This Week’s Three

Samantha Gratton

So, I missed Thursday by a few dozen hours. Whoops, sorry. But figured I would go ahead and blog the week anyway as it’s been full and good and a little unexpected.

1. Some days there are no words for everything you are feeling. There can be joy and sorrow, happiness and hesitation, disappointment and relief, defeat and hope all at the same time. This week has had a few things like that. They sit mostly on the “good” side but are still taking a while to get our minds wrapped around them all.

2. Nothing says “summer” like a road trip. In the past week we took two semi-impromptu trips and both included a good amount of rain. We saw friends by the beach and family near the mountains, each for a couple days. While brief, it was much needed and quite enjoyed. Trips like these are a huge part of what makes me excited and inspired. The hubby and I recently had a discussion however where he made note of the distinction between a “trip” and a “vacation” (to me they are usually the same thing. To him, a vacation includes almost no agenda and clearing of your head–preferably in a cabin in the woods. I see a vacation as going somewhere and trying new things and gaining new experiences. Honestly, when it comes down to it, I couldn’t care less what you call it, but I’m glad to understand what the difference is for him. Knowing things like this as a couple helps to better communicate expectations and goals when we take time off to go somewhere.

While in Asheville, we checked out Moog--where all sorts of electronic instruments are made
While in Asheville, we checked out Moog, which is where all sorts of electronic instruments are made

3. A season of change is upon us. I wrote a little last week about beginning again and I keep being reminded every day how much we are about to enter into something new even without knowing what it is. We have some friends moving this direction, new opportunities, new challenges and new direction in what we want in life. When life gets stuck in a stagnant stage I seem to grow impatient quickly, yet when there’s time for constant growth and change I can get overwhelmed or panic. One day at a time though, so I’ll be sure to keep you posted once more is known.

Nifty Thrifty: $2 Sweater

Samantha Gratton

So, we’ve all seen them, right? The fashion posts and the clothing reviews? Let’s be real, I am not about to begin being your number one spot for fashion. I like to look nice and have a few cute outfits, but that’s never going to be my main thing and I’m okay with that. I’d rather talk about moving or job hunting or just living life and what I’m learning along the way. At the same time, I still sorta love looking at those types of posts when other people blog about it. It’s fun and cute and interesting.

The latest trend is for all sorts of bloggers to give a Stitch Fix review. If you haven’t somehow come across it, basically you sign up for a month fix of style and receive five items or so in the mail. You pay for the items you keep and return the ones you don’t. The stuff is usually adorable, but also the average cost per item is $55. Therefore, I have never signed up for such a club, nor do I see it happening in the near future. In my time of unemployment, I’ve created a list of things for “when I get a job…” which ranges from new pillows for our bed to a bike tune-up. Wistfully, I added Stitch Fix to the list.

I’ve always been a thrift shopper though and have found some really amazing items over the years. So, while you may not find the same item, I figured we thrift shoppers should band together and start our own style reviews to inspire the nation to sift through racks of recycled clothing for that “new” piece. So here comes the part in the story where I say, let me tell you about my newest sweater which was purchased in the middle of the summer while it was 90+ degrees outside.

2014-07-31 16.47.10At first it might seem drab, but I just love the versatility of this piece. Gray tones can fit into almost any wardrobe. 2014-07-31 16.39.17 I can wear it with a dress to tie an outfit all together and dress it up a bit.

Shoulder of SweaterOr it can be dressed down with some dark colors like a purple.

2014-07-31 16.56.12

I love that it is just thin enough that you can get away with it in any season. My iphone pictures just don’t do this sweater justice!

Ann Taylor SweaterFound at Passage Consignment, this was originally from Ann Taylor. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from buying name brand items at thrift store prices.

Grey on purple

For a whopping $2 in total the decision was simple – keep! (but pay for it first, obviously)

 

Is this all satire? No. Okay, maybe a little. Perhaps one day I’ll join the rest of the bloggers doing real reviews, but maybe not and that’s okay. Regardless, I encourage those of you thrifters to join me in doing Nifty Thrifty reviews. Some people can afford $100 items, some can only afford $2 items. We’ve all made some great finds though, and it’s fun to share them no matter the price.

Verses on My Mind

Samantha Gratton

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4

Stained Glass Windows

I have been reading these verses over and over the past few days/weeks. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in things–tasks to complete, to-do lists to accomplish, career ladders to climb, people to see. While I don’t feel we are called to be total people-pleasers, I fear sometimes we can sway too far the other way. If people-pleasing is a natural tendency, sometimes we overcompensate by trying to fight off that urge to people-please but forget to continue to truly value others. I think it’s healthy to have boundaries and to take care of ourselves. Sometimes it means saying “no” to a good thing. If we were always running on empty, it’d be pretty hard to be effective at serving others.

Yet it still says here quite plainly to “value others above yourselves” in humility. Whew. That’s a tall order. So how do I find the balance? What does that mean for today and tomorrow and the next day? How can I better put someone’s interests before mine? How does that impact my decisions and my speech?

The first verse is also incredibly striking– “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.” I think the adjective attached to the word ambition matters. Having goals and ambitions can be good as it motivates and inspires us, but selfish ambition is what we are told to avoid. Finding that line between ambition and selfish ambition isn’t easy. I think our society often praises selfish ambition, but that doesn’t make it right. I have to remember to ask, where does this ambition come from? Who does it serve? What does this ambition lead to?

I don’t know the answers. The best I can do is to continue to read and pray. I know I fall short here. All the time. But I want to continue to think through what it truly means. I want to live in humility, I want to toss away selfish ambition, I want to look to the interests of others.

 

 

Begin Again

Samantha Gratton

2012-10-23 12.34.39

The last week has been a blur and despite a nice little summary in yesterday’s Thursday Three, I’m still catching up. Catching up on sleep, catching up on chores, catching up with friends and catching up on life. I said earlier in the week to a friend that I am so ready for this season to be over. This season of job searching and insecurity. This season of questions, doubt and rejection. I wanted it all tied up with a bow and accompanied by a job offer.

But that’s not required. This season is changing, and I can begin again. I don’t have to wait for someone from HR to call and tell me that it’s time for something new. New is here. I am ready for a new season and can begin right now. Maybe I’ll begin a new career with a completely different direction. Or maybe I’ll just begin to truly see the value in my time.

It’s a new day. A fresh vase of flowers. A new ripple in the waves. The first of the month and a time to begin.

This is new. Whatever it is. Let’s begin…

 

This was written based on a prompt in Five Minute Fridays which simply said: begin.

Thursday Three

Samantha Gratton

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you go from feeling like, “Hey, I’ve got this. Life, I think it’s going pretty well. I’m doing what I’m supposed to and that’s awesome.” But then an hour later someone says something or you get an email and suddenly it feels like your world has shifted enough that you no longer know who you are or what to think? This week was a little like that for me.

1. The interview process is such a strange system. In a matter of a few hours you are supposed to assess a company and they assess you on being a match. Can you imagine if people dated for the same length of time before marrying someone? But it is the system we have, so I try to do my best. I had the privilege of being a finalist for two different positions at two incredibly different organizations the past few weeks. In both cases, I went through several rounds of interviews and felt they went quite well. The rejection letters I received a few days later seemed to say otherwise. So, back to the drawing board and trying not to feel defeated but to instead focus on what it really is that I am capable of and should be doing in this season of life. I can’t say that’s an easy matter to sort through, but it’s where I’m at right now. I still have joy and faith, which is even more than I could hope for.

Post InterviewHere’s me feeling excited, exhausted and relieved after several hours of interviewing.

2. Exercise is good, but exercising outside with friends is better. I try to stay active when I can, not only to stay fit looking, but I think it can really make a great impact on your mood (and of course your health, looks aside). The hubby and I have been biking a bit more lately and there’s a group of friends from the neighborhood regularly suggesting group rides. This last week has been so much cooler than the rest of the summer, so we’ve gotten to bike, go disc golfing and I’ve had some good long walks with a friend.

Biking Couple

3. There are some really cool things happening in the world. Today I had the pleasure of joining a few other women in the area to talk about God and church and faith. None of us had met before, but we were brought together by IF which is a nonprofit founded by Jennie Allen to “gather, equip and unleash the next generation of women to live out their purpose.” To be honest, we just talked. We didn’t solve world problems, we didn’t even solve our own problems. But we got together to share life and support each other. It was a small thing with just a few women, but it’s happening all over the world, which sorta makes it a big thing.

Book Club: Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Samantha Gratton

I have always wanted to be in a book club, but never have actually been in one. I think the fear of being obligated to read a book I might not be interested in has kept me from pursuing it. Or maybe it is the fact that my book reading is incredibly sporadic. I’ll go months without reading anything other than a few blogs and then suddenly crank out three books in a week. All that to say, I like the idea of a book club but maybe not the commitment. Hence, my very own blogging book club. I’ll just go ahead and read a book of my choosing when I want to and then write about it. You can then share your thoughts if so desire and we get the best of both worlds, sound good?

My latest summer reading included Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple. This was one of those books I flew through in a mere three days yet didn’t quite want it to be over. It is a fictional story about Bernadette (of course) who is maybe not the most stable person, but an artistic genius living in Seattle. The book actually is primarily made up of letters, faxes, reports, emails and memos of various characters with a little bit of narrative from her daughter, Bee, to piece it all together. You are taken along a journey, which I wish I could share more about but you need to read it first. (Maybe this is where meeting with an actual book club helps? You don’t have to say “spoiler alert” because you assume everyone there did the assigned reading?)

