We Have A Trades of Hope Winner!

Sorry for the delay. There's been a family tragedy that I've been dealing with, but Stephanie has gone ahead and picked a Trades of Hope Winner and here she is to announce who gets this beautiful scarf:

Congratulations to Amber Johnson our Trades of Hope blog post winner! Please contact Stephanie Erickson at stephaniefortradesofhope@outlook.com to claim your beautiful Nepali Scarf. The Nepali scarf is made on a hand loom out of recycled silk and cotton. Nepal is a very poor country. Women not only contend with dire poverty but sex trafficking as well. Trades of Hope empowers women to build a sustainable business that provides a better way of life for themselves and their families!

Congratulations Amber!

Wait

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, there will be a wait for me announcing the winner for the Trades of Hop Giveaway. I'm really sorry about this.

When The 'What Ifs' Turn to Yeses!

There seems to be an increasing interest in the introvert versus extrovert topic lately so much so that I saw someone post to Twitter the other day that saying you're an introvert is the new gluten-intolerant stance. It's trendy. I've never really been clear on where I stand on the introvert to extrovert status. I've heard it said that an introvert may not say much but there are things constantly running in their mind. That is my mind.

I may not be writing here much lately but if you could be in my mind and hear the thoughts, oh man, would you be excited for the future posts I have swirling around in my head. Why am I waiting though? I'm waiting because I want things to be good. I want to impart the things I've learned, the things I love and the things that encompass my mind on here. I want to impart them well. I'm not waiting on perfection right now though, I'm waiting on time. 

Start Experiment Round One lit a fire under my blogging bum and came at a time where there was a lot of 'What ifs?' up in the air. Now it's Start Experiment Round Two and I'm ironing out a lot of the awesome that has happened from Round One and looking at new Round Two opportunities. 

In Round One, I risked two things: getting a job I loved and working on my blog consistency. I was blessed to get a job at a church within the first two days of assignments being released. It is a huge victory knowing that I will be doing something I love doing. I had a little more time to start getting blog consistency worked up and working on some new exciting changes for it. In addition to this, I got to edit a book for a new friend. More than all of that though, I have found a loving community of dreamers. 

In the end of Round One, I started my new job in a new city. We're well into Round Two and I'm currently working remotely as I wait for some medical things to be taken care of for my Dad. I'm working, packing, taking care of my sister, saying goodbye to friends (and hello to a few who have been out of the country), making sure my dog is okay along with Start and so many new opportunities that seem to be knocking on my door right now. It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks and I'm crazy excited about all of the opportunities from having my photography in an art show to having a giveaway to making new connections with amazing individuals. 

It's time consuming though and with the 'What ifs?' turning into 'Yeses', it's becoming impossible to keep up with everything. It's impossible to say yes to everything. It's a problem that I've encountered and befriended for years now. It's time to learn to say things like 'wait' and 'not now' and even the dreadful 'no'. I need to let you know more for myself than you really that I have great dreams that I'm going to make sure don't stay in the land of dreams even if they have to frolick out there in fields filled with unicorn and streams of chai tea lattes for awhile as boxes are packed, new routines are settled into and things are figured out. 

It's been a wild ride and even though my dreams seem to just linger out in front of me right now, dreaming with the knowledge that I can do something about them and an amazing community supporting me is good enough for the time being. It is good enough to wait for better timing not due to perfection but due to the necessity of saying 'not now'.

Trades of Compassion - Who Are They? & A Scarf Giveaway!

Editor’s Note: I wanted to bring in the opportunity for others to get their stories out whether it is fashion, a ministry that is near and dear to their heart or they just want to share. I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Stephanie, a Compassion Entrepreneur for Trades of Hope. You can visit her shop here: mytradesofhope.com/stephanieerickson70. She blogs over here & tweets over there: @ericksonsteph Here she is to tell you a little bit about what stirs her heart:

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your story?
Hello, my name is Stephanie Erickson, I am married and am a mother to five kids (two are biologically mine) ages 11 to 28. I enjoy reading and writing in my spare time - althought there's not much of that. I homeschool one of my children - my 13 year old daughter who attends a small charter/home- school every Friday during the school year. I serve as the PTO Vice president of her school. I am in charge of fundraising for my step-son's premier soccer team and am a Compassion Entrepreneur with Trades of Hope.

What got you interested in Trades of Hope?
My interest in Trades of Hope stems from personal tragedy. Due to people whom I love dearly and out of respect for them I will not mention names nor specifics. Just know that I understand the pain of a mother who has become fully aware of the suffering her child/children have experienced by the hand of a person who was supposed to be trustworthy. My heart has been so devastated that the only way for me to cope was to help suffering women and children suffering. The thought that I am making a difference brings joy to my brokenness and prevents bitterness from touching my soul.

