Terrariums, Succulents, & Soil, oh my!

Photo taken at the Valverde Bazaar in Denver. (Note to Self: Make a vertical planter.)

Ever since our trip to Buenos Aires, and stumbling upon the table overflowing with succulents at the open air market (see: here), I cannot help but feel enchanted by these little plants. Add terrariums into the mix, and I am just a goner! Just in case you too can't get enough of succulents and terrariums, both outdoors and in, here are some favorites I've bookmarked from around the interwebs:

More On That "Joy Stealing" Business

One way I've shared that I am living more simply, is by taking time in my otherwise brimming day to read.  (You can read more about that here). When I first set out to do this, novels and fiction were mostly on my mind. Its interesting though, that now as I've taken time in my day to read, I find myself enjoying the newspaper, magazines, my devotional, and authentic conversation on blogs more than I ever have. Its quite possible that the goal of reading actually has taken a cultivating in my heart, to teach me how to slow down. Something, that if you ask Matt, I have a hard time with.

I say I have a difficult time with slowing down. In that same sentence I could add, "a lack of understanding true solitude". Can you relate? Time and time again, I measure the success of my day by the length and completion of my to-do list. I find myself feeling rushed, pressured, all by my own doing, to have every box checked neatly. Then, repeat the following day. As I just wrote on how words and comparison often robs us of our joy in the realm of body and self image, I have also experienced my to-do list robbing me of that very same life-giving joy. The joy that comes with taking in the simple things. The joy that comes with slowing down. The joy that comes with being available to those around us. The joy that's left waiting while we finish our "to-dos".

I by no means am writing that a to-do list is a negative thing. In fact, being organized and on top of the daily tasks can leave more room to take time and enjoy those simple things. But there is a difference that can be seen in the heart of the person, the task completer. Where I can often find my heart, and my mind, is caught up with everything that I have on my plate that day, and I forget to smell the roses--as cliché as this sounds. I miss out on moments of simplicity.

This 'joy-stealing' business, I am done with. And thankfully, God is teaching me how to be more mindful and prayerful, in turn cultivating my heart to seek solitude rather than cringe at the thought of how it might make it challenging to check of my boxes for the day. Reading has helped with that. Books have become a place of recovery for my otherwise task-minded default. I am learning how to find joy and happiness in the simple small moments, rather than joy solely from how I've measured up to my tasks for the day (although, how satisfying it does feel to check scrubbing the bathtub off that list!).

Photograph taken along the California Coast, by me, when taking a moment to find joy in the simplest of things.

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Below are a few articles on being still, taking time, and simplicity--to start your day this Thursday:

• Thoughts By Natalie | Just Breathe
• Darling Magazine | What You See is What You Get
• Anne the Adventurer | My Self Care Bag
• Going Home To Roost | Simple Living Inspiration
• On Books And Taking Time | Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up

What will I remember?

I am writing today as part of the Love Yourself Linkup--an ongoing series that will focus on topics such as self image and body image. Writers, bloggers, and women alike will talk about our thoughts on these subjects, tell stories of our personal experience, share what has inspired us, challenged us, and more. Learn more over at Ann the Adventurer. You can join the conversation by clicking "click to enter" below.

I remember always being the taller one. The one with knocked knees. The girl with oily skin and a temperamental complexion. The girl with a smaller bust and broader shoulders. I never wanted to be the girl who looked in the mirror and noticed these things. But I was, and I did notice.

When I look back at photos of myself, as a teenager and younger woman, I see beauty. The knocked knees, blemishes, and athletic body aren't what stand out-- I see a younger me, with big blue eyes, a swimmers physic, and the world in front of her. So why is it that my memory of myself during that time in my life, is far different from what I see in photographs?

Words said once, that tear a part with their sting, stick with us. Yet words sweet as honey, said over and over that build up, we often forget. I clinged to what others said about me. As an insecure younger girl, words made lasting impressions. But unfortunately, words that broke me down are what I remember most. Comments I heard about myself, often in the context of comparison and often unrealized by the person saying them, are what I began to internalize, and believe as truth in my heart. 

