Anyways, I’d like to thank the following  incredible friends for making it possible with their talent, planning and organizing shoots, allowing me to participate in so many awe-inspiring editorial shoots and of course taking gorgeous photos.

HUGE, HUGE THANK YOUS GO TO:

Pond Photography

RJ Stills

Alea Lovely

Nick Allen Photo

Sweet Monday Photography

Jana Marie Photography

I started out talking about new endeavors. I’m on a few. A mission to move my little business forward, to advance my work, myself, my products and to improve in general everything that I do in regards to it. This has brought me to a place where I’ve had to, unintentionally, and now intentionally, re-evaluate what I’m creating, why I’m creating it and, really, how I’m doing with it all.

I never wrote a mission statement, or core values, when I (pretty much accidentally) started this business over a year and a half ago. I had it in my head, but never put pen to paper. I am usually too busy to think out the process, to plan and project much of anything. I prefer to dive in head first, take chances, maybe mess up, but to get GOING. And immediately. I have VERY little patience. (My husband and family could attest to that!)

Because of this propensity for head-longness into any and everything I can get my hands on, I truly realize the risk and potential error in this way of doing … everything. There is immense importance and value in taking the time to think about what it is you do, or should do, before you do it. Not only because it gives meaning and purpose to your work, but because without it, it’s very easy to get distracted, lost, over-committed and completely burnt out.

Luckily, I’m not burnt out. But I do often feel distracted and over-committed. So I’m taking the time to refocus my energy, if only here and now, on what it is I love about what I do. What I love about my work and why I continue to seek a more perfect expression of beauty in all that I do.
This is not a final, finished copy. This is a rough draft of me.
What are any of us but rough drafts? We are not the perfectly spiral bound, no bent pages, error-free edition. At least I’m not.
I’m marked up with notes in pencil, gel pens, highlighted passages and starred paragraphs. (This is what I do to books, by the way.)

I’m trying and failing all along the way…. and having a pretty good time of it.
I hope to always have a passion for my work the way I do on my best days. A love for it that defies a safe, reasonable cookie-cutterism and enters into the blessed state of creating that God so graciously bestowed on me. When I create with my own two hands, I know I am sharing in a bit of his goodness, be it ever so slight, and glorying in the beauty of all He has created. I feel a reflection of his glory in the acts of making, molding, restoring and discovering.

I love things that have a story, a life. Things that had a history before I met them. It could be an armoire at an Estate Sale off Johnson Drive that I see and connect with. Beneath the dim yellowy lights of a deceased person’s old dining room (rust orange shag carpet, white walls, dark brown trim) that hasn’t been dusted in 8 years, I see a gem. Something tells me there is more to this piece, despite the lackluster (and peeling) finish. There’s potential here. Value. Hidden beneath the years of neglect, spills and lack of polish. Beneath the scratches and dents left from years of the vacuum cleaner carelessly hitting the legs. The creaky door, the outdated hardware. I kind of love all of it. As it is. It’s so exciting to me to think I can have a part in this piece’s life, it’s history.
For you cynics reading and rolling your eyes… I know. I’m usually one of you. I realize I’m waxing romantic about a piece of wood, but for some reason, it’s more than a piece of wood to me. In it, I see myself. I see the shabby state I am in before God, and I delight that he allows me to experience just an ounce of the joy and love he feels for us, in cleaning something up a bit – giving it a new finish. Clearly the difference here is that He washes us from the inside out, and gives us a lot more than a paint job and some paste wax. He makes us new. Clean. Because he finds value in us, we are valuable. And we are transformed by this love that we did not earn and cannot afford.

When I try to encapsulate what it is I LOVE, like what I want to do no matter what the industry, time of day, or place I’m at, is make things beautiful. I don’t know how else to characterize it. I don’t mean in a shallow, surface way. But in a way that I think honors the Lord because I’m doing something I was created for. It resonates with my soul. I love things like that.

