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life{in}grace

live with more presence, passion, & purpose

Edie Wadsworth

October Menu Plan

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We’re entering into one of my favorite months, beautiful October.  Starting tomorrow, I’ll  be busy doing my 31 Days series on Less and More, so I thought a well planned month of eating all our favorite fall foods would be a great way to start a busy month.  It seemed like the perfect little gift to you, too, for meeting me here everyday and being so encouraging and supportive!  And since I like to call myself the Soup Whisperer, I couldn’t be more excited about the arrival of soup season! Maybe this little list will  ease some of your meal planning stress!  I have a 4 post series on meal planning, so make sure you check it out, too!

Beautiful October, Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Check out my What’s For Supper Pin board for more ideas!

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(found on Pinterest, of course!)

Weekend Grace, Creative Made Home Edition

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CMH2-Home-Collage-Words-700x700I’m fully immersed in fall, as you can probably tell, so I wanted to  remind you of a wonderful opportunity that will inspire you in your fall and holiday decorating and homemaking.  Starting October 15, the new Creative Made Home Christmas class launches and you need to secure your spot today! I would be so honored to have you join us!! I’m teaming up with 8 other women to bring you lots of  fall and holiday inspiration.  Sign up now for $58 and be inspired by some of the most creative women in the blogosphere!

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The course will include recipes, handmade decor, handmade gifts, and stories of our favorite holiday memories, from all nine of us, with at least 30 videos for various fall and holiday projects.  The course  is $58 and will run for four weeks but you have access to the videos for one full year.  Some of the most creative bloggers I know are participating and you have access to ALL their videos and projects plus those I will be teaching.  The course will start October 15, in plenty of time for you to use many of the ideas in your holiday decorating and cooking this year.

 

 WHAT IS INCLUDED

* Each week you will have amazing truthful videos from the nine teachers.

* There will be 30+ project videos.

These will be incredible videos that include everything from cooking, gift giving and decorating.

                                *Tons of beautiful house photos from each of the nine women

 

*Supply lists and PDFs for each project

 

Sign up today and give yourself and your family the gift of a beautiful, cozy, and inspiring place to live and work and rest!

This course is about loving your home, loving your family and blessing those around you….and having fun doing it.

 




To register, click the paypal button above and then you will ALSO need to register at jeanneoliver.ning.com after you pay for the course.  This will give you access to Jeanne’s teaching classrooms.   You will create your own login and password and will have instant access on the day the course begins, which is October 15.

I can’t wait to share some holiday inspiration with you!

p.s. (If you shared about the course on your blog for a free spot in the course, please comment on this post and we will get you added to the course!)

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The first ten people to sign up for the course today will receive my hospitality ebook free!  Just register and then come leave a comment or an email telling me you did so!

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What I Learned in September

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1. I learned a new song by Patty Griffin. I’m a confessed Patty fan and somewhat ashamed of myself for just now learning the genius of the song, Mary, from her album Flaming Red It so inspired me in my mothering journey that I wrote about it.

2. I learned that decorating a room, together with a 13 year old, is pretty awesome.  I also learned the best and easiest way to make oversized photo prints.  I’ll be making lots more of these!

3. I rekindled my love with all things FALL and learned that there is no such thing as too much pumpkin.  I’m in love with pumpkins.  This week I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and chipotle pumpkin soup. Both to.die.for.

4. I was forced to remember that stress doesn’t agree with me.  I’ve been a busy girl since I gave up homeschooling—working on my 31 Days series coming next week, doing lots of projects for this blog and my Creative Christmas class, preparing my talk for Allume, working on my regular writing commitments, and keeping up with the normal stuff that goes with keeping a house running.  I now have a constant, horrendous headache from the blooming ragweed and 3 mouth sores.  MISerable, is what I am.  I need sleep and rest and dead ragweed.

5.  I learned that my friend, Emily, who is hosting this ‘What I Learned’ series, is even more amazing than I thought she was. (And I thought she was pretty amazing!)  She is such a gifted thinker and writer.  I adore her and her new book, Million Little Ways, A: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live on uncovering the art you were made to live.  You need to preorder this book today.  It’s a gem and will change the way you look at how you live your life.  I read half of it in one sitting the other night and can’t wait to finish it this weekend.  Thank you, Emily.  You are a treasure.

