Making Memories

This year for Christmas, we wanted to do something a little different.

 We're sick of the materialistic side of Christmas and really want to embrace the real meaning this year. Spending extra time with family and friends, sending care packages to our sweet sponsor child in Africa, making gifts instead of spending lots of money... these are things we're doing to change it up this year.

For our families, we decided a photo shoot was the perfect way to make memories and freeze them at the same time. Check out some of the moments our friend Kristen Lunceford got for us:

Our dads - this picture gets me every time!

My in-laws, Rita and Randy.

My parents, Kelley and Colleen.

My older brother- and sister-in-law, Ryan and Kelly, and their puppy, Bridger.

Jordan and I

My younger brother-in-law, Colin.

The table we set in the backyard.

My immediate family.

My in-law family.

My beautiful mother-in-law.

My sweet, pretty mom. (And their puppy)

Jordan and I entertaining my mom and dad.

Looks like Randy made an inappropriate joke.

Love the angle she got with these.

Always laughing. I love it.

Everyone all together. My family.

I was never sentimental when I was younger, but now I can't get enough of catching these moments and memories with the people I love. I get teary just looking through these photos. So excited to get prints and put them up all over our house!

Kristen's Favorite Things 2010

If Oprah can do it, why can't I? :-)

A list of my favorite things from 2010 (in no particular order).

Microfiber cloths. Now this might sound strange, but they are my absolute favorite thing for dusting and drying dishes. You'll obviously want separate cloths for those duties, but you can't go wrong with them.

Mrs. Meyers all-purpose cleaner in lemon verbena. One bottle lasts FOREVER and can be used to clean just about anything. We mix ours with water and keep a spray bottle in the kitchen and in an upstairs bathroom. I'm not a fan of bleach or other nasty chemicals (for health reasons and for smell reasons!), so this is the perfect option. It smells heavenly and leaves our house sparkling clean.

Pier1 has always held a special spot in my heart. I was thrilled when Jordan agreed to this fabulous chair - it's a little girlie which was why I was so excited. It's comfortable and adds a great pop to our bedroom sitting area. It makes me smile every morning.

Our Dyson vacuum cleaner is definitely near the top of my favorites this year. When we moved into our new place, we were in desperate need of a vacuum. Thankfully, we had a gift card and a few extra bucks to afford this beauty. If sucks up anything we put down - and it makes vacuuming so fun (somehow).

MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil. It's black, goes on smooth, and defies water. Not that I'm a crier or anything.... I searched high and low for a good waterproof eyeliner and this one does the trick. I have dark eyes and hair, so I go with black ("engraved") but they have a whole host of different colors. It's pricier than your average drugstore eyeliner, but it's so worth it.

OPI nail polish - specifically the shade named Can You Tapas This?. People who know me well know that I love nothing more than perfectly manicured nails. This color is somewhere between brown and deep red and I love it. I also recently purchased Barefoot in Barcelona and I'm loving it! I'll have to give Give Me Moori a try since it looks so nice in this picture. Oh, and if you haven't been to the OPI website recently, you should visit. There are so many brilliant links and fun things to do!

Aveda Foot Relief. I just discovered this last weekend when my mom gave me an early Christmas gift... a combo of Hand Relief and Foot Relief - in travel size AND regular size. I've used Hand Relief for a long time, but just found the smoothing effects of Foot Relief. This comes in handy for anyone, but especially those of us who endure cold, dry Minnesota winters! Smells great and keeps those nasty callouses at bay!

Our pizza stone. Jordan has been on a kick of making pizza dough from scratch and you can't cook it well without one of these! It was a steal at Target for only $10 and we use it more than I thought we would. In addition to baking pizzas, it's great for homemade bread and regulates the temperature of the oven. Who would have guessed?! The website says they're sold out, but we got ours in a store and I'm guessing they still have them.

My fun new Silpada jewelry. Shamless plug... but only because I truly love the quality and style of the jewelry. Below is a shot of my favorite piece. I love rings and this one fits perfectly and goes with so many things! The color is beautiful and the detailing on the band is awesome.

Chocolove - the Almonds and Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate variety. To. Die. For. My mother-in-law introduced me to this and I've been head over heels in love ever since. I used to hate almonds and now they're one of my favorite snacks... especially when dunked in chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt. The salt is such a great addition. Not a fan of salt and almonds? There are 17 other tantalizing flavors to choose from. Oh good, now my mouth is watering.

Give Thanks

I just did a quick search on biblegateway.com for "give thanks." I had no idea how many times these two words are found together in the Bible and I wanted to know (hello, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow!). I was surprised to find 48 references! And "thanksgiving"? Well that's mentioned 30 times. The simple word "thanks" is written 100+ times. I'm not even scratching the surface of gratitude, grateful, thankful, and any other word that comes close to thanks.


We're planning to spend lots of time counting our blessings this week/weekend. We get to have quality time with both families... who we're very thankful for. Hoping you all have time to thank God for all He's done for you this year and for all that is to come. We serve such an amazing God.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Ahhh Shutterfly

I've always loved Shutterfly products. From sweet holiday cards to custom photo books to fun desk calendars, they do it all! And let's talk about quality... well, it's awesome. I've never been disappointed by anything I've ordered... which is why this giveaway is so exciting to me!

Two words: Christmas. Cards.

(for free!)

I love sending out Christmas cards and receiving them. Not many of our friends send them because, well let's face it, our lives aren't as exciting as people my parents' age who have kids getting married, having babies, and traveling around the world. But I like to know what's going on in my friends' lives. Check out some great layouts Shutterfly is offering this season:

Love the simplicity of this one - picture it with a much less cute but still fun 20s-something couple in place of the sweet little girl. :-)

Also enjoy this design. Contemporary meets chic. Fabulous.

And this one is gorgeous. Maybe I just wish my wedding pictures were by the ocean. Not going to happen here in chilly Minnesota!

We're having a family photo shoot this weekend with my great photographer friend, and I'm hoping one of the pictures will be perfect to grace our free Shutterfly Christmas card!

i will follow

seeking God's heart... this song says it all. 

can't get the words out of my mind.

where You go, i'll go 

where You stay, i'll stay 

when You move, i'll move 

i will follow... 

all Your ways are good 

all Your ways are sure 

i will trust in You alone 

higher than my side 

high above my life 

i will trust in You alone 

where You go, i'll go 

where You stay, i'll stay 

when You move, i'll move 

i will follow You 

who You love, i'll love 

how You serve i'll serve 

if this life i lose, i will follow You 

i will follow You

light unto the world 

light unto my life 

i will live for You alone 

You're the one i seek 

knowing i will find 

all i need in You alone, in You alone 

in You there's life everlasting 

in You there's freedom for my soul 

in You there joy, unending joy 

and i will follow

where You go, i'll go 

where You stay, i'll stay 

when You move, i'll move 

i will follow You 

who You love, i'll love 

how You serve i'll serve 

if this life i lose, i will follow You 

i will follow You

~i will follow by chris tomlin

It's Official!

I sent in my paperwork. I ordered my inventory. I was accepted. I have a website. I am an official Silpada rep!

If you're looking for a fun gift for Christmas or looking for something fun to wear for Christmas, check out our online catalog here. If you'd like lots of free jewelry, contact me about hosting a party - the average hostess makes $285 in free jewelry!

I do promise that I'm not going to be the annoying, in-your-face sales lady... if I ask you if you'd like to host a party and you say no, I won't ask again! I just want everyone to know that I'm out here with some great jewelry for you!

A New Endeavor

After a bit of a blogging hiatus, I'm back. There has been so much going on in my life that blogging had to take a backseat.

Here's a little recap:

• Travel to NYC - check.
• Start a new small group - check.
• Go to work - check.
• Continue teaching 6 piano students - check.
• Have two great friends visit from far away - check.
• Find out that great friends are moving far away - check. (And check out more on that here).
• Have a fun Silpada jewelry party - check.
• Start selling Silpada jewelry - hmmmmm....

That's right - I'm going to start selling Silpada. For those of you who are saying "Sil-what-huh?!", let me explain. It's my new endeavor!

Silpada started in 1997 when two ladies with a passion for great jewelry got together and tried something new. And great jewelry it is - all handcrafted, .925 sterling silver, made with love and sold party-style. The company is exploding all across the U.S. and even world-wide. Once you've experienced the quality of their jewelry, you'll want it all!

And the best part about Silpada? If you host a jewelry party (which means open up your house for me to come in and set up a bunch of jewelry, then invite friends over to try it on), you are eligible for lots of FREE jewelry. What's better than free, high-quality jewelry? Well, not much.

So why am I doing this? Well, I LOVE the jewelry for starters. I sport it everywhere I go and I would recommend it to anyone I know (love the rhyme, right?). Secondly, I love meeting new people and sharing about something I adore. And lastly, who doesn't want to earn a few extra bucks for that savings account?

If you live in the Twin Cities and are interested in throwing a Silpada party, don't hesitate to leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to set something up!