Having the Best Time!

 (Insert a photo of my happy laptop on a table at the coffee shop.  Sorry, I completely forgot to document the moment!)

Hi Friends!

I just had to write.  Today I started what I hope will become a regular routine for me on Saturday mornings.  I got up and hung out with the fam until Lily went down for her morning nap and then I packed up my laptop and headed out (gasp!) to a coffee shop to read some blogs and do some writing. (double gasp!)  It has been divine!  I love my husband so much for encouraging me to take this time for myself and it has been even more re-charging and energizing than I had even dared dream.  I'm sure that sounds dramatic, but it is true.

I like to have time to myself and well, with a little one around and weekends packed with activities it is just near impossible to get a good couple of hours completely to myself (let alone out of the house) where I don't feel like I should be doing something else before I sit down to enjoy my time (ie. laundry, cleaning, making the bed, picking up toys, doing dishes etc.)  So this morning's time has been an absolute gift and I'm feeling rather giddy!

I have spent some time catching up on some blog reading which is a luxury of mine that is easily neglected in the hustle and bustle of the day.  But today, I have had time to read, weep, be reminded, be encouraged, be delighted and inspired by so many of my "friends" in blogland that I just feel so excited.  It has been so much fun to see what people have been up to that I was encouraged to tinker with Lassoing a bit and give it some updates.  I still plan to have it professionally re-designed, but I have not yet contacted the designer to get things going in that area...so, I just did a few tweaks myself.  Needless to say, it is a work in progress!  (Just like me!  Haha)

One of the things I'm most excited about is my new addition of the blogroll on the right hand side of the blog.  I know most blogs have this feature on them, but for whatever reason, I have not added it here until now despite my love for blogs and blogging!  So I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to some of these amazing bloggers/blogs that you may or may not know and share a little bit about why I love them.  (Note, this is just a mere scratch on the surface of the blogs on my reader, so this will be a list that I continue to add to as time goes by).  It will be fun to introduce you to some of my "friends!"

(In no particular order...)

A Holy Experience- This is Ann Voskamp's amazing blog.  You have heard me sing her praises here before about her incredible book, One Thousand Gifts.  Her blog is beautiful, her photos georgeous, and her writing poetic, raw and insightful.


(In)Courage- This was my first blog that I fell in love with and got me hooked on blogging.  It was started by a community of incredible women who love the Lord and who also love blogging and writing and encouraging other women in their own journeys, faith, marriages and growth.  Sometimes it feels hard to stay caught up with this one because they have multiple posts a day by many different writers, but it's because of the many different writers that I have found several other blogs that I love as well.  They typically link the writers to their own blogs so if you find a blogger whose post you love on (In)Courage, it is easy to find their blog and read more of their writing or story.  I have never checked this blog and not come away touched, inspired or encouraged.  It is one I recommend over and over again to friends of mine who are looking for new blogs to discover.

Chatting at the Sky- This was one I discovered thanks to (In)Courage.  Emily's writing is simply beautiful and I love that she approaches writing as art.  It is easy to forget that writing is a gift and something to be nurtured, developed, encouraged and grown.  She reminds me that it takes courage to stop and process what the eyes see into words of the heart.  I really admire her and am grateful to her for her authenticity in so many of her posts.  Her writing has spoken directly to my heart and into my own journey of pushing into fear toward developing into the woman God is calling me to become. 


The Lettered Cottage- My hubby sent me a link to this one that he discovered while reading the WSJ one day long ago.  Not only does this blog feed my love of house design, possibility and all things home decor on a budget, but Kevin and Layla's blog also about photography, inspiration, taking risks, courageously pursuing dreams, and developing your heart and spirit along the way.  They are positive, funny, authentic and real.  Their blog is one I always check whenever I get a chance.

Kelly Rae Roberts-  Those of you who know me well, know of my love for KRR's art.  I seem to have some of her art in nearly every room in our house! It's a little bit crazy, but not really once you see  how awesome it is.  Her creative spirit is so inspiring to me- a non artist.  She creates pieces that are inspiring, encouraging and uplifting not to mention beautiful.  I have been reading her blog since before she made it big commercially and she has remained true to herself, her work, her family and the struggle of the journey the entire time.  She is genuine and she is lovely and she is real when she writes about the difficulty of balancing work, motherhood, creativity and real life.  I had to take a break from her blog for awhile when she had her little boy. It felt very raw to me to read about her adjusting to new motherhood of a sweet little son so close after I lost my own, but I have since gone back and gotten caught up on her life and was simply reminded of how much I admire her authenticity and her zest for life.  She is a wonderful writer and artist and I could not be a bigger fan.


My Pink Life- This is Aimee's blog.  I do not know Aimee in real life (nor do I know any of these bloggers for that matter!) but hers is a blog that I love to read on a regular basis.  She is a stay at home mother of three, she has a creative streak a mile wide and her blog is one that is a lot of fun.  She also lives near some killer thrift stores and has a fun sense of style.

Miss Mustard Seed- Hers is a blog that I discovered about a year and a half ago.  I do not remember how I found it, but I love to check in on her latest creations.  She posts nearly every day (I do not know how she does it all) and she has an amazing ability to transform mundane (sometimes ugly) pieces of furniture into beautiful pieces that anyone would love to have in their homes.  She is great about how-tos and video tutorials and I enjoy her never ending creativity and vision.  Hers is a blog that I love to look at for eye candy purposes and with the thought in the back of my head saying, "Hmmm...maybe I could do that!"  (I do not pretend that it would be easy, but she makes it look possible.)  She has great staging and styling posts as well as some good info about photography in the home.  Her blog makes me anxious to get our stuff out of storage so I too can begin arranging my pretty things all over our house again and work on my own photography skills!

ShutterSisters- This is another community of women who love blogging and photography (two of my loves).  I do not check this one all the time, but whenever I am feeling low on inspiration or ideas I check in here and am blown away by the talent and spirit of community I find here.  I have found many other wonderful blogs from this one as well.  They are always good about linking the writers to their own blogs for further discovery and connection.  I am always in awe of how much creative talent there is out there in the world and how cool it is that all of these amazing women have connected via the internet to form such a welcoming, encouraging community.  Check it out if you are looking for inspiration and beauty.

Living Proof Ministry- Beth Moore has long been my hands down favorite bible study teacher for years.  I consider her to be one of my life mentors.  Her dedication to Jesus and relentless pursuit to bring women closer to him through the study of his Word is just awesome.  If you have not had the joy of sitting under her teaching, do not miss a chance if one presents itself...whether it is through one of her bible studies, a book she has written or a chance to hear her speak in person.  A couple of years ago, she started a blog and I LOVE reading it because she writes like she talks.  She is energetic, genuine, dedicated to Christ and so, so wise.  She writes her blog like she is writing an email to her dear friends...and she includes YOU in that category!  It is fun to read because you just feel like you are sitting across the table from her listening to her as you read.  She is one of my heroes to be sure.

Hooked on Houses- This blog is packed full of house-love-eye-candy.  It is one of my favorites to just peruse when I have a few minutes. She lists real estate listings from all over the world, celebrity homes, her own home, movie homes...her blog is awesome if you have even the tiniest interest in peeking inside beautiful homes.

There are so many amazing blogs out there- it was so much fun for me today to take some time and tell you about these as they have all been bright spots in my day and life in recent years.  My apologies if I have mentioned these all to you before, but I just love these gals and they are always bright spots in my day so I wanted to make sure you knew about them too.  There are so many more that I love and I look forward to introducing you to many more in the months to come. I hope you enjoy checking out their blogs as much as I do!

I am going to sign off for now- my laptop battery is almost out, my coffee is now cold, my hubby sent me a text a while ago saying that Lily is up back at home ready for lunch and there is a loud talker over my shoulder (about age 60) who enjoys using profanity every other word.  (Really? Yes, Really.)  So in effort to preserve my positive state of mind and level of energy, I'm going to sign off and head home to some toothless smiles and big hugs.  

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!