marching to the beat

da da da da da?

2011-03-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

lord willing, i will one day have twins. and they will act like this. amen.

they're almost heeerrreee!!!!!!

2011-03-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

rebecca will be here in 3 hours!!!!!!

and she's bringing the whole family!

rebecca and her husband, ryan

her dad/mom, mike & susan

and the cutest baby ever, lily

did i mention lily?

isn't she precious? watch out! she bites!

but....she loves me

and more importantly, she loves nyc!

however...as excited as i am to see her sweet, drooling face-

i'm 10x's more excited to see THIS sweet, drooling face:

so...have a great weekend everyone! i know i will!

february foto: day 25

2011-02-25T10:39:00.001-08:00

[last night's happy hour with co-workers]

foto february: day 21

2011-02-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

[porterbrook + jack's = a wonderful afternoon]

foto february: day 18

2011-02-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

[...and i ♥ lily.]

foto february: day 17

2011-02-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

[my fave pic of all time. why? is still a mystery...]

foto february: day 16

2011-02-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

[one year ago today.]

foto february: day 15

2011-02-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

[excited to hang with these girls tonight]

foto february: day 14

2011-02-14T05:22:00.000-08:00

[valentine breakfast with the roommate]

foto february: day 13

2011-02-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

[the "fruits" of our labor: downtown girls juicing party at our apartment yesterday morning. yum!]

foto february friday feature :: angela

2011-02-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

so, i dropped the ball yesterday.  i apologize.  but, i'm totally making up for it today!

my sweet roommate, angela, has graciously offered to be our friday feature!  i asked for a photo that inspires her and she sent...13.  here are my favorite 6, in no particular order.  enjoy!

 [a great night of music: iron & wine]

{editor's note: ang was originally supposed to be proposed to at this concert, but our beloved bryson couldn't wait!  instead, they were engaged atop a hill in austin, tx several weeks before}

 [our city]

 [never would be too soon.  brooklyn, ny]

 [simpler days]

[angela: i freaking love this tree]

[battery park & our lady]

foto february: day 9

2011-02-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

[wishing i had one of these right now]

foto february: day 8

2011-02-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

[made with ♥ : strawberry shortcake bites]

foto february: day 7

2011-02-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

[adventure]

foto february: day 6

2011-02-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

[birthday dessert from 2 little red hens with my sister yesterday]

foto february friday feature :: liz

2011-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

ugh! i scheduled this to post yesterday knowing i would be busy doing sister things.

sorry! here it is today, our saturday friday feature. we're laid back around here.

[mexico city]

what liz has to say about why she chose this "foto"*:

I took this during some down time on a business trip to Mexico City. It was April and Mexico was beautiful and balmy, while the New York I had just left was gray and slushy (sounds familiar...). This photo reminds me of being relaxed, warm and eating my weight in guacamole. It was taken with my vintage Polaroid SX 70.

*Liz does not approve of the use of the word "foto."  Liz chose this "photo."  Glad we cleared that up.

foto february: day 3

2011-02-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

[welcome basket for my sister's arrival today]

foto february: day 2

2011-02-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

[my dear friend, katy, during a trip back to nyc]

foto february: day 1

2011-02-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

[view from my coworker dave's office in early january.]

merry christmas!

2010-12-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

a toast to my big brother george...

...the richest man in town.

-harry bailey, it's a wonderful life

giveaway winner!

2010-11-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

hey guys- welcome back! we have a winner for the derek webb 'feeback' album! i'm always a little doubtful of the integrity of some of the blog giveaways i enter (mainly, because i never win). so, i documented my selection process to put your precious hearts at ease. winner announced at the end- here we go!

first, i put everyone's names on a slip of paper (there were 29 entries...)

then, i folded each name...

next, i dumped all the names into my favorite cup (that i stole from an old roommate)...

here they are- all 29 names, just waiting to be picked...

then, i gave the cup a good, long shake...

and the moment of truth, i reached in - picked a name...

and the winner is...

congrats, aroadhome! i'll be contacting you very soon!!!

thanks to everyone who entered. have a great week!

❤ - Murph

giveaway: derek webb's new album 'feedback'

2010-11-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

derek webb released his newest album 'feedback' last week. for those of you who know me (let's be real honest about my blog's sphere of influence for a second...if you're reading this, you know me), it's somewhat of a joke that i think mr. webb can do no wrong, musically speaking. his music is a unique fusion of truth and vulnerability. i think there are tons of great artists in the industry right now who do wonderful jobs at one of the aforementioned traits, but few weave both so seamlessly together- and even fewer can accomplish it without sacrificing the quality of the music they're creating. anyway- i'm digressing. summary: derek webb's music rocks.

so, when he announced on twitter a few months ago that he would be releasing a quote-unquote worship album, i was intrigued to say the least. this worship album would be completely instrumental. this was interesting to me mainly because webb usually has a lot to say. verbally. so...we were going into uncharted territory.

guys- it's awesome. i really don't know how to describe it- and i think that's a wonderful thing. i'm not even going to insult it with a "review" or my thoughts. all i'm going to say is this: listening to it makes my heart sing & ache at the same time.

i would love to introduce someone to this amazing album! ideally, someone who is reading this and going "derek w-ho?" so...below are the giveaway details. good luck!

what exactly am i giving away?

i'm giving away a tier 2 version of derek webb's new album 'feedback'

here are the details, stolen straight from www.derekwebb.com

how can you win this awesome album?

comment on this post and tell me what comes to mind when you hear the word "worship." that's it! please leave a way for me to contact you, and only enter once. i'll accept entries through sunday night at 11:59pm. winner will be announced sometime monday.

