unexpected moments

Its the unexpected moments that take my breathe away
Lift me up
And make me appreciate how beautiful this life I am living really is

The sound of her voice as she yells; "bye aunt jenny" from across the street
Running into a friend I haven't seen in a long while and hearing how fantastic she is doing
Seeing an image pop up in my instagram feed of the article I wrote for Somerset Life

These moments happen when I least expect them
They change the course of my day
Infusing me with gratitude and inspiring me to keep moving forward

loving...



These days I am loving . . .

::  The sun shining bright on my drive home from work

::  Spending time with Dustin  ---  laughing, dreaming, scheming

::  Seeing my words in print.  It will be in bookstores soon!

:: Watching all the goodness that is unfolding through the Love Notes Post Card project and hearing stories like this one and this one

::  Writing Letter Across the Miles to Kristine

::  Listening to my niece sing this song  --- she is four

::  Artsyvilles' new goodie boxes filled with color and artsyville love.  I have seen them in person and they are delightful. 

::  Lisa's new work over in the Happy Mama Shop  Perfect for any room in the house. 

::  The simple pleasures in life, like hearing the birdies chirping in the morning

What are yo loving these days?

seek

Seek out the beauty
The unexpected
Small moments filled with laughter
Sunshine streaming down on your face
A smile from a stranger

There is beauty around every corner
There is light, even in the dark
It is there
It is always there
Sometimes we just have to seek it out

Look where you never looked before
Look up, soak in the shapes of the clouds
Sink down low, lay in the grass
See the world from a new perspective
Seek out the different angels

When we look from a different point of view
We see things we never saw before
Meet people we never knew were out there
Get pulled into experiences we only dreamed of
We stretch, we grow, we learn

We push our boundaries
We open up
Confidence is gained
A deeper trust in ourselves is developed
We live boldly, beautifully, and ready for the next adventure

letters across the miles

Dear Kristine,

With each letter I receive from you I see more and more how much we are alike.  Where I live there is a pond in the complex and Dustin and I go there often to feed the ducks and take photographs.  It is so peaceful and I just love that we are able to walk right over. 

Winter is being resilant this year.  We had another snow storm last night that left a few inches on the ground.  The rain seems to be starting now so it may be washed up before the day ends, but it is a good reminder that we never know what is on the horizon in life.  Each corner we turn there is a new unexpected journey. 

I love that you met your new neighbor.  Have you had the opporutnity to have coffee with her yet?  It is so wonderful when those unexpected moments happen in life.  This past weekend a couple of my friends and I gathered around and created.  We each bring what ever we are working on, spread the art supplies on the table and dive into deep converstaion that gets the creative juices flowing.  It is the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.   

As we were gathered together I was dying to tell them about some big news.  I wrote an article that is coming out in Somerset Life.  Every time I went to go tell them the fear monsters started shouting...."what if it doesn't get published, what if it doesn't get published, don't embarress yourself and say something until you see it."  So I held the news tucked away into my pocket until yesterday.  In between work at the office and work in the resturant I stopped at the mail box.  As soon as I opened that little silver door I saw it and instantly new it was the magazine. 

Oh my goodness Kristine I am so incredibly excited. This is a dream come true for me.  I was shaking as I opened up the magazine.  I started shouting and dancing around my home.  I was in complete shock.  The article looks more beautiful than I ever imagined it would and I can't belive this dream actually came true.  

I am a firm beliver in stating our dreams and then going after them.  If we never speak them the universe never knows we want them.  It was a few years back when is stated this dream and today it came true.  What is a dream that you have that you would love to see come true?

