wish I was here wednesday

Source: witanddelight.tumblr.com via Olivia on Pinterest

{ps Lindsey of He's Forsayven Me is the winner of the giveaway... email me at oliviakcarter@gmail.com and I will get you connected!}

first day on a new job!!

I got a new job!!! A perfect opportunity came my way for a part time administrator job at a nearby Christian non profit! I started right before Thanksgiving and LOVE it so far! I am busy all day, have a great boss and get off work before lunch time! I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity come my way. I was not really looking, THAT is when I know that God is working. Him and I have always had a deal where He gives me really clear answers because I have a hard time overthinking. Grateful for this job, grateful for my God who blessed me with it and opened the door just for me.

Tank: Old Navy

Blouse: Old Navy

Cardigan: Old Navy

Jeans: BDG

Boots: Amazon

dwell: Anna of Freckled Fashionista

Source: everyday-patricia.tumblr.com via Änna on Pinterest

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." 


:::Matthew 6:33-34

Hi All. I'm Anna, Olivia's sister, excited to share with you today what God is teaching me. I am at a funny spot in life. I am in my senior year of college and have only two terms left until I graduate! College has been a crazy time of growth (as well as mistakes) and God has done amazing things in the last four years. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to go to college, live in a house, and have my parents support me 100% financially. 

Since this is my last year in college I get asked the same question over and over. "So what's next for you?"Uhhh... I don't know? I will be graduating with a degree in Public Relations, I know that. But as for a job? A place to live? I have no stinkin' clue. I find myself stressing and worrying about this next phase of life and I find that it's robbing the joy that the Lord has for me today.

God has provided for me in so many ways. He's had me meet the perfect friends, He's provided a wonderful supportive family, He brought the most amazing man into my life, He's taken me to Africa and back, and much much more. When I think something is impossible, He has made it possible. What do I even have to worry? He has a plan for me and my future, a perfect one. 

In this season of my life I want to remember that ultimately He is in charge. Why worry my days away?   I have faith in trust in my heavenly father to take care of me and reveal to me his perfect plan in his perfect time. 

I hope that if any of you find yourself worrying about the future and your plans that this verse in Matthew gives you comfort. I know that it has for me! 

fall feast

 My husband and I had a few couples over a few nights ago for a fall feast! Here are some of my tips for organizing a dinner party on a budget without feeling overwhelmed

Prep: I think it's important to do things little bit little so you aren't spending your entire Saturday getting ready for dinner that night. Here is my timline of how I organize myself (as best as possible)

2 weeks before: pick the night & invite your friends

1 week before: pick a menu, distribute (see below)

3 days before: grocery shop

 2 days before: set the table (if it's a table you don't use everyday)

1 day before: clean the areas of your house where your guests will be

day of: cook your portion

Step ONE: the scene

Beautiful fall leaves in my backyard!!!

Step TWO: the menu

My favorite way to do a dinner party is to have each person bring a part of the meal. We had 3 couples are ours so each of us made 1 part. My friend Holly made a salad, Jill a soup and me, the main dish, a risotto. I picked out the recipes before hand and gave to each gal the week before so they could shop and prep. This takes the pressure off of preparing a large meal and saves some money!

Step THREE: the table

I hate our dining room table, old hand me down, but I dressed it up with minimal things! A table runner, some fall decorations and some fall flowers did the trick! I also hate when tables look too full so instead of using 6 brown placemats I just used 3 and did every other place. I always have paper napkins on hand that I find wherever I go, these are from Ikea (... 100 for $4 maybe? super cheap)

Step FOUR: enjoy

Step FIVE: dishes

Since there were 3 courses we did the dishes as we went. Always have a clean/empty sink when gets arrive and have an empty dishwasher ready to load. After each course we would take a quick break, load those dishes, eat, etc. This left with less clean up at the end. The night of after guests leave, I usually clean up the table, counters etc. and leave everything in the sink. The next morning I (or my husband) tackle the big dishes. This gives you a break after a long tiring and hopefully fun night!

Hope you all have a great holiday season and aren't afraid to entertain!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
:::Psalm 69:30

Source: celebrationsathomeblog.com via Olivia on Pinteest

LAST DAY to enter giveaway-- winner announced tomorrow 

over here

Giving a little wedding planning advice to brides and brides to be  over at Michelle's blog Delighted while she is off getting married! Check it out here & let me know what you think!

toms to church

Tank- Nordstroms-
Sweater- Nordtroms- Rubbish
Blazer- Nordstroms Rack
Jeans: Kut- Nordstroms
Shoes: Toms
Jewlery: Forever 21
Bag: super great steal 60% off at a little shop in Pacific City, OR

{ps giveaway happening this week. enter to win here}

dwell: Michelle of Delighted

Hi Friends! I'm Michelle, the girl behind Delighted! When Olivia invited me to be a part of Dwell, I was honored with the opportunity to share what the Lord has been doing in my life lately. I can summarize a lot of what I've been learning lately in the following verses found in Ephesians 4.

 via

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. " Ephesians 4:1-2

I'll admit, I read this verse a couple of weeks ago and thought to myself "oh what a nice intro verse to Ephesians". (Yes, that's shallow and sad, but I'm being honest.) Not feeling quiet done with Ephesians 4 I read the chapter the next day, that day I was rather stressed and probably not in the most friendly mood.  The moment I read this verse I felt like the Lord said "So, how are you living that out today?"

"Oh yea, thanks God." I prayed in embarrassment.

