Friday, September 30, 2011

cityChurch |:| encouragment

We had our community group last night--the topic? encouragement. We looked at different stories in the Bible where God encouraged his People-Moses, Elijah, Peter, but the one that stood out to me was Joshua.

In Joshua 1, God tells Joshua that he is to lead the Israelites into the promised land without Moses. Moses was the leader all through the desert-Exodus. But God wanted Joshua to be the leader now. And over and over God reassures Joshua-don't be afraid, I'm here. Joshua 1:9 was one of those verses I clung to in high school. I had it memorized...I wrote it in my locker. But sometime in the last 10 years, I forgot it. But what a powerful thing to be reminded of - everyday. Don't be discouraged. Why? Because God is with you wherever you go. HE is capable, HE is strong, HE is powerful. And HE is with me.

and I want to encourage those around me--like he tells me to. "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but ENCOURAGING one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25

Thursday, September 29, 2011

COFFEE--how I love thee.

Happy National Coffee Day. 

However you drink it!!
It is my favorite (non-alcoholic) beverage and definitely deserves a post of its own. My friend Danie gets it-(-go look at her post with some fun coffee inspired songs :) I will share some of my favorite coffee prints from Pinterest, and continue to drink coffee all day long - I am doing my part!
haha--I think I have done this before

 I would love to have this is my kitchen :)
 My motto in law school for sure!
 I need to stage more fun photos like this

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Walk-In Closet |:| My Style Pinboard

Let us take a walk back time...

Two years ago, I started law school...
My wardrobe consisted of T-shirts, flare cut jeans, and sneakers.
Here is a photo. 
I would repeat this in different colors pretty much everyday. It was easy and comfortable, and not scary. Because fashion to me is slightly scary.

The last two years, my style has changed-maybe not dramatically to those of you who are very fashion forward. But for me - it is a pretty drastic change. I mean, c'mon, I bought booties and leggings.

Despite my desire to change things up, I struggle to pick out items and pair items. Welcome Pinterest. I am (slightly) obsessed with this site. It provides me with recipes and DIY ideas--word art and home decor inspiration. But for a fashion-fearing gal, it also provides great cues for outfits. So my motto this year is going to be "Staples and Stretch"--meaning keep the STAPLES: I still love T-shirts and jeans--cardigans and scarves. But I need to STRETCH: add an item that maybe I wouldn't have on my own. Here are some of my inspirational outfits.


STAPLES: T-shirt, jeans 
STRETCH: everything else. I like the hat and jacket, but they scare me. 
the boots are super cute, but it is definitely a stretch.

STAPLES: jeans, T-shirt, scarf 
STRETCH: stripy flats paired with gold-ish bag
 (don't you like my fashion verbage-very articulate)

STAPLES: TOMS, jeans, tank 
STRETCH: odd cardigan that I probably wouldn't pick for myself


STAPLES: cardigan and jeans.
STRETCH: heels, bangles and top. I am not much of a bracelet person.
(plus I prob wouldn't pair the distressed jean with such a polished outfit)

You can see all the other inspiring outfit creations I have pinned on My Style Pinboard. And feel free to make suggestions. I am always open to fashion ideas :)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Kitchen Adventures|:| Soup and Bread

I love this time of year because I can make some of my favorite foods. One of which is SOUP. I love soup. It is warm and comforting and makes me very happy. I also love bread. At any time. With anything. Last night I made both of these. The bread was AMAZING! The soup was ok. I have had better. But I am determined to add a really good creamy chicken and wild rice soup to the recipe mix.

So first--the BREAD.

 It turned out to taste a little like sourdough and I think if I had let it set out longer, it would have enhanced that flavor even more. I found the recipe on a blog called Cheap, Healthy, Good. (I'm not sure that they are writing new articles, but I have had a lot of fun reading the old ones.) It was SUPER easy. Mix ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap. LEAVE IT ALONE for 24-ish hours. form into a ball. LEAVE IT ALONE for 2 hours. Bake in a pre-heated dutch oven for 45 minutes. Easy-peasy and OH SO delicious.

Next--the SOUP. 

