I just did something I've been meaning to do for, oh, 5 years. I made a DIY page with photos so you can easily access all the DIY projects from the blog! If you look at the top menu bar and click on DIY, it'll take you straight there.

It's organized by section (sewing, outdoors, furniture, etc.) and just clicking on each photo will take you to the project.

Happy crafting, friends. And happy 4th of July!

Friday Five.

1. Happy Friday! It's been a full, productive week at home, despite a painful tailbone injury that hardly seems to be healing. (The doctor reassured me that within 2 months it would heal. 2 months?!) Anyway, I've had to stand 80% of the time to avoid pain, which has meant a cleaner-than-normal house, preparing freezer meals for when baby arrives, and an extraordinary amount of nesting. Like... a third of our Christmas gifts are already purchased and wrapped.

Speaking of gifts, Liam turns two this month! For one of his gifts, I sewed him his first backpack. I figured it would be helpful for him to carry to "school" (Bible study) and church with his snack and sippy cup and diapers when the new baby arrives, so that the diaper bag is freed up for her things. I used Made By Rae's Toddler Backpack pattern, which was easy to follow and makes a really adorable bag. The exterior fabric is a new Nate Berkus home decor print I found at Joann's that's apparently "soil and stain resistant." Yes, please.  I can't wait to see him wearing it.

2. This recipe for Old Fashioned Apple Crisp by Ina Garten is our family's favorite. It's full of sugar and butter, which is probably why it's so delicious. (You can easily make it gluten free like we do by substituting gluten free oats and gluten free flour. No one will be able to tell the difference.)

3. As someone who loves the city and misses it daily (specifically Chicago and New York), this article by Kathy Keller on why the city is a wonderful place to raise children is so enlightening and encouraging. We don't have plans to move from Raleigh, but if we did, a large city would be our top choice. And we'd re-visit this article a dozen times. I love her insight.

4. Did you know you can freeze fresh spinach to use for smoothies? We always buy spinach or kale from Costco and rarely get through an entire carton, so this is budget life changing. I especially love the idea of making spinach cubes to put straight into a green smoothie. Exactly what we'll be doing.

5. Have you stumbled on this article: If My Child Marries Yours? If you're in a similar season of motherhood, brace yourself for the tears. Just beautiful.

Anything you've learned around the web this week that you want to share? Comment away. And have a wonderful weekend!

Numbers.

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I've been thinking a lot about this recently: how our lives, and often our self-worth, are defined by numbers. Perhaps it's the first time in history that a person's popularity is so readily quantified.

The number of Facebook friends
The number of blog followers
The number of Instagram "likes"
Even the number of Etsy sales

These numbers are out there for anyone and everyone to see, and it's sad and embarrassing how much they can define our real lives. Do I get a little sad when I notice I've lost a few blog followers? Yes. Disappointed when I haven't had an Etsy sale that day? Yep.

The quote above - it makes me laugh. I'm not sure it's completely accurate because there are people who make a living off of their Instagram accounts (which just blows my mind). But I think it's true that we all need to calm down.

How do you define yourself?
It might be one of the most important questions of our generation.

Here's who I am, what defines me:
Beloved child of God and in desperate need of his grace.
Deeply loved by my husband, Shawn.
Devoted mother of Liam.
Loyal daughter, sister, friend.
Creative, passionate, and (sometimes) brave.

You notice what didn't make the list? Blogger. Small business owner. Facebook friend to thousands.

Beyond this life, when I'm face to face with the Lord, he isn't going to look at me and say, "Look how popular you were on earth! Way to go." I hope he'll be able to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

I've taken a major step back from social media recently (Facebook & Instagram) and it's been incredibly refreshing. Still, I find places in my life where these little numbers take root in my heart and need to be weeded out. Perhaps I'm not the only one?

Food for thought.

Blogland.

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Are you a blog reader?
Ok, well obviously you technically are if you're reading this post. But are you one of those who's loyal to just a handful of blogs - or one who loads her feed list with over 100?

Soon after we got married - when I started this blog back in 2009 - I would have put myself in the "avid blog reader" category. I probably had 10 to 15 blogs I would check regularly, at least skimming every new post. But I quickly found I was reading real books less and less - including my Bible - and something had to change.

So today, I've whittled it down to 2 blogs I read regularly (good friends' blogs) and I check a handful of others on occasion. The other time I spend online, I'm usually updating Etsy, checking my email, or reading the news.

