Happy Birthday Sarah :)

Since it is now confirmed that I have TWO readers, I shall dedicate this post to Sarah Danaher. My sister, friend, and fellow photographer. I missed your birthday, but I took the opportunity to try my hand at yet another pinterest inspired gift. It will be in the mail soon. And rather than show you its full blown glory (i gotta have SOME aspect of surprise, right?) I'm just gonna give you a sneak peak.

LOVE YOU! *L

Another day off :)

So today's pinterest accomplishments are less crafty and more FOODY!!

#1: Smoother Freezer packs! I went to Costco and filled up my cart with all sorts of yummy fresh fruit! (Specifically: nectarines, kiwis, strawberries, bananas--even though I don't like them--, aaaand spinach which is not a fruit :) I also grabbed a mango when I went to Walmart later. I have recently found on pinterest/blogs the idea of putting fresh spinach into smoothies to get those great spinach benefits with all the sweet fruity flavor. I thought it sounded like a pretty rad idea. And basically I think I need to grow up and start eating bananas even though I don't like them. They are cheap, easy to pack, and filling. I should probably develop a taste for things like that. Smoothies is a good place to start I think.

Basically I just chopped everything up and split it semi evenly into 8 freezer bags (quart size). I squeezed all the air out, zipped them, and threw them in the freezer! ta daaa! Breakfasts/lunches for quite a few days this month! (I think each bag will be more than plenty for both me and tim....if I can convince him to eat them :) Also -- just a side note -- the blog I was reading suggested using WATER instead of any kind of milk product when blending up the smoothie. Mostly because fruit and milk don't tend to mix well, and its easy for your stomach to digest with just water or juice. They suggested to move a bag from the freezer to fridge the night before to let it thaw some, and its ready to go in the morning!

#2: Freezing Leftover Coffee in Ice Cube Trays This is one of those genius little ideas I found on pinterest. We ALWAYS have left over coffee. The idea is to freeze it in ice cube trays and eventually have enough to throw in the blender with a little tasty coffee creamer and VOILA! A coffee smoothie! Brilliant!

Hope you're having a lovely week, Lindsey Schubert (I consider you the sole reader of my blog, until comments prove otherwise :) *L

my days off

So I'm wondering if I even remember how to write a blog post :) It has been wayyyy too long. I don't actually think anyone read this blog anyways, so I don't really feel bad about that. ha. BUT at special request, I will begin blogging my D(o) I(t) Y(ourself) adventures! (ya know, gotta keep the pinners happy :) Lately, my work schedule at the bank (did I ever mention I'm a bank teller?) has been allowing me two days off in a row every week (did I mention I only work part time - and never want to hold a full time job in my life? :) Two days off a week is one thing. Two days off in a ROW is another thing entirely. And it has afforded me the grand opportunity of starting AND finishing things :) The two latest projects were my lamp and my dresser. I've been wanting to tackle these since I got married and moved 9 months ago, but it just didn't happen...til now! enjoy! --------------------------------------------------

LAMP: I got this lamp from my mom (who was updating the style of her living room) and I figured I could find something to do with it. There are actually two of them. But. One thing at a time :)

The glue was amazing -- it bonded easily to the brass lamp, and was not toxic smelling :)

DRESSER: It was already white, so it just needed a fresh coat of paint. And then some flair to make it match our room (I copied the flowers from our bedspread....and penciled them onto the side, and then painted :)

I put a nice coat of mod podge over the whole thing to seal it. Mod podge is my favorite!!

Aaaand then came the drawers. They were lined with contact paper that hadn't been changed in about 20 years. Sooo, i ripped it out, sanded them down, and painted them inside and out. And then painted the sides colors so I can be happy when I leave my drawers hanging open :)

Ok, so then I had painted the knobs all those different colors. Which was rad. Until I put all my colorful stuff back on top. Then it looked like the dresser of a 10 year old. And (believe it or not) I wanted a grown up look. Soooo, painted them all brown :)

ta-DAAAAA!!! There you have it :)

with the hurricane coming...i've been crafting!

Here's the latest and greatest from the Olson home!
I needed a new way to organize my jewelry, and this is what has evolved over the last few weeks. Not sure that it's done yet, but it sure does look fun and colorful on our bedroom wall!



Clearly, I have more earrings and necklaces than any human needs. But I love how it's turning out!

i love my superman

happy 2011 :)

i like to pretend that people actually read this thing....:)

merry christmas to my sorely neglected blog friends out there :)
the week of Christmas this year has proved different than planned (violent virus was spread at a party here on monday, and many were wiped out yesterday with puking...no fun. i am very grateful to God to have NOT been one of those taken down, however my two bestest friends - Jenn and Tim - both were! It lasted about 10 hours and they are feeling all the way better today! Now for disinfecting e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. in sight ;)

I thought I would share our family christmas letter, and hope you are encouraged and comforted in your hearts as you celebrate the birth of Jesus and the redemption that He secured for us.

you will probably not hear from me again till 2011....here's hoping to more consistent posting of photos in the new year! woohoo! (we can always hope, right? :)

happy and in love, Lindsey
-----------------------------------
Greetings from the Quann family to our loved ones around the world!

My (Lindsey) turn to write the family Christmas letter has rolled around again, and I’m so grateful for the chance to take a break from the busyness of these days and reflect on all God has done since this time last year. I think that in 2010 our family has learned more personally the truth from the bible that says “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” (1Corinthians 2:9)

If you asked me to sum up the year of 2010 in the Quann home in just one word, it would be this: Unexpected. Every month has gone by, revealing an unexpected twist or turn in the story that God is writing through the lives of each one of us individually and together as a family. Unexpected joys. Unexpected sorrows. New seasons of life, new relationships, new challenges, new jobs, new direction, new ministry opportunities, new schedules, new family adventures. And yet in the midst of all of the new and unexpected, the good and the bad, the defining factor has been VERY expected, INTENSELY sought after, and FREELY given: deeper relationship with the God of sustaining grace, mercy, and love. He is the strength that held our family together through this year, just like every year before, and every year to come. Even through the most painful moments, when we might have felt like we were falling apart, God was molding us more into the image of His son Jesus, and teaching us more deeply what love really means.

Since even a summary of the events of 2010 would fill a novel, I will keep it to some highlights: Mom and Dad celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a fabulous week together in the outer banks. (Side note: for adult kids still living at home, there are challenges for sure. But getting to see our parents grow in their love and commitment to each other through the changing seasons of life has been an unexpected gift.) Jenna and I got stretched in our girls retreat experiences this summer, as we helped put on not only our usual teen girls retreat in Virginia, but also flew to Guatemala to do a girls retreat at Hope of Life Ministries (Yes, it was in Spanish. Talk about walking by faith!) Jenna continues her job teaching GED classes in King George, and went to her first out of town work conference, which made her feel like an official grown up. She also set a personal record: attended 4 weddings, read 6 books, and took 10 trips in just a 3 month period! Charlie, the brother with many names (Aaron, Quincy, Buddy…), jumped back into school this summer at Germanna Community College. Playing guitar and writing songs has become his favorite pastime and creative outlet, during days filled with calculus, chemistry and engineering classes. (If you frequent downtown Fredericksburg in the evenings, you might even find him and Jenna sitting on the sidewalks making music with an open guitar case, collecting enough change from passersby for a slice of pizza :) I have found myself quite occupied with a very handsome man who loves Jesus, who asked me this summer if I would marry him. And I happily said yes. Thus wedding planning has ensued, and in May 2011 I will become Mrs. Tim Olson! (Side note, to all the 7 year olds out there: you never know if that kid you’re playing with might become your husband/wife 16 years later. Be nice to them :) Ariel, Matt and their 4 adorable kids (Tyler, Audrey, Connor and Karis) still live in our neighborhood and bring sunshine and MUCH laughter into our lives. This fall we accomplished one of our family goals, just in the nick of time: a trip to Niagara Falls, Canada and Buffalo, NY to visit mom’s college before anyone else got married. It was the perfect time of year to visit that area of the world. Pictures do not do it justice. We also got to visit the Republic of Texas for the first time, and celebrate our cousin’s wedding with mom’s side of the family.

Believe me, that is only the tip of the 2010 iceberg! It is our hope and prayer that our glorious Lord Jesus will make Himself known to you intimately in whatever place you find yourself this Christmas. Whether it be a season of busyness or of rest in your life, of joy or of sorrow, that you would find Him to be your ever present help and comfort. The baby in the manger over 2000 years ago is not just a story for little kids. It is the true story of the eternal God setting in motion His plan of eternal love to put our sin to death and bring us to life. It was the beginning of the story that brings us peace in the midst of chaos, and hope in the midst of pain. This Christmas, we are celebrating the birth of the One who is making all things new.
With much JOY, the Quanns

i heart faces: orange

It is a well known fact that orange is my favorite color. Even my 3 year old friends know that :) It was the perfect motivation to get me back into the i heart faces photo challenges after several months of slacking...and i caught it just in time, as I only have half an hour till this week's challenge closes!

So here you have it folks: one of my favorite little boys in my favorite color :) This kid is captivating. I can stare at those gorgeous eyes all day and never get tired. And he also has an amazing mama who has a fabulous blog of her own: http://ljlifeandliterature.blogspot.com/