Written by Sarabeth Jones, Arkansas Women Bloggers Miss June 2013
This one’s going to be short and sweet, friends, but it’s some of the best advice I have about having adventures:
Say yes.
I’m not talking about over committing yourself, saying yes to everything out of guilt, or anything like that. I’m talking about all those things that come along that pull at you with the combination of exciting possibility and a little bit of fear. The things that you really want to do, but feel like you’re not qualified for.
I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them. –Pablo Picasso
I don’t know about you, but I give into the voice far too often that says you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be doing that, who are you to be that person? My first impulse can be to look around for someone else to take charge, to make the decision, to say yes.
But such wonderful things can happen, friends! Saying yes to a crazy idea led to a flash mob.
Saying yes to my 40th year took me on a cruise.
Saying yes to an embarrassing story led to Listen To Your Mother.
Saying yes to good friends landed me in Kenya.
I could go on and on. And I could tell you, too, of all the yeses that didn’t end quite so glamorously. There are so many yeses that don’t end with gorgeous pictures. But the not-so-pretty yeses so often lead to bigger ones.
Some of you don’t have a problem saying yes, but I do. Every week when I try to come up with a creative idea at work, every time I read about something amazing some other blogger is doing, every time I consider doing something new. My impulse is to shrink back, to lay low. To make excuses to myself and to others. But I’m learning, all the time, how to say yes.
Finding the power of my voice, as a woman, was hard for me. I was always under the impression that you were either a submissive beauty or you know, that other word. I was raised in a traditional home, and my father delivered the final verdict on everything. What I didn’t see as a child, was that my mother also provided input. I grew up thinking my number one goal was to get married, start a family, and do what I was told. Honestly, I enjoyed handing the tough decisions off to my husband. If something went wrong, it could never be my fault. Yes, I admit; I was very naive, but I didn’t know any better.
After having my second child, I started getting restless. Don’t take me the wrong way, I loved being a stay-at-home mom, but I felt as if something was missing. Even though I kept a spotless house and my children were smart and well behaved, I longed for more. Aaron would go to work, and I would stare at the walls. I began to resent my daily routine. I was bored. I was restless. I hit a breaking point. I had to speak up, or I was going to go crazy. It took me a few months, but I finally got up the nerve to broach the subject with my husband. I was so nervous, but he just smiled and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I was shocked. It had taken me 28 years to verbalize my dreams to another person, and instead of being shot down, I was encouraged.
From that moment, I learned that my voice mattered. I slowly started pursuing my dreams, and with each goal I accomplished, my confidence grew. I went back to college to finish my degree, I started running, and I started blogging. I started speaking up more, and I could feel my voice getting stronger. People started listening. It was weird at first. I have struggled with insecurity my whole life, and I was a little taken aback. My husband started asking for my opinion. My classmates started asking me for advice. Most importantly, I started making friends with other women via blogging. I started to come out of my protective shell. My once shy, timid voice was starting to gain power and purpose.
I quickly learned that I could use my voice, not only to speak up for myself, but also to help others. With a few simple words, I am instantly able to make someone’s day better by giving a sincere compliment. By sharing my weight loss progress and running accomplishments, I can encourage someone to start taking better care of him or herself. I can give courage, by sharing how I overcame my fears. I can provide relief when I relate one of my failures. The list can go on and on.
Do you want to know the most amazing thing? Your voice has the same power. You have unique life experiences, talents, and passions that people are curious about, and you are the number one expert. I want you to think about that one topic you have been holding back. You know, the one that is kind of ugly, but you overcame. Someone is waiting to hear that story and no one can tell it, but you. Use the power of your voice. What are you waiting for?
This month on Arkansas Women Bloggers we are celebrating women who inspire us. I have had a very special woman in my heart for quite some time, Mother Earth. I am not going to scare you with horrible statistics regarding global pollution and climate change, you can Google those for yourself. Every person, on every continent, is connected by our common need for natural resources. Mother Earth is trying very hard to compensate for our reckless living and provide for us, but she is starting to show signs of wear and tear.
Numerous websites provide step-by-step ways to reduce your carbon footprint, but let’s be realistic, not all of us have the cash on hand to spend thousands of dollars retrofitting our homes with gray water recycling systems and huge solar panels. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of these projects and giving up all together, here are three simple changes you can make to help Mother Earth. These solutions can be implemented with very little effort and will even save you a few dollars.
