four things.

You guys, I have so much to catch up on… I don't even know where to start! So I saw this post over at the Pleated Poppy and thought it could be just the ticket to get my creative juices flowing again! 

.1. 

4 jobs I've held in my life

a. a lifeguard

b. a waitress at Macados (learning experience of a lifetime y'all!)

c. Marketing Director for a Chick-fil-A restaurant

d. full time nanny (and I thought waiting tables was a learning experience… ha!)

{seriously, she's the best}

.2. 

4 movies I've watched more than once

a. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

b. Bridesmaids

c. Tarzan

d. 13 Going on 30

.3. 

4 places I've lived

a. Charlotte, NC

b. Roanoke, VA

c. the MANhouse at JMU (and of course the Greenhouse… but it only let me have 4!)

d. busy Wayne Ave in Waynesboro

.4. 

4 tv shows I watch

a. Parenthood

b. Nashville

c. Downton Abbey 

d. New Girl

.5. 

4 places I've been

a. Fraser, Colorado (to serve at Crooked Creek Ranch for a month)

b. Duxbury, Massachusetts (one of my favorite places on earth)

c. Portland, Oregon

d. New Braunfels, Texas (Gruene Hall, y'all! Texas' oldest dance hall- so cool!)

{Duxbury, MA}

.6.

4 favorite foods

a. brownies

b. potatoes (mashed, fried, baked, loaded, au gratin… you name it)

c. fajitas

d. semi-sweet chocolate chips straight out of the bag

.7.

4 places I'd rather be right now

a. on my mama's couch watching the food network and chatting about wedding maybes 

b. Duxbury, MA (although it's snowing… and the Crystal Cottage doesn't have insulation…)

c. somewhere warm!

d. thrift shopping

.8.

4 things I'm looking forward to this year

a. getting MARRIED to this guy!!!

b. going on a HONEYMOON 

c. moving into a new apartment and getting it ready for my first ever boy roommate 

(other than my dad of course)

d. reading lots of good books 

{photos by Meredith Sledge Photography}

.9. 

4 places I love to shop

a. Goodwill

b. Plato's Closet in Roanoke

c. Trader Joe's (it's just fun!)

d. Sweethaus (…does that count!?)

Well, I'm going to keep enjoying my snow day over here… I hope all of your Tuesdays are blessed and WARM! Thanks for hanging out and catching up! If you have time, think about YOUR 

4 things and share them with me! I'd love to learn these fun facts about some of you, friends!  

Love,

B

lost.

This song is touching something deep, deep inside of me and waking up something that has been sleeping for a while.



Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can't tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start
They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
Life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes
Well that's fine by me

So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost

I tried carrying the weight of the world
But I only have two hands
I hope I get the chance to travel the world
But I don't have any plans
Wish that I could stay forever this young
Not afraid to close my eyes
Life's a game made for everyone
And love is the prize


So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost

I didn't know I was lost
I didn't know I was lost
I didn't know I was lost
I didn't know I was lost

-'Wake Me Up' by Avicii


"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, 
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 
-Matthew 11:28-30

We weren't created to carry the weight of the world, so why do we keep trying? Let's remind ourselves that while we only have two hands, Jesus offers to carry the burden for us... and His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

"For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost." 
-Luke 19:10

Sometimes we don't even know that we're lost... but the thankfully Jesus seeks us even in our denial. Hallelujah!

love,
B

{8 things}

to my dearest friends:

I have been a pretty big slacker on this here blog lately... however, in my defense, I've been quite stellar with daily {okay, okay, hourly} updates on my Instagram!

{Feel free to follow me at @b_shelton}

I thought it would be fun to say hello with a few quirky things I've been learning about myself over the past week {or sometime in the past 25 years}. 8 things to be precise {because that's all I could come up with}.

1. I have a strange and increasing fear of voicemails. Why am I so afraid of clicking "play" when I know that I'll get to hear my loved ones' voices on the other end? I don't know. I think it makes me feel like I'm signing a contract or making a vow to call back in a timely manner or carry out some kind of enormous task. It's a bizarre phobia I'm looking forward to conquering. I know it's strange and to me, it's sad. I'm sorry if you've felt neglected because of it. If you have called me in the past year or so and never heard back, I'm sorry. I love you and I'm working on it.

2. I do not like leftovers. Not sure why, but the idea of eating the same thing two days in a row does not appeal to me. The idea of turkey sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving gives me the willies. No thank you. So from now on if I ask for leftover this or that, you'll know either I really love you or whatever you made was darn good!

3. Snakes. I don't even know if I have the stamina to complete this one. I hate them. They terrify me to an unhealthy level. If I even start thinking about them too much I start to freak out a little... like now. Okay, done.

4. My closet is color-coded. I've thought about sorting the individual colors by sleeve length but thought that might be going a little too far.

5. I am grossed out by the idea of microwaving chicken. Yuck. Talk about a rubber chicken!

6. I love the previews before a movie so I never let my fellow movie watchers skip them. If I'm out of the room, I will actually ask Aaron to pause the previews until I return. Crazy, I know. I enjoy watching previews almost as much as I enjoy the movie itself. I always come up with a list of movies I can't wait to see, and then never get around to it. Movie date anyone?

7. If I could only listen to one musician/band for the rest of my days, I would choose Joshua Radin. His breathy voice does something very, very good for my soul. He is my current Pandora station and I'm loving it.

8. I love to read. I basically devour books and I am in love with the library. Since the middle of June I've probably read around 10 books {aka at least 1.25 books a week}. I can't walk out of the library with only one book. I have to wander and search and emerge with a stack of 4 or 5 {...or 11}. I'm always taking {and giving} suggestions!! So bring 'em on!

{via Aaron on Instagram -Yes, this really, truly happened... there were witnesses}

What is something funny, unusual, quirky, or downright weird that you're brave enough to share? I dare you!

Love,
B

homesick & spoiled

After a strange bout of homesickness, I decided to retreat to the mountains of my adolescence for a long weekend. My parents are such good parents and they spoil me like the only child I never was when I visit Roanoke. Yummy food, good conversations, fun outings, and the chance to be dependent again for a little while draws me to this place.

My weekend highlights...

..Susan..

I don't have a ton of lasting friendships from my years in Roanoke. Most of them have slowly {or rather quickly} dwindled, so getting the chance to hang out with one of my dearest friends in that town is a really special treat! Susan was my Young Life leader when I was in high school but our friendship has grown along with us. We went to this cute little bakery/restaurant that I had never been to- Wildflour cafe- and it was delicious! She is getting MARRIED this January so we had lots to talk about! I am looking so forward to watching her walk down the aisle. {I am in the stage where it's hard for me to be genuinely happy for someone getting engaged and married when I'm not, but with her it's 100% authentic.} 

..Salem Redsox..

{things to note about this photo: the fantastic mullet on that guy, bacon being sold at the
corn dog stand- naturally- and those people flying down the carnival version of Dropzone...
thanks but no thanks!}

I got some quality one-on-one time with Dad on Friday night when we escaped to a baseball game. It's been raining for 40 days and 40 nights in Roanoke, so when the clouds parted we made a mad dash for some time outside. Not only did we get to see the Redsox play {and it would be an understatement to say that Dad loves baseball}, but the Salem fair just happened to be in town. Needless to say, that provided a lot of added entertainment for us- people watching, elephants, livestock, and the sights and sounds of a good ol' fashioned carnival!

..Pottery Show..

For the past 2 years, my mama has been spending at least one night a week taking pottery classes. Then one Christmas Dad bought her a pottery wheel of her very own and pottery started sneaking into every conversation, free moment, and room and surface in the house {...all of our houses}. So when Mom told me that she was planning to host an open house to sell some of her pieces I really wanted to be there. It worked out and I got to be around for this kind-of-big-deal!! She is one talented mama! 

{I'm working on an Etsy account... if you're interested, her stuff is one-of-a-kind and pretty awesome for gifts... or cereal/ice cream bowls/jewelry holders... that's what I use mine for!}

..Goodwill..

If I think the thrifting is good in Staunton and Charlottesville, you should see how well I did in a city the size of Roanoke! I made out like a bandit {and found some pretty cute stuff for Mom, too}!
I'm considering a blogging series on my thrifting escapades... we'll see what comes of that idea!

..Elderberry's..

As I was heading out of town I had this odd moment of pull-and-tug as I started to pass my all time favorite wrap and smoothie shop- Elderberry's. To stop or not to stop... it's never even a question! Ever since they came to town when I was in high school, they've been my favorite {way too expensive} treat. I grabbed a Pineapple Berry smoothie and was in heaven for my long ride home. 

Hope your weekends were as full of blessings as mine was! 

So much love, 

B

the thrifting game

If you asked me, "Bethany, what are you good at?" I'd probably have a self-deprecating moment of "well, I'm not very good at anything.." and then a smile would cross my face and I'd correct my previous statement. "Actually, I'm really good at thrifting." 

I was raised by a mother who loves a good thrift store, who never met a yard sale she didn't like. I was raised to wonder 'why pay full price?' Let someone else do that, wear it/use it a few times, and then I'll take it off their hands for a fraction of what they paid. Some people get the heebie-jeebies at the thought of wearing someone else's cast offs- not me! 

I say "reduce, reuse, recycle" and I love every minute of it. 

Thrifting has turned into a hobby, a game, for me. But you have to learn the rules of the game to win. I feel the thrill of a win when someone compliments my outfit and I get to tell them that I rescued it from various Goodwill stores {and for less than $7.50 too!}. 

I'm not the least bit ashamed- those are some of my proudest moments! And it's just as fun for me to share my secret locations and tricks-of-the-trade with friends- so I thought that's what I'd do today! 

{My biggest thrifting win so far- a pair of new with-the-tags Banana Republic jeans in just my size. Original price: $89.90, I got them for $3.50}

The top 4 rules to my thrifting game:

1. Patience.

My advice is to go thrifting when you have time to spare. I can't handle walking into a thrift store just to be rushed through the experience. I need time to look through every rack to feel satisfied. Finding treasures is so hit or miss that you really need to see what they have. That being said, I've learned to move fast! No need to linger, you can usually tell by the fabric if it's something you'd be interested in or not. 

2. Be picky (but not too picky).

Rule of thumb: be very careful when buying anything white (especially shirts). Yucky yellow stains are inevitable. 

Don't feel trapped by the size you think you wear. Remember, these clothes have already been worn and washed so it's likely that they wont fit like new. Older clothes {or vintage} were probably made in different sizes too. So if you like it, hold it up, try it on, and go from there.  

Remember it's only $3.50 so live a little! Buy that pair of bright yellow skinny jeans that you might only wear once in a blue moon {see below}! It's okay!!

3. Make good choices. 

If you don't need pants, don't let yourself look at that rack of pants no matter how loudly they're calling your name. On the other hand, if you really need shirts- focus there and you will be rewarded!

If you're not sold on something, don't buy it! There will always be more. 

TRY IT ON!! You really never know if you don't try it on! I promise it's worth it! I get a cart {yes, I'm one of those people}, fill it up with all of my maybes, and then head to the dressing room once. Fun fact about me: I loathe multiple trips, so I do it all in one attempt. Just remember, it seriously never hurts to try! It helps me weed through my mistakes and walk away with only the real winners. 

Current favorites: 

*Charlottesville Goodwill {off Exit 124 on Pantops Rd.}

*Fredericksburg Goodwill Superstore {yes, apparently they have those}

*Staunton Goodwill

**Interesting fact: prices depend on where you are {aka the Waynesboro Goodwill is so much cheaper than Fredericksburg and Richmond} so keep that in mind when traveling.**

I can't wait to hear about all of your finds and thrifting wins! Please, please share them so I can celebrate with you! If you ever need a shopping buddy you know who to call! 

Happy thrifting, friends!

B

beautiful things

If I had a dollar for every time I got the question: 'So, what do you want to do?' I would never have to get a job at all! I get that question over and over from well-meaning people who genuinely want to help. But nonetheless it is a question that makes me feel twitchy and nervous because I just don't have an answer. 

So I started pondering this question on my own time and not just with that deer-in-the-headlights look when confronted with it in front of an audience. What do I want to do? What draws me in? What gives me life and meaning and purpose? What gives me joy instead of taking joy away? And here is what I came up with: 

I want to work with beautiful things. I want to spend my days in beautiful places with beautiful people, beautiful flowers, beautiful food, or beautiful materials... 

Very general, yes, but I realized that is what's important to me. I feel God most near when I am shown his beauty in detail. Nothing that I see is accidental- it was all purposed to show me that God is beautiful and that he loves me dearly. So I want to spend my days immersed in that beauty somehow. One day I hope that can be lived out surrounded by the beauty of my own kids- keeping a beautiful house, preparing beautiful meals, and creating beautiful memories with a beautiful husband and our beautiful family. But I'm not there yet- so in the meantime, what job will bless me with a glimpse of that same joy and purpose today? 

I'm still working through that one... so I'll wait. 

"You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of dust..." -Gungor

If I trust God, he can make even the dustiest, dirtiest things beautiful for me and so I'll be patient {or at least I'll pray for patience}. And while I wait it out, I will find comfort in knowing that. 

Blessings, 

B

8 things

8 things I'm looking forward to this week: 

8. Porch-sittin' in the glorious spring {finally} weather.

7. The Pandora station A. created: Mumford & Sons + Mat Kearney + Phil Wickham = Glory. 

6. Walks to the library to check out as many books as I can carry home. 

5. Fresh coffee in the mornings {ground from the beans by yours truly}.

4. A Friday night wine date with a sweet friend. 

3. Temperatures warm enough to open the windows. 

2. A day in the trees at Rockbridge {it's been a while since I've visited my old friend}.

1. My birthday! Less than 6 days- the countdown is on! {No numbers, people.}

Love, 

B