❤ - murph

november is national adoption month!

2010-11-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

friends,
i want to take a brief moment and make you aware of something that the Lord has been impressing on my heart these last 6 months or so: the orphan. scripture is very clear on God's view of the orphan and the widow- they hold a very special place in His heart. therefore, we, His bride should also be anguished over the plight of the orphan. i know in my heart, the problem seems so vast that it's daunting to even contemplate a starting point. we cannot let this hinder us anymore. please join me in committing to take action. does this mean you need to fill out an adoption application today? absolutely not. could you send $35/month to sponsor a child? probably. if your financial situation is tight- could you volunteer to mentor a child a few hours a week? absolutely. if we, the church, come together and address this growing need- we could absolve it. isn't that amazing?

here are 3 great resources to help get you started:

Responding To the Orphan Crisis
(this is a resource compiled by Apostles Church NYC with a bunch of different organizations and what they do)

What You Can Do
(this is a blog my friend katy tweeted about how to get involved if you're not ready to adopt)

They Journey
(this is the blog of a young woman who felt called by the Lord to adopt 14 girls in Africa. she is living this call with every breath she takes. her story is amazing- and will hopefully inspire change in your life...)

if you know of any other great organizations- feel free to let me know!

let's do this together! as a community, we CAN make a huge difference. let us know what you're planning to do this month to become more involved in this issue.

i'll start: i'm taking the very small step of sponsoring a child through world vision. i know it's not much, but i'm hoping it will spur me on to take another step, and another...

i love sample sales

2010-09-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

saucer: $1 teacup:$1

feeling girly before 10am: priceless

a dash of this...a pinch of that...

2010-05-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

i love food blogs. always have. always will. the trouble is, it's just me right now. 1 person. so, i never make any of the food that looks so incredible, because it seems a little excessive to make such gourmet food for 1. [speaking of food for 1: my friend, trey, posted this on his blog recently. it makes me laugh and cry at the same time] well, lucky for me 3 of my favorite things have combined to create a tri-fecta of happiness! 1. friends 2. BABIES! 3. good food. many of my dear friends are having babies- and with their hands so full, it is a great joy to get to serve them by cooking dinner while they get their sea legs. last week, i was blessed to be able to provide dinner for my dear friends, the mason's and their newest edition: maelee marguerite.

the mason's are trying to stay healthy in this hectic time- and as you know, vegetables are NOT my forte. after much recipe research i decided on herb roasted whole chicken (found on one of my favorite sites, the pioneer woman), provencal summer squash gratin (found in one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, the food network's how to boil water), and a yogurt/granola/fruit parfait. i had so much fun making food that i never get to make! thanks for the opportunity masons! :)

let's get cookin'!

for the herb roasted whole chicken...

1 whole chicken (recipes says 3-4lbs- mine was closer to 5)

canola oil

rosemary, thyme, sage (or herbs of your preference)

aromatics- feel free to be creative! i chose an onion, lemon, and some garlic

kosher salt

ground black pepper

not called for in the recipe, but i can't live without it: my food network digital remote thermometer (or any type of food thermometer- undercooked chicken is a huge fear of mine!)

take your herbs and remove them from their stems, then give them a good chop. you'll need a couple of tablespoons of herbs (about 2 teaspoons per herb)

put your herbs in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

next, add 2-3 tablespoons of your canola oil.

give it a good mix.

now, find the ingredients you chose to use as your aromatics...

...and give 'em a rough chop. you're not going to actually eat them, so it can be large chunks.

important step that i forgot: you want to pat your chicken with paper towels and make sure it's completely dry. i got out my paper towels, but in the excitement of getting to chop onions and lemon and garlic (oh my!) i completely forgot to do it! (it's the little things in life that get me excited...obviously.) patting the chicken down helps to ensure that you'll have a nice crispy crust on the skin. i was so worried, but i think my skin came out fine...right, masons? ;)

okay, stuff all of the aromatics into the nether regions of your chicken. don't forget to remove the gizzards! gross, i know- but it must be done!

those are the gizzards on top (blegh!) i tried using a "garbage bowl" for today's cooking extravaganza. i have made fun of them in the past, well- mainly rachel ray's (because she sells a normal mixing bowl and calls it a "garbage bowl" and people spend $20 for it!). i have to say, it was invaluable. basically, the idea behind a garbage bowl is to have a bowl on your countertop for anything you would throw away- paper towels, skin of an onion, gizzards, extra herbs. the idea is you don't have to trek back and forth to the trash while your hands are all gross- and while i think it's kind of silly- it was also kind of great.

now you're ready to rub the canola oil/herb mixture on the chicken. make sure you get it everywhere- even underneath!

optional: i inserted the probe from my digital thermometer into the chicken. you're supposed to insert it into the thickest part of the thigh. i think i did it wrong. i must have put it in the leg? b/c 10 minutes into the cooking process, it said it was ready! yikes! however, this is normally a really great tool! you set the meat you're cooking (beef, chicken, fish) and if it's beef, set the done-ness desired (rare, med. rare, etc.) and then it beeps at you when your meat reaches the acceptable internal temperature. so cool!

after an hour-ish in a 450 degree oven- voila! you've got a beautiful herb roasted chicken!

