New Day, New Blog--it really works now

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday!

And Happy Blogging!

Come find us over at Personally, the Paulsons 

{Sorry, the link should work now!}

It's a year we have much to be thankful for...new beginnings, new lessons and a new life together.  We're celebrating my 25th birthday all week long, and I thought today would be a great day to debut our new little corner of the blogosphere.

I've got the same posts, just a different name and address, so be sure to update your GoogleReader or Bookmark!

Love,
Shay Paulson :-)

Pinterest

I am addicted!  At first, I couldn't figure out what was so great about this website.  But then I started using it.  It's an easy to way to capture things that you like and categorize them into different boards. 

 

This one pictured is the one I started since we're on the search for blue bedding.  I've also got one about hair, food, and lots of other things, including one just for Claire, because I kept running across things with ruffles or ballet or just really pretty things and thinking, "Oh, Claire would really like that!"  

Usually when I run across a blog that interests me, whether it's about how to paint something or a recipe, I just email the link to myself and categorize it in my inbox.  THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER, because I can capture an image with it, and it reminds me of why I like it.  Yay. 

All you have to do is visit Pinterest and sign up.  The only downside is that for some reason, it's not instantaneous.  (Rude.)  They email you within the week saying "Thanks for joining, here's how to get started."  It kind of irritated me at first, because really, who does that online??  But once I got over that and started pinning things, I didn't care as much.  :-)

I was really extra excited because I got to share this little tidbit with Anna first.  She's forever educating me on all new, up-and-coming apps for my phone and things online.  I was so pumped to get to share with her, haha.   

So tell me, have you started pinning things??

Help a Sister

I realized that all my fun facts have to do with a Tri Delta "sister."  So today, I bring you
The Sister Edition.

Last Friday, Amanda came into town, and we got to sit face-to-face for an hour and a half dinner & catch up.  It was there we realized that we hadn't actually hung out since July.  We talk all the time at work, so it doesn't feel that long, but we just couldn't believe it!  We spent Saturday at Home Goods and eating at Cafe Express...two things she can't do in Waco!  It was such a treat having her here and catching up.

Molly and I get to work together these days, and it's so much fun.  She insisted that I have a photo of me working at my desk, because one day I'm going to wish I had it.  Without further adieu, here I am, Sonic drink and all...

And are a few other posts that made me smile recently...

Molly wrote about "living with a boy" (that would be her husband...).  It's hilarious.

Elizabeth posted a video from four years ago when she got engaged and "passed candle" at the end of our Tri Delt meeting.  Everyone loves Staples (that was her maiden name & what we all called her), so the "oohs" and "ahhs" were from genuine excitement for her and Mark and just simply because we're girls!  This made me giggle.

And Anna tells us why she loves Twitter now.  Oh my gosh.  I was dying laughing.  Please read.  {And please pray for her as she spends her Spring Break week in Honduras on a mission trip!}

I also blame Anna for introducing me to Anthropologie.  It provides lots of inspiration and could be detrimental to my wallet if I went into the store.  I think I'll just stick to the catalogue that came in the mail today...

"Nimbus" Bedding                                                               "Rivulets" Bedding

Tonight, I'm heading to dinner with SMoo to celebrate her birthday!  Her fam is in town from Fayetteville, and it will be so much fun to catch up with all of them.

And that's the latest on The Sister Edition.  Happy Weekend!

Some Good Reads

Well it's been almost a solid year since I got lost in a book.  (It's probably just a coincidence that this occured just a week before meeting a particular guy, right??)  And when I say lost, I mean can't-put-it-down-must-read-it-all-in-one-sitting, lost.  In college, this used to be a typical occurrence for me. Now, not so much.  I've realized, though, that reading was often my form of escape from the real world.  There are worse things, I suppose!

For example, the Summer of 2009, after college when I had a degree and no job, I read 20 books.  Not kidding.  Twenty.  And that was in between looking for jobs, which at one point, my mom looked at me and said, "I think you've done enough applying.  You should take a break."  Most of my friends were not in town, either, so I had a ton of free time.  Too much, probably.  Let's just say it was a challenging summer.

