Sewing To Do List

Hello, and welcome to Friday!

I am in major need of some craftiness in my life right now. I have a cabinet full of clothes that I hope to alter or transform in some way. And since we're trying to save money, I think I could get that new clothes fix by updating some old ones.  I am itching to get my sewing machine out for the first time since we moved. (I can't believe it's been that long.)

I've found a few great tutorials on Pinterest that I would love, love, love to try.

I think this one is super cute, and very wearable for work or casual outfits. I couldn't connect to the linked page for some reason, but it looks fairly straight-forward, so I'm hoping to figure it out.  I already have one or two tops in mind that I could use.

I am in love with this one. I've seen a few variations of it, including one with the entire back made from a different shirt made of sheer material. I'm considering using the back of an old plaid shirt that I never wear rather than use panels of fabric like this one does. You can find the original tutorial HERE.

This one would add that bit of extra flare to a boring t-shirt or tank that I would wear under a cardigan at work. I don't care for the ribbed tank used in the tutorial HERE, so I would use something a little dressier looking, I think. However, I've never seen the ruffled fabric like this at fabric stores. Have any of you seen it? Wear should I be looking? 

The vast majority of my tank tops are used for layering and fit more snugly, but I'm wishing more of them would fit like this one, especially when I think about summer wear.  The link to this one wouldn't work either, but it also seems simple enough for my novice sewing skills.

I also just saw this tank on my guilty pleasure, The Lying Game, and adore it. I usually don't care for the peplum look, but I liked the relaxed fit of it.  Some day when my sewing skills improve, or if someone wants to show me how, I want to make something similar.

Well, that is vastly more than enough to get me started again.  At my rate, this will take all year.  Just thought I'd share some of my musings with you. Wish me luck!

Aim

Remembering

Hey.

Yesterday I read something that got me thinking about remembering. More specifically, remembering the early days of dating the mister. (I know, you're probably sick of hearing those stories, so I won't go full-fledged story teller on you.) I will, however, list some things, more for me than you, because I don't want to forget. (Jered, I know how you feel when I post sappy stuff, so you should probably just skip this letter.)

Ok. Maybe I lied... just super short stories for some of these, I promise!

The first of many times that Jered made me laugh so hard I cried was on our second group activity together.  We went out for milkshakes, and when we got back to TIU, Jered attempted to climb out of the back of Mariah's two-door, I'm assuming tripped over the seat belt, and fell out onto the parking lot, two drinks in hand, without spilling them. You guys, he full. out. fell. on. the. ground.  (In true Aimee fashion, I spit milkshake everywhere.)  Now, that's all hilarious, but the important part of this experience is when he stood up, still holding the milkshakes steady, he said, "Obviously I was blessed with grace."  And I thought, witty, confident, not dying of embarrassment right now. Wow. For the rest of the evening, I spontaneously burst into giggles, watching it replay in my mind over and over, and Mariah and I nicknamed him Grace.

Jered and I go back and forth, haggling about which outing qualifies as our first date.  Was it the trip to Walmart or the evening at Starbucks? The night after the milkshake incident, he asked me to go to Walmart with him because he needed to pick up a few things.  We took five minutes to deliberate on whether or not he needed medium or large undershirts, I helped him by smelling and choosing deodorant, and we picked up some car air freshener because his car smelled like a gym bag.

The Starbucks date was a second choice due to monsoon season in Chicago. (We had planned to go to the beach, but it poured non-stop all day.) The whole day I was a nervous, excited wreck. I remember sharing my excitement with Mallory and Whitney in band. It was a fantastic date- he was so easy to talk to.

Our first beach date was after he came back from an away game. He wore basketball shorts, tall socks, and short converse. Adorable. While sitting on the rocks by the water, he freaked out suddenly because he felt a spider crawling up his leg. (I may have known I loved him at that moment.)

