Grace Notes – DIY-ing Myself

I’m starting something new here and I have to admit – I’m a bit scared. I’m all about DIYs but DIY-ing myself has always been low on the priority list.

An idea that I’ve had ever since I started this blog was to create a post where I share a bit more about myself, in hopes that it offers you all some encouragement because…

WE ARE ALL A MESS!

Myself included! So I plan on sharing these Grace Notes from time to time and hope that by sharing how I’m diy-ing myself, you all share your works in progress with me in the comments below.

Let’s lift each other up!

So, why Grace Notes?

Where did Noting Grace come from?

Well, if you didn’t know, I’m a professional vocalist, singing for my supper and providing voice overs for various companies. A Grace Note is a musical term which is a small embellishment to the ordinary melody.

When I earned my best job title ever – Momma – I stepped away from performing.

And while that job should have filled my cup, I started realizing that I needed something to funnel my creativity – something to embellish.

So, that’s how this blog was born. And knowing how much I need grace every day, I started noticing the beauty in discarded things. I thought, “They need grace, too!”

And that’s how this whole DIY thing got started.

Earlier this year, on my instagram page, I asked you all if you wanted to hear more about what’s happening in my everyday life – and with a resounding yes – you all encouraged me to share more of myself.

We were created to relate, to engage with each other and life is so much more than simple DIYs, or a great recipe.

So here’s where I begin. Slowly peeling away the curtain to reveal the heart behind this blog.

With the New Year, I’m following tradition and making resolutions to improve – to be more intentional – which means DIY-ing myself!

And so, to be completely transparent, I thought I’d tell you about what’s inspiring me, what struggles I’m having, what foods I’m trying – I’m letting it all out!

A few years ago, I had a “Me and My Big Ideas” planner and each month there was a section where you wrote down what you were currently doing, reading, pinning, cooking, etc.

With that in mind, I thought it would be a creative way to share some of my favorite things over the past month. And if it reminds you of something, share it with me, too! I would love to check out what you suggest!

So here we go!

DIY-ing Myself

What I’m Pinning:

Since we have a kitchen remodel on the project list for this year, I’ve been scrolling and studying lots of kitchen design trends over on Pinterest.

I’ll be completely honest – we are in a bit of a financial struggle. Recuperating from a job loss takes it toll on the pocket book. It’s all about the dolla-billz, y’all and our budget is going to be super tight!

So I’m on the hunt for ways to recreate my kitchen without spending hardly any money!

What I’m Reading:

I’ve just started going to a women’s bible study, and we’re reading “Even Better Than Eden” by Nancy Guthrie. I have read one of her books before and couldn’t put it down, so I’m excited to dive into this one!

Prayerfully, I’m hoping to build relationships with women in this community. I think that’s what I’m missing the most from our Tennessee Home. This is such an important part of diy-ing myself.

Who is my Insta-Crush:

I’m always over on Instagram and I seem to follow an account and swoon over. And Nicole from @appleseedandsage is so amazing! I just love her style.

What I’m Listening to:

Being a singer, music is always on at my house, and I am loving my most recent Christmas gift. Trent and the boys gave me a Bose Bluetooth Speaker.

What I love about it is that it’s super portable. So that means I can take it to any room and hook it up to my Amazon Music and jam! And 80s jams are on the hot list right now.

We are working on building a corporate band for hire here in the Birmingham area, so it’s mostly research. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

And lemme tell you – right now, you can Try Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial for 30 days.  To be completely honest, I didn’t even last that long – it’s a great deal for any music lover. All four of us use it every day!

What I’m Eating:

Putting myself on the list means handling some health issues. I really need encouragement here, so any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I tried the low-carb/keto for about 3 weeks and I didn’t lose a thing. The first day I added carbs, I dropped poundage. Guess it’s not a good fit for my body.

I am working hard to lose weight. Right now, I’m trying the Carb Cycling program from Chris and Heidi Powell. You alternate between Low Carb and High Carb days and have one free day on Saturday. There are more details that you can learn over at their site.

I do hope to be posting a low carb recipe round-up soon.

What I’m feeling:

Honestly?

sigh

I’m hurting. We are still dealing with some big transition issues from our move. The kids are struggling and we haven’t found our tribe yet, so it’s still a tough season. And anytime your kids hurt, you hurt.

But without pruning, you cannot grow. And with all the pruning we’ve been getting lately – we’re going to be a forest in no time!

I hope you enjoyed a bit of a sneak peek behind the curtain. I plan to be more transparent and intentional this year. You can always catch me face to face over on my Instagram stories, where I’ll share more of my day to day stuff. But DIY-ing myself isn’t going to be easy.

But know that if you are struggling with weight loss…

like me

Or family struggles…

like me

Or are stuck in a design slump with a nonexistent budget…

like me

you are not alone! Let’s connect and share with each other. It won’t be easy, but we’ll get through it. And I’m sure it will be filled with laughter, tears and multiple cups of coffee!