Wednesday: Mid-Week Inspiration

I recently read a book after my beautiful and amazing friend Suzie recommended it to me... A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by the ever-so-talented Donald Miller. I literally read the majority of the book over the course of two days (during which I was mostly stuck in my bed due to a not-so-fun bout with the chills/fever/sore throat/weakness/sore muscles/headache sort of the flu this past weekend).


This book.... whew... it's one of those "Oh my goodness... oh my goodness... this stuff is going to change my life" sort of reads. Incredible. The book focuses a lot on the idea of "story" and what makes a good story and what makes OUR lives good stories and why good stories are worth pursuing.

Anyways.... I may just be hosting a book club this summer (and maybe beyond that, who knows) and this book will no doubt be the first book we read (I'm the founder of the club, I get to make these sorts of decisions, you see).

Today I'll share just a few of my favorite passages from the book with you, my friends.

"I've said before, the main way we learn story is not through movies or books; it's through each other. Your become like the people you interact with. And if your friends are living boring stories, you probably will too. We teach our children good or bad stories, what is worth living for and what is worth dying for, what is worth pursuing, and the dignity with which a character engages his own narrative." p.160

"I've wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want the responsibility inherent in the acknowledgment. We don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn't remarkable, then we don't have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants." p. 59

"The ambitions we have will become the stories we live. If you want to know what a person's story is about, just ask them what they want. If we don't want anything, we are living boring stories, and if we want a Roomba vacuum cleaner, we are living stupid stories. If it won't work in a story, it won't work in life." p. 125

"... I realized how much of our lives are spent trying to avoid conflict. Half the commercials on television are selling us something that will make life easier. Part of me wonders if our stories aren't being stolen by the easy life." p.186

"People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain." p.100

Until next time...

Thursday: Wishful Thinking

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: ROCKFORD NEEDS AND WOULD SUPPORT A TRADER JOE'S!!!!!

I cannot tell you how many times I have wished that Rockford had more in the way of specialty grocery stores. I believe that if a Trader Joe's were to invest (it is not a franchise) and open up a store in or around the River District in Rockford that a few things would happen: 1) It would be massively successful, 2) it would do wonders for the area's redevelopment and 3) it would create jobs for the area... oh and 4) I would be a very happy lady.

And for those of you who have not had the pleasure of shopping at a TJ's, let me fill you in. On their website they answer the question, "How is shopping at Trader Joe's different from what you may be used to in a supermarket?" this way:

"At Trader Joe's, you won't find a lot of branded items. Instead, you'll find unconventional and interesting products in the Trader Joe's label as well as everyday basics. We buy products we think are winners and that'll find a following among our customers. Sometimes it's a product we intend to stock as long as it sells well; and sometimes we buy a product which is in limited supply, sell through it, and you won't find it again. It's all part of the shopping adventure at Trader Joe's."

What do you think?

Wednesday: Wishful Thinking

Today's version of Wishful Thinking will require a bit of self-revelation on my part. If you know me, you know that I work as a school social worker and that this is something I totally love most days.

But then I get these.... ideas. Ideas about doing something for a living (or more like on the side) that would satisfy that creative/entrepreneurial side of me. The side of me that appreciates design and believes that feelings can be experienced through the beauty we see around us or the things we taste and hear.

At the risk of being laughed at or otherwise judged, here is my latest (and I believe greatest) idea. I think it would be sweet to be wedding consultant/creative director for engaged couples in the greater Rockford area, with a specific focus on nontraditional/unconventional/creative/interesting couples!

And here's why I think this is actually a GOOD idea:

1. I love weddings and I love people. I love the idea of a couple sharing a day with all their loved ones, a day that is completely personal to who they are as a couple and the beautiful love they have for each other.

2 (This one's a doozy, so I needed to break it up into parts):

A. The world of weddings is absolutely busting at the seams with new ways of doing things. Weddings are no longer cookie-cutter events filled with red roses and enough tulle to fill a barn. More and more, couples are embracing their own personal style and letting their wedding be a reflection of who they are and what they love. Nowadays, everything from the dress (and the groom's attire for that matter), to the flowers, to the photography, to the venue, to the decorations, to the food, to the invitations, to the music, to the cake can be done in very unique and nontraditional ways.