But in case you're looking for some good reads, I wanted to share a few recommendations. Of course, I can't endorse every word on every page of each of these blogs. But I love the overall tone and message of each of these for different reasons. Just to keep things simple, I haven't included any blogs of my friends in real life. I just happen to admire these from a distance.

Summer Harms for whole food recipes and godly encouragement for marriage and motherhood.

Hello from the Natos for honest, thought-provoking theological posts and great interior design.

Grand Design Co for a handy mom who loves vintage pieces and turns everything she touches to gold. (She posts very infrequently these days, but her archives are a treasure of ideas.)

Where My Heart Resides for beautiful writing and photography that capture life with her son.

Tilly and the Buttons for a British sewing fix (I can't wait until her beginning dressmaking book is available in the States!).

Want to share some of your blog favorites in the comment section? I have a feeling other readers would love to know (and so would I!).

Monday thoughts.

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On being authentic...
I've received this question via email quite a few times recently: How did you get so many followers? Frankly, I don't know. I have no idea how 99% of you arrived at this page or why you stuck around. (Most of you probably can't remember, either, unless we're friends in real life. But I love that you're here!)

So this is my take on something I really don't understand myself. But I'd like to think it might be this: authenticity.

I hope authenticity is what you find on these pages. It's certainly my intent. Part of being authentic is that I don't hide the messy parts of my home or my heart from you. But I think authenticity also means that I blog about what I genuinely love. It's easy to keep a blog going when you write about what inspires you, right?

See that quote at the top? I echo it a thousand times (and have to rehearse it to myself, too). I see a lot of blogs that feel forced because, for example, she does DIY projects (because they attract the masses) when what she'd really love to talk about is children's literature. That's a lame example, I know, but I'm sure you've seen it too if you read blogs. Just be yourself! It's so attractive. It's as hard and as simple as that.

On what I'm reading...
I just finished this book: A Million Little Ways. To be gut-level honest, I didn't love it. I really wanted to love it, considering the four wonderful people who have whole-heartedly recommended it to me. I slogged through it, for some reason, and it felt "fluffy" to me. I'm not a fan of fluff. Perhaps "uncovering the art I was made to live" isn't really my struggle, at least right now. Making a living with my art? That might be more pertinent. I think she's a wonderful writer and reminded me of Ann Voskamp in ways, but it was difficult for me to finish.

I'm right in the middle of this book: Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus. I'm eating it up. Whereas nearly every other parenting book is written on the basis of Good parenting in = good kid out, this book is completely different. I mean, can't you name so many people who have great parents and have not turned out great kids? Life just doesn't work that way.  It didn't in the Bible either. So instead of pounding the law into them and expecting them to uphold it, we recognize that they have sinful hearts just like we do and we remind them of the gospel. That they can't possibly live up to the standards of the law, and neither can we. That Jesus kept the law perfectly and, if we believe, has given us His perfect righteousness. This is so freeing, both for parents and for kids. I have lots more to say, but will save it for another post once I legitimately finish the book.

On this week... 
Shawn is on vacation for the week! Since we're saving up for a big BIG trip in July, we're having a "stay cation" which, so far, has involved buying a new printer and taking a bike ride through the neighborhood. We sure do wish we could be on an exotic beach this week, but we're thankful to have this time together and want to make the most of it.

Happy, happy Monday to you!

Sponsorship.

Over the past couple years, I've gotten a few inquiries for blog sponsorship. From nutritional drinks to clothing stores to Etsy shops, when people asked if they could sponsor my blog, my answer has always been a resounding, "Thanks so much for asking, but no."

That's been for two reasons:
1. I've seen so many blogs who take sponsorships lose their authenticity. 
2. I've also seen blogs lose their content, when posts are cluttered with promotions for sponsors. You have to weed through lots of sponsored posts before finding something that resembles the blog you used to love.

For obvious reasons, I've never wanted either of those things. This space has been so sacred for me and my family as we've told our story and lived our lives as authentically as possible on these pages.

At the same time, the community that has grown through this blog over the past nearly five years (can you believe it's been that long?!) has been such an encouragement and such a surprise. You guys have supported me and my family through so many different seasons, and most recently as I've become a work-at-home mom with a busy boy and a busy shop.

