April is my favorate month of the year. It doesn’t have my birthday in it, nor does it rain gold. But, the last remnants of seasonal depression drop off  like a cartoon anvill from a ten story building. There is celebrating all throughout the month at my house for one mile-stone after another, the anticipation of summer rises to a feaver pitch with the kids, all the while in an environment turning greener and greener before my very eyes.

APRIL GETS ME GIDDY!

This year is particularly cool as all get out. Five years ago, I got to marry my favorate human being. I was baptized with Michael’s children on Easter Sunday, a wedding of sorts in it’s own right. Matthew became the other man of the house. We made the momentous decision to make Shannon Oaks Church, our church. And, we discovered the awesomeness that is Hot Springs, Arkansas. Yes, I said Arkansas.

This last five years feel so incredibly unreal! Linear, circular, still, fast all simultaneous. It still shocks me that I get to spend it the way I do. I’m in stupid love with my life and the people in it! Totally digressing.. Moving on.

Hot Springs is where we started our marriage. It was pretty freakin beast spending the five-year mark there too. Yes, I said beast. Focus people. Didn’t take long for Hot Springs to become one of our favorate places to go. We get drunk from the art culture, the fun tourist vibe, the history. I could go on for days about the Arlington Hotel, it’s bath-house, creepy halls. The lakes, the food, and always making new friends. Hot Springs is like one big smoking section! (Smokers know what I’m talking about.) You don’t have a bad day in Hot Springs. Michael made a call the day before our day, packed a bag, and drove us up.

All this gushing about Hot Springs brings me to the gushing point of my husband. To say he rocks my world would be an understatement. And, probably embarress my kids. As the many blog posts, speaches, commentaries, Face Book statuses, and Twitter posts have suggested on many a day, not only is Michael my favorate person, he is an answered prayer that, not only led me to believe that God exists, but that He really likes me too. Who’s counting the comma’s so far?

So, not only have I celebrated Spring, the five year mark of my marrage, plus the joys of continued success in a blended family, I got to hit up KAIROS this year! Heck YES! There ain’t nothin’ like a spiritual cleansing after a long, dark winter. KAIROS is a cleansing, my friends, from head to toe! With elements of an awakening. Two days of spiritual chiropractic. Plus, a rare opportunity to see my hero, Bob Hamp in 3-D. He gets to be my hero, cause he presents God in a way that I GET God. Every time I see that guy it reaffirms the idea to send him a cape for Christmas. KAIROS is hugs, intense prayer, kick-ass worship, tears, and fantastic “a-ha” moments that knock a girl to her knees. This girl is going back, and she’ll be taking freinds!

Due to the celebration and resurgeance, there is a lot of reflection going on. A lot of purging old, heavy junk. Making room for inspiration. Inspiration! My head is swirling with it and the possibilities and opportunities inspiration affords. AMEN!

Are you here yet? Does Spring knock you out of a Winter shell? Are you positioning yourself for the next season? Have you given a second to gratitude?

I love you! Enjoy what is left of Spring. There is no hurry in Joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS. I lied.. No pics. I’ll just make the words pretty.

I especially wanted the tiny suede handbag, but by the time I had finished my lemonade it was gone. Pop-up shops are an interesting new phenomenon, where temporary shops filled with goodies pop-up sporadically at different locations.

I can’t wait for the next one. Well done Angie-pants.

The Odd Cafe, is a little cafe in Greenside, that has embraced the odd side of life with great success. Here you’ll find odd decor (tables covered with cartoons amongst others), a red british looking telephone booth and food that is tasty yet strange – Avocado Milkshake, amongst others.

Many of the fittings and furnishings in this delightful cafe has been recycled. The bright mix of decor items excite the senses. Another visual stimulating  thing that Odd Cafe has on offer, is the art exhibitions held at the backside of the cafe. Which is definately a must see.

I would recommend the Rose and Apple smoothie, it is taste-a-liscious. Come on, be odd. Odd is the new black.

You drop off your pre-loved clothes at your nearest participating Vida e Caffe and the designers will chose the items, they would like to work with, with the completed garments photographed and shown on Visi’s website.

It is a combined effort between decor magazine, Visi, the website 10 and 5 , and vida e caffe, the hipster’s coffee paradise, Capsule Projects,Jameson Irish Whiskey and M1 Management .

How exiting! So I got four items out of my charity bag and headed over to Vida e Caffe in Greenside.  I am holding thumbs that my garments will be chosen. 

The ethos of the project is to , “use the national voice of the combined partners to encourage you to reduce the impact of the clothes that you loved to wear. In this way, you can help create a sustainable fashion-forward environment.”

It all sounds good to me. Yeah baby, rock that item of clothing again and again and again.