writing

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!

Five Things

Hello! It has been almost a week since I last blogged and I’ve missed this little space.

hydrangea

This week has been busy with work and pet sitting, but I found a little chunk of time to pop in and share five random tidbits from my life lately!

1. I was thinking yesterday about how listening is a dying art in today’s culture. I know I’m guilty of being a bad listener at times. I’ve caught myself thinking of something I want to say before the person I’m talking to has finished their sentence. Ugh.

Feeling and knowing that I’m heard and understood is important to me. I’ve been making an effort to listen, really listen, to others when they communicate with me. Our culture is full of distractions that pull us away from true, deep connection. When someone talks to me, I want to always give them my full attention.

2. I’ve been enjoying The Language of Flowers lately. It was recommended to me by Amy (and probably ten other people) and I’m wondering why it took me so long to pick up this book. It’s fascinating.

the-language-of-flowers

3. I looked up Youtube videos on how to tie baby wraps so I could bake and hold Malcolm at the same time. I used a big beach towel and it kind of worked. I’m still eyeing up cat strollers on Amazon.

malcolm-baby-sling

4. Pet sitting has been randomly busy for me lately. I so enjoy the company of animals. I constantly go back and forth on whether or not I want to pet sit full-time. It’s a tough decision, mostly because the income isn’t always steady. Speaking of pets, I took Lola to the vet on Tuesday because she has an ear infection. Poor girl!

lola-at-the-vet

5. My cousin sent me this picture of her adorable daughter, Macie, the other day. Ten minutes later, my aunt sent me the same picture of Macie.

macie

I had some suspicions about the reasoning behind the influx of baby pictures, so I texted my mom to discuss.

text-conversation

Jimmy and my mom are convinced if I ever become pregnant that I’m going to have twins. The thought of twins scares the living daylights out of me. It’s easy for me to think I can’t do it when I think about babies in general. The truth is that I can’t, but God will equip me for whatever He has in store for my life. Whether it’s writing a book, passing statistics, raising a family, or something totally different. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Children are something Jimmy and I talk about often. Whether we adopt, foster, or have biological (or all three, or none) is something we pray about diligently. It’s a huge responsibility and privilege to raise a human being. We trust that God will guide us and equip us for whatever His plans are for us 🙂

Tell me a random tidbit from your life lately!