Fall (or Autumn) Music

If you've heard me say it once, you've heard (or will hear) me say it a million times. I love Fall! Which I interchange with the word Autumn. Sometimes I like one word better than the other. I like to say, "Fall weather." But I'm not sure if I like "Fall music," or "Autumn music" better. But that's not the point of this post.
Yesterday was the PERFECT day. I decided that God can't make everyday be like that or else I'd already think I was in Heaven. Okay, I wouldn't go that far, but I really really really love days like that. It started out with clouds and rain. But not just any kind of clouds. Dark thunderstormy looking clouds. The clouds that look like they're pregnant and about to pop! Then in the afternoon it started to clear. Bright, blue, crisp sky with white puffy clouds. And at evening time there was a delicious breeze and when the sun began to set there was pink and gold. But weather is not really the point of this post either.
The point of this post is to let you in on my Fall playlist. Season's need a particular sound. Which is why I SAVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS!!! Ah, there...got that out. Right now is the perfect time for Bluegrass! Music that makes me want to go outside and rake leaves and jump in them, buy big old pumpkins and carve them, bake yummy honey cornbread and put on fuzzy socks and wrap myself in a blanket and sip apple cider. Oh my word.
Onto the playlist:

Although I'm not thrilled, to say the least, with the Dixie Chicks personality as a whole, I do love this album. And I listened to it in Autumn way back in high school when I was just starting to realize that I had a favorite season. I even remember an outfit I wore one day in high school when I went to Lombardy to get a pumpkin and I was listening to this album. Is that weird? I was wearing white chords. Yep. White. And a pale blue turtleneck. And probably some warm coat. Mmm. Cowboy Take Me Away is a classic. And Hole in My Head is just fun.



I've been listening to Nickel Creek since...I think college actually. Maybe high school. Thanks to Christen. We've seen them in person a few different times, my favorite place being Largo. Small little restaurant in LA somewhere. Wondeful ravioli.



I first heard Alison Krauss, unbeknownst to me that it was her, in the movie, Oh Brother Where Art Thou? She sang some classic gospel songs like Down to the River to Pray and I'll Fly Away for the soundtrack. I liked her...and then I found out who she was and I gave one of her albums to my mom for her birthday. I think she has a beautiful quality to her voice.



Very new find, through Pandora. Like 'em.



I first heard about Patty Griffin a few years ago when our friend told Em and me about her song, O Heavenly Day. I loved this song, but I never checked out the rest of her music and I forgot her name. Well, the other day Em and I bought tickets to take my mom to see Emmylou Harris at the Greek Theater and Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller were opening for her. I read their names and hoped they would be good, then Em told me who Patty Griffin was. And oh my goodness! I loved every song she did! Then I went home and listened to more of her songs on Grooveshark and now I just want to go and buy all her albums!



Then some non Bluegrass honorable mentions:
Norah Jones
James Taylor

There you go! Enjoy!

Pinteresting Wednesdays

Well, I planned on having another post up inbetween this and the last one, but I just didn't get around to it. My life needs to be a tad more interesting! Ha. Right now it's clearly just pinteresting. Ba doom ch!

Anyway, here are my weekly pins!

I've always wanted to get married in a church, but this idea just may have me changing my mind. I never thought about having an outside wedding at night!


This week, I found a grown up tent! I don't how I will accomplish this, but someday I WILL have one of these in my house.


I love the outfit ideas you can find on Pinterest. When I don't know what to wear I usually open my computer to this board and find some inspiration.


Um. Do I need to write any words about this? I think not.


So fantastic.


There's just something so well...romantic about twinkle lights.


I would want this birthday party even at this age!


I like this simple idea for a bookmark. I'm always in need of a bookmark.


Aren't these the cutest? Who says someone needs to be getting married to break these out?


The twist braid. Wish I had more time in the mornings.


Hehe...does this make me a nerd that I like this so much?


Two words: yum and my. I haven't tried these yet, but my friend Ashley has and she said they were amazing!


Perfect DIY for the oncoming Autumn weather!


Who doesn't want to know how to make their own Frosty??


There is something so whimsical about this.


There was more but you'd get tired of it. Until next week!

Pinterest!

I'm sure a lot of you...or ahem..the few of you who read this have by now heard of the phenomenon called Pinterest. It's a lovely little time sucker! For those of you who haven't heard of it, I'll explain (via Pinterest's own "About" section):

"Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

For about as long as I can remember, before my mom gets rid of the magazines she receives in the mail, she goes through and rips out pages which contain ideas that she wants to remember, then she files them away in various colored folders. As you may guess these are now stuffed to the max! Well, Pinterest does all that for you in just a few mouse clicks! Wow, I sound like an ad.

Anyway, I am going to start a new series of posts in which I post some of my favorites from Pinterest for the week, starting today! I'm going to call it "Pinteresting Wednesdays."

Here are a few to start off!

Under Style:


Under Hair:


Under Things I Love:


Under Fitness:


Under Home and Decorating:


Under Funny:


Under Hostess:


Under Dessert:


Under I Want to Make This:


And under Someday:


As you can see, you can leave a comment, you can "repin" someone else's cool find, you can make many different categories of your own choosing. It's great! And I might be a tad...obsessed. :/

If you're like me and you haven't joined Pinterest, you might want to go join right now. You have to request an invite first, or, the faster way is to have someone invite you. If you'd like for me to invite you just send me your email address.