Here’s what I LOVED about the book:

  • It is set in Seattle, and we recently spent a little time out West. I always feel like I can relate so much better to a story when I feel in some small way I was a part of it or can visualize it. The author did an excellent job describing things, so even if I hadn’t just been there I think I would have still enjoyed it.
  • The back and forth with letters and memos allows for several different perspectives in the story, but it never felt awkward. It gave me as the reader a chance to formulate opinions about what was happening based on hearing a little from everyone without being told what was “fact” in the story.
  • The cover. I know, “don’t judge a book by its cover” but it’s just so cute. Plus, as cartoony as it is, I think it gives a good visual to the story.
  • Bernadette is truly a character. She goes on these ridiculous tangents and seems like a real piece of work, yet in some strange way, she is still completely relatable. Everyone loses their way at some point or another in life and wonders how they got to this point. It can make you feel crazy, make you act out and make you feel justified in it all, even when maybe you aren’t.
  • Favorite quote from the book: “People like you must create. If you don’t create…you will become a menace to society.”

What I didn’t love:

  • Like most books that catch your attention, the ending never seems to be enough. I wanted more details where there seemed to be some holes in the story. I always like to have an epilogue, but that’s just personal preference. It still had some closure and was a decent ending.
  • There were a couple side-plots that felt thrown in. Also, there were some side plots that probably added to the story, but the characters drove me nuts so I was annoyed to read about them. Similar to Thomas in Downton Abbey…can’t stand the guy, but I realize he is an essential element to drive the story.
  • When it ended. Cheesy, yeah, it’s true. I am secretly hoping for a sequel but not sure how the author would pull it off. I suppose there’s something to be said about writing a novel that wasn’t intended for a three-part series and four-part movie. It somehow feels a little more sincere as just one piece like this.

Concluding Thoughts:

It’s a great summer read. Quick, easy, light-hearted and fun. Yet at the same time, it’s not like you feel you wasted your time on total fluff. There is some good character development and a few good life lessons to consider. Read it and let me know what you think!

(p.s. No one told me to read this. I just wanted to. The links posted are through Amazon and if you use those links then I think I get a teenie percentage. To be honest, I picked this up at the library. If you don’t have a library card, I would strongly suggest it. That’s the biggest kind of book endorsement I could ever give: get a library card.)

Under Construction

Samantha Gratton

So, if you somehow haven’t noticed, a few things are changing around here. I have migrated my blog and am working on getting it all set up still. In the past week I’ve spent a lot of time on my blog, but very little time actually blogging. Seems silly but that’s where we’re at. Past that, it’s been a fairly busy past few weeks with a lot of out-of-town guests and job searching.

I’m going to keep this post short, but leave you with an update on our little garden. It seems that overnight it has exploded!

Last month
Last month
This weekend
This weekend
We have a cantaloupe!
We have a cantaloupe!
Such a lovely birthday gift!
Such a lovely birthday gift!

 

 

Blogging Brainstorm

Samantha Gratton

The last few days I have been feeling inspired. No, scratch that. The last 24 hours I have felt inspired while the previous day or two I was feeling a little bummed out. Job searching brings on a lot of disappointment and rejection, and it’s hard to combat those feelings all of the time. It’s not something I want to dwell on, but something I want to be real about.

What has me pretty excited is blogging. You know, this thing I do sometimes, right here where you are reading. I’ve been thinking about all of the different things I want to write about and what you might want to read. I’m very much a collaborative thinker—get me in a good brainstorm session and I am totally energized by all of the possibility and potential. So tell me, faithful readers…what would you like to hear about? How can I improve my storytelling? What sounds interesting to you?

Just drop me a line…landline, email, text message, comment, whatever. Tell me what would make this blog worth reading. What inspires you. What motivates you. What mistakes of mine you can learn from. What stories you want to hear.

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Thursday Three

Samantha Gratton

How is it already the end of the day? How, how!? Well, hopefully you all had a lovely day. I certainly did. It was full of friends—in person and from afar.

1. Last week was long and hard. Yet at the same time, it seemed to fly by (which certainly contributed to the lack of blogging these last two weeks). I did travel back to the Midwest for my grandpa’s funeral and saw tons of family (and when I say tons of family, I mean dozens of family members…not a baker’s dozen of people…DOZENS of family members) When the funeral director addressed a packed room and asked that the friends pay their respects first, I think he was surprised when no one moved as we were all family. It was good to be there, but overwhelming at times.

My grandma, my mom and all her siblings. Spouses and children not included.

2. This summer has not gone like I planned. Nor has it gone like my back-up plan or my secondary back-up plan. Oh, normal people don’t have that many plans? This is just how I function. But despite it all, I could not have planned my summer of unemployment at a better time even if I tried. I’ve been able to be at those family things. I’ve read so many books, hosted more out-of-town guests and enjoyed my friendships. Without this added time, I don’t know what I would have done. So, I’m hopeful for what’s next but really trying to take full advantage of the time I have.

3. You need to do this. Let me be direct in saying this, your creativity is important. It’s needed, and we want more of it. Sometimes I can get caught up in the “maybe 12 people read this” or “I’ll never be famous” but that’s not what it’s about. Creativity spurs other creativity. Lately, I’ve been playing a bit more music. Is it my main thing? No. Will I ever have a hit single? Nope. But having a creative outlet, a hobby for lack of a better word, matters. We were meant to make things. So do it. Write the first chapter, paint that dream, put together the band, make up a new recipe, rearrange your furniture—whatever! Take this as your sign or statement of encouragement to be creative. We need it and you need it.