V-Day Mug Swap

 

 

I'm a big fan of cute coffee mugs and have recently started collecting them during my travels.  And I also love meeting new friends and sending thoughtful presents, so I knew I had to participate in The Valentine Swap, hosted by Sew Caroline and Alissa @ Rags to Stitches. 

 

We were randomly paired with a partner to swap a cute mug, filled with something fun that they like.  My partner was Heidi at Antlers and Roses.  She lives out in California, and I enjoy reading her fashion posts and seeing the pictures on Instagram of her two precious children! 

 

Heidi sent me this mug that I LOVE.  Does it not just scream Valentine's Day, and really just a bright pick-me-up any old time?  I forsee a relaxing Saturday morning in the near future spent sipping the coffee Abi gave me in my new mug!

 

 

Check out all the other fun goodies Heidi included with the mug!

 

 

 

Don't worry, I've already put the heart-shaped ice cube trays to good use.  Combined with some pink food coloring, they were perfect in the mimosas that my roommate and I served at our Mary Kay party last weekend, and I have a feeling they may re-appear for our "single girls only" Valentine's Day party this evening!

 

 

Thanks for such a fun gift, Heidi!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

 



Valentine Gift Exchange 2013

One of the things I love most about the blogging world is meeting new people.  It is amazing how someone may live thousands of miles away from me and I've never met them in person, but through blogging, they become a friend to me, and someone I think about and pray for often.

I instantly felt a connection and found a new friend in Abi over at A Cup of Whimsy, who I was paired with for a lovely Valentine's Day link-up hosted by Nicole, Lauren, Alycia, and Ashlee.

It was too perfect that we were paired together.  Abi is a brand-new blogger, and I've only really been blogging regular for a couple of months, so we can relate.  I was instantly drawn to her friendliness as we chatted over email, her great sense of style and appreciation for pretty things and finding joys, and of course, her faith.  We shared our favorite things, and the lists were almost identical- pictures, making our apartments pretty, painting our nails, traveling, reading, blogging, and spending quality time with people.  If only we lived in the same state!

I told Abi that it was the first time I've ever mailed a package to Oregon, a state I've never visited and about which I have very limited knowledge.

Well, clever and thoughtful girl that she is, Abi put together a package of goodies that are relate back to Oregon in some way and kept a predominately purple theme throughout- she sure knows how to make me happy!  Did I mention that I love absolutely everything in the package? I told my mom that it's seriously me in a box!

For starters, everything was beautifully wrapped.  Purple and music paper?! I love.

The whole package!  Nail polish (PURPLE- can't wait to wear it; perfect for spring) purchased in Oregon, chocolate handcrafted in Portland (yum), coffee from a shop in downtown Corvallis, and a book from one of her favorite series with an author who used to live in Oregon.  Abi wrote me the sweetest note explaining the meaning of everything, which was such a personal touch that let me know just how much thought went into my Valentine's Day gift! 

Chocolate and sea salt? Yes please!

I will certainly treasure the notes she wrote me! I love the photos on them, and Abi wrote out Ephesians 3:14-21, which is such a beautiful reminder of God's truth and love. 

Abi, thank you so much for the thoughtful, beautiful gift! It is amazing how well you seem to know me already. : )  I hope you make it to Texas one of these days, because I would love to show you Dallas!

 You can check out my little package for Abi that she shared about here.

Happy almost Valetine's Day!

What Is Love? According to Kids...

I thought this was too sweet.  I love children and the way they view the world...and I'm pretty sure a few of these kids might have a better idea of what love is than grown-ups do!

Which one is your favorite?

"Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way."

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day."

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."

"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Valentine Weekend in Los Angeles

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me." -The Notebook

This past weekend I was able to get a great deal on airfare (thanks to my friend Renee for giving me a heads-up!) and fly out to Los Angeles to spend pre-Valentine's Day weekend with Alex. This was our 7th Valentine's Day to celebrate together, and it was wonderful! The weekend went by too fast, as they always do, but we were blessed with beautiful weather, lots of things to do, and, of course, each other.

I arrived in LA Thursday evening at about 10 p.m. (midnight in Dallas.) The flight there was nice because there was no one in the middle seat, and I talked to a really interesting guy at the end of my row who was from Bombay and knows six languages! So cool. Alex picked me up at the airport, and we always laugh about my arrivals because the LAX airport is crazy! It has made me appreciate DFW so much! Instead of a cliche, romantic greeting after not seeing each other for a month, Alex has to pull up to the curb, and then we throw my suitcase in and jump in the car, with people honking, buses everywhere, and parking guys yelling. Very romantic, haha! This time was no exception...it keeps things interesting! : )

Once we got back to Alex's apartment, we spent the rest of the evening catching up, cuddling, and relaxing. We also opened our presents! Alex got me pink sparkly TOMS! I love them!! I have always wanted TOMS but never knew which pair to get. I didn't even know they made pink sparkly ones, so he did an amazing job! We stayed up late (2 a.m., also known as 4 a.m. Dallas time!) and then slept in a little bit on Friday morning.


Friday afternoon we went to The Grove, a huge shopping and restaurant area in LA that celebrities frequent. We didn't see any celebrities, but it was really fun to walk around and browse the stores. Alex was a good sport and went in the American Girl store and let me reflect on all the dolls I wanted as a child. We also went through the farmers' market there, which was really cool and reminded me of this huge marketplace we visited when my family was in Hawaii last summer.


That evening, Alex cooked us a delicious stir fry dinner, and then we went out with his neighbors, Alana and Erik. We decided to go to James Beach Bar & Grill, as it is a major place in our favorite movie, "I Love You, Man." If you haven't seen it, you should, but the main characters Peter and Sidney go there and eat what are supposedly the best fish tacos in the world. Because of the fame the movie has brought the restaurant, the fish tacos are pretty pricey now, so we just went for drinks and to enjoy the atmosphere. It was definitely a happening place, and we had a great time with Alana and Erik! While there, we also ran into a girl from Coppell that I went to middle school with...how crazy is that?! Fun night, and we watch that movie all the time, so it was really cool to visit!




The amazing weekend and gorgeous weather continued on Saturday, so we went to the Getty Center, a museum that you have to ride a tram uphill to visit. In addition to a ton of paintings, sculptures, and other art inside, the outside overlooks LA and offers beautiful views and gardens. We could see everything! We picked an ideal day, because we overheard so many people say that it was normally not that clear. We walked around for quite a while, and ended the afternoon laying on the grass and relaxing. After we left there, it was time for our Valentine's date : ) Alex cooked another delicious dinner, and we had wine and watched The Notebook...my idea, of course, but luckily he is a wonderful boyfriend and watched it with me. We also had Samoa ice crea for dessert...try it if you haven't, trust us on this one!




Sunday came all too soon, but we made the most of our last day. To continue the movie-themed weekend, we went to Angels Knoll, this pretty park in the middle of downtown. It's up on a hill, and there's a trolley that takes people up the steep incline. In the old days, people paid a penny to ride it, while the poor people took the staircase. Alex and I decided to be poor people and get a little exercise! The park was so pretty in the middle of all those buildings, and what we know it as is the park from the movie (500) Days of Summer, another one that we really enjoy. In the movie, the couple comes to that park often and sits on this bench. The bench is now famous and has a plaque on it, so we of course had to sit on it and take pictures! It was really cool and another absolutely gorgeous day!



After Angels Knoll, we walked around downtown a little more, saw where the Staples Center was already set for the Grammy's that night, and then went back to Alex's apartment to get ready for his concert and my departure. : (

Saying good-bye is so hard, and it definitely was this weekend. The best news is that Alex will be home in just a few weeks for spring break! We had such a great time that I wasn't ready to leave, and I miss him already. It's hard to be away from people you love, but it really is true that being apart makes you appreciate your time together so much more. Thank you, Alex, for an amazing Valentine's weekend. I love you so much!