Thursday, August 22, 2013

Jesus wore Dior.

during the beginning of my trip home, i was startled with news that i was not expecting. well, i suppose i was fearful that the news would come && i tried to reassure myself that this fear was irrational (as most of my fears are irrational). 
however, this fear came true. 
the news did come. 
...
naturally,the question arises, when you get that news, what do you do? i am sure we have all had some sort of "news." it comes in different forms and carries different implications. but something has changed && at the moment, the future seems very unfamiliar, more unfamiliar than usual. 

so while i was still processing everything on the third day of my trip, my best friend, heather, came to pick me up from chicago and take me home. before we made the trek across the indiana toll road, we had previously made plans to conquer michigan ave. i admit now that i sort of felt like a bus or a tow truck had hit me, yet i didn't want anything to prevent enjoying precious time with my dearest friend whom i never get to see. 

after lunch at the grand lux, we decided to do something that was our favorite pastime, getting our makeup done at a department store. heather && i used to go to marshall fields almost every friday to have a makeover. we usually went to different makeup counters so that the women would not remember us. if we didn't have someone to drop us off at the mall, we resorted to playing pretend. i would do heather's makeup && she would do mine. as the "pretend" makeup artist, i would use an accent- normally something i contrived to be of european ascent. and my name was always, olga, always. i suppose it sounded foreign. (this tradition may have had something to do with the whole school uniform policy which limited our personality to shoes and makeup). 

nowadays, you usually pay big bucks to get your makeup done && need a reservation for a wedding, prom, ect. however, on our chicago reunion trip, we thought we ought to at least try to relive the past, something so comforting. as we walked into saks fifth avenue (risky, right? saks- free makeover? ya right! we probably walked past several different counters and were too nervous to ask for a free makeover)-- suddenly, we were greeted by a gentlemen who asked if we wanted to try their makeup...as in a complete makeover. 
umm okay.
yes. please. 

we sat down in beautiful black chairs with light up mirrors (a little girl's dream). brushes, blushes, eye shadows, lipsticks surrounded us. i was starting to think i was truly in a dream. it was all too good to be true. 

we told the makeup artists what we would like to be done to our face. i, personally, was ready for a whole new look. and as the eye liner started be drawn on my eyelid, something totally unexpected occurred. 
"by the way, my name is olga"-she stated in a russian accent.

...

i was startled and amazed. that little detail of my childhood only heather had known, and suddenly, it was a reality eight years later. Lord, you know me. you know my inmost being && you love me. a miracle had happened. no, it didn't feed millions of people, yet it fed my starving soul. that day, Jesus wore Dior. 






"you do not have to live up to impossible expectations. are free to wait expectantly on Jesus, the One who is both the author and perfecter of your faith." - emily freeman 


so i guess i am waiting. expectantly. for God to show up, as he always does. 






Sunday, August 18, 2013

a place called wheaton.


as much as i love home, i love seeing my dear friends that i get too so far too little. the best part of flying into chicago is i get to visit a little town that is so close to my heart, wheaton. a place where i first started my life as an adult- my first real job, my first real paycheck && the first time i felt like a real person. (i am sure i was a real person the 22 years previous- except this time i was on my own). God provided a wonderful place for me to transition from college to adult life with a beautiful home && beautiful people. i have such sweet memories on liberty drive && coming back a year later brought back the sights, tastes && sounds of my favorites. 

p.s. check out that beautiful picnic spread. what a joy to walk off the plane into a birthday celebration with beautiful people i have missed so much.

i may have moved to a new zip code, yet there is a piece of my heart that will always be in 60187. 
^^^ a sweet reunion with my dear roommate, britt.

^^^ the trio

^^ the birthday girl and her pie [my kind of cake]

^^^ yay, back on the prairie path.




^^^ fro yo plus jillio= beautiful reunion.

^^^ a breakfast placed called honey. what is more to love.

^^ chai latte, the Word. love.

^^^ my favorite movie theater- a place where you can sip on your favorite coffee and watch a movie. 
yes, please. 

^^ a walk down memory lane. until next time.


Thursday, August 15, 2013

home. part 2.



it's funny how life throws curve balls at you [even when you don't necessarily want to play in the game] 
you would rather sit this one out. watch from the stands. finish your ice cream cone. 

well, ready or not, here i [as in life] come. 

this summer has been an interesting summer. not bad. just interesting. completely not as i planned, but as i am getting older, what really does go according to plan? 

recently, i went to my parent's house in indiana for a couple of days-well (a lot) of days.  i am probably one of the happiest girls when i am in my home
there is something special about that yellow paneled, blue shuttered house.  everything about it is familiar (which is something i don't take for granted after a year of complete unfamiliarity). 
the tree adorned drive into the neighborhood. the flowerbeds inside flea market wagons and window boxes. the extra large cookie cake waiting on the kitchen table upon my arrival. the garage refrigerator stocked with every imaginable type of soda you could ever dream of [diet coke, root beer, sprite, orange, dr. pepper..ect.] && more recently, my dad's collection of beers from around the globe- perk of a beer club membership. the tiki bar's lights glimmering. the grill burning and chicken roasting. &&& at the end of the night, chocolate chip cookie dough waiting to be scooped. 

i know dinner will be served late and my dad will have at least two beers before we begin to dine. the music will be blaring and my sister will be mortified the neighbors can hear the tunes in the middle of the night when dad forgets to turn it off. we will sink into the living room and watch our favorite show && everyone will start to fall asleep. in these moments the world is right as it should be. i am right as i should be, home. 

 ^^^ farmer's market finds. as you can see, successful. 

 ^^ look at that beauty. 

^^ round barn winery. goooooo. 



 
^^ carriage house in south bend, in. seriously, eating dinner in a bed of hydrangeas. 


 ^^ flea market finds. 

^^ she taught me all i know. 

^^^ and that includes how to shop. of course. 


^^^ he came for a little visit, too :)

^^^ these two. shopping. hysterical. practicing how to use a 4-wheeled suitcase. 


^^^ blueberry pie. or our favorite soup. 



^^^ the grilling master.

^^ no better place. 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

a beautiful celebration

“Celebration when your plan is working? Anyone can do that. But when you realize that the story of your life could be told a thousand different ways, that you could tell it over and over as a tragedy, but you choose to call it an epic, that's when you start to learn what celebration is. When what you see in front of you is so far outside of what you dreamed, but you have the belief, the boldness, the courage to call it beautiful instead of calling it wrong, that's celebration.” 
- Shauna Neiquist

I am coming home to virginia today feeling very full,
both physically && emotionally. thanks mom & dad, & han.