Deep in the Heart of Texas

I am FINALLY getting around to putting up some of the pics from my birthday trip to Dallas! I had an amazing time with my best friend Brandi in my home state. :)


I flew out of Chicago on March 8. That consisted of breakfast at 5 a.m. at Starbucks... It made me miss 392 Caffe and its superior Caramel Macchiatos.


You know you're in Texas when... This was at DFW, where I hung out until Brandi was able to come pick me up. To entertain myself I read up on the movie I am dying to see...


I am so excited for this! Though despite some suggestions, I will not be dressing in a costume. Maybe a side braid, but that's as far as I'll take it.

Anyway, Brandi picked me up in time for us to grab lunch with her hubbie (and also a really great friend of mine from college) Jordan. Later in the afternoon he flew out to Brazil, so we had to grab some quick pics at the airport before he left.


Brandi and Jordan. They are two of the absolute best friends anyone could ask for.



I had to take a pic of these photos. They remind me so much of the times we all spent together at Moody and when Bran and Jordan first met.


Okay, random I know, but every place we went in Dallas had these amazing sinks. Each one was different and none were the typical white porcelain.


For my birthday we got pedicures with hot stone massages. Um, can anyone say amazing? :)



The tubs were pretty sweet with color-changing lights.


Finished product... Orange with cute little flowers.

After our pedis we got manis, then went shopping. I found my new favorite store and I am absolutely obsessed now with Charming Charlie. The entire place is color-coordinated and has TONS of cute accessories.


This clutch/wallet is one of the items I found while we were there. Love the sea foam green color, it adds a nice pop of color to outfits.


Later we went to Naan for sushi for my birthday dinner. It was sooooo good.


My birthday cake... Chocolate truffle cheesecake. Yes, it was delicious. :)


We got to Face Time a couple of times with Jordan.


The next day we went to the Galleria... one of the coolest malls in Dallas. It has an ice skating rink in the middle and TONS of shops.



One of my purchases... Love the color blocking and the coral, which is really in this season. I'll be posting more on my clothing purchases and summer outfits later. So consider this a teaser. ;)



I made friends with Bran and Jordan's sweet dogs too. Above is Chewie and below is Avi. :)


Sorry it's taken me so long to post! More updates coming soon, I promise! :)

Creative License

Growing up, I was never short on creativity. Whether it was drawing and writing, or making doll houses and playing dress-up, I was always imagining, always creating.

I feel like lately, my creativity has been a bit lacking, stifled even. It's almost like, the older I get, the harder it is for me to even remember what being creative means. It doesn't always mean undertaking a huge project or setting out to create a masterpiece. Sometimes creativity is simple and small.

I want to be more creative. I want to remember what it's like to create art in daily life, to have an idea and make it real. So my blog has not only gotten a new face, it's going to get a new heart.

Those of you who have been following my blog know I write about anything and everything, from personal stories to matters of the heart. I've written about current events, kept up a photo blog and thrown in the occasional spoof post. I decided it's time to broaden my horizons and throw in some new content.

I have some specific ideas of how I'd like to structure things, but I think it's going to be something of a trial and error process. So rather than tie myself down to a schedule right now, here is some of what you can expect to see in the near future.

I want to get back into doing more art projects, so I will be sharing those on here. I will also be throwing in some work-related posts (I will try my best to keep them interesting), as the world of digital media is always evolving and I would like to track my progress. I'm also going to be throwing in some fashion blogging (yeah, never thought the day would come), since I've been getting lots of positive comments on the outfits I put together. Finally, I want to keep doing the occasional photo post.

As always, I welcome feedback, whether here, on Facebook or in person. I love hearing from you all, and I welcome your thoughts and ideas. I'm always open to trying new things and hate getting stuck in a rut. I hope you'll join me on this new venture, and thanks for reading! :)

My World Changer

There are times in everyone's existence when life changes drastically. One moment it's safe and familiar and the next you know it will never be the same again.

Fourteen years ago tomorrow, something happened that changed mine in the best way possible. Not a day goes by without the reminder that Jan. 20 was perhaps one of the best days of my life.

Sometimes I try to describe my life pre-1998. Sterile. Cold. Lonely. Isolated. Being an only child is almost like being trapped in a wasteland devoid of color, warmth and some aspect of life you just can't explain. It's like being in a form of solitary confinement. At least it was for me.

No, life wasn't all bad, but from a very young age, I knew something was missing. Attempts to fill the void were intangible, fragments of thought and ideals that took shape in the unseen realm of my imagination. But it never truly fulfilled. Instead it was like a single taste that left me starving for more.

I was starving for a long time. Over a decade of waiting will make you forget what you wanted in the first place. And I did. I started to find life more tolerable, seeing what I had as something good.

That, of course, is when everything changed. We found out about a little boy who needed a home and it didn't take long for us to give him one. And all of a sudden, my world had a little bundle of color splashed into it and nothing was ever the same.

Tomorrow, that little boy turns 14. He's not so little anymore, but he still fills my world with all the laughter, joy and color I could ask for. I haven't really been lonely since he came along and turned my wasteland into a place I actually wanted to be.

Michael, you have rocked my world in more ways than I can count. Every time I see you, I'm reminded that God does listen, even to the prayers of a three-year-old.

You're my walking representation of the fact that God gives good gifts to those who ask of him. Sure, it took longer than I often thought it should, but I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world. You're a miracle and a blessing, a gift and a treasure. You are without a doubt one of the best things that's ever happened to me and I love you.

Thanks for bringing the color into my world.

Year of Redemption

Last year, my friend Jessica got me started on a new concept of picking a theme word to focus on throughout the year. The word I chose was "peace." It was the perfect word and kept reminding me that even in tumultuous times, I could still find peace in Jesus.

I thought for a while about what I wanted my word for 2012 to be. There was one thing that has been coming to mind more and more lately, and that is the concept of redemption.

Most of all, I have felt my own need for true, pure redemption, the kind that doesn't look judgmentally at past failures, but brings freedom. Real freedom, from self and sin, comes from redemption. Redemption is a deliverance, an atonement, the act of rescue, only brought about through the spilling of pure blood, the death of the Savior.

When I think about redemption, I don't just think about the ultimate redemption, but the kind that happens daily. Every day we need it, and in some small way, we can offer it to each other through grace and love, as a picture of what we've been given so freely in Christ. We've all been given the biggest second chance of a lifetime, so there's absolutely no reason why we can't share that on a smaller level.

So 2012 is about redemption. It's about remembering how I came to be free, and what that freedom means. It's about sharing the deliverance from a life of darkness and misery to a life renewed. It's about the grace and mercy that go hand-in-hand with a sacrifice made so freely, but at a great, great price.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. [John 8:36]