What particular aspect of TOH captures your heart the most? Why?
One of the most rewarding experiences for me is the blessings my friends and family give me in allowing me to host a party in their home. This gives me opportunity to share my burden for these women and children worldwide who suffer in extreme poverty and/or sex trafficking dangers. To bring truth to people and birth hope to women who only want a chance not a handout brings immense satisfaction to my heart. It is an honor working with so many like-minded women who truly desire to break cycles of poverty and sex trafficking worldwide!

How have you changed since you started working with TOH?
I feel more hopeful than I ever have. I feel like there truly is a way to help sex trafficking victims and poverty stricken women worldwide.

Which is your favorite piece and how do you love to wear it?
I like so many items. I guess my favorite is the Sunrise Necklace from India. The colors are red, brown and oranges. It is a beautiful piece. 

The most touching items are two from our own country (USA) and a third from Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi item is soap in a variety of scents made by former sex slaves. All these women are able to be free of sex abuse and provide for themselves through the making of The Sacred Mark Soap Set. This item that makes you clean is such a perfect fit! 

Cherished, a ministry in California, focuses on teaching women who were terrorized by sexual exploitation how to function in society again. These women make a variety of items but Trades of Hope purchases a pendant called The Redeemed from this ministry. One of the neatest things is that upon completion of the piece the artisan engraves her initials on the back - the redeemed proclaiming their redemption. 

Thistle Farms in Tennessee ministers to women who have suffered through sexual exploitation, addictions and domestic violence. These women make a variety of body products and Trades of Hope purchases their all natural Lip Balms.

Thanks to Stephanie and Trades of Hope, they would love to give one of my lucky readers their gorgeous Nepali Aqua Scarf for free! Who wants a gorgeous scarf for free? I thought so! Leave a comment on here on a way that Trades of Hope has struck a chord with your heart. This giveaway is open from Monday, August 12, 2013 until Wednesday, August 28, 2013. Stephanie and I will be choosing the winning comment after that (if you have any questions, feel free to ask!). We can't wait to hear your stories!

Swirling Around In My Head

I don't feel like doing this. I've got a swirling of thoughts encompassing my mind begging me to go to bed and forget all of them for a later time. I've got work thoughts piquing up with questions on what to do and when. I have health questions begging to know when things will be better and why not yet? I've  got fashion and stores and price tags swirling around in a creative project featuring one of my dearest friends in the world with a complete wardrobe overhaul. I've got thoughts of what's next in this or that TV show with no time to find out. I've got writing to do, blogging to take care of, messages to reply to, posts to create, etc. etc. I've got a book to edit. I've got packing to take care of. When will this or that be ready? I tend to have a ton of things open on my laptop and I guess that's just how my brain works. 

Most of all, I'm looking for rest and to figure out why God won't let me shake the lyrics of Alli Rogers, The Day of Small Things and Zechariah 4:10 where it says, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin..." There's surely a lot of work to begin. {Go look up the song, it's totally worth it!}

What's swirling around in your head? What thoughts are you having trouble shaking?

A Few Words Written, A Few Words Read, & A Cup of Clean Water

The internet is a huge place. For my explorer's heart, there's a lot to discover. One of the best things that has come from the Start Experiment is a ton of new blogs, ideas, internet spaces that I can explore. I feel like over the past few weeks I have learned a great deal from people that just a few weeks ago I did not have any knowledge of them, their stories, their hurts, their causes, their fears, and what makes them come alive.

It's funny. I saw the simple tweet from Jon Acuff when I was sitting on a hotel bed pondering a life altering decision and decided 'Why not?'. A simple tweet, a quick email back and a lifetime changed is how it has turned out. I've been reading his stuff for years now. It's amazing to have seen a community connected just through his writings rally around each other to support each others' dreams coming true.

One of the fantastic things I've run across is Cause Pub which is a 'for-profit crowd-book-publishing company that partners with nonprofits to help them achieve specific goals within specific causes'. For their latest venture, they have gathered 127 storytellers together to share the moments when they have been pushed outside of their comfort zones to experience the world around them.

The best part? You get to read tons of awesome stories and help people around the world through Blood:Water Mission to help provide clean water in Africa. Why clean water? Because water is life giving.

Another really cool thing? You can read and vote on some of your favorite stories to be in the book. Would you rather write or photograph? CausePub provides those options too. How cool is that?

