Snow is...

A white blanket to cover the earth while it rests...

A moment of peace in a hectic day...

A chance to slow down, to breathe, to let beauty fall softly onto your heart...

An excuse to stay inside, to experience the true meaning of refuge...



A sign that every part of life is just a season. Within all of life's difficulties, there is always something beautiful to be found.

Little Things I'm Loving

Just for fun, here's a few things that are making winter more bearable this year...

1. New sunglasses from Anthropologie (similar here), and a crocheted cowl made my mother-in-law.

2. Homemade candles, my sister Elsie and I have been doing this lately as a new hobby and it is really fun!

3. Starbucks Spiced Vanilla Lattes- kind of like chai with coffee mixed in. Amazingly delicious and life-altering.

What are you loving these days?

Skeleton Keys and Answered Prayer

Now that all of the Christmas decorations are down, it's time to clean the house and bring in some clean, wintry decor.

I switched out our Christmas centerpiece for a simple arrangement of candles, a bowl of pinecones, and a new table runner made from burlap.

I found this burlap fabric at JoAnne's, and fell completely in love. Skeleton keys are definitely making their mark on home decor, and I don't mind one bit. 

In other not-so-related news, Josh has been really encouraged at work lately. I've been praying for him ever since he started this job; it's a job with a lot of responsibility and a huge workload, and very little appreciation. It was hard to see his job situation slowly wear him down the first couple of years. All I could do was pray for him. Within the past year, however, he's been encouraged at work so much. His newest supervisor is so supportive, and really recognizes the hard worker that he is. Isn't God great? I love seeing Him answer prayers, even though the answers aren't always in my timing.

Also, I'm excited because he is getting sent to California for training soon, and I get to tag along! California in the dead of MN winter? Yes please! I can't wait to escape to the land of glamour and sunshine.

Tastefully Arranged

What is it about fruit that is so appealing this time of year? Is it the bright, citrusy pops of color against a bleak winter background? Is it the boost of vitamins that we're craving because of the lack of sunlight?


Whatever the reasons, I'm inextricably drawn to edible centerpieces right now. There is no wax fruit in this house, we use the real deal.


I just love the bright, fresh pop of color that it brings. It makes me smile a little every time I see it!

The only problem with edible centerpieces is that they seldom last more than a day in my house...

things that make winter more bearable...

Living in Minnesota has it's ups and downs. I love the seasons, the beauty of Fall and the warmth of Summer. But now is the time I start to question myself... Why do I still live here? Christmas is over, the snow is uglified by the sand that is caked everywhere, people insist on driving like maniacs even when black ice is covering the roads, and my fingers freeze to spray paint cans when I try to do crafts... Despite all the madness, I have developed some coping mechanisms for dealing with the bleak midwinter.

The first thing that makes Winter bearable for me is God's word. Somehow, it seems to sink in deeper when I'm snuggled on a chair with a piping hot cup of tea. It's those serene moments that warm me up deep inside and help me have the strength to get through each day.

Since getting married in August, I am finding that having a husband around helps with the warmth too. Thankfully he likes to snuggle and lets me put my icy fingers on his back. What sacrifice!

One of the other ways that I cope with winter is by drinking copious amounts of hot beverages. Hot chocolate does not normally appeal to me, but in the dead of winter it's a wonderful treat. Especially when there's whip creammm...




On a side note, my wonderful Mother-In-Love gave me some gorgeous little mirror ornaments for Christmas. They don't look specifically like Christmas ornaments so I plan to keep them up for a while... for now they are hanging on a shelf in my hallway.

I had some fun taking pictures through them and playing with photo editing...



Hmm, now I'm thinking about painting my walls bright yellow...

A (Non) Snow Day

Yesterday we had a "winter storm warning." It was predicted that we would have up to 12 inches of snow at one point. I laid awake in bed all night listening to the howling wind, expecting to wake in the morning and find myself completely snowed in. I was practically giddy with excitement.

I had dreamy plans of lounging in my slippers, drinking unseemly amounts of coffee, catching up on my blog-therapy, sewing some cute little owl Christmas ornaments, and just having a deliciously calm day.

Then my alarm went off at 5:30.

I stumbled out of bed, pulled on my slippers and went to the window expectantly. I just needed visual confirmation of the copious amounts of snow before I called my supervisor and either a) found out that the office was closed or b) decided to take annual leave in order to remain safe, cozy, and caffeinated at home.

What I saw was disheartening. Yes, there was snow. Probably about 5 inches in some spots. But the sky was what shocked me; it was completely devoid of even the tiniest little snowflake. They call this a BLIZZARD? I could shovel myself out with a spoon.

Apparently, it was enough snow to cancel all schools within the twin cities area. It was enough for my husband's office to close down. It was enough to cause widespread panic and triple the normal amounts of Spam that were purchased in a day. But it was not enough for my office to shut their doors, or for me to justify using 8 hours of precious annual leave.

So, I made myself some coffee to-go. And then I dragged my sorry bum to work and prayed that I would not be a snot to my husband when I got home. And I (for the most part) wasn't. He cleaned the entire house while I was gone, and he had fresh tea waiting for me when I got home. Did I mention that I am married to the most wonderful man in the world?