1 fish, 2 fish, 3 fish...

it has been a busy week for us and the state of our apartment proves it! today is not the day to pop-in, it's a mess! we have just been going, going, and going.  so tonight we got to do something just for fun! we went fishing with my in-laws!

AND... i actually had fun! :)

i wasn't worried that i'd have fun with my in-laws; i was worried that i'd hate the whole fishing-thing.  i've only been fishing two other times in my life: once when i was little with my uncle and once with his family about 2 years ago.  

BUT...
i caught 4 fish! 2 bass and 2 sunnies.
wahooooo!!!

i'm not turning into a fisherman: i didn't touch the bait and only touched 1 of the fish i caught.  oopsies.

 the hubby caught some too! 

i held one of these ones by its mouth! 

we ended our night with ice cream. yum!

party-dance.

we're so close  to being debt-free that i can taste it!
o yes. done. in 1 year and 10 months!
!!PARTY!!

!!PARTY!!
best part? we can GIVE freely.
more on such things.... later :)

fiesta

my kitchen is a nice big fiesta!

now mix in goodwill shopping and see my latest find!

Ole!

red light, green light.

some 'trusty' internet sources show that the average person spends about 5 - 6 months stopped at red lights in their entire lifetime; averaging at least 10 minutes a day.

we obviously must obey traffic laws so we are forced to waste all that time, right?
wrong. 

sometime when i was in high school, i read 1 Thessalonians 5 in my devotions. verses 12 - 28 grasped my attention. big time. my prayer life was right before bed if i didn't fall asleep first, maybe 5 minutes a night.  i was feeling a bit like a zombie.  i needed to know that God was hearing me but i struggled to invest in my prayer life.

in lands: verse 17: 'pray continually'. 

i started to examine aspects of my routine that are consistent.  now, i don't remember when this was (kicking myself for not documenting this kind of thing), but i must have been at least 16, because i was driving.  i started praying at red lights. now, i found it to be a bit rude to start ignoring my passenger or start praying over-top of anything that they might have been saying----so i only pray at red lights while alone. ha.

it began as just a prayer about who knows what; but i found it hard to focus.  eventually it evolved into specific prayer time for the authority & leadership in my life.  at that time it was my youth pastor and his family, but has continued to evolve as my leadership has evolved.

why am i sharing this with you? i'm actually a little uncomfortable, but this practical aspect of my life has dramatically changed my understanding of 'praying continually'.  i no longer just 'waste-time' sitting at red lights or doing other mindless tasks during my routine when i can add prayer to these things.  this does not replace setting aside time to pray daily, but improves my prayer life dramatically.  praying continually radically changes your life. 

so what about you? when is the last time you've improved the quality of your prayer life?  what in your routine is mindless and could use some spice of prayer? who can you be praying for?

soap.

i am a little particular about how i like things.  i care about presentation, asymmetry, proper appearance, color coordinating, organization, consistency, etc.
no shame. i just am: this is my real life.

so guess what!? i'm even particular about my kitchen soap.  this is my mom's fault: her kitchen soap has been this way for years.  i personally don't ever want to have a soap bottle just chilling on my kitchen counter.

they get gross, slippery, dispenses too much soap, and just look, well, like a cleaning product that never got put away.

instead, i have this pretty dispenser.  i don't waste as much soap and it looks neat to me. its also amusing to see people try to figure it out--haha!
win. win.

o, hey. i need to add soap--i'm running low. i opt for the hand renewal type, because i wash dishes A LOT.

need proof?

sportin' our alma mater

hot-rod.

all people should be jealous of my car.
seriously. it's magnificent. the quintessential dream car. 

yea right!

i am sporting the red-neck car of the century and have been since i was sixteen.  clearly its only been just a few, 8 years, but who's counting? fortunately my car ages well and has gotten better in it's decrepit age of 17. but its a good car. promise.

when my car, chevy lumina, entered my world... it was white but the paint peeled off as easily as dried glue peels of your hands.

in its better years it looked like this:

 at one point the entire roof and front hood had no paint whatsoever.  i am now kicking myself for not documenting all the stages of my car's life.  i should have taken a picture!

in case you haven't noticed... this car is ugly. and hot. no a/c makes me a toasty warm girlie in this car.
but.

its a good car. i promise.

the day after i got my license i was rear-ended by a minivan.  now, not only was it mortifying that i finally convinced my parents to let me drive without them, i was hit at a red-light.  THEN... i had to give the police officer a teeny-tiny slip (it looked like a receipt) that states i have a license because my real one was coming in the mail.  but on top of THAT. the man who hit me? only had one leg.

so here i am, crying and angry at a man who has a physical disability.  well that made me feel great!

in the end, it was really his fault and to-this-day my license plate is still bent and my bumper is cracked and slightly falling off.  his minivan? totaled and had to be towed. sucker. 