Reduce Your Food Miles
This may not be something you have considered. When you purchase a fresh ear of corn in December that was grown in Central America, you have to take into account the fossil fuels it took to ship that crop to Arkansas. One solution is to purchase organically grown, frozen or in-season vegetables. Another solution is to shop at the local farmers market and stimulate your local economy at the same time! Even if you don’t have the room to grow a garden, you can purchase in-season vegetables and freeze or can them yourself for winter usage. There is a little more work involved, but your mason jar will not have a list of chemical preservatives taped to the back.
Reduce Your Water Usage
I know we have heard this a million times and I don’t want to sound like a beating drum in the background, but conserving water is terribly important. Technically, fresh water is a renewable resource, but only 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh and most of it is frozen in the polar ice caps. Our fresh water supply is quickly being depleted and polluted. Not trying to sound apocalyptic, but when fresh water runs out, we all die. There are hundreds of things you can do to reduce your water usage and a few are the easiest are: shave 3 minutes off your shower time; only wash your car once a month; run the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full; and plant drought tolerant landscaping in your yard.
Reduce Your Consumerism
We are bombarded everyday with advertisements of the latest and greatest products. If you watch television for 30 minutes, I bet you will be able to find ten things you didn’t know you needed. It is hard to not want a purse in the season’s hottest color or the newest smart phone, but every item produced in excess has an adverse affect on Mother Earth. Those huge factories in China may not be billowing smog in our backyards, but their products are overflowing our landfills. Replace things you use everyday because they are broken or worn out, not because you found a new sparkly version. Remember: waste not, want not.
You may not feel like you can save the world by making these changes, but we are like the millions of pixels on the computer screen you are looking at, as small pixels stop working, the screen will lose its brightness and luster until it’s not visible at all. Mother Earth will notice if one of her children is working, and we will all benefit.
Hey Everyone! I am so excited to be one of the Arkansas Women Blogger’s 2013 Calendar Girls! When I look back at the ladies who have shared this honor, I feel totally overwhelmed and humbled. There are some pretty awesome women bloggers in Arkansas! I was very fortunate to attend the Arkansas Women Bloggers conference in 2012 and CANNOT wait until September for this year’s gathering. If you have never been to a conference or can only attend one this year, mark your calendar and register here.
Let me introduce myself. I am the Mom over at The Ederington Family, but you can call me Ashley. I live on a rural, hobby farm with my husband and our two boys (6 and 3). We have sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, horses, pigs, a few dogs, and a pet snake. We are not very good farmers, because we don’t make any money, but I have a lot of fun playing with all the different animals (except the snake). My husband has a real job and I am 14 hours away from obtaining my second degree in biology. If I ever decide to grow up, I want to be a wildlife biologist. I want to find a job where I can walk through the woods and count trees, birds, and furry animals. If that doesn’t work out, I want to become an environmental activist and save the world. You know, small goals.
If you were to ask me what my hobby was, I would have to say running. I know, what punishing hobby! I started running to lose weight after my second child, and now I can’t stop. I am proud to say I have run a marathon, and it was actually kind of fun. I have been plagued with injuries over the last two months, but by the end of the year, I will complete a 50k. My dear friend Lisa, has exposed me to the wonderful world of trail running, and I love the new challenges the trails bring.
Over on the blog, I write mostly about my running, our family adventures, and life on the farm. Like some women bloggers, I started blogging to keep track of important memories, but I also review fitness products and host giveaways every once in a while. I love to cook tasty, healthy meals from the vegetables and meat we grow ourselves, but I haven’t mastered the art of making my food pretty. I am working on that. I have been blogging for almost two years, and I am still finding my voice/niche in this vast world of blogging.
