Amazement

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 by Lindsey

It always amazes me when God moves a mountain right in front of my eyes, and I still doubt His grace, His control in my life, His flawless plans for my future, His unconditional love and forgiveness...but then the smallest drop jerks me back to reality.  Amidst all the chaos, and frustration, and confusion, and instability, He is quiet, constant, full of clarity and stability.  His power is endless, and He has the strength and influence to help me overcome anything, and grow in ways that are unimaginable to me.

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Style Shoot

Friday, May 28, 2010 by Lindsey

Now that I'm finally recovering from the shoot and I only have about half a dozen emails that need replying to, I thought I'd catch up on blogging this afternoon.  The style shoot was such a success, and was honestly better than I ever could've imagined.  It was exactly what I pictured and more, and I learned so much from it.  Despite a few hitches (losing our first location, and one of the original couples changing their minds last-minute) everything went very smoothly, and both of the "hitches" actually led to better solutions!



So now everyone's question is..."When is the next one?!"  Which is really encouraging, for sure.  When all of the photographers began to arrive at the shoot, I was a crazy person - there were models who weren't even there yet, and I didn't have the schedules.  All I could tell them was "have a seat...I brought bottled water!" Everyone was awesome, though, and just rolled with the punches. We got started 20 minutes late and the schedule went out the window, but no one really seemed to mind.  It was so cool to see people pulling together, sharing ideas.  There were only a few who mentioned that they would've preferred to get back onto the schedule.

My hope is that I can make this a bi-yearly event, maybe have it be a little more exclusive and offer the tickets to previous attendees first, and then move on to advertising it.  I will probably have fewer models next time with more elaborate setups.   My ultimate goal is to have a grand piano in the middle of a field, as well as to have an urban grunge "masquerade ball" shoot.  For now I'll probably stick with more "traditional" stuff.  I know most of the people attending this event were there for portfolio expansion, but eventually I would love for the point of the shoots to be about sharing creative vision and growing as artists.  It's so easy to get lost in "defaults" of what you know works for client shoots, and I really want it to be about finding ways to experiment and stretch as artists without the risk of messing up client photos.

So, I think that's all for now, but definitely keep an eye out soon, lots of exciting things in the works:
• New Branding for Elusive Photography
• A Separate Site for Elusive Design
• A Photo Series Entitled "Human Stripes"
• A "Pull your own happiness wagon" photoshoot
• Plans for ANOTHER style shoot

AND (just in case I didn't sound enough like an infomercial...) SO MUCH MORE!

-Lindsey

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One day!!

Sunday, May 23, 2010 by Lindsey

God has blessed this style shoot in ways I cannot even explain, I'm SO thrilled to be working with so many amazing, sweet, and talented people tomorrow, even if I do have a laundry list of stuff still left to-do.

This time tomorrow morning I'll be sitting outside Costco waiting to pick up the bouquets! (At least I know if I can pull this off, then I can certainly pull off a wedding, right?)  Now I just have to drag myself up to get my day going...

I'm sure I will post a sneak peek tomorrow night! Just pray the weather holds out...chance of rain keeps fluctuating and it's making me nervous.

-Lindsey

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It's a rainy day in the loveliest way...

Thursday, May 13, 2010 by Lindsey

Who can you find in my rainy day photoediting playlist? (Yep, I have a playlist for just such an occasion.)

Joe Purdy, Alexi Murdoch, Brett Dennen, Joshua Radin, The Weepies, Iron and Wine, William Fitzsimmons, Pete Yorn, Glen Hansard, Yuriumi, Mark O'Connor, She & Him.

Today started out awesome when I hit (and exceeded) my minimum ticket sales to cover the cost of the style shoot.  Ahhh, what a thing to wake up to!  God has blessed this endeavor so greatly, I couldn't ask for more.  Not only that, but one of my favorite local photographers will be in attendance!

So I'm sitting here with the kettle on, anxiously checking the front porch for pretty vintage props for the photoshoot, and daydreaming of things to come.

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The times they are a-changin'

Friday, May 7, 2010 by Lindsey

I'm not even sure where to start, I've been meaning to write a post for a few weeks now but just haven't had a chance.  My life has been a swirling vortex of chaotic creative change (alliteration ftw) and I am in the process of some relatively in-depth lifestyle changes.  So, with that said...I'm just going to dive in randomly and update on some interesting things I've been doing.

• Focusing on focus, and giving up coffee. (!!)


Not forever.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I love coffee.  I'm just trying to decrease my caffeine intake because I realized that while I'd thought I was lacking in energy, what I was really lacking was focus.  Caffeine had really been taking a negative effect on me, and I was so jittery that it was making me tired all the time.  (Well, that in conjunction with other things.) Probably once I get it out of my system, I'll drink decaf, or half-caf.   






I've really benefitted lately from reading Dr. Daniel Amen's book, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body" which has helped me in learning about some of the ways I can help myself to be healthier and less emotionally volatile by boosting serotonin levels, getting more vitamin D, etc., it's all stuff that makes sense.   Surprisingly, that book has worked hand-in-hand with another awesome book I've been reading "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp, which is a handbook for creative professionals with some specific guidelines in helping to optimize a creative lifestyle.   By adding just a small amount of structure to my life, it has actually freed me to begin to explore my own faith, and deepen in my artistic strengths. 






A few of the things I've done inspired by "The Creative Habit" is to create a morning routine, and cover all of my mirrors with sheets.   The morning routine has been so helpful to me, and again...makes sense.  Before my feet even hit the floor in the morning...I put on my shoes.  That one simple act has become a defining moment for my day. Once my shoes are on I have no excuse to get back into bed.  Then I make my bed...just in case I was thinking "eh...I don't really care if I have my shoes on in bed." and go workout.  By the time I'm awake enough to consider that I'm hungry, or want a cup of coffee, or my clothes don't match...I'm already half a mile down the sidewalk.  No turning back.  My goal is to keep this up for 30 days, and then hopefully by that point, it won't be such work, and wouldn't totally throw me off to day one day off a week.


As far as the mirror thing goes: it was supposed to be an artistic experiment, a way to ignore my appearance and focus on expressing myself in different ways, stretching my creative voice.  Surprisingly, it's actually been really helpful in getting me back on track with my healthy lifestyle changes.  I've noticed that I feel more accomplished, and healthier, and don't get discouraged because I'm not seeing an immediate change in my appearance. I feel better. Honestly, I don't care how I look for the moment, it's less stress for me, and I had been so stressed about so many things, I'm trying to refocus and not allow myself to get so stressed. 


• Organizing and Hosting a Stylized Photo Shootout for local Photographers


So, yeah...this has consumed my life.  Inspired by a similar shoot hosted by the lovely and talented Andi Grant, I decided to take on the challenge of hosting one myself.  Oy! I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  20 tickets, 10 models, 6 volunteer stylists, 5 necklaces, 4 wedding dresses, 3 pairs of shoes, 2 vintage suitcases, and 1 picnic basket later...and I'm still not done planning it all!  Don't get me wrong, it's definitely going well...but there are so many things I hadn't even considered.  Even so, I think (after I've had a few months to recover) this could definitely be something I see myself hosting on a regular basis, with different sets and models each time.   My ultimate goal is to have a grand piano in the middle of a field, with a fantasy-themed shoot. 






• Concentrating on now, and leaving later for later. 


So, I know I haven't written a wedding/marriage planning post in a while.  I want to note that Nathan and I are fine.  Great, even...and I am sooo anxious to see him back out here for the summer in a few weeks! :-) But in my zeal to make sure that our entire married life would be scheduled, planned, and to ultimately try to make it easier for us in running our household and to be the Godly wife I aspire to be...I realized I had lost sight of our relationship right now.  We both had.  After a lot of prayer and discussion, we decided to postpone the wedding-planning, in favor of just enjoying each other right now.   I honestly can't say when the wedding will be, at the moment, but I definitely feel like when the time comes, we'll know it...and it's not far off, just a slight delay.  The only thing we know concretely is that we won't make any decisions until after he's graduated this December, then he'll move here and we'll evaluate the logistics.  Honestly?  It's a relief.  Just because we don't have a year's worth of grocery lists and menus...doesn't mean we won't eat after we get married.  And not having a date doesn't mean that there's no light at the end of the tunnel.



For me, the light is just, him being here.  I can't wait to be his wife...but ultimately, I just miss him (and his hugs, he seriously has the best hugs ever) and we are looking forward to being able to spend some time together, doing "normal" couple-stuff before our wedding, without the pressures and trials of marriage.  Going on dates, spending friday nights watching movies, being able to see each other a few times a week, without feeling like we have to cram a bunch of activities or relationship-defining moments in.  


Whether it ends up being 2 months or 2 years (For the record, I don't think it will be either of those...) the time between his moving here, and our wedding will be a relaxing and necessary rest period for us to cultivate our relationship without pressures of school or long-distance.  He'll be able to settle into a job, without having to immediately worry about providing, and we'll be able to just enjoy time together. 


• 365 day photo challenge


I have finally taken on the 365 day photo challenge...and it's pretty much as simple as it sounds, a photo a day for 365 days.  It seems like it would be pretty easy but has been amazing so far how difficult it can be to think of something new, interesting, and representative of my day to take a photo of.  I'm doing okay so far, if you'd like to track my progress follow my business profile "Elusive PhotoDesign" on facebook.  (I'll have a flickr album soon, but have been too busy to create it.)
So, I think that's most of the main things...but before I wrap up for now, here's some interesting things I've discovered, lately:


•  Being thankful makes you happy, not just for the obvious reasons...but also because focusing on the positive things in your life boosts serotonin levels.  Because of this, I've started off each day by simply writing out 5 things that make me smile, that I'm grateful for.  It may be more of a placebo than anything, but it works.
•  A tall, light, mocha frappuchino with no whip is only 130 calories.
•  China-made wedding dress knockoffs can be legitimate. (I did a test-run for the style shoot.)
•  Etsy necklaces are awesome.
•  Jessica Drossin Textures
•  If you concentrate on pushing off of your toes, you can run longer.
•  It is very cold at 6:00 AM

I believe that's all for now.
-Lindsey

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I am very busy...

