Let’s try this again.

Let's try this blogging thing again, shall we? I never meant to abandon it in the first place, but ya know-life.  Speaking of that, life is too complex and full to try and even describe in a sentence or two.  It's not simple times we're living in, but I've been sticking to what I know to be true and good and photographing that. It's good medicine for the soul. I truly believe that the gratitude habit blesses our lives with joy.

Oh, and I totally took a screenshot of this last week and got several other random reminders that maybe, just maybe, the simple stories are what our world needs right now? I think so, or at least it's what I need and reach for on a daily basis.  So perhaps it's because summer's almost here and this is my jam or maybe I'm just tired of meanness and conflict and complicated things on the news and around every corner, but whatever the reason I've decided that this is where I want to show up again.  

Let's look at all the good! 

My dad, girls and I rode in Square to Square.  This is a really fun bike ride that entails going from one town square to another, for a total of 32 miles. It was a lot of fun and we're already making plans to do the one in October!

Light captured on the porch.

After mostly drawing digitally for quite some time, I've been back in my art journal AND drawing on the iPad.

Lots of outfit pics sprinkled throughout this post. I started to do several mini posts all neat, tidy, and organized but that made my brain hurt and sounded like a lot of work so I decided just to dump all the photos into one post. :)

Sweet relief and BIG excitement at completing the bike ride!

I thrifted this neon pink sweater and it's maybe one of my favorite things I've ever, EVER had. I just can't stop wearing it! Yes to bright, happy colors. 

Captured by my kid, waiting on coffee. This was the day after the half marathon and I was sore!

Fried morel mushrooms! Oh my word, I ate so many of these and they were just so salty, buttery, and delicious. 

Lunch one day-quinoa, cabbage, carrot, and topped with kimchi and sriracha. 

I got these pants at Target and really like them! They do have an elastic waist in the back which is comfy to my 39 year-old self but I always wonder if I look like a toddler. lol. But then I remember I'm 39 and I don't care, they're comfy!

Resting and relaxing...

More comfy, fun clothes. I just love getting dressed in the morning! I also really like following fashion and style accounts on IG and seeing what other people are wearing.

My t-shirt has library due dates stamped on it and there's nothing more comfortable than my pink Converse!

Fancy schmancy lion's mane mushroom dinner from.....you guessed it-Arsaga's at the Mill! Local people, this is my favorite restaurant and at dinner there's not usually a wait. Or at least not when we go!

A couple of weeks ago I took the kids on the Pig Trail and then to Mt. Nebo to meet up with my sister. The views were stunning!

My sister had these gorgeous daisies in her pasture. I don't see these as often by our house so it was a delight for my eyes.

This day was perfectly warm and we walked around their land looking at all of the things growing.  It was a wonderful afternoon!

Matcha.

We made a trip to the local nursery the other day and all this COLOR just made me so happy!

What are you putting on your summer list? 

We love to have tools for creativity ready to use and easily accessible. These markers get a ton of use. Betsy made herself a gorgeous book from a blank book she got.

Ran my half marathon a few weeks ago. Brett bought me this 13.1 sticker, as I've always said I would put one on my car if I ever did a half. Now I can't decide if I want it on the car or not but I am pretty sold on the running and plan to do another race. 

I used to order this really expensive nail polish online during Covid, but since have started buying this at Wal-Mart and it all works good enough for me.  

We have strawberries!

My beautiful view while mowing.

Yes, that's a blood pressure machine mixed in with the art. We're getting older!

I just had the most perfect sunny morning on this porch swing recently. I browsed through my art books and drank a couple cups of coffee. It was like a mini vacation!

Is there anything happier than a daisy bouquet? Who knows the quote from You've Got Mail about these flowers? 

Fiddle has grown so, so much. I adore this plant. 

I made a lasagna that doesn't look like much on the plate but was out of this world good. It's the one on All Recipes that's called like "world's best lasagna" or something. Anyway, it fed us several times so I'd highly recommend putting in the time to make it.

Why not have flowers and candles at dinner a few times a week?

Still wearing these linen pants from Old Navy a ton. 

In my art journal I like to tape things down and then over time go back and add paint, sketches, etc. 

The most delicious taco salad! I had mine with beans instead of meat and it was really good.

"This girl loves books".

Always, always looking for the light-even if it's a sliver.

I'm almost finished with this chapter book from my library and I'm loving it! The pages have little zines scattered throughout that the main character has made, so picture a collaged, scrapbooked feel.

More art journal fun! I just realized a week or so ago that time was going to keep on passing faster and faster and now that my kids don't nap and stay up pretty late and are involved in a very full life I could either choose to set aside a few minutes a day to honor my creativity or not. Either way, the time would pass. You can see what I decided to choose. Plus, something about this time of year just wakes up my creativity in the best possible way.

I just love walking the fence and seeing the wildflowers and new things that keep popping up and blooming. 

Happy and worn out. I never knew how much I would truly love biking, kayaking, running, and being active. Put simply-it just feels good to have a strong, worn out body at the end of a race or ride. For the record, at the Hogeye Half Marathon AND Square to Square there were all types of bodies, all ages. The point is, if I can take up biking and running at age 39 I suppose you could too if you wanted.

I hope you too, can start to see the simple things that are still good in our world and capture them somehow to look back through, reflect on, day dream about.  I think it makes a more peaceful heart and also I think that's who will make the difference in our world today. The light bearers, peace bringers, artists around us. It feels like a revolution to choose positivity!