I can remember going to Macy's with a friend in high school. We went to one of the cosmetic counters and the sales woman wanted to try every type of lotion, powder, and rouge on my friend. "You have model skin!" she said. But what the saleswoman did not know, nor my friend, was that as I stood there, with a blemish concealed, nothing was said about my skin. Nothing was tried on my complexion. In my heart, I was not desired in that moment. And that stuck with me, mistaken as truth--that my skin was not pretty enough. (And yes, the fact that I still remember this IS crazy!)

When I look at photographs of myself from that time of growth as a young woman, when I was beginning to make sense of the world and who I am in it, I cannot help but ask myself: What comparison, lies, and words still hold me back from feeling beautiful today? Right now? When I think of being 15, 16, 17 years old, I remember feeling flat chested, face spotted, and not pretty to the standards of the world. But in reality, I was beautiful. How sad my heart feels for that younger me who was robbed of joy at times because of words and comparison.

And now, at 27, my skin is clearer but not perfect. I still have broad shoulders, but I am a darn fast swimmer. Yes I am small chested, but hey I like that about me. I am tall, but my husband is 6'3". And I will always have knock knees, but so did my grandmother, so I am reminded that she is a part of me. And yes I still have insecurities about all of this, but I know that how I felt about myself as a younger girl masks truth and spotlights lies--something that still continues to be broken down even now. So yes, it is a process.

Ten years from now, when I look at a photo of myself in my mid-twenties and I think about who I was  and what I believed to be true about myself--what will I remember? Will I remember feeling confident, creative, healthy, kind, and pretty when I look and see my big blue eyes looking back at me in a photograph? Will I remember feeling beautifully me, free of joy stealing comparisons and words that tear and break? The reality: probably not completely. Like I said, it is a process. But I make a vow to dwell on the words that build up. A vow to seek truth from Scripture and to strive to see myself as my God sees me. And to internalize truth, throwing lies to the wayside.

Photo taken in Evergreen, Colorado last summer on one of the hottest days ever. 

Darling Magazine | Mi Querido, Mon Cher, My Beloved Buenos Aires

 "From its metropolitan streets and epicenter of trade, politics, and business, to its quaint neighborhoods filled with Parisian architecture, cafes and cobblestone streets, to its vibrantly colored 'caminitos' echoing accordion notes, tango twirls, and artisan flare—Buenos Aires is a city so full of diversity and life that it cannot be missed as a destination perfect for any so-desiring world traveler." read more at Darling Magazine...

You can read my latest travel article Mi Querido, Mon Cher, My Beloved Buenos Aires over at Darling Magazine Online (and enjoy more photographs from the trip, below!). If you are in need of travel and adventure today, explore Rome, Machu Pichu, Amsterdam, or Playa Del Carmen --a few more travel pieces for your heart full of wanderlust. 

Rusty Metal ABCs

I felt like Mike and Frank from American Pickers as I came across this vendor at the Outdoor Pop Up Market on Saturday. A serious pot of gold, in the form of rusty metal and peeling paint. Some old signage letters, and others vintage scrap metal reclaimed and upcycled--oh the ways they could be incorporated into the home! Are't they a junkyard dream?

Minty Sea-foam Little Bathroom

I've been moving around a few pieces of art in the house to change things up a bit. I am so glad I moved the thrifted Van Gogh print, because the Irises' seem to fit perfectly in the void space above the storage shelf, pulling everything together in this teeny tiny bathroom of ours.

Chevron Kitchen Mat

Is it not the best when an unfortunate event turns into a wonderful mishap? In English class, a wonderful mishap would be an oxymoron, but when playing around with paint it can turn into the perfect accident. 

When I was painting our barstools paint dripped onto the kitchen floor mat, and it was not cleanable by the time I noticed. Ooops! I hadn't jumped on the chevron bandwagon in any design sense, so to please Jonathan Adler I decided to seize the opportunity and give the paint dripping rug a chevron pattern. Since this diy chevron rug has been all over Pinterest for the past year, I don't need to give you the detail how to. So, here is it in a nutshell: