i took this photo on my front porch. it makes me SO happy!

Wow y’all! I was on a blogging kick until I just…wasn’t. Oh well! Not gonna dwell on it! I’m just gonna jump right back in. I’ve found in the past that the best thing to get me back is just to write. And really, who doesn’t love a nice rambly post? Okay…probably lots of people. I was reading the other day how much people dislike blogs and how they can’t bring them to READ SO MUCH. And as a reader y’all know that made me really sad.

Well I’m going to write anyway. You won’t offend me if you skip over my paragraphs and think tl;dr to yourself. I’m just going to keep on keeping on and doing what brings me JOY.

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1. I’m so excited to be a guest teacher for May Flaum’s class True Story. In my portion of the class I share favorite all-time projects and talk about memory keeping. What it means to me, mistakes I’ve made in the past, what works for me now vs. what worked in the past, my creed and mantra, etc. I poured my heart into it a little bit and I I love how it turned out. If you’d like to register you can CLICK HERE. I’ll be giving away a spot on IG very soon, so make sure to follow there! Please let me know if you sign up!

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2. Y’all. I met my Goodreads Reading Goal last week! I read my 95th book of 2017 and I’m pretty proud of myself. I cannot get over how revolutionary 2017 has been for reading. Such an amazing year.

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3. Do you guys think this will be the year I actually complete a December Daily album? Hmmmm. Forget the memory keeping aspect, I’m just dying to use this gorgeous Jasmine Jones December Daily kit I bought!

 

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4. My sweet friend Elise has a new online class called Encouraging Creative Kids. She always inspires me so much with how she finds creative time for her and her girls. That’s something I REALLY need to work on. I’m enrolled in the class and hope to find some time this weekend to work through it. And TAKE NOTES. Honestly, I’m so lax in this department lately. Harper and Sadie will say “MOM! Remember when we did fun art all the time?”. Gahhhh I used to be so much more Pinteresting! I can’t wait to dig in and take some notes from the fabulous Elise. For more info, click HERE.

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5. I’m so happy to be creating regularly again. I’ve joined the creative team over at Studio Calico and I’m also their new planner coordinator. I’m running the planner IG and I will have some fun things coming up soon. I’d love for you to follow if you are so inclined! You can follow HERE. Let me know if you followed. I’d love to send one of you a little prize for supporting me! Just comment here and let me know your IG handle. I’ll send one or two of you some SC goodies.

Okay, that’s it for today. Kind of random and all over the place but I’m just happy I’m writing! I hope you have a beautiful and blessed week.

xoxo

S

This photo is of my “You Got This” big Happy Planner. Currently on sale!!

Hey you! Yes…YOU!

You are capable and strong and amazing and worthy and beautiful.

You are cherished and needed and important and enough.

If you are feeling lonely or sad or scared today, listen to me.

I see you.

You are capable of amazing things. 

 

Guys. I’m doing that thing again.

The thing where I look at Instagram and feel like a disaster.

 

You know what I mean. I see the flawless white homes, perfectly wavy Victoria’s Secret hair, and the sun flare.

I see the painted toes and the glossy lips and the perfectly accessorized children.

 

And I start to feel less than.

WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT ANYWAY?

 

I am 40 freaking years old. I’m not an insecure teenager. But man…she’s still in there and she still comes out. Nothing can lure her like a perfectly applied IG filter.
So let’s talk. Friend to friend.

 

This morning I stuck my hand deep into a poopy diaper. DEEP. Like two knuckles deep.

I spilled an entire container of salsa fresca on the kitchen floor. There were chunks ON THE CEILING.

I drove the girls to school in the shirt I slept in and no shoes.

I’m battling Cora over the binkie, Harper over social media, and myself over getting ready to move to Alaska.

I don’t like pumpkin spice lattes.

I’m not wearing makeup. I actually don’t wear makeup unless it’s a special occasion.

My hair is in a ponytail, as always, and I still have thinning spots and gaps.