One day after lunch, Ashley, Mariah, and I stopped to talk outside Melton.  Jered said goodbye and walked to Madsen.  He walked around the corner, but came back.  He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt with the sleeves cut off.  I think there was a tiger on it.  He walked right back up to us, leaned in, and whispered in my ear, "You look really pretty today," and just strolled away again.

We would take my ipod to the beach with us and share the earbuds to listen to music together. We listened to James Blunt's You're Beautiful, a song I had never cared for, and looked at each other in shock when we heard the unedited version for the first time.

The girls and I went out dancing one night. When Ashley and I came back to our room, I found a note, flowers picked from a bush on campus, my favorite candies to snack on during the next day's football game, and my ipod was ready to play.  When I turned it on, the words, "You're beautiful" played instantly.  Ever since that night, that song hasn't seemed so bad. Instead it brings a smile and loads of memories.

I gave Jered my favorite t-shirt to wear under his football pads for games... and haven't seen it since. I'm fairly certain it was demolished.

One time we got in an ice cream fight on our way back from dinner.  His green dress shirt and my yellow hoodie were stained with chocolate ice cream for quite a while.

I forced Jered to go to a Halloween party with me and dressed up as him.

When we were first dating, he could barely grow a moustache.

 

Sorry for this blurry pic- 

it's an oldie from my phone.

He was adorable, and flighty, and silly after his concussion.

The only spirit day I ever saw him dress up for was a country day. He wore this faded, red cut-off shirt with one strapped overalls.

 

He would go out of his way to walk me to classes.

Over Christmas break during our first year dating, we drove up to Chicago because he had gotten us tickets to see Grease, and drove back in a terrific snow storm.

We always did homework together in Johnson Hall. He would come over, freshly showered after football practice. One time I leaned on his shoulder, and got a whiff of some stink that he missed in his armpits.  Stupidly I mentioned it. He looked at me in indignation and disbelief, left me sitting there, ran back to his dorm to shower again, and came back.

During that first Christmas break, when Jered came to visit, he let all his quirkiness show. My family was sitting in the living room when he went in to take a shower, and heard loud techno music playing and Jered pounding the walls along with the music. Dad was nervous that he was stomping and would crack the shower floor.

He used to turn around during football games, while the offense was playing and he was on the sideline, and wink and smile at me.

 

He always used to wear his keys around his neck on a shoestring, so he would jingle a little when he walked.  

He would surprise me by visiting every once in a while. (Before we were married, the majority of our relationship was spent over long distance.) I remember shopping at Old Navy in Peoria once, and he came up and hugged me from behind. After the fear of abduction evaporated, it was a wonderful moment.

Well guys, sorry for the influx of sappy, but I was ready for a stroll down memory lane. These were just a few things I don't want to allow myself to forget. The wonderful beginning.

Talk to you later,

Aim

In Betweens

Hi.

Just some random tidbits about life lately.  I heard someone refer to them as the "in betweens" today.  I like that.  In between moments of my life.

I am sore. I feel old.  My hips scream in protest every time I get up from my chair.  Maybe because last night I ran for the first time in way too long.  Maybe because I jogged twice as many minutes as I ever have in a row.  (Don't be impressed- I am no long distance jogger.  For real.  I usually do running intervals, not lengthy jogs.  I am a wimp.)

Over the past week I have plowed through the first two books of the Divergent series.  Yesterday I started and got a third of the way through the third installation, Allegiant.  I haven't heard many any positive reviews of the final book.  Therefore, I am preparing myself for complete and utter heartbreak.  Potential heartbreak aside, the series was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law, Kelly, and I love it.  I am totally geeking out over it right now.  Last night we even had a discussion over which faction we would be in.  Molly thought she would be Abnegation and Jake would be Dauntless.  We agreed that Jered would be Candor, and I would probably be Amity.  (I will accept my book nerd badge at any time.)