As Pinterest would say, "Happy pinning!"

God is Jealous

This convicted me the other morning. I highly recommend this book. Spurgeon's affection for Jesus was so evident!

September 12 - Morning by Morning - C.H. Spurgeon
"God is jealous." — Nahum 1:2

Your Lord is very jealous of your love, O believer. Did He choose you? He cannot bear that you should choose another. Did He buy you with His own blood? He cannot endure that you should think that you are your own, or that you belong to this world. He loved you with such a love that He would not stop in heaven without you; He would sooner die than you should perish, and He cannot endure that anything should stand between your heart's love and Himself. He is very jealous of your trust. He will not permit you to trust in an arm of flesh.

He cannot bear that you should hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is always free to you. When we lean upon Him, He is glad, but when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely upon our own wisdom, or the wisdom of a friend — worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own, He is displeased, and will chasten us that He may bring us to Himself. He is also very jealous of our company. There should be no one with whom we converse so much as with Jesus. To abide in Him only, this is true love; but to commune with the world, to find sufficient solace in our carnal comforts, to prefer even the society of our fellow Christians to secret intercourse with Him, this is grievous to our jealous Lord.

He would fain have us abide in Him, and enjoy constant fellowship with Himself; and many of the trials which He sends us are for the purpose of weaning our hearts from the creature, and fixing them more closely upon Himself. Let this jealousy which would keep us near to Christ be also a comfort to us, for if He loves us so much as to care thus about our love we may be sure that He will suffer nothing to harm us, and will protect us from all our enemies. Oh that we may have grace this day to keep our hearts in sacred chastity for our Beloved alone, with sacred jealousy shutting our eyes to all the fascinations of the world!

Dog Surfing...almost

Last Sunday, a small group of girls headed out to Del Mar to see none other than a dog surfing competition. Every year, for I'm not sure how many years now, a crowd gathers at a dog beach in Del Mar to watch a bunch of canines hang...twenty?
It was a bit of a drive. Hopes were high...as well as tension.

But we made it all in one piece, to find this...

If you look closely...you will not find a dog on a surfboard. You will not see the many tents that apparently litter the beach on dog surf day. Anyone hear about that little power outage in San Diego? Somehow it effected the sewage system which resulted in contaminated ocean water. It was postponed for the 25th, which we will also miss due to Bible Study retreats. But the disappointment did not stop us from having fun!

Maggie actually went swimming in the ocean, willingly, for the first time!

And she and Tacy even met a relative. A woodle! A mix of a Wheaten Terrier and a Poodle! There she is below. She had the classic friendly Wheaten personality, but a tad more subdued.

Sailor also had fun with her Momma. ;)

These two are so cute!

All in all it was a great day!

"Christ is All"

Valley of Vision prayer I read this morning:

O Lover to the uttermost,
May I read the meltings of Thy heart to me
in the manger of Thy birth,
in the garden of Thy agony,
in the cross of Thy suffering,
in the tomb of Thy resurrection,
in the heaven of Thy intercesssion.

Bold in this thought I defy my adversary,
tread down his temptations,
resist his schemings,
renounce the world,
am valiant for truth.

Deepen in me a sense of my holy relationship to Thee,
as spiritual bridegroom,
as Jehovah's fellow,
as sinners' Friend.

I think of Thy glory and my vileness,
Thy majesty and my meanness,
Thy beauty and my deformity,
Thy purity and my filthiness,
Thy righteousness and my iniquity.

Thou has loved me everlastingly, unchangeably,
may I love Thee as I am loved;
Thou hast given Thyself for me,
may I give myself to Thee.
Thou hast died for me,
may I live to Thee
in every moment of time,
in every movement of my mind,
in every pulse of my heart.

May I never dally with the world and its allurements,
but walk by Thy side,
listen to Thy voice,
be clothed with Thy grace,
and adorned with Thy righteousness.

Sunflowers?

The other day, Shelsy and I went on a walk during our break and we passed a field filled with pretty yellow flowers. I commented on them and when we got closer I realized they were simple yellow daisies. Shelsy then asked if I liked sunflowers. She thinks they are too "country" and we got into a discussion on whether or not you can decorate with them and still maintain a contemporary look. It's tricky, but I believe that you can!

Examples of Tacky Sunflowers

This one isn't so much tacky as it is "too country." Some people are totally into this look. But I would say it's more of an 80's style. Definitely not contemporary.

These however are hideous in every way.
It looks like someone threw up sunflowers in this bathroom.

This almost works. I think it would really only be okay at a B&B or something in a "sunflower" dining room.

Examples of Classy Sunflowers

I love some sunflowers in a blue vase in a kitchen. It reminds me of Italy. How cute are these cupcakes? Too cute to eat!

Sunflowers look super classy when mixed with yellow roses in a boxy blue vase or in a repurposed vintagy looking can.

A Van Gogh painting is always classy on a wall.

This sunflower mirror is perfectly modern!

And a country wedding with sunflowers is superb!