Sweet Moments

Sarah is a Christian wife and mom of two girls.  I love life and am learning how to give thanks in all things.  I enjoy blogging as a way to share with others the blessings and joys in life that are out there if we just look around! You can find her blog here and shop here. Read more posts from Sarah here.

The countdown is on.  By the time you are reading this, we're probably within 24 hours of my 8 year old little girl finishing up second grade.  Finished school for another year.  I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately - I have no idea where the time has gone!

My daughter loves singing - mostly when she thinks no one is listening.  I love eavesdropping as she sings her little heart out.  Quite often I'll hear her singing worship songs in the shower.  It really and truly blesses my heart to know those are the songs she likes to sing.  If not worship songs, then it's usually some of the typical second grade rhyming-type songs.

I'll often lay with her as she's trying to go to sleep.  She lays there chatting for a while, doing everything she can to avoid actually going to sleep.  Sometimes she'll sing.  It struck me recently that it's not going to be long before a couple of things happen.  First, this beautiful "little kid" singing voice isn't going to sound like this forever.  Second, she may outgrow this thing before I'm ready for it!  Rather than disrupt her singing and tell her she needs to go to sleep, I let her sing.  And I lay there listening.

I find myself lately just trying to soak this all in because my 8 year old daughter isn't going to be this way all that much longer.  She'll hit that "big girl" stage - the one where she'll start to look a lot less like a kid, be more interested in bigger kid things than little kid things, and maybe even be less interested in me.

I'm trying to soak this all in and enjoy it - just embracing this moment.

I want to treasure these sweet moments always!

What's your plan?

Growing up Cassie always loved to write. Notes, letters & in her journal. Now she has a passion for writing. She's loves Jesus. She's a wife to her high school crush & a mother to two beautiful little boys. She dreams big, loves entirely and lives life to the fullest. She believes laughter is the best medicine and embracing life is something she does with pleasure. Her blog is Live.Laugh.L0ve and she creates "pretties" in her handmade shop called ccy designs. You can see more post by Cassie here. 

Life has to have a plan right? No matter how unstructured your life may be. How chaotic and unorganized. I have to create some sort of plan for the day so I know I am getting things accomplished and fitting everything into this crazy beautiful life.

This is my main plan for each day to ensure I'm doing everything that needs me done.
Granted most days I do way more than this & some days I barely do this.
But this helps me to know I am doing the important things everyday.

1. Eat. This might be obvious but I have been known to skip meals before when I'm busy. Which leaves me cranky and extremely hungry.

{Via}

2. Pray/Read the word. I try to have God in my everyday life. Weathering I'm praying or reading the bible.

{Via}

3. Do laundry, the dishes & pick up the house.

{Via}

4. Play with my boys.

5. Spend time with my husband.

That's my plan. Every day. Simple. Basic.
Yet I'm making sure everything important is apart of my day.

Do you have a plan for your day?

Breaking Life Down

Drawn towards a creative life at a very young age and being an only child, I was always found drawing, imagining, or creating in one form or another. Now I am the desigNERD behind Dig Deep Design Studio. I'm all about designing, writing, photographing and living a fruitful, fulfilled life. No other ambition than to find balance in myself and live an artful existence. You can find Diggers blog here & her shop here. Want to read more from Digger? You can do that here. 

Let's review: 

In my house I have 2 young boys. Bruiser, who just turned 7 last weekend, and Monster, who turned 3 in 

February. They are very active and energetic little boys. However, I also have 4 TV's in my house, which 

are hooked up to a satellite dish and receive over 500 channels each, 3 computers, laptops no less that can 

travel the house to any desired comfy location. And to top it all off, there is also a Wii and XBox available 

for mind numbing game playing.

Source: naturae.tumblr.com via Meagan on Pinterest

I really have nothing against sitting down and watching a family movie together. I think it can be relaxing 

and enjoyable family bonding time. But, now, after listing it all down, it seems excessive at the least.

When Bruiser was little, I couldn't convince him to sit still for longer than 2 minutes. He hated to be 

cooped up in the condo. He'd stand on the back of the couch and practically break my blinds trying to 

view the world through our little window. He was constantly pulling on my hand and begging me to take 

him outside. Now, fast forward a few years, and I can't break him away from his tv. He wants it on as 

soon as he wakes up and will throw a huge fit if we tell him he can't watch it as he falls asleep. 

It's become a problem. I miss the little boy dragging me around to look at every little bug. The little boy 

who could spend hours playing in mud.

Monster, still prefers to be outside, however, he is his older brother's shadow, so he is quickly falling into 

the TV trap as well. His cartoon coma days are quickly approaching.

