Telling Stories

For Those Who Are Waiting To Be Noticed {you already have a spot on the team}

I always thought my boys would be baseball players. Having been raised in a baseball family, I assumed that we, like my parents before us, would spend our summers at the ball park, cheering on our would-be Major Leaguers. 

So when it came time to sign up for baseball this summer, I was shocked when Ethan told us he didn't want to play. 

"Well, you have to do something active," I told him, hoping he'd see the light and sign up out of guilt.

 Imagine my surprise when he said, "Then I want to play soccer." 

Especially since soccer is the ONE sport neither Adam or I wanted our kids to play.  But I believe in letting the kids choose what makes them happy, so I thought, Let's do it. 

Last night, sitting on the sidelines, thankful to be out of the writing cave and loving what had to be a record-breaking beautiful day...I found myself actually enjoying soccer. Even the lady parked next to the goal doing underwear-showing floor exercises provided entertainment. 

And then I realized something. As the boys got in to their clumps, kicking at that ball, striving to get it in the goal, Ethan regularly ran along the perimeter of the action, waving a hand as if to ask permission to get in the game. 

He'd run alongside his teammates, hand in the air, as if to say "is it okay if I kick the ball too?" 

Ethan is such a kind-hearted kid, so it didn't really surprise me that he didn't want to take away anyone else's chance at a kick or two. I've seen him do this before, running up to the ball, realizing someone else was running to, then stepping out of the way as if to say "Oh, you go ahead and take a turn."

That's not to say he's not playing hard and doing a great job. In one game, he head-butted (is that the term?) the ball to a teammate who then kicked a goal.  Awesome!

But some of the very same qualities I admire in my son are the ones that could potentially hinder him in this sport. What a delicate balance. 

More than anything, Ethan needs to feel like he's a part of this team. That he's allowed to get in there and go for it, to take the ball away from the other team, to take a shot at a goal, to risk being a star...

It's like so many of us, isn't it?

Waiting on the sideline for someone to pass us the ball instead of getting in there and going for it? Hand in the air, we ask for permission to do the thing our heart is begging to do...If someone would just give us a chance, we could be great. 

If only someone--anyone--would toss a glance in our direction and tell us it's okay to go for it. 

But sometimes I think we don't get the chance because we don't take it. In all our politeness, we fail to realize that we're here for a reason. We're here shine and when we allow our fears to darken our light, when we give in to the voices that tell us we're not good enough or worthy enough or we have no right to want what we want...

Everything inside us that makes us unique and special starts to wither and die. 

Don't we have a duty to get in the game? To realize that we are entitled to a spot on the team? 

Today, make up your mind to stop running around the perimeter of your dreams. Tell yourself it's okay to go for it. Figure out what's stopping you and shove it to the back of your mind. 

You only get one chance to live this life. Live it out loud. 

Urban Farmgirl {Rockford, IL} Open This Weekend!

Before we moved to Colorado, I discovered this local blogger called Urban Farmgirl. I didn't know much about interior design (I say that like I do now. I still don't.) but the blog was filled will pretty things I loved. 

I know what I like, I just don't always know how to put it together. But I liked the chippy white paint, the touches of gray and my very favorite color, turquoise. I was smitten. 

I *might* have even sent this girl an email telling her I was really bummed we were moving away because she lived so close all this time and I never knew her. Or maybe I dreamed that. 

Probably not though, I'm a total fan girl: 

Fast forward two years. We move back to Rockford and what do you know...I started to hear whisperings of this store that was going to open right here in town. And as soon as I heard the name, I remembered the awesome blog I'd discovered. And I knew I would love it. 

And I was so right. 

I've purchased lots of frames, the coolest red trunk, buntings for my art room. I'm head over heels for this store, and if you are local (or even within driving distance of Rockford, IL) you really should try to get your booty out here. 

PLUS. And I'm REALLY excited about this... this weekend, I've got lots of new artwork in the store:

They styled it SO cute. One of my favorite pieces (I almost didn't take it over to be sold) is this one: 

And I did a couple different versions of this one too:

My art room is totally trashed as a result, but I had so much fun making these. 

Mary, the store's owner, is a breath of fresh air for me. She's such a genuine person with a huge, ginormous heart. I adore her. And I find her talents so fascinating. I think because I don't have a knack for any of the stuff she does.

I'm so thankful to call her my friend. 

Yesterday when I was dropping off my artwork, I drooled over literally everything. The store changes every time it's open because she's hunting down great new pieces to bring in. I really, really feel like I'm missing out on the weekends I can't go. 

Plus, Mary is a Rockford fan. And I love that. Obviously we love our town or we wouldn't have moved back...and I feel like if you can celebrate the good {no matter where you live}, it becomes a happy, happy home. 

As if all of that wasn't enough...last week, I got to crash her party and meet one of my favorite bloggers ever, Layla Palmer from The Lettered Cottage, who is seriously just as sweet in person as you would think she is. 

{Me-Mary the beautiful-Layla the adorable}

She and her husband, Kevin, are brilliant, talented and inspiring...and completely and totally humble. I felt very thankful for the chance to meet them.

Plus, aren't they cute?

All that to say, head on down to Urban Farmgirl this weekend for your chance to score tons of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind items for your home...

You will be SO happy you did! 

 

Writing Inspiration {In Images & Words}

Turns out, it's hard to keep up with your blog when you can't sit upright in your chair for more than twenty minutes. I'm on deadline for my new book, so you can usually find me sprawled out on the floor of my front room, head propped up with two pillows and the laptop weirdly positioned on my knees and torso. 

I wish I could draw some awesome parallel to "changing my focus" or "changing my view" but to be honest, I'm too grumbly about the whole thing to notice anything worthwhile coming out of it. 

To combat my inner grump, I have to show you some of what's been inspiring me lately in the writing process...did I tell you the setting for this new book is an old Midwestern farm? 

In my mind, it looks a little like Green Gables.

Or maybe something like this: 

Or this:

A place filled with people... a place that invites that sense of community. 

Of course there are a few of these on the property:

Surrounded by earth and crops and green. 

I'm inspired by the Midwest, by small towns, by the simple life. I'm inspired by the world around me, and I'm striving to create a place I would want to live. Full of people I would want to know. And maybe a few I wouldn't. 

They gather together on warm summer nights for simple dinners cooked with great love. 

They aren't afraid to take quiet naps under the great, open sky, gently swaying in the breeze. They know there is much to do, but they see the value in rest. I love that about them. 

They spend quiet evenings strumming their guitars, singing songs over an open fire, maybe roasting a marshmallow...maybe just inhaling the smell of charred wood as the ashes dance on the cool night breeze.

And most of all, they are searching, like most of us are, for the good in others, for the strength in themselves. They strive to overcome past hurts, past mistakes. They fall in love. They dare to take chances, to be brave, to embrace change. 

And it doesn't always go well. 

I love that about them too. 

And when things get a little too hard to handle, they take to the roads and head out of town...

Careful to inhale the scent of earth on their way. 

They've become so real to me...I can't imagine spending a day without them. I hope you'll fall in love with them too. 

Follow my Pinterest Inspiration board for more images that are coming together to create the world of Fairwind Farm... a world you are most welcome to explore...

Tell me...What would a little town have to have to charm your socks off? 

A Sweethaven Giveaway {or Send Cooper to Guyana!}

Celebrating {My Big News} With a Giveaway!

A Sweethaven Winner!

Art Workshop Recap {This Is So Fun!}

A Sweethaven Giveaway {or Send Cooper to Guyana!}

For those of you who don't know, I have a little sister. She's pretty much the opposite of me in every way, meaning, she's fun and happy-go-lucky while I tend to be overly serious and incredibly boring. 

She and her husband drink coffee out of mugs labeled "Frank and Gladys," have no problem being goofy in public places and she has what has to be the loudest laugh in quiet movies I've ever heard. 

You would like her. She blogs here.

One area where she is not a goof-off is in her faith walk. It's strong and inspiring. She's like my personal pastor in so many ways. When I get cynical, she's there to smack the back of my head and tell me to get over it. 

For years now, Carrie and her husband Matt have served as youth pastors down in Macon, Georgia. As part of their personal ministry, they travel all over the place spreading God's love on missions trips. She's been literally all over the world. 

While I don't share her passion for foreign travel (call me prissy. Or chicken. Or scaredy-cat.) I have great respect for it...so when their nine-year-old son said he wanted to go on a missions trip with them, I was kind of blown away. 

My kids beg to go to Target for Legos. 

This is Cooper:

This was the day he got his passport. (I don't even have a passport.) 

Anyway. I know I am not called to foreign missions, but I see so much value in it and I have such respect for people dedicated to changing lives on the mission field...so while I won't be doing any traveling on my own, one thing I can do is {hopefully} help raise some money to send this kid to Guyana. 

This is the same kid who asked people not to get him birthday presents last year--he wanted to help build a well in Africa to make sure those kids had clean water. 

We could learn a lot from a child, huh?

I tell you all this because I'd like to invite you to help me send Cooper to Guyana on his first, life-changing missions trip. 

And if you do, you could signed copies of all three of my novels:

Here's how it works:

1. Make a donation of at least $5 to send Cooper to Guyana HERE. (Feel free to donate more if you want to!) :) 

2. Come back to my blog and leave a comment on this post letting me know you've donated. (Leave one comment for each $5 you donate.) 

