It's time to take a break!

I am very blessed to live a life surrounded by people and things that I love. A life so full in the joy of The Lord. Full of beauty and grace - it makes the struggles worth it. The day to day frustrations and overwhelming sorrows alike. I can say this in full confidence because I was dead in the world and I am now so alive in Christ! I'm not trying to preach to you or act all holier that thou, I hate that shit ("Why you acting so holy, can't you see I'm full of holes?"). It's just at sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. I just want to shout it from the rooftops! I see what happened to Robin Williams and it breaks my heart. My newsfeed is full of overdoses, shootings, war and pain. If only I could find some way to share the freedom of life in Christ. To open the eyes of the skeptics and unbelievers. Not to force feed some prepackaged notion of "Christianity", the religion, but Christ, the son of God.

I am getting completely off track here, but sometimes it's difficult to stop myself. Why do I create? Because I was born to. I'm not bragging, I'm not some super talented famous artist. I'm not even comfortable calling myself an artist. I just love to make. I'm about to send my first scripture canvas overseas (to London!) and I am just so grateful for this platform I have been given. Just blown away that my work is now starting to spread across the world, sharing God's word!! Who knows who might see it and be moved, be encouraged? Think about the words on the canvas for a moment.

"As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord." Joshua 24:15

That is a declaration of faith, a dedication, a pledge. Now these words are across the globe. There is power in that, in art. It doesn't come from me, but from the Holy Spirit working through me. Some of the people I have met through my work have touched my life in ways they'll never even know. I see God at work and I feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of it! So I've been going non stop - making, sharing, working, teaching. Putting my tool belt on and sweating it out all day; then coming home, making dinner, and setting up in the studio. It has been a long summer. Granted it has been one of those most amazing and exciting times in my life, but it has taken a toll on me. I've pushed as hard as I can and relied on His strength when I had none. I only have a few open orders right now and once I finish those up I'm going to put the shop on vacation and take a much needed break. I've come to this decision after much prayer and deliberation and I know that this is His will for me and my family. I have faith that he will carry us financially and I will return renewed, refreshed and ready to make you lovely people some beautiful art!

I want to focus on making art for myself, not for sale or show. A creative jump start, if you will. That said, I also plan on fleshing out my fall and holiday lines (I already have some super cute stuff in store for you guys!) and revamping my business model. I will still be available via email (thehipsterhousewife@gmail.com) and rest assured those of you who have open orders, they will be completed and shipped in the time frame promised.

I am so excited about what God has in store for the future of The Hipster Housewife and my family! I plan on relaxing with my husband, playing with my kids (and getting them ready to go back to school!), and just enjoying the gifts that God has given me. I will be returning in September. Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and general awesomeness!! Love you!

Party Planning in Ten Easy Steps (Michelle's Birthday Surprise!)

Party Planning in ten easy steps, Hipster Housewife style. You guys ready for it?! Great! It's super easy I promise. And I'm only being slightly sarcastic when I say that. We'll break it down into a few, easy to follow steps.

 

Ok, step one - have an amazing, compassionate, talented, beautiful, friend whose 32 years on this spinning thing you want to celebrate with much hurrah and what not. For the sake of this instruction manual we'll call her Michelle.

This is Michelle (told you she's beautiful)

Step two - have another amazing friend (I'm blessed with these super awesome, talented women!) with whom which you'll plan the party and do things like make the sweetest invitations and most adorable favors. You'll also be making lists. Many, many, lists. You're writing hand is going to hurt.

Lovely Lindsey

Step three - call up (or group Facebook message, you know, whatevs) the incredible tribe of women you're blessed to call you're friends, and ask them all to bring something yummy. You know these women, so you know they'll pull out all the stops and bring some delish goods. Food, check.

The Tribe

Step four - make it pretty. It's all in the details people. Lots of flowers, loose color scheme (you gotta have one, but seriously, if it looks good, it doesn't have to match), and you're good to go. Put up pictures and hang garlands. Use what you have. You'd be surprised at what you already have in your house that can be repurposed as party gear.

Step 5 - enlist you're birthday girl's equally amazing sister to get her there in such a manner that it's a complete surprise. (A blindfold was involved.) Then yell SURPRISE really loud and make sure your camera is ready!

SURPRISE!!

Steps 6-10 - eat cake, drink champagne (cry a little while you're toasting, it's gonna happen and it's ok), open presents, laugh, take selfies (hashtag #itsmichellesday), listen to good music, talk, hug, and just enjoy the heck out of each others company. Cuz that's what friends do.

