happy tuesday!

hello there, lovies. 

i hope this post is finding your tuesday going quite swimmingly. :) it's been an adjustment getting back to work after our little Thanksgiving break, but none the less, we're hanging in there! :) 

so, i was cleaning out my work email & found these. i'd saved them because...well, they're awesome. my husband cracks me up, brings a smile to my face more times than i can count in a day & i just wanted to share this email i'd saved. 

Here's how tonight just might go...

5:02 Adam and Syds arrive home

5:04 Trunan drops it like its hot

5:08 Two feasts. Two beasts.

5:17 Jacie arrives home.

5:36 Bike ride to Miller Park

5:44 Love serving Love

6:32 Game. Set. Match.

6:44 Call Papa's.

6:45 Postgame Shower.

7:04 Pickup at Papa's

7:12 Arrive home with Papa's

7:16 Tonight's Feature Presentation: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1

9:27 Harry battles 'He Who Shall Not Be Named"

9:42 Roll credits

9:43 and beyond - the night is young!

it just cracks me up. he gives a detailed description of getting home, our dogs pooping, our dogs eating, bikes, playing tennis, end of tennis, ordering pizza, clean-up, eating, harry potter marathon, etc. play.by.play. anyways, you can imaging if you're having a rough day, this may put a smile on your face.

or how about this one...?

Sorry your nose is hurting. Here's a suggestion to make it feel better:  Swirl both your hands above your head for 3.4 seconds. Then, while performing a "raise the roof" motion you repeat the line "allergies, allergies go away. good health, good health is here to stay" at least 10 times. Perhaps more if your nose is really bad. After that, you chug a 1/4 gallon of water while balancing on your head while humming the hit song, "Call Me Maybe". After that, you take a magazine from the waiting room. Tear the entire thing up into 1/2" x 1/2" squares. Put those squares into an empty glass. If you put them into a full glass, well, you'll look crazy. With glass in hand, step onto your desk. Holler "good times are here to stay!" and throw your newly constructed confetti high into the air. Then sit down quietly and go about your day. Answer no questions. Act as if it never happened.

You won't know until you try.

oh silly, right? hope you enjoyed it. he so cracks me up.

loves!

giving thanks.

at church last sunday, we got 'homework'... it was funny when we saw that. and we have YET to do it. but i think that it will be very beneficial & we WILL do it...soon. it was our Thanksgiving sermon & it was great. we love our church, how they speak the truth. we come out of there feeling renewed & ready to conquer the world! :) 

anyways, the homework was listing like 25 things you were thankful for... not like, "i'm thankful for my car, my sewing machine, my clothes, my hair stuff, my makeup..." or "my brother christian, my brother jonathan, my brother justin, my brother jeremy, my brother jarryd, my sister..." the challenge was lumping family & friends together...or household goods together...or...well, you get the picture?

so, i found a little ditty like there over at Lauren Rebecca...here. it's called Me: A to Z. i thought it might be fun to give it a little twist for Thanksgiving & do what i'm thankful for... i think this is actually going to be pretty tough. we definitely don't give thanks to the Lord of the universe ENOUGH. that's actually something that adam is really good & prayerful about & i need work... as in, i need more focus in doing it DAILY. after all, we wouldn't have ANYTHING if it weren't for God's grace. one thing that i've worked on doing when i crawl into bed is going through each & every thing that i'm thankful for. i...mean...everything. things that normally just taken for granted...and i try to be specific.

example:

"Dear Lord, you are the best gift giver of all things undeserved. Thank you for adam. thank you for his sense of humor. thank you for his patience. thank you for us finding each other. thank you for our puppies. thank you for this nice, warm bed. thank you for all luxuries...we all really have it quite well. thank you for our hearing. thank you that i can hear the wind, rain, birds outside, leaves. thank you for my sense of smell...even with stinky things. :) thank you so much for my eyesight. i take these things for granted. please soften my heart to be continually grateful for you. thank you that adam still has eyesight. thank you that i can feel pain. and joy. thank you for showing yourself to me & causing me yearn for you. thank you for dying on the cross, so we can all live in you glory someday..."

and i just let it trail off until i fall asleep. it really causes you to step back & think of everything that you've been given. and how much you really don't want for. what is needed He WILL provide. He WILL. believe that. He is faithful.