He’s a gracious God who gives us SO many unique avenues and endeavors to bring joy into our small, but seemingly large lives. So many ways to feel His intimate care for our hearts, to see how intentionally and thoughtfully he loves us. I love that the artistry of the Master, His creative passion, is what affords each of us so unique and different a story.

And I want to hear the stories. To read the pages of a life. To share in the beauty. To see in the pages of my own life a resounding theme. God’s goodness and glory.
I want to carry on His work of uncovering His beauty in the broken and re-imagining the possibilities.

So there’s page one of my rough draft.

Last night was the Second Annual Holiday Swing…. my first craft fair ever! It was put on by Brooke Payne of Hello Lovely Events, who did such a great job setting the scene for a joyful holiday event. Although I’ve been selling for a couple years at Good Company and on Etsy for a year and a half, I had not made my way into craft fair world yet. Verdict? It was SO FUN!

Though I will say lugging ALL your product, setting up and tearing down in 8 hours is quite the exercise! My feet are hating me today, but it was totally worth it.

Alexander Majors barn was the perfect venue for these craft vendors. Very cool space.

More than selling my wares, what I really enjoyed was meeting local Kansas City sellers who were all so creative in very different ways. I made some new friends, networked, got inspired and met my local Etsy colleagues. What could be more fun for a thriving young Etsy business?

My favorite part of the event was vendor trading at the end! I scored some sweet stuff from these ladies. Here’s what I got and some links to the shops where they came from.

Wild Juniper was at the Swing and I was so happy to meet these girls in person. I had looked at their Etsy earlier and loved what I saw, but their style and skill was even better in person! I had to get these two awesome head wraps. They are SO comfy and well made. My new favorites – I’ll definitely be collecting more in the future. Also scored this beautiful opal ring, which one of the girls designed based on her grandma whose name is Opal. Best of all, the girls at WJ are so sweet

Next I got this great chevron journal planner from Laura Hudson at Simply Paperie. I love it! The inside has so much space for writing on each date and notes, which often I am wanting more of in planners. It’s actually my first planner since college, so I’m excited to see how it helps me organize my crazy life. Thanks, Laura!

       I was lucky enough to get placed right next to Lindsey Nichols of the Curious Nickel. Besides realizing we were both Jayhawks and had so many connections in common, we loved each other’s stuff. Lucky for me, Lindsey wanted to do a trade so I got to snag this little beauty. It reminds me so much of colorful Colorado, especially our camping trip to Eaglesmere Lake this summer. I brought it to work with me so I can look at it in my gray cubicle. You HAVE to check out her Etsy, it’s got so much goodness in it. She also sells at Brocante Bliss in the West Bottoms on the first weekend of the month. I’ll definitely be checking out her furniture and jewelry one of these days!

My next find of the day was from Heather Baker at Paper Junkies. I love this sweet little tree. It’s the perfect fun, upcycled accessory for the season, and it makes me happy. Thanks, Heather!

Last, but not least, I got three great bars of Shea Butter Soap from Amathia Soapworks. This one smells amazing – just like Victoria Secret’s Lovespell!

I also loved meeting the makers behind MK’s Door Decor and The Object Enthusiast! And seeing again the ladies from Redesigning Women, who took my first Etsy class! Hope to see you two at Part two next semester

Thanks for a great first craft fair experience, everyone! And for the vendors who I mentioned my Etsy class in Kansas city  to, here’s the info:

You can actually download the book for FREE online here. How great!

This morning, I read several entries – one of which was the one on Psalm 27:14 – “Wait.”

I will share it here, because who can express Spurgeon’s thoughts better than he?

The psalmist says, ―Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.Wait, I say, on the LORD!‖ (Ps. 27:14). There is no real danger. You are safe while God lives,while Christ pleads, and while the Holy Spirit dwells in you.

Do not be fearful and unbelieving. ―Wait on the LORD; be of good courage. ‖ Wait on the Lord as a beggar waits for a handout. We have gone to God‘s door, knocked, waited, and obtained gracious answers. Wait, but knock as you wait. Knock, but with fervent pleading and strong confidence, for the Lord Himself waits to be gracious. Agonize in desire. Make the door of mercy resound again and again with your resolute blows. The Lord is good to those who wait on Him. He will answer you in due time, and you will never be sent away empty-handed. It is your Father‘s business to provide for you. His name is Jehovah Jireh.

It is your Father‘s business to preserve you. He has given His angels charge over you, to keepyou in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against astone (Ps. 91:11 – 12).

It is our Father‘s business to mark the future. Our eyes are dim.

We cannot see tomorrow. But our Father knows all about tomorrow, and He will be ready for whatever happens. Therefore, I wait on Him. I raise no questions. I expect great mercies. Blessed are you if you also wait on Him.

How beautiful a thought – that it is our Father’s business to preserve us. To know tomorrow. To hold us in our uncertainty and to comfort us in our hurting hearts. The places of our lives that have been ravaged by our sin and the sins of others. He knows all of this, and yet is sovereign and good. I know there are plenty of questions that are raised all the times about God’s goodness in the midst of evil and suffering. But I love the confidence and resoluteness with which Spurgeon places his whole heart in God’s care.

I want this to be the banner of my life, what people see when they look at how I have lived. I choose THIS to be the truth upon which I build my life’s ambitions and the hope of my heart – “Therefore, I wait on Him. I raise no questions. I expect great mercies.”

He used old floorboards we bought at ReStore for the top of the island. He used a planer to level and strip them down, laid them side by side, glue, nails, etc, etc… and trimmed the edge all the way around with wood.

My mom had 3 matching table legs and 1 non-matching leg, which we painted white, for the legs. It’s quirky, but I love it.

Here’s a better picture of the top of the island.

And then Joey made this awesome nautical-styled trunk – complete with rope accents and front handle. PS - This is currently for sale at Good Company for $120! It sold this weekend It had a great opening lid and everything. Would have been perfect coffee table/toy storage for a family.

Now, Joey’s latest creations are headboards! It started with the one he made for me for my birthday last year:

And NOW, more than a year after making me this headboard, Joey is at it again and has created a beautiful turquoise distressed wood headboard.

I’m so proud of him for pursuing his passion and learning what he didn’t know on his own. He’s built his tool repertoire up to what he needed to get the job done and has had so much interest in them on Etsy (and sold 2!)

Good job, babe. Welcome to the Etsy club

Had to have it, but didn’t love the plainness and worn-downness of the white. It had some ugly scrapes and scratches on it. Typically I love white, but when it’s cheap wood or a synthetic blend, sometimes white just makes it look cheap.

So I painted the inside of these shelves with some oops paint I got at Lowes for 50 cents and drybrushed the top. I also painted the front paneling of the door and added a new knob I bought at Hobby Lobby a while back for another project. It looks awesome – and totally different. It’s amazing what a little color can do.

My new craft room storage! Cute and functional.

Holy mother of pearl, these are good. I couldn’t wait for this pile of goodness to cool to cut granola bars out of… BRING IN THE SPOONS! HA!

Stumbled upon this pin when I was particularly hungry and already thinking, “Time for cereal…” So, two Boulevards in to my nice little quiet evening at home, I guess I decided cooking tipsy sounded like a great idea.

Um, glad I did! Because these are CRAZY good! And I feel semi-healthy given they have oats and honey! No artificial sweeteners (ahem, white chocolate chips do NOT count!)

You can find the recipe here. Seriously – Amazing.

Thanks to a super helpful post from my blog-life friend Ruthie Hart, my husband Joey and I were able to get started and successfully complete our chevron stripes!!

I am absolutely IN LOVE with our new, happier dining room. Check it!