6.    I got my first Stitch Fix this month.  Have you heard of it?  It’s a personal styling service, where you sign up to receive five items in one shipment, based on your style, size  and budget preferences.  If you choose to keep any of the items, you pay for them, with no service or shipping fees.  If you don’t keep any of the items, you pay a $20 styling fee.  You can schedule one ‘fix’ per month or just randomly, as you need a few new pieces.  I have to say that as someone who loves style and clothing, but lives in a small town with very limited shopping options, I LOVE the idea of this.

I received my first shipment this month and it was like Christmas morning!  I only kept on piece, but I love it and I’m so excited for next month’s shipment.   To sign up, you can use my referral code (oh, please do!) or just sign up on their website.  With your shipment, they send these fashion cards, which give you ideas for how to wear and style your clothing.  The brands they work with are fabulous and I would definitely recommend trying it.  It’s as easy as answering a questionnaire on your style and sizing (the more specific you are, the better they can style for you) and then waiting for your first fix.  When the box arrives, you have three days to try the clothing.  Keep what you want and send the rest back in a prepaid package. For more info, visit their FAQ page.  Click here to sign up!

Here’s what I got in my first fix:  3 blouses and 2 necklaces

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I only kept one blouse and I decided to go in and change my settings so that I don’t receive jewelry.  I’d rather have more clothing to choose from and I didn’t love either of the necklaces.  Overall, the process was so much fun and I can’t wait for my next shipment, coming this week.  The blouse I kept was $40 and is high quality material and very stylish.

I loved the pattern of the zig zag blouse (number 1), but it was a high/low shirt (low in the back, higher in the front—like a shirt with a mullet) and I don’t love that cut on me, hair or shirt.  The red knit top was just okay, but not something I would normally buy.  The style card, in the right bottom of the collage,  comes with each piece you receive.  I’m a fan.  I think you’d love it, too!

So, how was your September?  What did you learn and are you so excited for fall?!

TGIF!!!!

Inspiration Interviews: Bloggers We Love {Ruth Soukup}

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Welcome to the first interview in a new series of video Inspiration Interviews with my favorite people/bloggers!  You are in for a treat with this series, as we get the know the creative, inspirational and beautiful women behind some of the best blogs out there.  I couldn’t be happier to bring you one of my dearest friends for our first interview—Ruth Soukup, from the blog site Living Well Spending Less.  She is releasing a brand new ebook into the world today called How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul), and I couldn’t be happier to be part of her book launch.  We did this video in 3 parts so it would be easy for you to listen in smaller snippets.  We talk about all sorts of things, including blogging, productivity, balancing work and home life, and of course Ruth’s new ebook, which is 99 cents today only!! Click on the link above and get it today, whether you’re a wanna-be blogger, newbie blogger, or veteran blogger.  (Scroll to the bottom of the post for my review of the book!)
Part 1, Introduction to Ruth, her blog, and her story of becoming a writer/blogger.

Some of her most popular posts:

 

Part 2  Blogging, Productivity,  and Ruth’s new book How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul)

Ruth has some great posts on productivity and contentment, including:

 

Part 3, 31 Days Series and Ruth’s BIG NEWS!!!!!!

 

Join us for our 31 Days of Less and More, starting October 1.

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My review of Ruth’s book:

“I’m a veteran blogger, headed into my 6th year of writing to a smart and engaged community on a variety of lifestyle topics.  I didn’t get to Chapter 2 before I was so compelled by her invaluable advice that I stopped reading and started implementing her smart and savvy tips on my site.  Four hours and a much better navigation bar later, I started reading more and found no less than fifty things that I could be doing better to make my site more reader friendly.  This is probably the 10th blogging ebook I’ve read, but  by the far the best.  She is brilliant and generous and you will be amazed at the pearls of wisdom in this little volume.  I love her style, which  is the perfect blend of the philosophical and the practical and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve referred back to her advice for my own blog.   It’s been a month since I employed many of her techniques and my traffic and income are up 25%.  I’m so glad she took the time to write this.  It’s a gift to the blogging community.“  -Edie Wadsworth
Read more at http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/09/25/how-to-blog-for-profit/#3KTECCqoMYlsL9Wm.99

blissdom1Patty, Ruth, and I at Blissdom.

Meditations on Mothering

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She buried her head into my neck and cried red, hot tears.  She already feels the sting of life and we sit in her bed and bear it together.  It might as well be the weight of the world.   Joy unspeakable awaits her, but so does heartbreak.  How do I tell her that this is only the tip of the iceberg?  How do I teach her what I’m still trying to know?

I protect her and love her and I listen to everything she doesn’t say.  She looks at me with eyes that know.  She needs my truth and my  story because her battles will be impossible sometimes.  She will know loneliness and loss and betrayal.  She will walk through fire and hard rain.  She will know heights of joy  she never thought possible and the depths of sorrows unspeakable.

This is what it means to be a woman—covered in roses and babies and secrets and pain.

So, I sit awhile and teach her to be a mother;  to nurture and love and serve, to show kindness and mercy in a world hell bent on hate and greed and death.

I stay.  I tidy up the room, but always I stay.

And she mothers me, too, in ways she’ll never know.

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Mary you’re covered in roses, you’re covered in ashes
You’re covered in rain
You’re covered in babies, you’re covered in slashes
You’re covered in wilderness, you’re covered in stains
You cast aside the sheet, you cast aside the shroud
Of another man, who served the world proud
You greet another son, you lose another one
On some sunny day and always stay, Mary
Jesus says Mother I couldn’t stay another day longer
Flies right by me and leaves a kiss upon her face
While the angels are singin’ his praises in a blaze of glory
Mary stays behind and starts cleaning up the place, Mary
She moves behind me
She leaves her fingerprints everywhere
Everytime the snow drifts, everytime the sand shifts
Even when the night lifts, she’s always thereJesus said Mother I couldn’t stay another day longer
Flys right by me and leaves a kiss upon her face
While the angels are singin’ his praises in a blaze of glory
Mary stays behind and starts cleaning up the placeMary you’re covered in roses, you’re covered in ruin
you’re covered in secrets
Your’e covered in treetops, you’re covered in birds
who can sing a million songs without any words
You cast aside the sheets, you cast aside the shroud
of another man, who served the world proud
You greet another son, you lose another one
on some sunny day and always stay
Mary

(Patty Griffin and Emmylou Harris)

Weekend Grace

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Happy first day of fall!  I woke up this morning, just north of Nashville at my sister’s new farm house, to this beautiful sunrise. It was so fun to see her new place and hug on the kiddos. The directions to her house go something like this:  Turn left at the wheat field and then right at the soybeans.   If you get to the life size Jesus, you’ve gone too far.  Not a word of a lie.  It’s like miniature Texas where she lives—old men in boots and cowboy hats and lots of horses. I’m only slightly jealous!

Fall has greeted us in the most glorious way!

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We’re home now and I may or may not be lying comatose on the sofa watching football.  We had so much fun, but it’s gonna be a few days before I’m functional and coherent.  I’ve always had a love affair with Nashville and every trip confirms the charm of the music city.  More on our trip in my newsletter (going out tonight, I hope!), so if you haven’t subscribed, do so now at this link!

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In other news, I love this post by my friend, Patty on the waves of change.  A great pattern for a knitted scarf, too.

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An incredible master bedroom makeover at Layla’s place.  The before and after photos are amazing!

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I’ve got apples on the brain and NEED to go the apple farm with my friend, Tammy, soon. Love this caramel recipe from HowDoesShe!
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You can now preorder my friend, Emily’s brand new book, A Million Little Ways!  I can’t wait to read it.

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Emily’s armoire makeover is so fabulous!

 

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This post by Pastor Peterson, Why Does the Liturgy Feel Unnatural?, would have helped me so much when I was transitioning to a historical, liturgical church.  So worth the read.

Okay, friends, I can no longer hold my head up to type!

Sending you lots of love,

edie

p.s.  Link to your favorite posts from the week, from your blog or someone else’s!

p.p.s.  I LOVED catching up with my friends, Kelly and Sibi, while I was away.  Good friends are like healing balm for the soul!