Reflecting on 2022 and Embracing 2023

In some ways 2022 felt awesome and in some it felt like a bust. So I've been trying to think on the things I'm proud about 2022.

• Budgeting | After getting ourselves into a major financial pickle, I decided to change how we handle finances. Now I do weekly budgeting and bills. I cried a lot at first, but it's gotten easier. (But no more enjoyable, let me tell you what.) We're finally out of the red and in the process of rebuilding our emergency fund. We also worked really hard to fund our mission trip to Singapore and Malaysia, and God truly provided. I will continue weekly budgeting, building our emergency fund, and working on some new financial goals, along with raising funds for another Singapore/Malaysia trip in December.
• Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping | This is still a work in progress, but I feel like I've come a long way this year. Due to having a grocery budget, I have to be more mindful in my grocery purchases, which means I have to plan more. I'm not a natural planner, so this isn't the easiest thing for me, but it's getting easier. I'm realizing I need to handle things the way they work for me... not how someone else does it. This has given me freedom. I don't meal plan or shop perfectly, but it works for me, and that's good enough. 
• Reading my Bible | I found a plan that works for me, so that's what I do every year. (The one year I tried to do something different was awful! ha!) I was very happy to read my Bible through in 2022.
• Crafting | This year I started and completed four quilts for friends and family: Julianne and Sarah got wedding quilts and my grandparents got quilts for Christmas. I know I made some dresses, too, but the only one on the top of my head is the yellow one I made before we went to North Carolina. I did a lot of sewing and I really enjoyed it.
• Reading | I read 43 books this year. In 2021 I read 100 (a bucket list item for me). While it was doable, it was difficult and cut into time for other things. I averaged my books read per year for the last 10 years (I've been on Goodreads keeping up with my books read for that long) and the average was 40, so that was my 2022 goal. Super doable without having to try too hard.

This year I want to focus more on habits and less on goals. 

Habits I want to continue in 2023:

• Budgeting
• Grocery planning
• Daily Bible reading, devotion, and Jesus time - I purchased a new Bible! It's the same daily reading Bible I've used for 15 years (my copy is a little worse for wear) but it has room for journaling! It should come in today!
• Reading - This year's goal is 45 books. I also got some new earbuds so I'd like to listen to more audiobooks while I sew (if this bodes well, I'll raise my goal to 50)

Habits I want to create in 2023:

• Move more: Be it walking or yoga, I want to incorporate moving 3x per week. I've realized it's less about an end goal and more about reminding myself today why I should move today. I always feel better after stretching or walking. 
• Turn Sunday into Sabbath by incorporating these things:
• Weekly devotion and prayer time with Casey
• review Wednesday night kids' lesson
• choose a Christian book for Sunday reading
• Gather verses for a "take what you need" instagram story to encourage others
• No social media once I return home from church
• Home: I'd like to work on some house cleaning habits, but I don't know what that looks like yet, so I'm still thinking on it.

I know I've been talking habits, but I do have some crafting goals for the year. This year, I plan to make some quilts for others, but also finish some I'm making for myself. I only have one quilt I've made and I often wish I had a few more. I plan to finish and/or start:

• Fresh as a Daisy (I think I'm about halfway through the blocks)
• Picnic in the park (also probably about halfway)
• t-shirt quilt (haven't started, but want to finish in time to take to SALT in June)
• Summer Pop by Lo and Behold (I purchased the kit when it went on sale--would also love to have this one for summer)
• The tops for the following are done so they just need to be quilted:
• Eye Spy
• Scrappy Summer Quilt Along
• Vintage top I thrifted
• the Happy quilt (pink and yellow patchwork)
• bed quilt (which I accidentally made too big so some of it needs to be removed)

Another exciting thing for 2023: We are starting the adoption process! We've always known we wanted to adopt children, and it feels like the right time to start the process. I'll be looking into enrolling us into an orientation class for foster to adopt soon. I know this process will likely be a long one, but we are excited to start this journey.

Joy - My Word for 2023

It's already 2023. Goodness. We are living in the future.

I've been reflecting on the past year, as one does come new year.

Honestly, 2022 had a lot of suckiness. I dealt with a lot of personal stuff that felt crippling at times. And honestly... a lot of it is still there. Which kind of sucks going into a new year. Sometimes it's hard to see the bright side of things. But the word God has been impressing upon my heart again and again since June is "joy." The irony. Joy is my name.

The other day I was reflecting on this word. Why joy? I also realized that the last six months have been some of my hardest. Maybe God was reminding me that having joy isn't reliant upon my situation.

Just a few months ago, a friend told me, "Joy is knowing you're secure in His hands when everything is going haywire."

Maybe this is the message God was trying to get across to me. Things may be haywire. I may cry more than I wish I did. But I can still find joy in Christ because He's still with me and He will never forsake me. 

This year I want to focus more on God and less on my problems. To remember I can still find joy in the trials. To remember my situation doesn't determine how big my God is.

Fall Feels

It is supposedly fall but Louisiana did not get the memo. The weather app says it is 82 and feels like 85 but I think that's a lie. It feels way hotter outside. The cats are mad at me because I refuse to open the window--they LOVE sitting in the windowsill--but it's just too hot. 

I thought it would be cute and fun to do a post where I share my photos that feel like fall. But... I only have like 5. Because it does not feel like fall. 

Still, I've had a soup on the menu every week for the past month. Tonight I'm making homemade chicken noodle soup. Next week is chili. Casey says that it's supposed to get down to 40 next week. We shall see.

Anyways, here's my fall photos. Maybe it will finally feel like fall in December. Except we'll be in Singapore in December and its summer year-round there. Guess I won't pack away my sandals.

We love to make a seasonal bucket list! We had a date night at a local coffee shop and made our fall list.

First day of fall tradition: build a scarecrow! We were sweating.

These things can be found at Walmart and I'm obsessed.

The reality of the scarecrow. The cats decapitate Christian Bale daily. 

Just finished some Pumpkin Spice Cookies today!

