If you've spent any time on the Internet, surely you're heard of the Sartorialist, a fashion photographer who blogs daily ordinary and famous people's fashion. He decided to host a dinner of 25 of the best dressed men and filmed it. I love how dressed up they all are--do you think that fashion is leaning toward more dressy now? Personally, I blame any and all fashion sloppiness on JFK, who didn't wear a hat on his Inauguration Day and thus men stopped wearing hats afterward. He certainly fueled grunge-wear in the 90s, right?

I'm feeling like it's important to note that I'm sitting in my yoga pants, typing this. Of course, they are very dressy ones--why do you ask?

The Sartorialist: Lunch for 25 from The Sartorialist on Vimeo.

P.S. Did you see Kenye in the video?

hello again, to me from me.

As soon as he took his steps, I emerged out of a fog.



He stopped nursing, and I felt like a little more like me again.




Me, the person, who felt like one now that sleep was returning more normally.


This one loves having mama on more equal terms, too.


And so does this one.





Life with two little ones and one of me still is an adjustment.


But I wouldn't trade being me, for anything else in the world.

It can be believed that God has gifted us--perhaps even every single one of us--with the ability to see through the veil.

We live in a shadow of what once was and what is to come--a gentle ripple, and miles from the first splash we search for how to get back.

Back to where worship and creation intertwined, double-helixing itself into the DNA of a young girl in Galilee and the faithful man who loved her. Do your gifts, your strength, echo this? Are you, who've been remade, turning the world upside down as well?



video via Ann

I grasp around in my environment to see if there is any sort of shadow of eternity. There has to be redemption hidden somewhere, especially after I'm searching for wayward pacifiers and ridding the house of foul smells and irrational fears. There has to be GLORY in the mundane, right? Because, my friends, when you become a mama, it is a slow and glorious self-death, but it is also a wake-up call to the extreme privilege it is to witness creation by your Creator. To see a person unfold right before you and to suspect that He is going to change the world with the tiny hands you hold. I want to join in on His mission with my own creation, but I find that I fight against all that's been handed to me--the ever-growing needs and requests and "mommy!'s-- to do so. And so, sometimes all I can do is agree with the Holy groans in my walls of spirit and home that tell me it's worth it, the sweeping of sidewalks, the drying of clothes, the taking of pictures, the wiping of bottoms, the tickling on the couch--these things that generate no money or marking or interest--they are WORTH it, because they change the world.

I need to believe it, to hear it daily. Do you?

Ava's room--new!

Goodness me, it's taken me forever and a day to get these pictures up from Ava's room. Some of you may remember that a leisurely day painting her room turned "interesting" when we discovered that the one (yup, just one!) wall that was covered with wallpaper was actually just covering drywall. The wall looked like this when we attempted (very unsuccessfully) to strip it.



Thank the good Lord for my handy husband, who was driving from DIY store to hardware store and back again, all over town looking for a solution that didn't involve a contractor when I called him to say, "what about beadboard to cover it?" A week or so later, in between dinner and work, and corralling a little girl out of her room, he put up and painted some gorgeous beadboard that looks seamless. Seriously, I have to look really hard to find where the panels meet! We decided (okay, so I convinced him) to do the opposite wall as well, so it wouldn't seem so random. Anyway, here are the final results!




We painted the same Benjamin Moore Habor Fog for the blue, and used some extra trim paint that was leftover from the previous homeowners for the beadboard so it would match up. I think the trim paint was a Walmart brand, which we won't use again because it was like skim milk! So thin.



Here's a close-up of the pretty beadboard, and also a close up of her letters. You can see that the fabric is really crudely ripped and glued on. But I love them and think they look great anyway!



Here's a view of the opposite beadboarded wall. As great as the one wall looked, I really wanted some balance to the room with the beadboard, and not just a random wall that has beadboard on it (that was patching the wallpaper). Thus, more work for my husband, but it really feels balanced now.








Next up, Asher's room! And hopefully, it won't take me months!

living room.

I've been honing in on my writing style the past few months, and lo and behold, it's actually helped me hone in on my decor style. I do love tweaking the setting of my life, and honestly, it's a wonderful distraction from the rest of my responsibilities. We've recently finished our living room, which is in the same area as our dining and kitchen--another great thing about our new home. Life flows into one setting and back into another easily. Here are a few pics I snapped while my firstborn was out to lunch with her Gigi and the littlest was napping.



The Jane Austen pillows were inspired by the lovely Dear Lillie. I added a green bow to bring in the moss green color from the butterflies.



What could you tell about my current writing project based on my decor? Something gothic, moody, and saturated?




You would be right.

getting your heart where your home is.

There are things that I'm good at, and there are things that I'm not. I don't explain why I'm not that great at math; I'm just not. So, when there's formulas to decipher and numbers to record, I (if I can) happily pass along the task, I do.

I'm sure there are things you're good at, and things that you aren't.

But did you know that we can all be good at having people over?

It's not about having a clean home or even feeling comfortable at others' eyes roving our corners for cobwebs, it's about loving people.

What if your home was actually your heart?

Obviously, there are dark corners with cobwebs, rooms with doors that will always be closed to non-family members.

We don't expect our hearts to be perfect before loving others, so why do we wait until our home is before inviting others over?

We've lived here for 3 months, and I'll tell you a little secret.

Our house isn't put together after moving at all. I still haven't painted the majority of our walls. We still haven't hung much on them. But, we have had more people over in the past 3 months than we had in all of last year. B and I decided to take advantage of the "we've just moved in" grace people give you, and hosted a birthday party, desserts, dinners, playdates, and more.

And do you know what?

It's been awesome. We basked in the presence of others before our house felt "ready." I've kind of enjoyed having less to dust and the room to think about my potential decor...

but most of all, I've enjoyed letting people in--and in my home, too.