The Gift of Giving Life...

I don't normally do book reviews on here, but I couldn't not do a review on this book! I haven't wanted to read a ton of books about pregnancy and childbirth right now, mainly because there is so much information and opinions out there... it can be a bit overwhelming. Everyone has an idea as to how things should be done, all the different methods, and it can get confusing.

But this book has been such a blessing in my life and is probably the best book I have ever read, honestly.

My friend Rachelle recommended The Gift of Giving Life to me a little while ago. I'm not much of a book buyer, I would rather just check something out from the library. But after reading the blog for a few days I knew that I had to go find this book. It took three stores but I finally got a hold of a copy. It was really hard to put down and I finished it in a week (not bad for over 500 pages).

Basically, it's a book about the spirituality of childbirth, motherhood, womanhood told from an LDS perspective. It is complied by five LDS women, all with different strengths and insights that they brought into this book. It talks about just about everything under the sun in relation to womanhood such as all different types of birth stories, abortion, adoption, infertility, post partum depression, dreams of children before they are born... the list goes on and on. They talk a lot about the different women in the scriptures and their births or struggles with fertility, how the atonement is so parallel to birth. They even talk about a lot of things that you wouldn't normally hear about, such as thoughts on Heavenly Mother and meditation.

What I love the most about this book is that I felt so connected to my fellow LDS sisters. In the last few years I've felt like the minority among my good friends and family members who were raised in the church like I was but are no longer are part of the church or have it in their lives. I completely respect their decisions and opinions. But at the same time I have never felt that way. I love being a woman in the LDS church. I feel honored, and loved in my religion. I've often wondered if I'm totally missing something... if I'm supposed to feel belittled or less than a man because I can't hold the priesthood or be a bishop? Am I supposed to feel bad because women don't wear pants to church? Because I never have... it just doesn't make sense to me. All of these topics that have been coming up, that women in the LDS faith are having the wool pulled over our eyes I've never agreed with. I don't feel that way. I've never felt more loved and respected as a woman anywhere in the world as I have within my religion. Reading this book it was so refreshing to me that there are other LDS women out there that feel the same way that I do about our religion, about womanhood, and the divine role of motherhood, and about being a woman in the LDS faith.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but I HIGHLY recommend this book to all women in the LDS faith. It was so uplifting to read. I feel like a lot of my fears in this pregnancy because of my past have been settled and comforted due to this book. It has been amazing to read and to learn from all the different experiences in there.

So my friend Rachelle who recommended this book to me failed to tell me that it was her sister who co-authored this book! I figured it out when I read about her in there and read the birth story of her son as it was told by her husband in the book. Last night there was a book party where two of the authors would be meeting and anyone who wanted to come and talk about the book could. So we headed down for a fun and fulfilling night to talk about womanhood, motherhood, and God. It was so nice to be in such a good, positive environment like that!

I tried to just soak in the good vibes that were all around. With everything that has happened this past week and with what has happened in my last birthing experience I was ready to just sit back, remember that God is in charge and that he loves and takes care of his daughters. It was nice to be surrounded by women who feel like birth is a spiritual event, not just a "medical event" that happens.  It's bringing a spirit son or daughter into the world.

 Rachelle, Me, Robyn Allgood and Lani Axman (both co-authors).

I felt kind of silly asking them to sign my book, but why the heck not! Once again, I can't recommend this book enough. I think it's time I start reading it again for round #2...

Pieces...

My friend Michelle's little ladies...

Something interesting that has happened to me in the last few weeks is that I've found myself several times sitting at someones kitchen table. Observing their life while they make dinner, or we just talk. It's so interesting to me to peek into someones life for an afternoon. I've noticed that these short small moments have left an impression on me. Seeing how other's live their lives, care for their children, or cook their dinner. I've been picking up a few pieces from others and trying to follow suit. Such as...

:: A dear old friend that I hadn't seen in a while had me stay for dinner after she let me sort through all her baby clothes that she no longer needed. She then fed me the most amazing dinner. It was mango, black bean, and a red pepper salad on romaine lettuce boats. So simple, so healthy, and amazing. I then watched her four little boys eat the same thing. Stuffing their faces with cherry tomatoes and black beans. I must be missing something here. Not a pack of mac n' cheese in sight. I left feeling refreshed and wanting to do a lot better for my family.

:: Another friend cooked away in her bright orange and blue kitchen. I love how she pulled glass bottles of water out of her fridge, that I know she filled up in the natural spring nearby. It sounds simple, but it doesn't get more refreshing than ice cold spring water in a glass bottle. I think it's been far to long since I made a visit to that spring.

