Painting

Spring Has Sprung

It seems like the weather is finally catching up with the season here in Pittsburgh. We have been having temperatures in the 60s and 70s!

It feels wonderful to get outside and not have to bundle up. Also, seeing daffodils poking through the ground and bright yellow forsythia blooming is such a mood booster. The nice weather also makes pet sitting a lot more enjoyable 😉

Did everyone have a nice weekend? Ours was fairly busy, filled with pet sitting, work, painting, celebrating, and worshiping. A lovely mix of activities.

I bought a coral paint sample for an accent wall in our office, but it was too orange-ish when I put it on the wall. So I painted primer over it and bought another sample. Fingers crossed this one is the color I’m looking for!

My family celebrated my mom’s birthday by going to her favorite Italian restaurant. Afterwards, some of the kids went go karting at Steel City Indoor Karting. I was definitely content to just watch and take pictures. The go karts go as fast as 50 miles per hour!

From left to right: My brother, sister-in-law, Jimmy, me, my sister, and future brother-in-law!

Our church is hosting its Spring Revival, so we have a guest speaker preaching from Sunday through Wednesday, which is always a delight!

I also finished reading Midwife: A Calling by Peggy Vincent and it was great! Some of her stories literally had me laughing out loud. I read one to Jimmy about a placenta and he definitely didn’t think it was funny. Sorry Jimmy! I guess we don’t have the same level of interest in childbirth 😉

How was your weekend?

What has the weather been like where you live?

2017 Inspiration in Pictures

I don’t have any specific goals for this year. It just feels like too much pressure. Rather, I have some inspiration. There are things I want to do, see, accomplish, and experience. Ultimately, I’m leaving what happens in 2017 up to God. He’s way better at planning than I am. I’m just going to follow His lead. Love God and love people. That’s what I want to do every single day.

I hopped on Pinterest and started an inspiration board for the upcoming year. Actually, I named it my 2017 Happy Board. I browsed around and wanted to see what would catch my attention. Some things surprised me (I didn’t pin as many travel pictures as I thought I would), and some things definitely didn’t (I pinned all kinds of dogs).

So, here’s a breakdown of my inspiration for 2017!

2017-inspiration-collage-1

It appears that I want 2017 to include copious amounts of coffee, studying my Bible, and writing.

Really, though, I am determined to get on some sort of a writing schedule for my book. I’m thinking I may lock myself in our office for a few hours on my days off of work or head to a coffeeshop so I’m not tempted to do household chores. Either way, I don’t want to stress about it too much. I love the quote I pinned, too. I need to believe I can finish my book!

As for the Bible studying, I’m going to study the women of the Bible this year and seeing what God has to show me in their stories. I’m currently reading Ruth and really enjoying it. She was such an upstanding woman.

2017-inspiration-collage-2

Ah, creativity. This didn’t surprise me one bit. Anything that involves a paint brush, camera, or any type of crafting makes me happy.

I’m inspired to use my camera and capture memories big and small. I’m also hoping to frame some of my watercoloring if I deem it acceptable, haha.

2017-inspiration-collage-3

Gardening, yoga, campfires, and house projects. A random conglomeration, yes, but I’d like to make each of these things happen.

I’m already wistfully counting down the days until Jimmy and I can start our garden again. I’m hoping to paint a coral accent wall in our office, refinish a bookshelf in our living room, have campfires with Jimmy, and continue to practice yoga. Bonus points if Malcolm joins me 😉

2017-inspiration-collage-4

Dogs. Always dogs. I don’t know if this means I’d like to have another (eek!), or if I just want to keep pet sitting as much as possible. Either way, I hope 2017 involves lots of dogs. The volunteer quote is so true. I’ve been in contact with an organization I applied to volunteer with in the upcoming year. Hopefully I’ll be able to share more details soon!

Oh, and how pretty is that bedroom? Jimmy and I might do a bedroom overhaul this year. We’re thinking of getting a headboard, maybe painting a peacock blue accent wall, and just updating our sparsely decorated bedroom. The top right picture reminds me that I want to have as many dates with my sweet husband as possible.

2017-inspiration-collage-5

This last collage is totally random, haha. The cake is inspiration for Hannah’s bridal shower. Yes, I am making her bridal shower cake and I am so pumped! The kitchen is another renovation I’d like to work on this year. Mostly, I just want to repaint our cabinets and walls.

Hot cocoa reminds me of coziness, and I I’ll take as much of that as I can get this winter. The bottom right picture is from Washington DC. It has been a few years since I’ve visited and I’d love to go again. The top right picture is always what I hope to be. It reminds me to love others as much as possible.


While it may sound kind of silly, writing this post helped me have more of a focus for what I’d like this year to look like. I’m praying I will follow God’s lead for my life and do my best every day.

Happy New Year!