Resolution Recap

It's almost February!
Right about this time of year, we start getting busy with
day to day life.
We forget that exactly one month ago we resolved 
to cure a disease, solve world peace, and adopt a third world country.
Every year I'm completely guilty of this.
But not this year!
 You can read about my resolutions here.
At the end of each month I plan to give a Resolution Recap.
Hopefully this will keep me nice and accountable.
[whether I like it or not]

Without further ado...
I have finished 1 book
and I'm 3/4 of the way done with another.
Well on my way to the 25 book goal.
 
... 
Mr and I have read our Bibles together
every single day 
this is the most exciting one for me
because it's so easy to push this aside and
"do it later, or another day." 
But not this year! 
So far we have read...
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
and
Jonah 
...
And last but definitely not least,
Project 365
A photo a day for 365 days.
that's a lot of photos. 
Here are some of my favorites from January...
  to see more of this project check out my photography page
by clicking the logo right below!
 
So, who else remembers their New Year's Resolution[s]?


Foto Fun

Okay, so it's not friday but I still wanted to participate in
this fun foto friday link up over at Household 6 Diva

 The theme for this week was SOOC, Straight out of the Camera.
So I tried to find my favorite raw image straight from my camera, no editing done.
The photo I chose was from an engagement shoot I recently did.
I love the colors, location and focus.

 all images © Chestnut Tree Photography

thanks for stopping by to check out my raw image :)

...

I would also like to say that I bought a brand spank'n new curling iron today, that's not Revlon.
Because everything you buy when you're 14 is Revlon.
AND dun dun dun...I got my eye brows waxed, for the first time ever.
Sheesh I'm growing up right before my very own eyes.


Lovely Yellow Ribbons

Yellow ribbons give me a wide range of emotions.
I'm proud 
because I know it represents a hero fighting for our country.
I feel pain 
for the things that soldier may be going through.
I smile 
because all who walk by it will remember our soldiers.
I'm sad 
because I know whoever put that ribbon up was left behind.
I'm grateful
for the sacrifice of every family who sent their loved one away.
I'm angry
that it has to be me.
I'm happy 
because it reminds me I'm not alone in this.


 Each one of those emotions swept through me as I stopped
to take pictures of these yellow ribbons around campus today.
These bright yellow ribbons are all over my school right now
and I'm so glad because it reminds me of my husband and that
there are others just like him, and just like me too.

I miss you husband!


what's on my celly?

hello all you beautifuls
there's a party here and you don't want to miss it

:)

Zephaniah 3:17 is my favorite Bible verse.

Jumping now from Bible Betty to Road Rage Rita.
Nothing irritates me more than back to school traffic and morning fog.
Where the crap did your sun go, California?
ugh.

I have mentioned to Mr that 
I want a cute bird tattoo at some point.
Well, the other day Mr and I were talking about tattoos we want to get 
when he comes home from this deployment. 
We want to get something that symbolizes our strength for making it 
through such a difficult time in our lives. 
Well, he suggested a Phoenix.
I didn't know what a Phoenix looked like for some reason,
so I googled it.
I'm not sure where the mis-communication took place,
but by cute...I did not mean outrageously creepy.
Nor did I realize I had married a nerd bomber.
Needless to say, I shot the idea down and suggested he
never put a Phoenix on his body.
Unless it's on his side as pictured below ;)
[not]

And we'll end on a pretty note.
I heart you instagram

your turn!
 


Must Reads

I really love to read,
so I thought I might share some of my 
absolute favorite books over the 
last few months. 
These are some of the books I 
couldn't put down once
I started them.

The Weight of Silence
by Heather Gudenkauf
 
Two families wake up to find their little girls
have gone missing, with no leads in sight.
Petra and Calli are best friends, but what sets them
apart is Calli went mute at a young age brought on 
by a tragic event that forever changed her and her family's lives. 
Petra serves as Calli's voice and shows the meaning
of true friendship. This is by far,
one of the best books I've ever read.

 The Pact
by Jodi Picoult
 The Hartes and the Golds were best friends 
and lived next door to each other for 18 years. 
Their children Emily and Chris, 
also best friends did everything together. 
A tragic event leads each family pointing fingers at one another
and questioning whether they really know their children.
 Absolutely compelling and a total page turner, 
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an intense read.

