My {polka dotted} Life

well, hello

2012-01-27T18:21:00.000-06:00

hey, everyone.

it's been quite a long time since i've posted on this lovely little blog!

i'm busy.

i forget about this.

i'm busy in 8th grade.

i have piano to practice,

violin,

and cello.

which i need to practice more of.

well, i have a life,

and blogging isn't my top priority.

and frankly, it shouldn't be anyone's top priority,

or even on your top 10 priorities.

:-)

just a little bitty, itsy bitsy, teeny weeny little reminder to y'all...

to keep your priorities straight.

by the way, this is something i do struggle with.

frequently.

so don't feel alone.

also, next week, i'm turning fourteen!

yay!

i've got some fun things planned:

with my friends~

i'm having my four closest friends, plus another friend that i want to get to know better, for a sleepover! before the sleepover, we'll go to a movie (War Horse, rated PG-13), Tutti Frutti (deliciouuus frozen yogurt. my favorite. my first love.), and the mall. ;) i am absolutely EXCITED.

with my family~

i'm having family out to eat and have fun together! my family's the best. i couldn't live without them.

me 2012.

2012-01-03T15:21:00.000-06:00

this is me.

this is lulu.

this is real.

i love life.

fun.

friends.

family.

food.

i like to smile.

i have brown hair,

{with natural blonde highlights}

hazel eyes,

and a face that's loaded with acne right now.

i'm in eighth grade.

and best of all, i love J e s u s ♥

That's life.

2011-12-31T13:33:00.000-06:00

Life brings twists and turns, ups and downs, and disappointments. You may think one thing but someone else tells you another. That's life. We all need to get used to getting told 'no' because the more we're used to it the less we're disappointed when we are told no. Make sense?
Today I was met with a disappointment - I was planning a shopping date with one of my besties but my dad said I can't go, that I need to stay around here. I was very upset (I'm still getting over it) but my mom assured me that we will work something else out and that the world isn't over yet!

Oh, by the way - Happy New Year 2012! What are y'all doing? We are having family out and staying up until midnight (and beyond!). I can barely wait for the festivities to begin!

Have a great day and a great 2012. I'll write next year. =D

Christmas.

2011-12-24T08:21:00.000-06:00

We had our Christmas present opening a day early this year!

I got:

a $15 iTunes gift card,

a CAMCORDER!

a tripod for the camcorder

personalized towels

a devotional book

Skittles body wash, shampoo, lotion, and lip gloss!

Mom must've been a good girl this year, 'cuz she got a brand-new desktop computer and a white iPhone 4S with a purple case! Great, now both of my parents have iPhones:)

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! Remember the reason for the season!

Christmas contest.

2011-12-22T11:01:00.000-06:00

Hellooo, lovelies!

I'm having a Christmas carol contest. I'll post lyrics from Christmas carols and you can comment with what songs you think they're from.

W i t h t h e a n g e l i c h o s t p r o c l a i m

G a i l y t h e y r i n g w h i l e p e o p l e s i n g

W i t h t h e d a w n o f r e d e e m i n g g r a c e

H e c o m e s t o m a k e h i s b l e s s i n g s f l o w

G o d i s n o t d e a d n o r d o e s h e s l e e p

A n d M a r y b o r e s w e e t J e s u s C h r i s t

H o w t h a t i n B e t h l e h e m w a s b o r n

W h i l e m o r t a l s s l e e p t h e a n g e l s k e e p

Okay, go! Guess away, ladies!

Answers will be posted on December twenty-sixth, two thousand-eleven

hello

2011-12-21T16:02:00.000-06:00

hello, blog readers! i hope i still have some. :) how are you all? i haven't blogged in such a long time. i have been doing absolutely terrific! last weekend i went to visit my friend becca s., who lives 4 hours away from me. when i got there, there was a surprise awaiting - two of my other friends (her closest friends) mariah & katherine were there for a sleepover, plus i got to meet her other friend sierra. all wonderful, beautiful young girls! we had a b.l.a.s.t.......and yes, i have pictures. :)

L to R - Lulu, Katherine, Becca, Sierra

My beautiful BeccaBoo.

Here we are again...

And again.

Katherine is soo beautiful.

I'm katherine's babbbbyyy

i won't even try to explain this picture or the following one ;)

BECCAAAA i love youu.

beccas face;<3

here we are again...

isn't katherine so beautiful?

my katherine & me

mariah & katherine. mariah wouldn't smile but you should know it is beautiful.

oh mariah<3

Beautiful.

2011-12-14T15:38:00.000-06:00

Here's a beautiful Christmas song me and my two bestfriends are singing on Sunday at church. Listen and be moved! :)

abc's of thanks

2011-11-23T17:14:00.000-06:00

A) animals.

B) beaches.

C) creamy corn. & chocolate.

D) dogs.

E) everything beautiful.

F) friends.

G) grandparents.

H) Hebrews. ilovethatbook.

I) ice cold diet coke.

J) jell-o.

K) kite flying in the summer.

L) laughing.

M) milk.

N) nice warm hot chocolate.

O) overly warm days in November!

P) people. ilovepeople. {and more importantly parents}

Q) quiet. i love stillness. even though i'm loud sometimes!

R) rest.

S) siblings.

T) talking. oh what would i do without it?

U) 'Umbrella' (the song)

V) violins.

W) weather. all kinds.

X) xhiliration. ( a brand of shoes! )

Y) yellow. the color.

Z) zebra stripes.

of Bath & Body Works.

2011-11-22T17:01:00.000-06:00

I'm a very loyal Bath & Body Works fan.

I mean very loyal.

I own all of these scents:

Sun-Ripened Raspberry

Warm Vanilla Sugar

Sparkling Peach

Pink Sugarplum

Paris Amour

Sea Island Cotton

Blushing Cherry Blossom

Yes, I'm quite the loyal fan. :)

My favorite scent is Pink Sugarplum.Very girly!

Second place would have to go to Warm Vanilla Sugar.

...............

and on Bath & Body Works' Facebook page they're giving a huge bag of goodies (over $100 value!) to anyone who shares one of their posts. Being the sucker that I am, of course I shared. There will be 20 winners. Maybe I'm one of them? ;)

click HERE to go the giveaway (only for people with Facebook accounts, sorry)

click HERE to go to the website and drool over their stuff.

p.s. your local mall probably has a B&BW shop, too. :)

thankfulness.

2011-11-15T15:14:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for lots of things, guys. Way too much stuff to list here. But I'll try. Goodness, I'm blessed!

my family - my friends - my pastor - my Bible - Jesus - parents that love me - education - sister & brothers - the ability to play 3 instruments - home schooling - life - sleepovers - eighth grade - shoes - clothing - lipgloss - my bible - my bed - blizzards - mcdonalds fries - mittens - chubby babies - gum - books - summer camp -

billions & billions more

THANK YOU JESUS

names.

2011-11-14T16:08:00.000-06:00

I'm a name freak. I love to write down possible names for my children (when/if I have any), and doodle all over them. Soo, as something fun, I just decided to tell y'all some of my favorite names. :) Enjoy!

TOP 5 GIRL NAMES:

Jada Marie

Britta Rae

Emii Grace

Shayla Mae

Layla Faith

TOP 5 BOY NAMES
Cayden Trust

Aidan Troy

Corbin Allen

Blake Alexander

Conner Hayden

What do you think? What are your favorites?

lovee, me♥

my random life♥

2011-11-07T14:11:00.001-06:00

hello, lovely friends and followers♥

wow, it's been a while since i've done a random post.

i miss those.

i've been super busy lately with school, church, music, family, and friends.

buuuut, the craziness has been jam-packed with loads of FUN too!

i've had a sleepover every weekend for a month. yeah, good stuff.

sleepover #1: my sister's b-day party. she invited her closest girlfriends becca & camille♥. we went to a movie, out to eat, and had a sleepover. oh yeah, and raided target.

the adorable miss camille ♥

pretty becca!

....and my gorgeous sister.♥♥

camille after her ugly makeover. ;) i still think she looks cute :)

becca after her ugly makeover. cutie.♥♥

*ahem* that'd be my sister. :P love the mole!!!

camille after pretty makeover. doesn't need makeup to be cute ;)♥

then there's me. can you tell i'm tired and it's late? ;)

adorable camille & i♥

camille during her makeover

....

then, my besties amanda & amanda (yes, both of their names are amanda ;D) came over and had a sleepover. we stayed up late, talked, and had balloon volleyball. sorry, camera was out of battery. :) loveeee you twooo like you wouldn't believe. you're amazing! i cry with you, manda, i laugh with youu, i sing with you, i dance with you. ♥

....

then, this past saturday, i had a sleepover with abigail h., bestieee. she lives quite far from me so it was a real treat. ;) it was at her grandparent's house -- super amazing fun people! we went to a basketball game and watched tv. and talked. and ate. and yes, slept :)

....

then, last night had dinner with my cuzzy erika and her daddy. chinese food. yummy! so much fun♥.

....

and yes, my life is crazy, busy, (cello, piano, violin, orchestra, church), and BEAUTIFUL♥ . sometimes i overlook the simple stuff of life and sometimes that's the most amazing part! :) love your life. love the simple stuff. love the sibs, the parents, the girlfriends, the teachers, the pastors. they're all part of your CRAZY♥, BEAUTIFUL♥, life!

isaiah 53

2011-11-02T18:13:00.000-05:00

isaiah 53

¹ Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

^{² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,}

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

^{³ He was despised and rejected by men,}

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

^{⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,}

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

^{⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,}

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

^{⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.}

And who can speak of his descendants?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

^{⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,}

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

^{¹¹ After the suffering of his soul,}

he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

^{¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,}

and he will divide the spoils with the strong,

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

::something sweet::

2011-10-18T14:50:00.000-05:00

48 questions & answers

2011-10-08T17:04:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna be a sucker and answer these 48 questions. :) sorry they got all jumbled up. get over it.

1. High heels or boots? Boots. All the way.2. What time did you get up this morning? Woke up....8:15. Got up....9:00.

3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater? Courageous ♥

4. What is your maiden name? I'm single. :)

5. What is your favorite T.V. Show? Good Luck Charlie. ♥6. What do you usually have for breakfast? Peanut Butter & Banana on a Tortilla;♥7. What is your middle name? Margaret

8. What food do you dislike? Salmon. Yuck. :(

9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I don't really listen to CDs anymore, sadly. I listen to my iPod. :)

10. What characteristic do you despise? When people talk with their mouth full of food and I can smell their breath. Yucky!

11. Favorite clothing? My gray Aeropostale sweatpants & my green thermal Aeropostale shirt;♥ 12. Anywhere in the world on vacation? FRANCE♥

13. Are you an organized person? At times. 14. Where would you retire to? England.

15. What was your most recent memorable birthday? my 13th♥ 16. What are you going to do when you finish this? i don't know!

17. Furthest place you have ever been to? Los Angeles, CA ♥

18. Person you wish you could meet? Adam Young & Jamie Grace. ALL THE WAY.

19. When is your birthday? February 2nd.20. Are you a morning person or a night person? night

21. What is your shoe size? 10. Yes I have big feet;)

22. Do you own any animals? YES: sheep, cats, horses....

23. Any news you'd like to share? Uhm....date with Daddy in two weeks(:♥

24. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? A Barbie. no, seriously. i did. cuz I thought Barbie was just amazing. 25. What is your favorite flower? tulips♥

26. What day on the calendar are you looking forward to? October 31st!

27. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? yellow♥28. How is the weather right now? cloudy & a smidge of sun.

29. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my momma.

30. Favorite drink? chocolate milk. ♥

31. Favorite Restaurant? Pizza Ranch(:♥

32. Hair color? brunette. but sometimes i think i'm blonde.....

33. What was your favorite toy as a child? anything Barbie.

34. Spring, summer, fall, or winter? AUTUMN!♥

35. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla for sure(:♥

36. Coffee or tea? Neither.

37. Wish you were still young? Uh, I'm only 13♥

38. Do you want to get married? yes, for sure!

39. When was the last time you cried? Wednesday.

40. What is under you bed? i don't know...and don't want to know..

41. What did you do last night? i watched Star Wars.

42. What are you afraid of? That the sun will have a supernova. (do you realize that could happen?)

43. Salty or sweet? sweet♥

44. Best quality you have? Music or making people laugh.

45. How many years at your current job? ummmm.... i don't have a job

46. Favorite day of the week? Friday or Saturday

47. Favorite movie? Courageous.

48. Do you like finding all this stuff out about your friends? for sure!

autumn ramblings

2011-10-07T14:10:00.000-05:00

i just love autumn. ♥

don't you?

the weather,

the pretty leaves,

the holidays,

the birthdays,

the everything.

...and most importantly,

the photography opportunities.

{photos from pinterest.com}

what are your favorite things about autumn?

please comment, i'd appreciate it so much.

thank you, beautiful daughters of the King. ♥

Excelsior Trailer

2011-10-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

this is a movie trailer for a movie our home schooling friends and their friends are making!

I can't wait to see it. enjoy the trailer!

a photography contest: b&w

2011-09-29T11:45:00.000-05:00

that's right folks, another photography contest.

this time, the category is: B L A C K & W H I T E

R U L E S:

photos must be rated G.

the photo must be black & white.

the photo must be taken by you.

post on your blog with your photo and a link to this post.

leave a comment with the link to your post.

have F U N!

CONTEST WILL CLOSE ON

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2011 at 11:59 PM

currently...

2011-09-28T18:36:00.000-05:00

currently..........my favorite song is: ''B E A U T I F U L, B E A U T I F U L" by francesca battistelli
currently..........my favorite book[s] is[are]: "H O L L Y ' S H E A R T" by beverly lewis
currently..........my favorite actress is: A N N A P O P P L E W E L L
currently..........I'm listening to: M O M G E T R E A D Y F O R S U P P E R
currently..........I'm thinking: I ' M. S O. H U N G R Y.

g'bye, gotta eat ;)

winner.

2011-09-24T14:05:00.000-05:00

i'm going to announce the lucky photography contest winner!

with 35 votes.......

the winner is.......

*drumroll please*

Miss Raquel!

what a gorgeous photo, girly! ;)

who thinks i should have another one?

please comment or vote on the poll.

autumn photography

2011-09-21T19:38:00.000-05:00

hello, autumn.

i see you've made your entrance.

i'm so very glad you're here.

there ya got it.....:)

you all just go and have an excellent day for me, k?

and while you're at it, hop on over to my design blog and check it out! ;) please?

okay, you can go :)

design blog!

2011-09-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

hi, beautiful ladies.

i started a design blog {again} after taking a break for a few months.

head over there and order something! ;)

it'd really make me happy....:/

entries.

2011-09-17T10:24:00.000-05:00

hey guys! :)
wow, thanks for all the entries!
so what will happen is I will show all the photos and their owners in this blog post, then you can vote on the one you like best on the poll which is on my sidebar.
I love all the pictures. wow.

Wow, gorgeous photos! :)

photography contest - children

2011-09-05T13:55:00.001-05:00

I'm hosting a photography contest! =) The theme is SKY.
RULES:
You may edit.
Must be taken by YOU.
Include a link to this post in your post.
All photos must be appropriate, I have the right to delete any inappropriate photos.
Please comment on other blogs that have linked up, too!
HAVE FUN!

Here's an example:

a photo challenge - black and white

2011-09-05T13:49:00.002-05:00

Allie Photography is having a black and white photo contest - here's my photo.

update.

2011-08-15T16:18:00.000-05:00

wow, I haven't written on here in 3 weeks. summer is a busy time for me.

sooo, I thought I'd give y'all a little bit of an update on what I've been doing.

on July 24th, we went to Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. what a blast! the rides there were awesome. my favorite was either Steel Venom or Wild Thing.

on August 5th, I headed to the Lake Itasca Family Bluegrass Festival! it was totally amazing -- I got to listen to some amazing bluegrass bands and see some long-lost friends, and meet new friends. and we brought two of our cousins-in-law with us! good times.

on the 7th, I headed to Inspiration Point, an amazing Bible camp, and stayed there until the 12th. my friend Kelsie came too, and she became a Christian! =D It was pretty amazing.

on the 12th, I headed with my three siblings and grandmother to Winnipeg, Canada. I had fun there, but also got quite homesick. yesterday I came home and am sooooo happy to be home after 9 days of being gone!

so there ya go, an update on my life. hopefully i still have readers. :P

God's love.

2011-07-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

God loves us - unconditionally! He loves us when we are frustrated with Him, when we're questioning His plans. He loves us even when we deny His name. He loves us when we fail to read our Bibles and pray every day. He loves us no matter how we act. He always is ready to forgive us when we do wrong. He's loves us when we are lonely and broken. He loves us every day, always, no matter what - His love is unending, and unchanging.

A song that reminds me of his constant love is the song 'Unchanging' by the Rubyz.

This is the chorus:

Your love is the kind I wanna know

Through the pain, through the tears

they won't let me go

Even when I'm just a slave to emotion

Unending, unchanging

Your love is the kind I wanna see

In my heart, in my soul

Every part of me

Your hands made the stars in the universe

Unending, unchanging

photo: pinterest

paper heart photo entry

2011-07-20T10:44:00.000-05:00

this is my gorgeous sister-turned-ganster. ;) love you, girly.

in my bucket list....

