life lately
{celebrating // Boys & Girls Club at the Great Futures Gala}
{reading // halfway through The Interestings, then on to The Best of Us}
{relaxing // by the pool after a long day at work and before the freak snow storm}
{enjoying // this cutie’s company}
{brunching // avocado + roma tomato scramble, mango mimosa at Table Mesa}
We also spent a wonderful Saturday morning at the first Farmer’s Market of the year.
xo xo
Oh that sweet, sweet smell.
I’ve been taking Olli on long walks the last few days because it’s been GORGEOUS here and about to get cold again for the next week. Every day I’ve caught a whiff of one of my favorite smells of Spring – honeysuckle. You know those smells that just instantly put you in a good mood and transport you to a favorite time or place? For me, it’s this beautiful, fragrant flower.
What’s your favorite Spring smell?
xo xo
Women — You Can’t Live With ‘Em, You Can’t Live Without ‘Em
Thought Catalog (my favorite, if you can recall) posted 30 Greatest Quotes About Women. Here’s my top 10 I wanted to share to celebrate all the wonderful women in my life.
An elegant woman is a woman who despises you and has no hair under her arms. Salvador Dalí
I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn’t be a staring contest. Frank Sinatra
If women didn’t exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning. Aristotle Onassis
The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. Roseanne Barr
There are only two types of women — goddesses and doormats. Pablo Picasso
There are only three things to be done with a woman. You can love her, suffer for her, or turn her into literature. Henry Miller
And yet women — good women — frightened me because they eventually wanted your soul, and what was left of mine, I wanted to keep.Charles Bukowski
Be not ashamed women, … You are the gates of the body, and you are the gates of the soul. Walt Whitman
Women must tell men always that they are the strong ones. They are the big, the strong, the wonderful. In truth, women are the strong ones. It is just my opinion, I am not a professor. Coco Chanel
and my favorite …
Women are made to be loved, not understood.Oscar Wilde
xo xo
You might also enjoy: 32 Things You Should Stop Caring About
Rain, Rain Go Away, It’s Farmers Market Saturday
{first stop: coffee}
{next stop: the square with our guardian penguins}
{then a little shopping}
{final stop: Crepes Paulette, Nutty Monkey + Strawberry and Nutella}
xo xo
You might also enjoy: Saturday morning and who’s gonna play with me
“An ice cream cone can solve any problem— even if it’s only for a few minutes.”
Sometimes you just need to cry, eat ice cream and get over it. And watch Big Bang Theory.
xo xo
Spring Details For the Home
1. Flowers – fresh or fake, Home Goods 2. Brightly colored candy adds flair to a coffee table
3. Fun throw pillows, Nate Berkus for Target 4. Eye-popping books + candles for the bedside
* * *
In our little apartment it’s all about the details. Small changes can update the feel of our home and signal a season change. We don’t have the resources to completely redecorate for Spring, so above are some easy, affordable ideas to update your home.
Or if all else fails, just get a cute husband and puppy. That always does the trick.
xo xo
You might also enjoy: 5 things {I love about our little apartment}, Dear Spring Santa,
the evening before
Aren’t Sunday evenings odd?
They are melancholy, a reminder that the weekend always ends too soon.
They are refreshing, knowing a brand new week is ahead with wonderful possibilities.
They are pressured, ensuring everything’s ready for the coming week.
They are reflective, remembering all the blessings we have.
Despite it all, I love them. I love Sunday evenings almost more than any night. There’s an unusual mix of nerve/unknown for the coming week and the final hours of relaxation. I feel free from the past week’s stresses and have a renewed resolve for tackling what’s ahead.
Our typical Sunday evening consists of a grand, home-cooked meal paired with a good wine. The apartment is clean from my Saturday flurry of chores. Puppy worn out from weekend activities. Fridge full. Clothes washed. Bed made.
And of course, the best television is on Sunday nights. Of late, we’ve had The Walking Dead and Revenge to distract our minds from the impending Monday morning. Or sometimes we like a really good movie to keep us entertained.
So this Sunday evening, I encourage you to focus on the positives, not the tomorrows. Enjoy the relaxing time you have with your loved ones.
xo xo
Inspire Me: Saturday
Amen. Enjoy your SATURDAY.
xo xo
p.s. have you checked out Kate Spade Saturday, yet? love, love. ❤
You might also enjoy: Inspire Me: Rainy Tuesday
life lately
{celebrating // a beautiful friend’s bachelorette party}
{brunching // with mimosas on a patio. Is there any other way?}
{traveling // to Dayton, OH for work and the sweet old guy on the plane gave me this list of things to do in town}
{eating // this amazing deliciousness that is Pho}
{enjoying // a final night with my dear friend moving to LA}
{critiquing // contemporary art at 21c}
xo xo
p.s. I did wear the exact same outfit two Friday nights in a row with two different groups of friends.
