Advent No.22: Anna's ornaments

 

 

This girl, Anna, is amazing & I love her so much! She has a huge heart and she's beautiful inside & out! She's the oldest daughter of my pastors Larry & Tiz Huch and she herself with her musically talented husband have three adorable kiddos! She's so stylish and ever so sweet! I asked her just few question about her style and of Christmas! Yay! 

 

1. What does Christmas mean to you?

 

When I think about Christmas, I feel a profound sense of gratefulness. First and foremost, for the gift of Jesus. Godgave us His very best, so that through Jesus we would know the inexhaustible love of God. I’m also incredibly grateful for my family. I love making special memories with my three kids and my husband! Recently a friend posted about feeling the loss of loved ones for the first time this Christmas, and asked how we would arrange our holiday priorities if we knew that the next Christmas may well be without some of the people we love. That was a great reminder to me of what’s truly important during the holidays – sharing love and joy with everyone we can, not taking them for granted!

 

2. What is your day to day uniform for winter?

I definitely have a winter uniform! I’m a busy mom and my clothes need to be functional AND cute! At least a few days of the week (more!) I wear a variation of boots, leggings and sweater. A few years ago I was in Bend, Oregon and discovered Nikibiki leggings and camisoles at a cute little boutique. Their pieces are seamless knit, making them super comfy and they really last. Since then, I’ve found them at a local boutique and have several pairs of leggings in solids and cute prints. Can’t live withoutthem!

 

3. What are your Top 5 Christmas movies to watch?

As I’m writing this, I’m watching Polar Express with my kids, for probably the 5th time this month. It’s their favorite!Home Alone (KEVIN!!!), The Holiday, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf.

 

4. What gets you in the mood for the holidays?

Christmas lights! One of the happiest days of the year for me is the day the lights go up on our house! It makes me grin like a loon to see them, every time! The other day my son remarked to my mom,” Nana, don’t you love the lights on the tree? They make me feel so…comfortable.” Ha! Exactly!

 

5. Describe your worst fashion faux pas.

Oh, there have been many. I have to admit though that most of my teenage years in Portland, Oregon were spent in Vamp lipstick and matching purple black hair! Pearl Jam and Nirvana, guys. What can I say? I don’t regret the Doc Martens, though!

 

6. Which do you prefer, velvet or corduroy?

Corduroy, for sure. I feel uncomfortable at just the thought of wearing velvet! Eek!

 

7. Name 3 items on your Christmas list.

1. The Nook GlowLight (already treated myself and I’m in love!)

2. Topshop Faux Leather Satchel (also treated myself to this, courtesy of my husband. I could have put in under the tree but who are we kiddin..?)

3. New slippers. Because I live in my Uggs at home and they’re Tore. Up.

 

 

8. Name three things your are gifting others with.

1. I ordered my husband a custom made wallet with guitar pick holder and his initials stamped into the leather. Thanks, Etsy!

2. A bright orange tote for my mom from Henry Bendel.

3. An Easy Bake Oven for my Sweet Pea!

 

9. Do you like surprises or do you like to know what you’re getting?

I love surprises! Having said that, I usually give my husband hints and he chooses from those hints! Live and learn.

 

10. What are your favorite stores and why?

1. Target is my favorite store. No apologies! Coffee creamer? Jacket? My Little Pony undies? Done.

2. Nordstrom, for all the obvious and timeless reasons. My heart, forever.

 

11. Describe the perfect outfit.

The perfect outfit just makes you feel confident, no matter the occasion. Sometimes the perfect outfit is yoga pants and a sweatshirt, sometimes it’s a pencil skirt and sparkly jacket. Anything that makes me feel self conscious or requires constant adjusteding..? No. Just no.

 

12. What is your favorite perfume/scent?

I went years without a specific fragrance. This year a friend gifted me Vanille & Narcisse by L’Occitane. Y’all, I am in LOVE. A text from me to her: “So, I was out to dinner tonight and thought, whoa, Somebody smells Gooood. OH MY GOSH IT’S ME! I smell delish!!!”

 

13. Do you prefer heels or flats? Any brands you like?

Back to the winter uniform, I am fortunate to have a few pairs of flat Frye boots, they’re timeless. One is a knee high brown riding boot; the other a black motorcycle boot. Fingers crossed, I’ll be wearing them both til I’m grey!This fall I also  bought the Sam Edelman Louie bootie, which is very wearable with only a 2 ¼ inch heel.

 

 

14. Any charities you’re giving to this year?

Our church, DFW New Beginnings, has orphanages in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. We were blessed with the opportunity to sponsor Isaac, an 11 year old boy in Haiti. Two of our dear friends took him and many other children new clothes, shoes, toys, soccer balls and toiletries for Christmas. We are blessed to be a blessing!

 

Merry Christmas y'all! 

Advent No.20: Aubrey's Adoration

Do You See What I See

Picture this. It’s a cold, December evening and the winds of Christmas are whistling in the Texas air…said no one ever. I’m pretty sure we had the AC and fan on,drinking ice cold lemonade from chic-fil-a and putting away the summer clothes in hopes I would need winter sweaters soon.  Being a full-time working mom of two and the wife of a traveling husband, I was not in the mood for decorating seeing as how my house was a wreck from the chaotic week we had just had. I couldn’t imagine ADDING to the explosion my house looked like it had just barely survived. In all seriousness, I talked it over with my husband about not even decorating…THE NERVE! I was discussing my scrooge-like decision with a friend and without her knowing she was giving such wisdom, I realized I was looking at this holiday season with a terribly wrong perspective.

​The memories I have of Christmas as a little girl are full of lights, trees (mom did 18 to be exact) and so manyjoyful moments. I couldn’t tell you if our house was a mess. I couldn’t describe to you the condition of each room, but I can tell you precisely the feel of Christmas in every room. I’ll get back to that in just a moment…

You wanna know what her words of great wisdom were, don’t you? Of course you do. I have lured you into my thickening plot! Drama, I know, I know. So her advicewent something like this, “My kids won’t remember the condition of my house, but they will grow up remembering our Christmas traditions.”

I can’t look back, talk about, aspire or dream about Christmases past without one word coming to mind…JOY.Jesus endured the cross by the JOY that was set before Him. In the midst of the hardest trial man could face, he found joy and that joy was you.

So what did I do? My 3 year old, Eiley, came to me and sweetly asked, “Mommy, when can I have a Christmas tree?” There was my joy. I knew that no matter what I wanted or didn’t want to do, or what seemingly was the hardest task to undertake, I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do than create memories for my family-the joy that is set before me. Whether you are single, married, a parent, working or not, the challenge to find Joy in everything will always be there. It’s up to you what you choose to see. Do all you can to see the JOY everywhere this holiday season.

Merry Christmas! -Aubrey

Advent No.16: Anneka's Treats

Hey there Styled by Ryn readers! I’m Anneke (pronounced On-ika) fromThe Fresh Lime, an Essential Oil blog where I share my passion for reinventing healthcare and living a healthy lifestyle!

I met Lauryn last year at a trade show in Texas where I was selling doTERRA essential oils. I was immediately drawn to her bubbly personality and keen eye for fashion. We spent an hour talking about the greatest places to shop and the newest trends. Every day a little part of me prays that my husband will get a job in Texas so that Lauryn can be my personal stylist! Needless to say, I have loved reading Styled by Ryn ever since I met Lauryn and I obviously jumped at the opportunity to be a guest blogger!

One thing I love about the holiday season is the opportunity to try out new recipes and share them with others! When I was younger my siblings and I would each pick a different holiday dessert recipe and we would have a bake off! Once we had completed all of the goodies, we would separate them onto plates and deliver them to our friends and neighbors. This is a holiday tradition that I plan to keep throughout the rest of my life!

At The Fresh Lime, I seek out new and exciting ways to use essential oils in everyday life! This year a friend of mine shared an amazing wild orange honey butter recipe and I could not think of a better way to spread some holiday joy than by delivering a fresh baked loaf of bread with a jar of honey butter to those I love.

Bread has always been intimidating to me, so believe me when I say I was extremely surprised at how easy and delicious it was!  Enjoy!

Wild Orange Honey Butter

Ingredients

1 c. butter
1 ½ c. honey

2-3 drops of dōTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil

Instructions
Beat ingredients together with a hand mixer for at least 10 minutes. It will be a bit runny at first but it should thicken up and get nice and fluffy as ingredients are mixed together.

French Bread

Ingredients

¼ c. warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 pkg. dry active yeast

1 tsp. sugar

3 ½ - 4 c. flour

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 c. plus 2 tbsp. warm water

1 egg white and 1 tbsp. water (combined)

Instructions
Combine water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar into a bowl.
Allow mixture to stand for 5 minutes (until yeast is bubbly).

Add in 1 tbsp. sugar, 1tsp. salt, and water. Mix well!

Add flour 1 cup at a time and then knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth.

Allow dough to rise until double (about 15-20 minutes).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out with a rolling pin. Dough may be divided into two pieces for two smaller loaves.

Roll dough up jelly roll style and turn ends under, placing the seam down on a greased cookie sheet. Cut 3 diagonal slits (about ¼ inch deep) into each loaf.

Mix together egg white and 1 tbsp. water and gently brush mixture onto the loaves.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Boil a pan of water and then put the water into a shallow dish.

Turn the oven off and place the pan of water on a lower rack and the bread on the shelf above the pan of water.

Allow the loaves to rise until double (about 20 minutes).

Remove the pan of water and turn the oven to 425 degrees.

Bake bread for 10 minutes at 425.

Reduce oven to 375 and back for 8 minutes or until bread is golden brown.

ENJOY!