2011-07-16T16:33:00.000-05:00

1. own a Nikon D3000 camera.

2. visit the Eiffel tower.

those are my two main goals. ;)

a photoshoot.

2011-07-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

who loves photoshoots? me and my sister Sheilah do!

ain't she adorbs?

lamentations 3:22-23

2011-07-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

"because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. they are new every morning,
great is your faithfulness." lamentations 3:22-23

Lamentations 3:22-23 is one of my favorite Bible passages! Isn't it beautiful? I thank my very dear friend and sister in Christ, Megan, for giving me that reference to look up! You're awesome, Megan!

This beautiful season of summer will soon pass, and we won't be able to enjoy these beautiful scenes any more. I think these things are some of many of the Lord's compassions!

::fluffy white clouds::

::green grass::

::chirping birds::

::days on the lake::

Enjoy these things while you can! Summer will fly by before you know it.

images from: pinterest.com

the winners.

2011-07-09T16:12:00.001-05:00

ABI wins the professional blog design by Delaney!

ANNA KATHERINE wins the jewelry from Abby!

ARIANNA wins the professional blog design from Hannah!

ALK wins the purse earrings from Anna Katherine!
GWENDOLYN wins the book 'Appaloosy' from Mattie!

Congratulations, everyone!

To claim your prizes, please email me at luluemailme@gmail.com

Thanks!

summer kick-off giveaway.

2011-07-05T18:08:00.002-05:00

hello, summer.

i enjoy your presence.

let's do a giveaway to celebrate.

a professional blog design by

delaney

some beautiful jewelry by

abby

a professional and beautiful blog design by

hannah

adorable purse earrings by

anna katherine

the book 'appaloosy' (a lovely horse book) by

mattie

MANDATORY ENTRIES:
Follow my blog.
Tell me in a comment what you like most about summer.

EXTRA ENTRIES (1 extra entry per thing you do):
Blog about this giveaway, and include a link.
Put my blog button on your blog.
Put a link of the giveaway on your sidebar.
Email 5 people about this giveaway.
Facebook about this giveaway.
Tweet about this giveaway.
Comment on other people's blogs telling them about this giveaway (include a link). *For this entry, you will get an entry per blog you comment on. But please leave a comment for each blog you comment on also.

Important: leave a separate comment for each thing you do!

There are 5 prizes, so there will be 5 winners.

*this giveaway ends on july 9th, 2011, at 11:59pm

winner.

2011-07-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

thank you to all who entered the photography contest!

the winner is.....*drumroll please*

ARIANNA!

lulu m. photography

2011-06-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

check out my new photography blog! i just posted some fabulous portraits of my amazing sister Sheilah. check it out and follow if you'd like! just click on the button above!

finalists.

2011-06-28T11:22:00.002-05:00

Thank you to everyone who entered your photos! I loved each entry I got. Here are the finalists.

This one's from Arianna. Lovely photo!

This is from Abi. ADORABLE picture!

Please vote on your favorite picture in the poll which is on the sidebar.

saturday photography link-up

2011-06-25T12:13:00.001-05:00

I decided every Saturday that I can, to have a photography link-up. :)

The theme for this Saturday is: OUTDOORS

This may be children outdoors, plants outdoors, pets outdoors, just a picture of nature, whatever! Just make sure it's outside. :)

here's an example.

this is my sister (right) and her best friend Becca (left).

rules:

1. it must be your own photo.

{no Pinterest, Google Images, Photobucket, etc.}

2. obviously, it must meet the criteria of the category (outdoors).

3. post the photo on your blog, then comment with the link.

4. this link-up will end on monday. i will announce the finalists tuesday and you can vote.

5. voting ends on thursday. whoever has the most votes wins.

6. the winner will get their photo in a post, with a blog button and a summary of your blog from me.

7. you must be a follower to enter.
8. have fun!

a cup of tea and a true friend.

2011-06-23T16:08:00.000-05:00

what is better than getting a four page long letter {handwritten} from a very dear friend

and drinking some vanilla chai tea that she sent

while reading her very encouraging words?

not much.

{i had to blot out my real name}

sorry that these images are sort of bad quality..yes i did take them

sponsors, anyone?

2011-06-21T19:43:00.000-05:00

i would like to have a giveaway, you know, like a summer kick-off giveaway. i'd like to have a lot of prizes, so if you have something to offer (a professional photo, jewelry, professional blog design, crafts, sewing, etc), please email me at { luluemailme@gmail.com }. if you don't have anything to offer, please look around for someone who does! i'd like to have about 20-30 prizes, but this is only possible if i have lots of willing sponsors.

thank you.

summer things.

2011-06-20T20:17:00.000-05:00

wildflowers.

lemonade.

weddings.

swimming.

popsicles.

blueberries.

thunderstorms.

bicycles.

curly hair caused by humidity.

sleepovers.

trail rides.

picnics.

bonfires.

s'mores.

climbing trees.

lollipops.

happiness.

balloons.

flying kites.

beach time.

photography.

dandilions.

i heart summertime.

{images taken from: pinterest.com}

{yellow & blue} are my obsessions

2011-06-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

the two colors yellow and blue excite me,

they are so happy and pretty.

i think blue and yellow will be my wedding colors.

*note: images taken from Google Images

silly me:)

2011-06-15T12:56:00.001-05:00

lulu♥
born feb 2, 1998
hazel eyes
5 feet 3 inches
brown hair
8th grader
JESUS FREAK!!(:

things that make me happy

2011-06-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

raindrops on roses.

diet coke.

my bible.

babysitting.

reese's.

orchestra.

ilovemyfriends.

my family.

the mall.

facebook.

emailing.

sleepovers.

cello.

journaling.

violin.

piano.

blogging {though i've neglected it for over a month}.

being a christian teen in this crazy world.

home schooling.

summertime.

lemonade.

aeropostale.

laughing.

hugging.

music.

shake it up.

jumping on the trampoline.

hiking.

camping.

beautiful views.

long car rides.

wet seal.

lollipops.

mcdonald's fries.

smilling.

being my weird self.

red hair.

weddings.

food.

church

rachel.

nell.

renae.

ilovelife.

true treasures.

2011-05-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

I've been really searching God's Word more than ever before, and finding some AMAZING verses (all the New International Version). The Scriptures are so important to me!

Lamentations 3:22-23

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness."

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."

Romans 13:14

"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."

Philippians 2:13

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fill his good purpose."

Psalm 46:1

"For God is our ever-present help in times of trouble.

Psalm 139:23-24

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed."

Romans 12:21

"Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

i love him

2011-04-30T12:45:00.002-05:00

Before you say 'You love him?', I must say: I mean my baby brother! My adorable, brown-eyed, babyface!!

my name is lulu

2011-04-29T10:39:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the photographer, my dear sister! :):) We loved going outside yesterday to take these pictures.
OUTFIT:
Yellow top: Kohl's
Lace camisole: Wet Seal
Jeans: Aeropostale

i love you

2011-04-23T12:16:00.002-05:00

best friends♥

2011-04-21T11:46:00.002-05:00

My sister's best friend Becca was over yesterday and we had a BFF photo shoot. It was lots of fun.

fun in the sun

2011-04-12T16:27:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun outside today wearing SHORTS and T-SHIRTS! Here's what we did! (the thing on my sister's leg is a kid's horse tattoo)

I love my sister:) We have fun times!!

hello

2011-04-01T07:47:00.000-05:00

I'm back! The media challenge was so wonderful for me (even though I did miss Internet a little..). I spent more time in God's Word, I played more with my siblings, and got creative and did other things in my free time. I'd highly recommend taking a month off the computer if you need help with all of this! It pays off! I don't regret it one bit.

Probably the most exciting thing that happened when I was gone is....

i got a C-E-L-L-O!

My cello is my BABY! I wipe every inch of rosin dust off. I carefully take it out of my case. I don't let anyone touch it without me there. Let's just say it's highly protected. :) Today (Friday) is my first lesson. I am super excited for it. The cello has been a breeze to learn since I already play violin and piano. It has this deep beautiful and RICH sound and is so easy to play. (pictures will be provided in my earliest convenience)

Also this month I got to go to visit my aunt with my grandma. We had a blast! Shopping & eating occupied almost the whole time but we had great late-night girl chats too. It was an awesome little road trip.