My secret is out.
7: Stress // Update
It’s official. I am not stopping this challenge at the end of the two weeks.
Guys, can I tell you how much this prayer time helps throughout the day? Picture me: an anxious, perfectionist, worrier, easily stressed person in a pretty high stress job. (I know, I know how stressful can social media be, right? Walk a mile in my shoes.)
Picture this: God is here for me 24/7. God wants me to be refreshed and refocused throughout the day. God doesn’t want me to be stressed or anxious or worried.
Now I’m not saying I’ve been perfect. I’m not sure if there’s even been one day when I’ve prayed the full 7 times, but I’m definitely praying more than I ever have throughout the day strategically.
When I was in Ohio last week traveling alone, the nightly prayers and Psalms were a tremendous comfort.
When I took a 2-minute pause in a hectic workday at 9:30am to ask the Spirit to bless my work with composure, creativity, inspiration and love and I felt overwhelmingly refreshed.
When I used the drive home to transition out of work and into the evening with family, I felt peace and thankfulness.
What a difference this makes in my day to day. I’ve been learning how easy it is to push God aside throughout the day and fit Him into our schedule, rather than the other way around. When I want everything I do to glorify Him, why not let Him lead my day through prayer?
I think Paul was on to something when he said “pray ceasingly.”
xo xo
You might also enjoy: 7: Stress
Coachella Fashion Awards
Coachella, according to my Instagram and Twitter feeds: Celebrities come together in a desert to outdress each other’s hippie attire and lounge poolside at picturesque parties. Oh and I think there’s something about music, too.
[best day to night transformation – julianne hough]
[best hat + sunglasses combo – alessandra ambrosio]
[best “trying to look like a hippie, but I’m so not” – paris hilton]
[best sexy day makeup – diane kruger]
[best poolside loungewear – sophia bush]
[best easy breezy – whitney port]
[worst dressed – vanessa hudgens]
[worst dressed couple – kristen stewart, robert pattinson]
[worst florals – katy perry]
[most out of place attire – sophia bush, eli roth]
* * *
[best poolside party]
Catch me next Monday when I’ll be reviewing weekend 2 of Coachella!
xo xo
Hello lazy Saturday, it’s been a while
{slept in ’til noon}
{watched Breaking Dawn Pt. 2}
{jimmy johns run}
{took a nap}
{now its magazines on the couch time}
Happy Lazy Saturday! xo
7: Stress
One of my least favorite things is when someone asks how you’ve been and you say busy. Or crazy busy. Or soooo busy. Or ridiculously busy. NEWS FLASH: Everyone’s busy, and everyone thinks they’re busier than everyone else. I’m not saying I don’t do this, because I definitely do, but I’m trying to catch myself before saying it and respond with a less superficial and more sincere answer. All that to say, everyone’s busy and with busyness often comes stress. How do we combat that?
Let’s pray. 7 times a day. I’m good at praying in the morning and I’m good at praying at night. I’ll sometimes sneak a prayer in there during the day if I have a second to breathe or something major is happening. Most days my prayers are very similar. We kind of get stuck in the typical prayer, yeah? 7 shares a strategic plan to pray throughout the day, and I love it. The author calls these 7 prayers “breathing spells for the soul, an oasis to remember the sacredness of life, who we are, how to offer God the incredible gift of our lives, and learning to be in the midst of so much doing.”
I’m so in. Are you?
The Night Watch (midnight)
The Awakening Hour (dawn)
The Blessing Hour (midmorning)
The Hour of Illumination (noon)
The Wisdom Hour (midafternoon)
The Twilight Hour (early evening)
The Great Silence (bedtime)
* * *
The Night Watch (midnight) – The Night Watch advocates for others in a dark night of the soul: the suffering, abandoned, oppressed, lonely.
“My eyes are awake before each watch of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” Psalm 119:148
Readings: Psalm 42, Psalm 63, Psalm 119: 145-152
The Awakening Hour (dawn) – The Awakening Hour includes thankfulness for a new day, a fresh slate. Our desire to live this day for Jesus glory is an offering. We celebrate God’s redemption.
“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love; so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14
Readings: Psalm 19, Psalm 95, Psalm 147
The Blessing Hour (midmorning) – This mid-morning pause has two emphases: The first is mindfulness of the Spirit’s abiding presence to invite the Spirit to stir our souls. The second is about the sacredness of our hands and work asking the Spirit to bless us with creativity, composure, inspiration, love.
“Let your loveliness shine on us, and bless the work we do, bless the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17
Readings: Psalm 67, Psalm 84, Psalm 121
The Hour of Illumination (noon) – At midday we honor the hour when Jesus embraced the cross, and we recommit to giving our lives away. We pledge to shine brightly, becoming hope to the hopeless and light in the darkness.
“You are the salt of the earth … you are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:13-14
Readings: Psalm 24, Psalm 33, Psalm 34
The Wisdom Hour (midafternoon) – With the evening approaching, we pray for perspective on this short, fleeting day and life and we hold out forgiveness, release our grudges and offer our gifts to the world.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Readings: Psalm 71, Psalm 90, Psalm 138
The Twilight Hour (early evening) – We invite God’s peace as we leave work and transition into dinner, family, home, rest, training our minds toward tranquility. The Twilight Hour is for exhaling, calming our minds and transitioning into the evening and being thankful for the day.
Readings: Psalm 34, Psalm 139, Psalm 145
The Great Silence (bedtime) – This prayer concludes the day; the focus is on awareness and we include not just weaknesses but the strengths and accomplishments of the day. The second theme is darkness – We ask the Spirit to guard against our enemy, protecting our seal and innocence in Christ.
“By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:8
Readings: Psalm 23, Psalm 91, Psalm 134
You might also enjoy: 7: Spending, 7: Media
life lately
{celebrating Samantha’s birthday – a few pics from over the years}
{Easter with family}
{eating this deliciousness made by my mom while in town}
{LOVE sign making class with my community group girls}
{wonderful Friday afternoon with my mom – pictured here: champagne + blackberry mango pop at First Friday on the Square}
{Hawaiian bridal shower for the beautiful Nicky, and getting ready for her bachelorette party tonight <3}
xo xo
Book Reviews: Mindy, Facebook + The Dinner
Today and the next two days in NWA are cold, rainy and grey. Bleh. (Where are the WARM + SUNNY April showers??) All I want to do is curl up in sweats with a big cup of coffee, Bon Iver floating through the apartment and a book that could enrapture me for days. Unfortunately that’s not going to happen. However, if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in such a situation, below are a few recommendations.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) – I’ve already talked once on my blog about how much I love Mindy Kaling. Seriously, she’s the best. If I was still unsure about her as I started reading her book, I was hooked by page 5. In her intro she’s answering questions about the book and her last question/answer is “What else should you know about me? (1) There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it. (2) I would like to be friends with Beyonce Knowles.” AMEN and AMEN! (Also, the dress code for her funeral is to be: chic devastated. Can we just be best friends now?)
Grade: A+
Lean In – Quite opposite from Mindy’s book, I decided to read this book after a co-worker told me about.If you’ve been following the media, you know there is SO much controversy surrounding this book, and I honestly don’t understand why. It was practical, honest and smart. In every single chapter I could relate to something she was saying. No matter what you believe about Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) or criticisms you’ve heard about this book, if it inspires more women to LEAN IN and take control of their careers as it did for me, that’s all that really matters.
Grade: A
The Dinner – I’m only about halfway through this book, but so far it’s brilliant. There is one setting – the dinner table at a restaurant. There is one family – the Lohmanns. There are a lot of topics of conversation, but only one secret underlying it all and underneath every bite of humor, you’re trying to figure out what it is.
Grade: B+
Furious Love – This is next on my list when I finish The Dinner. I’ve always been drawn to Old Hollywood – Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean and the stars of this novel – Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Their love is known as one of the most passionate of all time. They were married and divorced twice and though he was remarried at the time of his death, Liz said she believed they would have been married for a third and final time. Passion, glamour, betrayal, wealth – what more could one need in a novel??
xo xo
Oreo Brownie Delight {recipe}
Husband loves Oreos. I mean looooooooooves them. He has to have his Oreos + milk every single night. Even still, the other day he told me there weren’t enough Oreos in his life, so I decided to create a special dessert just for him adapted from a Pinterest recipe.
