Wear Cozy to Work

I really enjoy dressing professionally and nicely. It just makes me feel more prepared to take on the world and whatever the day may hold. It bummed me out when I got to college and realized that students wore more jeans and sweatshirts than anything else. So since I've joined the workforce, I've enjoyed getting to dress up most days. I love pencil skirts, cute flats, nice capris, dressy tops, and all of those great professional options... that is until winter.

During the cold months all I want to wear is thick socks, knitted scarves, leggings, boots, and sweaters. It's hard to get ready for work and put on something stiff and probably not all that warm. At first I tried to just deal and wear flats and heels to work and have freezing feet all day, but looking around at teachers at school, Pinterest, and so on, I've found some ways that you really can take cozy to work. 

(Note that the schools I was working at during this time were pretty casual, no one was wearing heels or a shirt and tie everyday. This style might not be right for a work setting with a strict dress code.)

I think one of the keys to being able to wear your cozy layers is having something structured in your outfit, I like to pair a flowy dress with a structured jacket. This takes it from 'I'm just going to stay home, read, and drink tea today' to 'I'm here and ready to be productive'.

I find another way to make cozy work-appropriate is to keep the colors professional. I like warm, natural tones with just hints of wilder colors. I like to save my brighter colors for the Spring!

Sweaters and boots are pretty much ideal for winter, make the casual look work-place ready by adding a flowy blouse and dressy accessories (you can't really tell in the following picture, but I'm wearing a short pearl necklace) 

I think tights can also be a great alternative to leggings, they are also comfy but look a bit dressier. They're also a good way to wear your favorite flats without exposing your feet to the cold! 

Until Spring when we can bust out the sun dresses and sandals, and don't want to hibernate in our sweaters and leggings anymore, I hope this inspires you with some sneaky ways to wear your favorite cozy comfy items to work!

Fine-whatever link up

January Snowshoe Adventure

We went on a wonderful winter adventure yesterday.

I've always wanted to try snow shoeing. I really love hiking and being outside, and tend to get a little cooped up in the winter. Most other winter sports are a little too thrill seeking for me, and since I love hiking, snow shoeing was something I was curious about. Recently, Daniel got an email through school from the Hermiston Parks & Recreation about a snow shoe day trip, and we signed up.

So yesterday we woke up to a blue sky Eastern Oregon winter day and drove just over an hour through Pendleton, over Cabbage Hill, and to Emily Snow Park and hiked the Meacham Divide Trail.

Snowshoeing is indeed a lot like walking, but so fun because you get to stay above the snow and not sink in up to your hips. However, it is a great workout! My inner thighs and hip flexors are definitely feeling it today. We hiked about 2.5 miles, but it felt more like 7!

We saw some incredible views. It was so fun to be out in the snow and not be freezing cold since we kept moving.

Outside of Christmas, winter is a season I tend to be grumpy about because it keeps you inside a lot, and I like to be out and adventuring. I need to take advantage of more opportunities like this to appreciate the beauty unique to winter. To see the glimmer of sunshine on freshly fallen snow, the blue sky against the frost tipped trees, a tiny stream running along a frozen road.

It was a beautiful day to be out and we got to meet lots of adventurous, friendly people from the community. Our day off took an unexpected twist when our car broke down on our way home. The sound of the engine was slightly off but seemed okay until we reached Cabbage Hill. (If you are not familiar with Cabbage Hill, it's a really crazy 6% grade winding hill on I-84. It's one of those where as you are beginning your ascent, you can see trucks on the road where you are going to be driving in just a minute's time, and think "how the heck are we gonna get up there?!". It scares me a little bit and generally Daniel drives when our trip includes this landmark.) The check engine light came on, but luckily we had made it down and off the hill by the time the battery died and we pulled over. Thank goodness we had made it down the hill first or that would have been very scary. We made the call and AAA came to the rescue!  One of the many things I love about my husband is that he stays calm and positive when faced with problems like this. Thankfully, this attitude is contagious and I'm learning to take the necessary steps and then just go on living my life in the midst of unexpected challenges.

 Now our poor little car is in the shop and I have another day off of subbing in order to take care of it. So here I am blogging, cozy at the table with homemade salted caramel hot chocolate and a Moonlit Snow scented candle glowing. As I look at pictures I'm still delighting in the adventure and fun of yesterday, and a broken down car in the shop won't stop me.

More Than the Sum of Our Parts

 

I am a big music person, without a doubt. I like quite a variety of music too. I love music that makes me dance. I love music that leads me to praise God. I love music that stirs emotions, whether they be joyful or thoughtful. But I think most of all, I love music with good lyrics.

 

In November, I was on an album downloading spree. I ended up choosing a few, which are all great, but my favorite by far is "Heart on My Sleeve" by Mary Lambert. I love albums that are thoughtfully put together, where it tells a story from song to song, and this is one of those albums.

 I was searching for a new to me female artist who wrote lyrics that were thoughtful yet not depressing. Mary Lambert achieves that greatly. The songs on this album are vulnerable, reflective, honest, and hopeful. They show perseverance and strength. The first song "Secrets" really sets the tone for what she wants this album to say. She sings:

"They tell us from the time we're young
to hide the things that we don't like
about ourselves inside ourselves
I know I'm not the only one
who spent so long pretending to be someone else
well I'm over it"

Mary Lambert unabashedly shares her heart, feelings and dreams with the listener and it is very refreshing.


I want to share with you my two favorite songs from the album, they both move me so much.

The first one is Monochromatic. This song describes so well what it means to be someone who feels very deeply.

When my husband and I were in premarital counseling, our pastor asked us to make a list of our top 10 favorite things about each other. Daniel said that I was passionate, and our pastor asked us for an example. He talked about a time that we were walking in the snow and saw one rubber boot left behind on the sidewalk, and I got rather emotional thinking about a one-shoed child in the snow. Another time when I was working at a berry farm a few summers ago, an old man was removing lost dog signs from our fence. I greeted him and joyfully said "you must have found your dog!" He sadly said no and walked away. I was weepy on and off for the rest of the day.

 I remember when I first discovered I was a feeler. I was in second grade and I was crying for no reason and couldn't stop. I told my mom there was always something to cry about (what ridiculously existential thoughts for an eight year old, seriously! My mom wisely told me there is always more to smile about). As I grew up I was frequently described as sensitive, later on emotional, and eventually compassionate. As I've matured I've learned how to harness this a bit (so I am not crying all the time!) and use it for good and not despair, but being someone who is hugely compassionate and feels things very deeply is a big part of who I am. Monochromatic describes this simply, beautifully, and incredibly truthfully. Here's the lyrics that really get me:

"Everybody's hurting
There's nothing more human than that
See the pieces of hearts missing
But watch how the light fills the cracks
My heart's too big for the city
My heart's too big for my own body
My heart's too big for you to understand me"

It's absolutely beautiful and sad and heartbreaking and hopeful, and it perfectly describes a big part of my heart.

My other favorite song is Sum of Our Parts. This song is powerful and inspiring. The lyrics speak for themselves:

"This is my skin that I've never fit in
I was born the queen of nowhere
This is how it begins
I wonder is this your life
Were you raised in deep water
Are they pushing you down
Are you gonna push harder

I want to know whoever broke you
I want to know how you can grow bigger
Don't go looking for some kind of rescue
You are the only one who can save you

 We are, we are more than our scars
We are, we are more than the sum of our parts

I didn't know I was a phoenix
Till I learned how to speak
Even with ashes in my mouth
I was still born to breathe
I wonder are you like me
Were you left in the fire
Are you raising yourself
Above your father's empire

 I want to know whoever broke you
I want to know how you can grow bigger
Don't go looking for some kind of rescue
You are the only one who can save you

 We are, we are more than our scars
We are, we are more than the sum of our parts

Look how bright we are
Look at all the things we have come from
Sometimes it hurts when you become them
Sometimes I bury myself in my own wreckage and
Don't want to come out
Which part of you is still in the wreckage?
Which part of you clipped your own wings?
Which part of you will begin at your own end?
Which part of you will you let live again?"


This song speaks strength, perseverance, new beginnings, hope, and the power to overcoming situations. A good reminder that we are more than our challenges or past or problems. We are more than the sum of our parts.

I'm thankful for artists who write from the heart, who write about darkness and sorrow but go past it to a place of hope and renewal. Check out this album for some thoughtful and soulful soft rock.

All of the lyrics shared in this post belong to Mary Lambert and her producers.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/heart-on-my-sleeve-deluxe/id903160145

What Are You Going to Be When You Grow Up?

This is a question we are often asked as children. It's a question made to inspire, a question that tells kids they have the ability to be whatever they want to be and do whatever they want to do.

And, it's a question I still feel I do not have an answer to.

I'm probably grown up. I'm 24, I have a college degree, I'm married, hold a slightly unpredictable but good job, and we pay the bills (and student loans), manage to feed ourselves and have clean clothes to wear. I still call and text my parents often, but I hope that's something I always do.

However, I'm still not certain what I want to be when I grow up.

When I began college, I wanted to be a Special Education teacher. I took a few Special Ed. classes and loved them, then got frustrated when I learned I needed to get a Bachelors in Education first. As I took my first general education classes, I realized I didn't actually have that big of a passion for education and learning, I just wanted to help people. Education is a great way to help people, but there are a lot of other ways too. Out of my interest in people and relationships and desire to learn how to help, I changed my major to Psychology.

I loved Psychology. Almost every single class I took was fascinating and eye opening. I decided I want to pursue counseling, and then was quickly intimidated by the amount of school and paperwork. I decided I wanted to be a social worker, then realized I probably couldn't emotionally handle the intense and very real situations social workers consistently find themselves in. After that, I wasn't quite sure. All I knew was that I wanted my job to be working directly with others, helping others and giving them hope, and applying the interesting things I'd learned in psychology about relationships and behavior. Besides that, I was wide open.

 At an event during my senior year I heard a speaker say "You know what you can do with a bachelor's in psychology?" My ears perked up and I leaned forward, eager to hear the exciting, fulfilling career path he would offer me. And then I heard his answer: "Go to graduate school."

I've had my bachelors degree for a year now, and like the speaker said, I really do need to get a masters degree to be able to get the kind of job I eventually want. I know the heart of what I want to do, but I really don't know exactly what career is right for me. I'm still considering counseling. I'm learning that having the same schedule as my husband is important to me so I'm also considering a few jobs that would allow me to use my skills and passions within the school system . I think at some point I would love to work within a church in a recovery ministry.

This isn't a decision I need to make right now, grad school is probably a ways away for me, something I can look forward to in the future. I am free to explore and ponder and wonder what I want to be when I grow up.

As I've pondered my answer, I've found myself discontent with the question. When you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, the correct response is a fireman, or a police woman, or a zoo keeper. When you ask a soon-to-be college graduate, the correct response is anxiety and uncertainty (or if you're one of those rare graduates with a job lined up, a brief explanation that makes your job sound as impressive as possible, hiding the doubt you have that you're on the right path). But what if we made the question bigger? What about if I thought of what I want my future identity to be, it wasn't about my career, but about my character?  That lasts longer anyway, right?

So, what do I want to be?

I want to be kind. I want to be helpful. I want to share joy. I want to be humble and teachable. I want to believe the best in others. I want to be patient. I want to have constant growth. I want to be adventurous. I want to be someone who notices. I want to be compassionate. I want to be cheerful and warm. I want to be a listener, one who supports, and one who perseveres. I want to give hope, inspire, encourage, and strengthen those around me.

Although I'm not sure of my future career, I know what my heart is, and what my calling is. These things are what I want to be.

Here's a few writings that speak to the heart of what I want to be:

If you want to love someone
Search their soul for where it's broken
Find the cracks and pour your heart in
If you want to love someone

Somehow you had a way of seeing
Just how deep my wound could go
Oh but you were never scared
To run and meet me there
And that's how I know
"If You Want to Love Someone" by Jason Gray


The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
 so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
and opens my understanding to his will.

-Isaiah 50:4 NLT 
It's okay that I don't know what career I want to pursue. But I do know what I want to be in this world, and I think that is more important.

I wish there was a way that we could get to know others by asking who they are and what they want to be in this sense. It would be refreshing if we had better questions to ask each other than "where did you go to school" and "what do you do" and "what's your plans". Who we are now is important. Who we are going to be is important. Our careers or lack of careers are a small detail of the whole picture.

What about you? Do you get anxious when someone asks you about your job or future, and wish you could tell them more about who you are and what you want to be in this world?

I hope these thought brings you encouragement and peace, wherever you may be on your career or life journey.

Santa Flaws

by Daniel Tew

Hello! For those of you that don't know me, I am Kelsey's husband, Daniel. With Kelsey's blessing, I am going to occasionally post on this blog. One of Kelsey's conditions of me blogging was to include an "About Me" section on my first post. So let me first tell you a bit about myself before I get to my blog.

I am a 6th grade teacher at Sandstone Middle School. I teach Language Arts and Social Studies. I have always wanted to teach and enjoy the challenges and rewards that come with teaching. I am a huge sports fan. My favorite teams are the Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Seahawks and the Oregon Ducks. I am an avid reader and plan to read (at least) 50 books in 2015. If you have any book suggestions please send them my way! Besides sports and reading, I also enjoy comic books, hiking and video games. I love my wife and love experiencing life together.

Now without further adieu, my inaugural contribution to "A Cup of Tea with Kelsey!"

Santa Claus, a holly jolly man who is devoted to spreading joy to children around the world one day a year by delivering presents. At first glance, he seems like a great guy. He is jolly and gives freely and only asks in return for cookies and milk. However, Santa's portrayal in movies and television specials can sometimes be more naughty than nice. I have compiled a list of five Santas and examine their flaws. I am not writing this list to be a Scrooge but instead to highlight some flaws of Ol' Saint Nick.

