The 100 Day Project: Our Daily Fruit

 

I'm a sucker for a documentation project (Exhibit A: journals, photobooks and videos galore!) so #the100dayproject is right up my alley (It's like a Venn diagram of Instagram and Creative projects aka: my wheelhouse!) If you're not familiar, The 100 Day Project "is a free, global art project. The idea is simple: choose a creative project, do it every day for 100 days, and share your process online."

I've participated 3 times before, but when it rolled around again in 2020 it was right at the start of the pandemic, so I was too overwhelmed to make it happen. (At that point I felt like managing the bare minimum of our regular responsibilities for 100 days was going to a miracle in an of itself...so I did something incredibly uncharacteristic for myself and bowed out of something that sounded like fun but would actually make me cry.)

But the project is back for 2021...with a new January start date (I think they figured people were getting a little antsy at home and could use a creative distraction) and I've got my life just under control enough to want to dive back in. (oooooorrrrrr, I'm antsy at home and could use a creative distraction). 

 I wrote quite a bit about my thought process for choosing a project previously, and it all still holds true (TLDR: my project requirements are: Easy, Meaningful, Portable, Fun) so I'll spare you the drawn out intro and get to the good stuff- my 2021 project! 

This round's adventure: 

Our Daily Fruit

(Alright, now this is going to get a bit corny, and a lot Jesus-y...stick with me though)

My idea is to spend the next 100 days focusing on the concept of the fruit of the Spirit...learning about it and trying to live it out as a family. Yep- the whole Bowden brood is getting involved this time around (well- they don't actually know that yet, but I'll hype it up big and quick).

If you're not familiar with the fruit of the Spirit- it's a list of qualities of the Holy Spirit: 

"The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

- Galatians 5:22-23

 It's called "fruit" because it's the evidence of God's goodness in our lives. These qualities are things that are instilled in Christians through the Holy Spirit, and then our actions that are in line with the character of God become visible, tangible examples of Him to others.

(Disclaimer, I'm faaaaaar from a Bible scholar, so that is the super-simple, mostly-correct way to describe a much grander concept. Option B was me just linking to this video.)

(Secondary disclaimer, I don't have a great reason for including a charcuterie board picture in this post, but it does technically contain fruit, and was a super LOVING way that my mom brought me JOY. It is not, however, a good tool for practicing SELF-CONTROL.)

I've wanted to get into more formal spiritual practices with the kids (alright- I could also use some motivation myself too...) so I thought this project would be the perfect way to be more intentional with how we live. The parameters I've landed on for my project are pretty simple- there are 9 "types" of fruit, so we'll spend 10 days focusing on each one- with a 10 day "general intro" period in the upfront. I didn't want to get too ambitious, or legalistic etc. with the activities for each day, so that part will be super flexible. Basically, the project just serves as a loose framework for us to try to incorporate more goodness into our daily actions. Anything love related? Counts. Anything having to do with peace? Counts. I came up with a few categories to try to spur on different ways to think about and practice "bearing fruit":

• READ • DISCUSS • SERVE • CREATE • REFLECT • APPRECIATE •  

So my thought is some days we'll read about that week's "fruit" (either in Scripture, or even just noticing these qualities in our "regular" books); we can talk about them; we can practice living them out (towards each other and our broader community); I might get super Pinterest-y and organize a craft (or a snack!!); we can reflect on times we've experienced a particular fruit; we can show appreciation when we see it currently in our lives. I want to encourage each other to make it as actionable as possible- even if just simple ways we treat each other kindly...but at times I hope it plays out in grander ways as well. I'm trying to keep it really open-ended so that we can make it work over the long haul...focusing less on the logistics of what we do, and more about the meaning behind how we live and love.

I'll be posting thoughts/progress/struggles on @our_daily_fruit on Instagram...partly as a creative expression, partly as documentation of our life during this time, and partly as an accountability tool to actually stick with it. I'd love if you'd follow along, but I'd be OVERJOYED to have you participate with us! 

I made a "tracker" of sorts...thinking the kids would like to treat it like a "make your own advent calendar" (there aren't any LEGO or tiny cheese wheels hidden by little doors, but you DO get to go be extra kind to your sister! what a GIFT THIS LIFE IS!) I'm going to frame this sheet and let them keep track the project with a dry erase marker.

Download the 8x10 PDF printable here

 

You can print one out too and join us for this adventure! (Even if you don't identify as a Christian, I think we can all agree that these traits are something the world could use more of- especially right now!)
 

The official 100 Day project starts this Sunday, January 31st (but don't worry too much about a "deadline"- anytime is a good time to do good things!) Let me know if you're thinking about giving it a whirl. Or if you have another idea for a 100 Day Project I want to hear it...I love following along with other people's ideas!

P.S. You can see my past projects here:

2019: View Through Hue

2018: The 100 Days of Days

2017: Show Your Real

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The 100 Day Project: #the100dayofdays

Happy Spring (even if it doesn't feel like it)! And Happy (late) Easter! And Happy Monday!
Tomorrow is a big day...and not just because it might reach a temperature above 50 degreese (seriously?!! with teh April snow showers? I can't take it anymore!) It's the start of The 100 Day Project!

If you're not familiar, The 100 Day Project is a creative challenge where you do/make something...anything...every day for 100 days in a row (and then share about it on Instagram, obviously). It's become wildly popular, with artists, writers, and creators of all kinds joining in each year (check out #the100dayproject to see- or follow- all the fun).

Last year I participated for the first time- my "theme" was #100daysofshowyourreal (just sharing something real from my life every day- through words and pictures). And I fell in love with the project. It pushed me to create more, reflect more, share more...I felt inspired, and stretched, and loved the sense of community that formed as others were willing to get vulnerable along the way too. At the end of 100 days I had a collection of thoughts and memories (which I made into a book), so it was not only a fun exercise while I was in it, but it lead me to create a meaningful record of my work, and my heart.

So when the project came around this year, I knew I wanted to do it again- I just had to figure out my idea. I only had a few stipulations...Whatever I landed on needed to be:

• Easy- 100 days of anything is lofty, and I didn't want to get burned out just because I set the my expectations or perimeters too high. I'm an eternal "bite off more than I can chew" kind of girl, so with things like this I'm working on setting reaaaaaaally reasonable goals for myself, so that I can be pleasantly surprised when I exceed them rather than constantly frustrated that things are more overwhelming than I thought.
• Meaningful- without passion and a purpose behind it, I know I won't be able to stick with the project. Feeling like the output matters- for any reason, and even just to me- is key in helping me push through the creative block or struggles with keeping up. Yes, there is absolute value in doing for doing's sake, so I don't want to get caught up in making every single day a masterpiece, but at the same time, if I'm going to devote this much time and effort to something, I want to feel like it there's a larger point to it all in the end. Doesn't have to be life-changing...just something tangible to look back on with pride and gratitude.
• Portable- the time period overlaps with a couple vacations, and work trips etc. so it has to be something I can do on the go. This is helpful even on "regular" days too, because it means I can get it done anywhere, vs. having to carve out dedicated space/time to do it.
• Fun- or why do it, right?

What I loved about my Show Your Real project is it was basically a journal, with a loose theme; enough structure to give me a purpose, but enough leeway to not feel too confined with my ideas. The fact that it was just photos and captions meant I could do it anywhere and anytime. And while it didn't really push me to pick up a new skill (like drawing or hand-lettering etc.) it did encourage me to express myself more often, and devote more attention to hobbies- photography and writing- that I really enjoy.

Since it worked out before, I more or less just wanted to repeat my approach from last year, with a new "creative hook". And after a week or two of mulling it over, I found my inspiration- Days! (it was right there in the title all along!) But specifically- I'm thinking of those crazy "official" daily holidays that someone somewhere made up, and the whole internet just goes along with. You know what I'm talking about: National Kitten Day, Craft Beer Day, Hug a Newsperson day (joke..but it's real, and it's coming up). I'll use those days as a starting point (I downloaded an app so I can keep an eye on the upcoming days)...but from there it's pretty free-form. Sometimes I'll participate in the actual holiday (anything with a food theme, probably), but more often I plan to use it as a jumping off point for musings...a writing prompt and inspiration to share some related memories, viewpoints, or ideas. Many of these days are pretty silly, so I'm excited to embrace some of that, and just lean into the cheesy simple pleasures of it all. We can all use a few more reasons to celebrate, right? How 'bout 100 more reasons? But at the same time, I'm hoping to also take it a little deeper than just executing 100 random tasks. I want it to be more about reflection than endless action, so I think it'll be a good stretch for me to focus on a different topic every day, and see what thoughts and emotions it stirs up.

