Dresses...

 

Last year, as you know, I went through an intense capsule wardrobe project, and I learned so much about myself, my style, the colors and fit of the clothing I enjoy wearing, and how to mix and match!

                This year I’m enjoying the break from these daily ensemble creations, but I am also enjoying the fruit of my labor from last year. One thing I learned in studying capsule wardrobes is that as your lifestyle changes, your clothing needs will change, too. Last year at this time, my job had a specific uniform. I had to wear branded shirts every single day (zero exceptions) and often wore jammie shorts with them because 98% of my meetings were on Zoom, and the only thing seen was my shirt! Now I’m working at the church, and my “uniform” is much broader. I’m grateful to have days when I work from home and can wear full jammies if I wish. Some days I’m at the church or out and about, and a t-shirt and jeans are a perfectly acceptable combo. And other days I’m at events that call for a more polished look.

                One thing that remains unchanged is my closet space. If you are new here or don’t remember…Ryan and I share a single reach-in closet, and beyond that, our only clothing storage is a set of drawers under the bed. We each have one drawer to use. I love this limitation, because it forces me to be intentional and careful about what takes real estate in my wardrobe!

                Another thing that remains unchanged is my love for thrifted clothes. I buy about 95% of my clothing at a thrift store or consignment shop. So if I find that something just isn’t working for me like it used to – or if I just find something I like better – I don’t feel guilty about making a swap. I haven’t invested a ton of money into any single piece, most of the time.

                With those things in mind, I spent some time last week looking through my dresses to see if there were any I wanted to part with and if there were any new ones I wanted to get. I do wear more dresses now, between church events and speaking engagements, so  this reevaluation of the wardrobe feels necessary. And in fact, it proved helpful in showing me what needs to go. Let’s start with those pieces, shall we?

NOT STAYING:

Powder Blue Long Sleeve Dress – This dress (size large) was an Amazon purchase back in 2022. I bought it to wear to my dad’s 90^th birthday party. I love the color and weight of the dress. Long-sleeved dresses are hard for me to wear because of my tendency to overheat. This one is super lightweight, and I love that. I also love the length, because it hits me just above the knees. I also have a deep, sentimental attachment to this dress, because it was the one I wore to my friend Jamie’s wedding, where “the picture” was taken that thrust me into working on my weight and health about a year and a half ago. My before/after in this dress is – and always will be – meaningful to me, and I almost kept the dress based on that. But then I remembered the things I do not love about it. First up? Static cling is NO JOKE, and the empire waist still sometimes sits unflatteringly on me. A kiddo at church poked me right in the belly one day while I was wearing this dress and announced “BABY!” (This was when I was at my lowest weight.) My last issue with this dress is the Swiss dot on it. I like it, but I also find it trendy, and I try to not have super trendy clothing. In the end, I decided the photos I have of what this dress represents to me are good enough, and it’s okay to let it go. 

Pink Floral Long Sleeve Dress  - I bought this dress (size medium) secondhand last year and wore it for Easter. It was the first time in years I’d purchased a floral dress, and I really loved it. It was the first dress I bought after losing weight, and for that reason, it holds a lot of sentimental value to me. I also love that it’s light and springy in colors while having longer sleeves for cooler weather. But…there are a few frustrating things about it. First, the static cling is also no joke in this one. Secondly, the material is very thin, which I love for my overheating tendencies, but it’s so thin I have to wear a slip, and I absolutely abhor slips. It’s also just a tad bit short, which is more of a pain when keeping track of the slip than anything else, but I also have to be careful when bending or sitting. I don’t like high maintenance clothing, so because of those annoying factors, I am letting go of it. 

Navy Cap Sleeve Dress – This was the final dress that got the boot in my sifting project. I purchased this (size large) knee-length piece a couple of years ago for my Easter dress. I didn’t love it, but that year I didn’t love the style of just about anything, and I definitely didn’t love anything on me. It’s comfy, because it’s a t-shirt material and very loose fitting. But its shapelessness just makes me feel blah. since I have the perfect navy dress that is quite similar, I see no reason to keep this nearly-duplicate dress that doesn’t feel anywhere near as confidence-inspiring. I will be consigning this one! 

STAYING:

Plaid Shirt Dress – I just bought this dress (size medium) at the Goodwill and haven’t even worn it outside the house yet! It is a plaid shirtdress, and one of the main reasons I haven’t worn it – and probably won’t, until fall – is because I would like to get some leggings to wear with it, and I don’t have any in the right color. I probably need navy leggings for this, and I only own black. I could wear it without, but it feels just a wee bit short (for a winterish dress) to wear without leggings. It’s thin, which you know is important to me, but also warmer, which is nice for cool weather. It can be dressed up or down, which makes it another win! 😊 The last thing I love about it is the drawstring waist. Having the tools to give a dress some shape is important to me.

Denim Shirt Dress – This dress (size small), was a secondhand purchase last year for my capsule. I adore it, because it has a drawstring waist, which helps me feel a little bit more polished in my presentation. It has long sleeves, but it also has loops to button them up and make them short sleeves, so that makes this an all-season dress, which I love. It hits just above the knees on me. I’ve worn it a ton and am so glad I happened upon it when I did. I’ve not found another denim dress that I like as much as this one. I can dress it up or down, and it works for all kinds of occasions. 

Navy and White Striped T-Shirt Dress – This dress (size small), I purchased secondhand last year for my capsule wardrobe. I love this dress and absolutely will be keeping it. It feels like jammies, which is always a win for any clothing. It’s perfectly lightweight, hits me just above the knees, and can easily be dressed up or down, making it great for SO MANY USES. It’s easy to layer and accessorize, which I also love. My only complaint with it (just for my own body type) is its lack of any kind of shape can make me feel frumpy if I’m having a frumpish sort of day. But there were so many years when t-shirt dresses wouldn’t work on me AT ALL, so I’m just thrilled to have this one and love it so much. (Plus, it’s so coastal. I do love that.) 

Black and White Striped Dress – I bought this (size medium) dress from Amazon back in 2022 for our last big family vacation. I wore it to a concert. It fits much better now than it did then, and I 100% adore the fit of this dress. It is comfy like jammies, has pockets, and has a defined waist. The only thing I don’t love about this dress is the style of the white stripe, which feels very much like an “oh she got that from Amazon” look. But the feel and fit of this dress – and its pockets – make it an easy keep for now. I can also very easily add a layering piece and wear this in the winter – and I do! It hits me right at the knees, which is perfect for me. 

Black T-Shirt Dress – I bought this (size medium) dress at Old Navy sometime in the first year after Ryan and I were married, so I’ve more than gotten my money’s worth out of it. It’s thin and short-sleeved and has a defined waist and has worked perfectly for me in about a million occasions. I’ve dressed it up and down and accessorized it all kinds of ways. It hits me right at the knees and my ONLY complaint about this dress is that it doesn’t have pockets. That would make it true perfection. I can’t get rid of it because it’s my only all-black dress, and I need it for funerals! 😊 

Navy Sleeveless Dress – I bought this (size medium) dress at Kohl’s last year with some birthday money, and it may be the true perfect dress. I think I only spent about $20 on it, too! It’s a lightweight, anti-wrinkle material, solid navy blue, hits me at the knees, is sleeveless, has a little personality at the collar, has a defined waist, feels like jammies AND has pockets. I mean, seriously! What more could you want from a dress, other than one in every color? EXCELLENT investment. I think I love how this dress looks on me more than any other dress I own. I love it. It stays. Possibly forever. 

Black Dress with White Stripe – I bought this dress for Nita’s funeral six years ago, and while I haven’t worn it terribly often since then (except for funerals) I am glad I kept it. It’s a snug size 10…really fits more like a size 8.) I got it at TJ Maxx, and it’s made of a nicer material than most of my (clearly t-shirt) dresses. It’s dressier, yet not uncomfortable, and it has pockets. I like the zipper detail on the front and back – and yes, both zippers are functional! It hits me right at the knees, and I’ll be keeping it!

Royal Blue Sleeveless – In my capsule wardrobe adventures, I got away from wearing too many bright colors, because I learned that my skin tone does better with more muted colors. I wear a lot of navy or heather blue colors now because of that. Royal blue has mostly exited my wardrobe, but I did hang onto this one last sleeveless sheath dress in royal blue. I bought it at Kohl’s the first Easter we were married. It’s a generous size ten, so it’s honestly loose on me now, but I really love it, so I am keeping it for now. It hits me at the knees, and I love the design of the front of the dress with the crossing of the material. I can add layers to it or wear it by itself, and it really does have a dressier feel than most of my pieces.

                After this reevaluation, I am left with eight dresses to cover all seasons. That’s pretty good! I feel like ten (with a max of twelve) dresses makes a good all-purpose capsule for someone who does what I do for work. I know I will pick one new dress for Easter this year, and I have room to add 2-3 more if I find some I like. I’m reminding myself to consider a few maxi-length dresses, since every single one I have hits somewhere at or above my knees.  