(when taking to friends, it's always nice to put food in disposable containers- this is a casserole container i found that i thought would be perfect!)

now, for your side dish

provencal summer squash gratin

3 zucchini or other summer squash

1 eggplant (optional, i added for extra color)

3 ripe plum tomatoes

thyme (or herb of your choice)

extra virgin olive oil

garlic

parmesean

2 onions

kosher salt

ground black pepper

heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a pan.

chop your onions and garlic. remove about 4 sprigs of thyme from the stems. toss these in the pan and cover for about 5 minutes (stir occasionally).

side note: sorry! there are less pictures of this dish- once it starts, it's very time sensitive-so i had to move!!

after 5 minutes uncover it, turn up to high heat and let it cook for about 10 more minutes- but don't let it brown (i think this pic is from right when i threw the onions in the pan, they should be more wilted after the initial 5 minutes of cooking)

mine started to brown well before 10 minutes, so i removed from heat and soldiered on.

while your onion mixture is cooking, slice your zucchini/squash/eggplant/tomatoes.

after that, toss it all in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and pepper to taste.

isn't that gorgeous?

helpful hint: only about 1/2 of my vegetable mixture would fit in my pan. if you're trying to save a little $, only buy 2 tomatoes and 2 zucchini- maybe still buy the eggplant for color- it's too gorgeous to leave out!

unfortunately, those are all the pics i got. next, i spread the onion mixture in the bottom of my pan. i then covered it with a layer of my zucchini/squash/eggplant/tomatoe mixture- i layered it in a color pattern- remember, baking is a visual art!

finally, you sprinkle 1/2 cup of your grated parmesean cheese over the whole dish.

cook for 30 minutes covered with foil at 375 degrees.

after 30 minutes, uncover and let cook for another 30ish minutes-until cheese starts to brown.

voila! another amazing dish- it smelled wonderful!

special shout out to my amazing friend, katy- she let me take over her oven so that i could cook the chicken and the squash at the same time. she's such a lifesaver (and all around great friend!)

finally...dessert!!!

yogurt/granola/fruit parfait

yogurt

granola

berries

disposable cups (when taking to friends)

so super easy! fill your cups about 2/3 full with yogurt.

add granola ( i like A LOT of granola, so i sent some extra in baggies- nothing's worse than soggy granola!)

now, add the fruit of your choice.

done! that was easy!!

but the best part of this meal was definitely...

getting to meet maelee! she's perfect! (me- not so much....remember! i had been cooking in a very hot kitchen!!!)

thanks for reading! i hope you have as much fun cooking as i did! bon apetite!

(pictures of maelee "stolen" from the mason's blog- go check it out!)

smile. don't smile. we don't really care.

2010-04-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

i want to be a photographer. there. i said it.
credentials: none. well, actually i was in the photography club in high school. however, my biggest contribution was coming up with the slogan for our club t-shirts:
"smile. don't smile. we don't really care."
thank you. i thought it was clever, too.
apparently, i was very angsty during this time.
but i digress...

i probably offended any legit photographers who might stumble upon this. i'm not inferring that any old boob can be a photographer. quite the contrary. after realizing how much i enjoy photography, i was then hit with a second realization. good photography is hard. it's more than snapping a pretty picture. it takes vision, talent, patience (of which i possess none), and great motivation.

so...have i also mentioned i want to be a librarian?

what's new with you?

2010-04-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's a standard greeting. But it never fails to make me feel so incredibly boring. "Oh, not much- just life," or "Oh- you know- same ol' same ol'," are my two standard answers. It's no ones fault, really. Everyone needs some way to break the ice. I always cringe upon returning to civilization after Thanksgiving/Christmas/Insert Event Here, because for the next two months I will have to repeatedly answer "How was your Thanksgiving/Christmas/Insert Event Here?" They're not inherently evil questions. My issue with these queries stems from the motivation behind them. Most people who ask don't really care about the answers. They just need something to jumpstart a conversation, or worse, to prolong a dying one. Why do they need them? Because they don't really KNOW me. Why don't they really KNOW me? Because when we chat we ask each other questions (I am just as guilty of this, btw) like "what's new with you" and "how was your Christmas?" Seems like a vicious, unstoppable cycle-no? Well, lucky for you-I also have an issue with people who bring up a problem with society, yet offer no way to fix it. Therefore, I have devised the perfect solution! The next time you're in a social situation, try these conversation starters:

"did you know The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts three naked men with their hands on each other's shoulders! What's up with that?"

"hey, i just wanted to give you a heads up- Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second!"

"you look great! have you lost weight? During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food, that's the weight of about 6 elephants!"

"Ugh- my new roommate really creeps me out. I wish I was a dolphin- they sleep with one eye open."

these are just suggestions- feel free to use your own. I think we'll all get to know each other better and have fun doing it!

photo by: andrew shepherd

viva las vegas

2010-02-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Last week, Angela and I took a quick trip to Vegas! It was so much fun! Of course, we had our share of travel drama (Angela missed her flight and I had to tell a teeny tiny white lie to get her on a flight that same day...). Overall, it was a great trip (my first real vacation as an independent adult).

Oddly enough, I learned a lot about myself on this quick jaunt to sin city:
1. i LOVE to have a plan, but sometimes no plan can be just as fun.
2. i like fixing problems.
3. i would rather eat at a mall food court than the famous buffet's.
4. i don't enjoy gambling. at. all.
5. i think hanging out with a good friend is more fun than some of the main attractions!
6. i'm mean, snarky, and whiney when my feet hurt and i'm hungry. (okay, so i MIGHT have already known that about myself).

