I just love, love, love Thursdays around here. I get to bring some fabulous people into the spotlight for all of you dearies to see and read. And I saved a might good one for this week.

Do you know Meg? You completely need to if you don't. I was stunned to read that she's only been at this blogging thing a year because her words are timeless. She is an amazing writer who can make me ugly cry and snort snot bubbles of joy (this is a compliment, I promise) as I read through her stories of womanhood, family, and life. Give yourself a Thursday treat and head over to Meg in Progress (after you read this rockin' interview that she offered me whilst nursing for her daughter with pneumonia) to savor her words.

 

 

Meg in Progress has been exposing my mediocre attempts at a full life since February of 2012. I have been writing my little ramblings down on other sites since about 2006.

There were two main reasons. First, I am a writer who had forgotten to make time to write. With all the guts and glory of wifedom and motherhood, I was no longer taking the time to do the things that make me feel fulfilled. Creating Meg in Progress was really my way of creating a space where I could go to do what I love and remember who I am. When I am able to plunk a few thoughts down each day, I am a better person when it comes to every other facet of my life.

Secondly (and perhaps most importantly), I think that as women it is high time that we are honest with each other. It is time to share our struggles along with our triumphs. We are part of this vast sisterhood and I think we should take advantage of our community of valiant hearted women. I want women to be able to read about my day-to-day and think, “My goodness, I am not alone.” or better yet, “Man, I thought I was a little crazy, but I read about that Meg in Progress girl and feel MILES better about myself. She is positively loony.”

My biggest mistake is that for awhile I compared myself to other bloggers with some frequency. I mean my goodness, you are all so amazing and it can be so intimidating. I don’t even own a glue gun so I need to stop wishing I was a top craft blogger. Today I walked around with applesauce spilled across my jeans, so the fashion blogger ship has sailed. I became a better blogger when I stopped feeling like everything had to be covered in glitter and designer labels. The whole concept of the Meg in Progress is that I am a very imperfect work in progress. One day I decided to truly embrace that concept and that message. Everything that followed that decision has been more successful and, more importantly, a more accurate reflection of my authentic self.

My crazy, innate, can’t turn it off need to write. Also? The relationships I have developed with readers I have never met. There are so many amazing women out there and I love that blogging has been a way to connect with them.

 A long walk with my two little girls. I always return home with a new story or insight.

Happiness! A cohesive story telling style. And an honest approach to life. I am not very attracted to blogs that look like perfect catalogues. My Anthro magazine comes in the mail each month and serves that purpose well. I read blogs to learn about and connect with real people.

I would have more time for writing for print publications. Which would be fabulous and also, very, very sad.

I bring home the bacon (mmmm...bacon) by taking on freelance writing projects. I also write for Caravan Shoppe and have some really amazing projects in the works with those fabulous ladies. In May, I am starting a project on womanhood that makes me want to jump up and down with happiness. But my best time (and most of it) is spent with my family. I am blessed with a husband that makes my heart beat and two girls that are made of equal parts sugar and sass. My life is brimming with scraped knees, dirty clothes and love. Right now, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Meg, thank you for your honest words here and over at Meg in Progress. You lift up the journey of motherhood and open it up for laughter and encouragement. Your bravery inspires me, and your talent pushes me to do more.

Do you know another great blogger that should be featured here? Leave a comment, and you just might see it happen.

xoxo, MJ

Welcome to a wonderful Wednesday! This new series, Celebrate the Normal, is inspiring some amazing work and moving me to see more sharply the beauty around me every day. I feel so honored to share with you these images of everyday ordinary from professional photographers, great artists, talented bloggers, and full-on life enthusiasts. In week two, we have nearly 50 photo submissions, a blog post, and a Twitter post to boot.

Here's what I've been thinking about:

We all hold within our grasp, within our days, a whole host of normals, no?

Just two weeks ago, I was correcting my 8-year old on her use of the word normal. One of M's favorite new terms is "weird" - e v e r y thing is weird. I finally asked her to find a substitute for weird, weird, weird. Her solution: not normal. I challenged that one, too.

"Your normal," I said, "is very different from someone else's, even someone like your sister who lives very close to you. Imagine how different normal is to someone who lives in Africa or Antarctica." I was on my mom soapbox and on a roll.

What I've discovered this week is that my normal and your normal just might overlap quite a bit (even though I hop on my soapbox, I might not *ahem* always be right).

And your bringing to light the beauty around you allows me and even subconsciously urges me to open my eyes wider.

And to live a bit more completely.

The Dandelion Seed was Blowin' in the Wind {Joan Baez's less popular song} ~ by Jen at @jenmygatt on Instagram

The kidneybean plant that Brett brought home from school. Fast growing out if its tiny plastic cup and still too cool to plant outside. It has sprouted little bean pods already in just a few short weeks. ~ by Stephanie at @scatt85 on Instagram

More eggs than I can carry in one hand. I call that a good day. ~ from Rachel at Podunk Posh

We left the dry leaves there for a great contrasting background? ~ from MJ at Pars Caeli

sunrise. snowflakes. lots of puppy breaks ~ by Brittani of BrittaniRenee

That's a mighty fine 'choke. ~ from Clare of CSquaredW

Sweetest little birdhouse. ~ from Brooke of Grace and Light

Freshly painted front door ~ from Louise of Laid Off Mom

Love coming home to packages in the mail from faraway friends who know exactly what you need the moment you need it. ~ from Theresa of Inspiration Coop

Sometimes you have to ignore the dirty dishes & tune out the outside world, so you can cuddle on the floor during Super Why. ~ from Meagan at Unexpectant

Haircut ~ from Jill of Every Day is an Occasion

~ from Colleen

Quiet afternoon ~ by Julia of Life on Churchill

And from Joy via Twitter - @frockfiles Breakfast: waffle with almond butter and raspberry jam. It's gonna be a good day. 

