my soul sista

I find putting posts like these together completely overwhelming.  One of my best friends finally got to meet my family...finally got to see my house and my new town.  How can I just sum up hundreds of pictures and countless special moments in a few sentences and snapshots?? 

Well my Sasha girl...aka Lemonade Makin' Mama got her little bootie on a plane and flew ALL the way across the country to see ME!!!!  In the three years since we've known each other it's the first time she's been to my house.  Isn't that weird?  We met blogging and knew right away we were just soul sistas:)

So where's the first place you take your bestie when they come to see you?  A cemetery of course!  I know I'm weird right, but I'd heard about this famous Hollywood Cemetery and thought I'll save that for Sash.  I know she'll appreciate it.  No malls for us...ha!  Aren't you just dying to come see me;)??

We went to what we thought was the right place...turned out we were in the wrong cemetery.  That's okay her honey thousands of miles away redirected us.  It's all good.  We got there finally and when we did oh was it a treat.  Out of all the places I've seen so far in Richmond, that cemetery is by far the coolest!

What is it about standing graveside that puts everything instantly into perspective?  This fleeting gift of a life that we've been given suddenly comes into sharp focus.  The words that someone left behind, put on a stone to forever sum up who that person was and what they contributed.  It's solemn, but strangely comforting, especially those that had scripture engraved that assured me that the person loved the Lord.

I've been  praying really hard we would have good weather, and that the trees would still be in color...specifically that we would have no rain.  My prayers were heard.  Gorgeous glorious weather was ours.  It was like God was showing off just for me.  Yes I heard your prayers and lookie what I did...just for you:)  High 60's in November is a luxury I don't take for granted. 

We didn't just hit the cemetery.  We visited Maymont...

And Williamsburg. 

I was just here with my mom and dad, but this time with Sasha we took everything slower.  We walked down ALL the streets and stopped and soaked it in.  We took a million and one pictures. LOVE that I can do that with her:)  She was so sweet to try and teach me how to shoot in manual.  If I ever get it it will be because she explained it over and over again.  Goodness I can be dense.  Not sure if I'll ever understand it, but I'm trying.

And I completely cheated using her settings on almost all my pictures.  Oh shutter speed why do you have to be so confusing??! 

We laughed and cried.  We rolled around in the dirt to get good pics.  We shared our inner most thoughts, dreams and fears.  It's just the weekend we both needed.  She went to a lot of trouble to fly to see me.  It's not easy spanning this great country with connecting flights, jet lag and nose picking passengers to keep you grossed out for hours on end.   She had to be brave.  She had to ride in the car with me...ha!  Friendship is an investment like that, but it's so worth the effort.  Thank you sweet Sasha girl!  I love you like a sister.

Have a blessed day.

217.  a fall season that never seems to end.

218.  cinnamon chip scones

219.  sharing an expensive lunch with a groupon coupon

220.  navigating unfamiliar roads with a friend

221.  having someone to share commons interests

222.  foxes and owls in the mail;)

223.  always learning

224.  being silly and not caring who sees

no mud room...no problem

 

Hi girlies.  Hope you had a great weekend.  My Sasha is leaving today:(  I have about a million pictures to share with you, but I've got to organize them first, so I'll share one of my very favorite rooms with you instead.

When we went house hunting in Virginia it was obvious to us right away that mudrooms are not a priority here.  Initially we were in a little bit of a panic.  You have to have a mud room right?  We were very used to lots of coats, scarves, boots etc... Hopefully the lack of wet messy weather is why they don't have them here.  Not sure, but we found a solution regardless.

 

pottery barn

My online search of course brought me to these GORGEOUS lockers from Pottery Barn.  Very pricey though and it just wasn't in our budget.  Luckily while I was searching I stumbled onto this blog that gave a very detailed how-to.

We were in the middle of a move, and building them ourselves just wasn't going to happen, but I remembered a gal that I met at Flea Market Under Glass.  Super uber talented lady named, Kara (Red Barn Minnesota)...so I called her.  The rest is history.  These cabinets are amazing!!  Perfect size.  Great craftsmanship.  If you live in Minnesota run to your phone, and have her make you something.  You will not be disappointed!  AND it was less than half the Pottery Barn price.  SCORE!!!

 Pottery Barn

Okay so every month when I get my catalog I pour over the pages and just let the inspiration seep into my bones.  I've always wanted to do a collage wall.  How come everyone on Pinterest etc...make it look so darn easy??  It's not that easy.  But I decided to go for it anyway:)

I splurged and actually bought their grand hotel clock and then I tried to use their idea to do my own wall.  I just laid it all out and then randomly started nailing things up.  YIKES!

 

Have to say I kind of love it!  It turned out so pretty.  It filled up the wall great and gave me a chance to hang up a variety of things I just didn't know what to do with:)

The girls use the room to do art work and various projects.  I love that it's only steps from either entrance into the house. 

Oh and I had a ceiling tin that I bought at the Junk Bonanza a couple years ago that is magnetic and a chalkboard:)  I taped pics all over it and added a scripture and voila...instant happy place:)

It feels so good when rooms actually come together.  Can you spy a piece of our past?  Hint hint...it's sitting on top of the lockers.  Oh how we loved that house.  The view is something that makes me miss it awful, but I truly love this house even more if that's possible.  We are blessed.  The rooms are filled with love and laughter.  What more could you ask for:)

Have a blessed day.

211.  catalogs that give me inspiration.

212.  projects that make me smile when i walk by.

213.  organization of any kind.
214.  getting a good deal.

215.  weekends filled with laughter and fun.
216.  a friend that rocks my world!

it's my turn:)

It doesn't surprise me at all that so many of us feel the same way in regards to my last post.  God has placed dreams in all of us.  Sometimes the direction map isn't exactly understandable, but if we just take one little tiny baby step in that direction...a little tiny one...then the next step will appear and so on and so forth. 














I guess it all stems back to having faith.  I have a dream.  God placed that dream in my heart.  So uh yeah I guess He'll help me navigate, but first I have to do my part and take that baby step.  YIKES!  So I'm going to start working on those pages, one at a time.  It may take me forever and a day, but I'll be going in the direction of my dreams.  That's a quote and a pretty good one.  I'll take it:)

With all that said I realized as I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes, emptying the dishwasher and walking my little one to the bus stop that it is divine purpose serving those around us.  Our jobs as moms and dads, students, whatever it is that you do, as monotonous as it seems...the day in and day out somewhat mundane and boring things that we do over and over and over again, these things are just as important as our BIG DREAMS.  The Lord says  "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).  Really Lord...even the dishes??  Yes!  Even those dishes. 



My heart is about to explode with excitement today.  I'm actually on my way to the airport RIGHT NOW to pick up one of my besties.  She's coming to spend the weekend with me...yippee!!! I am in awe of how our friendship began and how close we have become over the last few years. This internet bond is no joke. You can actually meet people and make forever friends over the computer...unbelievable! Anyhoo we have been busy preparing for her arrival. 

Can ya guess who it is?  Here's a little reminder of the special weekend I had with her back in February.  She made a point to drive me by that yellow barn I showed at the beginning of my post, and I knew one day I'd have to paint it for her.  Oh and the girls have been busy making a sign for her arrival.  I will never forget the first day we met in person.  She made me feel so special.  Time to return the favor:)

Have a blessed weekend.

206.  my husband who supports me no matter what.

207.  a friend who is getting up at 3:00 a.m. to fly across the country to spend 2 days with me.

208.  vinyl flooring in my craft room.

209.  barns...oh how i love barns!

210.  girl time in my immediate future:)

buried alive

I've been staring at the computer now for a few minutes wondering what to say...how to express myself.  I have so many thoughts swirling around in my mind.  One of which is I WISH I HAD IT ALL TOGETHER!  That seems to be a running theme with me lately.  I know I've just made a big move.  I know I have a right to feel tired.  I know it takes time to find your groove again, but geesh when is that going to happen?? 

Do you ever read blogs and feel small?  Do you ever think to yourself how in the world do they have time to ____________,_________________,___________???!!!  You fill in the blank.  We all have the same hours in a day, but how in the world do they get done what they get done?  I've been feeling that way lately.  Wondering why I don't accomplish more in a day.  Am I supposed to be in a period of rest?  I don't want to rest.  I want to be successful, and in my mind that means moving toward something...having a plan and a purpose.  It's waking up in the morning excited to face the day and doing what I've been called to do...whatever that may be. 


I have a buried dream. Not sure if I've ever told you this before, but my BIG dream is to illustrate a children's book.  I think my art would lend itself well to that avenue.  I have a theme in mind...a story.  I have each page painted in my mind.  I read other books, look at the illustrations and I think to myself I could do that. I SHOULD DO THAT!!!  For me it's the details that overwhelm me.  It's the getting it from my mind to the printer, to holding it in my hand...it's the inbetween steps that cripples me.  So I do nothing.  My dream lies in wait.  I say I want it.  I feel myself get excited thinking about the possibilities, but the follow through...the know how...keeps me from actually accomplishing it.

So maybe that's why I'm in a period of rest or exhaustion;)  Maybe God is preparing me for something that I've been dreaming of.  Maybe the ground work is being laid and the supports are being built and soon the pieces will start to be put in place. I certainly hope so.  I pray so.  Cause this girl has a dream, and she's too tired to figure it all out:)    Do you have a dream??

Have a blessed day.

 

200.  sun filtering through the trees.
201.  devotionals that pierce my heart.
202.  the twinkle lights in my studio.
203.  the hope of a dream seed coming through.
204.  chilly mornings...warm afternoons

205.  making new memories in a foreign land;)