Let's let the trip speak for itself!

our AMAZING hotel- our suite was twice the size of my apartment.

the north end of the strip

the sign!

the main boulevard

the strip at night

we love to jump...

the "eiffel tower" in fron of the las vegas paris hotel

a couple getting married on a gondola in the venetian hotel!!!

getting ready for a night out on the town!

who's ready to par-tay??!!

but first- there will be jumping!

lots of jumping!

awkward family photo

great pic with such a great friend!

My only Vegas regret? We were too early to see "Manilow"- Barry Manilow's new show at the Las Vegas Paris Hotel. I'm a Fanilow! Don't judge me.

craft

2010-01-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

For my birthday, several of my dear friends got together and gave me a giftcard to Craft. Craft is a restaurant I have wanted to go to since I moved to the city 2 1/2 years ago. Tom Collichio is the Chef and I've always watched Top Chef and wondered, "yeah, but what does your food taste like, Tom?!" Well, I can now say that Tom has the right to critique anyone! The food was absolutely divine! My very dear friend Angela went with me and we had the most amazing evening! We started out with a complimentary amous bouche- salmon tar-tar on a potatoe chip. Well, if you know me you know I don't eat seafood and I definitely don't eat RAW seafood. But, Angela and I had decided that we were going to be adventurous- so, I had to follow through. Angela loved it. I wasn't particularly fond of the texture, but that had nothing to do with the Chef. I just don't like the texture of seafood. I ate it- and to me, that was a victory! Our first course was a trio of pork ravioli. Wow. It was amazing. It was also sprinkled with bits of bacon- um, hello!- everything tastes better with bacon. Moving on to our main course- here's the star of the show. We ordered the 28 day dry-aged Sirloin. It was heavenly! I don't want to bore you with details, but it was still on the bone, giving it extra juiciness and flavor. Plus, it melted in your mouth. Yum. Angela and I had both never had gnocchi, so we ordered that as part of our "adventure" plan. It was sooo good! Possibly a new favorite of mine. We also ordered the garlic rissotto and it was fabulous. Finally, we made it to dessert. First, we were given two small chocolate and cream tartlettes compliments of the chef (thanks, Tom!). They were a perfect bite of chocolately goodness. We knew we had to have the Sugar & Spice Doughnuts, as they come highly recommended. We were not dissappointed. They were wonderful. They came with dipping sauces that enhanced their flavor even more. We also ordered an ice cream and sorbet sampler. We got pear sorbet, cream cheese ice cream, and crunchy peanut ice cream. All three were a home run! They even wrote "Happy Birthday" on the plate! To say that we had a great time would be an understatement. We definitely felt like rockstars. I would highly recommend this James Beard Award Winning restuarant! What a great Monday- I can only hope the rest of my week is this amazing!

but i like it because it is bitter...

2009-11-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

I was going through my shared items in Google reader and I came across this post from Overheard In New York. I think we can all relate. Happy Friday!

Elderly woman to elderly man, as a young girl narrowly escapes getting hit by a car: Oh my god, what is it with these crazy people!? I hate this city more and more each day.
Elderly man: Well then, why do you live here?
Elderly woman: Because I love it.

--83rd & Broadway

Overheard by: Dee Dee

(In a really weird, non-happy Friday! kind of way, this reminds me of Stephen Crane's poem In the Desert)

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter - bitter," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

rebecca's coming!

2009-11-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

REBECCA'S COMING TOMORROW!!!

My college roommate, Rebecca, is so graciously swinging through NYC to see me on her way to Boston. Thanks, Rebecca! I'm so flippin' excited! Too excited to type. Picture time!

Freshman year- this is one of my all-time favorite photos. don't ask me why. i just think it captures "us."

"You don't know how it feels...XΔ"

Rebecca, me, and my little sis Simone. Simone ALWAYS got extra excited when Rebecca was around!

Alex LOVES rebecca...or Frosty as Alex calls her (Alex REALLY didn't want Rebecca to get married. She told us she was going to take a hairdryer to the wedding and she was going to melt Frosty. Whoa!).

Rebecca is a part of the Holder family (sorry!) We've been to Disneyworld together!

(Rebecca- way to rock the uniform!!)

Rebecca's previous visits to the city

HURRY UP, REBECCA!!!! NYC...WATCH OUT!

my mom's visit!

2009-10-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Wow! So much happened in the month of October! I'm already using past tense, because my mind will explode if I try to cram any more events in this mental file. One of the most fun happenings of October 2009 was the much anticipated arrival of my mom!! She and her 2 sisters stayed with me over Columbus Day wekend. Yes, we all 4 stayed in my "cozy" apartment. It really wasn't half bad. My mom and I snuggled in my twin bed and my aunts shared the sectional couch. I think the fact that they are all super-organized didn't hurt much, either. Anyway- we had a blast! I always love getting to hang out with my mom, but getting to see her interact with her sisters was priceless! Here's a very small peek into the craziness that we packed into 3 days!

Mom's finally here!!

No time to lose- off to a Broadway show!

"The Hill" -they hated it. REALLY hated it.

Central Park

So sweet- my mom let me use her teacher discount at the Apple store to buy a new computer!

