coincidence? i think not.

in a surreal, two separate world's colliding moment, i met a gal and instantly felt like she belonged in my family.  maybe it was her cute minnesotan accent that runs deep in my clan's genes.  or maybe it was her warm smile, outspread arms, and a comfortableness that left us both feeling like we've known each other all of our lives.  or maybe it was all of the above.

let me go back.  back to spring of 2010.  i came across a blog written by a girl well beyond her years.  i was instantly impressed by her way with words, her Christ-like perspective, her blossoming maturity and her heart for her family.  her name is hannah.  and then i saw her mom had a blog, too.  i knew i had to know who was responsible for this hannah.  : )  i wanted to be just like her so my sage could be just like her hannah... i internet met rachel of finding joy.  and if there was ever a blog so aptly named, it would be rachel's.  she strains for, searches for, and seeks joy in the midst of everything - whether it be the daily mundane, the lows of the valley or the highs of the mountain tops.  joy in Christ is her song.  rachel encourages me to sing along and prods me in my own motherhood journey.

rachel and i have always talked about getting to really meet in real life.  i always thought it probably was far-fetched or years and years away.  but then God, in His extreme kindness gave me a precious gift last week.  rachel was nearby charleston, visiting hilton head island for a week with her girlfriends (there were four gals total and they have 22 children between them - talk about superwomanmom's!) and hoped we'd be able to meet for lunch in my city before their flight left charleston.

meanwhile, my grandfather had just passed away so i was booking my trip to california.  i wasn't sure if i'd still be in town when she was.  once i booked the ticket, i let rachel know when i'd be leaving.  turns out she was leaving at the exact same time.  on the exact same airline.  on the exact same flight to atlanta.  what are the odds?!?!

before our flight, along with rachel's girlfriends, we dined at the brunch hotspot of the south, poogan's porch.  it really is as exquisitely southern as it sounds.  the food was just as lovely as our conversations, the charming atmosphere of the old charleston row house restaurant was just right.

from left to right: (top row) rachel, amy (thank you, amy, for taking picture after picture of rachel and i so we could get some we both approved of! ha!), (bottom row) suzy, julie, me.

these ladies are such complete dears.  oh and get this... amy makes the gorgeous, nostalgic legacy bracelets.  i won the bracelet below from rachel's giveaway specifically for my grandmother since my grandpa was going through such a tough cancer battle.  i wanted to encourage her with it.  so to think that i got to meet amy, the sweetheart that made my grandma a bracelet, after my grandfather's passing was yet another special gift. 

after lunch, we said goodbye for a few short hours only to meet up again later at the airport.  this time i got to introduce rachel to my mom and sage baby.  our layovers in atlanta were the same length; as rachel boarded her plane to go north, i boarded mine to go west.  we parted ways with the hope of one day having lunch together again.  the next day i had to pinch myself.  did i really just meet this gal who i've read about for over a year?!  i strangely miss her... it's weird to miss someone you've only spent hours with but it's true, i do.  i admire rachel more than ever and i'm thankful God gave me the precious gift of this bright spot in the midst of my weepy week.  this was certainly a coincidence not.

misc. mon. from the land that i love.

write your randoms and link-up below.

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one.  the state i'm in.

after journeying the country by plane, i reached the land that i love - northern california, near san francisco - and it seems that i've come down with a case of vertigo combined with body aching fatigue.  the room is spinning, my eyelids are taped open, and my fingers are somehow managing to find the letters. all the while, i seem to be wrapped up in a tangled web of bittersweet emotions... crying one moment, laughing out loud till my belly hurts the next.  mourning a body's departure from this world and rejoicing over a new soul in heaven.  it's pleasant and painful all at once.

me with my grandmother and sage.

my mom with her grand-daughter.

two.  from california with love.

sage baby and i are here while our boys are home.  we miss them something fierce.  this one's for you two ~

three.  ignorance was bliss.

in case you weren't aware, in 'n out, is hands down the most delightful fast food for the tastey buds on your tongue.  the ingredients are fresh and natural, the prices are recession-proof, the dining room is always clean and the service is superb.  and that rates right at five whole golden stars in my book.  the entire experience was perfectly pleasant until miss california and it's progessive self decided to make a law requiring calorie counts pasted to menu boards.  don't get me wrong, i like this idea, just as long as i'm not eating fries and hamburgers... i'd rather not know what damage is being done.  as i add up the calories in my head, it makes it awfully hard to eat a whole hamburger along with a bushel of fries not to mention the more than satisfying milkshakes.  and with all that said, i ate it for lunch yesterday. 

four.  tales from the backyard.

sage and i are enjoying the outdoors - i'm soaking in the cool west coast rays while i can - and managed to come out unscathed.  no dying of heat stroke, gasping for breaths, or drowning in a puddle of stinky sweat as is the usual case under our southern sun.  another reminder why real estate is so ridiculously pricey out here.

five. a gift and thanks.

in the midst of my teary week, God sent me a precious gift born from "coincidence."  it was a sweet blessing... a real life friendship was born.  you have to wait to hear the full story tomorrow.  because it's just that good. trust me.  : )  and also, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind condolescencs and prayers for my family. it's as if i received gobs of flowers and lots of pretty sunshine.  you're all gems. 