The official challenge starts next week, but today’s “holiday” is too much fun to resist. So based on today’s actual events, here are my (official/unofficial) contenders for Make Up Your Own Holiday Day: *Supper Club Day (/Eat Spam for Dinner Day) * Work From Home Day (/Good Hairday Gone to Waste Day) * Throwback Craft Day (/Tile Your Kitchen Floor with Melted Beads Day) * Shameless Outfit Repeating Day (see also: tomorrow) * First Day of Spring Break (/TV as a Babysitter Day) * Bring Back a Catchphrase Day (/“That’s a No For Me Dawg” Day) * Take a Risk Day (/Bargain Meat Expiration Day) * Carpal Tunnel Awareness Day (/Lengthy Instagram Caption Day) ... See you in a few days! #the100daysofdays #the100dayproject #makeupyourownholidayday

A post shared by Courtney Bowden (@the100daysofdays) on Mar 26, 2018 at 8:33pm PDT

So...that's the plan. Plan-ish. Loosey-goosey. Feels good.

I'll be posting on @the100daysofdays using the hashtag #the100daysofdays. I'd be delighted if you'd follow along. And please let me know if you join in the project as well...I love following other folks' creative endevors!

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Show Your Real: Kayla (+ an Instagram challenge)

I found Kayla's blog a few months ago, when someone pointed me to her post about being yourself online. I loved how openly she shared, and knew she'd be a perfect fit for the Show Your Real series. So when she sent over her guest post, I expected to love it...but I was surprised at how much it inspired me. I don't want to steal her thunder, so please keep scrolling to read her post (and leave a comment telling her how much you love it...especially because today is her birthday!) Then- click on over to my Instagram page for something extra fun...

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Ever look at your Instagram and think “these photos all look the same?” It’s the same lighting with similar cups of coffee and magazines perfectly spaced out on a white background repeated over and over again. It’s pretty, no doubt, but is it real? Probably not.

My life doesn’t look like that. If it was captured in a photo, the frame would show hot chocolate stains on a sheet of paper, scribbled out, very imperfect penmanship, and a girl who wears sweatpants with a beanie half of the week. It’s not perfect, but it’s me. It’s real.

I don’t want to fit the Instagram standard, or any standard for that matter. I want to stand out. My life shouldn’t look like anyone else’s because it’s mine, and I’m proud of that. We all should wear our uniqueness like a badge of honor. That’s what we should be sharing online: all of ourselves, even the imperfect parts.

Besides, life is not always beautifully put together. It’s not meant to be staged. It’s beautifully messy.

The next time you wish your life looked more like posh Instagram photographs, remember that pictures are deceiving. They can make us feel like everyone else has it all together when in reality, none of us do. When you compare your life to someone else’s online, you are comparing your behind-the-scenes look to their highlight reel. It’s all about perspective.

I for one, live for the candids, when the camera catches us mid-laugh and shows the true happiness that only comes from capturing spontaneous moments. These photos may not be posed or staged, but they steal my heart. They are what I remember.

I challenge you to #ShowYourReal this week on Instagram. Throw the perfect formula for a great Instagram photo out the window and focus on showing the real you. That’s where you’ll find freedom.

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Yes! There is freedom in being real...and there is community and encouragement, and inspiration, and acceptance, and beauty in showing your real. So all this week I'll be sharing on Instagram using the #showyourreal tag, telling pieces of my story that might not typically make it onto the "highlight reel", but are still (or especially!) worthy of sharing. And I'd love for you to join in...And I've got something extra special in store for you when you do. Head on over to my Instagram page for full details...

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Show Your Real is a series of guest posts centered around the concept of authenticity. The goal is to encourage each other to expose the reality of our lives- good and bad- and to foster a sense of community that goes beyond the often surface-y interactions of social media. And you're all invited to participate! Please write, caption, comment, link, and hashtag to spread the #showyourreal love. And if you would like to contribute a guest post to the series, please email me (cjsbowden@gmail.com).

Our life in squares

You know what I love more than anything? (ok...that's way too definitive to possibly be true, but let's just pretend for a minute) Photography. More specifically? Iphone-ography. more specifically? Instagram-ography. 

But as much as I love snapping all those tiny pics, I get sad when the only place I can see them is on my tiny phone screen. I miss real prints. I want those little square memories turned into real live mementos. But you know what I hate more than anything (again...not at all possible that I've truly narrowed it down to my one true thorn...) spending forever saving, selecting, resizing, grouping, arranging, and printing those pictures. Way (way) back in the day I tried my hand at scrapbooking, but it can be monstrously time consuming, and equally expensive. Then I got into making blurb books, which is noteably easier, but I still found myself agonizing over the details a bit (a lot) too much. 

