orchard house

oh yea..

2012-01-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

..and once again, the month of may will be start of new beginnings.. ;)

hello 2012..

2012-01-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

yes, i realize it is practically february.. but just thought i'd say hi! ;)

oh summer..

2011-09-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

it has been lovely.. we will have such fond memories..

still ticking..

2011-07-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

just thought someone out there might be curious.. yup, we're still ticking.. :)

the fourth..

2011-07-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

it was a lovely fourth! sigh.. oh if every year we could spend it like this.. :)

life lately..

2011-07-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

it passes so quickly! this is just a quick post to say, yes.. we're all still here, well & accounted for! ..and yes, it has been shamefully long since i've made any type of posting efforts.. but i fall asleep each night knowing that my family has been fed, laundered, scrubbed, shoed, chased, shoed again, cuddled & tucked safely in bed. :)

wanta trade?..

2011-03-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

a sweet friend of mine is hosting a lovely jewelry exchange! (this is a snap of what i'm bringing.) have something you never wear? trade it for something you will! such a cute idea!

on other even more noteworthy fronts.. we have again been back & forth to ca. clem walks!! paolo, our mini, is up & running! and spring is in swing! joy!

informal introductions..

2011-02-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

..in pictures that is..

month one..

month two..

month three..

month four & five..

months six & seven..

months eight & nine..

whew! ok, had to get that out of my system! .. i love her.. :)

oh, goodness..

2011-02-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

well.. all i have to say is this..

hi friends, meet clem!

over the past 9 months and 11 days i have entertained countless thoughts of how to undertake another great blog catch up.. but alas.. the thought is completely overwhelming!

how is life? incredibly blessed. incredibly humbling. ..and yes, very sleep deprived. ;)

..but a deep joy. :)

i'll try my best to get back at this blogging thing.. but the computer is upstairs & i can't tell you how far away that is!

barely awake:

2010-02-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

pieces of my sunday morning ..quiet about the house & around the yard..

..just before the sun slips behind the clouds..

hello again:

2010-02-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

hi there! ..(sheepish wave)

it’s me!.. back (toe in the water) after a long ..long hiatus! so long in fact that i’ve considered changing the color of my blog or the format ..or just something to signify this turn of leaf! i think i’ve now managed to purge my blog of all readers other than my parents (hi mom!) ..but shucks, here goes..

so.. it happened.. and i saw it coming.. i knew the day would come where after one (or maybe 14?) too many life events happening in an all too short span of time, i would despair of my relatively consistent blogging habits and fall off the grid.. :(

so, sorry about that! ..but where to start?! can i start by asking for a little slack? just a little.. we’ve had a pretty full plate:

we paid off all our debt! gone. -yay!

we bought, yes bought, a house!! our own. -ack!

we found out we are pregnant!!! (huge grin!.. tear of joy!) -hooray!!

it’s a girl! ..aww… :) (warm fuzzies!)

so yea.. i’ve missed a lot, a lot. but here’s to new beginnings! and i’m blessed to share a few little glimpses with you. scroll down over the next few entries- i’ll be putting out a few little back posts, smatterings from the end of 2009 & the start of 2010, to satisfy my own need to finally publish a small chunk of my huge picture back log. we'll go from there. it's nice to be back. :)

christmas time:

2009-12-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

when i finally managed to climb off my schedule high horse & resolved to accept the fact that the entire first floor would not be impeccable by the time my parents arrived on the 21st i took a deep breath & i found these to be some of our most cherished times yet in our little home. here is a wrap up of our dear december, starting with the most exciting news, baby “bean” is a baby girl!! (that is her darling little profile picture we stuck in the christmas tree) we are just sooo very excited!

(we got a little carried away with pictures after the sullen ultrasound lady (who told us not to take pictures) left the room..;) i wish it wasn’t blurry, but i was laughing too hard!)

here are a few more snaps of the rest of our time together.. strolling down town, getting bagels & walking pikes market..

breakfast at portage bay, a mocha sevilla at café fiore & a view of the locks.. (incidentally, i just realized how many pictures i take of food! it’s just so fun to photograph! really, we did a lot more than just eat.. though, we did a lot of that too!)

christmas day & mom’s homemade snow cake!..

the rest of our time was busily spent on household projects ranging from a new gas line for the stove, a new organized face to the kitchen, painting & a new railing for the stairwell. whew! we even managed to squeeze hiroki’s and a fancy dinner at mccormicks before they left . we are soo grateful for their help & miss them already..

oh, and lastly, here's a prego shot at 20 weeks! :)

tree hunt: (november)

2009-11-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

2009 was the first year i had ever, in my entire life (!!), gone to get a christmas tree the day after thanksgiving! growing up, my dad would insist we wait till (what felt like) the very last minute to get our tree. and then, because we lived in fire-prone southern california, the tree would be banished to the back porch where it would sit in a bucket of water for at least a week before being allowed it's short exhibition in the house as our living room focal point. this year, our very first year, in our very first home.. and the first time we've ever hosted christmas for my parents, it would be different! we headed out to the mountains with friends, found the perfect specimen and cut it fresh from the farm. it was enjoyed all month long. :) new tradition? perhaps! ;)

more news: (september)

2009-09-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

(pic taken sitting on the edge of the bathtub ..in shock & awe.) :)

here are a few moments on our september worth noting. the most important one coming the morning of my birthday, when we found out we were pregnant! after 2 & 1/2 years of counting down the days & months, our family of 3 is in sight! i will always treasure the memory of that poignant morning.

in other september happenings..

van gross & the gypsies played their last “gig” to a packed out garage at the storied “gypsy manor.” the pics are blurry.. but perfectly capture the energy of that night.

later that month we took a break from the house work to do a day trip to hurricane ridge with dear friends. the mountains.. the crab hats (?!) ...ah, the northwest!

lastly, here is how i decided to cope with the shear enormity of our wildly unkempt jungle of a yard. i planted a pot. it is my 2 square feet of manicured sanctuary amidst our sorely neglected yard. it sits right on my porch & is the first thing i see when i step out the door. it gives this novice homeowner hope as she comes & goes a grungy, tired & paint splattered version of her former self. ;)

at last: (august)

