Life is all about perspective

I cannot believe I let 6 months slip by without taking the time to update the blog! Well quite a bit has happened as I was skimming through previous entries. For starters, I don't live in the same state nor do I work for the same company and to top that, I am no longer a student!

In my last blog, I mentioned how life's a journey, blah, blah, blah....well now that I am done with school I thought it was time for life to be peachy keen, that just doesn't seem to be the case. Not until my dad told me that "life is all about perspective." I never realized how profound that little sentence would be, especially right now in this transitional chapter of life.

All too often, it is such human nature (well not for everyone) to look at the glass half empty rather than half full. For example, since I moved back to my hometown, I used to think how pathetic: I am 23 & I live with my parents, all I do is work, go to the gym, pay bills & check my Facebook occasionally (whereas the only thing I usually get out of doing that is finding out who is getting married next!) Looking at all of these things from the glass half full: I live with my parents= I have NO RENT & constant company, All I do is work = I have a full time job THAT I LOVE in this awful economy using the degree I worked so hard for, All I do is go to the gym = but I am extra healthy :), pay bills = but the Lord faithfully provides for my needs EVERY month, everyone's getting married according to Facebook = I am single as ever, which means I have nothing tying me down and the sky is the limit!....sounds like it may be time to travel somewhere real soon!

My encouragement to you all is enjoy EVERY chapter life the Lord allows us to walk through. There is always something special in each chapter and always something to be learned. The Lord reminds us of this in:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven.

The best is yet to come....

With only 4 days left till my college chapter comes to a sweet close, I am beginning to wonder if I really soaked up every moment for everything that it was worth? Why is it that we as humans, always want what we can't have and don't enjoy the current stage of life that we are in? So often, I found myself itching to graduate so I could REALLY enjoy life...but now that it is coming to a quick close...I am finding myself enjoying every last hour of being a student...what is that all about?

With that being said, I have already made a myself and those that know me best, that I am going to embrace every opportunity in this next stage of life...that is as I begin my design career! God has been so faithful in some many ways, but specifically in His recent provisions in the job market especially. If there was one thing I refused to keep me down, it was this recession. I was determined to get a job and not just any job, but a job in my specifically chosen major, interior design. I am very happy to say, but I give ALL the credit to my Savior, that I will start my job on January 4, 2011 as an assistant to a kitchen and bath designer here in Birmingham. I am thrilled!!

I also, am very humbled by this, as just 1 month ago, I found myself asking my best friend, if God REALLY heard all of our thoughts and prayers and while she looked at me like I was crazy, she also reassured me that there is absolutely NOTHING our Lord does not hear. Whether I got a job or not before I graduated, the Lord has taken this past semester to not prove, but reassure me, of His divine and perfectly thought out faithfulness in my life.

I leave you all with this very short yet, promising verse that I constantly reminded myself of throughout this semester in Exodus 3:12 "I WILL BE with you."

There's nothing like listening to songs that bring back sweet, sweet memories!

Chicago, Elton John, Neil Diamond, The Bee Gees, etc....are all just a few of the old records I had the privilege of listening to the other night with some sweet family friends! Gosh, I wish I lived back in the day when these artists were at the top of the chart in the music industry!

I hope all of you have a VERY blessed Thanksgiving and pop in some old soundtracks or if you just so happen to have a few old records lying around, play some oldies :)

Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!

A fall wreath that costs less than $16.00....much more economical than the usual price!

Wreaths are one of my favorite home decor items, but they can be so gosh darn expensive! So, let's get creative and make a festive fall wreath for 1/3 of the typical price!

All you will need is:

-1 Red River Vine 18" Grapevine wreath - $3.99 @ your local arts & crafts store

-1 fall flower stem of your choice - ranges from $1.99-$4.99 depending on the flower you choose.

-24" of ribbon- 1 spool; $2.99

-1-2 pieces of floral wire - usually comes in a pack for about $3.99

Here is one I made from last season; I loved it so much I just had to use it again! :)

Try making one for your own front door and share some pictures of the finished product!

Fall, my favorite time of year!

It's beautiful here in Birmingham! It's sunny with clear blue skies and only 60 degrees outside, oh how I LOVE Fall! So I found no better day than this cool, crisp Saturday morning to decorate my apartment while drinking a peppermint mocha and burning a warm, apple cider candle. Every artificial leaf is perfectly in place on the mantle, the table has been set (pictures to come) and the front door is simple, yet festive for this long awaited Fall season. It's always so ironic, how I can't help but be extra cheerful when it's Fall!

I'm not quite done with all the Fall decorative touches, but I didn't want to get too carried away, by posting all my pictures thus far. In fact, I believe I mentioned that once Fall rolls around, I will be blogging about an array of decorative ideas, easy/at home (and affordable) Fall crafts, along with some delicious harvest recipes.

Keep stopping by, as I will be posting about a fun and easy, yet very popular (and affordable) decorative craft for your front door. In the meantime, please share some of you favorite Fall ideas and recipes and help inspire us all!

Happy Fall!

~Amelia Kait

This is for us control freaks in this crazy world!

Anxiety, worry, excitement, fear, anticipation.....these are just a few examples of the various feelings I have been having so far this semester, as I quickly approach college graduation in December. However, I find it funny how lately, I feel as though the Lord has really been pressing on me to enjoy EVERY chapter of life, even the ones that I feel are dragging on; i.e. school. Most of my friends are done with school and are starting their careers and I just can't help, but think...gosh, how I cannot WAIT to be working as a designer in a design firm, having a very regimented schedule, no homework, no tests and I get to meet new clients every day! The only down side I foresee is bills, but something tells me I can handle it, the Lord is SO faithful and I know He will provide. But why is it that I cannot put this faith into practice as I am currently going through the interview process these next 3 months? If I truly believe that our heavenly Father does and will always provide, why is it that I'm believing this lie that Satan has been whispering in my ear so frequently, that He is going to hold out on me this time? Maybe it is because I am fearful; fearful to start my career without my family nearby to support me, fearful that I won't be able to make ends meet and fearful of change, which is also crazy, b/c I LOVE CHANGE!

Then, it hit me yesterday at about 3pm, after I had just finished up with my very first interview with a commercial design firm here in downtown Birmingham. I couldn't understand why I felt so convicted and heavy burdened after this interview. I came prepared, dressed for the part and held my head up high. However, for those of you who know me, I am pretty much enthusiastic about everything and I felt as though I just wasn't after this interview. This interview was SUCH an answer to prayer, but I realized that my fear is beginning to affect every area of my being. That is when the convictions made sense....I may have been drenching this job search journey in tons of prayer for the past few months, but I still have not let go and let God. Instead of allowing my Savior to orchestrate the exact design position He wants His girl in, I find myself praying everyday, Lord do this, make this happen, move me back home near family, etc. Instead, I should be asking the Lord to make clear the path in which is HE desires to see me on. I truly believe that the Lord ALWAYS has the best for those that who love Him and who have been called according to His will, so with that in mind, what do I or any of us have to fear? God is saving THE BEST for His children!

This morning, a former sorority sister of mine, had this verse below on her Facebook. It was convicting, yet such an encouragement and a great reminder to us control freaks, myself is definitely included. I hope it can encourage you, as it did for me, no matter what life may be handing you right now. So often I forget, how when I put my total hope and trust in Him, He can use me 100% as a vessel for His kingdom, what a blessing!

"She laughs with no fear of the future, for her hope is in Me"

Proverbs 31:25

Pumpkin Spice Lattes, scented candles and lots of new Fall decor!!

I am such a sucker for festive home decor and inspirational holiday/seasonal ideas! I don't know if it's the recent cooler weather, the fact that I will graduate in less than 90 days, or better yet, the mere fact that our Savior is just SO GOOD and so creative, for that and many other things, I am forever grateful; however(as weird as it may sound, but it's the way a designer thinks) my "creative juices" have been overflowing lately in my brain!! It's overwhelming and fabulous all at the same time. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have continually been praying for an extra amount of creativity this semester due to the numerous projects I have been and will continue to work on around the clock for the next 2 1/2 months of my senior year of college. With that being said, this blog is going to be booming with festive, innovative and architectural ideas for the next couple of months. So I thought a great way to start this seasonal blogging off was with a Fall/Harvest ideas for your home or in my case, college apartment!

Unfortunately, I can't take credit for this sweet treat wreath, it came from one of my favorite websites, www.thepartydress.com. I HIGHLY recommend it, but BEWARE: it's totally addicting! This candy corn wreath got me thinking further into the holidays to Christmas, which I already have some fabulous ideas for. It never ceases to amaze me, how we as humans are just never satisfied, we are always looking to what's up ahead, in my case right now, it's when will Thanksgiving break be here, then Christmas, then graduation, instead of just resting in today and enjoying it and letting our Lord take care of the rest in His time.

Speaking of Christmas, as much as I love it, I won't be posting those ideas till at least the end of October/early November, but it's something to look forward to! :)

Until we design again, keep getting inspired!

~Amelia Kait