from the beginning of the year to the end.  All my little tricks that used to help me drop pounds isn't working anymore.  I'm tired.  I'm tired of focusing on the little bit of flab around my midsection and my imperfect thighs. 
I feel good when I work out.  I feel healthy.  That's what I want to focus on.  I want to not get tired walking up the 4 flights of stairs to work.

2. I want to read my Bible more and I want to pray more - I have to be honest, I used to be good at this.  I used to read my Bible and spend time praying every single day.  Then one day I woke up and felt like it wasn't doing me any good; I was talking to the ceiling and reading words that didn't really apply to me.  So, I stopped.  I thought that I would miss that routine that I had so "perfected."  But, I didn't.  I didn't miss talking to the ceiling.  I didn't miss reading just words.
I have come to realize that while I did feel like I was in a routine - there were also times when I knew God was speaking to me (whether through prayer or reading His word) and where I felt an immeasurable peace.  That's what I desire.  That's what I want back.  I want to know what God has in store for my life and I really can't find that if I am not spending time with Him.  I am thankful for a church that encourages our struggles and finds ways to help develop these habits.  Cross Point has begun a 31 day challenge.  Reading a chapter of Proverbs a day for each day in January.  31 chapters in Proverbs is perfect for the 31 days in January.  This is my first goal - to participate in this challenge each and every day (not letting 4 days pass and catching up).  A blog has been set up where members of the church staff will put their insights from the daily reading.  If this is an area that you struggle in, like I do, please join us!!  One of the things that stood out to me from today's reading was not found in the text of Proverbs 1, but in the notes in my Life Application Bible and that is "Wisdom is the mind of God revealed"

3.  Read more - I love fiction books.  I absolutely adore being transported to a different time and place.  But I have quit reading.  I think a lot of it has to do with resolution #4.  I'm not sure my wonderful husband will be to big of a fan of this resolution.  :)  I tend to literally get lost in a book.  I can tune out pretty much anything that is going on around me and don't like to be bothered until I am at a stopping place.  I sometimes sacrifice quality time with David to finish the next chapter.  So this resolution is two-fold -> read more, but remember what is more important in life - relationships

4.  Watch less TV - Television is a very easy vacation from the realities of life.  I think this is why so many people (me included) get sucked in and watch way more television than anyone should.  I grew up in the country in central MS.  In the summer, it is blazing hot.  In the winter, it is (mostly) pretty chilly.  All of which are not ideal and since it is too far to go into town just to poke around, television becomes your friend.  I think this routine has made its way into my adult life.  I can sit down in the den and turn the tv on "just for noise" and next thing I know 4 hours has passed and it's time to go to bed and I have not done anything.  I don't want this.  I want to cultivate my creativity.  I want to invest in my relationships.  This is going to be hard for me.  Some of the shows that I get invested in are starting up again in January (Biggest Loser, Burn Notice, Lost, So You Think You Can Dance, Survivior).  Somehow I am going to have to decide which shows are disposable and spend time on other activities.  This is going to be a tough one for me.

So, wow, this post is a lot longer than I ever intended, but it feels good to open up and put it all on the table.

What are your New Year's Resolutions?


and also, What are some good books for me to read in 2010?