Archives for April 2011

8×10 ahhh.mazing etsy art giveaway

I have a handful of favorite etsy shops (okay, maybe more), and it’s all I can do NOT to shop and buy each and every one of them out.
Today, you guys are getting hooked up like May-jah from one of those favorites.
(of which i have TOTALLY shopped from)
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Jena has graciously agreed to giveaway ONE FREE 8×10 to a reader* of this blog.
Look at just some of what she has to offer:
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AND you can redesign any of her prints by choosing your own color palette!!
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And what else is great is that Jena will email you samples with your choices to make sure you love it before she ships it, so that you know you absolutely are getting what you want.
I kind of adore I Adore Decor…and you should too.
To enter this giveaway, it’s the usual…
~ *you MUST be a follower of this blog {I will be checking!}
~ visit Jena’s etsy shop and pick out which print you want to win, and then leave the name of it in your comment.

EXTRA ENTRIES!!!
~tweet it (leave the link)
~facebook it (leave the link)
~blog it (you guessed it, leave the link!)

I’ll be picking a winner this Friday!!!
© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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glee medley

When we drive in the car, there’s a 50% chance we’re listening to worship music.  
The other 50% belongs solely to the Glee Soundtrack…
At least we’re balanced, yes?
I so wish I had a hidden camera in there, so I could show you the CONSTANT singing that goes on, and to brag just slightly that my kids do, in fact, know every word to every song in our rotation.
But since I don’t, the best I could do was put on the camera at home, and hope that they’d perform in somewhat the same manner.
Ya, ummmm….not so much.
At least the attempt was humorous….and in the midst of outtakes, there is SOME singing.
Check it out:
Have a great weekend!
© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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rest your worries with truth

I have found that there is rest from my worries and anxieties when I take a moment to reflect on what is true.
But I think the key, at least for me, is having that truth written down.  
{must be why the bible exists, huh?}
Because when we are in our mess of stuff, remembering it by our own will seems to be the last thing we’re able to do.

So, I’ve created my own little Truth List.

In fact, lately I’ve added to that list (see below) by writing down the lies I catch myself believing, and then next to it, I write what is true….
then I keep it close by for the next time I catch myself wrapped up in those same lies.  
Because after all, aren’t they always the same ones that run through our minds?
There is healing and rest in the truth.
You just have to remember what it is.

So, I thought I’d share my own list that I’ve been compiling over the last three and half years…
the list that brings me rest and peace.
The list that will never be complete, I’m sure.

~~~~~~~

My Truth List
{i also have quotes which are on the lower right hand side of my blog, those are huge for me as well}

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You will keep in PERFECT PEACE 
him whose mind is steadfast, 
because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3
The Lord WILL FIGHT FOR YOU; you need only to BE STILL.
Exodus 14:14
I lift my eyes to the hills-
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber.
Psalm 121:1-3
He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18
The Lord your God is with you.  He is MIGHTY TO SAVE.  He will take GREAT DELIGHT in you.  He WILL QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE.  He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
For God has not give us a spirit of fear, but of POWER and of LOVE and of A SOUND MIND.
2 Timothy 1:7
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings 
until the disaster has passed.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me.
Psalm 57:1-2
He who dwells in the shadow of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, 
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror if night, 
nor the arrow that flies by day,
not the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, 
nor the plague that destroys at midday.  
A thousand may fall by your side,
ten thousand at your right hand, 
but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes 
and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you make the Most High your dwelling —
even the Lord, who is my refuge —
then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
they will lift you up in their hands
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him,
I will be with him in trouble, 
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him 
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91
May the God of HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you TRUST in Him so you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

~~~~~~~

What are your truths?


I encourage you to share them in the comments…
as I would LOVE to have a place to come where I can sit and read through mine and yours and just simply breathe and find peace.

© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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it’s what i wore out: granny style

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shirt: miley cyrus/max azaria, walmart
granny sweater: tag says UTY, thrifted
skirt: tag says worthington, thrifted
tights: the ones they sell at Costco, best tights ever!!!
shoes: jeffery campbell, platos closet
necklace: jennifer zeuner
ring: f21
kid: mine…my sweet almost 6 year old Taylor who wants to be a part of anything and everything if he’s around.
and the last picture is to show my fave lipstick, CoverGirl Lip Perfection in Smitten.
occasion: church!