5. "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus"

I will admit a bit of bias on this first Santa. "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" is one rendition of Santa Claus that I cannot stand. The movie follows the ascension of Nicholas into the beloved Santa Claus. What really is upsetting to me about this Santa is the existence of so many other mythical creatures. Instead of just sticking to toys, this Santa spends a majority of the movie fighting
Awgwas. The Awgwas are troll like creatures who are hellbent on preventing Nicholas from delivering joy to children. While I get that Santa embodies good, I don't care to see him as a fighter. I believe Santa Claus should be seen as pacifist who is more content to deliver joy in the form of toys. This version of Santa is bizarre and the story does not even take place near the North Pole. Did I mention that Santa Clause is raised by a lioness?

Character Flaw: Santa is a lover, not a fighter!

4. "The Year Without A Santa Claus"

This special is one of my personal favorites including some underrated holiday characters (Jingle, Jangle and the Miser Brothers). However, the whole premise of the movie revolves around Santa wanting to play hooky for a year. While I get that being Santa can be a thankless job, it's hard to be sympathetic to someone who works one 'real' day in a year. If it wasn't for the behind the scene work of Mrs. Claus, Santa would have been content taking the year off depriving children all around the world of the joy of opening Christmas presents. While the movie itself is great, I believe that Santa could have gotten by with just an energy drink and a positive attitude.

Character Flaw: Santa should be a hard worker.

3. "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer"

"Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" Santa Claus spends the majority of this film believing Rudolph isn't deserving to be on his team. When Rudolph is born, Santa tells his parents that he better grow out of his shiny nose if he ever wants to help out on Christmas. Instead of accepting Rudolph for who he is, Santa instills early on that he is a misfit. Also for a guy who seems to have a lot of knowledge (i.e. knowing when your sleeping) he somehow has been able to overlook an entire island of misfit toys. We aren't talking about one or two toys but legitimately a WHOLE ISLAND of toys. Santa eventually makes up for mistreating Rudolph and not knowing about the misfit toys. However, he should have been accepting of both all along. 

Character Flaw: Santa should be accepting of everyone including misfits.

2. "A Christmas Story"

Ah, "A Christmas Story," filled with so many memorable scenes from the leg lamp, bunny pajamas, stick your tongue to a flag pole and of course, the official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle. With all these show stealing scenes, Santa almost goes by unnoticed. When young Ralphie tells Santa what he wants for Christmas, Santa responds by saying, "you'll shoot your eye out." While this phrase is repeated by various adults, it hurts coming from Santa Claus albeit a department store Santa. Santa should inspire dreams, not crush them. The Santa from "A Christmas Story" has some of the creepier elves that do not inspire holiday cheer. Also, who could forget the fact that to add insult to injury, Santa shoves Ralphie down a slide.

Character Flaw: Santa doesn't need to be the voice of reason but should encourage big dreams.

1. "Frosty the Snowman"

There are places children should be and some places that children should NOT be. For most people, knowing the difference between the two is common sense. Unfortunately this is not the case for Santa in "Frosty the Snowman." Karen, a school girl, had one long and dramatic day including:

1. Witnessing a Snowman come to life

2. Traveling by train to the North Pole

3. Watching said Snowman melt

4. Being followed/stalked by a magician

5. Learning of the existence Santa Claus

What is the perfect ending for such an exhausting day? Anything but what Santa does with poor Karen. Santa decides to drop Karen off on her roof before completing his journey around the world. Assuming that Santa delivered presents to Karen's house he would have gone down the chimney. It's hard to justify how an adult would leave a child on the roof of a house in the middle of the night while it is snowing! It may be just one detail, but I believe this is a huge character flaw.

Character Flaw: Santa should be responsible, especially when interacting with children.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Do you agree with the order? Let me know if there are any other Santa Flaws you have noticed in other movies.

The Story of Me and Disneyland

If you know me well, you know there are about four things I am always excited about and eager to talk about: Jesus, Harry Potter, chocolate, and Disneyland.

I never went to Disneyland as a kid. My family went camping, to the beach, and on a few road trips. Those were our family vacations and I loved them. Part of me was curious about Disneyland, but the better part of me knew I was terrified of rides of any kind and would be scared the entire time.

I truly hated rides as a kid. Yes, I was one of those kids at the fair on the teacups yelling "STOP THE RIDE!!!" just ask my sister, who was more of a dare devil. My fear was so strong that when we stepped into the carnival area at the state fair, my heart would start pounding and I'd get a terrible feeling in my stomach. I was even nervous in the car on the way to the state fair. I remember once when I was in about 4th grade my whole family was going to go on the big Ferris wheel. We were in line and I started bawling saying I couldn't do it. The Ferris wheel. I think I watched from the ground.

Senior year of high school, the possibility of Disneyland glimmered in my future. Choir was headed to Anaheim to compete. We did fundraisers to go on this trip. My friends talked up Disneyland like nothing else. I felt excitement building, but a big part of me was secretly nervous- after all, beyond the parades and music and characters and fun, the highlight of Disneyland for my friends was the rides.

The choir, band, and orchestra students piled into charter buses at 9 pm. We were to drive through the night. That drive is a story in itself. My seat buddy and I took shifts of laying down on the seat and curling up in a ball under the seat. Our choir teacher blasted action movies all night long. We ate limitless amounts of cheez-its. It was hilarious and fun and awful all at the same time. I laughed and commiserated with my friends, all the while having a secret lump of fear in my stomach. When this marathon bus ride finally ended, we would be at Disneyland, and there would be rides. I remember a particular moment of terror when the sun was coming up and we could see Six Flags in the distance. We arrived at our hotel in the evening and did not go into the park till the next day. Although I was completely sleep deprived, I remember having a hard time falling asleep, knowing the terror of Disneyland was about to become very real.

The next morning we ate a continental breakfast and headed over to the park. As we walked towards the gates the bouncy, happy music came on. My friends pointed out the peaks of rides over the walls. We got our tickets and were admitted in, then entered Disneyland through the infamous gate.

I was transfixed. The old-time music. The beautiful buildings. Even the smells. Everything so purposeful and cheerful and lovely. It was MAGICAL. I was in heaven. And then my friends began chattering away about which ride we should go on first. Deep breaths, Kelsey, deep breaths. They decided on the Matterhorn.

In line my friends reassured me that this ride was not scary, it was fun. "Just listen to the people laughing and their fun screams. Look at that little kid getting on the ride." Yeah, my dad had tried that with me a long time ago. I had learned that five year-olds were much more adaptable to high speeds, sudden stops, and drops than myself. As we got buckled in to the Matterhorn, my heart was racing. As our bobsled started moving, I urged it to stop. I closed my eyes as it plunged forward into the mountain. I was fascinated with the snowflakes falling as we climbed. I held my breath, waiting for the drop that was sure to come.

Then the drop came. And it was FUN. I was laughing. I couldn't believe it. I was fun-screaming with my friends, not terror-screaming. I yelled and giggled with delight as we passed the yeti with his glowing red eyes and got showered with water as we catapulted downwards. When it was over, I was giddy. I had just enjoyed a ride. It felt like a brand new world had opened up in front of me.

One of my favorite memories from that first day was our trip to Splash Mountain. I spent the ride enchanted by the story, characters and music, but distracted anticipating the infamous fall. When we began to make the long climb my heart pounded. The way the seats are arranged on Splash Mountain at Disneyland you sit in a single-file row. Having no way else to hang on to someone for dear life, I awkwardly gripped the calves of my friend behind me and screamed. And the drop was fun. After that, as we floated through the Zip a Dee Doo Dah boat scene, I was no longer surprised, but confident. I could do this. I was strong, and I was capable. I was ready to take these new scary challenges, and to grow.

The rest of our trip was filled with fun and adventure and a new sense of self. I, Kelsey, enjoyed rides. I was brave. I had fun. I requested to go on rides a second time. In one shocking last feat, I even went on the California Screaming, a roller coaster that goes from 0-60 and has a loop-di-loop. My friend advised me to scream it out, scream out the terror that was sure to envelope me on this ride. (It's funny, much of this ride doesn't make it possible to 'scream it out' because the velocity of the roller coaster causes the scream to actually go back in your stomach, causing your mouth to make a strange gurgling, vomiting sound. That's my theory anyway. Physics). I will admit that throughout this ride, when I was not scream-gurgling, I was cussing, which I do not do often. But when we get off, I was incredibly wind-swept and incredibly proud. I had done the thing I was most afraid of. And while it was terrible, it was also a bit fun.

A whirlwind awaited me back at home. Graduation and a major change I didn't expect. Days were a challenge to get through, a mix of moments of hope and despair. Nights were even harder, as I slept restlessly and had almost feverish dreams. After a few nights I noticed that whenever I was trying to calm myself enough to sleep, my mind always went to the same place: Splash Mountain.

Splash Mountain was a place I had been afraid of, a challenge I never thought I would overcome. Splash Mountain was also a place that I had discovered myself to be strong and full of potential. Where I discovered I could laugh in the midst of fear, take a deep breath and plunge into the unknown. This change was much like Splash Mountain. I was scared and didn't know what to expect. From the outside I saw only the infamous, terrorizing fall and had no idea what happened on the way there. But like with Splash Mountain, I knew I could come out of this with a greater sense of self. I would become strong. I would become brave. I would be resilient and grow and change and open up my heart. This challenge was presented in my life for a reason, and it was going to make me a new person.

I returned to Disneyland just one year later, with my dad and sister. I had raved about it all year long and finally made my dad curious enough to take us. It was a blast and a really special time with the two of them that I look back on with happy memories.

I returned again two years later, with my then boyfriend, now husband Daniel's family. They are huge Disney enthusiasts (I fit in well!) so I learned much more about the park and had another wonderful trip.