                Here is a sneak peek at a couple of dress styles I have on my Amazon wish list. I may not end up with either of them and shop thrift stores all the way, but it’s still fun to look! This one is not long, but it sure is cute! This one is long, and I love the waist on it.

                Thanks for reading along with my dress evaluation project!

Taking the Next Step

 

I am pretty intentional about not living with regrets. There are, of course, decisions I’ve made over the course of the last 40+ years that I wish I wouldn’t have made. Dumb choices. Rebellious choices. Immature choices. They are regrets in their own way, and we all have those.

                But in the years Ryan and I have been married, we’ve both worked hard to be purposeful in our decisions, so we don’t look back and regret the choices we’ve made. We pray hard over the big and small choices alike, and I think we’ve done well with this intentionality.

                I also tend to live in the belief that wishing for a do-over is pointless, not only because it’s impossible, but also because the do-over would negate the journey that has ultimately led me to where I am today. But if I had one thing that I could have done differently in my college years, I would have double-majored in writing and Christian ministries.

                It never occurred to me to pursue two majors, even though there was plenty of room in my writing-focused schedule to allow for a second major without adding years to my college career. I took many ministry classes, simply because I needed to fill my schedule and knew I could do well in those classes. I definitely don’t regret that. I learned so much that I still know today.

                But I didn’t have anyone urging me to take that additional step, and I wasn’t forward-thinking enough to ask for it on my own.

                So when the church hired me last December, I knew I would need to take some additional steps to be fully licensed in my role – and then to seek the additional education I didn’t already have under my belt.

                I’m excited about these steps. They feel purposeful and meaningful to me. They’re not merely items to check off a list.

                And last Tuesday, I took a big step toward the next step. I had been asked to meet with a committee of people (some assigned to me from our district office and some chosen by me) to talk about my place in ministry and to explore some next steps together.

                The first miracle came in finding a day (on very short notice) when six people could line up schedules to meet. We literally had about a week to plan, and all six of us were able to make it work. The fact that some were willing to take off work and others were willing to give up precious free time was such a gift to me.

                Ryan made a big pot of chili for us – and baked cookie bars – and one of the ladies on the committee pitched in a fruit and veggie tray.

                One of my biggest prayers was that as we all came together, the day would be meaningful to all of us. Yes, it was a day about helping me explore my future path in ministry and education, but I did not want the committee to go home and say, “Well, there’s four hours of my life I’ll never get back.”

                I hoped they would enjoy the fellowship and find each other to be helpful and encouraging – and I think they did! It felt like we all jumped in and imagined we’d always known each other, speaking freely and openly.

                The time moved quickly, and at the end, I asked how I could pray for each of them (and I did) and then they gathered around me and prayed for me.

                I came away with an overflowing heart – and I hope they did too.

                My immediate next steps are to do some writing in response to a list of questions I’ve been given, and then in a little less than a month, a committee will interview me! I’m super excited about both parts!

                But even as I walk through these next steps, I will be forever grateful for this day with the committee and all it represented!

Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Week

It. Has. Been. A. Week. There has been much goodness wrapped up in this little week we lived, but there’s also been a lot of frustration, time change adjustment, weird weather, and exhaustion. Typically I catch up and reset on Sundays, but today is not that day for me. Here’s to next week, right?

                For better and worse, here are a few of the stand-out moments from this last week.

Last Sunday was, of course, the time change, and it did not go smoothly for me. I was all messed up, sleep-wise, anyway, because I’d had one day the week before when I slept all day AND night when I had the 24 hour bug…and then tacking a change of hours onto that was perhaps not my best work. I came home from church, laid down, and slept until five p.m. WHAT? Needless to say, not much felt photographically memorable about that day, but I did enjoy this little picture of Lexi. She makes me laugh when she has her snack from her paci Kong.

She continued making me laugh with her post-time-change thoughts the next day. 😊 I was able to work from home all day Monday until I had to leave for Bible study, and she had the best time hanging out with me and lamenting her own messed up schedule.

I’ll tell you more about this memory tomorrow, but one of my truly favorite moments this week was from the day I met with a committee as part of my next steps toward becoming licensed in ministry. There is so much more to say, but for now, just know that I came away from this day overflowing with gratitude and so humbled for their sacrifice of time!

Helping Ryan set up the trail mix bar for the birthday party at his work was so much fun. It was also fun to hear the feedback from his work friends as they visited to sample the treats! That popcorn bowl was the very bowl the lady tried to take out of my hands at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago! (His coworkers know that story, so I made sure to label “the bowl” so they would know it!)

In the ever revolving door of Indiana weather, we were pleased to take our first coat-free walk this week! That always feels like a monumental day that should be documented and celebrated. It was on that same walk that I spied the first buds on the tree in the neighbors’ yard. (I wondered if they thought I was weird for stopping to photograph their budding tree…if they even saw it.)

Ryan and my parents participated in the Pi day pie tasting at Swiss Village. I thought this was such a cute event! Employees baked the pies and then they dished out little samples for people to sample and vote on. One of Ryan’s teammates took home first prize with a maple honey pecan pie!

We ended the week with some wildcard weather. Ryan and I were awakened in the night with some fierce storms, which thankfully Lexi slept through, and then yesterday was a mix of sunshine, clouds, rain, storms, and pretty much everything except snow. (I think that’s coming today.) I love spring…except this part.

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

Good morning, friends! I hope you all have a safe weekend. I know there are a lot of areas around the country that are expecting some less-than-desirable weather today. If you’re in one of them, be careful! And while you keep one eye on the weather report, here are a few things to keep you occupied.

You know what makes for a lovely Saturday? A stroll through a beach house in Florida. Since we’re too far away to stroll, let’s scroll! Want to know my favorite parts? The brick pattern on the patio, the porch bed swings, the colors throughout, the natural light/large windows, all the beams, the bookcase (SWOON!!), and the curve of the staircase…just to name a few. 😊 (BONUS: This little ten-minute video shows the sweetest tiny cottage. If you love repurposed items and cuteness, you’ll like it!)

I confess when I saw Megan’s post title, I thought it was going to be about prepping to SHOP at garage sales. Perhaps that was my own eagerness for garage sale season shining through. Not sure. Anyway, her post is actually about prepping to HOST a sale. We had a sale two years ago to sell our leftover-from-the-move items and another one last year to sell Mom and Dad’s leftover-from-their-move items. This year I do not plan to hold a sale. I do plan to shop them. 😊 But if you are planning to have a sale this year, you’ll find some helpful tips in Megan’s post! (BONUS: I did find this post with great tips about shopping at sales. I have to say that as a seller, I did not like it when people did items 11 and 12. When I posted my items ahead of time, I didn’t want to do any pre-sales. I simply wanted to notify people about what existed. And I did NOT want early bird shoppers. Setting up my sale is extremely important to me, and I do not like to be bothered while I’m doing it. I put out signs at my last sale plainly stating we were not open yet, and I still had people wandering through.)

Fun fact that some of you probably know and others may not: my hair is almost completely white all over my head. When I lived at WillowBridge, my hairstylist told me that if I let it go, it would be beautiful, and she could dye the still-color-bearing parts appropriately platinum to help with the transition if I wanted. I told her I just wasn’t ready to have white hair. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready for it, honestly. (My hair is badly in need of a root touch-up right now, so I sort of feel like it’s happening anyway.) Susan at Between Naps on the Porch has been letting her hair grow out naturally and wrote an update about it here. Hers is indeed beautiful, but I still don’t think I am ready to do it.

I love going to the flower patch to get cut flowers for bouquets throughout the summer. I love going because it supports my friend, but I also love going, because I never know what to plant at our house to achieve pretty outcomes. Then I found this post of Cathy’s, and it gave a full list of multiple-sized flowers and plants that achieve pretty bouquets – without planting a million things! I love this! (BONUS: Here are some tips on how to arrange said flowers once you grow or buy them!)

Look at this super cute (and easy) tutorial for folding a napkin to look like bunny ears! I’m not good with elaborate folding, but I think even I could handle this one.

Last year at the thrift store, I found a Cuisinart ice cream maker that I think I ended up purchasing for four dollars. It works perfectly and came with two freezer bowls. We used it a couple of times last year and recently I stumbled upon this recipe roundup for ice cream in that very maker. I like that these recipes don’t use eggs (both for safety AND cost reasons) and other than the one involving gum drops, I think they sound delicious!

                After my bout with germs last week, I wanted to wash all the blankets on the couch. I didn’t want to risk giving any germs a free home on a blanket! I know spring is springing, and throw blankets are probably on their way into hibernation soon, but it can’t hurt to wash everything as preventative maintenance!

                The warm weather this week gave us the itch to pull the porch furniture back out and set it all up again. (We are waiting, since we live in “Windiana” with all of its brutal forecasts.) If you’re ready for spring too, this is a great time to dust off all the porch accessories so they’re ready to resume their rightful home when it’s safe to put them back outside!

On This Day...

 

                The other day I was completely caught up in my “on this day” memories on Facebook. I smiled and giggled, looking back at the things that filled my day and my feed over the years. It reminded me that it’s been a few years since I did a similar practice here on the blog. Like I said a couple of days ago, next year marks twenty years of blogging, and I thought it would be fun to look back and see what was happening on this very day over the years. Want to take a peek with me?

2006 – This was the year I started blogging, but I didn’t actually begin until the fall, so I don’t have a post from this day from 2006.

2007 – In the first few years of blogging, I didn’t post every single day. So even though I blogged all year in 2007, I didn’t post anything on this day.

2008 – Sadly…no post on this day this year, either!

2009 – Same for this year.

2010 – This is the first year I ever wrote a post on March 14^th. I was in the middle of being wildly in love, though I hadn’t told the blogging world that just yet. I was also in the middle of my silent Lenten season, when I prayed so much while driving. And it was the first day of the time change. (I hated it back then, too.) Oh sweet 2010 Bekah. You have no idea the heartbreak about to smack you in the face, and you have no idea how much you’ll need these sweet days of prayer piled up to carry you through!

2011 – This post made me smile. I had emerged from the other side of heartbreak and had begun to live – truly live – again. I had also just returned home from my first ever trip to Florida. I had no idea that in a year and a half, I’d be back in Florida…as a bride! In 2010, though, I flew down with friends to enjoy a week of early spring break, and I truly had the best time. In this post, I recapped how the trip came to be and loved seeing all over again how much fun it was to remember the planning of the trip!

2012 – This post reveals some snarky sarcasm about my continued dislike of the time change. I really used to give this a lot of real estate on the blog. I still don’t like it, obviously, but I try not to devote entire posts to it anymore. I think I finally figured out my opinion really doesn’t matter! (Ha!)

2013 – How appropriate that on my first year as a married blogger, this date was a recap day from our at-home reception. Prior to the reception beginning, we did a little photo shoot in the prayer chapel where I spent so many hours praying for my husband – long before I knew his identity. I discovered that some of the photos from that day happened to match photos from our wedding day! I do love a good recreation, so even though none of these were on purpose, they were still fun to see again.

2014 – I love the memories that get trapped in little blog posts, and this year is a perfect example of that. A story from one of the days I tried my hand at hosting Mid-Morning on my own…and we had technical difficulties. My palms started sweating just reading this story over again!

2015 – This year was a Saturday Six roundup day, and I had fun sifting through the links I shared then. My favorite one from this list was The Nester’s post about her parents’ home. I love all the words she wrote, and it also makes me miss when her blog was more personal like this post reflects. (I miss that about a lot of blogs.)

2016 – I was in the thick of revealing to the blog world that Ryan and I were selling our Marion home and choosing our first home together – in Kokomo. And in fact, this was the very day we closed on that Kokomo house! But I took a break from moving news to share an important story. I love this post because I love the miracle God gave Ryan and the faith-boost He gave me as I prayed for the miracle. I’m so glad I wrote about it.

2017 – One full year after closing on our Kokomo home, I wrote about the joy of living in that house for a year and all we had done there in that time. In terms of a house layout, that home remains our favorite we’ve ever lived in. Nothing compares to our present view, and we do love our cute little lake cottage, but if we had to declare a favorite house layout, Kokomo wins!

2018 – I had so much fun celebrating that house closing that I celebrated it again in 2018 – sharing a few more details of the story this time!

2019 – On this day, we were fresh in the grief of Ryan’s mom’s death, which had happened less than ten days before. We had plodded through the grief itself and then hurts compounded from other events that took place right around the same time. We weren’t sure we could ever breathe again, and I had nothing to say. But when you’ve made a habit of blogging every single day, you have to put some kind of word to screen. It was a whole lot of nothing in a post, but I showed up.

2020 – Another Saturday Six post, and this one fell right at the start of quarantine. None of us had any idea how long it would last, so I find my final item adorable. “If your church isn’t meeting for the next few weeks.” Or months, Bekah. Also, I’m so sad Lindsay Letters retired the art piece I linked to in this post. It is STILL one of my favorites. I’m so glad I bought it. And we still use Selah Essential Oils!

2021 – So much changed in a year! By this day, we had sold our beloved home in Kokomo, moved to WillowBridge, lived through a year of a pandemic, and said goodbye to Ryan’s stepdad as well. Whew. So much. I shared some Lenten devotional thoughts in this Sunday post, and I needed to reread them today!

2022 – So much changed in a year! By this day, we had turned in our resignation to WillowBridge and were about to close on the house we found in Bluffton. We had been through unimaginable growth AND pain, and we were excited to see what God had next for us. (And we had become puppy parents!) On this day I wrote about my gratitude for my parents’ decision to dedicate me to the Lord when I was a baby – and my joy at getting to support friends in their child dedications!

2023 – This day found me sappy and sentimental as I reminisced about baby Lexi and her growth over the year+ that we’d had her. If you want cute baby Lexi pictures, check it out. But it wasn’t just about cute puppy pics. The day also held notes of lessons God taught me through my sweet puppy girl!

2024 – How fun to end this round up with a Day in the Life post! This was my life a year ago today, and SO MUCH has changed. Ryan and I both have different jobs. Our sweet Braeya Jo is no longer with us. Wow. It’s so strange to see what life was like and how much it has changed in one year’s time!

                SO MUCH CHANGE on this day over the years. God has taken us on many literal and figurative journeys. This is exactly why I love traditional blogging. I love remembering the things that mattered to me over the years, the places we lived, the jobs we had, and the faithfulness of our good God!

Trail Mix Bar

 

Do you remember the days before Pinterest? Did anyone else have fat file folders filled with pages ripped from magazines? I sure did. (Not surprisingly, they were color coded and alphabetized.)

                Pinterest sure saves me a lot of space in my office, and it saves the day when I need an idea quickly. And I needed an idea quickly a few days ago. Ryan signed up to be in charge of a birthday party for one of his coworkers, and we needed something fun and different to provide for a come-and-go-throughout-the-day sort of celebration.

                I should also mention that the party happened to fall on a week when I was gone three days and evenings in a row, and we were also committed to taking food to three other events. (And we haven’t been to the grocery store in a couple of weeks.)

                Pinterest to the rescue!

                I should have known that a site called A Girl and a Glue Gun would have the perfect solution.

                A build your own trail mix bar.

                Perfection! We went to the store, picked out a whole bunch of fun food – a mix of sweet and savory, of course – and then I shopped the house for bowls and set up the station! Want to see?

                The printable came from the website. She has two different color scheme options and one black and white option. I just printed it out and framed it. I made a little happy birthday sign on Canva and framed it, too. (Both frames were in our stash at home.)

                We picked out some white-chocolate-covered pretzels, a carton of Whoppers, and some popcorn. (Reportedly it was the crowd favorite.)

                Ryan picked out the multi-colored goldfish, bugles, and plain party mix cereal.

                We added some mixed nuts, and then we found this bag of peanut butter cups/pieces – which is really part of the baking aisle, but we thought it would be a great addition to the mix. Threw in some pretzel goldfish, cheese crackers, and cinnamon cereal, too.

                We provided cups and let everyone mix and match to their hearts’ content.

                Ryan also made a batch of caramel surprise brownies (I had a committee meeting and couldn’t bake that night) and did a GREAT job with them.

                I thought the party turned out so cute. I was grateful for the Pinterest inspiration and for Ryan’s help putting it all together!

A Writer's Home

 

Last week, while scrolling a link roundup, I happened upon this article about famous writers’ homes you can visit.

It occurred to me as I read that I really haven’t visited too many writers’ homes in my travels. I remember my parents taking me to Hannibal, Missouri, when I was probably about a third grader. We visited all the Mark Twain spots while we were there, and it may also have been that same trip that we started visiting Little House locations. I’ve since returned to one of those with Ryan and have it on my list to visit all the rest eventually.

That’s all that’s coming to mind for me, which makes me sad! I need to tour more writers’ homes!

But the article did make me think (as a writer) about what I would hope people would see in my home if they ever came to tour it. I should pause to say I have zero aspirations of being known as a famous writer and laugh at the thought of my house being transformed into a tourist destination. But when I think about what I would want to see glimpses of when visiting a writer’s home, it makes me wonder what I would want people to see about my home if they came to catch a glimpse of who I was as a person and a writer. (I say was, because you know they only turn your home into a museum after you’re gone, right?)

Of course, I’d want them to point out our dining room and talk about how we loved to eat together in that space every night – and how we’d stretch out the table to cram as many people around it as we could when we had the opportunity to entertain.

Then there would be the coffee area, because I could never have written the words without the liquid inspiration, right? I’d want them to mention that every coffee cup had a special story behind it and choosing a favorite was nigh unto impossible.

I’d want them to give a full tour of the kitchen and tell the story of the island with all its sentimentality. I’d want them to tell of my love for cooking and baking and show how the window over the sink reminded me of a cruise ship window, looking out over the water with no land visible below.

The tour couldn’t move on without the desk overlooking the water, where most of the words were penned. (The dog bed will have to stay right beside the chair to represent how Lexi would sit beside me during writing parties.)

Then everyone would have to move into the overflow office with all the notes. No author’s space is complete without the hodge-podge of notes. Serious time would need to be given to the bookshelf and all the book babies – my own and other writers’ babies. The pieces of inspiration that led to the words pouring out of my own heart…

Our little room would be a stop on the tour too. Everyone would have to step in one at a time, because there isn’t that much room to walk around, but it sure shows off the cozy.

And then everyone could move to the great room and appreciate the stunning lake views and the cozy evenings spent alternating between writing and watching TV. They could point out the pictures scattered around the room that nod to the people and places that had been meaningful to us in our lives.

From there, the tour would have to move outside to look at the patio, the garden, the pier, and the sunset views. Chairs all around, snacks and coffee on the house, and the quietness to appreciate the inspiration of waves lapping against the shore and the boat.

(I’m not Anne of Green Gables, so there isn’t a rowboat, but there is a pontoon!)

The house isn’t big, so the tour would short in terms of steps, but I would hope it would be long and rich in stories.

That’s what I would want. For me, a writer’s house isn’t nearly as much about the architecture as it is about the inspirations that fill the architecture. That’s what I’d want to see preserved.

Craving Interesting

 

A few months ago, I found an Instagram account of a woman named Shayla (@shayibanez), who was a full time RVer. I love full-time RV accounts, so I followed her right away. And one of the next posts I saw from her was the announcement that she was leaving full-time RV life.

                I confess that my first thought was a twinge of sadness. I mean, I had just found her account, so I can’t say I was broken-hearted about it. But the whole reason I followed her was to learn from her adventures in RV life. It’s hard to do that when she’s no longer living in an RV.

                She hasn’t posted too often since that announcement, but her post this week caught my eye. She said, in part, “I feel like I’m failing my followers by changing my lifestyle and the things I post. Some days I want to be a full-time content creator and sometimes I want to give up social media completely….I’m having a hard time figuring out what content I should create now that I don’t live in an RV. How am I entertaining enough to have 8K+ followers, let alone gain more?”

                I confess my first thought was a twinge of guilt, because I was one of the followers who felt sadness at her change of lifestyle. And my second thought was a heaping helping of conviction, because the truth is, any form of social media is an offering from the person sharing it. The lives lived by those people are real. And all of us have lives that are always changing in details.

                Next year marks twenty years of blogging for me (WHAT?!) and in that time, my life has changed many times. I’ve lived it out loud in real time (as much as I’ve been able to do) in front of you, my readers.

                Some didn’t love it when I halted the recipes and fun stories to process loss of love.

                Some didn’t love it when I found love again and got married.

                Some didn’t love it when I left my cool job in radio.

                Some didn’t love it when we entered ministry, and I couldn’t share the details of every story anymore.

                Some didn’t love it when we moved a whole bunch of times in a short time.

                Some didn’t love it when I entered the job God has called me to most recently.

                So yes, I understand Shayla’s sentiments. I don’t have 8K+ followers, but there are days I worry I’m not entertaining enough for those of you reading here or that I’m failing you when life changes for us and therefore the stories here change as well.

                But for Shayla and for me – and for all of us – life isn’t meant to be lived for social media content. It’s meant to be lived, honestly, authentically, with all the changes that come with such honest, authentic living.

                It’s one reason I’m glad my blog has never been about a particular topic (other than life). If it had been all about food and recipes, I’d have closed up shop during the desert, because I didn’t eat anything but mac and cheese cups and lime tortilla chips for four months. And if it had been all about singleness, I’d have run out of material when I got married. And if it had been all about radio, leaving would have left me in quite the content pickle. You get the idea.

                We’re always growing. We’re always changing. We’re always following where the Lord leads. And the world around us is always changing, and sometimes those changes drive what I do and do not share in this space. It’s true for anyone sharing on any platform.

                So if we’re craving being interesting enough to capture the attention of readers and followers, we’re going to find ourselves in trouble at some point. We can’t always be interesting to everyone. But if we’re craving authenticity, we have a chance. And I hope you find that here in this little corner of the blogging world!

Life Verse

 

                A few days ago, I read Yvonne’s post about her life verse, and it set my mind spinning on my own life verse!

                Before I tell you about mine, let me pause to explain the idea of a life verse to you, if you don’t know. (Yvonne also writes well about that if you check out her thoughts.) I know not everyone loves the idea of choosing a life verse, and to be honest, I didn’t set out to find one. It just found its way to me.

                A life verse is simply a verse (or two) from Scripture that hold special meaning and offer a reminder of something God has done or a specific way we hope to live our days as we follow Him.

                Mine came to me back in the desert days, when I felt the gut punch of loss and deep soul hurt. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon the verse, but I remember that when I found it, God pressed on my heart that this was how He wanted me to live my life, day in and day out. I marked the verses and memorized them, hoping to keep the words at the front of my mind so they could drive my actions.

                I memorized these words from Proverbs 3:3-4 in the NIV: Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

                Perhaps this verse caught my attention so profoundly because I knew how it felt when love left me, and I didn’t want that to be my story toward others. The admonition to HOLD to love and faithfulness felt important to me in ways it never had before, back then.

                Even though I felt the ache of loss, I knew that in my future, I wanted my relationships to be filled with love and faithfulness. I wanted to be fiercely loyal to those around me, so they never doubted my love for or faithfulness to them.

                Moving so often, like we have, has tested this for me, in practicality, anyway. It hasn’t changed a thing in my heart about my feelings toward people in my life, but it’s true that geographical changes also change the natural ability to spend time with people the way you did when you lived close and could be present in daily life regularly. I know many people equate love and faithfulness with physical presence, and they fear out-of-sight-out-of-mind and the natural consequence of lost love and faithfulness. I’m sure most of my friends have no idea just how often I think of them, pray for them, and miss them, even when I don’t see them regularly.

                In my marriage to Ryan, I work hard to tell him every day, multiple times a day, how much I love him and am faithful to the commitment we made 12+ years ago. I don’t want him to ever think my love and faithfulness have changed.

                My prayer is that the demonstration of my love and faithfulness – to anyone – will be so deeply part of who I am that they are written on my heart and bound around my neck.

                Winning favor and a good name in the sight of man isn’t the same as winning a popularity contest. I don’t need (or want) to be known in a well-known kind of way. I just want those who do know me to know that I live with love and faithfulness. I want that to be my reputation.

                So that’s my life verse…one that I hope continues to drive the way I live, each day, for the rest of my days.

Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Week

 

Did you remember to reset your clocks? If not, you should stop reading right now, because YOU’RE LATE!!! But come back later and check out the adventures of our week.

I know I already told you all about our monthiversary, but it really was a memorable day for us – in a good way. Time with Ryan is always a gift and never gets old. And every monthiversary we get to spend together is sweet because nothing is promised, right? We’ve been jolted with hard news in the lives of those around us enough to be reminded to treasure each opportunity to celebrate this life we’ve been given.

I was so excited to look out the kitchen window this week and discover the eagles perched in the tippy top of the tall tree beside the lake. They don’t nest here, but they do hang out here quite often in the spring and summer and seeing them made me hope spring really is coming soon! (I realize this is a terrible picture and you absolutely have to squint to see them, but the moment itself was meaningful.)

I had the chance to share my testimony/call to ministry with the pastors in our city this week, and that was a privilege. I tried so hard to be thorough and quick at the same time, which was not an easy feat, and I don’t know that I accomplished it, but it was still a privilege to share. I’m the rookie of the group and still very new at all of this.

As I told you a few days ago, Ryan and I had a long day-trip to Cleveland to be with a family from church during a surgery. A thousand thanks to Ryan for taking a day off work to accompany me. I could have done the trip alone, but it was so much better having him with me!

Not every day was memorable for good reasons. An unexpected bug hit me this week, and it was a blessing to have a husband and dog who cheered me up, brought me food (that part was just Ryan…Lexi only consumes food), and prayed for me (also Ryan only). I was sad to miss out on a fun after-work walk, but Lexi had the time of her life.

Thankfully the bug was in and out in 24 hours and I spent a recovery day working from the couch, with my trusty assistant at my side. I had the best time working on some projects and creating some resources. I’m sure I’m 1000 kinds of nerdy for the things that comprise my best days, but I still had fun!

Our church had a Bible Bingo party this week, and it was so much fun. We went to this same event last year and had lots of fun then, too! It’s an intergenerational event, and we had a great time fellowshipping with our friends. Definitely a highlight!

This isn’t a memory from this week, but before I sign off today, I want to nod to one of my favorite memories from this day 12 years ago. It was our at-home reception day! We had been married just three months and had a fun day celebrating with all our friends and family, sharing our wedding video, and eating a lot of ice cream!

Who knew that twelve years later...we'd be working on the same team?