inspiration daily

I've been feeling so creatively zapped the past few months and what's worse is that I know it shows. I can't put my finger on it specifically but no matter what I do it's been hard to will myself to make something basically because I have, for one reason or another added this unspoken pressure onto my shoulders that if I am going to use my rare, precious free time to make something than it has to be perfect. Completely unique and original, photographed and made into a tutorial, be featured on craft gawker and adored by pretty much everybody…ha! Wow that's probably a little more revealing than I wanted to be but hey we're all friends here and I am in a creative slump so I am letting it all hang out like a sloppy glue gun.

Truthfully blogging and crafting has taken on a different shape for me mentally and if I am honest I sort of miss the old days. The days were I let it all hang out about my dire need for a fresh faced style after a mortifying shoe shopping trip when my second born was just a few months old (read about that here)…the days were I would share about how I stuffed some ugly dried roses in a jar and shared a mediocre picture of them to my friends online because that's what inspired me during nap time..I wasn't really worried about the numbers or the promotion of it all. I really have always been bad at that. I miss the days when a bunch of us kind of all just jumped in together and started searching for the beauty in the everyday and called it Ten on Ten, not because it was the best name in the world but because we wanted to work together on inspiring each other to do our days well in whatever shape and form they looked…I loved that season so much.

I still love blogging but the creative juices ebb and flow - I just hate it when I get fearful of not being enough, not producing enough good content, not having the most instagram followers or whatever. Is this making sense? Anyways this morning Levi asked me for a pom pom to glue onto a face he was making and it all of a sudden spurred my heart on to figure out how to make the loopy fork version because I have been wanting to for so long and never really had the time.

These took me like ten minutes and so far have been a ton of fun to play with. I don't know what I am going to do with them when I am finished…maybe just give them to my six year old to glue onto things or stuff em in a jar but all I know is it just felt good to make something out of nothing for no reason. I felt inspired again and I loved it!

Stacy and I had a long talk yesterday about creativity in the age of social media. Feeling deeply passionate about both but struggling in that balance of how not to find our identity wrapped up too tightly in how it's all "suppose to look". We are just missing the old days of blogging when it was all a bit less polished and more about sharing from our hearts. For the next week or so I think I am going to just try posting about what's going on in my brain as I juggle four kids and a husband who is deeply passionate in ministry. Giving myself freedom to have fun here and not worry so much about what everyone thinks, you know what I mean? Does any of this resonate with you? I would so love to hear your thoughts…feeling kind of vulnerable but really wanting to push forward and share freely like I use to!

Also I am willing to post a tutorial on how to make these little fork pom poms if anybody is interested just let me know…hoping you're feeling inspired in some way today!

ps. they kind of look like Seahawks pom poms :) can't wait for the game Sunday!

my darling

(photo credit)

My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” - Song of Solomon 2:10-13

My sweet friend Alisha spoke this scripture over me the other night even before I told her that my word for the year was Rise! The words came tumbling out of her mouth like beautiful soothing honey for my soul and I began to weep for I knew it was from Jesus spoken through her straight to my heart.  I can not get it out of my head. I wanted to share it with you too in case you needed to be reminded that you are a darling, beautiful one and Jesus is calling you to come away with Him, that whatever was holding you back in the past or has you locked in fear in the present (speaking to myself right now) is not to big a burden for Him to bear...happy Monday, beautiful!

Ten on Ten :: January 2014

Happy Ten on Ten everyone, the first one of the year! To be honest I was a bit of a grouch today and felt more than under-inspired…sometimes the mundane, day in day and day out of being a stay at home mom is hard. It was quite dark and grey outside and I even will admit that right before nap time I realized we were out of milk so I loaded my younger three into the car and hit Starbucks drive thru for the milk and a latte instead of braving the store. Sometimes you just gotta do whacha gotta do right?! I managed to squeak out a glimpse of our day though and I know if fifty years I will be so happy that I did. I love capturing a snapshot of our life once a month in this way..even on grumpy grey ones. Finding joy and beauty right where you are is what it's all about!

