happy halloween

{Photo 1: blouse/necklace: F21; flats: Target; skinnies: Old Navy}

{Photo 2: Candy Corn Popcorn}

{Photo 3: gold & black nails}

Happy Halloween! Hubby and I are going to a Halloween party tonight. We're keeping our costumes a secret. Don't worry, I'll share with you later. 

Eat lots of candy and watch lots of scary movies!

unfortunate and fortunate

{ sunglasses/bag/watch: Nordstrom; cape/bracelet: F21; lipstick: Revlon; scarf: Gift; trousers/wedges: Target }

{ Similar: cape; sunglasses; bag; trousers; scarf; lipstick; wedges }

{ Unfortunate }

1. Being called out in Native American Flute class, because I'm tone deaf and can't keep a tune. The professor looked right at me as we were practicing. Was I that obvious in a class of 70+ students that I didn't practice for 15 minutes everyday?

2. Gaining weight from so many birthday goodies. Seriously... I ate so much this week. It was awesome.

3. Husband calling me a bird in this cape. { I guess that's kind of a compliment? I do love birds.}.

4. Spilling the huge bucket of ice from the MU to the cafe at 6:30 in the morning. Seriously unfortunate. I slowly watched the bucket of ice teeter back and forth on the cart before rolling down the hill. Ugh. Super annoying. At least it was pitch black outside, so no one saw me!

5. Using napkins as toilet paper. Why is it so hard for me to make it to the store?

{ Fortunate }

1. Feeling the love from so many friends who care about me and wished me a happy birthday! I got lots of coffee money, chocolate, and flowers. Pure bliss.

2. Going to pizza twice this week with hubby {that means two hot dates in one week!}.

3. Double Deuces! {22}!

4. It's still crisp and sunny in Corvallis... I'm crossing my fingers it doesn't start to rain anytime soon {who am I kidding? I live in Oregon}.

5. Going to Portland this weekend to spend time with the Nelson family {for those of you who don't know, that's my maiden name}. I can't wait to see my family. They're always a good time. Lot's of laughing, football, and treats {of course!}.

6. We are moving in December!!! {More details to come}.

I'm trying to figure out which website to use for linking up! If you are already participating in unfortunate and fortunate events, let everyone know in your comment! We want to read!

Happy Weekend!

my heart skipped a beat

As soon as I opened this present from hubby, my heart skipped a beat. I have been eyeing this leather bible for a long time. It is the most amazing thing ever. I'm a writer, and in all of my bibles, I tend to fill up every square inch of the pages with notes. When I found out they made bibles with lines on the side of each page for notes, I about died. I thought, "These were made for meeee." I can't wait to dive in and start filling the pages. It still smells like leather, it smells so great and new. Oh, and notice the cute white owl mug, that was another gift from hubby. I think he knows me pretty well... Wouldn't you agree??

Thanks hubby for making my leather bible fantasy come true.

chocolates & flowers

{ earrings: Thrifted; sweater: Old Navy; skirt: Loft; shoes: Jessica Simpson; bag: Target; watch: Norstrom; bracelet: JCrew }

I think my friends know me well. I received lots of chocolates and flowers, two things that always bring a smile to my face. You can bet that most of those chocolates have already made their way into my mouth {calories don't count on your birthday}!

Thanks again to everyone who wished me a happy birthday---I feel extremely spoiled and loved.

22

{ sweater/pants: F21; watch: Nordstrom }

Do I look older? more mature?

Today's Agenda: sleeping in, grabbing my free birthday drink at Starbucks {something really sugary and yummy since it's my birthday}, going to class, dinner at American Dream, guys/girls group, and enjoying a funfetti cake made by hubby while watching Parenthood {how convenient that my birthday is the same day that Parenthood shows}. My perfect kinda day.

Sorry there's no recipe this week, I promise that next tuesday will be extra tasty :]

hands down, the best weekend.

{ Saturday }

{Sunday }

I can't even put into words how perfect this weekend was.

