Seasons of Hope.

My sweet and rockstar sister.in.law was diagnosed with leukemia last month. It was certainly the surprise of the century. But what didn't surprise me? Katie's ability to use her story to inspire and encourage those around her: friends & strangers, near & far, young & old, cancer patients & athletes...this little lady is inspiring 'em all. My words cannot adequately describe Katie's strength, courage, determination, faith, positivity, and grace, & I'd much rather let Katie share her story in her own words. So without further ado, please check out the link to Katie's Story.

Love. Love. Love. Love. Love.

I'd been thinking. and hoping. and wishing. and praying. that I'd be able to use my craftiness to somehow bless the Collier family during this season. After scouring Pinterest & finding myself oh.so in love with handmade wreaths, I decided I'd try my hand at creating wreaths with the hope of lovin' on family from afar & helping raise a couple extra pennies for the Katie Collier Medical Fund. 

So if you're in the market to purchase holiday gifts for your cousin, grandma, mom, co.worker, neighbor, best friend, mentor or wifey, please scope out the wreaths I'll be highlighting on this blog & purchase a $30 Seasons of Hope wreath today! I'll be posting new wreaths every few days, so if you don't see one that tickles your fancy today, stop by again soon and hopefully you'll find the perfect wreath to spice up your casa just in time for the holidays. Also, I'm more than happy to take custom orders! 

Ruffle Wreath:

Perfect for a shabby chic holiday, or a bebe shower gift!

. . . 

Fall Harvest Wreath: 

My favorite so far, a perfect welcoming to your Thanksgiving feast.

. . . 

Red Round Wreath: 

Vibrant colors, great for both fall & winter!

For You. I Sing. I Dance.

If you have randomly stumbled upon this page, you may find yourself curious about the title of our blog:  

our divine romance 

The title was inspired by the lyrics of Phil Wickham's beautiful "Divine Romance." 

The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see

The brightness of Your glory has arrived

In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance

Rejoice in this divine romance

Lift my heart and my hands

To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You

Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room

Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life

In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied

. . . . . 

Jordan and I are oh so grateful that God's presence completely satisfies us. And the gift that He's given us in each other? Well, that rocks too.

A Sunday Stroll.

Can you tell who snaps the majority of the photos in our family?

diy Modge Podge Monograms

If I could, I would fill every room in our home with letters.

on banners. bookshelves. wall decor. pillows. coffee mugs. & picture frames.

I just adore them.

Years ago, as a broke senior in college, I fell in love with creating colorful collages for my friends and roommates. I would fill my living room table with paint. fabric. ribbon. modge podge. glue guns. magazine cutouts. and spend hours upon hours turning cardboard letters into personalized and affordable room decor.

I recently discovered new wooden letters at Craft Warehouse, which have stolen my heart & thrust me back into the world of modge podging and creative gift giving! Creating personalized letters is an incredibly easy and affordable project, and if you don't already have the supplies laying around your casa, I highly recommend picking them up next time you find yourself strolling around Craft Warehouse with a few extra pennies in your pocket and an hour or two to spare. You won't regret it :)

Supplies:

1. Paintbrush

2. Modge Podge

3. Decorative Napkin ... visit TJ Maxx and Tuesday Mornings for a steal of a deal. 

4. Wooden Letter 

 Laying out the five supplies, which cost me a total of $2.33.

[Note: I like to use the Modge Podge on a paper plate to contain the mess.]

The before shot. K for Katie, my beautiful & inspirational sister.in.law.

The world's most basic tutorial instructions:

Apply a thin layer of modge podge directly onto the wooden letter, cover with one ripped strip of napkin, and then finish with a thin top coating of Modge Podge. Do this until both the front & back of your letter are completely covered, then let sit for one hour to dry.

[Note: Most decorative table napkins have a layer of white under the decorated layer. If this is the case, decide whether or not you'd like to modge podge using the white layer. I have tried both ways & prefer to remove the under layer, but your letter will look fairly similar either way].

Tah Dah! 

A simple, affordable, & adorable craft that will add color and personality to your home or be the perfect gift to brighten someone's day. 

Also, if you're looking to spice up your project, I recommend wrapping yarn or twine around the letter, or hot gluing embellishments, such as flowers or buttons to add texture & personality. What would you add to your letter? 

Enjoy!

A very lovely list.

[Photo courtesy of Pinterest]

Our Family Mascot.

I recently read a blog post about pigeons & instantly decided that these birds must be dubbed our little family mascot.

Do I particularly enjoy pigeons?

No.

Have I recently taken up pigeon-watching as a new hobby to occupy my time while living in small town usa?

Nerrp.

Do I even live in an area where pigeons flock the city streets?

No, thank goodness.

Do I think they’re beautiful birds?