So I feel like it's time to give back, and also to take the next step with this blog. Many of you have blogs and shops that align with what this space stands for, and I'd love for you to have the opportunity to advertise here among readers who may not have heard of your corner of the internet. Brighter Day has been helped quite a bit by advertising with a few select blogs in the past, and readers who never would've heard of it have come and shopped and spread the word.

So starting January 1, I'll be offering a limited number of ad spots on the sidebar. At least for now, sponsorships will not include separate feature posts, but will include a once-a-month sponsor feature and group giveaway (if you're interested). I'll keep spots limited and prices reasonable to just try it out, and I've committed to trying it for 3 months, then reassessing.

If that sounds interesting to you, feel free to send me an email (whitney {at} elmstreetlife.com) and we can chat. I'd be happy to send you information on my blog statistics and pricing and see if it might be a fit.

And to my wonderfully supportive readers... let me promise you that very little is about to change. You'll have some pretty ads on the sidebar of shops and blogs that I think you should visit - and you'll have the opportunity to enter a once-a-month giveaway. And that's it. If it doesn't feel right after 3 months, things will go back to the way they've always been: ad free.

Thanks, friends!

I shall not want.

This lyric is stuck in my head (again). In case you missed it the first time, listen to the song here. It's a powerful reminder as the holidays approach that His goodness in our lives is all we need.

(Feel free to download this and use it as the background of your phone or print it out and tape it to your mirror. If you click on the image, it will take you to a large image that you can drag to your desktop.)

Monday thoughts.

... We are set to close on our house this Friday. Between now and then, there's a very large, very dead tree in our neighbor's yard that hangs precariously over our house that absolutely has to come down. God is big enough for that. If you think of us, please pray that the tree comes down before Wednesday and doesn't inflict any (more) damage to the house in the process.

... Sundays are loooong days for us with three services and usually a Sunday evening service, too. But we are loving our church and basking in the warmth of Christian community here. We've only been here a month and we've met more incredible people than we even have time to get to know. I'm not sure if I should chalk it up to the perks of being on a church staff (and, therefore, having a ready-made community) or just that our church is amazing. Probably both. Either way, I'm grateful.

... We've been park hopping around Raleigh, trying to land on our favorites.
Here's the current lineup:
1. Lake Johnson: a 5k loop, water views, hills, boat rentals (!), concession stand with coffee and tea and snacks (!!!). This park is pretty perfect in our minds.
2. Lake Lynn: beautiful lake views and ducks!
3. Shelley Lake: pretty busy on some days, but still so beautiful and safe, too.
(Pullen Park is in a category of its own, and deserves a post of its own, too.)
 Any fellow Raleigh friends have other suggestions? Preferably stroller friendly?

... My sister is starting to make these amazing made-to-order fabric maps in her Etsy shop. Check them out. You can even customize them and giver her a color scheme to go with. I love this idea for a kid's room!

Happy Monday to you!

PS - The photos of Liam? They have nothing to do with the post, but were taken past midnight when he was in too much teething pain to sleep. Poor little man. But it's still so easy to make him smile, even when he's hurting. I love that about him. 

Internet safety: Something we can do.

I'm not normally one to sound the alarm when it comes to safety, and definitely not one to incite unnecessary levels of fear. There are times when I don't think much about safety at all. I realize that not worrying about my safety is a first world privilege, and not a reality for many, many women around the world.

I currently live in a very safe area where the main crimes usually involve petty theft from unlocked cars in mall parking lots.  But just in the last week, there was an attempted break in just down the street, so our senses have been heightened to strange looking cars, locked doors, and setting security alarms.

So on the topic of safety, internet safety is something we all need to be equally aware of, wherever we may live. Whether you have a blog, an Instagram account, a Facebook account, or none of the above - I think it's really important for each of us who live in this technology-driven, social-media-crazy world to pay attention to.

A friend sent this video to me the other night, and I watched with my jaw dropped for most of it. Once I got over the initial shock, though, I came away feeling more knowledgeable and aware that what I post from my phone can have major consequences. I (obviously) post plenty of pictures online, and while I'm really careful to never share specifics of where I live or what I drive, this seems just as important.

Here's what I saw...
The news story came out in 2010, so I'm assuming the technology has become even more advanced since then. But hey! There's something we can do about it! Just follow the instructions at the very end (around 3:15 on the video) to change your phone settings accordingly.

Right now.

I am... 

