rosy in the real life: Week 3

Howdy friends! Welcome to another edition of rosy in the real life and *Friday*!

Can we all just agree that Friday is a good feeling?  

We have a pretty packed weekend coming up with all good things.  Still, instead of just checking things off my to-do list and moving from box to box you know how I like to just pause for a moment to look at the little moments that have made me smile.  In other words, let's take a look at the rosy that's been showing up in my real life lately.  I feel like these blog posts should always come with a disclaimer that not all of my life is rosy! Surely you all know that.  I know most of you have been around long enough to know that focusing on the good is what keeps my mind cheerful and my body getting out of bed every morning. 

For starters, our grass and trees are SO green for September! 

Usually by August everything is a hot, dried up mess.  Not this year! 

We're still cutting the grass like it's spring. 

I'm hoping for a beautiful fall and maybe even a good snow this year?! Please oh please! !

Cute Christmas tree Anna Ruth made.  We almost always have something artsy or creative out on our dining room table.  Play-dough, markers and paper, watercolors, drawing books, paint, etc...

I hardly remember taking this! Isn't that funny?! Now that I stare at it though I remember the sky being amazing on one of our drives.  We were on a country road so I slowed down to an almost stop and hurried and took this with my phone.  Those light rays get me every single time.  Anna Ruth says they remind her of angels. 

So cool! We never know what we'll find on our front porch! 

I love my town. 

Seen around Fayetteville during a fun night out with my twin sis and my parents! We went to an event called Savor the Flavor where we got to taste all kinds of delicious food down Dickson Street. 

Photo shoot prep.

Even though the flowers didn't make it into the shoot, lol.  

I have the most gorgeous, dreamy shoot to share with you soon. 

And another shoot scheduled Saturday!

Friends, have you scheduled your photo session yet? 

How about letting me come photograph your beautiful normal in your home?
Or have a favorite spot in NWA you'd like me to photograph you in?
Or how about coming out to our farm!

Email me (sunshinebysara@hotmail.com) for details.

Farm sessions or in-home sessions also make *awesome* Christmas gifts!

My heart always feels so pulled in a million directions when I glance into the craft room and see this. And if we're being honest, I'm usually glancing in to see how many piles of laundry are waiting for me on the floor to be washed.  I think I will forever be a person with more passions than I have time for.  Sigh...It makes for a very interesting, fun way to live because there is never a moment to be bored!  It also makes for a frustrating way to live because there are pesky ideas and projects that won't leave my thoughts alone, even though a lot of days I just don't have time to get to them.  

Can anyone relate? 

I have been painting still.  Sometimes just on the weekends, sometimes a few minutes here and there in the mornings.  However it happens, still painting. 

My parents gave me some birthday money. 

Can you tell where I spent it?!

Hobby Lobby, a.k.a. "my happy place", of course! 

I walked past these colorful Christmas trees and it literally took my breath away! 

I even purchased a few and have them displayed in my craft room. I don't think I'll ever take them down. They are just so pretty.  That's saying a lot considering I'm usually quite the Scrooge about all the Christmas displays everywhere this early in the fall. I am just barely wrapping my head around pumpkins and the possibility of fires and am most certainly not thinking of Christmas. 

But still, these trees delighted me and haven't stopped since. 

The bag says "Choose joy" and is my new work bag. 

We still have the most beautiful zinnias to cut for bouquets.  I will miss this in winter. 

Leaving my sister's house and saw this. 

Breath-taking.

Aren't these shadows from the leaves just magical?  I spotted this on an early, foggy morning while in the midst of another busy transition switching from mama to working mama.  

This. 

Spoke right to me. 

I can compare myself so often to others when really, it comes down to this. 

Was I faithful with what God gave me? 

Still exercising! 

I have a post coming about my 35-year old health goals.  

The short version is I'm currently trying to exercise 3 times a week.  

This day (and every day!) I felt especially proud for knocking it out. 

Exercise puts those feel good endorphins in my mind and body.

I finished painting the playhouse, finally! 

The inside was just plain wood and I painted it white. 

And that's a wrap for this week! 

How are things where you are? 

I am fighting for joy in a few areas of life and stopping to pay attention to these small, seemingly meaningless moments in my day, matter.  They absolutely matter! 

I hope you stop to smell the roses this week too.