Shine on Me

Carpe Diem

It is a great blessing to have wonderful friends who help keep me grounded and gently remind me to not take myself too seriously. Sometimes a busy mom needs to let her hair down and spend some much needed time with her very best friends.

Alex Ladner

Car wash anyone? I may need a second, or third job in order to finance my love for Mississippi art. I recently picked up a new piece from artist Alex Ladner. I think it is safe to say that I am impressed and slightly obsessed with his work. (I"m ready to buy my next piece!)

 No, seriously. I enjoy filling my home with artwork from local artists and fellow Mississippians. It makes me feel good about supporting them and their work. They receive funding for their talents and I get a good feeling for my purchase. It is a win-win in my book.
 

Coffee and Scripture

 I am thankful for many things, but two that are close to my heart on this Sunday morning consist of my first cup of really good coffee, in my favorite mug, and the ever faithful and powerful words and stories of Jesus. Now I give a lot of credit to coffee and its miracle workings, but you just can't beat the healing and fulfillment you receive from the bible. Good stuff.

Rainbow Baby

 

Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue- 

and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. 

 After every storm there is a rainbow of hope.

Thinking of my sweet Boston today and thanking him for sending us the perfect little brother. 

I know they would have been quite the duo. 

Erin Condren is great, but..

Reverting back to my previous post about being more in the moment and living each day for what its worth, I feel this simply explains it all.
Despite the pressure from my Erin Condren planner to plan, plan, plan,- I am making the up most attempt at living for today. I have been given another day to be a wife to Cody, mom to Charleston, friend, mentor, daughter, learner, and teacher. What an amazing gift!

Keeping Up With the Jones's

I had the extreme pleasure of being invited and helping with preparations for Rebecca and Brandon's wedding. I must say it was absolutely stunning and one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever attended. Rebecca, a fellow teacher, is such a sweet and kind person. I had high expectations for what her wedding would entail. I can say she did not let me down. There was no detail overlooked and it was obvious the amount of love and preparation she put forth into making her and Brandon's day perfect. I loved the design of her ceremony and reception and appreciated hard work through incorporating her unique ideas and creativity into the little details of her weddings.

I think it was great how this couple incorporated their dog, Ezra, into the ceremony and I feel we are kindred spirits in how we have a heart for our four-legged friends. It takes a true dog lover to let your pup stand with you at the alter! 

It was also great to see Lisa Chapman, who is one of my favorite photographers. I am so impressed and in awe of her work so far, and I know the rest of the pictures will be fabulous. I was thrilled to hear the news that Rebecca chose to use Lisa for both her engagement session and wedding day photography. I think it is safe to say that she will not be disappointed in Lisa's work.

I wish you two many years of marital bliss and I look forward to hearing of your next adventures together!

Tough Critic

As I sit here and drink my coffee, I'm reminded of the harsh words I had to have with myself this week. It seems that I've put things off and justified them by doing "more pressing" chores, if you will. When really I should acknowledge the items at the top of the list and move on from there. ( I so sound like my mother.) So basically I had a Come to Jesus Moment with myself, and that's always real fun. I believe you are your own toughest critic and I need to be reminded of that sometimes.

Watch out world! I'm working on my to-do list. 

I was recently driving around and had an epiphany. (Why do these moments always seem to occur in the car?) I was reminded that I have a certain standard for how I want to live my life and the only person stopping me, is me. Whew! I feel like I should say an amen after that statement!
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this yet, but I'm off for the summer and will not be returning to work due to finishing a master's degree. So why not now? What is my excuse? I clearly have ample time and I need to cease the "I'll do it later" mentality and adopt a better since of urgency when it comes to those less appealing chores. I understand chores are not fun. If they were, they would not be called chores. Duh!
Obviously, this is not an easy conversation to have with yourself, but it’s better than hearing it from someone else. I’ll admit it is tough to acknowledge the fact that your procrastination is not only leading to disappointment with yourself but also those around you. Ouch. Those can be harsh words to hear, but sometimes necessary.
You know that cliché saying, don’t put off for tomorrow what you can today? Well, it is not so cliché after all.
So whether it is keeping the laundry caught up, trimming the bushes, or just simply completing a sewing project, I vow to try to be more in the moment and live for today; and not for tomorrow.
Yard work anyone?

Charlie Brown Knows Best

"Oh, hey mom. I am just doing a little reading before bedtime. 
 This Charlie Brown Christmas Story is really neat!"

Christmas should be celebrated year round. #christmasinjuly #sixmonthstogo

A Wrinkle in Time

You may have noticed a few changes happening around here; meaning the blog itself. After much thought, I decided to update my blog, other than its general aesthetics. Since its inception five years ago, my blog has been focused on being a new bride, the adventures of marriage and pregnancy, and, overall, the beginnings as Mrs. B.  Still, as Father Time would have it, those stories have been filed away in the past and I have found myself in a new season of life; a slightly more exciting and complex season.
All that said, I feel that Charleston is the next BIG journey of my life and my blog should reflect this. So why this title? Simply put, one of my favorite moments occurs in the very beginning of the day, the morning. I love to hear the stirrings of a sweet little boy coming from the monitor and feel the excitement and blessing of knowing we were given another day together.  I smile at the thought.
There have never been more precious words spoken in our home than, "Good morning, Charleston."

Ecclesiastes 3:1