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12.31.2013

T H I S Y E A R



















This year was literally the best year of my life. I'm kind of sad to see it go, but I cannot wait to see what this next year has in store. It'll be mine and Elisha's first official year married together and we have so many goals and visions for where we want our lives to go. Before we move on, I thought it would be fun to take a peek back.

- We started the year by using my new camera lens
- Elisha and I went to California where he completed his Super Spartan. And I met his sweet grandmother for the first time
- I went to Vegas for the first time with my sister and stepmom! Then we spent five days at Best Friends, in Utah, and played with cats and dogs all day
- We celebrated Easter with bunnies 
- Elisha ran the Spartan Sprint and Pie N' the Sky was at Renegade in Austin
- Pie N' the Sky was featured in Crafty Magazine!
- We got engaged!!!
- My best friends got married!
- I turned 25
- We took our students on a missions trip to New York; worked in food pantries and navigated our way through the city.
- Elisha went to the Texas State Fair for the first time!
- I moved into our new home!
- Elisha completed his first triathlon sprint!
- We had our student outreach, Sparkout, and got to hangout with hundreds of students in the city!
- We celebrated Year Three of our church being started
- We got married!!!
- Elisha and I headed to Saint Lucia for our honeymoon
- Elisha wrapped up the year by completing the Spartan Beast (15 miles) and thus "Trifecting" for his first time!

What was the highlight of your year??


xo. mel

12.30.2013

W E A R :: americana




 D E T A I L S  ::  jacket + scarf/urban outfitters, shirt/anthro, jeans/hco, shoes/sam edelman, purse/kate spade

I had so much fun walking around downtown in my hometown. It's interesting to see how many wonderful things I took for granted growing up there. Everything from this quaint downtown area, to the foods, to the beautiful mountain view. It was so good to be home for awhile.


xo. melisa

12.29.2013

W E ' R E B A C K

Hi friends! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and enjoyed spending time with your families. Elisha and I have been out of town for the last week, visiting both our families back home in New Mexico. It was fun and nostalgic being in the place we both grew up. We hadn't been there for two years, and it's crazy how foreign it becomes when you're away for a given time. But we caught up with family, ate way too much Mexican food and fully enjoyed the time off.

I'm so happy to be back home and get back into a regular schedule again. Forgive the silence here on the blog. I already have some post ideas for the new year, including sharing our wedding photos! We got them an hour before we left to NM and I've been dying to share. If you follow my instagram then you've already seen a peek! 

What was the highlight of your Christmas? Any perfect gifts?


xo. melisa

12.19.2013

G I V E A W A Y :: $20 PS shop credit

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! If you're anything like me, and you've put off your shopping a little longer than intended, then enjoy this giveaway as a way to get a last minute gift for a friend (or yourself - you deserve it!) Simply enter by sharing a comment with what you would use your $20 shop credit on! The winner will be contacted on Monday, the 23rd! And don't forget, you can always use the code "THERESMORE" to get 15% off your order!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

12.17.2013

T H E R E ' S M O R E


Now, more than ever, I am motivated and moved.

When I first moved to Texas, it was difficult leaving home, but more than anything I was excited for a fresh start. Excited to make new friends, create new memories and find a home. Growing up, I had gone to one church for the majority of my life. During my teenage years, my church became my second home - I was there at least every day and most days I wished I didn't have to leave. I loved the people, the space and the memories that it held. So when I moved away for college, I wasn't sure if I could find a place that could fill such a big space in my heart. I looked and visited several churches in the area - all of them special in their own way, but none that felt like home to me. I finally settled on one because I felt the most comfortable there. Unfortunately, it was so large that I sort of faded into the background. You know those kinds of churches? I didn't make a single friend while I was there; not for lack of trying. I felt like I was a round peg in a square hole. I continued trying to make myself fit for about two years. By that time Elisha had made his way back to the heart of Texas and we began a search yet again, but now for a place that would appeal to both of us. We have different "preferences" so I knew this was going to be a challenge.

He had made friends in earlier years that he had heard were planting a church. They invited us to a meeting where they were discussing the future of their church - basically laying the groundwork. We went because it intrigued us, but I must admit I kept my expectations low. I can still remember being in that room with about thirty other people - trying to imagine myself as apart of them. And you know what? I felt more at home in that hour, sitting with a bunch of strangers, then I ever had at my other church in two years. It was this special moment I had with God where I felt His reassuring voice reminding me that He had not forgotten me, and there was a place for me to belong. Immediately I felt nervous, scared, worried that Elisha hadn't experienced what I had. What was I going to do if this felt so right, but it didn't sit well with him? We got in the car and I felt blood rushing to my face and I blurted, so what did you think? And he said he loved it, and I admitted that I loved it too, and we decided then and there that it was our home.

It was a strange circumstance because Elisha was a youth pastor - it was his trade so to speak. However, this church already had a youth pastor. hmmm, God. We both were certain though that this was where we belonged, so we stuck with it. Later we would come to find out that the youth pastor was leaving, and a short while later, Elisha was asked to fill the position. It was so... God. Like you know those situations that you simply cannot explain, so the only answer is... God. This was one of those times. We knew now, even more, that this was exactly where we were supposed to be. 

That was three years ago. I still can't believe it's been that long. I love our Church. I love our Church because it loves people - like genuinely, in a very real way, loves people. We constantly serve our community through volunteering and helping with outreaches. We love our city. I love sharing this story because I didn't just find a church, I found a family. I found a home away from home. I found something that I believe in and fuels my passion for Christ. I found a place that I want everyone to visit. A place I know will make friends that I bring, feel comfortable and welcome. I love that. I love that so much. 

This coming year we're being faced with a new challenge. For the last three years we've been holding our weekly services at a wedding venue. It's beautiful and while it's presented it's challenges at times, it has been exactly what we've needed to grow our little family into two full services. It's been an incredible journey and it's only getting better. We've been given 6 months in this facility, before we need to find a new place. Whether it's building a church of our own or buying an exisiting building - something has to happen soon. God has brought us so far in just these last three years that we have full confidence that There's More. I absolutely cannot wait for what this next year will hold. We've launched a vision campaign as we seek God in our next steps. As a Church we've been asked to individually challenge ourselves by giving above our tithe. With Elisha being on staff, we were asked to give a number that we felt God was leading us to, so that we could share what we, as a staff, were going to do. Elisha and I prayed and both arrived at one number, $5000. Now, don't get me wrong, that is not an easy number to say. I work a simple job with a simple salary and Elisha is a youth pastor. We knew this was a going to be (more than) a challenge, but we trusted God. 

Elisha took our number to his weekly staff meeting and we continued to pray. The following day he came over to have dinner with me (pre marriage) and after he left he called me on his way home. He said, you're never going to believe this - he sounded really freaked out so I was nervous - he said he looked in his account and there was $2400 deposited that day. It was labeled IRS - so apparently it was a delayed tax return from nearly three years ago! Even as I write this I am crying, because God is just so faithful! Some people can call this a coincidence, but I know that this was God reminding us that if we would have the faith, that He would do the impossible. So that's exactly what we're doing.

Now, this is me just being totally transparant. I understand that God is in control and He is going to provide, but I don't for one minute believe that that means I should do nothing. I think He can use me and Elisha to complete the impossible. So, Elisha and I both have decided to live a little more frugally these next few months - no starbucks, less eating out and even taking on additional jobs. While this might seem like a drag to some, it's actually been one of the most exciting times in our lives! I don't know if I've ever been so moved and motivated towards a cause. I believe in this church and I know that the money we invest, is going towards not only our future, but the future of our someday children and to those who don't even know Him yet. And that excites me greatly!

Now, for the next six months all proceeds from the Pie N' the Sky shop will be going towards our gift. I want you to know that if you decide to purchase a piece of jewelry, you're buying so much more than a necklace or ring, you're investing in something so much bigger. So thank you. Thank you for helping me do what I love and for making a bigger difference then you know! To show my gratitude, I would love to offer 15% off your next order when you use the code "THERESMORE"

Here's the video we shared with our church; I thought you might enjoy seeing it! 


12.13.2013

M A K E :: chalkboard shelves



S U P P L I E S  :: 
two chalkboards, 2x4 plywood, screws, drill (optional - nails/hammer)

E A S Y   A S   1 ,   2 ,  3  :: 
grab your chalkboards (we stained ours for our wedding), take your wood block, which can be any height really - these were about 10inches tall. line the edges up and use your drill to screw in the screws. another option is to use nails and hammer them in - whatever you have available to you. repeat the step on all four corners. then do the same to your second chalkboard. when finished with both, place one on top of the other. at this point it would be wise to use a crazy glue, but I wasn't sure if we would keep it as a shelf or two small tables, so I skipped that step. You're all done! I plan to stain the legs eventually, but I kind of like the mismatch!


I made this little shelf for Elisha while he was in Florida last weekend. He had all of his bike gear and misc items tucked away in a corner on the floor. So I wanted to create a little organization for his small chaos. We had a few spare materials form our wedding that were hanging out in our storage closet, so I put them to good use! This is such a fun shelf because you can write on it with chalk and would work great for kids to help them remember where things go. The possibilities are endless!




He was pretty thrilled to have a little more organization. Confession, he is the most organized man I've ever met - everything has its place. And I'm... well I'm not, hehe. I can be kind of a mess, but as long as there's order to my mess, then I'm okay. Elisha is loving me through it. If you decide to use this project, leave me a comment with the link!!


xo. melisa

12.12.2013

T A K E :: Sweet Sadie









I had the pleasure of taking photos of sweet Sadie a few days ago. She is just precious!  Her mom is a dear friend of mine and I was so honored to help capture this special moment in their lives. 

I'm finding the more I take photos, the more I truly enjoy it. I don't consider myself a professional photographer by any means, but I love capturing moments, seconds in an otherwise regular day and sealing it as a memory. I love the everyday and celebrating the little things - that's why I love taking photos. So while I'm growing and learning, I'm taking a few clients here and there. If you're in the dfw area and are looking to get some photos done - let's get together!


xo. melisa

G I F T G U I D E :: for the ladies



This gift guide is basically my wishlist this year, hehe. I love all things warm and cozy, so yes, I included two sweaters! I've been dreaming of new boots and Glennon's book, so they're at the top of my list! I think every girl would be happy to get perfume and this Cleopatra scent is one of my faves! What's on your wishlist??


xo. melisa

12.11.2013

M A K E :: metallic bottles




S U P P L I E S //
empty bottles
gold + silver spray paint


E A S Y  A S  1, 2 , 3 //
this is seriously the easiest project ever. gather your bottles. if they have labels, you'll need to fill your sink with warm water and let them soak for about 15mins. this makes peeling them off SO much easier. some labels I was able to take off without any soaking, but it depends on the adhesive. peel your labels off and make sure not to leave any residue. once dry, take outside and spray paint. I did two coats to make sure they were nice and shiny. project done.


We originally made these for our wedding, but decided to decorate with them around the house! I'm so glad we did because they add just the right texture and shine to each room. You can see how I used them in our livingroom and bedroom. If you decide to use tho project, leave a link to your post!


xo. melisa