This is something that has always tickled the back of my mind. Bloggers inspire me. What could be better than taking all your favorite things, all your skills, everything that makes you happy- and then sharing it with others who find joy in them too? I am constantly seeking out inspiration for everything I do in life, whether that’s parenting, cooking, housekeeping, or fixing up our property. Without a lot of other human contact in this stage of raising small children, I sometimes find myself in an awkward, dismal place when I try to turn off the internet. It’s a tough balance: trying to stay off your phone in order to give your kids enough attention, and maintaining some sort of contact with other adults. I’m sure every mom gets it.

I walk a fine line between homebody and people pleaser. As a kid I had a red hardcover sketchbook that I loved to draw in. It went everywhere with me and got passed around every bus ride and classroom I brought it to, collecting signatures of the other kids that looked through it. I learned at a young age that others loved when I made art, especially when it was for them. For ten years I committed myself to mainly commissioned artwork, even teaching myself to paint so that I could better follow through with their requests. I LOVE to create and share.

And then along the way I created my most incredible masterpieces- my four amazing children. My life plan was to spend my work days painting in some sort of awesome art studio while my kids were in school- then retire and set up an easel in Italy on vacations with my husband. Low and behold, my kids aren’t the go-to-school type. They were born with the blood of our farming families, obsessed with tractors and baling hay and growing food. So plans changed. I jumped on board the homeschool wagon, and we bought a fixer-upper farm. There hasn’t been much time to paint since then. But I’m learning that I can still scratch the artsy itch within the endless DIY home renovations and in the schoolwork lessons I do with the kids. They’re teaching me as much as I’m teaching them.

All in all, I’m excited to see where this goes. I’m thankful for a husband who keeps telling me to do this, and for a space where I feel like I can express myself authentically. Hopefully this will help motivate me to stay positive and keep creating even when I’m swamped in dishes and diapers. I’m not even sure how much I’ll use this website right now… but hopefully I’ll manage some posts and photos while trapped under a sleeping baby. And that is pretty often, so maybe it’ll all work out!