journey with me - lisa leonard

hello monday {bloom}

hello monday By April 8, 2013 11 Comments

Hello friends! It’s a new beginning and a fresh start. How about some hellos?

Hello getting ready to share some new things with you tomorrow. I’m so excited!

Hello lack of sleep. David woke up at 5am on Saturday morning {not okay!} and Matthias woke up at 5am on Sunday morning {whhaaat?!}

This mama needs a nap.

Hello sunshine. The weather has been warming up–and while I know it’s not summer yet, it’s making me very happy!

Hello getting ready for SNAP! Are you going? I CANNOT wait. It’s going to be amazing!! And it’s less than two weeks away.

Hello weddings and babies. Some dear friends have had babies in the last couple weeks and we have a few weddings coming up too. I love weddings and babies, don’t you?  So much to celebrate.

Hello meal planning and grocery shopping that needs to happen today–otherwise it’s cereal for dinner {a real possibility!}

Hello incredibly messy desk and workshop that needs to be tidied up. I’ve sometimes been told that I’m unorganized.

Hello Call the Midwife–a BBC series we can’t get enough of–love it!

Hello to you!

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expectations and family getaways

family, photography By April 4, 2013 48 Comments

Last week our family spent a couple nights in Santa Barbara. We needed a little time away, just the four of us. Can I confess something? Sometimes while we’re away, I start getting a little annoyed. It seems like we aren’t in sync and things aren’t going like I’d hoped. Instead of ‘going with the flow’ I start to feel grumpy.

After I gave it some thought, I realized my frustration stemmed from unmet expectations. So I asked everyone in our little family their priorities for our trip. I thought, if we can lay out what’s important to each of us and set some expectations, maybe we’ll all be a little happier. And guess what, it worked!

Steve wanted to go for a few bike rides. Done!

Matthias wanted to go see The Croods movie and eat pizza. Done!

David wanted to play piano and explore. {He didn’t say it with words, but we know what he wants} Done!

And I wanted to get a few family pics and shoe shop for the boys.  On our first evening in Santa Barbara we walked to pizza and on our way back I asked if we could snap a few family pics. Everyone already knew this was important to me, so guess what? They didn’t complain. Woohoo! I set up my timer and snapped a few shots. 

A few family photos and my heart is happy! My expectations were met–and I felt more relaxed on our trip.

What’s important to you when you get away? Do you HAVE to have time to read a good book? Do you have a favorite restaurant that you want to go to? Do you need to sleep in to feel like it was a true getaway?

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what i wore {thrifted finds}

what i wore wednesday, what I'm wearing By April 3, 2013 18 Comments

I’m linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for some fashion inspiration.

Lately I’ve had some pretty sweet finds at local thrift shops. The awesome thing about thrift stores is you never know what you’re going to find–and I love hunting for that unexpected treasure.

I’ve got three outfits to share today. I love looking for dresses when I’m out thrifting–well I love looking for dresses any time I’m shopping. But dresses can be mixed with shoes and accessories and they’re easy to update.

This first dress is really more of a top. It’s pretty short–so I pair it with either heavy leggings or two pairs of tights. Scroll down for the details on this outfit.

Look one: Vintage dress, Ruby Rose. Tights, Target. Boots, 7 for all Mankind. Chunky cuff, thrifted. Ocean view bracelet, our hope{full} collection.

This second outfit is thrifted from head to toe. How awesome is that–even the shoes were a thrift find in Dallas. Woo-hoo! Scroll down for outfit details.

Look two: Vintage skirt, Mission thrift. Button-up blouse, Hope chest thrift. Nude heels, Thrifted in Dallas. You are necklace, my shop.{one of my faves!}

When I stumbled on this last dress {for $5} I may have high-fived myself. I was so excited!! The drop waist and contrasting pleat totally remind me of the movie Annie–which I watched 10 million times as a child {and I’m hardly exaggerating}. Scroll down for details.

Look three: Vintage dress, Mission thrift. Gray tights, Target. Boots, 7 for all Mankind. Connected bracelet, my shop.

I love seeing what other people find thrifting, but sometimes it can be such a bummer because I WISH I WAS THE ONE WHO FOUND THAT. Darn it! But hopefully you’ll be inspired and not annoyed by this post. Because more treasures are waiting to be found–right?!

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barn owl primitives giveaway

giveaway By April 2, 2013 596 Comments

I LOVE Barn Owl Primitives. My friend, Kristi, creates these beautiful signs that add fun and whimsy to my home {or your home}. I love this one and this one. And I have one for every season-they’re so easy to switch out. My collection started with Fall. I just hung my spring sing in our living room. Isn’t it sweet? They’re hand-painted and sanded around the edges. I love the detail and texture. Wanna win one? Read on!

One lucky winner will receive the seasonal sign of their choice! You can choose your favorite! {winter, spring, summer, & fall}

Adorable, right?!

Here’s how to enter {you can enter up to three times!}:

1. Sign up for our newsletter {on the bottom right of the page}. Leave a comment and let me know you did!

2. Hop over to Barn Owl Primitives–check out her shop & leave a comment below with your favorite design.

3. “Like” our facebook page & come back here to leave a comment letting us know you did!

I hope YOU win.

We will be randomly selecting the lucky winner on Friday, April 5. Good luck!

 

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hello monday {barn sale}

hello monday, inspiration By April 1, 2013 17 Comments

Last week I spotted an invitation on Facebook for a barn sale. While I’m always interested in some good vintage junking–I think I was even more curious to be able to see the inside of this barn. It’s located on Los Osos Valley Road and I used to drive by it every day when we lived in Los Osos. It’s an awesome pink-red color and totally charming. The barn didn’t disappoint and I even ended up with a few fun paintings!

How about some hellos for a brand new week?

Hello green fields, blue skies and spring making it’s way into our lives. And that’s just fine with me!

Hello standing outside. Wondering what’s inside. Hello treasures waiting to be uncovered.

Hello little white lights. Oh how I love little white lights.

Hello coffee can. The color is awesome. The brushes are awesome. The whole thing inspires me.

Hello dishes. I do not need more dishes. I need less dishes. But they are so pretty.

Hello memories. I had this lunchbox. I remember how strawberry shortcake smelled–do you?!

Hello old paintings. Texture, color and imagination.

Hello metal ceiling. I would love to hang out here on a rainy day. Of course I’d need a cup of cocoa and a cozy spot to hang out and read a book.

Hello picnic basket, waiting to be packed with fresh fruit, cheese and crackers and taken on an adventure.

Hello end of spring break. Hello back to school for the boys!

Hello blurry background. Can you see that tiny barn back there?

Hello creating. I’m working on designing some new things this week and that makes me happy.

Hello meetings and planning. Oh so many meetings and so much planning!

Hello April. What?! Seriously?!

Hello catching up with old friends who are visiting this week. Yay!

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celebrating andrew and annalea

events, weddings By March 29, 2013 9 Comments

I don’t talk about them nearly enough,  but we have an AWESOME team. Andrew, from our customer care team, got married last weekend to the beautiful {inside and out} Annalea. It was a perfect opportunity to gather the team in the break room, bring in some delicious beignets and CELEBRATE! Yay! And of course, we had to bring out our adorable celebrate cake topper.

Aren’t they good together? I’m so excited for them.

Apparently the color of the day was turquoise. Awesome.

We gave them a bouquet token to use in the wedding and have as a keepsake.

Andrew and Annalea we are so excited for you and we’re celebrating with you as you bring your lives together. Marriage is such a beautiful thing.

What are you celebrating right now?

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art for freedom

events, inspiration By March 28, 2013 11 Comments

I love to get behind important causes, so when I was asked to create a necklace centered around human trafficking, I jumped at the chance! Jessica, our social media assistant, co-hosted the event and sang that evening. I’m thrilled that I was able to be even a small part of the evening and I invited Jess to share about the event with us! Take it away, Jess!

* * *

Hey everyone! Thank you for the opportunity to share a little about Art for Freedom. Human trafficking is an absolutely urgent issue and it is happening in our backyards. It’s heartbreaking. At the same time, it’s events like this that give my heart hope that there is an escape plan in place for those who are being enslaved. There are also a great amount of organizations and ministries popping up to join in the fight. Here is the necklace Lisa created to be auctioned off that night. Isn’t it gorgeous?!

The art show was at the adorable Hive Natural Beauty Collective. There was art donated from artists all over the central coast, feather hair pieces, t-shirts made by Hope Eternal, live art and more. There was also a handful of musicians who really brought the reality of human trafficking to life. I was blessed to be a part of the night. Here are some photos from the event:

All proceeds went to the start up of a human trafficking division of the SARP center. Read more about what they do here.

That’s me and my friend Johnny singing some originals and some covers, all centered around human trafficking. You can listen to Johnny’s tunes here and you can listen to some of mine here.

 Here is the completed live art by Shawn Martinez that was done as a response piece to human trafficking and inspired by the artists who performed that night. After it was completed, the winner of the “be their voice in silence” necklace was announced. Needless to say, she was elated!

Thank you Jessica! Your voice is amazing–so beautiful. What an amazing evening. We are so thankful to be part of it.

Today I’m feeling grateful for catching up on cuddles with my boys, my own cozy bed to sleep in and to work with a team of people who have BIG hearts. Share one thing you’re thankful for today!

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pretty green dress {two ways}

what i wore wednesday, what I'm wearing By March 27, 2013 61 Comments

In high school I was incredibly insecure about my fair skin. I wore long sleeves and long pants to cover it up, and if I wore a skirt, I worried people were whispering about how pale I was. I tried to hide my legs under my desk. My high school friends all tanned easily but if I spent time in the sun, I burned {even covered in SPF 30}.

As I’ve grown up I’ve slowly begun to accept myself more and I’ve literally become more comfortable in my own skin. As I was editing these photos the other day, I was struck by the thought that I would have never, ever worn a dress like this when I was younger. I still have insecurities, but I’m more accepting of my imperfections. I want my children and my nieces and nephews to see how amazing they are–and if I criticize myself I’m teaching them that they aren’t enough.

I’m linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for some fashion inspiration.

I’ve had my eye on this new designer at JCPenny. We don’t have a JCPenny near us. My grandmother worked there doing alternations, in her later adult life. It was her first job after my grandfather passed away–and for her it meant freedom and a new beginning. She had a strong affection for that company. I haven’t shopped there in years, but when I caught wind of the Duro Olowo line I wanted to check it out. When I was in Texas last week, I finally got a chance! I styled the dress two ways. It’s so feminine and easy to wear.

For the first look, I layered on a cream sweater. I love this look for a warm summer date night or to attend a wedding. Scroll down for outfit details.

Green dress, Duro Olowu for JCPenny. The dress is fully lined and the $50 price point seems reasonable to me! Cream sweater, gift from Steve from Scotland. Nude heels, thrifted. Green clutch, thrifted. Pretty like a bow necklace, my shop.

For the second look I pulled on a denim jacket, leopard print heels and a bright chunky necklace. Fun! Scroll down for outfit details.

Green dress, Duro Olowu for JCPenny. Denim jacket, Gap. Leopard print heels, Target. Gold connected bracelet, my shop. Golden seed necklace {I’ve layered two here}, my shop –out of stock but hopefully they’ll be back in the next few weeks!

I told you how insecure I was about my fair skin in high school. Is there something you used to be insecure about but you’ve let it go?

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