Start to school + what I am reading

I know I promised to post photos of two (maybe three) fantastic homes I have been working on.  And I will.  But for some of us mamas, school only started last week and for some this week or after labor day.  This is a tender time not only for kids, but for mamas too.  I had time management anxiety and tears a good 3 out of 5  days last week. It is transition time. That time when you have mountains to climb but you aren’t in that groove yet. I forget about this required transition time and I am hard on myself and crater when its not seamless. I know we are all trying to get back in a groove, start projects, get going on things at home, etc…  But before I start sharing homes that look perfect, with unlimited budgets, none of which are true but it can seem that way some times, I want to talk about some other things going on with me. And maybe you too. And I want to encourage you to be gentle with yourself as we enter the fall. YOU ARE NOT ALONE, God sees you and He will order our days and schedules and lives. Fabric can wait, tile can wait. First take some deep breaths and sit with Him. (preaching to myself here but maybe its for you too)

So first off (in that vein of STILLNESS) I have been reading this.  And it. is. good. stuff.  I have stacks of books and honestly don’t read many of them all the way through (ok most I don’t read completely, blame it on grad school and a bad skimming habit that developed, it happens when you are a history major and they give you a million books A WEEK).  Anyway, this book is good. All the way to the end! And not only because it’s saying “slow down” and “you need margin” buzzwords that are the “it” thing right now to talk about instead of “hustle” blah blah. No, this book is different, it’s more than that. Why? Because she shares so raw and PRACTICAL about how it feels and how hard it is to actually slow down and sit in silence. To stop the madness. To start to say no to even some good things.  And what it looks like and how ugly and difficult it really is.  And why we need it. And that we are not alone. Busyness truly is killing so many of us. We must slow down. Shauna goes and digs deeper than anyone I have read on this topic. THANK YOU SHAuNA NIEQUIST! You have helped save me from myself.  It is hard, thank you for saying it takes YEARS. It is not overnight.

POP-cover

And this book.

edieandtransferpaper

Again WHY? Aren’t there tons of bloggers writing books and sharing their stories? Being real and authentic. Yep and I am sure many are good and many are so so and I have not read them all but THIS ONE . . . IT. IS. A. MUST.  At least for me and I dare say for many of you that have been through anything tough, and face it, that is ALL OF US for the most part right?!  I’ve read and admired Edie for years, met her once and seen her beauty and glow and even tasted her fudge and loved her blog! Yep drinking the Kool-aid all the way but that did not prepare me for her book.  And how again, it made me feel. NOT ALONE.  Sure Edie’s walk and struggle hasn’t been the same as mine but it’s a story of beauty from ashes and God’s faithfulness and that WE ARE NOT ALONE. It is a raw, real, encouraging word. I think that is what we are all looking for. It’s what I get from Brene Brown, and my brilliant friend Whitney English and Donald Miller. And its the message of the Gospel too. EMPATHY, encouragement, community (there is that buzzword but its the truth, its a good word).  and most important. HOPE.

         You have a story. I have a story

You want be loved.  I want to be loved. And Seen.

You are not alone.

God sees you. Others feel pain too.

Things aren’t perfect. Not at your house but not even in other homes. Even the ones that seem perfect.

It is going to be okay. Even beautiful again.

I am not a writer, or a Bible teacher or even a certified ASID designer, just a pilgrim like you trying to raise kids, and make a home, and figure out what I am doing. And it’s ugly sometimes. A lot in fact.

Most days, I want to do exactly what Hunter is doing right here. Crawl back in bed.  Or just look at the ball. Or send a text or pick up my phone before I pray or think or just sit and be.

hunterball

{seriously he laid there the longest just looking at that ball}

And so, I just had to write this post before I start showing house photos with watermarks and carrying on like nothing has happened or is happening.  So much is.  With you. with me. I still struggle a lot since my divorce.  A LOT. And honestly, I struggled before. A lot. And now, the world seems crazier than ever before. I know you don’t come to my blog to know that but just….please, please be gentle with yourself sisters. I am trying to and its hard with so much noise in the world. So much to do. But we have to keep trying to SLOW IT DOWN. and Love more, hope more.

I will be back with pretty houses next time I promise. In the meantime I will be trying to . . .

IMG_7314

Oh and why the transfer paper?  Well that was my amazon delivery last Sunday.  I immediately texted Camille to show her my bounty..Edie’s book (early? I thought it wasn’t even released yet and I was not on some special list, i just pre-ordered it on on amazon?? An amazon angel clearly carried it to me early). Also in the box, Camille’s recommended transfer paper that she blogged about THREE YEARS ago here and I just now purchased! Now I can get with the times and make my own pretty chalkboards.  Perfect chalkboard = perfect house right? Nah but I am still loving this transfer paper! I actually did this myself with the magical paper!! That is not a pin/photo above, well the graphic I traced it from is a pin likely (don’t remember for sure just grabbed it off of a pinboard) but my actual real life hand and chalk did this (along with the magical paper), counts right?

