bring on the rain

There’s something about rain that acts as a cleansing. It is biblical, after all. In the spring/summer, the smell after a good rain is especially clean and fresh. I honestly don’t mind a good rainy day. It’s soothing and peaceful.

The past couple weeks have been good for my soul. Returning to rainy Columbus after our refreshing Hawaii trip hasn’t been so bad. I’m looking forward to new challenges, new seasons, and I am thankful for the cleanse. I can’t wait to share more in the coming weeks about our trip to Maui. It was absolutely necessary and so good to get away with my bestest friend aka my Champ.

Cheers to the weekend, friends! I hope you take some time to relax and let the rain do some cleansing. Plus, after the rain comes a rainbow. A symbol of God’s promises. And He is always always faithful to His promises.

spring pastels

What better way to go full fledge spring than millennial pink + melodramatic purple?

I bought this coat last year for this NYC trip, and I talked in this post about why it was the perfect choice for spring. Here in the Midwest we don’t experience the season much to speak to, and it basically equates to an extension of winter, which makes it hard to dive into the pretty warm weather apparel. Thankfully, we’ve experienced some decent days this week here in Columbus! Playing with pastels and lighter shades is the perfect way to forego frostbite, but soften into those spring vibes, especially when it comes to a coat.

Also, hi. The last couple months have been a bit of a whirlwind, but here I am. Thank you for following along on my little corner of the internet!

check mate, winter

I’m honestly totally fine with winter through January, and even February. I like snow, I like living in a place that has 3 and a half seasons, although I wish it was a full four. That spring thing is a little opportunistic, Midwest, if we could work on that. But, honestly, I like winter, when there is snow. Fresh blankets of snow regularly, preferably. Come March though, I’m marching on. To warmer weather hopefully. Actually last night Cassidy and I were talking about a trip to Chicago… so that should be balmy.

Anthropologie launched this coat in the fall and it sold out so quickly. Thankfully, it came back in stock, but then went to backorder just as quickly. I purchased it anyway because I was ob-sessed. All that to say, it finally arrived, and it’s all I wanna wear, and now the temperature has dropped 30 degrees (to below freezing) and I have to bundle up like it’s the North Pole. [insert eye roll] Also, with the camo pants… I’m a little extra, but I’m ok with it. I am extra, let’s be honest.

on wednesdays in january... or thursdays

On Wednesdays in January we wear pink + play in the snow.

But today is Thursday because I didn’t finish this post before I turned into a pumpkin at midnight and we really took these photos on Sunday. Whatcha gonna do?

I already shared how much Cassidy and I enjoyed being snowed in here, but this week has also been filled with some exciting things, and what better way to celebrate than throwing snow like confetti, amiright?! Columbus, you have not disappointed so far!

One exciting thing for us is we have decided on a church home, and we are looking forward to getting involved and learning opportunities to serve and invest in the community we’re in. Rock City Church is a part of the ARC (Associate of Related Churches), which is what itown is a part of as well. It’s non-denominational, but the ARC is overseen by Church of the Highlands in Alabama, and they’re passionate about helping pastors plant churches in the communities where they’re called. If you know us, you know how much of an impact itown Church had, and continues to have, on our lives, so when we were deciding whether or not to move to Columbus, researching ARC churches in the area played a part in our decision. We found this video of Pastor Chad Fisher at Rock City describing “The Church I See.” Hearing and seeing Rock City’s vision made us feel confident in knowing we could have a church home in Columbus because their mission resonated with how we also believe the church should be reaching and investing in its community.

I went through moments of doubt, wondering if I could really feel called to a church I had never been to, but I felt the Holy Spirit press into my spirit that this was God assuring me. I didn’t need to visit a physical building to be confident in where we were called to be, God had already given me the answers I needed. Being humans, as we were preparing to move, we felt strongly Rock City could be home, but we also did want to actually go to a few services before committing outwardly. So, we attended three weekend services, a Christmas Eve service in the middle, and as of this Sunday we can say with bold assurance that this is where we’re supposed to be.

This weekend Rock City will be opening a new building, which we weren’t here to dream for, but there’s a supernatural adoption for us because we did play a part in working toward itown’s new space, opening this spring, plus it’s just cool as part of the body to see the Kingdom furthered and prayers fulfilled. I still hope we get to go back to Indy for that first weekend, but tonight we got to pray over and consecrate the new building with worship for the Rock City Hilliard Campus, and honestly it was so incredible to celebrate with our new church family, as a body of believers, passionate about reaching the lost, where we literally know no one and no one knows us. What a powerful move of the Spirit is happening here in Columbus. I’m continually reminded how God is the same God, regardless of where we are. It’s funny how God moves and works in mysterious ways on our behalf. How He’s always preparing for you and you don’t even know it. How he has a plan and a purpose and a vision for you that is way bigger than you could dream for yourself. I may be going off on a tangent of some other exciting news (I’m not pregnant), but we’ll save that for another day!

Columbus, the Emerys are here for it! And Jesus, we thank you for your clear purpose for us in this new place.

a touch of details

Did this snow day completely ruin anyone else’s weekend plans?! We were supposed to go to Indy for the day on Saturday, and I was really looking forward to seeing some friends, but I’ll be honest, I feel like the snow day in was exactly what we needed.

Cassidy and I were able to make some progress on unpacking and organizing the apartment, but still balance it out with enjoying some much anticipated relaxation as well. It was fun getting to see our neighborhood blanketed in snow and so many people still out and sloshing through for a bite to eat. We brought food back to our apartment, basked in the view, and watched movies. It was definitely exactly what we needed.

It’s no secret I believe details make the outfit, as I’m sure a lot of folks do. Take away the fur on the jacket, the velvet laces on the jeans, the tassel on the bag, and maybe even the print from the shoes, and you’re left with a very simple look. Finding versatile pieces is important, but building up some basics with a little something extra can take an outfit to another level. Texture is a great way to add interest yet maintain a classic feel, especially if prints are intimidating. Leopard is basically a neutral, but an easy way to introduce a print to your wardrobe. If you’re stepping out of your comfort zone, the key is it doesn’t have to be all at once. Start by adding in one element. This look has a lot of little something extras, but incorporating one new extra with your neutrals, makes a look more unique, and gradually builds a versatile wardrobe to pair back with basic staples.