Liza's Life

oh wednesday

2011-03-09T10:01:00.004-05:00

It's cold. It's cloudy. It's raining.

I'm sick with some weird chest cold thing that creeped up on me out of nowhere.

I'm contemplating whether I should watch season 6 or 7 of friends while I type up more of my favorite recipes for my recipe box.

Oh and I saw this pic online and I drooled a bit. I kinda want the one on the left cuz it has caramel swirls on it...

bring me one?

Proverbs 31

2011-03-08T09:01:00.003-05:00

I am loving laurennicolelove right now (there is a link on the right side of my blog). She is artsy and passionate and loves God. One of her posts talks about how the women we are and will become is between us and God...you can read this post here. I love her interpretation of Proverbs 31 and I thought I would share:

A valuable woman who can find?

She is worth more than diamonds and gold.

Her man brags about her

and because of her, needs nothing else.

She fills his life with good things, not problems,

every day of their life.

She loves hunting for pretty things

And making beautiful things to sell online. (Yep, I said it.)

She's just like a small business,

earning a living around the world.

She pulls late nights

To make things for her family

and for her friends.

She finds things she is passionate about

and invests in them

paying for them out of her own earnings.

She works hard because she knows what she loves,

her arms are built for what she does.

She knows that what she invests her time in is worth it,

and her light stays on late into the night.

In her hands she grips the tools she needs,

she knows how to use them and how to create.

She throws open her doors to the poor

and gives freely to everyone that needs anything she has.

When life gets hard, she has no fear for her family

for she has made sure all of them are clothed well.

She decorates her home to reflect herself,

and dresses well.

Her man is respected in what he does,

everyone around him admires him.

She creates clothing, art - anything she loves

and sells it off.

She is strong and confident in her reputation,

she can laugh in the face of anything, fearing nothing.

She speaks wisdom and truth,

and can guide others well and easily.

She is aware of everything in her home,

and never suffers from laziness.

Her children stand up and tell others of who she is,

her man also - he sings her praises.

She knows that charm can have no foundation

and that some beauty does not last

but she fears the Lord, and she will be praised for it.

Give her the reward that she has so well earned

and let everything she does bring her praise wherever she goes.

this weekend

2011-03-07T13:05:00.008-05:00

This weekend went way too fast! But it was a lot of fun...here are some of the highlights :)

Adam got his graduation present from his parents and set it up in my family room...

I finished one of the three books I was reading:

(yay me)

A whole herd of us went to see the third Narnia movie at the cheap theater on Sunday...

Sarah, Ryan, Adam & I

My beautiful sista's Emily & Katie.

My awesome parents!

I made Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes and Adam's beautiful sis helped me decorate them:)

Hope you are having a splendid Monday! :)

friday morning notions

2011-03-04T06:09:00.004-05:00

its almost 6:15 am

i am on my second cup of coffee

my to do list is done

i am listening to Adele's new CD thanks to Tash

it's amazing

if i had unlimited funds i think i would shop at

anthropologie

i like their stuff

oh and fossil too

their clothes are cute

maybe one day

gas money is more important right now

i have to admit

that i have book a.d.d.

i currently have three books that i am reading

my goal is to finish them

i find myself daydreaming

about hailing cabs

living on the 18th floor

needing an elevator to get to my residence

and how tiring it was when it didn't work

being surrounded by millions of people

speaking and understanding another language

going to starbucks cuz i miss home

being blatantly stared at and photographed

owning movies for $1

the garbage truck that sang happy birthday...

starting every morning at 7am!

learning how to say ikea in chinese

i miss my family in china

life back in the states isn't bad

it's just different

i don't want to forget what it was like

Where is my joy?

2011-03-02T10:12:00.007-05:00

Little did I know when I woke up this morning to sit down and catch up on some blogs that I would be hit with some pretty hard reality checks.

You see, it's no secret to those who are closest to me that I have been a huge grouch lately. And even when I know I shouldn't be upset about something I can't hide my annoyance anyways because my poker face is...well...nonexistent. The person who gets the brunt of most of my emotional issues is the one person I never want to hurt, but know I will. That realization sucks.

If we don't learn to make decisions to celebrate God's

goodness in the frustrating and inconvenient moments of

life we will not be able to

do it in trial and persecution

from beautifulsimplicity

Somewhere along the line I stopped pursuing joy. I allowed my circumstances and the little things in my life to cause me stress and worry. I was reading laurennicolelove and in her post, How To Be a Millionaire by 25: Love Is The New Currency Part 1, she talks about joy....this is what she says:

Pursue joy actively. This is a decision you make, not something you stumble upon, or reach once you achieve x,y &z. Decide to pursue joy, ask God for it, put yourself in places where you receive joy from others, and take time alone to restore your heart. When we are whole-hearted, we live in joy.

Yesterday, Adam and I were reading our devotion that we started doing together and it was talking about Hannah and her deep desire to have a son. It talked about how she couldn't be satisfied with less then God's will and when you are not doing what you know God has truly called you to do, the love of people and material things won't satisfy you.

when we complain,

believe lies,

dwell in negativity,

or choose self pity

we agree with the enemy about the quality

of our lives instead of our good father

from beautifulsimplicity

Today I am going to pursue Joy. Actively pursue it, and I'm for sure going to ask God for a big 'ol dose of it. Cuz I know I need it. We all need it. I know I need to identify the areas of my life that are sucking the joy from me, or the thought patterns that are causing me to believe lies. For that, I will need God's help, but it brings peace to know without fail that God is faithful to answer us and give aid in our times of need, when we cry out to Him.

sunny friday

2011-02-19T08:00:00.005-05:00

Yesterday the weather was amazing...Adam had the day off because the therapist he works with is out of town, so to start the day, we actually had our coffee on my front porch, he played guitar for a bit and then we read some scripture. We helped mom babysit a sweet little man named Cole, made pancakes and hung with him for a few hours, I haven't really been around kids since my China days...I really really miss it.

Then I went to the orthodontist for the first time in six years. My retainers wouldn't fit in my mouth and I suddenly got paranoid that my teeth would move back to how they were before I had braces. I felt like a high school girl getting my retainer adjusted and picking out new colors for the bottom one because it needs to be remade. I wore my top retainer for a good part of yesterday and when I took it off I asked Adam if my teeth were straight yet...(I was only half kidding because it hurt so stinking bad I thought it should be done straightening my teeth)....he said no..and I admit I kinda pouted. lol.

Our next stop was Daily Grind, where we grabbed some coffee and sat by the window in the sun for a few minutes. Adam struck up a conversation with the man sitting behind us sipping milk through a straw. He had no teeth and the biggest smile, he was pretty ornery and loved to talk...maybe not quite all there either...but he was sweet and needed a friend. We spent the rest of the late morning walking around downtown and stopping into a used book store, a wine rack, and a thrift store...

We didn't want to waste a minute of the sunshine so we then decided to go to the nearest grocery store with a budget of $10 and get a "picnic". Here's what we got:

went over our budget by .33...but it was yum and so worth it!

we are soo excited to be outside!

The rest of the day was amazing as well, we went out to dinner with his parents and hung out with them for a good part of the night. They are so amazing, I just love his sister Hayleigh, she's so sweet and witty!

Well that's all for now...I'm so excited about the thought of warmer weather...I hope you all are doing well! Enjoy your weekend:) I heading to New Jersey early tomorrow morning to scout out missions opportunities for this summer...more details on that to come!

oops!

2011-02-17T19:45:00.006-05:00

It's Feb 17. That means it's been too long since I blogged. So I better get with it...here goes:

I'm sitting in an overstuffed arm chair in the loft of the youth room @ my church...Adam is rehearsing for Saturday night and Sunday morning worship. I rented The Count of Monte Cristo from itunes....it's currently downloading. It's gonna take 4 more hours....itunes is dumb. I think someone actually got bored one night and took all the copies of this movie and threw them away...and that's why I rented from itunes. It was my last resort.

I am trying to catch up on all those emails I have flagged in my inbox for "later" and later has ended up being now....which in some cases is months...oops. Sorry.

I finally got a job! Starting April 1 I will be a full time cashier for the christmas store I was working for in the fall. I just gotta hold out till then...with my tax return I should be ok.

The weather has been amazing the past couple of days. And when I say amazing I mean not single digits or 3 inches of ice. Adam and I love to be outside, so when it pushed 40 this Sunday we rushed to the park to take a leisurely stroll. We forgot the ground would still be slushy and Adam wore moccasins and I wore sweater looking shoes with no back...our feet were soaked by the time we got home. But we both agreed it was worth it. Today we were brave and got the hammock out and let the sun shine on our faces for a bit. It was wonderful. It's actually amazing how much the weather and being outside influences my outlook on life. Bring on spring!!

Well that's all...here is a pic of the amazing roses my man got me for Valentines day:

date night!

2011-02-05T08:07:00.005-05:00

Adam and I went on an actual date last night. It's been awhile because of his busy schedule with finishing up school and when we are together we're usually at my house with my family or at his house. I unfortunately forgot to take pictures (probably because I was too busy looking at my handsome man)...anyways...

We went to First Friday in Canton, which is about 30 min north of my house. Every first friday of the month they keep the art galleries and surrounding businesses open until 10pm and invite the community to come out and support the local artists. I am so so thankful for this small outlet of creativity close to home. It was a well needed date night with my honey. We strolled around taking in all the people, art and musicians while trying our best not to fall on the sheet of ice they tried to pass as a sidewalk..lol.

We ended up eating at Napoli's Italian Eatary, which was totally amazing. There was nothing classy about it, and when I say that I mean the fact that the hostess and waitresses were wearing ties seemed odd and out of place. The food was great and doable on a budget...and the entertainment...was well...entertaining! (this is a moment that I wished I would have taken pictures)...I kept thinking the musician sounded and looked like Lionel Richie. To be honest I don't even know much about Mr. Lionel, but it seemed like the proper comparison...but the man at the pizza joint had a keyboard and lots of heart for sure.

Our favorite gallery was Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography. I am pretty sure we were in there over an hour. I highly recommend checking it out if you live near the Canton area, but first stop in at Muggswigz for a cup of their amazing coffee...it's become a favorite of ours.

Well since I have no pictures to document my friday night, I will leave you with a music video Adam found and sent to me...and next thing we knew it became our song...enjoy!

late night thoughts

2011-02-03T23:47:00.005-05:00

I've been meaning to blog for a few days now. I even have a post started with pictures and everything....but for now I will just share some randomness that is in my brain and needs to come out....

I left the house today for the first time since Sunday. (Brutal!!) We had a snow/ice storm thing that left road conditions treacherous and made venturing out impossible. By this morning I was soo ready to get out and do something, so we decided to go see our grandma. We cleaned up best we could (we didn't have electricity or much water...hence the hats).

Sarah n I very happy to be out of the house & holding Starbucks!

My grandma's favorite place to eat is Panera Bread, so we went there for lunch then spent at least an hour at a craft store where I got some pretty sweet supplies (posts about these things will come soon!) then we went to the thrift store where my grandma volunteers and I bought a mustard yellow rug and a red coat for $6...I can't believe I didn't like thrifting till just this year!! goodness....I paid as much for the coat as I sometimes do for a coffee at Starbucks...

I made this tonight:
I'm calling it a "treasure" box...cuz it's too small to hold recipes....haha...so I just need to find some treasures to put in my box. My inspiration came from Jami @ colourherhope.com.

I am starting Chalene Johnson's 30 day challenge tomorrow. I'm excited to get back into a routine of eating healthy and working out...my body feels like trash because i've been eating like trash. ick.

hmm..let's see...what else?

I'm going to read through the bible in the year...however I am 8 days behind on my reading plan (I think)...I need to catch up tomorrow...

I hadn't used a sewing machine since high school until just last week. Since then I've made an apron, two pillowcases & a curtain for outside my shower...I should post pictures..

I'm excited to sleep. So this is it for this post. Until next time!

coffee shops & sunsets

2011-01-26T05:54:00.010-05:00

Life is just moving right along...it's the final week of January. Seriously? Hello 2011...can you slow down just a bit? plz....

I am still job hunting (no one hires in January apparently) however, I am still getting hours at the Christmas store...yay! So I'm not completely broke...yet.

Last week some of us went to muggswigz, a coffee shop about 30 min away, for their open mic night. We loved it! The atmosphere was awesome and everyone there was so unique...we sat on the floor around a small table while we drank fabulous coffee and heard some local talent from the stage.

Thanks to my boyfriend, adam, I have some decent pics from muggswigz...

(I am seriously embarrassed by how little I know about how to use my camera correctly)

My beautiful sis, Sarah.

See...they even make pretty swirls in the drinks....it's the little things that bring joy :)

Sunday was freezing, like single digits freezing...brrr. My mom, three of my sisters, Adam & I went to see Tangled at Quaker Cinema...where movies are only $2.75. I really think it might be my new fav kidish movie, Emperors New Groove used to be top...but this one was sooo good. Adam and I have never seen a movie together in the theater in the 3 1/2 months we've been dating...so I loved that he was there and that we shared a very large bag of buttery popcorn. :)

Another thing I loved about Sunday was the sun actually showed itself...which is almost unheard of in Ohio in the winter months. So I drug Adam out the door to my cold car and we drove to a little church down the road and watched the sunset from the warmth of my civic.

It was a well needed reminder that spring is hopefully right around the corner...

The love of my life and I.

Yesterday I finally got my Colorado license changed to Ohio, I was reluctant...I just didn't want to let go yet. Maybe one day I will again reside near the Rockies, but until then:

Hope you are having a great week!

2010

2011-01-09T16:20:00.010-05:00

I was recently looking through my iphoto and reminiscing about the past year...there are so many memories that were made in 2010. Here are just a few:

In February, hours after landing in Denver....Kristen, Colleen and I went sled riding...and put an ad on Craigs List to see if anyone wanted to come with us...lol.

Walked Pearl Street in Boulder, CO with my Denver family...one of my most favorite things to do.

Did life with these fabulous folks in New Haven, CT for four months....

Got to see NYC!!

Will got married in Orange City, Iowa. :) Welcome Erika...the first addition to our family!

I found out that my fake tan skills suck. oopsie.

My sister Amanda got hitched! :)

I tried Anchovies...and got to go back to China for a month...that's my friend..

Attended my third Sunshine International Camp as a coach near Kunming, China.

Hung out tons with these lovely ladies at the end of summer.

Tapped into my creative side and started making journals...

Got to spend a weekend in the South for my friend Colleen's birthday celebration. We also added one more to our family...welcome Kurt!

Met the man of my dreams...He told me he loved me here for the first time.

Learned how to shoot a gun and actually hit the target.

Went on a four day road trip with my honey to Georgia. It ended up being nine days because of some car trouble...

2011

2011-01-04T08:32:00.002-05:00

It's the fourth day of the new year.

I have been wanting to write this post for all four days of it.

I feel I cannot gather my thoughts in a manner that would be interesting for others to read. But I'm going to give it a shot anyways.

I decided that last year I was a disappointment to the world of blogging...I didn't blog much.

Sad.

I wanted to, because there are so many people that live far away that want to be in on the happenings of my life. A lot happened in 2010.

I erased all my old posts and am starting fresh. I do not promise magic and I do not promise crap (can I say that?). I do promise to be real, whether that consists of telling you about my new favorite song or some deep revelation about God.

So here's to a new year and a new blog....