{New Beginnings}

Well folks, I am officially a southern girl now, complete with steamed okra ;)  I know this poor, sad, little blog has been rejected lately and I'm sure it won't get any better in the coming weeks, but I wanted to do a quick post and share what God's been doing lately :)

I recently had the privilege of moving to Purcellville, VA to attend Patrick Henry College.  This week has been a whole lot of orientation, etc, but already I am so overwhelmed by the amazing community of people that surrounds me.  It's been quite the journey to get here, but God is oh so faithful!

One song that we've been singing in chapel is 'All I Have is Christ' - if you haven't heard it before I encourage you to take a few moments to listen to it!  The last verse is especially powerful:

Now Lord, I would be yours alone,
And live so all might see

The strength to follow your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

Hallelujah!  All I have is Christ
Hallelujah!  Jesus is my life

As I prepare to delve into this school year on Monday, that is my prayer.  That Christ would be all I need, all I pursue, and all I desire!  May each one of us trust in Him, commit our way to Him, and believe that He who called us is faithful!  This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. {Psalm 118:23}

So with that, I'm off to study the syllabus and see what I need to get done :)  Every once in a while I'll try to post pictures from my iPod to give you a glimpse of what I'm up to!  Can't wait to see what this year holds :)

{The roomies have already discovered the fro-yo place next door ;)}

{Sneak Peek}

I got to spend some time with this lovely today - we had a blast adventuring around the Strip District!  Lots more in the works...these are just a few favs :)

Bex <3

{SUMMER!!!}

Oh what a happy, happy summer day :)

{I'm back :)}

Hello to the blogosphere!!  My goodness - it's been forever since I've posted anything....it's incredible how much can happen in just a few months!  Let's see...I started a full time job, was the maid of honor in my big sister's wedding, got my flower business up and running for another year, and oh yeah!  I just got back from Italy :)  Needless to say things have been a little hectic, but I really hope to start blogging more during these long summer evenings :D  

To start with, I definitely wanted to share some pictures from Italy.  The trip was so incredibly amazing I don't even know where to begin!  Besides visiting all the places I've only ever read about, roaming about the Italian countryside, and eating about double my weight in gelato, it was just amazing to walk around the different historical sites and see history really come to life!  My poor computer is currently groaning under the weight of 1,500 photos, but here's a few of my favorites to start with :)

{Roman streets}

{Hill town life}

{Gorgeous cathedrals}

{St. Peter's Basilica}

{My new favorite vehicle}

{Colosseum at night}

{Amalfi}

{Positano}

{San Gimignano} 

{Shady walkways}

{Poppies in bloom}

{Leaning tower + gelato}

{Yellow birches}

{Abandoned church}

{Mountaintop cities}

{Under the Tuscan sun}

Happy weekend!!

Bex <3

A very {Ally} weekend :)

So you might remember that I went to Colorado for a photography class last September...it was an amazing few weeks filled with awesome friends, over-priced food, and of course lots of pictures :)  I didn't know anyone going into the class, but was able to leave feeling like I'd known everyone for a lifetime.  One such amazing person was Ally (be sure to check out her photography blog!!), and even though oceans were between us for a few months, we kept in touch via Facebook chat.  Ever since Colorado, we've talked about getting together and SHE FINALLY CAME LAST WEEKEND!!!! :D :D :D  It was so much fun to explore Pittsburgh together...from the Strip District, to Phipps Conservatory, to mall hopping - we got it all covered!!  Now I'm already counting down the days until I get to go to New Hampshire and visit her...

(isn't she the cutest??!! :D)

The Strip District was our first stop on Saturday morning - we had a blast walking around and exploring all the shops!! (although I think I gained about 3 pounds with all the food we ate :P)

Yup - they're real.

Bacon and cheese!  My favorite ;)

My favorite store - Penzeys!!  This place has every spice you could possibly imagine..we had fun walking around and smelling all the flavors of the world :)

Oh yes....Kitchen Aid mixers!!  These are a few of my favorite things :D

We tried a gyro from a Mediterranean street vendor, and it was amazing!!  The picture really doesn't do it justice...slow roasted lamb meat with tomatoes, lettuce, and onion sauce...now I want to go back ;)

Our final stop was my absolute FAVORITE place ever :D  Normally I am not a doughnut fan, but this little hole-in-the-wall bakery makes mini doughnuts that are to. die. for. (I told you I gained about 3 pounds from this trip!! :D)

Another excursion we took was to Phipps Conservatory - this is one of my absolute favorite places to go, especially in the winter!  Not a whole lot was in bloom the day we went, but their orchid display was gorgeous...

(my favorite flower!)

These odd little white men are always exciting...

Oh Ally, it was so amazing to see you again!! (although I officially hate you for getting me addicted to shamrock shakes ;P)  Thanks so much for making this past weekend so special - I can't wait to see you again soon!!

Bex <3

PS I am ALWAYS looking to gain photo experience, so if you or someone you know would like a family session, senior portraits, etc, just drop me an email at simply.joyfully.his@gmail.com and we can set something up!