before i start chatting about Washington, i just have to say that i have been blessed with the best friends of all time. while i was in southern Cal, packing up my stuff, my roommates and friends had planned a surprise going away party. it was so great to be with friends who have been so supportive along this journey! saying goodbye, or “see you later”, was harder than i expected. while i may not have showed it then, tears fell from the Pasadena apartment to the place where the 210 meets I-5. it was a bittersweet feeling to drive away from dear friends and everything that was familiar, knowing that i was going to place that could sometimes be lonely and unknown. but the whole time, i knew that this internship in Washington was a once in a lifetime opportunity that would be something i looked back on for many years!

moving on… the drive up here was absolutely gorgeous. it took mom, dad, and i (and a VERY tightly packed car) 11 hours to drive from our house in northern Cal to my aunt and uncle’s house just outside of portland. it was a long drive, we left before 6am and chugged along I-5 for the day. watching the sunrise, seeing the majesty of Mt. Shasta, driving through Oregon’s green landscapes, and slowing down somewhere between Mt. Hood and Mt. Saint Helens- it was a drive much more exciting than from the Bay Area to L.A. we stayed the night at my dad’s sisters and had a great time catching up with my aunt and uncle and my cousins. and then it was off to Puyallup!

it was a short drive up to Puyallup and coming up to the Rochester home was such a great feeling! being greeted by Kelsey and her family was the perfect welcome. my parents help me set up my room in the Rochester house, with a few touches of my own stuff, it felt like home. later that night my friend Brett met us for dinner. it was so great catching up and exciting to know that hanging out with him could be come a more regular thing again. after spending the first night in my new home, Kelsey and i had a delicious breakfast with our parents. it was so fun to have everyone sitting around the table together. we were just missing the two younger siblings! :) Kelsey and i took my parents to the train station after breakfast, and they embarked on their long journey home.

not long after they left, it began to snow. yes- snow. as a born and raised California girl, this was quite a change for me! i have visited the snow a few times, but never lived or driven in it! luckily, Kelsey and i stayed at home and watched “White Christmas”, the weather made it feel appropriate even though the date didn’t. i have to put this video in because, well, it makes me smile and i can’t get it out of my head :)

the next morning, we went to church in Tacoma and it was awesome! i loved being there and am looking forward to jumping back into that weekly routine with Kelsey and Brett. as the day went on, the snow continued to fall, making me a little nervous to get to my first day of work that next day. while i was becoming unsure about driving to work, i was positive that watching snowfall was both mesmerizing and peaceful.

after much talk about getting to and from the hospital, Kelsey’s wonderful parents offered to take me there and back to ease my stress. this is just one example of how hospitable the Rochesters have been. i truly am beyond blessed to be here with them! they have coached me through getting around the city, and in the snow nonetheless! there are absolutely no words for how thankful i am for them welcoming me into their home and their lives. may God richly bless them!

okay, i wish i had more to write about the start of my internship. but it has only been two days! the first day was filled with talking through assignments and paperwork. and then yesterday i got to see kiddos! i am so thankful to be at this hospital. from what i can tell, it’s an amazing program that is truly focused on education and developmental appropriateness for the patients- which i LOVE! i have phenomenal supervisors that are really committed to helping me learn and guiding me in the process of becoming a great child life specialist. i am looking forward to the months ahead!

all that to say, day 3 of the internship was put on hold due to a snow day! there have been record amounts of snow in the past 24 hours and it’s been nuts! i’ve learned to take things one day at a time, therefore, i have no clue if i’m going to work tomorrow! but i did very much enjoy my day today :)

well, that’s it for now! i really am doing well here. i’m missing lots of friends and family, wishing you all could have been here to play in the snow! but don’t worry about me, i’m having fun and staying safe! staying warm… well that’s a different story ;)

as i looked through photos on my iPhone, i realized that a lot that happened in two months. telling you about all the details would take far too long and let’s be honest- no one wants to read that much. so without writing too much, i’ll just say that November and December consisted of writing my thesis. and working. and turning 23. and Hayley & Matt getting engaged. and having Thanksgiving in SoCal for the first time. and working Black Friday. and drinking LOTS of coffee. and surviving a crazy windstorm. and buying a Disneyland pass. and going to Disneyland in the rain with my roomies. and finding the perfect rain coat. and spending time with friends. and spending at home, without friends, just me & my thesis. and saying goodbye to some lovely co-workers. and finally making it home for Christmas. PHEW. told you it was a lot.