This is the kind of outfit I envision wearing when I’m an old granny.
Long skirts, thick tights, granny sweaters, and chunky shoes.
Although, not sure I’ll be rockin’ the heels at that point, but ya just never know.

So, this week, eh…not feeling the bloggy love.
It comes and it goes, I guess…

Yup.
Um.
So.
Ya….
I’ve got nothing.

© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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so that’s what the macro setting is for

Just by taking a minute, a second, a breath…
I am able to drown out the busy noise of life, and focus in on what’s beautiful in the right here and now.
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In that single moment suddenly the details appear different, and I discover beauty from a new perspective…
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I think it’s where He wants me.
To pause.
To breathe.
To see it differently.
Instead of looking beyond,
to look deep within…
And then suddenly there is beauty in the details.
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these pictures are all untouched & unedited….
what you’re seeing is what i discovered with the simplicity of a point and shoot and the macro setting.

Who could know the lessons buried deep within the macro setting?

© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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it’s what i wore out: vintage dvf, i die

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jacket: i meannnnn…i. die.  can you even believe it right now?  vintage dvf?  she is. so. iconic, you don’t even know.
{best rachel zoe impression ever, if only you could hear me say it, you would totally think i was her!}
So this was sent to me (awhile ago!!!) by one of my most favorite bloggers and gals EVER….sweet Angela, who discovered it at a Goodwill!!!  Could you DIE?  And what’s crazier is that she found TWO!!!  Who is that lucky???
There is so much I can do with this, and I’m thinking of having it hemmed a bit shorter (above the knee), but oh, how I love it so…
{thank you ANGELA!!!}
dress: tag says tiana b, thrifted
leggings: f21
boots: f21
necklaces: f21 & jennifer zeuner
ring: found at a toy store for $2 when shopping with a friend…we got matching ones, ya know, circa 1985 style. {if you’re my age}
sunnies: f21
occasion: birthday lunch for Taylor at John Incredible Pizza.

So, this is what I call an outfit to wear to a pizza buffet restaurant.
Because that’s exactly where I went in this getup.
I needed something cute and comfy, but most especially something that would hide the large amounts of pizza that would soon be in ma belly.

And that dog?
{funny thing, i keep typing god when I mean to type dog, hmmm, what does it mean?}
So…
Taylor has been begging and begging for a dog, even promising he will ABSOLUTELY pick up the poop if we were to get one.
Then Jimmy said that IF we ever got a dog (again, third time’s a charm?), it would need to look like a mans dog.
SO.
I called one of my besties and requested her dog for a long weekend, so that we could test things out.
I wanted to see how it would be with a bigger dog in a small house, how we handled the responsibility, and of course…
to see if Taylor would actually pick up the massive poops.

I kid you not, not even 24 hours into Tia’s (the dog) stay, Taylor happened upon a pile o’ poo.
And when Jimmy told him to go ahead and pick it up, this is what Taylor had to say:
I’m not picking that up!  It wasn’t MY idea to get a dog!”

Um, excuse me?!?

Of course, 48 hours later, we are all madly in love, fighting over who gets to pick up the poo (okay, not really), and talking baby talk to a dog that may never see her owners again….if we have anything to say about it.

But then she’ll fart, and we begin to reconsider the whole dog thing after all.
I mean, I have two boys in this house.
Do you have ANY idea the smells they come with???

Guess I must forget easily, because I just got on petfinder a second ago to look up Vizslas (Tia’s breed).
I didn’t think I was a dog person, but maybe I just needed the right dog….

We’ll see….

© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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a bra for lunch…exactly!

