With This Ring...

Now hold on! I know what you're thinking, and no... there's no way I'm anywhere near getting married! I did, however, want to show you some of my very own DIY projects.

A few of these went to some lovely ladies for Christmas, and I may still have one or two of them... but I plan on making many more! I first got the idea from a girl that I worked with at a bridal boutique. The ring on the far left was one that she made for me. They're very simple to make! Any vintage button or earring that you find that works with your personality will be perfect. Next, make sure the back of that surface is flat... I know I had to get creative. Last, but not least, I found the bases for the rings on this manufacturer's website. Enjoy!

-Much Love-

Bethany

I Can't Feel My Face...

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Well, bye bye wisdom teeth! They're definitely not there anymore. And I have definitely drooled a couple of times... Awkward way to put it, but if I had a full beard, it would be numb. Basically that whole region. Thank goodness that my tongue finally got its feeling back, or I wouldn't have been able to taste my 7UP ice cream soda! Anyhow. It is almost a new year! I thought I would share a couple of goals for twenty11.

1. Take a picture a day for 365 days. I may not get to blog every day, as this semester is one of my busiest so far, but I'd like to look for meaningful things. Not only to improve some photography skills, but also to really look for joys in life. Look for purpose.

2. Run. I'm thinking realistic? Three miles comfortably and then definitely move it up. I'd like to run at least a half marathon some day. Maybe even a full!

3. Go on a significant road trip. And by significant, I mean out of Oklahoma... Colorado? New Mexico? Maybe California? Who knows...

4. Thrift for clothes as much as possible.

5. Fall even more in love with Jesus. Have the moments where it's just me and Him. Get away, be still. I can't wait for what He will teach me.

That's a good start I think! Maybe more will come to me in the next couple days... I already have some ideas cookin! What are YOUR goals for twenty11?

-Much Love-
Bethany

More Home Ideas...

Home again at last! Being with family is the best. Life has been throwing some curve balls lately, so I'm glad to know that I have a home to come back to and a family that's by my side no matter what. Tomorrow, I'll have some wisdom removed from me... Five teeth to be exact (yes, I'm well aware that I'm a freak of nature). Not too excited about that... but I figured I'd get in the spirit of ice cream and mashed potatoes early by searching some more future excitements. Enjoy!

-Much Love-

Bethany

This Present Moment...

Well, hello there! It's a rather slow night in Oklahomaland. Not too many eventful things are happening... But what is happening...

Parenthood... season one is on in the background. A wonderful christmas present from my family. Currently listening to "Hold You in my Arms" by Ray Lamontagne. Beautiful. Curled up in a blanket wishing that there was snow on the ground. Coffee brewing. I am looking forward to 2011 with excitement for what God will do in my life... Who knows what that will be, but I will do my best to trust him with a child-like faith. A list of new year's goals is on the way! 

-Much Love-

Bethany

Future Interests...

Christmas around here was pretty splendid. I loved spending all the time with family and friends and everything that Christmas brings... But more on that later. Today, I got a facebook message from my lovely room mate Chelsea about homes that are up for rent! We are going to try and possibly find a house this next year... so she had been looking! This made me want to look up cute homes... You will never believe what I found!

I think I am in love. Especially with that gorgeous bedroom and definitely the wood table in the kitchen. Oh and those suitcases! I'll have to use that idea for sure. My mom says that my grandma may still have my great-great-grandmother's suitcases! I sure do hope so! Oh, and the most important part. I found all of these pictures on this blog. You can drool for hours... I know I did. So excited to have my own home one day!

-Much Love-

Bethany

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

Oh the world wide web... You can find pretty much anything you want to know... or don't want to know for that matter by just the click of a button. Sometimes, help can be found. Other times, not so much. Recently, I've had a conversation with someone very close to my heart about happiness (in a round about way). What things make you happy? Do you ever just see something wonderful and get the breath knocked out of you? When you are using the gifts and talents that God has given you, does it give you this overwhelming feeling of joy? I realized during this conversation that I have become so focused on the here and now daily routine that I forget to focus on me. What things do I love to do that I have neglected? For instance, I've played piano ever since I can remember, and since I've been in college, I haven't played but maybe a handful of times... Also, I guess since I've "grown up" I forgot that I can find new adventures as well... Who knew? I can have new hobbies?!? What? It's true. So I googled "hobbies" (does googling count as a hobby? because I do it quite a bit) and found this website. I laughed. These are some of the possibilities of new hobbies headed my way...

Hot air ballooning, cloud watching, motorcycle riding, throwing boomerangs, shark fishing, smoking pipes, yo-yo, gadget collecting... etc.

Wow. I can handle cloud watching and possibly throwing around a couple of boomerangs, but all in all, this was not as helpful as I had hoped. So, I'm going to have to think of things that I would like to do? Kill me. This is what I came up with... for real.

Cooking... I need to learn sometime. And I'd like to be able to whip up some mean dishes.

Hiking. A couple of my friends and I are going to try and drive to Colorado this spring and hike a 14 mile. We want to make a weekend trip out of it. Should be interesting... hiking isn't normally something on my list of "I need adventure in my life" things to do... but then I thought to myself, "Why have I never thought of this before?"

Ah yes, this one reappears time after time... Running. I should really start... Who doesn't need to be in shape? Especially if they're planning on hiking 14 miles up a mountain!

Studying... You would think that wanting to go to medical school and make a difference in the world would make me eager to study. Not so much. I hate the library with a passion. And we have a nice one! This semester, I'm going to try and become friends with the library. Wish me luck!

Getting my guitar out more often. I still play quite a bit when the roomies aren't home... But I'd like it to be something I can pick up and really just go to work on those beautiful acoustic harmonies. **Thank you Mary Roy for this beautiful picture**

So, that is my list for now... there are, of course, many more to come... But this post is already super duper long! Next time, next time.

-Much Love-
Bethany

p.s. Please go listen to Jack Johnson's beautiful version of Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer. It will melt your heart.

Wrapping Paper is Everywhere...

Not be one of those bloggers... but I'd like to tell you how this morning has started off, detail by detail. Even though I've only been up for a single hour (christmas break=I'm allowed to sleep in), I feel the morning has already been great. First thing, I started brewing enough for a couple cups of that wonderful Maxwell House coffee. Yum! As that was filling the apartment with a delicious aroma, I put on a Christmas pandora station... purely wonderful. Next, I started... drumroll please.... WRAPPING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS! I'm so excited for Christmas. Can it just be here already? I maybe should have wrapped sooner, so our tree could look like Santa came early, but I'm wrapping today so I can enjoy our little Charlie Brown tree before I get to take all of the presents HOME! I'm so ready to see my family. Anyway. After I wrapped about half of the gifts, I started looking through some blogs I normally follow, like this one. Chelsea Rose's blog... If you don't know it, you should. She's great. Then, I figured I should probably blog my own weekend events! The coffee mug got topped off, and now here we are...

We got to go spend a couple of days with my room mate (and about nine others) at her family's ranch in the middle of nowhere! I loved it! We rode four-wheelers around and explored. Got nine people on the top of one hay bale (pictures later). Cut down a couple of trees (I watched) so that my new friend, Brian could make a chair. Brilliant. Ate some taco soup. Watched the sunset. Built a fire and made s'mores. And talked all through the night. I was sad to leave. 

Lauren, myself and Mary.

I believe that is the very hay that we all stood on? Possibly. It was beautiful.

More pictures to come soon, these are only the ones I could snap with my little camera. Mary and Colin both have a ton of pictures on their legit cameras. 'Til next time!

-Much Love-
Bethany

p.s. Back to wrapping! Make sure and do all of your last minute Christmas shopping! I know I will.