Since this past December, I've slowly incorporated books back into my world, and let me just say it feels nice.  I didn't cut reading out completely--I will always be a reader, but now I read a ton of blogs.  It fits my life right now.  I can read a blog post in two minutes and move on.  Plus, people fascinate me.  Why not read what they're willing to write?  And I've learned about all kinds of topics from decorating, budgeting, cooking, and new books, to name a few.  I've been exposed to Haiti and Africa, places that weren't even on my radar very long ago.  (And I've also learned that you can't believe everything you read.)

My parents have both moved on to the world of the iPad, which left a Kindle sitting all alone.  Poor thing.  My Dad offered to upload it with some books, and he even added this one for me...

And as opposed as I am to "clicking" my way through a book, (I'd much prefer to hold the real thing in my hands), I'm enjoying the compact Kindle and its contents.  The Pioneer Woman began writing the story of her and Marlboro Man's romance on her blog.  {Click here to read the story.}  Readers loved it so much that she kept writing and put it into a book.  Rumor has it there might be a movie coming soon with Reese Witherspoon as the main character.  Last Sunday, it was number three on the New York Times' best seller list.  That's sayin' something.  That, and the fact that I can't put it down.  I read it during my lunch breaks and any extra time that I have. 

Next on my list, thanks to blogworld, is this book...

To fight a season where getting out of bed was nearly impossible, author Ann Voskamp began writing a list of one thousand things she was thankful for.  Unsurprisingly, it changed her life and spurred this book.  I've been mustering up the courage to read it (it kind of frightens me...in a good way). 

And lastly, just to round things out and add one more thing I've learned from a blog, I thought I'd share this post for those "Looking for Thicker Skin" from Amanda Moore. I definitely could use more of that in my life.   

Inspiration Folder

It's no secret I enjoy reading blogs.  I just find so many little bits of inspiration--lots of things I just tuck away mentally, and some stuff I can actually incorporate into everyday life.  I thought I'd share a few snippits from my new folder on my desktop called "Inspiration," because that's just what it is...

First, I just found this from The Pioneer Woman this morning.  At Polyvore, you can make design boards of actual clothes, accessories and even interior decorating.  It's a cool visual tool, and you can actually purchase what you make...although it would definitely be detrimental to your pocket book, PW points out!  {Does anyone else call it that?  My very southern grandmother always called it a pocket book.}

Over at Kelly's Korner, she shared this really cool vinyl monogram that you can put on a mirror.  I thought this was really cool.  Her final product {left} came from inspiration on the right, which my mom and I decided was a really warm, fun, non-baby nursery.  {Take out the baby bed, and I'd totally move in with all those pinks and browns.  Yum.}

Finally, I came across a really cool way to keep stacks of Christmas cards over at The Poe Fam.  I don't have that  many Christmas cards quite yet, but I thought it was a really neat idea to be able to look through them and get them out around Christmas.  

So that's what's in my folder today.  Please share more...I love adding things.  :-)

Five For Friday

Happy Friday, friends!  Here are Five things from my week:

1.  Wednesday's Girls' night with Gentry, Molly, Smoo and Claire was so much fun.  I'm thinking we'll have to make it a more regular occurance! {Photo coming soon} 2.  I loved this Valentine's poem and photos from author John Piper to his wife.  I realize it's only January, but I just happened upon it and thought I'd share.  3.  Thursday night, Adam and I ran the longest I've ever run!  And then we had spaghetti--it never tasted so good.  I'm getting ready to leave this afternoon for Disney World to finish the last 6 miles of my dad's marathon with him.  We are excited!  SMoo is coming along to run and be my roller coaster buddy--mom and dad opted out of that part.  :-)  4.  I designed my new blog header on Monday, and the Bible Verse in it is from the NET Bible.  I thought it was fitting for January.  {And if you want help desiging a blog-topper or just help with your blog design in general, let me know.  I'd really love to help!} 5.  MCP Actions is starting Project 52, where you upload a photo each week to  flicr account, in hopes that practice will help us improve over time.  I'm going to try it, so we'll see!

Mickey, here I come!