And there you have it folks, party planning in ten easy steps, and one happy birthday girl! That's what it's all about anyway; you're decor could be non existent and your food not so great, but if there is love in the room, you're going to have an awesome party. I promise.

 

P.S. Photo credit goes to the lovely Lindsey of Lindsey Mae Photography (beautiful and talented). A couple of them are mine, but you can tell which ones - they just don't look as good!

 

 

 

Sunday night blues (and a giveaway)

I'm exhausted. It's Sunday night, I just barely finished another custom project and I'm sitting here listening to my husband teach himself to play the guitar. What could be irritating is strangely soothing. Faced with another long week of two jobs, bored kids, and a kitchen I can't use because my landlord (aka my mom) decided it needed to be painted giving me oh, about an hours notice; I'm having a serious how the eff am I going to pull this off without my head exploding type moment. But that's ok. I prayed for success in my business and I'm receiving it, I just need to learn to rely on his grace more and myself less (on the subject of grace, for all of you who received my typo ridden newsletter last night, please grant me some! I promise I'll have the husband proofread the next one!).

If you haven't signed up for the newsletter/e-zine whatever I'm calling it these days and you're interested just follow this here link and we'll get you hooked up. It will be full of tips on how to mother perfectly and implement world piece while DIYing the most lovely dinner party. As well as coupon codes and new product lines. Did the sarcasm come through? Gosh, I hope so!

 

In other news I'm running a giveaway in honor of reaching 400 followers on Instagram that no one seems to be interested in participating in (who doesn't want free stuff?! What's going on here?). I basically just want you guys to share a picture and you can win you're own set of customized notepads. I use mine all the time. So. I'll post it here too. Share this post on Facebook, regram me on Instagram (@thehipstehousewife). Whatever! Just make sure you comment somewhere with the name you want on the notepad.

My prayer for this week is to find some balance, to rely less on my own strength and more on His. How do the rest of you working moms, wifes, regular humans, do it? I find myself getting so lost in my art (and the art of managing a small business) that the dishes pile up, my husband feels ignored, and I'm tired. Bone tired. Balance has never been easy for me, but it feels even more elusive now.

 

Advice needed and welcomed.

 

Instagram Giveaway!

In case you haven't already heard I'm running a little giveaway on Instagram, mostly just cuz I love you guys. The rules are easy peasy to follow and the winner gets to take home my 'Home sweet Home' banner (see what I did there?). I've already had a good reaction on Instagram itself, but I thought I'd share here as well in case you are aren't on the IG (in which case get yourself an account because it's awesome and my very favorite way to share pretty things. Who doesn't like pretty things?!).

All you have to do is follow me @thehipsterhousewife if you don't already, repost the photo above, and tag your comment with #regram #giveaway and my name @thehipsterhousewife. Also, if you wanted to share why you want the banner I'd love to hear it, but it's not a requirement per se. See, easy! The winner will be chosen next Saturday, so best get on that!

Love you guys! Good luck!

Isn't she pretty?!

 

To be a step mom on Mother's Day

"An early Mother's Day present Mommy Chris!"

What does it feel like to be a step mom on Mother's Day? I would imagine it feels just like being a regular mom, only a bit sadder, and certainly more lonely. But the desire to be recognized is still there. To be rewarded,given the extra hugs and kisses and stacks of homemade cards (I already have a small pile). I do all the same unending, unrewarding, thankless mom stuff as the rest of you 'real' moms. I also get all the amazing, priceless, unspeakably beautiful things - the sweaty snuggles, the stolen flower, the breathless 'I love you'. I feel like a mom. I know I'm not their 'real' mother. I know I could not replace her, nor am I trying to. I'm their 'Mommy Chris', which is something different and special in its own right. I could not possibly love them anymore than I already do, regardless if they were "born of me" (their words) or not.

This year I'm blessed to have them with me on Mother's Day. I know it's just a Hallmark holiday, but I couldn't be happier, or more excited. My mom - Gramma Vicky - is making a big family dinner, we have church together in the morning, I get all the snuggles and sweet words that come with Mother's Day ON Mother's Day. Rarely in the life of a step mom does it work out that well. Christmas presents are opened later, birthday candles blown out early. We move things around. We make it work. But those special days are always a bit empty without them. There is always a bittersweetness when they are gone. I, we, have learned to live with it. But it's hard. On all of us.

So yeah,I'm excited I get to pretend we are a 'normal family' doing 'normal family things'. So much of the time I feel so glaringly not-normal, especially as a woman in the church (that's a topic for a whole other blog post - I'm not even going to touch it here), not having my own kids, my own family. Would I like to have babies of my own? Of course I would. But God has already given me three beautiful, healthy, talented, amazing - I could go on - children to call my own, and who am I to doubt his wisdom in the matter?

