Res • cue /'reskyōō/ verb - to find, save, recover; to set free from, deliver, to liberate; 

Well there she is...in all of her glory.
RESCUE... the word (and symbol +) I've chosen for 2019.

Yep.
I plan to rescue ME...
which makes me the rescuer AND the rescuee.

If you remember, last year I chose the word "FREE".
Even a year ago I had this underlying desire to "rediscover, unbury and reconnect
with the girl I once was." The primary emphasis being on my health.

Ironically, I even used the word "rescue" a year ago when I said, "I am running fiercely to meet her; to grab her hand and continue the journey together...I'm sprinting through the wide open prairie to wear she is standing and has been waiting for me to return. And I know when I reach her...I will not have rescued her...she will have rescued me."

With much disappointment in my heart to have to admit this...she's still waiting for me my friends.

So yeah...I started January feeling so much disappointment because although I made some progress in 2018 with regards to my health, it's not even close to what I envisioned "FREE" to look like or better yet...feel like.

But...I can tell you after spending the entire first month of 2019 "planning, dreaming, diving into what really matters to me this year and especially what steps I need to take to make important things happen" I have definitely felt a shift.

Instead of allowing myself to be stuck in disappointment, I've adopted this mindset I recently wrote during some brainstorming/journaling:

"...maybe what I need to do is surrender to the place I am at right now. Perhaps let go of the unmet expectations and the failures related to my health. And just start where I am at. Let go of what worked or what didn't work and just listen to my body. And start exactly where I am...as ugly or as messy as I believe it to be."

Besides, remember the Reflect + Release post when I said, "We feel all the feels, we reflect on the progress or lack thereof and then...we close the chapter with gratitude."

Today I am grateful for...
- the self-care steps I implemented in 2018.
- the things I learned and tried that did not work well for me.
- the hope and expectation I feel for 2019.
- the renewed commitment to becoming a better version of me.

The word "RESCUE" has a sense of urgency associated with it.
And that's exactly how I'm feeling about tackling what's ahead for me.

I'm on a "Rescue Mission" my friends...a "Search + Rescue" specifically.
Aside from writing the rescue symbol (+) on my wrist every morning as a part of my new morning routine, I've been using some other tools to help me carry out my rescue plan this year. I'm excited to be sharing those with you soon.

What's your word for 2019? I'd love to know what's inspiring you and what goals you are looking to reach this year!!

PS - Let's stay cozy + connected in-between posts...find me on Instagram for daily inspiration.
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KEEPiNG iT REAL
I've got about 50 Hershey products to photograph and style and I'm definitely feeling a tremendous
amount of pressure to meet a January 8th deadline. (it's a working weekend for me my friends).

Good news is...I vowed "no sugar" in January despite the daily temptations of the chocolate I'm surrounded by...and I DID it!! I stuck to my promise.  It's amazing how powerful the "+" symbol I've been writing on my wrist has been. *wink*

iNSPiRE | My One Little Word for 2018

Hello January 2018!
I welcome your opportunities, your joy, your blessings, your happy memories + good health for myself, my family, my friends in real life, my friends that join me here on my blog and on social media. I embrace and welcome all of the good you have to offer each and every one of us and I celebrate the chance to do some good, to create some good and to feel some good. *wink*

Time for a new focus word and mine this year is....FREE.
And boy did I struggle for whatever reason to pick just the right word this year.
My word typically finds me without me searching.
Not this year.
Maybe because I knew it really needed to be a good one...
one with power...
but one that I would love to see written and spelled out...
because you know I love hand-lettered anything and I'm such a visual person.

(Heck! I even picked my children's names based on how it felt hand writing it out on a sheet of clean white paper). *wink*

But why the word "Free"?
I needed a word that represented an "unearthing" of sorts.
I needed a word that stood for "letting go", a "rebirth" AND an "elimination + purging" mindset.
A word that symbolized a "peeling away of layers".
A word that represented "healing".

I was searching for the perfect word to harness some beautiful energy for the journey ahead to rediscovering...and unburying...and reconnecting with the girl I once was.

Specifically to the girl who has buried her good health under layers of disappointment + shame, to be completely honest.
As I recently wrote in my journal, "I've been storing food reserves for a very long winter apparently." - lol  And this needs to stop. Self care is my number one this year. Period.
Everything else is secondary.
Essentially, if I can get a handle on my overall health everything else will see improvement.
I've played the victim to my own insecurities and unfortunately allowed myself to become a prisoner in my own body; a prisoner to my fears. A prisoner to my doubt. A prisoner to lies I had convinced myself to be truth.

