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Mother, Mom, Mommy, Mama - regardless of what she’s called, a mother is a special soul.  This weekend, we pay tribute to the women in our lives who have mothered us -- cared for us -- in some way shape or form. First, I want to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms and to those with a mother's heart out there, especially mine. I’ll be sharing a little about my dear mama later on in the post.

There’s something special that happens within a woman the day she becomes a mother. That something special doesn’t necessarily always accompany physically giving birth. For some mothers, that change occurs at the first stir of their heart towards loving a child, whether that child is present in that moment of not. For some mothers, that change comes after they have processed through their options during an unplanned pregnancy and chosen to parent. For some mothers, it’s selflessly choosing to give a precious gift to a waiting forever family.  For some mothers, it happens when they hold their newborn for the first time or perhaps it’s at the first heartbeat during an ultrasound.  For some mothers, it happens in an airport a world away as they embrace their toddler for the first time as their adoption journey comes to a close. And for some, it happens the moment they see a child in need -- even though their role is to only mother for a short season -- providing a mother’s love that is absent in the life of that child.

For countless women walking through seasons of singleness, infertility, loss, searching, waiting and praying, this Mother’s Day is filled with mixed emotions. For others, overwhelming joy flows from the very core of their being as they watch their littles and live out a weekend full of sticky kisses, messy pancakes, and handmade cards that melt their heart.

At the end of the day, my point is this: being a mother is simply so much more than giving birth to a child. Being a mother can mean longing for a child, loving a child, caring for a child, adopting a child, fostering a child, waiting on a child, or simply dreaming of the possibilities of a child. If you’re like me, you’re in a season of singleness (and loving being a puppy mother - isn't she cute?!), but practicing loving on all the littles around you until you have your own. 

Regardless of the path God has you walking today, know that His plan is greater than ours, and more perfect than ours. He is the beginning and the end. He is and He always will be. He has walked this road before you and He is walking it with you.

If you’re single and happy, God loves you. If you’re single and longing for a husband and family, God loves you.  If you’re battling infertility, God loves you. If you’re walking an adoption journey, God loves you. If you’re adjusting to your new forever child and working through the early stages of attachment, God loves you. If you’re a new foster mom or if you’ve fostered 50 children, God loves you. If you’re holding a newborn baby and are over the moon in love, God loves you.  If you’re holding a newborn baby and battling postpartum depression, God loves you. If you’re a single mother struggling to make ends meet, God loves you. If you’re a stay-at-home mama giving every ounce of yourself to your family and you’re exhausted, God loves you.  If you’re a working mom juggling a career and raising a family, God loves you.  If you’re grieving the loss of a child, God loves you. If you’re grieving the loss of your mother, God loves you. We serve a mighty God and He sees you and loves you right where you are, in the midst of your perfectly organized life or your perfectly cluttered mess.  Your situation and your circumstances in the past and present have not, will not and cannot define your Father’s love for you now and for all of eternity.  

So to all the mothers out there, regardless of how or when that something special happened in your heart, you are a special soul.  Your Father is the Creator of life. He is the author of life and He wants to lovingly craft your story -- and let’s face it -- He wants more for us than we can ever imagine. Trust His creative process and know that your story is one for the ages. After all, when we turn over the pen, the Author of all Creation is sure to do His thing and craft a story for us better than the story we would have crafted for ourselves. So to all the moms, and those with the heart of a mom, Happy Mother’s Day!

When it comes to moms, I know I’m biased, but y’all, I am blessed beyond measure. I’ve got the best mama in the world. I mean, that’s just my opinion, but she’s a pretty awesome lady.  It’s a wonder I ever made it and she didn’t throw me out with the dishwater. When I was a baby, I screamed for the first year of my life because I had a severe case of the colic.  When I was five, I cried every day she took me to school. I loathed it with every fiber of my being. Bless.  At least I was good teenager, so she got all of her hard parenting out of the way before I turned 6. :) (I’m sorry and you’re welcome, Mama.)

In all seriousness, I am truly blessed because my mother is also my best friend. She is quick to listen, lend a helping hand and she always puts the needs of others before her own. Her sense of humor keeps me laughing and her words of Godly wisdom keep me grounded. She has been my rock, prayer warrior, taxi service, proofreader, counselor, and personal chef on occasion. She never ceases to amaze me with her selfless behavior and servant's heart. Growing up, I always knew she was amazing, but in the last several years, I have come to realize how incredibly blessed I am.

