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Acorn Art: Discover the Fun of Making Your Own Easy & Quirky Masterpiece!
If you’ve played on Pinterest enough, you’ve likely seen one of Petr Vaclavek’s world-famous acorn elves! The first time I laid eyes on them, I was smiling ear to ear! They are fun, silly, absolutely unique and incredibly brilliant! I couldn’t stop flipping from one image to the next! And the best part? The idea was born out of a simple brainstorming session of how to make art from the collections of materials brought home from nature walks with his kids! How wonderful! If you want to see his site, click here! You won’t be disappointed! Of course, as soon as I saw Vaclavek’s beautiful acorn elves, I just knew…
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Pine Cone Thanksgiving Turkey Craft
If you’ve followed our blog for any length of time, you know I’m crazy about three things… my family, being outdoors, and crafting! What makes me giggle is that my five year-old seems to be following in my footsteps. We often come home from a walk or run with a huge pile of leaves, pine cones, acorns, interesting sticks, flowers, and sometimes random rocks all piled in the seat of his Baby Jogger stroller. When asked what he plans to do with all of these things, his answer is always the same… “I’m going to make art, mommy!” Makes this mommy’s heart proud! The other day, we came home from…
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Resting in Jesus in a “Save Face” Society
Life is full of humbling moments, but the most painful ones usually involve a gross exposure of our cracks, flaws and imperfections to the world. Society, as a whole, tells us that the most important thing during these times is to immediately shift into damage control. The message is clear, “hide your imperfections and cover up the pain with lies.” Wear a smile. Act like nothing is wrong. Act like you’re winning. Don’t let them see your vulnerability. Don’t let them see you crack. If they see it, it gives them power over you. We are so busy trying to control the damage and save face that we have forgotten…
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The Baby Shower Gift We Have Used For Over 5 Years!
I don’t write a lot of product reviews on my blog, but I remember being a first-time expectant mom and trying to sort through the scary task of making my first baby shower registry. What do I actually need? Which product works best? Do brands matter? What will I forget? Oh gosh, how can I put such expensive items on my registry and actually ask people to buy them? That was over five years ago, but I still remember how overwhelmed and anxious I felt about it all. Fast forward to today and I can’t believe that I’m still using one of my baby shower gifts over five years later! …
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Make Your Own Family Cookbook: A Gift That Warms The Heart and Spans the Generations
I read somewhere once that the most treasured heirlooms that you can pass down to your children are memories. Our son recently lost his beloved grandma, my mother-in-law, at the tender age of four. How could I help him hold on to his memories of her when he was so young? The answer…. I needed to be very intentional in documenting those memories for years to come. Fortunately for us, we were blessed with the gift of time. You see, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer almost 14 years ago. Her prognosis was poor at diagnosis, but she fought bravely for years and she (and God) gave…
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Hike Colorado: Handies Peak From American Basin
Every year, I get together with a few of my favorite girlfriends and we laugh our way through some epic Colorado adventure, usually followed by a lot of caffeine and Tylenol because #almost40 and #thepainisreal! We’ve hiked into Maroon Bells (near Aspen) from Crested Butte and last year, we hiked the ever-popular Ice Lakes Basin and Island Lake trail outside Silverton. This year we decided to summit our first 14er! Out of 50+ 14ers in the state of Colorado, we picked Handies because it’s beginner-friendly and still packs in alpine lakes, a beautiful river, little waterfalls, stunning wildflowers, and incredible views!! If you have a good recommendation for one of…
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God Whispered, “Give It To Me.”
I stood at this very spot when I heard God whisper, “give it to me.” Give you what? “Your shame.” I can’t, God. I deserve it. If people knew what I was really like, they would say the same. “Give it to me.” His words were so powerful that as I type them, I’m drawn to tears. But, let me go back a few beats because I believe that God has been preparing me for this moment for months. I have lost several people over the years to suicide. Some I knew only a little. Others I had lost touch with. I felt saddened, and if I’m honest, sometimes angry. …
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Chasing Waterfalls in Southwest Colorado
There are so many incredible places in Colorado that deserve to be on your bucket list, but some of my absolute favorite adventures are those that end under a beautiful waterfall! Below, you’ll find my own personal “Bucket List” of waterfalls in SW Colorado! Feel free to bookmark this page and check back often, as I love adding new waterfalls to the list! Or better yet, drop a suggestion in the comments with one that I haven’t included! While here, click on any waterfall name to be redirected to a site with additional information. As you scroll through my bucket list for inspiration, keep in mind that I haven’t been…
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Piano Upcycle: Milk Paint Transformed Our Old Piano!
When our entertainment center started literally falling apart, my husband and I began to search for something old and sturdy second-hand that we could upcycle into a cute and unique tv stand. I love old furniture! It’s rock solid and lasts forever! After several nights cruising Pinterest, I realized that people were using old pianos for all kinds of upcycled purposes and an idea was born. I talked my husband into letting me try to find an old upright piano with the intention of using it as a one-of-a-kind tv stand. (Talk about a conversation piece!) I still think that this would have been an amazing idea, but what happened…
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Bucket List Hike: Ice Lake Basin & Island Lake (Silverton, CO)
Hiking Ice Lake Basin, just outside Silverton, Colorado, has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. If you’ve ever seen photos of the area, the images just stick with you. Ice Lake Basin and its sister lake, Island Lake, which is just a bit further up the trail, are true SW Colorado gems and worth every bit of effort that it takes to reach them. In fact, when I was doing my research for the hike, one reviewer said, “5 stars is not enough.” I couldn’t agree more. It is everything that I love about Colorado all packed into one amazing day hike. First off,…