I love those children with a fierceness I didn't know I had, and I was pretty fierce to begin with. All those things my mom told me about being a mom? I feel them, I own them. I am a mother. So I'm claiming Mother's Day. For the rest of the step moms out there feeling like, is this my day too? It is if you want it to be. My family may not be biologically mine, but they are mine nonetheless. A tribe of love that God himself built. That's as beautiful a picture of motherhood as any other.

Oh Blogging, I'm just not sure we were meant to be...

How pretty is my new branding?! I'm completely in love with my designer Angi Clark Designs and I literally can not wait to see my new business cards!

Anyway, I know I haven't been posting much (I think it's been like a month, yeeesh), but between all of the custom work I'm doing, plus you know, attempting to raise three little ones without completely screwing them up, I've had about thismuchtime for anything other than eat, sleep, housewife. And I've also been in the process of working some things out in my faith, which has been difficult, but
rewarding, as such things often are. So blogging has fallen to the bottom of a very long list of to-do's, and I'm pretty sure that's where it's going to have to stay for the time being. I started this blog to share my life, my work, and to glorify God in the process. I want to continue sharing these things, but not at the expense of my sanity or time with my family. The Hipster Housewife has continued to grow, and more importantly - grow me. That's where my focus has to be right now. I'll continue to keep everyone updated via Facebook and Instagram, and I hope that I'll have more time for this blog in the upcoming months.

So this is not Goodbye (said in uber dramatic voice), just see ya later! Thanks for all of you love and support - you know who you are!!!

A Journey of Intention

Pretty, no?

Yesterday I was wondering around Barnes and Noble (as I so often do, it's one of my happy places), picking up this and that, venti americano in hand and peace in my heart. Something about being surrounded by books, all of those words and stories just waiting be discovered. Whole worlds in slim volumes of poetry and prose. I could wax on but I think you get the picture. The journal section is one of my very favorites. I have more journals than I could every possibly fill with my own words. I'm constantly buying new ones. I can remember being a child and getting my first diary. Having my own secret place to store my words - it was a sort of magic to me. I've collected words ever since. Scraps and stories and others peoples voices, I keep it all, or I try to anyway.

Anyway (you can see I have I a bit of a problem with words, excessive adjectives and commas that stretch sentences past the point of good grammar) a smallish, chunky like, turquoise book caught my eye, mainly for it's pretty design. Nothing like a good layout (in my personal opinion). The front cover reads 'Starting Today, a Journal of Intention and Change'. Inside each page has a place for the date and at the top is written 'Starting today, I will...' followed by blank lines challenging you to fill them with all your good intentions. The idea is to turn your intention into real change. And I absolutely love it. I also picked up (an even smaller, chunkier, adorable) another book called 'Think Happy, Be Happy: Art, Inspiration, Joy'. It's filled with gorgeous hand lettering and typography that form quotes of encouragement and love. The perfect accompaniment to my new journal.

A million times yes!!

The book was over with the journal, in the journal section, totally not where it was supposed to be. When I found them a light seemed to go on, that feeling when the Holy Spirit says 'yes, do it, go on, this is for you'. I've been feeling a lack of direction in my spiritual life. Don't get me wrong, I feel connected, but I also feel like I can not decipher what God is trying to do with me right now. A lot of negative things have been happening lately , and it truly seems as if there is a force trying to interfere with the Holy Spirit working in and around me. Now, I'm not sure exactly where I stand on the idea of Satan. But I keep getting thwarted as I try to truly step out towards The Lord. I just don't know. So all of this has left me feeling as though I need to clarify my intentions, my direction. 'Lord lead my feet to the path you want me walking'.

Because I'm happy :)

Having a place set apart to keep these thoughts makes it special, makes it an intentional step towards Him. My first intention is to be kinder to people. To be full of gratitude for his grace, so full that it spills out to those around me. I want to show his grace. To my family, friends, strangers on the street. Just writing and making this intention has filled me with his love. I know I'm human, and flawed. I know I will not always be kind. But I want to be a light - as Jesus called us to be.

I honestly feel different after doing this. And it's so simple. Grab a notebook and a pen, you don't need a special journal from Barnes and Noble, and write down something you intend to change. About your behavior, your connections, your attitude - whatever is weighing on your heart. You know what it is. Pray as you are writing, turn the words themselves into prayer. You can have all the good intentions in the world, but without The Lord and his grace that's all they will remain - intentions. No true change of heart will come of it. That's the piece that is missing from the little introduction in the beginning of my journal. And it's too bad because that is truly the crucial piece. I know that without His grace I'm just sort of fumbling about, running on my own self importance and pride. It doesn't work, I tried it for many years.

Grace

I'm not going to do an intention a day the way the journal is meant to be used. I think that cheapens the intentions, making them disposable in a way, like it's just on to the next one. I want to actively work on being kinder, allowing the spirit to work through me. I want to be so full of his grace that the Devil has no room to get in. It all starts with the intention. Let Him take it from there.

I'll probably be doing a series on these intentions, and I would LOVE if you wanted to join in and keep your own intention journal. I would be honored if you would share them with me, and if you want to keep it private you could email me. I can just sense a big change coming, and I just want to shout His name from the rooftops. I want to be an instrument for change, his change. It has to start somewhere, right? Why not here? Why not now?

"Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?"

So I came upon this poem. And I read it. And reread it. I took out my highlighter. I made notes. I decided I absolutely had to share it with you. I'm not going to muddle it up any more with my own clumsy words. I'll just leave it here for you. Read it twice, trust me. Oh and the added emphasis is mine. The poets name is Mary Oliver, and the poem is titled "Have you ever tried to enter the long black branches?". Please let me know if it resonates with you as well. I need to talk to someone about it!

“Have you ever tried to enter the long black branches of other lives-

tried to imagine what the crisp fringes, full of honey,
hanging from the branches of the young locust trees,
in early morning, feel like?
Do you think this world was only an entertainment for you?

Never to enter the sea and notice how the water divides
with perfect courtesy, to let you in!
Never to lie down on the grass, as though you were the grass!
Never to leap to the air as you open your wings over
the dark acorn of your heart!

No wonder we hear, in your mournful voice, the complaint
that something is missing from your life! 

Who can open the door who does not reach for the latch?

Who can travel the miles who does not put one foot

in front of the other, all attentive to what presents itself continually?
Who will behold the inner chamber who has not observed
with admiration, even with rapture, the outer stone?

Well, there is time left -
fields everywhere invite you into them.
And who will care, who will chide you if you wander away
from wherever you are, to look for your soul?

Quickly, then, get up, put on your coat, leave your desk!
To put one’s foot into the door of the grass,
which is the mystery, which is death as well as life,
and not be afraid!
To set one’s foot in the door of death,
and be overcome with amazement!

To sit down in front of the weeds, and imagine
god the ten-fingered, sailing out of his house of straw,
nodding this way and that way, to the flowers of the present hour,
to the song falling out of the mockingbird’s pink mouth,
to the tippets of the honeysuckle, that have opened in the night,

To sit down, like a weed among weeds, and rustle in the wind!

Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?

While the soul, after all, is only a window,
and the opening of the window no more difficult
than the wakening from a little sleep.

Only last week I went out among the thorns and said
to the wild roses: deny me not, but suffer my devotion.
Then, all afternoon, I sat among them.
Maybe I even heard a curl or tow of music, damp and rouge red,
hurrying from their stubby buds, from their delicate watery bodies.

For how long will you continue to listen to those dark shouters,
caution and prudence?
Fall in! Fall in!
A woman standing in the weeds.
A small boat flounders in the deep waves,
and what’s coming next is coming with its own heave and grace.
Meanwhile, once in a while, I have chanced, among the quick things,
upon the immutable.

What more could one ask?
And I would touch the faces of the daises,
and I would bow down to think about it.
That was then, which hasn’t ended yet.
Now the sun begins to swing down. Under the peach-light,
I cross the fields and the dunes, I follow the ocean’s edge.
I climb, I backtrack. I float.
I ramble my way home.”
~ Mary Oliver,
”West Wind: Poems and Prose Poems”

A peak inside my studio

Signed and dated for when I become all super famous

I love you Patti Smith

'Blessed' sign still available in the shop

'Deer Woman' by the fab Paula Tamara Hoss

Trying my damnedest not laugh

All of the insanely pretty photos are courtesy of uber talented (and totally cool) Lindsey Mae Child of Lindsey Mae Photography who was so kind as to come shoot my space and do some product photography. I couldn't be more pleased with the results and our budding friendship! I just love cool people. And Lindsey is cool people. It sounds trite (yay we're so cool), but I just want to surround myself with creatives, people hungry for life, chasing after The Lord with all their passion, doing what he created them to do, and doing it beautifully! Filled with his spirit!!

The Lord created us for fellowship, and I just love his design!