I'm BAAAAAAACK!

Hello all! Sorry for the long furlough. Apparently getting married and planning a honeymoon to Europe takes a significant amount of preparation :) Now that I actually have some time to breathe, I can get back to my blogging. Over the next few weeks I'll update you on everything that happened over last six amazing months. Until then, I'll leave you with this passage that's been working on my heart this morning.
Mrs. Ellerbroek :)

John Ashcroft wrote that in order to clean up New York City, "Rudolph Giuliani started by going after the little things. 'I am a firm believer in the theory that "minor" crimes and "quality of life" offenses are all part of the larger picture,' he explains. Among the first elements to go were the 'Squeegee Men,' drug-addicted and shady-looking riffraff who personified New York's rough edge. Armed with a soiled rag and a dirty bottle of watered-down Windex, these men would bully and badger motorists for money.

"Giuliani said, 'We're not going to put up with this anymore,' and he brought this intimidation to an end. He then declared war on graffiti, subway panhandlers, loitering, broken windows, and petty vandalism - minor offenses that would have gone unnoticed in days past while the police force was overwhelmed with homicides and violent crime. But Guiliani had a hunch: If you send out a signal that you won't tolerate these minor offenses, people will get the idea that the major offenses will be treated even more seriously.... It worked. Giuliani has been successful in reducing crime beyond all expectations."

What if we began the same policy concerning the "city" of our hearts? If we declare war on the "minor" sins, surely the major sins won't be able to lodge in our cities and defile the quality of our walk with God.

Live Fearlessly - A Study in the Book of Joshua
Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose

Wedding Website

I recently put together a fun little website containing wedding details for our guests, using a WordPress blog. (As a web development sidenote, I'm loving WordPress as a content management system!) We're still adding content, but feel free to check it out at www.lauralovesphilip.com. Enjoy!

Engagement Photos

Phil and I just had the pleasure of having our engagement photos taken by Kimberly Bee of Kimberly Bee Photography. I absolutely love her work and have followed her blog for awhile now. She has such a creative eye and incredible Photoshop skills. I'm so thrilled that she will also be flying to Sioux Falls to take our wedding photos for us! So, below are a few of our photos, taken in Carefree, Arizona. They have yet to be edited with Kimberly's fancy Photoshop skills, but you get the idea. Love, love, love!

Conference IQ Website Redesign

I have completed a site refresh for Conference IQ, an online meeting product. The only challenge on this was keeping the design within a Joomla template that was already in place. Even despite that, I'm really happy with the final layout. I designed the homepage and the secondary page template, and the client took it from there and loaded their content. Check it out at www.ConferenceIQ.com.

Engaged!

I'm sure most of you have already heard, but if not, I'M ENGAGED!!! Philip proposed to me on my birthday, January 27th. He took me to the Westin, where he had kissed me for the first time over a year ago after I beat him in Shuffleboard :) When we first arrived we ordered a glass of wine and went out to the firepit. There he gave me my birthday present, a sweet book of all the reasons he loves me, complete with illustrations! He then said that my golden birthday (27 on the 27th) wouldn't be complete without a little gold :) So he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. And of course my answer was YES!!! We called our parents, and I found out my dad already knew since Phil had asked for his blessing before proposing to me. We then went in and had a wonderful dinner at Deseo, along with a fabulous bottle of wine and dessert. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday celebration. Not only the start to a new year, but a new life with Phil as well.

My ring was designed by Cornelis Hollander.

Movie Review: Bride Wars

A bunch of girlfriends and I went to see Bride Wars last night. It was good, but I'm also pretty easily entertained. For those of you hoping to see lots of wedding details, gorgeous dresses, beautiful flowers, over-the-top decorations, etc. - this is not the movie for you. The focus was primarily on the relationship between Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, lifelong friends who end up planning their dream weddings at the Plaza on the same date. It really shows the ups and downs of friendship, but the beauty of having a best girlfriend who's there for you when you need her most. There are some pretty hilarious scenes, as well as some pretty cheesy parts. I don't know if I'd pay $10 to see it in the theater, but it's definitely a renter.

Coldplay and Puppets

Just saw this Coldplay video. Awesome!!! Artistic, well done, and so different from your typical music video. And it features puppets! How can you not love puppets?! Well, other than the creepy ones...

Taglio Salon Website Launch

Last night I received final approval to launch the new Taglio Salon website. This project has been many months in the making, but owners of the salon were an absolute pleasure to work with, and I'm thrilled with the final outcome. Please take a look at the site and enjoy :) www.TaglioSalon.com

Unemployed... Sort of...

On Friday my previous employer, Moses Anshell, did their second round of layoffs, and I unfortunately was one of the people cut. To answer some of the questions I've been asked:

1. Yes, this did come as a surprise. Although, given the current state of the economy, I don't think anyone feels incredibly secure in their job.


2. Yes, I was given a severance package. One month pay and health insurance through the end of February.


3. What's next? I'm currently seeking freelance work. If you or anyone you know has a need for graphic or web design, I can be contacted at lauramiiller@gmail.com or 602.821.3222.


4. Long-term, I'm strongly considering moving back to Sioux Falls. I would love to be closer to my family, and the economy back home is in much better shape than down here in Phoenix. (And yes, Phil would come with me :)

All in all, I feel incredibly fortunate to not have a family or children that I'm financially responsible for, nor a house or mortgage to worry about. And I'm lucky to have a career that I can immediately begin making money at without having to find another job. I really feel this is a blessing in disguise and know that God has great things in store for me, whether that be moving back to South Dakota to be near my family or working as my own boss. I'm off on the next big adventure!

Phoenix in January

70 degrees and sunny