It is gonna be a good day. And we have the power to make it so even when our normal is less than awesome, filled with crying kids, covered with illness, or disappointing to our expectations.

Let's push each other up.

Please join in the celebration!! Add your images via Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #celebratethenormal by next Monday midnight. If you're up for it, focus around this theme or take one of your own:

 

xoxo, MJ

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm sorry I missed you yesterday and Itty Bitty Lovelies.

I'm still recovering from a full weekend. We relished in soccer games and family fun as well as celebrating my oldest daughter's First Communion. It was both a small and a large happening.

I was the lucky one who got to sit next to my daugther during the Mass as she fidgeted with nervousness and smiled small smiles of reassurance to her inquisitive, overbearing mama.

I had expected her to grin from ear-to-ear, like she'd been doing the last week as she talked about how grown-up she'd been feeling with this sacred rite ahead of her. But instead my first baby, my now mature 8-year old, was very deliberate, specifically focused, and, one might even say, intense.

At times during the Mass I tried to get her to giggle to lighten her mood, and she shushed me to quiet.

I looked down at those long eyelashes and blushing red cheeks, and I remembered that sometimes falling in love is serious. And the most sacred moments of our lives sometimes come with a clarity and beauty that makes joy seem obsolete.

I feel particularly blessed to witness this lifelong love story of faith.

Sharing these words of wisdom that have been particularly comforting to me as of late.

xoxo, MJ

Welcome back to this favorite series of mine, friends!! Today I'm bringing you a true talent and an incredibly put-together lady, Mrs. Erin Hiemstra of Apartment 34. 

Erin is a digital communications expert, fashion and décor enthusiast, and a stylist who has transformed her passions into her career. She went full-time last year to pursue her dreams of working with creative clients such as Rue Magazine, Trophy Cupcakes, Mark and Graham and Chloe Rose Boutique among others (yeah, she's that awesome).

Back in the day (AKA fall 2012), Erin was kind enough to recognize Pars Caeli as one of her Noteworthy Newbies, and I'm delighted to have the chance to have her over here with us to peek into her blogging journey.

Enjoy the images and Erin's adventure!

Apartment 34 was originally meant to chronicle the renovation of my first condo in Seattle, a renovation that has never taken place! Six years later I now live in San Francisco and the blog as blossomed into a full lifestyle site and I couldn't be happier.

Just look at my early posts. Horrible image quality, atrocious writing. My whole first year could be considered a mistake but it was my authentic voice at the time.

There are so many reasons I've kept up my blog for so long. First is getting to constantly talk about topics I love and have real passion for - styling, design, fashion, food, travel. I really do find all these things so critical to a well lived life. And then there is the amazing community of bloggers I consider myself lucky to be a part of. I've made true and long lasting friendships with people from all around the world through this crazy blogging experiment. And finally I blog for my readers. I feel an obligation to them - to deliver something fun, interesting and new everyday.

I look for inspiration absolutely everywhere - my files, bookmarks and pins go on for days. Something I hear about from a friend. Everything is a potential blog post!

I'm always drawn to someone with a beautiful well-designed aesthetic, gorgeous imagery, interesting fresh ideas and/or a compelling story. I'm a speed blog reader so there are few that get me to pause and dive in deep but I love it when they do.

I wouldn't even know what to do with myself. My brain is now so trained to always be scouting for the blog. I would have more time to read novels, watch movies and sleep though. 

I turned Apartment 34 into to my full time job last year, but the blog is only one component of my business.

I use my first career in PR & marketing to offer influencer marketing consulting services to lifestyle brands. In a nutshell, I know help brands I love work with the bloggers I love in creative and mutually beneficial ways. It's the ultimate win-win! I also moonlight as a stylist from time to time. I love helping a brand create a visual look or work with a magazine to style a really compelling shoot. I don't call it my profession though - it's more my little side project!

Oh, my, goodness. Erin has style just oozing from her veins. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, Erin, and for setting a great example for what full-time blogging/consulting work can look like. It's a delight to have you over!!

If you're having trouble with the comments here, please feel welcome to send me an email at parscaeli@gmail.com or tweet me a note to @parscaeli

 

Hello, my dears. Oh, this world. The tragic events in Boston remind me that life is fast and sad and amazing, and that we all need to stick together. The life that we get used to, the life we call normal can all disappear in just a moment, sometimes leaving us with a feeling of loss and a wonder for why we hadn't noticed the goodness before.

So, we're sticking together here at Pars Caeli. We're making a community of appreciators, of lovers, of doers and thinkers, of artists and creatives, of mothers and friends, of those who celebrate the normal.

I have been so touched by all the submissions I received in this first week!! Yeah, I'm blessed with talented friends. Woot for me!

Really clear to me as well is that normal is not ordinary. When put inside the frame for viewing, these moments in time become elevated experiences to savor.

Clear to me as well, we have much to celebrate. We see that in the littles around us and the natural beauties in the environment. It's such a gift to be able to perceive a bit of the world through another's eyes... so big thanks for all of our artists this week. Please scroll down and enjoy these endearing images (and go visit some great blogs while you're at it!!).

Are you ready to join in the fun? This week we'll be focusing on viewing the exterior. The prompt is:

Please take your photos and use the hashtag #celebratethenormal. One submission from each artist will be featured next Wednesday. Be sure to get snapping before Monday at midnight! You need not be on Instagram to participate. :) Tweet it out - #celebratethenormal and invite your friends, too.

Lucky by M.J. of Pars Caeli

Palm tree gazing by Louise of Laid Off Mom.

Just Another Wednesday from Instagram superstar and friend, Jen Mygatt. Follow her work on Instagram at @jenmygatt

A little spring bouquet of happiness c/o Trader Joe's by Theresa of Inspiration Coop

"This appeared one morning recently on our deck. Let us wait for the peeps and #celebratethenormal" from one of my BFFs

Sunlight.. from Julia of Life on Churchill St.

Wagon ride from Jill of Every Day is an Occasion.

Bath time by Colleen Duggan

Colleen created a great post around the topic with some other great photos that you'll want to see. My favorite line from the piece,

"If I ever become a Saint (Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?), I want to be the Patron Saint of the Beautiful Ordinary."

No worries, Colleen, I'll totally vote for that!

Here's to gratitude right here, right now.

xoxo, MJ

Welcome to a great week! How was your weekend? We watched C play her first outdoor soccer game and shivered as the hail came down on us, but then Sunday gave us warm, sunny skies (nearly 70 degrees), and we had some time for softball, some making, and even a run! Fitness, I will find you yet.

It's Monday, and Itty Bitty Lovelies is all about photography today - specifically, great photos from your phone. First off, are we buds over on Instagram yet? I'm @parscaeli, and I am on the hunt for some beautiful captures of the ordinary. Post your photos of the beautiful and mundane around you with the hashtag #celebratethenormal. The first round of shared photos will be posted on Wednesday (with a fun new prompt, too).

I'm always hoping to craft better photos and find something really interesting to share. Here are some reads to help you follow me on my quest to become iPhone photo amazing.

1. Quick tips to use your tech the right way

Kimberly at A Night Owl Blog has some reminders and great new info on photos from the phone. Things I discovered: how the HDR setting can make evening shots sing. I always wondered what that meant.

2. Filter something fantastic

I admit it, I find the myriad of filter choices for phone photography ridiculously fun. Veronica has seven photo editing apps to show off. What I love is the ways she shows the same photograph going through all the editing selections. I've seen more and more of VSCO CAM and PictTapGo. Which one did you fancy?

3. Bring Instagram to your screen

I loved this idea of bringing Instagram right to your desktop.. and you don't even have to be actively using the technology. Would you want to see your friend's photos refresh as you go throughout the day? Check out this find from Cool Mom Tech.

We have a busy week ahead with family heading our way for my oldest's First Communion. Crossing fingers for pleasant weather!! What's on your plate this week?

Let's make it a good one!

xoxo, MJ

I'm just over the moon about these Thursday posts, friends. As part of this continuing series For the Love of Blogging, I'm bringing you a new blogger - the voice and talent behind Little Siddall Studios, Becky. She's a newbie blogger with a lot of spunk...

I was looking for an outlet to rant other than my personal Facebook feed. I've journaled all my life and found that I'm a faster typer than I am a pen writer. However, I still carry a pen and Moleskine wherever I go. I find that I write differently through pen than through the clicking-clack of keys on a keyboard. It's a different kind of creative outlet for me.

Since January of 2012. As noted in this post, it was a goal of mine to stick it out for a year, and I'm so happy I did! Something that started out as a challenge, has turned into one of my constant joys and even further fuelled my desire to go into business for myself.

I think the funniest (nervous laughter) thing was the night I thought I would lose all my blog content. I remember turning to Josh (Mohawk is his name on the blog), bursting into tears and saying “I'm afraid if I push this button, I might delete everything!!!” and luckily for me, I didn't. Was I ever a wreck that night. Oh the early days of blogging - when my mother was my only reader, and I would take 6 pictures of the same thing at the same angle, on a Blackberry. It's amazing how quickly we adapt and learn when we immerse ourselves into uncharted waters.

My need to get my thoughts out of my brain and somewhere that I can reflect and look back on. I am in love with memories. I will re read and re watch things just because. I think there's something magical about reading words with no other voice than the one in your own head. Deciding what tone comes across – and where the pauses are. I keep blogging because, when it comes down to it – I like talking through my writing. Some may like my style, some may not, but regardless, I want to keep it my own. On the business side of things, I'm an entrepreneur at heart and always wanted to go into business for myself. I think we are all curious creatures, just some are more afraid than others to show it. I know I'm afraid at times, but I'm learning to embrace that fear. I think blogging is the perfect outlet for that.

Music and movies. I find I'm inspired by the way something is edited, or the pattern in which an actor chooses to say their lines. I love watching movies alone. I can pause, rewind, write in my notebook like a mad woman, and then play the movie again from where my brain trailed off. When I'm creating a post or brainstorm-writing, I have the stereo turned up – or my headphones on - all different types of music – and probably louder than I should. I can play songs over and over and over again. It can be so peaceful and productive.

I'm slightly ashamed to say that - I judge blogs just like I judge books by their cover. I know, I know, some of you are thinking how dare her! But it's the honest truth. When i'm at the library or bookstore, I'll look for something to read based on how gravitated I am to its cover. There's just so much choice in this world! I need to narrow it down somehow or I'd be on the internet all day and all night. The majority tend to be food and photography focused.  

 

I'd sleep more and my eyes would probably hurt less from constant staring at the computer screen.

At the moment, I work 4 days a week, full time as a Lead Support Coordinator for a company in Toronto. It pays the bills while I start diving into the deep end with my photography business. Coming from a film & television background, photography has always been a loved hobby but something I am very serious about now. I'm constantly soaking in knowledge wherever I can and of course, practice, practice, practice! Josh and I are in the process of bringing a dog into our family. Never having owned a dog before myself, i'm excited for this new change in our life! Not too sure how Tut, our cat, feels about it though. We'll have to see!

Oh, that avocado photo! Thank you Becky for joining in the conversation and celebrating the love of blogging. Head on over to Becky's space, Little Siddall Studios to gawk at her photos and follow her journey!

That's it from me, friends. Have a bright weekend... and rest up. We have a whole lot of fun to be had next week.

xoxo, MJ

First off, my dears, thank you so much for all the insightful comments throughout the regular (sort of, right?) Tuesday/Wednesday series, Chat It Up. My intent behind the creation of Chat It Up was to have a space to listen and converse like old friends, and you all have been so gracious to engage in all sorts of different topics and posts! Now we're ready to move into something new, and I'm excited!!

Can I share something I've been trying to work around for a while?

I lead a normal life.

Alright, there. I said it.

I'm married and a mother of three children. I have a full-time job in communications. I drive (wait for it) a dark blue minivan (ahk, the horror! :)). I don't have a lot of opportunity to travel. I don't eat at amazing restaurants often or bring together meals that would amaze you. I haven't (yet) created photoready interior spaces to gawk at or crafted something that would stop you in your tracks.

But.

I have a knack for appreciating the mundane and celebrating the ordinary. Perhaps it's my Catholic faith and my love for Ordinary Time over the high points of Easter and Christmas. Or perhaps it's my desire to always support the underdog, the underappreciated around us. Or maybe it's because this is my life, the one I've been graced with, the one I've worked quite hard to create, and I love this normal.

When I began taking art lessons in high school, my first instruction was to begin really seeing and looking at everything. Noticing shadows and changes in tone. Examining the saturation of light and the details of texture once overlooked. I remember driving home that afternoon and finding the lines created by telephone wires and the pattern that emerged from the curbside rocks all freshly intriguing.

So here's where you come in.

Tell me, are you normal, too? Hipsters and desperate housewives need not apply.

Every Wednesday on Pars Caeli, I'll be celebrating the normal and ordinary through words and photographs and images. I'd love for you to join me because it's a hashtag party.

Snap away on Instagram and use this hashtag - #celebratethenormal - to capture the beauty of the ordinary around you. Images of people, places, and things are all welcome. In fact, you might be one of those 'Grammers who is more about the caption than the photo so bring that on, too!! I'll be featuring these beauties on Wednesdays (along with links to your account and/or blog if you're cool with that. If you'd prefer to submit anonymously, too, please do).

You've got the whole week, and I'll check in every Monday at midnight to pick some selections for that week's Celebrate the Normal.

What's your extraordinary normal look like? Show me. I bet we can elevate it to something pretty amazing.

xoxo, MJ

Hello to you, lovelies. It was a great four-day break for me with some adventures in Chicago and playtime all around. I feel refreshed and grateful for all that has been. My laptop sat lonely for four whole days (almost a personal record), and I received an encouraging message from my boss on my smartphone, instructing me to stop checking messages. So, so... just what I needed.

Time away has prompted me to want to share some words of wisdom I've found floating around in recent days. I've gathered a little something for the bloggers, for the parents, and for the human beings. Tee hee.

1. Practical ways to juggle job and blogging

Many of my favorite blogs are authored and designed by talented folks who blog full-time. Many others are hosted by folks like myself trying to squeeze in and maximally organize life so that there is time for blogging and commenting thoughtfully. Sometimes it just seems like too much.

I found this post by Jessica from MomCreative really helpful for moms and non-moms who are trying to balance all the other areas in addition to blogging. Check out her ideas for the "fringe hours."

2. The freedom to just be

You all know that Jennifer of Classic Play is a rockstar, right? Well, if you need more proof, check out this ode to parents she posted last week. Let me lead you on with a yummy morsel:

“Parents, just do your thing and be happy. You don’t have to rationalize why you do or don’t: craft, have your kids play sports, design your kids’ room, feed your kids whatever, do after school activities, etc. Life’s too short. Some people like to do those sorts of things, some don’t. It’s okay. We shouldn’t all be doing the same thing anyway. Diversity is good.”

And a sigh of relief passed over. Be sure to check out the great comments she had to her post, too.

3. Rest is called for.

Anne of Anne the Adventurer has been writing all sorts of posts that I've loved. This is one that she crafted on rest, and it is for all of us to heed. She also designed up one of my favorite scripture passages. Go check it out and promise that you'll listen to what you need.

My little lovely for you:

Learn from great nail stylists, and offer hand massages. My kiddos have been suffering from too much hand sanitizer and very dry hands so I massaged some great smelling, mandarin orange scented lotion into their hands and forearms for about five minutes each. This small (but relatively long for a 5-year old) act was met with tender appreciation and gave to me a chance to sit and chat with the people I love best.

Wishing you loads of joy this week and heaps of cleansing rest.

xoxo, MJ

What's going on, lovelies? I am so delighted to kick off this new Thursday series on Pars Caeli. As I mentioned last week during Melanie's book tour post, we are celebrating blogging and bloggers all throughout the month of April.

Pars Caeli is one year today (see the very first post)!! And though I'd love to throw some great contests and offer gifts, this blog runs on a $30/month budget so instead I'm bringing you inspiration and wisdom (with some laughs thrown in) as my gift. I've lassoed an amazing cast of bloggers from various backgrounds and experiences; some fresh on the scene and some with years of experience. I hope their passion (and mine) for the great big blogging universe will encourage you to go after your dreams, both big and small.

First up, Paige of Approaching Joy. **Disclaimer: Paige is one of my favorite blogger pals. She and I are headed on a great adventure in AltNYC in June!! One year ago, she was also the lady who pushed me off the blog diving board to click "publish."

I started blogging at Approaching Joy in late January of 2012.  Before that I had kept blogs for a few weeks at a time but always got frustrated when I couldn't make my space "pretty" and gave up quickly thereafter. I actually took a blog design class in conjunction with starting Approaching Joy so design was less frustrating... kind of...

I say "kind of" because, when I was taking that first blog design class I spent anywhere from two to three hours a DAY for two weeks trying to figure out what I wanted my blog to look like.  It bordered on obsessive, and I think my roommates thought I started an illegal drug habit (since I spent most of that time in my room, yelling at my computer.)  I think I even blogged mostly about blog design in that first (icky) period.

Luckily, it was just one of those things that I had to get out of my system and then I could turn my attention to fun stuff.

I keep blogging because (wow, this is going to sound horrible) but I kind of feel like it's my pixel-child.  

Newborn phase: Design, establishing, and not a lot of sleep.  

Toddler phase: Learning what I need to learn.  Links, code, etiquette, tantrums, etc.

Elementary phase: Going out, meeting people, having fun.

Angst-ridden teen phase: Where I'm at now.  Transitioning from blogging "what I should do" into "what I want to do."  Oh yea, total blog rebel over here. Most of my best inspiration happens while I'm away from the computer. Pinterest is cool but, personally, nothing beats a walk on a trail, a cup of coffee at a local shop, or a drive down a dirt road to really get my creative cogs turning.

I feel like I know the blogger behind the screen in all the blogs I read. At times this means I am interested but intimidated, empathizing over rough spots, or taken aback by someone's hard work. But always, always, I can see their personality, or else I won't keep reading.

(I choose to answer this question in a "Zombies just ate the Internet" kind of way, instead of a "my computer broke, sad day" kind of way.) If I had to stopping blogging tomorrow, I would lose a sizable chunk of my personal community. The people I've "met" through my blog have become friends and sisters, people who I share inside jokes with, people whose children I care about, people who make me smile on a day when everything else is gray.

Serious sadness.

Outside of the blog I make art (which I am trying to work up the courage to share more often on the blog.)

Outside of the blog I make delicious dinners with my husband.

Outside of the blog I drink way too much caffeine, am allergic to the dogs I love, and try to be kind to everyone I meet.

I'm also trying to start a business that ties art into community and makes it a big part of my region's culture. But that's a big secret that I'm only willing to share with Pars Caeli readers.

Love it!! Thanks, Paige for gracing the pages of Pars Caeli and for your constant support throughout this first year. Follow Paige on Instagram at @approaching_joy to see some of her latest creations. And if you want to have some fun, engage her in some witty banter via Twitter.

Have a bright weekend, friends! I'll be saying a prayer of thanksgiving for each of you that stop by this site. It's been an eye-opening first year, and I hope to share so much more with you over the next 12 months.

xoxo, MJ

Hey friends, good to be back with you. I took the Monday after Easter off to hang out with my kiddos and plan some birthday celebrations for the hubby. He's an April fool baby, but we left the pranks behind for some endearing homemade cards and cake. If you follow Pars Caeli on Instagram, you saw our Easter egg hunt prep. I'm happy to report that all of our nearly 100 eggs were found in the backyard, and we had a fun, child-friendly Easter with good friends.

Despite a ton of work and blog projects-in-waiting, I kept away from my computer for four days straight. I had to be intentional about it, resisting urges to finish this or check in on that. Much like the Christian example of Christ's empty tomb after the Resurrection, I needed some time not to be filled - with ideas, updates, posts, and content. Time to be still.

I live in Indiana. I was not born here, nor did I grow up here, but one aspect of this great state, like many in the Midwest and West, is that it overflows with emptiness. As a student here, I was often bored and disappointed by the flat, wide expanse of soybeans and corn farms. As a professional and occupied mom, I now find this openness a great relief from the buzz and clutter of the rest of my life. My eyes long for the stretches of natural sameness that provides peace to my soul.

I read this article posted over on 99U entitled, What Happened to Downtime? The Extinction of Deep Thinking & Sacred Space, and I resonated with both the needs and the very practical ideas for adding more emptiness to your life. When during your day or even your week are you, "completely isolated, and your mind is able to wander and churn big questions without interruption?"

My heart sunk just a little with this excerpt:

Our insatiable need to tune into information – at the expense of savoring our downtime – is a form of “work” (something I call “insecurity work”) that we do to reassure ourselves.

I am guilty of clicking on blog stats and comments to boost my temporal feelings of insecurity as a friend, as a mom, as a designer. Perhaps just sitting with the emptiness is what is really called for.

As a younger person, I excelled at silence, taking the time to lay on the grass and watch cloud formations, spending time in a silent retreat, practicing the mindset and exercise of yoga. Somewhere between marriage, children, and social media, the quiet has been lost, and I'm hoping to find it.

Karen over at Chookooloonks offered this thought that I want to pass along.

Pay attention to things that connect you with joy.

Go over and read what Karen's got to say, because girlfriend has got it together. And I think this idea of connecting to your joy and finding the empty are intergrally intertwined.

So here's what I'd like to hear from you, lovelies, do you need quiet in your life to create, to move forward? If so, how do you find it or return to it?

xoxo, MJ

Hello my lovely readers! I have a magnificent surprise for you. I've hoodwinked Melanie of Inward Facing Girl and Genuine Mix into starting her new book tour right here with us on Pars Caeli. For those of you who haven't heard me rave about it yet, let me fill you in on the details. Melanie recently published her e-workbook, Blog with Purpose: It Takes More than Top Knots. If you're not in love just from the title (I was), you soon will be as you click through the powerful exercises and personal stories that will make you laugh out loud.

Other great news...Melanie is kicking off a new Thursday series on Pars Caeli entitled For the Love of Blogging, and she's agreed to answer all of my nitty gritty questions about what keeps her fabulous. Also, if you ever meet her in person, ask her for a hug - she gives the best. Enjoy friends!

I've been blogging since February of 2009. Actually, here's a funny story that I've never told anyone except Drew, and I only told him recently. I started an extremely short-lived blog in 2003 called "Kate in L.A." It was on Blogger and I might have written in it for a month or so (as "Kate") before I deleted it. At that time I was really into screenwriting and Hollywood and movies and I was living in L.A., so it was about local shops and the entertainment business. HA! But back to my real blog. I started that to get back into writing creatively again after leaving the entertainment world. Here's more about it, if you're interested.