-carissa

he called me miss america.

what was going to be a light-hearted, fancy free, fashion forward post has morphed into a stroll down memory lane due to the events that came about yesterday.  my grandfather has gone home to be with the Lord.  his pain and suffering is no more, the cancer can't hurt him any longer.  he is with Christ in perfect peace.  although i'm sad, clinging to the memories gives me peace.  for a long time, i just held it all in, trying not to mourn, because after all, he's in heaven.  but now, like a ship headed windward and opening it's sails, i'm letting it all out.  it feels better this way.

death is a funny thing.  kind of like a bad joke.  only it stings and changes everything.  i've always been familiar with death, i tasted it at the ripe young age of nine when my dad and grandma both died in the same year.  it's sad, but so goes the circle of life.  

~ my grandparents with their great-grandchildren overlooking the stunning golden gate ~

i'm calling to mind the moments with him, he was there when i came into this world, when i graduated, got married, had children.  i'm grateful for the legacy he imparted on this family of ours. 

~ my grandpa and i in the sierra nevada mountains ~

i think he knew that the key to my insecure heart in my chubby nine year old frame was to call me a name that made me feel beautiful.  it worked.  : )  i was his miss america.  he was my only grandpa... good thing, since he stole my heart.

~ sage and her great grandpa ~

i'm sad for my grandma.  thinking of living without someone you lived with for fifty-seven years seems unbearable for this girl who can't even go a day without chocolate.  most of my grandparent's are gone now.  it's a strange thing when there's only one generation left ahead of you.  the years, they go by.

~ hunter and his great pa, riding a train in sonoma valley ~

i went on a long run last night and since running my heart out while crying my eyes off was not too great of a combo, i quit, came home and wrote this.  writing is always like aloe on my sunburned skin... it soothes.

i don't think that flying by myself on a plane with my baby, traveling 3,000 miles across the country to california to go to a funeral is going to be fun, but at least it's in the land that is home to me.  and the food is my palate's favorite, the scenery is always a delight to my eyes, and the weather.  awww, the weather. it will be music to my hot ears.  being in my favorite place with some of my favorite souls will bring comfort and closure.

-carissa

miscellany monday

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one. i'm hopping aboard the three.six.five train because i believe there's no better way to celebrate a new camera (all my ebay selling paid off to pay for my camera and i mostly came away un-scammed) than to take pictures every single day for an entire year's time.  

i have dreamt of taking a blurry, backgrounded, halo headed picture for so long.  now it's within reach.  the picture taking possibilities feel endless.  to learning i go.

two. this is what bloomers are for.

three.  i think he likes me.  a lot.  a lot.  i give Kelly the camera and this is what i get ~

four.  this settles it.  with her incessant dishwasher kissing i'm convinced we've got an eventual domestic diva in our midst. 

five.  best weekend ever = reuniting with my cousin after seven years.  Rachael's dad was my dad's brother and since my dad died, i don't get to see that side of the family often. not to mention we are all spread across the miles from california to colorado to the carolinas.  i cherished the reminiscing; i felt a sense of gushing nostalgia the whole time.   

six. this morning i woke up with a well of joy deep down inside over getting to be a mommy. there's no other way i'd want to spend my days than with my babies. AND i get to be married to the man of my dreams.  AND - the best for last - i serve a gracious God who washes me clean with the blood of the risen Lamb.  this brings me unspeakable joy.  

-carissa

my mod podge method, a tutorial-ish.

do you want to create an awesome canvas (that's dirt cheap) for anything your little heart so desires?!  you do?  yippee!  you've come to the right place.  it's almost like going to Michael's except you will not have to sell everything you own to walk out without being in debt.  your husbands can thank me.

let's backtrack for a moment.  i think crafts are cool and awesome and everything, but a craft is useless to me unless it's something we almost need.  i say "almost" because i don't really think any craft could qualify as a necessity, or i at least couldn't convince my man it is positively needed for survival's sake.  thus, i have a problem spending money just to make a craft.  call me no fun, but i'd rather eat dinner tonight than have a cutesy creation to call my own. 

all that to say, i made a craft. cause i'm fickle like that.  and thankfully this craft cost under $10 so we won't starve.  