I learned something important about myself yesterday.  I should not, under any circumstances, be allowed to listen to music instead of watching a movie when I get ready in the morning.  This may seem backwards to most people, but not to this girl.  Perhaps because when I watch a movie, it's for the hundredth time or so.  I listen to it and am soothed by whatever script I'm hearing over again.  Music doesn't work like that.  

Especially when I have a fantastic new playlist.  Yesterday, although I had allowed myself more than enough time to get ready (thanks to hair that was apparently slept on perfectly and needed just a touch of hairspray to be ready to go), I ended up running super late for work.  You want to know why?  Because Aimee was gone- replaced by rockstar Aimee, who had a concert to perform.  And the show had to go on, no matter how many times I looked at my phone and realized I was pushing my luck.  It was a good thing my car had already been cleaned off, or I would most definitely have been late.

Also, just look at our niece.  Go on.  Just look at her and her cute little hoodie and coral jeggings.  She is so fun, and you can't not smile when you see her play and move around and hear her laugh and talk.  I seriously love watching her play with Jake and Molly.  It is the sweetest thing to see that kind of love.  Our days get a little brighter and warmer when we get to see her.  

Wondering about the songs that sparked a dance party while I tried to get ready?  Here are just a couple.

Happy by Pharrell 

Love Don't Die by The Fray

Enjoy!

Aim

Bittersweet Changes

Hi.

Yesterday was kind of a big deal for this Flinkman family.  After church we attended a membership class/meeting, and signed a covenant to become members of Waukee Community Church.

We agree with the doctrinal statements, appreciate their values and goals, have sensed God working in our hearts, have felt incredibly welcome since our very first visit, and they put a huge emphasis on relationships, which I love.

I find it different from any church we've attended before, but it seems to be a great fit and has many opportunities for us to become involved, even if we aren't certain how God plans to use us yet.  I can't wait to be a part of a small group- like I'm ridiculously excited, you guys.

As we sat in the meeting yesterday, and I realized we were about to become members of a church together, I got a peculiar feeling.  I figured out that the choice we were making felt bittersweet.  On one hand, I was feeling exceptionally excited that my husband and I were taking this step together for the first time.  That we were making a major decision and trusting that God has us in the right place for this season of our life.

On the other hand, I felt a sense of finality.  The ending of a chapter.  I became a member of the Evangelical Free Church of Canton when I was thirteen years old.  I had attended ever since I was a couple weeks old.

It's the church that my dad grew up in.  (Check out the glasses on that guy!)

It's the church where my parents got married.

It's the church where I had the privilege to help mop up the floors of two separate building projects.

It's the church that sent me out on mission trips, nurtured my growing faith throughout my high school career, and provided me with multiple teachers and mentors that prayed over my life and my choices.

It's the church that contains my family members' favorite verses and photograph inside its very walls.

It's the church where I married the love of my life.  (Sorry- got sappy there.)

It is my home church, a huge part of my life.  And it always will be.  While it is still strange to be a member of a church other than the one I grew up in and found my faith in, I could not be more excited about this new development.

Talk to you later.

Aim

Not Forgotten

Hi,

I was telling Jered earlier this week that I feel extra lame when I resort to talking about the weather with my coworkers.  I don't remember which movie it is, but I remember that someone started talking to their crush about the weather, and they were horrified that it had been all they could think to talk about.  Obviously I don't have crushes on my coworkers, but I still feel that pang of self-loathing every time that's all I can think to discuss.  Lame, lame, lame.  (I think I need a job where I have more in common with my coworkers... Not that I don't like the current ones.)

Anyway, I've noticed I feel the same way when I talk about it to you in my letters, but I think it's become so ingrained in my mind from work conversations that it's natural.  Or maybe it's that spring fever getting to me, and I can't get it off my mind!  Like the last two glorious days we had that I couldn't enjoy because I've been cooped up at work, or the blizzard we're supposed to be getting today.  Moving nearer to the equator sounds like a master plan right now.

