Blogiversary, Pinterest, & a Giveaway!

Hello lovely readers!  Today my blog is TWO years old!  This morning the other two year old in my life threw an all-out hissy fit, complete with clenched fists and teeth, screaming, and crying.  I was afraid he was going to pop a blood vessel.  Nothing a little time in the time-out chair couldn’t fix!  Thankfully, there is none of that toddlerhood drama here.  :)

{Picture of Luke from my very first post.}

Thank you for all of the comments, support, e-mails, and encouragement over the last two years!  It is SO nice to know I have kindred spirits out there in the internet, from those of you who “get” my thrifting obsession, to those on this clean foods journey like me, to those of you who can relate to my ups and downs as a Christian and a mom…and some of you relate to all of those areas of my life. :) So THANKS for making this blog a fun place for me to write, and thanks for sticking with me through this “dry” year of moving and not having a home of our own for a while.  Now that we’re basically unpacked and settled, I hope to be posting with a little more regularity. 

{Before I continue, I forgot to ever mention on here that I am completely, utterly, hopelessly hooked on Pinterest!  My user name is Jessica – thisblessedlife (I know, concise, right?!).  You can find me at www.pinterest.com/thisblessedlife.  If any of you are on Pinterest and I’m not following you already, PLEASE leave your user name in the comments!  I’m relatively new to Pinterest but I am LOVING it so far!  And I’d love to follow you guys so that I can have more ways to distract myself during the day more ideas and inspiration! :)}

 

And now, on to the giveaway for today!

My friend Becky is an amazingly talented photographer who wants to give one of you a set of TEN note cards from her brand-new Etsy shop, Dancing Willow Photography!  You can choose ANY of her beautiful photographs for the front. 

Note cards with photos on the front are so versatile…you can mail them to friends, frame one or two for your house, or even give them as a gift for the upcoming holidays. 

This print below, “Beach Shell,” is my favorite of the collection.  How beautiful and serene is that?  I love how it’s off-centered.   Ahhhh…..the beach. :)

 

I think this print, “Golfer’s Delight,” is perfect for a man in your life who’s hard to buy for.  Great for a man-cave or an office. 

And lastly, in honor of my favorite season of the year, the beautiful “Autumn Leaves.”  How pretty for inviting people for a fall gathering…or even framing one for your mantel?

 

Here’s how you enter:

1.  Leave a comment telling me what part of the country you are from.  You all already know that I was born and raised in CT, and now we are back here to stay.  I’ve also lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.  I’d love to know where you guys live!  If you are not comfortable telling the state on the internet, just say what part of the country you’re from (New England, Pacific Northwest, etc.). 

2.  For a second entry, hop on over to Becky’s shop and pick out your favorite print, then let me know your choice in an additional comment.  Remember, the winner gets to chose the print for the note cards….plus Becky let me know that the winner will win an additional surprise in their package. :)  Whoo!! :)

I also wanted to mention that Becky is having a half-off sale for the month of August….use the code BIRTHDAY50 for 50% off for the rest of this month! 

 

Thanks for being a part of why I love blogging so much! 

Have a great day! :)

What am I really passionate about?

What would your answer be to that question?  I mean, really and truly, what gets you pumped?  What could you talk about for hours and hours and not get tired of it? 

God has been challenging me lately in this area.

I would say my top three personal passions in life right now (besides Chris and Luke, whom I love more than life itself) are:

1. Adoption

2.  Clean/Healthy/Whole Eating

3.  Home Design/Decor on a Budget

Those are the subjects I could talk on and on and on about.  All of these have some worth to me as a Christian woman (it’s weird to call myself a woman – I still feel like a girl, but whatever).  Healthy eating blesses my family, my body, and the earth.  Design on a budget makes my home a (hopefully) beautiful and welcoming place to be in and practice hospitality to those who need it,  and doing it frugally is a way to spend my money wisely and not rack up debt.  Adoption is probably the most obviously “Biblical” passion – God talks about us being adopted all the time and He is clearly passionate about the fatherless and orphans in the Bible (which, by the way, I love). 

But am I passionate about Jesus?  Adoption is a beautifully amazing picture of what God has done for us, don’t get me wrong, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty….

Am I really pumped about the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do I gush about it like I do about a great paint color or awesome yard sale find?

I want to get there, I really and truly do. 

I have been so blessed lately by Lara and Lauren’s blogs.  They are both adoptive (or soon to be adoptive) mommies who have a huge heart for God and God’s work in Africa, specifically.  They and the book Radical, which we have been studying in our small group, have really been challenging me lately to get PASSIONATE about my faith. 

Chris and I shared this Francis Chan video when we hosted small group at our house recently – it has stayed in my mind all these weeks (I got it from Lauren’s blog, actually).  It is a great reminder to me to be passionately sold out for God because life is SO SHORT.  I encourage you to watch too, and be changed.