Have a good week y’all!

{Stay tuned for more on marble counter alternatives, new portfolio photos, more on recent travels, struggles and studio happenings)

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Comments

  1. ???

    • DITTO to Marla!
      Holly, thank you for being real & authentic!! We love you for YOU!
      ???

    • Thank you for keeping it real! This post makes me love your work and you more! Women need to hear from authentic people about authentic lives. You are an encouragement to other women. Thank you again.

  2. Yes, darling. YES. I don’t know how or where we lost our identity. But for women and ALL people – our identity comes from God alone. ALONE. That is where we get mixed up. My life has been so messy, hard, beautiful (when I choose to look at it that way), and full of hope because of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. He makes all things new, He does His perfecting work in us…He knew how He made us, and He is transforming us from day to day. I pray for all the sweet, beautiful women who read this blog post to take heart: He has overcome the world. We are his children. He has us and is writing our story. I love how you share your real self – the only thing worth sharing – and I will pray for you, as we all need to pray for each other! God has your boys, you, and all the messiness. He is making something beautful! Blessings, beautiful sister!

  3. Holly, I understand what you are going through and for the past several months I have had to wait on God and lean on Him more. What I found is that if we do that then that’s when we see His Glory shine–but when we get too busy and too distracted–we miss it. I’m learning to thank God for the little things and when the big things come-I can thank Him for those too. Thanks for being you!

  4. Love this post Holly. Thank you for sharing what is on your heart. I am addicted to your beautiful work and drool over your perfectly styled house photos but love this kind of post just as much. Life is about balance, and it’s cool to have your blog reflect that!

  5. Holly,
    These posts are a vital part of enjoying the pretty things most of your fans long for. Most of us have trials and it takes a village to learn about some valuable tools, such as the books you’ve shared, to assist with the path we all travel. There are bumps in the road for all of us and it’s good to know it’s okay to slow down and be “gentle” with ourselves, instead of thinking that if things aren’t perfect, all the time, we must be failing. Hunter napping is inspiration to stop occasionally, appreciate the world for it’s goodness right now, and pick up the crazy pace tomorrow (or even the day after). 🙂
    xo,
    Karen

  6. Loved this post!!!

  7. #RETWEET!!!!! you know i love this post. its like music to my ears. and you KNOW how i feel about Brene Brown’s books and what they’ve done for my life. we are all doing the best we can and i know most of the time we as women and as mothers put ourselves last. will definitely be buying those books on my kindle so i can highlight the heck out of them 🙂 {{{{hugs}}}}

  8. You’re transparency is beyond refreshing! YOU are simply the best! 🙂

    This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.

  9. I needed to hear your words today!! Thanks for sharing!

  10. Thank you for another beautiful, inspirational post.

    Blessings,
    Barbara

  11. Oh sweet Holly, thank you for sharing your heart. You are such an encouragement. God is so good and He can make beauty from ashes. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day….thank you for sharing. Love you!

  12. Holly,
    So perfectly written and resonates with me! I’m reading Shauna’s book too and am on this journey of slowing down, saying no to good things, giving up things I loved for margin and time for things I’m called to do. School starting is a transition and I’ve been soaking that in and making sure my kids are transitioning well. It’s hard for them too!
    Love your words your heart the way you think…everything about you! I relate to all of it. The pretty homes can wait?. Thank you for being so raw and real!

  13. I love how you are the real deal, Holly. Yes, you may post pictures of homes that look effortless and perfect, but you get it. It’s not about having a perfect house. There’s more to life than that and you appreciate that. I’m so thankful for your friendship!

  14. After having a CrAzY rOllErCoAsTeR week, this was just what I needed to read. #favoritepost

  15. Thank you, Holly, for sharing your heart, your family, your values, and your talents. Your blog is a bright and encouraging spot to visit, and I appreciate the words of inspiration, as well as the beautiful, cozy rooms. Your boys and friends are so lucky to have such an honest, big-hearted person in their lives. It’s good to be reminded that things “…are going to be okay. Even beautiful again.” God bless you.

  16. Kimberly McLaughlin says

    Your posts are a refreshing alternative to a lot of the phoniness out there. I stopped blogging because of it. My loss as I know I really gained a lot from blogging. But it just didn’t seem real to me. Not genuine enough. Like FB it became all about appearances. I want real. I want raw. I want to read that book!!! Gonna go order it now. Btw, my therapist turned me on to Brene Brown.

  17. Still not sure how I lucked out and got to be your friend, or how I could love you more. You are one of God’s favorites, I’m certain. xo

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