blogcation, part ii

i know, i know, i said i was going to take some time off.

and i am.

but i saw a video this morning and wanted to share it.

since i will be off the blog for about 10 days, that is quite a bit of time and one or all of you might be spending some time out in the sun.

if after watching this, you decide to put some sunscreen on when you would not have otherwise, than i consider this post worth it.

3 minutes. that is all it takes to watch this.

please watch.

how the sun sees you

i like to see you too, so please protect the skin you are in. xo

blogcation

yep, pretty sure that i just made up a word.

i am going to take this next week off from the blog, i have some important memories to make.

i will talk to you after labor day.

which will be when i have a kindergartner. how is that even possible? i don't know either. get out the kleenex, you know i am going to need them. i can't even read this post without the water works starting.

hope your week is a good one. xo

super important sidenote:
+++ happy bday to my favorite nerd tomorrow, you are the best sister a girl could ask for -xo

stories, part ii

i met kimberly last year.

she is a bright light in this world and i am super thankful that i get to call her friend.

today she shared the story of her mental health.

i have always thought that she is brave, today just reconfirmed that.

i think that everyone should read her story.

because maybe you can relate.

because maybe you know of someone who can relate.

because maybe you will think about bipolor and depression a little (or a lot) differently than you have before.
 
because stories matter.

your story matters.

this is kimberly's story

i hope you will read it.

stories

today ali edwards released a new video and i loved it.

her words captured everything that i feel about telling stories.

i think that stories are so important.

that is one of the reasons why i spend so much time capturing our weekly pictures in albums.

i want to tell the details behind the stories that aren't captured from just the picture alone. like how malena and i had a date night, we had pizza for dinner at a place she loves, we did some shopping and she modeled clothes (which is what is captured in the photo on the top right), and then we ate cupcakes and she played in a water fountain for an hour. i want to remember those details years from now, and more importantly, i want them written down for her. in my writing. our story together.

i want to tell the details behind the stories that she might not otherwise remember or wasn't with me to have memories of her own. like the retreats that i have been on. how i love to watercolor. how i love to take photographs. how i love to take walks on the beach. how i love to carve stamps. how i love anything made out of paper. how it is ok and good to take time for yourself to do the things that you really love. i want her to be encouraged to create her own stories that revolve around her passions, whatever amazing ones she cultivates as she continues to grow. i want her to remember that she will always wear many hats, but one of the most important ones to put on is the hat that is just for her and no one else.

i want to tell the details behind the stories of our weeks. the picnics. the weekly swim lessons. the campouts. the school events. the lunches with friends. all of the weekly routines that fill our lives and that i am so thankful for. i never lose sight of the fact that our weekly routines include so many opportunities that we are all so lucky to have. even when it is a tough week, we are all together and that is what matters the most.

my focus on documenting stories became more much intense after my diagnosis, i want our story captured. that is really important to me and something that i focus on day in and day out. through pictures. through videos. through instagram. through this blog.

there are days when i think about quitting this blog and not writing anymore, but then i remind myself that this is another way of capturing my story and i continue to write.  

i always continue to write.

there always seems to be more of the story to tell.

one move

today was one of those days when the workload was high and time to do it was low.

today was one of those days when my patience was almost non-existent.

today was one of those days when i wasn't sure which of the items on my to do list to cross off first.

today was one of those days when i got home and opened my mailbox and saw some happy mail.

today was one of those days when i found a little token sent from one of my friends that reminded me to make one move.

today was one of those days when i could have done a lot of things that needed to get done, but none of them were really that important.

today was one of those days when i chose to make one move just for myself. i made a great lunch for tomorrow. i went for a 3 mile run. i took some deep breaths. i relaxed.

today was one of those days when i got the perfect reminder just when i needed it.

hello monday

i have no idea how it is already sunday night. but here it is whether i like it or not, and i don't like it (just in case you are wondering). that means that tomorrow is monday, which means five days of work are right around the corner. but i will try not to think about that too much as i lay my head down tonight and will instead think about the good things that happened over the weekend.

we caught up on our project runway and sketched our own clothes just like the designers do. we take project runway very seriously around here in case you couldn't tell.

