As I look back over August, it was a good month!  I had a lot of favorites as summer was winding down and fall started to creep in with the changing of the leaves on a few trees and school starting. Usually, August is hot and it drags on, but that has not been the case this year, thankfully! Here were some of my favorites… Cool summer days August has been unusually cool here in Minnesota and I am not complaining.  It has been delightful.  I love it when I can break out the hoodies and the leaves start changing.  Yep, I still love winter even after the polar vortex and record-breaking February snows of last winter.  Bring it on. Steal Like an Artist I loved Austin Kleon’s book Keep Going and I loved Steal Like an Artist, too.  It’s an easy read and it’s so encouraging. You Will Be Found

I thought I should fit this post in before we get to September!  Man, August is just flying by.  I remember looking over the three months of summer approaching when we were in May and I felt like it would be an eternity.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the laziness of summer.  I enjoy sleeping in a little bit later, not having to prepare lunches or work on school projects. I like that the pace of activities is a little slower.  But, as an entrepreneur who runs my business out of my house, it’s really hard to balance work and having the kids home all day.  I want to do fun things with them, but I also have commitments and deadlines. Well, we’ve managed to balance it all out (some days better than others) and the summer that threatened to drag on is now coming to a rapid end.

As I was compiling this list, I realized I had a lot of favorites in June!  I ended up editing the list down a bit more because it was getting pretty long.  I think that’s a sign that it was a good month. That doesn’t mean everything went right or smooth, but it was full.  Full of learning and doing and finding new favorites and things that moved me. Here is a smattering of those things… Jamestown If you’ve been with me for any amount of time, you know I love period dramas.  So, of course, I’m always excited to see what projects PBS/Masterpiece/ITV/BBC are working on that involve corsets.  A show I’ve enjoyed for a few seasons is Jamestown.  It’s the story of the Jamestown settlement told primarily through three women.  Now, this is not a show for those who want pure historical accuracy.  From what I’ve read on

I used to spend my birthday money on clothes.  It just seemed like the thing to do.  Go out, do a little shopping, buy a few new things.  But, a few years ago, I realized that those clothes just got lost in the rotation of articles pulled from my closet when I needed something to wear.  I didn’t remember what I got for my birthday or what I bought when I needed or wanted something.  My birthday money wasn’t being spent on something that was truly special and I didn’t like that.  It felt wasteful. So, a few years ago, I decided to pool all of my birthday money together and buy something memorable.  I bought my 1800’s ironstone cake stand… Even as I was bidding on it on eBay, I was nervous; literally biting my nails.  I kept waffling and debating with myself.  I shouldn’t spend this much money

May was a good month.  That’s a simple, but true way to say it.  I’ve loved the cool spring weather in Minnesota.  I enjoyed being out on walks in the mornings and sitting on the porch in the evenings.  And, while it’s been stressful at times, I have been loving work.  I am working on all sorts of new things…things that make me uncomfortable in a good way because they are vulnerable and pushing me into spaces where I’ve been scared to go.  But, I’ve been working diligently, pushing and praying through any fears that rear and any anxieties that taunt me.  And it feels good. I am launching one of my newest projects to my newsletter subscribers tomorrow (Friday, June 7), so if your curiosity is piqued, make sure you’re subscribed and you’ll hear all about it tomorrow.  You can subscribe HERE (and get the Personal Retreat Guide for