(isn't it fabulous? i'm 25...who needs a savings account?)

Rockefeller Plaza- Isn't my mom beautiful?

The Statue of Liberty...again.

The South Street Seaport

The New York Food & Wine Festival- they saw Alton Brown! PLUS, we ALL met Bobby Flay!!

We walked all over lower Manhattan

Finally...if you know my mother- you won't be surprised- there were sweets the WHOLE time...lots and lots of sweets!

Mom- hurry back! I miss you already!!!

arts and crafts

2009-10-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I had such a blast last weekend at our women's retreat! The Lord is doing a mighty work in the hearts of the ladies at Apostles church- and what a joy it was to witness! There will definitely be another post soon about all that went on, but first I want to show you what I made! (I feel like a kindergartener at show-and-tell!) This year, we had tons of activities to choose from during our afternoon free time. I chose crafts with the unbelievably talented Julie Gasch, and I was not disappointed! Julie put in so much time and work beforehand so that we could really make something. We sewed a tote bag!!! I love mine and take it everywhere. In fact, it's sitting right next to me on my desk as I type this. Below you'll see how I did it and hopefully you'll be inspired to make something of your own!

of course you need fabric. look how cute mine is!! good find on a budget, julie!

now make a hem and then pin your fabric together

never forget to have fun- smile!

don't be shy to ask for help from those more experienced than you. thanks, pratima!

always have someone check your work before you sew!

now you're ready to sew it all together!! so fun!

tada!! you've made a bag!!

we also made flower pens.

confession: i've never owned one, but always wanted to! i keep it safe in the spiral binding of my journal. i love it!

many thanks to julie for making our afternoon so fun!

what are you waiting for? go make something amazing!!

there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

2009-09-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

baking is a visual art! (and it doesn't taste too bad either!)

2009-08-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

my new apartment!

2009-07-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

finally!! my apartment is ready and i'm living in it! i would like to say that it was due to my hard work, but that would be a complete lie. my mom and jana came up and did EVERYTHING. and i mean everything. i even tried to help, once, and was shooed away. they left this morning and it was VERY hard to say goodbye. i love those two so much! no offense jana, but i have to say it was especially hard hugging my mom goodbye. i thank God everyday for blessing me with such an amazing mom. my mom would do anything for anyone without a second thought. i would say more, but if you guys know me, and if you're reading this you probably do- after just that one sentence i'm sitting here typing and crying...in public. i'm such a mess! so...onto fun stuff! i present to you- Apt. 4A aka Joni & Jana's Extreme Home Makeover: Studio Apartment Edition...

before & after...

before

after

Jana and I found this art in the trash...

before

after

before

after

before

after

before

after

before

after

before

after

before

after (Jana made the curtains and pillows!)

before

after

my mom & jana found this restaurant in the south street seaport mall. i'm going to print/frame this picture and hang it above my kitchen table.

my mom re-covered the chairs to make the table the previous tenants left match. genius!

before

after

my mom found a way to incorporate my old scripture art!
such a great book! everyone who likes to cook should own a copy!

please stop by anytime! visitors are ALWAYS welcome!

...for now?

2009-06-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

DO YOU BELONG IN NYC?
Yes, but sometimes you wish there were a better option.
You do love New York, and you fit in here better than you have anywhere else. You are committed to the city, and you take advantage of all of its amazing food, culture, nightlife and arts. But you have nagging doubts about this relationship. Spend your whole life here? Not sure about that. Sometimes you wonder about that farm in your fantasies or even just a smaller city. But in reality, you know there is nowhere better.

Do you belong in NYC?

I found this fun little quiz via my friend Bethany's blog. As I'm making a huge transition in the city right now, all of the above have become very apparent to me. I can handle the truth- and this quiz hit the nail on the head. I do love this city, but there are things I hate! I hate that I'm basically signing away my life so that I can experience living on my own for the first time. I hate that my family is so far away. I hate that I get super excited about free crap I don't need, just because it's free! But, the ominous "for now" statement...I'm not sure. I always feel like a fake when everyone talks about how much they love the city and can't imagine living anywhere else. I can. Gimme 10 seconds and I can name 10 other places I would be just as happy to live. But, I do love it here too. I love my friends here. I have built a life here and to just abandon it? Hmm... JR said something about a year ago that has really stuck with me (and has been great for my "flight instead of fight" personality). He said that a lot of people leave the city just to get out of it- to get away. Then, he said "God doesn't call people away from something- he calls you to something." Wow. That really hit me. If I left this crazy place, it would be to escape from problems or fears and anxiety.
Most of you know that I am moving to my own apartment. I would love your prayers right now. I experienced major panic attacks when I moved to the city, and now I'm seeing that I have extreme anxiety and fear about any sort of change. As my mom said this weekend, "Murph, fear is not of God. Fear is a lack of faith." She is so right. I'm working on it. I've had my good moments, and I've definitely had some pretty ugly, low moments. I would covet your prayers for peace and faith that God is going to work this for my good and His glory.

ladies and gentleman, i am sorry to disturb you...

2009-06-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I was extremely blessed to watch the gospel be presented to a crowded train with merely kind words and a hand-shake. It was just an ordinary day...

Wohoo! It's Thursday and I am done for the week! Well, not technically, but I am off to Texas in the morning and I am feeling footloose and fancy free. I have my favorite seat on the train- first car, first door, first row. Ahhh....

Then I hear words familiar to every New Yorker: "Ladies and Gentleman, I am sorry to disturb you..." Oh brother. Here we go, again. Someone panhandling for money on the train. I glance up briefly, careful not to make eye contact. I recognize the man. He's one of the older beggars, for lack of a better word, that frequent my train at rush hour. Today, he was in unusually high spirits. He not only gave his usual speech, but he also informed us that he will be turning 68 in a few days. Super, I thought. As he started to make his way towards the front of the train, I searched for something to occupy me. Heaven forbid I just look like I'm calloused and don't want to help. I need to look busy- like I didn't hear what he has been booming for the last five minutes. Sounds plausible to me. I quickly find a DVD that I borrowed and begin to read the summary on the back like it's a letter that contains the answers to all of my problems. Phew, just in time. As he passes by me, I affirm my decision to ignore him. It is illegal to ask for money on the train. I am just being a good citizen. Besides, I don't even have any cash. Well, I mean, besides my wallet full of change to support my coke habit. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a man tap the beggar on the shoulder and offer him a few dollars. The beggar turns around to accept, and what happened next made me hang my head in shame.

"Oh my goodness! It's so good to see you! I haven't seen you in a while, I was afraid you had moved," the beggar exclaimed. As he turned to accept the money, he had recognized the giver. It was a very well dressed man in his 60's. He looked like a cross between Ralph Lauren and Daniel Craig. Seriously. "Oh no, I've been around, " the man said. He seemed shy, but genuinely glad to see his old friend. They continued to chat. The man asked the beggar if he was still on the streets. "No," he replied, "I got a small place way out in Brooklyn. Things have gotten much better. Hey- I'm about to turn 68! I don't know why this one means so much, but I feel like I've really made it." As they continued to talk, they transformed from a beggar and rich man into two old friends catching up. This man has a life. He has hopes, dreams, struggles. This had never crossed my mind before. And with that realization, I began to cry. At the next stop, the beggar got off the train; but not before a handshake and final goodbyes were exchanged.

For the rest of the train ride, I pondered this man. He seemed so ordinary- and yet, so completely extraordinary at the same time. Later, a quartet boarded the train. As they made their way to the front of the train, I eyed this mystery man. Busy with his iPhone, he didn't even seem to notice their presence. Ah...so he did use my tricks after all! I knew he had been too good to be true. So, he had picked out one beggar in all of Manhattan to be nice to. Big deal. I could do that. All of a sudden, at the last moment, the man pushed his way through several un-amused riders and dropped a few dollars in their basket. This time, no kind words- no "how've you been?" Now, I wasn't only curious...I was intrigued. I quickly made a plan to engage this man in conversation. But would I be able to pull it off? I sure hoped so.

A few stops later, the first and most important element of my plan completed itself. The man exited the train at my stop. The rest was easy. I would position myself next to him on the escalator, and we would chat to the top, say farwell, and be on our way. However, I hadn't anticipated the complication that arose next. This "man" was not completely human. He bounded up the escalator (who does that? the escalator does the walking for you...that's the beauty of it) at lightening speed and proceeded to walk, neigh- run, like he was being followed by pitbulls and he had beef jerky in his pocket. I finally caught up with him a block and a half later. You see, I was carrying my cake tin, a bag full of clothes from the amazingly generous Angela Brittain, and my too-large-for-my-own-good purse. Needless to say, when I finally got his attention I was not only the creepy girl who followed him from the train- I was the creepy out-of-breath girl who could barely form a sentence. This was not going as planned.

"Sir!" I panted. The man did not hear me. "Siirr!!" I said a little louder. The man turned and eyed me curiously- still moving at warp speed. Here it goes:"I was on the train with you and I was wondering if I could ask you a question." The man looked cautious, but not snobby. "Okay," he said tentatively. I began, shaky at first, "I was watching you with that man and I was wondering..um...when did you develop a relationship with him?" Oh, this is what you wanted to know about- he seemed to think. His face relaxed a little and he responded, "Well, I've seen him on and off for about the last two years, and I just started giving him money whenever I saw him." Sounds ordinary enough, I thought. I continued, "oh. well, I also saw you give money to the quartet that passed by, but you didn't exchange any words- do you try and give money to everyone or do you have a few that you talk to?" He didn't hesistate before saying the words that have stuck with me since that moment, "Well, I try to give money to anyone I see who is in need. I have been given a lot. I would like to take them to get food, but I can't. Because- what I don't have is time. But I do have money, so I try to give to those in need." Ah, the insane speed we were walking at was starting to make sense- it was also starting to make my legs cramp. I braced myself before asking my final question, "Can I ask you one more thing?" He nodded. "Are you a Christian?" I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer. You see, this man had acted more like Christ in 5 minutes on the train, than I have in the last 5 months. As I sat in my favorite seat, thinking my Pharisee-like thoughts, he was living out the gospel. What if he didn't even know what that was? My heart would break in two. But, I'd thought about myself enough for one day obviously. "Yes, I am," he said. It was time for me to turn onto my street so I said, "As another Christian, I just wanted to let you know that we should all be doing what you are doing. I was convicted by your awesome display of Christ's love on the train. I wanted to let you know that you blessed someone other than that man today- and, hopefully, in turn- I will be able to bless others because of it." He slowed down for the first time since exiting the train and said, "Thank you. Thank you very much."

"³⁰In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³²So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. ³⁶"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" ³⁷The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:30-37 (NIV)

If you're a reader, you will be blessed by "Same Kind of Different As Me"

koen + stewart wedding

2009-06-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

And then there was 1. This weekend I sang in the wedding of my dear friend, Emily. There were 4 of us that went from nursery to graduation together at Tate Springs Baptist Church. Dominee, Emily, Jessica, and myself. To quote the Real Housewives of New Jersey (I'm already hooked, btw) we were "as thick as thieves." We did everything together. Once, we even decided we needed to all sleep in the same twin-sized bed. I still recall that night as one of the worst nights of sleep I have ever had! Emily is the final bride of our foursome (sans myself). And goodness gracious- was she ever beautiful!!! Here are some pics from the weekend (don't judge me...there are 50 pics...but I took 1,000!). Dom, we missed you! I hope Gus enjoyed his incubation weekend with you! Emily, you were a beautiful bride and I wish you and Daniel a very blessed marriage! Now...let's see a wedding!

THE DAY BEFORE

my gorgeous motherthe mother of the bride-this is quintessential harriett- priceless

jessica- ready to roll to the bridal brunch

jana- jess's mom- lookin' good
the church was ready for emily!
but we weren't ready- off to get our nails done
emily- getting her claws, er, nails done
lori with her mittens

ahh...all is right with the world

drying is the most important part of good nail maintenance!
getting ready for the rehearsal

now walk it out...

the sweetest couple ever- badi and debbie

the precious ring bearer- ben

feet.

bride-zilla! just kidding...

lori's attention span had been maxed out

grace's too

only jess could look this good while trying to be a butt-head. yeah, i said it.

mom and me at the rehearsal

THE BIG DAY
getting beautiful- jess showed a lot of trust in my skills at this point...

putting on the dress!

so many buttons...

katie- please don't kill me, i couldn't resist

jess- i think i was starting to annoy her at this point. muah-ha-haa...

ah! jess had a slight misunderstanding with the sun while tending her garden.

the bride

having a little fun

you're never too old to play on a playground

sure, the picture's great- but you should have heard the whining!

the bride with her bridesmaids

check out those gorgeous eyes!

so beautiful!

yay, emily!

stunning.

the groom- daniel

i don't think we were in his top 100 people at this point

but he was a good sport

emily- you're married!

american gothic *mwuah*

he made me smile

beautiful child! i have no idea who she is, but she's precious!

hungry, jacob? bubbles are the obvious choice

jacob- after filling up on bubbles

jess having some fun with the bubbles herself! sending the happy couple off into the sunset...
It was so good to get to see old friends and make new ones. Also, it was quite hysterical to listen to the newly aquired Georgia twang of several old friends! Did you know that most 2 letter words have 3 syllables?! ;) I had a blast, but I did miss my New York family and am glad to be back in the city I love!

Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Stewart!

hiatus

2009-05-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my brief disappearance. My computer crashed. I've been mourning it's loss- and the loss of all my awesome new pictures.

So, I feel as though I have waited the customary amount of time and I'm back! I don't want to jump into anything too deep right of the bat, so today we're going to stick our toes in with a list of things that have happened since my last post. in no particular order...here we go:

1. I was informed by a 4 year old that she will get married before me. I'm going to be so ticked if she's right.

2. I lost my wallet and had to change my name legally to "Murph Holder." It was cool as a nickname...*

3. I attempted my first spin class. My mixture of out-of-shapeness + competitive nature was not a good combination. My legs hate me now.

4. I entered a cupcake competition (see aforementioned competitive nature) and just "had fun." There were some awesome cupcakes present...a bacon, peanut butter, and banana combination got a lot of attention.

5. I had a LOST finale party and cried-ney...sobbed into my Dharma cookies after everyone was out of earshot. Come quickly 2010...

hmm...this was originally scheduled to go all the way to 10, but apparently- that would be too much. so...5 it is. 5 things have happened to me in 2 weeks...wow. maybe that 4 year old will be right after all...

*some facts may** have been changed for comedic purposes.

** the word may actually means were in the above context.

to boldly go where murph has never gone before: central park [the final frontier]

2009-05-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

What an amazing day! I usually like to relax on Saturday- hang around the apartment. Read a good book (or three). Man, have I been missing out!! I started my morning by seeing the new "Star Trek" movie with some friends. As someone who has never seen a single Star Trek episode, I was a little apprehensive. It was so good! My man, J.J. Abrams, did a marvelous job! I was never lost or confused. On the contrary, I was completely engrossed in the action and, amazingly, the great story. I even cried a little during a sweet Capt. Kirk/Spock moment. Does crying during Star Trek make you an honorary Trekkie? I would be honored.

Next, I headed off to Central Park (yes, I typed that correctly I went to Central Park). Our core community was having a hang out day and it was so fun!

Due to some unforseen circumstances, we had to hangout on the sidewalk for a while...

They finally opened the lawn and we staked our claim. We spent the rest of the afternoon laughing, playing games, and just enjoying each others company. I'll let you see for yourself what an amazing community I am so blessed to be a part of...

