what are you doing new years eve?

I'm in New York!  I spent the last few days in the city, taking in blissful views, bumping into thousands of people, smelling pretzels and different kinds of meats, looking in awe at huge buildings, thinking of endless possibilities... this has been an amazing trip thus far.

The ball lit up from the Rockefeller Center

And a few other faves to hold you over:

Jenny McCarthy in Times Square, Dino at the Museum of Natural History, in front of Radio City, and the tree in Rockefeller Center.

Two buildings I was REALLY excited about:  The Statue of Liberty and the Freedom Tower

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A WONDERFUL 2012!!

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And, just for kicks... here were my goals for the 2010/2011 New Years.  I highlighted those that I felt like I actually stuck to in the best of my ability!
1.  More blogging (once or twice a week)
2.  More photoshoots & advance my skills in photography
3.  Play piano daily
4.  Write more songs on piano
5.  Attend more auditions for musical theater (that is my life's dream after all)
6. Start college FINALLY
7. Work out more often, eat healthier than I have been the last few months. I'd like to lose 30 pounds in 2011. Very possible!
8.  Pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus. He has all the answers I need to life
9. Love people more
10. Become more of a confident person and to feel more comfortable in my own skin and walk in that on a daily basis

fun christmas recipes.

I have had a few people ask me for two of the recipes I made for my party a few weeks ago, so I wanted to put them on here before Christmas incase you want to get the ingredients to make them!


Cream Cheese Penguins

These little guys are so adorable!  Because I was in a crunch for time,  I only put the beak on one of them but, as you can see, you can tell what they are without the beak!  The website I found also put red scarves on them using pimentos or strips of red bell pepper.  I personally tried the red bell pepper and it did not work at all.

What You'll Need:

18 jumbo black olives, pitted

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

18 small black olives

1 carrot

Directions:

1. Cut a slit in the big olives lengthwise.  You may even want to remove a small portion of the olive to make room for cream cheese.  CAREFULLY insert the cream cheese.  I would roll cream cheese together in little balls, then stick them in there.  Slice the carrot into 1/4 inch thick rounds.  The smaller, the better here!  Cut a small notch or v-shape out of the carrot and use the piece for the beak.  To insert a beak, you will need to make a small hole using a toothpick.

2. Set the big olive with cheese onto the carrot slice.  Now get a small olive and place it on top of the large olive, and secure carefully with a toothpick.

Christmas Tree Cheese Ball

This tree was so beautiful in the beginning that nobody wanted to eat it, and then slowly but surely it started to tip over and eventually feel down!  It was the butt of the joke of the party.  I got a lot of compliments on this, though and it is so easy to make!

What You'll Need:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons basil pesto

1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard

Red pepper sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro

1/4 cup pine nuts or sliced almonds

2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper

Piece of lemon peel, if desired

Assorted crackers, if desired

Directions:

1. Stir together cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; divide in half. Stir pesto into 1 half; stir garlic, mustard and 2 or 3 drops pepper sauce into other half. Cover each half; refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.

2. You can then either make two seperate trees, or combine the two and make one tree (which is what I did).

3. Just before serving, press parsley evenly on the tree(s). Press pine nuts onto tree(s) in string form for garland. Press bell pepper pieces onto trees for ornaments. Top each tree with star shape cut from lemon peel. Serve with crackers.

{photos} Darrow family.

I  have the privilege of watching these two little boys every day.  I love them and they continue to bring me joy and insight as if they were my own children.
Hollie turned 29 last week and celebrated with memories that will last forever!  We went to Cranes Roost in Altamonte for these pictures!

They are a family full of love.

Thank you for letting me take your beautiful family photos!

december.

Things that are new:
1. I'm now officially part of the Pop Shop - performing at different places with the kids! So YAY!
2.  This was extremely last minute, but... in one week we will be in NEW YORK!  My first time, ever!  Everyone keeps saying that I'm going to freak out.  There will probably be a dozen blog posts dedicated to the trip.
3. I'm sitting here learning some songs on the guitar.  And my fingers hurt. :)
4.  Our A/C has been off for about a week now and we opened up the guest room window and we have the lovely night air leaking in.  53 degrees of amazingness.
5.  I auditioned for a Country Talent Search a few weeks ago... and if you would like to help promote me, please put some love on their Facebook wall - it means SO much to me!  Performing is my PASSION!

Other than that, not much else is too new.  I've done some photo shoots recently, but mostly just have been working a ton.  Gotta love the holidays.

Recent photos:











I'll be posting again later this week!

christmas card 2011.

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

miracle.

A miracle happened.

(Please ignore the music-Playlist.com is not working right)
This weekend was filled with exciting and wonderful Christmas festivities with family and friends.  Our good friend Aaron came up from Miami to spend the weekend.   David and I sang with the Pop Shop at the lighting of the Christmas tree in a fun little area called Cranes Roost.  I always love being with those kids and with the great teachers they have there!  We will be performing with them again this weekend at both Boggy Creek and Snow Mountain in Oviedo - yes, there will be real snow!! :)

On Saturday we had our very first Christmas party.  It was a success, I think!
About 25 people crammed into our 2-bedroom condo and it's a good thing we have a fair sized deck so that people could go out there, too.  David and I have realized we just love having people over and having parties.  I've always planned all my parties with my mom in elaborate detail growing up,  and I still tend to do that!  There is nothing better than loud conversation and laughter surrounding the air mixed with the smells of food and the feeling of crisp night air flowing in.  All these ingredients mixed together create the perfect night - and it felt that way for us.  A big thank you to all our friends and family who came - I can't believe two years ago I was alone in my condo with just a number of friends, feeling alone, and today God has brought a variety of amazing friends into my life.  I feel so blessed!!

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I wanted to write this blog post about something in particular, though, because I feel we should constantly be reminded of how amazing Jesus is and the little ways in which He comes through in every part of life!

On Sunday night, after walking through Cranes Roost with Heather, I drove over to a friend's house.  When I pulled up in their driveway, I realized I didn't have my wallet.  I checked my car everywhere - which needed a very thorough inspection considering how messy it is.  I ran into their house and told them I lost my wallet and that I needed to go back.  Without hesitation, they decided to come with me.

{A little background here: They are a young married couple like David and me.  They just moved here from Alabama three months ago and we had just met them 5 days prior to this incident.  We immediately clicked, but I was moved by their compassion and positivity during this night}

So we checked.  The parking lot, the walkways, but something was telling me that it was by the giant lit-up Christmas tree Heather and I had sat down and admired during one part of the night.  As we walked closer, my heart sank when I didn't see it.

Then I looked closer.

There, hidden in the poinsettias, was my wallet (it is the same color as the leaves)!
Everything was left in there, untouched, in a busy place in Orlando for two hours.  Can you talk about a miracle?

God works in everything - the big and small.  Give Him the opportunity to show you.  He'll show up big time!

{photos} Alex G.

Meet Alex.

He's your typical little boy - running and playing freely, throwing pine cones and sticks.

He's the type of boy who will bring you joy within minutes of being around him.

When we asked him to smile he would say, "Cheese" and throw a 2 second smile then stare off into space again.

And then after awhile he was tired of photos and wanted to stare off more.

I gotta say, though, he has the best attention span I've ever seen in a child... and he is oh, so photogenic! Watch out David and Amy, I think you guys got a model on your hands!

home.

This is what it feels like, looks like, and smells like (think pine mixed with peppermint). <3

who I am.

Can I just say I miss singing?
(I'm still sick.  Sinus infection.)

I've gotten a lot better thanks to antibiotics, and-most importantly-time.
I am just now able to sing an entire song without choking, but it's taken me awhile to get here.


This quiet time has made me realize that music is my ultimate passion, my biggest dream.  It always has been, and I am realizing now that it is a part of me that will always be me.  God has revealed to me some of the plans He has for me, and that is better than ANYTHING in the world.

Of course, a Taylor Swift concert is a good way to get all those old emotions come pouring through my veins again.  To see an arena packed out, all singing the same songs in unison... there's power in that.
And I want to be a light.  I want to sing songs I've written that can change lives in a positive way. I want to hear testimonies, I want to get to know people who are dealing with things I've dealt with. That's my dream.



My friends make concerts so much more fun!
And without true friends, you won't have anyone to tell you how wonderful you really are - because friends build you up on the building blocks of your life. They encourage you, and listen to you. I wouldn't be who I am today without my friends. They see your potential. And that's an amazing thing.

transparency.

my heart aches for something more.
I want to see how God sees me. I want to know my purpose.
I just stare out foggy windows, seeing a bright world but not knowing what it means.
My insecurities, they keep holding me back.
My fears can sometimes get the best of me. I'm told that I'm too young to really know anything.
But I know a lot more than most think.

