Fall Goals

We're about two weeks into fall and before you know it winter will be here! If you know me, you know that I love warmth, but that being said, I really do love the fall! Although it often finds me mourning the loss of the warm weather, I also welcome the changing of the leaves, crisp air, and wearing sweaters, scarves, and boots.

I thought I would make a little list of goals for this fall... things I want to complete before Thanksgiving [because let's be real—the day after thanksgiving officially marks the beginning of Christmas season and winter, even if winter doesn't show up on the calendar for almost another month].

//via

So, without further ado, here it is.

1. Complete unpacking, organizing, and moving boxes down to our storage room. Make our 2nd bedroom pretty! (Come visit us!)

2. Finish reading The Nesting Place

3. Go through my closet and get rid of clothes I don't wear anymore- get ready for our Sunday School clothing swap!

4. Hang up wedding photos from the photographer and order more to begin a Smashbook

5. Memorize 4 new Bible verses. This should be more fun with my new verse pack I'll be getting in the mail from a lovely Etsy shop owner that I get to review for you all soon! I'm super excited to share with you all, so keep your eyes peeled! [Ew. That's disgusting.]

6. Start a fall tradition with the hubs. Any good ieas?

What are your goals for this fall? Anything you're looking forward to crossing off your list soon, or maybe something that you need a little extra motivation to do?

The Nesting Place

This came in the mail this week. And I don't know if I've been this excited about getting a new book in a loooong time.

Myquillyn Smith has a delightful blog at The Nester where she shares all about her home and how "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." Which for someone who has quite a bit of 'perfect' in her personality, is quite therapeutic to hear [from a "professional", no less], then repeat daily, chant in my sleep, and hopefully get to the point of living it out.

I'm only a few chapters in, but it is SO. GOOD. When I purchased the book I originally thought it would be more of a flip-through-and-stop-when-something-catches-my-eye kind of read, but it most definitely is a start-from-the-beginning kind of book [or maybe that's just the perfect coming out in me?]. :) Myquillyn tells stories so well and I have laughed and cried along with her.

So, my piece of advice—if you are at all interested in decor, good stories, home design, how to make a house a home, renting (she's rented 10 homes!), pretty pictures, or how to make a space imperfectly beautiful you should definitely check this book out! Bonus—Myquillyn loves Jesus and definitely has some great life lessons along the way. I'll check in with ya'll again when I'm done, but from the few chapters I've devoured so far, I can just tell this is going to be a magical journey.

Lessons From Rush Hour Traffic

Yesterday I was sitting in rush hour traffic at 5pm. Radio up, windows down (just kidding! It was raining and cold and dark because we live in the great white NORTH!). Anyway... I used to get super duper annoyed during rush hour and would have a sour attitude the whole drive home. But then I decided that's a not-so-wonderful way to end my day/start my evening 3 days a week, so I decided to change my attitude about rush hour.

//via

I used to not want to let people in, especially those people who totally skip the whole forever-long line to get onto the interstate—those people that accelerate past you, only to cut in right as the entrance ramp approaches. Those people who don't use their blinker. Those people who make you miss the green light by one car. ONE CAR, people!

So I could choose to see these people as selfish jerks, OR I could choose to see them as children of God who are in a hurry to get home. I could see it as an opportunity to love and bless them because, who knows? Maybe they are even more excited to get home to their hunny than I am (doubtful), or maybe their babysitter will charge them an extra hour if they are 5 minutes late. Or maybe their commute is a lot longer than mine and they just want to get home and relax because they had a really terrible day at the office.

But whatever the reason they are in such a rush, it doesn't really matter. What does matter is my attitude toward them. I can get angry and bitter and self-righteous about my polite driving compared to theirs, or I could just have grace toward them. I could show them love and let them in and maybe make their day a little better and hopefully they'll pass that on.

And all of this makes driving home just a little bit better. It gives rush hour traffic a little more meaning in my mind, and if anything can make rush hour better, then hey, I'll take it.

So what opportunities do you have today to love and bless others when what you really want to do is get even or get mad? How can you change your attitude about a situation today? How can you show someone grace today? Even if it's as small as letting someone cut in front of you with a smile on your face—you know what they say—ya' gotta start somewhere.

Sneak Peak: Sun Room [& a very dead succulent]

Hi there! I wanted to give you all a little sneak peak into the sun room today! This was definitely one of our favorite rooms while we were still engaged and the Mr. was living here. It was bright and warm and organized and pretty. Then I moved in more of my stuff, and we brought home our leftover wedding decorations and it became a dump-room. So we really haven't spent much time in it the last weeks. But the other day I decided to tackle it and make it once again a beautiful space to be! 

We got this Canadian-made rocking chair from Bri's sweet great aunt and uncle. We went over to their place for a visit and came back with all kinds of furniture and goods from Norway, Sweden, Canada, and the like!

I made the table in ceramics class my senior year of college. That things weighs a ton and I have considered tossing it every time I move but am so glad I haven't! I just love it in the sun room, which is honestly the first time I can say that about the thing. I spent many grueling hours trying to make clay into a table, and it's finally paid off!

I got this vintage tea tin from my nana. She knows I like old stuff and is often passing it on to me. (Thanks nana!)

The pen tins were a sweet snag from Ikea awhile back, and the framed print was a wonderful card from my roommate this past summer [rumor is there's bunches like this at Trader Joes. Who knew??]. Of course, I'm a sucker for anything lion, and that little plastic guy is from a trip to the zoo with the in-laws back in the dating days!

And now, what you've all been waiting for ...

Remember when I was super excited that I got a succulent? I had spent months, nay, years dreaming of owning, loving on, and being proud of my very own succulent. And then it was our one year anniversary of dating and so Loverboy made my wish come true. And then I posted about it and prayed that I wouldn't kill it and one kind commenter said that it was "IMPOSSIBLE" to kill succulents. Well call the miracle network, because I've done it folks! I've done the impossible! Feast your eyes on one very sad, very dead succulent.

Just to give you a little reminder of what it used to look like [look at how beautiful and thrive-y it was!]:

I'm sad to report that the flowering orange plant now has no flowers on it and the leaves are kind of shrively. I think I have a black thumb, people. But the good news is, I haven't killed the cactus! He sits very happily next to me at work. 

If anyone has any advice on how to revive this baby [or the absolute knowledge that it is done for and should be thrown in the trash] please comment and let me know! My fingers are crossed!

//photos courtesy of the lovely Kayla Duket—thanks for indulging my photo-taking wishes as I followed you around the house and indulged in nutella and pretzels. ;)

Guest Post: The Fate of the Orphan

Editor's Note: Today I have a wonderful post for you written by my very new sister-in-law, Lana! Lana is passionate about orphan care and has gone on multiple trips to India to work with an orphanage there. She just got back from a trip to Mexico where she was better trained and equipped to love on these little ones—the least of these. Lana is sassy and always has a good come-back, but she is also caring and has a huge heart. I have so enjoyed getting to know Lana better over the last year or so—from sleeping in a twin bed when we first met, to thrifting and fighting over who gets the cute dress, I really do feel like she's a sister! Let's just say, I'll be one sad girl if God calls Lana to India long-term... Illinois is MUCH closer!

The Fate of the Orphan

A young girl taps at my arm, pleading with me to look her way. Without looking, I know her brightly colored dress is heavily worn and covered with dirt from life on the street. 

My eyes never shift from their forward gaze. She is persistent. Her dull brown eyes pierce through her unkept hair; locked on my face, searching for the slightest twitch or reaction. 

I know I cannot waver from my stone-like stature. 

//photo via Lana Douglas, 1987 Photography

This girl is most likely not begging for herself, but rather is forced to by her “owner” – for all intensive purposes, a pimp. Any money I give to her will only support his greed and cause more children to befall her dire fate. 

The seconds crawl by like hours. She continues to tap my elbow, motioning to her mouth to indicate that she is hungry and needs food.

Still, I do not flinch. Inside my resolve is crumbling. 

She is not just a faceless child as my exterior suggests. She is my sister, my daughter, the lost sheep, the innocent left unprotected.

With each touch of her tiny hand my heart fractures a little more – hers is the fate of the orphan.

At her final plea with no change in the indifferent statue, she moves on to the next rickshaw; hoping to pay her employer for what should have been freely provided. The moment she is out of reach the statue falls away.

I did not give her anything, but she still walked away with a part of my soul.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Friends! It's Friday!! Here's a little bit about how I've been feeling lately...

Inspired.
& I think I need to do something about it. I feel like another season of art journaling may be coming up for me. In the meantime, feast your eyes on these pretties. [How can you not want to go grab a bunch of paper craft supplies and just go to town??]

//images via Pinterest. Want more? Check out my Art Journal Inspiration Board!

Encouraged.
We just had our first week of Small Group with some church peeps and can I just say how sweet the time was? Our group is filled with some of the most authentic and passionate people I've met. I predict lots of amazing Wednesday nights in our future, filled with prayer, life-sharing, laughter, and some solidly good time in the Word together. Bring it on!

In Love.

Duh. I'm newly married. But would you just look at that face?? [I promise that at some point I'll stop bragging up my husband on here... maybe, possibly, ok—no promises. Sorry not sorry!]

//photo via Availeth Photography

Home-Maker-y.
Probably not a word, BUT, I did spend the last two days that I had off work vacuuming, doing laundry and dishes, grocery shopping, baking, and cleaning. I am woman, hear me roar!

Adventurous. 
Yeah, ok, some people wouldn't necessarily call trying out a new restaurant adventurous, but in my book, it definitely counts! Tonight the Mr. and I are going to head down to Minnehaha Falls and catch a bite to eat at the Sea Salt Eatery. Fresh seafood served outdoors?? Yes please!

On Being Married

In case ya' missed it around here [and are apparently living under a rock], I got married! On 9.13.14 loverboy and I vowed ourselves to each other. I know that this is an insignificant, tiny little detail for most of you, but it has completely and radically changed my life. I mean, I live with a boy. A BOY.

A boy who makes the bed differently than I do, sometimes doesn't realize the trail he leaves behind as he walks in the house with his shoes on, and whose idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon includes cheering on the Vikings. I now have to eat meat AND veggies at every dinner (thanks mother in law!), share my closet with another human being, and smell coffee every morning. Weird.

But don't get me wrong. It may be weird, but it's also awesome. I now have my own human heater on cold nights, heavy object lifter and too-high-to-reach retriever, and permanent partner in crime. I also get to enjoy the perks of having a live-in spider killer, breakfast-in-bed-maker, and chauffeur. Marriage kind of rocks. But the best part about all this is that these aren't the best things!

It reminds me of when I wrote this post about loving the Giver over the gifts. And now that I'm married I can most definitely say a hearty 'amen!' to that post in that, yes, I super duper appreciate all the things that my man does for me, but more than that, I love HIM. And I love him for him, not for all the perks (although dem perks be niiiiice].

So in the middle of this second week of marriage, I'm considering how much I love this man I've decided to hitch my wagon to for the rest of my life. And I'm considering how good my God is to give me such a great gift—a husband who is also an amazing gift-giver, who gives me himself every day. He's mine... and how lucky I am for that!

//photos via our amazingly talented photographer, Availeth Photography