katie&austen's wedding.


"[Katie and Austen] are just absolutely extraordinary people, the kind of people you want to be around all the time. They're funny and smart, and they love their friends and family well, with tenderness and thoughtfulness...

"The afternoon in [Newnan] was hot and clear and perfect...The twinkling lights in the low trees made it seem like we were in our very own universe, just for a little while. [Katie] was an absolute knockout bride, and her bridesmaids, elegant in [blue] with bright, lovely flowers, laughed and cried as they celebrated their dear friend's marriage to [Austen], cool and charming as ever in his linen suit...


"I had the deep sense that we were in the presence of something holy. Weddings are almost like birth experiences: something entirely new and sacred coming to life right in your midst...I believe in the way God knits two people together when they stand before him on their wedding day. Something sacred happens in that moment, something that will, with grace and intention and faith and hard work, build upon itself and grow in power and beauty and durability with each passing year...



"I know a lot of people who have given up on marriage. I understand their objections. And I wish those people could have been in [Georgia] on that day. I wish they could have felt the actually sensation of a new family being made. I wish they could have seen the bridesmaids' faces...





"There were, at some points in the ceremony, a few short moments of total silence, and in that silence what I felt was a community of friends and family who were all feeling the exact same thing at the exact same moment: this matters. What we're creating here matters. I believe in marriage, and possibly never more so than on that day...

"I'll always remember [this day], and the feeling of being in the right place at the right time to actually watch the world become a little more beautiful."

-Adapted from Shauna Niequist's Bittersweet


Calphalon Convection Oven Giveaway


No sir. You didn't read that wrong. I really do have a brand new Calphalon Convection Oven (retails for $199) to give away. It was donated anonymously (thank you!) for me to raffle off to raise money for Africa.

First, let me tell you why you want it. And then I'll tell you how to get it.

This week I was on the phone with my cousin, Allie, and I said, "I think quinoa is actually kind of hard to make. Don't you think?"  To which she said, "Not really. Not at all, actually..."

The fact is, I like to cook, but I've had my share of technical difficulties in the kitchen. Here's where the Convection Oven comes in: it's so easy to use! It's like an oven, but somehow even easier, because it preheats faster, has a removable plate to clean up your crumbs and is big enough to make anything - even a full cookie sheet or pizza. And you can bake bread in it. Zucchini bread, for example. It's also really nice stainless steel, so it will be beautiful in your kitchen.

So now that you want it, here's what you can do:

  • From now until next Friday (June 28), for every $5 you donate to my Africa campaign, you'll be entered to win. So if you donate $5, you'll get an entry. $15? Three entries. $30? Six for you! Whoo!
    ***Note you have to do this to be entered***
  • If you Tweet a link to the giveaway, you'll get another entry. Be sure to mention me, @wbiber, so I know you did it.
  • If you post the link on Facebook, you'll get an additional entry. Again, be sure to tag me so I can track it :) 

That's all you have to do :) Thank you for entering! Happy convectioning! 


we did it!

We survived! 30 Days. No coffee. Tons of yoga. Even tons-er of green smoothies. And (tried to get!) eight hours of sleep every night.

And it felt so good!

Lauren and I took on the challenge last month to see how we'd feel if we replaced our caffeine with green smoothies, slept more and upped our yoga practices.

Here's what we found...


Green smoothies for coffee:
The first two days, I had consta-headaches. But then, they went away.
Within a few days, I had plenty of energy without coffee.
My skin was clearer and I felt very detoxed by increasing my smoothie intake.

The only con was that I got a little sick of the smoothies and they take a lot of intention. I actually took my Bullet to work a few times to make them there, as well as bible study. Some days, you're not home long enough to get your blend on!

Overall, it was a great exchange. I missed coffee a lot, because, as I've mentioned, iced coffees are a way of life. I don't plan on quitting it entirely, but I'd be fine to stick with decaf. I also want to keep the green smoothies as a staple.


Yoga:
Oh, the yoga. It was just wonderful.

I've never done quite this much yoga in 30 days and I noticed a serious difference in my practice. I've been more flexible and much more obsessed. I thought I'd get tired of doing this much yoga, but I actually just craved it more. My one month unlimited at Decatur Hot Yoga is coming to an end but I'm determined to find another budget friendly solution to keep me on the mat frequently.


Sleep:
Real talk: this is where I failed. I definitely, definitely did not get eight hours every night. But, in my defense, it's really hard to get eight hours when you're going to 6 am classes. Really. That requires, like, a 9:15 bedtime. I am proud if I get in bed by 11.

I know. Excuses, excuses.

But, I'm bound and determined to clean up my sleep practices and be better about making it a priority. This month made me realize just how sporadic my sleep schedule is. So, while I may not have completely succeeded, I did gain a little clarity. And sometimes, that's just what you need.

How did the challenge go for you?

booking it forward


When I was really young, my parents (and aunts and uncles) were concerned because I just didn't want to learn to read. I had absolutely no interest in it, to the point that my mom actually discussed it with our pediatrician. They were worried about me. We had this awesome front room in our house with bookshelves and a ladder, and building a fort under it held my interest much more than cracking a book open.

Fast forward 15 years and I majored in Journalism and English in college.

Life. So unpredictable, isn't it?

That being said, now I love to read. I can't sit through a movie, but I can read until grass starts growing under my feet. 

When Duke was in town for Cheers for Children, he mentioned that he and his advisor were starting a pay-it-forward program with books. They're buying books and reading them, then passing them along to someone else who could benefit from or enjoy them. (That Duke! Always full of great ideas.) 

I loved this idea! I rarely read a book twice and never know what to do with them when I'm finished. 


So I decided I, too, am going to start paying my books forward. But, I'm adding a twist. Whenever I read it, I am going to write my name and date in it. Then, whoever I pass it to has to do the same, and then give it to someone else. It's kind of like a chain letter (but hopefully not too much like one, nahmean?). Maybe someday a book will even come back to me!

En route to Houston I finished 10-10-10, which offers a great decision-making tool for the busy girl. I'm passing it along to my busy mama, with the hope that she can find some time to read it, too.

Feel free to join me in my book adventure. In the days of Kindles and iPads, it's a little fun to get back to the basics. 

PS: If you need a good book suggestion, check out this site. You can type in a book or author you like, and it will generate other similar books. Genius, I tell you!
PPS: Check out 20 books to read in your Twenties. I don't agree with all of them, but some are real winners. 
PPS: IF you giveaway a book, tell me! I want to hear about it.