Thursday, May 30, 2013

Loving big...

The world is often a place so full of sad stories and broken people... When we are constantly bombarded by stories of violence and hurt and destruction, it can be easy to forget that not everyone is is hardened to the people around them.  There are still people who love big and who act on that love for others in extravagant ways.

This is one of the most beautiful cases of that sort of love that I've seen in quite a while...

The short version is this:

A 5 year old girl loses her police officer father a couple days before she is to graduate from Kindergarten.  The level of that sort of tragedy is completely unimaginable and, while his fellow officers could do nothing to turn back the clock, they did what they could.

They came to her graduation.

Hundreds of police officers - nearly 300 to be exact -  came to this precious child's kindergarten graduation in the stead of her Father.



They wrapped around the building to wait for her arrival and gave her and her classmates 
standing ovations when they received their diplomas.



They couldn't bring back her father but they could take something awful and do something good... They could love big.



Check out the article if you haven't already...You'll be blessed =)





Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Our Girl Kate & Her Growing Bump


It's almost June which means that the Royal Baby debut will be here before we know it!

(I really need to get on booking my tickets... I mean... I'm sure she'll want me there for the big balcony reveal...Right Kate?)
Yes, I'm aware I need help.

It's totally normal that I often forget birthday's of family members and close friends but that July 13th is marked on my calendar, right?

Anywho, as I await my invitation to the baby shower, I rounded up some of my fav fashion choices by my fav preggo princess =)

Here is our gorgeous Kate in her very first maternity dress!  
I have to say that I think it was a beautiful choice and the next time we chat I'll let her know =)  
I realize that the bump close up photo is just a smidge creepy but I couldn't resist because 
BABY BUMP!

So. This shot on the right about made me squeal out loud - I mean LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT BUMP! Yay for babies and baby-sized tiaras =)

Side note - What do you think the rules are about touching the Royal bump? I mean, should I send one of these?
Maybe I should go with this...

I am crushing pretty hard on this polka dot number and adore that someone got a shot of a curtsey =) I'm guessing I should work on that greeting as my normal approach of bear hugging people I adore might not be a fit for a Princess.

So.... what do you think we're going to have? A prince or princess?






Monday, May 27, 2013

Miscellany Monday - Dear Soldier...


I think I've mentioned before but I do some blogging for the boutique that I work for...
In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to take a little respite from my normal Monday craziness and repost it here...
Hope you all have a wonderful day remembering the men and women who make our daily freedoms 'free'...


Dear Soldier,
  How do you begin a letter of gratitude to a person you’ve never met but whose decisions have provided the very way of life you know?
  For people who are usually not short on words, we are at a loss for how to do justice to the sacrifice you have made and continue to make daily.
  So we begin with a simple…
Thank you.
  Those two little words seems too weak a phrase to fully contain the gratitude for your days of service and sacrifice…  Thank you for every holiday you missed away from your family table and for every birthday you celebrated in a hot desert, cold foxhole, or muggy rice field.  Thank you that, though you’ve never seen my face or spent days admiring the sweet baby cheeks of the little ones I call mine, you live your life to allow us the freedom to choose our schools, worship our God, and play safely in backyard tree houses.  Thank you that we can tuck sleepy babies into bed at night knowing that their tomorrow is bright and open to countless opportunities thanks to your tireless days and nights spent thousands of of miles away from your own little ones…. Above all, thank you for doing all of these things because you wanted to and because your passion for this country and our freedoms outweigh all else.
  Thank you for being braver and more selfless than we can even imagine.
  Because you do your job so well, it can seem to fly under the radar.  We go about our days confident that our freedoms are safe and that our tomorrow is secure.  You do your job so well that we sometimes forget to send out the massive thank you that it deserves but know that it is never taken for granted.  Our boys stand up a little straighter when they see a soldier – a hero with skin on – pass by on the street and our girls look in awe at the brave women who serve our country in ways not possible 15 years ago.  We tell them about what an honorable decision it is to do what you do and we pray for you to rest in your own beds again soon. We ask God to protect you in every possible way and to love extra on your families back home.
~*~*~*~*~
Dear wives, children, parents, aunts, uncles, friends, and every family member of a solder….
  Thank you for YOUR sacrifice… Thank you for allowing and supporting their decision to join the military and serve their country.
  Thank you for pulling extra shifts as a ‘single parent’ while they are away and for being joyful for a Skype date on your anniversary instead of a romantic dinner.  Thank you for celebrating holidays late and for moving ten times in twenty-five years of military service.  Thank you for letting a country borrow your husband, wife, son, daughter, friend and for being so willing to accept every way that effects your entire family. Please make sure that your children know that we speak for the thousands of Americans everywhere when we say that their mom or dad is a hero and braver than we can even fathom.
~*~*~*~*~
To our veterans, 
  Every bit of this letter is to you as well.  The wars and conflicts you so bravely contended in decades ago make up the history that has shaped our world.  You are part of a generation who we look on with honor and admiration…
~*~*~*~*~
Finally, to every solider, active, retired, reservist….
  Thank you that you take this verse to heart and live it out in a way most of us can’t begin to dream.  Thank you, friend, for  every moment of your service and we thank our Father for putting breath in your lungs… Happy Memorial Day.
Greater love has no man than this, that one lays down his life for his friends… John 15:13

miscellany monday at lowercase letters

Monday, May 20, 2013

Miscellany Monday - Love Does

Well friends I hope you all had such a fabulous weekend!!!
Today is Monday which means its the day I can write like I think - in bullet points of randomness =)