I got the recipe out of this months Cooking Light. It had all the right elements-onion, celery, carrot, rice, chicken. But the creamy factor only came in at the end-by adding half-n-half. AND Corey noted that he would prefer more rice (that is after I had already doubled what the recipe called for). It might be that the only way to achieve a good, creamy soup is to go the traditional way-with a roux. But in an effort to try a healthier version first, I followed the rules. Next time...it will have butter--cause you know, it makes everything better.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Book Nook|:| The Hunger Games Trilogy

     I admit that I love Young Adult Fiction books. I love Harry Potter and I liked Twilight. Some of my favorite all time books fall into this category-A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Beauty, etc. I can't help it, really. These books (when written well) have all the emotion and character development as grown-up books without all the garbage.
     So when my friend Ellen told me about The Hunger Games trilogy, I was psyched. And it didn't disappoint. In fact I have already lent out my books twice in a two week period. That means since I bought my set in August, four people have read/are reading them-and my friends Lauren and Erin bought their own. Granted my friend Meghan read them in world record time, but that is how one MUST read these books. They are impossible to put down.
     A little Background that doesn't spoil ANYTHING-you could read it on the jacket of the book: The main character is a girl named Katniss who lives in District 12--at some point America is mostly destroyed and all that remains is the Capitol and 13 districts, which the Capitol uses to support itself. One of the districts rebels and is annihilated by the Capitol. In order to keep the other districts in line the Capitol begins the Hunger Games. Every year, each district must give a girl and a boy (between the ages of 12-18) to participate. What do they have to do? Fight to the DEATH. Weird, right? It is so strange how accepted the games have become to the people that live in this book. 

   
 Katniss is a compelling character-she doesn't know her own strength or beauty or charisma. You watch her grow and change as the books progress. Of course there is love and action and happy and sad. All the elements necessary for a good book (in my opinion). But I am most impressed by the author's ability to captivate me. I could not stop reading, and I felt like I knew the characters.

The movies begin in March 2012--so READ BEFORE VIEWING. You won't regret it!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

changing things up...

I have struggled through the summer to figure out what my blog is. It is a place where I share what? Does it matter? Do I enjoy blogging?
Well, for the record, I do enjoy blogging. It is fun to write and document the lovely and not so lovely parts of life. But my very ordered brain really hates the chaotic posts and disorganized nature of what my blog is currently.
If my blog was a picture--it would look like this... 

when I really want it to look like this...

All that being said, this blog is my space. (thus the title-A Space of My Own) I share my life with a great man and two beautiful kids, not to mention friends and extended family and church and school. So this blog is where I get to process it all--where I get to share what works and what doesn't--where I get to talk about the things that I really love!
So I am introducing some specific posts that highlight the areas that I care most about or are just a big part of who I am right now. So here are a few new pieces to my Space...

  • Book Nook: I am revamping Book Worm series. This is where I share about books that I love or am reading or that I hate (hated books are a very short list, really I can only categorize ONE book as hated "The House of Mirth." - ugh, terrible).
  • Kitchen Adventures: FOOD. I love food and cooking and baking. (oh and the eating part isn't too bad either). The hubs and I have become much more adventurous in our kitchen-with ingredients, with recipes-and I love to share what works, other foodie blogs, and tricks and tips I pick up along the way.
  • The Office: I work. It is part of my life. I am a wanna-be property attorney, and I don't want to forget to talk about this piece of who I am right now. I love my job-it can certainly be draining, but law school was one of the best decisions I ever made (right after marrying Corey and popping out our kiddos). 
  • Walk-In Closet: I am a fashion infant--I make other people (cough-Danielle and Lauren and Britt) dress me. But when I create an outfit or buy some fun pieces, I like to share my successes with the blogging world.
  • Law Library (aka Lawbrary-at least to @LDCMcIntosh): Again. I go to school. It is a BIG part of my life right now. It is not always fun. But the friendships that have been forged and the opportunities I have been given here are really extraordinary and should be documented.
  • cityChurch: I have a really great church. I love sharing about what Jesus has done in my life through these incredible people. 
  • Living Spaces: Everything else. I can talk about places we go and the people we see. Probably a lot of coffee mentioned... cause you know-I love it. My life is full of interesting happenings--even though I sometimes think it is all very boring! 
I think it is reasonable to think that I will post more about some than others. But I hope to get one of each at least MONTHLY. Am I missing anything? I love feedback, so don't be shy :)
images via pinterest

Monday, September 19, 2011

Even now...

"Even now," declares the Lord,

"return to me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and mourning."


Rend your hearts and not your garments.

Return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and compassionate

slow to anger and abounding in love and he relents from sending calamity.


Joel 2:12-13


Even now... when I am stressed out. Even now... when I am tired and feeling less than patient. Even now...when circumstances seem overwhelming. Even now.

The Israelites were getting bombarded with an army of locusts, and God was asking them to return to him-even now. Why? because he is gracious and compassionate. Because he is slow to anger and abounding in love. And he is that for me too. No matter what is on my plate it is not too much for him.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Social media...

The other day I tweeted about Lisa Loeb's song "Stay." A little while later, my friend Ambria replied that she too was a Loeb-lover. And today she introduced me to the line of glasses that Lisa Loeb has created. I LOVE this pair!!


Social media is a funny thing. We are more connected and in a way more disconnected because of it. I absolutely LOVE that I can communicate with my far away friends easily. I LOVE that I can be a part of even the little parts of people's lives. I love when my friends post funny videos that make me laugh (hysterically)--like this one...


But I don't like that it replaces actual contact with people. I love face-to-face interaction!! I don't like that people are mean...that feelings get hurt...that I waste a ridiculous amount of time on it. It's a tough line to walk on between connected and disconnected. But alas...social media is here and I like it more than I don't like it (most of the time).

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

New (School) Year's Resolutions...

Check out my post on the law ladies blog here. One last year to have a new school year to make new school year resolutions.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

the season I love the most...

I am in love with Autumn. It is my favorite season. Today I went to lunch with my friend Anna and we had a very autumnal meal--butternut squash and apple bisque with a Cinnamon-y snickerdoodle for desert (that I am currently enjoying with a pumpkin spice coffee). It made me want to tell everyone all the reasons that I love this time of year...








Fall is the season that I drink yummy hot drinks like pumpkin spice coffee and mulled apple cider. It is when I get to don my very favorite types of clothes-(jeans and cardigans and comfy scarves).





The air seems to smell of Cinnamon.


Every weekend is spent cheering on the Mountaineers with family and friends.





The Appalachian mountains turn fiery shades of red and gold and orange.


It is the season where all I want to do is curl up under a blanket with a good book.





Hearty soups and chilli's are staples on the dinner table, and potlock dinners feature casseroles with squash and potatoes. I love that there is chill in the air but sunshine on your face.






Fall just feels like home-comfortable and cozy. Full of warmth. It is my favorite season, but always ends too quickly. I am hoping to hang onto it a bit longer this year.


images from my pinterest. Follow me here.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

sweet words

"Give me to believe

that thou canst do for me more than I ask or think,

and that, though I backslide, thy love will never let me go,

but will draw me back to thee with everlasting cords..."


Valley of Vision "Backsliding"

Read it this morning and just thought I would share. It's nice to have a God that never lets us go...no matter what. And that I can't even begin to comprehend all that He can do. Sweet words for a lovely day (thank goodness the rain took a break!)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A peek at my day "off" and a discussion of food...

Wednesdays are going to be my day "off." I will not be working and I don't have class (until 5:30). So yesterday was my first day off. And I baked. I baked chocolate chip zucchini bread and banana muffins and then some oh so delicious granola. I love baking. I have a love/hate relationship with eating what I make (as discussed below), but the process of baking is one of my favorite past-times. My mom is a wonderful baker. To me baking is far superior to cooking because it almost always involves chocolate and sugar. And how bad can it be if those things are in the mix?

I have recently also been doing things on Pinterest--if you don't have this, go sign up and watch your time fly out the window. It is a site of pictures and ideas and word art (YAY!)--PS thank you Danielle for introducing me to this wonderful website. I am not an artsy person, and I still love this! ANYWAYS, I was on the site and I found two pieces of word art that amused me-mainly because of their contrary messages. The first is this...

UGH! This is the message that so many people listen to. I listen to it too. Don't eat that... don't eat this... cut out carbs, lower calories, go vegetarian, only eat fruits and vegetables...I feel like I have been on a diet of one form or another for 10 years. Maybe not all of you know that this is a struggle for me, but it is. And while I think everyone was outraged when Ms. Moss said these words, so many of us believe it deep down. Women in general (at least the ones that I know) have this love/hate relationship with food. BOO. I say. So I was super excited to find this pic on pinterest.

YES. I want to embrace this philosophy this year. I love food. I love feeding people. I love baking and trying new foods. Corey and I have been experimenting the last few years with creating new dishes and incorporating new ingredients. And I don't want to feel bad later when I think about the calorie count or the fat content. It's a new season of life for me and food-God created too many wonderful tasting foods to worry so much about what the scale says. I wish that the "weight" mentality could be easily overcome, but the world has pretty well ingrained it in our heads. So how does this look in real life? I don't know. I'm certainly open to all the ideas out there too! I think the first step is to start looking at myself the way God sees me--in Song of Solomon He says, "You are altogether beautiful, my love. There is no flaw in you." (4:7 ESV). So I'm ditching the celery sticks (unless they are filled with peanut butter) and taking steps to enjoying all that God has given me here.