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 by Lindsey

Working on plans for the Loudoun Style Photo Shootout that I am hosting in May.

I'll be back, I promise.

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Household Management: My "Hope Chest" Pt. 1

Thursday, April 8, 2010 by Lindsey

For my eighteenth birthday, I decided that I wanted an antique steamer trunk. I can't quite remember why I desired this large, obscure piece of history. It's not a particularly useful piece of furniture, but it makes me smile. I seem to recall my Mom's response to my request being "You're so weird. But, that is really cool." With help from craigslist, my Mother's internet saavy, and our SUV, a month before my 18th birthday we headed to look at and hopefully purchase the trunk. The people who sold it to us were a very nice older couple, and while they never used it as more than a piece of furniture, it was originally given to them by a German friend who was a world traveler, and brought it from Germany with her.

The sideways-table-phase of my beautiful trunk.

This trunk sat in my room for a little over a year, and was shifted multiple times, from laid on it's side, to standing up on end, in the corner...against the far wall...used as a table. Yet it still really had no purpose. I know most people would say "not everything has to have a purpose", but I certainly feel like something with such history deserves more than sitting around empty.

A partially-finished (currently frogged) "wedding washcloth."

One of my favorite hand-knit washcloths.

Finally, after taking up knitting, and starting the (ridiculously tedious) process of knitting an entirely garter stitched baby blanket, the trunk found it's calling as a Hope Chest. At the moment it has...two hand-knit washcloths, the baby blanket, and a bunch of really soft huge towels that I found on clearance at Target. I have a whole list of other things that I'm slowly planning to gather over the next 10 months. But for me, the trunk is just the representation of all of the other things I have stowed away for our home after our wedding.

Baby Blanket Pre-Completion (It is finished, now.)

That includes an entire closet full of kitchen stuff which I was fortunate to acquire during my year working for Le Creuset, an antique drafting table, an antique vanity, some side tables, shelves, two TVs, a futon, bed, filing cabinet, papasan chair, a chair that desperately needs reupholstering, and lots of artwork of all shapes and sizes.

Despite all of this, I am shocked to continually discover how much more we need. Not even the "want" or "convenience" stuff...but stuff we actually need. Fortunately, this is where my trusty sidekick the spreadsheet comes in. Yep, again, I love lists. Google docs has been an awesome resource for Nathan and I, especially being long distance. I start a project, then give him access to it so that he can open it once and never see the edits I've made six months later. (Kidding, honey...I know you've opened the household spreadsheet at least twice!)

I definitely understand why this is a "must-have" on most registry checklists.
I bought mine with my '08/'09 tax return, and I LOVE it.

When I started thinking of things I use on a daily basis that we will need, I started dropping them into a random document. It quickly expanded to the point that it is now separated in tabs by the rooms in our future home, and color-coated by level of must-have, need, want, luxury.

Honestly, every time I open up my lovely rainbow of needs and wants, I feel like a Klingon sale master: armed with my bat'leth of organization (Okay, so maybe I'm still 12 at heart.) and ready to tackle the complicated and treacherous world of Craigslist, Garage Sales, Clearance Aisles, and sales at Williams-Sonoma. Yes, I get a power trip from my spreadsheets...

I am really enjoying preparing things for our home, plan to update as I acquire new and useful things and ideas. Before I wrap up this post, I thought I'd share a list of things that I plan on making/buying to fill the actual physical trunk. :)

- King-Sized Knit Blanket
- King-Sized African Quilt
- Twin-Sized Knit Blanket
- Knit Couch Throw
- 3 Knit Baby Blankets
- 10 Knit Hand Towels
- 10 Knit Dish Cloths
- Sm. Knit Bathroom Rug
- Sm. Knit Kitchen Rug
- Knit BoHo Nursery Mobile
- Stuffed Knit Elephant
- Organic Cotton Sheets
- Towels

Now, I shall go off to conquer my long list of things to do for the day.

-Lindsey


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Of insects and delicious breakfast food...

by Lindsey

The weather here in Virginia today is absolutely gorgeous. Molly, Taylor, and I are all sitting on the back patio enjoying the spring, the breeze, and some delicious homemade whole wheat apple muffins. I love being able to work outside on days like this.

Molly decided a little while ago that she wanted to go back inside for a few minutes, and left half a muffin on the patio table. Soon after, a bumble bee came and started circling the table, angling for the muffin. So, I took it inside.

About fifteen minutes later, Molly came back outside and scowled at me, "Where's my muffin?"
"A bee was trying to eat it, so I took it inside."
"Oh." she goes inside to retrieve her muffin, and comes back out a moment later, talking to the air, "Bee, if you can hear me, this is my muffin, and you're supposed to not eat it, because it's mine, and you're supposed to go away and leave it alone."

She is the coolest two year old on the planet.

-Lindsey

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I annoy myself...

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 by Lindsey

...especially when I am blogging, and I get a particular word stuck in my head. When that happens, I end up using that word multiple times in one paragraph. Ugh.

Apparently my favorite word of the day is "though."

