Happy Friday! We did it.

I'm shifting into high gears next week with lots of time in the office, and while I'm preoccupied there will be some superheroes over here, sitting behind the keyboard at Pars Caeli. They hail from Ireland, Italy, as well as the Northeast and deep South of the beautiful USA (what a lovely melting pot) and these ladies have come armed with dazzling photos, DIYs, calls to action, and even a fancy pants Vlog (first one here ever!!) to keep you coming back for more. Yes, I am cool by association.

I will be popping in to relieve my stress and to say hey so please, please be sure to continue your happy commenting trend. And when I do return, I'm coming back with fireworks ablazin' with a great giveaway and a pool party for the 4th on this here blog (I hope my Mac can handle all that chlorine).

Before we head into the weekend, let me leave you with some great ideas I glistened from my new friend, Jennifer Cooper. Jen is a super talented lady, founder/designer behind Ellie Bellie Kids, editor of Classic Play, and a generous teacher over at the Alt Channel. I was a fortunate student in her class, Writing and Finding Your Voice, and I want to share some great takeaways for you and your writing (whether it be blog, papers, emails, books, or tweets!).

One thing before I give you these 5 golden rings...true confession: before starting a blog, I never really thought about the fact that I'd have to WRITE it. My mom said to me, "The blog will be a great way for you to write and share your ideas." I say, "Well, I don't always have to write. Sometimes I'll just share pictures or things I love or, you know, other stuff." My eloquence started early. And so, here I am, baby blogger, totally in the tornado of writing an ample amount, every day.

Who knew?

Oh, wait, you all did, didn't you? Well, why didn't you tell me?

So, get our those handbags, here's what we've got.

1. Less is more.

I can be a total stream of consciousness kind of girl, and I need to fight that tendency because...you people are precious and your time is the best. So this is a good reminder. Less is fresh.

2. You want to have a certain level of intimacy with your audience.

While shirking away from challenging topics and leaving out the gory details might make for happier posts, the writer needs to establish an intimacy with the reader. I think this is why the "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You" blogging series really hits it out of the park. It feels like we're all up late together eating Suzy Qs in our PJs. 

3. Remind your readers who you are – recap your best posts or your philospophy.

Sometimes I forget that you're not in my head. And so reiterating why I started a series of posts or explaining why my family decided to do something in particular would be helpful to move the story along and connect the dots (I always enjoyed the alphabetical connect the dots as much as the numbered ones, how about you?).

4.  Carry a notebook.

 

I started doing this when I started blogging, and I find it really helpful to catch thought bubbles that burst way too quickly. And I have to prohibit any to do lists in such notebook otherwise it brings stress instead of inspiration. 

 **this one is my fave: 

5.  A great idea poorly written is better than a bad idea written brilliantly.

Jen has oodles of other ideas and great recommendations on folks who do this well.  Pop over tomorrow night when she's at it again. Check it here. Grab yourself a glass of red wine and get ready to learn. I think you might just find your voice.

Happy weekend, friends. I hope it's a bright one. Meetcha here on Monday where we'll be living La Bella Vita. Do not miss it. :)

XOXO, MJ

P.S. For those of you interested, I'm starting a new weekly series focusing on faith and family. Once I graduate out of the baby blogger phase, and understand feeds and menus more, you'll be able to subscribe to this feature in particular. Until then I'll just try to remind you. "Ready to Pray" will link to the readings of the week and offer an activity and/or questions you can use with your kiddos (or yourself) to help them understand and engage in Mass. I haven't quite decided what's the best day to post these so I welcome your feedback there. This first installment will be coming at you on Saturday!! Happy inspires.

Here's me, one year older. I had a delightful birthday. It was a full day of work and play. My kiddos showered me with birthday hugs, wishes, and construction paper (pop up!) cards. My hubby made me feel honored all day long with hourly messages and sweet surprises.

He's a great shopper, completely in tune with my style, and this year he picked out this breezy, romantic dress. And in true-to-me fashion, I had to put it on right away (here I am, crouched down next to my littles enjoying my new frock).

I've been thinking about all the cute ways I'll wear it to work, to the beach, and even to Church this summer. Here's my fictional styling board of just what else I'd like to accompany my ikat number.

Jacket via Target, Simple drops via Loft, My dress also from Loft, Wedges from Mia, Bracelet from Marc Jacobs, and topping it off with a braid-end bun found from here.

I indulged in some of my favorites bites for our family dinner out: calamari with lemon, butternut squash ravioli, and four-layer chocolate cake. So, so yummy. My kiddos held tight to the reminder, "Let's all be good to each other, it is Mommy's birthday," and we relaxed and soaked in the celebration.

My favorite part of the day had to be these little notes I found all over my house and stuff. My dear hubby made sure to put these 30-some messages in all my usual stopping points (the bathroom mirror, my nightstand, the mantle). The top shelf of the fridge made me laugh. :) A simple gesture that made me feel surrounding and reminded of the great love we share.

Thanks for stopping over! Do you have any great fashion finds for a casual family dinner out? I'd love to see your ideas!

And if you're in the mood for a 2-minute break with some fun attached, head over to Molly's site, where she and her readers are helping me decide what statement my new umbrella should make! Voting is open.

XOXO,
MJ