Sunday Sentiments: Weaving

 

I’ve been writing for some upcoming speaking events, and in one of them, I’m talking for a while about how God weaves in our lives. The topic has fascinated me for years now. The longer I live,  and the more I experience it personally, I am utterly intrigued by God’s meticulous, intricate weaving.

            I’ll never fully know on this earth just how much detail has gone into His weaving, but I hope I get to understand and see it more fully one day from the beautiful perspective of Heaven.

            Yesterday I spoke at a women’s event, and I found out the connection for the planning team to even learn about me came from one of you! (Thanks, Judy!) While I was there, I met new friends – some who had heard me on the radio years ago, and others who were brand new to the area, but I have a feeling we might just cross paths again in the future.

            Then we went to meet up with our godson and his mama, and I was reminded of how our paths never ever would have crossed had we not worked at WillowBridge. As he gave me one of his great bear hugs, I thought how very different our lives would be without him. (Don’t even want to think about it!)

            Even little Lexi Grae! She wouldn’t be part of our lives if I hadn’t gone to a writer’s conference back in our Kokomo days and met a new friend named Brenda. That led to a social media friendship, which led me to learn about their puppies, which led us to bring home our sweet girl.

            Our church home is our church home because of friends I made in college…who were called to serve there years before we moved, or before we were even married! And because of those friends and that church home, I’ve made a whole new host of friendships that I treasure deeply.

            I was on a Zoom call at work this week, meeting new-to-me-friends who live in Arizona, right on Route 66. I know our travels down that road are way in the future, but it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if I end up finding a way to meet these people in real life. That has happened to us many times in our marriage – meeting people in person after meeting them through the blog or some other online format.

            On and on it goes. God weaves these stories together so beautifully. It’s fun to see how He makes connections and how deep those layers go.

            I’m grateful!

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

Good morning, friends! Happy Saturday to you! I am sad that now that spring is here on the calendar, it seems to have departed outside the house. Here’s hoping that warmer days are on their day! I have an eclectic list for you today. Hope you enjoy! 😊

ONE. Easter is one week away, and if your coming days look anything like ours – they’re busy! Adding much to the schedule at this point would be tough, I’m sure! But if you need some ideas for your family or kids in your life, this post has a treasure trove of them. Lots of different ideas that could fit the needs you might have! All of them are Christ-centered and keep the focus on His sacrifice! Also…here is an idea for a clutter-free Easter basket! BONUS: In the spirit of preparing for Easter, I loved this medley of songs. Enjoy!

TWO. I found this link on a blog this week and loved it. It’s a little YouTube video tour of a sweet lady who lives full time on a houseboat! I love home tours, as you know, and her little boat is ADORABLE. I love her use of space – including climbing out the window to the upper patio. So cute! It’s not a long video either – if you need something to watch while you get ready or make breakfast!

THREE. Did you know that this year is the 50^th anniversary of the Little House TV show? There are all kinds of reunions and meet-ups happening around the country this year. SO COOL! This week I ended up visiting this page which has the most adorable dolls and accessories for little ones wanting to play Little House. Where were these when I was a kiddo? (PS, there are four pages of products, so keep scrolling!)

FOUR. In my spring bucket list, I mentioned I want to make something lemon flavored. These lemon bars look so good. I might start there. Or maybe this frosted raspberry lemonade. Or this lemon pound cake. Maybe I’m just hungry now. 😊

FIVE. We have a couple of wooden cutting boards in our kitchen, and I love how they look. Practical and decorative at the same time! This post gives great ideas for how to display wooden cutting boards if you have a small (or large!) collection of them. BONUS: I have dreams and aspirations of eventually replacing my plastic measuring spoons and cups with stainless steel/ceramic ones. I love this post’s idea for displaying the measuring spoons in a little jar. PERFECTION! (We use a LOT of measuring spoons every day, so this would be practical for us.)

SIX. I haven’t worn perfume in years. I wear essential oils as perfume now, but when I found this article about how to make a perfume fragrance, I was completely intrigued! I really don’t know anything about how fragrances are concocted, and this was so interesting to read!

