goodbye, Thursday bun

Let me explain.

Every Thursday since June I have been purchasing a savory bun from the Staff of Life vendor at the farmers market. Walking across the street to grab my bun is the highlight of my Thursday.

The vendor makes four kinds of savory buns, but he rotates his flavors and sells two each week (I've listed them from my favorite to least favorite) - three cheese and basil, pecorino cheese, sundried tomato (this one tastes like pizza), and white cheese and artichoke. They're all delicious and rich, but the artichoke one is so rich that it makes my tummy hurt.

Well, today marked the end of the Thursday market. Tear.
I contemplated buying all of the three cheese and basil to freeze at home, but I suppose I'll make Tuesdays be my new "bun day" instead. The Tuesday market will run 'til Thanksgiving.

I've tried to buy a bun and save it for later, but it's impossible. They smell (and look) amazing. The crunch from the crusty top is super satisfying, but it's a thin crunch that gives way to incredibly moist and spongey cheesy goodness. Oh my gosh. Just writing about it is making me hungry. Are you hungry? If you go to the market on Saturdays, beware- the buns sell fast. Go early. They will BLOW YOUR MIND.

How long 'til Tuesday?

Zzzz

normally I like to pull back the covers of a bed that has been made.

there's something so cozy, though, about seeing rumpled sheets and shmushed pillows.

makes me want to curl up with a magazine.

pics from here, here, here and here.

puttin' on my face

First, I rub this all over my face and neck.

Then, I use a big ol kabuki brush to apply bare minerals foundation and mineral veil

I've had my NARS "outlaw" blush for... 4 years. Yea. I use it every day.

How is that even possible....

but I googled it and apparently it's OK to use blush for 4 years.

I loooove my Almay Bright Eyes cream eyeshadow.

The colors are lighter in person.

I also use this, and I dab the brush under the faucet

to turn the powder into cream.

Love the bright eyes eyeshadow, but it's really my Revlon eyelash curler that helps me to look awake.

and my Almay intense i-color mascara, which I think kicks Maybelline's butt.

I apply this in the car on the way to work... and then multiple times throughout the day.

It looks like a glue stick and people tease me about it.

worrrth it.

__________________________

and there ya go.

eye candy

I want them all. Which one is your favorite?


cardigan love by laurarennie featuring knit tops (click on "cardigan love" to view each sweater individually)

when parents text

omg this website had me laughing so hard I was crying.

patience

For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 

You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Psalm 66:10-12

- - - - - 

 

God is teaching me patience right now, and I don't like it. And yet, I do. It's kind of like working out... the sweat and burn is often uncomfortable, even painful, but because you know you're working your body, it feels good. 

 

I have been extremely aware of how many opportunities God has given me to work on my patience. 

 

Running late to work? All the lights will turn red right when you approach them. Or, other drivers will be annoying. Or, you'll have to sit and wait for a schoolbus. Or the train.

 

Having a bad hair day? The serum you put in to help de-frizz makes your hair look greasy. Or the one not straight section of your hair won't straighten no matter how many times you go over it. Or you knock over half of the stuff on the counter when you go to put your brush down.

Well, there are two examples that happen almost every single day. And there are many, many more. I'm sure you can relate. I tend to vocalize my frustration, saying, "UGGGHHH!" or "SERIOUSLY? COME ON." or "ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!?!?" 

Slowly but surely I have been replacing those "UGGGGHH" moments with a deep breath and a quick prayer. I've been letting go of that dreadful "this is going to ruin my day" thought process and I've started finding joy and pleasure in being able to let things go.

