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my usual random thoughts…

i have ideas for my day.

1. workout as soon as i finish writing this blog post.

2. clean my bedroom – put away my laundry

3. put away all things NON christmas on surfaces to make room for christmas decor

4. go to store for dog food

isn’t that the most exciting morning????

but the likelihood i accomplish these things without writing it down is slim to none.
so now it’s official.

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this is as far as I’ve gotten with decorating.
🙂
but there is potential there.

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i made a new soup for dinner last night!
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Cheeseburger Soup!
all of my kids ate it AND said it was good.
woo-hoo!!

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Do you do an Advent study?

i never have.
i’ll be honest here…
i’ve gone to church my whole life and to me advent was something that pastors or really churchy people did…. lighting the candles… the pretty (and seemingly perfect) families get asked to come up on stage to read from the bible… OR it was something that those really spiritual moms did with their kids… OR it was another elaborate thing to set up for your kids with 25 different ideas or projects or things to buy.
so with all that i have just never been an Advent girl.
i did do the advent calendar candy thing & some of my kids stole the candy for the days ahead!

but i felt stirred this year and thought “i wonder what advent might look like to ME… without all the baggage i’ve put on it.”
that thought came to me on Nov. 30.
of course.
too late to order a book or set anything up.
i asked a friend if she was doing anything for herself for advent.
she was going to use She Reads Truth’s Advent plan.
it’s a blog but She Reads Truth is also a free App for your phone!
i follow them on IG but i didn’t have the app… so i got it.
and i bought the $1.99 advent plan.
and i’m reading it.
because i always have my phone.
but the blog is even easier!

so… if you have ever thought any of those thoughts like i had about advent maybe you’d like it too?
it’s short too.
you won’t be too far behind to start now.  🙂

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YOU GUYS!!!
right now at this very second my Pandora is freaking out and playing two songs at the same time?!!?

weeeeeeird!

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LindsayLettersdoxologycanvas_thumb
i
 am totally loving this photo.
all of it.
the curtains, the lamps, the canvas, the light fixture.
i want basically everything in Lindsay’s shop.
sigh.

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scott has his first basketball game of the season tonight.
it feels like he JUST played in the state championship game like last week?!!
time is such a sucky jerk.

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but… he is excited and we are excited.
talby and sean have been playing for several weeks already.
i love it.  i love going.  i love watching them get better!
and they love it too!
it’s so cool!

and here’s a funny fact: i don’t own a single team sports related clothing item.
i don’t have so much as a t-shirt that says our team.
i just can’t do it.
i can’t see myself in a sports shirt… ever!
maybe it was all those years of wearing a cheerleading uniform?
i don’t know.
but i go and watch!  i just don’t wear the gear.

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i think i would lose my mind as a window designer BUT i am in love with window designing.
having a job where you could say “i am thinking of hanging 2300 paper plates with string from the roof” and no one even bat an eye… that job has got to be THE BEST!

THE BEST
i imagine if this was my job that it would go down like this:

“i am going to pour paint down the front window of our leased store space… ok?”
“Why wouldn’t you? It sounds brilliant! here are 4 employees to help you accomplish this easy idea you have!”

then the next month:

“i ordered 10,000 clothespins and 50 pounds of dye. i’m going to hang all 10,000 clothes pins from string above your head at the registers. But don’t touch it or they may fall on you and you could die by the weight of all the pins”

“No problem.  are you sure 10,000 will be enough?”

ha ha ha

seriously though… a job where you can dream up crazy beautiful huge displays?
wow.
it sounds exhausting and awesome.
exhausting because there is always a new window to be done which means the ideas can never stop and the billion hours every window would take.
(i mean i can’t even get my christmas decorations out of the boxes!)
awesome because you can do anything!
and it’s on such a huge scale that it makes a big impact.
i know anthropologie’s windows make everyone happy.
because that is the point!
🙂

anthro is a crazy place that sucks me in with their 10,000 clothespins and folded cardboard hanging from the ceiling but where i never actually purchase anything because i can’t bring myself to fork over the money.
but i love being in there.
i am there for the art.  🙂

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ok i guess it’s time for #1 on my list way up there….

i want to skip it all and go purchase stocking stuffers instead.
but… i won’t.
i hope.

Karina - I just have to say…When I was little my plan was to grow up and become a window dresser. lol…I used to decorate each shelf in my bookcase to be a miniature window. I thought that was a great career ambition! Also…I love Anthropologie but have only bought one thing from there because it is really not in my budget. But I visit the web site for the art…just like you said. So cool.

