[life] Monday, Monday

Outfit Details:

top: TJ Maxx (similar)// shorts: Walmart 

sandals (old): Gap (similar)// earrings: Kendra Scott 

Last week was our first "official" week of getting back into the swing of things. No "events", no traveling, just a regular week. And boy, have we craved that. I think when life gets hectic and the busyness takes over, one can realize how often they take advantage of just a regular, "boring" week. I like events and having a full calendar (not TOO full, let's not get crazy), but there is beauty in routine. 

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5

What does your week look like now that summer is slowly dwindling away?

(No lie, this is how Chloe & Oliver got into bed last night. Has nothing to do with this post, but why wouldn't I post a picture of them looking precious?)

[five things]

Okay, so apparently I took the entire summer off from blogging. Whoops! Getting inspired again... bear with me.

 1//Some pre-dinner snackage on pineapple

This week, I started my second part-time job: now I've got TWO. Sounds a bit daunting, but it's only 10 hours/week at each place, one of which is with my husband, so I'm really excited about the flexibility I will have. Compared to a classroom job that I was used to for 5.5 years, I'm excited to wake up when I want to, eat lunch with my husband, and plan my days accordingly.

I was inspired by Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere to start posting "five things" on Friday that happened during the week or things I have been enjoying. Sound fun? Read on!

 2// Enjoying some nightly truths via She Reads Truth (available online and the app store): daily devotionals and bible readings for women. Plus they have super-cute scriptural/hymn wallpapers for your phone, and daily images (like above) that you can share on social media.

 3// Emily's blog: have you read it? Fashion, food, travel, beauty. Plus she's written two (I think?) books that I want to snatch up!

4// Have you heard of KEEP Collective? It's a branch off of Stella & Dot, where you can host parties and earn rewards, and sell it yourself as your personal business. My friend Jen hosted a party at her house on Tuesday and I ordered a rose gold/saddle bracelet with a "faith" key (what they call the variety of charms) to go on it. It's like a charm bracelet, but a flat version. Check out their website: it's fairly new and the fall line just released... gorgeous! (I don't sell it or anything, I just think they're cute!)

5// Y'all, it is HOT in Texas. I am ready for fall, which really arrives around end of November/December here... bummer. So when I found this article on Pinterest, I got pumped (via Stylishlyme). What style of boot do you like?

Happy weekend!

[life] The Last... June 2015

Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX: where Shiner Beer is made!

Y'ALL.

I am the worst! Let's just say I took June off for blogging vacation. Sound good? I have about 45,234 posts to write: our summer has been CRAZY so far, and it'll only speed up as we go into July! But I wouldn't have it any other way... summer is fabulous.

I did this post in May and many of you enjoyed it, so I thought I'd do another round for June! Feel free to borrow the questions and write your own post, then let me know in the comments so I can go check it out!

Thing I ate: Chicken Caesar Salad for lunch from a local restaurant


Thing I watched: Alfie's vlog on YouTube (I like when the YouTubers get together on each other's vlogs... so when I saw him and Zoe going to Tanya's house, I thought it'd be more entertaining... but it was a bit boring)

Account I followed on Instagram: Liz Marie's (LMB) Blog Shops account. It's where she posts all of her amazing finds! I love her blog and regular account already, so when she created this one, I knew it'd be a good one!

Activity I did: Deposited our checks (#payday) into the bank.

Product I used: Maybelline's Baby Lips in Coral Crave. Has a smooth application, keeps my lips feeling nice and smooth, and provides a subtle hint of color! It is a bit more pink/orange than this picture shows, but it's a great, natural color!

Time I was shocked: on Facebook, of course, reading some hurtful/impolite things that were said about others. I really enjoy FB for keeping up with family (especially since we live far away from them) and long-time/no-see friends, but sometimes it really is just about drama. It's so nuts! Does anyone else feel that way about social media sometimes? That's why I usually gravitate more towards Instagram: a cute picture, a little blurb, that's it! It still has drama, but not nearly as much.