okay, let’s back track for a second. finishing my thesis was a huge deal. in fact, i almost cried while it was printing. realizing that i was truly done was a great feeling and absolutely surreal at the same time. even after turning it in, i was still thinking about what was on my to-do list. it was a joyous feeling to remember that every single thing on that to-do list had been crossed off! i praise GOD for carrying me through that journey. there were days i felt like i hit a wall and couldn’t write another word. i felt stir-crazy and cross-eyed from sitting in the same place, staring at my computer. but with the God’s strength and mercy- it’s done! i could not have done it without the support from my family, amazing friends, and roommates (now i feel like i’m giving an award speech…) but seriously. i finished my Master’s Thesis. and i couldn’t be more thankful, happy, and relived.

after finishing my thesis, i had one last week of work at Sephora. the Old Town Pasadena Cast will always have a special place in my heart. working there has always been a dream. (afterall, i did my senior project in high school all about makeup!) i feel so honored to have been part of the grand opening of a brand new store, to understand some of the behind-the-scenes of such a well-known company, to have learned SO much, and to have met such incredible people. i very much loved my time there. and will definitely miss it! even the 5am “ops” shifts! so, holler to my Old Town crew- you guys are awesome. miss you already. i promise i’ll be back to visit! <3 Tristen

and now, i have approximately 2 weeks until i am in Washington. my mom, sister, and i are headed to SoCal this week to pack up all my stuff. then i’m back in the Bay for a few days, and off to the Northwest for a little while!! i can’t believe this time is actually here. i’ve been thinking about it for a few months and now, it’s REAL. i’m feeling a bit nervous and definitely excited. i also feel confident that Tacoma is where God wants me to be for my internship. that confidence and peace is what i’m holding on to. if i let doubt creep in, i start to panic and wonder what i’ll do without my community of friends and comfort zone. but i know that i’m gonna be okay :) and that it’s 4-5 months of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. so let the packing and driving begin!! with that said, i’ve been playing with the idea of having a pen pal or two. i’m thinking, hand-written, snail-mail notes. they don’t have to be pages long. but i think it would be something fun, just like a little piece of home to find in the mailbox. anyone interested? :)

via Typeverything

well, that’s all for this… year. wow! i am thankful for the adventure of 2011 and can’t wait to discover what God has in store for 2012!

Happy New Year!!

a lot has happened in this past month! i mentioned in my last post that i was applying to internship programs for the final portion of my Master’s degree. and after a grueling process of too many interviews and loads of anticipation- i have accepted an internship in Tacoma, Washington!

my internship begins in January. which means i’m moving in less than two months! i can’t believe it’s all real. i applied to this program in Washington with the chance of getting an offer and transferring my life to another state for a few months. one regret from college was that i never studied abroad or did anything that took me out of my immediate community and comfort zone. i thought this to be the perfect opportunity to move somewhere for a few months, experience life outside of California, and push myself to try something new.

well, as i check the weather there almost daily- i’m definitely pushing myself to something different! for example here is the current match-up:

my dad says it’s just as cold in Washington as it is in the Bay Area. which is true. but the last few years, i’ve been freezing cold at home! i mean, we’re talking a 20-30 degree temperature difference! yikes!! okay, okay. i’m not going to complain about the weather. there’s a solution: get a jacket. i’m going to be just fine. the truth is, i’m getting exactly what i asked for. i took this chance and it’s real. i have no idea what to expect, but i’m going to move to Washington. and this is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.

internship location aside, i couldn’t be more excited for this dream career to start becoming more of a reality. i feel like i’ve been so out of the loop with child life. taking the summer off, being out of the hospital for over a year, and currently only taking one class (that doesn’t really discuss child life)- sometimes i have to stop and remind myself of what it is that i’ll be doing someday. and honestly, i can’t wait to do child life 5 days a week. i’m SO lucky!

as the details of all this unfolds and the mental processing continues, i’ll write more. but for today, i need to get some work done on this thesis that has seen more procrastination that it deserves. so i leave with this thought that brings such hope in times of uncertainty…

via pinterest

]]> http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/moving-on-up-literally/feed/ 3 kkbishop WA weather dwell http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/the-story-of-seattle/ http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/the-story-of-seattle/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:57:45 +0000 kkb http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/?p=751 ]]> this is the story of seattle (and puyallup and tacoma).

i left from burbank, ca (it’s gotta be one of the smallest airports in California) on a cloudy august morning, walking up an old fashion stairway to the plane.

i traveled with this awesome red-leather, 1960′s carry-on bag. i found it at a consignment shop in glendora and i’m in love with it. it fits perfectly under the seats of the plane and holds a surprisingly great amount of things.

i had a layover in Oakland, which was great for this reason:

with my non-fat iced carmel latte in hand, i waited to board the plane for my vacation to the great pacific northwest. i packed for rain, sunshine, and everything in between. it turned out to be one of the most beautiful weekends they had all summer…

i was greeted in baggage claim by Kelsey’s lovely mom, Marjie, with coffee in hand (apparently, that is the Rochester tradition). i immediately felt welcomed and beyond thrilled to be there. we took the scenic route from Seattle to Puyallup and finally arrived at the Rochester residence where i found my beautiful roommate! being reunited with Kels was a huge blessing. after spending the whole year together, being apart for two months was difficult. as both of us were in the midst of life transitions, we treasured our time together. sitting on the couch with her and simply catching up on life was just what we both needed.

Kelsey was the greatest host of all time. she planned out the most perfect things to do while i was there. we spent our first day in Seattle with Brett and had a blast enjoying the sunshine and each other’s company. we walked around Pike Place and they endured the crowd of tourists with me as we walked in and out the shops in the marketplace. we found some interesting creatures along the way- a large otter, named Elliot and an enormous troll that lives under a bridge.

we had dinner on the water front and then picked up ice cream cones from a local ice cream shop. Kelsey and Brett were sure to take me to the places where we could best see the cityscape… who wouldn’t want to sit and look at this all day?!

with seaplanes taking off and landing right in front of us and the warm sun shining down on us- Gas Works park was the most perfect place to enjoy our delicious dessert. then we headed to Kerry park where we found loads of photographers, a bride and groom, and another gorgeous view of the city.

watching the evening become night, with the moon shining and the city glowing, i took a deep breath and took it all in. how could someone NOT want to live here? (this is when every native of Washington says, just wait till it rains…)

the next day, Kelsey and I packed a picnic and had lunch in downtown puyallup. we laid our blanket out next to the rose garden and people-watched as a farmer’s market was coming to a close.

we met up with Brett in a neighboring town and we walked in and out of antique stores. Kelsey found a steal on two beautiful chandeliers, while Brett and i decided we would survive without the collection of fishing poles, creepy dolls, and baseball cards. later that night we barbecued some tasty kabobs at Kelsey’s, sipped on a glass of wine on the porch, and continued to catch up on life. a perfect summer night.

my last full day in Washington turned out to be just as lovely as the previous two. it started with a tour of a children’s hospital in Tacoma. as i am in the process of interviewing for internships, i thought it would be beneficial to see one of the hospitals i applied to. the tour was great and i was so thankful for the opportunity to really get a feel for the hospital and the Child Life program there. more on all that later…

afterwards Kelsey and i drove over to Point Defiance in Tacoma, still dressed in the “casual professional” clothes from our tour, and sat on the “beach” for a while. just an FYI- there is no sand on this beach, just little rocks. but it was beautiful nonetheless…

much to our surprise, it didn’t rain a single drop that day! we both planned for rainy afternoon and brought boots, fleece, and scarves. so we were a bit unprepared for the warm sunshine. but we didn’t let that stop us. Kelsey had a spontaneous urge to go kayaking, so we went. in our nice clothes, wedge heels, and glitter flip-flops. we were on the water for about an hour, and while we had some difficulty steering, we had a blast paddling our way around.

after the kayaking adventure, we headed over to the Point Defiance flower garden. it was like heaven on earth. beautiful blooms and stunning colors. i’ll let the flowers speak for themselves :)

last but not least, Brett met up with us in Tacoma for another lovely dinner on the water. it was the most perfect way to end a perfect vacation. gorgeous sunset, watching the moon rise, delicious food, and great company- it just doesn’t get much better.

final thoughts? i LOVE washington. and i can’t wait to go back!! rain or shine ;)

we were so excited to finally be in Vegas- we had been talking/planning for weeks and i can’t tell you how many times we said, “i can’t believe we’re actually in Vegas?!”. we walked around a few hotels on the strip and did our fair share of people-watching. there are some CRAZY people in Vegas!

it seems as though there are two reasons to go to Vegas: drink and gamble. so, without any experience in gambling- i thought i’d give it a try. i had a few dollar bills in my wallet, so why not? i played penny and nickel machines and had no clue as to what the buttons meant, what credits were, how many lines i should be playing, etc. the only thing i did understand was: when there were still credits and i wanted money back, press “cash out”. so i played a dollar, hit a few buttons, and before i knew it- the machine is making noise, the number of credits goes ups, and i could only bring myself to hit that glorious button, CASH OUT! i won $5.50 and that was the highest of our group. after i won that, i played one more dollar and called it quits. i like the “play $1, win $5″ ratio. not the “play $1, loose $1″…

another favorite moment was seeing LOVE (the Beatle’s Cirque de Soleil show). a few of us grew up listening to the Beatles- thanks to our dads. so not only were the acrobatics amazing and stage props and scenes incredible, but the music had sentimental meaning to us. it was tear-jerking as the songs we knew came to life through dancing, flipping and flying, colors galore, and creative energy bursting from the stage. the whole production was absolutely phenomenal. i would see it again in a heartbeat. as most of us have had experience as a performer, there was this deep appreciation for all that was happening- the coordinating of props, the timing of jumps, and the immaculate design of the whole theater. basically, i really enjoyed the show- if you couldn’t tell! :)

so if a vacation in Vegas wasn’t enough, while driving there, i got a phone call with a job offer at Sephora! in the last post, i had briefly mentioned a new potential job. i hadn’t heard much at that point and was hesitant to say anything. but now it is official!

 i am so excited to be working in such a fun and creative environment. working at a place like Sephora has always been a little dream of mine. i never thought it would be realistic, but at this exact moment in life- it’s perfectly fitting. i can’t wait to learn from my team and to dive back into the fun and diverse industry of beauty. here’s a picture from day 1 on the job, complete with newspaper nail art!

last but not least, we finally have our housing situation figured out! it has been quite the process, but thankfully the process is coming to a close. we have officially signed a lease, received our keys, and started moving in! tomorrow is our big move-in day! and while it’s going to be a long, hard day- it will be great to be in our new place! here it is:

well, that’s the lengthy update! i’m so thankful for a God that provides. and am continually reminded that i can’t do things on my own. as much as i try to control what will happen or how things work out- God shows up time after time with a plan that surpasses my expectations. where would i be without Him?! so while i’m not 100% sure of the meaning in the song by the Beatles, i feel that it’s completely appropriate at this point… here comes the sun and i say, it’s all right... i listen to this song and a peace comes over my heart in knowing that i am taken care of by the Creator of the Universe- no more stress, no more worry. little darling, the smiles returning to the faces… 

and that’s it for today- i’m off to Seattle at the end of the week! between packing, moving, unpacking, and repacking for vacation… life will be a bit busy! but after vacation will come the new home decor and DIY projects, so stay tuned!! :)

the past month has seen a lot of this:

this glorious interstate and i have become very close as i have been up and down California numerous times in the past month. each time was absolutely worth it! but i’m happy to say, i think there’s only one time i’ll have to drive it in August…

speaking of August- there are so many changes coming up! and i’m just beginning to brace myself for it all. my roommates and i are in the process of moving to Pasadena. and yes, it is a process. some of you may remember the dreadful moving experience of last summer. and it is not coming along any easier this summer. but we are praying VERY hard that things work out smoothly and that we’ll be moving into a new home in the next two weeks.

with that said, i have been feeling a bit of separation anxiety with our little home sweet home. i know i have blogged A LOT about this place and the beautiful memories here… i am quite sad to leave. this city has been my comfort zone and more importantly my home for the past 5 years. so i’ve had my moments of grieving. i’ve had to remind myself that it’s okay to feel upset about moving and transplanting my life to a new place. even if it’s only 20 minutes down the freeway. Pasadena is a VERY different city: fast-paced, crowded, up scale, and even a bit unfamiliar. and yet it’s those different aspects that also make our move a bit thrilling. slowly but surely, i am feeling more excited about life in Pasadena. this seems like the next step in “growing-up”, as one of my roommates had described it. we’re moving into the “city”. and it’s going to be an adventure…

the move has also brought me to the end of my job as a behavioral therapist. it has been quite a journey in this field. i have been challenged emotionally, physically, and mentally. i have learned SO much. and i have grown to absolutely adore the kids that i had the opportunity to work with. my time in this field has solidified my decision to write my Master’s thesis on providing Child Life services to children with special needs in the hospital. i am excited to continue learning and discovering ways to use my past experiences for my career as a Child Life Specialist. so while leaving is a bit bittersweet, i am looking forward to the future and a new job. but more on that later…

hmmm, what else? i’m obsessed with Pinterest. i think i mentioned that last time. but i’m serious.

i found this recipe for tequila lime frosting. it was unbelievable…

i got this idea for fourth of july…

learned how to do this with my hair…

and found these awesome posters of my 2 upcoming vacations…

see what i mean?! Pinterest has EVERYTHING. i’m in love :)

so, i’m heading to Vegas this weekend with my closest girlfriends. we’re STOKED! laying by the pool, enjoying the nightlife, seeing LOVE (the Beatle’s Cirque Du Soleil show), and making memories of a lifetime- yepp, i’m counting down the hours (approximately 60, in case you were wondering…).

and after Vegas comes Seattle to visit some great friends!! i can hardly wait- blackberry picking, Pike’s Place, a break from the California heat, and faces that i miss so dearly! i’m a lucky girl.

okay. long update, but that’s what’s going on! this life is quite the adventure, and i plan on soaking up every minute of it- the good, the bad, and the absolutely great :)

this past month has been crazy. after i finished my semester, kaycie, hayley, and i had to emotionally gear up to say goodbye to our dear roommate kelsey. kelsey landed a job as rehab nurse in her hometown in WA. it was a very bittersweet moment, as we were ecstatic for her to start her career, but sad to see her go. we knew that our little home would be missing a significant piece. so with all that, we thought we’d go out with a bang and throw a fun, summer, backyard “see ya later” party for her. kace and i made these little invites out of paint samples:

here’s a little peek at our party decorations:

we kept the theme of the paint samples and went all out! i bought a big circle punch, we used the paint samples and old scrapbooking paper to make the big garland. we used leftover circles with doilies to make another little garland to go over the food table. below is a picture of our table of treats: mini-cupcakes, cakeballs (or “cakepops” as they are more commonly called…), bruschetta, watermelon, strawberries, homemade taquitos, and pita chips with humus. SO many delicious things! and then to top it off, we had a “build-and-BBQ-your-own-skewer” station with teriyaki chicken, zucchini, pineapple, and peppers- it was a hit!!

so that was the party! it was a blast having everyone here. we strung lights up in our tree and hung paper lanterns from the tree as well. the party ended with a dance party in our living room- complete with iPhone strobe lights… kelsey’s party could not have been any better. ps- she started a blog :)

okay- after the party, it was time to get ready for the wedding of one of my closest friend’s, miss amy, and her mister, brandon!!!! the whole week beforehand was so fun: hanging out with friends, sabrina and nichole, driving to SLO, royal treatment at the apple store (after shattering the back of my iPhone- tragic), wine tasting with friends, time with my family, and then of course- the beautiful wedding :) i didn’t get any great pictures at the wedding, but one of my best friends’ husband, samuel potter, was the photographer and took some amazing photos. check them out! that weekend, sam also shot a few quick pics of my family from one of our iPhones, pretty great!

after being in SLO, i was able to spend time with my family up in northern cal. i took a handful of pics up there, but i won’t bore you with them. i will just say that i have been truly blessed with an amazing family and i cherish every moment i get to spend with them. my week and a half at home flew by. and before i knew it- i was back on the road, heading to SoCal. but the beautiful thing is, i’ll be returning home numerous times throughout the summer for other wedding events and festivities. it’s another summer of love and marriage!!

well, that’s the latest and greatest in my life. it’s been a whirlwind of a month. can’t believe july is already around the corner. i’ve still got big things to take care of this summer, including: internship applications, moving, and finding a new job. yikes. i’ll save that till tomorrow though :)

i leave you with this little print i found on pinterest (aka the most addicting thing on the planet). i am a bit of a pinning junkie. it’s bad. if you’re not sure what it is, you’re probably better off ;) okay, if you really wanna know about it- check it out and let me know if you want an invite…

but seriously, i just love this.

today, i wanted to update you a little bit in regards to the brief words and song from the last post…

almost 2 weeks ago (Saturday, May 14th), a dear family friend, John Wright, passed away. John had been battling leukemia for about 10 months and after putting up a tough fight, he is now with God. John and his family were members at the church i grew up in. i watched all 4 of his children go through stages of our children’s ministry program as i volunteered each week. John was also the director of children’s ministry for a few years. he had a heart FULL of love and passion for kids of all ages, and people in general. there truly are no words to truly describe what an inspiring and caring man John was. even as he battled a horrible disease, he sent emails asking how he could pray for us, as he had more time then ever to lift others up. he was a hero to many as he lived and loved life with all that was in him. with his lovely wife Stacy and their 4 children (6-13 years old), the Wright family has made a huge impact on so many lives in our church community and the community where they live now in Colorado. John’s service was held this past Saturday, our church family skyped into it (don’t you love technology?!). i was told that there were over 750 people that gathered to celebrated John. what a testament to his life… John was laid back and casual, so everyone showed up to his service in shorts, flip-flops, and the color orange- 3 of his favorite things.

my heart aches for the loss of John and for his family. i wish so deeply that there was something i could do to help. or some magical fairy dust to just make everything better. but unfortunately, this grieving will be a process that each person must go through in their own time.  while we mourn the loss of one of earth’s greatest heroes and role models, we also rest in the comfort and strength of our God. and peace in knowing that John is in Heaven and no longer in pain.

with all of that said, my personal calling to Child Life has been more alive and real than ever. as all of this is very much a part of what i will be doing as a career, my heart just aches knowing how difficult this whole situation is. as this transition and adjustment is one of the biggest and most challenging, i want nothing more than to check-in with all 4 of the Wright kiddos everyday. but because of this distance and the pure fact that it’s a little unrealistic, i’m trying to use that desire and tugging on my heart to pray for the Wrights. i made this bracelet with orange beads to remember John and to keep praying for Stacy and the kids…

John’s love for orange came from something called the “Orange Strategy“, here’s what they think: “What if church leaders and parents synchronized their efforts to fuel wonder, discovery, and passion in the next generation?” By combining the critical influences of the light of the church (yellow) and the love of the family (red) the Orange Strategy shows a generation who God is, more effectively than either could alone.

pretty amazing, huh? orange also happens to be the color that represents Leukemia.

the color orange will forever remind us of John…

so i wear my orange bracelet proudly and prayerfully. and cover each hurting heart with this verse :

Jane Farr Calligraphy

]]> http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/in-loving-memory/feed/ 3 kkbishop photo-48 bracelet isaiah http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/crafty-update/ http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/crafty-update/#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 08:00:13 +0000 kkb http://thisadventurecalledlife.wordpress.com/?p=691 ]]> i wanted to update you all on the crafty adventures of the last few weeks… i knew that mother’s day weekend/graduation weekend/birthday weekend was going to involve many, many creative projects. so here they are!

here’s the mother’s day card! it was so fun :) i’m loving the mini-clothes pins, trying to come up with more creative projects for them.

