Apr 25, 2011

Peeps on Parade

 Sping 2009 089

Sping 2009 088Sping 2009 087 Sping 2009 082 Sping 2009 083 Sping 2009 084     

I would blog y’all, but I’m in a chocolate-induced, peep-procuring, bunny-bloated coma.

Love,

Laura

Apr 19, 2011

Brave Bloggin’

     I am ashamed to admit that I can be pretty selfish with my time, and for no good reason. I think it is the control freak in me that wants to grasp onto any free time I have, panicking about any of it slipping away. I bundle time up like it is going out of style, as if I could store the extras in the pantry to save for later.  More recently I have become aware of this erratic behavior and tried to surrender it to God, in hopes that I would remember that no time is mine, it all belongs to Him.  Conscious  of my  time-hogging tendencies, I couldn’t help but be inspired recently when a good friend was sharing with me some of her volunteer activities. Both of us run a Catholic young adult group on Monday nights which requires very little preparation, but a serious commitment nonetheless for both of us.  While I am busy feeling sorry for my over-committed self, my sweet friend shared with my that she was also teaching Sunday School, helping out with a youth group, as well as leading a high school girls group. Feeling truly moved and inspired by the way she was using time as a gift, I couldn’t help but hug her and tell her, You are SO giving of you time. I love what you are doing with you life! Her joy and selflessness really inspired me and challenged me. As I told her so, she abruptly pulled back from our hug and questioned What I am doing with my life?! Laura, I don’t know what I am doing with my life. I’m a paper-pusher. I’m a secretary. My job doesn’t matter. I want to do something with my life, with a career.

    Her words really caught me off guard. Friend,  I said, what you are ‘doing with you life’ is NOT synonymous with a career. That is a lie the world tries to feed you. We’re measured by how white our collar is, or how our 9 to 5 is changing the world. Don’t buy that.  What you are ‘doing with your life’ mostly occurs outside of your working hours. What you are doing with your life is right here, this evening. Leading young adults, preparing little children for their first communion, giving your heart and time to teenagers girls who need to hear Christ’s message.

    She looked at me for a minute and then hugged me again, squeezing me really tightly this time, telling me that my words were from the Holy Spirit, the very thing she needed to hear tonight. She confessed that only a couple of minutes before we talked, she sat in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Alter crying out to him “What do you want me to do with my life!? I want a different job! What am I doing with my life?!” You see,  she said, God just spoke to me through you. Thank you. And then seeing another friend, she told me goodbye and thank you again.

    As she walked away, I felt that familiar lump in my throat. What had I just told my friend? Surely it was nothing I believed myself. Was I merely trying to make herself feel better about herself? My pal didn’t know this, but I had been asking  screaming the very same question {What AM I doing with my life?!} to God for the past two years. The truth is, I don’t want to be a lifeguard. I find it completely embarrassing, undignified, childish, transitional, etc. I had other career dreams. I’ve done nothing but sulk in ingratitude and self-consciousness. I knew I was preaching to yours truly when I was encouraging my friend. I felt God nudge me, reminding me that our jobs are NOT our identity. They are NOT meant to fulfill us. God fulfills us. I believe He purposely keeps us from the perfect job, so that we are constantly crying out to him, our perfect God. For those of us who don’t deem our job as important, essential, glamorous, and impressive…we must remember that the Blessed Mother was a homemaker, a job mocked in our society, and that St. Joseph was a carpenter, and beg God for a share in their humility.  We must be thankful for the earthly provision our jobs provide, but be free from all want of notoriety and recognition for our work. And while sometimes God does merge a career with ministry, for the most part..our jobs do not dictate what we are doing with our lives. What we are doing with our lives can be found wherever we are humble. Wherever we are glorifying God. Wherever we are giving of our time in service of others. 

     And tomorrow when I am pulling on my swimsuit, instead of my skirt suit, please remind me of this again :)

Love,
Laura

Apr 16, 2011

Favorites

     I spent this morning soaking wet, strapped down to a plastic board. I put my life into the hands of young lifeguard wanna-be’s as they perfect the art of backboarding a mock spinal injury victim {yours truly}. I’m either very brave or very stupid. I have been a lifeguard instructor for about 4 years and I’ve had some close calls. When the kids in my class are testing out, I will be their ‘victim’ for the backboarding portion of the exam. Please note that the ENTIRE body gets strapped into the board {this includes the arms and hands!} making it impossible to free yourself in case the board gets flipped upside down, or just dropped all together. I’ve survived both. I’m also smarter. I now NEVER allow the lifeguard trainees to strap my hands in, so I can easily unsnap the other straps and make a get-a-way when {it always happens once} they can’t pull me out of the pool. And these kids get it easy too… When I became certified as a lifeguard, I had to rescue a 250 pound man.  Anyways, I digress. My only point in this paragraph was to say I’m tired and I would like a nap. I have a habit of writing opening paragraphs that have nothing to do with the intended blog subject. Although those amateur lifeguards wore me out today, I’m on a blogging mission. I’m on a blogging mission for a commenter who said “Please keep writing!” So, this blog post is for you, commenter :)

     Ever since I have registered for my upcoming wedding, and since picking out a place to live, I’ve had decor on the mind. Interior design, personal style, colors, etc. Mainly because, being so indecisive, I had no idea what I wanted. Well, Etsy rescued me. My friend Elizabeth sent Marcus & I a really neat engagement present and when I asked her where she got it, she told me all about Etsy. And now I am hooked..clicking on one favorite after another! Since discovering Etsy, I now know that I favor blues, greens, and whites. I love a touch of yellow or pale pink, too. I like antiqued furniture/accessories and have a thing for nautical decor, birds and bikes. My hope is for a fresh, bright, colorful home with a touch of shabby chic. Truthfully, I’m sure my new little home will look more like old couches, faded rugs, mis-matched furniture and tacky decorations ;) We’re just starting out here!