Not the least bit.

However, according to an excerpt from the blog Letters to Ames, “pigeons are excellent communicators. They are strong-willed and committed, in the sense that they will die of exhaustion from a flight before they take a break. They mate for life. They are an urban, street-savvy breed of the dove species (which means a whole heck of a lot to me and my faith). They are perseverant and resilient, able to assimilate in nearly any environment...”

If only pigeons could serve as our marriage and family therapists, then all would be right in this beautiful, broken world. We'd learn by example how to communicate well, mate for life, and persevere through life's most challenging circumstances with determination, strength, grace, & passion.

Rather impressive, eh?? And that my friends, is why I am declaring the pigeon our new family mascot. 

Sweetly Broken.

I heard my favorite worship song on the drive over the pass this evening. The sun was setting over the rolling hills of Eastern Washington and it. was. glorious. So glorious in fact, that for one moment in time, I forgot I was driving in the.little.engine.that.could, clunking along at 50mph in a 70, while recklessly being passed by semi-trucks . . . none of that mattered & for a few good moments, all things in this world felt peaceful : ) Listening to this song at the conclusion of a very long week may or may not have brought this sappy soul to tears. The words of Jeremy Riddle's "Sweetly Broken" are so simple. powerful. genuine. pure. and true. 

"at the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and i am

lost for words, so lost in love,

i’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered."

I love how this song reminds me that it's not about me. Not even close. What a beautiful reminder of God's love, grace and power in my life.  


If you have never heard this beautiful little ditty, here's an acoustic cover by Brian Wahl, for your listening pleasure. And here's the most adorable cover, which just may melt your heart into a million little pieces. 

Grace.

[Wonderful printable designed by Emily Ley]

i just may have to print, frame & hang this sweet thang.

I Love Him

so, so very much.


thanks for four months of wedded bliss, hubby.

cheers to the next four hundred.

Fall is in the air.

And nothing confirms this change of season better than the current fall flu bug lingering throughout my achy breaky body. 

. . . . . 

Please do enjoy these snapshots that remind me of all the beautiful & wonderful things I love about fall; as I blow my nose [again & again & again], throw on a second pair of sweatpants, unwrap & enjoy another luden's wild cherry throat drop, cough into the sleeve my oh.so.filthy sweatshirt, reheat my third mug of loose leaf tea, and cuddle back into bed for the remainder of the afternoon.

fun orange flowers sitting in my favorite recycled wine bottle

pumpkin spice muffins for small group

jordan searching the fields for the perfect punkin! 

apples for our cider

jordan hard at work: cleaning the apples

laura hard at work: munchin' on a fresh pumpkin doughnut! 

beautiful scenery.

out on the town enjoying local music & wine at wilridge vineyard.

berries from our backyard. 

Celebrating Life.

Over the past few months I have spent hours upon hours [upon hours and hours...] scouring blogs & pinterest for creative, DIY, free-printable party-plannin' ideas. Do we have money for parties? No. Do we have many friends in small town USA to invite? No. Do we have reason to celebrate? 

. . . . . 

"Jordan. Can we throw a Cinco de Mayo fiesta in November? Too soon? Because I'm loving these adorable, DIY decorations:

Do we know anyone who's getting married this year? I'd l.o.v.e. to host an around the clock bridal shower!

Hey! Look at this awesome backyard BBQ celebration. Is it too cold to invite friends over for an outdoor party?! I picked up some awesome, semi-cheapo clearance BBQ baskets today:

Hey, when Valentine's day draws closer we should break out our fondue maker & host a couple's dessert & game night!

Ooooh. I can't wait to throw a baby shower. LOOK at this tablescape!"

. . . . .

As I was scoppin' out endless party pictures & DIY tutorials online, I found myself reminiscing upon my glory days as an event coordinator at SPU...oh, how I enjoy crafting decorations, booking entertainment, organizing playlists, cooking up delicious food, and inviting friends and family to celebrate various holidays & special occasions together.


With endless creative inspirations from the world wide web and an insane amount of time on my hands, I quickly found myself disappointed by the lack of upcoming holidays. I couldn't find a reason to spend a few extra pennies, send out some invitations, and host a celebration with loved ones.

. . . . . 

Fast forward three days: Jordan's grandmother passed away, my grandfather was in isolation battling an infection in his already frail cancer-ridden body, and Jordan's baby sister was diagnosed with leukemia. My oh my...how quickly perspective can change. 


We must celebrate life together. And not just on Valentine's Day or Cinco de Mayo. I'm talking every. single. day. No one knows what tomorrow may bring, therefore today is a blessing and reason enough to pull out the pinatas, throw up the banners, and toast to the big & little blessings from above.