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Wedding Plans: The Dress

by Lindsey

When I first started wedding planning, I really thought that the dress was a priority for me. It was my chance to wear a formal, I've never had an occasion to wear a formal, and while I don't feel bad about that...it's exciting! To have a dress custom altered to fit me, to really feel beautiful as a bride...it's every girl's dream, right? At this point, while I still don't want to settle, I think that I'll be so focused on getting married, and being Nathan's wife...I won't even be thinking about how I look. Plus, I want to be comfortable. Still though, I want something that will make me feel good, and fit well so I'm not tugging and fidgeting through our whole event.

Ultimately, the thing that I finally resolved to is that the only "the one" at my wedding will be my amazing future-husband.

Being on such a tight budget, I knew I would have to be creative. I set a self-imposed $200-$300 budget for my dress, I knew I could find something in that range that I would be happy with, and had plenty of time. I started trolling eBay, craigslist, and preownedweddingdresses.com, for good deals on dresses. I looked at David's Bridal online, and nothing appealed to me.

Over the course of my exploration and internet gazing, I started coming across beautiful gowns from designers like Maggie Sottero, Liancarlo, and Paloma Blanca. I had a huge "dress crush" on these two dresses in particular, but knew that neither were in my price range.

Liancarlo 3820

Maggie Sottero "Alannah"

I just knew that I wanted a dropped asymmetrical waist, a ruched bodice, a corset back, and a sweetheart neckline. (And...how cool is that bubble skirt on the liancarlo?) I also know how ridiculously inflated the prices for wedding gowns are. Even if I had a few grand to drop on a dress I'm going to wear for 6 hours, I would never feel comfortable dumping it into such a deceitful industry. So, I went to the natural "back-up option" for budget brides: chinese knockoffs. Yes, there's a lot of debate about them...I'm not here to debate them, I wanted to give it a consideration.

It sounds "too good to be true" right? Get the dress of my dreams for $250? I was skeptical. I still really have no opinion on the subject, I read a lot of mixed reviews, and basically came to the conclusion that there are some reputable china-based sellers out there, and that you get what you pay for: cheaper fabrics, less lining, less structure. It wasn't a great option, but I felt like it might be the best way for me to go.

Queue my all-time favorite website: Etsy. Why had I not thought about this before? I love Etsy, and I feel really good about buying handmade. (I'll post more about this, later on.) I immediately ran out to post an Alchemy listing with a sketch of my dress, and my budget. Within 24 hours I had 6 seamstresses offering to make my dress at prices ranging from $200-$350. Out of this range, I really "clicked" with a girl who runs a group of independent designers and seamstresses. She said she really liked my dress ideas (see above) and would love to make my dress for me, for $250, she didn't have experience in specifically making wedding dresses, but had made prom dresses and ball gowns in similar styles and materials. I was sold, and soon had agreed to purchase my dress from her.

But then I started thinking...what if that style isn't flattering for me? I have a dress made, it gets here two months before the wedding, it looks awful, and I have to find something else last minute. I told my seamstress to hold off on buying fabric until I could at least go and try some on. In the meantime, I kept gazing...and started leaning towards something with more of an empire waistline. Being realistic, that's the style that typically suits me. This was also at the turning point of our wedding plans when we decided to throw tradition out the window and really make the wedding our own.


Wai Ching "Athena"

Then I discovered Wai Ching. The queen designer of the bohemian wedding dress. Since Nathan and I have decided to save ourselves for marriage, it is important to me (and my family) that I do have a white dress. But boy did I swoon over some of her luxurious colors and unconventional styles. Her dresses are out of my price range...but I love color so much, and started thinking...maybe I could incorporate color tastefully into my dress without taking the bridal look away. (Just a note for anyone who is interested: she does make her dresses in all white, or shades of white and ivory, and I've heard great reviews from brides who have worked with her.) I didn't end up with any color in my gown, but it did open my mind to going a more bohemian direction with my dress to match the rest of the wedding.

Wai-Ching "Zolotova"


I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to be realistic about my body type, and the style that looks good on me, and that I would probably need to actually go try some dresses on. So, I went onto the website of our local bridal shop, to see what designers they stocked so that I could go and look at the websites and decide which dresses I wanted to try on. I messaged my awesome Etsy designer, who said that she could make any of them. So, today I trekked out with my friend Natalie to try on some dresses. Fortunately, the shop had most of the styles I was interested in trying on, and I came away knowing which style I wanted for my wedding! It wasn't the most thrilling experience of my life, though. I had a ton of fun with Natalie there, but the shop didn't have a lot of samples in my size (and I'm not that big...), and maybe it just wasn't my "thing." It was useful, but I'm glad I found a good style the first time, and don't have to drag around to a bunch of other stores.

Plus, since I'm having mine custom made, I can make any changes/alterations/additions to it, and make sure that it is just right. Now, I am not superstitious at all, and I don't feel like posting a picture of my dress will take away the precious "first look" moment from our wedding when Nathan sees me in the first time for the dress.

With that said, this is the dress style I've finally chosen. It is made from champagne colored dupion silk, which is a really different texture and sheen than typical satin or chiffon. It's not flowery, but it definitely has a unique, bohemian vibe. Mine will not have pockets, and the little jeweled piece on the front will be different.

This is the front, the original dress is Paloma Blanca 4004:


This is the back of the original dress, but I'm considering having it made differently:



I'm not sure that I like the "tail" on the original dress...it's different, but I just am not convinced. This is a similar look and could be easily modified, so I'm thinking I might go with a back style more like this:


My other option is to have a corset-style back, which I think could be really cool and different, especially if I used satin ribbons for the corset in sapphire, olive green, and teal blue to match our wedding colors. I'm going to draw up some sketches, and am looking forward to putting in the deposit so that she can start making it! It'll still be 6 months or so before I get it, but she said she'll send me pictures as the process moves along! :-)

So, yep - that was my short, simple, abbreviated wedding dress adventure. And I highly recommend Etsy.

-Lindsey

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Wedding Plans: The Beginning

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 by Lindsey

When Nathan and I first decided that we were headed towards marriage, I immediately began to get images of rings, music, and wedding dresses in my head. I knew from the beginning that I was going to be what is (affecionately?) called the "budget bride." I would not enjoy my wedding day if I knew that money was frivolously spent, and ultimately, it is one day. Granted, it is a very special and meaningful day, but it will be special regardless of how much money we do or do not spend. Also, after about a 2-minute conversation, Nathan and I were on the same page and knew we did not want a traditional wedding. It wouldn't be us.

Yes, at times, I have gotten starry-eyed at the luster of "magazine weddings" and watched WeTV as brides preceding me down the aisle picked the "perfect" venue, dress, flowers, etc. It didn't take me long to realize that wasn't what we wanted, and as the planning process has gone along things that I initially thought were very important have (partially thanks to my Mother) become less of a priority.

So, at this point, what are our priorities?

- A special, drama-free, stress-free celebration of our lifelong commitment with our closest friends and family. I refuse to be bridezilla.
- A short, intimate, meaningful, and spiritual ceremony.
- Writing our own vows.
- Sticking to a budget of under $3000 (At this point, it's looking more like it will be $2000.)
- Having our wedding be a reflection of our relationship, faith, and unique personalities.
- Music. Music must be incorporated.

With our priorities set, we've been able to take those points and really create them into something that will be a memorable experience for ourselves and our guests. I'm very excited to share all of the plans in the months to come. I like the format I've seen from other blogs where each "area" of the wedding is given a blog post (or two) so I'll probably stick to a system like that, and post a little something about each area of our wedding planning. (The Venue, The Dress Hunt, The Vow Writing, etc.)

They'll be scattered in with other home/marriage posts, as well as my everyday life ramblings, so I'm going to try to remember to categorize them as "Wedding Planning" so that they're easier to find.

Before I wrap up this post, I thought I'd give a little preview of things to come with my inspiration board, and five words to describe our wedding: simple, vintage, handmade, bohemian, artistic.


Some great resources I've found so far are:

http://www.etsy.com (SO MUCH of our wedding is being custom-made through Etsy sellers.)

I read this earlier and it totally made my day: Your Wedding is a Launch Pad For Your Life.

The best is yet to come...

-Lindsey

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Household Management Pt. 1 (a.k.a. What I learned from my Mother.)

Monday, April 5, 2010 by Lindsey

Have I mentioned recently that I love lists? Well...I do. To say that they make my life easier would be an understatement. My view on the matter is: God created lists so that that he could replace my sanity with an extra helping of creativity.

As passionate as I am about my artwork, and as much as I love my photography job, I am thrilled that I will soon be fulfilling the role of "wife" (and eventually, "mother") as my top priority. While I plan on continuing to work from home and pursue my artwork avidly, I find myself frequently daydreaming of weekends spent grocery shopping with my future husband. Yes, I'm easily pleased, but oddly enough...grocery shopping is something we enjoy doing together.

Managing a household effectively is something my Mother has devised many tools to do, and fortunately has passed along to me. It makes sense: she has six kids, works full time, and homeschools. She is the epitome of a triple threat, and while some of her tools are obviously not what Nathan and I will need right away, I am so grateful to have her wisdom as a launching point.

I have begun to develop a sort of "household list" of reminders for myself, so that we can be the best stewards possible of our home and resources. Otherwise, it would be mid-august and I would suddenly glance out the smudged window and see our 3 foot tall grass and think "oh yeah, I guess I should start spring cleaning and yardwork."

Household Maintenance List

It's not the day-to-day tidiness that really gets me as much as those occasional things that aren't incorporated into the weekly schedule. Washing the outside of the house and windows, having pest control spray for ants or check for termites, waxing the vehicle, central heat/air maintenance. I started my "household list" about six months ago, and have been taking notes from friends and family as situations arise that they have to attend to. Because the cold hard truth is: appliances break, and things need upkeep. There's nothing we can really do about this inevitable inconvenience except to keep things maintained and make sure we have an emergency fund.

My other household management project at the moment is a menu/grocery list system. I have seen how invaluable this can be for budgeting, as well as day-to-day sanity. It can provide structure without having to be rigid about it, and always allows for an answer to the question that invariably crops up once a day: "What's for dinner?"

Grocery List Spreadsheet

Nathan and I plan to really make it a priority to live a healthy lifestyle, we want that to be a core value in our family and to be the norm for our kids --- so, he's teaching me how to ride a bike, and play raquetball, and I'm pulling him into the world of delicious whole grains, no-sugar banana cookies, spinach quiches, and moroccan chicken dishes.

My plan is to follow my Mother's example and use Friday/Saturday for menu creation, and then do our grocery shopping on Sunday afternoons. I originally had pictured doing the grocery shopping by myself during the week while Nathan was at work...but to my surprise, he requested that we do it together! (And...may I add... I found it to be quite romantic. I'm easily pleased.)

2-week menu spreadsheet

I know myself well enough, however, to know that there will be weeks that I have crazy schemes, or get started on art projects, or swamped with photoshoots, and I just won't make a menu. Because despite my best intentions of doing things like that, sometimes I just don't. So, in addition to working on that particular character flaw, I've decided to also give future wife-Lindsey a gift: a database of Menus with corresponding grocery lists. I'm slowly but surely creating two-week menus full of delicious, well-balanced, simple recipes, and grocery lists. So that on those weeks that I'm busy, or just don't want to create a fresh menu, I have some to fall back on. That way, all I have to do is print out the grocery list, black out what we already have in the cupboards, and hit the grocery store.

Probably a way more elaborate system than is even necessary...I have a feeling that it will be quite a shock for me to be cooking for two people. TWO. But I feel like working on these projects now while I'm here in VA, and he's there in CA, means there is less for me to concentrate on when we are finally together. Plus, it's a nice distraction, regardless of the future implementation.

I'm sure that as life goes on, I will find other ways to optimize and manage our household tasks. I'm also certain that over the next 10 months leading up to our wedding, I will come up with more home-related projects that I'll be eager to share, which is why this is just Part 1.

Now, I really am going to go work on some photoediting before the day disappears and I wonder where all of my productive energy went. Lots of exciting things this week: I am I'm adventuring to try on wedding dresses with my friend tomorrow, hopefully finally getting my driver's license tomorrow or Thursday, and spending a "sister day" of dress-up, finger paints, and Pixar movies with the coolest 2-year-old on the planet.

Have I mentioned I'm widly, incredibly joyful, blessed, and crazy about the love of my life? I am.

-Lindsey

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Budgets, spreadsheets, and lists, oh my!

Sunday, April 4, 2010 by Lindsey

I have had the unique opportunity to begin working on wedding plans and ideas far in advance. (In anticipation of our engagement.) We've had to do everything non-traditionally throughout this relationship, partially because we're crazy, and partially because we're long-distance. Knowing that Nathan was waiting to officially ask my parents permission, requiring him to be in the same zip code, we went ahead and discussed our plans with our parents.

We were quite surprised when our parents and immediate family members had the "Well, duh. Of course you're going to get married." reaction upon hearing our happy news. Haha.

The extra time was a huge advantage in helping to set expectations, and then re-evaluate those expectations, and finally come to a realistic view of our true priorities for our special day. With that all done, I'm now working on the most important parts: planning for our life after the wedding.

My plan is to document all of the little pieces over the next 11 months until the wedding, and into our newlywed life beyond, with the hope that if nothing else, others might benefit from some funny "what not to do" anecdotes!

In keeping with that theme, today I've decided to share my favorite organizational tool in all of marriage and wedding planning: the spreadsheet.













Yes, from budgets, to guest lists, to menu planning...the spreadsheet is my invaluable trusted friend. Today's Lesson: Never underestimate the power of color coating.

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+1

Thursday, April 1, 2010 by Lindsey

Just wanted to write a quick post to welcome my wonderful fiancé, Nathan, to what is now our blog!

He's a busy guy, so I can't imagine he'll be posting much until after his graduation this December, but I hope to get his input every now and then, especially as we progress in planning our wedding and marriage!

-Lindsey

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I said "yes!"

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 by Lindsey

Amidst lots of giggling last night, Nathan asked me if I would be his wife. :-) I said yes.


I knew he was upstairs talking to my parents, and then he came down and hugged me and I said:
"How did it go?"
"Good."
"Are we going to go back up?"
"Not yet."
"Wait,NOW?!"
"What?"
"Did you tell them you were going to ask now?!"
"Ask what?"
"I don't know...do you have something to ask me?"
"I don't know...should I get down on one knee?"
"It's up to you!"
"Okay, I think I should." so he then starts to get down on one knee, but apparently it was uncomfortable, so he ripped all of the contents of his pocket out and threw them across the floor of the room. SO FUNNY. I couldn't stop giggling, then he pulled out the ring and asked. And I said YES!

Then we ate celebratory LEGO cupcakes. Yum.

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Reflecting Light

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 by Lindsey


Currently Listening
Orange Sky
Alexi Murdoch



Alright, so you may have noticed the update to the blog look. It's only temporary - I know the flowers in the header are not my typical style but I thought I'd just share a bit of the beauty that is Washington D.C. in the Spring while all of my exciting life changes are unfolding. Just a few more days and the wait will be over. Less than a week and I can finally spill my guts and begin to write out the plethora of posts I've been dreaming about for months. (or years?)

As my life begins to take a turn for the spectacular, I've recaptured my love for painting. Nothing is more enveloping than holding a paintbrush in my hands (or, as Nathan likes to point out, in my teeth), with a blank canvas of opportunity on the floor in front of me.

The agency I had been tutoring through recently shut down, so I've decided to take this opportunity to reevaluate where my career path is going, and what I can continue to pursue while working from home. I know a lot of people will now point, jeer, and generally proclaim a triumphant "I told you so!" Enjoy.

I've decided to teach art lessons. Once I got to the root of my artistic insecurities, I realized why I'd avoided it for all this time: I don't like to put people in boxes. I felt constrained in art lessons when I was young, and I didn't like producing something only to be told it was wrong. This all falls vaguely in line with my eventual goal of opening an inn for the arts. My hope is to provide an alternative artistic method for young people, to solidify their foundation in the basics, and the rules, and then begin to give them the freedom and guidance to know how to break the rules and how to speak intelligently on why they do. Needless to say, I'm excited...and scared!



I was headed in the right direction...painting...photography...kids cooking classes...tutoring adults...and I let my insecurities get the best of me. Because it is a huge responsibility, anytime you're guiding another human being it's a monumental task. But one that, relying on Faith (and some wonderfully supportive friends and family) I feel confident will have an ultimately good outcome for myself and my family.

-Lindsey

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Everybody's Fine

Thursday, March 18, 2010 by Lindsey

At least, that's what I'm going to tell myself...until it sticks. It's been a bad week. I won't go into detail because I'm not a fan of airing my dirty laundry for all the internet to see, I've done that enough times in my life to know the consequences.

So, I'm choosing to be optimistic...here's some good things that have happened this week:

- After months of snow, we finally have sunshine, green grass, and daffodils.

- My dear friend Tiffany was not only accepted into the foreign exchange program (Japan!), but got a $5000 scholarship.

- After all of this time, I realized that my mother was right all along: I'm an oil painter. Oils work exactly like I've tried to force acrylic to for all these years.

- I finished the baby blanket I'd been knitting, and am anxious for new projects.

- I ran 2 miles last night, and 2.75 this morning.

- I haven't had more than one cup of coffee per day in at least 4 days.

So now, it is time for ibuprophen and sitting out in the beautiful sunshine, trying to be creative. It seems silly to be so discouraged when there's so much evidence of God's hand, and so much proof that in the end everything will be fine.

-Lindsey
(Yet...no matter how hard I try...and how much I distract myself...I'm still scared, and sad.)

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I'm building...

Monday, March 15, 2010 by Lindsey

...anticipation!!!

Just a few more days and lots of changes and updates will be coming!

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My life makes me happy

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Lindsey


Currently Listening
Just Can't Seem to Get it Right Today
Joe Purdy



Just a few random thoughts for the day, in a hyper weird format.

My two year old sister is undeniably, incomprehensibly beautiful.

Craigslist is awesome.

I am grateful to have sisters who love to giggle, and smile, and are all three quite beautiful. I have no doubt that they will all grow up to be wonderful young women. I am just beginning to appreciate how precious sisters are.

My parents are wonderful advisers, who have and continue to provide me with invaluable wisdom. This is something I am extremely grateful for.

My sweetheart is wonderful, loyal, and faithful, and it makes me smile to see Christ's Love reflected in our relationship.

New opportunities are exciting...and scary.

It's difficult to let go of the old. Despite that, sometimes it is necessary to start fresh and value the people that know, and appreciate, and love me for who I am right now.

It can be difficult to remember that people change, and it can be difficult to see those changes in people that you interact with regularly.

When I am being lead by Christ, he will give me the strength to make the right decisions. I shouldn't allow those who doubt to steal my joy. It's their loss if they choose not to enjoy my celebrations and victories with me.

It is going to be a good weekend. I'm super excited for my first knitting group meet, and my friend/workout partner is getting back from her cruise this weekend which means it will be time to hit the gym hard next week. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to continue to live with my parents, as it has allowed me to really infuse myself into my art the past few weeks, and I have been producing art for the first time in long time.

I think that's all. I am beyond thrilled. My life makes me smile so huge.

21 days...yaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!! :D

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Just a quick thought...

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Lindsey

There is a young woman with whom I am acquainted, I don't know her well. Despite this, ever since our first meeting have felt empathetic towards her, and her situation. I feel like she and I are kindred spirits in several facets, although we've only shared the briefest of conversations, and our situations in life are very different.

I have watched her struggle to define herself, her faith, and to make the wisest decisions she can over the past couple of years - with constant flack and judgement from many of those around her. I know that she is safe, taken care of, and God has put her in a place with a huge support system.

She is one of those women that you just think of and think, she is gorgeous, inside and out. God must look down at her and beam with pride, because she reflects him constantly, in the face of severe adversity, and putting myself in her place...I would be an emotional wreck;

I pray for her often, but have just begun to consider that there are people in the world in similar positions without the support system she has found. People who are at the verge of a spiritual breakthrough, that peace that comes with epiphany.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those people, tonight.

Blogs, and social networking sites can be quite a window into the lives of others, and an opportunity to remember not only who to connect with, reach out to, and pursue in friendship...but who to simply pray for.

