The Lovely Little Introvert

      March is National Craft Month and crafting is a huge passion and love of mine (but, I couldn't wait until March so I'm going to do it for the month of February instead!). Everything from cards to signs, scrapbooking, painting, and just cute home decor in general. Because of this, I thought it would be really fun to do a blogging series on some crafty and home decor things you can do (and on a budget to boot!). This month I'll aim to begin with why I love crafting so much (this post), followed by 4 wreaths you can make for under $10, 5 upcycled bird feeders that don't look tacky, and ways to decorate using only the Dollar Store as your find spot. I'm excited to have you along for the journey! Why I Love to Craft       There are two things you should know about me:        1. I love decorating--holidays, seasons, special occasions, I will take any opportunity to decorate.      2. I thrive on thriftiness-whether it's thrift store shopping, going

    Mine and Jake's one year anniversary is on the 27th, so I thought it would be fun to write a blog post about marriage. This year has been one of the best and one of the hardest. It's been one of my greatest adventures and one of my greatest challenges. I have learned so much about myself and Jacob and the Lord, and I know I've barely even scratched the surface.      One of my favorite memories from this past year was our trip to the USVI. We got to have some quality "us" time, see some amazing things, really slow down, and get to know each other better in a different setting. It was a blast. Other favorites include celebrating silly things and play Monopoly, cooking together and just falling asleep on the couch watching TV.      For this post, though, I thought I would write about what they don't tell you about marriage. Sure, everyone is aware of the good stuff-like living with the person you love most in the world, sharing responsibilities, sex, adventu

      You may be asking yourself if this is going to be a rant post. Why yes, yes it is. But it is also going to hopefully help you think about what you're doing the next time you go to your favorite coffee house.        The following list is in no particular order.  1. Being on the phone while ordering.       We don't know who you're talking to and yet somehow you get annoyed with us... 2. Not tipping with large orders (6+ drinks)       It's not like we hate big orders or anything, but we do hate when you are entitled and act like it's no big deal.  3. Not listening when we've greeted you multiple times.        Actual conversation-- -Barista: Hi! What can we get for you?  -Barista: Do you have any questions?  -Barista: You can order whenever you're ready.  -Customer: Oh sorry. You didn't say anything.  4. Putting money on the counter instead of in our hands.     No, I'm not here. Don't worry about it. I can scrape the

(Before note: This was initially supposed to be a post for To Write Love On Her Arms. They were opening up the blog to readers and saying that some of the stories could get posted on the blog. Well it turned into so much more. I felt the need to share it here, too. I hope this message and encourages you and gives you hope. This post is one of my most raw by far, but it feels good to show that Jesus is good. I don’t have to hide my scars, just wear them as proof that God heals. I am in such a good place right now and the Lord is continuously doing a healing work in my heart. I pray He does the same for each one of you this new year.)     I honestly never thought I would find myself yelling at God. My whole life up to that point would have deemed the act disrespectful and deplorable.      “God is all-powerful and all-knowing.”      “He has your best interest at heart.”      “Just trust Him. He knows what He is doing.”      “Don’t give up.”     “He has a plan. There is a re

     New Years is one of my favorite times of the year. It's a chance to start over, to improve and learn and grow. It's a hundred new opportunities and adventures. It's a new chance to make a difference, to do things differently. When I picture a new year, I picture fresh, clean hope. Like the peacefulness of the world just after it snows. Laundry fresh out of the dryer- all warm and wonderful. A newborn baby. Puppy kisses. A brilliantly beautiful blue sky. Fresh, clean hope.      I won't lie, I was always one of those people who thought New Year resolutions were kind of stupid and a waste of time. We all know they won't last past the end of the month, right? Yet I grudgingly made one or two because it's what you're "supposed" to do. I would never follow through with them and wouldn't really care (but then again, I'm pretty good at giving up on stuff...more on that in a minute). This year I have a bit of a different outlook on resolutions