As with most things I do, blogging started on a whim. As I mentioned before, I read a lot of blogs and was fascinated by the stories these women had to tell. I thought to myself, “I could do that” and so I did. I blogged for a long time, not knowing anyone else in Arkansas that blogged, and so I kept my blog hidden from friends for the longest time. I was afraid that they’d make fun of me or demean what I wanted to do. I’m not going to lie, some did. My own brother referred to blogging is a ‘joke’ when I excitedly told him about blogger conferences and clubs. Oh, well, you can’t pick who you’re related to:/
Over time, I became more confident in blogging. I told some friends and family & for the most part they were happy for me; excited I’d found something to do that I was enthusiastic about. I realized that I can’t please everyone and that not everyone will take me or my blogs seriously. I can’t waste time on people that don’t support my choices. I’m happy to have made friends in the blogging world and have great relationships with a number of my favorite bloggers. I’m fortunate to have joined a great community like Arkansas Women Bloggers and I can’t wait to learn more about the women who blog within this group.
I’d like to share with you today a few of the blogs that I love. These blogs are the ones who inspired me to create my own. Please show them some love if you have time.
Julie from Joy’s Hope captured my heart with her love of Dave Matthews and of all things colorful. She & her hubs have four gorgeous kids and are wonderful, giving people. I enjoy reading about why she decided to blog as well as her day to day life. I am so thankful that there are still people like her in the world. She’s an inspiration to me on what a mom should be (I don’t have kids but if I did, I’d want to be an amazing mom like she is).
Niki is an Arkansas girl who blogs at Tiny Sailor. I love that, despite how young she is, she knows exactly what she wants and has determination to get there. Her fashion choices might be a little crazy for my taste, but I have to admit, the girl’s got style (She’s a Chictopia Fashion Icon & has been published in FOAM Magazine)!
Kimberly reminded me that you don’t have to have big bucks to make big fashion. Her blog Fab Finds Under $50 shows off great style that won’t break the bank.
If you’re looking to expand your blog audience or just meet some new friends, I host a blog hop along with Rebecca ofXOXO, Rebecca & Chrissy of A Lil’ Dash Of Diva every Friday called THAT FRIDAY BLOG HOP! and we would absolutely love to have you link up with us! The hop goes live every Thursday night at 8 p.m. Join in on the fun & link up with us at Life Of A Lost Muse.
After our March was so cold & rainy, I’ve got my fingers crossed for warm, sunny weather in the coming month. I swear, every year around March, that little thought creeps in…I want to go swimming. I know it’s not nearly warm enough, but I can’t help it! It’s this whim that takes hold of me and seems to last all year.
It’s like when I started blogging; that came on a whim as well. I read a lot of blogs and I so enjoyed the stories, photos, recipes and crafts that I absorbed through these wonderful blogs. The name for my original blog, Fashion In The Forest, came to me while I was headed to work one day. It started out as a fashion only blog but has morphed over the years into a saving money, reviews & giveaway blog. I post weekly coupons for saving money, product reviews and have a great giveaway at least once a month.
Over time I realized I wanted a blog where I could just be ‘me’. One where I could just write about whatever popped into my head. I found that certain things I wanted to write about didn’t fit into my original blog & so Life Of A Lost Muse was born.
Life Of A Lost Muse is where I share my thoughts and ideas. Whether it’s a post dedicated to beautiful photos & drawings, a tasty recipe that I think you must try, a story about my journey to getting fit or a giveaway of something awesome from the handmade community — I finally have a home for all the jumble that floats around in my head. I still post about fashion, travel & entertainment from time to time as well. I even post about other bloggers that I love & want you to learn about. I sometimes feel like blogs are being pigeonholed into being a ‘type’ and I don’t like it. I believe that we should all get to blog about whatever we want to, regardless of what “mold” we fit in to!
In addition to my blogs, I also have an Etsy store called Fashion In The Forest. I sell handmade jewelry and accessories. I love custom orders and am happy to work with anyone wanting a special something all their own. I’m working on getting a second Etsy store up and running which will feature wall art & paper goods but I’m still trying to think of a great name to call it. Does anyone have any fabulous ideas for a store name? I’m all ears!
You can find me through all sorts of social media. Here are all my links so you can get to know me a little better.
by Blogger of the Month Jerusalem Greer. Be sure to read to the end, she is giving away one of her books!!!
First let me begin by saying that this winter weather is cramping my spring style. I did my best to bring the spring indoors this past weekend, for a small gathering of friends, but the weather did not cooperate with my photo taking plans.
Also, I forgot to iron my hankie bunting. So we were slightly wrinkly indoors and out.
