you can take the girl outta jersey...

although i've lived in western new york for the last year and a half, and spent six years living in ohio, i am by birth, by heart, by choice a jersey girl! the beach, [or the shore, as we call it (: ] is part of who i am.

i love the beach for so many reasons...

...a friend was sharing this week how he knows someone who knows with absolutely certainty the presence of God whenever he hears the sound of waves. i, too, find peace for my soul, rest for my body, and joy for my heart at the beach.

...the beach makes me SO happy. i can't even put into adequate words why, but when i'm there my entire self revels. there is nothing that can keep a smile off my face. i feel at home.

...the shore was, in ways,  a rite of passage for us jersey girls. i took a few vacas with some of my best friends when were teenagers and reuniting in summers home from college. it's pretty hilarious for us to look back on these trips now. we felt so grown up then. (:  i love these girls and the memories we make so much. they are my lifelong friends. it's our dream that someday, someday, we will all get together for another vaca... this time with husbands and kids in tow... my, my, how far we've come!

join the fun!

hootylicious

home. i've been in my apartment for five months and i'm still working on making it feel like home. fortunately, i like the process. (: and there are so many wonderful bloggers out there who share their DIY tutorials for some fun projects. so this post will hopefully be the first of a few showing the decorations i've made!

i'm loving white ceramics. i have two pieces - a pear and a tree with two birds in it [partridges?!] in my dining room. i went yard sale-ing with my dad when i visited my family in june, and that's when i stumbled upon this owl for just [wait for it...] 50 cents! i'd been wanting to try my hand at spray painting and figured that was the perfect price to take my first try, regardless of whether it turned out ok or not!

the DIY part was really simple. a sunshine-y but not-so-breezy day + newspaper + $4 can of spray paint + $.50 ceramic owl.

i sprayed on one coat and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then sprayed on a second coat and let it dry for about an hour. because it was a little bug-gy outside, i did some touch ups inside. i let it sit overnight to dry completely. there's still over half the paint left in the bottle, so really the cost of this project was around $2.50. and here's the latest addition to my white ceramic collection!

i love him! and he makes a nice addition to my living room. i may be jumping the gun here but... i may be a spray paint addict! it's so easy and fun. there are a couple things in my apartment i'd like to paint, and i'm now on the lookout during this yard sale season for other hidden treasures. (:

project

get highlights.

blog more.

work out (walk, run, ride my bike) more each week.

make plans with a new friend once a week.

get up a half hour earlier to do devotions.

paint my nails.

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when i become discontent with who i am, i make a list. when i think about improving who i am, i set goals. when i feel like i am not "measuring up," my first reaction is to find all the places i feel i'm lacking and determine in my mind to get my butt into gear and take action. i make myself my project.

in church we're working through the book of ephesians. "for we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." [eph 2:10] throughout my life, i've claimed that verse, especially the second part. it's encouraging to think that God gives us purpose, that He plans the details of our lives, and desires and creates opportunities for us to do good things with our lives.

but it was what my pastor said about the first part that made me think of my lists. i know that i am created by Him. His handiwork. but that word goes even farther than my mother's womb. i am His project. i am not my own project. it is He who made me, and i am His. i'm not supposed to be in control of who i become. as my Creator, He knows the me i'm supposed to be. He will shape me, mold me, stretch me, and purify me.  none of my lists are going to make me more me. only He can show me who i am. i am His project, and He's got plans for me. (:

inspiration workshop [typography]

i'm linking up with gussy sews again for the inspiration workshop. this week's prompt was completely up to us! it was fun to think about the things that inspire me this week. i decided to do this post on TYPOGRAPHY. i love words, and i'm inspired by fonts and colors and all the beautiful, creative ways people arrange them!

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i love looking at invitations, too! there are some really fun ones out there. typography can make something be even more personal and "you"! i'm inspired to think about creating ones for my wedding someday, or really any event (:

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i hope you find inspiration in your week, friends!