The Hunger Games 
[triology]
by Suzanne Collins
 
This book is set in a futuristic nation known as Panem which is made up of 12 districts and the Capitol. Every year the Capitol hosts an event known as the "Hunger Games." Each district must send one boy and girl to the Games where they will fight to the death, with only one victor in the end. The names that Suzanne Collins uses in this trilogy are fantastic.

Redeeming Love
by France Rivers
 This modern day story of Hosea and Gomer was amazing. If you read Hosea 1-3 in the Bible it's a picture of God constantly pursuing you. He will never give up on you or think you aren't good enough and this novel brings that story to light in a beautiful way. No matter how many times you stray from God he will always be there with wide open arms when you're ready to come back. This book just made my heart completely happy.

You Know When the Men Are Gone
by Siobhan Fallon
 I recently read a review about this book from No Model Lady.
As soon as I saw what she had to say, I knew this would be on my list of must reads. This book is a collection of short stories, each a different perspective of families going through war. Siobhan gives insight into the lives of wives who are left behind while their husbands serve overseas. I could not put this book down from the second I started reading it. As a military spouse I found it easy to relate with things in the book. But, if you aren't a military spouse I would still recommend this book to you if you desire knowing what life is like on the home front of a military spouse.
...
I hope you will consider one or all of these books. Each one holds a special place on my bookshelf. Unless of course I read it on my fancy new kindle ;D


Who am I?

I am the Mrs.
I sing and dance in the shower.
I am very messy, 
but I go on cleaning rampages where everything
has to be spotless, it's weird.
I want the word Beloved tattooed on my foot. 
I could watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S everyday
all day
and I talk about them like they're
my friends. 
I love to read intense books,
no Nicholas Sparks for me.
One of my all time favorite books is
I light candles everyday.
I like to vacuum.
My Pandora station is set to Ke$ha Radio.
[embarrassing]
But seriously guys
those beats give me my best dance moves, 
and Ke$ha only comes on like once or twice 
so its okay. 
I journal regularly.
My favorite snack is fishy crackers,
parmesan and cheddar.
I text my husband back really fast,
but I suck at texting everyone else.
I love sushi, cooked only.
I take pictures, a lot.
I am a proud military spouse.
...
If you want to know more..
just ask!



Thank Yous Are In Order

Hello to all my new followers! 
I can't believe there are 63 of you 
that care what I have to say.
It may not sound like a lot to most 
but I started this blog as an outlet while my
husband is deployed overseas 
and I never thought other people
would find my little life interesting.
So thank you all for taking time to read my rants
and caring about what I have to say.
I truly love and appreciate all your support.

..

A big thank you also to Amanda over at Amanda & Don.
 
 She featured me on her blog today 
and brought over a lot of my new lovelies!
Please make sure to stop by her blog and  
show her some love.
She's adorable and 
living life without her hubs right now,
as he is overseas as well.
Thank you again for featuring me Amanda, 
that brightened my day.

..

Next thank you in order goes to
the lovely ladies of A Lil Bird told me...
I was given an award.
who me? isn't this a special surprise.
I'm in love with their blog.
They are crafty, creative and make me want to go thrifting
everyday.
Thank you, Thank you ladies!
you have also brightened my day
:)



Laundry Mishap

As of lately, I noticed our dryer was taking an
abnormally long time 
to dry our clothes. 
When I say abnormally, 
I mean 2 cycles for a small load of clothes 
and 3-4 cycles to dry a small load of towels. 
I just assumed that being in an apartment they bought us appliances from a crap hole place and I should just deal with high electric bills and setting aside 
entire days 
for just one load of laundry. 
Well, this past week I spent some time over at my friend's apartment since her husband recently left for basic training with the 
Coast Guard
I noticed we had the same washer dryer combo and decided to ask how many times she has to dry her clothes before they're actually dry.    
She looked at me like I was crazy and that's when I knew  
we had a problem
Our dryer was broken and I was going to have to call stupid maintenance and cause all sorts of raucous.
dangit!
As I was mentally preparing the things I would say
to the office girls about our  
dryer problem 
my friend asked how often I clean out the lint screen. 
"ummmm..everytime I dry clothes..duh..
what kind of suzy homemaker do you think I am?" 
 So fast forward a day and it's time for me to do laundry. 
I set aside a good portion of my day for the task at hand. 
The washer finishes washing and I decided to pull out 
Mr Lint Collector 
and clean it out just to be sure.
(never mind that my wrist doesn't fully exist here..I do however have one)
 so I clean up all the ick and grossness around the lint screen and in the hole where the lint screen goes. 
Then I felt something furry where my thumb was sitting.
"why is there lint inside the lint collector?" 
was my exact thought, and as it came out in my mind I knew how dumb that very statement was. 
 turns out, it opens up.
And this very yummy surprise was all bundled up and cozy inside.
holy freaking disgustingness
I felt like such a dirt ball. 
We have only lived here for 2 months!
There's no way we could have acquired this much lint in that amount of time, right?
Which lead me to the conclusion that whoever lived here before us did not know about the secret door
mr lint collector had either.
so there you have it. 
our dryer does indeed work, and quite well actually.
I put a medium size load in today for just 
40 minutes! 
This is such an exciting thing for me because now I will no longer have 
laundry days
just laundry hours here and there. 
Good thing I didn't make a fool of myself
down at the front office
:) 