Cute thing I saw: again, on Facebook. Ha! With all the drama, there does come a hint of cuteness and joy. I thought this was more "funny" than "cute" because it is TOTALLY. ME. Just ask Nate, ha! I don't know who/what "Dave" it is, but one of my friend's shared it.

There you have it! Another month, another list. Hopefully my month-long vacation doesn't turn into two months of rest and being away, because I do enjoy writing, posting, and connecting with you all! Let me know in the comments if you plan on using the list too: I want to read!

"...The great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him." -C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

[life] The Last... May 2015

This picture doesn't really have anything to do with this post, except that it was taken in May... and this is May's edition of "The Last"!

Borrowed this post idea from Lindsay at Pursuit of Pink- I thought it would be a fun blog edition each month! I changed a few from what she posted, but feel free to click the link to see her responses!

Thing I ate: A chocolate chip cookie (breakfast of champions). We purchased cookie dough from a school fundraiser for one of the youth at our church, and of course I had to immediately make them when we got home. Chocolate Chunk for the win.

Thing I watched: Texas Rangers baseball as they took on the Boston Red Sox (and WON!)

Account I followed on Instagram: Sadie Robertson from Duck Dynasty. I definitely DON'T watch that show... I'm not big into reality TV... but I am obSESSED with Dancing With The Stars (which I know is "reality", but it's more of a dance competition/reality... give me some slack!) and after the DWTS finale on Tuesday, I wanted to see everyone's pictures, so I followed Sadie. Great Christian gal too, such a sweetheart!

Activity I did: Took the dogs to the vet... It's always such an ordeal! Oliver is super chill about it, but Chloe gets all riled up. I mean, she KNOWS the vet building and what they do in that building. She is not a fan. They both were getting their yearly vaccines, and Chloe is allergic to one of them... the vet forgot, so he had to give her Benadryl as well, plus we started her on steroid pills for the next two weeks because her allergies are really bad... Long story short, I'm on Chloe-duty today making sure she doesn't have a reaction. Poor gal.

Product I used: Bath and Body Works "Wild Madagascar Vanilla" Fragrance Mist. That is my everyday scent. I use Chanel perfume on special occasions... but 9 times out of 10, I'll be sporting my B&BW. Mmmm...

Time I was shocked: One of my sweet friends revealed to me that she was pregnant with her second baby after they had been trying for a while. Of course, I was shocked in the best way!

Cute thing I saw: This on Pinterest... my word! Original source here.

 

There you have it! My "last" things I have recently done. Want to join? Copy the questions and post your own blog about it! Let me know in the comments so I can read yours too!

[life] 20 Random Facts About Me (and my first YOUTUBE video!)

Y'all. I made my first "regular" YouTube video! I had already posted two videos on my channel (both were from our travels), but I felt that adding ::hopefully:: a weekly, or even bi-weekly, video would give a voice and personality to my writing on the ol' blog! Plus I am an avid YouTube video watcher... there are loads of channels that I enjoy!

Anyhoo, my first video is 20 random facts about me! I thought this would be a good introductory video so you can get a sense of me and who I am. Obviously I am a novice at editing videos and the camera goes in/out of focus at times (ugh!), but I'm pretty proud of what I made!

Without further ado, here it is! Feel free to "subscribe" to my channel to get the latest videos I create, or you can just wait for the blog post... I'm sure I'll do a post for each video I do!

P.S. Does anyone else hate the sound of their voice being recorded? I'll have to get used to that!

Let me know of any other video ideas you would like me to create: there are plenty of YouTube "tags" out there that I could do, but if you have any ideas, send them my way. Happy Friday!

[life] I Can't Live Without... the Texas Rangers #3

I'm linking up with Katie at "...for Lauren and Lauren" for another "I Can't Live Without" link up!

 

Now I know I have quite a few Texas readers/subscribers, but I'm not sure of how many other states and countries are represented. Also, I am not sure of how highly you may view your area sports teams... but at our house, we BLEED Jesus and the Texas Rangers! 

Since Nate and I are both native Texans and lived in North Texas (me)/East Texas (him) for the majority of our lives, we have been bred into the Texas Rangers fandom. We both remember attending games as children and that devotion hasn't withered into our adult-age.

If the game is on TV, we are either watching it live or recording it to watch later. I am not a big "sports aficionado", but Nate has been an excellent instructor, teaching me the ins and outs of the game. I have always known the gist, but to know plays and positions... I feel pretty professional! 

My parents live about 10 minutes away from the Ballpark in Arlington (it is now called "Globelife Park", but throwback Rangers fans will ALWAYS know it as the Ballpark), so any time we go to visit my family and the Rangers are in town, we make a point to attend the game. So much fun! Baseball really is America's Pastime and I love the history, class, and nostalgia that goes along with a good ol' baseball game. Plus the food... you MUST indulge in ballpark food when attending a game! My go-to's are always a bag of cotton candy and some garlic Parmesan fries. Delish!

So what about you? Are you as devoted to your hometown team as we are? Where do you live, and what team(s) do you support? We also BIG HEART the Dallas Cowboys (football), and of course we support the Dallas Mavericks (basketball) and Dallas Stars (hockey), but we don't avidly watch those two sports as much as we watch baseball and football. Oh, to be Texan :)

[life] Guys Behind the Blog // May 2015

 Linking up with Betsy for Guys Behind the Blog: May

This is such a fun link-up! I like getting Nate involved in the ol' blog. Every month, Betsy compiles questions for us all to ask the fellas in our lives. See Nate's April responses here!

For the month of May...

1 // What is your favorite family tradition?

 "Like, ours...?"

(He gave me a glare as I typed that... ha!)

"Stop typing!" 

(... Thinking... Scratching the beard... )
 

"My favorite family tradition of ours, daily tradition, is walking the dogs. Year tradition, driving to Dallas and Tyler to see our families for the holidays."

2 // Who's your male celebrity crush? 

"Dave Matthews because he's a ninja on the guitar and all he wears is jeans, boots, and t-shirts."

3 // What song best sums you up?
"Washed by the Water" by Needtobreathe 

(This question took quite a bit of thought because Nathan is an avid music fan... He loves it, loves all different styles for different reasons... I mean, he IS a Music Business major... So music really is his business!)

4 // What three things do you think of the most each day?
"You (as in, me: Chrissy). Theology. Eternity."

 

5 // What is your most embarrassing memory?

"Probably getting pulled over by undercover police because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I happened to be in a parking lot when police were waiting to do a drug bust and they thought I was the guy." (Good thing he proved it wasn't him, ha!)


There you have it! Another glimpse into the mind that is Nate. Betsy's link-up will go live on May 28th, so be sure to follow her so you can read about other blog fellas! How would your guy respond to these questions? Have a great week!

[life] I Can't Live Without... Photography #3

Linking up with Katie at ...for Lauren and Lauren for the "I Can't Live Without" link-up!

I am a HUGE fan of photography! I'm not a professional photographer: I have no idea about light quality, ISOs (?), or how to work those fancy cameras. I'm more of a point-and-shoot gal, knowing how to have "good" light w/no shadows, and how to crop a photo to get the captured moment perfectly.

I love how photos tell a story and help remember a moment in time. Lately, Nate and I have tried to not be as "technology"- dependent and focus more on being IN the moment rather than have a phone or camera attached to our face the entire time... But I just really enjoy going back and looking at photos to see a fun or beautiful moment in time!

Here are a few of my favorite photos and moments in time:

Sunset in Destin, Florida (celebrating our 4-year wedding anniversary)

 The gorgeous landscape of our favorite Caribbean location: Roatan, Honduras

 Sneaking a kiss with Nate in a private, secluded cove in Honduras

Listening and enjoying an awesome Dave Matthews Band concert with Nate (his favorite band)

Family vacation in Cozumel, Mexico

Of course, our wedding day: this is one of my favorite photos from that day. The way we are looking at each other and how we are still so completelyyyy in love. Blessed.

One of our favorite places in the world: The Ballpark in Arlington (it will always be called that to me, although it is now called Globe Life Park)

Another favorite place: WALT DISNEY WORLD #kidsatheart

Enjoying the company of my favorite furry children friends: Chloe and Oliver

 Getting ice cream on an incredibly HOT Texas summer afternoon with our best friends

Graduating college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education: #lifegoals

And us, today: still can't believe he's all mine!

While reminiscing and looking at these photos, I couldn't help but smile. These moments have captured just a second of an amazing day, week, or life event. Looking at these glimpses in time help me look back on what memorable moments they each were and help me remember the event(s) in full.

What are your favorite photos? We all have the obvious: vacations, marriages, babies, etc. Any out of the ordinary?

Have a great week!

[life] A Morning Playlist

You guys.

I think I finally did it. I think I created the greatest playlist of all time.

I am known (by Nate) to be a notorious "song changer". I'm really big into singing along to songs (not to say that I have a fabulous voice, I just like knowing the words), so if a)I don't know the words, or b)it doesn't have a good beat/rhythm, I'm going to change the song.

Nate always tells me that if I gave a song a chance, I would learn the words. Nope, nu-uh. If it doesn't "grab" me in its intro, it's more than likely to be a terrible song.

So, I give you...

Do you use Spotify? If so, you can get this playlist EASY PEASY! Just search "Up and At 'Em" with a cute little sunshine and you should find it :) I call it that because I am NOT a morning person, so thanks to Gabby (British YouTuber), she has said that turning on music immediately has helped her become a morning person. So I'm giving it a try!

The playlist has a good combination of pop, rock, some country, a few slow jams, some 80s songs, lots of Beatles and Michael Jackson, Elton, and Stevie (Wonder, that is). Don't worry... I am a big fan of T-Swift, but I have all her albums on my iPhone... So I just listen to those all at once! Also, I am a Texan and a fan of Texas Country, but I just don't like country music that much! #craptexan. And I'm sure there are a bajillion other songs that could be added to the list. This is just a start!

Here's a list of the songs... All 52 of them, in alphabetical order (I must love you guys!) Songs with a *** are MUST LISTENS.

"Best Day of My Life (Acoustic)" -Alexi Blue***
"Single Ladies" -Beyonce
 "Just The Way You Are" -Boyce Avenue***
"Two Is Better Than One" -Boys Like Girls
"A Thousand Years" -Christina Perri
"Billie Jean" -The Civil Wars ***
"You Are My Sunshine" -The Civil Wars
"Fix You" -Coldplay
"Crazy in Love" -Daniela Andrade
"You Make My Dreams" -Daryl Hall & John Oates
"I Will Follow You Into The Dark" -Death Cab for Cutie***
"Thinking Out Loud" -Ed Sheeran
"Your Song" -Elton John
"Rocket Man" -Elton John
"Crocodile Rock" -Elton John
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" -Elton John
"Bennie and The Jets" -Elton John
"Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" -Elton John
"The B---- Is Back" -Elton John (sorry guys!)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" -Elton John
"Build Me Up Buttercup" -The Foundations
"Cry Me a River" -Glen Hansard
"Bang Bang" -Jessie J. (and others)
"Folsom Prison Blues" -Johnny Cash
"Roar" -Katy Perry
"Go Your Own Way" -Lissie
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" -Marvin Gaye
"All About That Bass" -Meghan Trainor
"The Way You Make Me Feel" -Michael Jackson
"Smooth Criminal" -Michael Jackson
"P.Y.T." -Michael Jackson
"We Can't Stop" -Miley Cyrus
'Wrecking Ball" -Miley Cyrus
"Happily" -One Direction
"What Makes You Beautiful" -One Direction
"Buttons" -The Pussycat Dolls
"Across the Universe" -Rufus Wainwright
"Kiss Me" -Sixpence None The Richer
"For Once In My Life" -Stevie Wonder
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" -Stevie Wonder
"Superstition" -Stevie Wonder
"Shake It Off" -Us The Duo***
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody" -Whitney Houston

(THE FOLLOWING ARE COVERS OF BEATLES SONGS)
"Come Together" -The Silver Beetles
"Get Back" -The Silver Beetles
"Eleanore Rigby" -The Silver Beetles
"Help!" -The Silver Beetles
"Yesterday" -The Silver Beetles
"Paperback Writer" -The Silver Beetles
"Hey Jude" -The Silver Beetles
"Let It Be" -The Silver Beetles
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" -The Silver Beetles

Whew! Are you still here? Those are just some of my favorite jams. I also like musicals... but that will be a different playlist for a different day :) What would you add to the list? Any songs I must learn the words to? Ha!

