More Beautiful Skies...

Michelle your post is the perfect lead to this post I was planning...

Several days ago John and I were sitting on our couch watching the movie Ponyo (which I highly recommend) and we noticed this amazing cloud formation out our window...

After taking lots of pictures of the huge clouds, John suggested I post a week of sunsets on our blog.

I have heard of people taking pictures of themselves and other things to see how they grow, so I was interested in what a week worth of taking sunset pictures in roughly the same spot would teach me.

And gosh I am amazed!! (I think this image above is my absolute favorite!)

I did not expect to see such variety of colors and clouds from one day to the next.

I also find the water to be amazingly different as well.

I am truly in awe of our Creator and the art show that he puts on for us every single day.

Thank you God for the beauty of this planet. And thank you, John, for the week of sunsets idea!

Beautiful skies...

www.missouriskies.org
This website has amazing shots of the night sky, sunset, rainbows, stars, etc. all in Missouri.

http://www.blachfordlakelodge.com/
This website features a community of lodges in North Canada that sounds so amazing! It's secluded, private, and you can watch the Aurora at night. I'd like to go here one day...except it would be REALLY cold!

Thought I'd share two websites that feature our Creator's beauty as he paints the skies at night!

Yum-Yum Time!!

Today I went blueberry picking with a sweet family from our church. I am kicking myself that I did not bring the camera with me because it was so beautiful. I wish I could show you, but this description and your imagination will have to do.... The blueberry patch was on the side of a steep hill that over looked a deep valley and several mountains in the Catskills. If that doesn't sound ideal enough, the two or three acres of blueberry bushes were so full that the hill side actually looked purple! (kick, kick!!) I'll try to go back and get some lovely pics (as well as more blueberries!) There were six of us that went today and we managed to pick 53 pounds of blueberries!!! (and yes there were plenty more left on the bushes!) Needless to say the family I went with has a chest freezer and loves blueberries. The place we went was a "u-pick" that hardly had any signage, but gosh it sure was a great find. To pay for the blueberries we had to go to the family's house and they had a scale and a plastic jar on their back porch that you weighed what you picked and paid on the honor system. I love the country!

SC Retreat 2010

Two weeks ago, Jason came in to the office and said his mom wanted some design work done on her beach house. Within 15 minutes we planned an epic beach trip for the following weekend. Then, what turned into a leave-early-on-a-Friday weekend trip turned into a ditch-the-office-and let's-go-play-already Wednesday night escape. So, I just spent the last five days on the Gulf! Headquartered at Fort Morgan, with half of our troops stationed in Gulf Shores with family, we managed to have a fabulous time on the gorgeous Alabama coast. See more "retreat" pics here.

Goodbye Home Sweet Home

This past week I moved out of my favorite place I've ever lived. Sad news, I know. But the good news is, I'm preettty sure the next place I move into is going to trump all ; ) We were able to have a little appetizer of entertaining this weekend, and it got me so excited about what is to come. The house is perfect for having over lots of guests and I anticipate many pot lucks and game/movie nights. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the new place - yet. They'll come soon! Or maybe you'll just have to come visit to see! ; )

coming soon to the brooklyn art library...

So, I signed up for the sketchbook project! My sketchbook will be on tour and then will live permanently in Brooklyn. Read more about this awesome project HERE.

I'm starting to plan out the book now. I'll keep you all updated on my progress. I ship it back in January 2011.

***props to carrie for suggesting this to me!!! thanks!!!

e a r t h m o v i n g

finally, the unions have settled and called off the strike!

Cool As A, Well...

Ah, the first cucumber from the garden. About 6 inches long, this little guy was balancing precariously on the rail of the fence waiting for me to come rescue him. How does it feel to eat something you've grown? Like getting to know a little slice of God's creative and loving heart. How amazing is it that right in the middle of the summer when the sun is at it's steamiest in the sunny South, things like watermelons and cucumbers ripen..cool, light, tasty snacks that are completely refreshing!

Love it...

Lunch Plans?

Today, I am eating lunch with my Dad. I'm excited! :)

New Job! -well sort of :)

Its official!!! John is a small business owner!

Some Good Tunes

Yesterday I took a tour of the Book Arts Center at Wells College and it was amazing. They had over 6 presses and gobs of type. I was floored. But the most exciting part is that I was asked to come back next week and help them print some things for the college!!! I am so, so excited.

Did I mention I love Downtown Birmingham?

After a long day of work...

i came home to this little guy trapped between two fences.

http://vimeo.com/13343226

For I am convinced...

that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Romans 8:38, 39

20 Steps to Making Blackberry Jam

clear visions

Psalm 125 of David :The Lord surrounds His people
"Those who trust the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds His People from this time forth and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good O Lord, tho those who are good and to those who are upright in their hearts"

Proverbs 29:18 of Solomon
"Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint."

Jesus in Matthew 21:42
Jesus said to them: "Have you never read in the scriptures:
'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.'"

thrifty finds

It's all things wedding, here in my world! There's Scott proudly holding the save the date you should have received in the mail this week. On the right are some thrifty finds for the reception tables. Now, since I found all of these green jewels, I have to find about 60+/- more! Whew...I have a lot to do. But I sure am looking forward to this weekend! Guess what's in store!?!?

Yep! She & Him! I'm so excited :)

Psalm 5:3, 12

³ In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

¹² For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

our big lake down the street

sometimes words and pictures aren't enough.

