A Picture of Myself...Feather Eyelashes, Oh My!

Day 21: A Picture of Myself
Well, you can't get any more current than a picture from this evening.And since today happens to be Halloween...

To coincide with the Finale of the 8th Season,I decided to be a "Project Runway Design"based on an outfit by my absolute favorite designer on the show, Mondo.You can read more about how my outfit came together here.BTW, the purple hair accessory and the peacock feather pin are Miki Originals!

Something I Miss and My Nicknames

I was away Thursday through Saturday, celebrating on top of a mountain with a dear friend from the East.  

Day 19: Something (or Someone) I Miss

I miss my Mom.  
This weekend up in the mountains, 
I found myself grieving her unexpectedly.
It hit me really hard.
I've found that when the world is still, late at night,
my true thoughts and emotions often rise to the surface
to be addressed.
The neat thing about moments that have passed
are the memories that can be played over and over again.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to fast forward to skip certain scenes,
but there's always the option to pause as well.
To linger with a beautiful memory. 

Day 20: My Nicknames

I actually dislike nicknames
since most often they become unflattering and limiting LABELS
that stick to one's psyche 
long after everyone else has forgotten the name.
Often the one being given the nickname has NO CHOICE
and is stuck with this term whether they like it or not.


I once challenged a 6 ft. tall, very large man 
to step outside in front of our church to settle things
when he wouldn't stop calling my son
"Pretty Boy"
week after week in the church nursery.
I'd asked him to stop multiple times,
and he wouldn't honor my requests demands 
to stop calling my son such a frivolous name.
Enough.
And I would've thrown a punch at that point
to show how very, very serious I was 
that no one was going to call my son any kind of name
other than the one that we strongly felt God had given us to name our boy.


The only nickname that I was given that I've enjoyed
was one given to me by a kindred spirit.
Inspired by a sad song on a Debby Boone album from the late 70s,
Micol's Theme (who remembers this song???),
my friend called me "Micola."
You can hear the song on Youtube.
As a matter of fact,
I'm listening to it right now.
I was still in elementary school when this album came out,
but I used to listen and sing along at the top of my lungs.
There was another song on the same album that you may know,
just a little tune called "You Light Up My Life."
I love that song too.

Day 18: Something I Regret

Day 18: Something I Regret
Though there are many specific incidences in my life that I profoundly regret, the main theme they share is that I wasn't true to myself.I didn't listen to my heart.Choosing against myself has caused me the most regret.

Day 17: What I Look Forward To The Most

Day 17: Something I'm Looking Forward To
Honestly, the thing I am most looking forward to is Heaven.The place where peace reigns, where there is no sorrow,no pain, no troubles,to have nothing hidden, nothing dark,nothing sinister or threatening,to know perfect contentment and joy,to be reunited with loved ones who've gone before me,a place where nothing separates me from Jesus,to bask in the Light and Glory of God forever and ever...Everything else is dull in comparison,but I run this race, knowing that one day that awaits me.In the meantime, that I would live my life in a way that honors the Lord and to share of the hope found only in Him.

Days 14, 15, and 16 - Busy Weekend!!!

Day 15: Bible VerseOne of my favorite verses is 1 Kings 19:11-12And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. 
And behold, the Lord passed by,
 and a great and strong wind rent the mountains 
and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, 
but the Lord was not in the wind; 
and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
    And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; 
and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.

After his triumphant showdown with the prophets of Baal,

Elijah freaks out because Jezebel has threatened to kill him

and runs off in fear.

God sends angels to help him and to bring him food.

While he's camping out in a cave,

God talks to him and asks him what he's doing there.

God demonstrates that it's not in all these dramatic ways that He can be found.

His voice is that still, small voice.

It's an intimate voice, a personal one-on-one kind of voice.

It reminds me to commune with the Lord

from my heart and to listen for Him carefully.

He doesn't reveal Himself often in a dramatic way,

but instead His voice is gentle and beautiful and personal.

Day 16: My Dream HouseI have eclectic taste.My idea of a dream house has included...a castlea Victorian house with a wraparound porchthe house in Home Aloneand the house I still miss and ache for in my heart - the 1943 Cape Cod that was a fixer-upper.It was in this home that I discovered my love of designand my ability to paint and restore.More importantly, the house had such a warm and welcoming feel.Some of the sweetest memories of our family took place while we lived there,and that's what I miss the most.The sense of belonging, the sense of community,our church family and friends there,my children's friends.We were close to the beach.I loved that house and our life.It's been four years since we moved away,but my heart still hurts for what we left behind.My dream house is a place of stability,a place where my children are happy and have many friends.A place where I can express my design aesthetic and fill with friends and laughter.

Day 13: Goals

Day 13: Goals

My Goals:

• Complete my college degree...praying about applying to Art/Design School
• Run a 5K (Thanksgiving morning!) and other races
• I'd like to eventually compete in a triathlon
• Run my own successful business
• Travel with my children, showing them the world, and also working alongside of them to touch others with the love of Christ
• Have a gallery showing of my art/photography

These are some of my goals - what are yours?And the remaining topics for the 30 Day Blog Challenge:
Day 14-A picture you love
Day 15-Bible verse
Day 16-Dream house
Day 17-Something you're looking forward to
Day 18-Something you regret
Day 19-Something you miss
Day 20-Nicknames
Day 21-Picture of yourself
Day 22-Favorite city
Day 23-Favorite vacation
Day 24-Something you've learned
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26-Picture of your family
Day 27-Pets
Day 28-Something that stresses you out
Day 29-3 Wishes
Day 30-a picture 

Days 11 and 12, An Interesting Combo

Day 11 : "What are your favorite TV shows?"

Most of the shows on HGTV,
especially "Color Confidential," "House Hunters," "Divine Design," and "Design Star."
Project Runway
Law & Order (and their off-shoots)
Grey's Anatomy

Day 12:  What You Believe

I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,
that the Creator of the universe is the One Who made me/us for His purpose,
Who saved me/us, loves me/us and is with me/us always.


I believe that with Him and in Him the impossible is possible,
that there's healing for every kind of hurt,
comfort for all sorts of pain,
peace for turmoil,
joy to overcome sorrow,
beauty to grow in the place of barren terrain,
hope and true love.
In Him.


There's more, of course.
But I believe that His Word is our Source of strength
and the foundation of all things worth believing.