Hello October.

Hey everyone! I've had some photos loaded here for a couple of weeks and kept meaning to come on and type but I'm noticing in this season that often my energy doesn't match my time.  I may have an extra hour at night to do what I like (or less) but I'm so tired I couldn't even put words together to form a sentence.  Still, one thing hasn't changed even though our lives feel more full than ever-I still reach for my phone and capture what's good and true and lovely.  Art is still like air to me! 

This post is a mix of all the things so I hope you have something good to drink like coffee or matcha and can make some sense in my spontaneity of uploading photos. 

I don't know if you can tell by my face, but I can that I've been dealing with sinus stuff for weeks and it's just really gotten old. I'm *hoping* that I'm finally over the worst of it and am starting to feel like myself.  Also: dress over jeans for LIFE. I don't care if this is considered "in style" or not, I love it!

Dress: Target
Jeans: Levis from the outlet store in KC

Clogs: SoftWalk, THE most comfortable shoe EVER

One of my greatest loves and the quickest way to relax me besides running or exercising is to draw on the iPad. Something about it is mindless and a total escape. I don't usually share my drawings anywhere because they are purely for play and fun. But here's a sneak peek at my collection.  I am actually quite ruthless and if I don't like a drawing I've done after working on it for several times I'll just delete it. 

It hasn't really been cardigan weather yet but this day I decided to go for it anyway. My shirt says "Big Book Energy". 

Cardigan-hand me down

Big Book Energy T-Shirt: Out of Print online shop

Jeans: Universal Thread from Target

Vans-buy 'em anywhere Vans are sold. 

We have so many butterflies on the butterfly bush and zinnias that some even land on me when I stand still! I like to visit these when I get home from work.

LOL

This picture with the witch in the background made me laugh. I'm trying so very hard to fit in the treadmill, riding my bike, or doing a dance workout video when I can. 

Rainbow!! These will amaze me for the rest of my life. 

Zevia and flower arranging for my dad's retirement party! My dad retired from the grocery business after 45 years! We threw him a party with decorations, cookies and coffee, and people he's known and worked with over the years.  My dad collects old bottles like these so I arranged some flowers in them for the centerpieces.  This was a lot of fun for me!

A closer look! Isn't this just the happiest?! I got the flowers at Sam's Club.

My dad and I! 

Well if this just doesn't sum it all up I don't know what does?!

I truly do love that our life has gotten really full with work, church, community and friends, family, extra activities, and more. It is a full, connected, blessed life to be in fellowship with others and the world, indeed!! I also know things like art and exercise give me life and fill my cup so that I can keep engaging, and it's really always on my mind of how to do that well.  Can you relate?

An orange and PJ pants is always a good idea.

Sorting through our treasures from a very magical beach trip we took to Florida this summer.

Shirt: thrifted

Dress: on sale at Target

Shoes: SoftWalk clogs again!

Playing around with vintage watercolors is DEEPLY satisfying. I do this in 5 or 10 minute bits of time.

Shirts: thrifted

Necklace: Target or Old Navy maybe? 

Pants: T.J. Maxx

Shoes: Thrifted

Admittedly-I am SO tired of wearing linen. Please let it cool down soon!!

Trying to tend to Fiddle well.  She had a yellow leaf last week which is never a good sign. With it being SO hot it's hard to know how much sun to give her. Can you tell, I really love this plant?

Driftwood brought home from Texas, where Brett visited a family member in hospice. The family member passed that same day, on the anniversary of our aunt's passing a year before. We are holding grief alongside everything else in life.  Making art helps. Holding the ones I love close and telling them so helps. 

Week 2 of being intentional about what I eat and how much and moving my body more.

This is Minimalist Baker's Minestrone Soup. It was SO GOOD. I added way more nutritional yeast than the recipe called for. 

Did my makeup a bit different and liked the results! I learn this stuff on IG.

I got this dress last week at a local shop (Maude), which you can also shop online. I hadn't ever been in before and took a chance to run in and get something for a date night concert with Brett. I loved the store and their clothes and will definitely go back!! I got this dress and another on a big sale. The flowers and sparkles-allllllll the heart eyes.

Choosing this giant salad over fast food was a very tasty choice and my body thanked me too!

Brett and I went to a concert in KC. HUGE thanks to my sister and parents who helped with the girls. The music was absolutely incredible. The loud guy behind us who kept yelling rude things and cussing almost ruined the night. I'm very much about "to each their own" in life, but when you're the only one in a theater causing a scene and you're sitting behind us....it was very hard to ignore and just try and enjoy the concert. Bummer cause we paid a lot of money to go and drove over 3 hours! 

Anyway, lesson learned. Next time we'll do the general admission and stand where we want! :)

We saw Gregory Alan Isakov by the way and I highly recommend you look him up!

Pink, ruffles, animal print, and an oat milk latte. Oh! And sunshine. A lot of faves all in one pic. 

Another dress I got at Maude. 

Still bringing out my DIY wreath year after year. I just poke random things in each year and call it good. 

Brett brought me this butterfly as a gift.

More of our indoor plants.  We have a ton and I like that a lot. I tend them well! 

Something I do faithfully is pick out my outfits for the week on the weekend. When I don't do this I'm too tired in the mornings to care really and end up throwing something on. I'll usually check the weather for the week ahead and consider how late of a day I'll have. Then I do a mix of pants and dresses/skirts and lay everything out.  This, meal planning, and food prep saves me so much stress during the week!

I am needing some pants that aren't jeans. Any recommendations?

We accidentally grew this in our front flower bed.

Food prep for the win! When I prep healthy things on the weekend I am MUCH more likely to feel well and choose well during the week. It's just the simple truth. On the left is homemade spicy hummus, on the right is dairy-free nacho cheese sauce made with cashews and nutritional yeast. Both are delicious and can go on bean chips, veggies, sweet potatoes, an egg, etc.

Sure enjoyed getting to go out with Brett! It's harder and harder for us to spend time together since the kids are up just about as late as we are.  Thankful to family members who help us so we can have a date night! Also, KC is our favorite city maybe ever? We love NYC too, but that requires way more time and money to go.  

Hello moon.

Tried some fake nails for my birthday. I actually loved how they looked but didn't like how they felt. These are Dashing Diva, my favorite nail sticker brand. This was my first time trying their fake nails (I don't know what they're really called) and I was really pleased!

Always, always stopping to admire the sky.

A few weeks ago I realized I needed to make some diet and health changes after realizing I felt slow and sad.  Slow and sad means it's time to take back control of my diet and exercise! I've done it before and know how to do this really well, but remember how busy and full I said life was? 
Mommas-it's HARD to tend ourselves well when we're looking after so many needs. It just is. I don't believe that it's ever super easy, but I do believe it's definitely worth doing.  I feel so much better when I take good care of myself. When I found myself needing a reset a few weeks back it honestly felt so hard and overwhelming I could have just cried. Instead I took myself to Aldi and loaded up on healthier options that also sounded good to eat. 

Here I am 3 weeks later and feeling better, my clothes are fitting better again, and I'm having fun with the right kinds of foods for my body. 

Shirt: Old Navy

Jacket: thrifted

Skirt: ???? H and M maybe?

Shoes: Thrifted

More Dashing Diva nail stickers! I LOVE these things!! They take about 10 minutes to put on and last at least a week.  I'm such a fan!

Just enjoying a slow walk around the yard and really savoring the last signs of summer.

Trying to focus not just on the iPad art, but on the real life stuff too. I crave art, feel a pull towards it and definitely feel called to make it.

Whole outfit is thrifted! Shoes included!

I haven't loved thrifting in my town lately. Things are priced high and junk a lot of the times. 

Pretty birds.

Nourishing myself well with a hot tea.

This was a tasty snack! I enjoy getting outside when I can. My library is full of windows so I feel very close to the outside all the time, which is just lovely. At home I like to sit on the porch too, especially when it's not so hot.

Cardigan: thrifted

Shirt: T.J. Maxx
Pants: Old Navy (so tired of linen pants!)
Shoes: Converse! 

Week 1 of prioritizing myself and my health. HARD to start again but I did it.

Threw a sweatshirt on over a dress I originally wore to a wedding.

Sweatshirt: thrifted

Dress: 1/2 of 1/2 store

Just wow.....

Shirt: Levis outlet in KC

Jeans: thrifted

Shoes: Dankso thrifted. Love these comfortable Mary Janes!!

I've been making Minimalist Baker's quinoa breakfast cookies on repeat lately and they are just so very good. You should Google them and make them! 

Homemade hummus is a favorite to have in the fridge.

A piece of art I made and have as my background on my phone.

What's been good for you lately? 

Are you making anything or reading something I should know about? 
Can you believe it's October?

We have a lot of birthdays and holidays the next 3 months so I feel like this is my Olympics. I also want to really savor these "ber" months. I'm craving crafts, colder weather, cardigans, and settling in under a blanket.