All Dressed Up

I'm so excited to show off my new stuff and get


with the Lady today!

The left picture makes me look weirdly out of proportion 
but just ignore that :)
 cardigan: Forever 21, shirt: Forever 21, pants: Ross, shoes: Target, 
owl necklace: Forever 21, purse: thrifted
 

I found this purse at a thrift store this week for $4.25 
so stoked! 
...

Since Mr is deployed right now
I thought it might be fun to incorporate 
some sort of yellow 
in my everyday outfits
 Whether that yellow comes from 
my purse
a necklace
or a stripe on my shirt
I want it to represent that 
lovely yellow ribbon 
you see on cars and around trees
I'll try and keep up with it daily
until he comes back home to me
Just as a reminder to pray for him 
and our other service members through out my day
I think this purse shall do just the trick 
on most days 
:)
 


What's on my celly?


I was flipping through an Urban Outfitters magazine
this week and came across something that confused me.
I'm down with mixing prints, but honey on the right is hurtin
my eyes with that ensemble...no? and did I miss the memo 
on sandals and socks?
 
I went to San Francisco this week and found the street
where I'm meant to live one day. Mr was on board.

..and other pretty parts of SF

Why is she creepin on my book thrifting?
eek!

Surprise flowers at my doorstep.
I love you Mr 
:)

 This is my new shirt, and I would wear it everyday 
if it were socially acceptable to do so :)

Have a lovely day,
but not before you check out and follow
:)


San Francisco Love

all images © Chestnut Tree Photography

I took a day trip to San Francisco with my friend Cate.
We hiked up the hills of the city and felt the burn,
but it was worth every picture :)
For more pictures from the day check out my photography blog.
Have a lovely Saturday.





All Dressed Up...Sort Of

Today is a comfy day but I still decided to play


with the Lady!

yellow hoodie: target, old jeans: tillys, white cami: love culture, 
owl necklace: forever 21, moccasins: target

I don't know why my feet are always weird?


What's on my celly?

Tuesday came quick this week,
so quick that I didn't even get interesting pics on my celly.
sorry guys!
 But here's the excitement anyway...

 Is this a good book?
I always get sucked in by covers and then I hate the book,
I guess it's good I have a kindle now so I won't
make that mistake anymore ;)

This seriously rad truck sits in front of my friends house.
I'm a tad jealous.
Notice the beauty-full fog surrounding it? 
I'm in love.
Check out the shoot I did with this truck and her adorable kiddo here!

He eats. He poops. He instantly passes out.
Oh to be a baby.

Did you check out that shoot yet?
no? why not? seriously..why?
ok here's a sneak peek.
now do you want to?

For more fun linky pics and a super fun blog to read, 
check out Jessica's page!
Thanks for stopping by :)


10 on 10: January

 One photo, every hour for ten hours on the tenth of each month.
This was a lot more challenging than I expected it to be, 
but I had a lot of fun with it..
go here to join in :)

Oh and mind you, I was without a car most of today so I had to 
get creative around my house which definitely added to the challenge!
I went to breakfast with my grandma, cleaned up Christmas, vacuumed the house,
folded my laundry, read part of my book and made the best of being lazy.
Here's what my day looked like.

Happy Monday!

...

don't forget to check out my photography blog!


Little Liam

 all images © Chestnut Tree Photography

This little guy is seriously awesome.
He makes the funniest faces and is a total flirt.
What's not to love about his bright blue eyes and blonde hair?
he's the perfect little boy.
 Oh, and that truck, the colors make my heart very happy indeed!

have you checked THIS out yet?
follow me on my photography blog
:)