Their newest release, Couch Rebels, is coming on August 14. Go ahead and purchase it. I know I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Christmas Just Snuck Up Again

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Justin Fricke. Justin writes about adventures and life outside the office on his blog, Justin The Weekend Warrior. Give him a follow on twitter @JustinLFricke.

“Christmas just snuck up again.” We’re all going to be hearing that in that in the next four to five months because believe it or not, Christmas is on December 25th this year—again. We all know Christmas is going to be on December 25th every year, so how does it just “sneak up” every year?

I think it’s because when most people think of Christmas they think of presents under the tree and we all know what that means—spending money. Presents just don’t buy themselves or appear under the tree. They take thought and preparation, but this also stresses out a lot of people. In reality, this should be a relaxing time to spend with friends and family while celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Here are a few suggestions that are easy enough to start implementing now to help you keep the Holiday Season relaxing and enjoyable.

1. Budget: Set a budget for what you’re willing to spend. This will vary for everyone because everyone and every family is different. If you’re a parent with kids and your kids know what the budget is, they can decide is they want the one big and expensive item or multiple, less expensive items. This helps to prevent those “sad” faces on Christmas morning.
2. Planning and saving: In order to make sure you have enough money to make a budget for Christmas shopping, you actually need some money. More than likely, you won’t be able to save enough from one or two paychecks to get your loved ones what they want, unless you want to go into debt which isn’t recommended. Now is a perfect time to start setting aside money for your Christmas budget.
3. Cutting back: we all have our “guilty pleasures” of what we like to spend money on. Personally, it’s vinyl records for me. I feel like I hear the majority of people saying they can’t go a day without their favorite coffee from their favorite coffee shop, I disagree. If froo froo coffee is your guilty pleasure, that’s about $25/week that you could be saving ($5/day x 5 days/week = $25). That comes out to be about $100/month and if you started now, you could have about $400 saved up for your Christmas budget.
4. Change Christmas: How many gifts do you really have to buy? Do your relatives that you see all of once or twice a year really need a gift from you and do you really need a gift from them? The answer is no, so why not have some fun? Years ago, my family quit buying presents for distant family members (not in your immediate family) and we started having fun. Everyone brings a gift card with a set value, (I think $25) so you at least get to pick where you want to shop, and then a $10 or less wrapped gag gift and we do a White Elephant Gift Exchange. We’ve also done Secret Santa, which is a lot of fun as well.
5. Stock up: Start buying gifts now. I know all the “deals” happen close to Christmas, but really—are the deals really that irresistible? I have yet to find an actual deal worth splurging on during the Holiday Season. Not to mention there’s a deal for every holiday. We still have a Labor Day Sale and Halloween Sale to look forward to from retailers trying to get us in the doors.

These are just a few tips and ideas, but the point is: to find what works best for you and your family, don’t overspend, and don’t stress when you don’t have to.

What are some of your tips and ideas?

A Little Breathing Room

A new friend of mine from the Start Experiment and I've been messaging back and forth. The other night she sent me these words of wisdom: "Give yourself a little breathing room - you've got a lot going on IRL". (IRL means 'in real life') This is in response to trying to get my new site up and having everything ready by Monday. It's Tuesday and I'm not ready to introduce it yet (although a few of you have already found your way over there).

This is an old photo from my Project 365 that I did awhile back which perfectly describes how I'm feeling today - stressed and rushed. I'm going to listen to that friends' advice because I do have a lot going on in real life. I'm working through some major changes which will shake up where I'm living, my friends group, my daily eating habits, my morning routine, my career, and pretty much everything else tied into all of that. In addtion to that, my Dad's been sick and I've been helping out with my sister which cuts down a bit of my hustling and dream time.

Right now though, there's not a deadline. There is no finite date. Jon Acuff won't be mad at me and say I'm never allowed to read any of his blogs ever again because I wasn't able to get my new site up how I wanted to by yesterday. That's just ridiculous. He has different things he should worry about. There's a deadline for some of the other things going on in my life which I really need to figure out.  The whole situation is overwhelming like a nightmare of ending up in a Calculus Test unprepared.

The reality is that sometimes, real life gets in our way and we have to attend to some other things first. It's easy to focus on the one thing that we feel like we can control in a time like this. For me currently, it's the layout of my new site. There are other things that I am desperately not in control of in any way. Those things I definitely can't change because I'm not in control, but I am in charge of how I react to this situation.

