Happy Fourth, friends! I'm taking the week off from blogging to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. I hope you all have a safe and happy Fourth of July. Here's to you, America!
2016 Was a Beautiful, Hard, Real Year
It's my last morning in Indiana and the second to last day of 2016. I woke up to snow on the ground and the bright, orange sun rising above a row of houses. It breaks through the blue grey clouds and warms my room, its golden arms reaching out to me beneath my comforter. Christmas is over and now we're in that phase where my heart begins to yearn for spring long before it's acceptable. Warm me, sun. Warm me, I smile through the window.
What will I say about 2016?, I wonder as I lie there, reflecting on the year. Personally, it was a year of great joy. I got married. I left my job to pursue The Letter Project. I went to Greece and moved in with a boy for the first time. I got to watch my baby brother get married. I learned new rhythms for what my relationships look like after marriage and what my days look like after Corporate America. The year was full of new beginnings and routines. It was amazing.
But, beyond me, 2016 brought a lot of pain. One of my best friends lost her dad suddenly and we all felt that loss in our hearts and souls. I ached for her in a way I didn't know you could ache for a friend. He was a good, kind man and his quick departure left a cavern, a hole he once filled with constant laughter and love.
Outside of us, there was also a lot of tragedy across America and on a global scale. There was loss and pain for people all around the world. And, of course, there was a shocking presidential election.
Am I still allowed to say 2016 was great? I wonder as I watch the sun burn through the clouds, the grey dissipating and a bright, blue sky pressing through.
I am a dichotomous person. I do not operate well in the in between. It's either this or that. It's good or bad. It's happy or sad. It's a success or a failure. This or that gives me the feeling of control. It allows me to believe I understand what the year meant, have put it in a box and tied it with a bow. It was a happy year!
But, what 2016 taught me is that sometimes, we have to operate in the in between. Sometimes we have to stand within the schism, stretching our arms to both sides, touching the good and the bad simultaneously. We have to feel every bit of it wash over our bodies, understanding that we must be the bridge between the two.
We have to replace the or with an and because and is a bridge. It's happy and it's sad. 2016 was beautiful and it was hard. It was alarmingly bitter and incredibly sweet. Sometimes moments of great joy run parallel with moments of great pain and it is our job not to understand them, but to feel them.
2016 was a year of great joy and pain. It was the year of and. And that is very much OK.
Here's to you, 2016, in all your beauty and pain, fullness and emptiness. Here's to honesty, love, beginnings and endings. Here's to bravery. Here's to big, bold and.
gift guide: stocking stuffers
One of my favorite things to do when giving a gift is to add something small as an extra touch - something I'm loving or that really reminds me of that person. In other words, I like to tack on a stocking stuffer :)
I rounded up a few of my favorites from this season - some might be a little bigger than the average stuffer, but, as far as I'm concerned, if you can jam it in to the stocking, it counts!
1. doTerra lavender oil: I love it because it smells amazing, helps you sleep, relieves tension and you can add a drop to your mascara to lengthen and thicken lashes. All from a tiny bottle!
2. Simply Gum: Confession: I haven't actually tried this one, but Sam introduced me to it and I'm obsessed with the concept. It's 100% natural and made with only six ingredients. I can't wait to try it.
3. West Elm Enamel Mugs: Melissa got me these for Christmas and I love them. They remind me of the dishes our neighbors had growing up. They're perfect for hot chocolate, I must say.
4. Batty's bath charcoal soap: Super natural, gentle way to wash your face. My skin has been really clear ever since using it. I love Batty's products, but make sure you sign up for the email list if you want to purchase - they'll send a free shipping code.
5. Spartan shop Fletcha Tea Mug: Beautiful & happy! And I love a handle-less mug.
6. Tarte Amazonian Clay Makeup: For the first time since I was 20, I recently switched to this makeup after hearing rave reviews. And the verdict? I love it. 1,000 people really can't be wrong.
7. Perfect bars: I eat these every day for breakfast. They are the perfect on-the-go meal. No prep, full of vegetables and so tasty. On Cyber Monday I bought $100-worth to get me through the winter. Oatmeal no mo!
8. Hario hand grinder: I actually got this for Chris for our one year this week. He's working to cut his Starbucks runs down and I've heard that grinding your beans is a game changer. Hario is supposedly the best affordable option, so I went for it, and he was obsessed. Cannot wait to grind those beans!
9. Brookfarm General Store Denim Roll: I'm always looking for little ways to keep things extra organized and I think this would be awesome in a purse - stick some lotion and cards in it and it's the perfect option to move from purse to purse.
What are your favorite stocking stuffers? Happy gifting!
:: the happiest of labor days ::
With the dearest friends.
Who brought personalized koozies & tumblers (because they're just one of a kind).
And brunches at Parish and Rosebud.
And Shooting the Hooch.
And {a leetle} football watching (but mostly just talking).
And some pool time.
And JCT's Sunday Supper with Chris after they left (so sad!).
And a little more pool time to make sure we soaked up the unofficial last bits of summer.
And tons of laughing.
I hope your Labor Day was unlaborious and full of sun!
