SUMMER GOALS

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As you probably know, I'm a planner. I like to plan things out. I thrive on to-do lists. I very much enjoy having a plan. If we go on a trip, you can bet your bottom dollar that I've already researched the best doughnut joint in every town. Go with the flow? No thanks, I'd rather plan it out and get as much as I can out of the situation. Can I get an AMEN anyone? Anyone? 

A few weeks ago, James and I sat in a coffee shop and made some summer plans. 

Here are some of my personal ones...

-Have at least three bonfires with s'mores and singing. (S'mores on s'mores? Yes please.)

-Finish the Pentateuch course and start and finish a new course. (ROMer, I'm coming for you!) 

-Complete the half marathon. (One week today, that will be done!!)

-Complete the gallery wall in the living room. (Oh dear Lord, help me.)

-Go on one kayaking adventure.

-Find a healthy rhythm for this blog. (So excited to learn all about this and be so inspired at Alt next month!)

-Learn how to make macarons.

-Have lots of people over for BBQs.

-Celebrate 2 YEARS of MARRIAGE!! (Booked already, sooooo excited.)

So there are a bunch of my summer goals! Do you have any summer plans or goals? I'd love to hear yours! Write them in the comments below. :)

Hope you're having the best long weekend. I'm still cooped up inside writing and studying but PTL I'm almost done!!!

xoxo,

s.s.♥︎.

REAL TALK TUESDAY

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I snapped that pic of roses when I was at the Root Cellar on Sunday. Pastel roses are my fave. (FYI it took me 5 tries to write out fave, dang autocorrect kept changing it to have...)

While we're on the topic of roses, I want to be someone who takes times to smell the roses. Right now I find myself in a very full season. In the next two weeks I have a distance course due and my first half marathon. 

Last Saturday, I kinda hurt my back on my run. It was really stupid, I went too hard on a long run without the week of hard training behind me. I have a massage on Thursday and I'm going to train a bit smarter before the big race but ahhhhh. It made me realize, I can't do it all. As much as I want to, I just can't. 

So the next two weeks I'll be a little MIA. And I hate that when I get "busy" the first thing that suffers, is this blog. This place has always been a creative release for me. I love writing. I love making graphics. I love curating cute things. But I have to remind myself that blogging is not my full time job and I'm ok with that. (I think if it was my full time job, I'd go a little crazy…) I have to remind myself that education is important, and I want to do well. My health is important. My job is important. My marriage is important. Making time for my family is important. Taking time to smell the roses is important. My walk with Jesus is important.

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So I'll still be posting, just maybe not on the usual Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule. It won't be a ghost town round here. I do have some one word posts coming up from some pretty fantastic people, so be excited for that! And after May 25th, my life will be a bit less hectic, so I'll be able to get back to a posting schedule and get back to diy-ing, makeup tutorials, wardrobe shoots, BOOYAH. And then next month I'll be at ALT where I know I'm going to come back so inspired for this space.

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I want to thank you for continuing to read this blog. Your encouraging comments and your messages mean so much to me. Like, seriously, so much to me.  

love you to the moon & back,

s.s.♥.

Happy Mother's Day!

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Happy Mother's Day!

So I think Coco is trying to get me ready to be a mom (for the record, I'm not pregnant, just one day in the future I hope to be). She wakes me up every night at 4am where I then chase her out of our room and close the bedroom door and then again at 7am where she's crying very loudly for her morning bite to eat. I know it's a little bit (ok, a whole bit) ridiculous to compare a cat to an actual human being but I'm just saying, she's training me to wake up multiple times throughout the night...

Coco disturbing my sleep gets me thinking about all the times my mum would be woken up by a little cry. I have three siblings, so there would have been a lot of little cries.

Can I just brag on my mum a bit now? 

I was raised in a single parent household from age 7 to 18. Aka my mum worked her tail off to provide for my siblings and I. She taught me what it was to work hard. For years she drove my brother and I everyday at 4:30am on our Times Colonist paper route so that my brother and I could earn money. Even though she worked crazy hours, she still managed to come out to the baseball games, the musicals, etc. She supported my dream of living abroad at 18 and supports the dreams in my heart today.

I rise up and call her blessed. Blessed is she now and blessed are the days ahead of her.

I love you mum.

So to all the mamas out there. The natural mamas, the spiritual mamas (I've had so many and I sure love and appreciate you), the step mamas, the foster mamas, the ones who are expecting, the ones who are trying, the grandmas, the mother in laws (love you Margaret!)...today is your day.

You are cherished, you are valued, you are celebrated.

I hope you know how much you are loved.

xo,

s.s.♥︎.

photos by Ameris

SHE LOVES CONFERENCE

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What a weekend.

If you follow me on instagram, you'll know that I was at She Loves Conference at Relate Church this past weekend. I've been going for the past four years and honestly, it is one of the biggest highlights of the year. As you may know, part of my job is putting on two major conferences in my church, so it's really, really, really nice to get away and attend a conference where I don't have to do anything..ha.

This year was my favourite so far. The conference is led by the incredible Helen Burns. She is the most encouraging person I know, champions other people, and is just so genuinely lovely!!! 

There were SO many highlights this year. Here are a few...

-God spoke to me through every single speaker. Helen burns, Angela Doell, Sarah Bessey, Monica Prescott and my goodness, Caroline Leaf (BLEW MY MIND).

-Hanging out with friends was so so so so good. We came with a massive bus of ladies (& our incredible driver, Pastor Don). I shared a room with my besties (CADTOOL 4 LYFE). And it was sooooo amazing to finally meet the lovely, Jenna Liesch in person (we've been friends on social media for a year now, ha).

-Relate sets the bar high for serving. Their team is incredible and thinks of everything! I was wowed by the decor. And they just do the best job of making you feel loved and welcomed.

-I shared briefly on a panel about impacting the next generation. It was such an honour!! 

-Being in God's presence with 700 other ladies is just so incredible. Jesus is so good.

I came home with a VERY full heart and so much excitement for what God has in store for the ladies in Victoria.

If you were at the conference, what were your highlights??

xo,

s.s.♥.

APRIL FAVOURITES

Ok, so I know I said this the past two month round-ups BUT I still can't believe it's the end of April!! How insane is it, that May is tomorrow?? It makes me pretty happy though because our weather is getting beeeeeaaauutiful. Last night I went for a run in a tank and shorts and then James and I went around town and I DIDN'T NEED A JACKET. Summer is coming friends. Summer is coming :)

But let's take a moment and look back at your favourite posts from April...

| APRIL FAVOURITES |

1. Wardrobe // 4 - Ok you guys. For the third time in a row, your favourite post has been the wardrobe post with James and I. These ones are really fun to do and with this fabulous weather we've been having, I'm very much looking to shooting the next one!

2. One Word Julia | Kristy  - I'm so happy you've loved the one word posts. I love having other women share what God has spoken to them for 2014.

3. My Running Journey - I got a little bit personal with y'all and shared how I started running in the first place. (P.S. my half Marathon is in May!!!!!)

4. Real Talk Tuesday - In which I tell you about how I had the strangest experience by talking to a REAL LIVE STRANGER and how I was pushed out of my comfort zone..AGAIN.

5. Caramel Popcorn - Ummm, do you even need an explanation? Go make it and then devour it. 

Ok, so there are your top 5 posts from April. I'll be making my May editorial calendar today, so please let me know what kind of posts are your favourite to see? What do you want to see on S.S. Heart?

Thank you so much for reading and for so many of you who encourage and share how you've been inspired in this space. It means so much to me.

xo,

s.s.♥︎.