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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.

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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

Posted by  |  March 31, 2013 | Categories: Faith, Life | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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.

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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

 

Posted by  |  March 30, 2013 | Categories: Fashion, Spring | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

mid-week cures.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for everything.

Irish Proverb

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Tonight, let’s try for both.

xo xo

You might also enjoy: mid-week inspiration., rainy tuesdays.

Posted by  |  March 27, 2013 | Categories: Inspiration | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

favorites.

These are a few of my current favorite things & I wanted to share with you, my lovely readers.

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{Just sign up now. Don’t ask questions.}

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{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}

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{Whether for breakfast or snack or dessert, it’s always 100 calories & it always tastes just like Key Lime Pie.}

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{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.}

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{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??)}

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{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

Posted by  |  March 26, 2013 | Categories: Life, Spring | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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
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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.

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“God, may we be focused on the least, a people balancing the fasting and the feast.”

xo xo

Posted by  |  March 25, 2013 | Categories: Faith | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

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]

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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]

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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]

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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

Posted by  |  March 24, 2013 | Categories: Fashion, Life, Travel | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

What I Learned From My Media Fast in 140 Characters or Less

I’m baaaaaaack! Back in the glorious world of my online life.

For those of you who don’t know, husband and I have been sustaining from all media for the last two weeks, including TV, radio, blogging, social media, internet, texting (HA!). You can read more about it here.

Here’s a little behind the scenes of the Alderman’s media-less journey in tweet form …

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Day 1: I dreamed about Instagram last night. My body is already fighting this challenge.

Day 2: I.Am.So.Productive.Without.Media.

Day 3: Our life does not revolve around our TV shows and I love it.

Day 4: The “texting only for necessity” rule is very obviously not going to work.

Day 5: This is so easy. I don’t know what I was so worried about.

Day 6: This is so hard. All I want to do is instagram NWA Fashion Week.

Day 7: Again, all I want to do is instagram NWAFW. What’s life if you can’t share it?!

Day 8: No radio in the car = borrrrrring.

Day 9: People keep asking me if I saw _______ on Facebook or _______ on the news. I feel so completely lost.

Day 10: I can’t watch TV, yet I’m filming a TV commercial in Ohio today. #irony

Day 11: Media is one of my idols.

Day 12: I broke. I listened to Taylor Swift and it was GLORIOUS.

Day 13: I had one of the most fun nights with friends & I might not have if I had the option to just laze at home with TV.

Day 14: If I didn’t have to get up so early tomorrow I would definitely stay up until after midnight to watch TV. I have a problem.

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What we didn’t end up doing with all our free time: exercising, cooking more, cleaning, crafting.

What we did end up doing with all our free time: spending more time with friends, reading, relaxing, having in depth conversations at the dinner table, understanding the meaning of peace.

How difficult this challenge was for me was a sign. The first week seemed too easy because we were so busy with work and other things. The second week was so hard. All I wanted to do was share about my travels to Ohio on FB/Twitter/Instagram/Blog. All I wanted to do was watch a really good movie and relax with a good laugh during The Big Bang Theory.

Husband and I both realized how much more we can get done without media. How much time we waste sitting in front of the TV or the internet without even realizing it. How often we say we don’t have time to – work out, have a quiet time, talk to someone on the phone, etc. We’ve decided we’re going to start limiting our TV time during the week to an hour a night.

Except this week. This week we’re immersing ourselves in everything we missed. The Walking Dead, Revenge, Scandal, Nashville, The Big Bang, New Girl, Glee (& more) … we’re coming for you.

xo xo

Posted by  |  March 24, 2013 | Categories: Faith, Life | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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.)

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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.

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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

Posted by  |  March 9, 2013 | Categories: Faith, Life | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

life lately

So I’m breaking my streak of posting life lately every two weeks, as I just posted one last week. I have good reason, but I’ll get to that a little later. First, here’s a little bit of my life lately…

IMG_6026{readjusting to normalcy after a fun weekend getaway in STL}

IMG_6866 IMG_4127{working with Drew Barrymore while she’s in town to promote her cosmetics line, FLOWER, at Walmart}

IMG_2929 IMG_8013{Happy hour at The Hive, drink of choice Five + Dime}

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{obsessed with this}

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I’ll be going off the blogging radar for a few weeks. Well, really, probably the everything radar unless I work with you or have specific plans for you. We’re starting a media fast Sunday. (I’m terrified) I’ll be blogging more about that tomorrow. But for now, it’s time for a House of Cards binge before it all begins.

xo xo

 

Posted by  |  March 8, 2013 | Categories: Life, Pop Culture | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Guest Blog: Little Dutch Wife

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Quick post today just to refer you to go read my guest blog over at Little Dutch Wife. As part of my dear friend Erin’s blog series Operation Revamp she’s been writing about revitalizing her wardrobe by getting rid of excess and defining her style. I was so honored when she asked me to share my closet essentials and how we have been getting rid of excess in our life through our 7 study. I don’t want to give it all away, but below is a sneak peek at 1 of my 5 closet essentials … now go read about the rest!

xo xo

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Posted by  |  March 6, 2013 | Categories: Fashion | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment