a few of my favorite italy photos

Slowly, photos from our trip are getting compiled, and organized, and cropped, and what-have-you. We are not close to having the photo book complete, but these are a few that I adore of late.

This one is from Manarola, the second tiniest town of the Cinque Terre.

These are my favorite travelistas, in our accidentally coordinating outfits.

I think the blue filter is so fun in these snaps from Vernazza.

CP and I are killing time while Meg ordered gelato in Manarola.

And this one from Capri. Can you get over it?

I still can't believe that was my real life.

right about now (the one where italy feels like a dream)

Since I've been home from Italy, there are these wonderful scenes and sites, and characters and conversations, from those two weeks that are tucked away in the back of my mind, and that, in a way, feel like a dream.

They are real, those memories, but now that I have slipped successfully back into my routine, I feel them fighting against my normal, to keep their "real" status.

So, while my real vacation is feeling like an imaginary one, here are some highlights to share from my back-home normal, dusted with some Italy memories, right about now.

loving: being back in my kitchen. I certainly did not miss my home-cooked meals while I was away, but I did miss weaving my way around my own kitchen, making something from scratch.

reading: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. The title sounds pretty scandalous, but so far, it's just a mysterious set of unrelated stories that haven't found themselves at a climactic intersection yet. It's a welcomed easy read, following The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. (I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to finish that one.)

excited about: the fact that I'm not the only thirty-something to sleep -- and travel 'round the world -- with my baby blankets.

We are kindred in many ways, not the least of which is the matching holes in our blankets.

missing: these gals.

And the places we visited. Can you even get over that glorious blue water?

trying to: be a good roommate. I haven't been one in a very long time, so it's been a healthy challenge to live in consideration of someone else, even if only for a short-term season.

enjoying: some news that one of the nicest people I know became reconciled with his former wife in a divine remarriage ceremony this past weekend. Mercy, I love watching the Lord do his restoration work this side of heaven.

wearing: red Toms.

The green ones I packed on a whim surprised me and served me well on those long cobblestone streets, but they were officially retired upon my return. Literally went straight from the suitcase into the trash can. So gross.

waiting on: the perfect occasion to serve the greatest cheese board ever to be presented in my home. These cheeses from Italy are dying to be shared, but I just can't reconcile their sacredness with my desire to eat it all by myself. I am greedy with cheese; what can I say?

planning: a trip to the hometown for several reasons, not the least of which is to attend a concert of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, featuring Joshua Bell on violin. Do you know him? So talented.

singing: along to a few tunes by Sarah Reeves. I don't know a thing about her, but I'm digging on her acoustic arrangements of "Take Me to the King," "Sovereign," and "Holy Spirit/Set a Fire." They're so grounding.

needing: to organize all these Italy photos. My stars, we have thousands between the eight of us! This photo book is going to be a doozy, but how can I leave out a shot like this?

learning: calligraphy. I took my first lesson last night. There is something very cathartic about free flowing ink on paper.

listening: to the report that Serena Williams lost in the French Open. I'm not sad about it.

wishing: I was energized by running. I'm slowly getting back into a rhythm, but the getting there is so exhausting.

praying for: some movement. A spark. Sometimes it's nice to feel a shift from the same-old everyday affairs.

dreaming of: that crazy trip to Italy! But it really happened.

These are the goings on in my world, and a few of my favorite Italy highlights, right about now. What's happening in yours?

thankful thursday #132

I've put down roots in a few great communities over the years, in a few cities, in a few states. Not an outrageous number, but enough to have dear friends here, and others who are scattered.

They're like my life breadcrumbs. If you trace them, one at a time, eventually they lead back home.

I wrestle, and I mean wrestle, with the reality that a lot of those close friends (and family, for that matter) are not, in fact, close, in the literal sense of the word.

It means I am all-the-time wondering about the next opportunity to vacation and visit; how I can best stay connected from far away; or why I don't get the luxury of a spontaneous dinner with one of them.

It means I shed tears sometimes when I hug them bye; I feel ashamed and inadequate, at the amount of time I spend (or don't spend) calling or texting or emailing; and I whine about it to God. I do.

Tomorrow, one of those close-friends-who-isn't-close is coming to see me, and I can barely contain my excitement. I'm so thankful she's willing to take a little field trip, away from her own family, to spend 24 hours with me.

She loves me well, and oh, how grateful I am for it!

I'm forecasting a pretty fantastic weekend ahead for me. How about you? Go on, be grateful!

a gift they'll remember

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it

is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

-- William Arthur Ward, American author

There is no card enclosed for you in this blog post, of course, but you can make it just as easy on yourself and drop a quick email to the first person that popped into your mind just now.

I bet they'll remember the gift of your gratitude for much longer than they will remember what they unwrap around the tree today.

Merry Christmas, and happy gifting, friends!

right about now (the one after the georgia-florida game)

Random bits of life happening in my world, right about now:

loving: the score of this game from Saturday.

Did you hear me squeal out loud? I definitely did, listening to the final call on the UGA broadcast in my car. No shame here.

reading:  A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken.

I've only just begun, but I've been warned that it is an intense and passionate memoir of a man digging deep to reconcile inconceivable loss with the faith he knew to be true. I imagine that where those extremes intersect, Beauty really does become tangible, and his love story will become his Love story. Incidentally, C.S. Lewis drifted into the lives of the author and his beloved, and letters between them are included in this book.

excited about: these three navy paint samples sitting on my kitchen table. They are waiting patiently to be displayed on my wall, so I can decide the winner. Oh, I hope I like one of them.

missing: Little Man. It's only been eight weeks since I saw him last, but that's a long stretch in baby time. How can I not miss this face?

trying to: decide what my next cooking adventure will be. I made chicken pot pie this weekend for the first time, and those leftovers are dwindling.

enjoying: a marble hot chocolate from Starbucks. Do you know this trick? Half white, half dark chocolate? Since I don't drink coffee, this is a go-to splurge on chilly days like today.

using: Ace bandages and Advil like they're going out of style.

wearing: a new sweater I received in my recent Stitch Fix package. It's great for a lot of reasons, but especially because it doesn't scratch the living daylights out of me. It's soft and cozy, like it's already been broken in, just for me.

waiting on: my couch to arrive. They told me 6-8 weeks, "maybe sooner," but it looks like "sooner" isn't in the cards. I keep telling myself God's timing is perfect.

planning: to run this race in January (I have a thing for races related to food and beverage, apparently):

Do you think they'll serve me a marble hot chocolate at the finish line?

singing: "No One Will Ever Love You" by Connie Britton and Charles Esten, that is, Rayna James and Deacon Claybourne from ABC's Nashville. Yes, I absolutely downloaded that song after last week's episode.  Don't judge.

needing: Buddy the elf to magically transform my dad and two brothers into people who are easy to shop for. I sure do love them, but my word, they stump me every Christmas.

learning: that I make a terrible, terrible rehab patient. This ankle injury is so very frustrating, and more importantly, driving my personal athletic training team crazy. Christopher and Jay, I don't deserve your patience, and I owe you both.

listening: to ESPN's 30 for 30 episode, "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" about the forced enrollment of the first African American at the university. I'm only half listening, and I have no association to Ole Miss other than a working relationship, but just seeing James Meredith interviewed makes me tear up.

wishing: I designed Christmas cards for single people. It's feeling like my 2012 design is right out of Struggleville, USA.

doing: a Bible study, in which the accountability gals and I meditated on this scripture last week:

The spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
For who knows a person's thoughts, except the spirit within them?
In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
-- 1 Corinthians 1:10-12

I can't stop thinking about it. (I'm pretty sure that's the point of studying it to begin with.)

praying for: the families affected by Superstorm Sandy this week. Mercy, the photos are stunning.

dreaming of: a day coming soon when I will run again. And I'm not even a bona fide runner. If you're not limping around for one reason or another, take a minute to be grateful!

What are you up to right about now?

get your (stitch) fix

At the risk of sounding entirely too interested in the things of this world (you read my recent post about shopping, right?), I can't not share about this little styling adventure.

Meet Stitch Fix.

Stitch Fix is an online styling service, designed to deliver a handful of clothing pieces to your doorstep and some unexpected spunk to your wardrobe. Here's how it works, in its simplest form:

And here's the process with my personal experiential notes:

1: request an invite

Click here to fill out some basic info and "request an invite." That gets the ball rolling, and over into the Stitch Fix court.

2: give them your stats

Stitch Fix will send you a Style Profile (don't stress, it might take a week or so to hear from them), in which you give them important details about you, your style, your preferences, and your budget. You can also specify items you may not want to receive. (For example, I was wary of pants, so in this shipment, I requested no bottoms.)

You get to judge some sample outfits to help direct your stylist, like this:

3: schedule your fix

Each fix costs $20, so even if you hate everything they send you, you're only out one Andrew Jackson. Select a time that you wish to receive your package of goodies. Big perk: Stitch Fix pays for all shipping.

4: stalk the usps and track your package

5: try on the goodies in the comfort of your own home

It was seriously like Christmas.

And isn't it great, that each piece offers some ensemble suggestions?

(Can you even get over the fact that this top has koi fish on it? It was a sign.)

6: decide what you want, and what you don't

I was shocked to love everything in this package. I was more shocked that everything fit. (And one item will likely even be a Christmas gift for someone ... shhhh!) They provide the packaging and shipping label for your "no thanks" items, and you drop those back in the mail within three days.

7: give feedback and settle up on the keepers

The stylist did pretty darn well with my first round, but feedback will help her be even better when I do this again. The feedback section is both guided and open-ended, so you have the opportunity to be thorough and detailed.

And a couple of important notes on payment and obligation:

• If you decide to keep everything in your box, you get a 25% discount on everything.
• If you decide to keep anything in your box, your $20 styling fee is applied as a credit toward that purchase.
• Although you will be invited every month to schedule a fix, you can skip it. No obligation to ever do it again. (But I will be.)

Seriously, people. Get your Fix! You might score a new favorite something, and when asked where you got it (and I hope you will!), you can say, Oh, I'm not sure.  My stylist found it somewhere.

mutual connections

Today, two of my very closest girlfriends met each other for the first time at a little coffee shop in my hometown. They sipped hot chocolate and hot green tea with mint, and across the table and through the steam rising out of those mugs, shared a little about themselves, a little about the paths they’ve traveled over the years, and a little about new lessons pressing on their hearts.

And I wasn’t there. (In the spirit of full disclosure, the hot chocolate and hot green tea with mint are technically educated guesses.)

When my alarm sounded this morning, I checked the clock and sighed, wishing I was there to facilitate their introduction. They didn’t know each other, but I have spoken of each friend to the other, as people do about the folks who are important to them, whom they love. Although it was crazy, knowing that two of my favorite people in the world were hanging out together without me, I knew they’d connect. At the very least, they have one mutual friend.

And, as I’d imagined, they had a delightful time, chatting, sharing, and connecting.

I’d like to think they connected because they both know me, but the reality is, they connected because they both know Christ. There’s something about that divine mutual Friend that trumps our earthly connections, hands down.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Paul is very clear that when we as believers accepted Christ – in his words, “were baptized by one Spirit” – we were placed into one body, and we all share the same Spirit. That means that we have the same heavenly Father. As siblings in His adopted family, we share a divine connection to Christ Jesus. That fact alone has some serious ramifications, and that’s another blog post for another day. But people, let that soak in! We are divinely connected – we are heirs – to Jesus Christ!

Later on in the New Testament, Paul’s letter to the Galatians takes this connection one step further. He writes, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave for free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:27-28). Regardless of our family backgrounds, our salaries, our education levels, or our races, not only are we joined to Christ, but we’re joined to each other.

Having lived in four states over the last fifteen years or so, I’ve often wondered what the day would be like, and when the opportunity would come, where all of my pockets of friends would meet, and mix and mingle. (They’ll all get along, too, because I’m only friends with cool people.)

I think God looks forward to that day too, when all of His children will finally meet Him face to face, and will meet each other, too. Just think of all of us, from all across the world, spanning past, present, and future, meeting together at long last.

That’ll be a glorious day, won’t it? I can’t wait.

costco, you tease us so

Bulk buying has never, ever made sense for me as a single person. The Sam’s Clubs and Costcos of the world have been utterly and completely off my radar. “But you can save so much money!” say the frugal moms. “It cuts down my grocery shopping to once a month!”

Really?

Honestly, I’m way, way ahead of my game if I can visit the grocery store just once a week. Planning meals ahead of time for a single girl just isn’t really my M.O. And, even if I did save a couple of bucks on 98 rolls of toilet paper, the warehouse rental fee required to store it all would defeat the purpose.

And yet.

Two of my other single friends and I found ourselves drooling over all kinds of goodness in Costco when we were shopping for a service project recently. Flat screen TVs (wow, that’s pretty cheap!); treadmills (I wonder if I’d be more disciplined with that?); three boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios (ooh, we all eat that); a 12-pack of chewing gum (those average 50 cents per pack!); and well, you can see where this is going.

Yes, we all surrendered and decided that we would embark upon Operation Bulk Buying 2010. Tonight was our first visit. Here’s what went down:

1. We learned a lot about toothpaste preferences and other interesting facts about what vitamins, OTCs, and fabric softener habits we have.
 
2. We each did some cheating on brands to which we are loyal, for the good of the whole. The verdict is still out on Charmin Ultra Soft.
 
3. Transporting the goods to and from the car must improve prior to our next excursion. We cannot continue carrying 300 square feet of aluminum foil, detergent for 75 loads of laundry, 12 boxes of Kleenex, etc. etc. as individual items, and not somehow bagged or packaged.
 
4. We tried on some clothes there (just a cardigan, but still, true confessions here, people).
 
5. I definitely purchased a couple of items I wouldn’t typically buy, but who knows, maybe my friends’ cleaning tips will change my life.
 
6. We saved more money on some items than others, but savings nonetheless.
 
7. Ooooh, this is important – we utilized an app on our iPhones that allows us to share our grocery lists. This was crucial to successful and efficient bulk shopping.
 
8. The male in our group charmed the cashiers into giving us some coupons, which averaged to an additional $3.00 per person in savings.
 
9. I rolled the dice on a new flavor of Tostitos – Roasted Garlic and Black Bean – and might’ve found the best new snack of 2010.
 
10. We laughed a lot.

Whether or not Operation Bulk Buying proves successful or long-term or financially wise, I adore these friends, and for better or worse, I know a lot more about them than before the wild night in Costco.

And in September of 2012, when we finally run out of toilet paper, maybe we’ll go back.