So today, I have issued "Mom Law" and put a ban on all the TV's. There is no need to spend an entire 

summer glued to a screen. Today we will be playing outside, cleaning leaves off the trampoline, weeding 

the abandoned garden, and throwing the ball for Zoey, our Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Maybe today we'll 

take a walk and pick a few flowers from the meadow down the street. Maybe we'll play a board game after 

dinner. I don't know, but today, I'll start showing my boys how to savor life. Today, I'm going to start 

breaking their lives down as well.

Wish me luck.

Maintain Focus

skye is a total type-a, list making maniac who has discovered a place to unleash her creativity through blogging and creating. she makes custom upcycled artwork at her dining room table for her shop, thumbprint designs. she shares her stories, inspirational thoughts and love for handmade and connecting on her blog, neathering our fest.   


Every month we are going to have one week dedicated to a certain topic. This week the writers of embrace your life are sharing how we keep focus in life. 

so - i think it is really funny cassie picked my suggestion for the monthly topic.

the reason i suggested it was because i needed some serious help in this department. and here i am now, telling you how you should maintain focus in your life when i can't even stay focused long enough to write more than a couple of sentences of a blog post at a time.

i didn't think, when i suggested it, that i'd have to write a post about it. that though just never floated through my scatterbrain head. but here i am. and i have a few little tips to hopefully help you maintain focus. this is what has semi-worked for me. maybe you can give me some advice or tweak my tips to help me out a little?

1. centralize.

figuring out what is MOST important to me is MOST hardest about maintaining focus. i place so much importance on so many things that it is hard for me to distinguish what must be done versus what should be done. so i centralize. and here is how i do it:



see the big circles? i fill those with the essentials of life.

* God + church
* family + friends
* biological needs (cleanliness, food, home chores, etc)
* work
* blog + shop

these are the things that are important to me. your big circles might include totally different things. that is OKAY.

then fill in the smaller circles with things you want to do but aren't totally essential to your physical and spiritual well-being. for me this is stuff like exercising, traveling, blog reading, talking on the phone, answering emails, etc. things i'd like to do but aren't dire to my existence.

now pretend that all the smaller circles just no longer exist. the things that are in those five large circles, what is most important to you, are what you could focus on the most. all that other stuff doesn't really matter, but the things in those big circles do. right?

2. prioritize

think about all the daily grind things you do. make coffee, bathe the kids, check emails, watch the morning show, grocery shop, baseball games, guest posts, make shop items.. i mean this is only the tip of the iceberg i'd be willing to bet.

about each specific item on your to do list, ask yourself these questions:

1. does it benefit one of the big circles on my list?
2. does it directly hamper my relationship with my husband/spouse/friend if i don't do it?

if the answer is no to either of those questions, then seriously question whether or not it needs to get done. then rewrite your to do list.

3. utilize

ask for help. back out of things.

you. can. not. do. it. all.

so stop trying to.

utilize your friends, your spouse, your parents, your babysitter, your dog.

i mean heck tie your kid to the dog and let them out in the backyard. boom exercise for both!
yeah - SO kidding. clearly i do not have children. (this is a good thing.)

if you ask people to help you they just might surprise you and do it better than you would yourself! so don't be afraid to utilize those around you to get through your mountain of tasks.

okay - so there are my tips. what ideas do you have? i'd love to hear some!

Just Focus

Growing up Cassie always loved to write. Notes, letters & in her journal. Now she has a passion for writing. She's loves Jesus. She's a wife to her high school crush & a mother to two beautiful little boys. She dreams big, loves entirely and lives life to the fullest. She believes laughter is the best medicine and embracing life is something she does with pleasure. Her blog is Live.Laugh.L0ve and she creates "pretties" in her handmade shop called ccy designs. You can see more post by Cassie here.


Every month we are going to have one week dedicated to a certain topic. This week the writers of embrace your life are sharing how we keep focus in life.

Focusing on life is so important.
It reminds us of why we are here.
It reminds us to sow down and appreciate the life we were given.
How else do we remember how precious and important life is?

Go outside. No matter if the sun is shining or raindrops are falling from the sky.

{Via}

Close your eyes and slowly count to ten. When you open them, open them slowly. Then notice in the calm, the life around around you.
The vibrant colors of the flowers.
Appreciate the way the sun feels on your skin
or
how cool the rain drops feel.
Take in the sounds of the birds singing
and
the laughter from the litte ones playing outside.
Appreciate the way the sky is aways so perfectly colored.

Take a deep breath and breathe in the life around you

5 Tips To Focus

Drawn towards a creative life at a very young age and being an only child, I was always found drawing, imagining, or creating in one form or another. Now I am the desigNERD behind Dig Deep Design Studio. I'm all about designing, writing, photographing and living a fruitful, fulfilled life. No other ambition than to find balance in myself and live an artful existence. You can find Diggers blog here & her shop here. Want to read more from Digger? You can do that here.  


Every month we are going to have one week dedicated to a certain topic. This week the writers of embrace your life are sharing how we keep focus in life.

Focus is nothing more than intense determination to see something through to the end. It's the act of achieving goals through positive thoughts, love, and unwavering faith that you "can". Here's the 5 things that I use to keep me focused and help me achieve my goals:

Source: Uploaded by user via Danny on Pinterest

1. JUST DO IT: No matter what, if I try and fail at least I tried and I'm in a better place than I was when I started. If I never try, I never succeed. 
2. NOTHING CAN STOP YOU BUT YOU: There are three choices with any decision. Are you going to do it, not do it, or smash through it and show it who's boss. Number three really is the ultimate goal for me. :)
3. INSPIRE=ACTION: If you feel it, you MUST do it. Inspiration is like a fire. It will burn for a while all by itself, but if you neglect it or stop feeding it, eventually it will burn out and it's really hard to get it going again with just the coals. Inspiration is God's way of saying "do this now". If you ignore it, somebody else will get the message.
4. ENJOY THE JOURNEY: Life is a journey. If we're always just waiting for the "big" ones, we're going to miss some "good" ones. Every step counts. Make it.
5. BE THANKFUL: You woke up today. Congrats, you get to try something new something different. You get to strive for those goals, don't waste it. 

Sometimes life can get really hard. And sometimes it can feel completely impossible. But remember, it's your life and you are in charge. Only you get to choose how you feel and what you do. 

I'm really glad that you've found Embrace Your Life. Sometimes we all need that little extra "umph" to get us going in the day and to help us remember to cherish the little things. That's what we're here for, to help, to support, and to show you that little extra light whenever you're needing it. 

<<>>

Focusing on Him

Sarah is a Christian wife and mom of two girls.  I love life and am learning how to give thanks in all things.  I enjoy blogging as a way to share with others the blessings and joys in life that are out there if we just look around! You can find her blog here and shop here. Read more posts from Sarah here.

Every month we are going to have one week dedicated to a certain topic. This week the writers of embrace your life are sharing how we keep focus in life.

It is not difficult at all for me to think of how I should maintain focus in my life.

For me, there are two ways.

First, being in the Word.

At the core of everything is the fundamental truth that resides in the Word of God.  I'm so guilty of not knowing the Word.  I'm trying to improve in that area.  I want to be able to call up a Bible verse from memory during any given situation.  I can't.  I have a few that I can reference, but I need to do better than that.  During some very difficult seasons in my life, it was the resounding truth found in the Word that made me turn my focus back to Christ.  It allowed me to see that my God is a loving, kind, and compassionate God.  He did not put trials in my path so they would destroy me.  Being in the Word is part of what gives me the strength I need to push forward.

Second, giving thanks.

In order to maintain focus in the midst of my daily struggles, I have intentionally been trying to seek out the blessings in them.  It is so hard, but I promise you, the blessings are there if you look for them.  When I focus on the blessings, I am better able to see God in all things.  In the difficult times and in the not so difficult times.  If I focus on the negative, guess what??  I'm going to wind up in a spiral of negativity leading to a path of destruction.  I know this first-hand.  When I shifted my focus to what was good - the joys and the blessings - my life changed for the better.  I have learned that I must give thanks daily so as to honor and glorify God, even in the difficult times.

Focusing on Life

Growing up Cassie always loved to write. Notes, letters & in her journal. Now she has a passion for writing. She's loves Jesus. She's a wife to her high school crush & a mother to two beautiful little boys. She dreams big, loves entirely and lives life to the fullest. She believes laughter is the best medicine and embracing life is something she does with pleasure. Her blog is Live.Laugh.L0ve and she creates "pretties" in her handmade shop called ccy designs. You can see more post by Cassie here.
Every month we are going to have one week dedicated to a certain topic. This week the writers of embrace your life are sharing how we keep focus on life.

It's so easy to get off track when it comes to focusing on life. So many things get in the way. Work, stress, running from here to there, cleaning, etc. Honestly - my sweet little boys help me keep focus on life. Not just our lives but the life around us.