So what about you, how was your day? I can't wait to see what you found! xo

a new year

I have never been one for making big new years resolutions but I do love that feeling of a brand new slate full to the brim with hope and possibility. This year I was inspired to choose a word to focus on over the next twelve months. I wasn't really sure where to start in finding the right one but a few days ago the Lord put Rise on my heart in a big way and although it isn't as flashy or pretty as some of the others I was considering, I like it - I am feeling the depth hidden in the many meanings and I am so looking forward to embracing it in 2014. God also put this verse out of Isaiah on my heart and so I am embracing it too as my verse for the new year:

Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have have kept you-rise to a new life! Shine, be radiant with the glory of the Lord, for the light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Isaiah 60:1

Here are just a few ways I am hoping to Rise in the coming days:

Rise earlier to embrace each day as a gift and to prepare my heart for all that God has in store
Rise above fear that holds me back from really pursing the things that God has entrusted me with
Rise above what I think others want me to be and focus on who I am as a daughter of Jesus
Rise to a fuller potential and be bolder in my faith

So what about you did you make any resolutions or choose a word to embrace this year? I am so looking forward to what 2014 has in store - many blessings friends and happy new year!

whirling

Oh this season, it has been whirling by and it feels at times that I don't have much to show for it. I haven't unpacked all of the decorations and lights and probably won't, no gift guides or cookie baking weekends or big holiday parties. The elf has been left on the same shelf multiple times to the frustration of my seven year old son who so desperately wants to keep believing a little longer.

I did finally get the kids set up on a salt dough ornament activity last week after the craziest morning that had already pushed me to my limit. I soldiered on though because they were all so excited and had my camera out to share about the morning here on the blog. I turned my back for a minute and the baby took a giant bite of dough, started gagging and projectile vomited all over my pretty crafting table and everyone's masterpieces…three times.

I know how incredibly funny that is -  but it was pretty frustrating at the time…I often hate how annoyed I get when my big dreamy expectations of what the holidays are suppose to look like aren't met. I wish I was better at shrugging it off and laughing and embracing but it's not always easy for me, I am still learning.

This morning we woke up to a beautiful blanket of snow and news that the last day of school for the year had been cancelled so we all ran around outside for a good while soaking it in before heading into the warm house for hot cocoa and breakfast. I've resorted to the fact that I won't get to all the christmas crafting tutorials I had lined up, or the handmade gifts sitting on my desk. But this weekend my little girl is dancing in her first ballet at just three years old and, wow that will be magical for sure!

I don't want to miss it. I don't want to let my expectations of what Christmas is suppose to look like interfere with what Christmas is. I know that two thousand years ago a baby was born in a dirty stable to a mother who had no idea what to expect - and when hope and life is laid in your hands sometimes it doesn't look perfect or easy or how you want it to. I don't want to miss the whirling reality that Jesus came to earth and brought within himself the kind of love that I can't fathom but only accept as a beautiful gift.

So this season I am choosing to try to be present and to do the things on my list with a little more joy than feels possible and to see the magic and wonder in the eyes of my children just a little longer…I am going to leave the salt dough ornaments for another year though.

I will be back in 2014 to share more of our life in this place online that I love - I hope you have a wonderful holiday season my friends and know that even if it doesn't all look perfect it is full of hope and life and more love than you can fathom and it's all still worth it! Merry Christmas! xoxo

candy canes winner!

This month's Ten on Ten theme was Candy Canes and I am super excited to announce the winner, Gwen from Rosofam! I loved the entire set of ten photos but this one of the old school candy cane reindeer just made me smile big! Congratulations Gwen and thank you for always inspiring me with your eye for life and beauty - your family is so darling I love to see what you guys are up to via your blog!

Thanks to everyone who played along the past few months with these prompt contests…I am not entirely sure what is in store for Ten on Ten in the coming year but I sure have loved searching for beauty with all of you these past six!

Ten on Ten :: December 2013 :: Candy Canes

A quiet little day at home over here but still lots of sweet things to find - thank you to all who played along with me today there is still plenty of time to add your set to the linky party. I will be looking through all of your photos and choose a favorite for the Candy Canes prompt soon! I can hardly believe this project has been going on for a full six years now it's always such a gift to find beauty in the ordinary with you - until 2014 my friends, happy photographing! xo