My most recent trip was about two years later, with my mom and her family. I treasured being there with my mom, taking time to enjoy the little things and sharing the magic together.

In my second, third, and fourth trip, I believe the story comes full circle. Doing these scary things makes me stronger and braver and a new person. Growing leads to new bonds, to resiliency, to taking a risk and loving someone not knowing what will happen, to reconciliation, to becoming more of who I am supposed to be.

Every time I leave Disneyland, the whole time we walk down Main Street USA I look over my shoulder at the glowing castle, wondering when I will be back. My heart is full. Full of sorrow to leave, full of joy to return, full of perspective of how Disneyland has impacted me. Full of the giddiness of a woman who turns back into a child to delight, to embrace openly, to adventure, and to grow.

Chunky Infinity Scarf

I started knitting about five years ago, and I LOVE it. It's a hobby I joyfully anticipate returning to every winter. I could knit all year, but I usually like to save it for just the winter to keep it special. When I think of winter break, I think of snuggling up watching Christmas movies with a hot drink and my knitting needles.
I wanted to share with you a knitting project I recently finished. This is a simple infinity scarf.

I used an I Love This Chunky yarn from Hobby Lobby (I can't remember exactly what style and color), I used one and a half skeins. Really any chunky yarn will do for this pattern. Also an awesome thing about chunky yarns is they make projects go really fast. I used size 10 needles and cast on 20 stitches for this project. My pattern was knit 2 purl 1, which I think always makes a nice ridge pattern that has texture but does not scrunch up too much.

All you need to do to make this scarf is cast on 20 stitches and knit 2, purl 1 until your desired length is achieved, then cast off! It's super simple and quick.

I chose a nice in between length that can be looped once or twice. Something I especially enjoy about infinity scarves is they are diverse, you can dress them up, dress them down, or wear them for cozy warmth.

I hope this winter finds you cozily crafting!

Christmas Carols: Classic and Fresh

Ok, so most people either love or hate Christmas music. As a music lover, I find myself oddly in the middle. I love the season, decorating, giving gifts, seeing family and friends, all the cozy traditions, and most of all celebrating the birth of my Savior. But I have ambivalent feelings about the music. There are some classics I love, and every year I enjoy exploring new Christmas songs and covers of classics. But with certain songs, when I hear them the second week of November or whenever Christmas starts (earlier every year!) I think to myself "Oh my goodness, it does not feel like I had 11 months off of this song". Some of the same old versions of the same old song for me start to feel not jolly or festive, but just plain taxing. The one that really gets to me is "Holly Jolly Christmas". I don't know why, but that song is just too much for me. 11 months never seems to be big enough of a break.

Don't get me wrong,  I like more Christmas music than I dislike, and a lot of the stuff I like is classics, for example Bing Crosby Christmas Classics is one of my all time favorite holiday CDs. But if you are like me, and the same old songs can harsh your cheer a bit, here's some less-played tunes to add to your Christmas playlist this season. Some are classics by a different artist than the one we hear the most on the radio, and some are new original songs by contemporary artists. Some are just personal favorites.


I Believe- Frank Sinatra

Wonderful Christmastime- The Shins

Winter Weather- Fats Waller & His Rhythm

Maybe This Christmas- Ron Sexsmith

Little Drummer Boy- Pentatonix

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm- Dean Martin

Love is Christmas- Sara Barielles

Angels We Have Heard on High- The Piano Guys

Christmas is Coming- Jason Gray

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings- Barenaked Ladies ft. Sarah McLachlan

Mary Did You Know- Pentatonix

What Child is This- Third Day

Winter Wonderland- Jason Mraz

Auld Lang Syne- Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin

Do You Hear What I Hear- Anthem Lights

Carol of the Bells- The Piano Guys

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel- Punch Brothers

Snowfall- Eddie South

We Three Kings- Tenth Avenue North ft. Britt Nicole

Christmas Must Be Tonight- My Morning Jacket

Wake Up the World- JJ Heller

Welcome to Our World- Chris Rice




What about you? Are there any overplayed Christmas songs that drive you crazy? What about any fresh ones you have enjoyed lately?

Holiday Cooking and Eating

Most weekends (ok, about 70% of the time, when I'm on top of things) I make a menu of dinners for the week. I like to plan because it helps me grocery shop, make sure we are getting a nice variety and proper nutrition, and just makes me feel more ready for the week.

I get ideas most of my ideas from Pinterest, blogs I follow, and recipe books I own. Some recipes are also stored in my brain, or off the back of a box. I'm pretty open to getting recipes anywhere, but I've learned if I try to cook something I'm unexperienced at without closely following a recipe, it does not turn out well. I am still fairly new to cooking, so I am learning a lot and having a blast exploring the kitchen, as well as enjoying all the fun tools we got as wedding presents!