As Psalm 16:11 reads: 

You make known to me the path of life

 in your presence there is fullness of joy 

 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Time for this party planner to live with fullness of joy that comes only from Christ, and celebrate life's daily blessings. 

These are a few of my favorite things...

Our new fan:

There is an absolute abundance of thrift stores in town & this little gem is one of my favorite finds! 

Catching up on zzzz's after a busy week:

Jordan said I had to get a picture next to this sign. I am a sleepaholic.

Traveling the globe:

Experiencing new cultures & seeing new places makes my heart oh so joyful.

Decorating our home:

I recently made mini festive bunting [from extra scrapbook paper] to add a splash of fall colors throughout the house. By the end of the year I do believe fabric & paper bunting will be proudly hanging from all rooms in our home. I simply cannot get enough!

Catching up with dear friends:

Thank goodness for Lady Gaga & wonderful friends!

Soaking up creation with family & loved ones:

Nothing makes me happier than soaking up the sunshine with loved ones at grandma's house. Oh how I miss summer days on beautiful Lake Washington.

Tea for two!

Drinking tea with my favorite cutie at The Empress Hotel. They won my heart over by serving delicious and never.ending gluten-free goodies for Jordan.

Why hello, Fall!

I'm happy you have decided to roll through town & cool down our 90 degree home...please do stay awhile. 

 . . . . .

Fall is my very favorite season & this year more than any other, I am delighted to bid farewell to the hot hot heat of small town USA. Fall has brought along a new job for me, a new love affair with my crock pot, and a new casual relationship with my sewing machine. 

It has been wonderful for Jordan & I to settle into a routine & continue to learn what it means to love and support one another in our day to day lives. I am loving my job & although I struggle to get up and at 'em during the wee hours of the morning, I must admit it's a treat to come home and have a few hours of alone time to rest, run to the grocery store, craft, and prepare dinndinn before Jordan arrive homes with a hungry belly. These past few weeks I've been creating fabric & paper bunting like there's no tomorrow. I'm absolutely 100% obsessed, however I'll save that talk for another post. 

For now I'd like to highlight a fun, easy & oh.so affordable fall Martha Stewart craft project. Introducing, drumroll please....

The tin can pumpkin jack o’ lanterns

 diy tutorial found here: 

http://www.marthastewart.com/272336/tin-can-jack-o-lanterns

happy crafting!

Dr. Okie Dokie

I heard Jordan's car pulling into the driveway this evening & excitedly stepped away from my crock pot to meet him on his way inside...

L : Hi, boo! How was your standardized patient encounter today?

J : It went alright...there were a few little things I messed up on...

L : Oh, well, always room for improvement. What did you miss?

J : My professor docked me a few points for saying "okie dokie" too many times to my patient...

L : Okie dokie?!? Really? Okie dokie...really, Jordan? [quickly falling into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.]

. . . . .

Okay, I know it may not be that funny, but I just cannot picture my sweet, serious & oh so studious hubby joyfully responding 'okie dokie!' multiple times to his adult patient. In fact, I'm fairly certain he's never uttered those two little words in his 25 years of life. I'm only slightly worried that in the last few months of married life, he somehow picked up that cheesy yet cheery good ol' fashioned 1930's All-American saying from his Mrs. But who knows? All I know is you can bet your bottom dollar the future Dr. Collier will never again say "okie dokie" inside the exam room. 

Be Our Guest!

Jordan & I feel oh so blessed to be renting our home from family friends of ours who have graciously welcomed us into small town USA with open arms & lots of love. We are so grateful to live in a safe neighborhood inside a warm & inviting home. With Jordan's demanding school schedule, it is such a treat to have a peaceful space to study, rest, play, & share life together. We also l.o.v.e. hosting friends & family, so if you ever find yourself traveling thru town, please know our doors are always open & we most likely will have fresh sheets on the guest bed plus a hot meal stewin' in the trusty ol' slow cooker...

Home, sweet home.

Love eating dinner on our back porch with the party lights on!

Yes, our t.v. sits on top of a plastic storage container covered by fabric. 

My favorite husband surprised me by picking up these chairs I'd been eyeing from the Fred Meyer home clearance section. 

Best. Surprise. Ever. 

Lovely little kitchen mirror.

Our almost-finished guest bedroom.

Received this ruffled shower curtain as a wedding gift from trusty ol' Target & I'm. so. in. love. Simple & chic.

Nothing beats a teal sink & toilet. Oh so retro.

Our bed is currently lacking a bit of beauty & color. J considered it necessary to remove our beautiful wedding quilt from the foot of the bed once our house boiled to a comfortable 90 degrees...oh, summa summatime. I'm almost through with you.

Jordan's friend from studying abroad gave us a globe, which we absolutely adore!

My messy, messy craft room.

Jordan's very favorite neighbors.