*  I spent most of the weekend trying not to die of the plague that I managed to pick up somewhere.  Lucky for Jonathan I am not at ALL dramatic and I'm super tough and non-whiny when ill - said no one ever.  I may or may not have told him at least once that I thought I saw the light...
pray for my sweet man.

*  Y'all.  RUN - do not walk - Run like Forrest Gump style your nearest book store and get yourself a copy of this here book:

I don't even know what to say (I know... shocker!) to adequately sum of the awesome factor of this little gem!!  I have devoured it in the last couple days that I was deathly ill and may or may not have seen the light home with a bug and oh how it has fed my soul!  This man LOVES PEOPLE. I mean LOOOOVES people in such an extravegant yet authentiuc way that it make you want to do the same.
Bob (we're like on a first name basis now...OH!! Maybe I'll add him to my list of Pretend BFF's!!) has a simple but beautiful motto for life:

Love God. Love people. Do Stuff.

This is one of those books that I could underline or highlight the whole. thing. but since it is a borrowed book =) I'm taking notes and photos of pages that really get me...
(I seriously am concerned about the level of lazy that I have reached due to the fact that I find it easier to photograph then crop the pages with nuggets I want to keep instead of finding my journal and a pen - the tragedy!)
Here are a few...
(I hope they are legible... maybe if you click on them and make them bigger?  Sorry about that!)


*

Tell me -
Have you read Love Does? Heard Bob speak? I really just want to follow him around and soak up his stories =)

Happy week my friends!



miscellany monday at lowercase letters

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Newest Website Addiction!!

I like to pride myself on being pretty up on things but I am not sure what rock I have been living under to just now discover Brit & Co!  This website is AH-MAZING... SO well laid out and just down right pretty!


SERIOUSLY.  Click over immediately.  You'll thank you me =)

But just in case you need a little more convincing,
these are a few of my favorite finds so far....
I seriously had to cut myself off or this would have been the longest. post. ever.






Don't even get me started on the techy section which is FUUUULL of products that I never knew I needed...Such as:

A vest that hugs you when you get a like on Facebook!
(Would anyone else be tempted to just LIKE, LIKE, LIKE everything on a friends page if you knew they had this on? )


A bracelet that lets you know when you've gotten enough sun
(Can we say adios sun spots??)


And a collection of some of the most chic water bottles I have EVER seen!

Are there any other fabulous websites I am missing out on? Are you a fan of Brit & Co?







Monday, May 13, 2013

Miscellany Monday - The Other Mothers...


Sooooooo....
In case you slept through yesterday,it was Mother's Day =)  I am apparently going for daughter of the year and didn't get our mother's gifts in the mail in time which made me AWFUL (And slightly more confident that I do, in fact, need an assistant.) Anywho, as I did some blogging this week for the fabulous shop where I work, I knew I wanted to write about Mother's Day but felt really led to address two 'other' groups of women who would celebrate Sunday...
the other mothers.
I wanted to share it here as well and pray that it touches you and also that it makes sense as we all know that my brain can flit around like an ADD housefly =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mother’s Day is such a precious holiday…
The day when the country pauses to celebrate and thank women everywhere for filling the vital roll of “mom”.  The value of thanking the woman who birthed you, raised you, and , God willing, continues to speak love and life into you is endless and I know we would all agree that there aren’t enough “Thank you’s” in the world to truly repay the sacrifices she’s made so willingly and endlessly over the years!  As we all wake up on Sunday and celebrate our mama’s, there are two other very special groups of “mom’s” that my heart is drawn to think about and pray for this week and weekend…
The first is the “stand in mom’s”The women who, though they didn’t actually grow you or bring you into the world, have willingly and eagerly stepped into a place of “Mama Bear” in your life.  Maybe your mom is miles and miles away, maybe the Lord called her home, or maybe it’s not a relationship that is healthy enough to be in your day to day life but, no matter the reason, the Lord has been faithful to bring a woman – or women – of faith, love, and wisdom to walk the road of life with you and not leave those “mom” needs unmet.  If that is you today and you have volunteered to be ‘mama’, we thank you and say to you that the role you have chosen to fill is vital, important, and is making a difference.  It is always impactful when we choose to extravagantly love another person… If you are desiring a woman to come alongside you in that way , know I am praying for you and asking that our Father – who is ALWAYS faithful – guides the most perfect woman into your life to meet every “Mom” need you have!
The second group of sweet mama hearts I feel so drawn to this week, are those who are waiting patiently for the Lord to make their dreams of becoming a mother a reality.  Maybe you have seen numerous Mother’s Day’s come and go since you began the journey to motherhood and the idea of another one passing you by sends the deepest of aches into your already hurting heart…. Or maybe you are just beginning the journey to being a mama and are haunted by the fears of “what ifs”.  In both cases,  I just want to say to you that He sees you and He hears you.  It is easy to doubt His love when we feel like He is ignoring our cries but – please hear me sweet friend – He never ignores us.  I a, praying that His presence wrap especially tightly around your tender heart this Sunday and that, for every ache of loss or emptiness, He meets that void with a surge of hope in the plan He has for you.
To ALL the Mama’s out there, the ones rocking babies or whose babies are heads of their own households, the ones who willingly fill the needs of love and advice to ‘adopted children’ whose mothers aren’t present, and the ones who are waiting for their babies to come home ….
Thank you for what you do, for praying faithfully and loving endlessly.
No one else can fill the role you do.


