Resting in His Arms…

I just wanted to update you all since you’ve been praying for my mom.  

Molly N. beloved wife, mother, and friend is now resting in the arms of her Lord and Savior where there is no more sorrow or pain.  She died peacefully tonight in a deep sleep without any pain and was surrounded by her family and close friends.  Mom was an extremely strong fighter and was a true blessing to so many people…

Thank you so very much for your prayers and concern for our family.  Our family will always treasure your love and support during this time.  Also, I’ll be taking a little blogging break for awhile, but I will be back as soon as possible. 

Resting In Him,
Emily

Update on Mom... {Saturday}

Please feel free to pass along this prayer request to anyone that you know...

Mom still needs prayers that her platelets will increase and that her kidneys will function properly. Yesterday, she was a little responsive.  She answered yes and no questions by shaking her head and when dad asked if she wanted to see us, she even opened her eyes.  The doctor said something to the effect that these next 24 hours are critical for her, though... 

Thank you all for praying for our family!  We are so thankful for your love and support for our family.  I'll update again when I can...

Trusting in Him, 

Emily

Urgent Prayer Request! {Update}

****Update- Thursday, June 23rd at 9:30am*****

Mom was moved to ICU yesterday.  She is okay but very sick.  They have her on a ventilator to help her relax in her breathing.  She has something down her throat that is trying to help get the fluid off of her lungs.  She was alert earlier when we were there, but now she is pretty sedated.  She can't talk with the thing in her throat but she was able to squeeze our hands. They feel like with her in ICU that the nurse can monitor her better.  I will try to update again soon.
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Please be praying for my mom and the rest of our family... 

Mom had chemo last Monday and on Thursday, she woke up with a terrible sore throat.  She had a reaction to the chemo and it's called chemo mucositis.  She wasn’t able to eat or drink for a few days because of it so she got really dehydrated.  My dad took her to the ER Saturday morning and they said that she was dehydrated and she has pneumonia.  She hasn't eaten since Thursday because it hurts to eat, so she is really weak.  She has been eating ice, but that is definitely not enough.  The goal for the week is to help her throat to feel better, so she can talk without hurting, get her pneumonia under control, and to get her to eat food again.
Under the circumstances she is doing well but it's hard to see her like this.  They did put her on oxygen yesterday because her throat is extremely swollen, so her breathing levels were up and down.  When we left the hospital last night, she was doing better than when Katie got there earlier, but she said it was pretty scary earlier.  I had something to do all day to keep my mind of everything, so I'm glad I wasn't there at that time.   We have already had quite a few breakdowns.  We have never seen her like this before and it’s really scary.  I know that God is in control of everything that happens, but it’s hard to trust that everything is going to be alright when it feels like everything is falling apart. 

That's about it for now.  Her main doctor comes back today (he has been on vacation), so we will find out more.  I'll keep you updated!  Thank you for all your prayers and concern.

In Christ,
Emily

Happy Birthday to Sarah-Anne!!

This post is for my sweet friend, Sarah-Anne, on her 16th birthday…

First off, you are such a blessing to me with your encouraging words, sweet smile, and love for the Lord.  I'm so blessed and thankful for our friendship. 

I will always treasure the special memories we have shared together…  You are beautiful—inside and out…

You always know how to make me laugh…

You are a wonderful photographer and you like to take your camera EVERYWHERE you go.  (Exactly like me…) =)

  

Dr. Pepper and Sweet Tea are your FAVORITE drinks.  =)

You love music (*Ahem*…AND dancing)  Haha!

Also, you’re a night owl.  I can’t say that you’re a morning person, though. =)

You like to work with your hands and are very creative…(baking, scrapbooking, making gorgeous handmade cards, and perhaps a little sewing) *wink*These are only a few of the things that I love about you, Sarah-Anne.  I honestly can’t tell you how much you mean to me.  I’m so VERY thankful for you!

May this year be another great year of your life as you learn more and more about Jesus!

Happy 16th birthday, SA!!

{Please stop by Sarah-Anne's lovely blog and  leave her a comment, wishing her a happy birthday!}

Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant." 

~Psalm 135:3

P.S. The pictures used above are from Sarah-Anne’s blog and Lindsay’s blog.

My New Beach Bag!! {+Giveaway Winner})

First off, the winner of the necklace from Simply Buttons and Beads is:

Miss Lucia!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Please shoot me an e-mail with your contact info {mailing address, etc.}

practicallypink@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone else that entered the giveaway!   Stay tuned for another amazing giveaway next week.  

