The Meaning of Marriage.

My husband and I were graciously invited to join a book club by J's best friend's parents along with four other newly(ish)weds.  Timothy Keller's book, The Meaning of Marriage, would guide our discussions from week to week.  Having never been a part of a book club, I was both excited and nervous all at the same time.  The hosts welcomed us with a delicious dinner each week and invited us to open ourselves up in a way that neither J or I had done publicly before.  I must say, I am so glad we went.

I must preface this by saying my marriage is good, very good, but all marriages need work.  I feel so lucky to have a husband who challenges me and our relationship to reach the full potential.  With that challenge comes happiness, growth, as well as discomfort and pain.  We've only been married a little over two years (have been together over 5 years), but I already am certain that we will only grow stronger throughout the years to come.

Using the Bible as his guide, the author and his wife take a look at different perspectives and aspects of marriage throughout the book's 8 chapters:

1. The Secret of Marriage

2. The Power of Marriage

3. The Essence of Marriage

4. The Mission of Marriage

5. Loving the Stranger

6. Embracing the Other

7. Singleness and Marriage

8. Sex and Marriage

Although I did not agree 100% with everything in this book, I am defintely a better wife having even thought about each chapter.  I am most definitely still learning, but I am excited about that process.  Throughout the next couple of weeks my goal is to write a little blurb on my take on each chapter- what I liked, what I want to remember, what stood out to me.

My advice-- get reading already! :)

-m

10 Questions.

I'm sitting here on my FIFTH snow day this year... it's getting crazy!  I love having the extra time, but I also really really like routine.  If only we were already all moved and I could be using this time to organize.  After yesterday's snow day was spent making pancakes, cleaning the bathroom, trying a new recipe, reading some of a good book, and finally taking a few minutes to shower, alas, I pursed the interwebs and found many great lists such as this...

According to this article, these are 10 questions you should be able to answer.  "Because the answers to these ten questions will help you discover the very best in yourself…"

1.  What would make you proud of yourself?

2.  How can you make a positive difference?

3.  What are you trying to accomplish and why?

4.  What are the roadblocks standing in your way?

5.  What’s the next step?

6.  What are your flaws and faults? 

7.  What issues do you need to resolve with yourself?

8.  How are you burdening yourself?

9.  How have you celebrated your progress lately?
10.  What do you love about your life?

Sometimes it is a good idea to sit back and think about where you are going in life from a new perspective.  Marc and Angel's website always gets me thinking... 

Have a good one.  And stay warm!
-m

What's in my {hair} bag?

1. Lulu Organics Hair Powder.  This came in my Birchbox about a year ago, and I'm still using the sample.  You only need about a dime sized amount to spruce up day-old hair. Smells so fresh and clean!
2. Biolage Shampoo and Conditioner for color-treated hair.  I've tried many shampoos but this one is my new favorite.  I stock up when Ulta or Beauty Brands has their liter sale.
3. A shower cap.  A must have.
4. Big Sexy Hair Root Pump. Just a little pump or two before blow-drying and my hair has so much more volume!
5. Matrix Hair Oil.  This was a free sample from Beauty Brands and I've used it every day since! I just use about two pumps worth after drying my hair to protect it from the curling/flat iron and to add some shine.
6. Hot Tools 1.5 Inch Curling Iron.  The larger size gives more of a soft wave than a full curl.  Plus, it takes less time in the morning :)

What are your favorite hair products?

-m

Some good advice.

My good friend, Cori (her birthday is TODAY!), sent this list along to our group of girlfriends.  It is just too good not to share.  

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old (or young), of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.

Polyvore.

Hope everyone is staying warm on this snowy day!  One of the biggest perks about being a teacher is the snow days. I think I'll spend my day in my fuzzy socks, drinking coffee, playing on pinterest :)

Per request of Jenny over at Just Jenny Lynne, here's a little blurb about the fashion boards I've created from time to time.  

Let me start by saying, I don't have Photoshop.  And, I probably won't have Photoshop for a very long time. One, because my computer is on the brinks anyways and Photoshop would kill it fo sho.  Two, because I don't know how to use it very well.  Three, because I don't take many quality photos... YET (I'm working on it, Ash ;)). And finally, because it's a heckofalotta cash.

That being said, I've tried to come up with other ways to put together "boards".  The "in the bag" posts are all done on Photovisi, a free, easy-to-use site for making photo collages.  The fashion boards I've done have been made on Polyvore. Not as classy as Photoshop, but gets the job done.

Once you have an account (it's free!) on Polyvore, you can create a collage by dragging photos from their site onto your board.  They have TONS of products, shoes, jewelry, clothes, patterns, backgrounds, furniture, graphics, etc.  However, I wish there was a feature that allowed you to upload your own images (maybe there is?!), because they don't always have exactly what I'm looking for.  When you've finished your collage, called a set), and saved it on your account, you can post it to your blog pretty easily.

There is a feature that works with blogger that will post your set directly to your blog, however, I like to use the html code so that I can schedule the post and include multiple sets in one post.  When you're ready to post, click on the set, then click on Blogger.

 This window will pop up.  I always choose the blank square on the right.  I think the others just add more info about the products in your set.

From there, you can either post directly to your blog by clicking "post to blogger", or you can grab the html code at the bottom and post on your own.

 In order to post the code you have to click on HTML on the page where you create your post and simply paste it in.

Now, a request for you Miss Jenny Lynne, how do you make a Facebook Page for your blog? :)
-m

Move it Monday.

So grateful for a 4-day weekend, but oh so exhausted!  We have spent the past two days moving (no where new yet, but more on that to come) and with parent-teacher conferences this week, it's been quite busy around here.  Luckily, I did manage to fit in a few workouts here and there before today as now I have a little cold settling in (enjoy some whine much?).

Honestly, I'm not quite sure how I'm keeping up with running.  I feel like I have been falling off my routine with random things coming up and taking up my evenings.  I've done my best to make it to the gym at least two times per week.  Bored with the treadmill, I've opted for 15 minutes on the stair stepper for a "warm-up" and ohemgee it kicks my butt.  If I'm feeling good, I'll run 2ish faster miles after that, and finish with some ab work.  It's been my go-to routine as of late because it doesn't take too much time, and it isn't boring.

Yesterday I decided to tackle a 8-9 mile outdoor run.  I was dreading this run mostly because I had convinced myself I couldn't do it, but looking forward to it all at the same time.  I NEEDED to prove to myself that I still had it.  And guess what? I survived.  Not only did I survive, but it was the best runner's high I've ever felt.  Around mile 4, I was running, breathing in the cold, thinking that this was the best moment of my whole weekend.  I only wished I could wake up and run through the cold every day.  I NEVER thought I would enjoy running. EVER. It's become a weird sort of therapy and I continue to surprise myself every time I'm able to keep going. Don't you worry, I'm not thinking that this morning.  In fact, I can't quite walk the same :)

Here are my goals for this week.
Tuesday: stairs-gym
Wednesday: ballet booty
Thursday: 3 mile run- gym
Friday: rest
Saturday: long run, 7 or 9
Sunday: rest

Enjoy your week! Linking up with Ashley. (who BTW looks AMAZEBALLS!)  Can't wait 'til her new mama-of-two-booty can get back out on the trails with me :)

-m

At the Moment.

:: Obsessing over...

Justin Timberlake's Grammy's performance.  I know it has already been a week, and yes I'm still thinking about it.  It was just that amazaing.  You agree, yes?

:: Working on... 

resolutions.

:: Thinking about...

Doing some book reviews on this here blog.  And by review"s", I mean 2. :)

:: Anticipating...

Moving! Yep, sold our house.  Things are lookin' up!

:: Listening to...

My new theme song. 
"I'm gonna pop some tags..."If you knew me in high-school, this makes total sense. Ha!

:: Munching on... 

Nothing healthy, that's for sure.  Here's to a healthy week, starting.... NOW.

:: Thankful for...

a 4-day weekend.

Hope you all are having a good week!

-m

What's in my {purse}?

This is most likely nothing new or different, but who knows, maybe one of you will have something genius you keep with you at all times that you would like to share with me?

1. Blue Turnlock Satchel. 

2. Merona Zip Around Wallet.  If you don't have a zip around wallet, you're missing out.  It's the only way I can manage the mountain of receipts in my bag!

3. Iphone.  (case) My NUMBER ONE must have out and about.  How else would I know where to go if I was lost? Or how would I look up coupons at World Market? Yeah...

4. Gum.

5. Meds.

6. Food.

7. Lipsmaker. YUM!

8. Earphones.

What you don't see in that picture that is also in my bag? Lots of random papers/sticky-notes. Most likely some candy. A ton of keys.  Jewelry that I've shed for the day. A back-up pair of shoes/flats. Pens/pencils/highlighters.  Anything else that I'm dragging around with the intention of completing, i.e. books, papers to grade, etc, most of which just takes a field trip from school to Target, the gym and back :)

What's in your purse?

-m

My Valentine.

Pink and Sparkles.

February.  I know that there are some of you out there that see all the pink and glitter and hearts and sugar and want to throw up.  I get that. However, I, myself can't help but see February 14th as the perfect excuse to throw on everything pink and ruffly along with anything that shines.  My Valentine's Day will be spent conferencing with parents, but work-wear can still be festive, right?

valentine 2 by allismea featuring art deco jewelry

valentines 1 by allismea featuring sleeveless tops

valentines 3 by allismea featuring stretch pants

What are you wearing this Valentine's Day?

-m

A little Quiz (or 3).

Remember in middle school when we passed around surveys asking questions like spoon or fork? sweet or salty? blue or pink? etc... and everyone read eachothers and then sent it to five of their friends?  Well, apparently I've been sent back about 15 years because I've been on a survey kick and can't stop giving the Internet a piece of my mind for an a quick analysis of my life's purpose.  If you're crazy like me, here's some fun, QUICK, surveys.

1. Personality Test. This first one fascinated me when I read my personality description.  It was like I was reading my own mind.... I'm an INFJ.  I made my mom, dad, and husband all take it too.  Crazy accurate, and it's not like I thought long and hard about answering these questions. BTW, my husband is the exact opposite, ENTP.  I guess opposites do attract. :) What are you?

2. Archetype-me.  Not as accurate, but still fun.

3. What your favorite Instagram filter says about your personality? Not a survey, but entertaining none-the-less.  I'm a Walden lover all the way, but apparently this article didn't consider that.  I'll go with Earlybird. 

-m

A Shower for Elsie.

My friend, Ashley, is days away from meeting her second daughter, Elsie.  We celebrated a couple weekends back with a little shower.  She blogged about it here with her awesome photo skills.  Here are a few phone pics I took documenting the party-planning.  Much of the ideas were found on Pinterest (duh). Can't wait to meet her new addition!

 

These photos were taken before Ashley's mom brought her DELICOUS chicken salad and cookie salad to add to the mix.  You can find those recipes on Ashley's blog.

 

Me and the Guest of Honor!

Our awesome (and hot!) mamas!

 Love you, Ash!

-m

My January via Instagram.

Photo dump, ready.... GO!

-m