Spring sprung into our house!

Yesterday, I woke up (as I usually do) and drug myself down stairs to start a pot of coffee. Then to my surprise I found that Spring had sprung into our house! I was shocked, but overcome with happiness all at the same time. I became so delighted at this discovery that I ate not one, not two, but three Reese's eggs. (I thought it was appropriate for the occasion! Spring is always welcomed with Reese's eggs. It's rule. Look it up! Or at least it is in my rule book.)

Am I kidding?

Maybe.

Still, our Springtime decor makes my heart smile...regardless of how said Spring decorations entered our home. Good thing I love green, because it is everywhere!

Here, you can take a look!

I am in love with these little silhouettes. I'd like to think that they look like us...but they don't really. The man's face was actually a silhouette of Edward Cullen. However, a few snips here and there helped rid us of that! Oh, and don't you love the girl's messy bun? Messy buns are best thing since sliced bread.

We still have tons of candles left over from the wedding...so they get put to good use!

I saw that the Dogwood tree by the entrance to our appartment complex was blooming the other day. I am glad someone thought I would some of the blossoms in our house! I have no idea who would stand by the side of the road and cut off some branches...no idea whatsoever. :) But I'm glad they did!

Ah, I love those blossoms!

A few managed to find their way into our bathroom too.

And now there are Azeleas blooming outside of our front window!

Don't you just love Spring-time?



Sun & Sand

Ah, there is something about the beach. It is just so relaxing to listen to the waves crash upon the shore, have the sand between my toes and the feel the warm sun on my face. I grew up about 20 minutes from the beach, and my family loved to spend the long summer days there. Now, I'm glad we are still fairly close. 

It was great to just get away from our city for the day and relax with each other.

It was the perfect day for a day at the beach!

Mmmhmm, I love my hubby.

Oh yes, sun and sand!

Our friends Cassidy & Josh were camping at the beach, so we decided to meet up with them.

The ladies.

And the men.

Then Cassidy thought it'd be fun to do some jumping pics:

We are pros...ok maybe not. :)

Photo courtesy of husband's photography.

Yes, the seaweed behind us smelled fantastic. Really. Oh well. At least it wasn't in the water!

Since some of your guys can't go the beach, I made you all feel better by getting really burned. Super burned. This morning we were both really dehydrated because of it. I haven't had a burn this bad in a really long time. The poor sunscreen was just sitting in my bag...next time we will listen to it's pleas! Silly us. 

Even still, it was a beautiful day with my husband and our friends...we are just red as tomatoes to prove it. 

I hope you all had wonderful weekends, minus the sunburns!

Thanks & Weekend Plans

Man, I am completely blown away by your comments on the difference project and my original worship song the past few days. I have been so encouraged, especially in regard to my commitment for the next 9 months! So thank you! I know that I will be reminded of this commitment everyday when I see my TOMS sitting in the closet.

Now for the other half of this post! Can you guess where we are going this weekend? Tip: we'll be needing these...

If you guessed the beach, then you are right!

Sunscreen and towels are a must...

...so is food! I could eat the whole package of dried pineapple. Seriously. 

I am so thrilled about meeting some friends at the beach this tomorrow. I've been DYING to get some sun and sand! My husband is so sweet to spend one of his few Saturdays off going on a day trip with me. The beach is not his favorite place. He's keeper!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

The Difference Project

For the next 9 months, I am committing not to buy any new clothes.

No new shoes.

No cute new jewelry.

No more adorable vintage inspired fashions.

Nada. Nil. None. Zilch. Zero. Nix. Nothing...until December 22, maybe even after that.

To be perfectly honest, I felt like I should do this last summer after reading Radical by David Platt. But I didn't. Instead I said to myself, "I just won't buy anything I don't need." Well, that ambition was done in after I laid eyes on the wonderful fall fashions at Target. This time, I have to obey. I cannot keep spending money on "cute" things I don't really need when there are so many ways that my money can make a difference for those who truly need. No more justifying my spending because "I find stuff on sale" or "I don't buy very much at all." No more!

I'm calling it the difference project. One person can make a difference. Giving up buying new clothes may make the difference between life and death for a poor starving child. It could be the difference between disease and health. And I want to be that difference.

For my last purchase, I decided to get a pair of TOMS. Fitting, no? I needed a good pair of "missionary" shoes for a mission trip (hopefully!) this Fall.

Of course when I went in the store to buy them, I was bombarded with so many new (and adorable) Spring clothes. This is going to be hard people!

Yeah, it hasn't really sunk in yet!

I debated on whether or not to even post this. I know that the Bible says that you should give in secret, not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing. However I have decided to do so for two reasons:

First, to keep myself accountable. Obviously, I tried this before and failed miserably! This way I can share my struggles, temptations and stories of how God is using this to make a difference for His kingdom.

Second, to encourage YOU to do join in. Can you imagine if 10 people gave up buying clothes, eating out, or something of the like in order to really make a difference in this world? That would be a lot of money! Together we can be a force for good in this world. We cannot ignore the call to care for those who have needs. It's all throughout the Bible. Just look for it and take it seriously. I can't wait to see how God is going to use this project!

I would LOVE to know if you are joining in on this project. I am adding a new page where you can link up and share what you are doing to make a difference.

Jesus, please take this very meager offering and use it for YOUR GLORY! You are worthy of so much more than merely this.

~ Letter to Spring ~

Dear Spring,

It's good to see you again. I've missed your warm days and cool evenings. I've missed the scent of freshly cut grass and the glorious breeze swirling the aroma of new blossoms past my nostrils. Your evenings bring more daylight and it is a welcome change from the darkness of winter's.

However, this year you will find me much altered. Last year you saw me go to lots of bridal showers, finalize that oh-so-stressful guest list, start my first full time job, do lots of DIY projects for the wedding, attend to premarital counseling, dream about our honeymoon in the Caribbean, and attempt to adjust to so many life changes all at once. Remember that Spring? Well, now I am happily married. My dreams are no longer of the wedding, but of much bigger things this year.

Where will you find me next year, dear Spring? I look forward to finding out! For now I will simply enjoy the beauty of the changes that you bring - this has long been a favorite season!

I promise to savor every precious day.

Much love,

Jennifer

chipped paint & book pages

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to change things up. My sister and I used to sit and ponder on how to have a new "theme" for our room The best one we ever came up with was an island theme. We had leis, coconuts, and all kinds of beachy looking decorations (most of which we made ourselves). Our bunk bed was the boat, complete with a "welcome aboard" life saver. Even though our room was awesome, we still wanted to change it after a year or two. Why? For some different scenery of course!

I'm still the same way. My poor hubs never knows what might have changed while he's been at work. I love to move things, simply for the sake of change. I like change. A lot. A whole lot.

Anyway, the whole point of this is to show you guys some recent changes.

I found this darling cart for $10 at an antique store. I had been dying to change up the corner near the TV and I knew this would be the perfect fit!

This is a collection of a few of my favorite things: books, flowers, burlap, a quilt & a chalk board!

Yay for chipped paint. I heart it.

Here's another project I did for my sisters' room  back home - book page canvases.

M is for Michelle

K is for Kathrine

That's all for now folks. However, Spring is just around the corner and there are some lovely Spring decorating ideas floating around in my head. One I'm thinking about has to do with a bird's nest...like this one I saw on Miss Mustard Seed's blog.

Now all I have to do is wait for Spring to come so that I have an excuse to change up somethings around the house. Who needs Spring cleaning when there is Spring decorating? Ok maybe my house needs it. I'll do both then...maybe.