by Amy | Jun 6, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
So upon finding my suitcase was filled with a lot of purple clothing, inappropriate for the weather conditions, I did manage to dress and we spent most of the day in Portsmouth, NH.
{Image source here.}
Let me tell you, that was a majorly good decision. Portsmouth is, #1 adorable; #2 delicious; and #3 pretty darn walkable. I highly recommend that you visit. I’ll tell you how we spent the day, but I’m sure there are loads more fun things to do that we missed out on.
We started our day off at the Friendly Toast. I tried to get some photos to show you, but honestly, it was a little dim and I was way too busy nom-noming on some of the most amazing pancakes I’ve ever had.
So when you go, remember–you need to go to Portsmouth–start your day here. These beautiful photos are from their lovely website. You should go and look at their other spiffy photos. And their menu while you’re at it.
After breakfast we took a stroll around town. We didn’t make it too far though. Just a few doors down from The Toast. A little place called Diversions. AKA–our paradise.
You guys, it is a game store! Not a game store like those places that call them game stores, but really just sell Dungeons and Dragons stuff. This is a legit board game a puzzle store. It is so amazing. Games that we thought were discontinued, games that we’d never heard of, games we added to our Christmas list. We like games. And the best part of all, was that they had a big shelf with “demo games,” and tables set up. So you could try out a new game before committing to buying it.
AND–they have weekly gaming meet ups. So. Cool. We spent 90 minutes playing games and left with just one–only because we flew and didn’t have the space for more.
Next we walked the town a little more. We took a stroll through the Book Bar. Way cute and a must-stop for book lovers.
A big highlight for me was Prescott Park. Although we were there pretty early in the season, and not all the flowers were blooming it was still breathtaking. No matter how fancy my new smart-phone is, it really didn’t do it justice. And I left my “fancy” camera in the car {WHY?} So I got these photos from online sources to show you the park in all it’s glory. Click the images to see their original sources.
From Portsmouth we continued our journey, after all, we did travel east with the intention of going to Maine. We crossed over to Kittery, ME, which proved to have something for each of us. Outlets for me, since I packed like an idiot. And, historic Fort McClary for Derek. {Little did I know at this point we were embarking on a fort tour of Maine…}
Oh, and while we were doing the military history thing…we went ahead and toured the USS Albacore, a retired experimental submarine. Even though it smelled really weird, it was pretty interesting {and cheap.} I don’t know–Derek and I are easy to please, so it’s hard for us not to have a good time.
It was a great way to kick off the trip. Tomorrow I’ll tell you about our days and nights in the Boothbay Harbor region…and my new understanding of what defines a “summer cottage.” Stay tuned!
Amy
PS–looking for more fun in Portsmouth? We got some of our ideas from this article–and I’d bet the rest are just as fabulous.
by Amy | Jun 3, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
Sometimes moments in my life pass by in a blur. I remember bits and pieces of them, but the details are all foggy. Then I snap to it, look back and wonder, “What the heck was I thinking.” A moment like that pretty much kicked off my vacation just over a week ago.
The day before we left we realized that we had pretty much no clean clothes. I did laundry all day. That evening Derek folded while I I hosted a social for the spouses of Derek’s squadron. It was really fun. I love seeing all those awesome ladies. It was a paint-along party. Our art turned out lovely.
After everyone left I was exhausted, my back was killing me, and I was dreading the 4:45 wake up call the following morning in order to catch our 6am flight. Luckily, I have an amazing husband. All our toiletries were packed, all my laundry was folded and sitting on the bed. I just needed to pick out clothes for the trip and put them in the suitcase.
“I’m so tired. I don’t even know what the weather is going to be like. I hate packing. I have no idea what to bring. What should I bring? I can’t do this.” I whined that to Derek upon walking into our room and throwing myself down on the floor.
“Ok–ay. Well, the weather is going to be chilly. Pretty much like it’s been here the last two weeks. And–this is what you’ve worn the last two weeks. So just pack some of that.” Derek is always nice and logical. He pointed at the stack on the bed. It was a good point. There were lots of basics, solid t-shirts, a couple sweaters, a cardigan or two.
After that I don’t remember much about the rest of the night. It’s all just a blur.
The following night we stayed in Portsmouth, NH. When I got up the following morning and tried to get dressed I was shocked. Just shocked. When I looked through the suitcase I just simply could not believe what I was seeing.
Hardly any of the clothes that had been on the bed had made it into the suitcase. I had brought the appropriate number of bottoms: two pairs of jeans, two pairs of leggings and two pairs of shorts–enough for a 10 day trip. But the tops–oh, the tops. Here’s what ended up in the bag.
Okay, setting aside the fact that I packed every purple article of clothing I own–why, I have no clue–just look at what I brought. Those two, nearly identical, purple tank tops have actually been in my Good will stack. They are ratty gym tops that have stains on them. I only wear them when I am completely out of clothes…and never if I’m teaching in front of a class.
Why that dressy top? No clue. We were going to a national park. And why, oh why are there only a few things? No basic long sleeves, no cardigans, no flannel button downs. And, what did I think I would wear those purple shorts with? One of the purple tank tops? Am I Grimace from the McDonald Play Place?
I sat in front of the suitcase for a long while. Just in utter disbelief. I didn’t even bring hiking socks. WHAT? Just low cut running socks.
I just really don’t know what happened.
I got dressed. Later–again, I have a great husband–we made a pit stop at an amazing outlet mall in Kittery, ME. Old Navy and the Columbia outlet set me up with more appropriate attire for the rest of the trip, but I’m still just really unsure about how I ended up with such a poorly packed bag. So as the rest of the week goes on and I show you photos from the trip–don’t judge me. I’m wearing that purple sweatshirt in nearly every photo.
Amy
by Amy | Jun 3, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Gathering
As you know, school is wrapping up. I know of a few schools that have let out already, but most of the teachers in my life are still at work this week. So, it’s crunch time.
If you haven’t been trolling Pinterest for months to find and create a super heart-warming gift for your kids teacher {or your bestie who happens to be a teacher} don’t sweat my pet. I’ve got a couple sure-to-please ideas for you.
First of all. This is my sister. She is a kindergarten teacher and a genius with children. At field day her kids found a lonely baby duck. Which she took home to my parents. Together she and my dad managed to get it adopted by another duck family on the river they live on. Amazing.
Second. I wasn’t even going to write this post. I thought it was too late. But then she called me on Saturday, raving about an amazing gift she got from a student. She described it as the best teacher gift she’s ever gotten. Here it is.
Pretty simple. Pretty smart. Tea container, drink mix, cute cup, good magazine, pretty napkins, sunscreen. Awesome.
Just for kicks I also asked a couple of her fellow teachers what a great, last minute gift would be. Their unanamous answer: A gift card with a note from the student. It’s just that simple. Another teacher approved idea is to give something for the classroom. Some teachers have a wish list online, so ask about that. Or buy something you notice they need. I’ve yet to meet a teacher that doesn’t enjoy a good Smencil or Sharpie. Or get a classroom toy {depending on grade level, of course}. Erin replaces her stock of baby dolls every year, other classrooms may have puzzles or educational games for the kids on hand.
Here’s what they said to avoid. Figurines. Knick nacks. Used items. Bad, Dollar Tree lotion. Food flavored lollipops. {Once Erin got one that was labeled in another language, seemed to be chicken flavored. That’s real. It happened.}
Happy End of the Year!
Amy
by Amy | May 30, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Living
I think we can all agree that life doesn’t always follow our self-designed plans and paths. My friend Molly is no exception. {You might remember her from our 15 Ways to Clean Like a Pro post.} That’s why I love her and I love this story. I find her endlessly interesting because she is in love with her work. I don’t know that I’ll ever tire of talking with people about their passions and how they found them.
Delving into Molly’s head was such a treat. Her journey to her passion and success took turns and twists and included a few seasons of confusion. But she came out on top. Let’s look at her, and learn how to follow the lead she has set up for us.
Molly cleans. You might remember her from a post I put up a bit ago with some awesome cleaning tips. That’s her. She cleans and she loves it.
Recently I was at her apartment with another friend and the night soon turned from pizza and frozen bananas to a lesson on cleaning dried toothpaste off of mirrors and the best way to keep your faucet sparkling. She really loves it. A gleam comes into her eyes, she likes talking cleaning, she likes seeing things go from grimy to glistening. To Molly, it is fun. I think that’s a big part of mastering the art of living: knowing what gets you jazzed and finding a way to keep doing it over and over. After that night, I knew she was doing something very, very right. So I asked her if I could go to work with her one day and pick her brain. Like the awesome friend that she is, she obliged.
I followed her out to the Practically Canadian country side to a very {very} large log cabin style home. It was stunning. Hunting lodge-woodsy decor made me feel like I’d stepped into a mountain resort. Hanging from the living room rafters was a swing. A swing. So cool. I knew coming to work with Molly was a great idea.
Like lots of high school seniors Molly planned to go to college. Because, well, for a lot of us…that’s just what comes next. When she thought about what she should study, she looked to her interests. Deep down, what she loved most was being with people, acting as a listening ear and offering support. She thought about turning that passion, and a natural knack for it into a counseling job. As she entered her freshman year, she selected social work as her major.
As time went on and she dove into courses, she found that she wasn’t happy. No, she was miserable. She told me she’d sit up at night pouring over the university’s course lists, reading detailed descriptions of majors–waiting for one to reach out and grab her. None did.
There had to be a reason nothing was sticking out to me.
She started to think about the possibility of leaving higher education, a notion that was foreign to her. But as she prayed over what to do next, she told me she was stressed all the time–except when she prayed and thought about taking “time off.” Peace came when she thought, prayed and considered leaving school. So she did.
She was discouraged after leaving college. As she moved into the future with no real plan, she felt judged by the people in her world, for abandoning the “correct” next step in life. She took a job cleaning and helping out at a local bed and breakfast. But that came to an abrupt halt in 2011 when, what folks up here refer to as The Flood hit and closed the property.
Molly told me all of this as she polished the stainless steel in one of the most beautiful kitchens I’ve ever sat in. When she was finished with the fridge it looked like we were in a Whirlpool appliance ad. She stepped away to return her rag to its caddy, then paused and added,
I didn’t have a plan for the future. But even though I didn’t have a plan, I could hear God saying, “It’s okay–I have a plan for you.“
It’s one of the most profound things I’ve been told. Especially considering she was only 19 when all this went down.
She took some time away to visit family, then picked up a summer job working on a construction site doing clean up {of all things.} Then one afternoon she was hanging out with two older ladies, friends of her grandmother. Jean and Marlys. Molly and Marlys were helping Jean clean up her house as she prepared to move to an assisted living facility. Molly told me it was during this afternoon that they asked her bluntly what she planned to do. She couldn’t keep drifting from job to job, and they knew construction wasn’t her ideal workplace.
Molly didn’t know.
They asked what she liked and why. They observed that she was naturally talented at cleaning, something she really loved. Then they encouraged her to branch out on her own, to make a job for herself. That same afternoon Marlys placed Molly’s first ad online {she’s pretty tech-savvy.} Soon after, Molly was in business and it’s been that way ever since.
Molly told me that in a lot of ways cleaning allows her to do all the things she enjoys most. Best of all, her job has allowed her to become that listening ear and shoulder-to-cry-on she always longed to be. Coming in to a home requires a certain level of trust. Once in, she finds that many people are put at ease and become comfortable talking to her about hard topics, like life, loss and God.
Cleaning homes allows her to connect with people on an intimate level. “I come to the door and see women who normally always put together wearing no makeup and pajama pants.” She told me it’s an honor to think that people are that comfortable with her. She loves that cleaning genuinely helps people, and points out that when you feel good and confident about your home, other things will follow.
She admitted to me that at first she saw her new undertaking as “just cleaning.” It didn’t take long to realize that it was much more than that. God has used her as a strong witness to all of her clients. Amazingly, she told me that nearly every single one of her clients has spoken with her at one time or other about spiritual needs, topics or curiosities. Molly says that if she wasn’t in the home, cleaning, those opportunities would never have arisen.
She takes pride in leaving the home sparkling and fresh, but is most fulfilled when she can offer comfort to the people living there. As she talked about her clients that she cares so deeply for, I realized that she is so much more than just a “cleaner” to the many people who invite her into their homes. And to her, they are much more than simply “clients.” They are friends, people she cherishes.
Molly is a prime example of how when we trust God, He will perfectly put our skills to effective use that will bring us joy and serve Him well.
Recently Molly has given her expanding business an official name: Victory Cleaning. I find this very appropriate, because she brings victory into the home in so many ways: victory over grime, stress, life, and best of all..the victory offered to all of us through Christ.
xo
Amy
PS–Keep your eyes out for more from Molly. I know this graphic designer who is currently working on creating a logo for her and will soon be assisting in a business page set up.
by Amy | May 23, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Say “Hi” to one of my favorite families, the Gillman clan.
Now, let me issue a public apology here. I’m very sorry I didn’t get your session finished up and to you before I ran away to Maine for 10 days. But–I did get a sneak set up of some of my favorite images from the shoot. I hope these will hold you over until I get home. In the mean time…enjoy these. Loading them on wi-fi that runs slower than molasses in Minot is proving to be quite the feat. However, I’m committed and I’m sorry. So here goes.
So what if the grass isn’t quite as green as Ireland and the trees are still pretty darn bare? After rescheduling our session multiple times due to weather {read me…snow, ice and 20 wind chills in MAY} we were just happy to finally get out and get some fun photos. Even though it was still a little gusty, the temps were in the upper sixties and we had a great time hanging out at the trestle under the train tracks.
These kids are so fun. And very well behaved. For me, it is always the most fun to shoot kids with personality. And there is no shortage here. I like it when kids are happy. So catching these two playing in these wide open spaces and giggling at their mom’s antics behind my back was a real treat.
Thanks again Gillmans! I can’t wait to see you when I get home…and after a multi-hour lay over, I should have your session pretty much finished up.
xo
Amy
by Amy | May 21, 2014 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Art, The Art of Design, The Art of Gathering, The Art of Projects
About a week ago I found myself in Bismarck. Naturally, while there I was faced with a difficult decision: TJ Maxx or boutique shopping? I went the boutique route and found myself at a darling place called Junk Yard Chic. Their wares boast gifts of the salvaged, shabby-chic, rustic variety.
When I checked out, my goods were carefully wrapped in the cutest Popsicle tissue paper I’ve ever seen. Which got me thinking all about summer’s best treat, and how I could incorporate those fun, sweet, melty colors and flavors into my life this summer. Here are seven great things I came across.
1. I have been itching to host a summer ice cream social. But I might just do a Popsicle social instead. These invitations from Free Pretty Printables are sooo cute I could eat them up. Oh, yeah. And they are FREE!
2. There are a ton of amazing popsicle recipes floating around on Pinterest these days. I fell in love with the wholesome ingredients and easy prep for these made with blueberries, strawberries and honey. Get the recipe here. The blog, In Sock Monkey Slippers recommends this mold.
3. Dreamcicles anyone? Those are soap! Yes, soap. The perfect summer gift for a summer hostess. Get them from Sun Kid Gifts on Etsy.
4. If technology is more your style, sport this adorable phone cover this summer. Get this one and other cute Popsicle prints at Peanutoak Case’s Etsy shop.
5. These aren’t edible at all! They are crayons. How amazing is that? I found this image on Pinterest. Which led me to Etsy…only to discover that the listing is no longer active. I’m guessing you can melt down crayons and cool them in a Popsicle mold. You’re creative. I know you’ll figure it out.
6. I dig these nails from Lacq Lustre. She did them herself and shares all the colors she used. So even if you don’t make the mini Popsicles, you can still have some poppy color.
7. And lastly…I searched high and low for the tissue paper that started this whole thing. I couldn’t find it. What I did find was this adorable wrapping paper from Clementine Store. Now who do I know with a summer birthday…?
Amy
by Amy | May 20, 2014 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Projects, The Art of the Moment
I did some walk in portrait sessions about a week ago. So I made a new backdrop.
Did I have other things I could have used? Probably. Okay, fine…yes. But I was in the mood for something new, something reusable, and something versatile. So I made a the backdrop you see above. It was insanely easy. Insanely. Let’s go.
You’ll need:
- 2.5 yards of fabric in 3 patterns
- 2.5 yards of lace {if you want it}
- Rope
- Scissors
First, find yourself a good episode of Dateline or Call the Midwife to watch while you are doing this. It’s easy…but a little mindless…so obviously, I like the TV on.
Next, unfold your first cut of fabric. I used flannels since they were on clearance the day I shopped, but any cotton weave will do. Snip along the short edge, making cuts every couple inches. I varied mine a bit to give the finished product a little variety.
After that, pull our your muscles and start ripping. That’s right. Just tear the fabric into strips, starting where you snipped.
Repeat on all your fabric.
For the lace, I accordion folded it a few times, then cut it into strips. You want all of your strips to be 7.5′ long…so be sure you are making strips that extend down the fabric…not across the short side.
You’ll be left with a pile of fabric strips. Take those and tie them onto a piece of rope. I just tied them once…no fancy knots here. This amount of fabric will create a backdrop that is 7′ tall and up to 8′ wide…more if you don’t mind sparse streamers. Once all your strips have been tied on, you can hang the ends from anything that is convenient. Whether that is a backdrop stand {if you are really legit}, a drop ceiling {that’s what I did}, or something you have laying around your house is totally up to you. I just wouldn’t use it outside on a windy day.
Then, keep your eyes out for clearance fabric that would make a good backdrop. These are a little addictive.
xo
Amy
by Amy | May 16, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Projects