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Have I ever mentioned that I have two major weaknesses when it comes to fashion accessories?  Well, just in case you don’t already know…  I LOVE cute bags and shoes.  The sad part?  I don't really have many of either.  =)

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I needed a new beach bag.  My old bag was looking pretty bad, and it has rust stains on the bottom.  I looked around town, but I couldn’t find any cute beach bags that said “Take me home!!”, so I thought I would look at the stores down at the beach when we went down this summer... 

but…

I found a ruffle beach tote tutorial online this past week and decided to try my hand at making one for myself.  I had so much fun with this project and I’m very happy with the way it turned out.  

Wanna see?

Introducing my new beautiful beach bag!! =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, what our your thoughts on my finished sewing project?  Do you want one for yourself?

I am actually going to start making a few other bags to put in my *new* Etsy shop.  Katie and I started it last night.  Please be praying for us as we start this new adventure.  We really want our new business to work out.    Have any ideas on what our Etsy shop name is?  It begins with the letter *V*, and the last word is Studio.  I would love to hear what you think!  I’ll reveal the name sometime next week.  =)

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Sewing, sewing, and more sewing…

I’m working on my secret sewing project right now, and I absolutely can NOT wait to share it with all of you when I finish it! It involves pink, green, aqua blue, yellow, and orange...

Have any ideas on what I'm creating? It says "summer" all over it.   =)

What I Wore Wednesday {#5}

Today I’m linking up to Lindsey’s What I Wore Wednesday blog series! Every Wednesday she (and 150+ bloggers) post their outfits from the past week as encouragement to get dressed and show off your style to all of your blog readers. Many of my blogging friends (Sarah-Anne, Gussy, Kim, Moriah, Lisa Leonard, and Lindsey) also link up, so I’ve decided to participate as well.  I’m not the type of girl that is going to post outfits every week, but it’s fun to do every once in awhile.

I don't know why, but Wednesdays always sneak up on me.....  =)

I thought that it would be easier to remember to take pictures of my outfits throughout the summer months, but I’m afraid that so far, it hasn’t helped me very much.  I did get a lot of pictures this past weekend, though!  I went over to Moriah’s house on Saturday afternoon and we had a fun little photoshoot together…

{Saturday afternoon + my sweet friend, Moriah + my camera and tripod = lots of fun and laughter}I love this girl… =)Moriah, you are so pretty.  I love your braces too.  She just got them on last week.  Isn’t she gorgeous? She is such a wonderful blessing in my life…  I love you, girly! 

 

{My outfit specs}

Pink dress- Walmart (this year)

Shoes- Target

White T-shirt- Walmart

Necklace- Kelly’s Creative Designs

Earrings- from Katie

..and that about sums it up!  Check back later this week for winner of this lovely necklace. :)

I’m off to go work on my summer “to do” list, help with the laundry, make some muffins, and hopefully, I’ll find enough time to be able to work on my new sewing project with the beautiful fabric I bought from JoAnn's yesterday.  Stay tuned for pictures (and possibly a little tutorial)!!  I can’t wait to show you the finished product!   

Happy Wednesday!!!

Hello Monday {5}

{Hello Monday}

{hello fresh new week}

{hello cloudy skies and warm weather}

{hello breakfast}

{hello shower}

{hello WOL QuietTime}

{hello lunchtime}

{hello lazy summer afternoon of reading and watching a movie}

{hello quick pick-up around the house}

{hello blogging and chatting with a few friends}

{hello washing some dishes}

{hello dinner}

{hello cozy bed}

{hello nighttime summer noises outside my window}

{hello bedtime}

This post was inspired by my sweet friends, Sarah-Anne and Lisa Leonard. If you want to participate in {Hello Monday} too, then please give credit to Lisa in your post. She is the first one to start this weekly blog series.

Girlz 4 Christ Subscription Winners!

I was so excited this morning when I woke up,

because I knew I would get to announce the
winners of the giveaway today!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to enter! 

Okay....

...the five winners of the yearlong free subscriptions of Girlz 4 Christ are:

1. Eden

2. Holly

3. India

4. Madeline

and…

5. Annaliese (Miss ALK)

Congratulations, ladies! 

