DELILAH DIOR DOMINICA

  I am the first to admit that I am easily amazed. I use so many adjectives and descriptive words that my husband has practically banned me from 'amazing' and 'unbelievable.' It may sound dramatic, but to me the polka dot socks really were unbelievable! And the drapes inside the lobby of the W hotel? Amazing! Despite my exuberant nature, I can always recognize when something is really worthy of the descriptive words I crave. Yesterday in church was one of those moments. When the music grew quiet and we were praising the Lord as a congregation I was overtaken with gratitude. Here we were, listening to this great guitar and beautiful piano. The drums were on point and the background music as lovely as ever. But when the music stopped-the praise kept going. I kept my eyes closed and perked my ears up for all the different ways we can worship. Instruments are fantastic, but even if my six month stint with the recorder in grade school was the last time I ever touched ...

The Holidays are my absolute favorite time of year. That first chill in the air sends me digging through storage for cozier scarves, richer scented candles and twinkle lights. While it is the happiest time of the year, it can also be the most draining. Long days of traveling, facing the crowds at shopping centers and spending hours upon hours in the kitchen usually have me craving nothing but pajamas and bubble baths come January. If you feel the same way, this gift guide is for you! Now you can cheerfully accept even the most daunting of December tasks knowing that some of these goodies are waiting for you. soap. nail polish. candle. chocolate. argan oil. pajamas. books. lip balm. socks. mug.

Growing up, I was aware I was different. I was aware I was different because my mom was white and my dad was black. Then I was aware I was different because my mom was white, my dad was black, and I was consistently a foot taller than everyone in my grade. Then I was aware that i was different because my mom was white, my dad was black, I was consistently a foot taller than everyone in my grade, and I had glasses. In second grade, I specifically remember sitting in the front of Ms. Engel's classroom, staring at the black board and thinking, "how are we supposed to read anything? It's all fuzzy!" When I squinted my little eyes, the blurry blotches of chalk became words. And I was overjoyed. This could only mean one thing: I finally needed glasses. Yes, I had already been looking forward to this moment for my entire eight years on Earth. My mom had glasses and they were glitzy and sparkly and she looked so smart in them., so I practically played blind at the eye-doc...

Something about crisp gray rainy days makes this mind of mine really sharp. Visions are clearer and ideas are louder…it's pretty stinkin' awesome. So on this particularly crisp gray rainy day, I have a thought that must be shared. On my way home from work, a strong and kind of scary word kept popping in my head. There was no elaboration or explanation for a while- it was just a word: unintentional. I rolled the word over in my mind and then said it out loud, confronting it and acknowledging it until it hit me. In this generation we are so intentional about feeding each and every desire. We are intentional about watching our favorite shows every Tuesday or Thursday (or every day). We are intentional about making sure we are up on our blogs and websites, scrolling endlessly to keep up with people we only know through computer screens. We are intentional about posting photos, commenting on photos and setting up photos.  And with all this intentionality, somehow we become undeniab...

What was supposed to be a sunny, Indian-summer-esque weekend has turned to rain, rain, and more rain. Something about a rainy forecast makes me swoon. I actually am most inspired when rain is hitting the windows and just love the excuse to wear my rain boots every day. I am currently wearing Lululemon leggings, light layers and a puffer vest because today's agenda included a dentist appointment and a trip to Target, (fancy, I know...) but I think dressing for rain is no excuse not to be stylish. My favorite rainy day staples are: lightweight layers to avoid bulk under a raincoat, a chic umbrella, cozy knee socks to keep toes warm despite the rain boots and a casual dress or skirt- because what's worse than soggy, wet pants? I also recommend Sleepless in Seattle and sketchbook time but hey, that's just me. sweater. skirt. trench coat. umbrella. rain boots. knee socks.

Burberry London Mid-length cotton-gabardine trench coat (see more double breasted trench coats )

I absolutely adore my wedding ring. My husband designed it himself and every time I see it, I feel special and giddy and loved. When my husband proposed three and a half years ago, I remember treating my ring like it was the Holy Grail. I was so careful to take it off for everything- washing my hands, stirring soup, styling my hair…I was committed to keeping it sparking and bright. As time went on I became more relaxed and noticed myself slathering on lotion, cooking dinner and even working out with my ring on. I observed that when my ring is clean, people are drawn to it. It's like a light and people compliment me to the point that I often find myself thanking the Lord that a piece of jewelry could bring so much joy. Over time, it still looked nice and pretty, but it didn't look anything like when I first slid that beauty onto my finger and truly protected it. This really got me thinking the other day, There is something so irresistible about us as believers and as women wh...

One of my favorite things about living on the East Coast is knowing I'm just a train ride away from New York. My best friend lives in NYC so once I coordinate with her, all my husband and I have to do is book the train tickets and pack up a suitcase and before we know it, we're in the Big Apple. Today, I'm sharing our typical to-do list for a weekend in the city. 1. Have brunch at Park Avenue . A good friend of mine took me here last summer and I have returned three times since! Everything on the menu is delicious, but my favorite part about the restaurant is its uniqueness. The decor and menu changes every season. That's right- everything in the restaurant from flowers to lighting changes four times a year. Park Avenue Summer literally feels like dining inside summertime and the chicken and waffle sandwich is heavenly.  2. Set aside a day for Brooklyn. We usually stay in the Upper East Side (this time we spent the weekend at the beautiful ...

Now that fall is officially here, I can whip out some items on my dream wishlist! To me, there is nothing more fun than trying out a moodier look for fall. My favorite ways to embrace the vamp trend is by coating my usually natural nails in navy or oxblood polish, trying a deep burgundy lip and becoming instantly more mysterious in an oversized hat. hat . jacket . booties . dress . bracelet . purse . lipstick . nail polish .

I find myself studying peace often, mainly because it is something we are called to live in and it's more of a challenge for me than other things. As you know by now, one of my biggest temptations is fear.  Fear is the big guy that stomps on and destroys any existing ounce of peace, which is exactly why I have to seek God for peace. On. the. regular. I find that most times, I lose peace because I choose to do something that wasn't God's will for me in the first place. After the fact, I'll be sitting there lost like, "why did I even go there?" "why did I watch that movie?" "why did I read that article?" Almost always, I ignored the small feeling in my Spirit telling me not to do it,  writing it off as a voice from me and overlooking the fact that it was a voice from God. When we become believers, we become home for the Holy Spirit. I think one of the enemies tricks is making us believe that when God is speaking to us, it's really just ...

This morning I woke up so cluttered. Frazzled. We are in our first week post one-month-trip and the desire to do nothing but relax has worn off. My desk is cluttered, our suitcases are spilling out at the foot of the bed, waiting to be unpacked, our pantry that was my pride and joy upon embarking on this vacation is now a mess, and when I woke up I decided that all of these things had to be addressed. Immediately. And preferably all at the exact same time. Needless to say, I lost all inner peace, and it must have shows on my face because as I stared into the pantry (saying evil things about it in my mind including it's poor ability to stay organized) my husband said, "don't lose your peace, love." He's a mind reader, that one. In my quiet time I realized that I become so stressed and anxious when I look at my to-do list, but the solution is to look at the Lord's to-do list and not my own. In Philippians 4:6 He says "Do not be anxious for anything, but i...

I think it's time I tell you guys- I'm in the process of building a new website and blog. A place where all my inspiration and passion can be found in one place, and also where my illustrations can be shared and purchased. I am so excited about all that this teeny little outlet has become and I'm giddy at the thought of its next steps. I came across this quote posted by a friend of mine this morning and it literally (note to self: work on proper use of the word "literally") shot straight to my spirit and soothed it like honey soothes a sore throat and The Pointer Sisters soothe a bad day. This blogger world is a big place. My daily reads are brilliant, witty, inspiring, beautiful, and so ahead of the game that picturing myself and my lil' ol' blog growing makes me want to run and hide in the corner. Even though I'm stepping out of my comfort zone, I know that we have been called to be a light in whatever way we shine brightest. Artwork, fashion, an...

 I have a sensitive stomach, sensitive skin, and a sensitive spirit; I am a sensitive person. With that being said, I have a bit of a tendency to get sappy quickly so here I go: My heart is never more full than when my entire family is together. As the third oldest of seven children and the second of five girls, our family dynamic is one that has been intentionally and strategically built. We are the product of very few television privileges, even fewer sleepovers outside the house and two big cross country moves- we have always had no choice but to choose each other. Summers used to represent game nights, so much time playing outside that I'm surprised we still enjoy grass and trees and such, and annual family vacations to the Lake House, Wisconsin, Texas and Disney World. But more often than not we would find ourselves on a long flight to Hawaii, unaware of the rare luxury this tropical paradise was and just how few people get to spend time there. We had our favorite restaurant, ...

My mother is a superhero. A real life Wonder Woman. She was a stay at home mom for all of our lives, but somehow when my friends and teachers asked me what my Mom did, it never satisfied me to say that a woman raising seven kids to love each other and love the Lord was just a "stay at home Mom". She is one of God's most astounding creations, but I didn't always see her that way. My Mom and I have two polar opposite personalities. I am emotional, impulsive, passionate, creative and forgetful. She is realistic, a planner, determined, logical and more organized than you could imagine. These character traits led to a little mini tornado in our house-hold often. Yes, she drove us everywhere, cooked us dinner every night, hosted our birthday parties, kept the house stocked with food and toys, planned our vacations, loved our friends, and loved us. She divided her time evenly amongst the seven of us, attending every game, play, classroom presentation and field tr...

--> I had a very different college experience than I imagined I would. The daughter of two college sweethearts and Baylor alums, I spent much time on the Baylor campus frolicking around the football stadium and pressing my face against the glass of the Bear cage. When my older sister confirmed she would be a Baylor Bear come Fall, I realized that in four years, I would follow in her footsteps and put on the green and gold as well. When my older brother committed to play football for Baylor, it only solidified my fate. I had always been more interested in Art than anything else, and I was nervous that maybe this wasn't exactly Baylor's specialty, but I never paid much attention to the knot this tied my brain into- I was to be the next Singletary graduate, and I would surely continue the trend.  I spent the last two years of high school making terrible decisions, spending all my time and energy on a doomed relationship rather than my studies. All the free sp...

  (March 2013)   My husband and I spend the month of March in Windsor, Canada in what we call our “lake house.” As we packed up the car and pulled up the navigation for our long road trip up north, my husband reminded me that when we returned home, there would be flowers blooming and sun shining everywhere we looked. It was hard to believe while watching snowflakes form crystal patterns on the windshield, but we all know that after Winter (no matter how long it lasts) comes Spring. Well, March came and went. Our drive back to Virginia was easy and sunny, just as my husband had said. We enjoyed our first day back in our home and spent the night enjoying a full DVR.             The next morning when I was getting dressed for the gym I realized something wasn’t as it should be. There was no sun pouring in from behind the curtains, no sound of lawn mowers and kids playing, wasn’t this Spr...