... watching the radar and seeing this headed our way. I couldn't be happier about it. I love thunderstorms.
...  staying up until I finish 14 purses. Not my favorite thing, but right now, not a choice.
... trying to let a nasty email from a stranger roll off my back. I have a feeling if she'd said it to my face, she wouldn't have been so venomous. The anonymity of the internet makes manners go out the window sometimes.
... feeling so full after eating Chipotle and apple crisp with Ash & Mase. It was worth it.
... finding a new Tim Keller sermon to keep me company.
... feeling thankful that I just put my shop on vacation mode until we move.
... wondering where we'll move.
... wondering when we'll move.
... wondering why I'm still here procrastinating.

14 purses to go!

Goodnight, friends!

Formspring.

Do you see the Ask Me Anything tab right up there? If you click there, you'll go straight to my Formspring account, which has been a great way to receive questions and respond so everyone can see. I've answered hundreds of your questions, and they've (very helpfully) prompted quite a few blog posts. 

Well, Formspring is shutting down. This month!

At the end of this month, I'll be whittling down my Formspring Q&A into a FAQ section on the blog. In the meantime, if you have a question for me that you want to post there, do it soon and I'll do my very best to respond! :)

Five things.

Just after coming home from the doctor with my "sick" baby

1. We returned home from Chicago on Monday night and woke up Tuesday morning with colds all around. I was the overreacting mom who rushed Liam to the doctor's office at the first sign of green drainage and a low grade fever. When he giggled at the doctor through the entire exam, I knew he'd be ok. :) We're all recovering, and that's where we've been this week.

50 promises memory cards by Show & Tell

2. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be more consistent in memorizing Scripture. So along come these pretty cards by Summer Harms featuring 50 promises of God, making it so easy (and beautiful!). Order them here.

3. I've been working on a few new bags for the shop using fabric I've designed. More to come soon. Also, my new embroidery machine is set to arrive today... which means monogramming will finally be available. Not sure what it is with bridesmaids and monogramming, but I've gotten quite a few requests. I'm excited to finally say "yes."

4. Growing up in Nashville with parents who are musicians, I spent a whole lot of time in recording studios - from birth on. So the other day when my dad was producing a string session, I had to bring Liam by to introduce him to the studio. He did great... spitting up all over Poppy's shoulder (and down his leg), then falling asleep in Mimi's lap.

5. I'm thinking of doing a DIY week in a couple weeks with 5 days of do-it-yourself project posts in a row. Do you have requests? Sewing? Home decor? Painting? Let me know!

Featured: iVillage.com

I was so honored to be asked if my DIY Chevron Frame project could be featured on iVillage.com, and the feature came out a couple days ago.

See the feature here. 

I think the curator of this slideshow really nailed it. I want to try just about every one of the projects listed, and if I know you like the DIY-loving-bunch I think you are, I think you'll feel the same.

Some personal favorites:
This map frame.
This pet pillow.
This distressed frame with twine.
This repurposed door photo frame.

Time to get those pictures on the wall!

PS - I've been working on some new DIY post ideas that should come out in the next few weeks... get ready!

Stealing joy.

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In this season of my life, this quote couldn't be truer. I struggle with it: comparing. Don't we all, to a point? I think as women it's especially easy to fall into the trap of comparing. From looks to babies to Etsy shops to jobs to husbands to lack of jobs and husbands to happiness. And as soon as we do, joy slips through our fingers. Contentment walks out the door. Peace is far away.

For me, reading other blogs can be my one-way ticket to comparison. It's like a window into another person's life with all the hard parts carved out. I see perfectly behaved children, clean floors, perfect hair, and exotic vacations. I know I'm guilty of this, too. I've gotten the comment quite a bit from blog readers that my life is so beautiful and "perfect." And while I can sit here and tell you it's so far from perfect, I do try to keep this space positive and light. There's plenty of negativity on the internet, and I decided a long time ago I didn't want to add to it. But at the same time, when you only see the highlights of my life (for the most part), it's easy to fall into that same trap of comparison. What you don't see is the time I cried last week or felt like a failure or wasn't very nice to my husband or got frustrated with my crying baby. I'm not trying to hide it. I just don't feel like this blog is the forum to pour out these deep feelings that tend to stay in the safety of my husband and closest friends. 

So all this to say, for the month of February, I've decided to take a break from reading other blogs. Maybe you're reading this and realize it's time for you to do the same. It's time to take a step back and really savor what the Lord has given me. I want to echo the Psalmist in saying, 

"Lord you alone are my inheritance, 

my cup of blessing. 

