Thursday, April 21, 2011
you know you make me want to jump...a jumping photo portfolio
It all started once upon a time...as we sat together before life got all crazy in Colorado...
The jumping photo came to be.
This is my favorite one ever. But it also continued...
Documenting trips, changes, new adventures, and the ability to make the mundane...more...joyful!
And it continued... in Cornerstone...
And the best days ever...
And bring Boston and family together in on it...
And even to the stretches of the world...all the way to Iceland...
the Redwood Forest...
Mexico...
Rugby, ND...and more family...
Documenting breaking ground for a house...
Ortonville, MN...
Fuller, ND...and the most amazing friends ever (awesome city!)...
And the hands that helped build our house...
So when Shane Claiborne's professor says
"All around you, people will be tiptoeing through life, just to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe. Run, hop, skip, or dance, just don't tiptoe."
We should probably include jumping...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
inspire me on hump day: good morning, beautiful!
“In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there will never be another just like it again. Today is the point to which all your yesterdays have been leading since the hour of your birth. It is the point from which all your tomorrows will proceed until the hour of your death. If you were aware of how precious today is, you could hardly live through it. Unless you are aware of how precious it is, you can hardly be said to be living at all.” Frederick Buechner
To quote the movie.
When you get those rare moments of clarity, those flashes when the universe makes sense, you try desperately to hold on to them. They are the life boats for the darker times, when the vastness of it all, the incomprehensible nature of life is completely illusive. So the question becomes, or should have been all a long... What would you do if you knew you only had one day, or one week, or one month to live. What life boat would you grab on to? What secret would you tell? What band would you see? What person would you declare your love to? What wish would you fulfil? What exotic locale would you fly to for coffee? What book would you write?
[Written on a black board: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."]
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. Maybe today is the day.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Try it Tuesday!: Instant chocolate cake in a mug!
i don't know about you, but dessert MATTERS.
and a lot of times i don't plan ahead very well for my most important moment of the evening (food-wise).
so when i found something i could make from basic ingredients i always have on hand. let's just say STOKED.
Whisk 1/4 cup flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth.
i read the part about mixing it in the actual mug after the fact...;)
but...my initial mug was too large...soo...
switched it into my most favorite mug (seriously, why not in the first place?)...
microwaved it for 2 minutes until it starting growing like mad...
BAM! chocolate cake in a mug!
powdered sugar...
it's a big deal. even justin liked it.
super moist! not very chocolate-y so i'd maybe add more cocoa or even semi-sweet chunks.
Check out the Food Network's page for it.
Monday, April 18, 2011
the safety of presence...
from time to time i go back to my old xanga account...and enjoy musings from back in january 2006...
...the safety of the presence of people who care is beautiful. the beauty of knowing that there is another person on earth who is totally in the moment with you. the feeling of understanding and grace undeserved or judgment withheld. i take for granted how many times i have been given with people like this.
...i would not trade any of these unintentional moments for the best the world has to offer. to experience life with someone else is not necessary...but to be graced with the opportunity to share just a moment is immeasurable. if those moments added up to close to a lifetime, then so be it.
...i would not trade any of these unintentional moments for the best the world has to offer. to experience life with someone else is not necessary...but to be graced with the opportunity to share just a moment is immeasurable. if those moments added up to close to a lifetime, then so be it.
...i like dreaming of our ideals, knowing that they may be unattainable, but worth running after. i like believing that things can be changed for the better. impossible things, too. i like hearing that despite the endless passions in life i have, they are all worth pursuing since there is a lifetime to do it. i like admitting that i don't understand and being free to ask questions. always ask questions. i contradict myself when i allow myself to freely speak. i like when people let me just talk, with me being completely unaware.
...this weekend...and moving...brought about this understanding that regardless of what happens with friends...if someone really has been my friend they probably have been a part of these moments and i am grateful.
...i'm so bad with words. in velvet elvis, rob bell describes what i couldn't possibly convey from my own thoughts...
"...the sacredness of the moment. that sense that in spite of everything awful i have ever seen, we're going to make it. i know that sounds like it's from a greeting card, but i know you know what i'm talking about. ordinary moments in ordinary settings that all of a sudden become infused with something else. with meaning. significance. hope. 'everything was right in its place' ...i assume you have had moments like this when you were caught up in something so much bigger than yourself that you couldn't even put it into words.
what is it about certain things that ignite something within?
whatever those things are that make you feel fully alive and like the universe is ultimately a good place and you are not alone, i need a faith that doesn't deny these moments but embraces them. i need a spiritual understanding that celebrates these kinds of transcendent moments instead of avoiding them. these moments can't be tangents. they can't be experiences that distract from our "real" faith. these moments can't exist on the edges, because they are a part of our faith. a spirituality that is real will have to make sense of them and show us how they fit. they are expressions of what it means to live in God's world..."
(iceland)
...i think we...i...downplay how we cliche-ly say "god is everywhere" and what that could really signify. there is something so real about having an ordinary moment with somebody and feeling something so much more exists within it.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Fashion Friday: Maxi Dress
"We cannot even TELL YOU how excited we are that the maxi dress is BACK for Spring 2011! This time around, the maxi dress is making it's grand entrance into the season with vibrant colors and bold prints, referencing yet again that 70's vibe we've seen come in style in a may-juh way this spring." Regi and Luca blog
i would say when i've tried maxi dresses on before...i kind of felt like a hippie...which isn't bad, but sometimes just not what i'm going for;)
i've come to love this trend and find maxi dresses really can be versatile, romantic, and dressed down and up.
from Reggie and Luca fashion blog: "The maxi is so easy and feminine, we cannot help make it our Spring staple. (Okay, call us lazy, but throwing on one item of clothing to make an outfit is pretty awesome). Its the best option when you're trying to beat the heat; its so comfy, yet it looks so put together. We love it with a great pair of t-strap flat sandals, a tote bag, and a long necklace for running around during the day (and it looks PERFECT with your favorite sunnies or straw fedora). For night- we love the maxi in combination with a wedge heel, chunky necklace, and lightweight cardi.
yeah, no joke, it really is one thrifty outfit if you think of it!
relaxed, romantic, versatile. Love it.
and i thought i'd have to give up finding a maxi dress that fits my crazy hips...but mark. delivered with this "it's a long story" maxi dress made of 100% viscose. 100% viscose? seriously, whatever this material is, it works! thick so you don't see through + comes with a detachable halter, $34, and an ikea-style fabric. = awesome.
love it? hate it? try it! hope you have the most beautiful weekend despite whatever this sick weather is! create something and find a new way to wear an old outfit. upcycle;) see you monday!
xoxo
ashley
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