house rules

Until then,
amy

photo via http://pinterest.com/pin/31623076/

settled

5 years ago we were planning what life would be like in college. We had worn our matching lilly around the may pole, we had our lace dress made, and our flower wreath for our hair ordered. We predicted how we would be in college. We happily dreamed about how we would spend our lazy afternoons catching up on daytime television. We were sad to leave each other but dying to get to where we were going. We could have never predicted our lives in college. They were far too whimsical to be preplanned. But we left our bubble that May never even anticipating what was in store

4 years ago at this time we were packing up boxes in martin and catching those terrible elevators for the last couple of times. We came with perfectly polished outfits for fall football games, matching bedding, shower caddies, ten pairs of nike shorts, and small t shirts. We left with extra large t-shirts, jean cut offs made for spring parties, too many white hanes vnecks (that were only purchased when we were to lazy to do laundry, which meant at least once a month), canvases boasting cardinal and straw, an extra ten pounds that can only be attributed to the c-store, and new sense of independence. However we were more dependent on one another than we had ever been. We were no longer the babies of college. We discussed trivial matters like furniture for our apartments, who would get what room, and what canvases we would hang in the den. We discussed how we could ever spend a summer apart. We said goodbye to the towers one last time and pulled out of the dorm parking lot never knowing how much we would miss it

3 years ago at this time we were attempting to clean out the creek. I never could have imagined how much stuff I can accumulate in one year. It was like the stuff we brought just multiplied. The excitement of our first apartment had been overshadowed by disposals that shot the food back into the sink, a garbage bin two miles down the road, and a parking lot that did not contain enough spots for its residents. We packed up our boxes to head to south 16th. This is where juniors lived. We now would be moving into a house. When we left this may we knew that having a summer apart wouldn't change a thing. Some people would be spending the summer in oxford. Others spent their summers away. It didn't matter where we spent the summer. what mattered is that august came and we were all back together

 2 years ago at this time we were packing up the yellow box. Things were beginning to be different. People's summer plans were becoming more grown up. Internships and jobs that may lead to careers. Some of us stayed in oxford preparing for test for grad school. The future could no longer be ignored. We would only have one more year here. We sorted through our stuff carefully knowing that only our favorite possessions would fit into our room at the house. Some of us had been living together for a while now and we finally had to divide up the plates and bowls and pans. But not everything. We had one more year to share closets, stories, and lives in the same place. A lot changed that year. We grew up. We turned 21, we all declared majors, and we packed up the yellow box and all knew well how much we would miss it

1 year ago at this time we were pulling out the caps and gowns again and finally dividing up all our stuff. We had to deal with separating tshirts, jeans, and everything else that had become intertwined. We left some stuff behind coming to the realization that extra large red and yellow tshirts may have been uniform in oxford but not in life outside of it. We knew the plans that we all had for life after college but no one was ready to take those steps. We spent every moment together thinking that this would some how prevent may from ever coming. But May comes no matter what. And saying goodbye was inevitable

May 2011 its been a year since we divided up. People got jobs, husbands, responsibilities, fiancees, house payments, masters degrees, acceptance letters, and new lives. But we never stopped being intertwined. We learned that our friendships were not held together by physical proximity. If that were the case I would be quite lonely. We have learned the thrill of a future career that you love, how hard it is to get dressed when you only have your closet, and how much an email, text, or note from a friend can brighten your day. This is the first may in 5 years that I am not packing up any boxes. I am not planning new bedding or signing a new lease. For the first time I am settled. It may be in a place that I dont plan on calling home for too long. For today it is home and its nice to take a break from all packing and unpacking. Its strange being here in may which is always a time I spend at home celebrating mothers day and my birthday. But this year is different and I am learning to be okay with that. 


Good luck to those packing this may. Where ever you are going next i hope its everything you hoped for and more. And remember oxford has no replacement but thats okay. It always gets to be special.
Until Then,
Amy

reminders

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There are days.....
when the deadlines pile up to high
when the bed is not made and the dishes are still in the sink
when you haven't seen sweet friends from home in far too long
when you would do anything to sleep for ten more minutes
when it seems like the clock at work will never reach the time you want it to


and then there are moments that are so perfectly placed in your day you know that it couldn't have happened by chance. moments that remind you why you have to get up, get dressed, and tackle the day. These moments come in all shapes and sizes and they are perfectly orchestrated by him as reminders of how great, how big, and how perfect his plan for us truly is

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They come in the shape of a smile by a small child who greets you when they get to the clinic in the morning. they may not know or say your name, but their smile reminds you that they know who you are and although they may often prefer to play alone they wouldn't mind if you joined them for a game of alligator chase or hide and go seek this particular morning.  

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They come in an email from a friend on a monday morning as she recaps every detail of her weekend so that the distance between you doesn't quite seem so far. and even though you may not have hugged her neck in months you know exactly what she wore friday night and all about the dinner she cooked saturday.

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They come in conversations with other students in your program. You laugh about the kids you spent the day with or complain about the amount of reading. You get excited with them over the idea of a project, or data, or progress made. and although you didn't know each other a year ago you understand each other in a way that people outside of our world aren't able too. and its exciting to watch your professional support system grow. 

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They come in sweet time spent with someone you care about. and that time may be spent at dinner, or with other friends, or even on the couch watching the 4th redbox in a row. it doesn't really matter what you are doing the idea of just being next to each other is exciting

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They come in feedback from a professor that you are on the right track. that you are finally grasping the ideas and concepts at hand and who you are as a professional is beginning to take shape. and even though graduation is still a million miles away you are beginning to catch of glimpse of the end in sight.

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They come during phone conversations planning every last detail of the biggest day of a friend's life. you discuss everything from the dress and the flowers to the transportation and who is doing everyone's hair.   You realize the change that is about to occur in her life and you are honored and excited to even get to be part of it. 

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And they even come when you are alone, sitting on your couch learning about everyone else's weekend through the many social networks available. and even though you aren't with those people everyday like you used to be very little has changed and where you left off with them is exactly where you will be able to pick up.

he plans our days. each one of them. from the moment we get up to the moment we sleep. and if we could just take the time to notice he leaves reminders constantly of his presence.

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may you have a sunday full of reminders,
until then, 
amy

stop waiting

To many of us (myself included) are planning and waiting for this day to come


we plan what dress we will wear





we try to picture who it is we will be walking down the aisle to





we attempt to plan the details of flowers, bridesmaids, location, band, song choice, invitations....the list goes on





but what is this obsession really all about. Our desire to have the perfect dress, husband, flowers.... or is it really a desire of proof that someone loves us. Are we seeking the comfort that we think will come from all of this. Our desire to be loved is not something humans were born with. Before sin, we didn't desire to be loved because at our core we already knew how much He loved us. Once sin came into the picture we became aware of our flaws and our insecurities, and this idea of overwhelming love became foreign to us. How could someone so wonderful, so majestic love me? Most days I don't know why he loves me, but I do know that he does. 


So put on your white dress





walk down the aisle

make a toast

cut the cake





and come to the table and receive the assurance that the table brings

"And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you" Isaiah 62:5b

"Had he given us some small pension from his royal coffers, we should have had cause to love him eternally; but no, he will have his bride as rich as himself, and he will not have a glory or a grace in which she shall not share"

C. H. Spurgeon

May you have a wonderful sunday,

Until Then,

Amy

(all photos compliments of stylemepretty.com)

countdown

The countdown for ipad 2.0 is in full force. The problem is that no one actually knows what day we are counting down to. However, based on most current information I have obtained from my long list of mac rumor blogs that I check daily I am confident that the day we are counting down to is sooner than we think.

I have wanted one since they came out but due to the nature of my school work I have convinced myself that the ipad is no longer a want but a need in my everyday life. Instead of getting one for christmas I have been determined to buy the newer model. 

The Wall Street Journal released an article this week discussing the newest features of ipad second generation.  The second model is expected to be lighter and thinner, with a front facing camera that can be used for videoconferencing. 

When I first heard about the ipad I was skeptical of its need. Do cell phones and computers not serve the same purpose? But the ipad is in a different market of its own. It does not compete with a computer or a cell phone. It is large enough to read on while small enough to carry with you. 

And it seems that it is not just tech people jumping on the ipad trend everyone one from target, Incase,  Micheal Kors, and  even Prada have created cases for this technological innovation

But today I was informed by Rachel of a story about a population who is finding the ipad to be much more than just a want. There have been stories published discussing the use of ipads with children diagnosed with autism.   It is very cool that this new technology may not just be changing the way we do business or the way we read or even the way we do schoolwork but this product has gone above and beyond all expectations and has changed the game in far more than just the technology market.

here is the article

ihelp for autism

I guess apple has once again surpassed my expectations.

the newest ipad commercial

until then,

amy

sources for photos: 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9

happy heart day

With four days off from school and work I have had a little extra time on my hands. In anticipation of the upcoming holiday I created a couple of valentines cards to print and send out this year. 

The cards above have my name on them so I created a second set of valentines cards for you to print and send yourself. I printed them on white and cream card stock and then backed them with scrapbook paper. White computer paper would work as well.  You could also print them and use them as gift labels. 

I tried to make a way for you to download the pdf directly off of my blog but I couldn't figure it out. If you drag the images into preview or adobe they should open as a pdf. If you have problems just email me and I can email you the pdf directly. 

I hope you enjoy the valentines cards.

Stay warm and have a great weekend.

until then,

amy

lazy tuesday

Snow has hit north texas and with temperatures not reaching above freezing until friday my week may be spent differently than expected. Its 1:45, I am still in my pajamas doing everything I can to delay my work.  I will take on the task of internet shopping, redecorating my bookshelves (for the 100th time), and catching up on netflix. so today in my pajamas I take on my small apartment and.......(weather permitting)

image source: bippity boppity boo via the awkwardbird

until then, 

amy

who said anything about being safe?

“I tell you he is King of the wood and the son of the great emperor-beyond- the-sea. Don’t you know who is the King of the Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great lion.” “ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie, and no mistake” said Mrs Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

-C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I have been attending a church in Denton. Each week we go through a passage of scripture. We read it and unpack its meaning and every Sunday I am reminded of my desperate longing for a king. 
I typically do not venture to far from the new testament on my own. I play it safe in the chapters where I know the story and can easily locate without an index. But the last couple of weeks my eyes have been opened to a crucial piece in the story.
The old testament often loses me in its genealogy and history of tribes and battles. But lately I have realized that while each of those stories in there play a huge role its their underlying and comprehensive theme that I have overlooked. 
At the end of each battle, or relocation, or overthrowing of power and even at the end of each victory and joyous moment we are left we this overwhelming need for something bigger.
For me its so much easier to find relevance in the stories of the new testament and to look at the old testament as something that is much more distant. But unfortunately I live my life just like the old testament. I need a king. I need something so much bigger than me. And even though I claim to proclaim his coming, his death, and his resurrection there are days I live like it never happened. There are days that I am no different than someone wandering  looking for something to worship, just waiting and hoping for something to come along.
 But the beautiful thing is that the story doesn't end with the old testament. He comes down and lives among us. So why do I spend so many days acting like he didn't come. 
Its all very simple. 
we.need.a.king.
 We need one much more than we ever will comprehend yet we have one who provides for us in more ways than we will ever realize
And I picture what he says to me each and every day,

 "do you not see? have you not realized it yet? what will it take for you to surrender? you need a king. you need me."

until then,
amy

obsession

jonesdesigncompany.com

typography prints are my current decorating obsession. the nate berkus show featured the top five design trends of 2011 and on their list typography prints. Etsy.com has over 90 pages of prints for your viewing pleasure but there are two sites where I plan to order madebygirl.com and of course my favorite jonesdesigncompany.com.

jonesdesigncompany.com

madebygirl.com sells wonderful prints and cards. the site is complete with different print options and also offers you the freedom to choose colors for some prints. the “love” print shown below was featured on the nate berkus show and due to its popularity it is on back order until jan. 31

madebygirl.com

i love the way its displayed on this clothes line. but i picture it neatly framed on my bedroom wall

madebygirl.com

i picture this one hung in a perfectly organized (or beautifully unorganized) closet

jonesdesigncompany.com has recently made her adorable prints available to the public. i am consistently impressed and in awe of her work. she offers “art” prints and customizable “name” prints that would serve as the most adorable gifts

jonesdesigncompany.com

i love the way she uses  pieces of truth  in her prints

jonesdesigncompany.com

 these two prints would be perfect framed side by side. i cannot think of a better way to fill my wall than with art that serves as a reminder of his grace

jonesdesigncompany.com

this one is my favorite. jones has a similar print framed in her entry way (here). what a perfect phrase to be welcomed by each day

how perfect are these name prints?

jonesdesigncompany.com

jonesdesigncompany.com

jonesdesigncompany.com

they would be the perfect addition to any child's room

i would love to order them all. and i need someone to have a baby soon so i can order the name and birth date print. i am sure jonesdesigncompany.com would be confused if i ordered a print for someone born may 10, 1988 but i have not yet ruled it out

hope you are finding these prints as exciting as i am. happy hump day

until then,

amy