Pantone Emerald...

Last friday i asked for some help picking out a paint color...let me refresh your memory:

The majority vote was color #3 (down). 

It was Pantone's color of the year, Emerald.

Is it just me or is that not really emerald....more teal/turquoise. 

The only picture i can find on the blog of this little space is from this past halloween...
It's the small hallway where the wreath/crosses are:

This little hallway has always bothered me. 

The HUGE plugs for the alarm system. the HUGE key pad for the alarm system, the 'i was once cream now i'm just hideous' colored door bell cover, and the thermostat. ew.

This is the wall that your eyes first travel to when you walk through my front door.

Such a view...

...such a boring view.

I've known for a while that i needed to do something with this area.

Paint the trim, find a bold color, hang up some art work, make it look presentable. 

I actually gave a little sneak peak of the artwork a while back on my instagram. 

..

So this past weekend i got to work.

I was having Beverly's going away drop-in at my house saturday night and decided that i was stupid crazy enough to get it knocked out before then. Last week i painted the trim; which i loathe painting brown trim...seriously it takes forever and a thousand + coats of primer and paint. 

Friday night i bought a quart of emerald and used the test paint jar to trim everything out.

Saturday i painted...and painted...and painted. It took about three coats to cover everything.

There are still a few spots that need some touch ups, but i was in a rush (i finished at 2pm, people were coming over at 6pm) to have the paint smell gone by the time people got there. 

Also, a quart barely made it for this space; if i hadn't used the sample jar to trim i would have been SOL. 

Here is the finished product: 

I still have to hang more pictures and potentially find some cool way to cover the random hideous panels; maybe something like this i'm not sure yet, any ideas?

Things left to do:

+ touch up paint

+ hang pictures

+ cover panels (alarm, thermostat)

+ maybe get a new door heading into the little hallway?

+ new light fixture

Down...

Internet is down...

...so here are some pictures off of my phone from this last weekend. 

If you follow me on Instagram you've probably already seen a lot of these, oh well :) 

Hopefully everything will be back up and running tomorrow!! 

Frankly Friday...v42

Frankly...

+ I just finished this book and i am already in the middle of the second. I really enjoyed it; there are a few violent scenes happening, just fyi. 

+ Just in case you missed my summer must haves here you go. 

+ I will never. ever. go back to Sprint. Their customer service has been atrocious the last two months over a bill i was told i didn't have to pay. Yeah they didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they threw that crap my way. Needless to say it has finally been resolved after speaking with at least 15 different "supervisors" and threatening getting lawyers involved.

+ I'm a little worried about only taking a carry on suitecase and backpack for the trip. I might need this.

+ DO YOU have any traveling tips? I need them. ;)

+ I love summer swim league...i do not love that it means i rarely have a place to park at my own house. My brother has to put out an orange cone and everything to save me a spot. 

+ Y'all really made me feel loved with your comments. Writing is so fun for me, but 99% of the time i have no idea what i'm doing {just like taking pictures}

+ I'm not sure if i should take my dslr with me on the trip. Hiking + Rain + Carrying the thing in a bookbag makes me a little nervous. Any thoughts/suggestions? 

+ This heat needs to e.n.d. & it's only the beginning of summer. 

The last two days have been stifling and humid and just oh my gosh gross. 

+ I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Seriously.

I'm trying to pick a paint color and ummm...it's harder than i thought. 

I want something bold; but it's a smaller space with a dinky light (that will eventually change).

+ I'm throwing a little going away party on Saturday for my bestie Beverly. 

Her & Hannah are two of my 3 traveling companions for the trip.

They will be living in London for 3 months then they are sent out for another 3 months to an undisclosed location. Spreading the Gospel! 

Feel free to donate to their cause. :)

+ Is it weird that Maria (the roomie) and I BOTH had dreams of beating each other up?! ha. Weird.

It was really funny because as i was telling her about my dream this morning she said, uh that's weird i totally dreamed i fought you too. :) Ahhhhh roomie love. 

If you wrote a post this week that was particularly frank...link up! 

Life Lately...

. . .

Life has been pretty busy for me lately.

It's left me without words a lot, which isn't a bad thing, but also makes for "bad blogging".

So i thought i would share some pictures that i have forgotten to post over the last few months.

:)

Enjoy. 

{^ my cousin Ty}

Frankly Friday Tomorrow...

Pinteresting Wednesday...v36

. . .

Cook-outs, pool days, sandy shoes, pruned fingertips, red noses, tan lines, good deodorant, sweet tea, flying through books, mowed lawns, movie nights, laughter with friends, and more.

THAT is summer time. 

Here is my please let's do/have summer-time list:

. . .

Adult Field Day!

Outdoor Movie Night


Be present.

Build a sheet fort. 

Soak in salt water. 

Get lost in the pages...


A nice glass of sweet tea. 


Star Gazing.


Eating Outdoors with Family & Friends 
 . . .
What are your must-have's of summer?
I could have listed more, but let's be real looking at pictures and experiencing summer are two different things! :) It's Summer Time Y'all! 

A cup of coffee...

{I recently realized that i haven't attempted fiction in a long time. I used to find myself writing short stories, poetry, essays, whatever almost daily; I have journals filled with stories. Since i didn't take any pictures of anything i did this weekend, i thought i would try my hand at writing again. Hopefully it isn't too corny, or overly lame -but it's been a few years so no promises. Maybe i will even start making this a monthly thing, exercising this part of my artistic brain, who knows. Happy Monday!} 

The mug radiates warmth in her hand and she can feel the temperature shift each time she takes a sip. 

The coffee shop is busy this morning. 

The expected chaos of regulars and strangers; a sea of faces preoccupied with their own lives, rarely delving into the other worlds around them.

She prides herself on noticing the details...the hair clips, the untucked shirts, the lopsided smiles. She empathizes with the mother of three children, one who is currently having a melt down; and the college student pouring over books demolishing a tooth-worn pencil with frazzled hair. 

This was her tri-weekly ritual; people watching and journaling while pacifying her growing caffeine addiction. 

The truth is within these walls overflowing with beautifully unique individuals she feels alive. 

Falling into a plethora of lifestyles:

A learner.

A musician. 

A businessman. 

Care-taker.

Parent.

Artist.

Addict.

Recovery.

Enthusiast.

Complacent.

...the tip of her pen connecting with the page; capturing each moment.

Every day bringing something different; unraveling a new story...

...but this morning caught her off-guard.

This morning she noticed another like her.

Mug pressed to his lips, eyes soaking up the lives brushing past him, scarf bundled next to his book, pencil tucked through dark shaggy hair.

People watching.

The more she reflected, the more she began to wonder if maybe this wasn't her first recognition of him. 

Yes, the lines began to appear, dot to dot, connecting this hazy revelation. 

She had seen him before, maybe even a handful of times.

Writing in some journal, slouching in a chair with a book obscuring his face, nursing a warm mug, conversing with other regulars. 

His eyes flicked into rhythm with hers.

She averted her eyes while feeling the heat creep up her neck and settling in the arches of her cheeks.

There are few more awkward moments than being caught mid-stare. 

She battled with herself over stealing another look.

No, she thought.

Yes.

Her eyes won.

He was still looking.

...and what was that? She noticed that he was smiling...well i guess she would consider it a smile. 

But over what? she thought. Ah yes, the inevitable rationalization that plagues the female brain. 

Dissecting every noncommittal move to where up is down and left is right...throwing off the balance of the entire social norm.

Maybe he was smiling at someone behind her, maybe he didn't even notice her catastrophic moment of embarrassment...or her ability to make things more dramatic than they really are.  

Curse her eyes, she looked again.

His chair was empty...

...where did he...

She glanced around the shop to notice him sprinkling something, cinnamon maybe, in his mug. 

She praised God for creating peripheral vision.

She noted the hesitant step in the direction back to his chair, she really noted the pivot of his heal that pointed his path towards her side of the room.

Do. Not. Stare.

Breath in, breath out. 

He wasn't coming over here to talk to...

"Hello"

Well i'll be darned.

Her fingers betrayed her sweeping strangling hair behind her ear. 

*chmmf* awkwardly checking her vocal chords. 

Feeling the sand paper effect of her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth.

"Oh, um Hello...er...Hiii.....?"

Smooth.

. . .

Frankly Friday...v41

I was reading a blog a while ago when a line struck a chord within my Spirit.

To put it in context let me quote some of what Kymberly wrote:

“All I needed was to throw my ideas of perfection, accomplishment, and status to the ground and embrace Him. His calling for my life is what matters. His embrace is the one that heals. His words are the ones that speak truth. It was Him all along. He was always enough.”

I fail, daily.
I am not perfect in any fashion…honestly i often find myself running from perfection.
I am a sinner.
A dirty, thoughtless, selfish, lustful, greedy, rude, arrogant sinner.
I break promises.
I lie through my teeth.
I’ve bruised hearts with harsh words.
I’ve treated people with no respect.
I fall into temptation over and over and OVER again.
I judge, even though i hate it.
I’m broken.
I’ve been a quitter.
I’ve put God last.
…
Thankfully…
His embrace is one that heals.
He reaches into the core of my being, the threads of my soul and says: This one is mine.
I am HIS.
Redeemed.
Rescued.
Restored.
The sins i struggle with…forgiven.
The fear that grips my spirit…broken.
The love i’ve abandoned…present.

His embrace is one that heals…

Even though i fail. Even when i turn my back on Him. While i’m sinning. When i’m offering praise. When my Bible gains dust from lack of use. When my journal pages are full of praises, prayers, and theology.

His embrace is constantly healing me.

I have to remind myself to run to Him, not to others.
I have to discipline my Spirit to be patient and listen for His voice.
I have to continually pursue Him and build my heart around His promises & truths.

HE is who i want.
HE is who i desire.
HE is who heals me.

Thank you Jesus for your love, your healing, your embrace, and your sacrifice.
I could not do life without you.

If you wrote a post this week that was frank, make sure you link up!

{and of course the link-up isn't working, hopefully it will be up this afternoon.}