Well, my friends- I think I've found the answer....Chatbooks

 (P.s. we got a new ottoman too. And it's a tufted bunch of loooooove.)

In case you haven't heard, Chatbooks is a new(ish) site/app that helps make cute little books of your pics. They're 60 pages of cuteness for $6. Yep. That's a Lincoln + a Washington (to be fair that could also mean 26 cents, but 6 bucks is still one helluva deal). That even includes the shipping. And the best part? It takes about 5 minutes to make them. Even someone who manages to overthink and belabor everything (me) can keep this simple. Download the app, pick the photos you want to include, choose your cover and write a title. Donezo. 

Chatbooks, Shutterfly, Blurb. You're all welcome here!

Even better- I was able to include photos from Dustin's insta-feed too. All of our photos combined in one place, printed out on real live paper, without hours of fussing over the details? Yes please. 

The last blurb book I printed was just before Fin was born, so we had quite the virtual collection to catch up on. But still, it was quick and easy. I spent a few minutes unchecking all our less than stellar snaps, and then sent out my order. A few days later- my memories were officially on the books. (or in some books). Behold: 

I'm not getting a kickback, or really a benefit of any kind by sharing...other than the joy of maybe saving you a few precious minutes, when trying to document a million precious memories. And my honest review: I'm impressed with the quality. At 6"x6" and 60 pages, they're small and thin, but the print clarity is good, and the matte feel and weight of the paper is nice. I miss the ability to combine multiple images on a page, and customize layouts, but what I gave up in control, I more than gained in efficiency. 

And my favorite FAVORITE part, is the captions. Previously, my Instagram books were photos only, so to have the captions automatically included under each photo is simply awesome. I love having the memories of the images, with the extra context of my original quips.

 (bonus shot of another love of mine: my recent ombre manicure.)

Yes, there are a couple weird bits- emojis print out as black and white sketches, I accidentally selected to include location tags- which don't always translate directly, and some of my more long winded ramblings end up in size 2 font...but still...I can't say enough about the ease-to-quality ratio. It was all so simple, with such a great end product, that I can't complain about the nitpicky details.

 

So I say: Go! Print the pictures. Save the memories. And save some time.

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Edit: I wrote this post a while back, and truly just wanted to promote it because I loved this service- and knew other people would want to know about it! Well, they just launched a referral program- I get credit when people subscribe...you get your first book free. Win win! I'd love it if you'd use my code: F2CZGAKU

Lighten up it's just fashion

So yeah. I went to school for fashion design. 
And yes, I had five internships working as a designer, product developer, and merchant for various apparel companies. 
And yesssssssss, I worked in specialty retail in visual merchandising for the better part of a decade. (I'm rounding up slightly, but work in retail is like dog years...it all counts as extra).
And beyond that, I do love fashion in a myriad of forms...magazines, branding, street style, shopping, costumes...

But does that mean I'm a fashionista? A fashion plate? A model? A style icon? A fashion blogger?

Heck to the no. 

(Did I just blow your mind there? Really guys. I'm not a style icon. No matter what anyone has told you. I'll let that sink for a bit. I'm sure it's a shock. Here...I'll give you proof just to make sure we're clear. I call it: style snippets from basically every night of my life.)

Frankly, most days I'd settle for "mostly not frumpy". 
But even if I'm not the most gifted stylist and designer in the world (if for some crazy reason you even have a modicum of doubt, I can assure you, I am not) I technically do know what I'm doing when it comes to this whole fashion thing. I know how to dress myself- correction- I know how I should dress myself, I'm qualified to give style advice on at least a semi-professional level (which I actually did for a while in the form of Closet Crash Course), and I like keeping up with trends/style/general fashion stuff etc. etc.