 

my friend erin posted this over the weekend. just in case anyone is looking for me in october, i am pretty sure that this might be a good guess where you will find me. ikea and paper in the same place, all of my dreams might be coming true.

you knew this was going to happen (no, it isn't a hard cider) - avocado toast. i could eat this every day and be pretty happy about. oh wait, i do it eat it almost every day and i am pretty happy about.

i got my hardest 10k training run yet in over the weekend, 3 miles of it had hill after hill after hill and they were all going up. but what i love about uphill (and trust me, this is the only thing that i love about uphill), is that it always has a downhill on the way home. 3 weeks from today is the 10k, can't believe how quick that is coming up. i remember when i first considered signing up over four months ago. time flies when you are hitting the pavement.

malena and i worked on some projects in the craft room, i love watching her tackle her own projects and coming up with her own ideas. i think that we all know who she gets her creativity from, and her name isn't barrett.

on this monday, beth starts her second round of chemo, she will be 1/4 of the way through after this week. we love progress and showing cancer that we mean business. so send her your love, prayers and mojo as round 2 begins. she will go in at about 1:30 seattle time, and then the pump will come out on wednesday. you've got this beth, go fighter go.

i hope that your mondays have some bright spots to start off your week. xo

hodpodge

"you're only given one little spark of madness. you mustn't lose it."

(robin williams)

 

 

 

+++ i have been a girl on a mission to clear any spots in our house that tend to become magnets for little piles to form. this area was a go to spot for dropping the daily mail until we had time to go through it on the weekend. i decided that i was not going to let mail be the focus of this area any longer. so last weekend after we busted out the collage wall,  i tackled this spot. cleared it off, framed some art, got a great wooden box from target (sheri, target did it again!) to put the mail in so has a small place to go. i am loving it. mission accomplished. "have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to beautiful." i think that william morris was on to something when he said that, and i am trying to implement that throughout home. the "make something today" print is from 'life.love.paper', the plate is from kelly rae roberts collection, the "do your best" was a limited edition piece from elise, and the rocking bird is from west elm.

 

+++  the quote above from robin williams is one of my favorites. geralyn from "in a creative bubble" has a brush script free download of this quote, and it is awesome. you can download it here.

 

+++ oh man, this post had me smiling the entire time i read it. type a? me? no, not me. couldn't really even identify with this one.

 

+++ um hello 12 guilt free desserts, i am all over the gluten free pb&j thumbprint cookies. yum.

 

+++ i am not sure that i will ever look at a starbucks barista the same after reading this article in the new york times.

 

+++ i have had my eye on this cookbook for a couple of weeks since a friend posted a picture of it. i was in one of my favorite stores today and they had it, and so of course, i took that as a sign that it was meant to be mine. it is the most beautiful cookbook i have ever seen and the recipes look ah-maz-ing. i can't wait to start chefing some of them up. if you are looking for a cookbook to inspire you, you need to pick this one up. i suggest that instead of walk, you run, to pick this one up. it is that good.

+++ i have also had my sights on darling magazine since i first saw a copy at anthropology last month. i picked up a copy yesterday and am really excited to cuddle up with it and a warm mug of green tea. any magazine that says "darling leads women to practice the arts of virtue, wit, modesty, and wisdom - all the while creating beauty and embodying love. darling says women are not only interesting, but original, not only good enough, but exceptional - not just here, but here for a purpose" is one that i am willing to spend my time reading.

 

 

+++ i hope that you all have a great weekend. ours is going to include an ice cream social, two rounds of swim lessons, training runs, some qt in our yard (weeds, i am coming for you), craft room goodness, sleeping in, cartoons, avocado toast (my new favorite breakfast), and more.

 

i also wanted to let those that have sent super mom becky happy mail that she says thank you so much for the cards and gifts of encouragement;)

 

have a good one peeps. xo