::: prank wars :::

you might have noticed on my twitter, or on gchat, the talk of Woods and Abby's Prank War.

It all started last night, and I promise to update the blog with all the pranks that go on, back and forth. 

Last night, we were pleasantly sitting at the kitchen table ("we" being Melanie, Abby, Woods and I) enjoying each other. Abby and Woods started bickering and before you know it, Woods has splashed a cup of water all over Abby's head and covered her wet hair with salt. Melanie and I both can't remember the last time we laughed so hard. For the rest of the night their voices were loud and fierce, name calling and shouting threats of what is to come. 

I can't wait for the next blog update!

::: falling whistles :::

many of you may know about falling whistles and the event that was held in Dallas this weekend to raise awareness. i did attend and was impacted by what i heard. i didn't want the information to stop with me. click on the falling whistles link above and read "the story".

the republic of congo has been in the news for quite some time. telling of its war, the rebels, depravity and death. this benefit brings hope and good to a place that is full of evil. i believe in what they are doing. if you do too, spread the word!!

heartbreaking.

dear readers

IT IS WITH VERY HEAVY HEARTS THAT WE SAY FAREWELL. OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS, IN 28 ISSUES, WE HAVE DONE OUR BEST TO CREATE A GREAT MAGAZINE. WE STARTED WITH A REAL IDEA—THAT STYLE IS FOR EVERYONE—AND TRIED TO CARRY IT OUT WITH STORIES THAT PROVIDE INSPIRATION AND EMPOWER YOU TO ACT ON IT. FROM YOUR TREMENDOUS RESPONSE, WE KNOW THAT WE WERE ONTO SOMETHING. IN THIS TOUGH ECONOMY, HOWEVER, WE SIMPLY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THE ADVERTISING SUPPORT WE NEEDED.

AS DOMINO EVOLVED, WE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF OUR ORIGINAL DEMOCRATIC PREMISE. LOOKING BACK AT THE MANIFESTO WE PUBLISHED IN THE PREMIERE ISSUE, THE FIRST TENET OF DOMINO IS STILL THE TRUEST: HOME SHOULD MAKE YOU HAPPY. WE HOPE WE HAVE PLAYED A PART IN MAKING THIS COME TRUE FOR YOU.

LOVE,
ALL THE EDITORS OF DOMINO

its official

i've changed my name to Jennifer Lindsay Schardt!

my social security, my driver's license, american airlines, southwest airlines, nordstrom mod card, credit card, bank account, office and personal email, healthcare card, magazines. The only thing I still need to change is my Passport! 

oldie but a goodie...

2001. Pat Green concert...

We got there like 2 hours early and were a little on the bored side. So we made videos. Please don't judge my hair. It was 8 years ago...

I Shall know Why

By Emily Dickinson

I shall know why-when Time is over--
And I have ceased to wonder why--
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky--

He will tell me what "Peter" promised--
And I--for wonder at his woe--
I shall forget the drop of Anguish
That scalds me now--that scalds me now!

"You speak always like someone who has suffered," says Arctura, one of
MacDonald's characters. "Who has not that lives at all," is the
response.[1]

Indeed, life is suffering: Contradiction, misfortune, disappointment and
heartbreak surrounded us. Why must we enter the Kingdom of God through many
tribulations?

I used to know the answers to that question, but life--now that I'm much
closer to its end than to its beginning--has knocked most of them right out
of my head. God chided Job and his friends,[2] as Jesus chided his
disciples,[3] when they drew unwarranted conclusions from suffering. In the
face of affliction, I'm learning now to be more or less silent. When my
friends tell me their lives are difficult, I answer "Of course." When they
ask me why they're suffering, I shrug and tell them, "I don't know."

Why life should be this way, I cannot say, but I do know this: It will not
always be this way; there will be an end. Eternal glory lies ahead, as
Peter promised, "after we have suffered for a little while."[4] There, in
that "fair schoolroom," our Lord will explain "each separate anguish," but
I doubt, then, that we will care. In the awesome flood of his wisdom and
love, and in the beauty[5] that will be ours for all eternity, we shall
forget our present, light, momentary affliction[6]--"the drop of Anguish
that scalds me now--that scalds me now!"

It's a matter of perspective.

DHR

[1] From George MacDonald's Donal Grant
[2] God's "answer" to Job's questions was "Hush, child. You wouldn't
understand if I told you" (Peter Kreeft).
[3] John 9:2ff.
[4] "The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after you have suffered a while, will perfect, establish,
strengthen, and settle you"(1 Peter 5:10).
[5] I have become convinced that the New Testament word, "glory," which
refers to the epiphany (shining out or manifestation) of eternal truth and
goodness, is the equivalent of our word "beauty."
[6] "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the
things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are
eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17).

6159 oram

when scott goes back to school on Sundays at 2...i like to go shopping with gift cards and find new things for our home. i keep hanging things and arranging things in hopes that he will like what i've done, when he returns on Thursday (or Wednesday if I'm lucky). here are some of the things we bought this weekend for our home!

the cayman's make big hot dogs...

One night, after Scott and I had already had dinner, took our evening stroll on the beach, and returned to our room, Scott decided he was hungry again. no big surprise here....

 

So Scott ordered a hot dog from the Ritz Carlton "late night" room service menu. There were many disturbing things about this hotdog, not to mention we weren't sure it was cooked all the way through (how could it have been, the dog was 7" in diameter?!). As you can see, it was almost twice the length of Scott's face. The hot dog left both of us wondering...who eats hot dogs that big anyways??

h o n e y m o o n

Scott and I, the two of us traveling as Mr. and Mrs. Schardt, went to the Grand Cayman for our honeymoon! It was so wonderful and relaxing and care free. I had been looking forward to getting away since about May and the vacation was even better than I could have imagined. We slept in everyday, read, went to the beach, snorkeled, rode horses on the beach, swam with sting rays, kayaked, and ate great food. It was wonderful, I wish we were still there!

italy in 2004

summer of 2004 i studied abroad in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy.

 

to my greatest delight, i found out morgan the one and only stallings was studying at the same exact school for the month!

 

here are just a few pictures morgan found today and emailed me. i find them very blog worthy. please note the nose ring. gosh i miss it....also please notice the hot italian friends we made...haha, they wanted to take us to get ice cream, but we remembered what our mommies taught us about strangers, and said "no thank you".