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The Pierced Bean, An Escape & Other Such Nonsense

rockstar (4 of 1)

Meet Bean. 

The Rockstar.

Sporting jeans, a tutu, and cowboy boots, and rocking the glittered hair, tattooed arm and pierced nose, she was quite the sight to see, riding along on her preschool “Little Rockstars” parade float.

 rockstar (2 of 1) rockstar (1 of 1)

She rocked!  And I was one proud mama.

rockstar (3 of 1)

Speaking of piercings and pride, miss Bean got her little earlobes pierced on Saturday.  She was very brave, and just adores her new sparkly adornments. 

My hubby, our son, my dad and a precious friend spent the weekend at a cabin on a lake {boy time….aaargh!} while sweet Bean and I enjoyed some girl time…shopping, nail-painting, her first big-screen movie, pizza, ice-cream, and playtime with friends.  It was lovely indeed!

On a not so blessed note, I experienced my first nose bleed of the decade this afternoon when I attempted to take down the double stroller from it’s special home on a large hook on the garage wall…and caught it with my face.  My teeth still hurt.  Good thing I look good in purple, I might be sporting it on my face tomorrow for our anniversary.

Speaking of our anniversary…I get to escape with my all-time favorite person in all the world tomorrow.  We’ll be celebrating our 8th year of wild wedded adventure by heading back to our favorite little Inn on the West side of the state for a couple of days.  Glorious!  To say we are excited to get away and soak each other up {and, you know…stay up late…and sleep late} would be an understatement of apocalyptic proportion.

Remember this photo?

Loonies

This was us rocking our anniversary last year.  Good thing we get mildly cooler with age.

Speaking of cooler {aren’t these transition just seamless?}…we’re loving this gorgeous Michigan autumn weather.  The colors are striking, the breeze is brisk and the sun is warm.  Our new play set has had plenty of company over the last few days.  Fun!

My parents have been officially living with us {in the ‘love shack’} for a couple of weeks now and we’ve been reminded of how much we adore community life together!  Mom and I love cooking together, my dad is enjoying the zero-turn mower, and they’ll be watching the kiddos while we escape, so it’s been a real blessing all around.

On a completely random note…I’ve finally hit my pre-baby and pre-wedding weight {hip hip hooray!} and hope to drop these final 5 that plague my mid-section.  The waistline sightings I’ve had the past few weeks are wildly exhilarating.  I plan to celebrate with a tattoo.  I kid you not.  More on that later.

The only down-side to dropping the padding is when my husband randomly whops me on the behind, my fingers tingle. 

Note to self: plenty of junk in the trunk – some excess padding = more nerve exposure {consider yourselves warned}

More randomness…I’m excited to see the Chaos…Simplified ‘2012 Women’s Planner’.  I was tickled to be able to design the new cover and assist with finishing touches on the inside.  It’s in the final stages and I’m beyond delighted to hold the final product in my hands in a few weeks.

Well, friends…I’m off to bake up some acorn squash and apples and pack my little bag.  The question of the moment is…will it be warm enough to ride the bike to the inn and live scandalously wild and free for a few beautiful days?

Aaaah…a girl can dream!

Over and out.

Related posts:

  1. My Bean
  2. Happy 5th Birthday, Bean!
  3. The Bridal Bean
  4. Making Borax Crystals {& Other Such Nonsense}
«
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Complete nonsense, Daily Life, Home, Marriage, The Kiddos

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Simply Bloom exists to empower women to embrace their stories, live out their passion with purpose, and leave a legacy of love.
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Hello there! I'm Joy. Speaker, designer, author & coach, and creator of the #weROARproject. Welcome to Simply Bloom Co., where passion & purpose collide.

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Praise isn’t pretending everything is fine, it’s r Praise isn’t pretending everything is fine,
it’s remembering who God is, even when it isn’t.
It rarely changes our circumstances,
but it always changes our perspective.

What could shift in you
if you praised God for even one thing
you’ve been tempted to complain about?

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #WonderOfWorship
Sometimes praise is the most rebellious act of hop Sometimes praise is the most rebellious act of hope we have left.

🎙️ Episode 3 of Oh, Good Grief | The Podcast is live.

In this week’s episode, The Sound of Surrender, we’re talking about what happens when we worship through the wilderness, and the way gratitude reshapes our view of God, of ourselves, and of the desert we’re walking through.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#OhGoodGrief #FaithInTheFire #WondersOfTheWilderness #PraiseThroughPain #FormationOverFame
God is never careless with the pruning knife. If H God is never careless with the pruning knife.
If He allows something to fall away, we can trust His heart,
that it is ultimately for our good,
and for His glory.

#AllisGrace #OhGoodGriefPodcast
Sometimes God prunes what is still alive. Not beca Sometimes God prunes what is still alive.
Not because He is cruel, but because He is kind.

It’s unbelievably hard to walk away from something that was once deeply fruitful. But when a season ends and God lifts His grace from that role, relationship, or project, lingering often hurts far more than leaving.

Trust His heart for you in the pruning. 🌱
He cuts with purpose, and always with love.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
I stumbled across the word I chose and lettered fo I stumbled across the word I chose and lettered for 2023. Held. I thought it might reopen old ache. Instead, it reminded me of the deeper song beneath our hardest seasons: even in the unraveling, we were held.

And as a new year unfolds, that truth feels like a steadying hand.

Here’s to beginnings that hum with mercy...
sunrises, blankets of white snow,
seasons turning quietly toward hope. 

Dream bravely.
Plan loosely.
Take the next small step.
Try again.

Be tender with yourself.
Honor the slow work of becoming.
And step into this year knowing—
you are held.
As we stand on the edge of a new year, remember th As we stand on the edge of a new year, remember this:
God doesn’t prune to prove a point;
He prunes to produce fruit.

Trust the precision and the heart
of the Master Gardener.

What felt like loss this past year
may have been His clearing away of the old
to make room for the new.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
For the person who doesn’t love journaling but doe For the person who doesn’t love journaling but does love growth…the R•EVOLVE Journal was created to make the practice simple, sustainable, and meaningful.

Five lines a day - small enough to fit into real life, yet rich enough to capture the joys, struggles, prayers, answered prayers, and all the quiet in-between spaces.

Some seasons change us so subtly we miss the beauty of what’s unfolding. This little rhythm helps you notice it, and hold it.

All seven cover designs are available on Amazon or in the Simply Bloom Co. shop
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If you live in Central Michigan, I'm happy to connect with you and get one into your hands so you can start journaling sooner.
Sometimes God prunes what’s still alive. Not becau Sometimes God prunes what’s still alive.
Not because He’s cruel — because He’s kind.

🍃 Episode 003 of OGG is live: Making the Cut | When Love Looks Like Loss.

We’re talking about the difference between punishment and pruning, and how the wilderness can be proof of love.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#OhGoodGriefPodcast #SimplyBloomCo
When we fail, when we flounder, when our fragile f When we fail,
when we flounder,
when our fragile faith starts to tremble…
we can trust His heart for us.

His love remains unchanging,
and His purposes remain unshakable.
Follow @SimplyBloomJoy

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