But no matter, a party doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun. In fact, I have learned over the years, just the opposite is true. I little imperfection -especially for events that take place at your home- helps to set everyone a little more at ease. (Or maybe I just want to believe that because I gave up perfection for Lent a decade ago and never really missed it.)
This past Saturday, while several of my AWB pals where mucking it up in Dallas at Blissdom, I had my own (albeit tinsy tiny) women’s blog conference in my dining room. Three lovely blogging friends joined me for a Mini Make-Over party, complete with a Presenter from our Conference Sponsor (a Mary Kay make-up rep,) Swag (paper Chinese yo-yos and Mary Kay catalogs,) Décor (wrinkled buntings swaying overhead,) and Social Media postings. The party was filled with many imperfections-late guest, wrinkled bunting, and strange excuses for Swag,- but I can promise you that no one had any less fun because of these things. In fact, I am not sure anyone even noticed.
My very loose “theme” for this gathering was Spring into Color, which was inspired both to combat the dreary, gray, weather outside, and to compliment all the spring colors we would be trying on during or mini-make-over sessions inside. Here are a few easy ways I was able to injected color into our afternoon gathering.
Fresh Flowers During spring and summer months I tend to lean heavily on flowers found at the grocery store or farmers market to add an instant pop of color and happiness.
I prefer to scatter the flowers in small groupings throughout the house – in the kitchen, on the mantle, in the bathroom, on the coffee table.
Instead of fancy arrangements, I lean towards a few simple stems popped into glass jars or thrift store vases. (Our parties tend to involve lots of children running throughout the house so I don’t ever use anything too precious.)
Easy, tasty, finger food I like to eat, and I like to eat good food, but I don’t like overly complicated recipes.
I also love to pick and nibble, so while I always put plates out, I tend to serve mostly food that can easily snatched up and carried around.
For Saturday’s party, keeping my colorful theme in mind, I served:
Cheese focaccia bread, sliced and warmed, with soften slated butter on the side.
Salami, Fresh Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes on skewers.
Brie cheese and homemade jellies wrapped in phyllo dough (next time I am using pie crust squares,) placed in cupcake liners and baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
I find that it is almost impossible to meet everyone’s beverage needs without going broke, so these days I keep it simple: I always have ice water and coffee on hand, and a pre-mixed cocktail that somehow fits the theme of the party.
For our spring make-over gathering I served a drink that I have yet to name, but what we loosely called a “Pinkosa.”
This pink and fizzy drink was made up of 1 bottle of Champagne, 1/2 gallon of Pink Grapefruit juice and the juice of a lime.
Side note: Friends, who have been to my house for gatherings more than once, know to bring their own sodas and beer selections if that is what they prefer.
Something Sweet I think every party should have at least one sweet bite. Even if it is a small one. In fact, if you are throwing a party, and you invite me, and you are not planning on having a sweet treat, PLEASE let me know. I will bring one.
As you will find out in A Homemade Year, I am a big fan of not making things harder than they have to be. I am also a big fan of embellishing and enhancing pre-existing items. This includes box cake mixes. Here is how I embellished just such a mix on Saturday:
Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes
To make mix 1 box of white cake mix according to directions, reducing water by 1/2
Add 1 cup of black berries and the juice of half a large lemon
Bake as directed
For the Topping
Mix together 1 pack of instant lemon pudding mix, juice of 1/2 lemon, lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon and 1 pint of heavy whipping cream. Mix at high speed until mixture because thick and fluffy.
Ice cupcakes with this and garnish with a blackberry.
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Like almost all other domestic or artistic areas of our lives, we each have to find our own rhythm and style when it comes to entertaining. We cannot all be Amy Atlas or Martha Stewart or Emily Post. The way you throw a party should reflect your aesthetic, your personality, and even to some extent- your values. For instance, over the years, I have learned that sit-down, formal parties do not work at our home or with our friends. I have also learned that party favors get left more than they get taken, and that Eat, Drink, and Be Merry is the only planned activities that are guaranteed to go well. Occasionally I can also throw a fun “activity” party, like this weekend’s make-over party, with success. But only occasionally. Generally, we just throw open the doors, set out the food, mix a few drinks, invite everyone in and enjoy the memories that unfold before us.