I want to share with you my menu for this last week. This week was pretty standard for us until the weekend. We had a friend visit so we decided to make a little party of it and have a mini Friendsmas (Friends' Christmas). This led to a lot of food and fun.

Here's what our week of food looked like:

Peanut Pad Thai

Peanut Pad Thai was a back of the box recipe from the Thai Kitchen. I love the peanut sauce, it's a little sweet and a little spicy. The vegetables I chose to include were edamame, carrots, green peas, red bell peppers, and I topped it with crushed peanuts and cilantro.

New England Clam Chowder and Dinner Rolls

New England Clam Chowder from the awesome Better Homes & Gardens cookbook my Grandma gave me. This chowder delivered in the way BH&G always does- classic, filling, and yummy. Also a bonus- Daniel helped cook this one. We served it with biscuits.

Taco Salad with Ground Beef is always an easy, healthy and filling weeknight option. I used romaine lettuce and topped it with black beans, chopped green pepper, avocado, cilantro, and a tiny bit of grated cheddar cheese. We top it with crunched up tortilla chips (Daniel has to have Juanita's), homemade salsa, and mango chipotle vinaigrette. 

My husband's special request this week was Calzones. I used a recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, and it made two GIANT Calzones. We froze one to save for after the holidays. The crust was really good and we stuffed ours with green peppers, turkey pepperoni, ground beef, and of course cheese and tomato sauce. The recipe in the link is not exactly the same, we made our dough from scratch.

Our Friday night meal was Turkey Burgers with Kale Chips. We love Turkey Burgers as a leaner option to beef, and are always a nice change. I topped mine with avocado, onions, and a little bit of mayo. I toasted the buns and cooked up some Kale Chips, which are super easy and quick and a nice crunchy alternative to potato chips. This was perfect for our easy going Friday night of watching about 6 episodes of New Girl!

A couple of weeks ago I was browsing the produce section of our local grocery store, Fiesta Foods, when a kind fellow costumer approached me and offered me a coupon for an $8 ham. I had never really thought about baking a ham and didn't know when we'd have the opportunity, but I thought that she was so sweet to give the coupon to me that I wanted to use it. I threw it in the freezer not knowing when we'd use it, and the chance arose when our Friendsmas was arranged!

Cheese Platter Appetizers

Daniel and I and two dear friends had quite the feast Saturday Night. We served a cheese platter for appetizers. It was my first time baking a ham, I used this helpful page I found on Pinterest to learn all the basics. I made the honey glaze and it was delicious. The ham was accompanied by BH&G Mashed Potatoes made by my helpful husband, along with crescent rolls, and Parmesan Roasted Green Beans. Our drink of choice was two affordable Barefoot wines, one white and one red, and sparkling cider.

Our guests at dinner

For dessert we had scrumptious Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies with festive red and green sprinkles, and hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps.

Bacon and Corn Griddle Cakes and Green Smoothies

The next day for breakfast, we had one of my new favorite breakfasts: Recipe Girl's Bacon and Corn Griddle Cakes. These are INCREDIBLE topped with warm maple syrup, a wonderful balance of sweet and savory. While the hearty bacon and cheese in the pancakes balanced out our wine and schnapps from the night before, I also made detox green smoothies with kale, frozen mango and pineapple, orange juice, and a banana.

I had fun with the ham leftovers. I experimented with a few different salads: my favorite had pecans, chopped broccoli, pepper jack cheese, and of course ham. I wanted to make a sparkling cider inspired dressing without actually opening another bottle of sparkling cider. Surprisingly, I had great success with this using a bit of red wine vinegar, a tiny bit of maple syrup, honey, and a dollop of apple butter. Shake it all up and it made a really nice dressing. I also made BH&G Cheesy Veggie and Ham Chowder with the leftovers, and this Broccoli, Ham, & Mozzarella Egg casserole from Kalyn's Kitchen, which I found on Pinterest.


One of my salad experiments

Broccoli, Ham, & Mozzarella Egg Casserole

It was a great and fairly indulgent week of meals. Now to clean out our fridge before we leave for Christmas break!

Rest, Surrender, and Trust

Last Spring, I found myself extremely overwhelmed. You know what I mean, when you feel like you can't possibly hold it all together for a second longer. Those times when you are so busy and your mind is constantly occupied, but nothing feels fulfilling.
I was in the stressful detail stages of trying to plan a wedding, working full time (with a 250 mile per week commute), teaching fitness, and trying to wrap up my last month of college life in Monmouth. I also had no idea what the future held, as Daniel was still on the job hunt. I was trying to apartment search when we didn't even know for sure what town we would be living in. I was fumbling desperately for control of the future while floundering to keep it together in the present.
One day I woke up to get ready for work and it hit me how drained and absolutely stressed I felt. I realized I needed a day to breathe. I called in, went back to sleep, and spent a day doing something I desperately needed to do, and I think we as people often forget to do- rest.
On the afternoon of my restful day, I headed to the park across the highway from my apartment. I lay my quilt out by the stream and tried to will myself not to think or worry or try to solve all my problems, but just to rest. To listen to God, and just be. To trust Him.
I ended up writing this passage. I hope it encourages you in some way, whether it makes you realize you're not alone in your struggle to trust, or you use it as a devotion, or whatever your heart leads to you to.