Saturday was wonderful. My two best friends drove down to Corvallis to celebrate our birthdays {we were all born 2 weeks apart from each other}. We ate lunch at American Dream, drank pumpkin spic lattes, and painted mugs. Oh, and how could I leave out our awesome "22" shirts. Thanks Alex, for making us those shirts, and reminding us we're never too old to tell the world it's our birthday. I love you both. Thanks for the perfect Saturday celebration. &&& thanks for knowing me so well, and after all these years, still being my friend.

Sunday couldn't have been any sweeter. I loved every second I spent with my hubby. He knows me so well. He planned the day, and we spent celebrating my birthday by--- going to church in the morning, grabbing coffee, taking the back roads to an antique show in Coburg, eating lunch at my favorite gf pizza place in Eugene, going to the pumpkin patch, and finishing the day by watching a "Fever Pitch" snuggled up on the couch. It was the perfect way to celebrate. 

On the car ride home from the pumpkin patch, Brad grabbed my hand and said, "After 7 years of celebrating our birthdays, hands down, this one was my favorite. I can't believe you're my wife. I love you so much."

{Heart is melting...}

At that moment, no other birthday even compared. If only he knew how lucky I feel to be married to HIM.

Unfortunate and Fortunate.

{ sweater/belt/bracelet/necklace: F21; button-up/wedges: Old Navy; watch: Nordstrom; jeans: The Loft }

{Unfortunate}

1. Running out of deodorant on Monday, smelling like a boy for the rest of the week, thanks to hubby's manly deodorant.

2. Dear Gluten, you make my stomach feel like someone's stabbing me... I don't appreciate it very much. Please stop. I didn't like abruptly leaving class on Monday, due to those feelings of death. You suck. Stop sneaking your way into my body through miniscule crumbs---It's not cool. Thanks. Love, your favorite celiac girl.

3. Missing Parenthood this week. Enough said.

4. Midterms are next week, and due to a little thing called Senioritis, I have ZERO motivation to study. Absolutely zilch.

5. Not having anytime with hubby. This week was full of eating dinner by myself. I miss sitting on our couch, eating on our coffee table {because our dining room table is where our laptops go these days}, and watching reruns of Arrested Development. The best. I miss you, hubby. Praise the Lord for weekends!

6. When I get nervous, I bake. This week, well, I baked a lot. 

{Fortunate}

1. The beginning of fall in Corvallis. The OSU campus in the fall is absolutely gorgeous. Bold oranges, golds, reds, and yellows everywhere.
2. My best friend, Alex coming to support me on Tuesday night. Not only that, but she brought me a pumpkin spice latte to encourage me. Man, I'm thankful for friends like her. Friends that know exactly what you need, and friends who are always there for you. She's so great.
3. Walking to class with the hubby every day this week. It's the little things. Ya know?
4. This weekend! Number 4 deserves an a,b,&c.
a. My two best friends, Alex & Kelsey are coming into town on Saturday to celebrate our birthdays. They are those friends that make you breathe a little sigh of relief every time you're around them, because you know they only want you to be yourself. Those two know me so well, I can't wait to be with them for a few hours.
b. Saturday night, hubs and I are headed to Salem to go out to dinner with my wonderful in-laws {Outback Steakhouse sweet potatoes, here I come}!
c. Sunday, husband is taking me on a birthday-day date {my birthday is really not until Tuesday, but our Tuesdays are too packed to celebrate}. I'm SO excited. Not because it's my birthday necessarily, but because I get to steal a whole day with my mister.


What are your unfortunates and fortunates this week?
Next week, I'll have a "Link Up" for those who want to share on their blog! You know you want to.

Public speaking isn't my strong point.

{ top/bracelet/belt/pants: F21; watch/purse: Nordstrom; wedges: Target; lipstain: Gothic by Revlon }

We're getting real today, folks. A major fear of mine is public speaking. I mean, serious fear. I'm definitely a one-on-one type of girl, and speaking in front of small groups is fine too.  But, anything over 15 people, yikes. Last night, I conquered that fear by speaking at girls group {80+ girls}. I was terrified. Before I spoke, I prayed and prayed and prayed that the words spoken wouldn't be my own.  I knew that if they were words of wisdom coming from yours truly, they wouldn't be heard or what was supposed to be said. I spoke about finding your identity in Christ. I continued to remind myself how ironic it was that I was terrified to speak, when what I was speaking on was the very fact that I am rooted in Christ and everything I had to say was from His perfect word. I had nothing to fear, nothing to worry about, because His word is holy and blameless. I was just there to verbally speak. The Lord showed up, and he spoke---not me. Everything I said was like word vomit spilling out of my mouth. Why is it so hard for me to trust that the Lord can use me and speak through me? The Lord grew me and stretched me, and I'm thankful for that---even if it was completely out of my comfort zone. 

{{Here are the main chunks of scripture I spoke on tonight, and bits and pieces of what was spoken }}

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." {Isaiah 55:1-2}

I love the Psalms, because David is constantly speaking about his satisfied soul in Christ. He continues to praise God for knowing every detail about him, and for being his creator.

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." {Psalm 63:1}

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." {Psalm 63:3}

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.  Whom have I in heaven by you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." {Psalm 73: 23-26}

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us why He came to earth. He came to earth, not because he had to, but because God needed to come in human flesh, so that he could live a life the way he intended us to live. He came to be the savior of the world. He came so that we could have life to the full.

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." {John 10:10}

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" {2 Corinthians 5:17}

Believe that you are a new creation in Christ! Accept it, live it, and embrace it--- that's who you are. Period. Don't let yourself believe the lie that you're anything less.

{{Thanks for letting me share with you my heart, and what the Lord is teaching me. If I didn't share it, I wouldn't be who God has called me to be.}} 

 I conquered my fears. Thanks everyone who prayed and encouraged me before the big talk. I really, truly appreciate it.

Tasty Tuesday: Grilled Caprese Sandwiches

I finalllllly made bread this weekend. When bread is made in the Kidd nest, it's usually gone in two days [and there's only two of us]. We love bread. Since I can't just go to the grocery store and buy a loaf for $1.50, and I don't want to spend $7.00 for a cardboard loaf of gluten-free bread, I bake my own. Thankfully, there are bread machines, or we'd be out of luck. Recently, Winco started selling Bob's Redmill Gluten-Free Bread Mix! I purchased mine this weekend for only $3.30! In the gluten-free world, that's an unbelievable deal, and so I snagged up 5 mixes. I was that crazy woman in the baking aisle snagging all the mixes from the top shelf. No shame here!

As soon as the bread was ready, I experimented with idea of grilled caprese sandwiches. When I was in France, I ate lots of baguettes with mozzarella cheese, basil, and tomato. SO delicious [take me baaaack!]. I am so thankful I didn't know I had Celiac when I went to Europe. I ate so much bread.

Anyways, these bad boys are extremely tasty and satisfying. I mean, you can't really go wrong with pesto, bread, tomatoes, and mozzarella---right?

Grilled Caprese Sandwiches

Serves: 2

Total Time: 15 minutes

{Ingredients}

-4 slices of bread

-Mozzarella Fresca

-Basil Pesto

-2 Tomatoes

-Salt & Pepper

-George Forman grill or you can grill the sandwiches in a pan with olive oil

{Directions}

1. Plug in George Forman or turn your stovetop on to medium heat, add 1 t of olive oil to the pan.

2. Slice two tomatoes and mozzarella in thin slices.

3. Spread as much basil pesto on bread slices as desired. Then layer the tomatoes and mozzarella [pesto, 2 slices of mozzarella, 2 slices of tomatoes, 2 slices of mozzarella, 2 slices of tomatoes, pesto]. Sprinkle the top layer of tomatoes with salt and pepper.

4. Grill the sandwiches until the mozzarella starts to melt [5-10 minutes].

5. ENJOY!

The weekend that finally felt like Autumn.

Saturday was spent eating lots of pumpkin, apple, and caramel goodness

& beaver football

& quality time with that hot husband of mine.

I not only wish every day was Saturday, but I also wish that every day felt like fall.