Clear The Stage: Weekend Challenge

I think that if I only wrote when I was feeling pumped and excited, it would be a disservice to the mission of The Lovely Adventure. 

"...share our lovely adventures with genuine and transparent hearts that inspire others to live the lives they were created for."

Some days it's hard to find the lovely... especially on a Friday after a crazy long week. And this has definitely been a long week... anyone else?  Hellooooooo 3 day weekend.  I love you.  

I have the words to this song by Jimmy Needham on repeat in my head.  It's a Christian song, but even if you aren't a believer or don't know what you believe... I really encourage you to listen to it.  I think it really calls me to simplify my life and get back to that center soft spot in my heart.  For me, that's my love for the God who chose me, has chosen you and who I try to live my life in thankfulness for. 

Anything I put before my God is an idol.  Gosh dang, that line brings me to tears every dang time. I get so caught up in busy, in trying to build this little business, in juggling life and I never just sit down and clear my stage.  Clear it down to the basics, stop giving my time to things that might be currently draining me and give my time to things that are life giving. 

 I've been thinking a lot about this little lovely adventure of mine the past few weeks.  

What my mission is, why I'm doing it and what I want it to become.  I don't know a lot, I still have a million ideas swirling around in my head but here is what I do know...  

-I want this to be a place where you can find a genuine friend and a transparent heart

-I want to encourage you to find a lovely adventure and choose joy in your life each day

-I don't want to just tell you words that are easier said than done, I want to give you tools and I want to do it with you. 

That last sentence made me all weepy.  I think it's because I want it right in that soft spot center of my heart.  I want to have adventures and choose joy with you, sweet friends.  

I still want to create things but in the next few months I hope to create some things that are tools we can use together to find joy and daily adventures.  

So, here's my challenge to you for this three day weekend: Clear your stage.  Not for the whole weekend (let's be real... errbody got plans) but even just for 5 or 10 minutes.  Just be. Be you. Clear your thoughts, write them down if you have to.  Try to find that soft spot center of your heart and think about what it really wants.  

Figure out one way you can get that.  One tangible, achievable way you can get what your heart truly wants.  Maybe that's talking to a friend, maybe it's forgiving someone, maybe it's doing something you've been telling yourself you couldn't do.  Clear your stage and then go after what really matters. 

My heart will be seeking a beautiful God who loves me to my core, even when I don't believe it.  Even when I'm mad or I forget His goodness.  His stage is always clear for me.  For me to fill with all my baggage and my tears and my thoughts and my dreams.  And he takes it all, sends it back behind the curtains and tells me to just be for a while.  He can handle the show.  

That's what I hope my weekend is.  And friends, I hope you find those daily lovely adventures.  I hope you find joy in those sweet moments that can't ever be replicated.  I hope you take time to clear your stage.  Why?  Because you're worth it.  You really, really are.

I love you sweet friends and I hope you go into this weekend feeling encouraged to be genuine, transparent and to choose joy.  

There's only one you.  That's why you're the best. 

Love, 

The Lovely Adventurer

Do Scary Things

Yesterday I posted this picture on Instagram .  This quote is in The Lovely Adventure mission statement and it's been something I've carried around with me for years. 

I went to college thinking I would get a degree, earn the big bucks and change the world.  Turns out, college revealed everything I wasn't good at (math, test taking, memorizing, reading large amounts and comprehension).  I thoroughly hated the academia of college. I wouldn't trade my friends and social experiences for the world, so in the end I'm glad I went. But also in the end, I had no idea who I was or what the heck I was going to do with my life.  Gifts? Did I have those? According to my college GPA and test scores, no.  No, I did not.  So, after college I wandered.  I worked at camp, which I loved.  My husband (boyfriend at the time) had moved to the United States for a job and that fall I followed.  We worked for the same YMCA resort, he did challenge adventures and I did outdoor education.  It wasn't my favorite job in the world, but, I did discover that I was good at being creative, hard working and people generally liked me as a human (always good to know).  

I got engaged that fall on a trip to Australia and that winter of 2010 in the off season I started this little crafty adventure of mine.  I discovered this love for handmade, re-purposing and teaching myself new skills.  

I went on to work full time at Heartland Camp after we were married in the fall of 2011 (I could write a whole novel on how much I love that place... I'll save that for another day).  That job gave me the freedom to discover that I loved design.  I loved graphic design, web design and event design.  I was pretty good at leadership (always room to grow) and I just hardcore love being part of a community and learning people's stories. I don't think I would have ever learned those things about myself had God not opened doors for me and had I not mustered up the courage to walk through. I'm all teary just thinking about it. How much I love how God has called me out of my box and said, "Andrea, you were made for so much more than this." 

Some days I struggle to believe it. Most days. Most days I want to curl up under a blanket and stop pushing my boundaries. Get a "real" job, stop trying to learn new things and just be safe.  But the truth is, it makes me feel alive. My soul craves creativity and design and learning new things. Starting this business has been the hardest and best thing I've ever done. And as soon as I want to throw in the towel, stop "wasting" our money and give up, God gives me a new idea. Or sends me someone who inspires me.  I have yet to hit a dead end.  And for me, always the pessimist, who is usually searching for the dead ends or an excuse to stop, that's pretty remarkable. 

Living the life you were created for doesn't really have an end or a golden answer. Living. It's a verb, it's continuous while we are blessed with life. Don't let your doubts or who the world says you should be create your box.  Turn that dang box into a spaceship and send it to the moon, you won't need it. Life is full of freedom without it. It's full of struggle and doubts and tears, too. But, when you aren't trying to fit in a box that you weren't created for in the first place, it's full of discovering who a boxless God created you to be. 

It's also worth noting who God didn't create you to be.  I thought I was meant to be a top of my class PHD psychologist.  Because that was successful (and really, it is...just not for me).  Coming to terms with the fact that my brain doesn't comprehend math, it can really only learn kinestetically and that my introverted tendencies are sometimes my best has changed my life. When you stop trying to fit into that box, you find you didn't really like it in there anyway.  

So here's to living the lives we were created for.  To giving up our boxes and pushing our boundaries. Here's to doing scary things (even if they are small) and figuring out how to be the best you.  You have something special to share with the world. There is only one of you and someone needs what you have.  Find it and don't stop sharing your story. 

Love,

The Lovely Adventurer

P.s. You're the best

A New Lovely Adventure

Well, in case this is your first time reading about my lovely adventure I'll give you the really really short version of my life....

I'm Andrea.  I was born and raised in near Kansas City, Missouri.  I went to college for a degree in Psychology (which I do not use unless I am working my part-time job as a people watcher).  In 2007 I spent my first summer at Heartland Camp (my favorite place in the whole world) as a counselor.  I fell in love with camp and with my now husband, Russell.  He's Australian and I married him mostly for his super cool accent ... and I suppose for other reasons like his heart of gold.  

After college we got married and I began working full time for Heartland Camp as the Assistant Program Director.  God showed me who I was and revealed gifts I never knew I had.  We lived at camp with our two pups for three years until Russell's dream job called from Colorado.  Now I'm here in Grand Junction, Colorado learning again who I am and why God planned this place to be a part of my Lovely Adventure.  

So, for those of you who have spent months requesting pictures of our little rental house, today is your lucky day.  And for those of you who haven't, just pretend you have so that today can also be your lucky day. 

I love this little house and it's been the perfect distraction to being in a new town, having a traveling husband and being so far from family.  I've spent almost every weekend at estate sales and garage sales slowly collecting a lot of the things you'll see in these pictures.  I love to repurpose and buy second hand.  I'm learning that curating my style takes patience and waiting for that perfect piece that just glows when I look at it.  P.s. Glowing furniture/home decor is a thing.  

Welcome to The Cronin's...

This is the view as you walk up the stairs from the front door.  It's my favorite and makes me smile every time.  I think it is those curtains... they melt my heart.  And the sweetest old lady sold them to me on my birthday a few years ago... I love that so many things I have come with a story. Our house also has the best light... big windows make me happy.  

The view from the living room area to the dining room/office.  I feel like I should win an award for fitting this much stuff in a small space, people!  Those chairs though... so so comfortable.  I searched f..o..r..e..v..e..r.. for chairs or a love seat and these were glowing at me... really, they were. 

My little desk area... I searched forever for a desk too and cheered when the owners helped me fit it in my tiny car.  I dream of painting it one day.. but for now it fits perfectly in my little space and is big enough to hold the world.. sooo... it's pretty great. 

These are the shutters that pretend not to be placed directly in front of all the wires and cords that come out of the wall for our internet...and also they hold all the love we receive in the mail.  So, if you send me some... it gets a pretty high profile spot... just sayin'. 

These are my dogs that are pretending to be good.  Minion is the biggest and Phnowphlake (like snowflake with a lisp) is the little one. They are only the worst sometimes.  And this is the spot that is sort of a "catch-all" when we walk in the door.  It looks very lovely and clean right now... don't let it fool you. 

My favorite spot where all the light streams in.  Our giant table also has two leaves... like for when we have a million people over at our house which has happened approximately twice because we are professional introverts.  And that gallery wall is a collection of all of my favorite things.  Our house came already painted with my favorite colors, it's the best. 

Decorating our table is my new favorite thing. And fresh flowers.  And apparently collecting glass vases... don't tell my husband. 

Our GIANT kitchen that I love.  If you ever come over I'll probably take you to the Chinese place down the street (seriously, so good) because I can't really cook but I pretend to cook a lot of things in this kitchen and my husband pretends to like my cooking.  

Down stairs... our house has all these marble shelves everywhere... it's a hoarders dream.  All my little trinkets and things I don't have wall space for get set on these shelves. Obviously I have a thing for maps. 

It feels really weird posting a picture of my bathroom on the internet.. but I know all you nosey people will ask me about it.  And I probably would have also asked me about it so, you're welcome. These "Hot Baths" hooks are my favorite thing in the bathroom.  

Our bedroom is probably the room that has been least loved by the decorating fairy.  She's been waiting for the perfect bedside tables to glow at an estate sale and for the crazy lady that lives here to stop putting everything she owns on the dang marble shelf that goes all the way around the room.  Also, I spared you a picture of our dressers because I have yet to paint them... one is still neon orange, blue and green from when it was in my sister's bedroom back in 1999 when she was in 3rd grade... I sanded it and then I got distracted by glitter or something... 

Behold, my craft room.  In all its cluttered and creative crazy glory.  It looks like this for about 1 minute before the human tornado (aka me) starts doing anything in this room.  

Yes, that is a Lisa Frank calendar. I may be 27 but I am still riding on the feeling of being super cool while walking into my 2nd grade classroom with brand new Lisa Frank folders.  You know... don't act like you don't. And if you seriously don't know... just ask anyone in their 20's... they can't fight the Lisa Frank love. 

I'm even showing you a picture of my Pinterest perfect closet.  There are some mind blowing oranizational techniques going on here.  Go ahead, pin it.  It's pretty great.  And if you haven't noticed, sarcasm is my second language.  I inherited it from my father. I'm pretty sure he invented sarcasm. 

aaaaand we'll just end with this pretty picture so my Pinterest worthy closet isn't the last thing I leave your memory.  

But, all sarcasm aside, I really do love this house.  I'm learning a lot about myself, falling in love with Grand Junction and Colorado.  I'm so excited to share pieces of my little lovely adventure with you.  Thanks for reading.  

You're the best, 

The Lovely Adventurer

Dog Backwards

Last week I was running with our puppy (minion) and yes, I said running, it was real. While running I've been trying to teach her that I'm the leader and that she should never pull or run in front of me.  So... about every 20 seconds... actually, make that 5 seconds, I have to pull her back and say "no, heal"... "good girl"... repeat.. a million times.  

She is slowly getting the hang of it... but it's definitely been a test of my patience... which, if you ask my husband, he will quickly tell you that I have about as much as a 5 year old.

While we were running and I was trying to teach her new ways of thinking... I realized such a beautiful connection between raising a puppy and my own walk with God.  Now, that's not to say that I am comparing myself to a dog or my intelligence to that of a dog.. I'd like to think I'm much smarter :) But there are just so many beautiful similarities.  So here is a list of a few I've thought of:

1. Her path and idea of where she wants to go... is not mine. She will pull and pull until I finally say "no" and give her a good yank in the other direction, which is usually quite startling and disappointing to her.  I find that I am that way with God... well.. almost every day.  I want to go my own way, I want to think that I have it all figured out.  "I know the way God, it doesn't look scary, I've got this."  It isn't until he says' "no" and I become distraught and disappointed with my path that I realize I should have just followed Him in the first place.

2. Her ways are not my ways.  I try so hard to communicate with her.  Sometimes she looks at me and you can just tell she so badly wants to understand what I'm saying, but just can't.  She wants to play when I just want to sit and cuddle, she wants to lead when I am the leader.  We are opposite. And trying so hard to understand each other. God's ways are not my ways. I am trying so hard to make them my ways but I fail.. daily... multiple times a day.

3. She is better than me. Andrea, did you seriously just say a dog is better than you? yes, I did.  Gosh, she gets SO excited when I come home. She wants to follow me around the house, sleep where I'm sleeping, lay at my feet.  When I feed her, if I am not standing next to her she will give up that delicious food just to come and be where I am.  I want just one ounce of that joy and loyalty towards my God. I so often want to run from Him, I would rather eat my own food and drink my own water than what He has to offer me. She is so loyal and joyful, and so is the Lord. I want that loyalty and joy. 

4. One day I came home and I could hear her all the way from work ( I work up the hill from my house) just barking and barking.  I thought, some animal has to be bothering her or maybe there is someone in my house? (I'm paranoid).  Russ had gone to work and all the lights were out so I slowly opened my door and turned on the lights.. no one. went outside.. nothing.  Minion had stopped barking, but as I started to call her name I could hear her but it was muffled... she wasn't in her dog house...she wasn't on the porch.  Where the heck was she?! And then I felt scratching underneath my feet.  She was UNDER the porch! *minor freak out... mydogisundertheporchwhattheheck?!* We have lattice going almost all the way around and I had a flashlight with me shining it under to see if she was stuck or just didn't know the way out.  She was fine... just barking away at the lattice. Clearly she thought that the way she got in (through a small break in the lattice) was the only way out. I wandered around to the other side of the porch where there is a HUGE opening... I mean... huge.  I called and called her, but she just kept barking at the lattice. I started flashing my light around and calling her name again, she finally noticed me and ran out frantically jumping at me as if to tell me how horrible it was.

The way out was so obvious. She wasn't stuck, she just thought the only way out was the way she came in.  I so often get stuck in life and think, "I should go back to the way it used to be, when I was doing all these good things to please God, I should go back." It has taken me so many years to get rid of that lie. I need nothing to please God but Jesus. If I seek Him I will find the way out, I will be better than I was. God didn't give us a way to go back in time for a reason, we need to always move forward and to forgive and forget our baggage in the past. And I so often have such a blindness to God's way, but looking back, the way out was so obvious. He was right there, shining His light, calling my name and it took me so long to hear Him.

5. We must always be teachable. She is always learning new things, picking up things, daily getting better at understanding us. She is so teachable.  I love that about her.  I am so stubborn.  Change is so scary.  But I just think about what amazing things I could learn and do if I were more like her. I need to always be open to God's teachings and have an open heart.

6. She loves everyone. I am so judgmental. So scared of people. So NOT Jesus. She doesn't care. She loves them and they instantly love her back. Probably more than anything, I want to be that way. I want to love without judgment the way that God loves me.  I do not deserve His love and yet I judge others.  I want to love like her.   

I love our puppy.  And even more so, I love my God. He is so good.  Child you're forgiven and loved... probably my favorite sentence.