Like I said- what a great day!! Bethany, I know you're reading this (I discovered today that Bethany and I share the same dark, shameful secret- we are hardcore blog/twitter/facebook stalkers. Hardcore.) So, Bethany, please feel free to use any of these photos as your profile pic. You're welcome.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 (NIV)

little lambs

2009-05-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14 (ESV)

This past Sunday I had the joy of getting to serve in our church's nursery. Being a smaller community, we all serve in many areas to make sure that everything is done. My two primary ministry teams are the worship team and the children's team. That means once or twice a month I get to enjoy these wonderful children for a few hours. I cannot express how precious these little ones are. So small- yet so full of personality and...believe it or not...opinions!!! They are so hilarious- the adults often look around for hidden cameras. So, I thought that today I would introduce you to our current nursery roster (from oldest to youngest). *Warning: cuteness overload may occur.*

Let's meet the crew...

It is only fitting that we lead off with sweet "Baby" Kate. Kate was the first baby born into the Apostle's nursery- and she seems to know it! Whenever Kate is feeling a little nostalgic for mom or dad, I ask her if she'll "help me with the babies." She loves it! This week, she helped feed Korey her bottle and shared her Cheerios with Max. She also volunteered to ride shotgun while I walked Aubrey to sleep in her stroller. I don't know what we would do without her! As you can see, Kate must always juggle her busy schedule- and nursery time is no exception. We're so glad that she pencils us in each week!

Max, or "Mad Max" as we like to call him, is our highly trained escape artist. Max was one of our first walkers (in this group). So, while all of the other babies were content to sit and stare at a mirror for an hour, Max wanted to explore! However, what intrigued him most was whatever was beyond our safety gate. In the tradition of a true escape artist, Max is lightening fast. Blink and he's outta here! Max keeps us on our toes and we love him for it. Recently, Max has recruited several apprentices. I think Max likes that the other babies have finally figured out how to walk, but I think he enjoys the fact that they can provide a diversion while he slips away even more. With the speed of a track star and the smarts of a Mensa member, I see Wall Street in Max's future.

Next up, we have Aubrey. I think that smile says it all. Aubrey is very laid back and content to just hang out. A recent graduate of the school for Walkers, "Aubs" loves to explore with her newfound mobility. I've seen her trailing behind the boys quite a bit lately- I think Lance & Julie might have a heartbreaker on their hands! Due to nursery time coinciding with Aubrey's naptime, we often get to watch the progression from running to wobbling to falling down from exhaustion. Thus, the aforementioned strolling usually puts her out for good. There should be an award for Aubrey's ability to sleep through noise. We are a loud crew and she doesn't even bat (or open) an eye. We love Miss Aubrey and I have to say, I think the feeling is mutual.

Any James Taylor fans reading this? Well, here is a real life Sweet Baby James. Sometimes, I want to put James in my purse and stroll nonchalantly out the front door. I don't think Jay & Desiree would freak out too badly, do you? James is the sweetest little boy I have ever seen! I don't think I have ever seen him shed a tear. He is so good natured. And that smile! It could melt your heart. James knows how to work a camera! He was striking poses left and right. James is going to make a great husband someday. Anytime there is cleaning or picking up to be done, he is the first to help out. This Sunday, James cleaned all of our brick walls with a wet wipe. Thanks, James!

Look at that face! You are staring into the gorgeous eyes of Donovan. Donovan is our resident deep thinker. Content to sit in someone's lap and watch the action, Donovan takes in the world around him with a silent wisdom that increases his preciousness exponentially. Donovan never impulsively grabs a toy or runs around for no reason. He inspects his options and then makes an informed decision based on his findings. If you look closely, you can actually see the wheels turning. Needless to say, the nursery workers are absolutely in love with him. He has us wrapped around his little fingers.

Korey Lea Vassar. [insert "awww!" here] I dubbed Korey "the starter baby." I'm not sure she even knows how to cry. So, when people join the children's ministry and are put on the nursery team- we always give them Korey for their first week. She makes you feel like you're the best nursery worker in the world! Angela says that she affirms you and makes you feel good about yourself when you hold her. Wow. This is one powerful baby! Luckily for us, she only uses her powers for good. Korey has the face and temperment of an angel. But don't think she's boring or lackluster- she's got spunk! I mean, come on, she's a Vassar isn't she? If you ever have the gift of seeing Korey get excited about something, namely-seeing her big sister, you're in for a treat. It's like there is too much joy to be held in-and all of a sudden-BOOM! it explodes in what can only be described as a cross between a laugh and a shriek. It's a hilarious sound. We can't wait for Korey to grow before our eyes and develop her own little "isms." She's got quite the group to learn from, that's for sure!

Well, that's our crew. As different as can be, and yet all so loving and kind. I look forward to watching them grow and learn. I especially covet getting to watch them grow in their knowledge of Christ and who He is. I hope to be a part of their cloud of witnesses someday.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

epitome of love

2009-05-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've had this blog for a while, but i've been waiting for something big, something truly blog-worthy, to start if off. How about an engagement??!! The epitome of love- a mirror of Christ and the church.

Marriage is such a beautiful picture of Christ's committment to us, His bride. If you ever struggle with viewing Christ as the groom and the church as his somewhat adulteress bride- I highly recommend Derek Webb's cd- "She Must and Shall Go Free." It has made me look at Christ's relation to the church in a whole new way. But...I digress (I have a feeling I'm going to be using that sentence a lot on this blog!). So- who's engaged?

Our dear friend, Vinita, is getting married!!! I'm so excited for her- and she couldn't have picked a better man! Kevin- or the Kev-Meister as I will now be calling him- is awesome. He fits right in with us crazies!

I can't wait to watch Vinita embark upon this amazing adventure! I know that she will be an amazing wife and fabulous mother! Vinita- we love you and are so excited for you!