Oh, How The Years Go By...

Anyone else have that Amy Grant song in their head now?
Meh- it's probably just me.

Well, today marks the THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of "Songs of the Closet"! Some of you have been following along since the very beginning, back at jamiebella.blog.com (sorry about the brunette phase). I'm so grateful that you've followed me from Northern Cal to the L.A. life, from Southern Cal to the Northland, from church to church, gig to gig, singlehood to marriage and all the exciting stuff in between! It's humbling to know that so many of you are tracking with me, even from so far away. And I love sharing my life with you! The party continues.

In honor of this occasion, I'll copy my first public post for you. Some of you wonder where the title "Songs of the Closet" came from. This explains it:

June 25th, 2005
Hi Friends and Family!

Though I have NO IDEA what I'm doing, I thought I'd give the BLOG thing a try. Any way to stay in touch with you all is worth a try, right?

Most of you know that I recently became a resident of Southern California. I've been enjoying the cool weather (yes, 85 is cool compared to the valley heat) and the plethora of things to do! I'm staying with good friend Suzanne for the time being. Since I am a big fan of paychecks, my primary goal right now is to keep them coming. Therefore, my time is consumed by JOB HUNTING! I can't wait to report back what God has made available to me, and I'm calling on all of you to PRAY! This has been a very trying time for me...I feel Satan's breath of discouragement often. BUT God is GOOD and He is Victorious. To the degree this phase in life has been challenging, it has been GROWTH like I've never experienced. Praise be to God!

Songs from the Closet...I have gone from leading worship weekly on stage to playing the keyboard set up in my closet (which I will hereafter refer to as my "music studio"). I've had some beautiful moments with Him...the most important audience I have. It's the greatest gig ever!

Please, please leave a comment if you are breezing by!

Jamie

All right...now it's your turn. Lurkers, friends, family...let me know you're out there, and maybe I'll keep this blog thing going! :)

I'm Bringing Soda Back.

It's true, a Minnesota accent makes me giggle. And I'm slowly getting acquainted with the different expressions used here. One thing is very apparent: I have left the land of "soda" for the land of "pop". And as much as I hear it ordered at counters or called for in supermarkets, I can't bring myself to say it. I'm sticking with 31 years of using the term "soda"- soda machine, soda can, soda, soda, soda.

Some clever people put together a whole website addressing this great debate. Check it out and see what people favor in your neck of the woods! www.popvssoda.com And when I woke up the other day, Chris had left this article up on the computer for me to digest.

So what say YOU, Closetsongs followers? West coasters, east coasters, and midwesterners... Register your vote here!

POP or SODA?
(Or maybe you're the generic "coke" fan...)

The Dark Knight

or, in this case, the dark DWIGHT.
Enjoy yet ANOTHER spoof on The Office!

Bad Things.

1. The Happening. Chris and I went to see this movie last night and...oh-my-gosh. I think it was possibly the worst movie ever made, and Chris agrees. The premise is laughable. Because they feel threatened, trees and grass are releasing toxins that make people kill themselves. It was the greenest scare show I've ever seen...and both Chris and I found ourselves talking to our plants when we got home to make sure they aren't pissed off at us.

2. Spiders. I know, Christopher Lytle, that you will agree with me on this one. But even worse than spiders are spider BITES, which dot my leg at the moment. I'm off to the store soon to get some cortisone cream.

3. Tyra Banks. There is no t.v. programming bad enough that I would settle on watching her for one more minute. It's narcissism on parade.

4. Gas prices. Needs no explaination.

5. Going to the hairdresser and leaving looking like a wet dog. New hairstylist...did not listen to me when I said to mix up a little more color solution because I have a LOT of hair. Consequently, she had to return to the back room TWICE to mix up more. This caused her to run late, and she left my hair damp. Do you KNOW what happens to my hair when it's left damp? BAD THINGS!!!!!!

Bad things to add? Anyone?

It's June 19th!

And that is significant for a couple reasons...

First, it is my BFF's birthday! Beth Hutton is one of the most fabulous people I know. Go tell her I said that on her blog.

Secondly, it was exactly one-and-a-half years ago that Chris Stavenger popped into my life. How crazy, huh? EVERYTHING can change in a year-and-a-half!

I suppose that's all that's REALLY significant on today's calendar. But I'm personally excited about the haircut I have later today, and the fact that Chris is off of work for the day. OH, and one of my favorite bloggers is back from vacation and entertaining me with her posts once again! Check out Liana's blog for a good chuckle!

That's all for now. Ta ta.

Wait for it....Wait for it....

Just a little humor for you on this fine Wednesday afternoon.
The punchline is worth it.
And this is probably the only time you'll ever see Dane Cook this "clean".

Enjoy!

Move Over, Rachael Ray!

Hi, folks!
Well, with so much time on my hands (the job hunt continues...), I've taken to experimenting in the kitchen! This was not possible in my "previous" life. With Bible Studies, Band rehearsals, staff meetings, work events, my dinner routine usually involved a drive-thru. But, in the interest in sharpening my homemaking skills, I've been breaking in our new pots and pans. And I'm happy to report that I've moved beyond mac 'n cheese and simple pastas! Yes, I've been digging deep into my cookbooks and recipe box. Here are some of our favorite dishes so far!

*Fajita salad with creamy cilantro-lime dressing
*Basil chicken in coconut-curry sauce
*Apricot-sauced Pork Medallions
*Potato casserole (okay...this doesn't count as tricky, but it's a fave!)
*Turkey burgers with horseradish and cheddar cheese (Thanks, Phil and Roxeanne, for turning us on to this one!)
*Bacon and creamy ranch chicken burgers
*Italian mini meat loaves with mac 'n three cheeses
*and, of course, my "famous" guacamole!

Incidentally, we DO visit the gym on a regular basis! :)

What have you been cooking up lately?

Just a Reminder...

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. THEY ARE MADE NEW EVERY MORNING."
Lamentations 3:22-23

Enjoy this brand new day.

Why My Sunglasses are Seemingly Indestructible

Hi Friends!
I've never been one to wear expensive sunglasses. I'm certainly not a label whore, and aside from that, I have bad luck with keeping them in tact. By floating around in my purse, there are parts that fall off, lenses that get scratched, and so on. I consider them to be a "disposable" luxury. This is why I buy the cheapest pair possible.

A couple years ago, I purchased a pair of black sunglasses at a little sunglasses cart in The Grove (hollywood). It was one of those "buy two for $10", or something equally as appealing. Two years later, I still have this pair of sunglasses. (Note: the above picture is not my actual glasses. To see the aforementioned pair, look at practically any picture of mine.)

A few days ago, I was cleaning my indestructible glasses when I looked at them carefully for the first time. On the inside of the glasses is the word "Fortress". And barely still legible underneath it reads "Ps 18 2". A Bible Verse?? Is this one of those cool hidden verses of the In-N-Out Burger sort? I looked it up...

"The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Savior.
My God is my rock, in whom I will find protection.
He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold."

So there you have it.
My sunglasses have supernatural protection.

Crazy Cool

Thanks, Bobby, for getting me all choked up this early in the morning. At least I don't have to put on my mascara twice!

Seriously, I love this.
God is CHANGING PEOPLE!



I'll throw mine in...
Front: Felt like God was withholding blessings.
Back: More than I could ever ask or imagine.

:)

Days Like That Derserve an Encore.

This year is off to a good start thanks to the thoughtfulness of my husband and the MANY friends who left messages via phone, MySpace, facebook and text! Thank you!! I thought I'd give you a summary of how I spent my birthday. Unfortunately, every time I hopped in the car, my hand quickly found my forehead- I forgot to bring the camera along. :( Oh well. If you're missing my face that much, there's plenty of me to see here.

The buzz of my phone at midnight (a text from Steph) signaled that my birthday had commenced! That was soon followed by my husband singing a little birthday ditty in my ear early in the morning. I needed to get up, shower and wash my hair before church. But before I could get out of bed, Chris had tossed a crudely wrapped box in my lap (although, he wraps a whole lot better than my dad). I opened it up and found

the hairdryer I had asked for! This is exciting because it promises to dry my hair in HALF the time (and, did so successfully!).

After a slightly-less-than-exciting Sunday service at Chris' old church, he took me by Caribou Coffee (my new Starbucks) for a sweet treat. We BOTH enjoyed the new Snickers cooler!


This was the first weekend with decent (and by decent, I mean BEAUTIFUL) weather that we've had, so we cranked back the sunroof, turned up the music, and took a drive to Park Point. Just over the bridge is a five mile long sandbar that has a park at the end of it. It was fun sitting in our car, drinking coffee, and people-watching :)


We went home to open a few more gifts I had received, and then spent several hours sifting through 2,200 wedding photos on Pictage. If you haven't seen them, GO LOOK! They turned out amazing (thank you, Beth!)! We put our favorites in a folder, so if you only have time for the highlights, check it out! In the midst of that fun, Chris did the laundry, mowed the lawn and stained the deck!

For dinner, Chris took me to Bellisios Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar. It was WONDERFUL...the kind of place you dine only on special occasions ($$$). We both enjoyed some pasta and a bottle of California Riesling (only the best, right?!).


We entertained ourselves with a game of Rummykub when we got home...which Chris "let me win" because "it's my birthday." Isn't he a sweetheart. (Note the sarcasm)

Now, I'm off to do all the chores that I postponed because "it was my birthday."
Toodles!

Flirty Fun!

Happy Birthday to...ME!
Last year I had a hoopla of a celebration.
This year, well, I don't need to tell you how old I am.
(Though, if you're following along, it rhymes with the title of this post.)

I woke up with a husband this year for my birthday.
That's new!
And what a great gift.

It's necessary for me to give a shout-out to my birthday buddies, Bobby Marchessault and Becky Perry! Stop by their blogs and give them a virtual birthday hug :)

I'm off to start the day's festivities!
Have a beautiful June 8th!

Happily Ever After

...and it's all documented by the artful hands of Beth and Mike Hutton!
Beth posted a few pictures from our wedding on her blog,
but if you want to see the whole shebang, please visit www.pictage.com and sign into the guestbook!

Proof that God Loves His Children

Lately it's been storming and windy, chilly and gloomy.
I've been doing a lot of moping.
And the calls from CA saying "wow. That's too bad. It's 80 and breezy here!"...they don't help so much!

I found in a drawer yesterday a loaded Starbucks card that I had forgotten about.
If I'm going to have to endure "spring" in Duluth,
I might as well enjoy a free coffee!

:)
Happiness.

By The Way...

Yesterday Chris and I played volleyball outdoors.
I could see my breath.

Come on, Minnesota.
It's spring.