Coffee Date

Linking up with Rags to Stitches today!

 

Coffee Date: Shop Updates

Hi Friends! Happy Friday.

If we were sitting down to coffee together, I would be busting at the seams to tell you some of my new ideas for my shop.

The future of my shop has been on my heart for a long time -- some days I'm tired and frustrated and other days I'm brimming with inspiration.

After some advice from a friend, I am making some changes and cannot wait to see how things unfold in the new year.

- I will be closing my shop early October for maternity leave. I will be doing some big 'ole sales in lieu of holiday promotions since I'll miss out on the after Thanksgiving rush. It's my personal opinion that everyone should wake up to bias tape earrings under their Christmas tree!

- I will be discontinuing rosettes from my shop (this includes necklaces and headbands -- it does not include bias tape earrings. Those babies are forever!). I love them, but I need to make room and time for new ideas.

- I have some big ideas about how to incorporate new materials, use old items in new ways, and make each piece even more personal and special. In order to help me reach these new goals, I will be putting some current items on sale.

- First up, my rosette pendant necklaces. Originally $15, for a limited time you can grab one for $8.

- Also, I have lots of necklace bails (those little metal things that turn the rosettes into necklaces) and fabric strips if you're interested in purchasing those supplies.

So I would tell you all those things and probably ask for your thoughts. Do you have suggestions for my shop? Anything you'd like to see?

Gosh, change is exciting, and scary, but mostly exciting. Here's to new things in the new year for the Along for the Ride shop!

Eternal, Unfading Beauty and Wearing God's Armor

A few things to know: I say "happy Friday," shot the video on a Tuesday, and am posting it on Thursday. [I'm co-hosting the Pinterest with Aimee tomorrow, so I needed to post my Rags to Stitches coffee chat video a bit early.]

Gosh I'm nervous to post this. I feel super vulnerable sharing a video, and even more anxious about the topic.

But here goes nothing...

What We Wear from Laura Denlinger on Vimeo.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand."
Ephesians 6:10-20

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great work in God's sight."
1 Peter 3:3-4

Read the Sashes to the Merchants post I referenced here.

*Adding my Thursday afternoon commentary after watching the video again*

It's funny, the first thing I think when I watch that is how horrible I look. Gosh, did I learn nothing from my own video? This stuff is hard. Do you struggle like I do?

Boy, I still hope you like me after that. In thinking about this topic, I tried so hard to make a distinction between caring about how we look and what we wear and that being perfectly wonderful and normal and caring too much about those things that we forget our eternal purpose and the clothes we are called to wear, clothes of a much higher and meaningful purpose.

Coffee Date: In Transition (part 3)

a lumpy, bumpy, baby bump

I've tried to share my heart and be a bit more vulnerable as I've gone through this transition from full-time professional to stay-at-home-wife.

Part 1
Part 2

I prayed so long for the opportunity. Cried tears of frustration as we waited. Cried tears of joy when the desires of my heart were falling into place.

A week and a half into my new life, and while I love it and the fresh opportunities it gives way to, it is difficult. I've squandered most of my time this week, feeling a bit like I'm living in someone else's home. It's our things, but it's so much new. I find myself padding around from room to room, a bit lost.

There have been some successes:
- We've made dinner every night
- We've gone on more walks around our neighborhood
- We started on the nursery and I've drawn up plans for a few projects
- We're signed up for baby classes and for a delivery room tour and I've pre-registered at the hospital

There have been some failures:
- I've slept too late every morning
- I had a major cupcake fail as they all stuck to the bottom of the cups
- I joined #shereadstruth and their study of Proverbs. Read days 1-4 all last night
- I have spent far too much time worrying over this pregnancy than rejoicing lately

Something that has really been on my heart these past few weeks is a simple phrase one of our pastor's said before we left Missouri. He told us that if you're looking for fullness anywhere other than in Jesus, you're looking in the wrong place.

I think that is my highest expectation, hope, and fear of regret in these few months before the baby is born. I want my days to be full. I want my time to be rich. I want to use this opportunity and not sleep it away.

But I'm realizing I have a flaw in my plan -- that my idea of fullness in my current situation is a day full of baking, and crafting, and writing, and selling products, and nesting, and taking better photos, and reading books.

I find myself in this moment comparing my life to the fullness that I see in other's lives on the internet and on their blogs.

And I have thought nothing of the fullness of a life lived for the Lord during this season.

A fatal flaw for sure.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ..." John 15: 1-27

How I fill my days is a reflection on my life lived out with Christ. My priorities, my thoughts, giving into boredom, or giving over to creativity.

The plan I have for these next few months (the books and the baking and the like) are not to be ignored. The Lord delights in those things with us.

But my fullness, my fulfillment, my identity, is rooted in Him.

Sleeping until noon or getting up with the sun.

Showering early or right before hubby gets home.

Fiesta chicken and homemade Spanish rice (tonight's menu) or leftovers (last night's).

My fullness remains rooted in HIm.

Friday Coffee Date

I'm joining Rags to Stitches for my first ever coffee date.

tea and TV and my new pretty mug

Today's a big day for me. Today's my last day of work. If we were meeting for coffee I would tell you how bittersweet this is. I've so enjoyed my job for the past three years. It's rewarding, challenging, satisfying, but it's also hard. Really hard. I'm so thankful for the opportunities I've had and the skills I've gained, but all I can think about is waking up Saturday morning as a full-time wife and mother. I'm ready for this new chapter in our life.

Once we chatted about all of that, I would complain a bit how difficult this past week has been with this little baby. It's not his fault. It's mine. I'm letting my worrying and racing mind get the best of me.  I'd love some prayer for this (continued prayer I should say- worrying is not new to me, and no matter how much I try to give it to God, I find myself back in this place).

My worry combined with some anxiety about our upcoming move -- I'm so glad it's Friday!

And if I don't have enough to think about, I took my computer into the Mac store because it was being really slow. I expected to tell them it was an easy fix, a few taps of the keyboard and it would be all better. Instead he looked at me and said "your hard drive is failing." I just about lost it. I didn't know what to do, I panicked, and just picked up my laptop and ran out of there. Luckily my rational husband had me turn around and get back in the car and took me to turn it over to the Mac men and get a new hard drive. She's back and faster then ever. Hopefully I'm a better real momma than Mac momma.

What do yo have planned this weekend? We're trying to soak up as much friend time before we pack up the truck and head to our new home on Wednesday!

Praying that you have a restful weekend!