:: Another friend made homemade alfredo and grated her own parmesan cheese. I don't know that I have ever bought actual parmesan cheese that didn't come in a plastic bottle with a green lid. Her children ran around in their unders/diaper happily while mom cooked dinner.

:: Maybe one of my favorites is visiting my friend Michelle and watching our kids chase chickens out in the yard while we make dinner. Every once in a while the kids will come inside with an egg in each hand that they found in the coop to add to the pile in the fridge. She grows a big garden and is a pro at grilling zucchini for dinner that tastes divine.

I love eating with friends... it's the good company, the conversation, and peeking into their life in an intimate way. Seeing how they cook, how they multitask, how they take care of their kids and be mom for a few hours.

 I also love taking pieces of that home with me, to my house. To my family. To make our lives a little more healthy, simple, and enjoyable. It makes me wonder though what someone might take home after sitting at my table for an afternoon. What could I offer my friends without even knowing it? Maybe it's time I followed suit and invited someone to sit at my table for an afternoon...

White night gown...

One of the movies that we watched on Christmas Eve was The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. I've been wanting to see this movie for a while but I was a little scared to. Knowing that it was about a couple who couldn't have kids and they end up growing a boy in the garden, etc. I watched it with my little boy and he was so sweet during it. He said, "I know mom, we can write down what we want in a kid and bury it out in our garden! Then maybe we can get a baby!" But I told him that I couldn't do that, because I have already been given the perfect little boy... I'm a lucky mama!

But what I ended up enjoying the most about the movie was the darling farm house that they lived in! Holy cow, I would love to live somewhere like that! The garden that they had outside, what a dream! Okay, I do realize that I live somewhere similar to this, but yes this was right up my alley. But what caught my eye the most was the white night gown that Jennifer Garner wore when the boy showed up.

Oh my, I loved it! Such a pretty night gown. I like the smocked top and how simple it is. I haven't worn a night gown since I was a little girl, but I might have to make me one like this. Best part of the whole movie was the farmhouse and the night gown ;).

Inspiration...

 Sometimes inspiration comes from unexpected places...

Sidewalk at our hotel...

 Windows at Vikingsholm...

Bubbles in my pineapple juice...

I think that it's time for me to start making my hexagon quilt that I've been dreaming of for a long time. I've spent the last couple days gathering up fabric so that I can get started. Butter, honey, sunshiny yellows... I can't wait!

My bedroom...

... is boring... period! I was going to do a before shot today but my camera wont even turn on... I think that it died. Lucky you!



I have never in the seven years that I've been married tried to decorate my bedroom... okay, that's a small lie. Last year my husband tried to help me decorate our bedroom and pressured me into buying this silver bedspread... which didn't help the problem. Then we painted the wall behind the bed a dark purple that was short lived because it just looked like mud brown... sigh... it's been struggling for a while now but I think that I finally have my ideas in line enough to make something of this room. That's one of my goals for this year is to make this room beautiful!



So here are the rough plans...





1- I've always wanted to make an upholstered headboard... and I keep going between a dark brown or a white one... but I think that brown is going to win out.

2- I love white bedding. I'm nervous about this one because I have a wild and sticky fingered little two year old... but there is always bleach right? This is one from West Elm that is just beautiful.

3- We need a new quilt for under the duvet as well.... and I really love this pattern called Stacking the Odds from Denyse Schmidt.

4- I love these knit throw pillows from West Elm. However, I think that I'm going to knit my own for our bed (besides, I saved this picture a million years ago and I don't think that they carry them anymore anyway...)

5- We had some amazing family pictures taken in September and I love them. Just the colors that I want to put in the room too... aqua, white, touches of yellow. And look at my little man... what a doll he is! I can't wait to put this one up on the wall!

6- We really need some more clothing storage in our room. I saw this Ikea Hack that Little Green Notebook blogged about. So nicely done! I think those would look great as night stands in our room.

7- Just tying in more of the pretty colors from the Hope Valley fabric line from Denyse Schmidt. More blues, aqua and yellow please!

8- Also some pretty artwork from Urban Design would look great on the walls...



So there are the plans... I can't wait for it to all come together!

Wooden clock...

I love this clock! I've spent the last few days trying to figure out how to transform my boring wall clock into something pretty like this... maybe a little different design but the same idea of it being out of wood with a clock painting around it. So simple and pretty...

Image first seen here.

Today's inspiration...

Could I please just jump right into this picture??? I love it! I love the cute blonde pigtails... the hand made socks all hung on a line... I love the trees... the little bits of snow peeking out... and I think that I'm going to have to try out this fingerless glove pattern sometime. Too cute!

Image from Purl Bee...