2009-08-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

after 2 years in the search (and a couple of strikes, here & here).. here she is! our darling little 1927 diamond-in-the-rough! we love her.. she checks all the boxes! god was saving her for us. :)

yes, hubby gave me flowers! & we toasted! :)

here are a few little details..

and thus.. we camped upstairs..

while the work commenced down stairs..

with the help of family & many, many generous friends!

we were soo very blessed & humbled! there is quite the road ahead!

oh baby:

2009-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

though a bit peaked from the summer heat, we gathered quite a crowd last saturday to celebrate the soon arrival of a new baby girl for my dear friend blythe. she was quite adored by friends & family alike (& made out like a bandit!). :)

she is also quite blessed with quite the culinarily gifted family. these quiches came right out of the glossy pages of a magazine. ..& yes they tasted as good as they looked. :)

i spent the earlier part of the week frantically collecting all sorts of embellishments for the onesie decorating event. it was such a success (yay!) & took the place of the often awkward shower themed icebreakers & baby trivia sessions. so fun!

pink shower:

2009-07-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

i've just sent out invitations to a dear friend's baby shower. as always, it was a bit more elaborate than i intended.. but i just love how they turned out! :)

leslie lane:

2009-07-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

we had a lovely time trapsing about the hills of eastern kentucky. here's a little taste of our time there, starting with gran's breakfast table.. homemade buscuts & hamburger gravy, fried apples & orange juice. :) in many ways it seems to stand still in time.. here's a few glimpses of the nic-knacks & odds & ends that make this little corner of the world near and dear to our hearts.

home grown & canned last season.. green beans on the stove.

the two tiny rings at the center are gran's wedding set. the pink child pictured below is chad's mother. :)

grans neighbor gracie always deserves a visit. somewhere along the line it seems as though everyone is tied to a branch of the same wide reaching family tree.

treasure hunt:

2009-07-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

one of our favorite things to do in ky is poke around the junk shops & antique markets with chad's uncle steve. there are plenty of treasures to be had!

i picked up a whole set of these 3" plaster letters for 75 cents! i'm still not quite sure what to do with them, but they were too cool to pass up...

poking around in louisville...

(i couldn't pass by without paying my respects to col. sanders.. now that i think of it, i had to practically step on the man to get this shot..)

the 4th:

2009-07-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

the 4th would not be complete without a few fireworks! yet sadly, with the rain that night, the nearest town had decided to postpone their fireworks display until the next saturday..the 11th.. so, as not to disappoint the eager faces of chad's little cousins, we lit off our own festivities!

..then we waited for it to get really dark! the anticipation was almost too much for our little onlookers, but it was worth the wait..

exotic destinations:

2009-06-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

off to the sticks! but we'll be back in a bit! :) yay for summer getaways!

lawn games:

2009-06-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

ah, summer.. picnics at magnuson park in the breeze, plaid blankets in the grass & all means of competitive lawn sport. it’s 73 degrees in seattle for the foreseeable future. perfect. :) here's how we celebrated kristen's happy graduation..

car show:

2009-06-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

saturday started with an early morning meet up & caravan to the greenwood car show! the samoa club turned out a united 22 car front! here are the day’s best snaps! (the random cash register is from here, the seattle breakfast hole in the wall that hit the spot for us hungry fair goers. it's kinda grimy.. yet somehow remains endearing..)

miss june:

2009-06-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

this precious little one opened her eyes to greet the family that has long loved her & eagerly awaited her debut, sunday, father's day, 4:46 pm. she had quite the exhausting day. :) god is good, all the time.

pleased to meet you, our little pink niece, miss sophie june.

here are a few other glimpses of that day...

city vows:

2009-06-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

i was blessed to witness the poignant marriage vows of my friends sarah & tyler. here are a few snaps from the beautiful day they said their "i do's."

before the cerimony commenced i was lucky enough to tag along after the "real" photographers as they trapsed out & about seattle's pioneer square for the bridal photo shoot.

alas, as a bridesmaid (or is that bride's matron?), i was not able to snap any pics of the actutal cerimony, however, i assure you that there were many sweet tears, happy sighs, and momentus deep breaths. it has been such a blessing to share in the joy and friendship of this dear family. in good fun, i'll wrap this post up with a little chuckle...

...ah, weddings...this says so much doesn't it? ;)

loving lately:

2009-06-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

just felt the need to share a few finds that i've admired as of late...

scallop necklace, $14 & flower necklace, $18 by mollie dash. i love her repurposed jewelry designs.

seltzer bottle, $38, from alphabetcocktail -aka a san diego cedros favorite, solo. i love the worn lable and weighty glass.

2009 spring collection, built by wendy oh, how i wish she published patterns for these!

the simple designs found at looolo (and the gorgeous couch used in that second picture!) -i think i just might be stuck in a stripe rut...

the ever inspiring ms. katie & her darling blog of her family & sewing endevors. sigh, such tallent...

on a related note, i've just recently started a little link collection over off to the side bar. it is my good go at gathering my favorite places on the web for all sorts of (often quite humbling!) creative inspiration. it's just a start & there will be more added from time to time. any suggestions out there?

hope it is a lovely saturday for you! i am off to a(nother) wedding! :)

down south:

2009-06-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

a few snaps a the bridal shower of the soon to be mrs. evans! may she always know of the love that surounds her by those that held her close that day.

made it:

2009-06-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

oy! there, finally caught up! the only other worthy-of-mentioning thing to happen to me in the past week was the new glasses i now (try to more consistently) sport. ;) chad took this great pic while we were on the seattle underground tour... just ignore the bail bond sign behind me... :)

on other fronts we are seeing significant progress! as of this friday we will (other than a bit of school debt) be... debt free!! yay! it was our goal to "skinny up" our finances in prep for the potential late summer purchase of the perfect fixer-upper house. :) as we get closer expect to see more posts on all things home related! :D

on the crafty front i've been busy busy... some day i'll have the courage to post about that too!

last day:

2009-06-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

here’s a smattering of our last day, hiroki breakfast & downtown seattle/ pike market. we sent our friends back off to la early sunday morning. what a treat it was to have them here! we have them in our long range forcast of friends to visit & will miss them in the mean time.
ps- to give credit where due, all pics taken by whoever had the camera! (myself, chad, will or sara) we continue to love the new lens!