From Stephanie: Jerusalem has generously offered to give away one of her new books, A Homemade Year, here on Arkansas Women Bloggers. All you have to do is leave a comment, you are entered. For extra jolly goodness, Tweet about the book giveaway including @arwomenbloggers and @jerusalemgreer.
If you are like us, Spring Break has suddenly snuck up on us, along with a long to-do list. So today I am going to take the easy way out and share a little bit from my new book A Homemade Year; The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting and Coming Together, with you. The first bit is from the preface, and the last bit is from the chapter on Holy Saturday- the Saturday before Easter. The book is due in stores in just one short week, and I could not be more excited to share a little sneak peek with each of you today.
In my mid-twenties, cut free from the tether of a school calendar year, I found that I was attracted to—craved, even—the rhythm, internal and external, that liturgy seemed to bring to those who leaned in and embraced it. Once I had my own children, like so many other mothers around the world, I thought long and hard about what sort of traditions I wanted our family to have. I love a great celebration. I love party decorations and special menus and taking the time to do things up right. I even love the anticipation. To me, the preparation is half the fun because it is often in the doing and preparing that the best memories are made. So I set out to find a way that would create traditions of faith for our family through the rhythm of the liturgical calendar, using fun, modern, colorful crafts and recipes. In our home I have found that even the most common tactile acts such as kneading bread dough, threading a needle, or gluing paper can be important spiritual practices, especially when paired with intentional conversations and repetition over many years. A Homemade Year is a book written out of this experience…and out of my experiences as a busy, working mother, all too often burning the candle on both ends, and looking for a third .
In a recent post, blogger Penny Carothers wrote, “I’ve always elevated the lives of others above my own spiritual aspirations.…This mistaken belief parallels my long-held view that spirituality has to look a certain way to be legit.” I loved reading those words, because I too have gone through seasons of thinking that legitimate spirituality only fit into one very tight fitting box. My prayer is that A Homemade Year is the kind of book that will free you from just that sort of mistaken belief, from that phantom one-size-fits-all box. Instead I hope that this book inspires you to seek and experience God in a different way at your own pace. This book is meant to act as a guide, to encourage, and to teach—but never to induce guilt, to depress, or to intimidate.
Sailboat Easter Baskets
I am always trying to create new crafts that my boys will enjoy making and playing with as well. I designed these boats with Easter in mind, but they have also played host to Lego and Star Wars characters on the occasional bathtub excursion. When we made these for Easter, we talked about all of Jesus’s friends—the disciples who had been fishermen. Although the Bible gives us some indication of what some of the disciples did on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday, not much is said about their actions on Saturday. I like to think that a few of them went fishing to sort things out. To sit, to pray, to hope, and to wait. I know that is what Sweet Man would have done.
Materials Needed:
Red plaid paper food baskets (you can get these at most restaurant supply stores or online)
Modeling clay (2-inch square)
Bamboo skewer
12 x 12-inch scrapbook paper
Scrapbook paper scraps
Tape
Glue stick
Scissors
Easter grass
Plastic eggs or fuzzy chicks
Directions:
Place your square of clay into your food basket, off to the left side, toward the edge. Press down until the clay is stuck well enough to what is now the sailboat floor. The clay will not adhere permanently.
Print the pattern provided at the Paraclete Website (http://www.paracletepress.com/a-homemade-year.html ) to make your sail. Fold a 12 x 12-inch sheet of paper in half and place pattern (cut out) on the fold. Cut triangle out. To make a second, smaller triangle for a layered effect, reduce the size of the pattern by 1/3 and print and repeat all other steps.
Next, secure your sail to your bamboo skewer. Lay the skewer on the inside of your sail in the center crease, fixing it in place with a small piece of tape.
Using the glue stick, trace the inside edges of your sail. Once all edges have a thick layer of glue, close your sail around your skewer and press flat, smoothing out any wrinkles. This makes a double layer of sail for strength.
Embellish your sail with extra bits of paper, stickers, glitter, ribbon, or other ephemeraFinally, stick the skewer into the clay and voilà! You have a sailboat.
Fill with Easter grass, candies, and Easter eggs or fuzzy chicks.
A Homemade Year is available from all major bookstores online and will be in Barnes and Noble stores nationwide.
For more spring and Easter inspired crafts visit me at http://jerusalemgreer.com and search “Easter” or “Crafting”
A great thing about keeping chickens is all the fresh eggs. A challenging thing about keeping chickens is all the fresh eggs. See, day after day, new eggs keep showing up. Whether you need them to or not. And if you are not proactive, they will take over your refrigerator. That is when the yoke hits the pan so to speak, and you have to decide: What are we going to do with all these eggs?
One of the ways our family gets out of the house in a timely fashion in the mornings is through a balanced division of labor: the kids feed the animals and the adults feed the kids. This means that during the work week Sweet Man makes the school lunches and I make the breakfasts. It seemed a natural progression then that I should be the one to find a way to use the majority of our eggs. However there is a slight glitch: I don’t move so fast before my second cup of coffee, which I don’t have until I get to my desk at work, so whipping up a hot breakfast every morning, over the stovetop, just isn’t going to happen, no matter how much earlier I back up my alarm. But still, there are all these eggs. So I rummaged around Pinterest, did some thinking and came up with a few easy egg-centric recipes that I can prepare ahead of time, or in the mornings-but quickly and while I am still half asleep.
One of our favorites are these Easy French-Toast Cups. I think the boys like them primarily because they can add syrup or honey to them and who doesn’t like that? I like them because I can make a couple of batches on Sunday afternoon and we can reheat them easily for breakfast several times during the week. If I do get up early enough to throw these together, I can pop them in the oven and then myself in the shower at the same time, knowing that by the time I am clean, they will be done!
Ingredient’s (makes 12 regular muffin sized cups. My boys eat 2-3 each so if I want this to last more than 2 days I will make a double batch.)
¼ Cup Milk
2 pc of bread
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Cinnamon
5 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
Non-Stick Spray
Pre-cooked sausage or bacon crumbles
(You might not think of sausage or bacon being a part of French Toast, but because my boys are always dipping their breakfast meats into the syrup anyway, I went ahead and threw some in for extra fortification and flavor.)
Directions
Mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, salt and cinnamon
Whisk briskly with fork or whisk and then set aside.
Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray ( I use olive oil) and fill each with three to four pieces of torn bread- almost any sort will do. I use sandwich bread most days.
Next, cover the bread with the egg mixture, not quite filling up each cup. Finally, drop a few crumbles of sausage or bacon on top of each.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until the eggs pouf up and the cups no longer jiggle like Jello. In my oven this is about 10 minutes, or as long as it takes me to get in and out of the shower.
Serve hot (or warmed up!) with butter and your favorite syrup or honey.
Now it’s your turn. Do you have an easy egg-centric breakfast recipe I can add to my repertoire
Jerusalem Jackson Greer is a crafter, writer, former pastor, blogger, nest-fluffer, speaker and farm-gal wannabe. She lives with her husband and two sons in a 1940s cottage in Central Arkansas with an ever-changing rotation of pets, including a hen house full of heritage chickens and an English Sheep Dog mutt. As a family, they are attempting to live a slower
version of modern life. She blogs about all of this and more at jerusalem.greer.com
Hello AWB friends, my name is Jerusalem Jackson Greer and I am so happy to be hanging out with y’all this month.
Here are a few things about me: I am crafter, a writer, a former pastor, blogger, nest-fluffer, liturgical groupie, speaker and farm-gal wannabe. My day job is being the “Book Room Lady” at eStem Public Charter School in downtown Little Rock. I am surrounded by books and kids (including my own) all day. Working at my boys school is the closest I will probably ever get to homeschooling. Me, my husband Nathan (who I refer to as Sweet Man on my blog) and our two boys, Wylie and Miles, live in a 1940s cottage in Park Hill with an ever-changing rotation of pets, including a hen house full of heritage chickens and an English Sheep Dog mutt named Maizy. As a family, we are attempting to live a slower version of modern life. Sometimes it goes well, other times not so much.
Because I tend to think in words and pictures I thought I would take you on a little visual tour of my life. But first, go get your favorite beverage, find a comfy seat and settle in. Sometimes I get wordy when I get excited.
This is my family-well some of them. My boys who are almost always in some sort of costume; my parents in their twenties during my dad’s seminary years in Memphis – I get my love of overalls from him; me and Sweet Man whose shoulder I lean on often and who is my biggest fan; my Maw – who is my muse and whose belief in me propels me forward and finally me and my siblings when we lived in Alaska wearing our Hope Watermelon t-shirts that my grandparents sent us. I am the tall one with the frizzy hair. These are the people I was born to and who were born to me. They are the ones who shape me and encourage me and love me and put up with me and tell me the truth.
I am realizing now that I should have made a collage of my friends because they are the family I have chosen. But honestly I don’t know that you would stick with me through a blog that long. Sweet Man jokes that I have a hundred best friends. He might not be wrong. If you come to the AWB conference you will get to meet at least a dozen of them.
Here are some things I love. I am a wee bit obsessed with icons of the Virgin Mary. I collect paintings and chalk statues and I take pictures everywhere I go of her. My family and I love to camp. Especially places where there is already some sort of rough structure, like this tent at Petite Jean, where I can camp cute with my vintage quilts and melamine picnic ware. A dream job would to be a paid camping blogger for State and National Parks. I adore my Ariat men’s Rambler boots. I wear them constantly. I also like to Instagram them. We have 6 chickens in our back yard and they are precious. Sweet Man is a musician and introduced me to Bluegrass and Southern Rock. For this I am eternally grateful. I love fairs- county fairs, state fairs, and local festivals. I love the fried food, the animal barns and the blue ribbon competitions and the craft booths.
I have been blogging for 8 years this month. Growing my audience has been slow and steady as I have found my footing and my voice. I have had to “re-boot” the blog twice and I am still not 100% sure why my readers like me, but I am grateful that they do. I tend to blog about the following topics the most: Decorating our house, Crafting, inspiration out on the web (mostly on Pinterest these days!) my desire to slow down (and to sleep more,) what I am reading, other places I am writing, traveling – places I have been, places I want to go, my faith, and food- cooking and eating.
Twelve years ago I took my first steps into the design and craft world when I began decorating friends homes for Christmas and appearing on Good Morning Arkansas as the “craft girl.” Over the years I have had successes and failures. None of them came easy or fast, as even the hard lessons were learned over time. In a funny twist of fate (which is the only way things happen in my life) all of the really fun stuff, the “dream come true” stuff , has happened in the last few years. In the years after I officially closed my design and craft business. Here are some of my favorite fun stuff: Recently, P. Allen Smith came to our house to film a segment on urban farming. My boys are my favorite parts of this whole video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNePnp16fck&feature=youtu.be) My friend Jeanetta and I occasionally dust off our talents and whip up some crafty and vintage items to sell at Craft Shows. We call our venture Bright Ridge Co-Op. Parts of our home have been photographed for several magazines, including Vintage Style, Cottage Style and At Home in Arkansas. I design positive posters that I sell online from time to time (http://jollygoode.bigcartel.com/) and which have been featured on some of my favorite blogs like Whatever and Farm Patch Flowergirl . But out of all of this, the one bit of creative work that I am most proud of is my new book, which is being released this month: A Homemade Year; The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting and Coming Together. (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-homemade-year-jerusalem-jackson-greer/1113830866) The book is part narrative as I tell my story of faith, and part DIY/Inspiration. The entire book was shot by my sister Judea and styled by both of us. Everything you will see in the book was made by myself, Sweet Man, Jeanetta, Jemimah or my mother (the latter three helping me with the sewing) and the kids. Every meal we shot we ate, every person you will see I love. There are no models, no fake loaves of bread, no show homes. When we weren’t shooting at my house, we went “on location” in the backyards, around kitchen tables, and on the screened porches of friends and family.
To say that this book- from the stories to the crafts to the recipes and the parties- is the result of love, tears dedicated hard work, and countless hours of smiling and waiting and helping from everyone around me would be just scratching the surface of the truth. I cannot wait to share A Homemade Year with the world, because I cannot wait to show the world what love looks like from where I sit: Humbling, giving, generous, amazing, love.
So there you have it. All about me. I apologize if I talked your ear off. I tend to get excited about things like my family and the book. If you want to visit me at my place (http://jerusalemgreer.com) I would love to have you!