How am I going to react? I'm going to react by deciding to act on the things which most need to take precedence. I've got things I need to take care of. I've got things that I wish had already been taken care of. What can I do now? I can stop feeling rushed about things that don't really need to take place now and focus on things that need to be taken care of more immediately. It's time to focus on dealing with the real life stuff rather than a layout because at the end of the day, this real life stuff matters a whole lot more than the layout of a blog.

What do you need to stop focusing on? What do you really need to take care of this week?

Seeing Past The Excuses

Ever had an excuse so brilliant that you had to listen to it? An excuse that seemed to speak so much truth that it was impossible to ignore? I have.


My Favorite Excuses to be Wowed By:
1. You don't really have time for that.
2. If it's not perfect the first time, you should wait.
3. What kind of value does that even have in the world?
4. But he/she/they did it better than I ever could, so why try?


Let's Dissect This a Bit:

1. You don't really have time for that. Yeah, that could take like 30 minutes to 1 hour, but you have some emails to write so why not pop in a season of Friends and answer emails. You can turn off the season whenever you finish the emails and go do something else. The reality is that you will have answered those emails during the first episode and will still be watching when it's time to put in the second DVD. You had time. 

2. If it's not perfect the first time, you should wait. Where is the standard of perfection here? Perfect for who? Is your college professor going to look over this work? Will there ever be a perfect time, place, situation or what for you to complete this? If I wait forever, will it ever get done? Probably not.

3. What kind of value does that even have in the world? With so many idea people, storytellers, film makers, creators, bloggers, leaders, etc. etc. who am I to try to step into any of these roles? What can I contribute when others have contributed so much already? What area of expertise do I really have in the matter? I'm just a kid straight out of college still trying to figure out the world around me.

4. But he/she/they did it better than I ever could, so why try?  I follow some tremendous bloggers. I follow designers who I could only dream of designing something that great. I follow four filmmakers who made award winning movies while on summer vacation during college. I follow photographers who travel the world and have I am surrounded by people whose lives seem to be so much more, so much deeper, so much more impactful than mine. Maybe those people should do this, not me. 


You know what lives in these excuses and the questions that they back? Fear.


This Fear doesn't have to control you. You're the one that gets to decide if it does. For me, it's regarding my blog. I love to compare it to blogs when I know the stats in my mind aren't real. Maybe if I do this or that to make it better. In reality though, I just need to write. Writing takes more time than I always want to give it. I want my writing to be perfect and if I'm not feeling inspired, I just can't write. Writing could get me judged though. I judge my own writing against others who are more established and have written longer.


Why haven't I written in the past? I have accepted the excuses fear has given me.


It's time to write because I love writing. It's time to blog because I want to be a blogger. I want to punch my fear in the face and do the thing I love regardless of the excuses. That my friends is what I am going to do.

The Horizon

You know those times you are sitting on the beach overlooking the water and seeing all the way until the blue of the ocean meets the blue of the sky? What about those times when you're driving out in Texas and you finally 'get' the joke of being able to watch a dog run away for two days because you can see forever away? It's all about the horizon and it's so much fun to look at my personal horizon and see what's in the distance and what's in the not so far distance.

On the horizon:

- creative projects
- job changes
- location moves
- possibly a new blog site

There's so much swirling around my head right now. This week has been filled with tons of prayer in regard to what is on the horizon for my life. I'm at peace with where God is leading me, but I want things to be a little more in place before I give y'all a shout as to what the next adventure may be as it may be a huge adventure.

I can't wait to tell y'all everything. It's killing me holding it in, but I can't even bring myself to write about anything else. Once I spill the beans though, I've got some fun stories to tell!

Unpacking the Unpacked Adventure

If you've been reading here at my little corner of the internet for awhile, you'll see that things have changed stylistically (is that even a real word?) in the last 48 hours or so. I've decided to go undergo a new me, a new blog and become a new dream chasing girl - one that I've always wanted to be but what scared me so.

You see, it all started back in the days of xanga when I would read my high school friends blogs and posted one of my own. The problem with high school xangas is they are very high school. I say this in love though, I've volunteered with teenagers for over five years now and adore the age group no matter how awkward and confusing it is. As I moved up to blogger and wordpress though, I began to see true writers that posted hours and hours of content - funny, engaging, brilliant, thought provoking, life affirming stories and encouragement all surrounded by great designs and beautiful photography.

Well y'all, the comparison game is a thief of joy and I have been its' captive way too long. 

I'm at a definitive crossroads (I guess you really could say I have been at one since I graduated college) and it's time to step up and be the true me here. I don't know where it's going to take me. I know that there's a lot of adventures ahead. I'm currently on one now. Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like has been a writer of one of my favorite blogs for years now and he tweeted out the other day that he would like information sent to him about his followers. He wanted real information emailed to him to take us on an adventure that may include a machete and a passport. I don't usually respond, but I did.