You guard all that is mine. 

The land you have given me is a pleasant land. 

What a wonderful inheritance!" 

(Psalm 16:5-6)

On being "connected."

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Do you feel as overwhelmed by your email inbox as I do? Between Etsy convos and other business emails + "catch up" emails from friends and family + blog comments + Formspring questions + Facebook messages, the emails pile up faster than I can stay on top of them and I allow myself to feel buried and defeated. So often, I don't respond. At least not in a timely matter. And then I feel guilty on top of all of it. It doesn't help that I can get email alerts on my phone, so I could literally check them multiple times an hour and become even more overwhelmed and distracted.

This calls for some action.

If you're feeling at all like I do, I highly recommend these two articles:
Email: Fail (A Confession and Manifesto) by Simple Mom
Managing your Email by Gussy Sews

My favorite takeaway points:

1. Check your email twice a day. Yep, that's it. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon. I'm implementing this today.

2. Set up canned responses (and add personalizations to them) that can answer the same frequently asked questions. Side note: As a blogger, I get the same questions. Over. And. Over. Please, for the sake of all bloggers everywhere, use the "search bar" in the top left corner of the page to look for an answer to your question before you send a one line email that requires a three paragraph response. (Or search through previous Formspring questions... I get about the same 3 or 4 questions over and over again that I've already answered in length). It will keep us all a little more sane! :) I actually love getting emails from readers; it's just this aspect that's a little hard for me sometimes.

3. Use a five-sentence limit. I love this approach that encourages a timely, shorter response instead of a  more prolific response that may not ever get written.

Overall, I really believe managing this aspect of my daily life is pleasing to the Lord because I can set up healthy boundaries that help me to focus on more important tasks. When I think about nursing my baby boy and spending quality time with him in the coming weeks, I don't want to regret that I always have my phone in hand, becoming overwhelmed by the emails pouring in, and missing those precious, fleeting moments with my baby.

In short, I love what Simple Mom says at the end of her article, and I hope I can adopt this mentality in my own life:
"Email won't ever depart my life, and I'm awfully glad I have access to this useful, free tool. But it's time to give it the rightful place it deserves: just one of several things I do in a productive day. It's not my master."

Amen and amen.

Any tips you have on managing email? I'd love to hear!

Oh, Sweet Joy!

I'm honored to be guest posting today at Oh, Sweet Joy! I'm sharing my watermelon sorbet recipe, which is sounding pretty delicious right about now. :) Kim's blog is so inspiring - the DIY tutorials, the fashion posts, the recipes, and a lot more. Make sure to go visit. Thanks so much for having me, Kim!

A question on privacy.

I know this is opening a can of worms with a wide variety of opinions, but I want to hear your thoughts:

How much should a person share on a blog/website/Facebook/internet? 

How much should she not share? 

When does it become unsafe? 

I've been thinking about these questions a lot recently before our baby boy arrives, trying to decide how much of his little life we will make public on the blog and how much we will keep private.

The original purpose of this blog was to document our lives for our family and friends who are scattered across the country, and to document it for me and Shawn to look back on years from now and see the faithfulness of God in our lives. Somewhere along the way, you sweet readers (and occasionally some that aren't so sweet) started following along. The blog is all the more fun for you being here, but even if you didn't choose to follow along, I'd still keep this blog as a mini journal for this season in our lives.

But then there's the question of safety. It may seem like I share a lot - and I do - but I also keep a whole lot more private. I'm careful not to show photos of the front of our house, our cars, etc. But I've also been recognized in public at least 3 or 4 times in the last few weeks, which is really flattering and also a little sobering. When I'm writing, I often feel like I'm writing to a small group of girlfriends... not to thousands of you that I've never met.

And then a baby enters the picture. A baby who has no say on how much or how little of his life is put online. Do we share his name? His milestones? Do I make the blog private if I'm not willing to call him "Little E" forever? Whew... lots to think about.

I've seen bloggers on both extremes... some who, in my opinion, overshare everything about their kiddos (and have blogs that have a much larger following than mine). I can promise you right now that I will not post a picture or a story about the first time my son poops on a potty. :) And then there are other bloggers who choose to call their kids by nicknames and never by their real name, though the more popular their blogs become, it seems people find out the real names anyway.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. And again, I know this can tend to be somewhat heated, so please, please keep the comments friendly and conducive to the conversation (my family reads this, too!). Thanks, friends.