Thanksgiving for ME: A to Z

a. adam. i could quite possible take up the rest of this blog saying all the ways i'm thankful for him. so, for now, i'll just stick with his name... :)

b. breathing. by God's grace, i wake up another day & it's a wonderful gift... now, i just need to get better about having this attitude in the very early morning or when i'm having a rough day! 

c. Christ's ultimate sacrifice for me.

d. doggy pals. our Truman & Sydney. our little friends. they truly impact our lives & are our buddies. we will always, always have little pals around. you can learn lots from them & they are extremely loyal & make you happy.

e. eating. tastebuds. enjoyment of food. (this may possibly be a duplicate from s, pastor :)...?!)

f. family. friends.

g. God's AMAZING & AWESOME grace. (for justin -- correct context, i'd say :) )

h. hospitable attitude. i really do like 'serving' people when they come over... and in my work at job. i try & look at it as a way to be more like Jesus by serving others in all that i do. granted, i don't always have this attitude, but i am thankful that i have it...and others have it... *sidenote* i learned hospitality from my mother. she's so accommodating. she's really is a great woman with a giving heart. thanks, ma...for showing the light of Jesus when you or i might not have even realized that's what it was...

i. interactions. i am trying to share my faith more & more. letting the Lord's spirit work through me & being mindful that He alone is the one making this happen. it is not of myself, but of Him. and He is the one providing these divine interactions. they are testing, but i am thankful for them, none the less.

j. job. while there are definitely things that i do not like about certain jobs, i'm thankful that i have the ability to work. i have the ability to contribute to our little family. this is one thing i definitely must get better at. regardless of the people or situations, knowing that God is in control is working is a blessing.

k. kisses & hugs. warm embraces. from adam. & from family. & friends (not the kissing part!). just knowing that you have a community around you who is loving you & you're loving them. knowing that you have endless support & that someone has your back.

l. luxuries & home comforts. i wouldn't normally say we live 'luxuriously' like the people in Beverly Hills... or wherever... but really, list all the things you have, all the things you're thankful for... and think of all the times we think that we have soooo rough & then look at people who literally have nothing. they are some of the most thankful people you'll ever meet. because anything is so exciting! we really do have it quite well... and dare i say...luxurious. with our 15 blankets, couches, tvs, 100 kitchen utensils, 'decorative pillows', memory foam pillows...etc. i mean, we have it pretty good when we can shop for decor that just has no other purpose than sit there & look pretty. :)

m. maternal instinct. i'm not a mommy yet, but seeing how intricately-created the mother-child relationship is...or the pregnancy...or the cocktail of hormones when the baby is born...i'm just aghast, nervous, excited, scared, looking forward to being a mommy. haha, enough up & downs, eh?

n. nature. if you need proof God exists, just look around you! :) really though, some of the most amazing things you will EVER see are found in God's nature...

o. omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Heavenly Father. 

p. peace. adam & i have had a couple INCREDIBLE moments where we felt the Lord's calming presence flowing over & around us. it was the most indescribable gift of peace.

q. hm...still thinking. 

r. respectful disagreeing. now-a-days, you'll be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks you can insanely dislike people's actions, but love the person. hate the sin, love the sinner. and oh man, differences in politics, abortion, gay marriage -- forget having a civil conversation (not all, just A LOT of people). so, when i come across someone who can share their ideas & i can share mine, have a civil conversation & still move forward with a relationship, i am thankful for that. i may be completely frustrated & confused by their point of view, but actually being able to have a 'respectful' conversation without yelling & name calling is...nice. more should try it! :)

s. senses. i'm probably missing some, but sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, pain, temp & more (yes, google DID help me). 

t. tough love. from parents or adam. i know that may sound silly that adam can give tough love, but it's true & i'm thankful. it's normal for parents, i'd say & i'm thankful that they did... i may not've been the best kiddo :) ha, but if it weren't for their upbringing, my brothers & i would be a whole different ball of wax. and i'm thankful for the tough times with them. it's made us closer today. so, let me explain adam's tough love in which i'm thankful for. let's just say i entered our relationship with certain 'bad habits' that past relationships let me get away with. immature ways i talked or acted. adam does NOT deal with this. and sometimes i didn't/don't appreciate his 'tough love' until looking back & seeing that i don't act so dumb or talk so rude...and that's when i start appreciating it. he holds me accountable & to a higher standard that makes me better myself. and for that i'm thankful. 