    So, without further ado, meet some of my favorite Etsy favorites!

Vintage Clear Glass Apothecary Jar with Quote No3Birds of a feather bowl duo with lace texture in seafoam and key limeSET of 50 Wedding Place Cards Upcycled Glass Jars With Chalkboard Fronts Tea Light Candle Holder Rustic Woodland WeddingBirds Linen Pillow Cover - 14x14kitchen table organizer napkin holder salt pepper Earth Yellow

Set of 3 hanging bowls... in citrus colors with unmatchy edges... MADE TO ORDER.Large Cake Stand - 12 inch - Eyelet Ribbon in Vanilla Cream - MADE TO ORDERSing Strum Bang Play Music Sign - The Perfect Sign for a Music Room, Playroom or FamilyroomFLAT NOTES Letterpress - Vintage Bike (NVB04S10)Jewelry organizer by Bluebirdheaven

Vintage American Family Scale, Steel Blue, 25 lbs - the WEIGHT of the WORLDVintage Painted Cottage French Provincial Flip Up Vanity VAN121Eight Nesting Lotus Bowls in Milk WhiteBicycle Mug large for Soup or Coffee LoversLight Yellow Hydrangea Box In Wool Felt  On Wedding White Linen Fabric Organizer Bin  Storage Basket   Handmade elitett

vintage style bicycle trivetsmall wooden ladderMr and Mrs -  Pair of  Burlap Pillow Covers / Shamssnug.bear  breadboardVintage Highchair

Sterling Silver Anchor -  Single Dainty Disc with Swarovski Crystal Pearl or Swarovski Crystal - Personalized Hand Stamped NecklaceVintage GlobeSailor Tote Bag --for market or beach or gym-- - dark blue and white bold striped, X-Large and cotton rope straps-Chunky Farmhouse CubbyBird and Egg Coasters-A Vintage Inspired Set by burlap and blue

Apr 14, 2011

Poetry Bloggin’

Writer’s block and wedding planning has tried to keep me away

but I’ve missed this ‘ole blog and wish I had to time to stay

Instead of photographs and laughs, I’ll simply have to summarize,

All that is old news around here, and what is on the rise!

 

Last week was all about wedding invites, it was quite an ordeal,

addresses, handwriting, labels and stamps… I was  glad when they were all sealed.

Wedding details still hard at work with sashes for bridesmaid dresses,  dinner buffet menus to plan,

mass music to pick out,  bakeries to visit and flowers to hold in my hand.

 

I’ve snuck in time for babysitting jobs and baby showers,

lunch dates with friends and Adoration hours.

A James Taylor concert was the highlight of my month,

no matter that Marcus & I were the youngest in the bunch.

 

An engagement shoot with yellow flowers and a bicycle built for two

Pre-Cana counseling and apartment hunting, it’s all so new!

Our sweet nephew turns one, with birthday celebrations galore,

while my friend welcomes her brand new son, who I already adore.

 

Okay, Okay I’ll stop all this poetry nonsense, no need to coerce.

Call it a stanza, a sonnet, iambic pentameter or blank verse.

Just whatever you do, don’t call it a haiku,

it lacked 7 and 5 syllable statements, so it just wouldn’t do. 

Apr 3, 2011

Playing Catch-Up

   I have to say, I’m almost embarrassed to show up here, after my sporadic blogging recently and all out absences. It’s not as if I have people sitting around waiting to for blog updates. Well, that is except for my little brother, who comes to me frequently demanding to know why I have not been blogging. I’m so famous.

What I have NOT been doing recently

1) Blogging

2) Taking Pictures

3) Learning to cook

4) Eating sugar

5) Tackling wedding to-do’s in a timely fashion

6) Cleaning

7) Scrapbooking

9) Brushing my hair

8) Saving money

What I have been doing recently

1) Thinking about blogging

2) Also, thinking about taking pictures

3) Contemplating getting rid of all my scrapbooking supplies

4) Working out…and not for the wedding, people. It is just that I have recently discovered a direct link between exercise and energy levels. I know, I know..a brand new phenomenon! I was seriously lacking in the energy department, so it was back to swimming and running. Hopefully this extra energy will yield blogging results. Or simply help me to make my bed in the morning. I would be satisfied with either.

5) Being swept off my feet by Marcus

6) Learning how to correctly address outer and inner wedding invite envelopes. If one reaches you and it is addressed incorrectly, it is probably one of my sisters’ faults. Certainly not hasty, careless me. And the same holds true if you find messy handwriting. That is definitely my sister’. Have I mentioned how grateful I am for their help?!

7) Falling in love with Cheesecake (which is why #4 ain’t gonna do much for me)

8) Thinking about writing a book.

9) Changing stuff on our bridal registry 3 times a day. Oh, to be indecisive.

10) Enjoying lots of coffee and lunch dates with amazing, supportive, beautiful girlfriends

11) Going to baby showers. Every other weekend. Really looking forward to lots of babies this summer. Hooray for pregnant friends!

12) Missing my blog.

13) Missing my brothers. My big brother, sailing the seas on the USS Enterprise, being a handsome Naval Officer, and the younger one..away at Ohio State, being a handsome JUNIOR Naval Officer.

13) Feeling bad for my readers when I don’t post any pictures with my blog posts. Strange, I know..but I feel some weird guilt when I post without any photographs. Not that my pictures are anything special, but they’ve got to be more interesting than my writing!

unedited for blog 004 unedited for blog 006 unedited for blog 008

So, as you can see, I HAVE been doing more than I have not been doing. I think, anyways. I’ll keep working on it, and be back to report.

As for now, it’s back to the invitations.

Love,
Laura     

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