Check it out!!!

Written by Shannon Leigh
James and Katie's Wedding.

He's coming home!

Written by Shannon Leigh

So we can do a little of this...

and probably a lot of this...

{our engagement photos that I self-took almost 3 years ago with the Hasselblad with a digital back... If had the extra 20 grand sitting around I'd buy one of those}

Because My Mom and Dad are Cool.

Written by Shannon Leigh
Really cool. Especially in cutoff jean shorts.

{scanned slide: Hiking the Grand Canyon August, 1979}

And a terry cloth one piece.

{Scanned Slide: Standing on 4 states Arizona,Utah, Colorado, & New Mexico August, 1979}

Don't worry mom and Dad... these will be hanging in my house very soon.

To my Lover: I Will be Your Soda Bearer

Written by Shannon Leigh

Matt is on a mission trip this week with the junior high youth group from our church. Although I miss him dearly I am glad he got to go and I know he is being stretched/sharpened in more ways than one. I'm jealous actually. If we weren't smack dab in the middle of training at work I would have gone with them. I think it would be such a blessing to see what God is doing in all of our little Sunday schooler's lives. For some of them this might be their first experience helping out the less fortunate and sharing the gospel. I hope you all will pray with me for the work that God is doing there.

Speaking of being sharpened... Matt is addicted to soda. A few months ago he gave up soda for 30 days (he didn't even drink a soda on his birthday... I was so proud). He went from drinking about 3 a day to zilch. He was pretty miserable for the first few days. He had pretty hardcore caffeine headaches. When he left for the mission trip last week I don't think he took his caffeine addiction into consideration. Because you see, this particular mission trip doesn't provide soda at meal time, or any other time for that matter and he's basically car-less so he can't run out and get a fountain soda (one of his favorite pastimes). Apparently, he had a massive headache for the first day and a half.
Last night I received a text from him that said
"By the grace of God..."
At this point I was waiting for a story about an amazing spiritual encounter. But the rest of it said...
"I dunked a basketball and we had soda with dinner."
Man you gotta love that guy. He really has his priorities straight. At least he recognizes that it's by God's grace.

That leads me to the next topic... I was browsing some party planning websites and I came across THIS. It is a gourmet soda bar at a wedding! What a fantastic idea! I mean it's genius really. Matt would have loved that ( & me too).

{photos via Project Wedding}

Anyway, I only have a few lonely days left until Matty gets home. I'm hoping to accomplish a lot before then. That way when he gets here, we can sip on some gourmet sodas and he can tell me all about his trip. Man I miss him.

Antique Fabric Squares Strike Again

Written by Shannon Leigh

This time in a painting... 

Somewhere to lay your head (part II)

Written by Shannon Leigh

I have a very large to do list. It's massive... 2, almost 3 pages long.

Whenever I think of something I'd like to accomplish (usually within the next few months) I write it down on my "master to do list" and when it's accomplished I get to scratch it off. Let's be honest, the scratching off part is really the fun part. I LIVE to scratch off the things on that list. Well that AND Jesus.

When Matt and I registered for our wedding we picked out these beautiful blue, silky pillows to go in our bedroom. They ended up not matching a thing in our bedroom (don't worry we got some in gold too) so we moved them to the living room. Everything was fine and dandy until little miss Izzy came into our lives about a year ago. Yes, Izzy is allowed on the couch and yes I am sure some of you out there are utterly appalled, but isn't that the great thing about being an adult? I get to make my own rules.

Those of you who are appalled by the dog being allowed on the couch you would be super offended by the condition of our once beautiful silky pillows. Let's just say a rawhide bone was not kind to the un-washable blue fabric. In fact they were disgusting. At the prompting of my husband and being super cheap myself, I decided to make some new pillows for our couches. This was on my to do list and now I can officially scratch it off.

I am loving the way they turned out.  They are a little bit vintage, a little bit rock n' roll.

The colored fabric squares were a fab find at an Antique store and I am SOO glad I came up with something for which I could use them. There are a lot more of those 2x2 inch squares... can't wait to use them for some other project.

They came in an old Brach's Chocolate Cherry box and the bottom of the box said... "Judy cut these when a little girl." That made me really happy. It made me think about who Judy is and how old she is. Judging by the fabrics, I would say she is in her mid- 50's.

I made them removable so they will be easily washed in case Izzy decided to chew her bone on them.

The little pillow was a total afterthought but I ended up liking it the best. It was made out of all of the scraps from the other pillows. Go figure I like that one the most.

Hopefully now when people come to visit they aren't totally disgusted by our "Izzified" pillows. 

Waiting for all things to be restored

Written by Shannon Leigh
Eventually in this life...
Our bodies fail.
Our spouses fail.
Our families fail.
Our strivings fail.
I fail.
Most of all, I FAIL Jesus in little and big ways...EVERYDAY

But there is VERY good news for those of us who believe.
Hang in there, we are meant to be restored.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people;no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,' says the Lord."
Isaiah 65:17-25