This is from Saturday. Terran and I sat on the edge of a pier on Lake Michigan around 1:45pm.

Wow...

Just looking back over all these posts, and reading all your thoughts, looking at all the beautiful photos, and thinking about "wow, these are such amazing people and friends I have!" We are all so different, but we all were brought together and met each other through Auburn's architecture school, and it's just funny and amazing to stop, sit, and think about how our lives are crossed as we passed through school together. Now we are all dispersed in different locations, doing different things, but still managing to keep in touch. It's just amazing!

It is so cool to think about all the things each of you have accomplished, and to think about all the things I have accomplished as well. Wow, I'm just inspired by each of you. I don't think I can explain it in words how inspired and encouraged I am to have friends like y'all! So, thanks for each and every thought, word, and photo you post. :) It's good to hear from you and keep in touch with you.

You are all so beautiful! I know that each and every one of us has a great future ahead. I know God has great plans for us! I just can't even begin to imagine what is to come, because what has been in the past has been great. God is so good, and there is good in every situation. Thanks for all your friendship! I love all y'all so much. Just to think about what is to come in the future, when we are forever in Heaven, is just amazing, I can't imagine, but that is what we are all longing and aching for inside, to be united with our Creator once and for all. Amazing.

For now, I'll leave you guys with that, and I shall get back to my vacation! I am vacationing in the Bahamas with the Norwegian Cruise Line. Woohoo! The ocean is beautiful. The beaches are so beautiful. The sunsets are amazing. I'm here with my friend, Jennifer Hurt, and we are having a very good vacation. :) I'm reminded of how great our God is by seeing his nature and his creation. The islands of the Bahamas are so cool. So good to see another culture, a different way of living, such cool tropical plants and how they survive, beautiful nature that is so unfamiliar, it's all so good to see. So, I am headed back to vacation now! See you guys! Ahoy!

As the Bahama people say "Ya Man, see you soon, man!"

good food + good people + good places = a lot of goodness

Breaking bread turned to grilling kebabs.

{An 07.04 dinner}

What do you do in order to get a super-amazing group of people together for a Fourth of July celebration?

01 Have an open-ended invitaiton list

aka everyone is invited. typically, the more varigated, the better ;)

02 Provide the Meal

again, there's nothing like breaking bread with friends and friends-of-friends
credit: michael dowdy's superb grilling abilities + the schafer's home

03 Candles + Sunflowers + Porch

because who doesn't smile at a sunflower?

04 Market Fresh!

in the morning check out the local market for fruit and vegetables to prepare the meal

laugh. enjoy. eat homemade ice cream.

My Week's Top Pic(k)s

130, 41st Street, Avondale, AL; Home Sweet Home Standard Creative, LLC.

The view from the dock, Guntersville Lake, Alabama; 7-4-2010

My weekend surprise, the results from my first test in less than 2 weeks!

What a relief. I knew I'd failed.

The Lake Lifeline

Today was the first day in my life that I heard several people over the age of sixty emphatically say, "I can't wait to get in the lake!" Evidently the brief summer has finally arrived in Upstate New York. With highs in the low nineties and no one owning an air conditioner, I can understand the locals' sentiments. John and I are pretty lucky temperature-wise because our house is two stories plus a mostly-underground basement. The upstairs gets up into the lower eighties during the middle of the day, the downstairs stays fairly nice at seventy-six, but the basement remains a lovely sixty (and honestly the only enticement I have for doing laundry.) By two-a-clock today I was getting restless; I felt fine if I was sitting doing nothing, but the moment I tried to do something I began to sweat like a pig. So, I had had it. I took the wisdom from my elders and with the dog, I jumped into the lake! Ahhh....The joys of summer! I can't wait to do it again tomorrow!

Get Excited!

It's Independence Day weekend! Are you guys doing anything special to celebrate? Mine is especially long, because I took off today to go try on the newly altered weddin' gown that still needs more altering. I'm ready for that to be done! I had the treat of sharing lunch with the lovely and talented Carrie Norton at Urban Standard (Thank you for everything!), and I get another treat tonight! I get to hang out with THE one and only, Michelle Clark. This blog is going to make me want to document everything I do with pictures, because I wish I had it with me today!

Thanks for the birthday page, Michelle! You're too funny :) So, my birthday started out with a pleasant surprise...

Whenever I walked out my door, this is what I found! My friend, Ali, had decorated my sidewalk, and what you see here wasn't the end of it. She incorporated the birthday song along the edge and many more details. I felt loved with a day full of beautiful gifts: loaded baked oatmeal at Toomer's from Kelly Culpepper, delivered flowers from Scoot and the parents, and a delicious fancy dinner with Scoot, along with many birthday wishes.

Two random things I want to share. One: the new "Polaroid" I'm glad someone took over. Two: last weeks message at Cornerstone (Matt Dean: Overcoming Discouragement). I recommend listening. You will be encouraged. It should only take a minute to load, but let me know if it doesn't work.

Along with this blog making me want to take pictures of every moment (well, at least every "special" moment), it has reminded me of how important friends are in life. I get so much encouragement just from hearing about your lives. This blog was a terrific idea.

For the Lovely Ladies of the Variegated Collective

Psalm 91

¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

³ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Happy Birthday to...

CASEY!!! :)

Thought I'd post some photos to remind us of all the wonderful Casey moments.

You are a fantastic, fabulous, and amazing friend to all of us, Casey!