I need to break out of the prison and be FREE!
I can visually see it in my mind.
I can see the girl I once was...the one I left behind. I'm looking at her. She's looking at me. Our eyes have locked and I am running fiercely to meet her; To grab her hand and continue the journey together;  To remind her I haven't forgotten her. I have NOT left her behind. I am back.

I'm running back to rescue the girl who's optimistic, cheerful, trusting heart has been crushed by life experiences.

I'm sprinting through the wide open prairie to wear she is standing and has been waiting for me to return. I can see this vividly in my mind. I cannot let her down. I cannot leave her standing there anymore. And I know when I reach her...I will not have rescued her....she will have rescued me.

Can you feel the passion in my words?  I hope so...because I can feel it in my fingertips as I type.

A spent hours upon hours looking up words that might be the word I was looking for!

Tend, restore, pure, clean, cleanse, reclaim, shift, return, reset, refresh, rebuild, dig, peel, chip, core, shed, center, root, foundation, excavate, create, carve, mold, chisel, unveil, beauty, unmask, claw, fight, war, take back, unbury, raw, stripped...and well.

I had convinced myself that my word was "well"! 

Then I changed it to "grit"!

And then I ended up at "free"!

"Well" was so awesome in so many ways but ultimately I decided it was too "soft".

So I then I did a 360 and chose "grit" which was a super tough and energizing word...but not "pretty" and appealing to me visually.

And then "FREE"....defined as:

No longer confined.

Not a slave.

Unimpeded.

Of power + energy.

Not bound.

Not subject to or constrained by.

Unrestrained.

Uninhibited.

Release from physical obstruction, restraint or entanglement.

Remove something undesirable.

BINGO!! That's it. 

It's an action word.

It's definition touches on everything I'm focusing on.

And it's aesthetically pleasing to my eye. *wink*

From my journal, "Free. That's nice on the ears and eyes and it touches on my 3 H's:

HEALTH + HEART + HOME"

HEALTH - free from my physical prison - aka fat layers + less than desirable level of health

HEART - free from guilt, pain, hardness, numbness

HOME - free up space in my life by continuing to simplify, declutter + getting rid of things.

I know that was a lot to read and take in.

I'll finish with this last sentence...

From my journal: "This year ahead is going to be really hard physically AND emotionally because of the awesomeness I'm looking to uncover within myself." 

Yes!! Amen to that! And if you are looking to uncover your awesomeness too perhaps choosing a word might be something to help motivate you!

If you do the whole choosing a word thing each year and are looking to uncover your awesomeness too, I hope you have found one to keep you energized.

And if you've never tried it...I highly recommend it. Tip: Choose a verb. It's got more power behind it. More action. And that's what choosing a word is about!

xoxo,

Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL

I'm definitely going to have to come back to this post and read it when I need a boost of energy and will power. Writing this has pumped me up all over again!!

I've added exercise into my life 2-3 days a week and have been eating so much better for the month of January. I'm a little behind in some goals I set for myself but writing this post has given me some renewed energy to make it happen. 

ONE LITTLE WORD 2016 | Less :: Perfection - a photo with a story

It's January 20th and I am finally mailing out my "holiday" cards, which, as you can see, are actually "New Year's" cards this year.

The perfectionist in me grumbles a bit to myself about this, and gives me a familiar look of disapproval and disappointment - like something one might expect from the stereotypical hyper-critical mother-in-law. 

However, the person who's learning to be a little more gentle with herself is tossing confetti since I'm putting them in the mail, high-fiving myself for not giving up and celebrating the fact that New Year's Cards actually make a lot more sense. Who's idea was it anyway to add one more stressful thing to our list of things to do, smack dab in the middle of the Christmas season? *wink*

Either way you want to argue it, the photo on the card has a story;
A humorous one actually - with some life lessons mixed in with it.

The storyline is all about "perfection".
One of the ways I happen to be utilizing my One Little Word, (LESS), this year is with regards to perfection.  I'm making a concerted effort to choose less perfection because PERFECTION IS AN ILLUSION, friends. And I'm working on ways to stop chasing after it.

