For the love of {icy blue}

Normally in the winter I am all about bright, warm hues to bring life and heat back into the cold, dreary world. I crave bold colors and rich textures and warmth. But sometimes you just have to embrace the cold and take your inspiration from what's going on outside you. Find your hues in the snow and ice and pale wintry skies. I'm majorly inspired by this icy blue, aren't you?

Images via: nordstrom, photowall, the chic department, you broke the internet, blue eyed boutique

{new} years that ask and answer

This year.

This year has stretched and challenged me. 

This long hard year has grown me and it has shattered me. 

I am broken and I am better. I am braver and lonelier. I am face down in prayer and I am stretched high in worship. I am questioning and yet I am answered. 

The year ahead is looming now, full of unanswered questions and frightening realities. It is pressing in with whys and hows and wheres and whens. 

And yet, in the quietest moments, there is peace.

In the tiniest answers, there is hope.

In the hardest questions, the deepest pain,the most frightening moments of desperate longing and aching and fear, I am answered by the still small voice of the One who knows my pain. 

In His presence I am healed. In His Spirit I am comforted, encouraged, renewed. 

In the year ahead I will continue to break. And I will continue to heal. I will continue to seek and someday, somehow I will find. This year will answer, or the one after that. And little by little the questions will fade, and little by little new ones will arise to take their place. 

Year by year by year, questions and answers unending.

"But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more."

Psalm 71:14

Here's to a new year. May its questions and answers draw you ever closer to hope.

Images via: {soliloquy}, pinterest

Merry {weekend before} Christmas!

Have a truly stupendous Christmas holiday! 

Images via: john lewis, 100 layer cake, pinterest, common ground

{christmas-time}

This weekend it is definitely, officially Christmas time! We're finally getting around to finding (and decorating) the perfect tree and going to our first holiday party of the season!

The weather has decided to warm up a bit, which doesn't sound very Christmas-y but will allow us to finally put some lights up on the house! 

I've been getting in the spirit by crafting and wrapping and lighting candles every night. And by eating way too many mint m&ms and buying holiday throw pillows and ribbons. And singing carols all day long. 

Oh, and we've also been frantically remodeling the guest bathroom in one last mad effort to get it done before the holiday company is upon us!
I hope your weekend is full to the brim with Christmas time cheer!

Images via: stay rustic, serendipitous wanderings, chrysta

{just another wednesday}

This week has brought us an icy, frozen storm! With temperatures reaching 10 below, we're huddling up inside with coffee. I am feeling incredibly blessed because we manged to get our heater fixed just hours before the temperatures dropped! As long as it's toasty inside I am enthralled with the magic of the falling snow and frozen temps! 

This week is also bringing a visit from my youngest nephew (oh, and his parents, too) and also a lot of re-organizing and re-arranging of furniture! Gotta make room for the Christmas tree! I'm also working a lot trying to catch up from my time off last week and finally getting around to hanging some pictures and painting a few rooms!

How is it that the busier I get, the more I feel I can take on and accomplish? It's some weirdly inverse time relationship that I can't quite seem to figure out, but I'm willing to enjoy the bursts of energy and feelings of accomplishment while they last! I think part of it is just the joy of this season gives me more hustle and bustle than usual! 

If you need me, I'll be guzzling hot coffee topped with whipped cream and merrily sweeping the floor in preparation for pulling out all the holiday stops! 

Have a happy Wednesday!

Images via: casa vogue, haute look, loubis and champagne

{december}

Welcome, December! May you be white and sparkling and full of family, feasts, and flurries galore!

Images via: wasabi sabi, voyeur chic, for emma, moglio 

{abide with me}

It's a dark and cloudy Wednesday afternoon. We're expecting snow tomorrow and I'm planning to start up a roaring fire tonight. I have pumpkin pies to bake and loads and loads of laundry to do. 

As Fall teeters on the brink of Winter and we teeter on the brink of the holiday season I am swirling with ideas and possibilities for gifts and crafts and recipes and decor. I am plotting and planning away, trying to force myself to wait until after Thanksgiving to start truly embracing Christmas. Clinging somewhat idly to the last few crunching leaves and sunny afternoons. Embracing traditions and hearty stews and the last calm before the busy seasonal storm. 

Enjoy this waning Wednesday!

Images via: elfsacks, indoors/outdoors, of hearth and home, splendid sass

{weekend}

Snow is pouring down in thick blankets of soothing white. I have a million chores to do, a thousand places to go, and a hundred things I'm behind on. 

But all I want to do is cuddle up with something warm to drink and something good to read. 

When I get overwhelmed by my struggle between work and play, discipline and relaxation, I just have to take a minute to remind myself that other people are not going to be nearly as hard on me as I am on myself. There's no one to impress today and no one is going to make me feel guilty if I don't get everything done.