PS .... I'm linking up a couple places today... The first is the ol' trusty Miscellany Monday...
miscellany monday at lowercase letters


And the next is here:

 I know I'm not the only blogger mourning the upcoming demise of Google Reader and I'm trying to fall in love with Bloglovin' =)

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Pinterest Round-Up

Hi, I'm Kristi and I have a slight Pinterest addiction.  

I know that I'm not alone in my addiction =) ....I sort of ebb and flow in how many days hours of my life I dedicate to the incessant pinning.
Sometimes I can handle myself and will not waste hour upon hour 
buuuut other days.... well....

Amen.

So, to make me feel like a little less of a time waster, I thought:
"I'll share some of my new Pinterest finds with my bloggy friends!"
Then it's like I have a purpose.... 
"Honey, I'm not pinning aimlessly... I'm doing blog research."

Annnnnd here we go!

I have a thing for chocolate and sea salt as a combo... I mean it IS sort of heavenly =)
When I spotted this recipe I pinned it quicker than you can say 
"These would be worth the extra cardio."


While we're talking food and since we're also staring down summer, 
I couldn't resist pinning this recipe to try! 
 Boiled (pronounced 'bowl-ed' 'round these parts =)  ) Peanuts are practically a food group in the south...Can't wait to chow down!


I've mentioned before that I get to spend some of my days with the most precious of toddlers and - when I saw this and this - I knew that I'd found a HIT! 
It involves paint and ends with something that makes noise... win, win =)


I am absolutely addicted to this board....
It's a celebration of all things Southern and, therefore, has stolen my heart =)


To prove that I have a little depth of character, be inspired by these...


 And get a good ol' giggle from some souther hair humor...

 Alrighty... YOUR TURN! What are you pinning these days?

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Met Gala Breakdown

What do you get when you combine the most random concoction of celebrities ever,  Vogue magazine, the fashion forward attitude of NYC, and the theme "Punk: Chaos to Couture"? 

Two words:
MET. Gala.

Some attendees took the theme and raaaaan with it while there were a few who just completely confused me =)
 Let me share, shall I?

~

I promise you that this woman played Carrie Bradshaw long enough that she has actually become her... I ADORE Sara Jessica Parker!  I mean - the woman is sporting a mohawk and ownin' it! 
I'm fairly certain that she could show up at Target like this and make it seem totally normal...


Minka Kelly isn't a celeb that I usually stalk follow but she may have won me over with this lovely ensemble...
I spotted this dress on the Carolina Herrera runway in the fall and think is translated well to 'real life'... and, it's purple =) (Kristi Fun Fact: Purple is my all time favorite color)  I ADORE the hair ornament situation too... It's like a tiarra =)


Here's another celeb that usually flies under my radar...
Dakota Fanning.
The back of this dress not only makes me feel the need to do some cardio but also make me say
GET IT GUUURL!
Love it!

I will now interupt this string of fashion wins with a couple choices that confused me...
I'm going to caption this collage simply...
"Huh?"
The eyeshadow , the white hair, the attached gloves... I don't get it.  Kim looks like she was attacked by a curtain and I'm fairly positive I wore eye shadow that thick in 8th grade...
'A' for effort ladies but I'm not sure it translated well.

We can't leave out this lovely lady... I mean - This whole shin dig IS hosted by Vogue =)
I like her take on the runway look... She may have a reputation of being scary or mean but - hey - she knows her fashion =)

And finally, can I just throw in that quotes such as this is just one of the reasons Grace Coddington is amazing?
Dear Grace, Please be my friend?

Did you catch Met Gala?? Thoughts??