more still:

2009-06-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

second day friday was equally as packed. first stop: underground…

we finished off the afternoon with a ferry ride to bainbridge & a late lunch.

seattle tourists:

2009-06-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

newly wed friends, will & sara, made the trek up to seattle this past week. we left no stone unturned! here are the highlights… day one, first stop: fremont’s theo chocolate factory tour& a stroll out n’about old town ballard.

later that night we caught the new "star trek" at the cinerama... the perfect venue to indulge the secret treky inside eachone of us. ;)

open season:

2009-06-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

good friends & their lil ones, croquet & sidewalk chalk, + bbq & fixings = a proper christening of a new back porch. a lovely time was shared by all! :) more pics to remind me of the sweetness that is the first of a seattle spring.

new lens:

2009-06-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

hubby made an exciting purchase via our dear friend craig. enter minolta 50mm f1.7 lens! we took it to the fremont sunday market after church a couple weeks ago to give the slr a chance to stretch & get aquainted with it’s new, now indespensible, best friend. by a very professional trial by error method of going about things we have determined that it is best for sharp-up-close, far-fuzzy, types of shots. we are pretty excited about the results! here are a few pics from about the market , dusty strings -seattle’s premier accoustic shop & this great lunch spot just up the street.

please forgive:

2009-06-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

hello there everyone! ...all 3 of you ... ;)

let's blow the dust out of this place! whew, hi! i'm still here, just abit absent lately... sorry about that. i am, indeed, a horriblelogger, but do check back soon for a long overdue update! a come back is in the works, i assure you! promise. xo

the damians:

2009-06-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

a long overdue congrats to the beautiful & newly minted mr. & mrs. marcus damian! here are a few more shots from that lovely day.

barn find:

2009-05-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

a twenty minute drive due east of escondido will bring you to the sleepy, sun-baked community of valley center; home to orange groves, craggy avocado hillsides, and the once monthly “matilda mouse.” held in a peely old barn, this vintage assemblage is meticulously curated and filled to the brim with any & all sorts of vintage ephemera & by-gone objects of long ago. it is enough to affront the constitution of even the most staunchly committed, allowance abiding wife!
while there on my last visit i came upon a small tin bucket of the most adorable plaster letters. i am quite smitten with them! 5 letters for a dollar –oh, i should have bought them all!

also scored? this large english jar.

and this tiny cast iron bathtub. perhaps it will become a soap dish or business card holder…or? i don’t know, but it needed to come home with me.

* hubby was momentarily alarmed when i told him i bought a bathtub! :)

dine in:

2009-04-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

link

i’ve started this post half a dozen times and each time my concentration is quickly sidelined by a whirl of the many things that i intend to put on top of the table, hang over the table, set beside the table, put on the floor, hang on the wall…etc, etc... as often the is case, i am so overwhelmed by the possibilities that i have had a hard time pushing a post off the ground! (deep breath… ) and really, i shouldn’t feel the need to comment on each picture. when i read through similar design postings on other blogs i hardly ever bother to read the captions! all that said, here are a few inspirational images i’ve picked up here & there and, of course, a comment or two… but feel free to just look at pictures, i have nothing too profound to say. :) (...as for photo credits, all have appeared in some back issue of domino magazine unless otherwise noted.)

i’ll start with the big ticket items, and go so far as to assume that this unknown house of ours will afford the space to accommodate a dining room!

don’t those huge white drum shades just make this room? and the chalkboard wall is pretty cool huh? ...but i wonder how clean you could keep it?...not really loving the chandelier, but i really like the two toned paint scheme! (found here)a little mid century modern fix via design*sponge! (found here & here) hm…this picture is possibly most appealing for it’s tonal continuity. (and the fact that i adore white pottery) ….sigh. sadly this white look might be near impossible with little ones tooling about the house! -white canvas dining chairs -really?! side note: i am particularly drawn to the camel back sofa & deep matted black frames in the back of the room. (found here) this cloudy blue fixture dangles like a piece of sugared candy! i also love the hints of similar color found about the side table. (here)i also am quite fond of the muted drum shade on the left. simple, but golden on the inside. could it be in reach of the adventurous diy-er?...quite possibly! (from here) (found here, here & here)
this one is a bit formal for me, but i love the dark floors and pale gray walls. other than that, i think this picture is here merely because i fell for the good lighting! ;) (found here) yes… who wouldn’t want a saaranin tulip table in their breakfast nook? it is my next dream craigslist find. (found here)

ok, so starting with the table: riding my current whim (and again, taking for granted a spacious dining room that could likely not materialize…) i have settled on the following 2 table options…

option 1) chunky farmhouse table -found here. i love the strong graphic silhouette. i know it’s a bit hum drum…probably found at your local pottery barn or crate & barrel, but i’m really loving the glossy slate gray sported by this particular table! (found here)

glamorous option 2) nakashima detailed, slab table top like this:

found at seattle’s own urban hardwoods. (oh, and they have a showroom in downtown seattle if you ever want to mosey on over for a drool.) (found here)

gathered around it? -a bevy of these…

here

he re

really, i could write an entire post on paul thonet bent wood chairs! they are still remarkably available & affordable via ebay & cgslst. and as for the glossy coat of red-orange paint?…yeah, i kinda like it, but we’ll see.
as for other seating options? i am not too hung up on being matchy-matchy so i’d also be pleased to mix it up a bit. perhaps an upholstered (and highly scotch guarded!) couch or bench on one side?

oh, and for a pipe dream, these "juliana" chairs from design within reach. (however, with a $650 price tag i would argue they and dwr are better thought of as “far beyond touch.”)

ok, so now over the table…there are a few fixtures that have caught my eye over the years, this being one… a vintage sputnik chandelier! (via ebay)
whatever transpires, i find it important that there be a certain balance of decor, be it vintage, mid-century modern or traditional. if i find the final emsamble a little too bent toward one way or the other or just too visually heavy, i’d rather pair it a with light drum shade as seen in the pervious pictures ...or perhaps with a fixture like this from restoration hardware:
or maybe even a pair of airy pendants like these from niche.
lastly, for the walls… i know it’s been quite overdone…but i still like a collection of plates. matched or mismatched, ordered or randomly scattered. everyone has a few sentimental plates right?