I know how I feel, what I dream of. I feel hurt and I feel joy. I'm confused and estranged one day, and then so sure the next. There has to be something more.

My heart beats for more.

God, I need you now more than I ever have.
I need your love because this world lacks too much of it.
I need your hope because you have planted so many desires in me and gave me life to make it happen.
I need your peace because I often feel alone.

God, I need you.
For you are the only concrete thing I will ever know.
You never walk away. You hold me in your arms.
You sing back to me the melody of what is in my heart.
I know I am a sinner, and do wrong every day
and I'm so sorry I break your heart.
I need you.
So please calm my mind, my heart, and my body.
Show me who You want me to be.
Direct my steps and  open the doors,
so that I can get closer to the real me.
The beautiful me.
The gentle me.
The peaceful me.

My heart wants nothing more than all of these things.
Please fill me and make me whole.

my love, it's been two years.

Our first week of school at New Life School of Worship. I'm rocking the gross hoodie and yellow glasses, David is behind me. Ironic? I think not.

I was 18 years old when I first met David.  It was a crisp day in September when I walked into New Life Church ready to start my first day of 10-month worship ministry school.  Except I wasn't really ready.   I was entirely terrified. 


{One month prior, my boyfriend of two years broke up with me.  Yeah, it was a pity party for me.  He was the only best guy friend I had ever had, and he fed me with gifts and words.  He could say I was beautiful in sixteen different ways. If there were ever a human dictionary, it would be him.  To make a long story short, when I finally gave him almost all of me, he cheated on me and then broke up with me before I would figure it out.  His actions left me broken--wondering if I was worth anything.  And because I relied on him for practically everything, it was almost like I had to learn how to start life all over again. I had to figure out who I was before he ever came into my life.}

I got out of my tan pathfinder and slowly walked up to the doors.   I breathed in deeply, smelling the cool air mixed with pine and made my way through.  When the doors swung open, the first thing my eyes saw was this young man standing about thirty feet away, laughing with some guys by one of the orientation tables.  His smile was instantly magnetic to me - my eyes were fixed and I did not want to let go.

As the days went on, I continuously would catch myself looking his way.  There was something completely fascinating about him; it was like he was this brand new species I had never seen before.  On day 3 he looked at my yellow music note shoes.  "I love your shoes," he said.
I smiled. "Thanks!"

On the second week he noticed my yellow purple and blue shirt.  "That shirt is awesome."
Again, I smiled (pathetically) and said, "Thanks!"

And then one day during small group time, I shared with my group what I was feeling.  I don't know how it happened, but I put my heart on a platter in front of 12 people I barely knew, expecting people might find me a little insane.  I could just see them now!  They probably would all laugh at me behind my back, and make fun of me for being the weird young girl who was so hurt over a stupid boy.

They didn't laugh.  They supported me and prayed for me instead.
After we dismissed, the "magnetic guy" ran up to me.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi," I replied.
"I just wanted to say I really like what you shared.  A similar thing happened to me recently, and I know what it is like to lose a friend who you love so much."

He became "magnetic guy" to "sweetie pie."

"Oh, thanks.  Yeah, it's been really hard for me."
"Well you seem like a cool girl!  We should hang out sometime."

And we did.  By December we were best friends spending every possible second together, sharing our hearts and learning to love all over again--with each other.

 

I believe God has a plan for everything.  He used David as a way of calming me before I ever even shook his hand.  When I look back, I'm amazed at how our friendship was so beautifully orchestrated.  We were two people who needed a friend, and in the end we ended up getting more than we ever even DREAMED.  If you would have told either one of us we would meet out husband/wife during this time, we would have laughed. In fact, my mom did say those things before David even existed in my world.  When I was crying she told me, very confidently, that I would meet an older boy in school of worship, and I'd marry him.  I guess mothers always are right!

David, I love you and I feel so blessed God brought you to me.

You are the man I always wanted but thought I would never find.

And we of course celebrated two years of being married!!

Going to the best BBQ in all the world - 4 Rivers!

{Yummmm.}


 
 

 

And then we stopped by Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando where it's free every first Monday of the month!


 

 
2 years down... endless to go!!!

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And the winner of the fall bundle is....

Jessica S!! Yay!  We met Jessica in School of Worship and she became a close friend of ours. 
Keep coming back for more prizes and fun giveaways, and thank you again for your support!