B. Rockford, as in so many other areas, is waaay behind in this arena. There just aren't (or at least don't seem to be to the average Joe) a lot of options for couples in Rockford who want to shake things up a little and do their wedding day with a little pizazz and creativity. But the exciting thing to me is that those creative people, venues, and possibilities are out there... there just isn't a lot of organization and most people just don't have the time to seek out all these unique people and places and ideas... that's where I would come in!

C. I want to be a holder of the vision, you could say. It would be my job to figure out what it is that the couple wants for their special day, to translate what they have told me into a vision/inspiration, and to then go out and work with all the various members who would make up the team for this couple's event. It would also be my job to bring everything together in a way that reflects who the couple and is and do this in an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive way. Then there would be the weeks leading up to the wedding and the day before and of the wedding when things can get a bit wacky... this is where #3 comes into play.

3. I am, if I don't say so myself, fairly talented (okay, let's just say freakish) in the areas of organizing and coordinating things. Making lists and schedules and using spreadsheets are fun activities for me (insert laughing here). I'd also like to think that I would love (and maybe even be good at) meeting a couple and getting to know them and figuring out what they envision for their special day... and then helping them get there!

4. I scour over wedding blogs like Once Wed, Green Wedding Shoes, Ritzy Bee, 100 Layer Cake and Snippet & Ink for fun... daily. I am so often inspired by the millions of ideas that can make a wedding day special and unique to couples. DIY projects, out-of-box ideas, vintage details... you name it, I will find it and I will love it. I want to bring a fresh vision to what planning a wedding could look like for couples in this area.


5. I believe there are couples out there who would want what I have to offer. Maybe you're one of those couples... if so, let's talk. Seriously!

PS... I'd probably offer my services for about zero bones (and maybe a slice of cake at your reception) since it would be my first time doing this. We've all got to start somewhere, right?

Tuesday: Discovery of the Week

Yayayayay!!! Finally, I have gotten out and about and have something to share. This past week my good friend Alex and I headed out to the McEachran Homestead in Caledonia, IL. The Homestead is an up & coming farm/winery/event spot in the area. They grow all sorts of fruits and vegetables which they sell at local farmers' markets.

They also make their own wine using their own grapes from their very own vineyard! How cool is that? And it is suuuuuuper yummy. And finally, their grounds include a beautifully restored home and barn. As of recently, the barn and the grounds can now be rented for small get-togethers like showers, parties, etc. It is truly an amazing space that is unrivaled in the area.

Our trip out to the farm began with a tour of the grounds (on a super fancy Gator) driven by one of my best and oldest friends, Kaylee, who works in the summer at the farm with her mom. First, we drove through the vineyard where all sorts of grape varieties are grown and later used to create wine in-house. The farm even does wine tastings, but we will get to that later…

After the vineyard we went past the pumpkins and squash…

… on our way back to the woods where they keep their bees! The farm keeps bees which they use to make their own honey.

The woods are located back among some of the fields. It is a surprising and beautiful spot.

Here is a view of the farm from the woods.


More gardens as our tour continued!

They also have an orchard with apple, pear, and peach trees among others. This place is unbelievable, right?

We even got to stop and chat with Dr. Greenlee, the owner and proprietor of the farm, who was helping Kaylee’s mom, Sue, pick some sweet corn.

MORE gardens!! Filled with all sorts of berries and veggies like peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower, Indian corn, etc. I could go on and on… literally!

Our tour ended up back at the barn where we got a tour of the barn and had a wine tasting.

Dr. Greenlee’s house is quite charming.

Inside the barn, top floor.

View of the vineyards from the barn.

The part of the tour we were REALLY waiting for… the wine tasting!!

Needless to say, the wine was fantastic and we could have easily walked away with more bottles than we did. Kaylee even took us in the wine cellar area. Actually, I’m not really sure if that is the correct name for it, but all I do know is that it was air-conditioned, which was basically amazing. We got to take a look at wines that would be ready in the future. Sweet!!

All in all, it was an amazing afternoon. Alex and I REALLY appreciated our tour. I highly recommend you stop by some afternoon. They are always available for wine tastings or call ahead to reserve the spot for a party or get-together. You will not be disappointed.

McEachran Homestead, 1917 Wyman School Road, Caledonia, Illinois 61101.

http://www.mceachranhomestead.com/