Image by Sandra of Raincoast Cottage

Kate in L.A. is pretty funny. Other than that, probably the fact that I had left my name off of my About Me page for two years before I noticed it. :)

It's become such an ingrained part of my life that I can't imagine not doing it. It's like waking up and sleeping and eating. I won't say showering, because I probably blog more often than I shower. TMI? :) 

Ha...actually showering. I keep a notebook in the bathroom now to write down ideas that come to me underneath the suds. I started doing that because once I slipped down after jumping out of the shower and racing off to find a pen and paper to write something down so my poor postpartum brain would have a reminder. Being a blogger can be dangerous, kids.

Almost all of them are written by women (ALMOST) - the writing is strong, the design is good, and/or they reveal personal things as well as share cool stuff.

Wow. Everything would be different. What would I do with all that extra time?! Maybe I could start reading blogs again!  

 

I can give you a hint.

There's been such a good response to Blog with Purpose that I'm launching an online workshop in mid-April. It's a six-week interactive course all about creating content. There will be exercises, feedback, and a Facebook group for all participants. I'm even trying to work in a way to use Pinterest in one of the exercises because, you know, we like to pin stuff. 

Anything that's based in creativity makes me super excited, and this course is going to help all of us access that place in our brains where the cool stuff comes from. Let's learn how to create unique, fresh, awesome content together! If this sounds fun, be sure to sign up for my email list for more information on registration and launch dates.

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Isn't she a charmer? And girlfriend knows her stuff, too. I've been working through the chapters from Blog with Purpose, and I have learned a ton. Melanie has set up a great series of practical, useful exercises that help you move your blog to the next level. I appreciated that her tone is aimed at digging deep and finding what you really want out of your blog and then helping you execute that dream.

Melanie gives you answers to all the questions you've been wanting to ask (how much should I charge? do I need a business blog?) and offers really great what-not-to-dos that have made me blush, knowing I'm a little guilty. No worries, I have a new plan already in place

I hope you'll take a look at her workbook; you can even download a free sample to get a feel for the content!

Big thanks and big hugs to Melanie. Follow Pars Caeli on Twitter to see her next stops on the Book Tour over the next two weeks or check over to get the complete line up on Inward Facing Girl.

xoxo, MJ

I've been slowly reconfiguring and reimagining our formal living room into an art space for the entire family. It's always had oversized, comfortable couches and a warm floor-to-ceiling window. It now has a piano, and our children's craft table, and my office armoire. Courtesy of Amazon, a wall hook arrived yesterday so that my husband's guitar can adorn the wall.

When I want to dream or write or clear my head, I find myself gravitating to this room. It's free of children's toys, dirty dishes, and unfolded laundry.

And I believe the intentionality of creating a space for a particular purpose has encouraged me to USE it for a particular purpose. My oldest, M, while practicing a new song on the piano, turned to me and said, "Mommy, I just love this room." I nodded in agreement.

With the neverending winter we've experienced in the Midwest, the art room has become my cozy haven. In warm weather, I typically perch myself on our back deck, underneath the blue umbrella that matches the skies I adore.

I've been reading more and more from the writers and bloggers I love, and I keep hearing them tell me to   find a space to create (or make a space where I can create). For some, it's been a local coffee shop or a library. For others, it's a park or their studio/office space at home.

So let's chat it up. Where is your inspiration spot? And if you need one, what must this space have to allow you the freedom to embrace fresh ideas?

XOXO, MJ

 PS. Wanna see my gatherings for a great office space? Check this board.

Hiya, lovely! How's it going? Exciting times around here...It's a great week of the year, the holiest one for Christians, as we gear up for Easter. My family is looking forward to all the services this week (with our oldest in the Church choir) as well as a fun egg hunt and Easter brunch with friends. What have you been up to?

Today I'm bringing you some Itty Bitty Lovelies that work with minimal supplies for maximum results. When you can create a masterful DIY with only a few items it's just that much sweeter, don't you think?

1. Tape saves the day again

Though I love art and photography, I don't have as much of it hanging on my walls or sitting on my shelves as I would like. Why? Frames are costly.

Jordan from Oh Happy Day posted this, and I just have to share it with you. Using kraft tape and some other supplies, she made these gorgeous thin frames for her home. The final look is remarkable, considering the low price of the materials. I am almost convinced that I need to buy my own matte cutter, too ($15).

Can't you imagine these in bright hues for a children's room or a classic black accent on book shelves?

2. Wall gallery for the no budget

Melissa takes us through the art that hangs in her bedroom in this lovely gallery made of simple frames she's purchased from Ikea. I adore the rhythm she's created on her bright walls. And learning the details behind each piece is delightful. It inspires me and reminds me that simplicity is more.

Head over to her blog and see what I mean. I think I'd love seeing all these frames hung really tight together as she has them in some of the photos. Have you created a wall gallery in your home? I'd love to see it!

3. Elegant bracelets for all the gals on your list

When I saw this post, I knew I wanted to savor it for Itty Bitty Lovelies. My good friend Joy from Frock Files has created the purest friendship bracelet that you could wear to the opera or the supermarket and look glamorous.

The way that she's stacked them is divine, and the closure method is genius. These are completely budget-friendly and the perfect spring accessory. Way to go, Joy. You've done it again.

My lovely for the week:

Life is better with friends. Be bold and ask someone, with whom you share common interests but not much time together, to join you for coffee. Invite that family you've been bumping into all over for a simple dinner. Arrange a Google Chat with bloggers you admire. Too often I imagine that others may not have time or an interest to get together, when the reality is, we're all just busy living our lives. A warm invitation does wonders for the spirit.

Let's make this a great week, friends. It's time to contemplate, refocus, and celebrate all that is to come.

xoxo, MJ

Dear Blog,

It's almost your one-year anniversary, and I have to break it to you - you've hit middle-age. You see, in the blogosphere, a meager nine months is the average active lifespan of a blog. After this period most blogs are left by the wayside, abandoned URLs with low click rates and limited posts. Fact is, dear blog, you're one in 385 million blogs already out in cyberspace. And more than 100,000 of you are started every. single. day.

But, stats aside, my beloved web home, you have become a living, breathing creative space. And most days I find myself refreshed by your clarity of focus, relaxed in your organized aesthetic, and warmed by the generosity of those who also come to visit this address.

Let me share with you a few things I've learned and loved about our near-year together.

Paint the walls orange with blue polka dots

Blogging is freedom. I can express myself and any old way I'm feeling or thinking. I can choose to be positive and upbeat, silly and childish, serious and heavy, or none of the above. I can post seven times a day or take a month off (sorry about that December to January stint). My blog can be exactly what I want it to be at any old time of the day or night - and really, there's nothing else in my life for which I can say this.

Get a plan, stick to the plan and stray from the plan

I've learned that an editorial calendar is essential to successful blogging. What's this, you ask? That rough sketch of an outline where the daily posts are mapped out and regular series return on the same days week after week. I have written it out and crossed it off, and I have stuck to the proposed plan with a soothing rhythm and joy. Readers come back to see what they want to see on a regularized basis. But also I've received those inspiring emails or the middle-of-the-shower brilliant ideas that make me crumple the schedule in the cupholder and try something totally different. And I can do that, and it's all good, all welcome here in this space.

Make holes in the walls

I feel like the couch would look better over on that wall. Oh, wait, it's a sleeper sofa, and I'm here by myself, and there's a staircase in the way. This n e v e r happens with the blog. Enter through the back door and move that widget over, convert from one to three column design, add an instagram feed. And then change it all next week when I want a look that reflects something fresh and new. In blogging, invigorating design is encouraged and rewarded. Let your readers know that you're thinking of them and switch your look around.

Be a pal

Mom was right on this one. Be a friend to the bloggers you meet. Blogging success like any other success in life is about making real connections. You have to be willing and engaged in visiting, chatting, commenting, liking, posting, and retweeting all the goodness see others doing. Oh, and you can't just be in it to up your own numbers. That's the fastest way to becoming a blog has-been. Through this writing adventure, I've connected with amazing ladies from around the world, and I've been inspired to be more and do more.

The more you, the better

What makes you stand out amongst the 384,999,999 others? The you-ness. Blogs are inversely lovely to mass consumption, eg: the more you can be authentically, uniquely you, the better your blog can be. Find and use your voice. Hone in on it. Craft photographs as only you would see them. Overlay that fantastic font you know says wow. The world needs your blog.

There are already 99,999 other copycats arriving by sundown.

So Pars Caeli, you might be middle-aged in blog years, but you're always fresh, rewarding, and a wee bit intoxicating to me. Hugs to you, interweb cozy. Can't wait to see what's cooking for the terrible twos.

xoxo, MJ

PS. What do you love mostest about your blog?

                

First day of spring? Are you feeling it? Fact is, we have very few signs of spring around here with gray sludge decorating the streets and parking lots, and skies that need some clear, azure additions.

I desperately want spring to be here. Now. My daughter, C, our summer babe, asks e-very day if it's spring yet. "I just want warm again, Mommy." Oh, she'll be our child to live in a tropical climate and bask in the sand (and I will lather on my SPF1000 and excitedly visit her).

When we visited the local farmer's market last weekend, I knew I'd find bunches of pussy willow branches. I had to grab a handful; they remind me of my childhood in western Pennsylvania, in our rural backyard brush. The fuzzy blooms served as the early fore bearers of blossoms to come.

This time of year I gravitate to nurseries and garden centers. I dream of jasmine and gardenia fragrances lofting indoors from my front plantings and I plan, hand-in-hand with my husband, what we will nurture in our veggie and herb gardens.

How do you make it to spring? What tricks are up your sleeve for managing the still-here winter blahs?

xoxo, MJ

Have you been hit by a winter bug yet? We had one run its course through our house this weekend, and I'm officially saying Bon Voyage right now, so it better be on its way out. So sorry I missed you yesterday. Monday was just not as much fun without you.

Never despair, I have some Itty Bitty Lovelies to delight you.

1. Become a PMS expert

No, no, no, not that kind. Pantone Matching System, silly!! You've seen the term thrown around in all sorts of posts and pins. And who can forget that emerald is the Pantone spring hue? Well, the lovely Leonora over at Yellow Heart Art has broken down the vocab to make the whole system approachable. Check out her super informative Pantone post.

2. Rock a great handwritten font

On my life list? Create my own font(s). Have you tried the Ifontmaker app yet? Until I get around to it, I've downloaded Anna's tip top handwriting fonts. She made four different styles, and they're all free. And, if my handwriting looked like hers, I would already have a font for sure! These alphabets will look great on photos and on their own. You may even see them around these pages. Thanks, Miss Anna of Dear Friend.

3. Make lots and lots of minis

Usually I'm admiring Jillian's bravery and adventurous spirit. But now she's amazing me with this easy, beautiful craft that kids and parents will love. Jillian in Italy shows us fabrics that charm, wraps them around circular cork boards and pops them on the end of a bookcase. Check out the fabulous result that I totally want to imitate. What a cute gift for your favorite tween or a teen headed off to college.

My Itty Bitty Lovely for the week is this: you don't have to leave it all behind. I was a full-time teacher for two years. I've taught a handful of classes here and there. My career path has taken me in a different direction, but part of me still yearns to be in the classroom. This weekend my husband (also a former teacher) and I had a chance to teach together, and it felt really good to be back in the saddle.

It reminded me that even when we chose something different from where we've been, we can still carry on the goodness that remains and come back to it again and again.

What are you bringing to this week? I'm excited to dig in.

xoxo, MJ

One of my best friends in the world (hi H) just joined Facebook! I never thought it would happen. Really. Her arrival has me wanting to engage more and post more over there so I can stay in touch with the latest.

But...

I'd sort of given up on Facebook. It was my first baby step into social media, and it is the place where more of my family gathers than anywhere else. Eg: my parents are not going to begin corresponding in 140 characters (or less) with hashtags, they are going to like photos of my kids or wish my cousin a happy birthday.

And yet it can be a very stagnant place for me, and I find Twitter and Instagram my new go-tos for inspiration and interest. And I give virtual high fives to folks I know who proclaim they've given up Facebook. For good.

Many of the blogs I love have FB pages with more or less interaction from readers. I've kept Pars Caeli off of Facebook, hearing from other blogger pals that the social media giant doesn't affect readership much.

Jeff Goins published A Blogger's Guide to Facebook nearly 2 years ago but some recommendations still hold. Check it out if you haven't.

So, let's chat it up, lovelies. Where are you with Facebook? Totally smitten and commitin'? Or closing the chapter on Facebook? Perhaps somewhere in between.

xoxo, MJ

I asked her if she wanted to hold my hand while we waited, and she gave me a slow, almost unnoticeable nod - the kind that only I might notice as the woman who has watched her so carefully these last eight years. I was grateful for that slight gesture, realizing that I might just need her reassurance as much, dare I say more, than she needed mine.

We stood together in the line inside our church. One line of many lines. She and I as equals in a way I had not yet considered as her mother.

Nearly one hundred eight- and nine-year olds were present, with families of all shapes and sizes, to this celebration of a Sacrament. As Catholics, we learn it as Reconciliation, the gift of God's forgiveness.

Though my heart knows that Reconciliation is overflowing with grace and goodness, my mind is absolutely terrified of the experience. The act of saying out loud to another human being my failings, mistakes, and sins is enough to cause me to break out into a cold sweat on a very hot day.

My daughter, M, woke up on Saturday, the day of her first Reconciliation, with excitement and anticipation. She wanted to go right to church to experience forgiveness.

I asked her repeatedly (I tried to space my questions to once an hour, but really...) if she was nervous to confess her sins. A simple "no" came back every time.

I just couldn't imagine it. Really?

The service was unlike any I'd experienced. Instead of the children and adults heading one by one into the smaller rooms, confessionals, to have a private experience, most of the priests were located right out in the open space of our church, with a chair set opposite theirs.

Thinking about this possibility of being seen during a very difficult conversation made me clammy. And, I had that moment where I wondered, can I get out of this?

But I pulled up my momma boots, and remembered just how important it is to be the example rather than talk about the example of what we want our children to be.

M didn't care which priest she went to or how out-in-the-open her experience would be. She took my hand and led me to the shortest line, right in the front of the church.

We stood there together, hand in hand, as children and dads and moms and older sisters and brothers came up one by one to experience the Sacrament. With calming piano hymns playing to drown out voices, I was able to watch forgiveness happen.

Have you ever seen it?

It looks like the jittery little boy who works up the courage to say that he's stolen something from his dad. It looks like this little boy's hands being held by a compassionate, smiling listener who reminds him that God's love is always there, even when we fail.

It looks like the father who comes with his head down, reluctant, who leans over to whisper his indescretions right into the ear of his confessor. It looks like that father then leaning back in his chair with a renewed understanding that he is good, he is always good in God's eyes.

I watched my little girl experience the gift of Reconciliation. She sat right on the edge of her chair and listened attentively to all the words the priest had to share. She smiled through her new set of braces and shook his hand in thanksgiving for the absolution.

She ran over to tell me it was my turn.

And then she perched herself in the pew and watched her mother experience forgiveness. She watched me muster up my courage and gesture nervously through hushed tones all the ways that I had failed.

When I stood to leave, feeling overwhelmed by grace, I saw her beaming blue eyes try to catch mine. She took my hand and told me she was proud of me.

She and I are equals. We offer our God-given gifts to the world freely. And we sin. We sin differently, but we both sin. We are human and make mistakes.

And we both experience the load-bearing release of forgiveness.

She's just braver to hold my hand.

xoxo, MJ

            

Go buy this here.

One of my favorite times of the week has arrived, friends! Let's chat it up.

Today's topic? Beauty. And not the amazing, inner light - the one that shines so bright in those who radiate beauty and whose lives reflect that brilliance.

Nope, we're talking exterior, surface today.

If you haven't heard me blab about it yet, let me share the good news (did you hear the angel choir voices), I'm heading to Alt NYC. This lovely day of fun will be hosted at Martha's HQ, and I will have the chance to chat with some of the most fabulous bloggers around the country. I can't wait to show you everything I see. This will be my very first trip to the Big Apple so any and all advice is welcome!

Honesty here: I'm already stressing about what I'll wear. Or more how I'll look.

I admit it, I'm vain, particularly when I'm meeting new people. It's not my best quality. But, it is.

I'm a gal on a limited budget so I've been trying to prioritize my look. Without saying, I would love to have those to-die-for shoes, with a killer dress, a touch of color in my newly trimmed locks, with some fresh makeup, and accessories that are more than memorable. But, that's not gonna happen.

So, let's talk surface here, friends.

Besides the confident walk, the gleam in the eye, and a dazzling smile, what do you notice first when you meet someone?

Where do you invest your money? Great make up? A signature hair style? Nails that complete a look? I'm really interested in your answers.

xoxo, MJ