It's just that my enthusiasm for all things fashion, doesn't exactly always translate into my actual style. As in- the things I buy with my money and spend time putting on in the morning. It's all very- the cobbler's kids don't have any shoes (or whatever the saying is for that strange phenomenon that causes people to neglect their profession when it comes to their personal lives.) I've actually already waxed (not-so) poetically on this already, when I started my foray into style consulting, talking about how I struggle with positioning myself seriously in the realm of fashion, when I am just so very lazy and simplistic with my own choices (Warning: I am unoriginal enough to use the same cobbler analogy, so pretty much any of my self-deprecating humor is well deserved...) I mean, there are a million fashion bloggers out there who are passionate about the whole thing....turning themselves out day after day- in trendy gear, and designer pieces- sharing their love, and talent, with well-lit selfies and perfect detail shots. Dressing well, (and if we're being honest- not being borderline unbearably cheap about clothes) comes naturally to some people...so it kinda makes sense to leave the fashion blogging to them. I may have the head knowledge, and the interest, but I certainly don't literally have the wardrobe to back it up. And my photo posing game? Could use some work. 

But.....but....

I think it's fun! Fashion is fun. Blogging is fun. Fashion blogging is pretty fun! Sure, I feel like a complete doufus pausing to take a picture of my shoes on the brick street outside my office... And yes, it sometimes takes a full week for me to stumble into an outfit that I deem worthy of sharing.

But...but...

It's fun. 

So I'm going to drop the self doubt (or at least shove it way down deep in my non-designer bag), and just have some fun with you all. I'll try to ignore my cheesy awkward face, and my terrible awkward posing. And you'll have to ignore the fact that I wear a rotating set of a grand total of 3 pairs of shoes. It's just fashion. Sometimes it's cute. Sometimes it's comfy. Sometimes it's inspiring, and sometimes it's just fun to make some goofy gifs. So that's what I'll do.

I played around with the new uber-stylish, and ridiculously fun partypartyapp and took some shots of my outfits this past week. So while they're not all total winners, they're at least real. No dressing up for the sake of a photoshoot just to put on sweats five minutes later. It's more like- dressing kinda up for the sake of my (super fashion-flexible) job, take a quick pic (ignoring the confused stares from my neighbors), and then put on sweats.

Most of my stuff is fairly old and random, so I hesitate to flatter myself with the idea that you'll all be clamoring for purchasing details. But just in case, I'll list the general info here. 

 Vest: Old Navy, Shirt: Urban Outfitters. Ring: from Jamaica.

 Watch: Fossil, Jeans/Necklace/Bracelets: AE. Shoes/Purse: DSW. 

  Shirt/Bracelets/Shoes: AE, Necklace: J.Crew via Ebay, Dress: H&M. 

   Shirt/Belt/Jeans: AE, Shoes: DSW, Necklace: Tiffany & Co. 

Bracelet: my grandmother's from Mexico

   Shirt/Shoes: AE, Scarf: DSW, Dress: Target. Belt/Bracelets: Foever 21.

  Shoes/jeans: AE, Necklace: Tiffany & Co, Shirt: Forever 21.

Sunglasses: Old Navy, Bracelets: Forever21 + my grandmothers from Mexico. 

Check out more of my sartorial silliness in the archives, or on Instagram: #bowdenismstyle 
And please enjoy this bonus song to go with the post title. 

The literal happiest of Fridays to you!

This made me laugh. Literally, out loud.

Found via @theyearofelan

Yes. I follow producers of The Bachelor on Instagram. And now maybe you do too.

Show Your Real: Ruth

Do I need to tell you all about how much I love Instagram? Nah. You know. I love it tons. Plus a little bit more. Don't get me wrong, I still love blogs, and I love to blog, but it's not always easy to find time to write...or even time to read. So Instagram has become my instablog. I can put things out much closer to real time (or make up for my tardiness with a #latergram or #tbt) and outside of the captions, I can let the pictures do most of the talking. I still love to read through my Feedly subscriptions, but I have to admit, I'm much more likely to scroll through my Insta-feed, catching up on my friends' (and internet friends') update snippets in square form. I still try to read in long form when I can...I don't take it for granted that anyone spends their time here, so I do love to make the effort to read the work of others. Blogging is a labor of love, and I view reading faithfully, and at least occasionally commenting as a form of respect for those that pour their hearts and minds onto the internet page for anyone and everyone to see. 

But enough of my soapbox rambling on the value of blogging. My point was Instagram. I love it, and for me, it's been a huge source of inspiration and community for the last couple of years. I started out following my real life family and friends, but it's grown over time, and now includes fellow bloggers, brands, and friends of friends. I'm now following over 500 people, and sometimes I can't even remember who's who, or how I found them. 

