My New Friend, Craig

In this age of digital relationships and online journaling, it's quite the phenomenon to also hold online garage sales. I've, as of late, made two purchases from Craigslist.com. Both have been exactly what I wanted--at a fraction of what the cost would be for new items.

Item Number One: A floor lamp great for shedding some light on those dark corners or snuggling under as you curl up with your favorite book.

Sold because: Seller received as gift and did not match interior style.

Priced at: $60-$70

Craigslist price: $25

Item number two: Round mirror, perfect for helping a room expand visually and for adding those classy little details to your home.

Sold because: Too heavy for seller's walls.

Priced at: 79.99 at Target.

Craigstlist price: $15

Last on our list is not a Craigslist purchase, but a well-deserved purchase nonetheless. We got Kevin's diploma framed! Nice, huh? :)

Mine is on the right; his is on the left, Magna Cum Laude sticker and all! :)

A Little Home Improvement

Growing up with a father who was a professional painter, I took color on our home's walls for granted. Every time we moved, I got to pick the color of my walls (lavender in San Antonio, then sky blue in El Paso, and mint green in Auburn), and in two of my bedrooms, I was allowed to paint an accent wall myself. As you can tell, I'm not shy about color choice--I LOVE color.

So, having lived the last five years colorless (four years in college and then one year without color by choice), I was ecstatic to move into an apartment that leveled no painting stipulations on us, save that we paint back to the original color before we move out.

When my mom asked if she could come visit us, it was clear what the project at hand would be. Following are some pictures of the last four days in our apartment. They included five gallons and one quart of paint, one "special" paint brush (courtesy of my dad), several not-so-special brushes (i.e. cheaper :), one wrong color, lots and lots of blue tape, and one very understanding husband. Oh, yeah--and lots of paint fumes! :)

Hope you enjoy our trip out of white and into the land of COLOR!

For starters, while Mom and I played, Kevin still had work to do. He set up his post outside on our porch to grade papers by the light of a lamp we plugged in inside. He also listened to his iPod.


The Before Picture:

Lydia's attempt at artistic photography. This is our callbox. If you come visit, we can talk to you from our apartment. Pretty spiffy, huh? :)


The first strokes of the first color: Sage.


Painting around the front door:


It took an entire night to do just two walls!
A well-deserved bowl of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce:


And the next day, we moved on to the second color. It looks yellow, but it's really more of a tan.


Rolling the dining room


A little touch-up from the top of the entertainment center.


Final product:
I LOVE that red!

To celebrate our achievement (thus far), we went out to dinner at Applebee's. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of Mom, but she took this one, so it counts for something, right? :)

And on to the bedroom:

Finished product:

Hard to tell, but we did paint the other three walls (the not-blue ones). They're a light beige.

We hope you've enjoyed this journey with us. We've greatly enjoyed our time with our new walls, and we'd love for you to come meet them.

Many thanks to Mom for coming all the way from Texas. We love the tangible evidence of your visit, and we love you!

A Woman's Highest Calling

So, I'm stealing from other blogs today. This one is also thanks to my Alaskan friend, Jess. She posted it on her website and, in light of recent current events, it's a very timely post.

Hope you enjoy:
http://humblemusings.com/archives/2008/09/02/a-woman’s-highest-calling/

I have one personal comment regarding the above topic.

When Kevin and I were going through our pre-marital counseling, we were asked to compile a list of what the roles of a husband and wife, respectively, are in marriage. In doing so, I went to Proverbs 31, the ultimate example of a woman who pleases and follows the Lord.

These verses stood out to me:

"She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard." (vs. 16)

"She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night." (vs. 18)

"She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant." (vs. 24)

This woman is no dummy--in matters of the household or matters (as evidenced above) of business. It's not every woman's lot to work outside the home, and truly, children are a gift from the Lord; however, the choice of a woman, either by necessity or through the Lord's calling, is backed up in Scripture.

She is worthy to rise up and be called "blessed." (vs. 28)

First Hand Perspective on Sarah Palin

The following link is from a blog of the sister of one of my sister-in-law's friends (got that? :). Her name is Jess and she's a native of Wasilla, Alaska (yes, that Wasilla).

I've greatly enjoyed corresponding with her through email as of late, and I immensely enjoyed this first-hand perspective on Sarah Palin as shared by Jess's husband. Thought I would share it as an insider's view on our potential next vp. :) Enjoy!

http://we2r1preston.blogspot.com/2008/09/our-governor-next-vice-president.html

What I'm Reading Right Now

So, I picked up a free copy of "Joni" (pronounced like "Johnny"). It's the story of Joni Eareckson, now Joni Eareckson-Tada, who became a quadriplegic at the age of seventeen as the result of a diving accident.

It was her first book, and it's an eye-opening account. She walks the reader through her struggle from day one of her disability. I'm only about half-way through, and she has been sharing candidly her fight with depression, loneliness, pointlessness, and the ultimate question: "How on Earth could God's plan possibly include this and mean it for good?" I can relate with every one of those attacks from Satan--can't you?

I want to share a quote from the book that struck me as very poignant. In her journey, she's come full-circle in the "Is there even a God?" debate. She's read Marx, Kafka, and many others, but those only leave her in despair. After turning to the Bible once again, she says:

"I was angry that my life has been reduced to the basics of eating, breathing, and sleeping--day in and day out. But what I discovered was that the rest of the human race was in the same boat. Their lives revolved around the same meaningless cycle--except with them, it wasn't as obvious. Peripheral things distracted them from the fact that they were caught on the same treadmill. Their jobs, schools, families, and recreation occupied them enough so they never consciously recognized their lives were the same as mine--eating, breathing, sleeping.

"And slowly, I became aware of God's interest in me. I was some sort of 'cosmic guinea pig'--a representative of the human race on whom truth could be tested. All the distractions, trappings, and things were gone. God had taken them away and had placed me here without distractions...I had to find meaning, purpose, and direction, not just some measure of temporary satisfaction.

"Yes, there had to be a personal God, I reasoned. He may choose not to reveal himself to me...but them, why should He? Why was I any more important than the next person who had to find God and purpose by faith, not by sight. Why should I be different?"

(from: "Joni." by Joni Eareckson. 1976. pp. 105)

So often I feel as Joni did. What is there in the world that will have lasting effects? lasting meaning? I get bogged down by the drudgery and monotony of day-to-day living sometimes, because, lets face it, life is difficult. As Christians, however, we must never forget that the work we do that honors the Lord is lasting and permanent. Praise be to the Lord!

One final thought, and it's not my own. Let us turn to the ultimate authority on this topic:

"A man can do nothing better

than to eat and drink and

find satisfaction his work.

This too, I see is from the hand of God

for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?"

~Ecclesiastes 2: 24-25

! * ! * Boomsday * ! * !

Happy Labor Day To Everyone!

Kevin and I had our first official taste of big city life last night. We went to Knoxville's annual spectacular fireworks display, appropriately named Boomsday. I've never been, and Kevin had not been in several years. There was lots to partake in, and we were joined by thousands!

Thanks to some friends we had a great spot on top of a parking garage. This is the view from the top:

Like I said, we met up with several friends, including, but not limited to two of my college roommates. Len, Ashley, Laura, and me waiting for the fireworks to get going! :)

The fireworks were spectacular! The set them off to music--it's a fabulous sight!


Those two vertical sparks on the far right are set off from the top of a hospital. Gotta wonder what the patients think of that, huh? :)

Proof that Kevin and I were actually there:

Just before the finale, they do something called "The Waterfall." It looks like water falling from the bridge. It's beautiful!