Extreme Packaging Makeover!

Before...

After!...





Told ya I was feeling crafty :)

Feeling Crafty {another goal achieved}

Lately I've just felt like getting out the glue and scissors and who could forget the scrapbook paper? I love coming up with ideas using stuff I already have. Today I decided to make a welcome sign for our entry hallway.

I used these materials


... and VOILA!!!





To make this I cut squares from the cereal box (actually it ended up being two). I cut bigger squares for the backgrouds and a smaller squares to back the scrapbook paper. I liked the idea of using different shades and patterns of blue and brown. This is easier if you buy a scrapbook paper book that has the same theme and color going on. Then I just hot-glued those suckers together in a non-uniform way. I bought the flower and chipboard letters at Hobby Lobby for really cheap in the scrapbook section, but you can also make your own paper flowers and letters if you want. If you google "paper flowers" tons of ideas will come up. The clothespins and twine gives it a cool look too.

You can use this same idea for birthdays, name banners, party decoration, weddings, or pictures. Hope this inspires!

Mary Lauren

Go Getter

This summer I decided to make a list of goals for myself (only slightly to prove to myself that I am not in fact a lazy bum). Many of these goals have been on my mind for a while to get done.

1)For example our wall above the TV which was empty for nearly a year, but NO MORE.


2) I wanted to cook more.



Rosemary Rolls



Peach and Rhubarb Pie

Ok... so I admit - Morgan was the genius behind this...


Vodka cream sauce from thepioneerwoman.com.


3) Running. I haven't really tried to work out in a long time but it's not so bad being distracted at the gym by TV shows while I am sweating. Plus my mom got me some awesome running shoes!



4) New gear! I have been dying to have the Canon 85 1.8. For those of you who aren't gearheads it's a wonderful lens for portrait photography.


My roomie is always so great about letting me try my new gear out on her!


That's all for now but I'm going to update more when I get the rest of my goals done :)

Callaway Gardens, GA

This weekend the girls in my family took a weekend trip to Callaway Gardens in Georgia. It is basically a huge resort with tons of gardens, lakes, and biking trails. The butterfly garden was fantastic and really fun to photograph.

To see each photo enlarged just click on the image and it will open in another window.


My sister with the HUGE sunflowers

Abby {senior session}

I was really excited about this session. I've known Abby throughout high school and she is such a beautiful girl. Now she's all graduated and I can't believe it! I wanted to find the perfect field with lots of soft light and it suited her so well. Thankfully she always goes along with my crazy antics :)

Abby, I am so happy for you and I know you will love Covenant College. It was great to hear about what you've been up to and where you'll be in the fall. I had trouble figuring out which ones to blog because they were all so beautiful.

Backstage at the Ryman

I have a love affair with hymns. Growing up in a baptist church I was never very far from a hymnal, but it wasn't until college that it became a part of the fabric of my being. I became involved with a college ministry called RUF (Reformed University Fellowship). It was here I met the Belmont RUF pastor, Kevin Twit, who quickly invited me and the other students into a world of dusty hymn texts that filled his entire house and his life. The words were richer than anything I had ever heard and as they told a glorious story of the Gospel I understood God's "Love That Will Not Let Me Go".

Indelible Grace is the hymn project born out one of the first Belmont RUF groups 10 years ago. The main idea was to take these old texts (some forgotten) and put them to new music. Since then 6 albums have been produced and and recorded by the same people who started it and are now successful musicians. Last night at the Ryman they performed many of these hymns who have become beloved to RUF students, churches, and a new generation of children who are now growing up with these hymns. Kevin Twit and his wife, Wendy were so passionate about putting last night together. I was more than thrilled to help with merchandise mostly because I love telling people about the CD's and the beautiful songs on them. Praise God for amazing mentors and an amazing night!

You can go to the Indelible Grace site >here< to hear the music!



Oh, and did I mention that we are crazy? Exibit A - Melissa Hill.


I love this girl.



Matthew Smith


Kevin explaining one of the songs



Derek Webb