Trends I love

I have been craving style recently! I was looking back at some old pictures last week and I swear, I used to have way better style. Working from home has taken it's toll on my fashion choices and I don't like it! So, here are some of my favorite fashion trends going on lately- and you can see more on my style Pinterest board!

1. White Converse. I finally got a pair of these for Christmas and I have already worn them SO much! I was scared they would look like clown shoes on me because my feet are so big but I think they look normal :) They make any slub outfit look semi cute!

2. Floppy Hats. I got one of these from Target at the beginning of the fall and it's really fun! Although, I kind of want a brown more casual hat to try. I'm curious to see how these hats will transition into summer style.

3. Purple Hair. This is my most recent obsession! I've always loved colorful hair color, but I've never actually considered it for myself! One summer I had temporary purple in my hair that ended up sticking with me for like 6 months and I loved it. The only thing keeping me from doing purple is because I know it will be super damaging to my hair (like the time I went white haired!).

4. Skater Skirts. I bought one of these in the fall but haven't quite figured out how to pull it off in a not super dressy way. But after looking at these pictures I pinned, I can totally see ways to do it! I'm excited to try this one out again.

5. Boho/Crop Top and Maxi Skirt. I used to love the whole boho/hippie/70s style! It went away for a few years but I think it's coming back this year! I love the idea of a crop top and a maxi skirt but I'm not sure if someone of my...proportions... can pull it off.

So there you have it! My fashion hopes for 2014! Anything I'm missing? (Of course there is). I could keep going on and on but these are the main ones in my head right now! What's your 2014 fashion predictions?

-  Bethany

Sarah and Emerald's Baby Shower

This past Saturday I hosted my very first baby shower at my home! One of my best friends, Sarah, is having her first baby this March. We can't wait to meet Emerald Rose and had so much fun celebrating the two of them this weekend. You would have thought we were feeding an army by the amount of food we had! I'm so grateful to everyone who brought food and helped set up!

I don't know how I have gotten so lucky with the girls in my life this year! It's a community brought together solely by God- we are all SO different! Sarah, Lauren, Staci, Kristi, Maggie, Brogan- yall are the best friends! We threw a pretty awesome shower, and I have a feeling we will be throwing many more together over the years ;) Shout out to Kristi for taking care of all the decorations! I am sooo not a crafty person, I needed someone else to take that over completely! Here is a little peek at our afternoon :)

Things ran a little last minute with the preparations so I only snagged a few pictures of the food! I made two kinds of mini sandwiches: turkey, apple and brie and then chicken salad on hawaiian rolls.

Lauren brought a delicious cheese ball! I mean really, can you ever go wrong with a ball of cheese?!

Maggie brought these two dishes! I am OBSESSED with the one on the left. It's sausage, jalapenos and onions on a toothpick and baked in the oven! The other dish was ham, cream cheese, pepper and mint all rolled up!

My friend Kelyn is an awesome baker, so she made these gem shaped cookies!

Left to right: Me, Lauren, Maggie, Sarah (+Emerald), Kristi, Staci, Candyce.

Sarah I love you so much! You have been such a good thing in my life. You are going to be the best mother, and maybe I will even be a good babysitter! You never know ;)

- Bethany

Here's What

What's going on upstairs. And by upstairs, I mean my head. And life?

As of late:

What I've been shopping:

- Island Moonlight Mercury Candle from Target. Kristi and I have determined that it smells so similar to Volcano candles, for half the price!

- Bathing Suits/Beach Wear. Levi and I go to St Thomas in June with our friends Cattie and Caleb so I've been searching for all the perfect things! The hat is Jcrew factory sale, so it's not returnable, I can't decide if it's worth the risk! I have a big head :/ The purple bathing suit is Macy's, I haven't looked at it in store, and the leopard top is from Target but they are out of my size! 

What I've been cooking:

- Beef and Broccoli, it's such an easy recipe and turned out really well!

- Fruit dip! I hosted a baby shower at my house this weekend and so I made a few things, including this fruit dip recipe I got from Cattie. I'm obsessed with it and it's so easy. You use one block of softened cream cheese, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Whip all of that together in your mixer and then serve with sliced apples or just eat it by the spoonful. Just trust me on this one.

What I've been listening to:

- Phil Wickham's new cd, The Ascension.

- Switchfoot's new cd, Fading West. 

- The Walking Dead Cast, a podcast for the Walking Dead! The tv show starts back really soon so I've been getting pumped up!

What I've been watching:

- Oh man, there has been way too much good tv on lately! I'm kind of scared to list out everything I've been watching, it's so much. But! I am officially not sucked into The Bachelor this season and I'm so proud of myself! It takes up so much time! Here's what I'm watching: Parks and Rec, Parenthood, Nashville, RHOBH, Sister Wives, Justified, American Horror Story: Coven, Dateline (new every Friday!), Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth, New Girl and a new SyFy series called Helix. 

What I've been reading:

- When God Turned Off the Lights. I've eluded to what's going on with me spiritually recently, but this is the just of it. I've felt a silence from God for a long time now. My relationship with God has always been feelings based. I've always *felt* everything in my gut. I don't feel that now. And I know that my faith cannot be based on feelings alone, but it's so hard to have faith when you feel nothing. I know that God is using this time to grow my faith, so that I know I can believe in him and trust him even when I feel NOTHING. I can put my trust in my knowledge of truth, what's real, whether I feel it or not. That's what I'm counting on at least. Today is a good day, I have hope and I have belief, and I need to remember days like today.

What I've been thinking:

- I've had a LOT of ups and downs recently. Life is so great in so many areas, and it's really on the upswing. But my emotions have been all over the place. Since high school, I have struggled with bouts of depression and panic. It's often fleeting, and only gotten serious a handful of times. But it's something that's there, and it's in the back of my mind most days. I don't really know how to go into explaining things, and I'm not really sure hooow vulnerable I want to be right now. But I want to remember right now. The good, the bad and the ugly.

*sidenote- I feel like Katy Perry in this picture :) Rainbows and whatnot.

Also, a final fun fact: I got Katy Perry tickets this week!!! My friend Ashley and I will be seeing her Prism Tour in Houston this October! I am SO pumped! If you haven't seen KP's documentary yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it. I'm not 100% in love with her new album, but I know that no matter what- seeing her in concert is going to be AWESOME!

- Bethany

iPhone Update

Life as of late...

I have been getting a lot of wear out of my Christmas sweater (which is on sale right now for $22)!

Walter has been as eccentric as ever. He sleeps like that every night! And he begs for food worse than any dog I've seen.

This is what happens when you try to take a selfie with your uninterested cat.

Riggins loves bags. I think I'm going to try and take him out of the house in it soon!

Mosely has fear of losing her ball at all times. And Walter is just weird.

There you have it! That's what's been going on through the lens of my phone! Life has been kind of hard in other areas. So I don't want to send out the impression that everything is rainbows and butterflies. But I do want to choose joy. So here's trying! 

- Bethany

Thirst

Wash over me like a tidal wave

Clean out what pulls me to the grave

Nothing left that you don't love

Take me where your river flows

Heal the desert in my soul

Let it wash over my feet

All I'm asking for is just a drink

I thirst for you

These are some of the lyrics to Phil Wickham's new song, Thirst. I cannot get enough of it. The song itself is beautiful, but the lyrics grabbed my heart tonight. I was driving home and just let this song repeat. I am so desperate. I am desperate to be healed from my doubt. My soul feels like a desert, and the only thing that can heal it is God. God why aren't you healing my soul? All I'm asking for is just a drink. I need just a drink. Just give me a taste of faith, of hope, of belief. When I'm surrounded by a fog of doubt, grab my heart God! Just do something! Please! 

I try to just "be" and let you do your work. I try to continue to pray, knowing that suffering always produces growth and faith. But I feel like I'm reverting. I feel my faith slipping. I don't want that. I'm begging you God, let me not pray these things in vain. 

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These are my prayers. I could use some of your prayers too. I'm not hopeless, but I am just incredibly doubtful and cynical. 

Just keeping it real.

- Bethany

New Year's Eve 2013!

Since we moved into our house we've had quite a few get togethers. But one event always stood out among the rest: our first New Year's Eve in our house! I may have feared for the fireproof safety of our house, but we had so much fun throwing fireworks at each other that year. When I say "each other", I really just mean David Booth. This year, NYE at our house definitely lived up to the hype! We all had a blast (literally) and it was the perfect way to ring in the new year. Surrounded by the relationships we've worked so hard on this year, I'm so thankful for the community that's been built into our lives!

I am NOT a night person, so I had to start off the night with a little coffee (+baileys)!

We made Poinsettia Champagne Cocktails that turned out SO good!

Let the fun fire begin!

The girl falling in the front was staged....I think.

That was a whole lotta pictures of my face, huh? Sorry not sorry! And Happy New Year :)

- Bethany