A December to Remember

As if posting eight times in seven days isn't a dead giveaway, I've had all but one day off from work, which I worked in my jammies.  This time has been amazing.  {And if I could blog for a living, I totally would.}  I've spent lots of time sleeping, some of it running, a lot with the roomdog, and hanging out with friends I don't get to see all the time, catching Adam when he's not working, and cleaning out and organizing a lot.

Can you say g-l-o-r-i-o-u-s?!  

Besides hanging out with Claire, recently I've celebrated Mom's Birthday, Cheered on the Hogs & the Bears with Smoo, Recapped our Family Trip to Mexico, said goodbye to the most loved dog--Skip, Covered Christmas Eve with the whole fam, then Christmas Day, and relived our date to hear Mannheim Steamroller at the Meyerson Symphony Hall.  

I spent some of my Christmas money on Blog-it Boards from MCP Actions, which is why a lot of my posts now have photos that look like this...

And this...

{These were pics I found on my phone from our first few hours in Iowa.  How much fun can YOU have in an airport in Iowa?  The camo is from when we stopped at The Great Outdoors with Adam's brother to get some shotgun shells for hunting the next day.}

I also found a new FREE app for my iPhone called Instagram that has several different filters and borders that can give you the look of the photos above.

The MCP Actions let you choose several different layouts depending on the number of openings and the arrangement of them.  You can add color boxes and text as well.  I'm loving it!  If you have Photoshop, you can try a sample blog-it board for free.  It's just one, and it got me hooked.

It's been a full two weeks away from work in real life and on this blog, and I am so thankful for every minute.  Hope you've had a wonderful break as well, and Happy Monday, my friends!

Thrifting

This summer, I was craving a project like nobody's business.  I needed to do something creative. 

I searched and searched, but didn't know what I wanted to do, and I knew I didn't want or need to spend a lot. 

Sometimes I wander through this consignment shop that's either hit or miss. I found my purple couch there back in September of 2009 on the day I got my job.  A random purchase, but it works great in our apartment!

For $25, I found this little blue shelf with drawers at the consignment store.

Hooray for a project.  And a piece of furniture.   

Here it is minus the drawers.  I cleaned it up with warm water and dusted it off. 

And then I got my black paint out and went to town.

Now this little piece sits in our entry way. 

It was going to be a great spot for me to put my ever-disappearing keys. 

{What a great theory.  In practice, that's another story.}

The Nester's Secret to Thrifting reminded me that I never shared this little project.   I thought she gave great tips on shopping at Thrift stores and Consignment shops for furniture.

"When it comes to shopping thrift, the biggest secret to finding great stuff is persistence. Are you willing to pass by a ton of junk that you would never buy to find that one gem?" --The Nester

Lovin' these Links

I thought I'd share what I'm diggin' these days...

Whenever I blog letters, the original inspiration came from a blog I found this past summer called Today's Letters.  It is seriously my favorite blog.  Each morning, Emily and her husband post a photo and a letter, and there's all sorts of fun stuff on there.  The coolest part is that I've actually met Emily at church, and she was so genuine and real in person.  I feel like that's my claim to fame or something. 

They try to communicate well, and it's a really cool thing.  Each week they ask and answer Tuesday Questions with each other.  They say it's one of the ten things that have made all the difference for them.

They also have other fun stuff on there like a 2010 Holiday Gift Guide.  They cook, travel and build forts together (i.e. they just have a lot of fun.), and it's pretty much the cutest thing ever. 

This blog, I just discovered more recently.  Young House Love is about a couple that bought an old house and remodeled it in Richmond, Virginia.  This intrigued me for a lot of reasons, one being that my dad grew up in that same city, and two, they have a lot of cool DIY projects and ideas that I just really like.  You should check them out, too.

And finally, in case you're in the market for a good online Defensive Driving class, I'd recommend Comedy Guys.  Unfortunately for me, I got a ticket back in August.  No bueno.  I had three months to take Defensive Driving, and the December 2 deadline was fast approaching.  I started off about a week from that date, and thought I was good to go.  Turns out there are 10 chapters, not six like I thought.