So, speaking of illusions, let's talk about that photo on our New Year's Cards;
It's one of the reasons for the delay in sending out our cards in the first place.

First of all, as many of you have experienced, it's no easy feat having family pictures taken.
And for me, it's always a dilemma because I'm the photographer, making it harder to get a great family photo because I'm on the other side of the camera typically.

This being said, wrangling up all three of my girls on the same day is difficult - especially with one of them in college now. So, we decided on a day in November so Clara could meet us after work one afternoon in downtown Mt. Dora. This really gave Clara very little time to change and try to meet us before the small window of natural light disappeared on us. But we went with it anyway.

Clara was thirty minutes late, I was stressed and grouchy and this, my friends, is what ended up happening...

Lots and lots of overexposed, blurry photos. 

I couldn't believe it! I was in such a hurry, scrambling to utilize the disappearing light, I wasn't paying the least bit attention to what my camera was trying to tell me. I kept dismissing the overexposed images that kept showing up on the LCD monitor as if they had something to do with my 12 year old DSLR that had been giving me strange error codes previously.

So there I was, staring at photos upon photos of blurry photos on my computer I couldn't possibly use for my Christmas cards, knowing there was no fathomable time to gather all three girls together again for a do-over.

I thought all was lost. I seriously made the decision to not even send cards out. After a couple of weeks of stepping away from the photos, I looked at them again and decided one picture out of the bunch showed some potential for being salvaged; The very last photo in the bunch...taken just as the sun had literally disappeared from the sky.

I altered the lighting a bit... 

and then changed it to black and white.

There.
A little bit better.
I could totally pass this off as an intentional "artistic" image of my girls. *blushing*
I wasn't convinced I could really get away with it but uploaded the photo to Shutterfly anyway.

Is the photo what I had originally envisioned? No.
In fact, the girls have a sort of "ghostly" feel to them which creeps me out a bit.
But you know what I do love?
I love that this photo tells a story.
It tells my personal story of progress...not perfection.

This perfection-seeking mama of three has come a LONG way my friends. I still have a long way to go but I can tell you the previous me would've stressed out my kids, (and myself), with a re-do photo shoot.

This messy and imperfect and "not what I had dreamed of" photo will remind me for years to come that perfect is an illusion and that letting go of perfection keeps me humble...and human and HAPPY! 

To the family and friends receiving these this year...
"Now you know the whole story!" *wink*

Thanks for being here you guys! And for being part of my journey!
xoxo
Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Until now, I've been too embarrassed to confess to my family that my camera settings was what was responsible for the blurred photos. Although I'd assumed it was from my ancient camera, I discovered later, the dial on my camera had been changed. (by a higher power I'm presuming? To teach me such an important lesson, perhaps?) *blushing*

ONE LITTLE WORD 2016 | LESS :: Clutter

"Five in 5" - the fun little game I've made up to eliminate 5 random things from my life in 5 minutes everyday in an attempt to declutter and move toward my one little word for 2016: Less.

Good morning friends!! 

I just finished my green smoothie for the 30-day Green Smoothie Challenge my family and I are doing this month and it's the perfect time to follow through on my promise to share the "magic" that's already been happening in my world with regards to my One Little Word for 2016!

I remember when I started reading the ever-popular The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo last year. I dove into the book motivated and excited to get my house in order once and for all. 

I was intrigued to find out more about this revolutionary concept of decluttering and organizing and I literally got halfway through the book and read somewhere in the pages the average process would take 6 months. Six months!! I was so discouraged by those words, I put the book down and never picked it back up. 

With that said, my desire to declutter never went away - just my energy to make it happen.

THE CONCEPT

Five in 5 came from my desire to experience a sense of accomplishment (along with the empowering feeling purging provides), every single day - no matter what. 

Whether I'm sick, tired, burned out, dragging, deflated, overwhelmed or have just had a busy day, this  Five in 5 is something I can still manage to do. 

I didn't sit down and plan this out or spend hours thinking about it. It's really just something I started doing out of frustration, honestly, and it's quickly become an addictive habit. 

HOW TO START

Just randomly pick an area of your life, (drawer, refrigerator, dresser, pantry, kitchen, space, room, desk, closet, freezer, purse, bookshelf, car, garage, backpack, social media...whatever), and remove 5 things you don't need, don't use + won't use. Bam! That's it. 

