9 days!

t minus 9 days till California vacation with my family!!

It's true. I need a break, and this vacation is my professional saving grace right now!

This book has been requested from the Nashville Public Library

A plane ticket has been bought for San Diego, California

And this is what I will be doing.

And shopping.

Get Happy

 So recently I started designing a header for my coworkers' style blog. I LOVE Nashville Styled. I need Ashley to come to my closet and help me put together all the unique kind of combinations she comes up with!

Funny thing is, Ashley didn't ask me to design her a header. Why then did I make her one, then ask her if she wanted it? lol

Its true.

Craft night anyone?

Baby Steps.

This last Saturday Logan and I spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful weather! It was a wonderful break from all the rain! I was so excited because I got off work for Good Friday, and didn't have to work that Saturday, thus, a 3 day weekend! Such a beautiful thing.

So on Saturday morning Logan and I researched hike paths and found on that was only around 20 minutes from our apartment. We packed a lunch and took our time sitting on docks and benches, and reading about all the animals and trees around the path. So relaxing. On the way home we drove down almost every path that diverged from the main road.

As I was sitting there full of joy, with the windows down, knowing all the words to the country station playing, I realized..how uncharastic this is of me! I have such horrible allergies that driving with the windows down is asking for swollen eyes and throat, counrty roads used to make me feel trapped, being so far from "civilization" as I called it lol, and I definately don't normally listen to country music! It's funny, Nashville has had an effect on me. I used to be a Dallas girl for goodness sake! Either way, I am excited to grow and change and enjoy new aspects of life that I never before understood.  Now... this doesn't mean I'm ready to go CAMPING or anything crazy like that. Baby steps.

I like the ride.

This last Sunday I was blessed by a sermon I heard during service at Otter Creek. We have been exploring The Sermon on the Mount, and it has been an eye opening and refreshing experience. Josh, the preacher, doesn't steer away from tough subjects like divorce.

He first addressed the abusive misinterpretation certain scripture used to create a legalistic code against divorce. I was surprised to hear that there are people who actually believe that divorce is an ultimate sin. Clearly, there is no logic in that, nor is that idea remotely supported by scripture.

On Josh's blog he makes the point the legalistic loopholes are not Jesus' way....

I believe and am confident that God does not want couples and individuals staying in marriages that are full of physical and verbal abuse.  A marriage is made up of two completely broken people making a covenant to each other to become partners in life, a life that consists of mutual respect, patience, grace, and love. It is inevitable that sometimes relationships crumble beyond repair, and bring nothing but grief. I believe in the grace of God, and that when trusted, he will either bring conciliation to the pair as a couple, or if parted, a healing to each.

My favorite part of the sermon that resonated most with me and where I am at right now, was when he said that "Marriage is a witness to God's love for us". I must say, my marriage with Logan is really the most beautiful thing I've ever known. I didn't know that such an intimate companionship was possible.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. --1 John 4:7-8

But through it, I understand my relationship with God so much better. If he can bless two broken, selfish people with such a love, imagine what He Himself can offer. Logan and I are blessed to be where we are at right now, and like a spiritual high, it is the commitment, practice, and deep love that pulls us through the trenches of doubt, loneliness, and insecurity. We will all combat those feelings reguardless of whether we are married, single, or divorced...it is how we battle it and who we lean on that matters.


A Time for Everything
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance....
--Ecclesiastes 3


Life is made up of a combination of "times", and that is what makes it beautiful.

Sista, Sista

check out her blog!

Goodness. I miss her so much. She is living in Virgina right now with her husband Jake. Jake is in law school at Washington & Lee, and Kat is teaching english at an alternative school. So amazing! Seriously, she is having kids that have been in and out of jail actually enjoying reading for the FIRST time in their lives. Really, a student set her classroom couch on fire last month, while people were on it. Her strength amazes me.

I love you and am so proud of you!!

because graduation is right around the corner!

These are just a couple of recent projects,

but if you or anyone you know is looking to have

custom designed graduation announcements shoot

 me an email at rebecca@mymustardseed.net!

Mr. Wallace Web

So, our dear friend Wallace (who I have talked about on his blog before) passed away a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those heart breaking moments where as much as he was in pain before he passed, the loss of his presence was overwhelming. I especially hurt for Benita, who's first husband was unfaithful to her, second husband died of cancer, and  never thinking she would ever marry again, lost her final husband and love, Wallace.

He proposed on her birthday.

I just wanted to dedicate a post to him. I am so thankful that Logan and I got to be a part of it.

Simple Times

Obsession!