The six-hour course wasn't too bad--kinda cheesy, kinda funny, and I even learned quite a bit.  It times you on every page, so I'd read the page, let the timer run and would go do laundry or clean my room or something.  The only problem was that I literally waited until the last possible day to finish it, stayed up 'til midnight and had to be up for work at 5 a.m. the next day. 

But even when the program denied me access because I'd answered some personal identification questions incorrectly (I had the wrong VIN number on my car), I called the number and the owner helped me personally.  I talked to him two more times when I needed to expedite the mailing of my certificate so there wouldn't be a warrant out for my arrest.  Needless to say, I would highly recommend it, if you have to take something like this!

Happy Tuesday--let me know if there are any other blogs out there that I'm missing!  I'm kind of addicted...



Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get to...

Turner Falls?

Here's how Saturday's road trip started out:

Adam:  So, you remember how to get to Turner Falls, right?
Shay:  Um, you go North?  I mean, I know that's where Oklahoma is...
Adam:  Oh dear, I should've thought of this before we left.  You know we need to go north on I-35, right?
Shay:  Oh.  Right.  35, huh?  Well at least I'm going North!  (I had hopped on the Tollway.  At least I wasn't going South...)

**So it may not have gone exactly like that, but I promise it was pretty close.  Hello...I have very little sense of direction, and if I've only been somewhere once before, we should all just assume I don't remember how to get there.  It's a wonder I get around by myself at all. **

No worries, we made it.  Good thing Adam has excellent directional skillz.  See the leaves?  Different colors!  {Ok, maybe just a few, but still...}

We hiked around three different places in the park.  Adam loooves exploring, and I think it's pretty entertaining to watch, so it works out.  :-)

{Happy Camper!}

Adam spotted a log that was still smoldering, so we he got it started again.  It was a gorgeous day, and sometimes a little cool breeze blew in, so it was fun to sit by a fire.  The only thing I missed were the ingredients to make s'mores!

Not to worry, people: the fireman took care of the flame before we left.

 

And in case you're curious, we've been here before.  Here we are this weekend, and then back in June.  {This was before Adam made his debut on the blog, haha.}

Impressed?  Just kidding.  I laughed when I saw this photo at first, because I actually look like I know what I'm doing. Maybe.  Pretty sure it's just because I was rockin' the rhinestone sunglasses, which I also run in.  Adam loves to give me a hard time about them.  ;-)

It was a great way to spend Saturday:  outside and with one of my favorite people, especially since I've been cooped up in an office all week in Austin. 

That night, we caught part of the Baylor v. UT game on TV in a restaurant in Ardmore.  I thought about staying in Austin for the Baylor v. UT game on Saturday night, but I was ready to come home.  It would've been a fun game, though.  The UT fans might've been a little upset at anyone dressed in green and gold, so maybe it was a good thing.    Sic'em Bears--it feels good to be ranked!

It was such a fun little day trip.  Stay tuned for photos of these hooligans at the Fire Station.  Yet another adventure.

Show Us Your Life Friday

"No matter where I serve my guests,  

it seems they like my kitchen best!"

This saying is cross-stitched on some decorative towels of my grandmother's that now hang off the oven handle at the lake.  And I believe it's such a true statement!  We've had a few parties here at the apartment and lots of friends over this past year, and it seems that we always congregate in the kitchen.  And I love it.  

Today at Kelly's Korner is Show Us Your Life Friday, specifically the Dining Room.  We don't have a "formal" Dining Room, but we do have a breakfast room/kitchen area.  Last year, from May to September, I looked at 17 apartments.  (I shouldn't admit that, probably.  Mind you, I was bored and job hunting until mid-September.  And it was a way of coping with my "in between" life stage, ha!)  

All that to say, when Claire and I walked into this apartment, we turned the corner around the fireplace and gasped.  Or squealed.  Or maybe both...I don't really remember.  But I know that we fell in love with the kitchen.

See the pot rack?  That's one of my favorite things.  

And here it is with furniture.  I've always wanted a red kitchen since I was little.  I remember antique shopping with my mom and running across a kitchen with all these red accents and thinking that it was so cool.  So here I am, a grown up, and I actually have a red kitchen.  Love it.

