Last week was rough. One of the roughest I've had in a while.
I'm overwhelmed.
I'm tired.
I'm weary.
{It didn't help that I saw The Odd Life of Timothy Green. If you have ever experienced infertility, DON'T see this movie in a theater. My emotional outburst was embarrassing.}
It's no secret on this blog that I have had many moments of doubt with my business. I love what I do, but it is hard. Sometimes it is too hard.
Lately I have been feeling like nothing in my life is getting 100%. My house is a constant disaster. Laundry is never put away. I haven't done anything fun with my kids this summer. I'm way overdue on goals I had for the Choose Joy event. And my to do list is never even close to done.
I am a person that likes to be busy, and is not easily overwhelmed, but this season of my life is testing that.
This morning at church we sang a worship song with a line that says, "Nothing is impossible with God, He holds my world in His hands."
As happens often to me with the worship at our church, this song spoke straight to my heart. I pray for and about my business often. From day one I have placed this business in God's hands, and I have confidently followed when I have felt Him leading. He has blessed my business far beyond what I could have asked for, and He has confirmed for me time and time again that He has me right here for a reason.
In this season I've been feeling like peace is impossible, but this morning my sweet Lord reminded me that nothing is impossible for Him. So once again, I am placing my business in His tender, loving hands and asking for His wisdom. And the good news for me is that this is not my first rodeo with Lord. When you have walked with the Lord for a while, you have the advantage of having seen His faithfulness along the way. I am trusting that God will reveal His will for Much Ado About You, and give me the strength to follow that will.
I said the other day, it would be so much easier to quit my business if it was failing, but to walk away simply because I can't keep up with its success would be so difficult.
But here it is... I'm saying this out loud so that you can all hold me accountable: if the Lord asks me to walk away, I'm ready.
I trust Him.
I want peace.
So I'm ready.
But I'm also ready to suck it up, take a deep breath, and push past this rough season if this is where the Lord wants me, because I know that the peace that feels impossible is possible with Him.
Are you in a rough season? Are you overextended and feeling like you have nothing left to give? Are you just tired? Will you do something for me??? Will you join me and trust God to be faithful in your life too? Let's walk this road together and be encouraged by each other's sweet victories as the Lord brings us our impossible peace. And remember that if it seems impossible, that is the best time for God to reveal Himself in our lives.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Adriana Laura Photography & Design
A few weeks ago Much Ado About You had our first Product Photo Shoot with models, and booths, and vintage galore!
My husband's cousin once removed {I think I got that right} is an amazing photographer, and I was lucky enough to snatch her up for this shoot. You can find her at Adriana Laura Photography & Design.
I also recruited some seriously gorgeous models: my friend since the 7th grade and a gorgeous red-head, Katie, and the beautiful and talented Natalie of Take the Canoli.
We are working on new product packaging and a fabulous new home page for the shop featuring the pics from the shoot, but I couldn't wait to share them with you. Here are just a few of my favorites:
If you would like to schedule a shoot with the ubber talented Adriana, contact her through her website.
She also makes BEAUTIFUL invitations and announcements... multi-talented!
My husband's cousin once removed {I think I got that right} is an amazing photographer, and I was lucky enough to snatch her up for this shoot. You can find her at Adriana Laura Photography & Design.
I also recruited some seriously gorgeous models: my friend since the 7th grade and a gorgeous red-head, Katie, and the beautiful and talented Natalie of Take the Canoli.
We are working on new product packaging and a fabulous new home page for the shop featuring the pics from the shoot, but I couldn't wait to share them with you. Here are just a few of my favorites:
If you would like to schedule a shoot with the ubber talented Adriana, contact her through her website.
She also makes BEAUTIFUL invitations and announcements... multi-talented!
{All photos are copywright property of Adriana Laura Photogrpahy.
Please feel free to share, but credit both our shop and Adriana Laura Photography & Design}
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Getting on my Soapbox
Subtitle: Why I Choose to Support Chick-fil-a
Yesterday I took my kids to Chick-fil-a. We stood in line for about a half an hour, and waited almost as long for our food.
Luckily I wore my blue pants, so I could find myself in this picture that was on the LA Times website:
Here's the thing. The reason I went to Chick-fil-a yesterday had absolutely nothing to do with gay marriage. I went to Chick-fil-a because {the last time I checked} we don't live in North Korea, and it is not okay for the government to shut down a business because of the personal beliefs of the owners.
I don't buy Krispy Kreme Donuts because of the owners stance on abortion, gay rights, or school vouchers. I buy Krispy Kreme Donuts because they are delicious. {Shoot, now I want one.} I'm sure that if the owner of Krispy Kreme was asked his personal stance on some controversial issues there would likely be one or more that I would disagree with. But I'm also pretty sure that I would still buy Krispy Kremes. I really like Krispy Kremes.
I am so tired of living in a country that is totally obsessed with tolerance, except when it has to do with Christianity. It is not okay to say anything against anyone, except if those people happen to be conservative Christians. And then it is okay to completely bash the hell out of them.
I saw many heated debates happening on Facebook yesterday {which is actually one of the things that makes me tire of Facebook}, and there was a time that I would have been very judgmental and joined in on the rage. But in my old age {;)} I have come to realize that hearts are won through love and not judgment, which is why I wish that people would understand that yesterday was not about judgment.
Is it just me, or is boycotting a business for their personal beliefs completely discriminatory? And isn't being discriminatory exactly what these people are boycotting??? I'm confused.
I heard a lot of things being thrown around about what Chick-fil-a has and has not done... most of which I believe to be completely false. I happen to personally know several Executives and Store Operators from Chick-fil-a, and I know them to be wonderful, loving, giving, and all-around awesome people.
If you choose not to support Chick-fil-a for whatever reason, that is your choice, and that choice is exactly what I was supporting yesterday by supporting Chick-fil-a.
And that's my opinion... not that you asked for it.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Not a Poster Child
Have you ever heard the phrase, "The cobbler's kids have no shoes."?
The essence of this phrase is that sometimes a professional is so busy caring for their clients and their business that they neglect using their skill to help their own family.
My friend Brooke's husband used to have a side business helping people with their computer woes. Brooke didn't have a working printer in her house for years.
A friend that I grew up with had a mom that was a practicing Family Therapist while her own marriage was crumbling to an affair that ended up tearing their family apart.
I sell Day Planners. A place to write down when you have an appointment with your Aesthetician, when you told a friend you would meet her for coffee, when your son has a dental appointment, or when your very good friends are having their son's birthday party {there is even a pocket folder to hold the invite to said birthday party}.
Yeah. I mention these particular examples because I have missed every single one of them in the last week. Did I mention I sell Day Planners? Organizers. Calendars. SCHEDULE KEEPERS for the love of Pete!
Oh... look at that. I just realized that I also missed my friend Nicole's birthday. And I even texted with her that day about missing the birthday party! Good grief.
Good thing my customers don't judge my products based on their ability to keep my life in order. I'd definitely be out of business.
The essence of this phrase is that sometimes a professional is so busy caring for their clients and their business that they neglect using their skill to help their own family.
My friend Brooke's husband used to have a side business helping people with their computer woes. Brooke didn't have a working printer in her house for years.
A friend that I grew up with had a mom that was a practicing Family Therapist while her own marriage was crumbling to an affair that ended up tearing their family apart.
I sell Day Planners. A place to write down when you have an appointment with your Aesthetician, when you told a friend you would meet her for coffee, when your son has a dental appointment, or when your very good friends are having their son's birthday party {there is even a pocket folder to hold the invite to said birthday party}.
Yeah. I mention these particular examples because I have missed every single one of them in the last week. Did I mention I sell Day Planners? Organizers. Calendars. SCHEDULE KEEPERS for the love of Pete!
Oh... look at that. I just realized that I also missed my friend Nicole's birthday. And I even texted with her that day about missing the birthday party! Good grief.
Good thing my customers don't judge my products based on their ability to keep my life in order. I'd definitely be out of business.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Mushroom Chicken
Lately I have been obsessed with mushrooms, which is funny because I
used to hate them. See... I may be opinionated, but my opinions can
change. I'm open minded like that.
Anywho... one night a few weeks ago I wanted to make dinner without going to the store, so I used what I had on hand and came up with my family's new favorite recipe: Mushroom Chicken
Now, if you love recipes and follow them to a tee, you're not going to like to cook my food. I rarely measure anything and so you'll have to bear with my "some" and "a swig" descriptions. But I promise you really can't mess this up, so just try it.
What you'll need:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary {I use fresh and chop up at least a heaping tablespoonful}
Poultry Seasoning
Italian Seasoning
Cooking Sherry or any Dry White Wine
Alright, stop right there for a minute. You should pretty much have these ingredients in your pantry at all times. This is how I season all my chicken for any meal. Put the chicken in a Pyrex baking dish, season well with everything listed and pour the wine on top. You can add lemon, potatoes, asparagus, balsamic vinegar... any number of things, but I promise delicious, flavorful chicken every time!
Okay, back to what you'll need:
2-3 Large Russet Potatoes
Butter
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Garlic Salt
Heavy Cream or Cream Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Boil the potatoes until they're soft, drain, add a bunch of all the ingredients I just mentioned. Mash. Taste it. Probably add more Lawry's. Done.
Wait, I got side-tracked. There's still more stuff you'll need:
Mushrooms {I use Baby Bella and I buy them in the bag that is already cleaned and cut... I hate cleaning mushrooms}
Onion
Sugar
More Sherry
Heavy Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Okay, so here's how to do it so that it is all ready at the same time:
Peel and cut the potatoes into large slices, about an inch thick. Put them in a pot of salted water and set them on the stove over high heat to boil.
Season the chicken as I described and put it in the oven at 350 degrees.
Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Heat some oil in a sauté pan and add slices of onion, the mushrooms, and about a tablespoon of sugar {keep a little but of the onions and mushrooms aside for later}. Let this cook, stirring every once in a while. Let it all caramelize and get dark and kind of burned looking.
When the timer goes off, take the chicken out of the oven and spoon the onions and mushrooms over the chicken. Don't pour. I use tongs. You want any juices and little burned pieces to stay in the pan for the sauce.
Put the chicken back in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes.
Add some finely chopped onions and mushrooms to the pan that you just took the other onions and mushrooms out of. About a half a cup or so of each.
When they have cooked a bit add some of the sherry. I don't know... maybe a half a cup to a cup. Let that reduce. Add the heavy cream. I keep adding it until it seems like I have enough sauce for everyone. Then sometimes I add some more wine... then maybe some more cream... just keep going until it seems like it's enough and a good, thick consistency.
You should probably check on your potatoes right about now. They should be done. Prepare them like I told you to above.
I like to make a simple salad to go along with it.
Did your timer go off??? It probably should be beeping right about now. So pull the chicken out of the oven.
To serve, put a big pile of mashed potatoes in the center of your plate. Place a chicken breast leaning on the potatoes. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan, then pour some of the sauce over the whole thing. Add a small helping of salad on the side. Voila!
Beautiful. Easy. So yummy.
{Sorry about the iPhone pictures... Iwasn't really planning to blog about this, but I just had to share.}
Anywho... one night a few weeks ago I wanted to make dinner without going to the store, so I used what I had on hand and came up with my family's new favorite recipe: Mushroom Chicken
Now, if you love recipes and follow them to a tee, you're not going to like to cook my food. I rarely measure anything and so you'll have to bear with my "some" and "a swig" descriptions. But I promise you really can't mess this up, so just try it.
What you'll need:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary {I use fresh and chop up at least a heaping tablespoonful}
Poultry Seasoning
Italian Seasoning
Cooking Sherry or any Dry White Wine
Alright, stop right there for a minute. You should pretty much have these ingredients in your pantry at all times. This is how I season all my chicken for any meal. Put the chicken in a Pyrex baking dish, season well with everything listed and pour the wine on top. You can add lemon, potatoes, asparagus, balsamic vinegar... any number of things, but I promise delicious, flavorful chicken every time!
Okay, back to what you'll need:
2-3 Large Russet Potatoes
Butter
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Garlic Salt
Heavy Cream or Cream Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Boil the potatoes until they're soft, drain, add a bunch of all the ingredients I just mentioned. Mash. Taste it. Probably add more Lawry's. Done.
Wait, I got side-tracked. There's still more stuff you'll need:
Mushrooms {I use Baby Bella and I buy them in the bag that is already cleaned and cut... I hate cleaning mushrooms}
Onion
Sugar
More Sherry
Heavy Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Okay, so here's how to do it so that it is all ready at the same time:
Peel and cut the potatoes into large slices, about an inch thick. Put them in a pot of salted water and set them on the stove over high heat to boil.
Season the chicken as I described and put it in the oven at 350 degrees.
Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Heat some oil in a sauté pan and add slices of onion, the mushrooms, and about a tablespoon of sugar {keep a little but of the onions and mushrooms aside for later}. Let this cook, stirring every once in a while. Let it all caramelize and get dark and kind of burned looking.
When the timer goes off, take the chicken out of the oven and spoon the onions and mushrooms over the chicken. Don't pour. I use tongs. You want any juices and little burned pieces to stay in the pan for the sauce.
Put the chicken back in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes.
Add some finely chopped onions and mushrooms to the pan that you just took the other onions and mushrooms out of. About a half a cup or so of each.
When they have cooked a bit add some of the sherry. I don't know... maybe a half a cup to a cup. Let that reduce. Add the heavy cream. I keep adding it until it seems like I have enough sauce for everyone. Then sometimes I add some more wine... then maybe some more cream... just keep going until it seems like it's enough and a good, thick consistency.
You should probably check on your potatoes right about now. They should be done. Prepare them like I told you to above.
I like to make a simple salad to go along with it.
Did your timer go off??? It probably should be beeping right about now. So pull the chicken out of the oven.
To serve, put a big pile of mashed potatoes in the center of your plate. Place a chicken breast leaning on the potatoes. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan, then pour some of the sauce over the whole thing. Add a small helping of salad on the side. Voila!
Beautiful. Easy. So yummy.
{Sorry about the iPhone pictures... Iwasn't really planning to blog about this, but I just had to share.}
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
You're Welcome
If you're feeling a little blue, or bored, or you just would like a good chuckle... please, to enjoy:
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Choose Joy Event
A few months ago {has it really been that long???} I told you about a new calling that I felt on my life. {You can read about it here.}
Well I have been dying to share more details, but my life has been a tad bit hectic and I wanted to wait until I had some things in order.
So I am so thrilled to finally tell you all about the Choose Joy Event: a one day, faith-based conference geared towards women who are experiencing infertility and/or have a desire to grow their family through adoption.
Can I just tell you something really quickly? When God places a calling on your life, He is faithful to provide the tools to follow through with that calling.
Within a couple of weeks of deciding to take on this event, I had women from all over the country committed to coming to California to speak at our conference. Amazing women. Women who could get paid big bucks to speak, but are coming for free because they believe in this event.
I know how lonely and painful the road of infertility can be. It is my greatest desire that Choose Joy will be a place where women can feel understood, encouraged, and informed.
Since the day I started planning I have been praying for each woman that will attend this event. I cannot wait to see how the Lord is going to change lives through the connections that are made on February 9th.
If you or anyone you know {and statistically speaking you should all know someone} is walking this path, would you please share the Choose Joy website with them?
If you would like to get involved, there are details on the website about how you can help.
I can't wait to share more with you about how this event comes together. I know there will be God-sized miracles happening along the way.
Well I have been dying to share more details, but my life has been a tad bit hectic and I wanted to wait until I had some things in order.
So I am so thrilled to finally tell you all about the Choose Joy Event: a one day, faith-based conference geared towards women who are experiencing infertility and/or have a desire to grow their family through adoption.
Can I just tell you something really quickly? When God places a calling on your life, He is faithful to provide the tools to follow through with that calling.
Within a couple of weeks of deciding to take on this event, I had women from all over the country committed to coming to California to speak at our conference. Amazing women. Women who could get paid big bucks to speak, but are coming for free because they believe in this event.
I know how lonely and painful the road of infertility can be. It is my greatest desire that Choose Joy will be a place where women can feel understood, encouraged, and informed.
Since the day I started planning I have been praying for each woman that will attend this event. I cannot wait to see how the Lord is going to change lives through the connections that are made on February 9th.
If you or anyone you know {and statistically speaking you should all know someone} is walking this path, would you please share the Choose Joy website with them?
If you would like to get involved, there are details on the website about how you can help.
I can't wait to share more with you about how this event comes together. I know there will be God-sized miracles happening along the way.
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