LATE: Our first Christmas!!

Blessings

Here are a few things and I am blessed by right now

Otter Creek Church of Christ

We have been SO blessed to be so welcomed by this church. I have never been a big church hopper, so after about 3 Sundays in Nashville, Logan and I settled here. The decision involved quite a bit of discussion over denomination. Logan grew up Lutheran which he misses sometimes, there are aspects big Baptist Churches that I love, but overall, it came down to comfort. The comfort of the accapella music I grew up listening to. Nothing is sweeter to my ears than the voices of believers all around me, singing hymns that have been sung for hundreds of years. We love the hospitality we both experienced in Church of Christ churches, as well as the focus on family and community. The community of such a small but rooted denomination like The Church of Christ allows for uncanny connections. My second Sunday there I met a guy who grew up in the church my grandpa used to preach in in Auburn Alabama, and already knew the name Sam Hill. Logan found it humorous that I was constantly surprised to meet people at church at went to either ACU or Harding, thus pointing out that there are basically 6 big universities affiliated with the Church of Christ. He also pointed out on day that the denomination is not exactly one that I am sure many people are drawn to midway way through life, rather, one that you are either born into, or married into. lol. We tested the theory on our church friends, and found it to be 100% on the dot. We even pushed it further in asking how many generations of Church of Christ their family has passed through.

new friends

Again, Otter Creek has blessed us with amazing friends that we can have fun with, and connect with about all the many stages of life and marriage. We have chefs, teachers, graphic designers, doctors, friends in film, and marketing, and ministry. Newlyweds, houses being built, new jobs, pets, babies on the way, weddings, moves, and engagements! (yay Dia and David!) So many things to connect over, learn from, and look forward to.

My job at the Art Institute

Goodness. I love my job. It's a bit of a roller coaster, but that is good.

My job is dynamic, and allows me to consistently grow and improve. Not only that, but there is upward mobility, something I think is important for a personality like mine. I am using my strengths and major, and applying it to my two favorite things, people and art.

Benita and Wallace

Benita and Wallace are our neighbors. Benita is 85, and Wallace is 90. They got married 5 years ago. For real.

Its really is the classic story. Boy sees girl in the senior center. Boy asks nurse about her, gets her number, and pursues her. He even got on one knee to propose, quickly requesting that she answer because his knee is killing him. They poke fun at each other, laugh, and take care of each other. Wallace will tell Benita how pretty she is, and she will just shake her head and smile. Wallace will nonchalantly tell us about his first football game in 1931, and Benita will about her days when she would tear up the dance floor with the jitterbug and what not. Their story has not always been easy or simple, but it is beautiful.

Logan wrote about them recently here

Pretty

So, life has been great and BUSY! Logan and I are having a blast in Nashville. We are getting involved with the young marrieds group at Otter Creek Church of Christ. It has been such a blessing and we are getting to know so many incredible people! Gotta run! I leave you with some work clothes eye candy from Ann Taylor and The Loft!!

Home Sweet Home!

Packing up to leave Cimmeron! You know, after all the cold showers and bats in the walls, it was kinda sad leaving our first newlywed apartment!!

But now we living in a wonderful 2 bedroom apartment and love it too!

Our first kitchen table!! We've always gone into furniture stores and walked around, and imagined what it would be like to make our first buy from an actual furniture store!! NEW! (basically everything else you're about to see has been passed down, from a thrift store, or Craig's list. :)

We love our table though! I'm sitting at it right now, taking a break from working on preparing for my first interview I'm doing with a kid on Monday. Yay! We eat every meal at it, which we really grew to appreciate after eating on the floor and over coffee tables for weeks!!

(click on the picture to see it bigger!)

Our office!! So I had actually been collecting lots of pictures and inspiration for what I wanted our office to look like, and I COULD NOT believe that somehow we played it off (at least in the way that I imagined it!)

We've got his brother's futon (bottom left), a coffee table we got from salvation army last year and painted, a lamp from Walmart, he built the floating shelves on the wall!! I was so proud! We saved so much money that way and really love the way it turned out!! My sisters handed out black desk (which I love and have used for years), my bike, curtains and mirror that were registry gifts from Crate and Barrel, and Logan's keyboard!

I am SO glad that he gets to have this in our apartment now!

Our bedroom! The vanity to the right is from my old bedroom, and we are still in the process of looking for an oval mirror to hang above it. (I'm thinking shabby chip and cream)

kitchen. WE HAVE CABINETS NOW! yay!!

Living room!! the big mirror on the wall was my attempt to be able to watch The 70's Show through the reflection while I cooked dinner, but unfortunately the tv isn't in view through the reflection from the kitchen, and That 70's show comes on at like 10 here. Logan randomly brought it home like our second day here and found it at a thrift store for $30 or something. We just got the coffee table off Craig's list for super cheap last week, and got the rug at Lowes for a steal!

Anyways, that's our home sweet home for the people who have been asking for pictures! lol
Becca

Nashville!

So, a lot has happened! Right after Steph's wedding Logan and I took off and drove to Nashville. After 3 rough days of unpacking boxes and what not, we started getting more settled in.

So random!! My second night there we went to Mafiozas, and ran into Jillian Edwards! Out of the whole restaurant, we were definitely seated NEXT to each other! lol

It was SO wonderful cause Logan and I then had an entire week to furnish our apartment and start to feel at home. We kept saying that it was like a complete vacation!! It was WONDERFUL.

That weekend was super eventful for us too! Friday night we went on a double date in Murfreesboro with Logan's masters program mentor, and her fiance. They were so sweet and we had no much fun! Then we  karaoke birthday party for one of the students in Logan's MTSU master program, and Logan and I definitely dueted Feralisious in front of a bunch of people we had just met. It was great.

The next night we went the the San Antonio Taco Company with Mickey!!! Ah, a best friend! It felt SO good to be reunited. Love her.

The next morning we went to church with Jillian Edwards and a bunch of her Baylor friends. We loved the church!!

THEN, the following morning, Monday, I started my new job at the Art Institute and Logan started his first grad school summer course.

My first day of work was... ROUGH. Just like every first day of work (for most jobs), it is information overload and you just feel completely brain dead at the end of the day. When Logan came home I was sitting on the couch in sweats, no make up, glasses, sitting there comatose looking at the TV.. which was off. Funny this was that I had literally gotten home like 4 minutes before him. lol

But everyday there gets better and better!! I am really starting to love it. Praise the Lord!!

So long!!
Becca

My Best Friend's Wedding

My best friend in the whole world just got married, and it was absolutely perfect!

the party leaving the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas

The size of the shots at Pete's. Steph sipped it. lol

Lauren (right)=wonderful new friend I was meant to always have...

We love sex on the beach.

"She WAS a virgin... touched.."

It was great.

Steph and Jared leaving the ceremony MARRIED!!

It was so sweet and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it. I am so happy for my 2 closest friends to be getting married in the same summer!! Marriage is the most wonderful ride and I cant wait to hear about Steph and Jared, and Emily and Matt experiencing it. Em, my primary blog reader, is getting married August 7th and I seriously cannot wait. And let me tell you, neither can she. lol

Laters.

Becca

I'm back!!

So, first of all, Logan and I graduated! It was such a wonderful weekend with both of our families there.

The day after graduation we headed to Austin, then flew to Nashville to scout out apartments and so that I could interview for a job at the art institute! 

I can't believe it! I got a job as the Assistant Director of Admissions at the Art Institute in Nashville!

This is the perfect job for me in so many ridiculous ways. I honestly still can't believe it.

AND we found a perfect apartment that happens to only be 2 minutes from my job... and 40 minutes from Logan's school. lol BUT, in my defense, Logan is going to school in Murfreesboro, and was very insistant that we woul rather live in Nashville and be close to all of its greatness, than live in Murfreesboro.. so he is going to commute in the oppositie direction than most people, which is good.

I WILL BE A GOOD BLOGGER FROM HERE ON OUT!

A new post is soon to come about my graphic design business I am starting!

Becca has a come to Jesus.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the future, but then again, I'm ALWAYS thinking about the future. Last semester I couldn't think about anything but being married to Logan and the life we would start together, as if, that was a means to an end. Now I am married to Logan and have honestly never been happier in my life. But thats the thing, it's still LIFE. People always ask me about marriage, as if it involves living on another planet... and it is very different and AMAZING, but it's the same in that everyday carries burdens and decisions and uncertainty, for yourself AND your spouse. I feel like Logan and I are always taking turns carrying eachother through the day, being eachothers cheerleaders and helping the other in any way we can.

Logan is doing that for me right now. Right now I am struggling with uncertainty about the future, and an eagerness for it to get here. I am ready to graduate from college. I am ready to move to Tennessee and move into a new apartment, and start a new job. Right now I am looking for that job. That is one of the greatest anxieties in my life right now, I think in part because I am working a job right now that I am very unhappy at, and I don't want to make the mistake of just taking any job, and then suffer it eating my soul.