Kelly - hahaha. I had to laugh about the team gear. over all of the years and all of the different sports my kids have played i have never worn a team anything. i find them kinda repulsive. but i always make sure i have clothes in my wardrobe that are team colors so i can support them but still be fashionable 😉

Lucy - I always like the idea of doing advent, but it takes up time and thought. This year I bought Ann Voskamp’s advent book. The pictures and the words are beautiful. Makes me teary when I read them. My children are too little, but my hope is to just read this every year and maybe do some of the suggested ideas in the future.

Beth Ann - Is it weird that your admitting that you have never made a purchase at anthro made my day? I really enjoy window shopping at the store, but I am too frugal to buy anything. Beautiful items and displays tho! I remember when I was in college (paying my own way, but no baby or husband) I would go shopping on the clearance racks (but only when the clearance items were on clearance – ha!) and say to myself “I can’t wait until I make good money so I can buy whatever I want!” And now that I make good money the frugal-gene in me still shops the clearance racks and rarely buys anything unless it is on sale!

Jenny B. - Lovely fun pictures! 🙂 We scaled back the Christmas decor this year. As I sent my husband up to the attic, I gave him a list of what to LEAVE up there. Ha. It still looks festive, and the kids are happy. So, I’m happy. Oh, and then when my husband came back in, he said, I just realized I forgot to pay our property taxes, so I think your car tags are expired. I said, but I remember putting the stickers on not too long ago. Yeah… that was a year ago. Time is crazy!

Angela - Come on girl, get in the spirit! Year round I look at your Christmas posts for inspiration, yours are my favorite, the BEST…ever. I know it’s a lot of work but I bet your girls would help you with most of it. I always think about that saying, “the days are long and the years are short” and then I realized one day I won’t have all these wonderful, bratty, children living with me. Even if you only did a quarter of what you used to do it would be fabulous! Merry Christmas Megan!

Mindy - I think you would be a great window display artist with all your fun colors. Your Christmas decorations look so cheery. And the Lindsay’s Letters photo – beautiful.

Patricia McClure - First, I love your blog. Second, this is my first year of doing an Advent study, so you totally spoke JUST to me with this one. I was lucky cuz on November 30, at church, someone was selling the book “All I Really Want” by Quinn G Caldwell and wanted to start a study group. Perfect timing, I was wanting and what I needed appeared. It is sooo good. If you ever have a chance to look Quinn or the book up, I recommend both.
I better get coffee going. My lists won’t cross themselves off. Today we will get a tree! ( it is written, therefore has to happen

Greta Sutherland - They’re not random thoughts, they’re straight out of my head.

So glad I bumped into you recently in this odd little blogging neighborhood. You’ve been a pleasure to follow…

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Patty - OmiGoodnessGracious! I had everything in the house for Cheeseburger Soup, made it for dinner and my husband who does NOT believe that soup is a meal for dinner — APPROVES! It was so yummy! Thanks for the recipe!

Michelle from Australia - We leave in 8 days for our family biennial USA adventure. I am very much looking forwards to seeing store (we’d call them shop windows) decorated for Christmas and loads and loads of Christmas lights.

Alexandra H. - Considering what a visual person you are, I thought you might also enjoy this Advent Project done by the Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts at my Alma Mater (Biola University): http://ccca.biola.edu/advent/?_ga=1.186323305.119595799.1414683382

Secondly, you may already know about Kara Paslay, but she used to design all those Anthro windows in Tulsa. You can see some of her displays here: http://karapaslaydesigns.com/category/blog/my-anthro-displays/

Hope you enjoy these treats!

Heather S. - Went to the Festival of Trees today. Saw a rainbow tree. Thought of you. That’s all I have today.

Tracie M. - One of my college friends decorates Anthropologie windows in Manhattan. It is amazing the amount of hours she puts into it, but they are incredible.

tiffany day - You are funny, I mean that in a good way! 😉

I feel the same about Advent – and honestly dont really know as much about it as I should!

And I want to marry Anthropologie!!!

The only team related thing I had when my kids played sports was a red jacket when I my son played little league and was on the “Angeles” I so feel you about sports stuff!

Have fun decorating – I plan to finish up tomorrow!!

Have a great weekend!
Tiffany

patty - Oh yes the Anthro….. love looking, touching, overwhelmed at how much everything costs and then not buying anything and leaving. : D

I actually once took a silver tray off the wall to see how they hung them (hot glue and a paper clip! Brilliant!), and currently have supplies ready to go on the work bench to copy a horse shoe and wood plate display! Aaagh! Love it.
p.

Rachel - I am pretty sure that no matter what it is, as long as it is in rainbow colors, you can make it look fabulous hanging on a wall. Plates, clothes pins, scraps of fabric, you name it, rainbow colors make it look cohesive and purposeful and beautiful.

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