The table was my grandmother's, who we called Nanny.  The chairs used to be white with a blue and white check.  When I moved into my favorite college apartment junior year, I repainted and stained them (with a lot of help from my mom and aunt!) and got the chairs recovered.  Pretty much everything in that room was given to me.  It pays to have a mom as a decorator!

This October, there are eight bloggers that are doing "31 Days of..."  I like this because it means that I'll have lots of blogs to read this month!  Today on My First Kitchen, Kendra began her month of "31 Days to An Inspired Table."  

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect.  I thought it would be more on how to decorate a table, but I was pleasantly surprised today when she charged her readers to do this:

"Make a list of what you want your friends and family to expect when it's time for dinner. Call it your Family Food Culture. How do you want everyone to feel around the table? What kinds of memories do you want to create? What expectations to do you have of yourself as a cook and an entertainer? Are all of them authentic to you and your family?"

While I don't really feel the need to make a "Family Food Culture" for where I am in life, it does seem like a really cool idea.  My schedule and Claire's is so different right now, that we've gone at least five days without seeing each other more than once last month!  Crazy that you can live in the same place and not see each other.  But we do always get to catch up, and I love it!  Hence why we don't have regular meals at our table.

(And I have to brag a bit...)  Last night, I did eat dinner at the kitchen table, because Adam made the most delicious pork chops.  He's a great cook, and I think we've made lots of memories in our kitchens--it's definitely a place of a lot of laughter! 

So welcome to our little apartment's dining area.  Come and stay awhile...we guarantee you'll smile.      

Got Me Thinking

I have a rather long list of wonderful people in my life that have shaped me into who I am today.  And I am so grateful.  One that I've never written about on this little blog, though, lives thousands of miles away, is seven years older than me, and is a fabulous wife and mama.

Meet Emily.  She originally started out as my high school Spanish teacher.  I'm pretty sure I've retained everything I learned in her Spanish class, simply because I loved walking in her door.  I can recall reflexive verb rules and the imperfect tense endings like I just learned them yesterday.  She is a gifted teacher.  She took that a step further, and began meeting with me and two other girls each week, discipling us, praying for us and listening to our  high school chatter.

Whether she knows it or not, she has made a huge difference in my life, and continues to do so.  Despite her several moves to different states and now another country, we've managed to keep in touch.  High School wasn't my most favorite thing--let's be honest.  Emily often told me that I was "made for college," and I think she was right.  But she helped make High School more than bearable.  

Even now, as I follow her blog while she is in Scotland while her husband gets his PhD, she makes me stop and think, just as she did as I sat in a desk in her classroom seven years ago.  While I haven't completely cut out Dr. Pepper, her cutting back her Coke Zero consumption has made me reconsider how much DP I drink, and I'm working on consuming less of it every day.

Emily recently posted about how easy and necessary it is to compost and recycle in Scotland, which got me thinking again.  Now Claire and I have so much less trash since we decided to find a place to take our recycling!

While both of these examples may seem rather practical, my point is that she makes me think.  I do not do these things because I have an I -want-to-be-exactly-like-Emily complex or anything, but just because I hadn't considered them before.

Emily and her husband Josh had been married about a year before I met them.  So I have had the privilege of getting a little glimpse into their married life for a good while.  They try their best to love each other well.  And it is so sweet.

We don't get to see each other all too often.  In fact, that picture was taken over Christmas, and it had been three years since I'd seen her last.  But I love that we've kept in touch.  And I love that she blogs.  I think that's my love language.  Ha!  It makes it easier to keep up with each other that way, too.  And don't even get me started on her kids...they are just too cute for words.

Once again, Emily has me thinking.  Thinking about who I am impacting, and who I'm pouring into.  Because I know it can make a big difference.  

So Emily, thanks for making a big difference in my life.  You are dear to me!

Love,
Shay 

Compassion International & My One Hundredth Post

After almost a year of blogging, I have reached my 100th post.  I've been thinking about what I wanted to write about for this entry the past week or so, as I knew it was approaching.  I knew that I wanted it to be more than just about me.