This week I made the switch from my winter capsule to the spring one. I still have a small handful of things to purchase, but I have enjoyed wearing a new blend of colors and some new pieces! Here are the combinations I wore this week:

Saturday, March 16, 2024:

Sunday, March 17, 2024:

Monday, March 18, 2024:

Tuesday, March 19, 2024:

Wednesday, March 20, 2024:

Thursday, March 21, 2024:

Friday, March 22, 2024:

Flashback Friday: Writing Your Story One Week at a Time

 

            I’ve been helping to lead a Bible study over the last few weeks and at our last study, we all started talking about when we learned to drive. Oh, the stories the girls had about their parents working with them, teaching them to handle icy roads and how to not overcorrect if they started to run off the road.

            Learning to drive usually provides the best stories, so when you think about preserving your story, don’t skip over it!

Who taught you to drive?

What was your favorite part?

What was your least favorite part?

Did you pass the test on the first try?

What was your first car?

What was the most embarrassing thing that happened as you learned to drive?

            My parents were consummate rule followers, so if you didn’t have a license, you didn’t go out on the road to drive. About a week before I started drivers ed, Dad took me to the church parking lot, and that was the first time I had ever been behind a wheel – any wheel – in my life. I’d never driven a golf cart, a lawn mower, or anything else. We carefully and slowly made our way around the parking lot while I got the feel of the gas and the brake and what it felt like to turn the wheel around a corner.

            I thought I was ready.

            I was wrong.

            Our school offered drivers ed during the summer, so I was already a little irritated about loss of sleep. Our classes took place on the second floor of the building – which wasn’t air conditioned – and we dripped sweat for hours while we watched videos and listened to the animated instructor. Eventually it was time to get in the car and try these skills for ourselves.

            We always had the same driving instructor and the same group of students. My car had three students, but I only remember one of the other two in there. When we got in the car the first day, the instructor asked us how many of us had driven before. Two other hands shot up. I tentatively held up mine. Did driving once in the church parking lot count?

            It didn’t. I learned this when I turned the first corner and drove straight up on the curb. The instructor yelled out a cry that was probably half warning and half fear for his life. From that moment on, he never let go of gripping his seat, kept his foot on the emergency brake, and never stopped sweating when I was behind the wheel.

            It was fair.

            I hated driving. I hated it that it started badly and never got better. I wasn’t good at this driving thing and not a single experience I had behind the wheel made it any better. I did it all wrong. I got in trouble for speeding up through yellow lights, entering a parking space too quickly, and for the way I both entered and exited the interstate.

            I got a high enough grade in the classroom portion of drivers ed that I qualified for a waiver on the driving test when it was time to get my license. As long as I secured my license within 30 days of turning 16, the waiver held. Unfortunately, I had no desire to get my license. All my friends took days off school to get theirs on the first possible day after their birthdays. I am pretty sure my mom put me in the car and drove me to the BMV the day before that waiver expired. I passed the written test and they issued me a license.

            I’ll admit it was handy to drive myself to and from babysitting jobs and schools. But I am pretty sure it was about another 7 or 8 years before I drove on an interstate again. (And I still don’t love them.)

            My first car was a Ford Escort. I named him Lloyd. I drove him all the way through high school, college, and then my parents signed him over to me to trade in for my first grown-up car!

            So that was my story! What was yours?

House Re-Vision Updates

 

            Back in January, I wrote a post about how I’m working to purposefully re-see each room in our home. We’ve lived here a year now and have a better feel for how each space functions for us. It’s important to me to make sure each of our rooms continues to function well. While our house is far from a tiny home, it’s also not a huge home. We want the space to work first and foremost for us as its daily occupants and also for those who come to visit.

            So as I started looking at our rooms, I started with the living room. Some homes have multiple living spaces. We have just this one, and we love it in here. We love the warmth and coziness of the carpet, the hug-like couch, and the throw blankets we snuggle under while we sit in here. We love the view of the lake and the natural light. It’s a small but wonderful space.

            But as I looked around, it just didn’t quite feel finished. So at the end of January, I started working on purposefully looking for ways to complete the unfinished parts. It’s still not 100% done, but it’s much closer than it was, so I wanted to show you the updates!

            One thing I haven’t done yet is find rechargeable batteries to keep our window candles going. I’ll keep working on that part.

            I also told you about our big (free!) plant we were gifted last year, and how Ryan repotted it for me in a big (free!) (ugly!) planter that is basically a recycled petunia pot from our garage. It was sitting on a dinner platter to catch drainage water. It wasn’t working well. And do you know that right after I decided to spruce up the room, I ran into this big old gorgeous basket for THREE DOLLARS at the Goodwill? That planter slides right down inside and dresses it up – and I have my platter back where it belongs. I could not love this basket more, and the price was an extra gift.

