Blog Lovin'

This weekend, while searching for crafts,

I found two new {to me} blogs

that each stole about and hour and a half from my day.

I thought I'd share them with you, dear reader,

in case you are looking to add to your blog subscriptions.

These two blogs have given me dozens of ideas

for gifts, celebrations, outfits and home decor.

Which, of course, means they have given me

fodder for a dozen blog posts of my own.

John Steinbeck--On Love.

I really love John Steinbeck.

I've read Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men each a few times. Last year, I read {and marked up my copy of} East of Eden, and also read {though I was not as crazy about} The Winter of Our Discontent.

And then I read this blog post about this blog post...and how could I not just love him more for these sweet words to his son?

••• Enjoy •••

In November of 1958, John Steinbeck — the renowned author of, most notably, The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men — received a letter from his eldest son, Thom, who was attending boarding school. In it, the teenager spoke of Susan, a young girl with whom he believed he had fallen in love.

Steinbeck replied the same day. His beautiful letter of advice can be enjoyed below.

(Source: Steinbeck: A Life in Letters; Image: Thom and John Steinbeck with their father in 1954, courtesy of UC Berkeley.)

New York
November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First—if you are in love—that’s a good thing—that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second—There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you—of kindness and consideration and respect—not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply—of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it—and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone—there is no possible harm in saying so—only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another—but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens—The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

Oh, Richard!

One of my very favorite people in the whole of Kitale passed away this week: Richard Robinson.

I know, I know that there are many, many heavy hearts in both Kenya and America over his passing.

Here are a few of my favorite Richard photos...

and the stories behind them.

{With A Smile And A Kipsongo}

Richard and Puppet Richard

{More Kitale Club Swimming}

{Farm Living Is The Life For Me}

{And You Give, And You Give}

A few more great Richard stories:

Little Baby From Planet Weird

And Here's To You (Mr and) Mrs Robinson

I Spent A Week There One Day

Here We Come...Walking Down The Street

Dinner With Richard

February, Won't You Be My Valentine?

Richard, you will be missed.

Next time I'm in Kitale, I'll drink a Krest in your honor.

Love. Love. Love.

A short list of some rad things I've seen online recently:

A website where you can write a note to yourself in the Future!

{Mine would contain several references to Back to the Future.}

{The perfect meal for a family with a newborn}

{A print that gives art and clean water}

{A printed combination of my love for reading and maps.

Incidentally, I am horrible at reading maps.}

{Love You Daily}

Am I missing anything?

Love Does.

A little over a year ago, while sitting in my living room, a friend of mine began to tell me about a friend of his: a lawyer who closes his practice each year and goes from employee to employee asking if they would like to return for another year together. A lawyer fighting injustices done to children in Uganda. A lawyer whose Twitter profile shows him and a child surrounded by colorful balloons. His name is Bob Goff.

And he was coming to teach at our church!

When Bob came to Mariners {the first time I heard him teach}, he was so endearing {and captivating} that I left saying, "Oh, I just want to be his friend!"

Since then, I've heard him teach at least a handful of times.

Each time, I left feeling more and more endeared to this man.

To the stories he tells...

of whimsy.

of life change.

Needless to say, as soon as I found out he had written a book, I was online trying to purchase it. Unfortunately, Amazon said it was unavailable until May 1st. Fortunately, Catalyst Conference was at Mariners a few weeks ago and they had it in the bookstore!

I finished Love Does on Friday evening.

It is worth a read!

{If you disagree, his number is in the back of the book}

Also, all of the money goes to Restore International

At the Discovering Your Dream event, Bob said:

[when it comes to your dreams]

"Bring your business game and all of your audacity"

And that is, precisely, what I intend to do.

It should be noted: When I met him, I immediately burst in to tears.

Waste Not Want Not

Who would have thought decay could be art?

Well, I suppose Klaus Pichler did.

His project, One Third, is a depiction of

America's wastefulness and world starvation.

It's disgusting, yet wonderfully fascinating.

{flour}

{strawberries}

{cauliflower}

{ice cream}

{fruit cocktail}

{bread}

{bbq sausage link}

Incredible, right?

Lack Of {P}Interest

I'm no all that crazy about Pinterest.

I've tried it

{not a ton, but enough to have made a decision}

and I'm just not crazy about it.

I do, however, keep tabs on pieces I'd like to recreate.

{My bookmarks are predominately crafts.}

Right now, I'm looking for inexpensive ways

to make my office feel like home.

Here are a few projects that could

bring some color to my new space.

I've already purchased the supplies for these two!

One-of-a-kind tumblers for office guests

These glittery buttons

{I'm thinking: larger versions as wall art?}

I've been looking around for a needlepoint kit

since I read about NattheFatRat's favorites,

I think it could make a silly, but endearing framed display.

I'd really like this one, but it's sold out!

For now, it's a little too sunny to stay inside and sew...

but I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Black and White {Stripes} and Red All-Over {My Lips}

So, I did it:

Red lipstick...all day.

{totally feel like an idiot taking a picture of myself,

but needed photographic proof of my guts}

I was completely aware of my red lips for every second...

mostly nervous that it was smudged on my teeth or across my face

also a little nervous that it was not office-appropriate

I had several compliments throughout the day...

all from women

though one man did say, "Your lips are really red."

I'm not sold on the everyday wear of red,

but I did go to Target this morning to pick up

a fuchsia lipstick.

We'll see what happens, I guess.

Madwell Denim Roadtrip

As if I didn't already wish I lived in New York City...

Madewell

{if I had hundreds of dollars, I would spend most of it here}

is taking an Airstream Road Trip across 14 cities

{beginning in NYC}

Granted, I'm not crazy about denim

{I had a very unfortunate jeans mishap at work yesterday}

but I'm pretty into the idea of a Braid Bar.

{says the girl who had to re-braid her hair at four different stoplights on the way to work today.}

I wish I were in New York today,

for several reasons, really...

but mostly so I could check out

the madness that will be

this Madewell RV

this afternoon.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

I really. want to be a girl who can pull off a lipstick

every now and again.

I'm trying it.

Today: bright red.

Tomorrow: a bright pink.

Next week: the world!

Love. Love. Love.

So much has happened in the month since I posted last.

Lots to catch up on...more coming soon.

For now, here's a list of things I love:

This Rainbow Hotel.

I want to stay there!

Spins on the old Rice Kripsies Treat

Umbrellas as lampshades

How does this work for the superstitious?

Crepe-Paper Magnolia Flowers

Oh, Martha.

Typography Scrabble Board

Anything I've missed?

Life Lately According To My iPhone

I know we're almost to the middle of March,

{or Middlemarch for you George Eliot fans}

but I thought I'd share with you

a quick glimpse of what's been happening in my life

according to the photos on my phone...

here we go.

Matt McGill's Potential Book Titles

Luke spoke in HSM

We launched Naked Truth at Mariners Church

and Caleb was stoked on his nachos

I visited milk&honey for the first time

and had a really tasty iced latte

Saw Metropolis II {and fell in love}

And some more art at LACMA

Wished for this kid to fall in the water

Took a quick tour past the LaBrea Tarpits

Dared a student to eat a tangerine

without using his hands

Competed in a Staff Volleyball Tournament

{and scored four points in one game}

Saw {and sang along to} a High School production of

Beauty and the Beast

Helped lead an event called BE.

A night to BE connected with God.

Cheered on some of my favorite kids at

the elementary school talent show

FaceTimed with my dad

Bre practiced being a Kenyan woman

Elijah tried on some glasses while we

ate dinner with my Grandpa

I celebrated the Sabbath during Lent

Life has been full lately...

and very fun lately...

some really great changes ahead, too

{more on that soon!}