It is a constant reminder everytime I look at them how precious life is. I've said it once and I will say it again, kids grow up to fast. In the blink of an eye they seem to go from baby to toddler to almost starting school. It makes you enjoy every part of life while they are this little. I am constantly pointing out all forms of life to them.

The colors of the sunset.
The bird singing in the tree.
The shape of the rocks.
The color of the grass.
Showing them how acorns have "hats".
Showing them the tiny rollie pollie.
Pointing out the beautiful butterflies.

There is so many things that remind me to slow down and focus on life. While my children are one of them they are not my only source. God helps me focus on life - being thankful he gave me this life to live. Spending time with my husband reminds me that I am so thankful for having him apart of my life. My family reminds me of life, the changing and growing of a life. My sweet friends help me to embrace life. You want to know what really helps me focus on life - hearing about death.

It saddens me to the core even if I don't know the person. It reminds me that this life is precious. Because you can be here one day and not the next. Heck you can be here one hour and not the next. Focus on life. Enjoy it. Breath it in and relish in it.

Tell me - how do you focus on life?

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Embrace the Mistake

Hello! My name is Annelise (but please, call me Aunie) and you can find me in the swanky corner of the interwebs at Aunie Sauce. I blog about my daily saucy happenings, my never-ending quest for true love (I think I've got a good handle on it these days), my new-found faith, and you'll occasionally see tidbits of my personal style.

 

When I began Aunie Sauce... it was intended as my online diary. I really only blogged about the fun, uplifting, and bubbly things that happened in my life. A few months later, I found myself writing a guest post for Miss Mommy and spilling my drama-filled story all over her blog. I showed a side of myself that so many people had no idea about. I'll tell you this—it includes marriage, divorce, depression, and a realization that I was so very lost. Anyway... that guest post, which I shared a couple weeks later on my blog, generated a LOT of feedback. Some negative, some positive. Nevertheless—my other side was out for all to see...

... It. Was. Terrifying. Bearing my soul to the internet (to friends and trolls) was so daunting. But I knew it was something I needed to do. I blog to share my story. All of it. I may not share every single detail, but baby, I will let you know what I've done wrong and what I've done right.

I think it's important to share stories like that because, for maybe just one person, they may realize they're not alone. Maybe it'll be that they're not the ONLY one who has walked away from something that everyone else said seemed so "perfect." Or it could be that they're not the ONLY one who had feelings for another while they were already in a relationship. It might even be that they're not the ONLY one who cried and cried out of desperation, and then finally realized they just needed to open their heart to God. If, by telling my story, I can help even one person to realize that if they make mistakes it's okay (because it really is) and they must learn and move on from them... maybe that could be the little extra push that they need.

We ALL make mistakes. We ALL learn life lessons. And we ALL have our own stories.

What is YOUR story? Are you a new-found Christian, like myself? Are you a divorcee, looking for answers? Are you a baby-less, anti-crafty, non-baker ... because I sure am. I'd love to hear your story. I'd love to hear how you overcame a huge life obstacle. I'd just love to hear YOU. Email me. I promise I'll email you back. ♥

I guess the point of this post is not only to Embrace Your Life, as this blog suggests... but to embrace your MISTAKES as well. Each action and decision we make impacts who we are, what will happen, and the person we will become. Embrace. Change. Learn. Love. LIVE.

Those sweet, sweet moments

Growing up Cassie always loved to write. Notes, letters & in her journal. Now she has a passion for writing. She's loves Jesus. She's a wife to her high school crush & a mother to two beautiful little boys. She dreams big, loves entirely and lives life to the fullest. She believes laughter is the best medicine and embracing life is something she does with pleasure. Her blog is Live.Laugh.L0ve and she creates "pretties" in her handmade shop called ccy designs. You can see more post by Cassie here.
Oh how I wish I had pictures for this post. They all came out extremely dark because it was late at night.

Last week we had ran some errands and wound up not getting home until around 8:30PM. KJ had fallen asleep in the car and didn’t even stir when we layed him down in bed. Hubby had to work on his brother’s car and asked if Jay & I wanted to come out in the garage with him. At first I said no, then quickly changed my mind. I took my laptop outside and pulled up a two seater chair and I did some blogging while Jay played angry birds on daddy’s phone while daddy worked on the car. A short time later I turned the music on and started singing – not even caring if the neighbors could hear me.

This isn’t normal for me. I’m pretty shy about singing but that night, I just didn’t care. Once that stopped Jay & I went out into the driveway. It was nighttime by now. There were clouds all over the night sky covering the moon and the stars and the air was beautifully cool. Jay and I spun in circle’s looking up at the sky, did front flips and attempted to climb our tree.

