mae + nolia, one word, & dreams

I'm staring at a blinking cursor on a blank page, not sure where to begin. Welcome to my newly-renamed blog and quiet space. I'm hoping to make this space a lot less quiet from now on.

mae + nolia? I like naming things. I like when things have deep, deep meaning... almost to a fault. Mae is obviously after my girl, and Nolia alludes to magnolia, which is a favorite spring bloom of mine and, to me, represents a fresh, beautiful start. My shop now has the same name, and this new consistency and simplicity makes my heart happy.

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Life is busy and so full. I love to plan; I need to plan. I never do not have at least five lists going and I'd be lost without my calendars (one in an actual paper planner, one on my phone). I want to do everything - it's never possible, but it's in my nature to just want to do it all. I'm working on prioritizing my plans as they relate to the things that matter most. My family must not suffer in my efforts to prioritize and sort out this mind that is just fit to burst with all I must do. Thankfully, God is so gracious and so good - and He shows me the good He's made in me, despite my tendency to see only the flaws in my nature.

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Despite it being April of this year already, I want to record my word of the year. I've chosen a word for the year, every year, for the past few years. This year, it's faithful. I couldn't even begin to recount the instances in the past year that the Lord has been so blatantly faithful. From answers to long-time prayers (and the answers were "yes" answers, nonetheless!), to the grace I've seen extended, to the blessings that have been piled upon me and my family, to the opportunities that have been given (and the close-walking He's required of me through these opportunities) - He's been faithful. Let me say it again: He's been so faithful. I am brought to tears by the simple, yet rich words of the song that declares, "You are faithful, God you are faithful." He's faithful when I'm not. I've had a renewed longing to show Him the faithfulness He's heaped upon me.

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I am so lucky to have friends that understand me and dream with me. Mid-last year, my dear friend Dezirae and I collaborated to start a business that integrated our love for paper goods, organization, lists, notebooks, design, and doing life well. Enter: Well-Press Paper.

We've set up shop and were even able to participate in a local indie artisan market in the fall.  Our brand focus is not just on well designed, handmade and/or handstitched, high quality paper products - it's a mission and conviction to do LIFE well. Prioritize, then after those priorities are nailed down, do them well. In our brand's development, we've clung to Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will. Constant renewal and transformation. I do like my endeavors to have a deep-rooted meaning, don't I? ;)

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One more thing: I'll be hosting an Instagram (I'm @maeandnolia) giveaway next week to "celebrate" my rebrand. It's going to be a "fun things for both mama and baby" giveaway - with a handful of lovely shops participating (which may or may not include Freshly Picked moccasins)!

one word - enough.

Last year (and the year before), I chose a word for the year. It's a word to inspire, strive for, encourage.

Last year, my word was patience. I scribbled it on my little chalkboard canister and it stared at me from my kitchen window sill all year.

I can't say I was super successful in becoming the most patient & kind girl this year... but I did try. I also lectured my kids quite enough on how important it is to be so... yet I'm not sure I was a living, breathing example most of the time.

This year, I majorly struggled to find "my" word. I felt like nothing could truly encompass the magnitude of what I wanted to change and to dwell on.

Finally, it hit me: enough.

I have, for FAR too long, tried to be enough.

Patient enough. Neat enough. Kind enough. Organized enough. Friend enough. Mother enough. Wife enough. Daughter enough. Steadfast enough. Creative enough. Involved enough. Loud enough. Quiet enough. Supermom enough. Skinny enough. Healthy enough. Talented enough. Strong enough. Cool enough. Brave enough. Loving enough. Confident enough. Funny enough. Quick-thinking enough. Interesting enough. Pretty enough. Smart enough. Witty enough. Tender-hearted enough. Calm enough. Wise enough. Leader enough. Determined enough. Gracious enough. Giving enough. Stylish enough. Graceful enough. Having-it-together enough.

GOOD enough.

PERFECT ENOUGH.

