ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

hi, my name is aly. and i'm an addict. there i said it. that makes me feel better. and i'm dead serious, though some of you may giggle, roll your eyes, scoff, or even feel relieved when i tell you that: i'm addicted to sugar. those of you who will scoff and roll your eyes are either addicted yourself [but you're not ready to face it yet], or think that i'm making a big deal out of nothing. alcoholism, eating disorders, pornography... those are real vices. come on Aly, stop trying to make yourself out to be someone who struggles with some huge secret sin when you don't. i get it, i understand what you're saying, and i would agree with you except that you're not inside my head. you have no idea the grip this has on me. the ones who feel relieved, it's because you think, oh good at least it's not anything serious. and i understand what you're saying too. and i think because a sugar addiction and really food addiction of any kind doesn...

if you're new to this series, start here:  part 1   |   part 2   |   part 3   |   part 4  |   part 5 so, by now you know that he told me he loved me twice within a few months' span and i didn't say it back either time. well, a few weeks after the "second time" occurred, we were sitting in my room and he was making me laugh as always. [remember, he was funny?] in the midst of laughter, i just blurted it out: haahaha,  i love you , haha... wait. and we both paused. and panicked. i didn't even intend to say it, it just came out of my mouth and now i can't take it back!?! and i'll never forget the look of disbelief, coupled with relief, in his eyes. i can see it right now in my mind and it still makes me melt. like i had just made his entire year. his entire life. by loving him back. i'm pretty sure it was very quickly after that i knew i was going to marry him. crazy, right? fifteen years ...

i think i've missed the last two instafridays, so i've got three whole weeks here for you! all these faces are too sweet. easter basket and easter egg hunt. she kept asking about the easter bunny though. i told her he had lots of eggs to hide, so he couldn't stop and say hi. she wondered why he leaves eggs and not carrots.  good question! i've been eating a LOT healthier [more on that next week] and juicing everyday. i do feel better and have a lot more energy... the weight, however, is not falling off like i thought it might.  oh well, that wasn't the real point of me doing it anyway. my girls on Easter. what a relaxing day! this is a recipe i tried the other day for a bar-type breakfast thing. i like them, but both my husband and daughter spit it out! so, if you dare, here's the recipe .  [i omitted the brown sugar and used applesauce. i also added some flaxseed meal to it.] love my new necklace from the h...

today i had one of those crazy shifts in perspective. do you know what i'm talking about? all of a sudden i'm standing there cutting up the pork shoulder to stick in the crock pot and it hits me: i am so blessed to be doing this. all of this. this morning i woke up like any other. you know, an eleven week old baby, crying and hungry. we went downstairs and i made some fresh juice for Reese and myself.  we had orange-pineapple-apple. seriously delicious and refreshing and perfect.  it struck me how much joy i actually get from taking a few pieces of fruit and juicing them up into something yummy and nutritious. something that Reese begs me for every day.  i get joy from that.  i think it's two-fold: that i even have access to nutritious food for my family,  and also that i don't mind doing the work of cutting and peeling and juicing for what would seem like little return. for me, it's a huge return-- nutrition.  and i finally r...

i have to tell you something really fun. you know how i'm starting to really get the shop going again? as in, designing lots of new prints and really trying to promote the shop? and you may remember that i have my designs on zazzle.com right here? well the other night i posted this print on instagram because i love it and it shows off the new color-combination which i think is totally soft and feminine and romantic and lovely. don't you? and two sweet friends saw it on instagram and asked if i had it available as an iPhone case . the fun part? i was able to resize it and upload it into the store as an iPhone case within a few hours. and they were able to buy it! no more generic iPhone cases, my friends. maybe you're not in love with this particular design, but if you see any design in the shop that you like, please email me,  and let me know which one it is, and what product you'd like it on. if you want an iPhone case, an iPad case , a magnet , a m...

if you're new to this series, start here:  part 1   |   part 2   |   part 3   |   part 4 so i don't know about your high school, but we went to a small christian school that's affiliated with a baptist church.  which meant no dancing [secretly a relief for me, right? because if you've been reading, you know i dislike dancing because i'm terrible at it.] you could dance, but the school could not sponsor or put on an event that included dancing. so that meant there was no prom or homecoming dance or sweethearts . so what do the baptist high school students do? we have "banquets". we dress up pretty and take pictures and ride in limos and go eat. for real. that's it. all of you who went to CHS is nodding your heads and giggling a little. luckily [for everyone else who enjoyed it] someone always had an after party  where the dancing happened. but needless-to-say, for girls who didn't have prom,...

if you're new to this series, start with:  [part 1]   and   [ part 2 ]   and   [ part 3 ] his birthday was october 29, not too long after we became "official". another chance to see the whole family. but it was getting easier each time, and besides,  they were some of the nicest people you could ever meet and none of them were shy. i got him a quicksilver t-shirt for his gift. lame. that was the hardest part about it. what do you get someone you've only known for 2 months but he's your boyfriend and you should be able to think of a really awesome gift? that same weekend there was a halloween party. yeah, remember how i said i was socially awkward and hated parties? especially dance parties? it was a dance party. my saving grace? he had broken his shoulder a few weeks earlier and had three pins sticking out and couldn't do much. we went to the party but we didn't have to dance. yay! however. i had no ide...

2000 years ago today... the world was forever changed death was defeated. the grave was conquered. Jesus Christ rose triumphantly to life just as He said He would. Hope is the victor. Life is ours to receive.  abundant, full. Peace is ours to experience.  liberally, daily. Grace has been poured out.  freely, without limit. Joy comes in the morning. i hope so much that you've believed, trusted, received. He did it all for you. i feel lighter this morning. like a burden has been lifted all over again. do you?  Hope has risen from the grave: alive, victorious and seated at the right hand of Almighty God, actively and constantly interceding  on our behalf.   oh, how he loves us. See, what a morning, gloriously bright,  With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem; Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,  As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"  See God's salvation plan,  ...