            Then there were all the big old couch pillows. Our couch came with eight pillows, and while we enjoy having half that many on the couch to use for naps and decoration, we really didn’t need eight. But I came up with a storage solution! I put the remaining four behind the couch, out of sight and out of the way – but accessible if we have friends over and need them for anyone sitting on the floor. I also nabbed a big basket from my parents’ garage sale pile and put my little throw blankets inside. They previously lived in a black vinyl basket that fit my décor about 15 years ago. I put it in the garage sale pile and brought in my new (to me) free basket and very much like the update.

            I also told you in my original post that our big free plant sat beside the TV, but the space felt unbalanced. I was going to keep my eye out for another kind of plant, but then Ryan surprised me with my gorgeous Narnia lamp, and I decided to put that on the other side. It’s not a plant, but it feels complete to me. And I have adored having this little flickering light to brighten up the cold winter evenings.

            And this brings me to the crowning corner. We had this one decent-sized wall that felt incomplete. A couple of pictures and a wreath – and a lot of blank space. It felt, well, blah.

            This is the part that isn’t fully complete yet, but I love where it’s headed. I kept all three pieces we had: the wreath (made for us by our WillowBridge coworkers as a going-away gift), and two pictures of us from our fall photo session. Lots of beachy white and greenery in those pieces.

            Then I shopped at Goodwill and found a beachy looking arrow and a matching picture frame that holds photos with clothespins. They were a couple of dollars each and I grabbed them the moment I found them. Then, last weekend, while thrifting clothes for the spring capsule, I found a photo frame that doubles as a shelf. It also uses clothespins and had a beachy feel to it. SOLD!

            Ryan hung everything for me this week, and this is what it looks like now:

            I would like to hunt around the house and find a couple of small items to put on top of the shelf. I don’t want it to be cluttered, but I would like something there. And maybe something on one of the inside shelves, underneath one of the photos.

            I would also like to add one more picture to the long, narrow frame. I can use tape to put it at the top. And then there’s that one little hole between the white frame and the window. If I can find the perfect small piece, it can go there.

            Not done, but looking SO much more complete. I love the added depth, texture, and color. And I love it that we can incorporate candid snapshots with friends and family and switch them out without too much cost or effort.

            It makes me so happy! Feels good in here. It feels re-seen, and I love that. Now I’ll have to turn my attention toward another area and see how I can shuffle things to re-see it!

Thoughts from a Winter Capsule

 

Yesterday was the first day of spring, and it was my first day to put away the set of clothes I’ve been wearing since January 1. (Well, most of them. Some moved ahead to the spring set.) You’ve so kindly read through my documentation of my capsule for these two and a half months. You’ve read posts about my thoughts on the what I learned as I mixed and matched. Today I wanted to share my final thoughts on what I learned from that winter capsule.

·         I loved the colors I chose. I loved the blues, blacks, and whites with touches of gray and tan. They felt perfect for winter. I would choose them again in another winter season.

·         I loved almost all the pieces I chose for that winter capsule. There are a couple I put in the donate pile when I cleaned out the wardrobe, but the majority moved into the back of the closet to be pulled forward in another year.

·         I forgot how much adding scarves makes a big difference. I had two in my winter capsule and loved both of them. One was an infinity scarf and the other was knit.

·         The same is true for headbands. I loved adding them on bad hair days and/or when I just needed extra oomph.

·         I had no idea how many things I could add to a sweatshirt to change the look: layering shirts underneath, or adding scarves or vests.

·         Leather leggings are not for me. I ended up eliminating them early in the experiment.

·         I do like joggers – if they’re not made out of sweatpant material.

·         Glasses are a great accessory, and I should wear them more.

·         Sweaters and jackets over a dress change the look entirely – and I like it!

·         I missed having jammie days, but I felt more productive putting on real clothes every single day.

·         I’m ready for a new set of choices and new colors…and I have that with the spring set!

I still have three more pieces I’m looking for before I can show you my choices. But here is the full collage of all the outfits I made out of my pieces from January 1 to March 18. 

Spring Bucket List Ideas

 

It snowed at our house yesterday. I rather hope it was getting in one last hurrah, because today…we welcome spring. We welcome it with joy, open arms, and if we’re anywhere near a Dairy Queen, a free ice cream cone! (That realistically won’t happen, but a girl can dream!)

            But in the spirit of welcoming a new season, I thought it would be fun to do a little bucket-list dreaming for these next couple of months. What would we love to do with our spring if time permits?

