On Photos

I have been inspired recently by a dear Insta-friend to take more photos with my husband. She and her husband have made it a priority to take a photo together each week, for memories and for their children. 

I love this idea. It's so easy for me to take photos of beautiful things--places I've been, meals I've cooked, people I love, my cats. But John and I rarely get behind the camera together. I think we both like taking photos, and it's also just easy to forget to take pictures together. Or I don't have any makeup on and am feeling self-conscious. This should not be. I want to remember us, at every age and stage, with every haircut, made-up or not, dimples, wrinkles, and the on-coming grey hairs and all. I love us, and here's a photo to prove it. 

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What I Love Wednesday: Mini Budget Binder

Happy Wednesday! 

I just wanted to pop in quickly so that I could participate in the lovely Krystina's link up party: What I Love Wednesday. :) 

Something that I am currently loooving is my new Mini Budget Binder. 

Mique from 30 Hand Made Days provides all of the printables and instructions to make your own Mini Budget binder on her website. Click here to check it out! 

My new Mini Budget Binder is not only adorable, but it is so practical. I love the pages for monthly and weekly tracking, as well as keeping tabs on savings and debt, and even a place for menu planning! I spent about $10 in total for the mini binder and printing out the wonderfully designed pages from Mique. I'm so glad to have this cute little binder by my side to keep our budget organized and on task. 

What tools work for you and your budget? 

Happy Wednesday!  

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Resolution Songs // Month 3 + Some Goodies

Goodbye, February. Honestly, I'm not that sad to see you go. For such a short month, it felt like you took a really long time to get through. You had your ups and downs, but I feel that there were a lot more downs than ups. Until next year, February, and keep all the downs with you, eh? 

February's Resolution Song was such a good one. I must shamefacedly admit that I didn't learn to play this one. Time really got away from me this past month. BUT, I did sing it all the time. I even set this song to be my alarm in the morning so that I woke up with it in my head. It was an incredible reminder, especially the lines: 

"Beautiful One, you saved my soul, You are my everything, You make me whole. What can I give, but give my all? You're so deserving."  

For this month's Resolution Song, I chose a song from Switchfoot's new album Fading West. On a quick side note: Fading West is an INCREDIBLE album. If you haven't heard it yet, give a listen here. And then come back and thank me. Yes, it's that good.

I chose the song The World You Want. I want to be accountable for my actions. I want to remember. I want to hope. I want to speak truth. I want change the world. I want to glorify Jesus.

"The World You Want"

I'm kickin up the pieces
I'm trying out adhesives
I'm trying to fix a place that feels broken
All my words they fail me
My voices don't avail me
I'm trying to say the hope that's unspoken

Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive
Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it

The world feels so malicious
With all our hits and misses
Feels like we're in the business of rust
It's when I stop to listen
All the moments I've been missing
I finally hear a voice I can trust

Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive
Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive

You change the world
You change the world
You change the world
Every day you're alive
You change the world
Honey, you change the world
You change my world

You start to look like what you believe
You float through time like a stream
If the waters of time are made up by you and I
If you change the world for you, you change it for me

What you say is your religion
How you say it's your religion
Who you love is your religion
How you love is your religion
All your science, your religion
All your hatred, your religion
All your wars are your religion
Every breath is your religion yea

Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive
Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive

You change the world
You change the world
You change my world
Every day you're alive
You change my world
Honey, you change my world
You change my world

----------

I designed this print as a visual reminder also. Go ahead and treat yourself with coupon code "YOUCHANGETHEWORLD" for 30% off in my shop until the end of the month! 

Aaaand, one last thing! A freebie! For those of you freakishly organized types like myself, here is a a cute, minty fresh, March 2014 desktop calendar--free to download, save, and display! Click here to download the desktop calendar. I think it looks great paired with my IKEA bookshelf background. 

Happy March, everyone! Here's to spring, new life, and changing the world one breath at a time. 

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Resolution Songs // Month 2

Does anyone else feel like January 2014 even happened? SO FAST JANUARY.

From what I can remember, January was a good month. We went ice skating, continued to nest in our new home, saw Gungor in concert (AMAZING show! See them live if you can!), and spent lots of time with friends. We are loving our small group and really enjoying doing life with some wonderful people. AND, I'm going to be an auntie! I'm so thrilled for my brother and sister-in-law. #babyzoub

There were also some hard moments. Moments of doubt, arguments, mild depression, fear, and anger. I won't pretend like the bad staff didn't happen in January. But, in the good times and the bad times, I found my resolution to be oh so helpful. I sang my song over and over again, and the music spoke truth and shed light into my heart. You have come to save us, Lord. 

For this month, February, I wanted to choose a song that could act in the same way. A song that would be a truthful reminder, a sharp weapon against negative thoughts + feelings, an exclamation of praise. And I think I found the perfect one. I chose, "You Saved My Soul" by Rivers & Robots. Rivers & Robots is a talented, young indie worship band out of Manchester, UK. I highly recommend their album, Take Everything (2012). I love their bright, layered sound, and their intricate, Psalm-like lyrics. 

I pray that God will use this song in my life over the next month. Give it a listen and let me know what you think. I look forward to updating you, bloggy friends, on what God gives me with this song. 

How are your resolutions going?