I started making this pinafore two years ago and was soooo excited about it. But I wasn't feeling it as I worked on it. Pulled it back out again this year, decided I like it, and hemmed it. 

I'm a Little Tea Cup

My favorite restaurant is The English Tea Room. It feels fancy, but comfortable. Every reservation is for two hours, and it’s delightful to sit and enjoy the experience without feeling rushed. They have over 260 varieties of teas (varieTEAS?) and, though I’ve been many times, I’ve only sampled a portion of their menu.

At your table you will find a tea cup and teaspoon at each seat and a bowl of white and brown sugar cubes in the center of the table with a tiny, delicate pair of tongs. Your server will ask which tea you want and offer suggestions (which is a relief, because 260 teas is a lot to choose from). Once you’ve decided, they will make your tea and bring it to you piping hot in a small teapot that holds about three tea cups-worth of your selection of tea, along with your choice of milk or cream (I always choose cream).

Every time, it’s a beautiful moment when you pour your tea from your own little teapot into your dainty tea cup, add a sugar cube (or two… or three… I won’t judge) and a spot of cream, then take your first sip. Ah. This is what tea is supposed to be like.

Now I’ll be the first to admit, I can be a bit clumsy. But, oh, when I’m holding that tea cup I try to use gentle, yet strong hands so I won’t spill. I’m holding precious contents, after all. I do love my tea, and I sure don’t want to break the beautiful tea cup. I want to make sure it’s well taken care of and safe.

I, too, am a tea cup. I’m beautifully made. I’m fragile and can be broken. I need to be washed clean, especially on the inside when I get nasty. (nasTEA? Okay, I'll stop now.)

Thankfully, I’m in very capable hands. The Lord’s hands are far more sturdy and stable and dependable than my own. He loves me and He cares for me and He holds me in gentle, loving hands. It is for this reason I can trust Him. Should I fall (away from him) and be broken (by sin), my Maker picks me back up and glues me back together. Sure, you can still see the spots where I was broken, but that is just proof of my testimony. I once was in pieces, but my Savior came to my rescue and restored me.

And now I rest, in His sure hands, a dainty little teacup, with quite a few cracks He’s repaired, overflowing with His joy and Spirit.

Head to Toe in Gramma's Clothes

 

Here's one thing I'm notorious for: forgetting my hanging clothes. 

I'm genuinely embarrassed by how many times I've gone somewhere only to realize I forgot to grab my hanging clothes. Pretty sure it's happened at least three times since Casey and I have been married and for sure a few times before that too. It's a joke among my friends, "Did you remember your clothes?"

One time I got to Bossier (to visit my family) and was staying for a week and had no clothes. My mom took me shopping and Julianne ran to her mom's house and pulled some clothes from the clothing collection she keeps there and brought them to me so I could be dressed for the week. It was actually kind of fun wearing new/new-to-me clothes all week! 

But here is another fact: my gramma is the most stylish person I know.

I stay with her when I'm in Bossier and often raid her closet. She gives me the clothes she no longer wants. Those are inevitably the clothes I get the most compliments on.

This dress is one of those dresses that she no longer wanted, so she gave it to me. She also gave me the tank top underneath. She let me borrow the shoes (because the ones I brought didn't match), and I found the shades in the bag of stuff she was donating to Goodwill. (I also pulled a dress out of the bag.)

Anyways, this time I was not dressed in her clothes because I forgot mine. Just because she gave me the dress and I liked it and wanted to wear it immediately. 

But if I had forgotten my hanging clothes again, Gramma's closet would have taken care of me.

31

 

Somehow I'm 31 now, which means I'm actually "in my thirties." That's such a weird feeling. People often tell me that I don't look like I'm 30, and I am happy to take that as a compliment. 

The other day I looked in the mirror and noticed forehead wrinkles. I now understand why people get botox. It just needs to be puffed up a little and that wrinkle would be gone! The wrinkles have weirded me out much more than the gray hairs, but I've been finding the occasional gray hair since high school, so maybe that's why. I really hope when I go gray that I get a streak of gray first instead of random white everywhere.

Ultimately, I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow old. There was a time in my life where I couldn't imagine being 35. When I looked at my future, it was so bleak that I didn't even want to be 35. I hoped I could die a tragic, quick (but painless) young death because that seemed better than continuing life as it was and living to be old. 

Thankfully, God stepped in. He did some very unexpected things in my life and got me turned around. I'm not saying life is perfect, but man am I blessed. He got me out of a bad situation and now I can rejoice because I'm not where I once was. 

I'm learning to celebrate more, because, even if I'm blessed enough to grow old, life is still short. So I called my favorite bakery and ordered my favorite cake (strawberry with cream cheese icing) and text some friends and family to come over to my Gramma's to celebrate with me. 

I only had 12 candles on my cake (even though I wanted 31) because I couldn't make myself buy three packages of candles just so I would have enough. Although in hindsight, maybe it would have been worth the $10. (Probably not--it took two tries just to blow out 12.)

Life Lately: July 2022

 I did not mean to just... not post for over a month. I didn't even realize it had been so long, but we have been busy busy busy. Here's what we've been up to in the last few weeks.

July 11-17ish - Prep for EKWIP | EKWIP (Equipping Kids With Individual Purpose) is our church's version of VBS. We spent the week beforehand planning and prepping.

July 18-23 - EKWIP | EKWIP is all day every day for  a week. We have to stay a few hours later every day to prepare for our Kids Krusade, so we were putting in 13-hour days. Ethan was here! Ethan is my 6-year-old nephew. He came for the week of EKWIP, so we were doing 13 hour days with a 6-year-old. Whew! I'm so glad he could come.

Thursday, July 21 - Then we got invited to go on a mission trip. | On Thursday of EKWIP, we got a call inviting us to Chapel Hill, North Carolina do to children's ministry at a home mission church. If we were to accept the offer... we would be leaving one week and one day later.