Then this mommy needed a break so I laid down on the driveway and looked up at the sky and Jay followed my lead. He curled up in my arms right next to me and we talked and laughed for a long time. Then we began exploring. There was tons of rolly pollies everywhere and Jay and I laughed and laughed as he blew on them to get to them to move and I slightly touched them to get them going. I taught him about the little rolly pollies and then taught him about the acorns that scattered the ground.

The june bug that was making our way towards us and about why he couldn’t see the moon because of the clouds. 2 ½ hours went by and for the first time in a long time I hadn’t payed attention to the time. It was glorious. One of the best nights I had, had in a long time. We laid back down on the driveway and stared up at the sky, I thought about how tired I was and how I needed to lay Jay down for bed. Then the clouds broke and the starts came out. I pointed out the big dipper to him and told him to make a wish on the stars.

It’s this – moments like this, that I hope he remembers forever. God gave me a beautiful gift that night. He gave me the blessing of being outside, spending time with my first born, laughing and playing and exploring. It was time I am thankful for. I will hold onto that moment for the rest of my life. It was the first time in a week I had really let loose and relax and I know Jay had the best time.

Moral of the story – enjoy those moments. Take the time to step away from the computer. Step away from time. Step away from the world and just live in that moment that God is giving you.

Celebrating Life

Sarah is a Christian wife and mom of two girls.  I love life and am learning how to give thanks in all things.  I enjoy blogging as a way to share with others the blessings and joys in life that are out there if we just look around! You can find her blog here and shop here. Read more posts from Sarah here.

This week I spent some time reflecting and celebrating - embracing - life.

My little girl, Peyton, turned six on Tuesday.

Six.

An incredible milestone for this precious child of God.

Six years,

when we didn't even know if we could get one!

Each year, a precious gift from the Father.

Six years ago we entered the "special needs" world.

A little after that, we entered the "medically fragile" world.

It's a difficult place to be.

But it's a place where I've found so many blessings,

not the least of which is in the gift of Peyton herself.

Peyton has blessed our family beyond measure.

She has taught us far more than we could ever dream of teaching her.

Yes, she is completely and utterly dependent on us, has multiple brain malformations {including a partial piece just being completely missing}, and is developmentally like an infant of about 6 months of age, give or take {depending on what you're looking at}.

But somehow this precious child has taught us more about life than we could imagine.

We have truly learned what it means to give thanks in all circumstances.

We have learned that every person has a purpose in life, no matter what their limitations might seem.

We have learned the measure and depth of our love and the strength that we have to endure all things.

We are truly blessed and grateful or the opportunity that God has provided us to take care of His precious daughter for as long as He is willing.  She is His, on loan to us.  So long as He allows us to have her, we will continue to embrace life in a very special way.

"Peyton's Field of Flowers" by April L. Knight

Thoughts on Faith

Every Sunday the writers of embrace your life are going to share their thoughts on a certain topic. This week's topic is Faith.


First we would like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all you mommas out there!

Cassie


Faith is something that gets me through each day. I am strong in my faith, it is apart of who I am. I have faith that hard times won't last forever and that good times should be celebrated. Having faith makes it to where I can look at a bad situation and find the beauty in it. I know that God is always by my side and with him I can do anything and I can get through anything. Having faith keeps me going. Having faith means I can look at the bumpy roads and know I can make it through them.

He knows the plans he has for me, which makes my faith even stronger. Because I know something good comes out of everything. There is a rainbow after the storm.

Digger

Faith is essential in my life. "Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen" (Ether 12:6) Faith is the hope that good will come from what happens. That there is always a light somewhere to be seen. That hope, that's what grounds me. That's what sees me through the hard times, and what pushes me to help others through the good times. Faith is how I conquer the day and how i make decisions not only for myself, but for my children and my family. 

"Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day. Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray. Faith is like a little seed; if planted it will grow. Faith is a swelling within my heart. When I do right, I know"

Skye

the cornerstone of my faith is Jesus and i never really knew how strong that faith was until my mom passed away. the days, weeks, and months following her death were a whirlwind of crazy emotions. the only thing that kept me sane and stable was knowing that she is in Heaven with my Jesus and that i know, without a shred of doubt, that i will see her again. i always tell myself that she got there, saw her mom and dad, and will turn around to see us standing there as well. i believe there is no time in Heaven and that she will never truly feel like she has missed any amount of time with us.

i don't know how people without faith in Jesus can cope with the world as it is today. sometimes it just disgusts me how torrential the downpour of sin has become but knowing that if i can fight the daily battle with my Jesus umbrella i have this amazing place awaiting me that makes our world here seem meaningless. that faith is hard to keep up and i definitely struggle with it. i question God and some of the things that happen. i worry sometimes that all my faith and fighting will be worth nothing. but then something happens - God answers a prayer or i see people selflessly helping each other and my faith is restored.

what are things in every day life that restore your faith? where do you turn when your faith is shaken?