Looking over my kitchen island made by my favorite (& only) husband:

Our Yellow & light gray chevron wall

Looking from the living room into the dining room and piano room/den – with my turquoise piano in the background.

Lamps are from Good Company. Buffet from my awesome friends Megan & Nick at Bella Patina in the West Bottoms of KC and the mirrors are family heirlooms.

Honestly, I would not have known where to start without Ruthie’s post, so if you plan to attempt a crazy feat like this one – look it up (OR follow the link above). I don’t have much to add to her thoughtful post, other than, when taping, make sure your tape “encloses” the dots you have drawn, so that when you paint your colored sections, the dots will be painted along with the wall. We made this slight oversight and ended up having to go back and literally erase all the dots of pencil and then touch up with gray paint. Whoooops. But that’s a small mistake in my book compared to how badly we could have messed up this complicated wall!! It did take a good 4 hours of drawing, dotting and taping, but I feel it was COMPLETELY WORTH IT! I’m looking at my happy yellow wall now, content with our hard work. And I love it.

On Sunday, I decided on the latter… only I couldn’t find a love seat that fit the bill. My budget for the love seat was $50, and the rest of the details I’d either borrow from other rooms or buy from my mom’s boutique, Good Company.

I have been scouring Craigslist daily and even emailed someone earlier today about a couch that looked very Pottery Barn-esque. But it was listed at $250 and I just didn’t want to spend that much on a couch for a porch or that may get rained on/wet, as the windows have screens all the time for the season.

So, today after work, I decided to pop by the thrift store on the off-chance they’d have the perfect love seat waiting for a new life.

And, Ta-da! They did. It doesn’t happen often, but when thrift stores deliver, everybody wins! I found this dirty little thing for $15!! I was so excited. This meant I had the money I’d need for a new slipcover It had stains and wasn’t very pretty, but the shape and bones were there.

I had already begun to put on the slipcover when I realized I didn't have a before picture.

The seat cushion had so many ugly stains I literally just cut the fabric off since I was slipcovering it anyways.

 
I bought a slipcover at Bed, Bath & Beyond, which was $59.99, but I had a $20 gift card left over from our wedding and so it really only cost me $40 (this is how my mind works.) I only went $5 over budget on the couch, and I’m totally fine with that. I got exactly the look I was envisioning!

Porch BEFORE

Screened-in Porch AFTER! It's still a work in progress. I still need a nice white table or trunk and more white accents. But the most important part is there! Now I can sit out there on my laptop and look out at the trees

Fresh lilac from my front yard and metal letters from Good Company this weekend

It was a gorgeous wedding – outdoors. Luckily, the rain held off and it went off without a hitch.

Also, my husband got a new job! He starts at the end of this month, so that’s exciting and new. Yet another transition period in our lives – added on top of getting married last year, moving back to Kansas and buying a house.

On that note, I’m going to do a photo update of the last couple months since life has been so full of goodness! This is the present we found on the counter when we moved into our new home! We moved in March 31 – I can’t believe it’s almost been two months.

The precious note they left us in the gift basket. It’s a nice quote from “It’s a Wonderful Life”:

A couple weeks ago Joey and I did a custom paint job for a friend on her grandmother’s old piano. Her grandmother had left it to her and it was in good condition, just a plain old brown. You might have seen my other piano repaint project, and this is what inspired my friend Allison to commission me to paint hers.  It was a beautiful short piano she wanted to breathe new life into. She and her husband love red so they requested red with antiqued dark brown dry-brushing. I think it turned out great!

We also did their desk and chair:

Aaaand the obligatory “we’re decorating” pic! I have some fun before/afters that I’ll post soon.

And then, my birthday trip to Colorado. Joey planned it out and tried to keep it a surprise as long as possible. He spilled the beans a couple days before we left. We stayed at Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. It was so good to see the fam. Here’s Joey with his mom. We had an incredible honeymoon suite at Hotel Colorado thanks to Joey’s family’s friends, the Storms.