u. unexpected kindness. i love surprising people with little things just to let them know i'm thinking of them... i expect nothing in return, really... BUT, when people surprise me with little kindnesses, i am overcome with joy & happiness. it puts a grin on my face from ear to ear & i am overcome with gratitude. and you know, even walking around the mall or wherever & having some random person smile & say hello warms my heart... it seems that type of kindness is less & less these days. and when i see it, i appreciate it. side note, people hear a lot of bad... i mean, go to a restaurant & usually the staff hears complaints...apply that to any job. so when someone does good, adam & i try to tell them. people are shocked. they think something is wrong. they wonder why we're saying that... did we have a bad experience before, they wonder? nope, just want you to know you're doing great. and you know, i think that is one way of sharing the Lord's sunshine, too! it puts a little joy in that person's heart. 

v. vision. really i wanted to put creativity, but c was taken, so there's vision. i am so glad, most times...:) how creative people are. and how God has given me the gift of creativity. i always feel so accomplished after a creative project. it's an outlet, usually. and i'm thankful for it & have big hopes for it some days.

w. wealth. this sort of ties into 'luxury & home comforts'. we would never think of ourselves are super rich...at least the monetary kind of rich. but again thinking that God has entrusted us with what is His here on earth is a blessing. we haven't always looked at it like that. it was tough tithing at first. i mean, that's a lot of income. but looking at it from a point of view that... it's God's money. you're just the manager of it here on earth. has really helped. and also, that you wouldn't have anything at all, except for his grace... and now, we're joyful givers... "God loves a cheerful giver!" 2 Corinthians 9:7 and you know what, he's always provided...

x. hm...still thinking. 

y. hm...still thinking. 

z. hm...still thinking. 

so, there you go. this may just be the longest post ever, but it's definitely something i wanted to share. i hope that the Lord blesses you & your family & your friends today & always. have a great Thanksgiving day & know how much you have to be grateful for! 

gobble, gobble, 

jace

150 sales!

BAM! POW! WHAM!

150 sales! yeow!

come visit! :) 

www.etsy.com/jacieland

xxoo,

j

happy sunday!

i love sundays. really, i do. 

here are a few reasons why:

*weekly renewal/revival of my faith*

*getting to worship my Lord & Savior*

*seeing friends at church*

*holding husband's hand in prayer*

*dressing up*

*doing hair & make-up*

*sometimes eating out*

*sometimes shopping after church*

*doing NOTHING all day*

*cuddling on the couch*

*blogging while hubs watches sports*

*lots of other stuff depending on weather*

this weekend, adam & i have literally went shopping every.single.day. AWESOME. :) 

friday: had a semi-rough day & wanted a 'walk around shopping date' with hubs (tjmaxx), get out of the house & potentially get some Christmas gifts...no Christmas gifts found, but scored THREE NEW SHIRTS FOR ME, THE MRS!!! :) new church shirts to be exact... anymore i try to spend only a few dollars on clothes or go to goodwill (there's some GOOD FINDS there!)...but these i 'splurged'... feel free to laugh because 'splurging' to me was $10, $15 & $15... for the shirts... teehee... okay, i do spend more than that at times... i just try NOT to. being frugal & a deal hunter is GREAT! plus, i used to work at The Limited & stocked my closet full for a long time...so it usually has to be a REALLY good deal for me to get!

saturday: went to homemakers with mommy-in-law & picked out a new couch & loveseat set while the brothers watched some football... then after that mr. husband & i went to tjmaxx...again! found a present for miss sister-in-law & mister brother-in-law... BAM. success. 

sunday: after church went to see TWILIGHT (don't worry--i don't ruin anything in this post--read on!)  bam... and then to another tjmaxx...! :) no such luck, but had a blast. beeteedubs, twilight was super sweet (justin, if you're reading this... the last few posts, i've caught myself starting to type 'awesome' or 'amazing' & stopped myself... :) others, more explanation later...!) & husband LOVED his LARGE mt. dew & popcorn -- the only reason he goes to those movies with me! well, besides the fact that he loves me & wants to see my happy! :) love him.

so, anyways, thought i'd let you in on one of my super great shirt finds! :) 

i love this shirt. i have been looking for a sheer button-up for some time now... one that's long enough. everything is so darn short now-a-days. i found this in the 'girls/teens/whatever-you-call-it' (not women's) section at tjmaxx. $14.99, which...i don't LOVE, but i'd been looking long enough that i was okay with it... and it's long! :) do you see the little slits up the side below? i love... :) 

i have a post just waiting to be written about those jeggings i'm wearing... $3.49 at the Tommy Hilfiger Outlet...what, what?! 

