SortaCrunchy

What Are You Into - January 2012

Yes, I know we aren't quite to the very last day of January yet, but I've been inspired by Leigh to go ahead and share the first What I'm Into of 2012 a bit early.

(oh my gosh, you guys. Look at the picture of my girls from What Are You Into January 2011. Does Dacey not look so young?! OH MY LORD the difference one year makes. Wow.)

What I'm Into This Month - January 2012

On My Nightstand: I've started reading again. HOORAY! I don't want to give away too much because I'm working up a post to share some current reads for Quirky Bookworm, but here's a short list:

Julia's Child: A Novel by Sarah Pinneo. Releases tomorrow! Review coming soon!

Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam McHugh (yes, thoughts coming on this one, too)

Healing by Francis McNutt

T.V. Show Worth Watching: Once Upon a Time. Duh. Also, L-O-V-I-N-G Project Runway All-Stars. (except for the Miss Piggy episode. that was dumb.)

We've finally burned through our Netflix queue. I'm watching Downton Abbey on my own when I can. Kyle just won't budge on his resistance to that one, so last night we launched a rewatch of Lost. I had tears in my eyes through the whole first episode. It's truly like revisiting old, dear friends. The symmetry between the opening scene and Jack's last scene in the finale. Yep. I could cry thinking about it.

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater): We watched Limitless (Bradley Cooper flick) on Netflix. It was pretty good.

We really need movie recommendations though!

In My Kitchen: a very naughty, very NOT low-carb sweet popcorn recipe I'm hoping to work up a post for to share with you before your Super Bowl parties!

In My Ears: I am heavily reliant on the recommendations of friends when it comes to music. I think this is the main reason I LOVE Spotify. I like to see what other people are listening to and I love the ability to follow entire playlists.

January puts me in a chill kind of mood, and I have an entire playlist devoted to "chill" on Spotify. Specifically, these days I am loving the Kina Grannis/Boyce Avenue cover of Fast Car (via Amy Clark), Alexi Murdoch's Something Beautiful (via Doug Matlock), and, for when I'm feeling more dance-y than chill-ish, Karmin's cover of Look At Me Now (via Sara Sophia). <---- AJ loves this one, too, and calls it The Paper Song. We are SO holy.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: BLISSDOM !!!!!!!

(Not looking forward to? Switching to Facebook timeline. I know the involuntary switch is coming, and for the record, I have NEVER complained about Facebook's changes. I usually quite like them. I do not like the timeline. It confuses me. And the thought of choosing ONE picture for the cover (?) picture stresses me out. /old lady rant)

How about you, sweet friends? Whatcha into this first fine month of 2012?

January featured sponsor A Simply Good Life has an interesting post up about nontraditional careers. If you are in the midst of a season of unemployment, under-employment, or shifting between careers, I am sure you can relate to her thoughts!

What Are You Into - November 2011

That top tooth gave her almost as much trouble coming out as it did coming in. Almost.

It's Wednesday, but I have no what I wore for you. Take comfort in the fact that I actually have been wearing clothing, I'm just coming up short in the time department and outfit pictures were the first to get dumped from last week's To Dos.

It is, however, the end of the month, so let's play around with some What Are You Into, shall we?

What I'm Into :: NOVEMBER 2011

On My Nightstand: Books a'plenty, but I'm still in my reading-other-people's-words-avoidance stage. Because of, you know, the book writing.

Want to Read: I promised myself that as soon as we get the manuscript submitted, I would finally start the Harry Potter series. I've been looking forward to this with delicious delight for so long. I absolutely cannot wait to dig in!

T.V. Show Worth Watching:

• Once Upon A Time: I'm dying over this every week. So much to think about. So much to ponder. I'll say it again - it's the best thing on TV right now for me.
• New Girl and Revenge: Still loving.
• Psych: Kyle and I are wrapping up season 5 on Netflix. This show, you guys. This is hilariously awesome. Where have I been for the past few years? Oh, that's right. I never watch the USA Network. But for Shawn and Gus? I will make big, huge exceptions to that life rule. ADORE.
• Happy Endings: My sister insisted that I start watching this, and thanks to Hulu, I've been able to catch a few episodes. It's so funny and well-written. I feel like I never hear people talking about it though. Highly enjoyable.

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater): I took the girls to see The Muppet Movie. I might have skipped it except for the fact of: Jason Segel. You know, for his sake, I really, really wanted to like the movie. No, I wanted to LOVE it. I want it to be a huge success for him since the Muppets have been such a lifelong thing for him. I'm sad to say that while I thought it was cute, I was a bit disappointed in it. It felt like maybe they reached a little far with every plot point and left so many things undeveloped. I don't know. I liked it. I didn't love it. Even the girls were a little meh about it all.

In My Kitchen: I'm doing things again! In my kitchen! I have told you before that since we moved to a more low-carb diet, I've been kind of uninspired. Then, as I've been sucked into the writing vortex, Kyle pretty much took over on evening meals, so I've been pretty uninvolved in the kitchen for a while.

But I do have to say two great things have happened in there lately: 1) I've been making my own Greek yogurt and it is THE BEST (using this recipe with a few slight adjustments) and 2) roasted Brussel sprouts which are just DIVINE. Kyle and I eat them like potato chips. One pan of them lasts about 15 minutes between the two of us (the girls are not yet entirely sold on the concept) (more for us!).

In My Ears: She & Him Christmas album, Mumford & Sons, and a jazzy holiday Pandora station that I concoted with Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel "Baby, It's Cold Outside" as the root seed, then added in Vince Guaraldi Trio, She & Him, Diana Krall, Glee Cast Holiday, and Norah Jones/Willie Nelson Holiday. If you dig a jazzed-up holiday mix, let me know in the comments and I'll email the link to you!

Items of Note:

• 12 Causes of Christmas: Born from Joy Bennet's desire to show how various relief and restoration organizations work together (rather than being in competition, which is sometimes the perception people are prone to believe), 12 Causes of Christmas highlights amazing, incredible, empowering, redeeming, life-giving work being done around the globe. I'm having trouble bringing up Joy's blog right now, but you can check out my friend Emily's contribution at Deeper Story today. (Mine will be up there tomorrow!)
• Advent: Last year, the girls and I did Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree to mark the days of Advent. I L-O-V-E-D it, but I had to edit it down quite a bit for my littles to understand. When I saw Amanda White's Advent activity guide Truth in the Tinsel, I knew it would be a better fit for my girls right now. They love it so much! Dacey is especially into it, and the first thing she asks every morning is what today's ornament will be. It's really good, y'all. 
• Birth story: I adore a birth story. They never fail to bring me to tears of wonder and worship. I have to tell you that Arianne's story of the home birth of her long-awaited daughter is probably one of the best ones I've ever read. It's just ... wow. 

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month:

If all goes as planned, this time tomorrow, our book manuscript will be in the hands of our editor. GLORY! HALLELUJAH! Thank you so much for all your prayer and many words of support. It means the WORLD to us. We still have the editing process and much more ahead of us, but to have the manuscript completed is just ... words cannot describe.

So, that.

*grin*

Fellowship, friends, community, Christmas, chilly temperatures (me? yes!), just everything. I love you, December. Come here and let me give you a huge hug and a big ol' kiss right on the lips. I've got the mistletoe waiting.

So, dearie dear ones, what are YOU into this mighty fine November?

 

what i WATCHED wednesday

my Nike yoga pants have seen me through some rough days

So, clearly, there is no What I Wore Wednesday this week for me.

Even before I got sick, I had a couple of days of intense headaches, and to be perfectly honest, I haven't been out of yoga pants much at all in the past week. The one day I did get dressed (our first trip to Whole Foods Market - Oklahoma City!), it was so crazy windy that I felt sure the tripod would have toppled and my camera would have been Deadsville. It was just a cute green sweater and my trusty trouser jeans. You didn't miss much, I promise.

What I have been doing with inordinate and embarrassing frequency is watchin' some TV. Remember how I told you I wasn't all that hot on the idea of a TV in the bedroom? Well, I swallowed down an entire crow pie over that little issue as I've convalesced in bed for the past five days. I was too miserable to do anything except watch TV, and now, I have some thoughts:

1) Project Runway: It is with great sadness that I say this is probably the end of the road for me and PR. This season was so disappointing. I didn't even watch last week's finale. It was so, so, so clearly producer-driven. What made me even sadder was catching part of a marathon of a Bravo-era season (I think it was season 5? Which ever one Kenley was on) and it just made my jaw drop to remember how great the designers once were and how innovative and imaginative the challenges used to be.

2) The New Girl: Apparently there were some sort of baseball games being broadcast on FOX (??? I think Texas was involved?) and so we have been deprived of all good things Zooey for a while, but as of last night - new episodes! Can I just confess to you that when I see people speaking negatively of this show on the Internet, I have to click away? It's true. I may be a little over-invested in it.

But seriously, can you blame me ? <------- magical.

3) Psyche: This is our latest Netflix marathon show. It's so cute and clever but in a very subtle way. I am constantly giggling through it. I love that it's actually still in production. Maybe we'll catch up. Eventually.

4) Revenge: I can remember from my childhood that when this music started up:

it was time for bed for the kiddos. My parents LOVED the Falcon Crest. I always felt so cheated to miss out on what must have been the most fascinating moments on television and I vowed that someday I WOULD stay up late to watch shows like that. ! Yet, somehow I've never gotten into the nighttime soap operas thing, even though I'm a grown-up and no one is hurrying me off to bed.

Wellll, when Boo Mama gave a nod of approval to Revenge, I decided to check it out. She and I are on the same television wavelength, and I was not disappointed in this one. Oh, the Hamptons. Oh, the summer. Oh, the money. Oh, the wardrobe. It's all ridiculous, mindless escapism and I am totally hooked.

5. Once Upon a Time: Okay, if you have been skimming to this point, I need for you to stop. Right now.

Let's get this straight.

Once Upon a Time may be the best thing on television right now.

Are you watching? Tell me you are watching. You have to be watching.

See how I went from regular, normal language usage paragraphs to one line paragraphs? That is to emphasize the fact that you must watch Once Upon a Time.

Yes, sure, accuse me of being biased towards it because a couple of writers from the LOST team are writing this little treasure, I don't care. My heart beats a little faster with each episode. There is so much intricacy of detail in everything from the characters' meaning-packed names to the set design to the way they are weaving together fairy tales from multiple sources. And, bless it, there are even a few LOST shout-outs to make loyal Losties giggle: clock stuck at 8:15, Regina's house number is 108, opening a scene on Emma's eyeball, for starters.

There are only two episodes so far, so you have plenty of time to catch up!

* * * * *

There is one other little thing I enjoy catching on a screen. The way AJ pronounces her favorite meal is hysterical. I finally got it on my phone the other night, but this doesn't really do justice the way she mangles it:

Untitled from SortaCrunchy on Vimeo.

Any guesses as to what it is?

Now tell me, sweet friends. Since I was too sick to do an into post for October, what are watching? (or reading or listening to or whatever ....)

What Are You Into - September 2011

You know how something can feel like an entire lifetime ago but also just a few seconds past at the same time? That's how I feel when I look back at my list of what I was into in September 2010.

What I Am Into This Month - September 2011

On My Nightstand: As I mentioned last month, I'm cutting way back on reading right now. I did receive Consumer Detox: Less Stuff, More Life by Mark Powley for review, so I've been sneaking that in here and there. I went ahead and got Mariah Bruehl's Playful Learning: Develop Your Child's Sense of Joy and Wonder and it is FANTASTIC. Cannot possibly recommend it highly enough. Just incredible.

Want to Read: I'm not really the theologian fan girl type, but I do adore Roger Olson. He's a leading voice in the post-conservative evangelical camp and in October, his book Against Calvinism releases and I would love to read it. Not that I in any way, shape, or form have time for that in October. But since you asked.

(And of course, nothing at all against my Reformed and/or Calvinist friends - of whom I have many. I'm just a hard-core Arminian, y'all. And Roger Olson is my homeboy.)

T.V. Worth Watching: I am writing this post-publishing because I totally forgot about TV. AND I am actually watching some things that are in current runs instead of living on Netflix!

So - Project Runway. What a bummer of a season this is. I find myself going back and watching clips of the Bravo seasons on their site and remembering with sadness and agony how fantastic this show used to be. Hmph.

But! Redeeming the airwaves for me right now is New Girl on Fox. Zooey Deschanel. LOVE. HER. Swoon-y girl crush love her. This show is funny and unexpected and charming and I am so glad I caught it. Two episdodes in and I cannot wait for more!

We finally finished Prison Break (only four seasons but felt like so much more) and I guess we are kind of taking a break from the "serial" genre. (Is that a thing? Did I totally make that up?) Kyle is watching a more procedural-type show (Flashpoint, I think?) because I am working a lot in the evenings at this point.

I keep hearing great things about Sherlock on BBC. Any other Netflix must watch recommendations?

Movie I've Seen: Well, I did end up going with a friend on Labor Day to see The Help. It was sold out (!) at the first theater we tried, so we hightailed it up to Bricktown and got there about 10 minutes into the film. I promptly started crying 5 minutes later, and my friend whispered, "Really? You're crying already?" That's the price you pay for seeing movies with me, friends. Anyway, I loved it. I thought the screen adaptation was brilliantly done. I want to live in Emma Stone's wardrobe.

In My Kitchen: It's been nearly a year since Kyle and I drastically changed our diets and began eating very low-carb. I have to tell you, my kitchen has been utter snoozeville since then. Kyle grills our meat and I fix up veggies and salads, but that's about it. Any ideas for ways to spice up the low-carb kitchen?

In My Ears: 

1) Mumford & Sons Pandora

2) I fully blame Missy for this. The Book of Mormon musical soundtrack.

I was so, so reluctant about this because I have some very dear friends who are LDS and making fun of their faith is not what I am about. Also? Matt Stone and Trey Parker. But you know what? I kind of love it. First of all, it's a hilarious tribute to the Broadway musical genre. Secondly, it's less about lampooning Mormons and more just a really thought-provoking commentary on what it means to have faith, to struggle with doubt, and how we respond when we begin to question our beliefs. My friend Andy made a great point that Stone and Parker could have chosen people on mission from any faith (Southern Baptist missionaries would make for an equally entertaining musical, I think!), and the universality of the message would have translated.

I mean, fair warning. It is from the creators of South Park so there are definitely strong adults-only aspects to it. But my enjoyment of it has been the biggest surprise to me of the past month.

Bloggy Items of Note/New Blog Reads:

I love Kathy Escobar with a capital L-O-V-E, so last month when she wrote on different ways to worship, I sighed a big, happy sigh. You know I totally dig that stuff.

Rachel at Even One Sparrow has been writing through the experience of living in intentional community with another family. Now, she and her family are moving into their own space for the first time ever. I am looking forward to seeing how this all plays out, and I am confident that she will share it with the honesty and transparency that marks all of her writing.

Another Rachel who is going through a major life change is my long time dear friend Rachel at Small Notebook. She and her family are also moving into their own space for the first time ever. I wish I could be there to help her unpack, but since I can't, at least I can enjoy and appreciate things like The Whitewash Incident from afar.

I told you how much I'm enjoying style/lifestyle blogs at the moment. A new fave is Thursday at My Girl Thursday. She is just darling and I LOVE her vlogs. Cute, fun stuff.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month: Cooler temperatures. Halloween (I don't dig it, but my girls do, and that makes it fun). Laura and I are digging in deep to the heart of writing the book and it's hard work, friends, but good and powerful and meaningful work. (P.S. Prayers appreciated.)

Laura and I have a deadline tomorrow, but as soon as we submit that work, I am taking a break from the computer and indulging in some serious screen-free time. I am craving and very much looking forward to that!

That's what I am into this month! Your turn! Tell me in the comments or link up a post of your please, my dears!

 

What Are You Into - August 2011

2011. She is dwindling, friends.

Can you believe it has been one year since I revived (or hijacked, take your pick) Stephanie's What Are You Into idea? As I read back through what I have been into, I realized I really need to do better about sharing these consistently. It's a fantastic way to record the year.

What Are You Into - Summer 2011

It's July, y'all.

What are you into right now?

Me?

What I Am Into - Summer 2011 Edition

On My Nightstand:

Reviewing: Kathy Escobar's Down We Go: Living Into the Wild Ways of Jesus (amazing) and Mark Scandrette's Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love (fantastic). Reviews forthcoming.

Picked up for myself: Susan Wasinger's Sewn by Hand: Two Dozen Projects Stitched with Needle & Thread and Helen Lee's The Missional Mom: Living with Purpose at Home & in the World

Want to Read: Everything ever published. Ever. Clearly.

T.V. Show Worth Watching: Further indulging our Who Knew We Were Sci-Fi Fans streak, we are finally watching Battlestar Galactica. Last half of the final season, and it's pretty intense. I try to catch some SYTYCD on Hulu when I remember, but other than that, I got nothing.

(oh, okay! we may or may not be watching a certain series on a certain premium channel that may or may not be in its fourth season of dealing with vampires and all manner of supernatural creatures. said series is also highly incongruous with all of those books i listed above, so i may only discuss this television show with certain people whom i know i don't have to preface conversations with DON'T! JUDGE! ME!)

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater): Ummmmm. Hmm. I saw Water for Elephants last spring for a Girls' Night. That was good. I think that's about it. I'm obviously starved for pop culture. Must be all the reading.

In My Ears: Totally and completely digging Shaun Groves' Third World Symphony. Can't wait for its release next month! (I'm listening to Just As I Am right now.) And y'all know I have a complicated relationship with The Christian Music. So.

Also, Adele on Pandora. Because when it just WON'T STOP BEING 100+ DEGREES EVERY DAY FOREVER, you need some scratchy, angsty, awesome Adele (and all the lovelies similar to her) to take the edge off.

Newest Blog Reads/Internet Interest:

1) I've been pretty secluded in the world of mama blogging for the past, you know, six years or whatever. I've been branching out quite a bit lately, and there are two guys I'm enjoying getting to know through their blogs: Mason at New Ways Forward and Kurt Willems at The Pangea Blog.

2) Jen Hatmaker. Blogging. Finally.

3) I think the Hollywood Housewife and I are pretty tickled that we have converted another blogger to Typepad love. I honestly don't understand why more people don't land at Typepad when they leave Blogger. Hmm. But we did manage to gently persuade Leigh at HopefulLeigh to make the switch, and I think she's pretty happy here with us in the Typepad love. If you aren't already, you really should be reading Leigh. She's pretty brave and amazing and all-around awesome.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month:

Well, there is this Thing, and it's a Really Really Big Thing. But it's not officially Official yet, so I can't tell you. EEEEK! I know. But I promise,as soon as the ink on the paperwork is dry, I will fill you in on everything.

Also, unrelated yet still magnificently incredible - I won a ticket to BlogHer! I've been blogging for six and half years, and I've never been to a blogging conference, but the first weekend in August will find me in Sunny San Diego for BlogHer '11. I'm a little out of mind over this! My ticket is courtesy of Discovery Communications and The Mysterious Hand of Fate.

So.

That's where we are in the midst of Summer 2011. Do tell - what are YOU into right now?

What Are You Into This Month - April 2011

(Artist and her rendition of Mama: A Portrait in Clay)

I got lots to share, and I need lots of feedback from you. Let's do this monthly wrap-up style, shall we?

What I Am Into This Month - April 2011

On My Nightstand: Finishing N.T. Wright's Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church - that will be a post in and of itself.

When my sister raves about a book, I know it's good stuff.  Based on her recommendation, I just got Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

And I will officially be the last person on earth to read The Help.  Finally grabbed it from Paperback Swap.

Just finished Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich and it is WONDERFUL.  If you're the wanna-be-homesteader type, you will LOVE this one.  It's charming and whimsical and oh-my-word HELPFUL. Part memoir, part reference book, part how-to . . . it's just delightful.

Want to Read: See sidebar.

T.V. Show Worth Watching: Also filed in the Last Person On Earth folder - we just finished watching LOST.  We somehow missed this show from the beginning, and as you recall that was back in the dark ages of life before Hulu, so we never were able to get on board with it.  We marathonned through it on Netflix and, yeah.  Loved it.  Like, stayed up late at night puzzling over it. Dreamed about it. Worried over it. Sobbed through the finale.  (well, I sobbed.  Kyle's response as we watched the closing credits: "I think that meant more to you than it did to me." Hee.)

 Incredible.

And now we are adrift wondering what shall we watch next?  What do you suggest as good After Lost viewing?  To give you an idea of what we enjoy, we loved: Firefly, Dollhouse, Life, Chuck, Heroes. Totally open to suggestions.

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater): Um, Tangled?  Help?!

In My Ears: I pretty much keep Pandora set to my The Civil Wars station.  I edited in Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Mumford and Sons, Patty Griffin, and The Dixie Chicks (don't hate), and it's pretty sweet perfection.  I could listen to Poison and Wine every day for all of time and never tire of it.

Newest Blog Reads/Internet Interest:

1) Pinterest. Is Awesome. To give you an overview, I want to share this link that Aimee tweeted to me when I asked about Pinterest on Twitter: Tidy Mom's Pinterest: I'm Lovin' It.

What do I love about it? It's like taking a peek over the shoulder of your friends as they dig through their blog readers or window shop their favorite stores or search for great recipes. You get to see what they are digging, and instead of adding it to a bookmark list, you can just tack it on a board to share with others or come back to later. 

Are you on Pinterest?  You can follow me there.

2) Some people expressed how much they enjoyed the #40DayCommunity on Twitter as we shared in the Common Prayer readings together, so a small group of us are going to continue in that via hashtag #commonprayer  You can buy the book (which, yes, I recommend) or all of the readings are available online.  We would love to have you join in!

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month:

Mother's Day.

School letting out and having my Dacey home all day.

Opening of farmers' markets.

SAM'S sized bag of salt-and-pepper pistachios.

The Rally to Restore Unity next week - hosted by Rachel Held Evans.

Spring-y spring spring time.

* * * * *

So, yeah.  That's a lot. 

But to sum up, what I need to know from you: TV series recs (available via Netflix), movie recs, book recs (always), and anything else you want to say about what you are into this month. 

(It seems like I am always changing around the categories - to see what else I've been into, click here.  If you do your own What Are You Into post, make sure to link up in the comments!)

 

What Are You Into This Month - January 2011

I haven't posted in four days which is of course not at all unusual for me.  But betwixt nurturing Dacey through the flu and hosting the Sparkliest Unicorn Birthday Party ever and working on the continual process that is Oasis, I'm just feeling all pent-up. 

I need to off-gas some of this pressure. 

(Now that sounds stinky, doesn't it?  We have been eating lots of cabbage!)

I'll try to ensure this is stink-free:

What I Am Into This Month - January 2011

On My Nightstand: I have to confess and publicly apologize to my beautiful friend Marla (again!) that I'm afraid I missed the Your Secret Name read along she hosted.

All of my reading time has been consumed with When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett.  This is not light reading (obviously), and it's really interactive.  It's set up so you could easily read it as a small group or book club - there are introduction questions for each chapter and lots of heavy-hitting thought and application questions at the end of each chapter.

With the growing burden I feel for the underfed and hungry and homeless right here in this small town, I've really been camping out in the material these authors present.  It's some Big Time Paradigm-Shifting stuff.

Anyway.  That's what I've been reading.

Want to Read:  Would you even believe I still haven't read Radical Homemakers? GAH. So want to read that. Also, I am probably one of the few remaining who hasn't ordered her copy of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts. Can't wait for that one.  And, new to this wanna-read list is Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self & Society by Jay Bakker (yep, son of Jim and Tammy Faye).  Thanks to Rachel for the heads-up on this one!

T.V. Show Worth Watching: So, we have discovered the brave new world of Netflix streaming.  Kyle and I watched the cult-hit series Firefly last week.  LOVED. IT.  Not how I would normally respond to a TV series that is, essentially, a Western set in space.  I don't watch Westerns.  I don't watch Sci-Fi.  But this little pretty, it worked.

Annnnnnnnnnnnd then it got canceled after one season.  Because that's how Fox rolls.

Anyway, good stuff if you're looking for fun.

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater):  So, yeah.  We both loved The Social Network.  Who didn't?  Exit Through The Gift Shop was fascinating.  By far my favorite of the entire previous year is Fantastic Mr. Fox.  The girls love it, but they don't even get it.  Not really.  Outrageously charming and witty and clever as all get out.  Big thumbs up.

In My Ears:  I wish I had something new to offer to you, but I am still profoundly happy with Forest Sun on Pandora.  I've tried to branch out, even revisit some old favorites, but I . . . I keep coming back.  (PS - I have updated my About page which now includes a link to my Pandora.  I'm not sure why you would want that, but this seemed like the right time to mention it.)

Items of Note: The biggest thing - BIGGEST - is the official launch of the Give:LOVE project!  There are some absolutely darling Valentine designs that I know you are going to just LOVE.  Crossing fingers I will have that up and running for you tomorrow (Feb. 1st!).

Also, you do know how I enjoy the Etsy.  I could never have pulled off The Unicorn Birthday Party without Crowsmack (darling unicorn t-shirts, pictured above), Miss Middie (vintage 80s unicorn stickers for the party favors), and LilDoodlers (unicorn crayons, also for party favors).  Each of these incredible businesswomen worked with me in my last-minute ordering rush and everything turned out gorgeously.  Viva la small business!

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month: Well, Give:LOVE.  More purging of stuff that will involve parting ways with some things very dear to me (hint: books).  Growing and moving forward with the church plant team that we have been part of since December.  (Oh yeah, I didn't tell y'all that, did I?  We're on a church plant team!)  First signs of spring.  Love, love, love.

So, what are you into as this first month of 2011 dwindles away, mis amigas?  Roll it out in the comments or link up with your own post.  (And feel free to play fast and loose with the categories.  I change them everytime.  See here and here for previous examples.) 

Can't wait to hear!

 

As always, I must give credit to Steph at Adventures in Babywearing for creating this little monthly share list way on back in October 2007.

 

What Are You Into This Month? - September 2010

I cannot - cannot - believe that September is over, y'all!  It's not unusual for the months to go quickly, but wow.  September absolutely raced passed us.

I had so much fun sharing with and hearing from you about what we are all into last month.  Wanna do it again?

What I Am Into This Month - September 2010

On My Nightstand: Kyle and I are reading through Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel for our church's book club.  I read Manning's Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God two years ago and thought it was incredible, but oh my gosh.  Everyone should read The Ragamuffin Gospel.  It is beyond words.  Amazing.

Still working my way through Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck and Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan.

Want To Read: Coming soon to my nightstand via my beloved Amazon: Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices by Julie Clawson and The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay.

And, of course, there are still these from last month that I haven't ordered yet:   Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright, Loving Our Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk, and Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture by Shannon Hayes.

T.V. Show Worth Watching: Well, friends, here's something you probably thought you would never hear from me, the one who has struggled with the T.V. watching-ness-guilt-and-struggle so much in the past.  I'm not really watching much T.V. these days (see reading lists above).  I haven't watched the new season of Glee and I'm several episodes behind on Runway.  Meh. 

I did thoroughly enjoy the season premiere of 30 Rock.  AJ and I watched the cold open from The Office about eight times together, too.  (She so enjoys a good song-and-dance number.)

Movie I've Seen (in our out of the theater): Kyle and I watched Date Night (finally) the other night.  Highly enjoyable.  (Why yes, as a matter of fact I do have a huge girl crush on Tina Fey.)

In My Kitchen: Again, September was such a whirlwind that I spent very little meaningful time in the kitchen.  I made chocolate cake several times, but nothing very exciting or note-worthy happening in there.

In My Ears: Okay.  I've been meaning to share this newest find with you for weeks.  A little while back, the girls and I were in the kitchen and I had our Laurie Berkner station playing on Pandora.  A very cool, irresistible song came on from someone I had not yet heard of: Forest Sun.  I was captivated and immediately created a Forest Sun station.  Y'all.  It is the soundtrack of this season.  I am so into Forest himself, but this station has also played me a lot of Amos Lee and Jack Johnson, and I edited in some Joshua Radin and it's just perfect.

I also dug up the original version of How He Loves by John Mark McMillan and in the process, found this video that tells the back story on how this song came to be.  It adds heartbreaking depth to one of my all-time favorite songs.

Three Newest Blog Reads Bloggy Items of Note: My Google Reader will probably never forgive me, I've ignored it so much this month.  Did I mention September has been a little bit crazy?  So I have no new blog reads to share, but there a few things I wanted to make mention of:

• All month long on Simple Organic, there has been a special focus on women's health issues.  Very, very good stuff written by women who are so incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.  I hope you'll check out this series!
• My darling friend Laura is doing something wonderful called {housewife heart}: she's inviting her readers to help her and her husband choose a charity to receive a generous donation from them.  She has shared the first two finalists and there are still two more to be revealed.  I love stuff like this.
• Vina at A Nourishing Home has started this very cool focus called a revolution of the nourishing kind.  Check it out.  I am totally diggin' it.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: ummmmmm, slowing down.  Sharing more with you about the direction my faith journey has taken.  The arrival of the new issue of Mothering (seriously stalking the mailman for that).  Football and chrysthanthemums and pumpkins and cinnamon and crisp mornings and mild, mellow days and brilliant sunsets and all that is good and wonderful about autumn.

NOW then.  Your turn!  What are YOU into this month?  Fill up the comment space or borrow this for inspiration on your own blog.

(Once again, I must acknowledge that it was Stephanie of Adventures in Babywearing who first came up with this idea, lo these three years ago this month!  Thanks again for letting me borrow from your amazing inspiration, Steph!)

 

What Are You Into This Month?

Sometimes even I am surprised by the love, affection, and devotion I feel towards friends I've made through the community of blogging. I was thinking about that this morning as I dug up an old post that inspires today's thoughts.

Back in October 2007, Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing shared some things she was diggin' that month and invited us to share ours.  That was almost three years ago, y'all! And I had been reading Stephanie for quite some time before that. It still just amazes me how connected we can become to one another through this little snapshots of life.

Anyway.  It made me grin to think back on what I was into in October 2007.  I decided to change up the questions a little bit and re-visit

What Am I Into This Month - August 2010