Thank you guys so much for weighing in. As I expected, there are a variety of opinions - but all are such good food for thought in regards to how much or how little we choose to share. I probably won't make a concrete decision until he gets here, but I don't think I can help but show him off (whether or not I make his name known) and I don't plan on going private anytime soon. Ultimately, it's a matter of prayer for discernment and protection, and I am trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me in what to post and what not to. Thanks again.

FAQ

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Hi readerfriends. 
I've realized in the last few months that there are several very common questions that people tend to ask over and over... and while I love hearing from you through email (I really do!), I get a bit overwhelmed answering the same questions. So I've answered them here! Hopefully it's helpful to all of us! 


I've just started a gluten free diet, and am wondering, what do you eat? 
Grocery shopping and meal planning for gluten free can be tough at first (and expensive). I honestly don't buy a lot of specifically gluten free foods because they're costly and not all that tasty; I mainly try to find new foods to replace them (i.e. I don't buy bread very often, but eat rice or potatoes or millet or quinoa as a grain instead). This article by the Gluten Free Girl and the Chef is a really helpful place to start.  I wish I would've read it on the beginning of my gluten free journey... and I agree with everything she says. I hope it's helpful to you too! She has some great recipes, too.

For baking (which I love), the best mix I've found is Pamela's Baking Mix that I buy on Amazon here. Basically you can substitute it for flour in normal recipes (and they have lots of great recipes on the back of the bags) for things like muffins, quickbreads, cakes, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, etc. It has been a lifesaver.

Because I'm now working 12-hour shifts at a hospital and have a really short lunch break (with an awful hospital cafeteria downstairs), I've been packing my lunch. I use Udi's gluten free whole grain sandwich bread (I buy it at Trader Joe's but it's also at Whole Foods and other places) to make sandwiches for lunch. I honestly can't taste much of a difference even though it's gluten free and it's nice not to have to make my own bread. I also pack things like salads, yogurt, fresh fruit, or leftovers from the night before. I use our crock pot quite frequently and have found lots of gluten free recipes on Pinterest for that. 

For breakfast, I'll eat a piece of toast, gluten free oatmeal, smoothies (with frozen fruit and orange juice and spinach), or even cereal. Many Chex cereals are now gluten-free and other cereals and granolas too. I also use Pamela's Baking Mix for pancakes and will make lots extra so I can freeze the leftovers and reheat them in the morning.

How do you take good pictures? 
This is such a vague and difficult question to answer because there are so many factors, but here's my take on it... simplified. 
1. The camera really does matter. I have my dream camera, a Canon 5d Mark ii, and it's worth every penny in my opinion. But for four years before that, I had a Canon Rebel XTi that I learned on and loved. Any DSLR that's a Canon or a Nikon is a safe bet, and we spent less than $1,000 for a great lens and camera to get started about 5 years ago.   
2. The lens really does matter. The lens I most often recommend is this one. Such a great value for what you're getting!
3. Manual mode is best. Read your camera manual and just play around with different settings and you'll learn so much.
4. Lighting matters. Please, please, please turn off your flash! Try working with natural light (a shady place is best), and your photography will improve dramatically.


Would you do a photography tutorial?  
Umm... probably not. :( I'm really no expert, I don't know the lingo, and teaching photography isn't really my thing. There are so, so many blogs out there that would be great to see photography tutorials though! Try starting with a Pinterest search.


What sewing machine do you have? 
This Brother Project Runway 420. I love it.


How do you have time for all that you do? 
I don't. At the end of the day, I am exhausted and usually haven't gotten something on my to-do list done (or lots of things on my to-do list, actually). But I function a lot better in a higher stress, faster pace lifestyle than if I don't have things to do. We don't watch TV, so that probably helps! I also blog 1-2 days a week and set the blogposts to post throughout the week. So even though it looks like I'm on here every day, I'm actually probably sewing, running errands, or making dinner while you're reading the blog. :)


How's the adoption going? 
Still waiting for Vietnam to open up!


Can I sell the bags I make from your tutorials? 
Yes. At first I said no, but I realized quickly that people would sell your designs whether they had permission or not. I've gotten at least 20 emails now from people very kindly asking to sell the bags and I've been saying yes. So yes! Sell away!


How do you put words on your pictures? 
Photoshop


What editing software do you use for photos? 
Lightroom


For more questions and answers, please see my Formspring!
Or if you have a question for me that I missed, feel free to write it in the comments and I'll try to add it to this post!

Ten little Newby things.

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1. I am totally planning on making these gluten-free lime shortbread cookies (above) this weekend. They just look too good.

2. Speaking of gluten-free, a lot of you have emailed me over the past couple of years to say, "Help! I just found out I have a gluten intolerance and have no idea where to start." I'm always happy to write you back and hopefully offer some of my advice that will help along the next rough patch until gluten-free becomes a way of life. Because I've been there. And it's no fun.

But in the future, I will probably just send you to this article by Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef. Not because I don't want to answer your questions. But because this is the best advice of "How to Live Gluten Free" that I've read. It's full of practical advice and hope.

3. It's Friday. Which meant I observed my near-weekly "sit in my car, listen to NPR, and eat Chipotle" lunch date. I can't think of a better way to celebrate.

4. Conversation I heard on campus today...
Dude #1: "Hey y'all, are you coming to the prerelease party tonight?"
Dude #2: "No man, I've gotta record a demo."
Dude #3: "I wish. I've got a showcase on the Row."

Wow. That probably looks like a foreign language if you don't live in Nashville. Only in Music City.

5. I'm learning to love my crock pot and am using it at least a couple times a week lately. Yeah! I'll post one of my favorite new recipes next week.

6. I'm also learning to love my dehydrator (a Christmas present). My favorite is apple-cherry fruit leather. It's dangerous stuff... I could eat the entire tray in one sitting.

6. I'm going to try to convince Shawn to take me to this movie this weekend. I know the reviews aren't great, but it still looks so fun!

7. It always happens that I have my greatest creative ideas when I also have a million things to do on my to-do list. Does this happen to you, too?

8. I have 2 more weeks as a 25-year-old.

9. Seeing that I have an Etsy conversation in my email inbox is both exciting and frightening, all at once. Etsy sellers, do you feel that way?

10. Since I'm running out of things to say, I'll just let you know I'm linking to E Tells Tales (her "10 Little Ivie Things" is such a fun tradition).

I decided to live it.

Source

This quote struck me.
Especially the part that says, "... I decided to live it."
(It comes from a really intriguing love story, by the way.)

I quit Facebook a few days ago.

Have you ever deactivated Facebook before? It's kind of a hassle. Before you do, it shows you some photos of you with other people and says, "Austin is going to miss you... Sarah is going to miss you... Emily is going to miss you..." and pretty much begs you to stay. Little does Facebook know I haven't talked to those people in years (I changed the names, don't worry). And it made me think: Isn't it the weirdest thing how our culture has so rapidly become an online society? I'm not that old, and I can remember days that I didn't know what email or the internet was, and my life didn't feel lacking one bit. But today, if you're not on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, you name it... and you haven't updated it for a few days... well, you're really out of the loop.

I'm one of the worst offenders. Seriously. I love all these different outlets, and the opportunity to connect with people 24/7. I love that I can read the news on my iPhone before bed, see pictures people have taken all day long on Instagram, and can see pictures of people's weddings, babies, and everything in between whenever I want. But there's this unspoken pressure to keep up with it all. To be "in the know."

And that takes gobs of time.

Time spent staring at my phone or computer with so little to show for it (I mean, I've never really built a relationship on Facebook. Have you?). Time letting my heart become jealous by seeing what other people have and where they vacation and how they redecorated their living room. Time that I don't spend doing so many things I should be doing.

And for all of these reasons, it's enough for me to say "That's it" and pull the plug on Facebook. Because I know that the more I unplug and disconnect from online things, the more whole I feel. Kind of ironic, isn't it? (Especially coming from a girl who writes a blog, right?)

So really, this whole post isn't about Facebook at all. It definitely isn't a plea for you to quit along with me. It's about decisions toward wholeness, toward boundaries, toward having more time to focus on the people God has put in my life - and that can take on so many forms. For me, it's just starting with Facebook. Trust me, I loved Facebook. It's been a tough breakup so far. But what I think I'm going to love is the sheer time I get back, the having-to-actually-pick-up-the-phone-and-call someone to catch up, the face to face interaction.

Who knows - maybe in a different season, I'll be back.
But for now? It feels just right.