4×4 for Declare

In less than 5 days, I will be headed to the Declare Conference!!!! (YAY. Seriously. YAY!)

This will be only my 2nd Blogging/ Writing Conference and my first ever Declare. I am absolutely beside myself excited to go and spend time getting to know these other women with  similar passions and hearts– but other than a few that I’ve met virtually, and a few that I met last year at Allume– I really don’t KNOW too many women going. Which makes the FUN link-up that the Declare Hostesses planned even more exciting. I have spent so much time going through and “meeting” other attendees, I’ve failed to write my own 4×4 post– so here it is (finally!)

4 Things About Me: 

• I’m the youngest of five children, (all brothers!) and still absolutely LOVE making the drive and going “home” to my parent’s house. Something about standing in my Mom & Dad’s kitchen in my socks, drinking coffee from “my” mug while my mom cooks breakfast. It’s simply perfect.
• The moment I first met my husband is forever frozen in my mind just like a scene in a movie. We both worked for the same professor and I vividly remember every single detail of that afternoon when he first walked in. Goosebumps, I tell ya. Oh, and Aviator Sunglasses. Those too. I’ll never be the same.
• I am the proud Mom of two little girls, ages 5 and 2. Our days are full of squealing and every bit of princess paraphernalia known to man. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
• I very often hear songs in my head as a sort of soundtrack to certain moments. I’m an idealist and I do not care. I overuse explanation points. And maybe instagram. I over-gram. Be warned.

4 of my “Endearing” Quirks:

• I have a problem unpacking suitcases. If I don’t do it in the first 12 hours after returning from a trip– it’s usually a real struggle to get it unpacked. It’s a problem I’m working to fix, because– you know… stubbed toes.
• I am unspeakably horribly geographically challenged. I struggle with knowing where places are. It’s laughable, really. I can find my way around a city just fine– it’s more knowing where cities and states (and ok, countries) are. I’m pretty sure it’s because I sat right next to my best friend in 7th grade Geography and I don’t remember ANY learning going on. I blame that.
• I’m hard to win over on new things– restaurants, foods, clothing trends, hairstyles, etc. and then once I’m won over– I’m the biggest champion for that thing. My husband rightly explains it this way: “You HATE something. Until you don’t. Then you LOVE it more than anyone.” I’m not this way about people though. I generally love everyone I meet. 🙂
• I have so many quirks, I recently wrote an entire blog post about them. 

4 Things About my Writing:

• I’ve always enjoyed writing but I started writing a blog almost 8 years ago as a way to tell people directions for our wedding. From there it just never stopped.
• I have written more in different seasons of our life than others, the happy and the difficult, but in the last 18 months writing has changed from an occasional hobby to a calling and an act of worship. It’s a life-giving exercise.
• I write about... encouragement. Life. Grace. Mothering. Trust in time of difficulty. The hardest things I write are… affiliate posts. I’m trying to work at them, but they stretch me for sure.
• Some day I would love to write a book about hospitality. I love cooking. I adore feeding people and I always have– even in college, I cooked meals for everyone and my apartment felt most like home when it was busting at its’ seams with friends and family sharing a meal.

4 of my Favorite Things:  Only Four???

• Chocolate. I recently discovered these Chocolate Covered Almonds at Target and WOW. And BONUS, you get a little protein from the almonds. Score. Find me at Declare– I will most likely have them and will gladly share.
• Iced Coffee. I almost always prefer making it at home but I love, love, love Iced Coffee. It is, as they say– MY JAM.
• These Fireball Stud Earrings from the JCrew Factory Store — my sweet lifelong BFF (yep, you guessed it– Geography girl.) gave them to me for my birthday this year and I wear them WAY too much. But they go with everything!!
• Okay. these chips. IF you live near a Whole Foods Store, (I do not for at least a few more months) you need to go try them. (And no, all other brands are not created equal. They add things like jalapeño powder and sugar???)
• Honorable Mention goes to this Benefit Cosmetics erase paste concealer (because four really isn’t enough.)
  Such Fantastic coverage. And it lasts for eons. Literally, I’ve had it so long the packaging has changed several times. (affiliate link) I’m definitely packing mine for all those late night Declare chats!!