Did you know that when I was seventeen I saw the scariest thing that any rebellious seventeen year old girl can see? I bet some of you already know what I am going to say. I saw two pink lines. Those two pink lines turned into this kid. The older one. The li'l beauty came much more recently. Now obviously, there was a lot that happened in between the two lines and this picture; most of it was really hard. I made a lot of mistakes and learned … uh, a bit. Thankfully, I had people who loved me when I didn’t deserve it and continued to reach out to me when I trampled on what they did for me. Between them and God, I didn’t stand a chance. In a good way. Before I got ...

I don’t have a problem with conflict. Be it food prepared wrong at a restaurant, a mistake on my credit card statement, the deliberately un-noticing parent of a badly behaved kid at the pool, or a facebook debate it doesn’t matter I can handle it. Usually with my favorite balance of casual tone, smiles and some well-placed sass … or if the situation calls for it  (in my mind) with incredulously raised eyebrows and a rhetorical question. (Sigh. This is the response that normally leaves me trying to kick my own heinie later.) I also don’t have much of a filter. If you have read many of my articles here or much of my blog (www.beautifully-chaotic.com) then you already know ...

Cinnamon spice candles. Golden pumpkins. The Thanksgiving Day Parade. Turkey and stuffing. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Pumpkin pie. Pecan Pie. Cranberry sauce. Family. Laughter. Love. Yes, Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday. I know that Christmas is the more ‘Christian’ answer, but to me there is just something especially wonderful about Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite. You just might have to deal with it. Recently, I discovered I was definitely lacking my usual Thanksgiving Cheer. (Yes, I stole that from Christmas, but it works.) It started slowly and snuck up on me, a yucky discontent that stole my joy. It made me irritable and grumpy (just ask my husband) it made me snappish ...

Pain. We've all got it, and have all been there at one point or another. One of my favorite things about our God is He won't let our pain go to waste. If we will allow Him, He will redeem it and make it beautiful. This is the story of my pain. I hope that as you watch it, you will see His beauty. Miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death will touch one woman in four. That's over 2,000 women per day in the US alone, and yet it's rarely spoken of. No matter who you are, you most certainly know a woman who has suffered a loss. So many women suffer through it silently and alone, and my heart is to see those that have lived through it speak up and help those walking through it ...

Home blogs. Filled to the brim with pretty pictures and fabulous ideas, I love browsing through and finding inspiration for my own home. Here are five of my favorite blogs to stalk. Check them out and let them know how you found them!   1|  www.younghouselove.com : "1 young family + 1 old house = love" This is a blog about the adventures and misadventures of a couple of young DIY (That's do-it-yourself for the acronym-ily challenged) enthusiasts who have taken on fixing up their beloved old house. What's fabulous about them is that they didn't start out as any kind of expert or with any background in remodeling. No, they just took the internet along with them as they rolled ...

The story really got started in the beginning of February 2010 when my husband and I decided we were going to try to have another baby. We already had two beautiful children and the timing seemed perfect to add a third. By the end of the month, we saw the second pink line on the test stick. But if you’ve been a Destiny in Bloom reader for a while, you know that the Happy Ending didn’t come nine months later. Instead, at the end of April we said goodbye to our baby, Jasmine, until we see her in Heaven. Then, in July, we got that second pink line again-only to say goodbye again in August; this time to our little Lily, who is living in Heaven with her sister. After two ...

Baking soda.  When you hear that you may think of sixth grade volcano experiments or perhaps you think of baking chocolate chip cookies … But I doubt you thought of deodorant.  How about bathroom cleaner? Shampoo? Laundry booster? Yup- Baking soda can be multi-purposed into all of the above! It’s my own little miracle powder around the house and helps me keep “Mr Budget” off my back while living just a little greener. While you may not be ready to substitute Baking soda for your deodorant stick just yet take a look at these fabulous ways that you too can utilize this handy household helper! Household cleaner- Whether in the kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom baking soda is ...

Do you remember The Jetsons? I used to watch it on Saturday mornings growing up (I can still sing the intro song) and there is one scene that has stuck with me. Jane, the mother, was still sleeping when she receives a call from her friend Gloria one morning. This presents a particular problem since calls in 2062 are audio AND video! Her hair is a mess and she has no makeup on. She solves this dilemma by slipping on a mask much like the ones children wear at Halloween. Only it’s a mask of herself-Jane, perfectly groomed and made up. She takes the call from Gloria who, after a few minutes of conversing, sneezes, dislodging her own mask and exposing that she is in rollers with no make up. ...

Here in Texas it seems as though Allergy Season is … every season! When my family moved from the California Central Valley I had hoped that maybe the air here in Texas would be better since my husband suffered from severe allergies. I know, I know, all of you DFW natives are laughing at me right now. Suffice to say, the allergies did not improve with the move, instead we went from the seasonal allergies to the year-round kind. My husband was living on Claritin D, Sudafed, Prescription Nasal Sprays, and Benadryl just to survive.  Besides the financial drain, the effect of constantly taking so many allergy medicines was adding up physically as well. We started surfing the internet ...

Today I looked at the calendar and realized that in a few short days I have a very … uh, interesting anniversary approaching. It’s unlike any other event or holiday I recognize. It’s the anniversary of the day my world first shattered. That’s how it felt at the time, although I have to be honest; standing here a year later there is some real beauty woven in amongst all those pieces. If I look honestly at myself, there is some extra beauty woven in me as well. But for those of you who haven’t been along for the ride with me this past year, let me briefly catch you up. April 22, 2010 began as one of those perfect days we capture in photographs and attach to a page in our ...