Our home. :-)

Our apt. is on the other side of the building than is pictured, but it gives the general idea! Aren't the mountains pretty? This park is behind the apt. building, past the parking area.

It's Christmastime!

There is a glimpse of holiday stuff at the Bailey house! Some of it is traditional, like the houses that Mom used to put out when I was little... (there was a 3rd... but yeah... it was unintentionally demolished. oops. So she passed on the remaining two.) There are pics on the tree (Hi Henry and Sam!), fun Christmas books underneath, etc. The chalkboard is over our kitchen sink, Dwight added the really to it when the temp got down to -6. ouch. Brrr... .
Oh! and can you find the pickle??? ;-)

I love my family!

Our Wedding Day - Pics #1

Here are some pictures from our wedding! It was wonderful to see everyone that was able to come into town. It was amazing to see how eager so many were to just jump in and help out in whatever way they could. We have some amazingly talented friends and family members! If you need a designer, photographer, caterer, florist, etc. let me know!

And yuppers. :-) Married life is wonderful. Especially to Dwight! ;-)











Photos courtesy of Evy Fredrickson. She is good. :-)

Are there any other book addicts out there???

...or are there others as crazy as I? I have boxes of them! Where in the world am I going to put them?

Packing is taking much longer than I ever thought it would. But it is for a good cause, so I'm still happy about it! ;-)

10 more days... :-D

until I see Dwight again! I'm so excited... I haven't seen him since he proposed over Labor day, and I'll be meeting his family for the first time, too. I'm a bit nervous - I suppose its normal to wonder "are they gonna like me???" It seems so hard to believe all that has come about in the past year... it will have been 11 months to the day (when we get married) since Dwight first asked me for Dad's number or even approached getting to know me better. Whew! Alot sure has happened since then - officially a couple in July, engaged the end of August, married in Nov.!

Dwight is an amazing man, and I can't wait to be his wife! Right now we are studying Eph. 5 and how it relates to our relationship. Sometimes it can be awkward to discuss over the phone simply because I can't see his facial expressions (like he can't always tell if I'm joking or not because he can't see me grinning!), but I'm so grateful that we can talk on the phone. If this were last century, we'd have writers cramp for sure! :-) I feel so clueless about how to be a good wife to him... but he is incredibly patient, and it will be wonderful to learn with him!

And oh... I think I perhaps may have come up with a solution for a "for now" headboard! I guess I'll have to see how it works, but I have this HUGE wooden sign from Pottery Barn that says "Rooms for Rent, Inquire Within" that I bought last year. (Okay... I saw it and being in charge of student housing at the IBLP headquarters, I felt like I was losing my mind sometimes trying to keep track of people's coming and goings, where exactly I had placed them, etc. The wording totally cracked me up - to the point of tears, it was really sad!- and I just wanted it so badly. But the price was absolutely outrageous. I couldn't pay it for a couple of 2x4s that had been nailed together and painted! So I prayed about it (seems a bit silly, but nothing is ever to small to talk to the Lord about!), that if it was something He wanted me to have, that it would come down to below a certain price. It was a couple of months later that I was checking out the clearance page and saw it listed there - and under the price I had mentioned! I was SO excited... hehe!) But anyways... I was thinking I could perhaps hang it about where the upper part of the headboard might be, and use really large pillows up against the wall for cushion, and then we would just need to purchase a metal frame to get the mattresses off of the floor. I have a really difficult time imagining things sometimes... but I suppose we can give it a try! Any ideas from those of you who have "budget decorated" before???

I love you Lord...

This song came to mind today. I wish that this was that thought I could always rest upon... not how is the wedding going to come about, how will the dollars stretch, etc., but simply on I love you Lord.

I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice
To worship you, O my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what you hear:
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.

I love You, Lord, and I stand amazed;
My sins are gone! May Your name be praised!
Exult, my soul! And behold His face;
I will ever sing, O my King, of Your grace.

I love You, Lord, and for You I wait:
Your promises and Your power are great!
Make haste, my God, may I taste Your ways;
I will magnify Your sweet peace all of my days.

USA and politics...

It seems everyone is posting about the election. I for one am choosing not to be upset. I am choosing to see the Sovereign hand of God, knowing that he knew how the votes would fall. Am I excited about the future president? Not exactly. I am steadfastly pro-life (at all stages), pro-traditional marriage, and anti-socialist. I have spent time in various countries overseas and am grateful for the freedoms we Americans possess.

But he is the man who won. We are called to honor him. And I am excited... we believers are being handed a huge opportunity to let our faith shine brighter as times are shaky. We serve, love, and have been redeemed by a God who is completely in control! I am excited to see what God will do in the coming years, and am reminded of the importance to pray. No heart is outside of the changing blood of Christ. And I am so grateful for the way the Lord has changed me... can he not reach the life of government? I believe He can!!!

Sure. Times may become hard. But that doesn't minimize the power of God. And honestly... when you think about what so many billions of believers have faced over the centuries... I feel as if I have no right to EVER become depressed or complain. I am so blessed. Our nation continues to be blessed... and it is only by the grace of our Lord.

Part two: Our bedroom

I'm still trying to figure out exactly how the room is going to look. :-] I have a white blanket set, and then a down duvet with the Pottery Barn Porcelain Blue Classic Stripe cover - so cozy! I'm trying to add splashes of color so I have 3 of the Yellow Stripe Pillows, and then I found the cutest Pink ruffle pillowcase at Land of Nod. It is darling - but I'm really trying to avoid making the room "too girly", because it is ours. And I'm wondering if I'm really being all that successful in that attempt. I guess I'll know once it is all together!





Dwight found an amazing mattress deal at Big Lots, but I'm really stumped on what to do for a headboard - thinking of seeing if I can find an old door/ window/ shutter and make something up. Dresser shopping will commence in Colorado Springs... yeah ! for antique stores! , but we do have a bedside table! :-) Hehe, its another "roadside special". We are so cheap. ;-) We had this little ceramic lamp sitting in our storage room at my home, but I didn't like the color - so we spray painted it, added a little Shabby Chic shade from Target, and oohlala. :-)

We are pretty much set to go - just would like to get the bed frame, figure out a headboard, get a dresser and buy a sofa for the family room. So close! :-) Definitely not needs - we'll be together and that's all that matters, but someday! It will be fun to scout for deals. :-)

I can't wait to see our apt. One time when we were on the phone, Dwight kind of did a walk-through with me, and I drew out what I thought he was describing. It will be fun to see how *close* I was!

Getting ready to set up house - Part One: the Kitchen

Thinking about how I'm going to decorate our home is so much fun. :-) I love stuff that is a mixture of vintage/ cottage/ classic. I love to have fun surprises popping up here and there. Here are a couple of fun treasures that are in the plan:

This is a tablecloth that I fell in love with at Anthropologie. :-) So I began to think of ways that I could cut it up. :-) Yeah, crazy!!! We had found a beautiful antique table out by the roadside that, after being stripped of its minty peeling paint and stained a honey brown, is perfect, and there are two chairs (also courtesy of roadside!), that we (my Dad is an amazing Mr. Handyman - and he loves me so much!) painted black. They had this disgusting rotted caning, but that is what pocketknives are for. So Dad made up new seats, and we cut 2 squares out of the fabric to create covers. I have plenty of fabric left over, so I can make some matching curtains, or a quilt/ runner or something.


I collect green jadite and pink depression glass pieces... and wish there was a picture of the pink candy dish my mom gave me! It is a beautiful pink, with pears at the bottom. It was given/passed on to my great-grandma sometime in the 1940's or so and she gave it to my mom as a wedding gift. Mom was so sweet to continue the tradition! So, I'm not quite sure where they will go. I'd like to find a Hoosier cabinet. My Dad found one (yup, roadside!), but it needs tons of work!

Yesterday my family and church threw a shower for me, and were so generous! I have a wonderful red retro clock now to grace my wall and prevent me from burning the cookies, a cute red hand mixer (I have had the KitchenAid Professional 600 for a couple years now and LOVE it., so I requested some of the other appliances they carry), wonderful Calphalon stainless-steel panset, Oneida Flatware, and the white dishes I love (I have a pic on a previous post), and so much more to help keep Dwight happy and fed. :-) I can't wait to be a homemaker. :-)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

only 22 more days... :-)

TrueWoman '08

Still sad about not being able to attend the TrueWoman conference that was just held here in Chicago, I'm thrilled that they are offering the sessions for sale! Now I just need to decide between the CD or the DVD...

truewoman.com

... and check out the manifesto too. It is so exciting to see what God is doing in the hearts of women!

Yuppers...

We are getting married soon (39 days)! I want to enjoy every moment of this engagement/ planning time, but sometimes emotions and deadlines zoom their way in and I feel so short of gracious and quiet. Not that mania ensues... I just feel all fluttery and dizzy and know that isn't right! Wedding details do not make the marriage, and we will be married regardless of what hor d'oeuvres are served, what flowers are used, or how that cute veil lays. ;-) Dwight is so good about reminding me to not worry... I love him so much!

I need to keep focused on Christ during these days, and every day! He alone is the One that can make anything happen, keep our relationship thriving, and calm my soul. I guess that is one reason I love the song "In Christ Alone" so much... it reminds me as I hum it around the apt./house, sing it in the car (I love living in the country, you roll the windows down, drive by cornfields, and just sing your heart out!), or play on my itunes - of what really matters.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ!

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend. Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

These are a few of my favorite things...

Aren't they beautiful??? The white ones (Mikasa) are so sweetly elegant, yet sturdy enough for everyday use. And the birds (Lenox) - I can't help it. I love them! They are so quaint and vintage-looking.

Humbled by this aspiration...

"... Consecrated, affectionate women who are not afraid of work or of filth of any kind, moral or material. Women who can nurse a baby or teach a child to wash and comb as well as to read and write, women who can tactfully smooth over a roughness and for Christ's sake bear a snub, and take any place which may open. Women who can take everything to Jesus and there get strength to smile and persevere and pull on under any circumstances."

- Mary Slessor, in a petition for women workers for the mission field.

Simply fun :-)

Welcome to my little nook. :-)