I don't want to let little things get to me. I want to be calm and collected and peaceful. I see that God is using these moments to test me and refine me. Every moment of every day is an opportunity to imitate Christ, and I fail again and again. These trials of my patience are nothing as serious as the trials of oppression that the Israelites faced (which David is discussing in the passage included), but they are tests nonetheless. The good news? God is bringing me to a place of abundance.

if I had $100 or so

1. fun kite mug
2. custom map keychain (harrisonburg is in the middle one!!)
3. oh but this "i love you more" keychain is so sweet! (the harry potter ones would make a great gift to a fan)
4. drooling over this herringbone shoulder bag... and every other bag in this shop.
5. this feminine leather bracelet would look amazing paired w/ jeans and an oxford shirt

the only good things about living apart

1. you can have chex mix and chocolate milk for dinner
2. you can wear ratty pjs and not have the urge to say "sorry that I look so...ratty."
3. you have less laundry and dishes to clean
4. you can have as much stuff on the bathroom counters as you want - so much stuff that when your husband comes home he says, "it looks like three girls are living here."
5. this is the big one - you can sleep in ANY position that you want on ANY side of the bed that you want

I would give up all of those things (even number five) to live with my husband again. Really, nothing other than our AWESOME church, my job and our incredibly cheap rent is keeping us apart. But those are big factors. We love our life here.

Many people have been asking us when we're going to throw in the towel and say we've waited long enough. (We were supposed to know about the transfer by the end of August.) We don't have an answer for that. We're thankful that Andy has a job he loves. That my parents are taking such great care of him. That I have an incredible support system here. That our marriage is strong and that God is big. We're praying that a decision will be made soon... and that we can keep our home in Harrisonburg.

We wait.
We hope.
And we snuggle as much as we can when we're together.

blue eyes...you're the secret I keep
cause blue eyes... I just wanna sing a song with you

sweet obituary

I cover the obit desk on Thursdays, and today I came across an especially sweet obit. I'm not including any names for privacy issues, but I just had to share some of it with you!


On Dec. 12, 19XX, he married B, the love of his life. S was so proud of their two daughters, K and S , and he enjoyed a close relationship with them. He loved to spend time with his family, and life without him will be difficult.



S is survived by a large and loving extended family, including many nieces and nephews...


He was a lifelong member of [church name]. S put his faith and trust in God.


S was kind, caring, and patient. He smiled and laughed often, and never lost touch with his inner child, which kept him always young. S. enjoyed many activities, including travel with his family.
 
 
What a wonderful tribute!

meet gideon

our friends Jackie and Kevin had a beautiful baby boy on the 3rd (we received the happy news while we were on our date). Uncle Andy and Aunt Laura can't wait to meet him!

introducing Gideon James:

isn't he the cutest?

trip to boston

You can probably tell I wrote this post around 12:30 a.m....

I spent a relaxing Friday evening with Andy in Springfield before flying to Boston early Saturday morning. Becca picked me up in a rental car and we drove to Somerville, which is just north of Boston. She showed me the apartment she stayed in last year and introduced me to her old roommies, and then we went to her current apartment and I met her current roommies. You would DIE if you saw the kitchen in her apartment. Her pantry is the size of my kitchen. Not fair!

We walked down the street to get brunch at Sound Bites, where we stood in a line outside and Becca told me about the crazy feud between the owner of Sound Bites and the owner of the restaurant next door. I had pear and goat cheese stuffed french toast and Becca ordered the scone plate, which came with cheesy dill scrambled eggs, canadian bacon and home fries. And a scone. Duh. We split everything down the middle (it's what we do) and it was all delicious.

Then we explored Harvard Square, Newbury Street and Boylston Street (making sure to hit up the library), the Public Garden and Boston Common, where we enjoyed an arepa from a park vendor. We took the T back to Davis Square in Somerville and hung out at Becca's apartment before heading back out for dinner and jazz and blues at The Beehive. We ordered sangria and shared the calamari, Moroccan cigars and the truffled potato and cheese pierogies. If you haven't noticed already, the food was a HUGE part of the trip. :) I'd go back for another meal at the Beehive in an instant. Some of Becca's friends joined us around ten to listen to the band, and we stayed until one or so. We slept so well that night!

ohhh hey! around the corner!

On Sunday we walked past the esplanade on the Charles River and then headed to the ocean front, near the aquarium. We sipped iced coffees and people watched and let the sun soak into our skin. After such a busy Saturday, it was nice to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and gorgeous scenery. Boston is STUNNING.

