Feeling Fallish

Fall is my favorite season of the year. What's not to love about crisp air, red leaves and orange pumpkins? I thought it would be fun to share some of my autumn decorations and celebrations with you, and I'll even share where I bought them!

I bought this wreath for my front door at Wal-Mart! (Shhh. Don't tell!) I've looked at a handful of places for autumn wreaths, and this was the prettiest one I've seen.

This black shirt is one of the only collared shirts I own that actually looks decent on me. I don't know why, but collars don't typically work on me. However, I love this shirt, which I also bought a couple years ago at Wal-Mart (shhh!). My sister has opened an embroidery business, and she did this cute pumpkin applique for me. I decided to go for gray and green tones instead of orange, because I figured that would let me wear it beyond Halloween, up until Thanksgiving.

Live pumpkin. Local supermarket.

Ceramic pumpkin decor. I found this at Kohl's for a really reasonable price, and bought this one, along with three of its various-sized brothers and sisters to give my house some autumn charm.

I've found that being a first-time home owner comes with a lot of one-time purchases that you make throughout the first year (ie. seasonal decor). But the good news is that these will be things I can bring out and enjoy in my home every year for years to come.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

National Blog Posting Month

It's that time again--November is NaBloPoMo! And since I'm in serious need of some blogging inspiration...I'm in! One post for every day in November.

I have two books I'll be using as blogging inspiration: The Book of Myself and The Book of Us, which I've mentioned before here. As I write on my blog, I plan to record the same stories by hand in the books, which I hope I'll enjoy reading as I get older, and perhaps my kids and grandkids will enjoy reading them one day, too.

Let the fun begin!!!

Introducing Starshine Photography!

First it was a dream, and now it's a reality--I've stared a photography business!

Feel free to browse my website, and definitely feel free to tell your friends in the Houston area about Starshine Photography!

Here's a little snippet from my "About" page:

My stepdad gave me the nickname "Starshine", and I absolutely love it! He always encouraged me to follow my dreams and wanted my star to shine brightly.

Each of us has a unique personality and we all bring something special to the world we live in. My job is to capture the light of your spirit shining through as I photograph you and your family.

The best photos, after all, are about so much more than just a pretty face. They are the ones in which your personality shines through and the world gets to see YOU!

I look forward to sharing more photos with you on this blog, as my business takes off. I would especially appreciate your prayers for much success and thank you for them ahead of time!

A Spiritual Heritage

Today, I attended church in my hometown. The church was celebrating its 30th anniversary, so there was special music and a slideshow as families that had been in the church for years talked about its history and what God has done over the past three decades.

My mom was singing in the choir today, along with several other women who are mothers of my friends. Tears of joy and gratitude filled my eyes as I watched them sing, reading their sheet music through their bifocals. These women, who were once the mothers of us high school-aged kids, are now all grandmothers. And we, their children, are the next generation of mothers and fathers to young children.

It was really special to pause and notice the spiritual legacy that is being passed down from generation to generation, and I'm very thankful to be a link in that chain.

He Hearts Me!

And oh, how I love him, too!

Not only does he know who I am, but he now understands that I am "Tia"! Being a part of his life (and him being a part of mine) has been one of the greatest blessings of moving back to Texas. He is one special boy!

Summer to Fall in an Hour!

When I checked the outdoor thermometer at 9:25 this morning, it was 85 degrees outside. A little while later, the sky started to turn gray and I noticed it had dropped to:

A storm was a-brewin'!

It started to get REALLY windy...

...and then came the rain!

Soon the storm was over, and autumn had officially arrived:

That's just how the weather in Texas rolls!

Pumkin Patch--Autumn at the Dallas Arboretum

I mentioned in Wednesday's post that our friends M&M took us to the Dallas Arboretum, where they were celebrating autumn! Thousands of pumpkins and other squashes were were lining the sidewalks and decorating other corners of the pumpkin patch. It was so beautiful-art with vegetables!

The four of us were all so taken with the beauty of the landscaping. Isn't lining a trail with live pumpkins inspired?! So brilliant to create something beautiful using God's own beautiful creation!

