Hey Dad, It's Your Birthday.

I once heard someone say that the heart of a dad is nature's masterpiece. Perhaps the curiosity and sense of independence they instill in their little one's is a mirror image of what we were created for--a sense of wonder in this world, and the urge to go out and explore it. Today is my dad's birthday. I haven't seen him in quite some time, but as his one and only daughter, and he my dad (no matter the distance), I thought it only fitting to thank him for those things that made me who I am. The parts which are very much him, are very much me too:

Garden Fresh Basil Pesto

That garden we planted last Spring? Well, the harvest has been a struggle, to say the least. With the heat, and the rain, then the heat, and then the rain again--the unpredictable weather has taken a toll on all chances of getting peppers and cucumbers--yet basil? Basil thrives.  It grows so fast and full that I cannot keep up, as you may have seen here. When we were in California last month, I was talking to Matt's aunt who loves gardening, and she suggested making pesto with all that basil. One, you can freeze it and save it for pizza making, garlic bread spreading, and pasta sauce. Two, who doesn't love garden fresh basil? This isn't ever going to be a cooking blog, but because I've invested in sharing my green thumb aspirations with you and the very start of this garden of ours, I only see it fitting to share about the bounty my garden yields. So, besides the two juicy tomatoes and peanut sized red pepper? Pesto. It yields pesto (woohoo!).

As We Stood There | Love Yourself Linkup

With only a backpack full of what she needed for the day, one pair of shoes, one jacket, and a routine of signing up for a bed each morning with hopes her name will be picked for that night's shelter, she said to me, "I don't fear anything. I only sometimes worry. I know my Lord will take care of me."

Those profound words from a homeless woman, and not just a woman without a home but a woman with courage to wake up every day and live her life with the mindset that she has no fear, that she will be taken care of, and that she won't be stuck in a place of homelessness forever--well those words stopped me in my tracks. Because here I am, with more shoes than I have room for, a jacket for any and every occasion, and a routine of crawling into my very own bed each night, roof over my head, and the choice to even fall asleep on my cozy couch if I'd like--and yet I find myself worrying, or feeling anxious about things, and forgetting that my Lord will take care of me. 

And as we stood there talking, about what life is like for her being a woman with no home, a woman with no job, and how she has been needing shelter for about two weeks now (but that it hasn't always been this way); this woman who to the passer-by might seem like she doesn't have it together, like she needs to figure it out and get back on the grid or else she is not worth the time--well let me say something about this woman: She seems to get life more than I do, most days. She gets that we pass through valleys just as much as we stand a top mountains. She knows that possessions are just things of this world. She believes that she is intelligent, and worth it. She doesn't fear (or let them triumph) and only sometimes worries.

As she looked at me, asking about my life, I could hardly respond. As I've been having ups and downs with anxiety and panic, which could easily be related to fear about the unknown or fear of lacking control, her words could not have spoken greater volumes to my heart. I wanted to just say thank you. Thank you for being brave when sleeping like sardines in a room with 50 other woman. Thank you for teaching me what it looks like to love yourself even without a home, without a shower to feel clean, without a space to call your own--with unknowns in your life. Thank you for not letting fear grab ahold, or triumph. Thank you for loving yourself even with one pair of shoes, one jacket, and a routine where getting a bed each night is determined by the drawing of your name. I wanted to just say thank you, because as I drove off into my Monday morning, after a night at the shelter, her words stuck, and linger still--words that remind me to love myself, worry less, and know that my Lord will take care of me.

Have you been reminded unexpectedly to love yourself this week?

Photo via Pinterest

The In-Law Relationship | Darling Magazine

Last month I wrote a piece for Darling Magazine online which was all about the in-law relationship, and how to break the stigma that is so often associated with the word. You can read the article in full over at Darling Magazine here and browse through the amazing new sight revamp that was just launched last week in celebration of Darling turning one (also, a really fun photo recap of their anniversary party at Anthropologie! ).

There is this stigma that can too often be placed on the in-law relationship. Our world tells the dating and the newlywed—to beware!—that getting married to the one you love also means a commitment to an entire family photo album’s worth of individuals. It tells those who are married that in-laws are here to stay, so get along, stick that smile on your face, you’re stuck whether you like it or not. So what about this stigma? Yes, in-laws are here to stay, and marriage does mean a commitment to your spouse’s family—but to everything else this stigma drags in, I think our world is wrong. Why do we have to beware? Why do we have to choose wisely on the premise of in-laws? Why is it a negative thing that they are here to stay, and what if I want that? Can we not go into our in-law relationships with an unbiased outlook and an open heart, with grace and without preconceived notions? Clearly, the stigma and attitude surrounding the in-law relationship is flawed. It causes walls to build up before we even allow ourselves to be known, our in-laws to be understood, and a relationship to bud—or even flourish.

Meet Christina of Tide and Bloom

It was through Anne's Tuesday Love Yourself Linkup that I cam across Tide and bloom. Christina had been writing about her decision to pursue art as a career, something that went against the grain in her world, and this immediately caught my heart's attention as I myself was going through "against the grain" notions in my own career path. Since first meandering over to Christina's space, I have loved getting to see bits from her sketch book (i.e.. here, and this one here), continuing to hear about the journey in finding herself as an artist and individual, and reading the lovely features she does of other creatives. To top it off, she is so humble and sweet, real and honest, and builds community within her blog.

Meet Christina:

 "At the core of my being, I am an artist. I’ve always had the inexplicable urge to create things and art class was hands-down my favorite part of school at every stage in my life. Now that I’m older and maybe just a tad wiser, I realized that this is never going to go away because I always come back to beauty. It’s what I want more than anything, in everything I do. So instead of trying to fit myself into the professional career box, I decided to accept my fate and pursue it with all the dedication that I would give to any other opportunity."

About Tide and Bloom: 

"Beginning this blog went hand in hand with the decision to get back into making artwork. The words “tide” and “bloom” made sense to me as a description for the constant ebb, flow, and growth we all experience in our day-to-day lives. It is this push, this instinctual desire to move forward, that has brought me here. Tide & bloom is a space to share and inspire creativity, in all forms that reveal themselves to me and you. I’m most inspired by natural wonders, culinary delights, thoughtful films, charming abodes, and of course other creative individuals. It’s my hope that reading this will be like reading letters from a dear friend or colleague and that it might motivate you to seek beauty in your own life and pursue the dreams you didn’t think possible."

Noteworthy Pieces:

Dear Me

The Value of Your Work

Chocolate Fixes Everything

Your Invited

Creative Matters

photos via Tide & Bloom

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In this mini-series you'll get to meet the ladies behind a few of my favorite blogs, and hopefully spend some time exploring their creative spaces, reading their inspiring words, and feeling like you just sat down for coffee with a dear friend. You can read more about the features here.

Meet | A Blogger Feature {mini-series}

One aspect about writing and blogging alike, is that your path crosses with other talented individuals whose writing and work impact you just so, that you keep going back for more. Whether you go back to their blog to be wowed by their latest project or to continue along their story, every reader has their niche. When I first started venturing into the world of html and Blogspot endeavors, I would often find myself scrolling through design spaces, do it yourself havens, and fashion sites--and fell in love with all things "design" when it came to blogging. But as I have matured as a blogger and writer over this past year, what I continue to find is myself being drawn into the creative spaces of those individuals whose writing has so much more depth. A depth that is authentic, real, and honest. A blog space that makes me come back to read more because they are true to themselves, true to tell their unique story, and all very much their own. 

Without truly knowing the full extent of it, the blog spaces that I visit influence my very own writing and creative ventures. So perhaps I owe a thank you to these ladies! As a blogger, I want to surround myself with other writers who take pen to paper, or fingers to keystroke, about those things that lift up, inspire, and cause others to search for something deeper within themselves--just as I want to do the same with a community of friends in all aspects of life. How thankful I am to have that when I visit these blogs: 

Anne The Adventurer

Crazy Bananas

The Lipstick Gospel

Thoughts By Natalie

Tide and Bloom

Sand in My Toes

Over the next few weeks, I want you to meet these ladies. The ones who make me want to read more of their story, see more of their style, and hear more of their honest and true words. Its funny, because I hardly know them from in person interactions, but I feel like I know so much about who they are from what they've been open to write about. So I hope you'll take the time to meet them, explore their space, and read a few of my favorite pieces of theirs. Get excited!

Drawer Pull Tease

When I first decided to redo Matt's tall dresser, the snow came. The second time I bought the materials to strip and sand it, the rain arrived. And now with my third plans to get this dresser done, the 100 year storm turned Colorado upside down for a bit. So, I'm not sure exactly when this dresser will be done, but for now the pretty pulls I bought over a year ago are really just a tease until that diy day finally arrives.