1.       Put the bird feeders back outside. At the moment, we only have hummingbird feeders, but I have missed seeing them on their little hooks in the yard. We’ll wait until it gets a little warmer, but I am excited to see signs of outdoor life popping up around the house again, and this will be one of those signs!

2.       Go on a hike. We have some trails close to here that we haven’t traversed since the fall. It would be fun to take Lexi and head out on some explorations!

3.       Sunset coffee on the patio. We did have dinner outside on the patio one night last week. Now to have coffee in the rockers by the fire pit….

4.       Have a garage sale. It’s happening again this year! I didn’t know if we would have one, but we are, and I’m looking forward to it! (It’s possible I’m also looking forward to shopping at a few…)

5.       Final garden plans! I’ve been working on my garden plans all winter, but it’s time to finalize the plans and even buy the plants! (And not just the vegetable garden, but the flower garden too.)

6.       Open the windows. Did you know that Lexi is completely offended by opening windows? She doesn’t mind them once they are open, but something about the actual process of opening them is completely unacceptable. She barks ferociously. Guess what? I’m still going to open them.

7.       Go to the botanical garden. I don’t foresee this one actually happening, because I’m not sure when we would have time to do it, but I do love the botanical garden in Fort Wayne. We went a few years ago on our 100^th monthiversary, and I’d love to go back.

8.       Go for ice cream. I’ve been stalking the social media for my favorite ice cream place, hoping they’ll announce they’re opening. It’s been a long winter without them.

9.       Lemon dessert! I feel like spring has truly arrived when lemon bars or lemon cookies or lemon bread – or lemon something comes out of the oven. It’s a rite of passage, isn’t it?

10.   Solar eclipse fun! Our area is supposed to be prime viewing…and I think I’ll participate in the fun!

We’ll see how many of the items we get to check off the list. In the meantime…any items on your spring list?

Weekend Adventures

 

I am coming off a four day weekend, and it has been (almost) complete joy. Yesterday I told you about my day of writing on Friday, but there was so much more to the time off than that!

            Last Thursday, my first day off, I traveled out of town to speak at a luncheon. Ryan came home to check on Lexi partway through the day and sent me this picture of her saying hi to me. Isn’t she adorable?

            While I was passing through town, I met up with a couple of friends I hadn’t seen in years. I think I last saw one of them four years ago – and it might have been more like seven for the other. Two coffee dates – lots of catching up!

            And then…lunch! I didn’t have my photographer with me, so I didn’t get any pictures from speaking that day, but I did get a picture of the menu. Does that count?

            When I got home – tornado warnings exploded all around us. It was a scary night. Hiding in the shelter, trying to keep Lexi calm, hosting our neighbors so they could have a safe place…it was a lot of eventfulness in a short amount of time. The pictures from around us were so sad. So much damage!

            Friday was my writing day, and I already told you about that. Ryan had to work (very) late that night, so Lexi and I hung out at home and watched a pretty sunset.

            Saturday was Lexi’s grooming day, so while she went to that, I shopped for my capsule wardrobe. (Starting those clothes TODAY! So excited.) And her appointment took longer than usual, so Ryan and I grabbed a coffee date while we were out!

            We also had dinner with our small group on Saturday and went to see Aladdin at one of the high schools near us. I was happy to see I still know all the words to Friend Like Me. (Random things that take up space in my brain!)

            And then yesterday we had church and were home the rest of the day to enjoy time together before launching into another busy week!

            It was a good weekend. Can we figure out how to do three day work weeks regularly?

Sunday Sentiments: Delight

 

            I took Friday off work so I could write. I can’t remember the last time I took a vacation day from my day job just to have time to write! In truth, I usually spend evenings or weekends writing, but in this first quarter of the year, that just hasn’t been a possibility, so I took Friday.

            I have some spring speaking events coming up that either needed finished, tweaked, or (gulp!) started, so I took the day and set apart just for writing.

            Ryan went to work, I put on my “It’s a Good Day to Write” t-shirt, and out of all the times I have worn it this year, this time it really was my uniform.

            I kept the coffee flowing, settled in at my sit/stand desk, and moved Lexi’s bed next to me so she could be as close as possible. For eight straight hours, I prayed and typed and sorted through books for quotes and prayed and typed and sorted through books for quotes. I took short breaks for food and coffee, and that was it.

