Dear Readers

(I guess I am that person who takes pictures of their feet cause they have nothing else to take a picture of...)

Dear Readers,

Just a few rambling words from me as the seasons change...

My lovely, warm, green summer is coming to a close. I'll try to keep from making a scene when I finally have to say goodbye. I keep picturing that Geico commercial, "Jessie, don't go! Jessie, NO!" *wailing*. This could get real unattractive real fast.

While I love summer and while fall feels like the herald of me freezing for the next 5-6 months, I always enjoy most of the things that come with it: jackets, soup, boots, pumpkin donuts, hot tea, colors, apple cider, and that feeling that's in the air. I have this memory of fall from my childhood of being in a garden at night with twinkle lights everywhere and a cool breeze blowing, listening to Enya. That feeling is what I associate with fall...it's all mysterious and starry.

Besides the seasons changing, I'm trying to make changes in my productivity. I love my job(s), and my personal life, and the work I do for friends..how to balance it all? (How do YOU balance it all?) Even within my business, I'm trying to balance marketing & blogging with production & customer service, and it's hard. I love this blog and I love to write. I also love the sense of community that comes from collaborating with other bloggers. But, at the end of the day, what do I have to write and share about if I'm neglecting life outside of that little cyber world? I pray I can find a way to dedicate just the right amount of time to each area this new season...

I definitely do not intend to let go of this platform, though. For the past few weeks, I've been feeling a bit down (I'm not depressed or anything, just had a rough August). My attitude has been affected, and I find myself often sounding pretty negative. I just recognized it this week and knew I needed to nip it in the bud! I believe we're all responsible for creating happiness for ourselves. That means turning to Scripture every single day and thanking God for all His gifts. It also means finding ways to highlight and share all the things that you love. Luckily, that's what blogs are for. Stay tuned as the seasons change. What changes are you going through this fall?

Much Love,

Anna

-Song

Inspired to be...Hospitable: Lauren of 34 Magnolia Street

Hey guys! Time for my next guest in the Inspired Series. Lauren of 34 Magnolia Street is taking over today! She's got lots of wisdom to share, so enjoy the read and be sure to thank her for stopping by. Happy to have you here, Lauren! Thanks for the perspective and encouragement! :)

Hey y'all! I'm Lauren and I write daily at 34 Magnolia Street, which is one of my favorite places to be creative and authentic. I am pumped to be sharing some thoughts on hospitality with you today, so be sure to share your thoughts with me afterwards!

Truthfully, I once thought hospitality meant keeping the house clean and the fridge full. While I think that's definitely a part of hospitality, it's one of many facets that make up an entire life posture.

Hospitality is one of my favorite nouns. It's something I strive for, hope to be known by and hope to bless many others through. But it's much more than a simple noun: it's a way of life, an attitude, and a practice.

A girl named Meg (pictured above, on the right) befriended me in high school. She taught me a lot about hospitality in the sense of doing life together. She invested in a lot of people, but she fit all of them into her life in a way that felt natural. She called friends while driving, invited me along on errands and showed me slices of her life authentically. More and more, I see hospitality as just that - authentically living with others. 

Real life isn't always inviting a friend over for coffee and a homemade slice of perfectly chocolate-frosted cake. More often, it's inviting friends over when I still need to grocery shop and my rug needs to be vacuumed. Most often, it's inviting a friend along while I run errands or need to build a set for the youth group. It's sharing my life in ways others feel part of it and see me for who I am - an imperfect daughter who is loved by God as I am right in those messy moments. I want to share that with friends because it's their truth, too, and yours, reading this now. You're loved right now, in your life that often feels haphazard and oh, so scattered. You are so loved.

We have had nine visitors since we moved to new England this past January. I think first that tell you we have some really awesome friends and family members. It has blessed us abundantly to have our closest people visit us and share life with us for a weekend here and there. But having so many visitors has also shaped my perspective on the art of hospitality.

With nine visitors in a span of 8 months, our lives can't come to a halt every time someone spends a weekend with us. We have to keep going… so those friends are along for the ride. For example, last weekend our dear friend Erica stayed for five days and she not only helped me sew and paint a set for the youth group kick off, but also spent 13 hours with us at church from the Sundaymorning service until youth group was finished. She didn't sit off to the side, either - she was in the thick of it with us. And, you know what? She loved it! She loved seeing a true slice of our lives here and getting to experience our day to day shuffle.

So for those of you who look at the word hospitality and feel your shoulders getting heavier quickly, breathe a sigh of relief. I have a few reminders for you:

Your house needs to be livable, not perfect. 

I totally get it - I'm a clean freak, too, even when people aren't coming to stay with us! I appreciate a clean home, but I can't let myself get bent out of shape over it. Life is too short to worry about the dishes and un-vacuumed rugs. Do what you can and then forget about it - your guests will feel comfortable anyway.

Don't feel pressured to make a big show. 

Whether you have friends coming into town or are just hanging out with your local friends, don't feel like you have to set aside additional time to do that. Do things with them like grocery shop, go for a walk, work on that craft you had been planning to finish, or do the dishes together. I understand your desire to do something big for out-of-town guests.. if that is your true desire, go for it! Just don't feel like every second of each day needs to be that way. 

Be authentically you.

There's nothing I love more than truly knowing someone. You know that friend who just gets you? You have probably shown each other the real "you" behind all the masks and pretenses. Your friends don't need you to put on an emotional or physical show to win them over, either. Be you - it's less work and more rewarding. The sooner you learn that, the sooner you will be able to rush less, worry less and grow more.

I have loved talking about hospitality with you today. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below - I would love to hear what hospitality means to you and how you've grown in being YOU recently!

Thanks for reading!

-Song

Peach Druzy & A Giveaway!

So, I had a couple of sweet ladies asking to see the finished product of the peach druzies, which are in my shop here. What do you think?

I also wanted to share a great giveaway with you today! Lauren from Pink on the Cheek has collaborated with a group of bloggers, including me, to give away gift cards to Target, Amazon, Whole Foods, Sephora, Nordstrom, and more to one lucky winner! There's a gift card to Banana Grove Designs in there, too. ;) If you already follow me on Twitter or Bloglovin', you automatically have an entry you can claim! If not, go follow along or enter in one of the other ways listed below (make sure you sign in first).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Details and Fine Print:

Giveaway begins 9/8/2014 and ends 9/15/2014 at 11:59 p.m.. Winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter and winning entries verified. If winning entry is not complete, prize will be voided and another winner will be chosen. Winners will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond and claim their prize before a new winner is chosen. Gift cards are chosen by each individual blogger and are mailed out separately to the winner in increments of $15 per blogger. Winner will have to provide a valid mailing address and email address, which will be kept confidential, in order to claim their prizes from all parties involved. All individual blogs are responsible for fulfilling their own respective prizes and will have the gift card in the mail or through email to you within one week of verification of winning. Gift Cards are sent out in $15 increments. Pink on the Cheek, nor any other blog, is not held liable for unfulfilled prizes from other bloggers and/or vendors involved with this giveaway and all associated with this giveaway are hereby not held liable for any issues with the winnings. Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram and not in ANY way involved with this giveaway and are hereby released of any responsibility or liability.

-Song

Currently 9.6.14

Hey there! What have you been up to? Currently, I am...

-Wishing: Summer would go on for another couple of months. That's just how I feel.

source

-Tackling: The creation of necklaces incorporating these peach druzies.

-Feeling: Frustrated with our country and the myriad of ways it seems out of control...

-Watching: This youtube video. Whaaaat? Most epic "patty cake" ever!

-Reading: Villette by Charlotte Bronte. I'm not too deep into it yet, but so far it's pretty mysterious. And who doesn't love a Bronte?

-Listening to: I have Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" STUCK in my head. Also, Sam Smith's "Latch" and Downhere's "How Many Kings."

-Wearing: This t-shirt as long as the weather will let me.

-Enjoying: A quiet weekend and a return to a normal schedule. Oh, and a lemon-lime gatorade. :)

I hope you guys have a great weekend! This post was linked up to Dearest Love's linkup here.

-Song

Inspired to be...Hospitable: Rachel of Oh Simple Thoughts

Hey you guys! I'm so excited to kick-off Hospitality month in the Inspired series today! Four ladies will be sharing their own unique stories about hospitality and the people who inspire them to live hospitably. This is a topic that's close to my heart. I was raised by a Southern mother who always worked to create a home where others would feel welcome.

My first guest is a fellow Southern girl with a great lifestyle blog! Rachel has such a lovely spirit and devotes a lot of her blog to growing community and sharing her faith with others. Enjoy reading her story (it resonated with me for sure)...

Hi there! I am Rachel, and I blog over at Oh, Simple Thoughts. I write about Jesus, marriage, food, and handmade goods. I am so happy to be here today as part of the Inspired Series! :)

Hospitality. A word that is beat into every Southern girl's head from the day she is born. I feel like I have always loved being around people and hosting parties, I attribute that to my extrovert personality. However, in the past few years I have realized that true hospitality is so much more than what is portrayed in Southern Living or Martha Stewart...it is a lifestyle, a character quality, and a mark of a truly godly woman.

When Anna asked me to share on this topic in particular, instantly my grandmother came to mind. My "Grammy" as we all knew her was the epitome of class, grace and hospitality. My grandmother welcomed people into her home all the time, she would invite people in for coffee, dinner, or to live with them for a few months if needed. She was constantly loving people through food, and selfless love.

I could literally tell countless stories of the way my grandmother showed hospitality to so many. From baking homemade sourdough bread every week simply to give it all away, to paying for a poor man's rent so that he would have a roof over his head, my grandmother loved people, and she showed kindness to everyone she came in contact with.

My sweet grammy passed away last summer, just a few months after my wedding. But the legacy of her life will forever live on...I lived just a few miles away from her my four years in college and learned so much from her in that short time. She taught me how to make chicken salad, baked beans and pork loin...my grandmother always had a smile on her face and always saw the good in people.

I think the biggest thing I learned about hospitality from my Grammy was that it does not come naturally. We are not born selfless, we have to strive to perpetuate a lifestyle that draws people into our homes and makes them feel safe and loved. It is a lifelong journey of laying down ourselves. I believe that hospitality is vitally important in the Christian walk because through hospitality people can see the love of Jesus. It is counter cultural, people expect you to watch out for yourself. They expect for you to build walls and fences around your homes and tables, they do not expect for you to fling open the doors and welcome any and everyone in (yes, even those not like you)...this is what I saw from my grandmother, welcome arms for people of all ages, social classes, and walks of life...and that is true hospitality. Not having a perfect meal planned out, or the most stunning tablescape...no, hospitality is loving with a brave unconditional love, share life with others, and selflessly laying your life down for them.

Thanks so much to Anna for letting me share this today, such a joy to be here and I hope some of you will reach out over on my blog so I can meet you!

That was incredibly sweet, Rachel! Thanks so much for being here today. :)

-Song

Love, Save the Empty

This last week was a hard one. I witnessed close friends experiencing loss and multiple difficult life changes all at once. (Does anyone else feel like hard things often come to people in tidal waves?) Because of those events, I've been pondering the effect of change that removes things from your life. It's so difficult to adjust to sometimes and can often create a sense of isolation and emptiness.

I had a conversation with my sister just yesterday about changes like these. There will be some in the not too distant future for us, I'm sure. Friends part ways, people drift out of your life, family members move away. I often complain that nothing is changing in my life, but imagining those kinds of changes left me feeling like an empty shell. At the end of what was a rather despairing conversation, my sis made the statement that my imagination was leaving God out of the future. The moment she said that, I recognized that I hadn't mentioned God at all and how hopeless I felt without thinking of Him. Remembering Christ's presence immediately consoled me. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot...God will be there."

There's a Bible verse you will have heard, I'm sure. It's simply, "God is love." There's a pop song you might have heard called "Love, Save the Empty." This is not me equating a Bible verse to a pop song, and the title is the only thing I'm drawing from, but it came to mind because of those empty feelings. What could save an empty person more than love? And, while the pop song is referring to romantic love, powerful, life-altering, fear-defying, self-sacrificing love in all its forms comes from one source, and that source is what will fill the loneliest, emptiest moments of our lives...God.

M. Night Shyamalan wrote a very simple line of dialogue for his movie, The Village, that speaks to this profound truth for all of us, whether you're a Christian or not, "The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe."

There is no denying that in every story, every movie, every song, love is exalted as the best thing in life and the only thing worth giving your life for. I'll say it again, "God is love." And He is what calms my fear of the future and gives me certainty that I will never truly be empty. He is the one person who will satisfy the world's desire for safety and fullness.

"...I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith -- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:14-19

Just like my sister reminded me in a depressing moment, if you are looking for something to fill you and give you satisfying peace, look to Christ. Whether you're fearful of things to come or you're experiencing loss and emptiness right at this moment, He is love and that's what all of us really need.

-Song

Possum

I cannot tell you how difficult it is to take pictures of my cat. I've tried about four or five times since finishing my photography course, and he is a most unruly subject. First of all, he knows what I'm doing and thinks it's ridiculous. He's made that perfectly clear. Every time I've tried to get a few shots, he turns away and acts peeved. But, when I have caught him, he's making an annoyed face, which comes across pretty bad in photos (your own fault, Possum). Exhibit A:

Here's another one...The fact that it's out of focus is entirely my fault, but my stars, look at his little face! He's channeling Scar from the Lion King.

The other day, I managed to catch him by surprise and got a decent one.

Anyway, everyone meet Possum. He spells his name without the "o" at the beginning. Poor thing's been diabetic for the last couple years and has to take insulin twice a day. :( If you're wondering why we named him after a marsupial it's because he looked a lot like a baby opossum (much cuter, though) when we first found him. He's my family's last surviving pet, and while he'll probably never be real photogenic, we love him a lot.

-Song