Happy Weekend // A Great Week In Blog Land

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Ah... the weekend. It's finally here.

I expect it to be busy, but in the best possible way. We're getting started on building out the wood screen and I see a little puttering around, planting, staining, making plans over the coming days as well. After months spent dreaming of progress, there shall finally be some around the house once again.

But we're leaving behind a great week out there in blog land as well. Here are a few standouts that caught my attention.

+ Kristen's Heart.Love video. Did you see it? It was one of the sweetest things I saw this week.

+ Speaking of sweet, did you see the girls luncheon Albertina shared? That flowerless chocolate cake!

+ I've really been enjoying Bailey's recaps on how her new Houston home came together. But as one pulling a relatively new house together myself,  this fearless read last week really hit home for me in so many ways. Did it do the same for you?

+ Erin always has the best ideas! She shared the creative way she's leaving love notes behind for her husband while traveling for work.

+ I'm not sure there is anyone who does not love Bri Emery. She shared what was in her business lady toolbox on Design Sponge this week and something she said gave me a little punch to my gut.

Do you know your own value, and are you prepared to assert that to others?

...Great advice for anyone- business startup or not.

Happy weekend friends.

Link Love // Reflecting

Original image photographed by Amber Mozzo | Found via Delicious Duds

I've just about caught up on all the lovely posts out there reflecting on the past year. I say, it's always important to really understand where you've been in order to know just how you should move forward. While resolutions tend to get a bad rep, I actually think it's healthy to take stock of the things you want out of your life and resolve to carry them through. 

Today, I thought I'd show some link love to a few posts on reflection and renewal that I've recently come across, some of which really resonated with me and where I am right now in my own life. 

+ Anne's post Reflections on the Gift of a Quiet Christmas was a post I read more than once. The first time I read it, I got stuck on the fact that she made a conscious decision to spend Christmas apart from her family.  I could not fathom it. It felt contradictory to everything I've ever known to be true about the holidays. Reading it again, its quiet message sunk in: there is nothing selfish about taking time for yourself, especially when you know you need it most- regardless of the day on the calendar. 

+ Erin just turned The Big Three-Oh. I related to her post yesterday reflecting on what she wants not only out of the coming year, but the next decade in her life. Like Erin, I've been doing a lot of long term thinking of late. I'm feeling like I need to break away from convention and what I feel others might want from me and forge a path all my own. 

+ Victoria's Real Life: When Enough is Enough post really held up the mirror so to speak. There is so much to be grateful about right here and right now and like Victoria, I always find myself wanting to move on to the next best thing. It's good to strive to be better and want more. I've had a lot of amazing things come my way because of that perseverance. But if I had to pinpoint the biggest obstacle to my own contentment, that is most certainly it. It's number uno on my list of priorities to recognize just how good this moment right here, right now is and finally get out of my own way.  It's all about balance.

Have you come across any other must reads out there? 

All the best for a happy weekend...