            Before launching into this day of writing, I told some friends how nervous I was that the creativity might fail me. Writing is an art and a mystery. At least for me, some days it flows and some days it really, really doesn’t. I had this one day off work, set aside for writing, and I didn’t have a back up plan. If the creativity didn’t flow, I didn’t know when I would write instead.

            I was so grateful when it showed up for me. I was so grateful to write. Smoke probably came out the side of my keyboard, because my fingers flew. 15,000 words in one day. (In case you’re curious, most professional writers write anywhere from 500-2500 in a day, apparently.)

            I was pretty exhausted toward the end, but I pushed through, determined to meet my goal of finishing the last piece on my list for that day. Then I headed to the couch and fell asleep for about a half hour.

            The whole day was an utter delight. I adored the things I learned while I wrote about them. I adored the word pictures I was able to craft. I adored the chance to simply sit and write. I have missed it so much.

            Writing probably doesn’t bring most of you the same level of joy it brings me, and that’s okay. But I hope you’re able to spend some quality time with whatever brings you sheer delight. It is so filling for the soul!

Saturday Suggestions: Inspiration for Your Weekend

 

Happy Saturday, friends! I have had the most beautiful last couple of days. I’ve been off work, speaking, visiting friends, writing, and thoroughly enjoying every moment of every day. (Well. Minus the tornadoes. That was a plot twist I could have done without.) I hope your days have been good ones! And here are some finds for your Saturday… 

ONE. Monday I told you about the hospitality basket I made. I had fun putting it together, and I know the majority of those partaking were guys who were probably quite happy with bags of chips and cookies. But if I had been putting together one with a better-for-you twist, here’s what I would have included: these flourless chocolate chip cookies, these breakfast bars, these snickerdoodles, these wonton chips, and these blueberry muffins! (I’m getting hungry just looking at all those recipes.)

TWO. Earlier this week, Gaylene asked about the song lyric card I framed in our spring décor. My sister picked up that set of 12 hymn lyric cards at a garage sale a couple of years ago, but I did find it online here! This is the exact set and you can still purchase it! (Thanks, Lori, for finding me a steal of a deal on price!) The cards are 5X7, so I just used a frame I already had and switch out the cards at the start of each month. Easy decoration! BONUS: While I was on the Magnolia site, I hunted through the sale items. Some cute stuff in there!

THREE. I’m still intrigued by the idea of taking a cross-country vacation by train. I love the idea of no traffic jams, not being the one to drive, and being able to walk around a bit in transit. I don’t love the idea of not being able to stop to explore on a whim.  I also don’t love the idea of missing out on things during the night. But this post was fun for learning more about how to travel into parts of the country we don’t normally get to see. (It’s also handy that we aren’t that far from Chicago, which is a good starting point!) Would you do it? Travel cross-country by train? BONUS: This post offers similar information in a different format, if you don’t like how it was presented in the first one.

FOUR. I think I blogged not long ago about how Ryan and I explored the idea of working at a Bed and Breakfast a few years ago. I started following the lodge online even though we didn’t go there, and they are doing what feels to me like a brilliant marketing idea this year. They’ve written a short story about guest staying at the lodge and her experiences exploring the area – and they are releasing a new chapter each month. A heads up…the theme of the story is about the legend of a bear in the area, and while I don’t believe in legendary bears, I love all the things I get to learn about the lodge and the area from reading the story. And I’ll be back each month to read the next segment!

FIVE. I have my Easter dress already and am so excited about that. This may be the earliest I’ve ever had it. (I think I bought it in January. WHAT!?) I don’t think Ryan has his Easter ensemble yet, so maybe thisone will inspire him. Fun ideas for how to coordinate as a family, using lots of different color schemes. Yes, I realize we only have to coordinate two of us – ha! – but it’s still a photo opp, so we need to figure it out. If you need some inspiration too, here you go!

SIX. Some great ideas here for sprucing up your home for spring. I confess we do not swap pillows and curtains seasonally, but I do love the ideas she shares even if we don’t do all the things! BONUS: I clicked on her link for thisupcycled spice rack turned propagation station…HOW CUTE is that?

I’m winding down my winter capsule wardrobe and hope to start utilizing the spring collection in the next week or so! It’s been more challenging to find new versions of mix and match, but I powered through another week! 😊

Saturday, March 09, 2024:

Sunday, March 10, 2024:

Monday, March 11, 2024:

Tuesday, March 12, 2024:

Wednesday, March 13, 2024:

Thursday, March 14, 2024:

Friday, March 15, 2024: