A little break for now. (my home team needs me)

 Hi friends!
Well, the end of my super-human days is here.  LOL.  But seriously, life lately has left me worn out.  Things behind the scenes have piled up and I've kept afloat so far.  But, the truth is, I'm NOT super-human.  None of us are.  This computer screen just gives that illusion sometimes! 
 Being a mama to two gals is hard, hard, HARD work. Much harder than just one baby  or toddler at home (duh, it took me having two babies to figure out two kids is a way different world than one)

My gals are my world, my everything. I value both of them and am so glad they are my life's work. So happy they have each other.  So delighted Anna will always remember life with Betsy. 

I've finished writing "A Rosy Retreat: Finding the Rosy in the Routine" and will be announcing details about the launch of that soon! 
For a few days, I just need to breathe, sleep, and live better to write better.

So, I'll be back soon (probably in about a week).
I'm going against Brett's advice.....He said "Don't you need to build your reader-ship?!"
:) If I know you rosy readers well, then I know you'll still be here when I return. Rested and ready to blog :)  See ya real soon. 

Favorites with the girls.


We love library days at our house!  I usually teach the girls to sit in the stroller and wait while I look at the books too, but some days we just go straight for the kids' section.  We love to bring piles of books home and get right to it, flipping through each one.  
I rearranged our built-ins some and made the bottom four sections kid-friendly....minus the lamp plug-in, pictured here.  (don't send me hate mail over this, lol)  I am trying to keep seasonal things on these shelves that make for great learning opportunities (like our popcorn party we had recently!  I'll post soon)
Daddy's girl.....
she was most likely asking "What's that?" over and over, pointing to different parts of Brett's face here. It's a favorite game of hers. 


We are STILL reaping a great garden harvest! 
Haha, we ate at a country burger joint recently (Patrick's in Nob Hill) and Anna Ruth was imagining the paper towel holder was ALL kinds of things.  She has such a big imagination!  
Recently she found a branch that looked like a V shape and said they were her finger nail clippers. :) 
Can you spot Betsy Grace in this picture?  
Brett made the girls a fort and they were both delighted!  
I still like forts too. :)

What do you enjoy doing with your kids lately? Please share! 

Art Journaling with Anna Ruth

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way-things I had no words for-Georgia O'Keefe"

And that quote is the reason why I'm writing this whole post.  I love to journal, in various forms as you all know.  Lately I've really been into art journaling and sketching and really been wanting to make my time with the girls more intentional.  So this idea for an art journaling time with Anna Ruth came about, thinking it would conquer two mountains at once.  

I decided we'd journal after breakfast and reading the bible.  We take our time at the breakfast table most mornings.  Anna Ruth almost always asks to sit in my lap and Betsy Grace is usually down for a nap shortly after we finish eating.  I read my bible (out loud a lot of times) and Anna Ruth "reads" her children's version.  Then-we journal.  

The shelf you're seeing above is how I organized her art journaling supplies for now. We had a major clean out of this shelf! 
Anna's journaling supplies are kept in this cute produce basket, found at Tractor Supply (for less than a dollar if I'm remembering correctly).  I keep pictures, stickers, tape, and recycled pages in here.
I admit, I am REALLY surprised how much Anna Ruth loves sitting at the table, working in her art journal.  We usually sit and create for 30-45 minutes!  
To begin each session I lay out a few interesting items at a time and show Anna Ruth the possibilities with them.  Sometimes I'll also show her a new technique, or how to use a new crafty tool like the mini stapler we recently purchased!  
Journaling time is generally messy.  There are lots of supplies to choose from and we just aren't a neat and tidy kind of creating house.  And that's ok.  We always clean our mess/supplies up after we're completely done with our art journals, but don't worry about the mess while we're creating.  I feel like stopping to pick up trash or organize the table would disrupt the whole creative vibe we have going.  And so, the mess waits.  
Something else to keep in mind is that I journal right along-side Anna Ruth!  I'm currently working on finishing my Smash journal so that I can make my own art journal next.  I make sure Anna Ruth gets to see/hear me choosing which materials I want to use and decide where I want to lay each piece by talking out loud during the process.  It's important to me for Anna and Betsy both to see how much their mama loves to create and live an artful life.  It's my worship to God.
One day I let her have some of my fancy stickers.  I try to be really generous about sharing as long as it's something she's really going to use and not just thrown down on the table or ground.  I was very amused that this day she colored on the picture of Betsy Grace and I, and then covered us up with tape. Please tell me there's not a hidden message in this, lol! :) 


There are so many great learning opportunities that can arise from art journaling time besides the fact that it's just FUN.  On this particular day Anna Ruth was very in to the butterflies.  We happened to have a magazine page with the word "FLY" on it so I helped Anna tape it on to her page, after explaining what the word was and what sound each letter made.  

Through doing things like art journaling with the girls I never want them to feel the pressure to be a carbon copy of myself.  I had told myself Anna and I would do the journaling for just a day or two to see how she liked it.  If she didn't like it that would have been ok and I would have found something else we could do together instead.   I think you can tell by the pictures how much she is liking it!  

{Do you art journal?}

Tomorrow I'm blogging about my newest brave endeavor.  Writing an online course called "A Rosy Retreat".  You won't want to miss it!  

Greenie Girls


Hi everyone!  Today I want to introduce two of my friends to you, Naomi and Shannon.  They are a mother/daughter duo who create lovely handmade items for their business, called The Greenie Girls.  THIS weekend they'll be setting up at the Farm-Fresh Vintage Market which I'm sure you've already heard of.  It's going to be fabulous!  

For those not familiar, Viney Grove Community Center is past Prairie Grove a bit.  

Something I'm really passionate about is promoting my friends' businesses and talents.  You'll probably never see me writing about something on the blog because I was paid to do so.  It's just not who I am.  I do like to round up my talented friends and ask "Can I do a post on you?!"  I love it when they say yes.  
I "borrowed" some pictures off The Greenie Girls facebook page so you can see what types of items they'll have at their table this weekend.  Headbands, chalkboards, dresses, tie bracelets, and more!  






Aren't these the cutest?!?!? Especially if you have a little man...you need at least two or three.  

Go check out Greenie Girls at the Farm-Fresh sale this weekend! 
If you can't make it by, you can always check out The Greenie Girls Facebook page, here!

Local Produce...and A Rosy Retreat VIDEO.

Good morning everybody!  Did you enjoy the glorious weekend?  We sure do.  I'll admit, the cooler weather brought with it stuffy/runny noses for my clan but at least it feels like autumn has officially arrived now.  Saturday we wanted to stick close to the farm so we drove down the road a bit to the Gay Family's Produce Stand.  It is located on 412 and somewhere we drive past every single time we go somewhere.  

Upon arriving I asked the store clerk if I could take some pictures for my blog.  He thought so, but wanted to make sure so he called the owner up and had me talk to her.  She said it was all-right so I got to snap some beautiful, very inspiring photos while there! 

Anna Ruth is trying an apple sample in the picture above.
They sell apples, grapes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, jams and jellies, grape juice, cider, and more! 

We bought some of this garlic, as well as some winter onions to plant (and apples and apple butter!)

The store clerk (I didn't catch his name unfortunately, should have asked) explained to us how this machine works when sorting the apples.  We'd seen something similar on Curious George so it was super neat to see it in real life! 
Beautiful crates of local, delicious apples. 

Friends, I highly recommend you go visit this produce stand!  They have such a nice variety of fruits and vegetables to choose from, a very helpful, friendly man that works there, and delicious tasting produce.  I totally support local (wholeheartedly).  I think we need to support the local talent, growers and farmers, and people that make our world a more creative, beautiful place. 
This is such a place.  Go, buy, eat, enjoy. :)

and now, take a peek below for more info. on A Rosy Retreat {finding the rosy in the routine} online course!

I made a video.  I don't smile at all and look VERY serious.  Which is funny to me.  I'm a smiley gal most of the time so if you know me in real life you're probably laughing at the seriousness of this!  If you DON'T know me in real life you're probably wondering how I'm going to teach you to find the rosy when I'm not smiling. LOL.

But the truth is I had a lot of info. I wanted to share and not a lot of time.... (despite the 4 minute video time).  So, serious face Sara for today folks.

The details-
A Rosy Retreat online course is about finding the rosy in the routine!
Cost $20 via Paypal.
Login information sent to your email, no expiration date.

Course includes chapters written by me, video, pictures, and projects for you to do.

These are do-able but MEANINGFUL projects.

Great for taking as an individual, or with a group of friends!

Coming......November :)

Topics: and projects in parenthesis..
Happy Hodgepodge (creating an inspiration/mood board), Learning through the Lens (camera scavenger hunts), If these Walls could Talk (hanging encouragement throughout our homes), Dear Diary (types of journaling), Merry Mail (several ideas for fun mail exchanges!), Movable Meet ups (gathering ideas in our busy world), and Plunging into Possibility (making a Possibility Jar)






Thanks for bearing with my seriousness ;) 
Happy, Happy Monday!  See ya'll tomorrow. 

I've got a new blog! Come see. :)

Room for the Rosy  is my new blog. I hope you'll come see.