Friday Favorites!

Happy Friday!  Here are a few of my latest favorites:

Plain Jane's cards came up with homemade Valentine Kits.  Isn't this the cutest?

I LOVE this DIY pillow idea from Mel & Liza. 

We all know that I love Birchbox, but one of my favorite things lately is their hair tutorials that they do on their blog.  Check out these videos on the "party pony" and "styling second day hair:"
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Have a great weekend!

It Never Hurts To Ask

In less than two weeks, my brother is going to be married to the most incredible woman.  I can't wait for them to become husband and wife, but let's get to the really important stuff--what in the world am I going to wear?? 

Over Christmas, I was on the hunt for the perfect dress and stumbled upon the cutest, brightest cocktail dress that you ever did see.  Even better is that fact that it was 50% off!  I tried it on, did a few twirls, and decided this was the one!

A few weeks later, when Bernie and I headed up to DC to see Mary Tobin, I begged and pleaded to pop back into Neimans to see if there were any other dresses we might have missed. (I needed a rehearsal dinner dress, too, you know!)  To my shock and delight, all of the sale dresses were an additional 35-55% off!

Typically, when we buy things only to learn they're on sale, we kick ourselves and just wish we waited a few more days.  But in retail, there is a beautiful thing called a price adjustment, which states, that if something you buy goes on sale after you purchase it, within a certain amount of time, they'll adjust the price and give you the lowest price.  But you have to ask.  (You can even do it with customer service over the phone!) 

I wasn't sure if they would honor the adjustment, but I decided it was worth a try.  So I marched up to the counter, handed the woman my receipt and asked for a price adjustment.  She tinkered around, pressed a few buttons, and said, "There you are, you just saved an additional $80."

To say I was pleased was an understatement.  I was so excited.  Similar to my birthday, I did nothing to deserve the extra adjustment, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and decided I had nothing to lose by asking.

My philosophy in life is it never hurts to ask—for hotel upgrades, rental car upgrades, certain tables at restaurants, price adjustments, extra sizes in the back, extra sizes from other stores, samples—the worst thing that will happen is they'll say no, and you're left in exactly the same place.

This week, I've thought a lot about this in terms of my faith.

Sometimes I'm afraid to make my requests known to God, because I don't want to be disappointed.  I'm scared to hope, because I worry that God won't come through.  But the thing is, in the Bible, Jesus tells us to ask...

“ASK and it will be given to you; SEEK and you will find; KNOCK and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 

   Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Matthew 7:7-11

Ask...Seek...Knock.  Sounds simple, right?  

Yet, even with all the asking, seeking, and knocking, there are things that I have prayed for years and still haven't seen the answers come.  There are healings I have begged and pleaded for that never came to fruition on earth.  That's something that's hard to wrestle with and something I will never understand. 

But rather than focusing what I don't know, I want to focus on what I do know to be absolutely true:  God loves us, God hears us, and God wants to give good gifts to His children.  

Knowing that, we can confidently and boldly go to God asking, seeking, knocking, and being specific.  What do we have to lose? 

JOY!

Image via Pinterest

You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with JOY in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Psalm 16:11

Always Loved

Image via Pinterest

Sorry for my absence yesterday, for the past week or so, I've been fighting off a winter bug, and late Saturday night, the bug won.

Don't you hate being sick?  I hate feeling weak, helpless, and of no use to anyone.  Mostly, it's unsettling not to physically and emotionally feel like yourself.

The one thing in married life that has sweetened the sick pot is my wonderful husband.  Don't get me wrong, he's sweet and caring all the time, but when I'm sick, he really makes it a priority to go out of his way to take care of me.  I have no household responsibilities, I get special yummy treats from Whole Foods, and the TV is mine for the day—no Discovery documentaries for me!  (For a girl with a slight flare for the dramatic, I love that he is so quick and eager to assume the role of doctor!) 

It's incredibly freeing to see that when you're at your weakest point, there is someone who sees you at your worst—runny nose, upset stomach, and sickly eyes—and sticks around to care for you and nurse you back to health.  

At times marriage can be difficult and messy, but all the wonderful and challenging complexities marriage can bring results in something SO beautiful. 

But even more beautiful is the truth that no matter what our relationship status may be today—married, single, dating, or "it's complicated," each one of us is so wholly and dearly loved by our God that when we're physically ill, an emotional wreck, or a betraying mess, our God is faithful, constant, and does not leave our side.  He's sees all of it—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and chooses to love us no matter what.

I know I referenced this verse last week, but it is an all time favorite of mine.  One that I hear God whisper to me through tears when I feel like a complete and utter failure:

I've never quit loving you and never will.
   Expect love, love, and more love!

Jeremiah 31:3 (MSG) 

 

  "Expect love, love, and more love"...don't you love that?!

"All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you."
 Song of Solomon 4:7

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  A few favorites from the week:

I'm lucky enough to get to contribute to the Changing Seasons Blog each week with a fabulous group of women and every Friday, my friend Dee Oliver shares honest, practical advice on preparing for death.  Even though the circumstances of death and her own experience is not lighthearted, Dee has a refreshingly honest, fun, relatable tone that makes thinking about and planning for death sound doable, check out her Going Out In Style posts here. 

Bernie and I are in a "fancy food" club with a few friends in Charlottesville and this month's menu did not disappoint.  Here's the link for our "Cozy Winter Supper."  Delish!!  If you like delicious food, I definitely recommend putting together a little gourmet club, it is a blast and the wonderful people at Bon Appetit pull the whole menu together for you, event the wine recommendations!  All you have to do is know how to read a recipe!

Image from Bon Appetit

I loved Mary Elizabeth's post on Milestones & Baby Proofing. 

I somehow rediscovered Real Simple's New Uses for Old Things.  They're pretty smart, ya'll!  Like using an old toilet paper roll to store hair clips--fancy, fancy!

 

Image from Real Simple

And last but not least, my sweet friend Catherine, party planner extraordinaire, just so happens to be married to a rock star.  He was on Leno Wednesday night alongside Jennifer Garner, no big deal.  Click here to watch it on Hulu.  They're at the very end.  

Have a great weekend!

A Reason To Sing

If you know me well, you know that when I get excited/mildly obsessed about something, I make it a personal mission to share it with as many people as humanly possible...I mean, we're talking LIFE CHANGING things like the Neiman Marcus Outlet, Scout coolers, Birchbox, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, Downton Abbey, Lollia hand lotion, and even the occasional book.  I just love sharing the things I love with other people, because I just know once they try it, they'll love it too!

So this week, as I was perusing Growing in Grace, I learned about a new band called All Sons & Daughters.  I listened to their song, A Reason the Sing, saw that their latest album was only $6 and I've been hooked ever since!  Their lyrics, their heart, and their passion for more of God have touched me deeply this week.  Now, I'm just waiting for my credit card statement to reset so I can buy their first album!  Watch the song below.  I've included the lyrics as well.
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When the pieces seem to shatter
To gather off the floor
And all that seems to matter
Is that I don’t feel you anymore
No I don’t feel you anymore

I need a reason to sing
I need a reason to sing
I need to know that You’re still holding
The whole world in Your hands
I need a reason to sing

When I’m overcome by fear
And I hate everything I know
If this waiting lasts forever
I’m afraid I might let go
I’m afraid I might let go
Oh Oh Oh

I need a reason to sing
I need a reason to sing
I need to know that You’re still holding
The whole world in Your hands
I need a reason to sing

Yeah

Will there be a victory
Will You sing it over me now
Oh
Your peace is the melody
You sing it over me now
Oh Lord
Will there be a victory
Will You sing it over me now
Oh Lord

Your peace is the melody
You sing it over me now

I need a reason to sing
I need a reason to sing
I need to know that You’re still holding
The whole world in Your hands
That is a reason to sing

Don't Be Tardy For The Party

A little pic from the fabulous party.  So bummed I didn't take more!

Remember my sweet friend Catherine who turned 27 on the 27th last year?  Well, last week, in honor of my birthday, my sweet, beautiful friend,  flawlessly executed a fabulous little tapas party for me. 

If you know Catherine, you know that her middle name might as well be "hostess with the mostest."  Ya'll, she is SO gifted. 

To prepare for the party, she arranged beautiful flowers, cut magnolia for her front porch planters, made incredible sangria, researched my favorite dessert, AND threw together some tasty tapas. 

She also decided that hosting a party was a great time to pull her house together and finally got around to making (yes, making) a beautiful headboard in their bedroom and sewed some fabric to go over her decorator's table in the main room.  

If that wasn't enough, she also organized the invites and instructed the guests to each bring a tapa and wear cocktail dresses (I just LOVE an excuse to be fancy!)   

I can't tell you how loved I felt.  If you're lucky enough to have a friend in your life like Catherine, one that you SO don't deserve, you know what I'm talking about. 

The week before the party, I kept asking her what I could do, and she would always reply, "Nothing, it's your party.  All you have to do is show up."   

So that's what I did.  I showed up and the party was amazing!  I don't think I'll ever be able to thank Catherine enough and fully convey how much her extravagant labor of love meant to me. 

Since then, I've been thinking a lot about the party and if you really look at it, there's nothing that I did to earn or deserve such a lovely party.  A birthday party isn't a party because you did anything—it's not fueled by getting married, having a baby,  graduating, or retiring.  It's a party simply because you were born, and I really didn't have any control over my birth—one day, I was just born.

Similarly, there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve God's lavish, abundant love for us.  We are so undeserving, but God, so rich is He in mercy, chooses to love us, in spite of ourselves.  Each day, He's ready to throw us a party using only the best of the best and there's nothing we can do; we can't even bring anything.  All we have to do is show up.  Talk about an incredible gift!

He brought me to the banqueting house,
      And his banner over me was love. 

Song of Songs 2:4 (NKJV)    

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)

I've never quit loving you and never will.
   Expect love, love, and more love!

Jeremiah 31:3 (MSG)