My Father,
I have been so far from you. I feel like I have these walls up against you and I don't know why or where they came from.
I need to rest. I need to trust in you and rest in you. I need to take time to be with you. I need to be still. You are God and I am not. Your ways are higher than mine.
I need to take time to know who my God is and have my needs met in him.

Who are you God? You are:
-Provider: you give what I need
-Redeemer: you make me new
-Savior: you save me from evil
-Teacher: you tell me what is right
-Guide: you show me what path to take
-Lord: you are worthy of honor in my life
-Father: you take care of me
-Lover: you know me and see me as precious
-Healer: you heal my hurts

What do you do, God? You:
-Lift Burdens: take away stress
-Lead: give insight
-Bless: give good things
-Know all: have all understanding
-Bring Light: fill with joy and hope
-Strengthen: so we may do all things
-Restore: make new
-Give mercy: have compassion
-Give grace: forgive and give freedom

Lord you are worthy:
-Of my trust
-To follow with my whole heart and life
-Of obedience
-Of my time
-Of listening to and talking to
-Of praise and adoration

Lord, you are so great. You are so powerful and kind and compassionate. Why don't I give my burdens to you? I feel you gently inviting me to.
Lord, please be my everything. Please be the one I turn to and the one who fills me up. Please be above all else in my life.

"Majesty enthroned in beauty

all my life, your love pursues me

and I'm found in you

oh Holy One, the King of Glory

you're the author of my story

and I'm found in you

Because you give me light

and lead me to find your grace and your mercy

given so freely

your word is my light

it leads me to find your comfort and healing

the hope that I'm needing

Your love is all around

oh Living One you reign forever

drawing me into your presence

and I'm found in you

oh Great Reedemer, Precious Savior

you are faithful though I wander

and I'm found in you

And I hear your voice

I hear the words you've spoken

this love is yours

this love restores the broken

oh, your love is all around"

Your Love is All Around, All Sons & Daughters

Lord I give you my work. Please make me a good worker, that I may serve you in all I do. I give you the path of my work and trust you will design it.

Lord I give you my relationships. Please make me a good friend, family member, and wife. Help me to be more like you in my relationships. Help me to seek your love before the love of others. I trust you to take care of my relationships, and to love the people I care about, and guide them and grow them. I give you my relationships and people, trusting you will nurture them. I'm not in charge, you are.

Lord I give you my time. I pray you will show me how to spend it. I trust you to balance my time. I give you my sleeping, my eating, my socializing, my exercising, my downtime, my working. I pray you'd take it all and redesign it in a way that focuses on you, trusts you to be God, and rests in you.

Lord I give you my future. I give you wedding planning. I give you my marriage and our living situation. I give you my career. I give you my future family. I give you my finances. I give you my responsibilities. I give you my body and my mind. I trust the plans you have. I trust you will provide. I trust you will guide me. I trust you will be my light and my redeemer.

Lord you are enough, and I am not. I have felt that all of this is on me. I give it to you. I can't handle it, but you can. I don't know what ought to happen, but you do. You have patience and the right timing, I do not. You are enough. You can handle it all. Please take my burdens, I give them to you, you can handle them.

Lord, you are enough and the world is not. I have felt that my needs are not being met. I give those needs to you. You are the one that can fulfill my need to be loved, understood, wanted, cherished. When you are the one I'm connected with, the relationships I have can be more fulfilling because my deepest needs have a foundation with you. When I'm not seeking you to meet my needs, I seek others, and these are impossible demands. You only truly know me. Please give me peace to know that and to know that people are doing their best, and love me the best they can. Please help me to share my life with others and enjoy deep companionship, but be ultimately dependent on you. I know who you are, you designed me and know my unique needs. You created me to know you and need you. I trust you to fill me.

Lord, why do I try to take on these things, or place my well-being on people or things? I know full well that you are the one. It seems I just forget. How could I forget? Did I get distracted? Lord please don't let me fall away from you. Please help me take time for you. Please center my life around you. Please speak to me.

"Do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself... only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you." -1 Samuel 12:20-24 ESV

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord." -Jeremiah 29:11-14 ESV

Lord I need you. You are enough. I can completely rest because you are carrying me. I can stop striving and trust you. I want to see your face every moment.

"Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you and you alone. Help me to pay attention and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen." -Peter Scazzero, Daily Office


Lord you have done the work. All I need to do is trust you.