Answered.

Sometimes prayers take awhile to be answered. But God is amazing, and Hannah got her pet monkey.





She's babysitting this adorable one-eyed monkey for a few weeks. Ever since Hannah was little she dreamed of having a monkey for a pet, and her dream has finally come true. Makes me realize anything is possible, and that's pretty darn exciting.

Mud Cloth & More.

Like I mentioned before, Hannah has a bunch of new designs available in her shop. These were all designed and created by Hannah while in Kenya, using some pretty incredible African fabric. Hannah is continuing her missionary work until November, when she will be coming home for a bit. Hannah plans on returning to Africa in the future as well, and as a missionary work she has to raise 100% of the funding she needs to be able to live and work there. This shop is Hannah's way of raising funds, as all the proceeds go directly to support her and her cause.

Here are a few pictures of her newest collection.








Do you recognize one of the models? Hannah shot half the pictures in Kenya, and sent the clothes home to be photographed here as well.

Please visit Hannah's shop, and help spread the word.

On Sale: Kenya Dress.

Hannah's beautiful Kenya dress is now on sale for $20 off the original price tag!

Hannah is currently in Kenya where she is working with the women of Amani Ya Juu, and on her spare time is designing a brand new collection that will be available for sale in her shop soon. She continues to need support for her amazing missionary work, which comes 100% from her online shop. The Kenya dress, which is now on sale, is the perfect summer dress that can be dressed up or down. I love wearing mine with moccasins and a leather belt, but I plan on dressing it up for special occasions this summer as well. The top layer is a beautiful sheer fabric that lays over a flowered/printed fabric underneath. The dress comes in three different colors, each with a matching ribbon belt.

Postcard Preview.

In order to continue raising funds for Hannah's missionary work with Amani Ya Juu, she will be selling postcards featuring various pictures she's taken in Liberia so far. I just had the first batch of postcards printed from moo.com tonight, and I cannot wait until they arrive. There are a total of ten different pictures, which we will be selling in packs of 5 for $25 {100% of proceeds go to support her missionary work}. Here is a sneak peek of a few of the photographs used;



Aren't these pictures amazing? I promise to share the rest when they arrive and are available for sale.

The Dress.

Today I decided to try on one of Hannah's dresses (one that I don't already own for myself, but am now thinking I want to buy), and take a few pictures. I'm hoping to take a few new pictures for Hannah's site soon. The Kenya dress is the perfect spring/summer-time dress, and I wanted to show just how versatile it really is. It can be dressed up or down, paired with heels or flip-flops (or if you are like me moccasins), and it is so stinking comfy. I pictured myself wearing this on the beach in Hawaii, but posing in front of an old fence will have to do for now. While I didn't have enough time or energy to photograph all her dresses today, here are a couple shots.




My favorite part is that the green sheer fabric is longer in the back, and it makes for a great twirling dress- your inner 6 year old would love it. It also comes with a matching drawstring belt, but I like to pair everything with the belt shown, I just can't help it.

Also, just so you know, all proceeds from Hannah's shop go to fund her missionary work. She is currently in Liberia where she is working with Amani Ya Juu to open their newest location. She continues to need funding so that she can stay in Africa until November, and then go back again later of course. Hannah plans on spending her life working in the missionary field, so support is always needed. She has a new project she's starting soon as well, and I will keep you updated when that gets underway.

A Hannah Update.

Holy cow, I miss my sister so much. It's actually a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I'm so proud of her. She started a blog for Amani Liberia, where you can read all about the creation of the newest Amani, and find the most inspirational stories. It's so amazing what they are doing for these women, I can't even put it into words. Here is a video from the fashion show Korto Momolu did in Colombus in support of Amani.


{I spy a little sister in there}



Aren't those designs gorgeous? And doesn't Hannah look beautiful (she's sitting next to Stephanie during the fashion show)?

I also want to remind everyone that Hannah's shop is still full of beautiful dresses and necklaces. She continues to need support for her missionary work so that she is able to stay in Africa for the next year, and possibly years to come. While I want her to get home already, I believe in what she is doing and want to ask for everyone's continued support.

What A Charmer.

My sister made me the most beautiful charm bracelet after I graduated from college, and I'm finally getting around to sharing pictures of it (I graduated almost three years ago). She collected antique charms from all over, and made the bracelet with three different types of chain. She even made it so that it could be attached to a longer chain and worn as a necklace.




Each charm has a special meaning, but the best is the girl on top of the world. She said it's because I've always thought the world revolves around me- yup, even when making the sweetest gift in the world, she's still a typical little sister (who has no idea what she's talking about by the way!) I also love the grapes for my wedding, and the book and apple for teaching.

Missing You.

Hannah is on a plane right now, on her way to Ohio before she leaves for Africa in two weeks. I'm going to miss her so much, I've been dreading this day for awhile now. I'm trying not to think about it too much, but I'm so excited for her & so proud of her accomplishments. She is my best friend, and I am so blessed to have her as my sister. Now I'm going to go cry in my bedroom and pray that the next year will go by fast.



{Packing Hannah's bags took a lot of hard work & some serious magic.}

In other news, I haven't been around much this past week for a few reasons, but I plan on returning soon (especially since I'm two weeks behind in my 365 pictures). Jordan's cousin, who was like his big brother, died last weekend and its been really hard on all of us.

I'm hoping for brighter days soon, even though with all things considering it's going to be tough for awhile. I hate missing people, and I'm doing a lot of that right now.

I love you Hannah Banana, be safe.

Kenya Dress.

Hannah came out with a new design today, and it's by far my favorite. This dress is so gorgeous, I can't wait to wear mine (I got the gray one). This is her first design that comes in multiple sizes (pictured is a size Medium), but there are only a limited number of each. Hannah is leaving for Africa on the 22nd, and she continues to need all the support she can get. With a $1200 Malaria medicine bill and the shipping cost for the sewing machines needed for Amani Liberia, the price tag on Hannah's missionary work keeps getting bigger- so any and all support is greatly appreciated. Please spread the word, do a little shopping, and say a prayer for Hannah as she moves across the world (I haven't even began really thinking about it, I can't even look at that day in my planner with out getting tears in my eyes- it's going to be rough).




Happy shopping!

It's Open!

I am so excited to announce that Hannah's shop is OPEN & dresses are flying off the shelves already. Hannah did an amazing job with her 'Liberia Dress', which is an exclusive design made for this shop. In addition she has a bunch of beautiful designs from previous collections, so there is definitely something for everyone. And don't forget, all proceeds from the shop go directly to her missionary work with Amani Ya Juu.




Make sure you check out everything she has for sale, and stay tuned for possible shop updates in the upcoming weeks. Hannah is getting ready to pack her bags, as she is moving back to Africa in the next couple of weeks- so please help her raise the funding she needs by shopping your heart out, and spreading the word. {You may also make a donation to Hannah & her missionary work through the shop}

I would love help getting the word out there, so if you would like to post this button on your blog- please do! Also, if you could tweet/blog/screamatthetopofyourlungs about her shop opening, that would be fantastic.



<a href="http://hannahlenore.goodsie.com"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5348129634_e9c263557a_m.jpg" /></a>

PS Thank you Liz for making the banner & button!

Nerd Alert.

Oh boy, here's a great time to start making fun of me. I am such a nerd for posting this, but it's my blog & I can do what I want, right? Jordan was giving me the hardest time for this one. Hannah was over last night, and we decided we would do a really good job at casting for the Hunger Games. So we told Jordan that he & Kevin needed to make dinner while we got to work. Yes, Hollywood called us & asked us to take over the casting so the movie could begin production next month. So after much debate, here is our list for the main characters (and NO, we did not include anyone from Twilight thankyouverymuch):

Katniss- Emily Browning {Have you seen Lemony Snicket? This girl is beautiful & she can act}


Gale- Ben Barnes {Oh hello, Price Caspian}


Peeta- Hunter Parrish {Not the hottest actor, but he's adorable in Weeds & Peeta needs to be "adorable"}


Finnick- Garrett Hedlund {The only problem with casting Garrett as Finnick is that they will need to make Finnick's role bigger so we can see more of him}


Primrose- Elle Fanning


Rue- Jadagrace {Adorable little girl, looks like Rue, plus she can sing & remember Rue sang to the birds)


Haymitch- Hugh Laurie {He's the best drunk on TV, and he's my favorite}


President Snow- Peter Gallagher {He's got the creepy factor, Hollywood just needs to age him a bit}


Cinna- James Mardsen


Madge- Taylor Swift {HAHA, well this was OUR casting call so we could pick whoever we wanted, regardless of acting ability. We love Taylor & it's a small role, so hush up}



Okay, so who else is excited about this movie? I just wish they would get started already, sheesh.

Almost Here.

My sister has been working her butt off, getting ready to open her online shop. She is currently hidden away in her sewing room, creating a bunch of new (and ridiculously adorable) dresses exclusively for her shop. She has about 20 pieces from previous collections that will be available online as well as these new dresses, so there is definitely something for everyone (unless of course you are either male, or just don't like wearing amazing clothes). I have been working to get the shop up and running, and everything is in place- all we are waiting for is to fill it up with goodness. She is hoping to have all finished in the next couple of weeks, so I promise to keep you updated. This is a great way for you to support Hannah in her missionary work, as all proceeds will be going towards her move to Africa. Stay tuned for more details, and in the meantime you can look at Hannah's beautiful designs and learn more about her mission on her blog.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the fabrics she's using:



I've already picked out the dress I want, but I promise there are plenty to go around.

Amani Liberia

I have a news update on my sister's missionary work in Africa & I'm so excited to finally be able to share what she has planned for the new year. Hannah will be moving back to Africa in January where she will be helping open up the newest Amani location in Liberia. If you know anything about the recent history of Liberia, you will understand what an amazing accomplishment this is for the country and women of Amani. {If you want to learn more about this countries history, you should really watch Pray The Devil Back To Hell- it's amazing.}



Anyway, you should definitely check out my sister's post about Amani Liberia and the Amani newsletter. I'm so excited for her, and can't wait to see where this journey takes her. Also, since she is moving so soon- she really needs your support. If you want to help her in her cause, or know someone that does, please share her story with them. Also, I will be helping her open an online clothing store very soon- so stay tuned for more information {her designs are amazing}.

Grandkids Are The Spice Of Life.

Yes, we went to a 'cheezy sweater party' this past weekend. It was pretty darn hilarious. I'm sad to say, however, that most of the pictures I took didn't turn out at all. I will try to get a picture of what Jordan wore though. Let just put it this way, he had rhinestones, glitter, pink, velvet, and a shirt that was about 10 times too small- it was ridiculous.





Santa will be here in three days, how excited are you?

Where The Watermelons Grow.

This weekend my sister's boyfriend, Kevin, asked if I would play photographer and take pictures of him for a Christmas present. His mom has been bugging him for pictures for years, so he finally caved. We took about a million pictures, here are a couple of my favorites (I used the 70s action for these, which I didn't for the ones he is giving his mom- I'm just hooked on it):













{And it wouldn't be a good blog post without at least one picture of me being a nerd}



Okay, okay, I have a confession to make, my sister took the first picture... I am just pretending I took that one. Aren't the birds so pretty?