Oh yes, looking for a great mystery story? Read Always Watching by Brilynn and Amberly Collins! Talk about an awesome mystery! It's teen Christian fiction, probably too scary for anyone under 13. Just warnin' ya. ;)

I'm doing awesome, and so is my family. I love my life<3

Can't wait for comments!

pink.

2011-03-16T08:19:00.002-05:00

What girl doesn't love pink?

::gorgeous lipstick::

::what a cutie pie::

::ooh. someone get me this.::

::ooh, so pretty::


::i would love to own this:: {images found through Google Images}

get a sneak peek....

2011-03-14T07:39:00.000-05:00

...of a story I've been writing! I'm super super super excited about this story idea - I think it will be an awesome story once I'm finished. (note: this is my rough draft, don't be too harsh with me. also, I know Ellyn is very rude in this story, but that will change! you'll have to read the rest when I'm done to find the outcome! :D)

Announcing the beginning of...........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

transform.

Chapter 1

“Seriously, Ellyn, just stop it!” Jordan ran out of the room, yelling at his little sister, who gave him an eye roll in return. Things weren’t too happy looking at the Paulsen family this bright Sunday afternoon. Ellyn was annoying her big brother, who was in a bad mood, Amber was being the little pesky sister, as usual, and Mom was in ‘the mood’ too. Dad was still at work.

“Mom, I’m going to Marissa’s. Natalie’s gonna be there too.” Ellyn grabbed her jacket off the table and rushed out the door. Mom called out after her.

“Not so fast, young lady. Your cousins are coming tonight and I want you to be here.”

“Not them again. Why do they always have to come over and bring their dorky parents with them?” Ellyn walked back in the house, slamming the door.

“Ellyn,” Mom began. “Quit. One of the ‘dorky parents’ is happens to be my sister. And her husband happens to be one of your dad’s friends.”

“They’re still dorky.” Ellyn rolled her eyes, grabbed her phone, and ran up to her room. She plopped down on her bed and started a new text.

Text Message To: Marissa M.

From: 1 (605) 342-0192

cant come 2nite…the dorks (aka my cuzins) r cmng ovr. :(sorry, lets do pizza another nite. luv u. c u @ school 2morow. bfn.

Ellyn flipped back her phone and ran back downstairs. She grabbed a cookie out of the jar and ate it, only to flip open her phone with a message from Marissa.

Text Message From: Marissa M.

To: 1 (605) 342-0192

o that stinks! hahaha give ur cuzins my best regards:) haha jk. Luv u cya 2morow.

“Ellyn. I don’t appreciate the attitude I’ve been getting about your cousins coming tonight. They are very nice people and they don’t get out much. They need our love.” Mom put her hand on Ellyn’s shoulder.

“Oh, puh-leez. Nice people? Really? Aunt Rachel corrects everything I do, Emma is a brat, Alexis is even worse, and they think they are the best Christians ever. Yeah, mom. Real nice people.” Ellyn pushed her mom’s hand off of her.

“Go to your room. Don’t come back until I call you.” Mom frowned. Ellyn ran upstairs with no problem.

Okay, God, I’ll give my cousins a chance. Please help me be kind to them and my aunt and uncle, too.

Wow, it had been a long time since she’d prayed. It felt good to talk to God – she had forgotten how much He could help her – with everything. A peace was already coming over her as Mrs. Paulsen called her back downstairs; her cousins had arrived.

“Why, hello, Ellyn dear!” Aunt Rachel squealed and gave Ellyn one of her famous ‘bear hugs’. Ellyn tried not to shrink back. She smiled at each of her eight cousins which were all girls-Emma, Alexis, Grace, Mariah, Eva, Justice, and Melody. Ellyn thought she would get a migraine by the time they left, which would be about midnight, if she knew her cousins.

“Ellyn! You haven’t changed much. You’ve still got that crazy curly hair and feisty blue eyes – just like you did when you were a little girl!” Emma half-smiled down at her ‘crazy haired, feisty blue eyed’ cousin. Ellyn tried to take that as a compliment – though she wasn’t sure about the ‘just like you did when you were a little girl’ part. As a teenager, that’s not exactly what she wanted to hear. A text beeped in and Ellyn answered it.

“Oh – I’m so glad my children have been sheltered from cell phones. Texting is so distracting and rude – don’t you think, dear Emma?” Mrs. Perry turned to her ‘dear Emma’.

“Of course, mother. I find it quite appalling.” Emma sniffed and turned up her nose at Ellyn, who rolled her eyes. Her mom gave her ‘the look’.

“Well, since you find my texting so appalling, I’ll just go up to my room – thanks for coming.” Ellyn tried to pull a fast one but her mom stopped her.

“Ellyn. take Emma, Alexis, Grace, and Mariah with you. I’m sure they’d love to see your room.” Mom smiled at her nieces and showed them up the stairs.

“Sure, Mom. Sounds great.” Ellyn sarcastically motioned for her cousins to follow her.

“Goodness, you have a large house. Imagine how much money was wasted in buying such extravagance – it could’ve been used for much more eternal things. What a shame.” Emma looked at the high ceilings and decorative ornamentation around the upstairs.

“I’m sorry I offended you by living in this house. Well, here’s my room.” Ellyn pushed the door opened and let the storm of girls in.

“What an adorable room!” Alexis smiled, running and jumping to the bed. Yes, her cousins were at home wherever they went. “Pink walls – you have exactly my taste, Ell.”

“Only friends call me ‘Ell’.” Ellyn tossed her curly hair. “And no, our tastes are completely different.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment until Emma noticed the TV set on Ellyn’s desk.

“It is so sad to see TV sets all over homes these days. It takes away from quality family time and there are so many inappropriate things on.” Emma shook her head. God, why did you make them so stuck-up? She sighed.

“I’m really sorry to say this – but would you quit criticizing everything you see? I could say a few things about you. But of course I won’t. I find that quite appalling.” Ellyn couldn’t help smile at her own imitation of Emma.

“Ellyn. Time to eat.” Jordan stuck his head inside her room door.

“Bone head. You’re supposed to knock.” Ellyn shoved him out of her room. Emma was clearly stunned.

“Sibling rivalry is so prevalent these days – I never expected it coming from you, though. Jordan and you used to be such nice kids. I don’t know what happened.”

“Right back at ya, Emma. Well, let’s go eat.” So that you can leave, Ellyn frowned. The girls walked quietly down to the kitchen, where pizza and pop were waiting.

“My, pizza and pop are so unhealthy. I prefer eating things that have more nutrition.” Emma whispered to Ellyn. Ellyn glared her hardest and kicked the floor. She opened her phone and texted Marissa.

Text Message To: Marissa M.

From: 1 (605) 342-0192

Omigosh my cuzins r such brats.:( i hate them esp. emma she is so stuckup.

Ellyn regretted the text as soon as she sent it. The Paulsen and Perry families ate in silence, each Perry girl turning her nose down at the ‘unhealthy’ food. Ellyn felt sorry for Mom who had thought this would be a fun treat for a family who doesn’t have the money to ‘splurge’ on pizza. How can I be so ungrateful to Mom? I could have gotten Aunt Rachel as my mom instead of her….

“I’m sorry, Shawna, my girls aren’t used to eating greasy food. They should really act more mature. Girls, appreciate this food even though it’s very unhealthy, please!” Aunt Rachel ‘scolded’ her girls.

“Yes, mother!” Each Perry girl said in unison.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you have it. Like it? Please comment with your feedback.

{I will be back from vacation on April 1st.}

treats.

2011-03-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

Who doesn't love any kind of treat? It's sweet. It's salty. It tastes good.

Skittles are some of my favorite candies. Yum.

Hm. Can't say enough about Oreos.

Ice cream. Hm. Ice cream is so delicious.

Butterfinger bars. Wow. So awesome.

Apple pie is classic in the fall:) yumm.

{images from Google Images}

are you a writer?

2011-03-05T07:25:00.000-06:00

If you are - I commend you! Writing is not easy, and it's more than just writing words.

Writing is my way of expressing real-life problems/situations with fictitious characters and a fictitious plot. I love formulating the main character's personality, name, stereotype - all of it. I love researching and discovering new ideas. I love sitting at my computer and letting my ideas flow.

I think writing is a God-given gift that some people are blessed with. Making up a story and telling it orally is different from writing the words and formulating them on paper (or Microsoft Word, in my case:D) . I don't think everyone is able to do that easily - some people are given a gift of speaking, some of writing, some of music, some of math. I think you get my drift.

Here are a few of my writing tips: (though everyone has their own style.)

1. take it in steps.

Write a rough draft of your story idea. Don't pay attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, or anything like that. Just get down what want your story to look like. Next, revise. Look for grammar errors-run on sentences, comma splices, fragments, etc. Then, proofread for capitalization and spelling. You will now have a pretty good story.

2. no copycats!

Don't copy other people's story ideas. Be creative - think of your own ideas. It's tempting for me to look at someone else's story or essay, and want to use that same plot/idea, but I can't. It's just not fair to the person who originally thought of the idea.

3. use microsoft word.

Most people have Microsoft Word already loaded on their computer. MW (microsoft word) is a place where you can type up your stories. There are nice fonts, colors, clip art, and more. This is where I write all of my stories/essays/etc.

That's basically all I have to offer, folks.

Most of all, when you're writing, have fun! Formulate your own style. Be yourself when you write.

j-o-y

2011-03-02T08:00:00.014-06:00

That spells joy, in case that didn't occur to you.

Joy is really important to have because it radiates Christ. Don't sit around sulking and looking all mad. Even if you're not trying to, this can come across wrong to people. This has happened to me at church. I was really, truly, and seriously paying attention to the sermon, but apparently looked mad. My mom approached me afterward and told me about this. I still have problems with this sometimes but now I'm aware and try to work on it.

Joy isn't necessarily a synonym for happiness. Happiness is temporary. Happiness is scheduled. Happiness comes when good things happen. Joy lasts and stays forever in a true Christian's life.

Joy is different. Joy is being thankful and glad all the time for Christ. It doesn't mean you have to walk around smiling all cheesy-like and putting on a fake gladness. No. Not at all. {I'm not saying don't smile. I'm saying don't fake it.}

{I will be back from vacation on April 1st.}

good-bye & farewell

2011-02-28T19:49:00.001-06:00

As you may know from this blog post, I'm taking a no media challenge for the month of March. I am super excited about this, and it will be really good for me.

I won't be blogging, designing, or anything else until April. However, I have several fun scheduled posts that will appear for March, so check back often!

Good-bye, au revoir, adios, zbogom, arrivederci, my dear followers. I will be back in April refreshed, renewed, and inspired.

of cellos.....

2011-02-26T14:25:00.000-06:00

I'm going to be purchasing a cello in a couple of months and I am way beyond e.x.c.i.t.e.d! I love cellos-their look-sound-everything. I will still keep on with violin and piano, though.

The thought of I'm going to be a cellist! is driving me mad.

I'd like to ask: if you are or were a cellist, what cello brand would you recommend? I wish to get a quality cello for $500.00-$800.00, and I've already found a few beautiful ones that are high quality, in my price range.

Here are a couple I looked at.

Merano Cello - $500.00

Vienna Strings Hamburg Cello - $685

I think the second one is my favorite even though it's quite a bit more money, though I can make that workable. They are both beautiful though, don't you think? Which one do you think I should get? I'm also going to ask my cousin Erika, an amazing cellist, about where she got her cello.

I will definitely tell you when I purchase my future cello. Trust me, I will. Like, seriously.

lies bloggers believe

2011-02-24T15:38:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'll start off with this: There's no such thing as a bad blogger.
You can blog how you want, when you want, and where you want. Your blog is a place to be you. A place to let your heart spill. A place of your own.

I'm extremely happy to present....

First of all - you shouldn't blog to have followers. You should blog to inspire, followers or not. I realized this after I posted about wanting more followers. It doesn't really matter. I'd be content with blogging the rest of my life with 84 followers.

Beep. Wrong answer. I know lots of great bloggers that have very few followers. I can't explain why you don't have followers, but I can tell you that you can be a great blogger without any

Uh, no. You do not have to have a professional design and I think a lot of 'good designers' have this in their head. You don't even have to have a fancy header to have a good blog.

Wrong again. You don't have to be a 'good photographer' to have an amazing blog. Need pretty pictures for your post? Go to Google Images and search for the picture you're looking for. Then you can have amazing pictures even if you aren't the best photographer.

*gasp, choke, faint* NOT. So-called 'big bloggers' have lots of followers. Yeah. Let's throw a party. But that doesn't automatically make them amazing bloggers. You are every bit as 'good' as the 'big bloggers'. Remember this - just because some people have tons of followers/comments/publicity doesn't make them a better person. God views all of His children the same, stunning blog or not.

'Big Bloggers' are no more valuable than you.

orchesra touring

2011-02-22T15:10:00.001-06:00

We had an orchestra tour today! Our orchestra toured three different schools in 3 different towns. I think it was a blast. I'm definitely looking forward to next year's tour already. =)

{cello}

We rode on a huge fancy bus to the different schools, and played the same songs at each one. The 'little elementary children' loved it. It was really cute watching them clap and smile. They got involved in the concert a little {my orchestra conductor is very good about that} and enjoyed every minute, I think.

{violin}

I play the violin in the orchestra, and so do some of my other friends. My cousin {who I'm too shy to talk to} Erika plays the cello. Then there are a few other random acquaintences, too. Orchestra is definitely something I enjoy and will keep doing as long as I can.

{upright bass}

If you play a stringed instrument, I'd highly recommend participating in a youth orchestra/symphony. It's definitely worth the time and effort! The pros definitely are more than the cons for me.

{viola}

Have an excellent day.

{all images found through Google Images}

media minimization challenge

2011-02-21T13:44:00.000-06:00

I'm taking the Winter Media Minimization Challenge hosted by Amy Vest.

This is what Amy Vest included in her email about this challenge:

Dear Friends,

This is going to be incredible!

In seeking to know and love Jesus more, a huge thing for our generation is to discipline our time spent on media - specifically the computer, internet, and TV - seeing that it can really rob valuable time that could be spent deepening our love for Jesus and truly living for Him!

It is something that needs to be mastered for God's glory and our good!

So this challenge is for the month of March 2011 to focus on minimizing the time we invest in media and using the time instead on things that will help maximize our love for Jesus!

It is going to be AMAZING and I know the Lord is going to move in powerful ways! This is not going to be super easy - but, it is going to be GOOD for you and so worth it!

I am challenging you to do this - I am doing this with you and am really excited about it! I really believe God is going to do phenomenal things!

Here are the details:

Dates: March 1-31^st, 2011
Who: Young Women ages 11-31 (ANYONE can take this challenge - these are the ones to whom we are offering the reward!)

Rules:
Stay off:
Internet, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, all social media, TV, Movies, Video/Computer games, YouTube, GodTube, etc. (This includes ALL OF THESE THINGS on your computer, TV, phone, ipod, etc.) J

Computer details - You are allowed:
- Up to 15 min. a day of personal email time, 6 days a week, for a total of 1 ½ hours of EMAIL ONLY time each week.
- 5 min a day, 6 days a week for emergency internet time (i.e. getting directions, ordering), for a total of 30 min. a week.
- Sunday - Stay off the computer completely.

Do: - Watch the "Winter Media Challenge" Video on our videocast page.
- Talk with your parents about taking this challenge. Ask for their support and prayer.
- Print off the Winter Challenge chart from the website - www.lovingthelordministries.org. (Post about the Winter Challenge on your blog or Facebook and encourage your friends join you in this, too! You can provide a link to the video and information as you let them know that you will be off for the month of March.)
- Find an accountability partner to connect with by phone once a week to make sure you are both on track, to share what the Lord is doing in your hearts, and to pray together.
- Spend 15 min. (or MORE) of personal time with the Lord each day of the challenge, for a total of 1 hour and 45 min. a week for a minimum - you can spend as much time with Him as you want!
- Spend your other time on things that will help you in loving the Lord and living for and serving Him. (We will have this suggestions/recommendations posted on the blog - check them out, they will be a great help in maximizing this time for deepening your walk with the Lord!)

Send in your chart:
Once you have completed the Challenge on March 31^st, send the chart to the address on the chart by April 7^th and we will mail your reward to you.

Rewards:
- Best of all, a closer relationship with Jesus!
- An exclusive LTLM designed t-shirt

Let us know that you are taking the challenge: Email us at info@lovingthelordministries.org and let us know that you are taking the Challenge with us!

Questions:
If you have questions or a special situation that comes up, you can email us!

The Lord bless you as you focus on Him this month, friends! He has amazing things in store! I am eagerly anticipating it.

Remember that, like Hebrews 11:6 says, "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Have a great month minimizing media and maximizing your love for Jesus!

Seeking Him with you,

Amy Vest

This will be a real challenge for me, as I love my dear blogging, texting, and emailing, and I do it quite frequently, but I am glad that Amy is hosting this challenge. I really needed this right now.

I would love if you'd participate with me. Please leave a comment/post about it if you're interested, it would be lovely.

of journaling.

2011-02-17T14:39:00.000-06:00

I keep a journal. I love journaling - writing down memorable and important things in my life, my thoughts, encouraging scripture, and sketches.