And Ruth is one of those such mystery friends. I can't tell you how I first got to her profile, or even what initially hooked me. But somehow I found her, and immediately I loved what she was sharing. She's a blogger, and an artist, and an all around inspiration of love, and style, and...well...grace. And though I truly didn't know her from a hole in the wall, I knew she'd be a perfect fit for this series, so I was delighted when she not only read my email, but even agreed to share here. Isn't the internet grand?!

(with Ruth's permission I poached all the below pics from her instagram. Go follow her...well..stick around here for a minute, and then go follow her. And while you're on insta, maybe risk a little and post a #showyourreal of your own.)

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How does the idea of "Show Your Real" resonate with you..why did you want to participate and share?

In a time when everyone micromanages what is truly seen and known about their lives through pictures and words, I think it's so valuable to have authentic voices speak out about the real joys and pains of life, behind the scenes. No one does "it all" and no one formula works for everyone. It's a blessing to share our stories, that others might find encouragement.

What misconceptions might people have about about your life at first glance?
I think people could potentially imagine that my kids never fight, my house is always clean, or that I do everything they see me post about...every day, which is not true.

What are some of your patterns and routines for a “typical” day?
My top three daytime patterns and routines are: prayer/time in the word (even if just on audio Bible via phone app), make my bed and clear off the kitchen island, and always pause to speak to my kids with my full attention (or to ask them to wait.) Other than that, I'm striving to find a better routine for regular exercise, laundry (which is pretty much every day), and meal planning (I tend to cook with whatever is on sale.) Our whole family has a bedtime routine in the boys' bunk room. The nightly routine of exchanging back rubs, talking, and quieting our hearts is a wonderful time we now look forward to nightly.

What does the balance/mix of work/chores/family time/rest/etc look like in your home?

Because I have such a wide range of ages in my children, with so many different needs, I choose not to do much work, blog-wise or with the shoppe, until either nap time or when the boys are off to bed. I often paint with the boys at the kitchen table, and include them in my artwork. Troy and I serve on the board of a classical school we co-founded, and at six years old, it continues to be a very large time commitment and labor of love. Troy is the headmaster of the school, and our kids attend there, where the students do school from home every other day. Because of the schedule with our choice of education and ministry, we've come to prioritize time as a family and intentionally being together. Sometimes that time is spent cleaning house together, and sometimes we go on fun outings, but regardless, the goal is to maximize time together as significant relational time. We tend to be a routine, vs. schedule, kind of family. I choose not to "reward" my kids with traditional incentives, and we currently do not use chore charts and schedules, though I'm sure those helpful with many families. At this current time, we've employed an all-hands-on-deck approach, driving partnership and teamwork between brothers, and teaching them to pursue a goal of finishing chores TOGETHER, that they might experience the blessing of BEING TOGETHER with a job well-done. Surprisingly, this has been a greater blessing for them and us, as we've seen a greater sense of teamwork and deepening bonds as they learn to rely on each other and motivate one another in responsibility and pursuit of excellence...even in chores.

What things have become “your real” now that the you from the past would be surprised about?

For one thing, I never planned on having all boys, let alone six of them! I often say that I'm an unlikely mom, as I truly didn't prepare well for the job. The reality of my life that surprises me daily, is that I LOVE being a mom of boys. That I love having six of them. That I am grateful for the family God's given me. 

What are the hardest parts of your current season of life? And the best parts?
In this current season, we are struggling to know the steps to take with outgrowing our home and being limited in what we are able to purchase for our large family that desires to live a little more land. We are bursting at the seams here, and storage is a challenge. These are not truly difficult trials, but do affect our daily family life as we seek to steward all things well: home, family, school, worship, business. And while there are struggles in this, and other demands we feel in our current season of life, we also recognize that the other side to each of the difficulties is a blessing we don't deserve: six wonderful young boys, a comfortable home, a loving family, the privilege of starting school, a solid church family, and the opportunity to share my art with the world...these are every day blessings, but significantly unique ones as well. Cultivating gratitude and praise to the Lord in all seasons and for all things is such protection I've learned to lean on. As much as I want to think of life as a series of obstacles to overcome, goals to attain, and dreams to pursue, it simply isn't truly about those things...it's simply not about me. Every ordinary thing that consumes my time, challenges my faith, or burdens my heart are lovingly designed for me by a Father who is jealous for my whole heart and my utter dependance on him alone. That is the most "Real" thing I've been learning year by year, day by day: My real identity is wrapped up in who he is and not what I do. There's nothing more freeing and more motivating in the realties of life, than to hide yourself in Christ.

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Show Your Real is a series of guest posts centered around the concept of authenticity. The goal is to encourage each other to expose the reality of our lives- good and bad- and to foster a sense of community that goes beyond the often suface-cy interactions of social media. We invite all of you to participate! Please comment, link, and hashtag to spread the showyourreal love. If you would like to contribute a guest post in this series, please email me! 

Chalk Art Christmas & Showing your real

Some of my favorite things:
chalk art
instagram
Advent (well...any sort of festive countdown, really)

So naturally, this year I thought it would be fun to do a project that combines those things. Since December 1st, I have been posting a daily picture of a holiday saying, rendered in chalk. I knew in the beginning it might be tough. I'm not a professional chalk artist by any stretch. In fact, my regular handwriting isn't even that good. But I love looking at typography, and thought it would be fun to try my hand at making my own. Here's some of "my work":

My first attempt (top left corner) was a bit...um...novice? But after working on it every day for over two weeks, I'm actually proud of the progress I've made (getting a chalk pen didn't hurt. Turns out having the right tools helps a lot). The above collage isn't in order, I just mixed them up to make it look balanced...But I'm having fun trying different approaches, recreating pieces I've seen and admired, and making up my own style. I try to make each day's message fit in with something we're doing to that day, so it in the end it will also serve as an abstract scrapbook of our advent season. (Fa la la was from the day of our Christmas party, ho ho ho was when we took Piper to meet Santa, and baby it's cold outside was from the first truly frigid day we've had...)

So if you're not already following along, fear not- we have over a week left to go...There's plenty more art in store. And though you can always see our most recent instagrams on the side bar, I want to encourage you to join instagram if you haven't already. It has quickly become by favorite spot on the web. I love the chance to see snaps of people's every day lives, along with a sweet caption or witty hashtag. It's easy to keep up with, and I find myself actually connecting with these people...maintaining (or forming!) friendships, staying connected, offering encouragement. It's a lot more than just square pictures with pretty filters. It's a community.

And on that note, I've started another little project that I really do hope you'll like. It started when I posted about being real with each other. All the way real. Answering the questions and showing the details that usually get glossed over. I wanted to keep pulling back that artificial curtain that blogs and social media often promote, and show what "real" looks like. My real. Your real. So I started posting pics of the behind the scenes stuff that is actual life. Sometimes it's messy. Sometimes it's beautiful. A lot of times it's both. I'd be thrilled if you would join in: Snap a pic of your real, and tag it for others to see, learn from, and be encouraged by. #showyourreal

Today's real? A shot of the "work" part of all this artwork. These chalk masterpieces (ha!) don't just make themselves!

See you all Wednesday for the Sharing Christmas link up!

Insta-wham!*

(*don't wait for that title to ever make much sense....I just like the way it sounds).

Alright....so you guys know I’m obsessed with Instagram....
But did you know they have web profiles now?

What does that mean?
Well...basically it means if you’re someone without an iphone (i.e. My mom) but you’re also someone who wants to see daily pictures of my daughter (i.e. My mom) you can now view instagram pictures online in one convenient spot.

For those of you interested (i.e. My mom) you can see my feed here. And Dustin’s feed here.

Want a snapshot (literally) of what you can expect?

Well....there's a lot of squishy adorableness (with my mug as occasional distraction bonus):

Some daddy-daughter adorableness:

Occasional worky-work shots:

And a bunch of general silliness:

Oh. And a whole lotta these babies:

No. Really. Like a whole, whole lot. Plus more.

But if that’s not enough to convince you to follow along, I’ve got a fun idea in the works for advent that I hope you’ll like. First pic goes up tomorrow...hope you'll come along for the ride!

Insta Pipsta

Have I told you all how much I like instagram?

Oh. Yeah. I guess so.

Well have I told you how much I like blurb books?

Oh. How 'bout that.

Wellllllllll. Have I told you how much I love instagrams made into blurb books?!

No! I haven't! Until right now!

Check it:

Isn't it just about the cutest little miniature thing you've ever seen?

A miniature book with miniature pictures of a miniature person!

A few weeks ago, Fat Mum Slim, (the creator of the wildly successful, and wildly addictive Photo-a-day challenge) posted a promo for a free blurb instagram book. An easy way to save my pics from the depths of Internet obscurity, and preserve them in a more permanent format? yeah. A free easy way to do that? shyeah.