Have a GREAT weekend! If any of you participate with Secret Church #SC15, our church is participating tonight! If you don't know what that is, stay tuned for Monday's post! 

[life] Hello Friends

 

In the past week or so, I have gained a new amount of "followers" via a blog community on Facebook called The Blog Love Project. It's a group of women who support each other in their blog posts, Facebook pages, tweets, Instas, and pins. It really is a great community! If you haven't found a blogging community yet, I suggest heading over there!

Because of this new following, I want to give an overview of who I am, and who "Everyday with the Jays" is all about! If you have been around here before, most of this will be the same as usual. So to all of my new friends, I say welcome! If you're from The Blog Love Project, let me know in the comments so I can come say hello to you too!

I'm Chrissy, he's Nate. We have been a two-some since our marriage in June 2009. We met in college: he was the cute boy leading worship at a college retreat and I thought, "Oh yes, he WILL be mine." A month later and he was my boyfriend! After a year and a half of dating, he proposed in the most memorable way. He gifted me a Bible with my married name on the front cover. He is such a blessing to me and I can't thank God enough for him. He leads our household to love and fear the Lord and to follow His commandments. He treats me like a princess and comforts me. He keeps me safe and I feel secure in his presence. Love this fella!

We have no children, but have two fur-babies who we treat as such. Anyone else? Chloe is the spunky Jack Russell Terrier pictured below. We got her three months after we were married, so she's been with us since the beginning. She loves adventure, the outdoors, and likes to bark at cats. She keeps us on her toes: she's extremely smart AND stubborn! We adopted Oliver, a Shih-Tzu/Lhasa Apso (not sure) almost a year later. He is kind, tender-hearted, and loves Nate fiercely. He has grown to be a snuggler and always gives us a laugh with his goofy hair.

Nate is the Lead Pastor at our church. He has such a heart for God and His people. It is a true joy to hear him preach each Sunday! He also leads the worship music: Nate sings (amazingly well), plays guitar, and piano. Sometimes I will share snippets of his singing, seen below!

I also work part-time at the church: I am Nate's ministry assistant! I do basic office duties, and also create media publications for the church (weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters, website updates). I maintain communication with our small groups and accountant, and also plan church-wide events. I really enjoy my flexible schedule and working alongside Nate. I'm able to be creative and plan/organize events, but also work on my own in a quiet environment. We have our own work spaces, so we aren't all up in each other 24/7, but just across the hall from one another.

We love to travel: our favorite way to travel is by CRUISE SHIP. We have been on six cruises together (I traveled on two before we were married, and he traveled on one, so my total is eight and his is seven). We love to experience the culture, shopping, and food of the places we visit. We also love photography and capturing moments that we can treasure for a lifetime, but we also understand the importance of living IN the moment and soak it up as much as we can.

We were both born and raised Texans and still live here to this day. I was born/raised in Dallas, while he was born/raised in East Texas (Tyler region). Like I said, we met in college at Dallas Baptist University. We both loved our time there, but unfortunately DBU does not have a football program... so we are both STRONG University of Texas supporters. I was accepted there, but my brother (who graduated from UT) strongly encouraged me to attend DBU instead because he felt UT was too big for me. Boy was he right! But- we love our Longhorns! Hook 'em!

On the blog, you will see oodles of our everyday life (hence, "EVERYDAY" with the Jays). I don't blog everyday, but my schedule will (hopefully) continue to be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I enjoy sharing about our life and travels (seen above), but I love me a good craft, party, or recipe! Plus, fashion and beauty are things I am beginning to dip my toe into, so you will see bits of that as well!

I am so so SO glad you have decided to join us on our blog journey! Thank you for reading (AND getting to this point, ha! #longpost) and I hope you stick around with us! Leave me a comment sharing where you blog and I can stop by to say hello back! Have a great week!