Saturday, July 23 - We said YES. | On Saturday, we decided we would say yes if Casey could get off work. We had a mission fund, so why not? Turns out, God really wanted us to go and someone offered to pay for our flights and hotel! 

Sunday, July 24 - It's official! | On Sunday, he got the okay from his supervisor and we booked our flights!

Tuesday, July 26 - Bestie hang out | Juju came to town and we hung out and went to Hobby Lobby and, oops, I bought 5 yards of fabric that was on sale for $3 a yard.

Wednesday, July 27 - Bestie Hang out Part 2 | I helped Kaleigh get her classroom ready. It's her first year teaching!

Thursday, July 28 - Oops I made a dress | I used that fabric I bought and made a new dress to take on our trip. It turned out so cute! We ate pizza for dinner to support a good cause.

Friday, July 29 I crossed something off my bucket list! | We both woke up sick. Thanks, pizza. BUT we were feeling better in no time. Thank goodness, because we flew out to North Carolina! On my bucket list is: "Decide to go on a trip and book tickets and leave within a week." I got to cross it off! That night we joined Bro. Roca in a training session on how to connect with kids. And we taught action songs!

Saturday, July 30 We hiked for coffee and God is awesome | We literally hiked to a coffee shop (where we got tea, because if you've read the archives then you'll know I broke up with coffee last year) that morning then did a kids service that afternoon. God moved in a beautiful way and I made friends with another Kayley. That evening we went to an amazing Mediteranean restaurant.

Sunday, July 31 Jesus is still really awesome | We did a children's service and two kids and two grown ups were baptized in Jesus' Name! How cool! We took some friends to get weird Asian desserts and hung out with Bro. Roca's family.

Monday, August 1 It's a good thing we packed in backpacks | That's right. I packed in a backpack FOR A WHOLE WEEKEND because the carry on and baggage fees were insane. So we plopped on our backpacks and headed out to enjoy our last few hours in North Carolina. We walked downtown, went back to that Meditteranean restaurant, cried because the cat cafe was closed (I didn't actually cry, but I did add "go to a cat cafe" to my bucket list), played  a game of mini golf (Casey won), then hopped on our plane home. I finished a book and a novella on our trip.

We're now back to real life and I'm taking a few slow days! 

12 Things I'm Embracing This Summer

1. Cold treats | Give me ALL the snowballs (known as snow cones everywhere else besides South Louisiana). A few of the stands here have a "Barbie" flavor that is PINK. I don't remember what flavors are in it, but it sure is tasty with some sweet cream. Also ice cream. A few years ago I decided to embrace the waffle cone, so I gotta get a scoop of ice cream in a waffle cone when we come across an ice cream shop. 

2. Watermelon | This is one of those things I like but don't love, but as soon as summer hits I need a few pieces of watermelon. (Today I mixed some chopped watermelon with some sauteed zucchini, chili lime seasoning, and feta cheese. Yum.)

3. Fans on | I sleep with the fan on every night and have since I was a child. But I'm embracing turning ALL the ceiling fans on. We live in an old house so it doesn't have the best insulation and it can easily get up to 76 (or higher, yuck) as the AC fights to keep the house cool. Fans keep the house much cooler and the breeze just feels... summery.

4. Closing the blinds and curtains | I'm that person who likes to get up and open all the blinds... but lately I've just been leaving them closed. We still get PLENTY of sunlight and keep some of that coolness in. Also last summer I thrifted these super cute (read: they look like they came out of a granny's house) pink and green floral curtains that bring SO MUCH LIFE to our emerald green dining room. They're super cute and when they're closed the light coming through is PINK. Keeps out the heat AND turns the room pink? Yes, I'll take it.

5. Iced Chai lattes | Last month we picked up an iced chai latte mix on a whim and now we're obsessed. Even though I don't like hot Chai tea. But this stuff? Oh, it's the best. (Especially since I had to give up coffee last year--I still miss iced coffee.)

6. Sandals | I actually started embracing sandals for the first time last year when someone recommended Mia sandals to me. I LOVE them. They're so comfy and go with anything. 

7. Swingy cotton dresses | It's too hot to have fabric touching me, so I want loose-fitting dresses. Preferably made in breathable cotton. I've made a few and want to make some more to add to my wardrobe!

8. Staying hydrated | Two and a half years ago I left my beloved water bottle somewhere and I was devastated. So I went on a mission to find the perfect water bottle. Requirements: Be insulated, have a wide neck opening to add ice, have a lid with no straw, preferably one that didn't require being spun off, and must fit in the cup holder. Behold, I found the perfect water bottle and have been adding cute stickers to it. I just got a "Hydrate or Die-drate" one because that is our saying at camp every year. Also, it's pink.

9. Beach | Honestly, I've never been a beach person. Something about that sunburn I got at the beach at the age of 9 traumatized me. Thankfully I've since discovered sunscreen and I like to apply generously and often. Casey had a job at the beach the other day (it's only like an hour and a half away from us, which I always forget because we've only been a few times in the four years I've lived here), so I went with and we spent an hour or so at the beach at the end of the day. We're in the middle of a HOT summer (it's like, August temps outside and it's only mid-June) so it was so lovely to cool off in the ocean. We took a gallon of water and sandwich stuff (and sunscreen) and got some ice cream at a local shop and had a lovely, impromptu day trip.

10. Being Barefoot | Yet another thing I've always hated. Seriously. I'm either in shoes or socks at all times. Barefoot is yuck. BUT. It feels so summer-y (and cool, let's be honest) walking around barefoot. Do I like that my dirty feet keep reminding me of the fact that I need to vacuum? (In my defense, I've been sick all week, so I'm behind on housework.) No. But it's fine. I'll just sit on the bathroom counter and wash my feet off in the sink. (Yet another thing I've done since I was a child and people think it's very weird.) (And yes, I'll get around to vacuuming soon.)