to close up this post here are a couple of my current picks for dinning room artwork & accessories! at the moment i’m really feeling into typography….

found here at $27 -a steal!! & here at $350 -not such a steal, but cool)

and these vintage glove molds found at this incredible etsy shop.

lastly, a sweet table top shot to wrap it up… maybe because i’ve discovered a recent fascination with manzaneta branches or perhaps just for the heck of it!

thanks for another chance to humor me & my home décor musings!

ps, another side note: in all these homey posts i must admit that it is hard to wrap my brain around the thought of again having a space to call our very own again… be it dining room or kitchen, bed room or front porch… it feels far away & nebulously clouded in somedayness. yes, i know we have been so very blessed to be holed up with loved ones as we bide our market timimg dance. and i can hear hubby’s voice in my ear. all our planning & spreadsheet making will ultimately come to fruition in, above all, the lords perfect timing. the sunshine is finally returning to the northwest and a beautiful summer is just beyond these increasingly pleasant spring days. after summer, the fall will march in and with it our thrice revived housing hopes are hopefully nestled in amongst September & October. we have now past year 2 of our 2 & 1/2 year plan! for now, i just have to keep my head down for just a few months longer… and be content with internet stalking real estate listings like this one here.

photo booth:

2009-04-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

oh! i forgot to include these! there was a great photo booth & box of props at the gearhart's wedding reception. here's what we came away with... :)

favorite clip:

the luckiest:

2009-04-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

our dear friend of many years, bill married his lovely bride sara on a warm saturday afternoon in la Mirada, ca. it was a testimony to God’s gracious faithfulness and all rejoiced with the happy couple.

a few shots of the wedding, reception & preceding bachelor party:

'stache bash:

2009-04-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

as i attempt to catch up, here are a few pics of another cleaverly themed gypsy party! oh, and a merry song to sing on the way to your next mustache bash!

if you've only got a moustache

oh! all of you poor single men,
don’t ever give up in despair,
for there’s always a chance while there’s life
to capture the hearts of the fair,
no matter what may be your age,
you always may cut a fine dash,
you will suit all the girls to a hair
if you’ve only got a moustache,
a moustache, a moustache,
if you’ve only got a moustache.

no matter for manners or style,
no matter for birth or for fame,
all these used to have something to do
with young ladies changing their name,
there’s no reason now to despond,
or go and do any thing rash,
for you’ll do though you can’t raise a cent,
if you’ll only raise a moustache!
a moustache, a moustache,
if you’ll only raise a moustache.

...i once was in sorrow and tears
because i was jilted you know,
so right down to the river i ran
to quickly dispose of my woe,
a good friend he gave me advice
and timely prevented the splash,
now at home i’ve a wife and ten heirs,
and all through a handsome moustache,
a moustache, a moustache,
and all through a handsome moustache.

--- Stephen Collins Foster, 1864

birthday chad

2009-03-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

this love of my life is 26 today.

muse me as i type… what will he remember from today? will he remember the extra long head scratch to wake him up or the before church trip to his favorite pastry shop? will he remember his over exuberant wife singing "happy birthday!!" as he debates over whether or not his to open his eyelids? will he remember me rushing to put the last touches on wrapping his birthday present, late as usual? or the slowing of our morning routine just a touch to make it a little more special in very “it’s your birthday today!” kind of way? or… well…maybe he will remember none of that…and probably neither will i. but here is what i will remember… i will remember this incredible man; tender hearted, open armed, imaginative, generous, deep souled …protector, encourager, comforter...and i will well up.

he has so much more he will grow and do and shepherd and become. today, he is one milestone closer and it is a wonderful thought …but i will not think of that. not today. today i will freeze time and sit in awe as i think of all he is right now. ...and i will thank god for all i can wrap my little brain around in this moment about chad and what he means to me. and i will be amazed. i have been blessed by this amazing man for over 4 years of marriage …four years… blessed. I love him more now than I did 10 years ago when we fell in love.

as for now there are plans to be made, lunch in his honor after church with all of his friends, and dinner with the all of the family. and there will be more gift exchanging and hug giving and smiles to be had. and with all to be done and in whatever happens i know it will be a perfect day. a fun day, chad’s birthday.

happy birthday love!

wedded weekend:

2009-03-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

my cousin, my “sister,” and beloved “mother hen” has acquired a beamingly proud husband & sealed the deal on a sunny afternoon on a lawn in vista. it was a blessed day. here are a few snaps taken on that lovely day and about the town that weekend…

that morning, before all things wedding began, we went to the seagrass cafe in solana beach. highly recommended by my mother in law, they have excellant crab cake benedict! we took a couple funny shots...

their "normal" smiles.. ;)

...a couple more from being "home."

it was a sparsely photographed weekend, as far as my camera goes, but many more pictures were taken & are holed up in my parents computer in ca. we were quite busy with family visiting & crafty undertakings, but i guess i'll have to post on those when i can get my hands on them next week. today is saturday & we will be back in ca for wedding #2 in a mere 4 days! hooray for more sunshine! :)

globe trotting:

2009-03-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

a trip to sun soaked escondido would not be complete without a token visit to the best thrift store this side of the mississippi, amvets. i grew up going to amvets and have been there more often than i’d like to own up to. :) all through high school it was the source for a great deal on jeans & sweaters. “thrifted” was my answer to almost every “where did you get that?” inquiry. since i’ve moved to seattle, thrifting has taken on a cult following of it’s own, and good deals have become a little bit farther in between. consequently, this jewel has made it on my list of the top 5 things to do in san diego.

i am convinced that 2/3rds of every cool vintage thing i’ve ever admired has and will be passed through their doors. vintage jadite, anchor hocking dishware & retro pyrex, tattered and oh-so-cool books & paper ephemera, sewing notions and linens… all reliably unearthed at this wonderful place! so- i conclude that one thrift store is not the same as the next. if there was ever a store to inspire me to open my own vintage goods retail shop, it would be this one!

here are a few pics of the 12” mid-century cram’s globe i just picked up this weekend for no less than $6. this exact one (pictured below) is currently selling on etsy for $65! i’ve so often admired them, & this one has great color. yes, it made for an awkward carry-on on the flight home, but oh so worth it! :)

cook more:

2009-03-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

sorry, i couldn’t leave well enough alone! here are a few (well… 24) more pics i recently collected that deserve honorable mention in the kitchen category. it’s a problem, i know…

again, my claim is nil on the photo credits. all the preceding pics were culled from sites like domino (rip), design sponge, apartment therapy & a zillion other design blogs... sorry, i wish i coulld be more specific! it just confirms the spirit in which these images were saved.. impulsively! i hope to be making a "blogs i follow" listing soon to make a one stop blog shop (at least for me!) to share these inspirational sources. for now, i like to think of this blog as my personal "deco file," (that should make sense to all you domino readers.) a little online inspiration bank where i can stash these ideas and save up for the day my fixer upper is in hand! hope you enjoyed!

holding pattern:

2009-03-11T08:53:00.001-07:00

hubby asked, “you should make an entry about what we’ve been up to lately.” ….but i hesitated, i don’t have any pictures! …so, this post is mostly for the parents & dedicated few who would take the time wade through this imageless entry. :) i gave it some thought and here’s a little slice of our daily hum drum…

-sleeping in too late (it’s dark so late here!) & rushing out the door in the mornings.
-trudging off to valiantly battle traffic and fend cube from email assailants with all salvageable sanity.
-thrice weekly “lunch dates” …to add a little sunshine to the late morning no matter the weather. :)
-combating colds & ducking layoff radars…whew!
-homemade veggie soup.
-counting our blessings; home, job, family & salvation. amen.
-pinching our pennies & vacation hours in prep for the 2 california weddings this march!
-getting excited about our skips down to the land of warm pavement & del taco! hooray! t-minus 3 days & counting till wedding #1!
-savoring our saturday morning visits to our favorite pastry shop.
-whittling away in front of lost season 2.
-savoring a few sweet “dink nights” here & there, out & about the city.
-scouring the web for a house… then realizing that we are still 6 months from buying… (a pattern i am in the habit of repeating each day at around 9:45 & 2)
-coping …as is evident by the last 4 blog entries. …then marking off each day on my 3 desk calendars.
-wading elbow-deep in a zillion different design blogs. :) ...a hobby of mine.
-(hence) organizing & reorganizing our increasingly cluttered, lil’ postage stamp of a room.
-struggling to adhere to a strict interpretation of what expense (likely) is and what might not be considered as part of my monthly allowance?
-awaiting an engine for paolo, our mini cooper! hooray!
-this jacket. :)
-recording music!
-working on projects till sore in the fingers & crossed in the eyes!
-treasuring friends & church amidst the last weeks of a snowy/drippy seattle winter.
-discovering a love for pellegrino and the proper pronunciation of rooibos tea.
yup, we’re just chippin away & plugging along as two happy dinks, undoubtedly blessed by grace and the Lord’s providence. ho hum, blessedness. :)

(yellow canary image by this tallented artist found here)

nest in:

2009-02-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

pic found here

since i am still awaiting our “go!” to make the giant leap to parenthood, i’m afraid this post will be a bit understaffed. possibly because i have yet to wrap my head around the occupant of such room?...and possibly because the more i dwell on it the more tedious my desk job feels! :) i have no worries though, that as soon as july/august comes around I sure i will be a-buzz with many more new ideas and eager to share them! as for right now, i am blessed with several dear friends who have recently acquired new little family member and it has just tipped the wheels to turning. here are the very earliest design directions i’ve already gathered for our someday little one…

for the early weeks: friends of ours & brand new parents now studying in st. louis recently rigged up a little bassinet similar to this. it provides bedside access and a gentle sway.

(pic found here)

i am so exited to undertake my diy version of one of these mobiles:

or even this cute little driftwood owl perch: this is another ceiling hung treatment i would love to attempt in a baby room: for a little texture? a playful pattern for an accent wall, abstract ski slopes & tiny trees!
as bedding is near and dear to my heart, i must admit that i have been a little disappointed in the all too graphic & busy patterns i’ve found for crib linens lately. so ideally, i would attempt to make my own! i love the super-easy quilting step-by-step instructions katie (of beautiful blog “katie did”) lays out to make a super simple quilt like this. click the link & check it out.

and reading about it almost inspires me to undertake a quilt like this...

also by katie. (pardon the tiny picture, but i still thought it a worthy mention!) for other cute quilting ideas check out this site: purl soho. they have a neat selection of cottons too. (sigh…why do new yorkers get it all? oh well, we will always have the internet!) more sources for cute fabrics to come in a later post!

here are a few other images i found i had to include for when baby gets a little older…

(all 3 from from baby minded site ohdeedoh)

besides mobiles & quilts, artwork rounds out my top three elements of nursery décor. i love art that you can grow into -art that would work just as well in the living room as in baby’s room. most of the artists i've been enamored with recently have been found on etsy. here are my current top picks with links:

liz ryan landscapes, $150

sharon montrose, $25

bold and noble, $49

ecustudioshop, n/a

(this print entitled, "some animals of the pacific northwest"is much along the same lines of the previous bold & noble print. hubby got it for me for christmas (!!) & i found it worth a shout out. :) though currently n/a i really admired this vancouver artist and will have to keep you posted when she comes out with a new design.)

alicia block, $35

leah giberson, $30

ok, i better wrap this up! sorry for the long dry spell! ...if only i didn't have to bother with this day job... ;) hopefully i sparked a few imaginations!

