loving lately: spring edition

The fact that Ryan posted this video on his blog just makes me laugh. Mostly because it is 100% true. Make sure you watch to the end for the best part.



If you like it then you should have put a bird on it. Or maybe not?

Also loving lately:

Better Oats brand apple & cinnamon instant oatmeal. Maybe it is the cute individual packaging or the fact that once you pour the oatmeal, the package can be used as a cup for the water with a fill line but these are the ticket to easy mornings!


This book, which has by far been my favorite that I have read during my pregnancy. It is funny, helpful and honest, sharing perspective on how first time parents can learn a lot from those who have done this before. I'm thinking it would be a great addition to a gift for any first time parents. Find it on Amazon here


Bath & Body Works Summer Lemon Vanilla lip gloss. I am in no way a lip gloss snob and usually I am ok with off-brand chapstick. Although, I did have a pretty mean lipsmackers collection in high school. Either way, this stuff is the ticket and I may just have to see if I can stock up at the outlet today on our annual girl's day out shopping trip!

Also loving Hulu for making available episodes of the shows I love like Glee, Top Chef All*Stars* and my FAVORITE show, Parenthood.

birds & nests: feeling known

I'm sitting in the quiet of a Wednesday night in our house, after what was probably my second bath as an adult followed by a big bowl of strawberry shortcake and feeling very content. Blessed in fact as I think about the celebration that my sister-in-law Rochelle and some very sweet friends organized last Sunday as my first baby shower.

Rochelle & I

From the moment I walked in the room, I noticed the details down to every last napkin wrapped, every place setting laid and every nest perfectly arranged. And the cake that Dana and Kelsey made, wow! It was perfect and whimsical and fun and I felt like it was all so me. Which made the shower so sweet and as I mentioned before, made me feel so known and loved. Here is just a taste of what the afternoon looked like:





Wasn't the cake amazing?!

I felt so cared for and blessed by seeing women from all areas of my life at Evergreen as this shower was full of friends from small groups, bible studies, youth group, co-staff and simply women that I have grown close with over the past 6 years since we started going to church at EGM.

my table:

Evergreen staff & loved ones:

small group friends & accountability partners:

Of course my Mom was there, right by my side serving in her full future grandma capacity!

Evon made a special trip in just for the afternoon which meant a lot to me, especially since she really didn't know anyone at the shower.

My mother-in-law, Sheryl, Rochelle & I (the hostesses with the mostess):

We played some really fun games where people had to guess things about me, another where they had to play the Price is Right with baby supplies (and I got to keep them all!) and Rochelle also had each table decorate onesies. I wish I had pictures of those but I have to say, they were very creative. My favorite and the "winner" was one that has a giraffe & an elephant on it and then on the butt it reads "JUNGLE LOVE". so cute!

When it came time to open gifts, there was even more attention to detail as Torie had created a little "time to feather Bekah's nest" theme. So many of my friends are creative and talented that I received some very special and meaningful gifts that I can't wait to put to use like adorable burp clothes, hand crocheted blankets, and a custom diaper bag that I got to choose the colors for and will receive in a few weeks (I easily chose green and brown for that). I have to admit, it was a little bit different being on the receiving side versus the giving side and I continue to be very overwhelmed and thankful for people's generosity, support and utter JOY for us as parents. I wish Ryan could have been there in some ways to experience that blessing but it was just as fun to bring things home and share them and I doubt he would like being in a room with that many women for 2 1/2 hours.



I had to include this picture with the monkey outfit because Ryan REALLY likes monkeys on boy's clothing/bedding/anything really. We have both continued to feel like this is going to be a boy (although we will be SO happy either way) but for some reason I have just had that feeling since about the third month. Maybe it because we have a boy name we L-O-V-E and aren't sure on a girl's name yet? Can't wait to find out who is in there!

This was the last picture taken in the day and it includes some of my very favorite friends: Jamie, Kate, Me, Jana, Kelsey


All in all, so blessed and thankful for Rochelle who knows me SO well and made me feel so special!

decorating by numbers

Before I count my way through my Spring decor, let me direct your attention to all of the awesome local recommendations that everyone is sharing here in order to get one step closer to a bag of Good Life Granola...no, really, read them. I promise you will get some great ideas of places near and far to visit! Feel free to add your recommendations until tomorrow night at midnight...I will post a winner Saturday morning!

Ok, on to the counting:
step 1: hang wreath

step 2: haul basket of goodies up from the basement including items obtained in the swap.


step 3 clean all surfaces--dust. no need for evidence here.

step 4 remember that you have hot rollers in...take them out and do your best Shirley Temple impression


step 5: incorporate items from the swap into current decor and create a different look from last year's Easter decor.



step 6: try Ikea table as a coffee table.



decide it is too small for the center of the room, so move it here.

and the finale, put spring duckies fondly referred to as Arnold & Cynthia out, truly marking the changing of seasons.

spring is in the air

Since it feels like spring is in the air, I thought I would spruce things up a little bit around here. The quote in the picture is the same one that is on the picture in our bedroom that I love. yes, I continue to love birds.

I spent some good time in the kitchen in the past 24 hours and thought I would share a little baking trick that I used again last night as well as a crock pot recipe that came together earlier this week.

First the tip:
If you over bake your cookies, which for some reason I tend to do, I think because they don't brown as quickly on my Pampered Chef stoneware, you can store them in a air-tight container with a piece of fresh bread and the moisture from the bread will transfer to the cookies. I didn't have any bread and used a flour tortilla with the same success. MAGIC.

And for the EASY meal...
1 lb chicken, preferably tenders
1 onion chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
1/3 cup water

Set it and forget it! Put it in your crockpot all day and come home to chicken so tender you can pull it apart. You can use it in soft taco shells, on a bed of lettuce, alone served over rice/black beans...and since there are only 2 of us, I am guessing we will use more than one of those options before it is gone.

Suggested bonus items: fresh avocado, refried beans, salsa, tomato-- the sky is the limit on this one!

loving lately.

man. I am loving Hillsong's music lately. The places it takes me and the lyrics that seem to just get it. Here is a little piece of what I mean with my current fave:


Other Pandora stations in rotation include:
missy higgins
Regina Spektor
Natasha Bedingfield
Sara Bareilles

I have to confess, I am also continuing to love birds. Not robins and blue jays but pieces inspired by nature like hooks

and jewelry

and love birds just in time for Valentine's Day

what are you loving lately?