Friday Reflection...

A photo from the last day of our honeymoon....I miss seeing this every day!

This has felt like a particularly long week.  The weather has been unpredictable, I've had a few late night events that caused me to work long hours, and I just can't seem to manage my day well enough to get everything accomplished that I'd like to.  That being said, there have been some sweet moments that made it all seem better....coming home to an unexpected home-cooked dinner from my husband, great conversations (although via email) with some of my closest and dearest friends, and building excitement about upcoming trips this summer to see our family.

A few things that are on my mind as this week comes to a close....

1. Really considering trying to attend the alt conference in January....I've always dreamed of doing design/decor/blogging full-time, and this might be a great chance to get started.  Fellow bloggers, anyone had a chance to attend?  I'd love some feedback!!

2. In an effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle (and rid myself of the insatiable urge to eat sweets on a consistent basis) I want to make a better effort to research in-season fruits and vegetables and create recipes from them.  Husband and I both love to cook and I think it could be so great to use local, organic produce as often as possible.  On that note, I'm also thinking about starting an herb garden....any advice?

3. Meal-Planning.  As my schedule is a bit hectic day to day, running from work to the gym to home and trying to get a healthy and delicious meal on the table before my husband gets home, I think I may want to investigate meal planning.  I'm a planner by nature (event planner by trade!) so I am not always good at being creative and "whipping up" a good meal on the fly.  For me, searching for recipes and planning out our meals for the week seems like a great way to be more creative, save more time, and enjoy our evenings more fully.  Several bloggers I follow seem to be finding success with meal planning, and I'd like to give it a try as well.  If anyone has any tips they'd like to share, I'd love to hear them!

4. When we were dating, my husband made me a painting for my birthday that he said was a reflection of me.....it was a sturdy, structured tree that, instead of branches and leaves, had colorful circles bursting out in every direction.  He said that, like the tree, I am very proper and structured, but that inside I am bursting with color and creativity, and that I am afraid to let it out and explore it.  He is so right.  That painting now hangs in our dining room, and every day when I see it at breakfast I am reminded that God gave me so many gifts and desires that I am often afraid to explore.  I am full of dreams and ideas yet I tend to let my practical, logical side overpower them.  Lately I have been feeling really strongly that I would like to pursue some of my creative/design ideas, potentially even to the point of starting my own business.  Like my dad, and now my husband, always say, "without great risk there is no reward."  I know they are right, yet sometimes I feel so scared to take the first steps into the unknown.  I hope that being married to an intense dreamer will give me the push I need to get started...

With that, it's off to the weekend.  Here's to a refreshing, restful few days, honoring the Lord and serving others through whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in.