**Please note: I will need the five winners to send me their full name, birth date, e-mail, state/country (and also your parent's name and e-mail if you’re under 13 years old).** 

Please send me an email at practicallypink@gmail.com or leave a comment below. (I won't publish the comment with your personal info)

Thanks for entering the giveaway everyone!  =)

Simply Buttons and Beads-{Review + Giveaway}

Oh, what a beautiful morning the Lord has given us!  I’m so thankful to be alive today… =) 

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from the lovely, Hannah, (from Striving to Encourage) and she wanted to know if I would be willing to do a review for her Etsy shop (Simply Buttons and Beads), and host a giveaway for her on Practically Pink.  I visited her shop and quickly replied back to her email saying that I would love to help her out.   Hannah is super sweet and she has  such a beautiful Etsy shop! 

Here are a few of my favorite things items from her shop…

Anyway, Hannah sent me a gorgeous necklace in the mail (right before my birthday) and I absolutely LOVE it!   I also love how creative the packaging was when I opened it.  ;-)  

Isn’t it so cute?  I love pink and green together.  =)My beautiful necklace!  Did I mention that it goes with with a lot of my clothes?  *wink* =)  I can’t get over how pretty the different beads are together…

I’m so happy to have this necklace!  You did a beautiful job at making it and choosing the colors and beads.  I’ve had many different people comment on how much they love it too.  This necklace was very well made, the packaging was unique, and Hannah did a wonderful job at sending the necklace to me in a timely manner.  Hannah, you have another happy customer.  Thank you so much for letting me review one of your items!  I will definitely enjoy this necklace!  =)

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Hannah also wanted me to share these coupon codes with the readers of Practically Pink, so that you can all use them for your purchases from her Etsy shop.

Practicallypink is for 15% off the whole purchase
practicallypink2 is for FREE shipping

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{The Giveaway}

Hannah is generously giving away one of her beautiful necklaces to one of my readers!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

To enter:

**You must be a follower of Practically Pink**

(For additional entries, leave a separate comment for each action.)

1. Visit Simply Buttons and Beads and leave a comment with your favorite item!

2. Head over Hannah’s blog and “follow” her blog.  (Also, tell her that Emily sent you over from Practically Pink)

3. Blog, facebook, tweet, or post on your tumblr page about this giveaway (make sure to include @MissEmily520 in your tweet) and include the link (one entry each)

4. “Like” the Practically Pink Facebook page…

This giveaway is open to U.S. readers only and closes on Thursday, June 16th, 2011 at 12PM EST.  Have fun and thank you all so much for following Practically Pink!  =)

Summer Splash {Blog Party}

Yes, I am afraid that I have been sucked into participating in this awesome blog party… =)

The lovely ladies that are hosting it have totally outdone themselves, and the prizes are incredible!  You should head over HERE and check out more of the details. 

You won’t be sorry that you clicked that link.  I promise.  They have 12 + prizes to give away to the winners. 

*squeals with excitement*

Didn’t I tell you it was an awesome blog party?  =)   

Here are my answers to their questions…

What are two songs that describe you?  Oh boy.....I have no idea!  I can’t really think of a song at the moment that really describes me, but these are two of my favorite songs right now…

“Glorious Day by Casting Crowns” and “I Love You This Big” by Scotty McCreery =)

What do you most fear?  Well, the main things that I fear would have to be tornados, poisonous snakes and spiders, but really anything that could harm me or my family. =)

What color(s) dominate(s) your wardrobe? Pink, blue, white, green, and yellow.

How do you normally do you hair?  I normally have it down, pulled up in the back with a clip, in a ponytail, or if my curls are messy I like to put it in a little flip in the back.   I think we all go through phases, though.  It just depends on what I’m doing during the day or how warm it’s going to get…

Do you prefer milkshakes or smoothies?  I love both, but it just depends on what I'm craving at the time…

Do you like the color pink?  Ummmm…. YES!   I love the color pink!  Although, it has to be the right kind of pink…  I’m not crazy about a really bold pink or neon pink.  *wink*

What is your favorite flower? Honestly, I love all types of flowers…  Roses and daisies are my favorites, though.

How many states have you been to?  Let’s see… *one (North Carolina)…two (South Carolina)...three (Virginia)…four (West Virginia)...* ..about four or five.   I can’t remember if I’ve been to any other at the moment.  =)

What is your favorite thing about June?  I like June because it’s the first month of summer and it’s not too dreadfully hot, yet… ;) Also, we always finish the school year around the first of June, so our summer vacation begins!

Describe your "dream wedding location.”  My dream wedding location would be to get married in a gorgeous flower garden in the springtime, under a flower-covered arch, and have white chairs lined up and down the isle for the guests.  I would also settle for a pretty outside wedding at an old plantation home too.  I’ve always dreamed about an outside wedding with lots of flowers, though.   Let’s just hope that my future husband (if it’s God’s plan for me) doesn’t have bad allergies or something. Haha! 

Thanks for reading my random answers for the blog party!  Have a wonderful Tuesday! =)

Love In Christ,

~Em

Girlz 4 Christ {Giveaway!}

Good morning!  I hope you’re all doing wonderful and are enjoying this warm weather!  Today, I’ve got a super awesome giveaway for you! 

Jessica, from Girlz 4 Christ sent me an email a couple of weeks ago asking me if I wanted to do a review or a giveaway for one of her devotionals.  

Now, most of you probably don’t know what Girlz 4 Christ Magazine is, right?

Well, Girlz 4 Christ Magazine is a magazine geared towards preteen and teenage girls. It is a bimonthly publication that is sent to your inbox as a PDF file.  How convenient is that?  You can have a devotional sent to you through email? 

Who makes the magazine possible?

Jessica Lippe is the editor of Girlz 4 Christ Magazine, but she also contributes as a writer and artist. She loves writing for the Lord and has been published in Devozine, Susie Magazine, Insight, The Christian Journal, and other magazines. She is currently attending college and studying communications.

Anyway, Jessica sent me a devotional and a subscription to review about two weeks ago and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading both of them.  They are extremely encouraging, easy to read, and very inspiring.  I love reading all the verses and different topics!  I think that you would all enjoy reading them too.  I’ve definitely gained a lot from them.  Thank you, Jessica for sending them to me!

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{The Giveaway}

Jessica has donated five free yearlong subscriptions for the readers of Practically Pink!Would you like to enter?  =)

{Mandatory entry}

Tell me your three favorite Bible verses or post a prayer request in the comment box below.

{Extra entries} 

~Like Girlz 4 Christ on Facebook"

~Post a prayer request at Girlz4ChristMagazine.com

~Post about the giveaway on your blog, Facebook, or tweet about it on Twitter.

~Follow Practically Pink or tell me if you already follow.

**Please note: I will need the five winners to send me their full name, birth date, e-mail, state/country (and also your parent's name and e-mail if you’re under 13 years old).**

Sooooo, what are you waiting for?  Start typing, ladies! =)

Giveaway ends on June 12th and I will announce the winners on the next day (June 13th).

Bible Study Pool Party

On Friday, we had our end of the year Bible study party at Sarah-Anne’s house.  She has a pool in her backyard, so she invited us all out to her house to swim and fellowship with everyone.  It was a perfect way for us to end the year!  Also, a lot of us won’t see each other through the summer, so it was a great way for us to have some fun together before they go off to camp, mission trips, and family vacations.  Oh, and one of my very good friends, Anna was able to come to the party too!  She was home from school for a week. 

Anyway, we took lots of pictures, so I thought I would share some of my favorites with you…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty Samantha... (or is it Savannah?) Haha! =)Having some fun in the pool...

Awwwww... ♥ (Above picture- Miss Lorraine and Aubrey)Left to right- Veronica, Kelly, Anna, and Sarah-AnneOh, girl… =)Hey! Let's all get on the slide and get a group picture!Oh, my goodness!  That slide was so slippery!  We all thought that we were going to fall into pool…  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we took pictures around the pool and ate some supper, we spontaneously  decided to take a walk in the wheat field across from Sarah-Anne’s house.  We gathered the rest of the group (and the camera), and headed out to the middle of the field where the sun was setting in the distance.  We had so much fun in that wheat field!  We definitely made a lot of sweet memories out there… 

I think we were laughing and watching our feet for any creatures in the field more than we were actually taking pictures.  Haha!Have I mentioned how much I love these beautiful girls?Jump shots!  Take #1Take #2 We’re awesome.  *wink*  =)Ahhh!!  There is way too much "pretty" in this picture…Haha!  This is was so much fun..."We are family! I got all my sisters with me" =)Thanks for all the great memories, ladies!!  I love each one of you and can’t wait until we start our next Bible study!  Also, thank you for making it such a great year, Miss Lorraine!!

P.S.  I also want to give a quick shout out to my very sweet friend, Moriah.  I know you couldn’t be at the party on Friday, but I want you to know that you were greatly missed.  I love you, girly! =)