It got me a-thinkin' about this ol' blog and how I portray myself, because if it is one thing I'm not, it is glamorous. If you knock on my door unexpectedly, it will be a mess. Hayden will be down to a diaper, most likely dancing on the table. My face breaks out, I can't shower as often as I'd like to, if you see me around six in the p.m., I'm likely on the verge of tears or a tantrum. That's life. That's my life. Trust me, you don't want to see it. But I wouldn't want to, and don't mean to, pretend it is something else. Last night some friends were in the backyard and mentioned they'd never seen the inside of my house. I chuckled and said "Not today!". A few seconds later I realized that was silly, so fake, and insincere. As we walked inside my kitchen covered in the remnants of lunch and realized it was a LOT worse than the house I remembered walking out of an hour earlier, one of them said "We'd be concerned if it DID look perfect."
The little group of blogs in my reader has made me acutely aware that the hard things in my life now are oh.so.small (but not to me!). I think I would feel petty posting those things on here amidst people's life changing problems. So I don't. And I'm not sure how to reconcile the desire to present myself sincerely and keep the mundane private. But you wanna know why I love this blog? Among a few reasons, it gives me motivation to find those bits and pieces of beauty in my life. And who doesn't love to wake up to a comment or two in their inbox? I love that I can crop and blur the mess and focus my lens on something (or usually someone) pretty.
So I do declare Mondays as my 'something pretty' day. To find something beautiful along the routine. You want in?!? I want you in on this, my friends. Find it, find what makes you tick this week and email it to me for next Monday. I would love to see and post your something pretty! Something you read, something you did, something you saw, something you made. If you don't know me, all the better, I'd love to meet you.
ashpace@gmail dot com
happy hunting
ashpace@gmail dot com
happy hunting
20 comments:
I love it. You are wonderful. Your blog has always inspired me to find the good stuff. I'll look forward to Mondays now. :)
I don't think it matters what the circumstances, anytime you snap a picture of your girls it's going to be pretty. Or gorgeous, more likely. You're life sounds strikingly familiar to mine.
hows this for beautiful... the whole Brimhall bunch on your doorstep! We want to visit....so chicka, when can we come to this crusty home of yours and pour out own germs as well??? Heather
thanks for the challenge to find the beautiful in life. not that i don't see it everywhere around me, but it is not as appreciated in the midst of the screaming about who gets to sit by noah in my trashed mini van.
your blog IS indeed a glamorous thing to look at. you are so good at making things look beautiful. if it is as you say in reality, then photoshop is more than i thought it was. even that picture of dumped out cereal with a beautiful baby sitting in it looks like it came from a magazine ad for swiffers or something. it is inspiring and depressing all in one. don't take it the wrong way. you have a great gift. show it off.
Great post Ash--- and you are glamorous..... and amazing, and talented, and hilarious, and beautiful inside and out!
You're delightful and I love looking at your beautiful blog. Keep playing the glad game. I'm with ya.
P.S. Your friend Laura Hintze is in my ward and I like her lots. That's all.
Great post. You made me smile on my Monday. :)
hey. 'beautiful mess.' isn't that a song?? why yes me thinks it is. diamond rio. love it.
ANYWAY, i think that's normal to glorify your blog. i mean who wants to post the little things wrong with day to day life? it's good to post the beautiful stuff, the happy stuff. it's more uplifting and less depressing. and i don't know about you, but posting the happy things sometimes makes me forget about the little hard things.
but i've always thought you were a genuine person and that's what i love about you. you're real and strong and amazing. i hope you're doing alright with justin's hours, etc! it will hopefully pass fast and then you'll be loving life when he's bringing in the big bucks:)
i love this picture by the way!
Am new to your blog and I am loving the pretty Monday idea! Very inspiring. :)
This morning, I have a total crush on this mini first day of school scrap book by Elizabeth Kartchner:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kAmCe4LVLaw/Sq5e3HgcJJI/AAAAAAAAJwQ/Hk2AvesCNbM/s400/IMG_3162.JPG
Ash you're awesome. I'm in. Maybe I should send you my pictures every week since I never post! :) I love that you post beautiful things--you're posts are always refreshing. Are those KIX? How sweet of Hayden to share with everyone.
Hard to compete with that! You should think about becoming a writer...your blogs even when trying not to always sound so eloquent.
Miss you, hope that MIchigan is good, it still kills me that we could have been neighbors if they had waited one more year to move the law school...
Ash, I love reading your blog!! I really do get excited when I see that you've posted something new. I think it's because your posts are so stinkin' fun to read and you're pictures are amazing...I like your idea of finding something beautiful. I'll see what I can come up for you :)
I love it! You are so inspiring:) Keep it up (the inspiration, not the house-who really cares-besides the people who live inside!!!)
That is a good idea. I think we all focus on the good in our blogs, I know I do but it isn't to fool people it is just to help point out the happy and beautiful in life I think.
By the way I seriously need you and Allegra to come and teach me your photo skills. You two are amazing, even a mess on the floor looks great in your pictures.
I love checking your blog just to see the beautiful pictures that you catch!!! Keep up what you've been doing and don't change the way you do your blog! I LOVE your Beautiful Monday idea!! I'll think of something for ya:)
Sorry, it's Rebecca, not Keith.
It's funny how much this dilemma get to me as well. I love your blog and even more, I love the comments to leave on mine. I feel like I am always meeting these amazing people and then they or I move away. But with these blogs I can still take a peak into their lives (whatever peak they want to give) I love the idea! I have found that I carry my camera around because it calms me down. I tend to get too uptight with my kids, but if I am in camera-mode it all seems like a memory than like an annoyance.
Love you sister. Your sincerity, wit, and honestly mean so much to the many in your life. How lucky am I to be of the lucky few that get to call you family
One thing I love about you is that you are REAL...and a great friend to so many! I am so glad you catch the beautiful things on your blog...because how depressing would that be if we all blogged about our problems?
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