heavy heart

{source}

i don't know your story.

i don't know your hurts.

i don't know your pains.

but, i know you have them.

you may not know my story.

you may not know my hurts.

you may not know my pains.

but, i'm here to tell you i have them.

the only thing i can be completely sure about is that when God write our stories...

He is in every chapter. He is on every page. He is in every word. He is in every space. 

He will always be here. 

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in my story, He is there

as i hurt, He is there

through my pain, He is there

and i find comfort in His word, in His creation, in His people.

i find comfort in worship.

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i could share a million songs with you that help bring me peace but i've chosen three.

{1}

Jesus loves me this I know

for the bible tells me so

little ones to Him belong

they are weak but He is strong

YES JESUS LOVES ME

YES JESUS LOVES ME

YES JESUS LOVES ME

the bible tells me so

{even if you don't want to sing it, say those words over and over again. or just say His name. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. it helps to remind me that He is there. JESUS, JESUS, JESUS}

{2}

I am Set Free - All Sons & Daughters

you broke my chains of sin and shame and you covered me with grace
you mend my life with your holy fire and you cover me with grace
you are the hand that reaches our to save

and i am set free
i am set free
it is for freedom that i am set free

and i am set free
i am set free
it is for freedom that i am set free

yes lord, we are grateful for you grace and for your love

yes lord, we are grateful for you grace and for your love

yes lord, we are grateful for you grace and for your love

yes lord, we are grateful for you grace and for your love
cause you are the hand that reaches out to save

i am set free
i am set free
it is for freedom that i am set free

and i am set free
i am set free
it is for freedom that i am set free

{i could have included every song Leslie & David have written but this one is very applicable to my current story. please check them out here and be incredibly blessed}

{3}

Blessings - Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching(s) of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

{wow}

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please know that i am praying for you & i would love to pray for you specifically. i mean it.

e-mail me

abbysaunders8 {at} gmail {dot} com

whippy cake giveaway

Along with Bonjour Mae Mae, Whippy Cake is another of my favorite hair accessory providers. Their lovely appliques really hit the sweet spot to any outfit. They are super versatile, amazing quality and unbelievably adorable!! 

Here is me wearing my Muffy

They are currently having a $100 giveaway which I think I amazing! Check it out - enter the giveaway! If you win on account of me, you owe me :)

GOOD LUCK!

{click above for the giveaway link}

Things Layla Loves volume 3

 

round three of 10 things layla is currently loving. i've already started on volume four because she is learning/changing/growing so much every day. in case you aren't sure what buh-buh-buh-ing is, i've attached a video of this hilarious experience. at least we think it's hilarious. 

enjoy.

:)

bonjour mae mae love

 

I believe that I have a serious obsession with Monica & her headbands.

Monica is so sweet & passionate about her little girl, Mae. You can tell that her desire to create lovely pieces of art for her daughter come to life in her designs. They are so precious & colorful & fun & unique & comfortable. I have a feeling I will be purchasing Bonjour Mae Mae accessories for as long as Monica is around! So far we have FIVE pieces. I've shown Layla wearing four of them & the other one is more for me until Layla has a bigger head & more hair :)

I cannot wait for her fall line & to see what amazing designs she comes up with using these fabulous fabrics!

Thank you, Monica for sharing your creativity with us!

i am thankful

I have so much to be thankful for.

On a daily basis I stress, I struggle, I fear, I hurt.

On a daily basis I hug, I laugh, I play, I love.

Despite the stress, struggles, fears & hurt I am able to hug, laugh, play & love because...

 I have a Father who loves me and has given me strength in incredible situations.

I have a Mom & Dad who have encouraged & guided me in a million ways.

I have an incredible talented husband whose God-given gifts never cease to amaze me.

I have a beautiful little girl who has brought so much joy to my life.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This picture should give you a good idea of why I'm thankful...

What are you thankful for?

- - - - - - - - - -

{I am linking up with Casey}

Layla Grows {6 months}

sweet baby girl is six months old now. she has changed so incredibly much in the last month. shoot...she's changed so much in the last week.

she sits.

she reaches.

she "feels" things.

she laughs, smiles, talks, interacts, sings, squeals.

she makes people laugh.

she pulls up {with minimal assistance}.

she is almost pulling herself from a sitting position to a crawling position {oh my}.

she is an incredibly amazing, gifted, beautiful & life changing human being.

in a tiny package.

well...not so tiny anymore.

i love her.

it's a love i never knew was possible.

and it's only gonna get stronger.

yesssssss.

 

six months. six amazing months.

love you, baby girl.

m.i.a.

so, i am sure you may {or may not} have noticed that i have been a little quiet the last week and a half. you can thank california for that. if my daughter didn't already have my heart, northern california would. j and i had an amazing week and built memories and had so much fun together. 

i missed layla like crazy but our reunion was so, so sweet. 

my dad is in town this weekend {he brought baby girl back from texas - what an awesome man}.

i am soaking up every bit of this weekend with him, my darling daughter and my handsome husband.

i shall leave you with this photo from our trip.  i had way too much fun with these things.

 

i've got blog posts organized for next week telling more about my trip, future {exciting} plans, hopes, dreams, things layla loves, layla grows, etc...

have a wonderful sunday!

LOVE.

i can do this

In less than 24 hours J & I will be getting on a plane while baby girl heads to spend the week with her wonderful Nana & Grandpa. Just writing that sentence makes my heart hurt. I have spent time away from her but never for that long. 

When J & I planned this trip last year we knew it would be difficult being away from our baby. Until baby girl arrived we had NO idea actually how difficult it would be. And we're doing this for a week. A week people. 

The trip will be amazing. We get to do couply things. Go on "dates", dress up, sleep in, sit on the porch, go to the beach, take lots of pictures, drink wine. Since we weren't able to get a honeymoon, we will be soaking up this anniversary trip. I do know that a moment won't pass where we aren't thinking about our dear daughter. 

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To my darling daughter,

 

This week has been a tearful one. I will miss you desperately and will think of you constantly. The thought of being away from you has been a not so exciting experience. Please know that the day you were born such unimaginable joy entered our lives. Life will never be the same again. In your short six months of life you have already reshaped my soul in ways unimaginable. I am yours. Forever.

Just in case...I want to remind you of some things until we meet again,

1. you shine. you can change the world with your smile. the world is yours baby girl.

2. make Jesus number one in your life, He will never fail you...cling to Him. He will forever protect you & will show you who your momma and daddy were through others around you.

3. you are extremely loved. and forever will be. you have blessed the lives of so many people.

4. always snuggle, always give kisses to your family, always inspire, always dream, always love

5. choose joy, choose hope, choose peace

Your momma and daddy love you very much and can't wait to see you after our trip. Enjoy your Nana and Grandpa. They love you more than anything. You have brought them so much joy.

You are beautiful, baby girl. See you soon.

love, momma

great words from a great man

My Papa {my momma's daddy} was always the sharer of the good word{s}. 

Both biblical and quoteworthy. 

There is one quote in particular that has meant a lot to all of the grandchildren. 

My cousin used it in her wedding, my brother repeats it on a daily basis, etc. 

It is a great reminder of a way of thinking and I want to share it with you.

This is the beginning of a new day.

God has given me this day to use as I will.

I could waste it or use it for good.

But, what I do today is important 

because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.

Tomorrow this day will be gone forever,

leaving in its place something I have exchanged for it.

I pray the things I do today will be for good, not evil,

success, not failure

so that I will not regret the price I have paid for it.

I've also created a print for the first five lines of it & have sent it off to the print shop so that I can let it hang in my house.

This is a daily reminder for my family.

Maybe it can be one for yours as well.

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P.S. My best friends will be in town in an hour and a half and this makes me very happy. I haven't seen them since March & I know they're excited to see how Layla has grown! Expect pictures :)

veggie tacos

I am linking up with Casey's recipe exchange to share this easy, inexpensive & delicious meal that my husband and I enjoy at least once a week!

Meet veggie tacos.

I don't cook much. Mainly because I married a man/chef and there is not usually a point in me taking a long time to follow a recipe when he can whip up something incredible and off the cuff in less than 20 minutes. These lovelies are easy for me to make & are quite the treat. AND they only cost around FIVE dollars and take only about five-ten minutes to make!

When I was introduced {back in college} to these veggie tacos I am pretty sure I rolled up my nose. Veggies? Are you kidding me. But, after trying them, I discovered that they are absolutely perfect.

So, to make veggie tacos {for 2} you will need:

1 avocado

1 roma tomato

6 tortillas

sundried tomato and basil feta crumbles

balsamic vinaigrette {or a balsamic reduction}

salt n peppa

{1} slice avocados

{2} slice or chop tomatoes. we change it up. the photo shows them chopped. 

{3} distribute avocados and tomatoes between the six tortillas. if you feel like you'd like a little more of either, just pull out another avocado or tomato and slice 'em up :)

{4} pour on feta crumbles to your liking

{5} dip a spoon in the end of your balsamic {after putting in a jar or bowl} and drizzle it over the top of each taco. you don't need much. 

{6} sprinkle a little salt and pepper over each taco

{7} DEVOUR & ENJOY 

If you live in TX you are lucky. Avocados are super cheap. They're about $1.50 - $2.50 here in TN but it's still really inexpensive overall. Roma tomatoes are the best in my opinion but any tomatoes will work! We use the small flour tortillas. You may want to try corn to change things up. But...we prefer flour :) Sundried tomato and basil feta crumbles add the perfect tiny addition of flavor. Regular feta works too, though. We use a balsamic reduction we bought at a restaurant here in Nashville. Justin has also made some. If I didn't have him or the restaurant, I would just use a balsamic vinaigrette.

Here is a simple recipe for a balsamic reduction from Lori.

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar (to your liking)


Bring vinegar to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer. When it reduces halfway, add brown sugar. Simmer some more until it becomes syrupy and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. As it cools it will thicken up. Store leftovers in frig.

I hope you give these veggie tacos a chance. I'm quite proud :)

LOVE.

new items in the shop & things layla loves volume 2

The RUFFLE HEADBANDS have been added to the shop!! AND I'm shipping off the giveaway winners' headbands tomorrow!!

Go getcha one...or more...oh, and by the way...I only added three styles...the three I feel are the most popular! IF you're interested in another style just e-mail me & we can create you a custom order. I'm sure I'll be adding more styles as they come to me :)

Also...the time has arrived for Things Layla Loves Volume 2! 

It was really hard to pick just ten things that she really loves or loves doing! She is growing and changing so much and is beginning to be interested in so many things! I guess it will just mean that volume three will come much sooner :)

Have a wonderful week!

LOVE.

WINNERS

SURPRISE! If you entered the giveaway, you won! 

Congratulations Krysten, Alan, Kristine, Lynn-Ann, Tara & {YES...AND} Valerie! 

Since this was my first giveaway and I am new to the blogging world, the traffic on my blog is not extremely high. BUT - we will get there. So, those of you who support and are interested in my products deserve them! 

Seriously y'all. Thank you for the support. Thank you for your follow! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Stay tuned for more giveaways. I like them. And I like y'all. Also, I'll be adding the headbands to my shop this week so if you'd like other styles or more, they'll be available for purchase! 

If your name is Krysten, Alan, Kristine, Lynn-Ann, Tara or Valerie, please e-mail me at designsbyabbylynn {at} gmail {dot} com with your mailing address and if you need the headband for an infant, child/teen, or adult! 

LOVE.

make a joyful noise

There is absolutely nothing sweeter than a child's laughter.

I find myself tearing up quite often at the precious sounds coming from my sweet daughter.

She fills me with joy. She is full of joy. How sweet that she knows such a wonderful thing as joy at such an early time in her life. 

. . . 

Earlier this week, she was SO entertained by her daddy's silly sounds & faces and I thought to myself, "she is making such a joyful noise." JOY.JOY.JOY. She is FULL of joy. and. she let's us know by sharing her laughter, her babbles, her sighs, etc. with us.

. . .

So, I created a print with the words "MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE" as a reminder of my sweet baby girl. 

I've also chosen to share it with you HERE.

 

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all {I'm from Texas...}!

OH ... have you entered the GIVEAWAY? You have until Sunday! :)

LOVE.

charcoal ruffle headband GIVEAWAY

{Baby girl is wearing the layered ruffle headband}

So, after a lot of positive feedback from the charcoal ruffle headband in the post below, I'd like to give my first giveaway a shot.

I created five different styles of the charcoal ruffle headbands & will be giving them away to five different people who enter my giveaway.

Mandatory to enter: be a follower of my blog {leave a comment telling me you are}

additional entries:

Pick your favorite style, comment which one.

"like" my facebook page here & comment. 

Follow me on twitter here & comment.  

The giveaway will close at 8:00 P.M. Sunday evening. So, get your comments in & win some free stuff! After the giveaway is over, I will recreate these lovely headbands & make them available for all on my Etsy shop. 

Thanks for your support!

charcoal ruffle headband

Today I made a headband for Layla.

I was inspired by the simplicity & "recycled" idea of this sweet headband on Etsy.

Here is what I came up with...

It was super fun & EASY to make. I'll give a little tutorial later.

I also made a jersey circle scarf which was loads of fun too.

I'm thinking of adding this to my Etsy shop if anyone would rather purchase one!

I'm also going to think up some alternate ruffle styles!

Yay for recycled accessories!

:)