Halloween Costume 2012

Made my Halloween Costume today... 

I'm going as Pinterest this year : ) 

It was a free DIY homemade costume (my favorite kind). 

Supplies: printer, cardstock paper, safety pins, tape, & some red clothing. 

I drew the logo freehand & taped it onto red paper to make it look like the App button. Choosing pictures & writing captions was by far the funnest part!

I made sure to include the  number of "likes" & "repins" & even added the beloved  "Scroll to Top" button!

details. details. 

I'm volunteering at the EMP tonight for their Halloween Bash with my neighbor tonight. From 7-11PM we'll help greet/work the registration table...& then we get to go in FOR FREE! I've never even been to the museum-so this will be a memorable first time visit!

Dear Halloween,

I'm a fan. 

-SJW  

P.S. 3 days till my birthday!

Sometimes I'm a (trendy?) TV bum

Occasionally TV shows will suck my time away & I'll get into a "must-watch-seven-episodes-in-one-sitting" trance. I'm a sucker for solid character development, reasonable amounts of drama, witty dialogue, music, great fashions, and unique plot lines.

Here are my top 10 favorites TV shows (in alphabetical order):

1. American Dreams

My absolute favorite!

2. Downton Abbey

The acting & accents couldn't be better!

3. Friday Night Lights

I'm from Texas...

4. Glee

The musical numbers...

5. Grey's Anatomy

Seasons 1-3

6. Mad Men

The FASHIONS!

7. Modern Family

Phil Dunphy's wisdom.

8. The Office

Jim & Pam Seasons 1-5 : ) 

9. Once Upon a Time

I love the Fairy Tale twists.

10. Pushing Daisies

So quirky and creative!

My recent find: Nashville on ABC starring Connie Britton & Hayden Panettiere. 

I went on a road trip to Nashville my junior year of college with 6 of my friends, so maybe I'm biased, but I think it has potential!

If you're looking for something new to get into, I'd recommend any of the above! Do you agree? 

Just another couch potato,

-SJW 

We still go on dates.

Mr. Fleece & I have loved being married & living in Seattle. This city is captivating my heart & I think we might be out here for a while! Who knew the Pacific Northwest was so great?

Here are some of the fun things we've done recently:

-Seahawks game. Growing up, I rooted for Brett Favre & The Green Bay Packers. These days, I find myself cheering for The Hawks and wearing navy & lime green : )

-Fancy dinner at Matt's in the Market. We received a gift card here as a wedding gift & finally spent it! It is tucked away above the market & has a great view of Puget Sound. 

Seafood Galore!

Sometimes we have date nights at home. 

-I set up an intimate candlelight dinner, complete with watermelon triangles & quiche.

I even had a card at his place mat. 

-For one of our "dates," I gave Mr. Fleece a haircut. It was my first time & I think I did a decent job.

The true test of trust. 

-We also took a trip to Trader Joe's for the first time & bought some unique goodies. I love the Petite Cocoa Batons.Other favorites include their oatmeal, Pumpkin Granola Bars, & the Blondie Bar Mix.

Perfect bite-size treat.

Dating shouldn't stop once you get married!

-SJW (a happily married city gal)

Every Friday.

Mr. Fleece has implemented a household tradition for us called "Find the Opossum Friday." 

Background: During our 4 years of dating long distance we talked on the phone quite frequently. Within the 300+ conversations, there were at least 2 times I vocalized a panicky "EWW UGHH AHHH GROSS!" freak-out-moment mid-conversation. I had sighted a mangy, trash-digging, hairy, filthy OPOSSUM. The red eyes + tail that looks like it's already dead makes for an unappealing combo & for real creeps me out.

So, naturally, last Christmas?/Valentine's Day? Mr. Fleece gave me this "gag" gift:

A stuffed opossum

I joked around how it would be funny when we got married for me to open a cabinet & see the opossum staring back at me.
Mr. Fleece took that comment seriously & started "Find the Opossum Friday" (AKA "Hide the Opossum Thursday Night.") We alternate weeks "hiding" the opossum. Here's where the opossum has lurked in the past month or two:

Under the printer

In the Hall Closet

Under Mr. Fleece's Pillow

In my sock bin

Hanging from the microwave

Hanging from the Shower Curtain

It's cute in a plush kind of way. Plus, Fridays are more fun now.

I guess this is what married people do,

-SJW

Does that mean...

"A watched Pot never Boils." 

Does that mean I shouldn't keep checking my e-mail every half hour to see if I have a job response? 

Seriously, potential future employers,...fill a girl in.

Making pasta,

-SJW

Because it's the Sabbath...

I thought I'd share about my church here in Seattle. It is called Downtown Cornerstone Church (DCC) & has a community of believers that LOVES JESUS. The people are genuine, the pastor is gifted, the sermons are full of scripture, the worship is gospel focused, & the mission is alive.

It is similar to Hill Country UT (my church in Austin) in a lot of ways. Replace the UT campus with downtown Seattle & a bunch of college students with 25-35 year olds & you've got a good picture of DCC!
DCC was planted about a year & a half ago in the heart of downtown Seattle with the mission of reaching the city for Christ. It's a people that focuses on Jesus & what He accomplished on the cross.

I'm consistently reminded that:
-God is holy.
-I was/am prideful & self-centered before meeting/apart from Christ.
-I don't earn my righteousness, it was given to me.
-I am a new creation because I've acknowledged & accepted Jesus' sacrifice.
-My identity is in Christ-not in how I look, what I have, what I do well, or what other people think of me.
-Jesus offers never-ending grace & forgiveness.
-Jesus is relevant to my everyday life.

Here's a link to a sermon Pastor Adam preached in our series over Proverbs. It gives you a taste of the preaching we receive each week! Side note: his voice reminds me A LOT of Jim from The Office.

Since the beginning of this year I've considered getting baptized (even though I was baptized when I was much younger). I feel like I really met Jesus & understood the gospel my freshman year in college, & decided it was time.
Here are pictures from the day:

We had a big BBQ & Baptism night where 12 people were baptized!

We each shared our testimony (video to come!?)

Mr. Fleece & Pastor Adam baptizing me.

A really awesome moment. 

Thanks to everyone back home who prayed for Mr. Fleece & I to find a church. We are serving & making some stellar friends. Plus, we just became members : )

God is faithful & worthy of our trust.

-SJW

13 Outfits for the price of FREE.

I attended a clothing swap last weekend. A.K.A. hang out with fun girls & walk away with cute new clothes! Everyone brought clothes they were tired of & we placed them in piles according to their category: blouses, dresses, jeans, etc. Then it was a free for all.
The process: Try it on, like it, take it.

By the end of the night, here's what I walked away with:
1 coat
1 pair of shorts
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of jeggings
1 pair of leggings
1 scarf
1 bracelet
2 pairs of earrings
2 dresses
3 pants
3 pairs of shoes
3 sweaters
11 tops
1 possible Halloween costume (not shown below)

Here are the 13 outfits that I made using ONLY the above items!

Favorite combo.

Who knew I'd be a jeggings fan?

Another fav.

Was surprised how much I liked this one!

New Year's Eve dress?

My loot included:
Banana Republic, Target, cashmere, sequins, Steve Madden, Old Navy,work appropriate, casual, S, M, L, Lucky Brand, American Eagle, basics, fancy, Urban Outfitters, & Forever 21.

Moral of the post: You need to host a Clothing Swap Party. The reasons should be obvious.

No need to go shopping,
-SJW

P.S. I dyed my hair yesterday : )

Buy me a pumpkin.

Pumpkin lattes. Fall leaves. Cooler weather. An impending birthday. Halloween brainstorming.....it must be my favorite month of the year!

In honor of October, I thought I'd post about transitioning outfits from season to season. I use accessories, COLOR, and shoes to make it happen.

Here's an example with some work basics:

Black Skirt from The Limited and Grey blouse from Marshall's.

1. Fall

I use this chunky mustand sweater as a central piece in my Autumn wardrobe. It makes a weekly appearance.

Boots are also a Fall fav.

2. Winter

Tights & leggings have won me over. I'm hoping to stock up and maybe get a fun color or two.

Not complete without a scarf.

3. Spring

Easter dictates the color palette for me.

Pinks, blues, greens, yellows.

4. Summer

Casual with a tinsy drop of boho flair.

I think all these accessories are from Target.

For me, there's no such thing as "putting away my summer clothes." I keep them in my closet and simply practice the technique of layering. Expect to see me in sundresses-they'll just be over leggings/boots & under a cardigan/coat : )

Craving pumpkin pie,

 -SJW