You made it! Hello. Thanks for coming!

Maybe it's kind of weird, but I wanted to share
with some special friends (that's you)
a bit more depth and color
regarding the last year around here.

I have put together a few stories, playlists, and links
to share with you. I appreciate you making
​ the effort to arrive. ​Enjoy!

The Overshare

In some ways, my year started in early March, having my heart smashed to pieces.
The break-up was sudden and painful, tearing at some old wounds and stories. It was also the culmination of a lot of hopes, and a lot of disappointments. It came at a time when I was particularly vulnerable, following an intense year that was marked by great loss in the area of family.

​A friend came to me and said, "This is weird advice–it came from a reality TV makeover show–but they are always telling the woman who waits to wear the fancy dress for when she loses 10 lbs to just 'Dress for Now.' It seems like your life has been built around wanting and waiting to get married and have children. What if you 'dressed for now'?"

Her words struck me deeply, as I looked around my life. I was living in a tiny, very cute place--perfectly romantic if one was in a relationship with a month-to-month lease and low rent. (Easier to save up and quickly buy a house when the right man came along.) But the truth is, I hate living alone and the place was so tiny that it was hard to host events (something I enjoy) and people often didn't want to visit because it was off a busy road with a difficult driveway.

I also saw that there were ways I had not invested in my career, anticipating with each passing year that I would be on maternity leave soon. It wasn't all as focused/conscious as that, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't somewhere in the back of my mind.

I began to see the ways I made myself small, because I was told I intimidated men. I saw how every trip to a place that potentially had attractive, liberal, Jesus-y dudes was filled with deep anticipation and solid disappointment in ways that shadowed the rest of so many otherwise positive experiences. It was a tough pill to swallow, but okay, I would....Dress for Now.
Saying Goodbye to the Cottage
The cottage was a perfect place to land after I limped back from Philly and immediately found myself in a romantic relationship. The landlord (a kind, older friend I have known a long time) lived next door and she gave me generous deal on rent. We shared soups and snacks when we made extra and made a point to watch every episode of the Bachelor on her widescreen TV.  We shared a garden too. When I was packing this summer, I took a few photos of the interior which I will share below.

My New Place!!! <3

I moved back into my old neighborhood (called Westerwood) in June. I had been wanting to be back there all along and was devastated when I had to give up my place there when I went to Philly. This could quickly become a novel, but let's just say that I found a new place AND I LOVE IT!!!!!! (There's a cool back story about how I found it...and my awesome roommate, but I'll save that for our upcoming long walk in the woods.) 

There's a ton of wildlife here, a creek, and a winding greenway. We are nestled in the heart of downtown. So on some streets between trees, we see the sky scrapers, hear fireworks popping from the nearby baseball stadium, and don't have to find parking when we attend the various parades, markets, and year round festivals nestled amongst those tall buildings and intermittent parks. We are easy walking distance to coffee shops, the local food co-op, and one of my favorite modern art museums, the Weatherspoon.

Westerwood has ginormous trees, gorgeous older just-right-sized houses, and a cadre of local personal heroes who are generous with their time and resources (established artists, professors, musicians, grad students, authors, and leaders in the non-profit world.) 

Everyone is pretty liberal and just loving, kind, friendly and generous. When we organize for social change--we get it done!!

I have a lot of friends in the neighborhood and we share regular walks and meals.

I adore my roommate. We are a perfect fit, can easily hang out or be alone. We communicate well, share meals, tears, laughter and co-host events, like my annual Valentine's Day party!

Did I mention I also have my an office in the house? I love it! I painted it my favorite shade of blue. Okay, I'll shut up. I can't stop!
​

My New Place! (706 Guilford Ave.) 

Favorite Photos of 2016

Photography continues to be a passion and joy for me.
Playlists
Okay, as you know, I love music. I think I never got over being a DJ in college. I actually make weekly playlists for a favorite pilates class I take at the Y. (It was a good deal for me, because we were doing the same routine to the Virgin Suicides soundtrack for almost 6 months straight when I started. Depressing! The teacher was grateful for my offer and the participants seem pleased.)

I started creating sharable public playlists from those classes whenever they line up in ways that especially flow. 

To be clear, I have two Spotify accounts. There's one that I've had for years as a test kitchen of sorts. (It's also where I can listen to Nickelback in private if I need to...and I can give you that address if you want it.) The other is my more pubic page and I want to give you a link to

Daily Devotional 

So, I do a devotional practice almost every day. I find if I take the time to breathe, read, and pray; it greatly affects my quality of life. I have a bit more patience, groundedness and inspiration--all things I need every day.

I have the privilege of calling my sister in New York most mornings and we most often do the daily devotional put out by (get ready) Joyce Meyer. I know, I know, yes, the TV evangelist lady. 

I am a convert. This woman is a bold-speaking 73 year old divorced, remarried, horrific sexual abuse survivor who has fought breast cancer, lost a brother to suicide and preaches not becoming a victim, but being pro-active with God in your faith. I say YES to this, especially as I have spent the last few years working on some deep areas of pain and hurt in some of some similar areas.  So, judge if you want. Or visit her daily devotional here, and bookmark it. Wherever you are on your journey...you may be surprised.

Work

You are on my website, so you can poke around, but the personal commentary is that it has been a really good year. It is my seventh year of being self-employed. I run a small marketing company for people who are trying to do good in the world.

I feel very blessed by getting paid to be creative and do what I love, but even more by the clients I have had the pleasure of working with this year. I feared that focusing on socially responsible companies would limit me, but in fact, my work flow has been consistent. I often even run a waiting list. (It is an act of faith to know that the work will keep coming, but God has kept His hand over me in this area, and I give praise.)

I took on a couple individual creative clients, such as a very talented sculptor whose work I have admired for some time. I had a moment a few weeks ago, sipping a hot beverage with him, listening to him share about his creative process and a poem he wrote during a moment of heartache, and we were both moved to tears. I was thinking how much money I would pay to spend one-on-one time with this phenom and here we were, tables turned. (Though I don't charge when we aren't expressly talking business!!)

I get very excited about "discovering" very talented people who aren't well-known (or products/services) and connecting them with the world. Often there is a personal element of reservation on the part of the creative/visionary/businessperson, which is where my ministry background has come in handy. Then, there is connecting the client with the people who I know will 

I fielded a request for him from the Obama family at the end 


Our Refugee Families

I love these people.

More images from our Sister Shoot

https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/383pCeYAHfR23CBW91Zdzl

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