*ps: just in case i've caused any confusion, no, we are not pregnant... ;) and yes, i am notorious for run on sentences! -l

side note:

2009-02-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

as i type, a beautiful set of these is now speeding it’s way to my seattle door. (sigh… thanks hubby!) & after 8 months of waiting, thanks bluefly.com sale plus $20 off online coupon!

oh! and on a similar note, though not currently within my clutches, i have discovered that a (ridiculously overpriced) lamp i fell in love with last summer has now been made available to us mere mortals!

edison lamp, anthropologie , $798 (!! & no longer available!)

candlestick lamp, pottery barn, $130.

yes, i admit to liking the proportions of the first, but is there really a $668 difference between the two? can’t shake a stick at that. oh, anthro, why the huge prices?

cook in:

2009-02-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

when ever we walk into a fixer upper i am immediately drawn to the kitchen. (above pic found here) what am i looking for? well, honestly i’m hoping for a large degree of hideousness! i semi cringe at the presence of hastily lain laminate countertops & paint that hopeful sellers have surface applied in an attempt to hide a misfit kitchen. wasted effort. i’m in hot pursuit of a forlorn, worn out, broken up & hopelessly dated kitchen. fortunately (?... or more likely accordingly), in our price range i have met with many such candidates and the prospect is completely thrilling to me (a naïve, creatively pent up architecture graduate). :) i am not easily scared off: mold?, rot? avocado colored appliances? ….dirt outline where an appliance used to be? …i’m game. here is what i aspire to…

cabinetry? well, in the very very (far) back of my mind a still small voice pipes up to remind me that new custom cabinetry is likely not in my cards. ..but with an orbital sander, paint, and elbow grease i have high hopes that a two tone effect like this (found here) is somehow attainable:
if the cabinets are beyond salvage i’ve also considered this minimalist (almost french country) & economical undersink “cabinetry” solution: (found here)
to accompany this, as well as accommodate my vintage glassware habit, wall mounted shelving something akin to these: (found here)
but possibly more inspired from this image:
and perhaps this a little of this one mixed in:

capping it off, i dream of a practical subway tile accompanied by completely impractical marble countertops (pic from here) :
and a light fixture exactly like this:

sleep in:

2009-01-28T16:10:00.000-08:00

let’s start with the bed shall we? ;) this particular bed happens to be my lucky choice for the title “dream bed.” it is, sadly a past offering of room & board. i believe it is at the top of my list of craigslist find fantasies. i adore just about everything about it, other than the fact that i can no longer buy it! such clean mid century lines. timeless!

as for bedding, my all-time favorite designs belong to dwell studio…sigh, gorgeous. :)
for windows & room dividers here is my current inspirational image. i believe i can achieve a similar effect for a fraction of the cost with these ikea panels.
the diy piece of me would also like to tackle the home made blackout shades seen below. i’m thinking this could be easily achieved by aquiring old army/navy surplus blankets and lining them with canvas, no?

or maybe something saturated like this?

(all 3 images from either apartment therapy or design sponge...)

and for under foot? i am hoping i am blessed with hard wood somewhere underneath the awful shag carpet in our hypothetical fixer upper! if true, i’m debating between either leaving them as is or indulging an impulse to paint them a glossy pale gray. in either case spenser will be there to accompany any bedroom toes. :)
to finish off the room i imagine a tweaked assortment of mid mod/traditional accents. something akin to these:

(hm… i don’t know where the first image is from- but i adore that turned stool!, wingback chair, dresser, dresser)

here are a parting few bedroom inspirational snapshots i’ve hankered after over the past few months:

spare time:

2009-01-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

2009 is well off to it’s sputtering hiccupped start, as now the month of february is close on our heals. it has been a month of exciting newness, as januarys often are…and yet fraught with the daunting threat that the “other shoe” is about to drop. the “other shoe” in my little world has been the teetering state of my employment at the big b. oh economy…is the sky falling? oh b, have my three years meant nothing to you? ;) i think i have realized how tall the totem pole was and how low i seem to be on it. hm…

with little work load and many tedious b hours to pass i have decided publish a series of fanciful posts dedicated to our someday house and house related fancy. yes. i admit it… i have whittled away many an hour over silly musings over a house i’ve never met.. yet, oft..this is the only way i can manage keep sane in this ace bandage colored, faux oak grain cube!

{here’s my lame caveat…for now that i read over what i’ve just written i’m afraid you are left with the impression that i don’t do a stitch of work at all- and that is not the case! however, i think i have spent the past three years confirming that what i do here is not my passion…though i still need to do it. and in light of all the (mostly) downs in the job market, i am incredibly blessed to have it. for as long as i may continue to have it.}

anyway…i have been carefully curating these images over the past 2 years of intermittent web surfing & design blog discovery. when i am gray & despair of cad i open the file to brouse my “collection.” for some reason it feels a bit personal to share them …and i’m not even sure why i feel the need to post about it …but the few people who will ever see this blog know me well enough to indulge me here! it has been part of my coping process. :)

ok, so to be perfectly unclear, i’m not really sure how many copy right infringements & infractions are to be committed on these coming posts. i literally have a folder on my desktop that i stash inspiring images whenever & where ever i come across them! some of the images i actually have no way of recovering a link to offer you rightful credits where credits are surely due, but where i can i will attempt! i think i’ll try to keep my posts to groups of like and related items. so without further ado, check back for the occasional post on objects & colors, vignettes & pipe dreams culled from across the vast sea of internet design talent.

(pic above is a cute image by this tallented lady. ...and i've included it above for no related reason..haha!)

fresh start:

2009-01-08T16:30:00.001-08:00

well, needless to say the new year has come and is well on it’s way and i have only now caught up on last year! scroll down to “run away train” for the start of december’s recap. hope you had a blessed and beautiful holiday season and a fresh start to the year ahead!

*pic is of my desk calendar for 2009, a gift from my aunt by this tallented girl. :)

octopus's garden:

2009-01-08T15:41:00.000-08:00

here's a few snaps from our after christmas sea world outing. the last time i was there, i was on a field trip in second grade. i got lost…for a few hours… and i think there were tears involved. this trip was much more successful. :)

*darn water spot on the camera will be a reoccuring theme!mmm...squid!

in hemet:

2009-01-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

our new year's eve took place in hemet, a quaint desert town an hour's drive north, where my cousin & her new groom will move after their march wedding. they have been quite busy fixing it up! -it is adorable, but a bit rough about the edges & in need of some elbow grease. there is beauty in its age and its perch among the desert mountain foothills.

*i snapped this little succulent in front of kim’s door step. i just love the color, the pitch fork in the back, and the haphazard pine needles poking here & there. :)

it is so fun to see a place that anticipates such happy times ahead!

lastly, i just had to include this picture! my cousin looks so sweetly oblivious in the forground and there seems to be quite the discussion happening behind her between my mother & my aunt! :)

orange & palm trees:

2009-01-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

we are now back to the fresh & blustery northwest, and as i whittle away at my desk job my heart is in the sunny southwest with the many loved ones we visited over christmas. we had such a wonderful time catching up... & at times pretending we never left. here are a few vignettes of taken at my parents little hillside holiday bungalow...

(somehow i really like how this picture of my mother's snow cake turned out so artsy blurry…)

christmas morning began in the we hours of the morning when i wake up and start the excruciating :) process of waiting for my hubby to reach an acceptable level of wakefulness to venture in the living room & greet the tree!

the days at home flew by as a succession of mostly scheduled get togethers over meals. my parents are quite avid early morning risers and as a consequence always on the hunt for the best san diego breakfast. for several years now the blue ribbon has gone to the hash house a-go-go. it has never disappointed. we ate left overs for three days!

. . .

here are a few other san diego memories i pocketed over the past couple weeks:

avocadoes from the gibb's home grove in valley center. we had a lovely visit & delved into the relevance of the entropic principle over eggs, biscuits and honey.
the star of india

we ate dinner at the top of this hotel after chad asked me to marry him at christmas time 2003.

a san diego institution.

dusk, del mar

tile roofs, cypress trees & agaves

getting there:

2009-01-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

overall, the first part of december was spent much in anticipation of the last part of december & a trip "home" to california. but as many other seattleites the week before christmas 2008, just getting on that flight was a feat of it's own.

pic taken as the first powdery blanket gave us the first official snow day of the year!

snow! and over a foot of it (!!) dressed seattle in a festive thick white coat and presumptively imposed itself upon all those with air traveling aspirations.

to be closer to the airport and to our delight, we holed up at blythe & david's house in west seattle to crowd about their cozy fire, trudge about together in this seattle weather phenominon, and enjoy their company & gourmet cooking. :) here's a few shots of our snow day & coffee date!

leaving on a jet plane:

after 6 excruciating hours, 1 canceled flight & 3 checked and arduously recovered suitcases, david graciously returned to the airport to retrieve 2 wilted & unsuccessful travelers. when we walked in blythe had loveingly set a beautiful table & had a movie in cue. what a greeting & what dear friends!

we were able to make it out the next morning. :)

pre holiday:

2009-01-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

the week before we left is as far back as my scattered memory will take me….and even then it is spotty… so, i will just hit the highlights..

passing unassumingly & photographically under the radar this year was the much anticipated greenlake “art night.” the church sanctuary was opened up and the walls adorned with the much beloved artwork of friends and acquaintances in an amongst the congregation. this became the first public viewing of my latest artistic endeavors.

what is it? well... i’m having a hard time coining a name… it is something between collage work & embroidery?... (tragically, as i just mentioned, i have no photos to prove myself! but i do have a photo shoot in the planning phase to give you a better picture (uh, any picture i guess, other than the one here, of what i’ve been spinning… please stay tuned!) ...oh, and i cannot mention this without emphasizing the huge drum roll & cymbol crash that was played in my head as i hung up my “piece” that night & then stood back to scrutinized the fruits of my labor. a more official “product announcement” will follow in the weeks ahead, i assure you. i realize i’m being vague, but i was not a business major and this process of “launching” my creative endeavor is proving to be very difficult to put into either words or photos! …sigh, ok….i’ll move on.

ah yes…other than art night, that week few by in a series of christmas gatherings & exchanges, parties & merriment. sadly, and yet again, after the gatherings had gone by i had failed to document them! (i think i feel a new years resolution coming on!) the only event to escape the photographic void was the festive rosie thomas christmas concert we attended with a happy group of greenlake goers at the seattle town hall.

run away train:

2009-01-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

sorry, i seem to have "gone dark" for the month of december! and so many things happened too! this is the very thing i feared would happen when i started this blog.... the following series of posts are an attempt at a bit of restitution for you and peace of mind for me. these posts have been swirling around in my mind and camera for quite some time now!

*photo of my desk calendar for 2008 by "modern printed matter" & my christmas gloves from chad. :)

thanks & giving:

2008-12-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

the holiday weekend has revolved around much eating & gathering as fitting for the thanksgiving season. the girls chat in the kitchen: i spent the day awaiting orders (like carefully placing apple slices & place mats), while the professional (my mother-in-law) buzzed about the kitchen.

the whirl of dinner smell & kitchen action did more than excite the dog… see our little peeper over there on the porch bench?

he got bolder as the afternoon wore on!

meanwhile, the men congregated in front of the black friday newspaper adds and football.

here are just a few shots of the days eats & greets…

our 4 day weekend concluded with a night out to see a full fledged 80’s “rock opera” in columbia city with blythe & david. it was some mash of the band queen meets lord of the rings. hilarious. :)

oh... & here’s a parting pic of our little thanksgiving voyeur…

new project:

2008-11-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

sneek peek....

business trip:

2008-11-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

in the wee hours of last thursday morning i flew to baltimore for a recruiting event at the national swe conference! … in thinking about this post i must share this thought: i never thought i’d find myself at an engineering conference of my own accord, and even less, as an engineering recruiter at that!.... i felt as though i was the lone secret righty in a sea of left-brainers. infront of an interview panel, they seem to be in many ways just as predictable as us rightys; flushed, wringing their hands and offering the occasional nervous giggle. :) i don’t consider myself a particularly intimidating person, and in all reality i was the intimidated one- you should have seen these resumes! yikes! it got me thinking…hmm. what have i been doing?!

the evenings were occupied by a couple pleasant dinner outings with my hiring manager, fay, and one adventurous trip up the eastern coast to Philadelphia to visit the headquarters (!) of my favorite store. after a 2 hour drive and 45 excruciating minutes looking for an inner city parking spot i arrived! once parked, i managed to get lost on foot to a near hopeless degree (dang useless iphone gps!) before arriving at their door half an hour before closing time. here are a few shots:

in baltimore i also managed to squeeze in a few minutes at an architectural salvage place i found through this site. the store was an early 1900’s brick gas line pump house & incredible. (sorry for the few blurries!)

the trip concluded sunday morning with a trip out to frederrickson md to visit dear friends, mike & stacia & their littles. (incidentally, it was a hours long drive! i didn’t know you could drive an hour & still be in maryland! –that just tells you how skewed my east coast sensibilities are!) it was a deep blessing to be in their midst, sit in the pew at their church & chat over breakfast. god is good. :)

in the midst of fall:

2008-11-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

(ah! i wrote this post at the end of october & somehow it never got out of the draft gate! so here's a little look back to the start of the fall...)

oh, october, where have you gone? it has been a fairly hum-drum month in the lloyd household, or perhaps is has just settled down to a new norm as compared to the upheaval of the move and the crazy busyness of summer. either way, there is a certain calming predictability that has settled in in the past few weeks and it has been a somewhat comforting source of pattern & order: wake up in the dark, drive to the sterile office cube, count down the hours until 4:15, & eagerly await the after-work activities.

the most brilliant event to happen has been watching the full flush of fall well up and wash over the city. it has been the most brilliant fall in recent memory. perhaps this is merely due to the time we have taken to deliberately make note of it’s magestic arrival...

we have fittingly taken part in a few fall festivities which have included a late night trapse through a corn maze. our group had the option of going for the “haunted” option, but after 45 min in line hearing the screams and intermittent chainsaws we opted for the “un-haunted” version. with the thick fog, new moon, and absence of a flashlight, it was scary enough. :)

my latest crafty urges were invested in costumes for the “reformation day” party thrown by our parish group. i went as the rough draft of martin luther’s 95 thesis (um... i couldn’t think of a female connection to the reformation…and i have an affinity for costumes fashioned after inanimate objects), chad went as the church door the thesis was nailed to. :)

then scattered about throughout the month have been the various concert goings of us two dinks, which have included chad’s van gross & the gypsies concerts at the mars bar, justin timberlake cover night, no less! & a night out at the triple door main stage to see jubilee with cassie.

we’ve also taken part in “a day in the life of a wedding coordinator”…. it has given us a new found respect for our dear friend blythe. here is a pic at the event which was done up in the colors of fall & chihuly glass:

last but not least, i must comment that the house hunt marches on! if it is falling apart, mold infested, 80 years old, pre-foreclosed & in seattle, we’ve probably seen it! :) we go out again this afternoon… the forcast is for a 90% chance of heavy rain; it is getting down to the few, the determined, & the desperate… & it is all good news to us buyers!

100 things:

2008-10-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

no pictures today. i started this list a while ago and finally came about to finishing it. some of the things are sadly out of date, though most will remain true for a very long time to come. :) thought it was a neat idea...

my name is lauren.
my parents named me after lauren becall.
i don’t know why, but her pictures are glamorous.
i am half japanese & half caucasian, all sorts.
people always ask me about that.
sometimes i don’t feel like i belong to either ethnicity.
i have really green eyes.
but they disappear when I laugh or smile big.
i always tear up when I laugh.
i never grew very tall, i round up to 5’-1”.
sadly i am terrible at wearing heals.
i fit just under hubby’s chin.
he likes that.
i married my high school sweetheart.
we are still in love.
he is amazing.
he likes chocolate, i like fruit, and it all works out in the end.
i didn’t know i had curly hair until i was 17, i thought it was just frizzy.
at one time i was convinced i had dark brown hair.
i live in seattle. my hair is black
i rejoiced at the discovery of the flat iron.
i was born in escondido, ca.
part of me will always be there.
the smell of geraniums will always remind me of my grandmother.
i am an only child.
i am just like my dad.
he inspired me to pursue architecture.
i call my mom daily
we are very close.
i wish they didn’t live so far away.
i want to have a big family.
i love inky pens and swing jackets with large buttons.
i love the look of cursive, even illegible cursive like mine.
i have mastered architectural lettering.
i use it when i am not being lazy.
i am entirely right brained.
i work in an engineering department, how did that happen?
i am ever visual.
i won’t watch scary movies.
they become embeded in my imagination &it is not worth the trouble.
i have a short attention span.
i have a hard time finishing a project.
i love starting them.
i am constantly overwhelmed by the creativity around me.
i am an artist.
i have yet to settle on a medium.
i constantly misplace my keys, purse, cell phone & work badge.
i will keep track of my kids with one of those kid leashes attached to my person somehow.
i love oversized glass hurricanes.
i’m inspired by william morris, the smell of soap & dessert wine.
my limit is 1 drink.
cosmopolitan, heavy on the juice please.
we drank escencia on our honeymoon & it always takes me back there.
i have the most golden memories of backpacking in europe.
i will do that again.
i love vintage dishware.
i have a vast collection of jadite.
i use it every day.
i love lamps with drum shades.
i listen to bands that don’t exist yet :)
i can’t sleep with the blankets all mussed up or the closet doors open.
i have vivid dreams.
i work at a bland beige cube under fluorescent lighting
i have a count down at my desk.
i hope to start my own venture.
my favorite color is green, it has such depth.
i have an old soul.
i have never pierced my ears.
i have had 6 surgeries.
i can feel the weather change.
i like simple clothes and patterns.
i like brights and neutrals, not much in between.
but i look for shape, proportion, and texture before i consider color.
i love both brie and a sharp English cheddar.
i recently discovered a love for kalamata olives.
my voice is not recognized by any automated telephone system.
i grew up in an acapella church.
i have new appreciation for mid century aesthetic, though only in tasteful doses.
i have an eames chair on my porch.
i use it as a decadent plant stand.
james taylor speaks to something in my childhood that i will never loose.
something about sour grass, paper bark trees & drippy sand castles.
i love to travel.
i aspire to be an expert on the antiques road show.
i now live in a attic in seattle.
i love the greenness.
i love celadon pottery.
i put black pepper in everything i eat.
i don’t boast about my cooking skills.
we eat out a lot.
once i got on the wrong plane and flew to the wrong city on accident.
yes, it could happen to you too!
i have a houseplant named earl.
we have a ’72 mini, his name is paulo.
i have a name picked out for my future dog and goat, as soon as i get a yard big enough for the two.
i am blessed by a few very dear friends.
i like car trips, but i fall asleep easily on long drives.
i’m saddened by the lie of relative truth and the people it captivates.
i know we live in a fallen world.
Christ Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

not it:

2008-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

out bid!!

the competition bid more than the asking price -in this market! strike 2... well, there is simply something else out there. we just rest on the Lord's daily provision and know he is ever faithful.