Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone!

This has been such a great week! I moved to a new apartment (a blog post with my room decor and some diy will be up sometime soon) last Saturday and it’s been fun getting settled into the new place. I have the most amazing roommates I could ask for. Seriously, they’re great. I’ve lived with Christine and Brian (the coolest married couple ever) for 9 months now and they have been so incredibly wonderful to me. I call them my “parents” but they’re in their twenties.. So they’re really more just like cousins or something.. But we truly have become a family and I’m so blessed that I get to share an apartment and many memories with them!

Me with my ridiculously good looking American/Norwegian/Filipino parents.

We have a new addition to our little family now. One of our best friends moved in with us! Welcome Vilma:)

On a side note, Christine is an amazing writer. She’s actually an editor for a cool crafts magazine! Yeah, be impressed. You should follow her blog: http://delightful-findings.blogspot.com/

Here are a few of my favorite things this week:

Favorite Snack:

Oh my goodness.. I’m addicted.

Favorite Facts:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/the-happiest-facts-of-all-time

Favorite Outfit:

 

Dress: Forever 21. Flats: Target. Flower: snatched outside Yogurtland.. shhh

Favorite Book:

Every woman needs to read this. So good!

Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/Captivating-Revised-Updated-Unveiling-Mystery/dp/1400200385

Favorite Fruit: Watermelon

I rediscovered how delicious watermelons are when Jimmy (my coworker) got 2 buckets of them.

Favorite Night:

 

Wednesday night on a date with the love of my life at Portola Coffee Lab. 

Favorite Song: Flower in Your Hair by The Lumineers

I’ve loved the Lumineers ever since Brycen (my boyfriend) showed me “Ho Hey”.  This week I heard some more of their music and now I can’t stop listening to this cute little song.

Favorite Bible Verse: Hosea 2:19-20

This week I have tried to set apart more time to read the Word, pray, and just spend quality time with God. I feel so encouraged and ready to take on the day when I take some time resting in my Father’s presence. I love the story in the book of Hosea. Hosea was a prophet commanded to take a prostitute for a wife as an example of God’s relationship with Israel. There is a clear theme in this book: God’s immense love for his people. Obviously there is judgment, but His unfailing and redeeming love shines through the darkness of their sin. We are like Israel, who sinned and turned away from God. But because God’s grace and mercy is so great, restoration and forgiveness is available to all of us! All we need to do is receive it and live in it.

“I will betroth you to me forever;

I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,

in love and compassion.

 I will betroth you in faithfulness,

and you will acknowledge the Lord.”

Thanks for reading:). Have an amazing weekend!

Sarah’s Sweet Shower

My little sister is married. Crazy.

Okay okay, not little.. She’s 4 years older and also taller than me, but she’s still little in my eyes. I guess it’s kind of weird to think that the girl I shared a room and a last name with for my whole life is someone’s wife now.

She will be an incredible wife. She is honestly one of the most serving, godliest, sweetest, and loving women I know. When I watch old home videos I see how I was a little brat sometimes, but still she was so kind, patient, and sweet to me! She never changed. She’s always been the greatest sister and friend I could ask for. No one knows me like her. She knows exactly how to make me mad and how to make me smile.. And she usually makes me smile – unless she purposefully turns off the light in the room before she walks out when I’m reading a book (yeah she did that one time but then I hit her then she hit me back and it all sorted itself out haha)

I’m so blessed that God chose me to be your sister, Sarah! I love you Sissy:)

And I’m also very honored that she chose me to be her maid of honor! Of course maid of honor duties include throwing a bridal shower. This was kind of tricky considering I was in California and would only arrive in Mozambique a week before the wedding. I tried planning with my mom and the other bridesmaids via Facebook, and bought most of the decorations and supplies here in the US. With lots of last minute running around, little sleep the night before, creative adjustments, and lots of help from some wonderful ladies, I think we were able to pull off a beautiful shower for a beautiful bride-to-be.

DECOR

It was a tea party theme with some fun and bright colors. The bunting was made out of paper and burlap and spelled out “Sarah”. I got these great paper poofs (I have no idea what their technical names are) from Party City. On the morning of the shower, a couple of other bridesmaids and I were walking around with big knives and scissors searching for flowers while hiding from my Dad. You see, he has a thing for his garden. At the end we found some pretty flowers and he didn’t get mad:)

           

        

FOOD

It was brunch. The cute cherry blossom plates, “i do” napkins, and wedding dress cups were also from Party City. I love that place! We made mini sandwiches: some with chicken and cucumber, others with tuna mayo. We had greek salad, a veggie tray and caprese sticks (mozzarella, basil, and cherry tomato on a toothpick and drizzled with balsamic vinegar…amazing!) For the sweet sides there were delicious chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake. We also made fruit kebabs which could be accompanied with yogurt and honey and almonds.  Oh, and of course we had tea! They were in little jars with ribbons and chalkboard labels.  We also added some adorable baby bunting to decorate the food which I am obsessed with – it’s so cute!

                              

                                  

                       

                

                               

ACTIVITIES

First off the bride needed her accessories: a sparkly tiara with a veil, a light up ring, and a button.

                              

(these are the wedding dress cups I mentioned earlier)

Sarah with 3 of her 5 bridesmaids: Me, Crysty, and Emily

                    

One of the games we played was bridal charades and we had lots of fun:

                  

We were able to bless Sarah and shower her with gifts! Oh, and there’s more bunting of course:

                   

                 

          

I asked Bruno (the groom and also my new brother) some questions and recorded his answers, and then played them after Sarah replied to the same ones. They got pretty much every single one right.. it was ridiculous:

                        

We wrote single words (except Crysty the rebel who wrote two haha) that we wished for their marriage on little pieces of paper and then put them inside balloons for Sarah to pop and discover. She could keep them for a scrapbook or something. And these cute little panty bags were favors for the guests:

We ended the party by praying over Sarah and Bruno and their new chapter as a married couple:

                        

When it was time to leave we were joined by these little princesses:

             

I hope you enjoyed and hopefully got some new ideas if you ever need to throw a bridal shower or any other party really:)

Thanks for reading!