He's invited me and 2000ish other friends to go on an adventure to punch fear in the face and start what we have wanted to start all along but have been too afraid of. He's named it the Start Experiment after his book I'm currently reading entitled, Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters, which I highly recommend (along with his other books - I'm a bit of a fan). Here goes my START!

Unpacked Adventure. It's a weird name. How do you unpack an adventure? Don't you usually pack for an adventure? Unpacking isn't the fun part - it's the thrill of getting everything together before a journey, packing your necessities and heading off. I don't know what the adventure looks like. I know what I hope it involves: transparency, a deeper level of writing, a consistent blog, some encouragement, a less fearful me, a few crafts, some reviews of some great restaurants, books and digs along the way, a few fashionable moments, a few thoughts and adventures, creative projects and photography.

Here's to dreaming!
Here's to hoping!
& Here's to STARTing!

'Pretty Good.'

You ever wake up one day and have a vague idea of what a day holds and then it ends in a completely unexpected way? That's what happened to me about two months ago now.

I went up to help my old roommate move all of her stuff to a different city. I picked up one of my best guy friends on the way to help us with the move. We helped her pack along with a team of our friends. Sunday night, everyone left except my guy friend and I as we were going to get the last leg of the journey done on Monday. It was a normal day of moving, eating and spending long hours in the car listening to the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack.

About 30 minutes before I dropped him off, he asked me what the chance of us becoming more than friends is. My reply was 'pretty good'. With those two words, things changed. Two months later, we are still dating and trying to figure out our futures, both individually and together. It's incredible. I never expected things to change so quickly.

That's a brief update on one of the many changes on my life. More life updates are coming! In the mean time, enjoy this picture of me and my Prince Charming.

What if money was no object?

 

Here's a little inspiration from lecturer Alan Watts to enlighten your Thursday morning.

12 for 12 December Round Up

Need a flashback to the 12 for 12 November Update?

Twelve for Twelve 

1. Books.

Remember that To Read List? I finished Eric and Leslie Ludy's book When God Writes Your Love Story on the last day of December. Other than that, that's all I got for December so I guess that list is final. Heading into 2013, I'm going to keep working on this list and adding more into it. You can find me on Good Reads to see what I'm reading and how good I'm doing on that.

2. 5K.

You know that wonderful cookie eating 5K I signed up for? I was sick for it. I didn't go, especially since it was a few days before Christmas. It was no help though because I was definitely still sick for Christmas. 5K goals are just going to linger above my head I guess forever.

3. Quotes.

I still didn't know where the Quote Book was during December. I found it this January and can't wait to add to it this next year and see the old quotes for it.

4. Blog.

My 2012 was going to be done on December 31st. I even sat down to write it. NCIS was on though and that was distracting so here I am in 2013 writing my last 12 for 12 Update and providing closure to this chapter in my life. I do want to continue blogging into this next year and I have high hopes for being more consistent, but we'll see how that goes...

5. Create.

My creations were all handmade gifts.

6. Learn.

Sometimes, you just have to adjust. You also can never stop learning.

7. Minimize.

Yea-yuh! This one is going pretty well. Thing are moving on out of my life as I go through everything, which is a good feeling. I hate the whole thing of not wearing a clothing item for 5 years but still having that sentimental attachment when it's time to get rid of it. I'm really working on clothing for January though. It's going to go well. I've been pretty good about going through stuff this last month and first stint of January though.

8. Gratefulness.

The friends that I truly cherish and that truly cherish me are a dime a dozen and I am eternally grateful for that. - Amen.

9. Handmade.

Whose idea was it to do about 20 homemade gifts for Christmas? I'm still working on gifts, but everyone has their I.O.U's and they will get them as they are made this next year. I have really enjoyed this one though. It's a whole different perspective trying to decide what someone would like and then taking the time to make it.

10. Intentionality.

'Long distance friendships are hard. I also feel like most of my friends are long distance now. Real world, I'm not your biggest fan.' - Still ringing true, but I have hope for 2013 being a bit different. The real world has caused me to get in touch with some old friends which I have definitely enjoyed.

11. No.

I think I finally have conquered this one more than I thought that I would have by now. I'm counting that as a success.

12. Word.

Difficult.


Now that 2012 is over what's in store for 2013? Nothing y'all. I am making absolutely zero resolutions. I think I'm going to be a lot better at that than trying to conquer 12. 

Thank you 2012 and here's to a great 2013!