links

Christmas Morning image by Ken Naquin

Here are 10 links I’ve been hoarding for a while with the intent to share random things I find around the web.  I have meant to post them long ago but the holiday rush kept me from getting to it.  Christmas and New Years are over but perhaps you still have a bit of down time before school or work starts up again next week.

I am really hoping to post a bit better this year so hopefully soon I can get a few more holiday photos up and share this year’s baby names from the ornaments I sold to see what is trending.

Fun fact: I actually don’t own/use a cell phone but here are some fun tricks to use for photography if you have a smart phone.

A memoir from Laura Ingalls Wilder is out.  We have listened to some of her Little House books with the kids on road trips and at bedtime.  It would be interesting to learn more about how it really was back then with the idyllic fiction taken away …or it might be sad and burst my bubble.

I think the Doll Friend Project is a great idea. “For every doll purchased from Phoebe and Egg, a doll will be given to a child in the foster care system.”

This abandoned french chateau looks amazing.  Can’t wait to see what it looks like once it is finished with the remodeling.

Embrace being different!  “I hate to break it to you, it would be a pretty boring world if we were all like you.”  Here’s a great reminder from the diverse country of Laos to be true to who God made you to be and not conform to everyone else.

Some of the links I found would have been better shared before Christmas but it’s never too late to finally learn how to tie the perfect bow every time!  I had never seen this technique before.

One of my friends, Brady Muckelroy, is an amazing professional solo bassist…yes, you read that right, a solo bassist.  In recent years he started building his own bass guitars by hand and has sold to Mike Huckabee among many others.  Here is a really great short video of his craftsmanship.

If you or someone you know is looking to adopt, this book looks like it could be a great resource. Every adoption experience is different but it has to be comforting to get some practical advice and encouragement from some other people who’ve already gone through it.

As you’re thinking through your career and life at the first of the year, here are 10 great lessons Joanna Goddard has learned in her career.  Even if you have learned them all, it is always good to be reminded.

And finally, here’s a good reminder to embrace the beauty you have in front of you and not chase what you think you need to make your house Pinterest perfect and go in debt.

Hope you all had some very wonderful holidays filled with lots of love and food and rest!