She was the one that wiped my tears. She was the one who cheered me on regardless of the venture.  She was the one that taught me loving God first and loving people second come before anything else.  She was the one that held my hand as I hopped around the ER on a broken foot. (Why on earth they didn’t bring a wheelchair I will never understand). She was the one that held my hair when I got food poisoning on my way home from China. (Y’all, that was a rough 36 hours. Seriously).  She has picked me up, dusted me off and pushed me toward my goals. She has mended my broken heart -- not once, but twice. She has celebrated my successes and spoken truthfully about my failures -- or my “opportunities for growth.” She was the first one I was brave enough to tell about my dream for Crossing 413. And now that this thing is up and running, she is the one that makes my post office runs when I just can’t get there. She helps me tie bows and tape boxes. We jokingly say she’s the COO. These things are not what make her special, but they are an outward manifestation of who she is on the inside.

She is shy. She is kind. She is gentle. She is compassionate. She is strong. She is fierce. She is loving. She is selfless. She loves the Lord. Her beauty radiates from the inside out. She is everything a mother should be, and I’m blessed to call her mine.  When people who really know her say that I remind them of her, no bigger compliment could have been paid.

Blessings,

My absolute favorites - with a cup of Southern Pecan coffee! 

I like to consider myself a true Southerner, which means I like to collect things. Not just things, but special things that have meaning to me. What can I say? It runs in my family. Granny Pris collects flowers and old photographs, Grandpa collects recipe cards from his time as a chef, Nanny collects cookbooks and Papa collects tractors.  My dad builds fishing rods and has a collection of fishing tackle that would put Bass Pro Shops to shame. My sweet mama collects teapots and tiny shoes.  (Don’t get me wrong; their house doesn’t look like a museum, Heaven knows my mama can’t stand clutter).

It’s these sweet little special things that make their house a home.  But, the ironic thing is that it’s really not about the things at all.  It’s the love behind memories, experiences and people that have somehow inspired these collections.

Now that I’m in the process of building a home, my own collections are really starting to take shape.  Antique milk glass is a borderline obsession, cookbooks (especially family ones) are sacred treasures, Southern Living magazines have a special place in my heart, handmade coffee cups make me happy and a southern kitchen can never have too many cast iron skillets. (Right? Okay, I didn't think so either!) Once again, it really isn’t about the material things I find to add to these collections.  The things in and of themselves are not important. It’s the people I love and memories shared with them that are behind these things that make them special, regardless of how valuable or not the world may consider them. You may think one of them isn’t worth a penny, but I wouldn’t take 10 million pennies for any of them.

This month I’m excited to share what is and will always be my favorite collection: cookbooks!

My friends, I’ve got a cookbook for everything. Tried and true divinity that turns out perfect every time - Paula Deen has me covered.  Cinnamon rolls 100 different ways - Ree Drummond is my girl. The best fruitcake - The Southern Living Cookbook from 1993 can’t be beat. All time best meatloaf (even if you don’t like meatloaf) - Betty Crocker’s Cookbook circa 1987. I have to admit, I love having all of these classics on standby, but they all pale in comparison to my absolute favorite: our family recipe book.

If your family is anything like ours, everyone has their speciality, but no one has anything written down! One person always brings the baked beans, another always brings the sweet potato casserole, another the macaroni and cheese… and we never bring someone else’s speciality recipe. That’s just trespassing on hallowed ground!

So, when my Nanny was faced with her second battle with cancer and her time in the kitchen was scarce, it wasn’t long before we noticed that we simply didn’t have recipes for many of our Sunday and holiday staples. That’s when we decided to compile all of our favorite family recipes and we included everyone’s specialities (for us to use on un-sacred occasions, of course). This was no easy feat. To further enhance the difficulty of our situation, most of our family’s precious cooks don’t actually use recipes, and apparently not one of them owns measuring spoons. Bless. It wasn’t an easy task to convince these self-taught chefs to measure out and record all their secrets, but the proof was in the pudding and the results were well worth the effort.