11. Grocery pick up | I really hate it (I actually enjoy perusing a nice grocery store--I really like Rouses), but we're in a season of sticking to a pretty tight budget, and this really helps me stay within that budget. Due to an unpredictable schedule and only having one car, it's easier to plan our pick up than to figure out which day we have enough time to go grocery shopping. So I've been planning out a menu (I'm embracing simpler meals and trying to not overthink it, so menu planning actually is working--yay!) then placing an order for Casey to pick up. 

12. The Lazy Genius | She has changed my life. Seriously. The Bible is the only book that's changed my life more. I've gotten so many cool ideas from her books and podcast and Instagram that are helping me "be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't." (That's her tagline, btw.) I just went through her list of summer meals for some new inspo for meals in the upcoming months (I'm tired of the same meals we've been rotating through) and my goal is to embrace this season of life (which is one of the Lazy Genius principles).

Life Lately Brain Dump

Just a few things about life lately!

SALT. I've been a part of SALT since 2011 and it's one of my favorite things in the world. Planning has been ongoing for the last few months and now it's crunch time. Between handling stuff for SALT and making sure we're prepped and ready (HOW did we just realize that Casey doesn't even have a week's worth of pants??), volunteer days, and trying to finish a wedding quilt (for Sarah and Zach who got married 2 months ago)... things are busy!

Easy Dinners. That's what's on the menu. Sandwiches, spaghetti, hot dogs, grilled cheese. I keep reminding myself it's just a season, and the important thing is to feed my family.

Name what matters. This is a principle I've learned from the Lazy Genius (Kendra Adachi) and it's been helping me so much. Like with easy dinners. What matters during this season of life? Not fancy meals, not healthy meals. Just... meals. As someone who would love to have more veggies and variety in her meals, it felt like a fail to admit that those just can't be my priorities right now. But man, how good it feels to just let myself be okay with "feed my family." 

The Lazy Genius. I. Am. Obsessed. Ob-sessed. I don't remember how I found her podcast last year, but I listened to a few episodes then borrowed The Lazy Genius audiobook from my library. It was so good and I loved her principles. Now I follow her on instagram, listen to a few of her podcasts a week while I do chores, and her newest book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, will be delivered to my doorstep today. Applying her principles "Name What Matters" and "The Magic Question" are helping me to prioritize things. I'm on the waiting list for The Lazy Genius audiobook because I want to give it another listen. 

Sewing. I'm stealing moments here and there to sew. I finished my strawberry dress and it might just be my most favorite thing I've ever made. I need to make another Currently Sewing post. Those are a great way for me to keep up with what I've made and need to work on. My current goal is to finish Sarah and Zach's wedding quilt in the next week and a half. I have some extra time this week so I hope to at least get a good amount done on it.

It's the last day of 2021 and I crossed something off my bucket list!

It's the last day of 2021. 9:14 PM. I'm sitting in bed in my cute new satin jammies that I thrifted for $2 surrounded by pets--Maisel, our dog, Tigger our cat, and three foster kittens. The other two foster kittens are sleeping on Casey's nightstand and our other two cats are hanging out in the living room. Fireworks are popping outside the window but none of us really care (Maisel only doesn't care because she got some drugs earlier). Casey and I decided earlier this week that we would not be staying up to ring in a new year, but we will happily welcome it tomorrow morning after a full night's sleep. We are old people at heart, and an early bedtime sounds better to us than a late night, even if it is to ring in 2022. I'm much happier about a bedtime kiss than a midnight kiss.

Casey had today off and I was happy he was home with me today. Unfortunately I've felt a little sick all day and was unable to do the things I wanted to do (sweep and mop, work on my current sewing project, and make Shabbat dinner), but Casey made all three meals for me today--pancakes, strawberries, and apples for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and creamy dill chicken with broccoli and potatoes for our Shabbat meal. He even had candles lit on the table. Meanwhile, I sat in bed and watched two Christmas Hallmark movies (I'll be watching Christmas movies through January and pretend it's Christmas because December in Louisiana was HOT), read half of a book, took a nap, and watched two episodes of The Chosen (with Casey).

I felt a little better after dinner so I made some chocolate chip cookies. They were alright. I'm making chocolate chip cookies in a few weeks for the wedding of my bestie and brother-in-law (I'm pretty excited that my best friend of over 15 years will soon be my sister-in-law!) so I plan to test different recipes next week and have Casey take them to work so his coworkers can do a blind taste testing. The recipe I used tonight will not make the cut.

Anyways, tonight I crossed off something that has been on my bucket list for years--read 100 books in a year. My original goal for the year was 50, but for some reason I was on a big reading kick in January and realized a few weeks in that I was on track to read 100 books. So I figured, why not? We don't have kids yet and I'm not sure reading that many books will be as feasible once we do, so the timing was good. It's been a blast. I've listened to audiobooks, read middle grade, YA, and adult novels, quite a few home and self-improvement books. I've taken advantage of my (three) library card(s) and also bought more books this year than I have in a while. (More READING books, that is. I also love to buy vintage books to add to my collection, but I don't usually read them.)

Some of my favorite books were, funnily enough, nonfiction, which I've only started liking in the last few years. I also reread sooooo many books. I love to reread books and reread most of my faves this year. 

So what's my reading goal for 2022? Well, after so much reading this year, I'm gonna lower my goal. While I did it, it was quite challenging and cut into my craft time quite a bit. I love sewing and want to make sure I have plenty of time for it this year. I averaged the books I've read each year for the last 12 years (I've been on Goodreads since 2010 and keep up with how many books I read every year) and the average was 40. I think this is a good number for this year. Less than one a week, so I have much more flexibility to sew and volunteer and other things I like to do. If I read more than that, great! If not... then that's fine too. I'm looking forward to reading new books and rereads! 

Well, time to go to bed. I'll wake up to 2022!

Mugs and Musings: Thanksgiving in Summer (And all year round)

You know gratefulness journals? Those things have become popular. I saw one at Target yesterday. How many times have you read or heard somewhere that you need to "think of three things you're thankful for every day" or "Write down 5 things you're grateful for each day." Well, I've tried this on and off over the last few years. Make a list of three things, of five things... literally counting my blessings. For some reason it can be difficult to think of five things every day, despite the fact I have so many things to be thankful for!

