LOVE, LIFE & BABIES GIVEAWAY

Stephanie is the super sweet (and beautiful) lifestyle blogger over at Love, Life & Babies.  Her blog is a new discovery for me, and I was instantly drawn to her warm heart.  She loves to blog about her life, her family, her faith, and other fun things like recipes and beauty how-to's.  Today Stephanie is inviting one of my readers to join her on her blog for a month!

 (images were taken by Hollie Marie Photography)

One lucky reader will win a large ad space on her blog for a month.  This would be so perfect for any of you who are mama bloggers!  

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<<< EXTRA ENTRIES >>>
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The winner of the Chantilly giveaway is:



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SOUL RETREAT

This monday morning I am feeling so much renewal happening.  Saturday I found myself stirring around early on in the day, not knowing which direction to go.  I felt the urge to paint, and nearly talked myself out of it.  This resistance I have been feeling lately.  Its been welllll over a year since Ive picked up a brush.  In all honesty, its probably been 2 or 3 years.  I finally fought through my resistance and grabbed all of my art supplies that have been hiding in boxes in the corners of my home.  I brought them all outside to the picnic table, along with some feathers and sage for inspiration.  I sat staring at the canvas for a while before I decided to just paint the feathers and sage.  I painted the whole canvas with lots of color.  Got frustrated, walked away, read my book in the hammock for a while, then came back to it, and painted cream all over the color.  I did this back and forth throughout the rest of the day.  But each time I came back with fresh eyes and it just flowed.  You can see from this pic, but in golden ink it says 'Cleanse my Heart to Soar my Soul'.  It felt like the title to the soul work Im doing right now.  I have some pretty heavy stuff in my heart that Im working on, and this felt like the beginning of the release.  Im so glad I gave myself this day.  (I thought I was going to be doing other things that day, so it felt good to embrace my saturday like a day off instead of just working through it).


I began re-reading a borrowed book from forever ago.  I kept putting it down before, and I realize now that it was all in due time.  Now is the time for me to read it.  I also started re-reading A New Earth.  So between all of these yummy thoughtful words, and allowing myself to open up in old artistic ways, I felt a softening in my heart, and the beginning of a release that is so very needed.  An active one, instead of a passive one.  (I also started playing with Hipstomatics new app for multiple exposures, so so fun!)

Then on sunday, our yoga meet turned into a morning brunch and riverside walk that was so much better!  My two girlfriends came and picked me up, and we all went and got some local coffee and then drove out to Tarpley for brunch at Mac N Ernies.  So so yummy.  It went from a hot sunny day the day before to feeling like winter outside saturday morning.  We all were bundled up from head to toe.  Then we went to my friend's new casa she is going to be fixing up, and took a 2 mile stroll along her riverside.  It was magical.  It didnt even feel like we were in Texas anymore.  It felt like we were in a different, more magic, spirit filled land.  We walked, and talked, and gathered treasures, and shared stories, and had moments of beautiful silence.  I found 'my rock'.  The first one I picked up.  And it's ironic to me that it is red.  I found so much meaning in such little things along the way.  I had also never felt so at home.  My ladies of the canyon (as robin so sweetly called us this morning).  Rock licking and synchronicity.  It was there.

Im left with a huge soulsigh.  Im wildly excited that these girls will be joining Katelyn and I in a few weeks to create an amazing new lookbook for The Bohemian Collective.  It will be a creative tribe for sure! 

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THREADS - DOUBLE DOSE

Today's threads post is a two in one.  And a pretty funny reality of being a girl at times.  I got all dolled up to go out with my bestie the other night for our date night, and by the time I was done taking these photos, I realized I was not going to be able to wear this dress out.  It was my first real attempt at wearing it, b/c when I got it, it was a bit too small.  But Ive kept it around regardless b/c I love it.  It felt like it fit for a little while, but then I realized the more I walked, the more it rode up... NOT going to work.  Ha ha, so I sadly came back in and changed.  But, then was happy I did b/c my second outfit was soooo comfy!  How many times do we get dressed up, only to change the whole outfit at the last moment?  I know its happened to me more than once.  So, I decided to photograph both.  I just switched out the dress for a skirt, and changed tops.  The rest is the same.  (and I had a wonderful time being with my beautiful girlfriend, as always).

<<< outfit details >>>
top // c/o chicnova
dress // modcloth
boots // c/o blowfish
necklace // moorea seal
rings // f21


<<< outfit details >>>
top // f21
skirt // thrifted

Im looking forward to a sunday morning date with two of my girlfriends, to go to yoga and then sit by the river.  Talk about peace.  Im counting down the hours... What are your plans for this beautiful weekend?


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RESISTANCE

I have been meeting myself with alot of resistance lately.  I didn't even have a word for it until I was editing this photo for this post.  It just clicked in my mind, and opened my eyes to what it was I was feeling.  For several weeks, or more, I have had some blockages.  I have signed myself up for so many things I wanted to work on.  Soul things, ecourses, yoga and hooping groups, etc.  And each one of those things I made intentions to work on, have come to a screeching halt.  I feel like I have said yes so many times, to just look back and say, damn... another thing I forgot to do.  Or, another thing I felt a resistance with.  The more I think about this word, the more it feels so much deeper than just those little things I sign myself up for.  But it reflects so much into my core being, and feelings, thoughts and beliefs I have held within myself over the past few years, and some over a lifetime.  

I am going to try to hold these spaces in my heart with gentleness, instead of continuing to mentally beat myself up.  The old scars and bruises are no longer working for me.  It's time to cleanse and purge my old thought processes.  Make room for new growth.  Make room for more love.  And I even feel resistance to this as I type these words.

One of my all time favorite quotes has always been one from Leonard Cohen... 'there is a crack in everything.  that's how the light gets in'.  Such a powerful line.  I made a typography several weeks ago, and just shared it on The Bohemian Collective the other day. 

How do you face your own resistance to growth or change?  

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