Teach-It Tuesday: Wood Slice Fall/Winter Decor Tutorial

I’m pretty excited that I finally am able to get this post done, just in time to line up with my “Teach-it Tuesday” blog series. One of the most asked questions in my DM’s is for tutorials, (handlettering, makeup, hair, eyebrow) and if I’ve learned anything these past few years, if you really want to grow your platform give the people what they’re asking for.

So friends, today I want to help you guys make something fun for your home that will transition from fall into winter!

Supplies: (all available at Michaels)
Wood Block
Sharpies (Metallic Silver, Gold & Black)
Black (or white) Acrylic Paint
Paint Brush
Pencil

1. Paint wood block
2. With the pencil, lightly layout the design for your block.
3. Ink in the design with Sharpies
4. Erase pencil lines
5. Style in your home

I’ve shared some of my designs that I have in my home, so you can create your own! More Christmas & Holiday designs will be coming soon!

All designs are the intellectual property of Jordanne Marie, and is illegal to recreate and sell. Please be kind and don’t steal.

The Comparison Monster

Well friends, I have been Bitten. Hard. By the mean and nasty comparison monster. I didn’t think I was feeling that insecure about our life, home, style, etc, but as I sit here and type this, with the sound of ocean waves crashing, sipping my cold coffee and my two little girls napping peacefully, I realize just how harshly I’m judging myself. I should be putting my clean clothes away, cleaning a bathroom that hasn’t been cleaned in over 2 months, filling out the paperwork I need for Jonathan’s doctor appointment this afternoon, or one of the other million things I told myself I should do in order to make my day seem accomplished.

Instead, I caught myself in an instagram scroll about 20 minutes ago, as I often find myself; scrolling and dreaming of the day when I will feel put together enough to share more of our story. Maybe when I have more time on my hands to sit down and write, or when we have more money and aren’t feeling completely overwhelmed by the debt that makes us live paycheck to paycheck. I’m waiting for the day that my photos look like “HERS” and when my walls are painted white, with farmhouse decor (even though that is NOT MY STYLE). I'm waiting for the day when our house is “in order” or “settled”, or when I feel like our life is interesting enough to share. I tell myself that even if I decided to START this little blog that I’ve been dreaming about starting for years now, no one is going to care. No one is going to read it because we aren’t as popular or as well known as other bloggers with bigger followings. So, Who is going to care?

So… instead of writing, I scroll. And the more I scroll, the more bitter I become, because I want to be doing this… I want to hustle. I want to write & share our life. I want to have a reason to work in my office again. I want to listen to uplifting podcasts about going out and chasing your dreams and not feel completely guilty that I’ve been given this amazing opportunity to be a stay at home mom. I want to be encouraging and to find connection with other women who find themselves in the trenches as I am. I want my husband to see that this outlet for my creativity isn’t just something to take me away from my most important work of taking care of our children. Ultimately, I want to be able to contribute financially and still stay home with my children! (And please don’t try to get me to join your MLM, because I’ve tried & learned I’m not good at that stuff.)

I have listened to Mary Marantz’s podcast on Comparison at least five times now, and I could list out a million things from that episode that hit home because it’s all Gold. (if you haven’t listened, go do it now!) But the five biggest take aways for me are this (most of this is taken right from the podcast):

1. Comparison is the thief of TIME. How many perfectly wonderful days have we lost because we felt small by comparison to what others are doing, wearing, experiencing?

2. We need to stop sentencing ourselves to a life where we don’t have permission to show up and celebrate our wins anymore (regardless of how small they may be).

3. Stop telling ourselves that “it’s not okay to be a WORK IN PROGRESS”.

4. We aren’t all running the same race. So throw the confetti & clap for your own dang self.

5. The ideal finish line of success is not a fixed marker. And you could spend your whole life putting off being happy, proud of & excited for the things we’re accomplishing simply because there is someone else further ahead, running a completely different race.

I miss spending time with these beautiful ladies.

:MIND BLOWN: Now can you see why I’ve listened to this episode so many times? Not to mention, listening to Mary Marantz talk about anything, makes me want to stop in my tracks and listen. She’s the real-deal friends, and if you’re not already subscribed to her podcast, you need to. Click HERE.

So I’m going to do it. I’m going to show up for my own life, throw the confetti and clap for my own dang self, because I need this. No more excuses for why I can’t start, because the journey is still the story. And if no one reads this, and it’s merely an outlet for me to feel a little less alone then so be it, I’ll know that I tried and gave my best effort. Because I don’t want to wake up one day, with my kids in high school and realize that I missed my chance to document their lives when they were young. I don’t want to look back and say “man it was hard, but its all a blur.” Because I never celebrated the small wins or the little victories.

Teach-It Tuesday: 10 Min Hip/Low Back Stretches

With my past two pregnancies, around 20 weeks I started to experience TERRIBLE hip, pelvic and lower back pain. I couldn’t even walk a mile without almost being in tears. I would describe my problems to my doctor and they would just write it off as pain that is common with pregnancy. I would go to the grocery store and end up leaving early, because the pain was so unbearable that I could barely handle pushing the cart. Lots of crying. Lots of frustration, that only got worse the second time around having to chase after an active two year old. I started going to a chiropractor, which was a great temporary fix, but later that night, I was back to the same pain. Turns out I suffer from Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or (SPD), and no one could give me any answers on how to make it better. 

After giving birth to Verona, I still struggled with that back and hip pain, it was so bad that I wasn’t even able to pick up my right foot to get dressed, I could barely handle carrying Verona to and from the car, and walking up and down stairs became almost impossible. It was pretty scary to be 31 years old,  unable to sit on the floor with my kids or take my kids for walks and push them in the stroller. I felt weak. So I decided to take matters into my own hands, bought a stationary bike, started stretching, yoga and taking spin classes and I ended up feeling so strong and the SPD pain was completely gone. 

When I found out I was pregnant in November 2018, I made my husband promise to make sure I don’t give up on cycling and that I stay active. Now at almost 32 weeks, I feel great! Granted, I’m still pregnant and there is always a level of discomfort that comes with that, groans when getting out of bed, getting up off the couch, etc. But last weekend, we almost walked/hiked three miles and there was no complaining on my part. These stretches have helped me immensely, and when I start to feel a little sore, I stop what I’m doing and make sure I stretch to reset my body. I hope these are able to help you as well! 

All you need is a yoga mat, yoga block & have your socks and shoes off!  I’ve linked the ones I have. 

THE ROUTINE 

• Start with a few rounds of Cat/Cow. (3-4x)

• In a cross-legged seated position, right foot in front of left, walk your hands forward and keep your back long and straight. Hold for 10 sec. Walk hands to the right and then the left & then back to center, holding for 10 sec each way. Switch feet and repeat. (To modify, I sit in a butterfly pose and use a block on my feet to rest my head) Then I added a few side bends.

• Lower your body to the mat, feet should be hip width apart, and bridge your back and bum up, then slowly articulate your spine back down to the mat. Concentrate on getting each vertebrae to touch the mat individually, upper back, middle back, lower back. (Repeat 3x)

• Marching Flow- lift right leg to the sky, cross over left knee letting your leg relax and open up, then back to the sky and back down to the mat. Repeat the same with the left leg. 2x each leg.

• Repeat again with your right leg, cross over left knee, but this time hold it and press down on your hips making more space in your spine and hips. Then thread the needle, by placing both hands around your left leg and pulling it into your chest, holding for 10 sec. Then slide both legs, and grab your ankles for “cow-face pose on your back” and hold for 10 sec. Place both feet on the mat, reset with a bridge and repeat with the left side.

• Walk your feet to the edge of the mat, and bring your knees together so you are “pigeon kneed” then drop both legs to the right, then both legs to the left, almost like windshield wipers. Repeat this 4x total. Then both knees to the left and take your left foot and place it on top of your right knee. Repeat on Right side as well.

• Using your block, place it at the base of your spine, lower back. Pull your right leg to your chest, then stretch your left leg long. Try to rotate your left knee inward to feel more stretch in your hip. Hold for 10 sec. Repeat with other leg.

• Happy Baby: On your back, grab the inside of your feet and rock from side to side.

• Come to a seated position, and repeat the second step, seeing how much more loose and open your lower back and hips feel.

Please let me know if this has helped you, or if you would be interested in more posts like this. We need to stay active! I refuse to go back to all that discomfort and back pain, when carving out 20-30 min a day to make yourself a priority is so easy! Happy Tuesday! <3 

The Parable of the Peonies

I felt the anxiety welling up inside as we pulled out of the driveway for a long weekend away. All over Instagram were gorgeous photos of Peonies, beautifully styled photos, and ours were just starting to bloom. "I know they are all going to bloom this weekend while we are gone and I'm not going to get to photograph them, style them or even enjoy them." 

It's been exactly 5 years since we signed the papers and got the keys to our little Burnt Orange Mid Century Mod House. In those five years, we've completed MANY MANY projects, but my most favorite outside addition was the two peony bushes that we planted out front. 

Every year since we planted them, I wait in anticipation to see how many blooms I will get that year. I panic and obsess over them. I fear that if I don't cut them all and bring them all inside that I'm going to waste them. One year, I even went as far as to try and put them in the fridge and save them for months later. But as I was showering the other day, I had this crystalizing epiphany. 

Which is where the "Parable of the Peonies" came from. There were two maidens, both with gorgeous gardens full of Peonies of various colors. The first maiden would wait with anticipation as her garden blossomed. She would obsess about trying to make sure that she enjoyed every second of her garden, to the point that is caused her so much stress that she spent the entire time worrying she was missing it. She would anxiously plan out things to do with her flowers, photo shoots, social media posts, but then she would blink, and just like that the flowers had died and she forgot to enjoy the beauty that she was blessed with. 

The second maiden, like the first, waited with anticipation for the joy that these gorgeous blooms would bring to her, and with pruning sheers in hand, she snipped a few stems for herself to enjoy inside. The sight & fragrance of the flowers brought her heart so much joy & as she looked over the bushes, she saw so many flowers and realized that there was no way should keep these all to herself. So she snipped a few more, wrapped them up, and decided to make a few deliveries to others who she knew would enjoy their beauty as well. Because when the day is done and the flowers die (as they always do), you will be left with nothing. But using something as simple as a flower to spread love, joy & friendship to those around you, that's a way to make them last far longer. 

I'm learning to work on that whole contentment, & living in the moment thing and in case you were wondering, I haven't quite figured it out just yet, but I'm trying. Maybe it's the photographer in me, or the fact that I'm sadly too obsessed with social media, but I never feel like I can truly live in the moment if I'm not able to take photo documentation of said moment. 

Have you seen this photo of the sweet little old lady enjoying the moment, as everyone around her is feverishly trying to document every second with their phones? It was like a punch to the gut for me, because it's easy for me to be one of those people looking at life through the lens of my iPhone. But when was the last time that you sat back, put away the phone, and enjoyed life as it was actually unfolding, minute by minute, and truly felt content with the season of life that you were in. Not telling yourself, well if I could just get to this point I would be okay. If I could just declutter the whole house, and get everything clean, maybe I won't feel so crazy. If I could just lose 20 pounds, maybe I'll be happier. 

There will always be goals to accomplish, laundry to wash, a house to clean, but there will never be another day just like today, so enjoy where you are and share your joy with those around you. Life isn't about the things you have, its about the relationships you build, the legacy of love that you create, and the ability to love others the way that Jesus loves us.