Recently, I decided to approach the gratefulness thing a little differently. I love my morning porch time with Jesus and I bring my journal outside with me. I start off by writing my weekly praise verse. (This week it is Psalm 145:1 - "I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.") Next, I move on to a section I call "Thanksgiving." I like to use the biblical word.

Here's how I do it: I just... ramble. I don't number my thanksgiving. I don't give myself a certain amount that I have to write. I don't think about it too hard. I just... write. And it is so much easier!

When I numbered my blessings, I felt like each number had to be important or special or big. Now that I just ramble, I can think of so many wonderful things I'm grateful for--especially the little things. I think it's so important to find the beauty and thanksgiving in the little things. I can't tell you how many days my thanksgiving looks like this: "The birds singing and the squirrels chirping; the cup of hot tea I'm drinking; my porch; the yummy pie I made yesterday..."

See? Little things! Simple things! Maybe they aren't "worthy of a number" but they are things I'm truly grateful for. Things I might not have thought of previously because they didn't seem "important enough." But... they are. Anything I am grateful for... that's important.

Mugs and Musings: Slowing Down and *Actually* Enjoying Summer

Last year I made a post about how I was already ready for fall... in July. And I was about to give in to making fall pillowcases. (Spoiler: didn't happen. I still don't have fall pillowcases.)

There won't be a post like that this year, because this year, I'm learning to embrace summer. Every part of it. The hot humid weather, the afternoon rain, and the ice cream. Oh, I'm eating ALL the ice cream. 

Lately God has been pricking my heart to slow down and learn to live in and enjoy the moment instead of yearning for something I don't have right now. I don't want to live my whole life wishing away time, but rather I want to fully enjoy every season, be it fall or winter or a specific season of life.

I'm trying to take each day slower and enjoy the little moments -- a cup of tea on the porch, cuddling with Casey on the couch, lunch with a friend, washing my face in the evening by candlelight. 

And, crazily enough, it's working. I've truly been enjoying summer. Now, that doesn't mean I don't have moments when I think, "I'm ready for cooler weather," or autumnal clothes, or fall decor, but when I find my thoughts drifting that way, I try to remind myself about all the awesome summer things. And then I realize that summer is quickly passing and it actually makes me a little bit sad! 

Yesterday Casey and I were working on stuff outside and it was sooooo hot. So I reminded myself that sweat is good for the body. And then I walked barefoot in the grass. (For someone who HATES being barefoot, I truly enjoyed it.) And then I walked my bare feet into a puddle and splashed around for a bit. And then I put on shoes and we walked to the post office and back--a 45 minute walk--and enjoyed the weather and talking about the beautiful houses in our neighborhood. 

There are beautiful parts and sucky parts to every season. I have the opportunity to choose what I focus on. 

I can either be annoyed by sweating through my dress or thankful that my body is doing a good job sweating and that I'm blessed enough to have a washing machine. I can recognize that a snowball is soooo much better on a hot day than a cold one. I can enjoy all my flowy dresses and my comfy new sandals. 

Slowing down, focusing on my blessings, taking advantage of those beautiful parts of summer... that's how life is going right now. And I'm truly loving it.

Mugs and Musings: Having a Martha Home the Mary Way

I forgot to grab a mug when I took this pic. So just use your imagination and pretend there's a tea cup in my hand. And meet our current foster kittens! Huey (all orange cat front and center), Dewey (behind him), Louie (climbing the couch), and Daisy (tabby). Donald is not pictured.

I picked up Having a Martha Home the Mary Way at the library yesterday. I actually went to that section for another book, but saw this one and had to grab it. It looked interesting and I love the concept--keeping a tidy home (Martha) but making room for God first (Mary).

Here's the thing--I'm naturally not a type-A, keep everything in order type of person. I'm more of the creative, I'll clean it up later, and then later ends up being later than it should type of person. 

Basically, my house is not perfectly clean. Like, ever. I try. I really do. But then I feel not good enough when I look around at the house I swept YESTERDAY and there is cat fur and litter all over the place, dishes in the sink, and you can't even see the settee in my office because it's under a pile of pillows and clothes that need to be ironed. And it frustrates me that a messy house frustrates me so much, because I don't want to spend my life cleaning cleaning cleaning. It would be my worst nightmare for the person speaking at my funeral to say, "She always had a clean house." Because if my house is always clean, it means I wasn't doing enough creating, entertaining, living.

Today as I read Day 1, the author talks about women being life-givers. Now, this is not a term I've ever used for myself. I feel like that's a term to be used for birth-mothers, and as we are planning to adopt, it's a term I never thought would apply to me. But the definition she gives to life-giving is elevating life above the mundane. And that, I feel like I'm good at. I love to find beauty in the everyday, and if I can't find it, I want to create it. I believe food should be eaten off the fancy china, favorite clothes should be worn just because, flowers don't have to be bought for a reason, and reading outdoors is time better spent than scrubbing baseboards. 

One of the things I pray often is that my home is a place of peace. For me, for my family, for anyone who stops by. I don't want to be so worried about the state of my home that I can't enjoy having a friend over or take time to enjoy making something. 

I think it's about balance and grace. I love that this book also doubles as a devotion--first, we put God first! Then we clean the house. And on the days when it's not perfect, we must give ourselves grace, just as God gives us grace when we come to Him unclean. He doesn't think we're any less than on those days. He welcomes us as we are, clean or dirty. 

Anyways, this wound up rambly (which is exactly the point of Mugs and Musings, if I'm being honest), but I'm excited to be doing this 30-day journey. That being said, we will have a 5-year-old visitor in a few weeks, so I may put it on hold during that time so I can enjoy spending time with my nephew. But I know I can give myself grace and pick it back up afterwards!

Also, I went ahead and bought this book because there are so many good parts I want to underline! So the library will have its copy back next week and I will have my very own copy to write in and underline to my heart's content!