That feeling of something eating your soul is awful. I wonder how many people go to work everyday and allow it. It is a mixed feeling of bordem, uselessness, and unimportance. I never knew that I could be so exhausted and drained from sitting at a desk in my own little office for hours. I have learned a VERY valuable lesson from this job though, I desperatly need interpersonal interaction in my job, variety, movement, some level of creativity, and responsibility.




God, please help me to TRUST you with my life. I know that I will always be in good hands with you, my husband, and a church family... Help me to lean not on my own understanding, but help me to acknowledge all the ways that you have provided for me, even in the midst of my own doubt.

I trust you if you if you choose to make my path straight, and I trust that if you dont, you will guide me through it.

Lord, I am restless and discontent in this world because I am not with you yet, give me patience to embrace all the beauty this life has to offer, and give me discontent to remind me it is not my home.

Just for Emily

Thank you Emily for the encouragement to post! lol

Here are some highlights:

-So, first of all, Cayman was INCREDIBLE. seriously, the perfect vacation. I am so blessed to have married into such an incredible family.

-Last week Logan and I were on a walk and saw a shooting star. It was amazing!

-Logan and I are FOR SURE moving to Murfreesburo, Tennessee! So now I am looking for a job... I would LOVE to work for FriendsLife (has programs that work with individuals with mental disabilities) of The Autism Society of Middle Tennessee doing their graphic design and fundraising. But, pretty soon Logan and I are going to fly out there to do some apartment hunting, and so I really need to focus on finding a job in Murfreesburo... (the two above I mentioned are in Nashville, but thats only 30 min. to Murf... and if I got the job before we found an apartment, and would find one half way between Nash and Murf.)

-Last Thursday night we had a passover meal at our apartment with Preston, Jess, Alex and Cassey. We had A LOT of laughs and great food.

-My graphic design business is moving right along!!! I have been so blessed to have so many oppertunities this semester. Still working on my personal logo. This summer I plan on dedicating myself to learning the art of blog design, so that I can spiff up and go public with my Rebecca Watts Designs blog. I'm not posting any of my invitations yet until they go out to all the guests, but I am working on getting up a flickr account for the rest of my portfolio.

pictures of cayman and life coming soon!!!

Update

Its been awhile!

My friend Cassey's senior art show. I wish I could have one.

Siggies won sing song! I was so ridiculously proud!

Logan and I have been working alot

and we are leaving this weekend for the CAYMAN ISLANDS! oh my goodness. I need that trip SO badly.

March second was our 2 months of marriage! I was making 5o cookies for one of Logan's psychology experiments (so if you got a chocolate chip cookie from his table in the campus center last week, you were part of an experiment lol) and I had extra dough!

This last week I got 2 new graphic design projects, design a tattoo for someone (THATS RIGHT. Im a tattoo artist.) Logan took me on a picnic. Played at a gymnastics place with siggies, and beyonce danced to high school musical...

This morning Logan and I woke up at 10, made muffins and coffee, went running, then worked on stuff at home still we both had to work (5 and 6 to close)

Right now I am laying in bed watching Greys (and updating my blog of course) and drinking a stawberry margarita from Eskimo Hut. Good day. Now if only my hubby would get home!!

He just got home! Bye!

So... I think I love you.

EMBROIDED ON LINEN!!!
http://katiecupcake.blogspot.com/2009/06/embroidery.html




I trying to figure out the style of our apartment, what we want to incorporate into our future homes. Is it modern, traditional, or shabby chic?

**My sisters apartment is very modern and with reds and bright colors (which we had done in our kitchen and living room)
**And my sister-in-laws house is very traditional and almost vintage with creams and rich but light colors (which we have done in our bedroom and bathroom)

hmm...
(we will only be in our current apartment for another 4 months, then we will be moving who-knows-where! The bulk of our apartment is made up of things that are passed down or from goodwill, and everything else is from registry!


We have been SO blessed to not have had to put barely any of our own money into decorating our apartment, and we could only do that because of the wonderful sweet gifts and registry items we recieved from our wedding!!

We bought all of our bedding and the lamps with Target gift certificates

I painted the picture above the bed. It is sort of an abstract from a picture I took on me and Logans second date. We climbed up this little hill in Austin and sat there and overlook the lake and the beauty of Austin, and when we were climbing up he reached out and held my hand to help me get up, and that was the first time that we had ever touched hands and I got COMPLETELY weak at the knees, and basically knew at that moment that I was going to marry him. So I took a picture to remember the moment. (spring break 2 years ago)

I love our little nest, and that it is all ours.

Becca