"M&M"

One of the highlights of our weekend in Dallas was getting to meet up with some old and dear friends, M&M--a couple I've know since I was in high school. They treated us to a lovely afternoon at the Dallas Arboretum, which I'll post more about on Friday.

I've been wanting Brian to meet M&M since before we got married, because they remind me a bit of the two of us. Like Brian, he has been a pastor. Like me, she is passionate about acting. I couldn't resist posting this series of photos I took of them at the arboretum. If Brian and I have a marriage as lovely as theirs 20 years from now, we will be blessed indeed!

Aren't they adorable?!

Sweet Baby "J.J."

Brian and I spent the weekend in Dallas with his birth family. Time with them is always special, but this visit was extra sweet because we got to meet our four day old nephew. He is precious, and we love him!

On Tour in the Skies

This morning, I was taking a walk around a lake in my community. A cool front is moving through today, and the clouds in the sky were amazing...huge grey waves fanning out across the sky like a sea scallop. It was beautiful, and I couldn't help but thank God for calling to me through His artwork in the sky.

I came home to have some breakfast, and I sat down to read my Bible. This is the Psalm I read today:

God's glory is on tour in the skies,

God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.

Madame Day holds classes every morning.

Professor Night lectures each evening.

Their words aren't heard,

their voices aren't recorded,

But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

~Psalm 19:1-4

Isn't David's poetry wonderful? Madame Day's morning lecture was just amazing today. It is awesome to see God in concert as He goes on tour in the skies!

Yes, it really smells that good.

This is my new favorite scent from Bath and Body Works:

photo found here

The back of the bottle describes the scent of Moonlight Path as "an opulent floral bouquet that captures the essence of moonlit strolls in lush gardens", which pretty much sounds like "blah-blah-blah" to me. I can't find the floral in it at all. It is a clean, fresh scent that is subtle and not too heavy. Here's what I think: It smells like the top of a baby's head just after bathtime. It is wonderful, and I'll be buying this for as long as B&B Works keeps it in stock.

Don't Stop Believing: Glee

Have you seen the first two episodes of Glee yet? If not, let this trailer whet your appetite for what is quickly becoming my new favorite show on television! (You can catch it on Fox tonight.)

This show is amazing: quirky, campy and poignant all at once! So poignant, in fact, that the pilot episode made me all teary-eyed! What's not to love about a show that has amazing musical numbers, hilarious character actors, and a dreamy straight man playing the new director of the glee club?! This show is well-written, beautifully shot, and flawlessly acted. I was hooked by the first musical number, and I don't see myself missing a single episode of this show.

Sadly, "Christians" are portrayed as the hypocritical and arrogant antagonists in this show. I write it in quotations because these characters behave in a way that would offend most of the Christians I know. I realize that stereotypes exist for a reason, but it saddens me to see these stereotypes playing out for the next generation of Christian kids to have to overcome. (These characters are, after all, high school kids.) While the idea of a high school chastity club called the "Christ Crusaders" is certainly a hilarious one, I just can't totally embrace it with open arms, even though the show is a comedy. Certainly, we can all laugh at the idea that any high school would have a chastity club, but the virtue of chastity is a noble one, and it is treated with utter disregard and disrespect in this show. Yes, I know it's a comedy, but it's still a cheap shot.

That was an unexpected tangent, I know. Like I said, I love this show, but everything on television is broadcasting certain ideologies right into our homes, and if we don't stop and think about them, we tend to ingest them hook, line and sinker.

That being said, I will continue to watch the show. (See? Not all Christians boycott something just because it doesn't reflect their world view!) It's hard not to come running back for more of a show (and here's where the good ideology comes through) with the message that doing what you're passionate about in life matters--in your career, in your hobbies, in your after school activities.

I finished watching the pilot episode with the awesome reminder not to ever stop believing in the beauty of my dreams.

And not only do they talk about it on Glee, they SING about it, too!

Necktie Valances with a Side of Cowboy Boots

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I continue to document my home office in photos, as I continue to add to it. Because the rest of my house is more traditional with neutral colors, I wanted to have one room in the house with bright colors and a more contemporary look to it.

We have bright red cabinetry and a sunflower yellow sofa, so I've been wanting to create a window treatment that would unify the bold colors going on in the room. I had an idea to create two valances out of neckties, and for the past few days, I've been crafting to my heart's content!

First, I had to figure out how in the world I would hang something like this. I decided that a wide frame drapery rod would be best. So I mounted those on the wall first.
Then I had to figure out how I would connect my cornice board to the rod. Since the cornice board/box I created was really light weight I opted for this 2" wide sticky back velcro:
I applied the hard half of the velcro strips to the curtain rod:
This is the cornice board/box my mom and I created out of foam board. One long piece to go across the front and two short pieces to go around the sides. The good people at Office Max cut it for us! The foam board didn't come quite long enough to form the entire length of the long piece, so we had to put two pieces together end to end and wrapped duct tape around it. That worked fine!
To attach the short side pieces, we could only tape on one side to create a hinge effect:

The fuzzy half of the velcro strips are then applied to the board.

Then it was time to start gluing. This project requires lots-o-hot glue...nearly an entire bag of glue sticks!
First I glued the ties to the front of the board. Wide end of the ties on top. Skinny end underneath peeking through. (Caution: the hot glue on the foam board released some kind of chemical that probably wasn't too good to breathe.)

Then I turned the board over and hot glued the top ends to the board.

Then I was ready to hang the valance! All I had to do was line up the velcro on the board with the velcro on the curtain rod and it just stuck right to it! I stuck the long front part on first and then the hinged sides just flapped around and grabbed on!

I actually made this lamp a few years ago with some of my stepdad John's neckties (the skinny ends of the ties). Just a fun way to remember him. Four of his ties are in one of the valances, too. :) That's a picture of John and my mom. Aren't they cute?

Also, just as a fun side note, I wanted to show you what I did with a belt and cowboy boots that my Dad gave me shortly before he died. Yep.... It's a side table! I loved the belt and boots, as my Dad was totally into the cowboy life, and he had the boots custom made for himself years ago. They're too big for me to wear, and it made me sad to see them just sitting in a closet, so I decided to have them made into a piece of furniture! My mom's neighbor is a wood worker, and he created the table to fit into the boots and still be able to have a level table top. Then I cut a piece of denim into a perfect circle, and voila! As you can tell, I'm a bit of a sentimental sap, but I love being able to remember these two special men by using some of the things that they left behind to brighten my today!

Reverent

The anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 always gives me pause. I typically take part of my day to sit and watch news coverage of what happened that day, and I always find myself sitting still, very still in front of those images, remembering the terror of that day. Often, it makes me cry.

A couple years ago, I wrote a reflection of my own 9/11 experience.

My heart breaks for New Yorkers every year on 9/11, and I guess it breaks a little bit for me, too, as I was a New Yorker for 3 years in my twenties. Something terrible happened in my city. It happened two years after I left New York, but I still felt the horror of it all, as did all Americans, I suspect. It wasn't until September 11, 2003, two years after the attacks, that I was there in New York City again. I went to Ground Zero that day, and saw a big hole in the ground--a construction site. A big hole in the ground, where two proud towers once stood--the place where I used to go dancing with my friends at the very top, now gone. I saw people standing there reading aloud the biographies of those who died there two years before.

I walked to a pay phone to call one of my friends who I wasn't sure survived that day (thankfully, he did!). And as I began to leave him a voice message, I cried--messy "can't-get-ahold-of-myself" tears. Full grief, finally expressed. It was America's tragedy, and it was also mine.

That's what I've discovered as I've talked to New Yorkers since 9/11. Each person experienced that day in their own way. It was definitely a national tragedy, something we experienced together. At the same time, though, each one of us felt it uniquely.

Before I met you, my love life was...

a bit of a crap shoot. I honestly didn't really know for what or whom I was looking.

As much as I love my parents, I can't say that theirs was a marriage that I hoped my own would one day resemble. It was marked by disappointments, unfulfilled hopes and at the end...divorce. I love them both dearly, and I mean absolutely no disrespect. I'm only saying that when it came to knowing what a vibrant and healthy marriage looked like, I was at a bit of a loss in my dating life. I just did my best to figure it out as I went along--sort of a trial and error kind of thing. Breakups started to feel a little embarrassing. Sort of like, Am I missing something? Why do all of my relationships end in a breakup? Thankfully one of my friends reminded me that the only one that wouldn't end in a breakup would be the one I marry. That sounded sensible.

As I journeyed through my single/dating years, I learned some valuable things:

~There are some good men and not-so-good in this world, and at first glance, it can be hard to tell the difference.

~If someone cannot name their shortcomings specifically and they don't respect your "no", they are absolutely not worth a single second of your time.

~Falling in love is the most wonderful feeling, and the pain of a broken heart is the worst. But it is survivable and life goes on.

Eight years after my parents divorce, my mom met and married the single gentleman who lived right next door to her. Theirs was an amazing love story. It was so fun to see my mom having this wonderful romance and marriage during my adult years. It gave me an opportunity to see a thriving marriage up close and personal. It also (along with some of the life lessons I'd learned along the way) gave me a compass and a roadmap, if you will, for dating. Finally, I had a little clue of what I was looking for. I also wrote a list (at the behest of a good friend) of qualities I was looking for, so that I'd be able to recognize the man of my dreams when I met him!

Finally, I did meet you...and you are so much more than "the man of my dreams". You're my Brian, and my life with you is so rich, the "before I met you" part fades in comparison.

If this had not happened, we would have never met...

When you have met and married someone you love so deeply, it's hard to imagine that anything could have kept you apart. Yet so much happened to bring us together!

The internet was invented.

We both had personal computers.

Neil Clark Warren created eHarmony.

We both got on eHarmony when we did.

We matched on eHarmony and communicated with each other.

We talked on the phone and that went well.

Finally, a first date, and then a second and a third!

We marvel that we met through a matching program on the internet, and wonder if we would have ever found each other any other way. We did realize that in 1994, we were both at the same conference in Nashville, Tennessee, but never met each other. In fact, Brian was breaking up with a girl that weekend! What if we would have met those 12 years earlier? What if we had never met at all? Would we have ever met some other way? Only God knows.

The important thing, though, is that we did meet, and that we are together, at last.

Photo Shoot of Sir Samsalot!

Jilly and Sammy came over today. It was so good to spend the day together, since it had been awhile since we'd seen each other. (It's so nice that "awhile" means days/weeks and not months, like when we lived in California!) I've been taking a photography class, and decided to have a photo shoot with Sammy using a jury rigged seamless backdrop. These were my three favorites of him with his toy hammer (he LOVES Home Depot!).

These were my two favorite color images:

I'm falling more and more in love with photography every day! It's so funny to me that the things I've been naturally drawn to in life turn out to be things I love to do. I've been drawn to photography since I was a little girl. One of the first things I ever bought myself that I saved up money to buy was a little camera in elementary school. (I think it took 110 film and used disposable flash bulbs!) When I go to modern art museums, I tend to be drawn to the photography exhibits. I'm so glad I'm getting to learn and grow in this new craft as an adult. It's been very rewarding to pursue something I've been interested in for so long!

Friends for Half our Lives!

My dear friend, Angie, came to town with her son for a visit last week. We had fun catching up, and in our reminiscing, we realized that we've been friends for more than half of our lifetimes. That felt pretty special. (Poor Angie got a black eye half-way through her visit when her son accidentally hit her in the eye with his toy.)

Angie and I met our senior year in high school when we were part of a group of students who traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia for a spring break trip. We hit it off right away and have been friends ever since!

Angie is now married and a mother of her beautiful son. Of course, photographing him and his amazing eyelashes was a blast!

Thanks for being my friend, Angie! There is something special about old friendships and having a shared history.