; )  

my fickleness can be blamed on changing Hunter's room from a safari theme (when i created his safari theme room before he was born, i was certain it would last until he turned 10.  newsflash:  Hunter is only 2.  moral of the story: keep everything simple and themeless... go for color schemes rather than themes... they're cheaper and easier to coordinate with) to a non-theme, other than some color and fun boy decor (rockets, trucks, variety).  my aim is for a vintage/modern twist.  we purchased his twin bed (a Pottery Barn one) for $80 at a yard sale and the cheapest-without-being-ugly bedding i could find him was a blue/aqua/grey quilt and sheet set on sale at Target for $20.  needless to say, the white bed with bluesy bedding doesn't match the earth tone yellows and browns of the safari details.  for now, it doesn't matter to me.  he has a bed to sleep in and that's what counts!  however, i got this rocket ship canvas idea one day and had to go for it because i knew it would be budget friendly and a baby step in the room decor change.

the good news is, he loves it!  like wants to carry it all around the house with him kind of love. 

this is pretty self-explanatory but what would a tutorial be without a little instruction?

getting prepared:

 gather your favorite scrapbook papers, mod podge, two foam brushes, some paint, and a canvas.

step one: paint the background of the canvas.

 step two: once the canvas is completely dry, get a design in your head and bring it to life by cutting it out of scrapbook papers.

step three: get to the business of mod podgin'.

note: don't be alarmed when your canvas looks like it does below.  you haven't committed mod podge murder.  this stuff has superpowers and dries completely clear.

finished product!

and one day, when Hunter's room is nixed of the earth tones and animals, i'll be sure to show you how cute this looks in there. 

the cost broken down: just under $10.  i had to buy a canvas, mod-podge, paint and two foam brushes.  i had all the scrapbook paper.  so with my Michael's 40% coupon in hand (i did go there a few times on different days to get each item with a coupon) my craft project came to life.

have you mod podged lately? 

-carissa

i'm linking up with Rachel today because this project was a favorite of mine this week!

miscellany monday

write random and join in below.

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1. this installment of miscellany monday will focus on a series of confessions.   also known as looking at my weird self in the mirror. brought to you by my conscience.  

2. i watched a special on Selena Gomez while my man was out of town.  i think she's rocks and i indulge the hidden fifteen year old that's pinned up inside of me with her songs.  only when no one is looking.  i remember her well from her Barney days.  now i just gave myself away, considering i was in 5th grade when Barney came out.  with a hint of deductive reasoning you are right to assume i watched the purple dinosaur up until i was eleven.  

{via}
3.  yesterday i delighted my ears once more with some 80's soft rock.  Hall and Oates aren't just for my parent's homemade cassette tapes dubbed the "love mix."  and while i didn't enjoy them so much in 3rd grade, they've won me over by now. - i mean, look at them.

{via}

4. and while i'm on this music track, i want to give a shout-out to Enya.  because her music is fun to play ballerina to.
 

5.  so i've been selling on ebay.  and coincidentally not, i'm convinced my blood pressure is up.  there's something about countless question answering, money transferring, box hunting, packaging and shipping, all while trying not to get somehow cheated, that makes me nervous.  


6.  i can't stomach fried food.  it runs right through me like the Mississippi delta does it's namesake state.


7. i read the last few pages of the end of some books (mainly novels) to make sure it ends in a good way.  call me a spoiler, but if a books ending doesn't sit well with me, i prefer to move on down the line.

this is my current read.  it's full of pirates, grace, a love tale and the revolutionary war.


8. my two year old is now too smart for my own good.  so i guess i'm admitting to not being smarter than a toddler - forget 5th graders!  Hunter is famous for his egg allergy and is keen on the idea of getting out of eating.  so little mr. finicky phil himself has put two and two together.  only in my book, this doesn't equal four.  if Hunter doesn't want to eat something he says, "no, egg hour-gee.  can't eat it." i feel snookered.

9.  i attempted to get a decent self-portrait all while making it look far from a self-portrait.  i thought maybe if i threw my baby in the shot it wouldn't look so obviously staged and selfy.  fail.

she has a look of "this again?!  enough mom!" plastered to her face.  also, please excuse my beak kiss. ~

rule #122 of self-portrait taking: disguise the arm taking the picture ~

10.  i told my husband that i think today's date, seven/eleven/eleven is cute.  he didn't get what makes a date cute.  rhyming and repetition, duh!  happy cute date day!

*stuff carissa likes.

*first and foremost, my ESV study Bible. {i lied.  i don't just like this.  i love it.  it's my source!}

{sometimes i don't mind a grainy picture once in a while.  or sometimes i'm just too lazy to take another one.}

*rolly poly babyness... this is most assuredly the 512th time i've mentioned her chub, but it's worth it.

*wispy baby hair that's as soft as 100% cotton.

*the queen of hand-me-downs herself has worked her older girl cousins out of their job with her chubby, ultra-wide feet.  leaving her shoeless.  until.  amazon and their timely deal on these pediped's for $16.

*it's true, i eat salsa from the deli counter and guac from a box. and i want to eat it everyday. judge me why dontcha.

*free legos thanks to uncle Andrew's twelve year-old self finally growing out of the duplos.

*zoo trips.  although my child is acting so 13ish already and is completely uncool with taking a picture with his mother in public.  let alone outside of the kangaroo stomping ground.

*blank canvases = endless possibilities. 

*stuff that adheres to blank canvases to create something {hopefully} beautiful.

*pretty things that hang and hold candles.

*late bloomers, blossoming right outside my window.

*my other half.

-carissa


i'm linking up with rachel today.