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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

October 8, 2011

Welcome to Inspiration Friday No. 35!

Inspiration Friday Graphic large
Well it was a record! You lovely party guests linked up 312 posts this week! We love that so many of you find Inspiration Friday a worthy place to share your magnificent talent and we appreciate you all so much! We often hear that there’s a hesitancy to link up projects after a party reaches a certain amount of links, so to help with that we thought it would be fun to have a place of honor each week on our Facebook page for the LAST post of each linky party! So starting this week, if you find yourself joining us later in the party don’t worry you might just end up being featured the following week for being “fashionably late”! grin! Now don’t you ALL start showing up late though, cause the early bird does seem to get the worm in click throughs! As a reminder we do our best to always have Inspiration Friday up and running by 4:00 pm EST on Thursday!
Now onto this week’s Copy Cat Feature! You’re up Vanessa!
We are making history here today folks!
This is the first (and only!) time that we are going to be doing a copy-cat feature involving…
HAIR!
Yep, that’s right. We will go to great lengths to show you all how much we love and appreciate you.
Get it…lengths…hair…cricket…cricket…
Anywho, once again Vanessa has been following in Heather’s footsteps and is growing her hair longer. Let’s let her tell you more about this recent development.
There seems to be a bit of pattern here of me trying to keep up with my big sis.
Fingerless, lace Madonna gloves when I was 10…check.
Layering 2 pairs of Neon colored socks to match oversized Guess sweatshirt when I was 12…check.
Sneaking out at night to go T.P. houses when I was 15….check
(Oh wait…umm…Mom and Dad, that one didn’t really happen.
Nope, we never would have done that!)
Growing my hair longer in my mid 30’s…check!
But, here is the problem. My forever stick straight hair has started to take on a life of it’s own. Some spots are still stick straight, others are wavy and still others are actually curly.
What is up with that?
So, when I saw this fantastic How to Curl Your Hair My Way Tutorial  a few weeks ago at Inspiration Friday I was so excited to try this out and see if it would solve my hair issues.
This is Janae from The Letter 4. Isn’t she just so beautiful?
She showed in a video tutorial how to use a small flat-iron to achieve these perfectly imperfect curls.
She also does a super cute dance at the end of the video!
I will not be doing a dance as part of my copy-cat since it would be neither super or cute.
Here I am before in all of my
got-ready-in-10-minutes-rushed-out-the-door-to-drop-off-kiddos-at-school-and-still-in-my-sweats glory! Be kind please.
036
Can you tell I’m not a teenager anymore…I’m not quite sure if it’s hip and cool to look up at the mirror….
041

or down..so I gave you one of each…Winking smile 
And now, check out me and my bouncy-hair self after following Janae’s instructions!
056
060
It took a bit of practice but I’m really loving it and feel like it gives me just the right “lift”.
Now if only it were so easy to give other areas some “lift”. Can I get an Amen?!
Thanks Janae for helping to give me AND my hair a spring in our step!
And now, let’s get to our Features from last week’s party!
picketfence_20010
We had an Inspiration Friday First last weekend when we had not on but two men join in the fun!
We absolutely love B & B’s Nest gorgeous Wood Pallet Outdoor Sofa and thought it was so fantastic that not only was this project primarily completed by her talented hubby, HE was the one who actually wrote the post with the tutorial for how to build it yourself!
And speaking of men who blog, we were so thrilled to have met the lovely couple behind
The Rooster and the Hen. Dustin and his wife Whitney have so many fantastic ideas and their blog is full of gorgeous creations, including this wood stacked fireplace. It may look easy at first glance, but when you read through the post you will realize just how much work was actually involved!
Photobucket
Dana from Make Them Wonder shared with us her secrets for creating this absolutely stunning striped foyer. Would you believe that one of the essential elements to this masterpiece was good old Mod Podge? Believe it! And, head on over and check it out for yourself!
Um yes please I’ll have some Biscoff Buttercream! Seriously!? Does this not look fabulous! If you are unfamiliar with Biscoff well they are a cookie and they make a Biscoff Spread and Mamie from Homegrown Beanes made a cake and created Biscoff Buttercream frosting for it.  Shut the front door! You know this has got to be fabulous. Be sure to visit to get her recipe and instructions.  
And we couldn’t not feature this last fabulous project because as those of you know who hang with us on Facebook, Heather will be tackling painting and stenciling her dining room floors here soon. Jeri did such an amazing job renewing the floors of her new shop and she share’s how she created this masterpiece at her site, Annabellea Design Studio. Aren’t they just lovely?!
Thank you to all of our features this week as well as to all of you who share your amazing ideas, projects and inspiration with us each and every week! If you were featured today (or have been featured in the past) please grab the featured at button code located in on our Buttons Page found at under our header!

Are you following At The Picket Fence on Facebook?  Don’t forget we feature many of your links during the week on our Facebook Page! If you’ve been featured there, grab a button as well! Thank you to everyone who shared so many fabulous posts with us last week!  We appreciate you!
Now it’s time to share with us what has inspired you this week!
Thank you so much for joining us for Inspiration Friday at the Fence,
When you are done linking up head over and party with the other Friday Party Friends:

stuffandnonsense
vif187

Now all ya PARTY PEOPLE it’s time to link on up…here’s the rules!
  • Friend At The Picket Fence in some capacity
  • Link Up any post you’ve written that has Inspired You and will Inspire Others-it can be a home improvement project, craft, recipe, story, devotional…if it inspires link it up!
  • Be sure to link back to your original post and not just your url (main blog address)
  • Please post our button (code on our Buttons Page found at top of blog) or a text link on your blog so others can join in the fun! (MANDATORY) Tutorial on how to link up a button: Blogging 101
  • Visit another guest. Please try and visit at least the link directly above and below you! We try to visit as many posts as we can but as Inspiration Friday grows and especially during the busy summer months, sometimes we miss some and for that we apologize.  It makes us feed good knowing others are visiting people as well!  Thank you..it truly means a lot to us!
We would love to recommend this fabulous post over at Crafter Minds for a quick tutorial on partying at a linky party! We couldn’t say it better ourselves! “Linky Party Like a Dinner Party?”


We also wanted to let all of our fabulous At The Picket Fence friends know that we will be offering a special advertising rate for the remainder of the fall!
$5 for Fall

If you sign up to advertise with us anytime during October or November* for a 2 month commitment we will offer you a sidebar ad for $5 for each of the month, that’s $10 for two months of advertisement! If you are a current sponsor of At The Picket Fence you can also purchase this special price to add to the end of your current contract! That’s a great deal folks! Email us through our contact page for more information. *Two month time period will begin from day of payment.

63 Comments Filed Under: Inspiration Friday

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:16 PM

    You are too funny Vanessa! I love the lift you gave your hair, you look beautiful! Thanks for hosting Girls, Martina

    Reply
  2. Cherished Bliss says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    Thanks for hosting!!

    PS. Love your hair!

    Reply
  3. Poppy says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    Loved reading how you copy-cat your big sis… and it sounds sooo familiar! Loving the new lift in your hair… charming and pretty as ever. Thanks for the party girls!Hugs~Poppy

    https://withadashofcolor.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  4. janet says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    Hello Vanessa,

    Happy to be joining this week with my take on Fall decor ;->

    Janet xox

    https://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  5. Honey at 2805 says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    Your too funny! Thanks for hosting, ladies!

    Reply
  6. Melissa Miller says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    Vanessa you look very pretty with the big curls. I hear you on that one. I’m no teen anymore either. Ha!

    Thanks for hosting such a nice party each week. It’s inspiring!

    Reply
  7. debbie~refreshrestyle.com says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    Oh my goodness, your hair looks amazing! And these features, I can’t get to them fast enough! Thanks for the party!!! Oh and I see a painted floor in someone else’s future!
    Debbie

    Reply
  8. Pamela says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:36 PM

    Vanessa you are too funny! Loving the hair girl!

    Reply
  9. housedressingblog.blogspot.com says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:37 PM

    Love the curls girl! Great features as always… thanks for hosting and have a great weekend, Lisa

    Reply
  10. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:39 PM

    Thank you ladies for hosting!! Some really great features. That floor is amazing and that cake in the jar, OMG!!

    Vanessa, your hair looks great! Too bad I chopped most of mine off at the end of May. =)

    ~ Catie

    Of course I’ll be back later to link up this week’s Frivolous Fashion Friday.

    Reply
  11. Jann Olson says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    Love, love your hair! Lookin like a stylin teen to me. Great features! There are some AMAZING people out there in blogland!

    Reply
  12. Lakeshore Cottage Living says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    Amen, Amen and AMEN! You had me laughing out loud. LOVED this post. And girl…you are BEAUTIFUL! I really love the way you curled it and my hair is stick straight so I will have to go and check out that little redhead’s blog and figure things out for myself! Thank you for the lead on this one!! And I think you would be super and cute if you did a little dance for us…so just think about that one lol. Thanks for the smiles!

    Reply
  13. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    October 6, 2011 at 9:31 PM

    Vanessa, your hair looks great. It has really gotten long, too. Great features. I need to check out that entry with the stripes. Thanks for hosting, girls!

    Reply
  14. Rosemary@villabarnes says

    October 6, 2011 at 9:38 PM

    Looking good, Vanessa. Thanks for hosting ladies.

    Reply
  15. Sherry says

    October 6, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    Your hair looks great! Wonderful features too! Thanks for hosting.
    Sherry

    Reply
  16. Suzy says

    October 6, 2011 at 9:54 PM

    You look beautiful and so does your hair! When you figure out how to lift those other areas, please make sure you blog about it!!! lol

    Reply
  17. andrea says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    AMEN!! What happened to us?! Age. The hair looks great! After they showed me how to do that at the salon I do it everyday b/c my hair is sooo thin now. I needs me some body!! Thank you for hosting, I love coming to your weekly linky now. Great blog, beautiful photography. xo, andrea@townandprairie

    Reply
  18. Debra @ Common Ground says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    You look “MAVALOUS!”!! Lets’ not even talk about what needs to be “lifted”, that’s a whole nother linky party, LOL!! just linked up, you crazy girls! xoxo

    Reply
  19. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:19 PM

    Love the hair! Haven’t seen y’all in awhile, it will be fun to catch up. Thanks for hosting!
    xo, Andrea

    Reply
  20. CalypsoInTheCountry says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:26 PM

    So funny! Thanks for hosting today!
    -Shelley

    Reply
  21. Debbie says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    Holy Cannoli.
    These are some unbelievable shout outs. I’m not sure what I want to see first.

    And the hair? It looks beautiful! Of course, I have to admit to giggling because you actually copied someone’s blog hair…

    I think we have reached a new level of blog addiction if we’re creating blog dos.

    Reply
  22. The Rooster and The Hen says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:36 PM

    Thanks so much for the feature! We love your blog and you’re the perfect party hostess! We’re proudly displaying your button on our blog!

    Reply
  23. elizabeth says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:38 PM

    Love the new “do” Vanessa. You’re beautiful! Thanks for the linky each week!

    Reply
  24. Linda@Coastal Charm says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    Looking good Vanessa:) Thanks ladies for hosting!!!

    Blessings,
    Linda

    Reply
  25. Katie says

    October 6, 2011 at 10:57 PM

    Your hair looks great Vanessa!! I love all of these features! Thanks for hosting – hope you both have a great week!

    Reply
  26. Judy says

    October 6, 2011 at 11:15 PM

    Love the new look. I have to check out her tutorial. Thanks for hosting. Have a great weekend.