Y’all, it may not be published, it may not come from a celebrity author, and I’m the first to admit that this thing  isn’t fancy, but it is so special. The most amazing baked beans you’ll ever taste are “Aunt Karen’s Baked Beans” on Page 7 of Side Dishes. Simply the best quick (and easy) dessert bar has to be “Aunt Shari’s Cream Cheese Squares” on page 11 of Desserts. The perfect cornbread dressing is “Nanny Re’s Dressing” on page 2 of Meats and Casseroles. I know, I know, you wish you had a copy!  

Despite all of the wonderful goodness that is contained in this book, I can’t tell you how many other wonderful recipes have been buried right along with our precious loved ones. I’m willing to go out on a limb and bet you’ve got a favorite family dish, someone’s specialty, that only they know how to make. If this sounds familiar, I’d like to encourage you to take the time reach out to your favorite culinary inspirations and make a recipe book for your own family. You may get some resistance at first, but just promise everyone a copy when you’re finished.  Bribing a Southern woman with the promise of a new cookbook is a shrewd way to get things done.

Once you get started, you never know what gems might surface. I did a little digging in my Nanny’s cabinet and found a recipe in my great-grandmother’s handwriting, and it was her famous 12-layer chocolate cake nonetheless! I can promise you, it will be framed and displayed proudly in my kitchen. What a treasure!

At the end of the day, a collection of things is just that - things. It’s the people behind those things that make them special. The world doesn’t get to place a value on my collections. The worth of each treasure is in the eye of the beholder and my eyes see things money could never buy, like a pink plastic binder with a note from my Nanny that says it all:

“There is one ingredient that is not included in print in any of my recipes. You cannot measure it, weigh it, box it or buy it. It is called love. Nothing has given me more pleasure over the years than cooking for my family. Love was included in every dish I prepared.”

10 Tips for Creating Your Own Family Recipe Book

1. It takes time. This will not magically appear overnight; however, the effort you put in will be well worth it and treasured for generations to come.
2. It doesn’t have to be fancy.  Don’t worry about the visual appeal until later on in the process.
3. Start with the basics. Sit down and make a list of all your “must have” recipes and who they belong to. Some you may have easy access to and others may require a few phone calls. When you make those calls, be prepared for the “oh honey, I don’t have a recipe for those (insert favorite dish here); I just throw a pinch of this and a dash of whatever I have on hand” answer and be prepared with a response. Don’t be afraid to share about your project and how you would love to include that recipe because it’s one of your favorites. Chances are she’ll be so flattered she won’t mind if you ask her to try to put something together, even if it isn’t super detailed and specific.
4. It will always be a work in progress.  We’ve had our cookbook for years now and I’m continuously adding new pages with new and old recipes. Besides, it never hurts to have a place to store printed Pinterest recipes. (I mean, what happens if Pinterest breaks my heart and goes away? I still want to be able to find some of my favorites!)
5. Organize your cookbook by topic and number your pages by section. When you number your pages by section, it’s easy to add pages to the back of any category! If you number from start to finish, you’ll end up with random pages throughout the middle (or you’ll add them at the end and then they’re all out of order).
6. Make sure to ask each cook in your family for at least one recipe. Even if they don’t make one of your favorite dishes, ask them for their favorite recipe! It’s a win-win: they feel special because you asked, and you might get a jewel you didn’t expect!
7. Offer to make copies for everyone who contributes. They would make great gifts, but if you’re not wanting to foot the bill for them all, just disclose the cost up front. “Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m planning to get a few extra copies made, they’ll be $$.  Would you like for me to order you a copy?”
8. Don’t forget to ask the men! Sometimes the kitchen is referred to as a Southern woman’s domain, but oftentimes our men folk can throw some seriously great food on the table, too. My dad and uncles are practically grillmasters, so I’m still working on getting their seasoning recipe for my book! To top it off, my grandpa was a chef, so I’m still working on including several of his favorites.
9. Include personal touches. If you can, ask for a handwritten note from the matriarch of your family. If not, ask around and see if anyone has any recipes that have been passed down. If they are in the original handwriting, ask if they could make you a photocopy to include in your creation.
10. Enjoy the process and don’t forget to include the most important ingredient! Enjoy every minute and cherish the time spent with your loved ones working on a timeless heirloom! As you reflect back on your book for years to come, always be reminded that the most important ingredient in any recipe can’t be measured - so just go ahead and pour on the love, it makes everything taste better!  