.....

other stages of my car included a blue roof and new white paint.
it always seems to pass inspection, makes my pastor (& boss) endlessly nervous about my long trips to NY, and has never once let me down and still running running smooth at 175,000+ miles. 

.....

my latest upgrade to my car has taken it to another level. o yes.
last fall, the hubby and i decided that my car needed to be a bit more... "fun".
we painted my car with chalkboard paint!
o yes. i drive a moving chalkboard.  aren't you jealous now!?

our car debuted at our halloween church outreach: 

ready to be drawn on!

after a great night of chalking. 

yep. i love my car.

crepes

try not to pass out from amazement that i am blogging two days in a row. i know, it is rather shocking. 

i love being creative with the time i spend with friends.  i'm all for a good movie or shopping but i really enjoy creating quality time in memorable ways. 

so this morning was "b-squared" time and we made crepes! good 'ole pinterest is to thank for this quality recipe.  except for an accidental bacon-disaster, we made a delicious breakfast and enjoyed our time together. 

our yummy breakfast filled with 

strawberries and banana's! 

how do you spend your quality time with your friends?

art of a deal.

i have a love/hate relationship with yardsaling.

fact of love is:. a & i really enjoy going to yardsales together and who wouldn't? talk about a cheap way to spend quality time together!

now i realize yardsales might not sound exciting but really... it is.  we enjoy the initial 'hunt' scouring through newspapers and craigslist all to create the best route we will take in the morning; always starting with a trip to dunkin donuts for my coffee! we enjoy digging through and looking at lots of 'junk' to find the few items that we want.  we enjoy the drives.  we enjoy the conversation.

fact of hate is: i hate waking up early.  pathetic, i know.

being a serious yardsaler is not for those who stroll out of their home at 10am hoping to find something amazing.  o no. to really yardsale we are up and out the door no later than 6:30a. which frankly, is dreadful. painful. awful. especially for me!

even when the thought of waking up early makes tired, it is truly one of my favorite things to do with a. on a saturday morning.  this season we actually found a bunch of gifts that were virtually brand new.  unfortunately we have already given some away before i took a picture of them! oops!

however.. .some other great finds we found:

 i hate a lot of vases. this was perfect for me!

the texture gives it a great look where

you can't see all the ugly stems or dirty water.

paid: $2.00

 you can't go wrong with a Vera Bradley ID case. 

this is now the keeper of my lipgloss and chapstick

paid: $1.00

my lovely hubby accidentally ordered me 2 sets of season 5

but never-fear.. yardsaling brought me my missing season

paid: $10.00

even though i love my sleep, i really can't wait til next year!

MAY?!

well. poo.
i started off on this adventure of blogging and only made it to May... and even then i didn't exactly post on a sort of regular schedule.
shame. shame. shame. on me.

so it's the start of 2012... and perhaps this year, i will write more consistently!

its 1am and i am supposed to be sleeping.
in fact, my hubby just woke up and reminded me that i should most definitely be sleeping. i know he's right. i am not going to want to wake up at 7am... but he's going to torture (i mean, lovingly urge me out of bed) in the morning once that wretched alarm goes off.

perhaps i'll update the world on what has happened since May... or maybe I'll just start fresh.
who knows.

let me think on this.. and i'll keep you posted! ha.

for now, thank you for reading my mindless post about not posting.
but if you want to read something with more value read this. i have read it a few times lately. just to ponder the simplicity, the truth and sometimes, the challenge, that are captured in those few sentences.
enjoy.

creating.

i have a new love.
etsy.

i could spend hours on etsy and over time.. i know i have.
i enjoy plowing through the thousands of items for sale, reading articles, and just delving into this wonderful site.

so i've been on a mission: to launch my very own etsy shop.
which is now open!

i currently have been working on some crochet projects to build my repertoire. i have a small collection of items on my new shop and am excited to post more. i am in need of a 'model' to help me--i have some projects that need to be worn.

in the meantime, my mother-in-law came up with the cutest name for me! "Shoppe Elle" will be my etsy shop name. Adorable? i think so.

it's all rather exciting and i am enjoying the process so far.

i am dying to post more items but starting a new job has significantly slowed down my progress.
just thought i'd share what's going on in my life:)

'i don't like change.'


okay, okay... i know people don't like carrying around pockets full of change, but that's not what i meant! but it's my blog, so i can post whatever picture i want!

but really... how many times have you ever thought that? or said that? or heard other people say that?

'i don't like change.'

i know i have.
there have definitely been times when i have settled into my routine or gotten the hang of a particular task and simply have liked the way things are.

however, change has become a definitive part of my life recently!

my hubby and i moved almost a month ago and it's been fun! but, it's also brought about change!

i used to enjoy getting a kiss and a goodbye every morning before he heads out to work.
now, i need to wake up at the same time, if not earlier, than he does so i can get to school!

i used to be able to go rest on our couch or work on many projects during the day.
now, i need to plan for everything i might want/need to get done before i leave. and certainly, no more naps!

i used to be able to prep dinner or have dinner ready at a decent time.
now, he needs to cook or start the prep or we wait until about 7 or 8pm!

some things are fun...
like...

i used to have 1 tiny sink.
now, i have a double sink!

i used to be able to talk to my hubby from anywhere in the apartment.
now, i have to actually project my voice for him to be able to hear me!

i used to dread having people over.
now, i want people to come over!

our home is not the only change that is entering our lives. (no, i am not pregnant.) but, i am about to graduate too! i have started an extensive job hunt and am sending out too many resume's to count! i am looking forward to all the changes that occur with graduation! i can't wait to get rid of homework, to have a steady paycheck, to be able to be more involved at church! i am ready to move on, ready to 'walk', and ready to start this next journey in our life!

this change. i like.
so for now, i can't quite say, "i don't like change."

the latest project.

i finished a project i have been wanting to tackle for the past few months.

one day, i was walking through the hallway of our apartment building and noticed two end tables with a 'free' sign above them. they were wooden tables with glass tops. they caught my attention because of their glass tops, but honestly, the wood was pretty worn.



so i picked them up.
i had to rearrange a little big in our apartment so i could keep them. aaron seemed skeptical. they were two additional pieces of furniture in our apartment.

but i knew they could be restored.

and i did it.

it was a fun project and i am pleased with how they came out.


restoration is just a cool thing.

the apartment life

i must admit i was never the kid, teenager, or college kid who was desperate to get out of their parents house. well. maybe when my brother was driving me nuts. i didn't dream of growing to age 40 in their house either... i knew i'd be on my own shortly after college and looked forward to my very first apartment--they idea of living with a husband never really occurred to me. .

but i am!
now that i am married. and have since, moved out.
we've been living on our college campus for about 8 months.

we live in an apartment that is 293 square feet. it is tiny.
we can't have a kitchen table. so we use tv trays.
we can't have a dresser. so our closets are unique to say the least.
we don't have kitchen counter space. so i have learned how to balance on my head.
ok. so that might not be true....
but our apartment has required a unique sort of balancing act.

it's interesting.

we are excited to say we are moving in less than two weeks into an apartment 2.5x bigger than our current one. we are looking forward to actual counter space, using the kitchen table that has been waiting for us, assembling the dresser that is in a box under our bed!

there has been something about packing up our apartment together that has allowed me to feel incredibly blessed to be married to my husband. when we moved in we had packed up separately, in two separate states, and threw it all in this tiny apartment. we are now, spending time together, listening to dave ramsey--yes! and packing up. its our first move as a married couple and god's hand has completely guided us to our new apartment.

we have truly enjoyed our time together in our tiny apartment and are looking forward to enjoying our new home, as well. we are blessed to have a home, to have each other, and to have the guidance of our savior.

2010 to 2011.

christmas cards are sent around overwhelmingly during the holiday season. i have to tell you--i love them! i love hearing from people i don't always get to see. i love hearing what happened in their year, especially in their own words--not just from facebook status updates. i love seeing the photos too!

i really wanted to send out our very first ever mr. & mrs. aaron schappell christmas card this year. well, the ending of my semester was entirely too hectic, chaotic, and stressful for me to even dream about writing, labeling, and mailing letters.

so sadly, no letter or cards came out of our house. i truly hope people understand! however, now i am on christmas break and i have time to write so our 'christmas letter' will be our 'christmas blog'.

this past year has been an exciting one for us.
the beginning of the year was typical for us college students. i finished up my final semester as an RA and was, of course, very busy. aaron and my brother, thomas, both graduated from VFCC in may. it was exciting to watch them graduate, but i had a hard time surviving the day without crying as i was happy for them but it was hard to know i was not graduating and they would not be in school with me the following year.


during the summer i worked at driver's village in cicero for my business internship and sincerely loved it. i had a great job that allowed to me to learn a lot, enjoy work and still have my evenings and saturday's free. the joys of not being the runt high-schooler! in my 'spare-time' i was planning our wedding with mom & dad and going to the gym to go to zumba classes.

aaron spent his summer working, officially full-time, as the children's pastor at the bridge church in hamburg, pa. he loves his job and is so wonderful with kids. he is so creative and is able to communicate so effectively to 'his kids' and he thoroughly enjoys writing his own curriculum. (i'm allowed to brag since i'm writing this!) he is learning a lot about the administrative end of ministry and is always looking to improve the effectiveness of his ministry especially within the limited amount of time he can spend with the kids. here is a picture of him on the way home after surviving a week of kid's camp!



our summer was so wonderfully ended with our wedding! july 31, 2010 we were married in north syracuse, ny by both of our pastors. it was a beautiful day, a beautiful wedding, and a wonderful day to celebrate with our families and friends! i previously, posted a wedding blog. there are also photo's on my facebook page. we also were a bit silly and a creative dance.


we spent our honeymoon in cozumel, mexico after a few plane hiccups that left us back at my parents house the day after the wedding. mexico was beautiful and we enjoyed having our very first vacation together. it was also aaron's first time flying on a commerical airplane and out of the country.


following our honeymoon we moved into our very first and very tiny (under 300 sq. feet) apartment. we really do like it though! of course, a little roomier will be a blessing in our future, but we do feel like it is 'our home.' valley forge has a dorm building that is designated for married couples, families, and independent students. aaron has been so sacrificial to let me live right on campus. he commutes to work, an hour drive each way, so i can live and walk to my classes. living on campus also allows me to contribute to our family and babysit 12 hours a week which works out great for us. here's our little kitchen and living room.



as promised, i chopped my hair off after the wedding. but it was incredibly long! it was actually longer than this... but i don't have a good picture.


we were able to spend our christmas holidays everywhere! we spent christmas morning together, then spent the rest of the day with his family, and joined my family in syracuse the following day. i also got to see many close friends that i haven't seen since our wedding. we concluded the rest of our holiday celebrations in harrisburg with more of my family. we are so blessed and had a great time everywhere we went.


so, i am finishing up my last week of christmas break before classes begin. aaron is busy at work and i am enjoying quiet mornings at home and a few hours of baby-sitting in the afternoons. this will be final semester at valley forge--woohoo! i will graduate in may with a bachelors of arts degree in children's ministry and a bachelors of science degree in business administration. my double major is the reason i did not graduate with aaron and thomas.

we are looking forward to this 2011 year. we need to move by the end of may and are hoping to find a reasonable apartment in the hamburg area. i also will be looking for a full-time job in the same area. we are open to any suggestions or connections:) we are looking forward to be closer to the church and i am looking forward to not having to do homework at night so i can be more involved at the church than i currently am.

we pray you have had a great year and will have a wonderful year this year!

weeds.

i took this photo near the end of the summer and i've been using it to be a background on my computer. i have come to realize that, quite frankly, i like this picture. i like the shade of green, i like the contrast of dark vs. light.
i just like it.

this isn't just some cute flower; it's a weed.
i like a photo of a weed. great.
so... i am clearly not botanist.

but the fact is... weed or not: i still like this picture.

there is a part of me that resonates with being this weed. now, don't go crazy. i am not demeaning myself, here. but what i am saying is that at one point or another i have felt like a 'weed.' i have been perceived by others to be worthless, useless, annoying, ugly, or anything else that people associate with weeds.

it would be foolish of me to not admit that there have been times when i felt just like a weed and have felt that i am worthless, useless, annoying, ugly, etc.

however, i am being refinished.
to the outsider, i may appear to be a weed. but when God looks at me he sees beauty. o, sure, i have flaws. i definitely make mistakes. i have bad habits. i am the definition of imperfect. i have gone through struggles. i get stressed out.

but i can rest with the knowledge that God sees my beauty.
he continues to cover me with mercy and grace.
he tends to me.
cares for me when i am broken.
gives me nourishment.


god sees me in a more supernatural way than i see my picture.
he can zoom in and see my heart.
while i can only zoom in and see the beauty of a weed.



"your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry of fine clothes. rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 peter 3:3-4.

dad and DAD.

i attend a weekly small group for young adults at my church.

...a few weeks ago we briefly mentioned this concept of dad and DAD. sounds weird right? well. it definitely got me thinking. it made me realize just how genuinely spoiled and blessed i am. this idea of dad and DAD is the reflection of how we, as humans, view our heavenly father in relation to our earthly father.

so.... here is my dad.

my dad & me on my wedding day!

my dad making me laugh & cry at my wedding

woo! look how cute my parents are!

the older i get, the more i realize that am a mini-version of my mom.
my parents have been marred for 25 years and its obvious to state that my mom married well!
even though i am duplicate of my mom; i love recognizing the lessons i learn from my dad.

i must confess that although i am an adult i have never grown out of the 'my dad can do everything' stage.
when i want to build something; he shows me how.
when i need a bug to be killed; he kills it.
when i am lost; he gives me directions.
when i'm far away; he just visits.

when i break something; he fixes it.
when i perform; he watches me.
when i don't know the answer; he does.
when i need a picture; he draws it.
when i wanted to play a sport; he helped me practice.
when i got hurt because i am not athletic; he picked me up.
when i decided to learn the bass; he let me use his.

this list is infinite. in my world, my dad can do everything. (no pressure or anything!)

so what does this have to do with my small group?
dad and DAD.

as much as i pretend that my dad can do everything... there is this microscopic part of my brain that actually tells me that my dad is just as human as i am. i know, i know, i know... UNBELIEVABLE right? as crazy as it sounds... my dad cannot actually do everything. he has limits.

but the crazier thing is... my heavenly father can. Job 11:7 says... "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?" He has no limits. He, quite, literally can do everything.

its just something to think about.

but it leaves me... one spoiled little girl. i am the daughter of the greatest man alive. and he has taught me to serve the only heavenly father i need.

o. and check out his blog!

it's the simple things..

well. i'm sick.
and frankly, it's annoying.

it's only a cold, so maybe i am melo-dramatic. however, today i appreciated the simple things. it's pomegranate season.

so.
i ate 2 for lunch.


yum.

fall is beautiful!

i absolutely love fall.

summer is winding down and fall is beginning to happen. the changing leaves are gorgeous, the weather is cooler but not too cold, and the air always feels so fresh.


i have a few photo's from fall seasons and this happens to be one of my favorites. i hope you enjoy it.

fall seems to universally remind people of change; a season of change.
when i took that photo i was going through a season of change.
right now, as fall is beginning i am going through a season of change.

aren't seasons beautiful?
isn't it wonderful to know that we aren't always stuck in the same place?

even though change can seem scary or overwhelming. it is also beautiful.
i'm learning to embrace any changes that occur in my life;
to allow myself to be refined.

revelation 21:4

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."


hm. i just needed that today. o yes. i did.

what do i see?

my husband is color-blind.

so he sees the world differently than i do and i can't imagine what that feels like. no, he does not see black and white; colors just appear slightly different to him and some look so skewed they are entirely different colors to him as they are to the rest of the world. makes life fun.

but it has gotten me thinking: what do i see?


in the physical sense what i see severely hinges on whether i am wearing my contacts or glasses. the world around me is incredibly blurry without one of those to corrective lenses. i'm the nerd who can't see the big 'e' at the optometrist office. however, when i am wearing my glasses i can look around and see.

i can see dirt, plants, colors, dust on my bookshelves that i've been avoiding cleaning, cars, photos, food, snowflakes, the rain, leaves, paint, shoes, flowers and the list is endless.

but what interests me the most is that i can see people. the average person has 2 eyes, 1 nose, a mouth. 2 arms, 2 legs, 10 fingers, and 10 toes. some people wear glasses or contacts like me. some wear braces. some have freckles. some have brown hair or blonde hair or red hair or black hair. some have dyed hair. some wear tight clothes while some wear loose clothes. some wear pounds of jewelry while some wear little to none. some have blue eyes, while others have green, brown, hazel, or gray.

but. really.
what do i see?

i am realizing that i have a desperate desire to really see people. to see beyond their appearance. to see beyond the nonchalant answers that society accepts. i want to be able to see who they are, what experiences they have been through, what encourages them, what are they struggling with. i want to know people's stories, their culture, their history. i want to see people. we all have different backgrounds, interests, families, beliefs, and personalities. we are all so unique, but when we look at life there is another realization that we all need each other. we have a role in the lives of those around us.

and it starts with me.

i am guilty myself. typically when someone asks me how i am my automatic response is: "o, it was fine". quite often, it is on these days my answer should be drastically different, but it never is. why is that i push aside my true answer to replace it with a generic 'fine'? even if i am having a wonderful day, i still answer 'fine.' i need to let people see me. let them see when i am having a great day or when i am having a terrible day and when appropriate; let them know why. i need people to speak into my life just as i need to pour into other people.

so i've come back full circle. i need to allow people to see me so i can see people.
i know this isn't exactly revolutionary but its something to think about.
what do i see?