It doesn't take much, and I honestly can't say I'm particularly good at formal prayer, but just a "God, I'm thinking of him/her, and I know that You know what's going on in his/her life right now, and I just pray that you give them your peace, guidance, and courage."

2 Chronicles 6:40 "Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place."

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There is a season...

Monday, March 1, 2010 by Lindsey


Currently Listening
You and I Both
Jason Mraz



Just a few more weeks and I can spill all of my exciting news, and I cannot wait. So many new things unfolding in my life, and I feel like God is leading me towards this spectacular adventure. He's closed a lot of doors for me in the past few months, which is never easy - but has also opened my heart to begin to make new connections and form new relationships, as well as grow closer to the people in my life I adore.

I have recently connected with several local women who I am slowly beginning to build friendships with, which excites me because (as usual) God is bringing the right relationships into my life at the right times. Just as some of my prior friendships have dissolved, and my closest girlfriend is moving to Japan.

I'm going to my first knitting group meetup this weekend, and while "knitting group" immediately conjured up thoughts of 80+ women sitting around in rocking chairs knitting granny squares. I have been assured that this is not the case, they meet at a local hot-spot, and there's women of all ages. I'm super excited. It combines four of my favorite things: Wegman, Sushi, Coffee, and Knitting. :D

I also have two fantastic workout partners (one who prefers regular gym workouts, and one who was looking for someone to share sporadic hikes, bike-rides, and outdoor running) and am really enjoying connecting with both of them, and finding ways to fellowship as well as continue to build a healthier lifestyle.

My art is blossoming (slowly) and I am continuing to find my artistic voice, as well as to network and try to find more publicity, and decide what my "specialty" is going to be. That is the most impossible-seeming part, deciding what to "specialize" in, and which mediums to retire into hobby status. It's been a struggle to really dive back into it with abandon, and there's still something that I'm "missing." My work is still very predictable, and elicits that "oh, nice" reaction that I dread so vehemently. So, I'm branching out, trying to really find my own style.
Ultimately, I am an abstract painter. I don't think that I'm quite ready to admit that, yet, though. We'll see how it goes.

Well...before I sign off, I thought I'd post this recipe for anyone who reads this or would want to try it. It was quite a crowd-pleaser, and surprisingly simple to make. I think I used, two bowls, a wooden spoon, and a food processor.

No-Sugar Spiced Banana-Carrot Cake

Flour Mixture:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. white *stevia powder
2 tsp. baking powder

Carrot Mixture:
2 c. shredded carrot (I pulverize mine in the food processor.)
1 c. crushed pineapple (I throw this in the food processor, as well.)
** 1/2 c. walnuts or pecans
1/2 c. almond meal
1 1/2 c. shredded coconut

Oil Mixture:
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. fruit juice (from the crushed pineapple can, if you're using canned)
1 very ripe, smashed banana
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

Pour the carrot mixture into the egg mixture and mix well. Add flour mixture to the rest of the ingredients. Bake at 350º for 1 hour, in a springform or bundt pan.

Sugar-Bearing Cream Cheese Glaze

Obviously this part is optional, but it sure does add a lot to the recipe! I didn't have powdered sugar, so I ran some Turbinado I did have through the food processor, which worked okay, but next time I will make a point of getting powdered sugar.

Glaze

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine with electric mixer until smooth, spread on hot cake.

You could also sprinkle chopped nuts on the top after the glaze as as a garnish. Enjoy!

Notes on this recipe:

* This is optional, but it will make it notably sweeter. You can usually find stevia powder at health food stores, and I think they sell a stevia blend at target called "Truvia" but I can't vouch for it's similarity. You could also use agave nectar, I haven't tried it but I am fairly certain it would work similarly.

**Okay, so call me a pulverizing fool, but my 13 year old brother has braces, so I put the walnuts in the food processor, too, and made a walnut meal out of it. I would recommend going ahead and doing this, and adding extra chopped nuts if you want chunks of nuts in your cake.

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These are a few of my favorite things...

Friday, February 19, 2010 by Lindsey


Currently Listening
Rio
Duran Duran



I'm deeply entrenched in list-making mode at the moment, and not at all equipped to write a compelling blog post (no matter how much I might like to), so for today I will share a list of a myriad of random favorite websites and resources. It seems particularly appropriate because with the exception of a few errands, I plan to spend my weekend immersing myself in british television and wildly creative projects. So, without further ado, the list...

Design*Sponge
Adventures In Dressmaking
Tea Rose Home
Etsy
Anthropologie
ModCloth
RealSimple
Ravelry
honey + jam
Homemade Grits
LoopKnits
101 Cookbooks
Alessi
Urban Outfitters
KnitPicks
Cooking in Heels
Turkish Recipes
Limoncello
Swagbucks
Headsprung

I am hoping that a weekend of lots of sleep, painting, sketching, baking, knitting, craigslisting, working out, a trip to the fabric store, and some reorganizing my schedule will be just what I need to motivate me to write a real blog post on Monday. There are lots of exciting changes coming up in the next few weeks that I'm not quite ready to write about, yet, though - so it may be March before I can really write a comprehensive update. :-)

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