Normally, I write down a section of what I've been doing lately and what I'm looking forward to. Under that, I write to God and write down my struggles, questions, thanks, and praises. It's a good way to write down a prayer without getting distracted.

It doesn't matter if your handwriting is fancy or plain, neat or cluttered, because no one cares. This is your journal, and no one else will read it.

I am very artsy when it comes to journaling and love to try out different calligraphy styles. This is quite fun and makes the times when I look back and read my past entries more interesting to look at. Yes, I read back what I've written - it's an excellent way to see how life's dynamics have changed, your growing maturity {I started journaling over 3 years ago.}, and sometimes it's even fun to look at your mature handwriting. :)

Steps for Starting a Journal

1. Get a journal.

Your journal can be anything from a simple school notebook or a fancy little binder. It doesn't matter.

2. Write.
Just write! Write your day-to-day activities. Write your frustrations. Write your joy. Write anything you want. It doesn't matter what's in the journal, no one will read it.

3. Formatting.
Most likely you'd like to be able to read your past journal entries. Make sure you have a 'standard format' every time. It's really important you know the date you wrote it, I love looking at journal entries from two years ago. {grin}

Here's a simple format you could use.

Dear Journal, 2/17/2011
Your
Journal
Entry
Here
~Lulu~

It's also really important to understand that there are no rules for journaling! You need to make your journal all you. Don't feel like you have to write a certain thing here and a certain thing there, just let the words flow. Personalize your journal and make it look like your own. There is no wrong way to journal.

So, have fun with your new journal and I'd love to know if this inspired you to start. If you already have a journal, share what style you journal! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

three.

2011-02-16T12:18:00.001-06:00

Read this to find out a lot about me.

3 favorite foods: Spaghetti, Lasagna, Pizza

3 favorite singers: Britt Nicole, Jasmine Sagginario, Krystal Myers

3 favorite movies: Ace of Hearts, Uncle Nino, Race to Witch Mountain

3 favorite holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter

3 favorite iPod apps: Doodle Jump, Textfree, Flixster

3 favorite songs: Baila Chiquita, Make a Movie, Yeah

3 people I look up to: Mom, Dad, Grandma K {awesome godly people!}

3 favorite books of the Bible: James, Hebrews, Psalms

3 favorite states: North Dakota, New York, California

3 favorite colors: Green, blue, yellow

3 favorite activities: journaling, reading, writing

3 favorite days of the week: Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday

3 favorite school subjects: Literature, Life Science, History

3 favorite animals: Dog, dolphin, lion

3 favorite TV shows: Say Yes to the Dress, Fatal Attractions, Cake Boss

3 favorite instruments: Piano, violin, cello

3 favorite bloggers: Carlotta, Hannah, Olivia

3 favorite names[besides my own:)]: Ellie, Rachel, Amelia

3 closest friends: Renae, Rachel, Amanda

3 people-I-feel-guilty-about-not-introducing-myself-to: Erika, Ashley, Rachel R.

3 favorite fonts: Century Gothic, Georgia, Times New Roman

3 favorite fruits: Apple, pineapple, orange

3 favorite seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn

3 favorite stores: Aeropostale{<3<3<3}, Forever 21, American Eagle

3 favorite beauty items: Nail polish, concealer, lip gloss

3 pet peeves: Messy bedrooms, half peeled off nail polish, teeny little kids wearing makeup{bleh!}

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Had to post this! Feel like ya know me a little more? Take this and say you stole it from me:) Not to be confused with a tag, please. ;)

our weekend

2011-02-15T12:39:00.001-06:00

Lulu (left) Nell (right)

Becca (left) Lulu (right)

2 friends - Becca (left) Ivy (right)

Three friends - Mariah (left) Shey (middle) Katie (right)

Lulu (left) Renae (right)

My wonderful friends surprised me with this happy birthday snowman....I love it!

Mm-yummy snow! Becca (left) Renae (right)

Hmm...we seem to like snow....(Becca)

Givin' me the funny face...(Renae)

Lulu (left) Rachel (right)

Funny faces Lulu (left) Renae (right)

Caught in the middle of a laugh - Nell (left) Renae (right)

Lulu (left) Casey (right)

Where is the setting, you ask? The beautiful hills near my house. I had my friends and a few of my sister's friends over for sledding/sleepover..we had so much fun! We did nails (and ended up with 35 bottles of nail polish!), hair, and movies. Renae curled Rachel's hair for church the next morning - it turned out beautiful! When our group of girls gets together....there's no telling how much fun we'll have! <3 <3 love you girlssss!

sneak peek

2011-02-14T17:29:00.000-06:00

Yes, get a sneak peek of my awesome birthday weekend.

Here are a couple pics of our day...more coming soon! :) Trust me, I have plenty more to come! Goodness, we had an awesome time!

Lulu (left) Rachel (right)

Lulu (left) Renae (aka 'Nae') Right

i believe in miracles..

2011-02-11T15:17:00.001-06:00

What is a miracle?

mir-a-cle

[mir-uh-kuhl]

-noun

an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

That's the dictionary definition of 'miracle', and I think that pretty much sums it up. The only thing they left out is

that a miracle is always performed by God. Yes, people do it in tribal areas in Africa, but the power that God gave them is amazing. An important thing to remember is that no human can do a miracle by himself. Christ just does it through them. And it's supernatural. Beautiful. Amazing. Surpasses all human understanding. But it's not hard for God. He can do anything, so a miracle is not some big production for Him.

A person may ask 'Why don't I see any amazing miracles today?' Okay, so Christ isn't walking around the earth healing people with His touch or feeding thousands of people with one boy's lunch like He did in Bible times. But He still heals people when doctors say it's impossible; that this person will never be well ever again. He forms babies in a mother's womb, makes flowers grow, and protects the animals of the sea. He puts a rainbow in the sky to brighten our day after a rainstorm. He provides beautiful sunsets for us to marvel at.

Miracles still happen all the time. Human salvation is even a miracle. It's beyond our understanding how on earth Christ could forgive us. That, my friend, is an amazing miracle that I (and I'm sure all of you) have witnessed firsthand.

So when some people may tell you that a miracle is 'far-fetched' 'impossible' or 'a fairy tale', don't be fooled. Miracles aren't fairy tales. They're beautiful things performed by God and couldn't be performed by anyone else. Miracles are things we see every day. Babies, sunsets, flowers. Anything's a miracle if it's made by God.

Here are a few miracles witnessed all the time:

{all images found through Google images}

So, I will restate the title of this post: I believe in miracles!

pics of moi :)

2011-02-08T20:09:00.001-06:00

Here are a few pictures of me being my normal crazy & random self. :) Which is your favorite - number 1 or number 2?

*more from that photoshoot coming soon!

miscellany monday

2011-02-07T16:57:00.001-06:00

1. challenge

I'm currently participating in a practice challenge hosted by my violin teacher. The challenge is to practice a lot, and to be the one who practices the most each month. I'm really excited about this. I probably haven't been practicing violin as much as I should, and this is already helping. I practiced an hour today....I hope to practice at least an hour every day. ;)

2. extra small....small....medium

Okay, so I remember the days where I could manage fitting into extra small juniors' size. Then it crawled along to small. Now I'm in medium. That really shocked me - I was at Aeropostale trying on clothes, and size small was skin tight. Sheesh. I think it's time to say 'I wear medium'. Trying not to stress about it. :)

3. cut back

I'm going to be cutting back on blogging, emailing, designing, and general computer stuff. Blogging used to come to my mind probably too often, and I think I was getting a little consumed by it. So, I'm not going to post every day. I might not even post every other day. We'll see how this goes, and there may be a small blogging break in my future. ;) I think this 'cut-back' will be really good for me.

4. go packers!

The Packers won the Super Bowl yesterday......oh yeah! The only real reason I rooted for them is because the Vikings didn't make it {shame, Minnesota!} and I normally root for the Vikings. I was taught not to support the Steelers....they were the 'arch enemy' of the Cowboys and my mom is from Texas. So, therefore I cheered for the Packers. :) So, boo-hoo Steelers. I'm sorry if you're a fan of them....but...well....

5. bash

Saturday I'm having a sleepover bash with my friends...for my 13th birthday. :) They are going to come over, we're going to sled, paint nails, giggle, and have a great time. :) We're going to have about 7 people here.....so......wow.....

6. photography challenge

I foresee a photography challenge in the future.....anyone else up for another one?!? I sure am. Eep. I'll have to have one sometime soon.

That's my miscellany for ya..have a great Monday! I'm feeling very...accomplished today. Ah. Sigh. That feels good. :)

success.

2011-02-06T18:59:00.002-06:00

{happy super bowl sunday, everybody! go packers!!}

Success at what you ask? I went to Aeropostale {awesome store, by the way. would highly recommend going there.} on Friday, and had success in finding some awesome clothes. My dear grandmother {who I spent the weekend with} took me shopping for my birthday. Fun times.

First of all....two cute camisoles. To wear under more see through-ish shirts and that cardigan that needs a special look. Who doesn't like floral print camisoles?!?

Next, an awesome cardigan {mine is actually blue, but they didn't have a blue one online.}

Next, two pairs of jeans. They look kinda weird in this picture but they're gorgeous in real-life.

And....some really comfy gray sweatpants, which I happen to be wearing right now. They are super comfy not to mention cute. :)

I also got 3 more long-sleeved shirts, which I can't find on the Aeropostale website, again. Oh well.

There ya go, you got to see some of my favorite clothes. I would put them on and model for you..I'm just too lazy this beautiful Sunday.

Have a great week.

13 words for my 13th

2011-02-03T08:36:00.001-06:00

awesome, beautiful, amazing, special, wonderful, fun, sweet, delicious, fantastic, fabulous, marvelous, epic, lovely

So yes, it was a very special day. I started off the day with breakfast in bed! I had *cough* three cinnamon rolls, a cup of smoothie, and a few pineapple slices. Then I went to piano lessons then came home. In the evening I got to go out to eat with my grandma at Johnny Carino's, which is yummy Italian food. Then we went to the mall and Coldstone, which is some really delicious ice cream.

Yes, my birthday was very special, I had a wonderful day! And the fun's not over yet....I get to spend the weekend with another grandma and have friends over for sledding and a sleepover. Fun, fun, fun. :)

Well, I hope you had a wonderful Groundhog's Day yesterday! ;)

i owe..

2011-02-02T16:43:00.000-06:00

.....someone a BIG thank-you! Wondering who this person is? It is.....the wonderful Bethany from Joyfull Girl Creations! She designed this lovely little blog of mine. And it's gorgeous. And free. Yes, I said FREE. It took only 2 days to complete, whereas some 'big' blog designers charge ridiculous amounts of money and take forever to finish your design. But Bethany was free, beautiful, and quick. I highly recommend her. She was very easy to communicate with.

Thanks again, Bethany! You're amazing!

Also - thanks everybody for your sweet birthday wishes. I'm having an awesome day so far - breakfast in bed, and out to eat at Johnny Carino's (Italian -- yummy!), and a sleepover on the weekend. Eep {this is my favorite word, can't you tell?!?}.

i may be 13

2011-02-01T20:15:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite Rubyz songs. Please watch it - especially if you are 13 {or are almost 13}

miscellany monday {that's really miscellany}

2011-01-31T13:02:00.003-06:00

*if you are looking for my post & link about your giveaway, scroll down. It's there. :)

1. giveaway winners

First of all, the winner of the cookie earrings is...

Arianna! Congratulations, Arianna! You'll need to email me your address, so I can email it to the sponsor.

The winner of the cupcake ring is...

Anna Faith! Congrats! You'll have to email me { luluemailme@gmail.com } your address so the sponsor can mail this to you.

And last of all, the winner of the bow necklace is.....

Kelsey! Congratulations! Please email me your address so the sponsor can send it to you.

Just to let everyone know, it was completely fair, I used 'random.org' to find the winners.

Thanks for all the entries.

2. giveaways galore

Anna Katherine is giving away lots of neat stuff.

Michaela {awesome blog by the way} is having an adorable giveaway of stuff to do with Paris! Ooh-la-la! I heart Paris, France, and all French stuff! So excited about this.

Arianna is also having a jewelry giveaway. They are some pretty nifty bracelets with some of the fruits of the spirit on them.

AmandaBeth is having an ADORABLE jewelry giveaway. I desperately want to win! :)

3. the flu bug has struck

Yes, I'm sick. But thankfully, I just got sick today, so I didn't miss my orchestra concert last night. I have a headache. I have a tummy ache. And, I won't mention what else I have. Enough about me, also two of my brothers are sick {one of whom is a baby..please pray!}, and the rest of my family just recovered. Yes, I'd say we are sick around here. :'(

4. 13?!?

I am turning 13 in a whopping....two days. That's right, my birthday's on Wednesday, I am a groundhog baby. I am so excited....eep! I'm going to go out to eat with my grandma, then go to my other grandma's for the weekend, then have my friends over for a sleepover and sledding outside in this frigid weather. Eep. I am so excited {hence the word eep.} .

5. february madness

I am going to be busy this month. Wow. My birthday, orchestra, Valentine's day, Super Bowl Sunday, elementary school orchestra touring, skiing with my Sunday school class {EEP!} sleepover, weekend with grandma, ladies' brunch at church, and probably more that I'm not aware of.

6. confession time

Confession: I have a huge surprise for y'all. Not tellin'.

Confession: Extremely sick of this frigid winter. Extremely.

Confession: I'm excited to be 13.

Confession: I am officially obsessed with Italy and France. Anybody going there? I'd be happy to join you.

Confession: I have the awesomest {yes, I'm well aware that's not a word.} song in piano. I've played it at least 20 times.

Confession: I'm sick of being sick.

Well, have a great day everyone!

consider the lilies

2011-01-28T12:33:00.002-06:00

When we look at Matthew 6:25-33, God reassures us that He will always love us. Telling us not to worry. Telling us that He's always there for us. Telling us that He loves us. And that He always will.

Matthew 6:25-33 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

What a comforting passage! The robins, the lilies, and all living things on the earth are taken care of precisely and lovingly by their Creator.

I was inspired to do a post on this after my science class today. This passage was mentioned and it just brought a smile to my face, to think that God cares about the lilies so much, so how much He loves His children, who were made in His image?

So don't worry about what you'll eat tomorrow. Don't worry about what you're going to wear. Jesus will take care of you and will make sure you have everything you need.

Have a good day, and don't worry about anything!

Blessings,

~Lulu Maggie~

Enter my giveaway here.

photo contest winner

2011-01-27T20:25:00.000-06:00

It's time to announce the winner for the unedited photos contest! The winning photo is, coincidentally the photo I voted for. :) *wink*

Elizabeth from JoyfulJewels4Jesus!

This was the photo that she entered:

I can't get over the beauty of this flower, not to mention unedited!

Thanks for all who entered, and congratulations, Elizabeth! Beautiful job!

Can't wait for the next photo challenge!

Blessings,

~Lulu Maggie~

P.S. You can enter my jewelry giveaway by clicking here.

forever

2011-01-26T09:08:00.000-06:00

I am new staff on Forever Magazine, managed by the wonderful Megan. My 'job' this month was an article/story/poem. I thought I'd share the poem that I wrote with you lovelies.

(note: I do not claim to have any poetic abilities.....*sheepish grin*)

My Father’s Love

by Lulu

When I know my Father’s grace,
I praise His name, and
Tears of joy stream down my face.

Loving me so great and true,
Holding me in His hand,
There is no reason to be blue!

Knowing that he died for me,
Bleeding on that awful cross,
It’s awesome knowing I am free.

Saying my heavenly Father’s name,
Praising Him day by day,
This love on earth seems very lame.

Click here to subscribe to the magazine! The first issue comes out February 7th, so hurry and subscribe and follow the blog!

Have a great day!

the giveaway

2011-01-24T18:40:00.000-06:00

That's right, it's time for my first official giveaway!

I'm having this giveaway for two reasons -- 50 followers and 200 posts.

First of all, I'd love to thank Kenzie for her generous donations of all these items! So, here's how it goes. There are three prizes, so there will be three winners. If I draw your name twice, you will get two items. You get what I mean, right?

First off, this adorable pair of chocolate chip cookie earrings!

This beautiful cupcake ring

And this adorable red bow necklace.

Hint: click the images to make them larger.

So here's how you can enter. (note: leave a comment for each entry you do! If you don't, it will only count as one entry!)

Mandatory Entry:

Follow my blog publicly and let me know you did so. (note: If you already follow, comment and tell me that you already do.)

*Extra Entries*

Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Buzz about the giveaway and leave the link(s).

Add Kenzie's Etsy shop to your favorite list.

Tell me your favorite of the three prizes.

Comment and tell me why you want to win.

You can enter all the way up to January 31st, 2011, then the giveaway will end, and I will announce the winners. I am so excited about this, so enter up!

a true friend.

2011-01-22T10:39:00.005-06:00

A true friend will stick by you, through thick and thin.

A true friend will be honest with you.

A true friend will love you for who you are, not wanting to change you.

A true friend always forgives and apologizes.

A true friend doesn't care about age.

A true friend doesn't act different around different people.

A true friend doesn't put her friend down.

A true friend won't talk about you behind your back.

A true friend can keep a secret.

A true friend doesn't ignore you.

Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother was born for a time of adversity."

5 finalists

2011-01-21T09:21:00.004-06:00

Sarah Grace

Megan

Elizabeth

Gwendolyn

Josiah

So now, pick your favorite photo, and vote on the poll in my sidebar! I must say -- I loved each and every entry I got, but these were just my choice favorites. Thanks for all the entries -- you all blew me away with 19 entries. Can't wait for the next challenge.

mr. blue eyes

2011-01-18T15:36:00.001-06:00

This picture is my entry in Carlotta's photo contest. Elijah -- my baby brother -- is the best "thing" that's happened to me in a long time. I love you, baby bro!

Blessings,

~Lulu Maggie~

challenge; project 365

2011-01-18T12:29:00.003-06:00

I just decided to host a project 365 challenge! What is a project 365? you ask. A project 365 is where you do something once a day, every day, for one year.

The project 365 I'm doing is photography. Yep. One picture every day for one year. So here are the rules.

1. Take at least one picture per day.
2. Every week, post the pictures that you've taken for the past seven days.
3. I will post my photography every week, too, on my project 365 blog, and when I post, go there and you can link-up your project 365 post (I will provide a linky tool.). You also need to take the button from that blog and include it on every project 365 post you do.

So who's up for a challenge? I'm sure this will be a big challenge for me, considering I barely touch my camera. I'm so excited to do this, and with other people joining and encouraging each other, I'm sure it will be easier.

Please comment and let me know if you're in, and I'll feature your name/blog link in my sidebar! Spread the word (button coming soon) about this, and we'll have lots of people doing a fun project 365.

Remember, we start today, so take a picture today, too! (note: the reason I said just once a week you post with the past pictures is because you don't want your whole blog to be your project 365 posts every day. So just post once a week, or, start a separate blog for your project, like I did.)

This happens to be my favorite photo. I just had to post this!

Just to clarify, you need to enter here, click my project 365 button, and that is the blog where you will link up your photography posts.

Blessings,

~Lulu Maggie~

miscellany monday

2011-01-17T09:57:00.002-06:00

1. giveaway

I'm having an awesome giveaway, starting next week! Oh my goodness, you are going to be so pumped about this. [evil laugh goes here] I'll just have to leave you in suspense until then.

2. ~~awful~~ beautiful design

I love my new blog design! :) I just figured out how to do page icons and I'm so totally PUMPED. :) I am forming a background and I'd love if you'd grab my new button!

3. hot cocoa love

Yesterday at orchestra we had hot cocoa. Delicious hot cocoa filled with yummy marshmallows. Hot cocoa that had lots of cocoa in it (some cocoa doesn't have enough!). Hot cocoa that burnt my tongue and I felt it all the way home. The hot cocoa that our conductor ordered from the cafeteria specially for his awesome orchestra members. (grin) I love hot cocoa.

4. reunite

Yesterday before orchestra I got to visit my camp counselor, Lydia! I got to go to her dorm at college and just talk and hang out! She is so much fun to talk to, mostly because she's an excellent listener. She's so my type - same fashion, same technology (apple laptop and iPod touch!), and same faith, most importantly. I was so blessed to be able to see Lydia again after camp.

5. i hate uppercase letters

Omigoodness I'm being like Carlotta. :) That's a good thing though. But oh goodness, I hate uppercase letters! Why do I even use them? I have no idea. I guess it's just more organized when capitalize everything - but seriously. I think Carlotta and I need to start a petition to ABOLISH uppercase letters on the blogging world! :(

6. my favorite jeans ever.

So I have this certain pair of jeans. This pair of jeans that I wear twice in a week (without washing them. hey!). The pair of jeans that I wash anytime the washer is open just so I can wear them the next day. I can't believe that I have a huge amount of jeans and only wear 1-2 pairs of jeans a week. What should I do? Donate the rest to the salvation army? Send them to my favorite blogger? *grin*

Blessings,

~Lulu Maggie~
(like my new name? Maggie's my middle name!)

what God loves, part 1

2011-01-14T13:46:00.000-06:00

I decided to do a series: What God Loves.

This post is part one of that series.

The most important thing God loves is....Love. God loves when we love our friends. God loves when we love our enemies. God loves when we love Him. Love is essential in every relationship imaginable. In our relationship with God, what do you know? We must love Him, because He first loved us {and there are a whole bunch of other reasons too!}. We must love our parents, which is another very important relationship. We must love our siblings. We must love our friends. We must love our teachers, coaches, political leaders, and anyone else in authority above us. While most people don't like this idea, we also must love our enemies.

Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to each other in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

There are so many verses in the Bible about love that it's simple to know how much the Lord loves it! Love is beautiful. Powerful. Amazing. The most indescribable thing on earth. The feeling of knowing you're loved is amazing and can't be described. Have you ever tried to explain the feeling of knowing the Lord loves you with all His heart, even though we're awful {wretched would be a better word} sinners? Try it sometime. It doesn't exactly work.

Love isn't a feeling, it's an action. Do things for others in love, so that they know just how much you love them. Give people a hug randomly for no apparent reason {other than, well, love!}.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of love. He allowed himself to be crucified in the most awful way to save us from our sins. He could have hopped right on off of that cross with a snap of a finger, but He didn't. Because He loves us, and because He knows we could not be saved on our own "power". Jesus' love is evident in our lives every day. He constantly showers down blessings on us and comforts us through the hard times.

Deuteronomy 6:5 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, will all your mind, and with all your strength."

Wow, the Lord couldn't have put it clearer! Love God with everything!

Come back next week for another 'What God Loves'!

photography challenge; unedited photos

2011-01-13T17:43:00.002-06:00

It's time for another photography challenge here at my blog!

This time, I have a category. :) The category is: Unedited Photos! You know, those pictures you thought you'd never expose to the outside world, and the picture you CERTAINLY would never enter in a photography contest.

So dish those pictures! I'll pick my favorite unedited photo.

Rules:
1) It must be an unedited photo (no watermarks, crops, blemish-fix, etc.)
2) You must post the picture on your blog, with the photography challenge button above {and put it on your sidebar!}.
3) When you're done posting your picture on your blog, enter the link in the linky list below.
Finalists will be posted January 21st, 2011, which is when you can start voting! And remember, spread the word. It's more fun when there are more entries.

it's wintertime :)

2011-01-12T16:15:00.000-06:00

Which photo is your favorite? I love the last one, with our yard in the mirror of our car! :)

Blessings,

~Lulu~

confession talk tuesday

2011-01-11T12:46:00.000-06:00

Anna at Bella Vita is having an every-Tuesday link-up! It's called Confession Talk Tuesday, where we post our confessions on our blogs. I love this idea, can't wait to get started!

Confession: I really {and I mean really} need a shower.

Confession: I'm an HTML nut. Whenever I conquer an HTML bug, shivers go down my spine. ;-)

Confession: I am sick of January already. February, here we come!

Confession: I don't cry at even very emotional movies. I am not that sensitive. :( Is this good or bad?

Confession: I hate pizzicato on my violin. The ironic thing is, I just got a song in orchestra where we have to pluck the whole song....

Confession: Every time Olivia at {of}HorseFeathers posts, I smile really big and drop what I'm doing to read her posts. Same thing with Maggie at Bliss.

Confession: I love my 61 followers!

Confession: When people use the word 'myself' incorrectly (as in: John, myself, and Suzy...), I feel like correcting them and giving them a little grammar lesson. Why don't people realize that reflexive pronouns have to reflect back on something? Argh! :(

Confession: I am a science fanatic. Even the hard-to-understand stuff.

Confession: I love confessions......

Confession: I am wearing a pair of gray sweatpants right now that are too small.....but who cares? *sigh*

Confession: Boy, I really need a shower.

Confession: I'm considering having a giveaway soon..what do y'all think? Hmm...

Confession: I am very excited for the Sherwood movie 'Courageous' to be released. Eep! Eep!

Confession: I think I'll be done with confessions now.

huge giveaway(s)

2011-01-10T16:44:00.001-06:00

First of all, Miss Carissa is having a giveaway at her blog lowercase letters. She is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Lisa Leonard Designs! I am very, very, VERY hyped about this giveaway.

wow, wow, WOW! Polka Dot is having an ENORMOUS giveaway at her blog. It seriously is huge. As in there are 26 prizes, which means 26 winners! Go over there and enter it. Because you won't be disappointed. (scroll down to read my Miscellany Monday post!)