I’m on my last day of prednisone and I am a speed-talking, speed-cleaning mess.

Cora watches Elmo on a YouTube loop sometimes. I don’t feel bad about this.

I have a load of clothes in the washer that I’ve restarted THREE times.

Harper referred to wings as “bird arms” this weekend. This concerns me.

I just lost a job I really loved and I’m having to make some changes and moves to replace the income. I needed the money- Northern VA with five kids is no joke.

I’m working hard to make my Thirty-One business succeed but I refuse to be agressive, insincere, pushy, or make people uncomfortable.

When Jimmy was out of town this weekend I made the deployment special. This is pasta. With butter. And chunks of ham. The lunch meat kind. We also ate “sister soup”. That’s ice cream with marshmallows, chocolate chips, sprinkles, and candy corn on top. And then I let them zap it in the microwave. And slurp it down.

I wear yoga pants every day. I have no fancy skin care regimen and I don’t get manicures.

I tried to take a fall picture this weekend and Cora ripped up my mums in the process.

I haven’t been to the gym in three weeks. Last time I went I ended up hiding and reading instead of going to class.

 

Does any of this make me better or worse than my beautiful IG friends? NO. No it doesn’t. I’m assuming that they aren’t that different from me. I bet they are hot messes too. It’s just hard to remember that when facing the perfect beauty. Many of those accounts are brands. I’m not a brand. Or if I am…it’s a unique brand. HA!

Does any of this have any bearing on my worth as a woman or a mother or a human? NO.

I also choose the pretty parts to show. That’s what we do, right?

No. I don’t want to see the proverbial poop or salsa or arguments on IG. But let’s talk about it more!

Never compare your insides to someone else’s outsides. 

So, tell me. How are YOU today? How are you truly? What are your struggles and insecurities and hidden disasters?

 

I’m not the only one…right?

 

xoxo

S

 

 

 

First of all. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I cannot possibly type it or say it enough. I was so blown away by the response guys. I honestly cry every time I think about it.

So to choose the winners I used a WordPress plugin that I’d never heard of and it made my life SO MUCH EASIER. Holy. Cow.

The plugin chose the winners. I went through and looked at which of the winners had specific requests (only TWO of them!!!) and then noted the two that wanted to donate their prizes.

Then I just went through and matched everyone up. Here’s a screenshot of the winners as chosen by the app (email addresses blurred out for privacy):

 

And here is how the winners paired up with the prizes. If you are unhappy with your prize (and I’m PRAYING you won’t be, because they are all amazingly generous), then just say pass and I’ll give it to someone else.

 

Renee Johnson- Illustrated Faith

Kim Thomas- Happy Planner

Margaret McGarry- Mary Kay Andrews book set

Barb Deichl- Online Card Classes class

Jeanne Boardman- Heidi Swapp

Alison Lacy- Amy Tan Watercolor Phrase to PDF

Rita (email-ronritaxxxx)- Studio Calico Kit

Michelle (email-yourphotographerxxx)- Get To Work Book Package

Christine H- donated Steals gift card

Sherried- Studio Calico Kit

Katie Bartlett- Studio Calico Kit

Keely- Book of the Month Club subscription

Kelly Ellenbecker- Studio Calico Kit

Suz Gray- Thirty One Gifts

Gretchen Klobucar- Carpe Diem Gift Set

Friend (email- roxannerxxxx) Donated Steals gift card

Lisa (email : lisad1000xxx)- Steals gift card

eliseg- Steals gift card

Lorena Walker- Steals gift card

Kathryn Reid- Ali Edwards digital package

Sandi (email-kitywinkxxx)- Online Card Classes class

Lisa Stein- Scrapbook and Cards Today subscription

Tanya Napier- Online Card Classes class

Barb Glasier- When God Made You signed book

Ann Johnson- Fringe Hours gift package

Susan (email-susanb7xxxx)- Cathy Z stamps and digital books

Ann Anderson- Kelly Purkey set