second helpings

On some of the best nights growing up, my mom would make "hors d'oeuvres dinner," which was an assembly of meats, cheeses, crackers and vegetables she'd put on our plates to let us make our own little combinations. I remember it mostly in the summer, when it was too hot for something warm. We'd sit on the ground on the back deck of our house, freshly bathed and giddy in the warm air as we made tiny little cracker sandwiches.

Those evenings always felt special and a little fancy; we were eating party food. Now, we laugh about it because those were generally the nights when my mom didn't have time to make a big dinner, after toting all five of us to multiple sports practices and events.

Even though there was always plenty of food for second helpings of even the best cheese on the plate, something I've noticed about kids from big families is that they always eat really quickly. It's likely a combination of worrying about the good stuff getting taken first, and also a collective team energy that happens when eating in a group of five kids. When you have four playmates ready to catch lightning bugs with you, you're going to plow through those little sandwiches as quickly as possible.

I've been thinking lately, that sometimes this mentality applies to life, too. 

We want to rush through the first helpings and get to the seconds, just to make sure there is enough for us:
She's having a baby already? I need to hurry up and get married so I can, too. 
They're buying a house? I need to stop renting and buy one, too.
She got a promotion? I need to get out of this job and on to the next one.

But this isn't an economy of scarcity. This life will not run out of babies and houses and promotions or anything else that is not easily quantifiable. Just because someone else beat you to it does not mean you've lost your chance. When the time is right, opportunity will find you.

When we rush the whole way, we miss the chance to taste the first course. There are enough helpings to go around for all of us.

So what does enjoying the first course look like today?

What do you need to stop rushing through? Are you waiting for someday and disregarding the now? Are you letting your desire to get to your future keep you from living in the moment?

Today, let's focus on enjoying the first course, even when we feel like we're ready for seconds. Let's focus on the tiny sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres dinner, and trust that we'll get to dessert when the time is right.

{capsule wardrobe}

Happy Monday! Spring happened around here this weekend - everything came into bloom and today we're supposed to hit almost 80 degrees. Needless to say, I'm smiling at my computer right now. I love spring so much!

Last week, I was talking to Robyn and she mentioned trying out a capsule wardrobe. I had heard about them before but had always wondered what the deal was. She introduced me to Un-fancy's version and before I knew it, I was set on trying to build one.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my Lent challenge is to give something away every day. I thought I'd dedicate this past weekend to emptying out my closet to see how close I could get to a capsule wardrobe. I've been feeling very weighed down lately by how much stuff I have. I feel overwhelmed with options and also heavy - do I really need this much?

I'm a real purger in almost every facet of life, but when it comes to my clothes, I am a hoarder. I can rationalize anything.
What if I randomly want to wear this? 
What if I really need this for something specific even though I haven't worn it in years? 
It was so expensive and I've only worn it once.
It still has the tags on it! (the worst of my worsts)

I decided it was time to make a change. I don't want to be a slave to my possessions and I don't want to fill my house with more stuff simply because I have more room.

Like Un-fancy suggests, I emptied everything out and was overwhelmed by how much there was. Where was it all hiding!?

I put things back in one at a time, but only if I loved them. If I didn't love them, they went into a maybe pile or into a trash bag for Good Will.

Three hours later, I'd filled 10 trash bags of clothes to donate, gotten rid of one nightstand and had two trash bags full of hangers. I would venture to say 75 percent of my closet is gone. I deliberated on consigning, but decided against it.

I want to create a habit of giving generously without expecting things in return. It gave me a lot of anxiety to fill bags full of clothes and I found myself trying to calculate the monetary value as I loaded my car. But clothes sitting in my closet aren't bringing me financial gain. Consigning them might, but it didn't feel right in the moment. Why make money off of something I haven't worn in (some of them) years, when I can donate them to someone who really needs them?

I didn't quite get down to a capsule wardrobe, but I purged a whole lot and feel light on my feet today. Yesterday, when I picked out my outfits for the week, it was  liberating to have so many fewer options. I like everything in my closet now, so whatever I grab to wear works!

I'm also slightly obsessive so now I want to purge every closet in the house. Minimalism here I come :)

I hope you had a great weekend!

::wednesday feelings::

This winter has been wonderfully less busy in my personal life. I haven't traveled as much on the weekends and I've kept my weeknights open. This means I've had room to say yes to impromptu adventures and dinners and walks with friends. I've also had more time at home to reflect, read and cook. I feel relaxed and at ease and am wondering why I used to pack every minute of every day so hard.

Why do we so often find our worth in being busy? I've found that making time to refuel and filling my hours with things that really matter is so much more life-giving.

But, alas. It's a lesson I'll probably learn again & again.

Just wanted to check in, say hi and share a few updates :) Here's what I'm feeling today:

Excited about creating a website for my coaching business. It's really real now!

Happy about the spring weather in Atlanta. Hallelujah we survived the winta!

Inspired by the fact that people are still adding money to this coffee card. Get yourself some java, my friends!

Refreshed by my new iphone background. Changing the phone background is like the hand-held version of rearranging a room to me. Immediately refreshing!

Hungry for this Broccoli Quinoa Bowl. Literally. My stomach just growled.

Thirsty for this Chocolate Espresso Protein Shake. Wowza. Thinking I'll make him this weekend!

Creatively charged by the pottery class I took a few weeks ago. Mission accomplished!

I hope you're having a wonderful week. Make time for yourself and get outside!

{free coffee, free happies}

Something you should know about me is this: I'm a gift card hoarder. I never spend them because I obsess over buying the perfect thing. I'm a total prisoner to the plastic, which means I have about 50 in my purse (not an exaggeration). It's like the candle you never burn or the outfit you never wear because you love them so much.

For Lent I decided to give something away every day. Whether it's big or small need not matter - it could be a clothing item, essential oil, coffee mug or anything in between. I'm hoping that by giving away things - especially things I like - I will be less attached to my possessions and cultivate a posture of giving in my own life.

Last night, I decided to tackle my personal struggle and give away a gift card. I added $25 to an existing Starbucks card (making it just over $40 for 40 days of Lent) and posted it to Instagram this morning. I thought it would be fun for people to grab a coffee on their way into work.

It was the best morning watching the card be used and, just as it got to $0, someone reloaded it. Over and over again, people kept using it, then adding more. It was the gift card that never stopped giving and I was ecstatic all afternoon as it kept going and going.

It got me thinking about the way I look at my possessions. Sometimes I feel weighed down by them - I have so much stuff; do I really need it all? What the experiment taught me is that sometimes, having something to yourself can bring you joy. But most of the time, sharing it with others bring the joy back ten fold.

I don't know what is left on the card, but feel free to get yourself a coffee (you can scan it just like a gift card), add more to it, buy for a stranger or create your own way to share the love.

Happy Wednesday, my friends!