graduation festivities were a blast! so proud of our friend (and former roomie, pictured above) who completed her Master’s degree! and many other friends who graduated with their Bachelor’s- great, big CONGRATS! so proud of you all! Hayley and I, with some help from Kace- made this paper lei for Tiff. we had a blast making it and hoped that it would be something creative and different for her to have on her special day!

birthday cards for Kace and my dear friend Lauren. also made the little cake for Kace’s celebration. i truly enjoyed making a little something personal and colorful for each of them :)

last but not least, i spent a beautiful day in La Jolla with Lauren and our friend Lyndsey for her birthday. Lauren has been such a huge blessing in my life as a part of this program. through many tears, we had to say goodbye to each other as she is off to start an internship in Tennessee. she has been a loyal support and huge encouragement in school and in life. i am forever thankful that God brought us together through this program. while we are apart, i know that we will continue to be a support for each other through the next adventures in our lives…

well, that is all for the crafty updates!

life has been a little rough this past week. sometimes things happen that rock us to our core. we question and wonder all the “why’s” in the world. there will be a blog post on all of that at another time. but for now, i will leave you with this song that has been encouraging to me over the past few days. sorry for the corny video, haven’t quite figured out how to get just an audio track on here.

ever faithful, ever true. He will never let go…

this weekend i’m looking forward to lots of celebrating! graduates, moms, and birthdays- it’s going to be lots of fun! without much time for homework… so maybe this blog post is making up for the lack of time i’ll have next week.

so, mother’s day is just around the corner and i’m sure none of you are as behind as i am in card-making, gift-getting, and dinner planning ;) but just in case you ARE a little behind, there’s hope! yesterday i picked up this little gem, filled with some crafty ideas…

confession: i have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Martha… she’s got some GREAT ideas, but she is WAY too perfect. some of her crafts and DIY stuff are ridiculously hard and they never turn out looking like hers. or her design team’s, rather… anyways, there were some mother’s day ideas in there:

this little newspaper is SO cute. maybe i could get by with doing one of these this year :)

coupon books were my go-to gift as a kid. my mom still tells me that “when i was a good daughter…”, i used to giver her coupon books for foot massages. she just recently found an old one that she’s taunting me with. mine, of course, never looked this professional- but still a great idea!

above images from Martha Stewart

okay. and this pop-up card?! RIDICULOUS. i would like to attempt this, but have a feeling that i would get frustrated and quit :) so we’ll see what happens when i make my card… probably later this morning!

all of that to say, Brett, a very good friend of mine, got together with some of his friends and made a mother’s day cards together… a card-making party?! why didn’t i think of that? these guys (and gals) are in a DPT (Doctorate of Physical Therapy) program, and therefore brilliant! just can’t compete with those docs ;) well, these lovely friends made amazing mother’s day cards and i had the honor of receiving text message updates on the progress of the cards. i have to admit, i loved that they were all together, hand-making cards. and i was VERY impressed by all their card-making-skills! check them out!

here they are! should have gotten a group picture, but here’s the outside of the card created by Brett. please take note of the three-dimensional flower and the weaved basket, this is serious business. i honestly think i’ll be taking these things into consideration as i’m making my cards!

the inside of the card- aren’t you impressed?! (sidenote, not that guys can’t have artistic ability, because they ABSOLUTELY can- but this was made by a GUY! i think that his mom will absolutely appreciate his handmade thoughtfulness) here are a couple others:

with a true love and appreciation for all that is handmade, i think these cards are awesome. i love the thought and creativity that has gone into them. and love that they spent time together in the process. way to go guys! (and it’s lovely to meet you via blog if you’re reading!)

i think my roommate kace and i are going to work on a few cards today. with all the celebrating- it’s a busy card season! hope you found a little card-making inspiration today. and realize that it doesn’t take expensive, intricate craft materials to do so. plus handmade card/note/gift, is much more heartfelt- don’t you think? i’m definitely inspired and ready to break open the craft drawers. and maybe read a little bit of this in the meantime…

all the talk about moms, had to give my mom a little shout out: mom- i’m celebrating and thanking God for YOU this weekend. you have been a beautiful example of a Godly woman to me. thank you for your tireless hours of work and constant love, support, and encouragement to me, dad, and lauren. you are simply amazing! i love you!!