*Also, special shout-out to my Aunt Kristi who was the one behind getting our book done! Thank you for all the love you poured into this special thing that I now I cherish! :)

Blessings,

When I was five, I received the most glorious gift: a candy-colored bead set. (And y’all, it even had a monogrammed case.  My mama knew how to do Christmas right.) I will forever remember that as the moment I fell in love with creating.  I can’t even begin to tell you how many obnoxious stretchy-banded bracelets I made, but what I can tell you is that my sweet mama wore every one of them with a smile. Bless her heart - I was so proud.

The funny thing about creating anything, whether it’s making jewelry, painting or writing a blog, there’s an element of vulnerability that accompanies sharing your creation with the world.  Maybe it’s just me, but I feel as though a tiny piece of me is exposed with each of my creations – a piece of my heart on my sleeve for all to see. It’s a beautiful thing to share ourselves with others - but friends, vulnerability is never easy.

As children, we are blissfully unaware of our vulnerability.  If anything, we bask in it. As an infant, we like being held, we need comfort (any other colicky babies out there?) and we rely on those around us for our very existence.  As a toddler, we start to develop our independence, but we are still unaware of how vulnerable we are to the dangers that surround us. We develop our own opinions; we pull the spoon away from mom and want to do it ourselves.  We run toward the street with no abandon and we wear our princess gown to the grocery store because our other outfits are “itchy.”  We eat with our fingers. We make candy-colored bracelets and we are proud of what we have made.

Hopefully, we have people in our lives that wrangle us in a bit and teach us to be ladies and gentlemen.  These are the people that teach us the dangers of moving cars, of strangers and of eating 57 oreos at one time. As we get older, they teach us that our clothes should match, princess outfits are for Halloween or dress up parties and it’s not polite to eat with our fingers anymore. They teach us right from wrong and how to act - they teach us how to function as little members of society.  They teach us to be self-aware.

I’m not exactly sure when the shift occurs, but as we enter adolescence, that self-awareness redefines itself as self-consciousness.  Suddenly, vulnerability equals weakness.  Instead of fearlessly sporting our princess dress as we peruse the cookie aisle, we want to look like, talk like and be like everyone else. This slowly begins to camouflage pieces of ourselves that were once vibrant during our childhood. (Now, don’t get me wrong, I am beyond thankful that my parent’s lovingly taught me to be self-aware; however, I am saddened that society taught me to be self-conscious.)  I spent many precious years of my life trying to live as if I were someone I was not created to be.

As an adult, sometimes I still struggle with the idea that I am who God created me to be – in His image. The Creator of the universe, created me. He lovingly created me and He lovingly created you. I am far from perfect, but I am loved. You are far from perfect, but you are loved.  He loves the you He created, so stop trying to be the someone you were not created to be. Stop being the one the society tells you that you should be. God exposed part of His image when He created you – you’re a piece of God’s heart – for all the world to see.  Oh, how He wants you to recognize your worth, your value, your beauty!  I challenge you to rediscover your heart – the piece of you that’s been hidden because of the fear of vulnerability.  The most precious gift you can give the world is living your life as your authentic self – vulnerabilities and all.

Thankfully my materials of choice have received quite an upgrade, but I still love creating.  Every time a new creation leaves my workshop, I catch myself scrutinizing every detail, and without fail, I always have a twinge of fear – self-consciousness, a fear of exposing a piece of me to the world. Then my heart quiets my mind and reminds me, that I should be proud – just as proud as I was of those candy-colored bracelets.

So consider this your invitation to come along on this journey with me as I share pieces of my heart with you. This blog is as much of a unique creation as each piece of jewelry I make.  I can’t promise perfection – but I can promise authenticity.  So here’s to leaving self-awareness intact, but throwing self-consciousness out the window and embracing vulnerability not weakness.

From recipes to DIY projects, devotions, and everything in between every post will reveal another piece of my heart, and hopefully, in turn, it will bless yours.  And yes, sometimes when we Southerners say, “bless your heart,” we really do mean it. So, bless your heart -- I can’t wait to share more with you.

Blessings!