Realizing that the things in verse 2 were things that I was lacking, I started unpacking the verse word by word, and challenging myself to live up to the call theses verses make.

"Humble" "Gentle" "Patient" "Bearing with one another in love"

Ask the Lord for the strength to take on each one of these qualities and let's step up and "live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

-Michelle

copy that copy cat

inspired a little by this:

Source: tandsdaybook.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

and by Molly here:

Source: alwaysamrsforeverakidd.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

my version:

tank: H&M

button up: Old Navy

sweater: Old Navy

Gray jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Hot Kiss

necklace: Free People

{ps giveaway happening right now, don't forget to check it out & enter to win! also: promo code}

giveaway: My Memories Suite

My Memories is giving away 1 digital scrapbook software called My Memories Suite to one For Me reader!!

I've been wanting to make a scrapbook of our trip to NYC last March but haven't gotten around to it. My Memories Suite Software made is SO easy. It populated the pictures in there and had a ton of different layouts to choose from! Check out a few of the pages:

A little something from our Tahoe trip

There are a TON of different things you can do with the software and it downloads right to your computer which is so easy!

Ready to win a My Memories Suite Digital Software ?

how to enter:

*leave one comment stating that you've done the following 2 things:

{1.} Be a follower of For Me using Google Friend Connect

 & {2.} visit My Memories and tell us your favorite item in the comment

{This is a mandatory entry & must be done before other entries}

additional ways to enter

{leave a separate comment for each!}

1. Like them on Facebook or follow on twitter

2. Tweet about the giveaway & include @oliviakcarter 

3. blog about the giveaway (leave a link in the comment section)

{Giveaway closes next Thursday & the winner will be chosen via random.org and announced Friday}

In case you don't win, My Memories is offering $10 for For Me readers with this special promo code for the digital software! Use promo code STMMMS15967 

wish I was here wednesday

Source: Uploaded by user via Olivia on Pinterest

Where do you wish you were today friends?!

Grab this button to put into your post & then come back and link up
so everyone can link back and swoon over all of the wonderful pictures:



<center><a href="http://oliviakcarter.blogspot.com/search/label/wish%20i%20was%20here"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1atyxni7RAXcT1TA8o1L4rV90MGLcCR_llvXJE1wnXHj-SlVG3v2vU0p89tEdVQEOih5r4OREF2c6tateazJhX1RWJpvHh2hXI_cU4mBtSf3uxulHW9W0Dn_4OJGJZ6imTAt9ZDzQHQA/s1600/wish.jpg" /></a></center>

jcrew cowgirl

T: Jcrew

cardigan: Old Navy

pants: Norstrom Rack

boots: Old Navy

dwell: Brittany of Little Ditties

 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

  1 Corinthians 13:4

Hey guys, my name is Brittany and I'm from Little Ditties.  I'm so excited to hopefully meet more of you as we encourage one another through Dwell =) The thing I love so much about scripture is how it can speak to you at different points in your life and you can get something totally different from it each time you read it.  


This last year has been an interesting one for me and my husband.  This past year I quit my job to help out with our wedding film company.  It has been a tougher transition than I thought it would. Living, working and playing all in a tiny Brooklyn apartment together.   


Which brings me to scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:4..... "Love is Patient, Love is kind....Love does not envy, it does not boast...you all know the one to the point where if your at a wedding you exchange glances and think "this is so cliche".  Well, recently my eyes were opened to this scripture in a amazing way.


 Our pastor simply flipped the words and a lightbulb went off in my head. Like hearing something for the very first time.  He simply said why not look at it like this, Patience IS love, Kindness IS love...  I think I often times get caught up in the ideas our society puts in our head of how love should look. You know, like a romantic comedy.


 A lot of times getting upset and thinking my husband or anyone for that matter needs to change, but rarely flipping it back to me and how I can make myself a better wife and partner. Showing love to him and others means encompassing all these things. Because that IS what makes up love. 


Read this scripture in a NEW way today, how is it speaking to you?






{ps if you'd like to write a post for this series, email me oliviakcarter@gmail.com}

need these in my home.

oh husbands.

having problems this day having Brian take pictures of me...still getting over the awkwardness..

earrings: Pretty things by Meg

necklace: Twist

t-shirt: Gap

blazer: Nordstroms

bracelets: Africa & 31 Bits

jeans: UO: bdg

shoes: target

wish I was here

Source: lesapea.tumblr.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Grab this button to put into your post & then come back and link up
so everyone can link back and swoon over all of the wonderful pictures and ideas:



<center><a href="http://oliviakcarter.blogspot.com/search/label/wish%20i%20was%20here"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1atyxni7RAXcT1TA8o1L4rV90MGLcCR_llvXJE1wnXHj-SlVG3v2vU0p89tEdVQEOih5r4OREF2c6tateazJhX1RWJpvHh2hXI_cU4mBtSf3uxulHW9W0Dn_4OJGJZ6imTAt9ZDzQHQA/s1600/wish.jpg" /></a></center>

Marry This!

Brian and I had SO much fun being able to model in this month's new Marry This! wedding guide. This one is FREE!!!! If you are a bride-to-be and need a little push towards your wedding planning on a budget (under 10k) check out these guides! They are full of information, budget breakout, shopping guide, free printables, good ideas, and the ability to see the looks all put together. 

Check out this guide here as well as Marry This!'s new wedding blog as well as their twitter account

just a small snippet from this month's free guide: