Magazine Photo Shoot and Artful Blogging Publication

Hello Tuesday, feeling like a Monday! 

I have oodles of things I want to share and just haven't had the time to sit at the computer and share them.  Isn't that a wonderful problem to have? I sure think so.  Life has been full lately, brimming over with trying to keep up with the girls (all three of them, the puppy included!) and opportunities I'm so grateful for as well.  It's no secret that I've tried to submit things to magazines before and most of the time haven't heard anything back.  But I suppose I'm just enough of an optimist to keep trying. 

A few months ago Artful Blogging contacted me and asked if I would submit my blog photos and a story for an upcoming publication! I was so, so excited to do this.  

 I am honored to say my story and photos are featured in the newest issue, which just came out on May 1st.  I think the way they designed the layout is just perfect.  The story I wrote is called "There's always room for one more" and talks about the greater purpose of my blog.  It's not just about sticking photos on the computer,  it's about helping others find the rosy in the routine, heal, make connections, and see the beauty in our broken world.  I got to pick what I wanted to write about and that was a very, very fun challenge for me. 

You can find Artful Blogging online, using the link above.  You can also find it at Joann's, Hobby Lobby (sometimes), and Barnes and Noble.  

 Another very exciting, but VERY surprising opportunity that came my way was a magazine photo shoot.  A few weeks ago I received an email from a lady named Sunday, saying another friend of mine gave her my name and could she see some photos of my home?  I immediately thought it was a joke or scam and wrote the friend to see if it was real.  She said it was and was so encouraging about the opportunity.  So I sent a bunch of home photos and long story short, we had a magazine photo shoot here yesterday! 

 Sunday was the stylist and arrived with buckets of the most gorgeous, colorful flowers.  She also brought suitcases of linens, and bags of things like fresh fruit to use for the photos.  She "shopped" my  house and artfully arranged little vignettes as well.  

 Mark was the photographer and was excellent.  He even gave me a few photo tips.  They shot the great room (living room), dining room, our bedroom, craft room, and Anna's room upstairs.  The pictures are just fabulous.  As were Mark and Sunday.  They were truly two of the kindest, most interesting, NICE people I have ever met.  Ever.  

 Brett took the day off work and took the girls to town for a good part of the day so I was able to help Sunday and Mark some. How nice of them to let me "play" and feel like a grown-up for a day.  It was super, super fun.  

 I, admittedly, had been very, very nervous before they arrived.  After a few very disappointing instances lately that seemed like good opportunities but were really pretty big letdowns I was afraid to even believe they'd come.  But Mark and Sunday DID come and they honored me by appreciating my passions and hobbies.  They delighted in my decorating and paintings and that's not something I take lightly.  They made me feel like a queen.

 They also had good senses of humor as you can see. :)

And then we woke up today and life was very much back to normal and my house is very much back to its normal state, milk bubbles and all.

To prove my life is just as much real life as yours,

take a look at what my craft room looked like BEFORE I cleaned the entire house for our company.  Good thing Mark and Sunday didn't see this! 

Today my hope and confidence in trusting people to be nice and kind

and show appreciation instead of competition for gifts and talents is restored.

Thanks to the nicest people ever at Artful Blogging

and Mark and Sunday.  You have checked two items off my life bucket list. 

{I can't wait to show you our lake and garden adventures later this week!}

p.s.-the pictures will most likely be in Vintage Style, Flea Market Style, or Cottage Style, not sure which one yet and will be featured next spring or summer.  A while away still!