ur doin it wrong

How have people been getting this so wrong for so long? How are there people like the Phelps family, people wanting to burn the Qur'an, and others who claim to be Christians yet persecute people who don't believe what they believe? How is that anything like what Christ would do?!

Im sorry but i thought Christians are supposed to strive to be like Him. Jesus NEVER did this to anyone he came across. He didn't lecture them, talk down or guilt them. HE DIDN'T CONDEMN THEM. He forgave them and loved them. Christ's death made a new covenant making the old one (the one God gave Moses) obsolete. Why do people still want to judge, condemn and persecute others based on the laws of the old covenant?

And please, don't think for one second that those people are doing all this persecuting "in love" because its not. If you believe that then you should really (re)read what the Bible says about love. God is love and He is not in any of those acts that they are showing. Its all in fear. And fear is not of God.
GOD LOVES THEM. He loves them, He loves those you don't love and yet He still loves us! And Newsflash: You are not sinless. I am not sinless. Sin is a sin. 

And what do these people who are protesting and screaming from their soap box really think is going to happen? Like some gay person is going to be like, "oh, since you outlawed us to get married i guess i just wont be gay anymore" or "since you've really showed me how loving and accepting your god is i should become just like you and tear others down". Nobody is going to come to know God if you're misrepresenting Him. Show them who He is with your love and compassion! They will notice Him in you and want to be apart of it. want to know it. they'll want to know Him.

Ive never been so embarrassed, horrified and stirred up inside as much as ive been lately seeing people calling themselves Christians all while calling names, attacking and belittling others in the name of God. Its disgusting! Its ugly! And its not Godly or Christ like at all.

I think its time that all those people started wearing their WWJD bracelets again that way they can show their NOTW-ness and maybe take a second thought to the action they are about to take when coming into to conflict with someone who disagrees with their beliefs. 

Be Christ like. Be love.

109 days till Christmas

Besides sitting at my desk at work im loving today.
The weather outside, that feel of the day, and the fact that its already Tuesday! AND that its already September too! what the hell, time? can you please not fly by so extremely fast. im having to stand back all the time to try and soak my life in before the moments pass me by without appreciation.
I keep reminding myself that today is not Monday and i get really happy. But then i remember that that means im behind on my daily tasks since i have to cram both Monday and Tuesday's together. And although its not freezing outside, its not hot, sunny or sweltering out either! It was so dark out this morning i seriously though that i had missed the time change (again) and i didn't want to leave the bed. Well, Geoff still being in bed made it harder to leave too.
Can i please just fast forward to it being cold, rainy, cuddling on the couch, hot chocolate, socks, flannel blankets and movies. 
Is it weird that im already so looking forward to thanksgiving (feast) and Christmas?

Hook Line and Sinker

So if you've been follow this blog for a while you might remember me a year ago worrying about where my life was going and what God was gonna do with me. I was worried about my QLC (quarter life crisis) hitting hard! And let me tell you, i have a major case of the QLC's and its still raging. In my post last year i was whining and complaining (it happens)about my wants/expectations for this last year and how they all seemed to be crashing and burning before my very eyes. But, like always, God acceded them.
Another year of reflecting...
-moved out of the SheShack and into a place in eastvale
-started a couple of cake decorating classes
-june killed my roommates dog
-had a panic attack
-moved back into corona and rented a room from a guy named dick
-had a panic attack
-got ENGAGED
-found out dick was a sketchy dude and moved into my brothers house
-that was a bad idea so i moved into Andrews house
-planned the wedding
-had a more panic attacks
-move into our apartment 
-married my soul mate
-got in a car accident
-got a house
-got a bad leak
-got to see my little brother and sister 3x this year
-needed my family more than ever
-got a lot to be thankful for
-finally found that middle ground with my job and am starting to enjoy it
-but i still got a camera and equip and starting my own company
-lots of self discover. always learning something new about myself.


So ya, that covers about all the criteria for a QLC: Married? Check! House? Check! Career? Almost there, Half Check! 
Every year of my life gets better and more chaotic than the last. Maybe its just this season of life. Maybe its just life. I dont know. I love it though. I pray that it keeps getting to be more more. Ive gotten to that point where as much as i like to think i got it all understood, i know i dont. And accepting that made my mind opened up and ive learned and seen to many new and real things. 
Its that whole i havent changed but i know im not the same thing.
Im still me- just in the process of becoming the best version of me.

BIG IT ON 26!

Birthday week begins!

So i thought my love for John Mayer was more than most of his fans (i mean the guy has got his own label on this very blog!) but after going to his concert on Tuesday night in Irvine, clearly i love him as must as the next white girl.

Way back in the day, when Geoff and i were just friends, he admitted to me that he was into John Mayer just as much as i did and i about keeled over in joy. Finally someone who i can listen to his music to and not have to defend myself! We just get each other. John and i, that is.
 I love his music so much. Not only is he an amazing musician and can make shredding the guitar look as easy as blinking but i genuinely love his lyrics. And i think hes really funny and witty.

When i heard tickets went on sale i pulled the birthday card and other incentives on Geoff to get us pit tickets and backstage passes. I figured if i aimed high it might hit somewhere not too far off. well it worked! he got us great tickets! not near the pit but they were so good! John was about the size of my pinky finger.
Maybe its because its been like 5 years since ive been to a huge production concert and not just a show but this place was prime for people watching. People with cheese plates and wine in the parking lot, drunk old ladies, lots of young girls drunk and over dressed hiking up to the grass in heels, lots of muscle tee (GTL) dudes on the prowl alone for said drunk ladies at the show were the creepiest. We sat in front of what im sure was a sorority of now old ladies who were so wasted they kept calling the organ a orca and sang howled EVERY EFFIN SONG. The smell of weed and fried foods was everywhere. John was in some tight plaid pants and made sure in wiggle in them and give the front row their money's worth. Oh, and tons of guitar solo faces! haha love it! all in all, this concert just showed us how talented he and his amazing band are as musicians. 

Sights & Sounds:
I was going to post a bunch of videos i took on here (yesss, i was that girl) but i figured you could just YouTube him and see them so ill show you this one i took:
drunk chick a few rows in front of us giving her date a lap dance in front of all of us

classy.


walking into the stadium:
geoff: im going to be the only dude here with tattoos.
me: theres a guy with a sleeve and a v-neck on...
geoff: hes gay. doesn't count.
me: John Mayer has a full sleeve.
geoff: F*** John Mayer.

waiting for John to start:
me: oh look G Love is going to be playing here. i like him.
geoff: i'll give you some g love. some g-giant love. some g-geoff love. some crunchy lo-- oh wait, that doesn't start with a g...

awful attempt at trying to get a picture of us with my iPhone

J<3M about the size he was to us

John was so good. I had to hold in my swoon the whole time. I don't know what is it about those cold dead eyes and bad style but i cant help it. Don't judge me.

Before & After

So since we have about 3 thrift shops within a mile of our house and money has been tight ive been doing a lot of thrift store shopping.
first thing i got: 2 wood night stands with leather tops and one of them has a light and outlet in the cubby.
Before:

After:

Cute night stands, right?!$10 for both and a couple cans of spray paint.

Remember this post about the stinky guest room? Well after replacing the matting and getting that smell out, and since Sleeping Giant's drummer Matt was living with us i decided to spruce the room up for him while they were gone on tour!

So now this is the new Guest/Natalie/Jolene/Matt's Room:

box shelf from tjmaxx, already owned trinkets

$3 frame from anthro, bigy bank from tjmaxx

hour glass from tjmaxx, box from sara plummer, candle on sale at anthro

$1 at the yellow thrift store around the corner! and it still works

  

I wish i would have taken a before picture but in my excitement i forgot. Just imagine that room with only the bed and shoved in the corner with one single lonely pillow.  
Theres still a lot i want to do in this room like paint it but this will do for now. I still havent done anything to our room yet!
So if you ever need a place to crash and like an overly excited german shepherd following you around, inquire within :)

Ol' Mrs B.

i love stain glass windows. i think some are so beautiful and ive always wanted them too.
you know what i love just as much as stain glass windows? saving money!
they are so freaking expensive, rightfully so, but still. im not paying that much. so when the blinds in my craft/hobby jumped off the wall i tossed their sorry plastic excuse of privacy in the trash and found this fake stained glass window film. not only does it make me feel totally safe from lurker eyes but its actually keeping some of the heat out of this room. win/win!

proof im an old lady inside

no shame!

Quiet little Sunday

Today I woke up early, used a drill, didn't shower, made all my meals, stayed in my pjs all day, took out the trash, watched 4 episodes of mad men, used more dishes than any single person should, one load of laundry, watched june swim, bleached the toilets, rediscovered my love for cinnamon, put up stained glassed window film, played soccer with June, finished watching firefly and serenity, made our guest room more inviting, didnt count carbs, didnt exercise, practiced with my camera, only changed out of my pjs to get into new ones for bed. Lazy Sunday.
5 days till my husband comes home... 

lesson learned

hmmm... a crunchy side, no side view mirror, and texting. time to switch lanes.

9 days left

my husband has been gone for far too long.

silver lining

The benefit of having a pipe burst under your house for two days without you knowing...

...half of your yard coming back to life!

those two days when water was leaking it was going into our septic tank the whole time and i thought we'd have to pay someone to pump it out but it turns out that water is supposed to escape septic systems so our lawn got a nice cold one that one week of summer that we had about a month ago.
i guess the secret ingredient in miracle grow is pee and poo.