Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

I'm sure many of you have noticed my major neglect of this sweet blog. And several weeks ago I told you all that I promised once I was able to share with you guys, you'd see that it was totally worth it. Well, today is the day that I finally get to share the reason for my absence. I'm excited to introduce my Pure and Noble family to my new baby... Fresh BiB.

The hubs and I have spent the past four months developing and producing Fresh BiB and mercy it has been a lot of work. But so worth it. What is Fresh BiB, you ask? Well, we're a monthly subscription to one-of-a-kind designer bibs. And you thought diapers were the only things you could get delivered monthly! ha ha ha

We're not just a bib though... Our bandana bibs are 100% cotton, reversible, made in the USA, have snap closures and come in a reusable container. Oh, and the fabric design/print is a surprise each month. You never know what you're gonna get! (We think mommies deserve a few fun surprises - mixed in with some high-fives and hugs - each month for all the hard work they do every day.)

I hope you guys will stop by and say "hi"; I'd love to hear your thoughts. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are and how much fun this has been to just get off the ground. Thank you all for hanging out and not dropping like flies while I've been gone. To show my deepest gratitude, I'd like to offer my Pure and Noble family a 20% discount for the rest of July. Check us out and enter promo code: FRAMILY20. xo

Recharge - A Family Getaway

No one needs a reason to get away and recharge. In fact, I think it pretty necessary and long weekends provide the perfect opportunity to do both. So when my sweet friend Allison Vieger of Design from A to V asked us to join her family out at their ranch, we jumped at the chance. What mom doesn't want to give her boys an opportunity to roam wild in the country?

From cows to longhorns, horses to chickens and everything in between, this ranch was legit. Poop smells and all. My boys got to ride on the top of a Polaris (all Safari like), pet horses, toss rocks, explore, look for snakes, swim and play horseshoes. It was boy heaven. A heaven that I was eager for them to embrace. 

Time just sort of stands still when you're in the country and life gets simple. I laid in a hammock for over 45 minutes just listening to the wind rustle through the leaves of the trees and cows moo. It's sad how the sounds of life can drown out the sounds of nature. The little whispers that allow us to be thankful for the ordinary. We're back in the city now... recharged and ready to tackle the remaining weeks of school with our hearts full and grateful for the blessings of family and friends.

How do you recharge? xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: In Honor of Earth Day

In honor of yesterday's beautiful holiday, I thought I'd share a few crafts that I found on Instagram and elsewhere that have inspired me to extend the holiday just one more day.

The ever resourceful Dear Pomegranates, of Resolve House, made leaf art and killer toilet paper roll bracelets with her littles. (seen above) And while browsing Resolve House (because until now I've only known her thru IG), I found her amazing stick advent from Christmas. This got me thinking about stick mobiles... which led me to Playful Learning and some gorgeous painted stick mobiles with beads and tassels. Love. And this post on how to bring nature into your littles' craft boxes is so good.

It's officially official. My youngest and I are going on a long nature walk in the morning, with tote bags in hand. Happy nature crafting. xo

Never Say Never.

When dreaming of vacation destinations, places like Hawaii, Colorado and Oregon generally top the list. Places like Bentonville, Arkansas never even cross my mind. So when the hubs suggested we vacation in Bentonville for Spring Break, I thought he was joking. He wasn't.

He was part of an art show in Joplin, MO, of all places, so we knew we needed to be there at least one night. In an effort to make our way there, by way of the glorious open road, he decided on Fort Smith and Bentonville. We packed our bags and let the road take us on a journey. I have never been more pleasantly surprised. We stopped in Paris, Texas to see the Eiffel Tower - underwhelming, sadly. We found a great roadside Rock Shop - yes, that was the name - and it was full of glorious crystals, geodes and other bits of beautiful glory. (And to think I had to pry my boys out of the car to go inside... we stayed there for over 45 minutes if that tells you anything about the measure of awesomeness.) Then it was off to Fort Smith for the night. That's where we found a Trolley/Train museum that blew us away. Old train tracks, access to old cars and graphics that knocked my socks off. It was amazing...

  

And then we walked into this old car... Hello lovely mint green goodness that needs to be on our front door STAT and a gorgeous light that brings tears to the eyes.

The entire collection of train cars and their insides was a design feast for graphics and geomtrics. I was so inspired.

Selfie...

And sadly, from this point of the trip on, I left my camera in the hotel. My goal was to be present and in the moment with my sweet family instead of clicking away with my phone or camera. At times I was successful and others, not so much. I got completely enveloped in the arts that surrounded me and while my littles appreciated bits of it (proud momma moment), their interest is still a bit underdeveloped.

Y'all, I could NOT believe all the art in Arkansas. I haven't seen that much art in 15 years. Pathetic. The good news is that it has rekindled my love and appreciation of it. If you are ever in Arkansas, you must visit the following...

Fort Smith Regional Art Museum - beautiful and free to public. They had a beautiful exhibit on Valentine cards from the 1800s to now that blew me away.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art - to say it was breathtaking is an overwhelming understatement. The architecture alone will blow you away; then there's the amazing grounds and trails all about, the incredible art and the kids Experience Art Studio, where my littles stayed for over an hour. Stunning inside and out. I can't wait to go back.

21c Museum Hotel - The museum. The hotel. The Hive. I die. I hope to be able to take my hubs here for our 11 year anniversary! So so so cool.

I always swore that I would "never" go back to Bentonville after having worked with Wal-Mart back in my product development days. Well... never say never. xo

Bring It On

It's official. Spring Break is over and it's back to the daily grind. That's the bad news. (My littlest always likes to get his bad news first.) The good news? Spring/Summer are closer today than they were yesterday! Now don't get me wrong; I'm not pining for long hot Texas summer days. But when you drive back from Spring Break in the snow... well, as my northern friends can attest, it's time for some sun. Bring on the sun!

I have so much crazy stuff to share with you guys from our trip. It was insanely random and a vacation I thought I would never take in a million years. I like being pleasantly surprised. Don't you? xo

Bring On The Sun via Honey Pie Living Etc.

Orange Sun print via Serena & Lily 

Friday Gems

Gems? Yes gems. Like diamonds in the rough. At first glance it looks like nothing, but look closer and a treasure can be discovered. My treasure in that heap of mess above? Well, two treasures really... the process of creating and the book I'm currently reading about it. 

A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman, has struck a chord with me. At times, it has struck a nerve. And I like that. It's opening my eyes to so much and driving me to create. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it. Here are just a few excerpts from the pages I read last night for the chapter entitled, "See"

"When I am free and in good places, I trust their art {the art others make} and look to them to learn more of myself..."

[When I'm not] "Instead of being a friend, their art becomes the enemy... "

"To carry on [like this] is to worship the art rather than the Artist with a capital A. To carry on is to be pushed around by fear."  

"Fear drives out the love."  

Hello, Can I get an amen? This isn't what God wants and it isn't what He created me for. She proceeds on a positive note...

"The world needs you awake and alive. Does the world need another book? Song?  Painted living room? Not necessarily. But the world does need you to come alive right where you are and not where you WISH you were. If writing books or songs or painting living rooms is what makes you come alive, then that's what you'll need to do." (emphasis added by me.)

He has given each of us gifts and talents to be used for His glory. Far too often I squelch the fire within me to create because of a fear that it isn't good enough. No more. The idea is to create period because when I do, I feel connected to The Creator. And that is good. That is a gem, no matter the end product and how many "likes" it receives. Get ready world!!! I'm not quitting!

This little guy is one of my greatest creations to date. By God's grace I get to pour into his heart and help shape his world daily. Both of my boys inspire me in so many ways. 

For a little more motivation, check out this great video on "How to be Awesome" by the lovely Alison of The Alison Show. It's good stuff. So, what's your gift? What is the passion God has put within you? And more importantly, what are you doing with it? xo

Craving Change

The past is the past and our future is bright, right? 2014 is here and with it comes a myriad of resolutions. Most years I don't make any resolutions because, quite frankly, I end up not completing them and then I just feel guilty. I'm pretty sure I need less guilt in 2014, not more. As I rode my bike yesterday I got to thinking about a resolution that I would like to make for myself this year and one that seems to make the top 5 of most lists... Exercise. Get Fit. Get Healthy. Etc. Whatever you call it, the idea is the same. The goal is to eat better and exercise more.

I am all for this resolution - this "goal" - as long as it remains positive and doesn't become negative. Ben Franklin said, "a place for everything, everything in its place." Vicki Peterson changed it up a bit, "everything has its place. Let in only those that are greatly desired, no more and no less..." Guilt should not have a place in our goals. Nor should shame or self-loathing. Too often the desire to exercise gets tied to the negative and skewed view of self instead of being tied to just plain old being healthy. These two goals could not be more opposite.

Skinny does not mean healthy anymore than curvy means unhealthy. God created each and every one of us to be different. Unique. It's awesome and beautiful. Please hear me on this - exercise to be healthy, not happy, not skinny or skinnier. It is not a sustainable/attainable goal. Being "skinny" doesn't equal happiness. I have been "skinny" all my life but I have also been super fit, working out 6 times a week and watching everything I ate AND I have been lazy, not exercising or eating well. I have found that there is a healthy balance and the most important thing is to find what works for you. A healthy you.

Find an exercise that you love or one you can do with friends. (Accountability is always good.) Make good choices with food too. Nothing in access - not counting calories, not treats, nothing. Eat to feed your body, not fill a void. Food won't make you any happier than a number on a scale will make you. A six pack doesn't last forever (trust me). Loving yourself can last forever. This year my resolution is to find the "healthy" balance that works for me. I want to treat my body like the temple that it is... holy and set apart. That means exercising and eating well for overall health. Not to look a certain way or feel a certain way, because all of that is fleeting. I want long-lasting life change.

I just ordered a book ($2.99 on my Nook) that I have been longing to read. Made to Crave. I think it will give me great insight and wisdom to many of my over indulgences - laziness included. So, that's my resolution for 2014 - A better, healthier me. A me that loves myself and feels great on the inside, without consideration to the state of the outside. Will you help keep me accountable? Who's with me? xo

*healthy heart image via chi-me

*nike running shoe - source unknown

Big Things Are Brewing

I'm so excited I'm about a few changes that I've been working on. I can't wait to share them with you. They are lovely, pure and worthy of praise. Get. Excited.  Here's a sneak peek...

Are you intrigued? I hope so. Please excuse a slightly more quiet blog while I work a few things out. It's gonna be good. xo

NEW - Sewing Classes

Hey all you Dallasites! Pure and Noble is now offering sewing classes. If you've always wanted to learn how to sew or if you already know how, but just need to brush up on a few skills, we've got the class for you. Check out my new sewing class page in the header above for more details! xo