{how can you go wrong with these ingredients?!}
{be generous with the ice cream, friends}
{stuff as many of those double-stuffed Oreos in there as you can}
1 box Brownie Mix
eggs & oil (as called for by the brownie mix)
1/2 c. (6 oz) Cookies & Cream ice cream
1/4 c. hot fudge topping
1 pkg OreosPreheat oven & spray an 8×8 baking dish generously with cooking spray. Combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil as directed on the back of the box, but do not add the water. Add ice cream and hot fudge to the brownie batter and stir to combine. Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or as directed on the back of the box.
xo xo
Peace, Hope & Love
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3
It’s been a rough week. I was losing hope. I was focusing on myself. I was stressed. I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t see anything past the present second and my present problems.
Luckily, God was listening. (Of course He was!) He has given me the most gorgeous, relaxing weekend I could have possibly asked for and put things back into perspective. I’ll spare you my sermon, but reflect on the verse above. We are NEW because of Him. We have HOPE because of Him. He is so merciful, and He has overcome the world.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33
Whatever you’re going through, take a step back. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with peace, hope & love.
My weekend was:
[a lazy saturday]
[closing a restaurant catching up with old friends]
[taking a hot hot bath, simply because I wanted to]
[celebrating a dear friend’s birthday]
[expanding my mind reading intelligent articles in Wired]
[leaving the doors and windows wide open]
[a nice walk with my mom]
[celebrating the risen Christ with family]
[a terrific brunch with a terrific view]
[an afternoon not bound by plans]
[baking an oreo brownie surprise – recipe to come tomorrow!]
[mentally prepping for the season finale of The Walking Dead]
On that note, you should probably go back and read my blog How To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse in honor of tonight’s episode. Also, just in case it happens sooner than you expected.
xo xo
Sunny Style
Today feels like the first truly spring day we’ve had. As I’ve been doing housework with the doors and windows open and Olli has been luxeriating in the sun, I’ve been daydreaming of permanently warm weather and its accompanying spring style.
1. Keds for Kate Spade New York; 2. Chino Shorts, J. Crew; 3. Textured Peplum Top, Banana Republic; 4. Henry, Marc by Marc Jacobs; 5. Mani Pedi Fund Cory Pouch, Rebecca Minkoff; 6. Summer Straw Hat, J. Crew
xo xo
mid-week cures.
A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for everything.
Irish Proverb
Tonight, let’s try for both.
xo xo
You might also enjoy: mid-week inspiration., rainy tuesdays.
favorites.
These are a few of my current favorite things & I wanted to share with you, my lovely readers.
* * *
{Just sign up now. Don’t ask questions.}
{Dear Mindy, I watched your show The Mindy Project and thought you were pretty funny. I followed you on Twitter and thought you were hilarious. I read your book “Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?” and thought you were brilliant. XO, your newest fan}
{Whether for breakfast or snack or dessert, it’s always 100 calories & it always tastes just like Key Lime Pie.}
{Gel manicures – I know there’s a lot of controversy right now about getting cancer from the UV nail lights, but that’s not going to stop me. Look how pretty they always turn out?! I’m currently sporting the My Sugar Baby Blue in the top left in hopes of warmer weather.}
{I recently subscribed to this magazine and I love it. It’s a perfect mix of my entertainment news + global news stories (and doesn’t JLaw look stunning??)}
{My new nude pumps are going to be my Spring best friend. I will wear with boyfriend jeans, work attire + my nude lace dress for Easter this weekend.}
What are a few of your favorite things?
xo xo
7: Spending
Look at your bank statement. How many places do you spend money within two weeks? I looked at ours: 50. These last two weeks we’ve spent money in 50 places. For the next two weeks, we’re taking it down to 7.
By now I’m sure you know about our 7 challenge. So far we’ve gone through possessions, waste and media. We still have stress, clothing and food to go, but the next two weeks are all about spending.
Our 7 places:
– Walmart (includes gas and WM Home Office Cafeteria)
– Bills
– Husband’s Karate
– Starbucks (it’s a serious addiction, I’ll conquer that in our food challenge)
– Restaurant A
– Restaurant B (restaurants to be decided throughout the two weeks, but I’m almost positive one will be Houlihan’s…)
– Wildcard (this could be anything we choose throughout the challenge – something fun or something serious that comes up)
I think this challenge is going to be very convicting. I’m such a consumer. I must consume something everywhere I go. How often do I buy a coffee at Barnes & Nobles just because, purchase a new necklace at a shop I’m perusing or download a new song on iTunes? Too often. Look at these facts and try not to cringe.