I've used blurb to make blog books, and a more traditional photobook/journal, but this one was the easiest yet. You just enter your password and it "slurps" up all your pics and tiles them into a book. Done-zo. And it did take a little finagling, but I was able to paste in Dustin's feed, so all of our photos are together. (like us....forever...awwwww....)

I decided to go with all Piper pics, one- because she's the best ever, and two- because any non Piper pictures on my phone are pretty much snapshots for work, random candids that are only funny in the moment, and "art shots" of my food. (for the record, Dustin's collection is 75% Piper, 25% beer...much like his Saturdays. Boom! Roasted! For no reason!.....Sorry!)

I spent a couple hours messing around with the layout (totally optional, I'm just spazzy like that), entered my code, and sent it off to print. And a week or so later- voila! Blurb box delivery! I went with the paperback option, (the "free" promo did have a $25 limit...and I'm cheap like that.) but even that looks pretty professional. The quality of the photos themselves isn't awesome, but that's a function of Instagram, not Blurb. For me, they're not meant to be studio quality portraits, they're just funny little snaps of our life. 

And sometimes life (and our hair) is a little fuzzy.

Want to make your own? You're in luck! I may not be an instagram-superstar, but I do have the hook-up for a Blurb discount. 

Check it:

(Update- discount is now 30%....Go to Blurb now, and enter promo code FLASH30)
Not on instagram? One- why not? Two- no biggie. The discount is good on any Blurb book.

And just in case you're interested (i.e. You are Dustin, or my mom) you can see the whole book online here. And follow our insta-antics here. 

 "Word to my mom."

Summer Fridays

Early out workdays means its time for some sun, some deck action, some hubby-time...and a napping baby. Heaven on earth.

P.s. Today's post is linked up with the Summer Fun guru Kacia at Coconut Robot. Join the Summer Friday party!

And for more filtered photo goodness- scroll down to check out the new feature on the right side bar: our instagram feeds! If you're not on the instagram bandwagon (yes, I'm obsessed!), you can still get your fix right here on the blog. Now go make some sunny memories of your own!

Insta-update

Happy May Day everyone! 

And with the arrival of May comes the end of the April instagram-a-day event. Here's what we snapped for the balance of the month: 
(see our previous two rounds here and here)

21. Bottle

 22. The last thing you bought

23. Vegetable

 24. Something you're grateful for

25. Looking down

 26. Black + white

27. Somewhere you went

 28. 1pm

29. Circle

I really enjoyed the challenge this month. It forced me to take more photos in general, but also got me to snap things I wouldn't always deem photo-worthy. Now the only thing that remains is for me to decide whether I'll be participating in the next round.

I'm toying with the idea of attempting the next photo a day with my "real" camera- aka the DSLR. I've been struggling recently to pull that guy out...it's just so much bulkier than the iPhone, or even my point and shoot. Both my phone and my little camera take great photos, but the quality is still no where near what my canon can do. Plus, I've gotten lazy- just taking quick snaps here and there, not always making sure they're in focus or properly exposed. There is a bit of a trade off- my phone is always with me, so I do get a lot more pictures of things that would otherwise go undocumented. But by not always taking the time to compose or perfect my shot, I end up with lots of half blurry, kinda dark, a bit grainy shots. Again, it's better than no photo at all, but I hate looking back at photos and feeling disappointed I didn't capture memories as vividly as I would have liked. The Flip side of the coin though, is the convenience of the iPhone. Not only is it always there to snap a quick shot, but it allows instant sharing. Run it through a filter to give it a cool look, and post it on the web in seconds. No downloading, editing, saving, uploading, or emailing needed. It's this convenience that tells me I'll never wean myself from the ease and immediate gratification of iPhotography, but I'm hoping to strike a bit more of a balance with my picture taking- some quick casual in-the-moment shots, and some more thoughtful, high quality photos as well.

Anyone else need some motivation to pull out the big gun camera more often? Or maybe you're not much of a picture taker in the first place and are looking for any level of practice? Tell me where you are on the photo-spectrum...hopefully we can inspire each other!

If you're interested, here is May's list from FatMumSlim:

(P.s For those of you who are either really attentive, or just mildly good at counting, you'll notice I didn't share days 20 or 30. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus [Dustin], but someone {Dustin} had a little trouble getting all their pictures taken, so my pairings ended up, well...not pairs at all, so I skipped posting them here. All the more reason for you to jump on the Instagram bandwagon- don't miss a moment!)