unibrow.

Naturally I have one thick eyebrow.

A "unibrow", if you will.

When I was 11 years old, my Aunt Teddie couldn't stand it anymore, tackled me and tweezed the heck out of IT, shaping and essentially creating two eyebrows on my face. My days of being called "Burt" were finally over. Little did I know this would begin my lifelong battle with these two rugs above my eyes.

I've tweezed, waxed, had threading done, gasped at the cost of electrolysis and cursed these never ending reminders of my German heritage.

But this morning I visited an angel. Her name is Rosalinda and she works at the Houstonian spa, Trellis. She now has me on an eyebrow waxing regimen and I'm not allowed to touch or pluck my eyebrows for the next two weeks until I see her again. She reshaped my brows and taught me how they are to look more natural, said it was time I stop looking so "surprised".

I'm eternally grateful.

a kept woman.

It's amazing what can happen in a year's time and today, I'm celebrating God's grace, His love for me, His plan and the people He placed in my life. It was one year ago today I prayerfully made a decision that would spur pain and healing, realization and growth, forgiveness and acceptance and would forever change my perception of God in my life.

You can read about it here.

Wow, this past year has been unreal... going from places of disbelief and agonizing pain... but somehow within it feeling the greatest joy I've ever known. In the depths of heartache, I found a true understanding that God is my father and He's been keeping me, protecting me, and saving me for something greater.

I think of these tough times as a fires we go through and He's in there with us (read this passage, it's so fitting!) till we get to the other side. And what do we find on the other side of this refining fire, but ourselves shining brilliantly and how we were kept, held and saved by love.

In this last year I learned the importance of letting go and letting Him work. I learned how to truly trust Him... how sweet it is to run, dance, sing and talk alone with my sweet Jesus... I learned what a treasure I truly am... that I am a daughter of the Most High. I've known these things all my life but after this experience, after mourning this face down sobbing in my pillow, after being completely hollowed out and knocked for a loop I've learned why (in the most literal sense) we are to die to ourselves completely so that HE lives within us, so that even to the tips of our fingers, He is working and moving within us. I feel it all, I feel it all...

In the midst of times like this, we have a choice. We can allow it to beat us down (and it will) stealing every joy and every bit of hope from us... or we can desperately seek His face amidst it all, we can smile, we can live the pain outloud as a testament of God's grace working in us and we can choose to believe there IS another side, that we will come out of the fire shining more brilliantly than before.

And here I am, one year later, STILL learning, of course (!!) but so full of joy, PEACE, clarity, food tastes better, I hear music louder, my broken heart is whole, the sky seems a lot more blue, and I've discovered a love in a man that is true and Christ-like. One year ago today, though I had no idea what was in store for me I truly believed this day would come :)

You're not alone.

in a fog.

dk and me in san francisco.

(we are still working on photos!!)

big spender.

We've been dating approximately 4.5 months and yesterday, DK and I had... the money talk.

Talking about money and thinking about money are two things I really hate to do and I've never ever ever discussed my personal finances with anyone, let alone a boyfriend. I'm not quite sure what it is that I'm so afraid of or nervous about, but after going over specifics of my accounts, savings, school and car loans left to pay off, I feel almost revitalized and lighter. 

DK is the most diligent and organized man I know and was so encouraging and helpful. He too shared with me some financial goals he had and I realize how important it is to be open and discuss these types of things together, not be fearful or hide things.

So he set me up on Mint, have you ever heard of it? I've tried several methods of managing my money and nothing has ever been so fun to use, easy to use or caused me to WANT to check my accounts and money on a daily basis. And, it's FREE.

Check it out for yourself: www.Mint.com

On it, you can set up a budget, goals, learn ways to save your money... also has an entire page of diagrams, pie charts, and scales showing your spending trends, etc. It's terribly interesting. 

And pretty embarrassing. 

When DK and I saw this, we cracked up!! In my "shopping" category, look where I spend the most:

question du jour.

dk and I had dinner last night - we walked down the street to barnaby's cafe, best french fries on earth.

as we walked, part of the conversation went like this:

liz: "dk, do you ever get on your own nerves?"

dk: "no, why do you get on your nerves?"

liz: "yes, all the time!"

dk: "well then, I guess it's because I really don't talk that much."

I burst into laughter, this conversation was SO telling of our different personalities....

And dinner was delicious. But in our effort to eat well, we passed on the fries :)

i've got goosebumps.

this girl, oh this girl... brooke fraser.

i loved the song, then I watched the music video.

you HAVE to see it.

also, here are the words to the song so you can sing along when you hear her on KSBJ.

Shadowfeet::Brooke Fraser
Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
Toward home, a land that I've never seen
I am changing
Less and less asleep
Made of different stuff than when I began
And I have sensed it all along
Fast approaching is the day

When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you

There's distraction buzzing in my head
Saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
But I've heard rumours of true reality
Whispers of a well-lit way

When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you

You make all things new

Every fear and accusation under my feet
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you
When time and space are through

I'll be found in you

home sweet houston.

We're home. It was an unbelievable trip on SO many levels and I can't wait to share all the details. I'm catching up at work and need to finish laundry and then will sit down later and spill it.

california dreamin'.

Peace, I'm out of here.

I'll be back on Tuesday with a full report!

"Driving down the 101
California here we come!"

(This is my first plane trip with DK, I'm super excited.)

splashtown!

This morning I got to do the coolest thing ever.

With the Hoeks family, DK, and Coop the Intern, we went on an exclusive VIP tour of the waterpark Splashtown before they even opened!!

I blogged all about it, complete with audio and photos. Click here to relive the coolest memories!

dk.

He's so attentive. He made dinner last night when I got home from my nightmare shopping trip and seriously, it was the BEST pasta I've ever tasted. We watched a movie in the sunroom on my little TV from college (complete with built-in VCR) and it was the perfect night.

the dreaded shopping trip.

I need a new swimsuit. The one I have is about 5 years old and after the catastrophe dressing room drama mad crying fit last night, I'll probably end up wearing it again.

We're leaving for California tomorrow night and I couldn't be more excited but lately DK and I have noticed we've definitely put on some pounds. I caught him standing sideways looking in the mirror the other day, he grinned and said to me "My shorts don't fit me like they used to, Liz" and I'm feeling the same. DK (spoils) treats me so beautifully and since we started dating 4 months ago, he's taken me on the most wonderful dates to some incredible restaurants in Houston. And it's definintely taken a toll on my waistline :)

After my on-air shift last night, I headed out on the hunt for a cute suit. On approach to stop #1, I was blinded by 50% sale signs in the window and my adrenalin started racing. As I walked through the door, the cold AC blasted my face and every sense was heightened as the clothes, accessories and shoes called to me "Look how cute I am!" "See how CHEAP I am? You need me!" You'll never see cute stripey flowy me this on sale EVER again!" Now now now, buy buy buy.

And I was overwhlemed. Sooo... one of each sale item atleast... right?

I think scripture very clearly refers to this problem as "lust of the eye". Isn't it funny how we think that by spending money on a sale item we don't even need, we are saving money? And in the moment, I will justify it till I'm blue in the face. It's something I struggle with and really want to be more disciplined in. So much so that now DK has me on "shopping probation". He's a good good man, ya?

I left with a pair of cute sandalls that were very much on sale... and no bathing suit. So in reality I actually did save money because I didn't spend any!

And now old faithful gets to go to California.

sharasong photos.

These are a couple weeks old, but good nonetheless! We held a big THANK YOU free concert after Sharathon in the parking lot of Greenspoint Mall with artists like Sanctus Real, Chris Sligh, Mark Harris, John Reuben, and Pure NRG. Kent Matthews and I emceed. It was a blast!

Huge thanks to Robby Homes for taking such stellar photos!

"No Kent, it's not considered stealing if they HAND you the guitar!"

Sanctus Real, Kent Matthews and me :)

speeding up to slow down?

Yesterday morning DK and I had a coffee and sat down to go over the week ahead of us. We brainstormed, prayed, and talked about what we needed to accomplish in order to get out of town Thursday night.

We are flying to San Francisco to meet up with Kristen and domenica for a weekend in the wine country. domenica's family is from Northern California and they invited us to come for a visit, eat great food and camp along the river. I've been dreaming about this vacation for a long time now and I CANNOT believe it's almost here.

Typically before an exciting vacation like this I would wish the week ahead of me away, stress over all I had to get done, focus solely on the moment I get to leave for the airport and feel all the while the things keeping me from that moment are in the way and not as important. But after talking with DK and praying over the week ahead of us, I feel like...

Hmmm...

If I get the stuff done, great. If not, oh well. I feel that my time over coffee tonight with Anna is so precious, that I will get my bag packed eventually and there are so many moments to savor and relax within today, tomorrow and the next day before the plane takes off... I don't have to wait until then to take my "deep breath".

I so love this lyric from Steven Curtis Chapman's song Miracle of the Moment:
"So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment"

Ok, back to work!
Love love love,
Liz

disconnecting to reconnect.

We took off for the weekend... headed to San Marcos to float the river and camp. We relaxed and reconnected - my brothers, sister-in-law, DK and me. What beautiful things a little nature can do for the soul...

busy day!

It started at 8 a.m. - my calltime to KHOU for Great Day Houston -"Be camera ready", they said. At home, rushing around getting dressed I tried on the shirt we chose and looked in the mirror, sure I looked like a "pregnant moose", texted domenica an emergency message and headed to Kristen's. She helped with my hair, checked make-up and calmed my nerves. Nikki Sparks (of KSBJ) calls from KHOU and was there waiting, how cool to have her help represent KSBJ? I arrived to the station and was led into the green room, then sat down in the chair for make-up. Domenica shows up, new options for clothes, producers approve! Met Al Galik of "What's Up Houston?" publication and chatted about talk points for the show, Deborah Duncan makes her grand entrace into make-up, greets domenica and me, we chat. (Inside, I'm screaming "Really God?? I get to be here amongst these amazing women?!") Kristen rolls in, "Your dad, DK, and Andrew are in the audience!" Whew, whew, whew.

After that it all went pretty quickly... Al and I were on the second segment and chatted as much as we could in the given 5-6 minutes onstage with Deborah. It was smooth, Deborah was brilliant and hilarious! I was totally nervous. The lights, camera, audience, every element was a bit daunting, but so so so cool. Absolutely amazing to have a chance to represent KSBJ like this...

We finished, handed in our mics, and I raced to downtown to help launch the first stop on the I Love Houston Tour at City Hall. Wow, it was hot! Whitney, Coop and Brent were an amazing support team and we met tons of Houstonians, celebrating the Declaration of Independence in Houston. I love being out and about, especially with such an energetic team to help. Held a drawing for a behind the scenes tour at Splashtown next week... THAT is going to be fun!

After being downtown, I raced to work and was on-air from 3-7. It was a great show. I love being able to say on-air, "I'm tired!" and no one thinks I'm a wimp... I'm reminded continually that we're in this together believing in and loving on one another. Ya? Ya.

At the stroke of 7 p.m. I then raced/drove carefully to dk's where my family and other guests were "secretly" waiting for David and Kim to show up for his surprise party. It was SO fantastic. Everyone stayed, played charades, ate Frank's pizza and ate the "Mayan Ruin" birthday cake. (Long story, I'll post photos later)


It was a great day and I was exhausted... even had a bit of a breakdown on the phone with dk. (Is it possible to have "good breakdowns"?) I called him after airing a birthday call to David on my show and was just feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude, disbelief that this was my life and so appreciative of the things and people that were working in my life... from the suuport and love I receive from domenica and kristen... to my new roommate Stacey who brings such a breath of fresh air to our home... to my brilliant boyfriend... to my job and co-workers I love that provides one creative opportunity after the other... to God for being so faithful... to my brothers and sister-in-law for being such a huge part of my life... I am so blessed.

happy birthday david!

Today is David's 25th birthday!

Looking over the 25 years of his life so far and all that he's accomplished, seen, worked hard for and traveled to, I can't even begin to imagine what's in store for the next 25...

Happy Brithday David!

(I found this photo of him, I think he's maybe 3 or 4 years old, it's my favorite of him!!)

citizen jeans.

What's in a name brand? Well, for this discount shopper/sale rack browser/Target addict I believe that spending more money on clothes is important for quality sake, but the thought of continually keeping up with designers/styles/seasons kinda stresses me out. I just can't keep up!

I have friends, however that can and do.

When I told domenica and Kristen I'd be on the show Great Day Houston, they immediately made a fuss over what to wear, how to fix my hair, and oh oh oh make-up arsenal! Being friends with these two, I'm constantly impressed everytime I see them and exclaim over how on earth they decided to put that necklace with that blouse, how genius to wear those colors together and holy cow, you must have spent hours on your hair today?? It almost seems effortless to them... and on occassion I've ventured on a shopping excursion with them, getting a glimpse into their method of living so fashionably. And I'm just... awed.

Saks has a pretty big sale going on and this morning I met up with domenica, her mother-in-law Margaret and Kristen for a lesson in "how to dress for tv" and some quality girl time. I've told you before how deeply I love and appreciate these women and today as I left the Galleria, I found myself at a loss of breathe and laughing outloud recalling all the things said, clothing tried on, and excitement shared over all the things going on in our lives. It was a big day for me as we cheered when the cash register rang up my very first pair of designer jeans for less than a quarter of the orignial price. Whew.
I'm ready now for my first big tv appearrance. And not so much because we've got the hair and clothes nailed, but because I'm covered in belief, love and prayers of those around me. Wow, this post is quickly becoming the cheesiest and most sappy post EVER. But it's true!! I'm excited and grateful!! Ahhh!!!

long time comin'.

I love this city and feel that for too long now the things to do, places to be and diverse creative people have been way too underestimated as a potential tourist destination.

The I Love Houston Tour was an idea I dreamed up to encourage "being a tourist in your own city" and highlight the places and things that make Houston unique and wonderful! And now, this Friday the tour launches and we'll be hitting our first location.
This is the logo dk and I created for the banners, t-shirts, etc. Fun, huh?

Also, this Friday morning, I'll be a guest with Deborah Duncan on Great Day Houston (9 a.m. KHOU 11) talking about the free things there are to do in the city. How fun that I get to mention the tour and represent KSBJ on TV?! I'm still a little stunned they asked me and I don't feel nervous YET. We'll see how long that lasts!!

the boys, the boys.

The highlight of my week is definitely having Andrew home and staying at my house. He's home from Austin and is headed back this weekend but I can't remember the last time I've been able to spend so much time with him consistently!! We've gone for walks, had coffee, spent time with David and Kim, stayed at home reading, he got to meet Domenica, rode the #82 bus from one end of Westheimer to the other and he'll be around for the I Love Houston Tour stop#1 on Friday... we've had a nice relaxing time.

So yesterday I get a call from dk letting me know he's hired Andrew for his current project... dk's been coordinating a shoot for work and needed to incorporate a high dive, a diver, and some water. Clever and creative as ever, he calls Andrew and asks him if he knows of any cliffs over lakes in Austin and could they pay him to sail them around, getting the right footage for the project. Well, Andrew is an expert sailor and agreed immediately! He even coordinated a crew (along with dk's crew of Scott and Cody) and an underwater photographer.

So, early this morning dk picked Andy up from the house and they headed out to Austin. Kenai and I stood on the front porch waving as they drove off, exhaling a prayer of safety and good times for them both...
And I think "Really? My boyfriend and my brother hanging out in a sailboat on the lake together?" I'd always hoped it would be this way... my family and significant other spending time together like this... but until now, never understood how great, peaceful and real it could really feel. God is good.

the backyard is back!

My roommate Stacey and I have a small backyard behind our house and until yesterday, there was no grass... just dirt.
When I left for work yesterday, the back yard looked like this:

And when I returned, it looked like this! Now it's so beautiful and Kenai has grass to lay in!
First order of business, plan a backyard barbeque, right? Mmmmm...

dutch painter girl.

The latest addition to my "pay attention" category: WWW.DIANAKIMKAISER.COM

She's my sister-in-law and is a brilliant painter! I'm so thrilled for you to see and experience her paintings... soon! On the web! Woo!

it's the simple things...

a few of my favorite moments from my holiday weekend:

* relaxing and napping all day because I could

* zooming through downtown on bikes with dk, david, kim and friends to catch 4th of july fireworks

* laying on the hill of the bayou near downtown with my loved ones watching fireworks right above us

* hiking memorial park with dk and Kenai

* enjoying the summer breeze, sitting in camping chairs next to dk, andrew and arwyn, watching my first drive-in movie saturday night

* walking to church with my baby brother andrew

* standing in church next to andrew, singing along with robbie seay

* sitting in my living room, listening to annetta play guitar and burst into song while we lost track of time and talked for hours

* cooking a big summer pasta for my brothers, kim, dk

* enjoying the summer breeze from atop dk's building, watching the sunset on downtown houston with my family...

quite simply, it was the BEST weekend all year.

happy rainy 4th of july!

It was like a scene out of a comic strip. We had our swimsuits on, cooler packed, even purchased an underwater camera and when we walked out ready to go, DK announces "Bad news. The rain is here." 

In a matter of minutes, the weather had changed, the clouds rolled in and the thunder was pounding. So much for a lazy 4th of July out by the pool! So now we're lounging on the couch, thinking about watching a movie and wondering if the rain will pass for fireworks at 9:3o p.m. 

Here's a little firework show fun fact for ya: a fireworks show on a cloudy day definitely has a louder boom because the noise is more trapped beneath the layer of clouds in the atmosphere.

Also, here are some Fireworks Show World Records.

Click here to learn the different names of the shapes, colors and sizes of the explosive beauties.

Happy 4th of July, Happy Independence Day!

mom-a-licious manifesto #8

"Go out with your friends regularily, let off steam, make memories, and come home grateful for your family."
And we do.

Arranging and aligning the schedules of the three of us is never an easy feat, but as often as we can, we gather for a few precious moments to catch up, pray, and EAT. This morning Domenica, Kristen and I met at Brasil's for breakfast and iced hazelnut coffees.

I'd love to one day be just a fly on the wall... no, that sounds gross... I'd love to be a butterfly flitting by, hopping from flower to flower and listen to our conversations. We seriously hit the ground running with details about career, people, love, hilarities and atrocities, the greatness of our God and now of course, details about our big trip to California!

Every EVERY every time I come away from spending time with these women, I feel empowered and enlightened, loved and understood, believed in and prayed over... that I've absorbed strength and ability from them. And I have.

My time with them is so precious... and I thank God for them.

Soooo... Get the book. Study the manifesto on page 12. Ciao!

more amy photos...