ellie-girl, doctors, & green muses.

whew. long day. as i watched the little ones today, ellie, the 3 year old told me that her stomach hurt during lunch. poor ellie-girl has been off and on sick for the past 3 weeks. i had her go lay down on the couch and i put on a movie for her. then as i put keagan down for his nap, ellie turned to me as we sat watching cinderalla and said, "i need a towel." i proceeded to ask her why she needed one, just as she picked one up from a basket of folded laundry. next thing i know i have one sick child. i called jamie (her mom) immediately who then decided to take her to the doctors (this will be her 3rd visit in the past three weeks). in the meantime i was making a spot for ellie to lay down on in her parents room (using old blankets), cleaning up the mess of puke, all the while thinking of the joys of motherhood. haha.

so, jamie comes back from her meeting, and she has me help her get ellie ready to go to the doctors. this may seem like a small task, you know shoes, socks, coat, etc. however, ellie is absolutely horrified of the doctors. as soon as her mom broke the news gently to her, she was pitching a fit. she cries so hard that she can't even talk coherently. it's the saddest most pitiful thing to watch an adorable 3 year old just so scared. it makes me wonder how i was when i was that little and had to go to the doctors. i mean i know it wasn't my favorite thing to do, but i don't remember such fearful reactions. for ellie the the conotation of the doctors = shots. so even when you tell her she's not going to get one she still cries her eyes out. one time jamie told me that keagan had an appointment but she had to take ellie along with them, and ellie still threw a fit although she wasn't even the one seeing the doctor. *sigh* that's just so tough, i wonder why for some children it's just a harder thing than for others? i'm praying everything is okay.

on a completely different note...

i've been in such a creative mood today. i edited my blog layout. i adore green and well i decided to bring in some soft greens to captivate that love. i also was looking through some of my photos (including some from my wedding) and decided to tweak my banner too. i used paint shop pro 7, i have had it for years since my fetish for webdesign occured during highschool.

and on another note: i went through with buying those photo prints from scarletbeautiful2. i'm really excited, since our bedroom is the room where we really have nothing on the walls per say. and well the wall above our bed is the perfect place. now i need to go find some frames.

it's actually been quite tough for me lately to resist the urge to buy things online. i think the girl in my dying for summer has been eyeing spring-types-of-things with the earnest desire for something new, like warm weather, and so warm weather clothings inspires me. also, i haven't really bought new clothes since last summer. however, buying stuff like that online is too difficult for me, i'm a "try it on" type of girl. i need to see it on myself to be sure i absolutely like it and would be willing to buy it.

today however, along with purchasing the photos i also splurged on something that i don't usually need to try on: jewelery! i found an adorable pair of stud earrings, that are bright, beautiful, and simple (from sofia masri). hello spring. i'm waiting. ;-D

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my quest for wall art.

so our apt is still in much need of decoration. i'm just super picky about what i want to hang on my walls, and well also most "art" tends to be on the expensive side.

i find that i am such a sucker for photography, it's something i would love to do myself, but i don't have the adequate camera or the money to buy one. so i've been searching a lot of different photography on etsy (and looking in a more affordable range). my goal is to have something to put above our bed which definintely needs well...something.

*sigh* see what i mean?

right now i'm currently digging these prints from the shop ScarletBeautiful2. i think viewfinder photography is just so pretty. i love the sort of distorted/blurry vibe of them. i kinda would like to have these four, and i would matte and frame them in 13x13 frames. then i would hang them 2 by 2, in a sort of square shape to match the square frames.

what more, these high quality prints are pretty affordable at only $9, and the shipping isn't ridiculous. ($1.60 for one, 25 cents for each additional print shipped with it). i don't know i think i just might get these. i've been looking for months now and it has been hard finding something just right and i really like these. if i go through with it i will be sure to post a picture of the results. :-D be sure to check out her shop though. (the link is above).

i need the smell of summer, i need its noises in my ears.

*sigh* i know it's only february, however, i just can't help but long for summer. as debo and i are currently watching donnie darko w/ a bunch of students in our apt (and i have seen it over a half dozen times), i've been doing some internet browsing for summer clothes. i don't really consider myself fashionable, but i love the idea of fashion. i think it is such an interesting form of self expression. so here are some of my inspirational muses for a casual summer day.

1. leather wristlet - christystudio. 2. sandals - american eagle

3. necklace - noisy plume. 4. dress - jcrew.com

oh sweet summer.

breakfast at tiffany's.

look how cute that turned out!

i'm shamefully a bisquick kind of pancake making girl. however, i stumbled upon this simple recipe from the blog "nesting habits". the pancakes turned out wonderfully. i added a pinch of powdered sugar on top, and perfecto. would you like to try a bite?

love. love. love. is all you need.

so debo and i decided we were going to celebrate valentines day next wednesday, since well he is on a retreat this weekend with his staff, and we both have off on wednesdays. i've been planning to wake him up with homemade heart shaped pancakes and sausage and of course eating them by candle light. then giving him the bunch of little surprises. i know cheesy, but it's fun.

debo however, had some surprises of his own. on friday i come home from work, and debo had bought me some fresh red tulips (my favorite) with the sweetest valentine card. he also had hearts scattered all about our apt, each with a number on the back of them and a word on the front of them. it was a puzzle. there were 48 hearts in all, and when i read them together there were lovely song lyrics.

then after i came back from the gym this afternoon, i get this text from him that says, "look in the wooden chest that's in the hallway." in the chest are more hearts and a box of heart shaped chocolates, and another valentine card. lol! isn't he cute?

*sigh* i love him.

happy valentines day! <3>all of your relationships.

*edit* debo also surprised me on sunday, after coming back from his retreat w/ this. he remembered! and i was so surprised. he truly spoiled me this year! what a sweetheart. */edit*

happy hearts. <3

although i think the holiday itself it sort of silly. there is something about the red, pink, and white of valentines day that always allures me in. the stationary, the hearts, chocolate, pretty bouquets, stickers, cute stuffed things, romantic & fancy dates.

i have always kinda found valentines day outwardly charming...but it also sometimes made my heart hurt. mainly because i was often longing for a romantic relationship of my own and v-day was a reminder of my single-ness. however, i made up my mind my sophmore year of college that i was going to make valentines day a fun thing whether single or not. in fact that year i mailed out these adorable valentine cards to all my girl friends and had tulips delivered to them all. the next year of college, although i was in my first serious relationship then, i left little presents for all my freshman girls (i was their RA) outside their doors: little valentine day cups, w/ stickers, candy, and little valentine cards. so cute.

*sigh* i think when i have kids i want to make valentines day a fun thing for them as well. making homemade valentine cards, doing heart cut-out sandwiches, or pancakes, or etc. decorating, scavenger hunts, then making homemade candy, and of course surprising them with something heart-felt. i know, i know i'm a bit of a nerd or rather a sap...perhaps even both.

anyhoo...i just love these ideas for hearts day.

aren't those cut out cookies precious? and personalized candy! so clever & cute! (inchmark)



i love stationary. especially handmade. these are both simple & sweet. (hobocampcrafts) (creative thursday)

something cuddly. i love this wool handmade creation.(sian)

charming pottery hearts. wouldn't that be adorable on your coffee table? (jdwolfepottery) and although i'm not even a tea/coffee drinker i still love this pretty little mug. (lisatoni)

happy hearts!

twenty-five.

so i've actually been witnessing a lot of 25 random lists on both blogs and facebook. so i decided to follow the trend. here are 25 random facts about me.

1. i was born and raised in the inner city of pittsburgh. i will always be a city girl at heart, and pittsburgh will always hold a special place in my heart.

2. until i got married, i actually lived in the same house that my father grew up in, that his father grew up in, and so forth.

3. my favorite muppet is gonzo. i actually still own a stuffed version of him that i got as a kid and it sits on top of a speaker in our living room.

4. i would take one tulip over a dozen roses any day.

5. i love the caribbean and have been blessed with the opportunities to have traveled to the bahamas twice, aruba twice, and jamaica 3 times.

6. i absolutely adore the tv show: jon & kate plus 8. i love how real they are, i think there kids are adorable, and i tell debo that i'm sad are kids won't look asian.

7. i had a terrible skiing experience in high school. making me dread going back. however, my wonderful husband made me go (kicking & screaming as i went, lol) this past december and i truly enjoyed it.

8. i still sometimes have nightmares with dinosaurs in them because i went to see Jurassic Park in the movie theater when i was in the second grade. my mom immediately would regret letting me go when nightmares plagued me for weeks. i actually do love that movie though.

9. i love the colors green, gray, and brown.

10. when we finally live in a place that allows pets debo and i want a dog and a cat. we really like great danes. but i utlimately want to get both from animal shelters.

11. my parents were super open about their sex life. it ultimately made me super comfortable with talking about that oh-so-taboo subject. i'm honest and i don't think christians should be afraid to discuss it. it is something that all of us come into contact with (whether before or after marriage), and a lot of us struggle with (GIRLS, and guys) and i think struggles need to be discussed in order to encourage and support the body of Christ.

12. i never realized how selfish i was until i got married.

13. i love being married. i love how much debo and i are learning about each other. i love how much we laugh. i love working through things. and i love our ministry of working with college students.

14. i have always been into journaling and have journals far back as elementary school. it's hilarious reading them.

15. i took japanese in high school for two years. i had the best japanese teacher. we just called him sensei and he was my only teacher crush. ironically he was actually italian with bleached blonde hair and big blue eyes.

16. i have had various nicknames thru the years: laur, larenzo, leelu, la, lala-bean, lu-bean, and let's not forget LP.

17. i will always have a soft spot for the music of the early 90s. nirvana. gin blossoms. the verve pipe. collective soul. to name a few.

18. i love baking. cooking. spices. the food channel. cook books. eating out. ethnic food. tasting things. fresh bread. olive oil. hole in the wall places w/ amazing atmosphere & food. chocolate. eating healthy. eating w/ family & friends.

19. i love pomegranites. their color, taste, juice, everything.

20. i hate doing laundry, i hate folding and putting away clothes. however, i have no problem doing dishes and do them frequently.

21. i have 20 first cousins. most of us are close in age and close in general. my cousins sarah, jena, and clare were in my wedding. clare was my maid of honor. i love them dearly.

22. debo and i already have 5 weddings to go to this summer.

23. my best friend regina and i have our own language and voices. if you didn't know us any better you'd think we were crazy.

24. there is something about stationary that i just absolutely adore. i love getting and sending mail.

25. i am a summer girl. i was born in june. i love freckles and am sad that mine have faded through the years. i burn before i tan, and i don't really care about tanning that much. i love swimming and water. being outside. enjoying God's creation. flip-flops, sun dresses, and tank tops. *sigh* i can't wait for it to be summer again...or at least spring. :-D

quote worthy.

"the answer isn't in removing things from your life or adding more rules to follow. the answer is giving your life back to the God who created you. and he's every bit as real as flesh and blood, the earth, reason."
- francine rivers
an echo in the darkness

seventy times 7.

*sigh* pride can be such a spiteful thing. it's just so frustrating.

i hate it when other people use it to belittle you and build themselves up.

i hate it when i let it distort the best of me.

why do i feel like i have to prove myself? in reality i have nothing to prove to any person.

in the end it's just me before my LORD.

and in the end pride just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

fresh goodness.

perhaps it is an indulgence but there is one thing i cannot walk away from when i'm at the grocery store. fresh fruit. i love it. currently i have grapefruit, peaches, nectarines, and strawberries. mmmm.

what's your favorite fruit?