and i didn't realize i had my shirt tucked into my undershirt until about 1/2 way through worship time... haha, whoops. can't take this whole 'dressing up thing' too seriously, i suppose! i think i tricked some people at church... they were confused by my suddenly longer hair... once they asked, it struck up a convo about my extensions! :) some days i just miss my long golden locks, so gotta rock some fake ones! :)

and yes, Christmas tree UP! brother-in-law was on the radio last Sunday & we wanted something to do while we listened, so Christmas decor went UP! more on that later!

and of course, had to change into comfies before movie time! so sweats & sweatshirt it is... literally we got back from church & were out the door like 5-10 minutes later to make it in time! :) time to pet the puppies, change & take a picture! :)

hope that you had a wonderful Sunday & liked my outfits! i'll try to do some more of them! i'm really wanting to get more committed to the blog! maybe a New Year's Resolution... that's sort of getting close. well, okay...not really. maybe? no... oh, well. :)

xxoo, 

jace

peppermint love.

i must admit i'd probably love this flavor ALL.YEAR.LONG...however, there is something about it during the Christmas season. ESPECIALLY curled up on the coach in some hoodie footies (yes, i do have these -- i'll try to get a pic up...thanks to my hubs...! and they're so warm & comfy!), with your honey & a nice cup of hot cocoa. nom nom nom.

what is this flavor, you must ask? 

PEPPERMINT. 

peppermint anything. please see below for a further, mouth-drooling explanation. yum.

peppermint fudge. although i've NEVER had this, i may just be making it this year. yes, please. or maybe a trip to scheel's for adam to shop & me to see if they have this... and eat it! yum.

although i've never had this kind...i've had these. and let me tell you, the salty sweet deliciousness when these are in your mouth is... AWESOME.

this stuff isn't GREAT, but it'll do when you can't get one of those BELOW.

starbucks...WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MOCHA. so good, so good, so good.

more of this 'cause it looks SO good.

my sister-in-law would pour a bit of peppermint schnapps in hot chocolate... it's so good, but be careful because well...it's alcohol, tricky & delish. so i recommend the above picture...! putting some white chocolate & peppermint in there. i've never tried peppermint extract, but that might be just as good. 

so, now that i've got you drooling, i'm going to go look for something to satisfy my sweet tooth...:) teehee. but really, anything WHITE CHOCOLATE & PEPPERMINT, you're so golden.

what do you think?

xxoo,

j

happy saturday!

so, i'll be doing a giveaway for Christmas over at Mommy's Craft Obsession this winter & needed to make a collage & thought i'd share... you know what? i kinda cheated... i just gathered some etsy pictures, arranged them on my desktop & then took a screen shot... BAM! collage. 

enjoy.

HAPPY SATURDAY, LOVIES!

j

it's friday!

via

sidenote...we did NOT wear this tonight. it's just the first picture i came across in my iPhoto while looking for a picture. one of those nights...where what i see is what you get! :) 

adam & i did a little Christmas shopping tonight...well, that was kinda...sorta what it was supposed to be. no such luck. but good news! i did find myself NOT 1...NOT 2...BUT 3 darling tops to wear to church! 

YAY! :)

i was so excited...and normally i'm a $5 or less per shirt type of girl, but i SPLURGED this time... :) i spent like $40 for 3 shirts. i know, feel free to laugh, but hey! being frugal is good! anyways, i'm super jazzed like a kiddo in a candy store! we just switched internet providers & are saving almost that much per month, so it evened out! :) 

happy weekend. 

loves, 

j

blameless

note: i wrote this some time ago... just now sharing with you... it's because of some irritating little computer glitches, but God's timing is perfect, none the less... :) hope you're blessed/encouraged by it!

--

christina over at The Olive Tree always has these cool 'devotional wednesdays' where she puts up something like you see below... every week they are encouraging & pertain to something you could improve upon based upon what scripture tells us...

a few weeks ago, she had THIS post...

this is something that i have been working on constantly. i've been taking a class at church called 'sharing your faith'. it's really helped me to not only 1. evangelize, but 2. hold myself accountable for matching my 'talk' with my 'walk.

professing your Christianity & sharing the Good News is something that we are called & commanded to do. it's amazing & fun & exciting to see God working through you in others...but also challenging when you throw in the... well, 'YOU' aspect. does that make sense? let me try to explain; God is perfect. humans are not. we mess up over & over & over & over again. and when telling people you are a Christian & about living a Christina life, you're sometimes looked at in a different way... sort of like a, "well, if you're a Christian, why are you doing that?" or "you're such a hypocrite!" or "etc (a number of other things...)!" it really helps you to focus on being 'blameless'. because the more 'blameless' you are, the less you'll hear things like that... thus, the better disciple you're being! :) that's a wonderful thought!

you get the picture, right? 

so, i've been prayerfully asking God to continue to give me opportunities to change more to His standards. to give me more opportunities to do good in His name. for more patience. for more grace. for more understanding. for quicker reaction time. for more focus... and on & on & on.

anywhoo, just a little rambling ditty for you... 

as for me, i'm going to go catch up with some serious 'hanging out & relaxing with the love of my life' time... 

prayerfully yours, 

jacie

leg warmers.

it's hard to believe i've been 'blogging' this long... i mean, yeah... it hasn't been that long... but a while now... :) anyways, a friend of mine, molly, called me today & was wondering where i found my 'leg warmers' because she liked the style & wants some... well, they weren't leg warmers... i've been tricking you all! they're my boots! see below... :)

click here to see how i tricked YOU! (and see what i thought about them when i first got them...which isn't too different than what i think now... :)

above is how you can take the cable knit off, making them look like a regular 'ol ugg boot... i've never done this because i like love 'em with the knit... 

above is another color i like... but let's be honest... i wear black way too often to get these... i don't venture out much. and for the price these bad boys are, better be wearing them OFTEN. beeteedubs, i DO. they're a 'go-to'.

and above + below... these are the ones i have! the newest ones (below) are a bit lighter gray... which of course, i love, too, but i think i'd rather just see if they have more detachable knits... or maybe not... they're not that different & i'm totally content with these little foot hugs i've been given!

ugg australia tularosa route boot which is the 'official term' for the TRICKY 'boot' uggs i have...that you can detach the 'cable knit' part from... if you click on the link above, you can see all the different ways to wear them! so basically, it's like having THREE pairs of uggs instead of one! :) fold it over, wear it up, or take it off! that's how i justified such a purchase... well, that and... you KNOW i got a killer sale... as in, they're like $260... i got 'em for $150 (possibly less with coupons -- i got 'em from Victoria's Secret after Christmas)...and on top of that, they were part Christmas from momsies & popsies... so BAM.

ps, i'm sure you could look for these boots (or any UGG boots...or almost anything, for that matter) on www.6pm.com or www.zappos.com. those two sites are 'go-tos' for cheaper stuff, usually... they're like an online tjmaxx, if you will.

so, the whole reason i was going to write this post was to put some nice, cheap links for getting 'leg warmers' for molly, so i could direct her to something... and this has turned into a little more than that, so let me cut to the chase... if you, like molly, are wanting some wonderfully cute leg warmers, then i would like to help you out a bit... we all know i love a good deal, so below i've attached some good sites that i've found for you! :) happy shopping!

this one may be the winner... who knows, maybe little ol' me will get some more... doubt it, but perhaps... hmmm, thinking...thinking... www.payless.com (cable knit leg warmers -- these look similar to the ones attached to my uggs; $9.99) has some cute ones for pretty cheap... well, not cheap, but the cheapest i've found, i suppose! and they're pretty cute! enjoy! 

i lied. no, that sounds bad... it wasn't intentional...i just...spoke too soon! guess what?! www.kmart.com (cable knit leg warmers -- these look similar to the ones attached to my uggs; $7.99) has cute ones for around $10, but on sale now...! around $7!!! who doesn't love a good sale! that's what i'm talking about! :) woohoo!

but really, if you're wanting to be SUPER trendy... and you really like my style & want to be similar to it... you're going to want to check out THESE. yeah, if you looked at that link, you know i'm kidding. :) i'm a kidder. 

if you're in the mood to search, good ol' faithful www.amazon.com will help you out... if you click on this link, i've already searched 'women's leg warmers' for you... :)

if you're completely insane a little more loose with your money...and want to spend $150 on leg warmers, go HERE. i must admit, they do look comfy cozy... :) and i do like the lady's outfit!

anyways, hope this helped! if you have any other shopping questions, i'd love to hear below! :) 

loves & happy shopping, 

j

always.

have you heard the song "I have & I always Will" by David Barnes?

if not, click the link below. you'll thank me later...

if so, click the link below. you'll also thank me later...

LINK TO CLICK.

:) tee hee.

via.

it's a goodie.

it was actually one of the songs on our "to choose from" list when deciding 'wedding music'... ahh, i still get butterflies listening to it... and all our other wedding music. lovely.

so...you're welcome! i kid, i kid. but sweet, right?

j

hi.

that's all for now.