We had a late lunch of fish and chips at a restaurant on the water, which made us both feel a little seasick (even though the restaurant wasn't moving at all). We couldn't stop giggling even though we both thought we were going to hurl. (We didn't.) We walked through the Public Garden again and collapsed on to the grass on the Boston Common for a while. Then we picked up a key lime tart, cannoli and lobster tail from Modern Pastry to munch on later and called it a day. Dinner was late night pizza in Davis Square.

It was wonderful to spend time with Becca, see her place and meet her friends. I got to see so much and yet I know there's still much of the city to see during my next visit!

brb

I'll be taking a brief hiatus from blogging until next Tuesday - tomorrow I drive up to NOVA to see Andy and then I'm jetting off to Boston for the weekend.

ciao!

he is a good man for me

Thought about the first time that I met you
All those glances that we stole
Sometimes if you want them then you've got to

back in the summer of 2006 this song came on Hollister's website's "radio" - did any of you ever listen to that? It was actually a great music player at the time, and it came in handy when I was trying to get one of the little kids that I nannied to quiet down for his nap. This was our favorite song. I'd pick him up and we would dance, me swaying from side to side and singing softly into his ear. I sang and thought about how confused I felt over my on/off relationship with Andy. I thought about the first time we met, the glances that we stole, the dry spells and the hard times in bad lands. I thought about how I wanted Andy to be the good man for me. 


You're not a good shot but I'm worse
And there's so much where we ain't been yet
So swing up on this little horse
The only thing we'll hit is sunset

one last summery outfit

one last summery outfit by laurarennie featuring slouchy backpacks

Theory summer top, £86
J brand jeans, $192
Bertie flat ankle wrap sandals, £75
Roxy slouchy backpack, $62
Metal ring, $14
Post earrings, $10

our big date in northern virginia

I drove up to Springfield after work on Friday because my family decided to have a picnic memorial on Sunday for my Grandma, who passed in late July. More on that later.
Andy suggested that we go for a date in DC on Saturday, before relatives started coming into town. For about a year now we've been talking about going to Horace & Dickies (they may have the worst website I've ever seen), so we decided we would probably go there -- and if not, we'd at least go out on a lunch date together.

Saturday morning arrives and I'm thinking Andy is not going to want to sit on the Metro for 45+ minutes for a sandwich... even I don't want to do that. So, I tell him we should try to go somewhere closer. I suggest we get sandwiches at Potbellies, he suggests we go to the Pentagon City mall food court for some bourbon chicken (hehe), I suggest California Pizza Kitchen or one of The Great American Restaurants. He suggests Wegmans.

My cute grocery store non-perishables manager turned Kelloggs sales representative wanted to go to Wegmans for lunch. He LOVES Wegmans. I've seen the store front before and it's really impressive, but I figured it couldn't be much different than a Whole Foods. But my guy kept bringing it up. Babe. It's awesome. Please.

He was right. It's amazing. If you have a Wegmans near you and you haven't been - GO.

We held hands and strolled the store aisles, receiving samples of things like baked beans, organic chips, cheese, wine and beer. Then we explored all of the specialty items and ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the cheeses, seafood, meat and bakery items. We were even offered a sample of grilled swordfish. uh YES PLEASE. We pointed out all of the desserts that we wanted to try. We explored all of the different lunch options - sushi, homestyle food, pizzas, subs, soups, salads, vegetarian, Indian, Asian, Italian...

We ate a leisurely lunch on the second floor, overlooking the busy customers picking out their specialty treats (note the balcony in the pic). We bought coconut lemon danishes and a cheese roll for dessert. I kept checking my phone for updates on my friend, who was in labor. Then, a text message with a picture of Kevin and Jackie's newborn son, Gideon James, arrived. I blinked back happy tears and we sat there smiling and shaking our heads in awe at God's little miracle.

Wegmans is the perfect place for a lunch date.

all I have needed, God has provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; 
There is no shadow of turning with Thee; 
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; 
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!