Mugs and Musings: I'm Wonderfully Made

I've decided to call my random thoughts/rambles Mugs and Musings, so here's the first one! I'll share a pic of one of my (many) mugs... and some musings to go along with it.

When I was 12, I went to church one Wednesday night wearing my favorite outfit. A light pink tank top with frills, a deeper pink three-quarter length cardigan, a fit and flair denim skirt, and probably my clear pink heels. I felt so cute, which wasn't my norm. I'd always been the ugly duckling amongst my friends and very rarely felt pretty. But tonight I looked cute. Or at least that's how I felt until I ran into my "friends." They didn't tell me my outfit was cute. They told me my arms were hairy and I needed to consider shaving them. I was so ashamed and embarrassed. I was too afraid to shave my arms, so I started wearing long sleeves. Every single day. For three years.

I've always loved clothes ever since I can remember--putting together cute outfits, finding unique pieces. Even when I was like 8, I LOVED when Gramma would take me shopping. When I was 12, I would stand in front of my mirror putting together outfits until I came across one I loved.

But now I had to cover my hairy arms every day, so I rotated the same five jackets every single week. I quickly grew bored of wearing the same thing all the time and was a little ashamed that I wore the same five things every week. So I started wearing the same "Students of Christ" hoodie every day. For some reason that seemed less embarrassing. I tried to tell myself it was because "I don't care what others think, so I won't try to dress cute to impress them. And I want to be warm." I was totally lying to myself. I wanted to dress cute but I was afraid of what people would think if I wore clothes that were different than what other kids at school wore. I was afraid they would think I was trying too hard to fit in or be liked or be unique. I was afraid they would laugh at my hairy arms.

What changed? Obviously I love to wear fun clothes, especially when they are different from the norm. I love dressing uniquely. Where did that confidence come from?

It started when I decided I wanted to get closer to God. It was a few months before the end of my sophomore year of high school. I didn't really know how to get closer to God, but I decided I wanted to start with my clothes--I decided to try to dress in a way that I believed honored God. Maybe that sounds so silly. But clothes were something I loved, and I think God was truly honored that I wanted to give him something I enjoyed so much.

It was also around this time that my "friends" decided to stop talking to me. But God had already planned for that, because at the same time, I became close to the girls who are still my best friends to this day. They encouraged me without even knowing it. I was inspired by their style that was so beautiful and unique and honored God.

I didn't gain confidence over night. When school started back up, I was a little scared. The year before I had worn the same school hoodie, jeans, and converse every day. Now I was showing up to schools in ensembles that the small town had never seen before. Crazy colors and pattern mixing, fun hair accessories, quirky shirts and shoes. Every morning, I prayed that God would give me confidence and help me not be afraid of what other's thought of me. And, slowly, day by day, my confidence grew a little more.

As it turned out, people thought my outfits were fun and cute. When I graduated, I was voted "Best dressed" by almost every person in my grade. I remember the day we were all filling out the "superlatives" paperwork and the entire classroom started talking about how I was the best dressed in the grade and they were voting for me.

You know what the crazy thing was? None of them remembered that I used to wear the same hoodie every day. In fact, it was only a few weeks after I'd stopped wearing the hoodie that one of my classmates said, "JoyBeth, you dress so cute every day." I remember being stunned. How did she not remember that I'd literally worn the exact same hoodie almost every day of sophomore year?

I remember the day and the outfit that made me realize that I was made for this--this dressing weird, this being unique. I wore a black lace top from my Gramma (who is, to this day, more stylish than me), a white denim jacket, denim skirt, maroon and black striped tights, and black riding boots. It was weird and different and I loved it. I wanted to dress like this every day.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I think it's so cool that God made every single person unique. That He gave us different talents and passions and skills that we can use to honor Him. One thing that makes me unique is my style, and I choose to celebrate it because God is the one who gave me the passion and creativity to put together fun outfits. It's a big part of who I am because that's how God made me. He made me a little bit weird in that way and I've come to love that about myself.

It's so easy to feel ashamed and embarrassed by the things that make us different and separate us from everyone else. But that was not God's intention when He made you. The Bible says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." He wants us to praise Him and thank Him for making us exactly the way we are. Because it wasn't on accident. He made you the way you are for a purpose and a reason. You have the opportunity to honor Him and give yourself to Him in a way that is unique to only you.

I encourage you, look at the parts of yourself that are different. That set you apart from everyone else. Maybe even the parts that you try to hide because you feel like you are weird. How can you give those things to God? How can you honor Him with those parts of you? You can start by thanking Him for making you perfectly, uniquely you.

Summer Sweets

There's something so magical about summer treats--ice cream, shakes, popsicles, snowcones (called snowballs here in South Louisiana but I still haven't gotten used to that). Funnily enough, I hardly ever eat these sort of things, but I'm glad I married a guy who loves that kind of stuff so I don't miss out. Turns out, my favorite summer treat is a yummy scoop of ice cream in a waffle cone. I've been on a mint chocolate chip kick lately, which is the ultimate refreshing flavor, especially when it's super hot out. And it's Louisiana. It's always hot out.

Casey learned about a milkshake food truck coming to town so obviously we had to check it out. And check that OUT. It was soooo messy but still yummy. (Nothing, however can ever compare to The Yard. That place spoiled me.) It was nice to just sit on the back of the car in a Mexican restaurant parking lot while ice cream and chocolate dripped everywhere as we tried to eat it before it could melt. Even messy can be magical.

Dreaming of Fall... In July

It's July 2. America will celebrate its independence in just two days. Tomorrow I will make my annual "apple pie for the Fourth of July." On Saturday I will wear my patriotic skirt (navy with white stars, just like the American flag) with a red, white, and blue plaid button up and a pair of patriotic sunglasses that say, "Party like it's 1776."

And yet.

Yesterday, on July 1, I found myself ready for fall.

Maybe it's because it's been SOME KIND OF HUMID this week. (Today's humidity is 52% and it feels soooo much better outside than the sauna that became Louisiana this week.)

Maybe it's because it's been SOME KIND OF YEAR these last six months and I'm ready for my favorite season.

Maybe (probably) it's because I ran to Hobby Lobby yesterday and they had all their fall decor and fabric out. (And Christmas. I ALMOST bought some nutcracker fabric... I think I'm gonna have to go back and get it.)

I want to buy all the cute fall fabric and make a million pillow covers. I want to pull out my pumpkins from the storage room. I want to burn fall candles and diffuser blends. (Okay, fine, I'm diffusing a fave fall blend right now.)

And also, I want to wear fall clothes. I'm already wearing boots (because boots are my favorite and I wear combat boots all year round), but I'm already looking forward to pulling out my tights and scarves and sweaters for the two weeks of fall weather we get in December.

*an aside*
When I was a teenager, I LOVED teen fashion magazines (I had subscriptions to Seventeen--my fave--and Teen Vogue) and I was always so confused by the "first day of school" outfits. They were always SO CUTE (again, I'm a sucker for fall clothes) but I couldn't imagine wearing a sweater on the first day of school. It was much too hot for that. And those knee-high boots? Cute as they were, you'd feel sweat pouring down your calves before the first bell rang.

I guess at some point I finally realized that other places have actual fall weather when school starts and I'm still a little bit jealous of it. But I guess it's okay. We have mild winters, which, as someone who does NOT like super cold weather, I'm glad for. AND I'm glad that we don't have summer weather year-round like my beloved Singapore.
*aside complete*

I'm literally so tempted to start decorating for fall, but I'm trying to be practical and wait a little while. I mean, it's completely acceptable to pull out the fall decor in September, which means if I want to decorate early, I can bring out the pumpkins mid-August. (To distract myself in the meantime, I think I'm going to give our room a mini makeover.)

If we're going for a mid-August fall decor launch date, that means I have just six more weeks to wait. Which means that I need to go ahead and make those pumpkin pillow covers. Guess I can work on that while I eat my apple pie on the fourth of July.

Life Currently | June 2020

It feels like it's been sooooo long since I've been on here and I've been itching to write. Life looks a whole lot different than it did three months ago. Some bad. Some good. Here's a few things going on in my life right now!

• I've taken up macrame. I joke that I collect hobbies... but it's hardly a joke. I've been making macrame plant hangers and it's a game changer because now I have a way to keep the plants away from the cats! Also I need more plants.

• I also bought a set of acrylics because I wanted to give it a try. Casey and I used this tutorial for a "Painting With a Twist" inspired at-home date and created these!

• We turned a corner of my craft room/library into an at-home office. Casey MADE me two tables and I painted and stained them. They're so cute! I just finished up a virtual conference my work hosted this week (like literally... 20 minutes ago) and it's so nice to not be working at the dining room table anymore. (FYI, I've been working from home for a year now... so it's nothing new... but I recently realized I need an actual work space.)
• House projects. Alongside the tables for my office, we used leftover wood to hang up a shelf, mounted the TV to the wall (it was previously sitting on a cheap shoe rack... now the living room looks so nice and homey and less like a dorm room), and are redoing a chair we found on the side of the road. I feel like we've done a lot of other things too, but some of it was just moving furniture around.

• OH! I painted three doors PINK. I'm thinking the kitchen door is next. Casey bought me a gallon of the pink paint so now I have to find more things to paint. Which is why I have like 5 pink plant pots. And the legs of my tables are pink. What else can I paint pink??

• Speaking of plants, I've acquired quite a few recently. I love them. And I need more, obviously.
• I've read like 6 books in the last two or three weeks. Sometimes I go through periods where I just read ALL THE BOOKS and then none of the books. I'm about halfway through my most recent read (a cheesy YA romance -- MY FAVE) and need to go finish it. It's a rainy day, so I'm gonna put on some PJs soon and read away.
• Accidentally figured out how to make my nails grow. I started a new skincare routine (I need to make an updated skin care post, but here's my old one) and part of it involves organic almond oil and pure frankincense (why is that such a hard word to spell) essential oil. Turns out my nails love it. I'll have to write a post about it. (I'm also quite upset that I broke a nail about 30 minutes ago when I was closing the window because rain.)
• I'm craving a strawberry limeade. Which is weird, because I don't exactly like lime. But I had a sip of my husband's strawberry limeade from our fave coffee + crepe shop in downtown and now... I need one. I'm hoping it will be nice and sunny on Saturday so we can walk downtown and get one!

Okay, well now I've updated this little bloggy. Who knows when I'll update it again? What can I say? It's just one of those hobbies I've collected.

Flower Child

A few weeks ago Casey decided to go golfing and invited me along. Sometimes he enjoys being by himself when he golfs but a lot of times he invites me to go along. Usually I enjoy the sun while I ride in the golf cart and read a book. (And reapply sunscreen frequently because redhead.) But the other day we were the only ones out there which meant Casey wasn't being rushed to play and we could take our time.

The golf course was beautiful and there were lots of little flowers everywhere. I suppose most of them are actually considered weeds, but they're pretty, yeah? A girl I follow on Instagram who always makes flower crowns had shared a YouTube tutorial with me over a year ago and I decided it was finally time to give it a try. Any time I saw a patch of flowers, Casey would stop the golf cart and I would pick flowers to add to my flower crown. I spent a few hours, slowly picking flowers and weaving them intricately together. It was just as dreamy of an afternoon as it sounds.

Now that I know how to make them, I can actually make one pretty quickly! I made this one after we ate dinner in the park last week. There is truly something special about sitting on a picnic blanket weaving flowers together to make a crown.

Life is even better when you wear flowers in your hair!

2019 Goals Recap

New year, new goals! I had some lofty ones for 2019, and ultimately I'm pretty pleased with how 2019 went!

Last year I wrote a post with my goals for the year, so I decided to share how that went. Carly does this every year and I always love to read her recaps!