If I could tell you about just one thing, I think I would focus on Compassion International today.  The timing is perfect, because right now, there is a group of some really great writers who are blogging from Guatemala now through September 11.

Each morning, I anticipate the entry of Amanda Jones.  And I have recently discovered the beautiful writing style of Canadian Ann Voskamp.  {Seriously, if you read one thing today, check out her post on meeting her sponsored child.}  There's also Lindsey Nobles from Nashville, and South African Gypsy Mama, Lisa-Jo.  Each of them provide a unique perspective on how this week is impacting them.  

But one thing they all have in common is the obvious difference sponsorship makes in the lives of one child, the difference it makes in their family, and the difference it makes in the community where Compassion International is working.  It's really incredible.  

For a long time, I had heard people at church encourage people to adopt a child through Compassion, but it wasn't until last October that I finally decided to take it upon myself and find a child that I could connect with.  

After searching, I chose to sponsor Juliet in Uganda.  It's kind of overwhelming because there are so many children in need, but I just finally picked one.  I thought it would be a sweet reminder to find someone similar in age to the twins I keep, J and G.  And she loves music, which we also have in common.

Last week, I picked up some mail from my parents house, and I realized I had received not one but two letters from Juliet.  One was a thank you for her birthday gift, and another one was just to say hello, and it included an updated photo.  I cannot tell you the joy it brought me to find those in the mail, especially the one with a new photo.  Juliet has grown so much!  I loved seeing her.  And if I get excited about mail from Juliet, I can only imagine what it must be like for her.  

When I see her picture each morning, Juliet reminds me that this world is so much bigger than myself.  But our God is bigger.  And although we come from very different backgrounds, he loves us the same.  It is so humbling to me.  And you know what else is humbling?  She tells me that she prays for me and my family.  

So with this one hundredth post, I would like to encourage you to consider sponsoring a child.  For $38 each month, they are fed, clothed, educated and poured into spiritually.  Often times, it ends up impacting the entire family.  

And if you already sponsor a child, then I encourage you to write them today.  I did.  It only took me a few minutes, but I'm already anticipating the letter I'll get back.  

I'll leave you with a quote from The Hole in Our Gospel that I mentioned briefly in my last post really struck a chord with me.  

"Bob Pierce once said, 'Don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything.'  These are wise words to anyone overwhelmed with the magnitude of human suffering in our world.  We are not asked to help all of them at once, just one at at time."  (page 152)

White Space & Running

White Space
When I was in Yearbook in High school, we talked about designing pages with white space to let the reader's eye "rest".  I found that the pages I was drawn to look at over and over again had just enough white space to help me see what was really important. 

The same is true for many of the blogs I enjoy reading.  I found that I really like the ones with the simple design and just enough white space.  So I decided to change my blog design up a bit.  We'll see how long it lasts; I was just ready for a bit of a change.  (Sometimes I get antsy to redecorate or rearrange.  Just the other day, I was rearranging my apartment in my head.  Just for fun.)

Running
About two months ago, I started running.  If you know me at all, you must know that I don't work out.  Ever.  I've been blessed with a very fast metabolism that enables me to eat at Sonic and any other fast food restaurant without it affecting my waistline.  Now before you get all jealous on me, just think about how unhealthy that really is, and then think about what that's doing to my insides that I can't see.  Nope--not a very pretty picture! 

I started jogging and walking in two-minute segments {it's affectionately known as "wogging" now}.  It was actually kind of embarrassing that I could barely run two minutes straight.  I have a very sweet friend that's been so encouraging through this entire process, and we often run together.  I used to not be able to run and carry on a conversation.  Now, it's much better.  At one point, I could run up to 15 minutes without stopping.  I took about five days off in a row, though, so I've got to work back up to that.  I'm training for a 5k in about three weeks, and I've got to get myself in gear!  While I don't always enjoy the actual running (though some days, I do), I really enjoy the results and knowing that I'm taking better care of myself.  And the muscles I've discovered in my legs are pretty cool.  :-) 

Tying it all together
Last night I ran by myself in my parents' neighborhood.  The weather was actually cool, and there were just a few sprinkles.  It was so uncharacteristic of a day in June, and I couldn't believe it.  I feel horrible for the people affected by the hurricane that's headed for the Texas coast, but I'm grateful for the cooler weather it's bringing.