DISCARD, DONATE, DESIGNATE, OR DELETE

Remove the 5 items from your life by applying one of the 4 D's...

Discard them in the garbage or recycling, donate them to GoodWill or a local church, designate a box for an upcoming garage sale or in the case of digital clutter...just hit delete!

Want to see what I've gotten rid of so far? I've been keeping a running list...

WHAT I'VE PURGED IN SIX DAYS

Empty soap bottle in shower

Stretched out hair tie

11 plastic medicine droppers + cups from kitchen drawer

Purged + organized one junk drawer

(I had more than 5 minutes to spend on this so I took the opportunity to make it happen).

broken glass from frame

camera bagstrap

scarf

business card

t-shirt

12 hair accessories

1 can of glitter hairspray

lunchbox

box of candy crystals

green tea bags

meringue powder

old popcorn shaker labels

On top of that, you may have noticed I've decluttered the sidebar of my blog...

AND...I've unsubscribed from over 172 email subscriptions using www.unroll.me in an attempt to clean up my inbox. *confetti*

This simple system is really working for me. 

If you've been feeling the urge to purge, I encourage you to try out this Five in 5 concept!

I'm certain you will be inspired!! 

I know I'm absolutely LOVING it and I'm already feeling the power in "LESS"!!

Do you have any brilliant ideas you'd like to share that you've found really helps to control the clutter? Leave a comment or send me an email: pnpflowersinc AT gmail DOT com

Until next time...here's to less clutter and MORE clarity!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

Hi! My name is Jessica and I've recently become a "purge junkie".

I feel a sense of anticipation and excitement as I look for ways on a daily basis to experience the high that comes from getting rid of stuff. *wink*

On another note...you all are blowing my doors off with some great questions rolling in for the "Let's Talk Tuesday" post next week. I appreciate the emails and feedback and look forward to sharing!

iNSPiRE | One Little Word for 2016

A photo posted by Jessica | Pen + Paper Flowers (@pnpflowers) on Dec 31, 2015 at 8:35pm PST

Happy New Year,  friends!!!
It's that time of year for resolutions, promises, goals, dreams, motivation, changes...right?!

Well instead of getting all wrapped up and overwhelmed in all of that, I'm focusing on my one little word for 2016...

less.

Yep! That's it. That's my word!
A word that in actuality encompasses all of those before-mentioned things but in a nice, tidy, simple little package. 

It sounds pretty wimpy and unglamorous, doesn't it?
Don't be fooled though.
There's a lot of power that can come from that little word and I'm expecting big things!
I'm figuring that by focusing on the word "less" in all areas of my life...
I will actually end up with "more".
More of what really matters.

less clutter - more clarity
less distractions - more focus on my family
less sugar - more sustained energy, health + vitality
less comparisons - more creativity
less time in the studio - more focus during business hours
less procrastination - more productivity
less social media - more time blogging...because that's what I love!
less second guessing - more confidence
less fear - more faith
less time in my head - more time in my world *wink*
less excuses - more doing

And there's more I could share but I'm keeping it "less" today. *wink*

I was led to choose "less" by this blog post I read from Emily Ley.

And then I realized, as I typically do with all of my words each year, I've been on a journey towards this word over the last year.  Funny how things work out like that.

I've slowly been gravitating towards a much more simple life with regards to home decor, eating, work load + just taking time to smell the roses.

I'm really excited to watch the powerful changes I anticipate will unfold over the course of this year.

With that said, I've decided it would be fun to share a weekly update on how + what I'm doing with my word so you can watch my progress and cheer me on. I do hope you'll cheer me on! *smiling*

I'll pop in later this week to fill you in on the magic that's already taken place from this simple little word...and it's only Day 4 of 2016.

If you are new to the concept of choosing "one little word" and want to know more...or if you are curious as to what my past words have been, here are a few different links...

2015 - Shine
2014  Navigate
2013 Push
2012 no word - I was lame and didn't pick one...*blushing*
2011 Fresh

I'd love to hear what YOUR word for 2016 is!!
Share it in the comments!
I'll pick someone at random to send something special to.

Here's to less...so we can all have more! More of what matters!

xoxo,
Jessica

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Speaking of "what matters"...after a chest x-ray today it's been determined Ella has bronchitis. Boo!
She's been sick for the last week with a nagging cough and after a week of meds and no real improvement I took her back into the doctor today!

Lucky her though...she and Ema built a blanket fort just before New Year's Eve and she got to sleep in it for 3 nights in a row! She thought that was pretty awesome! I finally had her take it down last night so we could have some semblance of order back in the living room. Although she was definitely disappointed to have to take it down, I've promised to have a "sleepover" with her on Friday so we'll be setting up the fort again and this time I'll be sleeping in it with her. *wink*

MUSIC | Bright :: Echosmith

So...you know my one little word for 2015 is Shine...

And when I heard "Bright" by Echosmith I added it to my "theme song" list for the year!
It's an upbeat song with positive feel-good vibes and the lyrics above are just a few of my favorite lines. I also love "Heaven + Earth have finally aligned. Days are good and that's the way it should be.
You sprinkle stardust on my pillowcase, it's like a moonbeam brushed across my face."
I think it's a perfect reminder to "shine bright"! *wink*

I'm always listening to a plethora of music so I really can't define my music style.

Right now though, over the last few weeks I've found these titles blasting while I'm working or in those rare moments when I'm driving alone in the car. Some of them are for motivation while exercising, some are to wind down and others are just because. No judging. *wink*

Bad Blood by Taylor Swift
Clean by Taylor Swift
This Love by Taylor Swift
Scared or Selfish by Kye Kye
Birthday by Jillian Edwards
Pieces by Andrew Belle
Multiple Love by Paper Airplanes
Smother by Daughter
Black Bear by Andrew Belle
Peace by Kye Kye
Still Here by Digital Daggers
Finale by Mashur & Kevlar
DJ Turn It Up

Maybe something will "strike a chord" with you too?!
Let me know if any of them do...

KEEPiNG iT REAL
DJ Turn it Up should be played on a music system with a lot of bass...wait for it to "drop" *wink*
Pumps me up every time and makes me want to dance!!

FUN | Dreams Are Like Sprinkles Art Print + Giveaway Winner

I've got two fun things to share with you today!!
First up is this adorable "Dreams Are Like Sprinkles" Art Print I designed for The Cake Blog this month. If you love it, you can head on over to download the FREE 8x10 right now. Although it's perfect for the kitchen, I can see this charming print displayed pretty much anywhere in your home.

The second fun thing is the announcement of the winner from the "May You Live A Life You Love" giveaway that included these inspirational books + note card set by Compendium.

You can find out who the winner is by visiting the Book Club - February Pick post...
The winner's name is posted on the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of the post!!
I appreciate all of the entries and positive feedback about the start of the book club!
Check out the post announcing the PNPF Book Club and how it will work if you happened to miss the post.

If you will be participating in the PNPF Book Club starting February 1st, you can grab your copy of "May You Live A Life You Love" by MH Clark on Amazon or at your local book store. I'm not sure if you can snag this one from the library or not but it's worth checking into. Although I really think this book will become a treasure you'll want to keep around your house for a long time...like as in forever. *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Is it weird for me to be excited about packaging up these lovelies?
The idea of sending off a box of inspiration to someone totally lights my fire!!
And hey...that totally has everything to do with helping me to use my One Little Word, SHINE, this year! *wink*

NEW | All Things Shiny + New

It's the first real working week for me since ringing in the New Year!
I think it's probably that way for many of us.
So…it's time to get down to business….right?

Well…business for me, today, includes a breakdown on my thoughts behind how  the "One Little Word" (OLW) I've chosen for 2015 will play a huge roll in my ideas and wishes for this new year.

PLUS…I'm (1) making a fun announcement today that may also (2) include a giveaway… a triple whammy to get things rolling!! That should keep you reading…right?

So, before I go into the specifics of the "WHAT"…
let me start with the "WHY"behind my pretty little word this year…SHINE

The "Why"
Remember I told you the word found me?
First, it was in the form of a book called SHINE from Compendium.
Then, one Sunday at church, we ended the service by singing an impromptu acapella rendition of "This Little Light of Mine". Even though I didn't actually grow up singing that song…as I'm sure many of you did…I recognized it right away and sang right along to it. (clueless to the fact that it would be symbolic of my olw for 2015).

You see, I wasn't searching for my One Little Word when I received the Shine book OR sang along to the "This Little Light of Mine" song so it wasn't until a couple of weeks later that the lightbulb went off in my head. I realized my one little word had been sitting just outside my door…quietly waiting for me to open it. I'm always amazed and surprised how things like that work out.

On top of that…I also realized sooooo many of the daily inspirational quotes I created and shared over the past year on my Instagram feed were related to SHINE. So crazy and awesome!!

So I'd like to think that my 2014 word, Navigate…led me to my 2015 word…Shine!
I really believe in that stuff.

The "What"
SHINE…what does that mean exactly?
If you look up the actual definition it means a couple of different things:
1. Give out a bright light.
2. Be very talented or perform very well.
3. A quality of brightness - especially from reflected light.

That's exactly what I want my year to be about!!
1. I want to radiate
2. I want to perform well
3. I want to reflect goodness and light in my own world as well as in the world around me.

I REALLY want to SHINE this year.

And when I say "shine" I mean I want to
SHINE in my relationships.
SHINE in my work.
SHINE to inspire others.
SHINE through negativity and doubt.
SHINE through the darkness that surrounds us all in this crazy, mixed up world.
SHINE so brilliantly I push past fear, worry, anxiety, exhaustion and completely trust in His love for me and the direction He has for my life.

I want to SHINE in every aspect of my life...
Physically
Spiritually
Emotionally
Financially
Relationally

I've started a list of things/goals related to my life and my business.
After my list is completely written out…I'll SIMPLIFY it…choosing a handful of things to focus on.

So…just as my 2014 word, Navigate, moved and guided me towards SIMPLICITY + Authenticity…
SHINE will continue to LIGHT my path and keep me traveling in the same direction.

This one little word concept can be powerful stuff.

"It's about pinpointing one guiding principle and then walking with that word throughout the year." - Ali Edwards

The idea is to pick the word you need - a word that will motivate you.
You then find a visual way (or ways) to keep that word in front of you as a reminder through the year.
(an art print, a piece of jewelry, etc).
Then...of course, you find ways to incorporate that word into your life in order to grow.

I've gone as far as choosing a SONG to go with my word.
For last year's word Navigate, I chose Oceans by Hillsong.
This year…I'm choosing Elizabeth Mitchell's version of "This Little Light Of Mine" - no brainer, right?

If you REALLY want to get serious about choosing and implementing the One Little Word concept into your life, check out the One Little Word Online Workshop by Ali Edwards. She offers the workshop every year in which you'll receive monthly emails filled with content and videos that will inspire and encourage you along the way. WATCH THIS AWESOME VIDEO about Ali's story and the One Little Word Concept!!

I'm excited you guys.
I'm also excited about some fun new ideas I've got for this blog.
One of which is the announcement of the new

PEN N' PAPER FLOWERS (PNPF) BOOK CLUB!!

Those of you who don't read - don't roll your eyes just yet.
You're going to want to hear this because this is going to be a
different sort of Book Club.


You all KNOW how much I love books around here.
But I'm not sure if you've made the connection yet with the TYPES of books and the TYPE of reading I like to do.

I do books that will inspire creativity 
and books I can learn something from.


I have been wanting to start the Book Club since the end of Summer but knowing the holidays were around the corner I just didn't feel the timing was right. So I had to wait…impatiently by the way.

For me…the idea of doing the Book Club WAS NOT born out of my desire to WANT to read more or to encourage YOU all to read more. Come to think of it, it has nothing to do with reading at all. 


The book club idea came to life because it should have ALWAYS been here, honestly.
I've been sharing books that interest and inspire me for a long time here on the blog.
Now I'm just inviting you to join along with me!! Fun, right?


Remember these: What Do You Do with An Idea, She, Butter Baked Goods, Miette, Carrot Soup, With Love and Two ?

With that said…my monthly book selections will be EASY reads. These will be books I have carefully, thoughtfully and intentionally selected to inspire you...in a number of different ways for your REAL life.

You won't find any steamy novels, controversial reads, dramas or science fiction going on in this book club. You may however find yourself  in "horror" if you decide not to participate because this book club should add some "action and adventure" to your life! Ha!! I couldn't help myself!! *wink*

I'll be selecting books to inspire us in the kitchen, in our homes, and even at our desks. These books will inspire us as moms...as women. And even though I could TOTALLY pick a pretty baking book every month…the book selections will extend beyond that. 

I can't begin to tell you how much I'm going to love sharing this experience with you. I really think you are going to love it!! (maybe just as much as I do).

SO HERE'S HOW THE BOOK CLUB WILL WORK

Monthly Book Selection
The book selection for the upcoming month will be announced here on the blog, the 2nd Friday of the month prior. For instance, February's book selections will be announced on January 9th - this Friday.
This time frame should give you a couple of weeks to head to the library OR find the book on Amazon or at your favorite book store before we get started.

Monthly Book Review/Discussion
A book review/discussion will be posted here on the blog the very last day of every month.
February's Book Review will happen on Saturday, February 28th.
In each discussion I will share my views on the book and will look for feedback from you by way of you leaving a comment on the blog.

So…to recap…
The book we will be "reading" for February will be announced on January 9th.
You will get the book and start reading it on February 1st.
On February 28th we will come back here to check in and share our thoughts about the book.

Easy enough, right?
And the best part is…
This is something ANYONE can participate in at ANY time.
There are no rules…no commitments.

I'm just looking to share with you what I'm already doing…what I'm already reading…
and if you are inspired to read along with me…GREAT!! I will LOVE it!!

Email subscribers will automatically receive notification of the monthly book club selections - so if you aren't signed up yet you can SIGN UP HERE! 

Stay tuned for February's Book Club Selection announcement on Friday!
I'll be giving away a FREE copy of the book I've chosen along with a copy of the "SHINE" book
that helped inspire the choosing of my One Little Word for 2015.

P.S.
The Teresa Collins clear + gold acrylic clipboard and cute gold notebook you see in the first photos were items I recently found at my local JoAnn's. I thought they were the perfect, pretty reminders for me to SHINE??

xoxo

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I've already found myself singing my theme song around the house a couple of times.
It's bound to drive my two older girls nuts. *wink*

iNSPiRE | One Little Word 2015 + A Book :: SHINE

A photo posted by Jessica Kirkland (@pnpflowers) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:30pm PST

That's my One Little Word for 2015…SHINE!
I posted this photo on Instagram a few weeks ago before even realizing this would be my word for 2015.

I'm excited about it and I have to say…it completely found me.
I'm pretty sure I felt that way about my One Little Word for 2014 too.
BUT…"Shine" actually found it's way to me in the form of this book from Compendium…called SHINE! It literally fell into my lap! *wink*

I LOVED it as soon as I saw the cover and fell madly, deeply in love with it once I started reading through all of the inspirational quotes that fill the pages. Not only are the quotes related to "shining" or "light" or being "brilliant"…the pages themselves "sparkle" with gold and metallics.

I've attempted to photograph some of them to convey the gleam on the pages - they aren't wonderful photos but I'm pretty sure you'll get the picture...

 "She just had a presence, an energy, a sort of light coming from within her"

"To be beautiful means to be yourself." 

"It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light."

"It's a far brighter world because you're in it."

I just LOVE inspirational books like this!

They are a quick read, they're pretty enough to leave out on a coffee table to inspire those that come into your home, (and of course those that live there too),  and they make BEAUTIFUL gifts.

Find out how I intend to make 2015 a beautiful year using my One Little Word, "SHINE" as inspiration!!

If you want the book for yourself you can order Shine by M.H. Clark right now.

OR…you can hold tight and wait for me to announce a giveaway I'll be doing that will include your very own copy!! Woot! Woot!

Happy New Year everyone!!

Here's to a great year ahead…with lots of opportunities for us to SHINE!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

I had wanted to share all of the information about my One Little Word pick in one post but truth be told, I feel like I've been trying to write this post all day now and the non-stop interruptions from my sweet family just will NOT allow for anything more than this today. 

I've learned to stop fighting against the current…I'm going with the flow. *wink*

LIFE | Navigate (part II)

So I finally shared my "One Little Word" with you earlier this week…
and I'm back today to share the 2nd part of the extra long blog post and give you a little more insight into my selection as well as share with you an amazing resource I have found. So let's start with the resource first…

image source: Ali Edwards

In 2011 I chose "FRESH" and called my "word for the year" my "focus word".
I skipped right over even picking a word in 2012 and then...

iNSPiRE | Navigate (part I) - One Little Word 2014

NAVIGATE…
1. to move on, over, or through
2. to direct or manage...
3. to ascertain or plot and control the course or position of...
4. to pass over
5. to walk or find one's way

Like many of us, when I think of navigate I think of the captain of a ship.
Someone responsible for the vessel…the crew…and for the overall experience of the journey.

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I've been wanting to write this post for days but…