Sarah 

Having faith has become an incredibly important part of my life.  I could not do life with a special needs child without it.  I tried for a while - blaming God and saying "why me???" for too long.  Life became this downward spiral for me.  It got to a point in time where my daughter's health deteriorated so much that the only thing I could possibly cling to at that point was what little faith I had.  I turned things over to God and allowed Him to be in control for once.   After all, I'm not really in control at all in this life, now am I?!  I found this passage to be helpful in my faith:
1 Peter 5:6-9 (NLT)
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.  
When you read this passage, it sure sounds difficult, doesn't it? Humble yourselves. Watch out for the enemy. Tough stuff. But look beyond that. Friends, this scripture is a promise from God. He is asking us to humble ourselves before Him. To submit to Him. Why? Because He desires that we would follow Him because He loves us and cares for us. He cares about us enough to ask us to give up all of our worries. He is offering to take up the burdens for us.  There is also reassurance in this passage because we are being told that we are not alone in our troubles.  No matter how much it feels like we are - we are not.
Take heart and know that God is with you in all your triumphs but also in all your struggles as well.  Have faith that He is there for you.  He has never and will never leave your side.  I know my life improved tremendously when I finally realized this!  This is a hope and a promise in all of this - that God will ease your load.  Have faith!

believing in yourself

skye is a total type-a, list making maniac who has discovered a place to unleash her creativity through blogging and creating. she makes custom upcycled artwork at her dining room table for her shop, thumbprint designs. she shares her stories, inspirational thoughts and love for handmade and connecting on her blog, neathering our fest.  

growing as a blogger and indie biz owner has taught me so many lessons about myself. it takes a very strong, very determined, and very faithful person to take on this lifestyle and run with it. there are so many ups and downs, celebrations and sorrows, and moments of faith to endure that i could never expect anyone to take it on lightly or understand what it has done to me as a person. i see now why so many blogs get started and never see more than five or six posts. or why there are etsy stores and shops that start a vibrant life only to fizzle out quickly when there aren't many sales in the first weeks, months, heck YEARS sometimes.

it is hard. hard i tell you. can i get an amen?


please pin this from the original source

if you have one shred of self doubt, chances are you will have a very hard time making it as an indie biz owner. believing in yourself, or at least believing that YOU WILL believe in yourself or SOMEONE WILL believe in you, is one of THE essential characteristics of successful business owners, handmade or no. think about it - everything you do is a reflection of you. the blog posts you write, the products you produce, the marketing you put into place, and the prices you set are all reflections of YOU. if you don't believe in yourself, you will be cutting yourself seriously short in all of these departments.

i have learned that the first step to success in this world is to believe that you can do it. who cares if other people say you can't? if you start to believe them, you are fulfilling your own prophecy. you, your ideas, your thoughts, YOU are worth more than the world will probably ever tell you. if you feel like you have something to offer, you have to be confident enough in yourself to overcome the world and present yourself! this was a hard hard lesson for me to actually implement. and even though i'm not completely over my fear of ridicule and rejection, i have come a long way because i have nestled myself with others in my shoes, quit comparing myself to others, and started accepting praise.

you can do it. YOU can do it. you can do IT - whatever it is! don't let the world steal your dreams.

Accepting who you are

Growing up Cassie always loved to write. Notes, letters & in her journal. Now she has a passion for writing. She's loves Jesus. She's a wife to her high school crush & a mother to two beautiful little boys. She dreams big, loves entirely and lives life to the fullest. She believes laughter is the best medicine and embracing life is something she does with pleasure. Her blog is Live.Laugh.L0ve and she creates "pretties" in her handmade shop called ccy designs. You can see more post by Cassie here.

That seems like such an easy concept to grasp. But in a world where there is so much pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way, heck even think a certain way. You can get lost in the frenzy of it all. A part of embracing your life is embracing who you are.

This is me

I rock white sunglasses. Love some dum dums & I love peace. I love wearing fun colors, but you want to know something else; it's hard for me to wear so many colors - to bring attention to myself. I like accessories that are cute & simple but ad pops of color.

This is me

A mother who loves her children. Even when she's dead tired and mr. cutie in the picture should be sleeping. Instead he's driving a train up my arm and back down as we lay in bed.

• I am sensitive
• Emotional
• Fun
• I dance whenever the mood hits
• I sing whenever I can
• I get dirty
• I work hard
• I write my heart out
• I laugh
• I love
• I'm reserved
• I'm outgoing when you get to know me
• I'm shy
• I'm passionate
• I'm not perfect
• I have flaws
• I embrace life
• I strive to live my dreams
• I am a momma
• I am a wife
• I love Jesus
• Most of all. I rock to my own style & dance to my own beat

I have shared with you a little of who I am. Share with me who you are! 

A small moment

Sarah is a Christian wife and mom of two girls.  I love life and am learning how to give thanks in all things.  I enjoy blogging as a way to share with others the blessings and joys in life that are out there if we just look around! You can find her blog here and shop here. Read more posts from Sarah here.

This past Sunday, we went for a little outing after church.  We decided to go to the waterfront and walk out on this pier where there were all kinds of people sitting watching the water or even fishing.  As we were walking along, my older daughter found a ladybug.  She picked it up and held it.  She let it crawl along her arm.  She would gather it in her hands and stare at it, marveling in the beauty that she saw in it.

My daughter walked with us along this pier, all while holding on to and admiring this little ladybug.  She was absolutely fascinated by it.  She laughed and giggled as she felt it crawling up her arm.  She would let it hang from her fingers and then let it loose to craw back up her arm again.

Now, I'm not one for having little bugs crawl all over me, but I couldn't help but look at her in awe myself.  There was my daughter with this little creature - just taking it all in, completely captivated by one of God's tiny little creatures, and simply enjoying the moment.

 It left me wondering - when was the last time that I truly reveled in something so simple and so small?  When was the last time I truly delighted in something like this?  When was I last taken captive by something so seemingly insignificant, but through which I found so much joy and happiness?

I then thought, if I'm having trouble coming up with an answer to any of those questions, then maybe it's time to slow the pace down just a little.  Maybe it's time to take more notice of the little everyday things which surround me.  Maybe it's time to free myself from the "grown up" burdens, even if just for a moment, so I too can revel in some of the small and wonderful things that are part of God's creation.

Just Enjoy The Peas

Drawn towards a creative life at a very young age and being an only child, I was always found drawing, imagining, or creating in one form or another. Now I am the desigNERD behind Dig Deep Design Studio. I'm all about designing, writing, photographing and living a fruitful, fulfilled life. No other ambition than to find balance in myself and live an artful existence. You can find Diggers blog here & her shop here. Want to read more from Digger? You can do that here.  

This is the actual view that I could see from my spot in the garden. That's the mountain I remember.

My very first memory, and I'm already willing time to move faster.

You see, for as long as I can remember I've been the type of person who wants to get to the next step. I'm always rushing to see what's on the other side and never fully in the moment at hand. Don't get me wrong, I'm present. I take pictures and make connections, but in the back of my mind I'm always preparing and planning for "the next step".

In high school I took AP and concurrent enrollment classes and graduated with several college credits so that I could "get through faster". Two months after graduation (ok, a month and a half) I got married so that "life could really begin". Our first year of marriage was great, but secretly I couldn't wait to start having kids and raising our family. And as soon as Bruiser was born I began hoping that naps and bedtimes would come faster today than they did yesterday.

Why do I do this? Why am I always in such a rush?

As I'm sitting here thinking all of this through, I realize that I'm missing soo much. Although a handful and at times I headache, Monster will only be 2 once, and he'll only say these things once. He'll only want to be held and cuddle for now. Bruiser is only going to be in first grade this year. He's only going to be learning these things once. He'll only be 6 right now. And Hubs will only be the Hubs that I know right now, right now. Time changes all of us. Time teaches us things and takes things away. Why am I living just to learn the lessons and then move on? It's like I keep waiting for them all to change into something better, something different, something that better fits my life and my schedule.

I need to learn how to slow down, to relax. I need to learn how to be fully present in the moment. Stop worrying about tomorrow and focus less on "the next big thing". Right now, I just need to focus on right now.

I need to just sit back, enjoy my peas, and marvel at the beautiful mountain in front of me.