3. There. You're entered to win. (Wooohoo!) 

Now, if that's not enough, you can Blog, Tweet, Facebook or Pin this post and then leave a comment for each one you do, and I'll enter you up to FOUR more times. Not bad, eh? 

Finally, if you don't follow me on instagram, I would LOVE to see you there...in the next day or two, I'll also be hosting an insta-sale of several art prints and canvases and all proceeds will go directly to Cooper's missions trip fund. 

Let's get this kid to Guyana...he's going to change lives! 

Mixed Media Art Classes {for girls of all ages} Rockford, IL

It would seem that when you're writing a book, there's not time to write much else, thus my absence on the blog lately. The back issues certainly haven't helped my ability to sit for long periods of time, so when I am sitting, I'm usually working on my novel. 

And wishing I had time to blog. 

Earlier this week, I did take some time to create, which always makes me happy. (Do you find this to be true?) 

I've also just announced some new classes for June. I decided to give my airplane girl one last hurrah for the summer (which may backfire, who knows?) but I like her and she's fun for all ages... 

The last week in June will likely have a new class, but I've decided not to announce so many at once because I'm easily confused. 

The new project for Mother/Daughter Art Day and Girl's Art Night Out is this one:

I've painted hot air balloons before, but I really like this one on a rectangular canvas. (For the class we're doing this on 6x12 canvases.)

I'm looking for a great source for rub-ons so we can add those to the supply list, but we'll be doing a little bit of everything with this one.

I like to show the same concept with a few examples so here's the other version of this one:

This one has a little girl in the balloon, which I kind of love. 

So, if you're in the area, maybe you'll think about joining me for a fun day of art! When I started doing these classes, I decided this couldn't be something I stressed over, it had to be something I loved, and every time I thought or prayed about it, I decided to leave the whole thing in God's hands, because I've found when I try to do everything myself I mess it all up. 

If you have any questions about my artwork or classes or to register (hurry, space is limited!) you can email me at courtneyrwalsh at gmail dot com. (Don't forget the "R" in my name.) 

Happy Wednesday!

When The Way You See Yourself Prevents You From Dreaming Big

Recently I had the chance to speak to a local MOPS group. I can still remember the season of having very young children (and babies) and I remembered feeling harried and overwhelmed a lot of the time. 

I wish someone had told me that was normal. 

Instead, I pressed on, pretending to have it all together only to save up all my angst for a meltdown only my husband or best friend would have the pleasure of witnessing. 

I'm thankful that in recent years it seems a new message has prevailed. Instead of telling moms to be "Super" and try to do everything...we're telling them it's okay to let some things go. We're reminding women that what people put out on the internet is just a snippet of real life. That not everyone has a magazine ready living room 24 hours a day. 

And it seems some of the pressure to be perfect is melting away. 

I love that. Thank God. We've been craving authenticity--voices that say "I am having a really difficult time right now." 

When I was at this group, I did my little talk and afterwards, I was happy there was real life conversation. While I'd worried my message might appear to contradict the call of motherhood (it didn't, but I was worried about how I was presenting it...because I worry....about everything)... it seemed these women "got it." 

Maybe a few of them were feeling harried and overwhelmed themselves. 

My 25-year-old self would've loved them just as much as my 37-year-old self did. 

During that conversation...about pursuing your passion even in the midst of chaos...one of these young moms said something I felt was so insightful. She said, "I think part of my problem is that when I think about doing all these things--these big dreams--I imagine myself differently. I see this trendy, thin, cute version of myself, and when I realize I'm not there yet, I just give up." 

And I thought...Oh my gosh. She is so right. 

I used to think that in order to be a "writer" I had to look/dress/act a certain way. Same thing with being an artist. I needed an armload of dangling bracelets and a well thought-out, yet disheveled outfit making myself a piece of art. 

So for a long time, I didn't pursue that. Because I didn't fit the "mold." 

I'm not good with fashion. I'm not so great with interior decorating. I bend a lot of the rules. Most days, I prefer to wear jeans and tee-shirt. I'm boring that way. But does that make me less of an artist or less of a writer?

It dawned on me that for many of us, we're in a holding pattern...waiting for things to line up just so. Because when they do...THEN we can go after that dream. Because THEN that dream will look like it's supposed to. 

But what if your dream could come true without you having to create the perfect circumstances first? What if you could put yourself out there just as you are today...a perfectly authentic version of yourself...and what if people accepted you just the way you are. 

Today. Now. 

Not ten pounds from now. Not one trendy haircut from now. Not Anthropologie wardrobe from now. Not perfectly styled, vintage inspired, magazine worthy house from now. 

But today. Exactly as you are. Authentic. Real. Harried. Overwhelmed. Inspired. Passionate. Genuine. 

What if you decided to live out loud just as you are? To be kind to yourself knowing that you're a work in progress...and therein lies the joy...

And what if it changed your entire life?