Ok- enough of that.  On to the good stuff.  Jered and I have dived into the Francis Chan book, Forgotten God.  I have had this book for years.  Years.  As in it was probably a gift for high school graduation.  Maybe graduation from SRC.  Brandon- if you happen to read this- first, know that I am embarrassed it has taken this long, and second, I am thoroughly enjoying it.

If you don't know anything about this book, it's all about the Holy Spirit and our tendency to forget/limit/ignore him.  The author carefully discusses the purpose of the Holy Spirit in our lives, urging caution in finding the balance between ignoring him and, in a sense, putting words in his mouth or attributing actions to him for our own glory.   Basically finding the proper place in between overly conservative and overly charismatic.  Coming from a more conservative background, I appreciate that he covers both sides.

He brings up many convicting thoughts that I'd been considering before I started the book, making them seriously hit home.  Some of them include being afraid of letting the Holy Spirit take control of your life because it may get uncomfortable and questioning our motives in prayers.

Yellow highlighter covers a good portion of our copy of the book now, but one of the excerpts I found the most convicting is this one:

“If it’s true that the Spirit of God dwells in us and that our bodies are the Holy Spirit’s temple, then shouldn’t there be a huge difference between the person who has the Spirit of God living inside of him or her and the person who does not?”

So far, in my opinion, the biggest revelation the book has made is that we don't let the Holy Spirit act in accordance to the great power he has in our lives.

“I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit's leading on a daily basis. Christ said its better for us that the Spirit came and I want to live like that is true. I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly.” 

I've forgotten how much I enjoy reading a book with a highlighter.  Is that weird?  I guess I just miss learning.  I have several similar, devotional type books that I haven't read yet.  My plan is to keep reading them after I finish Forgotten God.  I think Captivating will be next on the list.  I've found myself struggling with insecurities and self worth lately, and if I remember correctly, this book talks about a woman's worth in the eyes of God.  It seems reasonable that I would have an easier time trusting in the Holy Spirit to work in and through me if I can understand a little better how my heavenly Father sees me.

On a completely unrelated note, if you think about it, please say a quick prayer for the people in Ukraine.  I can't say that I've been following the story closely, but I got goosebumps when I looked at the paper yesterday and realized that the fiery scene I saw was taking place in the same place that we posed for silly pictures and enjoyed beautiful architecture and art a few years ago.

Then:

Now:

(Photo from winnipegfreepress.com)

Then:

Now:

(Photo from globalpost.com)

None of that compares to the beautiful people we met there and the suffering they are no doubt enduring right now.  

(I swiped these pictures from my dear friend, Whitney.)

It's a beautiful country filled with beautiful people.  Let's pray that God would do a mighty work there.

Thanks.  Talk to you later.

Aim

Face Lift

Hey.

Well, I would fill you in on my weekend, but I've been sworn to secrecy.  No, for real- the mister has put a ban on any Instagram/Pinterest/Facebook/Letter sharing of Valentine's Day happenings.  I'm probably breaking that ban by telling you that this girl was incredibly smiley on Friday afternoon, even though the mister had to work.

I've probably told you every year since I've been writing, about my mixed feelings concerning Valentine's Day.  This year will be no different.  I really didn't give it any thought until I came home and found something left for me.  All of a sudden, my excitement shot through the roof.  I forget how spectacular the day can be.

Lots of people whine about how we should be celebrating our loved ones every day, and not just once a year.  This year however, I'm landing on Team Valentine's Day.

This is why:  we celebrate individuals once a year on their birthdays, we celebrate our freedom once a year on Independence Day, we celebrate our risen Savior once a year on Easter.  All of these things are spectacular, and we should probably celebrate them constantly, but the honest truth is that we get caught up in all that this life is.  So why not take a day to put a little extra effort into celebrating someone we love, and celebrating their love for us?

(You can blame the sappiness on my mister.)

And besides all that, I think that some people truly need the day to feel special.  So let them have it and enjoy it.  That's where my head is this year at least.

Ok- no more about Valentine's Day.  I'll probably get a stern look when he reads this as it is.