And because I couldn’t end the day on a mood update…thought I’d bring back the bra story…
it’s always good for a laugh!!!
~~~~~~~

At the end of a mopey day, I headed out to pick up my foster son from preschool.  
As I walked in, I found that not a one of the teachers would look me in the eye.
Perhaps they noticed I hadn’t showered?
Oh no.  
It was worse.
As his teacher handed me his things, one of which was the plastic bag that had held his lunch, she said with a smile, “I think you may have packed a little something extra for his lunch today.”
Confused, I began to undo the DOUBLE KNOT of the bag and cautiously I peered inside….
….only to see my STRAPLESS BRA. 
My 32A (since the secrets out anyway), 
what appears to be a training bra but really isn’t, 
strapless bra.  
Inside my fosters son lunch bag.  
At his private christian preschool.  
Where sometimes the pastor lunches with the kids.  
Where I have to show my face twice a week….
And because I wanted them to think I had noticed I went the day without it, I exclaimed, 
“Oh!  So, that’s where it was!  I was so looking for it all day!”
Um.  Ya.
She went on to tell me with a giggle that they all had a good laugh as the entire preschool sat at the lunch table while my little guy whipped out the contents of his lunch before them all, and then yelled, 
“A BRA?!?  WHAT IS A BRA DOING IN MY LUNCH?!?”
And seriously, what WAS a bra doing in his lunch? 
You don’t want to know.
In my defense, it WAS an accident though.
Poor kid.  
As though being in a foster home wasn’t enough to send him to therapy….now he’ll really have issues.
At the very least, it totally made me laugh.  
An honest, from my gut, laugh….
and while it was at my expense, 
it was still the exact medicine I needed.

© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”

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the mood cure update

The Mood Cure
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down and started this “update” on my experience with The Mood Cure supplements….
And then how many times I’ve been like, ahhhh….this is BORING, who would even care???
But then I started getting a bunch of emails checkin in to see how it’s going, and I realized I just gotta bite the bullet and get ‘er done.
So, here I am, gettin’ ‘er done.
Okay, here’s the deal…I seem to be on a path.  
Aren’t I always???
It all started with searching for a new multi-vitamin, which led me to the True Balance ones, which led me to The Mood Cure book, which led me to thinking I wanted to give up Lexapro and instead try treating my anxiety with natural diet and supplements…
…whew…
{there’s more…}
…WHICH led me to a longer than I realized process of weaning off the Lexapro…which led me to some not so fun withdrawals (physical & emotional), which led me to research what the heck kind of drug was I on to make me feel so awful going off….which led me to more research, more books, and more reading of other peoples experiences….
Which leads me to now.
Still on a path.
Okay, so here’s the thing.  After I read the book and got all my supplements and vitamins, I started taking them daily while I was weaning off my medicine.  And while the withdrawals were awful (brain “shocks,” lotsa tears), I can’t imagine what they would have been had I not been taking the supplements at the same time.  
Or maybe things would have been the same, who knows for sure.
And THAT’S the thought that made me decide to stop the supplements as well last week, instead only taking my daily vitamins, just to see if I noticed any difference.
{I had been taking the supplements just about a month when I stopped, and had been off the Lexapro for almost 3 weeks.}
And then, not two or three days later I felt the oh so familiar (and unwelcome) feeling of anxiety.
{granted we had some may-jah extended family issues come up WHILE I was watching two of my friends kids for two days PLUS my own, AND had a toilet overflow with poo & pee…
ALL at the same time….so…just sayin…}
{and no, it wasn’t MY poo & pee, btw}
I then promptly took two 5-htp’s (the amino for depression & anxiety) and took myself to a quiet place to pray and breathe. 
Crisis adverted.
Two hours later, the edge was gone, and I was able to float off peacefully to sleep.
Now here’s the thing…and the reason why I’ve been hesitant to write about my thoughts and experience. 
I can’t say for sure where the anxiety I had came from.
Was it part of the withdrawals from Lexapro (which is a common withdrawal for people), or was it due to the high amounts of stress we have going on in our life right now?
And was it really anxiety or was it just emotions that I’m not used to experiencing because I’ve been on medicine for 3.5 years?
And then I wonder if the 5-htp really worked or if it was simply a placebo effect?  
Or maybe it was my new found coping skills?
Or maybe, actually, it was God.
{imagine that.}
You see now why this post has been so hard to write?
At this point in my journey…My hope is to continue to do my best to stay off drugs, and continue to learn about all the other natural options and peoples experience with them. 
My plan for now?
I’m going to stay on 5-htp for the next few months, also taking GABA during high stress times, and just see what happens.
MAYBE even…I don’t even have an anxiety disorder, and what I felt back when I started Lexapro was anxiety, but the expected kind, being that I had just watched my grandpa die all the while having a very strong willed 2 year old at the same time.
Or maybe it is an anxiety disorder….and it took until my late 20’s/early 30’s to develop.
I have so many question marks and maybes…and that’s why I’m reading and praying and waiting.
And that’s where the post the other day came from.
God is surely teaching me something.
I realize that sometimes life is hard, sometimes God allows the uncomfortable, for a REASON. 
And while reaching for a pill to fix it seems the best option at times, what I really desire is to learn the lessons I have to learn. 
All I pray is that I am able to hear HIS voice clearly and then be equipped to do exactly what it is HE wants for my life.
Maybe it’s to take a pill again one day.
Who knows?
Actually only HE does…
which is why I’m tapping into my praying powers a lot more these days….
{could this post BE any longer???}
So, I’ll continue to keep you guys updated, but it may not be weekly…
as you can see it’s much more involved than I realized it would be.
{just another lesson in patience I suppose!}
And if you’re on this journey with me…
here’s some recommended reading:
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In the meantime….I’d love to know…
what’s your experience been with moods/anxiety/depression?
What have you learned on your journey?
{use the comments people, use the comments.}

{my “mom” sent me this song this morning, had to add to the post!}

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And now that THAT’S outta the way…
tomorrow we’ll keep it light and fresh and happy.
fashion anyone?

© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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face your heart

from a fashion post to the deep stuff
that’s just the way i roll around here…
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sometimes it’s easier to stay busy than it is to face your heart.
but then, you gotta be prepared….your heart will find a way to speak.
i’m there.
my heart is speaking.
here i stand, naked and bare, stripped of my armor….completely exposed.
nothing to hide behind.
nothing to mask who i am.
most of the time, it’s not as pretty as i want it to be.
and it’s all i can do not to run back to what is safe.
but there is a lesson here.
something i am supposed to learn.
as much as it may sting… 
this is a chance for growth.
so with steamy tears,
and a frightened heart,
i’m going to just be still.
for this moment.
and then the next.
and in all of it i will pay attention to my heart.
i will learn His lesson.
i will grow.
and i will be stronger.
that’s the way He made me.
that’s the way He intended it to be.
beauty from pain.
but first…
i must face my heart.
~~~~~~~
…in repentance and rest you will be saved,
in quietness and trust is your strength.
Isaiah 30:15
that’s the thing i love about the bible, and why i turn there when life is hard or my heart is heavy…
i never walk away empty handed, instead always finding hope and reassurance.
….i know i’m not alone in what life brings, and i hope you know you aren’t either.
© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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it’s what i wore out

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leather jacket: apple bottom jeans, thrifted
dress: necessary objects, thrifted
tank: hanes, target
bangles: f21
earrings: had them so long I can’t remember!
sunnies: dziner eyes, although I just saw similar ones at f21!
necklace: world market, and ya think I wear this enough?  love it.  mass.
flower clip: h&m
boots: mossimo, target
knee highs: tj maxx
occasion: church!!!

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So, today begins the end of my cadbury egg and pizza binges, and now’s the time to get back to a life of balance.
I know this because getting dressed for church yesterday created way more sweat than really was necessary.  You know the kind…the whole mad chaos sweat that’s created from trying one thing on after another in a desperate attempt to get SOMETHING, just ANYTHING, to fit.
And look cute at the same time.

Oh dear me.

And while I don’t think I can go back to the whole diet thing, I think by simply finding some balance and  sticking to my workouts, hopefully things will be able to work themselves out in time.

I debate getting on the scale to see what’s REALLY going on…but I know deep down that the scale life just isn’t for me.
{i’ve been scale clean and sober for almost 7 months now!!!}
I just refuse to ever be ruled by numbers again.
In fact, I don’t even have a size I aspire to be anymore either.
I just want to feel…
healthy.

Maybe I’ll weigh again, maybe I won’t.
But, if and when I do…
It will be when I know I won’t allow it to dictate my happiness.
Could be tomorrow.
Could be 10 years from now…

Woah.
Ummm….wasn’t this supposed to be a fashion post?

Anyway, just had to put that out there in case any of you happen to see me at the store eyeing the eggs…
I just. gotta. back away from the eggs…

{SO close to 1000 followers which means SO close to some awesome giveaways!!!  can’t wait!}

© 2011 “Le Musings of Moi”
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