Hideeeawayyyy

So yesterday I decided to get productive.

I had a list to accomplish:

1. dye my hair

2. bake cookies

3. finish my paper

4. finish my crafts

5. box care packages

6. go to bed early

Everything is just about done. My paper took longer than I had hoped so my personal stuff went on hold. But I did make a batch of pumpkins cookies and they turned out delish.

The other day when I was at the record store I made an inquiry about a Where the Wild Things are mini vinyl and after chatting a bit, they gave it to me for free.

That's right, free.

So I got super lucky and having been enjoying my little 7" way too much. Even though it only has two songs off the album they are my two favorites and both are perfect for how I'm feeling this week.

One is called "All is Love" and the other "Hideaway". Which is basically what I've been doing recently, hiding away but creating love for people. I dont know what it is but I just make tea, put on my record, and sit in my room for hours.

Sometimes I just need to hermit.

Hope everyone's Wednesday is going swimmingly,

j

When worlds collide.

Ever since Greg and I have met we have always had so much to say about how great our social circles are. And its true, we both know some really wonderful people.

But sometimes we get really lucky. Sometimes these people meet and magic happens.

I am reminded what love looks like. Love that knows no style, state, or past. Love that has nothing to do with where you've been, its just who you are right now. Just loving people wherever they are at and whoever they are. Non judgmental love.

These people knew nothing about each other besides the fact that they both knew Greg and I. Yet, they meshed together like the void had never been there. As if this was not just a first introduction.

I believe this is just because our friends love well.

It is always just super encouraging for Greg and I because we realize just because we come from different places, doesn't mean the worlds have to exist separately. We can all be together.

Our weekend was filled with...

apple picking, egg breakfasts, hot cider, pumpkin carving, laughing, coffee dates, bike rides in the city,birthday parties, homemade pumpkin spice lattes, church, good talks, lots of hugs, mass amounts of food, free vinyl, naps, and the warm cozy feeling.

Pres and Den thank you so much for visiting!!! Please come again anytime:)

Tonight's goal: GET THIS HAIR DYED. serrrioussslyyy.

Yay, happy heart,

xo j

Just for smiles.

I drew this while I was nannying in the A.M., I told greg it was him when he was grumpy. Hehe.

A few hours later I received this in an email and I laughed out loud.

Sometimes we're just silly.

I wont lie that last night was really hard. I am just overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have. I mean I was aware I was somewhat of a pack-rat, but it just seems ridiculous. My Nan tells me its okay, because when I have my own place it won't seem like a lot. But now its just like, really? And you know that feeling when you open a box that you're about to just throw away, and you see that "thing" and you sit beside the box and read the letter, or hold the pin, or play with the toy. A memory strikes in your head and your heart hurts and you safely put the "thing" into the save pile. I probably did this about a million times last night. And it feels weird that I can box my life up. Like everything fits into these small places. A box for teaching, a box for memories, a box for crafts, it just all can be put away. I guess I just feel defeated. Just knowing if someone said you have to leave it all tomorrow, I could. I could pack one bag and be okay. But I'm not going anywhere. I have the choice to keep as I please, I can get rid of clothes, and trophies, and shoes, but photographs and buttons and pictures my kids drew, why cant I just scale down?

That's my rant for today, thank you for dealing. haha

Hopefully, I'll have a more productive time today.

xo j

There's a corner of your heart, for me.

So. I live at home.

You may laugh, but I'm not paying bills. So it works for now.

But in my small room, I am trying to fit a small business, a studio space and somewhere to sleep. More times than not my studio or store win out, and I am left on the couch.

Not being at the preschool this year, I also have acquired a fully stocked classroom.

Something has to change.

Its already a beautiful color, 2 walls mustard yellow, 2 walls an orange/red. So that can stay.

But I cannot breathe in there, I have enough stuff and enough ideas to complete an entire apartment, but I'm not there yet.

So I have to work with what I've got.

I just put up shelving in the basement and am moving the store portion down there.

I think I can balance just sleep and studio in the space.

Otherwise I think I'm boarding being a hoarder which I am not okay with.

I want it to be an escape from life. I want to step in to be completely over taken by inspiration and serenity. I want to be able to create there, open enough to layout my projects and be able to be working on multiple projects. I just want it to feel like magic. Where my heart and imagination collide.

Here is what I've pulled for inspiration...

Oh beautiful things!

Hopefully I can pull it off. I'm literally tearing things apart. I'll show you what I come up with once its all put together. But its really been the perfect rainy days project for me.

Time for tea,

j

It felt just like falling in love, again.

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I did.

Do you ever just realize growth, or change. Like you wake up one day and you can literally feel a shift in the world?

This weekend this happened to me.

I went up to Houghton to see my boy. The weekend was just bliss. I felt that my smile was permanently plastered across my face.

There was some point when I looked up at him, and I saw him, I saw growth.

We are just about to hit the one year mark in our relationship. And I'm not going to lie, its been a really rough year. Beautiful, but rough. Such a learning experience has been going on. Not just about each other, but who we are as well. And I've come to some conclusions.

It has taken me literally a year to stop pushing. To let my guard down and trust. I looked at him this weekend and knew it was okay.

It was okay to let him in. It was okay to not know all the answers. It was okay to love him. It was okay that hard things would still happen.

It was okay that sometimes he would let me down.

I think I realized all this because I know I'll be okay. My happiness is built on so much more. And for the first time in life I think I can confidently say.. I am loved.

Loved by a King. Loved by a family. A community. A sisterhood. A boy.

I felt warm and I felt safe. Just to know life will suck, but I will be okay.

I'm moving forward, I'm gaining some ground. Sometimes it just hits me in the face.

We went on lovely walks to end the weekend so I could collect some Fall treasures.

Here we go, today is new! Be inspired by the changing of the leaves. Maybe it is your time to fall from the branch and trust you will fall on solid ground.

xo, bird.