    Reply
  27. Lynn@ The Vintage Nest says

    October 6, 2011 at 11:43 PM

    The hair is too cute and so are you! Thank you Vanessa for hosting this fun day. 🙂

    Reply
  28. Gail says

    October 6, 2011 at 11:51 PM

    Your hair looks great! Thanks for hosting.

    Reply
  29. B and Bs Mama says

    October 7, 2011 at 12:05 AM

    Wow! You look incredible! And thank you so much for the fabulous feature. “We” had a lot of fun working on that sofa. I hope it inspires someone else to create one. You guys are terrific! Thanks for yet another wonderful post. XOXO Laura at B & B’s Nest

    Reply
  30. Lynn Richards says

    October 7, 2011 at 1:05 AM

    Vanessa, your hair is GREAT!!!
    And I will add my AMEN (heartilly) for the needing of “lift”.
    xoxo
    lynn

    Reply
  31. Jeff N Julie says

    October 7, 2011 at 1:45 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  32. Janae says

    October 7, 2011 at 1:47 AM

    Thanks so much for featuring my tutorial! It’s always fun to see how it works for everyone. Your hair looks GREAT! 😀

    Reply
  33. Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl says

    October 7, 2011 at 2:12 AM

    Thanks so so much for hosting, girls! Vanessa! Your hair looks terrific! I’ll definitely be trying this…;) Hope you guys are having a great week!

    Reply
  34. Town and Country Mom says

    October 7, 2011 at 3:13 AM

    Vanessa, thanks so much for your kind comment on my post. I was really planning to link up with some house pics of fall decorations, and then I just felt like maybe someone needs to read the anniversary post this week. I hope you get a chance to read Part 2 to see how God in His incredible grace continued the story. Oh, and I love your curls!

    Reply
  35. Sue says

    October 7, 2011 at 3:25 AM

    Your bouncy hair looks so pretty!

    Reply
  36. Sharon, aka Bootersmom03 says

    October 6, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    Love your hair! Very pretty! Thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  37. Erin {Lavender and Lemon Drops} says

    October 7, 2011 at 5:50 AM

    Love the bouncy curls! Thanks for hosting 🙂

    Reply
  38. Shelia says

    October 7, 2011 at 8:44 AM

    You look so pretty and yes, you do look like a teenager to me! I’m very old! Love your pretty fluffy hair too! Thank you ladies for hosting.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  39. Becca says

    October 7, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    Well, hey there, gorgeous! I love your hair, Vanessa! You totally rocked Jane’s tutorial (and, yes, she is beautiful). I watched it, too, and just might have to try it … wish me luck! Your other features are fabulous, as always (still lovin’ the “tree” that looks as though it’s blowing in the wind)! Thanks for hosting, friends. Love, your friend who ALSO wore Madonna lace gloves, layered socks (wait, actually, I wore leg warmers, instead) and snuck out on weekends! Hollaaaa! xo

    Reply
  40. Stuff and Nonsense says

    October 7, 2011 at 11:27 AM

    love the curls and
    adore the features

    all linked up!

    alison

    Reply
  41. modestymatters says

    October 7, 2011 at 11:56 AM

    Wow! I just found you, and I’m glad I did. Thanks for hosting this wonderful hop. Please come visit if you get a minute: https://wp.me/pYcKQ-fw
    *New Follower*

    Reply
  42. Brenda Watts says

    October 7, 2011 at 12:33 PM

    Love the ‘hair’..I have put my coat rack in your linky party, I made it as a donation for Labrador Life Line which is an organization who raise funds to help families whose dog needs serious medical attention and they find themselves short of funds. With so many families struggling these days I wanted to get the word out about LLL and about the cyber auction that starts today. Thanks a million.

    Reply
  43. CAS says

    October 7, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Thanks again for hosting this wonderful party! And, Vanessa, I just adore your bouncy hair — looks super with your cute face!
    🙂 CAS

    Reply
  44. Mallory says

    October 7, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    Thanks for hosting! Love the hair!

    Reply
  45. Molly says

    October 7, 2011 at 2:08 PM

    Good morning! This is my first time linking up here, I can’t wait to browse through these projects! Also, I just became GFC follower #1,000 🙂
    -Molly
    creativityblog@yahoo.com

    Reply
  46. Hollie - TheSevenYearCottage says

    October 7, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    My hair also went from sleek and straight to partially wavy and terribly frizzy after the birth of my children… hormones, I guess. Anyway, your hair looks beautiful and so do you!

    Reply
  47. stefanie says

    October 7, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    another great party!!! thanks!

    Reply
  48. Modern Country Lady says

    October 7, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    “Can you tell I’m not a teenager anymore…” No, Vanessa!! You look cute with and without the girly hair and no older than.. 18 or 19 at a push 🙂 Don’t you worry about the mirror!
    Have a great weekend
    XOXO
    Bea

    Reply
  49. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    October 7, 2011 at 4:31 PM

    Hey Vanessa, thought I’d let you know my fashion post is linked up. Thanks for always giving such great feedback. I really appreciate it!! Hope you like this week’s outfits.

    ~ Catie

    Reply
  50. Nellene says

    October 7, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Thanks for hosting another great party! My favorite are those floors! Oh, those gorgeous stenciled floors…how I want them!

    Reply
  51. saltbox treasures says

    October 7, 2011 at 6:40 PM

    Thanks for hosting! Great features, and your hair looks great!
    ~ Julie

    Reply
  52. lesley says

    October 7, 2011 at 6:48 PM

    Thanks for hosting! I’m a new follower of your blog. It’s lovely!

    lesley

    freakingcraft.blogspot.com

    Reply
  53. Dayle says

    October 7, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    Love the hair-lift! I agree with you … how wonderful if lifting other–uh–things were so simple.

    Reply
  54. Ela says

    October 8, 2011 at 12:14 AM

    Thanks for hosting. It’s a great party with a lot of great projects. I love the curly hair. The “cake” looks so yummy.

    I am a new follower. Hope you can visit my blog too.

    Reply
  55. Kristin @ Chi-Chi Studio Designs says

    October 8, 2011 at 1:10 AM

    Thank you so much for hosting!

    Reply
  56. Andrea @Oasis Accents says

    October 8, 2011 at 1:59 AM

    Amen! Your hair looks so cute! I cut all mine off years ago and sometimes miss being able to put some curls in my thin flat hair. Thanks for hosting =)

    Reply
  57. NanaDiana says

    October 8, 2011 at 12:55 PM

    Vanessa-First off – I LOVE the hair…wonder if I could use that flat iron to lift a few parts of my own too? lol

    ALL the projects are just so wonderful..it is hard to even see them all-what wonderful inspirations you have provided here-

    Love to you, sweet girl(s)-xo Diana

    Reply
  58. Alisa and Sky says

    October 8, 2011 at 2:58 PM

    Love the hair!! Just found your site and linking up to this great party! Thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  59. Linda Jordan says

    October 8, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    I love the hair!! It looks amazing 🙂 Thanks for hosting such a great party every week, there is so much inspiration!!

    Linda
    https://lasteve1.blogspot.com

    Reply
  60. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    October 8, 2011 at 4:16 PM

    Vanessa- I LOVE your bouncy hair!! 🙂 You look fabulous! I can’t believe I wasn’t linked up yet! Apologies for being late to the party! Thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  61. Traci says

    October 9, 2011 at 1:15 AM

    Vanessa, your hair looks great!!

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
There are a LOT of people out walking in our neigh There are a LOT of people out walking in our neighborhood right now (but still social distancing!) and she decided that she wanted to bring them some joy and put a smile on their face when they pass by our house. Also, the square with ‘say no to coronavirus’ is priceless. 😂 I just love her so much!
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