Marriage

• Make marriage goals | Some of my "highlights" of 2019 were special things that Casey and I did, such as hiking and camping. We also learned this year that we LOVE doing puzzles together! We pick them up for super cheap at Goodwill.  One thing I've been really pleased with is that we are working to implement "Tech Guidelines" and we have done great at keeping our phones out of the bedroom! We've realized we didn't do a super great job at being intentional about dates and such. I think this is because we didn't know about how to create a SMART goal. We've fixed that for 2020! 
• Follow Dave Ramsey Program | We have been doing Dave Ramsey! Woo hoo! We still are learning how to do it and we both hate budgeting, but it makes me feel more secure. (We are on schedule to reach some of our financial goals this year!)

Going Green

• Continue finding new natural products | I actually had some success in this area this year! (Is it bad I didn't really expect it? lol) I found a shampoo and conditioner that I love at Trader Joe's. Which means--bonus!--it's soooo affordable. About $7 for both! I think this year is also when I started using Tom's toothpaste, which I really like. I also started using Schmidt Cedarwood+Juniper soap. It smells so good. I'm still struggling on the natural deodorant front. I've tried a few kinds and none work super well, but one thing I learned this year is I absolutely can't do deo with baking soda. It breaks me out and itches so bad! So I'm currently using Tom's peach deodorant which is okay. I feel like I stink after not a long time, but honestly that's been a common result I've had with all deodorants--even traditional ones--since switching to natural options. So I'm sticking with it for now since it's okay and affordable. But I hope to find one I really love in the future!
• Switch up my skincare routine | I did indeed switch up my skincare and shared about it here. I still have some uneven patches on my skin, but I think that might have to do with food sensitivities. I'm currently doing an elimination diet to see if I can figure that out for sure.
• Work on Going Green Goals | Still feeling good about going green! We are rocking the reusable bags and water bottles, and doing pretty good about reusable coffee cups too! At home, we only use real plates, utensils, and napkins instead of disposable. We do still keep paper towels at home because that is what I prefer for cleaning pet messes (which happens more than I like, but we have three pets), but we use them super sparingly. I didn't get a laundry line up, but would love to look into it this year! (Just not now... because it's coming a storm outside!) Oh! Also we started using a loofah scrubber instead of a traditional sponge to do dishes. I really like it!

Personal

• Be a better friend | Again, an area in which I needed a SMART goal! However, I was so grateful to cultivate some friendships. A good friend of mine stayed at our home every Tuesday evening (to avoid an early-morning commute) and we loved having her here! I also got to connect more with a friend I went to Singapore with. We actually celebrated New Years at her house. Also, I made NEW friends! That was my favorite part about working at the library!
• Read more. I documented 51 read books on Goodreads this year! Granted, some of them were kids books (oops) but I was super proud of myself. I also did a good job at my six-month reading challenge. I'm proud that I stepped outside my comfort zone and read more non-fiction this year.
• Create a cleaning schedule for my home | LOL! This is on my list for 2020 and I will turn it into a SMART goal and make a plan!

Spiritual

• Read my Bible through | Okay, I didn't finish. I got wayyy behind. But I plan to finish it in the next month or two, along with starting a new Bible reading program. I think it will be so encouraging to be reading alongside Casey this year, and we're doing a new-to-me reading program!
• Increase my prayer life | Yet another area I didn't do as well as I would have liked, so Casey and I are working on this together this year!
• Special project | We're still excited for this project, but have realized that it is not yet the right timing for this. And that's totally okay! We will use the time we have to continue growing where we are!

I'm so glad I did this reflection because it made me realize that I didn't give myself enough credit in some areas. That's one thing I love about "goals"--every baby step is worth celebrating! Even if you don't hit the final mark, every step towards that end goal is amazing. So excited to see where this year's baby steps will take us!

Things I Love September

IT'S OCTOBER Y'ALL! Finally!

It still doesn't feel like October here, though. Today's high is 94. My walk to work is ten minutes and every single day I find myself wishing I could make the walk without sweating.

BUT fall is coming, and the weather people say it's coming next week. Fingers crossed.

Okay, so here's my things I love September!

Fall decor! | Despite the fact that it doesn't look or feel like fall outside, I still have to put up some fall decor! I don't have a ton, but there are now pumpkins in every room (the small ones have finally been placed strategically so the cat won't knock them off various shelves and such), my favorite "give thanks" sign that my bestie Rachel made years ago, and a leaf garland I made out of book pages last year. Now I need to get a cozy blanket and pillows for the living room.

This photo is four years old--I didn't feel like taking a new photo, ha! But I still love to put this fox by my Give Thanks sign!

Fall diffuser blends | I promise this whole list isn't just stuff with the word "fall" in front. But I did get some new essential oils to make fall blends with! (Cinnamon bark, nutmeg, clove bud, more "Thieves" and bergamot...) My new fave is Young Living's Stress Away (I make my own blend that is similar), cinnamon bark, and nutmeg. I've got it diffusing right now and it smells divine!

Wireless earbuds | I've been listening to audiobooks a lot lately but the cord for my earbuds often gets in the way when I'm doing housework or shelving books at work. So I decided to look at wireless earbuds, but the Airpods are like $200!! I found these on Amazon for $45 that have the same look as Airpods--they're sleek and white. They charge in the case when you aren't wearing them. I've absolutely loved using them! Five stars for sure.

Streetside Market | Casey and I are loving this new restaurant downtown! It's multiple restaurants in one, so there's Chinese, seafood, pasta and pizza, sandwiches, and BEIGNETS. There's something for everyone! We've been several times and our fave thing is the pizza. This place is always packed!

Bohin Wrist Pincushion | Another Amazon purchase! When I started sewing, I picked up a little wrist pin cushion at Hobby Lobby for like $2. While I loved storing my pins on my wrist, the pin cushion was poorly designed and the pins would go all the way through and poke my skin. I saw this pin cushion on the wrists of several sewists I follow and decided to get it. I love the look of it! It's a little big for me (I have really tiny wrists), but I push it up my arm a bit and it works like a gem.