walking next to you...

yesterday, that is.

i drove to the rubidoux drive in theater to visit robyn and her england team. they were selling tons of fun items to raise funds for their upcoming trip...they leave just days from now! i found a bag full of really neat doornobs for $4 ...what a steal!

from there, i drove to downtown riverside to lunch with ashley. it was such a wonderful time...especially since it has been much too long since the last time we were able to sit and chat. i had a nice bowl of veggie chili and a $3 tiny cup of oj...it was good but not that good:)

and last but not least, i drove out to la to visit dorothy and we took a trip to the opera...the music was super, the lighting gave me a headache:)

ps...we made a quick...long...stop at a little cafe. we got panini and coffee and had a really nice time chatting:)

on the schedule for today: drive to long beach for a baby shower for a lovely friend. what a fun/busy weekend!

enjoy today.
over and out.

...of last night...which was amazing:)
more to come.
over and out.

today at work, tony, kim, and i decided to write our names with the opposite hands. for them, it was left, for myself, it was right. these are the results:)

tonight, i am going to see these two courtesy of my dear friend zack. he thought this whole thing up as an early birthday present. it is actually fulfulling letter 'i' on my wish list. i didn't think anyone actually took it seriously but he proved me wrong! i am really excited about this because i have been enjoying their music for a few months now and tonight i see them live! my night was a bit on the downer side so i woke up a bit 'eh'...no good, i know...but hopefully that will improve by the time dinner and the show come along....
anywho, if you are not familiar with the lovely tunes of angus and julia stone, you should get on it:) they are so delightful.

i love going to the movies...by myself:) i really love being alone and the movies is somewhere where i can do that. don't get me wrong, i love people and people time BUT i really enjoy my alone time and whenever i can, i make sure to treat myself to alone time. is that strange? i don't think so:)
this afternoon i treated myself to a movie. i don't think i have ever gone to the movies twice in one week but this week that all changed. anywho, today is earth day so i saw 'earth' and it was super. the documentary film was a number of different documentaries put into one and i was very moved. it was just a friendly reminder that we, humans, are NOT the only ones on earth. there are so many other critters as well as greens on this planet and since we are the only ones who can actually get things done, we should be making every effort to care for not only ourselves, but the other living creatures on this earth. i keep thinking about what a lovely gift this planet is to us.
when i get a gift, i usually try to keep it safe and new for as long as i can and it is so interesting that we don't do the same for the place we live...hmm...we should really work on it...just a thought.

happy earth day friends:) i know, some may think it's a tad cheesy but in all honesty, we should take care of this place, it's the only one we have. so i am sitting here at work really excited for 2:20 to come around because at that time i will be sitting in the theater getting ready to watch 'earth'. it's ok to want to take care of this lovely place...you know recycle, reuse, and so on:) have a lovely day.

there are times in life, i think we all experience this, when we run into special people. Whether it is here in the states or in a different country, they are people who are imprinted on your heart for a lifetime. chad and erika are two of those people in my life. for a couple years now i have been visiting this place augie's in downtown redlands. i started going there because the owners really stood out to me and it seemed like the kind of place that i might enjoy spending my time. well, i enjoyed it so much that it is currently my place of employment thanks to chad and erika:) they are no longer the owners because they have begun a new chapter in life, but what a beautiful chapter it is. they love people and they love their Creator...i think that has something to do with why they love people so much. anyhow, i respect and love them so dearly and recently something amazing has happened in their lives, something that i was able to experience for the first time on thrusday and i really thought it worthy of a post:)
chad and erika found out about a little baby that needed a good home due to family issues and because of who they are, they wanted to open their home to this little boy! they went through all of the necessary procedures...they even left their home and moved into a new one to meet the requirements given by the people in charge. time passed by and they continued to wait and a couple weeks ago, prayers were answered. baby james arrived to their home and they welcomed him in with a great deal of love. when i spoke with erika and chad, they were saying they were not sure if the love would be automatic or if it would grow over time but as soon as he arrived, they said the love was there. i loved hearing that! they brought baby james in on thursday and i was able to see him for the first time and he is the loveliest little boy. he actually looks just like chad... i know people say that sometimes, the whole look a like thing, but he really does. they were so precious and the love was and is there. i could have just sat there the entire afternoon to watch chad and erika with james. that moment really made my week. special people they are:)
ps...chad bought camo outfits for every season of jame's life because he loves the stuff:)

so, my birthday is next month. these past few years, i have been keeping it small just because less seems more these days. i remember when it was a big deal but now the little things seem so much more delightful. for example, last year, i along with a few close friends, went on a bike ride in downtown redlands and it was perfect and i enjoyed it so much...and it was enough, very filling in fact.
anywho, when i think about birthdays in general, i think of wish lists. and these past few days these really neat things have been popping up left and right. now in all reality, i am most def not expecting any of these things for my birthday. i just thought it would be really fun to put together a list of these goodies that i have been noticing for your enjoyment and mine...you might like them too:) and since i am 98 percent finished with my school project, i have a little time to do so, so here goes:
a,b, and c- courtesy of urban outfitters...what girl does not love neat little sandals and red shoes?
d-courtesy of forever 21.

e-who wouldn't want a jar of old buttons?
f-dumpling dynasty sewing kit...so sweet:)
g-button crafts...can we say, "fun?"
h- courtesy of etsy...such a lovely bag.

i- angus and julia stone...what lovely sounds.
j- jens lekman on my birthday...def. worth missing one class.
k- any book that i don't already own.
l-such a terrific film!

m-canon 10d
n- a record player
0-draft

and that is where it ends...i may post p-z one of these days:)
hope you all have a super week.
ps- i just received some pretty awful news but i'm going to do my best to think positive.

me and aura
becky decided she wanted to play in the flowers...

this one i just sort of fancy:)
five out of six...the sixth was on her way.

beck, aura, and me.

i hope you all enjoyed your sunday. it was a busy and somewhat sick day for me but regardless, it was a pleasant day in little yucaipa. the service i attended was nice. the message was on the crucifixion and peter and being sifted and i sort of wish i would have jotted down a few notes because it was good. perhaps i can borrow from a sibling. the part that really stood out to me was on being sifted. the pastor spoke about peter going through the sifting and how each of us will experience it at different times in our lives. he said instead of asking, "why me?" we should be asking, "why not me?" we experience so much growth in our life journeys and some of that comes from times of sifting. our Creator knows what we can handle and He takes us there. anywho, it was a wonderful time of celebration. we had a full house, tons of food, and apples to apples.
have a joy filled week:)

this morning i checked my email and part of that process involves checking my blog:) i don't know, i guess it has just become routine. anywho, right after that, i decided to check this sweet little blog, that i really enjoy, for updates. there is always something fur happening there so i look to stop by here and there. when i arrived, i was pleasantly surprised by what i saw. my blog showed up on their most recent post and it was just so nice.



i hope you are all having a bright day...don't mind the cloudiness:)

two posts in one day, i know, but i really wanted to share this before heading off to bed. with it being good friday, i had every intention to go to a service but it did not work out. i did spend the day with my brilliant sister, however, which was lovely. i was so grateful for our time together.
anyhow, i decided to take a nap this afternoon-eveningish, and just before falling asleep, i realized i had forgotten about the service. i was a bit bummed but it was what it was. i was woken up by a call from a very sweet friend who just happened to have an extra ticket to a performance of the hiding place. if you are not familiar with corrie ten boom's story, you should familiarize yourself with it. it was the perfect way for me to end my day. it was a true provision for my spirit and i so truly mean that. the story of her family's sacrificial love in a time that it seemed almost impossible to love...that time being the holocaust. so anyway, i hope today was a thoughtful day for you. hiding place...look into it. good night, dear friends:)
ps...the sewing machine is coming out...in the morning:)

deep fried chickpea goodness in pita bread...yes. i made falafel today and it was so yummy. if you have not experienced falafel, you have been missing out on a delightful treat. i hope you are really enjoying today. it is good friday, it is cold out side, and we are blessed.

ps...i did not make the one in the photo:)

can be such a fun thing. today, my little sister and my super cute mom decorated easter eggs. it is a old tradition for my mom. she has been doing it since she was a young girl in romania so it is really neat that it is something she shares with us now:) the process is a lot different from the way that it is done these days. she still uses the dye but everything else is a bit different. but i like it. it involves leaves and nylons, and pieces of bacon and you get really lovely eggs:) i wanted to help BUT i had my final presentation for my class tonight so i was not able to. i have been working on a week long lesson plan for a few days now...it is on the holocaust. the presentation was amazing! all the students that presented tonight did just super. and when i got home, the eggs were ready:)

i bought this lovely little trunk today...to store those buttons:)

i have been working very hard on a lesson plan for a few days now. i am currently working on my credential and for this class, my final project is a five day lesson plan...which is not as simple as it may sound. my topic is tenth grade history-holocaust studies and i picked it for many obvious reason. i have really been enjoying it but it is time for a break so i thought i would post a little something about my first button creations from my recently purchased box of buttons:) a sweet friend of mine is having a baby shower very soon and i thought i might try making a photo frame and well...it worked out quite nicely:)
this sweet gal i know sent me a like to the above button book which has made it to my "things to buy" list:) i have really been enjoying these buttons so much and am so looking forward to the fun projects to come...after i finish this class...which leads to spring break...hooray!

there are so many!

photo frame, a card, and a little basket for the frame and a few other super fun items:)
buttons and birds...good combination:)
good times...
good days ahead.