Annual U.S. Spending on Cosmetics: $8 billion
Basic Education for all global children: $6 billion
*
Annual U.S. and European spending on perfume: $12 billion
Clean water for all global citizens: $9 billion
Seriously? I feel sick. Think of the difference we could all make if we watch where our money goes more closely. We’re making a choice every single day with our dollar.
I’m not sure if you ever think this, but I certainly have before – Since I tithe and give to other good places, I can do whatever else I want to do with my money. How selfish am I? Who’s money is this really? It’s certainly not mine, so why am I spending the majority of it on things I want that won’t even matter in the end. Just because I can have it doesn’t mean I should.
With this much expendable income on movie theaters, restaurants, shopping, I doubt Jesus will accept my excuses for neglecting the poor on account of cash flow.
Instead of our American way of thinking and fearing poverty and simplicity, we should fear prosperity.
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” – Mark 10:25
I know we’ve all heard this, but I hope these next two weeks we can really meditate on this fact and find ways to simplify our lives and use our money to love our neighbor as ourselves, just as Jesus would have wanted.
* * *
“God, may we be focused on the least, a people balancing the fasting and the feast.”
xo xo
life lately {media challenge edition}
So what did we do during those two weeks of our media fast? Here’s a peek at my life lately.
[NWAFW]
From top to bottom: NWAFW, The Chancellor Hotel; Friday night with Amanda; Saturday night walking the runway with Piper; Butternut Squash Ravioli = amaaazing, Union Kitchen + Drinks
[TRIP TO OHIO]
From top to bottom: Getting dressed up to see musical Sister Act with Mom; Commercial shoot in Cleveland; My Ohio welcoming meal – margherita pizza, homemade meatballs, pasta, fried artichokes, 3 Palms Pizzeria; Sleeping with my Roxie baby
[EVERYTHING ELSE]
From top to bottom: Two-day work session with Facebook, 21c Museum Hotel; Curling up with a good book + good wine; Olli soaking up the sunshine; One of many game nights; Norman Rockwell Exhibit + The Rail + Club Frisco = perfect Friday night
xo xo
7: Media
Okay friends, it’s about that time. Time for our media blackout. As part of our 7 challenge, for two weeks we will be giving up:
- TV/Movies
- Social Media (for personal use, since it’s my job I can’t necessarily give it up all together)
- Blogging
- Video Games
- Radio
- Texting (only texting out of necessity is allowed, no texting conversations)
- Internet (except what’s needed for daily life for bills, etc.)
What will we be doing with our time, you ask? Good question. I keep asking myself the same thing. Here’s the typical night in the Alderman household: come home from work, take Olli out, turn on the TV for background noise, cook dinner, eat dinner in front of the TV, watch TV, go to bed.
Yes we watch too much TV, I know that. Yes we shouldn’t eat dinner in front of the TV, I know that too.
In the same vein, here’s my typical day in social media consumption: wake up – check FB/Instagram, head to work & while sitting at a traffic light – check Twitter for morning’s news, periodically throughout the day – check all three (most of the time Instagram, over and over and over), get frustrated because people aren’t updating their lives regularly enough on social media, get back to my job (about social media), heading home from work while sitting at a traffic light – check Twitter for evening news, periodically throughout the night – check all three. repeat.
It sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? But I have a feeling I’m not the only millennial with those consumption habits.
All that to say, this is going to be a really tough two weeks for us. If husband wrote this blog he would talk about how hard giving up video gaming is going to be for him. He has replaced Saturday morning cartoons with Saturday morning video games while I sleep. Video games are his stress reliever, as blogging is mine.
* * *
Here’s the plan to combat media withdrawals:
Read. Read. Read. – I have at least two books I want to finish, but I’m shooting for three.
Take Olli on long walks every night after dinner.
Enjoy more quiet time with God.
Deep clean the apartment.
Invite people over and spend quality time together.
Do a DIY/Craft project together.
Attempt more complex recipes.
Games! – We are officially kicking off our media sabbatical by hosting a game night for our community group Sunday night.
Start a workout routine. – Insanity or P90X does not count as TV, per the council’s decision.
* * *
Next time you’ll hear from me will be March 24. I plan on journaling our process (in a REAL journal, not a blog) and sharing some of our insights, pains, joys and photos from our weeks apart. If you need me, call me, or just stop by our apartment. I’m sure we will be happy for the company.
xo xo
You might also enjoy: 7: Possessions // Week 1, 7 : Waste
m.davis xoxo 