Is that enough adjectives for you? I really could go on and on.

For far too long, I have tried to be enough without Jesus. Yes, I believe in Him, trust Him, and follow Him, but I still want to do it ALL on my own. It's time for me to let HIM be enough (because, duh, He is) and accept that I AM enough WITH Him.

[Side note - ever write or say a word so many times that your brain plays tricks on you and you question if that word is even a real word? I'm there. Ha.]

I'm going to keep it real here. Yesterday, I was talking to Brynlee about New Year's resolutions. I explained that some people like to think of things they want to be better at for the new year, and that I wanted to "Be more patient with you guys, exercise more, and..." Pause.

"And not scream at us so much?"

Ummm. Why yes. Face palm. I laughed, but, HELLO! Wake up call.

Honestly, I've gone through my days without committing them to Him. I get so fed up and frustrated and scream at my kids after I've refused to ask Him to help me in the patience department.  I've moved forward with (small) business endeavors without committing them to Him, or even praying about them. I've tried to solve problems without Him. I've come to conclusions about myself (most of them not very nice) without consulting Him first and without remembering what He thinks of me (I'm His treasured possession {Deut. 26:18} - whaaat?!). I've forgotten that I don't have to be everything - and also try to be and do everything without Him. If I'm rejected, the wind is just knocked out of me. If I feel un -loved, -wanted, -admired, -successful, etc, I am just out for the count. I need to cry out to Jesus that I am not enough and BELIEVE that He is enough, before I attempt something (like getting out of bed in the morning, for example) and cry out to Him that He is enough if what I've hoped for or hoped to be fails. I need to not let all the other voices cloud my mind (even well-meaning ones) and first listen to the ONE voice that matters. I spend so much time comparing myself to others who seem to have it together so much better than I do (or envying the people that don't have it together but are okay with that!), or anyone else that is more "        " (fill in the blank!) than me. Blogging, pinterest, social media, and all the things that I let influence me pile up. Everyone else may truly BE better at me than everything but HE is enough and I am enough only because of Him.

And so, my word will stare at me from the window sill all year long. I have to say - I probably wrote and re-wrote the word "enough" on that canister with that stinkin chalk pen fifteen times until it looked as "perfect" as it was going to get. Funny (and symbolic) how I can't even make my word LOOK enough in my eyes.

I picked a word that I know I can never truly be. But God will be enough and He will make me enough. So freeing. I'm so excited.

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Happy New Year friends! Anyone else want to share their word for the year? I've noticed a lot of word-sharing on blogs in the past few days. Love.


In a week or so, I'm going to be getting a blog makeover (I can barely contain my excitement) and to celebrate I'm going to do a giveaway! It's going to be a giveaway containing some of my essentials for/things I've been loving so far this winter. This is gonna be fun. Bring it, 2013.

one word

Early last January, I chose my "word of the year". Last year's word was warm. I wanted to become more of an arms-wide-open type person. More down to earth. The type of person that anyone would feel comfortable around.

I'm still working on being a warm person, but I think I have made progress. I hope I have. It's so easy to just close up inside myself and just do what I have to do, and not intentionally interact with others.

This year, I think my word will be patience. To be more specific, not so much with waiting for something to happen, but with people. I get so frustrated with people. I want to love people. Even more specifically, I want to be patient first and foremost with my husband and kids. Why is it that we often treat the ones we love most the worst?? Often, my patience tank is empty before we even get downstairs in the morning. The only person who is to blame for that is me. I desire to be more gracious, more calm, more understanding. My sweet family deserves the best of me, and it is my job to BE the best of me. Ryan is so calm, so patient with me and with the kids. I know that is in his nature to be so, but he just inspires me. I pray I can be the person my family deserves and the person I KNOW I was created to be.

Watch out, 2012. There's gonna be more deep breaths, more smiles when the only thing I want to do is scream.

Happy New Year, friends. Anyone else have a word for 2012?