Being Content

Sarah is a Christian wife and mom of two girls.  I love life and am learning how to give thanks in all things.  I enjoy blogging as a way to share with others the blessings and joys in life that are out there if we just look around! You can find her blog here and shop here. Read more posts from Sarah here.
This week on my own blog, wrote a couple of posts on the issue of contentment.  I shared how there are times or situations in my life were I experience a certain amount of discontent.  Times where I feel like everything is working against what I would have wished for in my life or would have hoped for in a particular circumstance.  I then wrote a post about what to do about that.
What I discovered through these reflections was that living in a spirit of discontentment means that you are unable to truly embrace life.  How can you truly appreciate the little things in life when you're too caught up in the big picture and how it is dragging you down?  I discovered that it is quite possible that much of my discontent is of my own making and could actually be avoided in the future if I learn to recognize certain patterns in my behavior and attitude towards things so that I can nip it in the bud.
What I really learned through this discovery is that you truly can embrace life in a season of difficulty.  You must work harder sometimes to figure out how make it work for you, but I'm thinking now that it can be done!!  
We have a special needs child.  She's not just special needs - she is also medically fragile, which just adds a whole other level of complexity to our situation with her.  It also makes simple things like "date nights" next to impossible.  Or that is what I keep telling myself.  It also means that we can't do things as a "foursome" {me, my husband and both our girls}.  Or at least it seems next to impossible to do so.  I could really get down on myself for a number of things that won't ever happen where our special needs daughter is concerned.  She won't ever walk {or even crawl, sit or stand}, much less play soccer, dance, run, and play with other kids.  But I can relish in the smiles that I get from her and her laugh that is so infectious.  And I have to swallow that bitter pill of what she can't do and accept that while allowing our other daughter to experience all those things because she can do them.  She just finished up her third soccer season and we truly enjoyed some great moments with her.

My Moira - the little blonde girl front and center!

In reality, what I need to do is to embrace this life that I have been given.  I need to utilize the resources we have {such as home nursing} and schedule such that my daughter has appropriate in-home care while my husband and I do something with our older daughter.  Here's the key - it has to be without guilt feelings.  I find myself taking on so many guilt feelings whenever we do something that excludes the one child because it's not practical to bring her.  In reality, we have another daughter who just wants our time and attention and for us to do things with her that she will remember - that will have meaning for her one day.
We need to embrace all of our life - even the trials that make the seemingly ordinary "family things" that others seem to be able to do effortlessly - so that we can enjoy this time.  The more we are able to enjoy the season we are in, the more content will will find ourselves with life in general.

Remember The Little Things

Drawn towards a creative life at a very young age and being an only child, I was always found drawing, imagining, or creating in one form or another. Now I am the desigNERD behind Dig Deep Design Studio. I'm all about designing, writing, photographing and living a fruitful, fulfilled life. No other ambition than to find balance in myself and live an artful existence. You can find Diggers blog here & her shop here. Want to read more from Digger? You can do that here. 

Life has been crazy and chaotic this past few weeks. But in all the hustle and bustle I've somehow found my center - my balance (for the moment). 

 I'm hoping that my boys will remember these days -- when they got dressed, just so they could play in the mud, when they learned how to play with nothing but a stick and a garden hose, when the weather turned sunny and warm enough to run around with only swim trunks and the air smelled of sunscreen and fresh cut grass.  

 I hope they remember splashing in buckets, feeding geese, and watching the clouds together and that we were happy, regardless of what the outside world demanded that we feel, we were happy just being together on sunny afternoons. 

 I hope they remember me sitting beside them with a huge smile. It would be so great to know that when they look back at all these photos, they'll still feel the chilly water, the cool grass, and the warm southern breeze on their skin. 

It's the best that I can offer right now, and as much as I want to give them their every desire, I also want them to know how to be happy without it.

Savoring the sweet moments

Growing up Cassie always loved to write. Notes, letters & in her journal. Now she has a passion for writing. She's loves Jesus. She's a wife to her high school crush & a mother to two beautiful little boys. She dreams big, loves entirely and lives life to the fullest. She believes laughter is the best medicine and embracing life is something she does with pleasure. Her blog is Live.Laugh.L0ve and she creates "pretties" in her handmade shop called ccy designs. You can see more post by Cassie here.

Lately I haven't been on the computer as much as normal. I wrote about that here. In the mean time, I have been savoring the sweetness in my children. I have fought back tears as I realize how big they are getting. I find myself giving them more kisses and sitting on the floor playing.

I have been savoring the smallness of their hands. How they look when they sleep. How they want to spend so much time with me.

How the sound of their laughter fills the air. How it's music, pure sweet music to my ears.

I know these moments will go too fast and that's hard for me. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss baby kisses and playing with dinosaurs. I'm going to miss how they curl up next to me and fall asleep. I'm going to miss how their little voices sound. I know I still have some years, but if there is one thing I've learned in this life - it's that years go by too fast.