So, this weekend, I pushed our two couches together and made the most comfortable couch pit in the world.  If I get my way, they may stay like that for a good, long time.  It seriously makes for the most delightful reading spot ever.

However, as I gazed around our living room, I realized that I'm already getting bored with the looks of it.  I'm ready to refresh it.  Maybe it's spring fever, but I'm starting to think that the apartment needs a face lift.

I'm thinking something bright, springy, and cheerful like this would look lovely.

And I still have a small dresser and a cart screaming to be painted in some sort of cheery color like this table.

I feel a little like I've been in the process of giving my heart and mind a lift of their own, so maybe it's just seeping out into the rest of my life as well.

At the end of the year I downloaded the Bible app to my phone.  Coincidentally, on New Year's Day,  I located the reading plans in the app, and found the one that maps out your reading so that you complete the entire Bible in a year and got started.

I used to hear people say that if you started consistently reading your Bible it would change you.  Even if you weren't trying to change.  I guess I figured you would have to be more intentional about it.  To be honest, sometimes I go through my daily reading just to keep the habit going, not to absorb all that I can.  But I've still felt different.  Something has changed.  And I'm excited to see how God will work.

Well, my friends, hopefully I will be back soon.  Until then, enjoy the few days of fantastic weather we've been blessed with.

Aim

Budgets

Hello again.

I am longing for a day when I feel one hundred percent healthy!  I feel a cold creeping barreling into my life, and I was just starting to feel human again after last week.  Jered and I came down with something nasty, and after some speculation, we're guessing food poisoning was the culprit.  Not fun.  Not pretty.  And it took more time than I would have preferred to bounce back.

On, what I half believed would be my death bed, I was able to finish my first book in the Uglies series and begin my second John Green book: An Abundance of Katherines.  Once I was able to move again, I did manage to put some of my weights to work over the weekend, and the burn felt awesome and long overdue.  The walls of this Flinkman home are also finally beginning to wear their jewelry.  Finally.

What's that song that says, "I've got my mind on my money and my money on my mind?"  Well, other than recovering invalid, it basically sums up my life over the last week or so.  No worries, I'm not becoming Scrooge McDuck or anything like that, although I do think it would be pretty awesome to have a pool of gold.

Basically, money has been popping up all over the place.  Ha- maybe I should rephrase: the topic of money has been popping up all over the place.  If only that first statement were correct...

This is where a big difference between Jered's personality and mine can be spotted.  I stress; he has faith that it will all work out.  Thankfully, we haven't needed to stress since we moved- an enjoyable change from much of last year.  We have both been blessed with work on top of a lower cost of living.

When it comes to money, so many different views are out there.  Work hard and gain wealth, don't focus on money at all, save, give, evil, good, la-dee-da-dee-da.  It gets a wee bit overwhelming if you let it.  (I let it.)

A couple weeks ago, our pastor mentioned that people strive for wealth, and at the same time think of it as evil when other people have it.  He pointed out that God wants us to have enjoyment in our life, but we shouldn't desire/have so much money that we have no need to trust Him to provide.

For some reason, his wording made so much sense to me and put me at ease.  On top of that, Jered and I finally put together our budget.  Last year we put it off since my work schedule fluctuated all the time, and since we've moved, we still hadn't put it on paper and into action.

It's a good place to start anyway, and I'm pleased to say that it didn't take long for us to work on it at all, and it went much more smoothly than the examples on the Dave Ramsey tapes.  It was virtually painless.

I don't think I've shared this with you yet, but I've also been feeling convicted over the budgeting of my time. I read a status awhile ago that listed a bunch of important people and said that we each have the same amount of hours in a day as they do.  The statement was followed with the question of how do we use that time?  I was also struck by the difference of being busy and productive.

If all goes as planned, which probably has a seventy percent chance of actually happening, I will become a better steward of my time and money in the next few weeks or so.  We shall see!

Talk to you later.

Aim