Let the new song arise 

From every tongue and tribe 

Every mountain high 

And every valley 

Let our love burn bright 

All through the darkest night 

Let the flames take flight 

To the one who gave it all to have my heart 

And from the very start, He knew every part of me 

Who I would be, and how He'd make me to give Him glory 

Beautiful one, You saved my soul 

You are my everything, You make me whole 

What can I give but give my all? 

You're so deserving 

So I will love You Lord 

With all my heart and soul 

All my mind and strength 

Just like You told us to and 

You are here 

Your spirit lives in me 

You've opened my eyes to see 

You are no more behind a temple wall, You gave Your life for all 

Waiting for an open heart to open wide, and You'd come inside 

And breathe new life

credits

from Take Everything, released 20 July 2012

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Resolution Songs // Month 1

It's that time of year again. When we take the time to evaluate and reflect on the past year, and think towards the new year--making plans, goals, and resolutions. We purchase gym memberships, start meal-planning, buy datebooks, and set the alarm clocks. There are reading plans and recipes, new schedules and appointments, cleaning and cooking and settling back into routines now that the holiday confetti has settled. 

I'm not one for resolutions generally. I've become jaded and cynical, knowing that I can make all the plans in the world, but life always gets in the way. Perhaps that makes me a giver-upper, undedicated, and lazy--or perhaps that just makes me realistic. Either way, I stopped making resolutions years ago. I've seen others just choose one little word to set the theme for their upcoming year, words like "grace", "joy", and "gratitude". I really liked this idea, and I've spent the last few days trying to come up with my word for 2014.  I got nothing. 

And then inspiration struck whilst scrolling through my Instagram feed, from none other than Ms. WifeySinger herself. She writes: 

"instead of resolutions for the year, i am taking a month at a time. disciplining, organizing, forgiving, trusting, changing."

Amen. I love this idea. One month at a time, step-by-step; crawling, walking, sprinting, crying, screaming, laughing--however the month finds me. As I thought about what inspires me and speaks to me most, it was an easy answer: music. Music moves me at my core, communicates straight to my heart, and leaves me changed every time. 

And thus, here is what I resolve for 2014, with admirable purpose and unwavering determination: I resolve to choose one song for each month of this year--12 songs total--to meditate on, learn to sing and play, and let shape and change me. I commit to prayerfully choosing each song and posting them here on this blog, for accountability and remembrance. 

And that's it. Without further ado, here is January's Resolution Song:

Come to Save Us

All Sons and Daughters

You have come to save us

You have come to save us

You have come to save us, Lord

You have made a way here

You have made the way clear

You have come to save us, Lord

You have come to save us, Lord

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

King of all the other kings on earth

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

King of all the other kings on earth

You are light and fire

You are our desire

You have come to save us, Lord

You’re the hope among us

You’re the peace that binds us

You have come to save us, Lord

You have come to save us, Lord

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

King of all the other kings on earth

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

King of all the other kings on earth

King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords

Light of the world, You shine

King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords

Light of the world, You shine

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

King of all the other kings on earth

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

Jesus, You’re the one who saves us

King of all the other kings on earth

King of all the other kings on earth

King of all the other kings on earth

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Autumnal Update

Happy Fall, ya'll! 

(normally, it would be weird for a California girl to be caught saying "ya'll", but I blame my southern greeting on my dear friend, Jordan, who has influenced my life--and my speech, it turns out. Jordan is from Arkansas and has the southern belle-est drawl of them all)

I digress. 

I wanted to pop in and give ya'll an update on what the Trams have been up to lately. 

We are completely loving this cooler, fall weather--and all of the seasonal scents, to boot. 

Not to mention, boots + sweaters + scarves, oh my. 

A dear friend of ours had a birthday recently, and we celebrated by going out for nomlicious Korean food, and then going for Korean karaoke! Korean karaoke is the same as any other kind of "Asian" karaoke, in that it's not like a karaoke bar where you sing to the entire room. You rent out a private room and just sing with your friends! IT'S SO FUN.

And, it felt like we were home. We are SO homesick for Korea sometimes.

The hubs and I have had the privilege of leading a Young Adults small group through our church. We are so enjoying the small group setting and we have such a great group of people! Our church's Young Adult Ministry is called YAM (^^), and so when we created the small group we decided to name it "Small Potatoes". We are so pleased with ourselves.

Our small group is going through the book Jesus + Nothing = Everything and I am really enjoying it so far. I can tell that this book is really going to stretch me, and it has already brought on some great discussions within our group, as well as some great quotes to meditate on. 

I've also had the best time being a part of the worship team at our church. I've always loved leading worship, and there is something so humbling and wonderful about playing with such a talented and passionate group of musicians. I'm so grateful.

There's also been a few new designs in my shop. I'm loving having the creative outlet, and I've had the privilege of working on some beautiful custom projects lately--specifically some Save the Dates for some dear friends (I'm so excited for their wedding!).

And for those of you who made it all the way through this loooong update, 

I'd like to bestow upon you a reward. ^^

How about BUY 1 GET 1 FREE in the shop?

Head over to Ferial-Shmerial Designs, add one print of your choice to your cart, mention the words "AUTUMN YEAH" in the note to seller box along with the title of a second print of your choice, and I'll send you both prints for the price of one. Early Christmas shopping, anyone?

I'll be honoring this deal until midnight on OCTOBER 21, 2013.

Happy Fall, ya'll.

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