Sending you so much love!  Happy letters across the miles Tuesday. 

xo

Jennifer

{03}

what you may not know about me

What you may not know about me is:

* I love flying on an airplane and waiting in airports
* I am terrified of basements
* I have to take care of the spiders around here because someone else is terrified of them
* I dream vividly when I sleep
* I tear up easily and my eyes tell the truth of my story without me even speaking a single word
* I am madly and deeply in love
* I want to inspire others
* I adore my family and enjoy every moment we spend together
* I am a traveler at heart
* I dream of riding my bicycle across the united states
* I want to speak spanish fluently
* I am terrible at reading maps
* I like finding my own way

And what about you?  Tell me a few things about you that I may not know.

it's time to begin

You know that little whisper that is speaking in your heart
You have to listen to it
You have to go after what it is saying
You cannot be fearful that you may fail

Easier said than done, I know for sure
But we must go after what we want
We must take the leap and fly
Even though we do not know our flight path

Whenever we start something we think it will go one way
And it usually never goes that way
There are twist, turns, and moments where we feel like we are going in circles
But we are on the journey

You need to begin that journey
Take that idea and go after it
Send out the invitation, open up that shop, start writing that book
What ever it is, simply BEGIN

guest posting over at yhmad

Today I am sharing a few words over on Your HeART Makes a Difference about standing tall in who Y.O.U. are. I would love for you to come and join me.

back on track

It has been a hectic week
Trying to sink back into the rhythm
Catch my breathe and not fall down
It is always hard too get back into things after vacation
Dropped back into the chaos after long moments of peace
Navigating my way while still holding onto the calmness
Picking up the pieces and trying to find my groove again


How do you get yourself back on track?

pure bliss

Sun shining warm on your face
The sound of the ocean singing it's beautiful song
Two people in love savoring the moment
This is pure bliss

Love Notes is back!

The Love Notes Post Card Project is back and this time it is better than ever because we will me matching you up with someone.  That means who ever you are sending your postcards to will be sending postcards right to you.  How cool!  I am hoping that this opens the door for more intimate communication and who knows what else.

To find out a little bit about the project check out THIS video.  And then head on over to HERE to sign up.  We are starting on March 10th and would really love for you to join us.  If you have any questions about the project feel free to email me at lovenotesjb@gmail.com

letters across the miles

Dear Kristine,

It was so great to hear from you!  I cannot believe that we are already in March.  This year is flying by, however I am really looking forward to Spring and all the snow melting.  The past couple of mornings when I have left for work I have heard the birds chirping and it brings me such great pleasure.  I love hearing their songs as I walk to my car.

This past week has been a really good week for me.  I am taking steps towards some of the projects I have sitting on the shelf collecting dust.  It feels good to begin.  To just jump in and see where it goes.
These projects on the shelf are my dreams, and I cannot just sit there and watch them fade into the darkness.

Sometimes it takes someone to push us to begin, and that is exactly what I needed.  A strong swift push out the door into the broad daylight to really begin to see who I am, and what it is I really want to accomplish.

All to often I find myself looking at what other people are doing and thinking that I would love to do what they are.  But I am not them.  I have a gentler voice.  A calmer spirit.  I need to find my own way in the world.   I need to listen deep to my heart to find out what it is that would make me shine with happiness.  With the help of this swift push out the door, I am finding this.

What has your week been like?  What adventures have you gone on?  Are you ready for Spring time?

Sending you so much love this week.

xo
Jennifer
{02}

reflect back to someone

All to often we are hard on ourselves
Poking and prodding at the things we like least about who we are
Over analyzing every detail of something we said wrong
Or something we wish we would have said
We look at ourselves under a microscope

Seldom do we step back
Taking a look in the mirror
Staring deeply into our eyes
Admiring every freckle
And appreciating the beauty that is right there

Sometimes we need people to reflect back to us what they see
Showing us the way the world really sees us
The beauty, the shiny glittery goodness
The qualities that we never knew existed in us
But that each day we are exemplifying

Reflecting back to someone who they are
Is one of the greatest gifts you could give someone
It opens their eyes up to their own beauty
And brings them courage to step forward
Boldly into who we already knew they were

Don't be shy
Tell someone close to you how you see them
How the world sees them
Shower them with the love that they bring to the table every day
And stand back to watch them bloom