My iPod was dead, so I didn't have anything to occupy my head while I was running.  Sometimes I get really bored when I run alone.  But I decided that I would make the most of it, and used that time to pray instead.  If we've talked in the last month at least, know that you were probably prayed for last night! 

Yesterday's run provided my head (and heart) with some much-needed White Space.  A chance to rest while running, if you will.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

A Few of my Favorite Things

Hi!  This is my 51st post today.  I can't believe I've stuck with it this long!  Blogging is kind of addicting, I suppose.  Here was my first post on this blog about my lunch break experience at Barnes & Noble.  It involves sitting next to a man snoring quite loudly, oblivious to the fact that he was being noticed...or blogged about.

If you want to join in the Scripture Memory, I'm a bit behind, but it's better late than never!

And thirdly, I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite blogs.  I love reading my friends' blogs, but they don't always update them every day (They have other things to do?!  Crazy.), so I have to occupy my blog time with other reading.  I'm not even sure where or how I came across half of these, but I look at them often, and find them humorous, inspiring or just plain interesting.  Enjoy!

The Pioneer Woman is so funny.  She also has great ideas--from cooking, to decorating, or just plain living.  She often has guest bloggers, and so that spices it up a bit.  I LOVE love stories, so her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" story is so, so funny.  This is how she met her husband, "Marlboro Man." And it might even be made into a movie with Reese Whitherspoon playing PW.

Not too long ago, I stumbled upon Fly Through Our Window.  This is a sweet Southern family with a really cool blog.  In her About Me section, Darby writes, "I will also remind you this a BLOG, this is NOT a full real life account, but merely a tiny glimpse into our life."  Just keepin' it real.  Love it. 

Darby has a twin sister, Erika, who's an interior designer.  Her blog, Urban Grace Interiors, is really a great read, too.  She says, "I aim to inspire."  I like that.  Me too.  Her interior design work has been featured in several magazines like Southern Living and Coastal Living.  Pretty legit.

I've followed Kelly's Korner Blog for a while now.  She's from Arkansas, and has a sweet country accent and uses expressions like "chawed" and "she is such a mess."  She writes about her daughter, Harper, and all the cute things she does. 

I also really like Amanda Jones' blog, Baby Bangs.  She works with her mom, Beth Moore, and has encouraging, inspiring and thought-provoking posts about real life with her sweet family. 

These are just a few I thought you might enjoy.  Let me know what else you love to read!

Happy Monday.

Scripture Memory & Stuff

Just a few things of note for today...

Scripture Memory
If you want to jump in and jot (ok, type) down a memory verse you'd like to memorize, feel free!  I missed posting this yesterday, but I figure it'll still work.  :-) 

Hanging out with the Band
Last night Claire and I spent the evening at my parents' house with the band.  My dad grilled steaks and mom made all the fixins--mashed potatoes, fruit salad and Sister Schubert rolls.  It was delicious.  The guys were thoroughly entertaining, and they even asked our opinions about if we liked a song or not!  (This never happens.  Ha!)  I tried to educate these non-southerners on the finer points of Dr. Pepper and Blue Bell Ice Cream.  I think they really loved the Blue Bell (who wouldn't?).  Tonight we might try to take them to Yogurtville so they can see what all the fuss is about with 15 flavors of frozen yogurt and all the toppings you could imagine.  I love having my brother home.  It just makes me so happy.  I love me some T-Roy.

Blog Stuff
On another note, I've been meaning to blog about my blog.  I chose the backgound from shabbyblogs.com and then with the help of one of my Baylor blog friends, Wynne, I was also able to make a few more changes, editing HTML code (not as daunting as I thought!) and doing a little PhotoShop work.  Hopefully when I have a bit more time, I can make a few additional changes as well.  But I just wanted to give a shout out to her and let you know that she as a very helpful section of her blog called "Blog Help."  Check it out here!

That's all for now.  Happy Tuesday.