I hope you have a wonderful, perfectly balanced weekend! Don't be too hard on yourself!

Happy {holidays} Weekend!

Phillip and I are leaving tomorrow for our long-awaited holiday! We're going to Farmington for a baby shower and Christmas, then on to Albuquerque for our anniversary, several parties, and finally, but perhaps most importantly, my brother's wedding! 

I can't wait to spend so much time with our loved ones. I can't wait to hand out gifts, to sing carols by the fire, to have long heart to hearts and to party, party, party!

I am so thankful at this time of year to be able to spend time with family celebrating the birth of our Savior. His blessings are so abundant and His grace overflows on me, and I am so grateful. 

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend, a wonderful holiday season, and a merry, merry Christmas!

For the love of {plaid}

There is nothing quite as warm as a soft flannel plaid. Just this morning I was reminiscing about a certain plaid flannel shirt that I gave away last year. What was I thinking? Plaid is just so perfectly toasty and festive for this time of year. I can't decide if I prefer the bright, traditional red or the more muted green and navy. Right now I'm crushing on both. So if you're still looking for a Christmas gift for me, consider yourself  thoroughly informed. 

I'm off to wrap up in a plaid throw and sort my laundry. Have a toasty day! 

Happy {president's} Monday!

I was going to take lots of pictures of my weekend in Aspen. I was going to show you the pretty little town, the gorgeous mountains, the adorable snow sculptures, the good food, and the fabulous company.

Unfortunately, I didn't.

It was toooo cold to take my gloves off for even one second to snap pictures! I took ONE picture:

Here you can see my in-laws strolling along, some of the pretty brick street, the twinkling lights, and a snow elephant. Also a man in bright green ski pants. 

But aside from being super duper cold, we had a blast hanging around with our parents, shopping in the extra snooty shops, admiring tons and tons of fur, eating, hot-tubbing, and coffee drinking. 

Now we're back home, my mother-in-law is in a week-long class, Phillip and his dad are working on the car, and I'm drinking more coffee. 

I hope your weekend was warmer than mine!

Happy President's Day! 

Happy {early} Weekend and a Giveaway!

It's been snowing non-stop for the last twelve hours at least, making last week's post about a snow day look like child's play. They say we could have as much as eighteen inches by the time this lets up tomorrow. 

The entire base is shut down for the day, but Phillip's out riding around in a snow plow, taking pictures and interviewing the guys with that lovely job for a story.

So much cold weather makes me one happy girl!

This is a day that calls for an extra-large cup of coffee topped with whipped cream and a tiny drizzle of chocolate sauce. 

Today these are a few of my favorite things!

My new primroses make me smile every time I walk by the table.

And I've been whipping up bunches of gorgeous silk poppies in the brightest, happiest colors!

They accidentally look like a heart - how very appropriate for February!

(And FYI, the yellow and red and orange are much brighter in person, I don't know why only the blue photographed well. Could it be my camera phone is not 100% accurate?!)

I've seen multiple tutorials for this kind of fabric flower on the internet, and yesterday this pin reminded me that I picked up about five yards of gorgeous silky material for about a dollar at a garage sale! 

But now, for my question of the day:

What should I do with all of these silk poppies? 

I have a few ideas, including saving them for an as yet un-engaged friend's wedding, but I could use some new ideas! 

So here's the giveaway:

Leave me a comment with a new and creative idea for how you would use these poppies, including what color you like best , and I'll pick my favorite idea, make it, and send one to that smart person! 

Isn't that a brilliant idea! Pick-your-own giveaway!

It was all Katya, actually. You can thank her!

So chime in with your ideas in the next week and I'll pick a winner on Wednesday, February 8th. I'd like to be able to get the prize to you as a Valentine's day gift, but we'll see. It might depend on how complicated your ideas are! 

Good luck, and Happy Weekend!

Baby, it's cold outside

Brrr, it's such a cold, cold day! 

We had snow yesterday, and while the sun is now shining brightly, the temperature has yet to rise above twenty degrees. It's definitely a baking, tea-drinking, cuddle up in a warm sweater kind of day. Phillip has class tonight from 6-10, so I'll be on my own reading Adam Bede and watching girly movies. 

What are your plans for this bright, white Tuesday?

Happy {winter} Weekend!

It's a three day weekend, ya'll!

At least for us.

I have been dying to go snow-shoeing for about a month now, and I'm hoping to make those dreams come true this weekend! If I can't, I'll have to be content with a trip to the Mile High Marketplace and maybe a big cup of coffee, which would really be almost as good! We're having a double-date/game night tonight with some fun friends and I have to get to making garlic bread and salad to take over there for dinner. 

What are your weekend plans? Curl up by the fire or get out and face the big, beautiful world? Why not some of each! 

Have a wonderful winter weekend!