Happy Friday! I took a little break from posting this week, and it was a good thing. It was nice to step back after weeks of project planning and doing and Halloween costume making to just relax. And catch up on my blog reading (and Pinterest and Instagram and….). Here are a few things on my mind this week:

1. Reading. October was so crazy, I let reading fall behind quite a bit. I tried to read a little bit of this book before bed each night. And the only blog I read consistently during October was Hollemama, by my friend, Mary. She kept it simple, posting a photo from every 30 minutes of her day, but to be so simple, it was really profound. Her words are good for my soul. Even if you’re not a Mama, her ability to find meaning and joy in the everyday will inspire you. Check out her whole 31 Days series here. (I found some new blogs and made some new friends during 31 Days – looking forward to catching up on their blogs now, too.)

2. Color. During October, a friend tagged me in a post on Facebook of this slideshow on NPR. Who knew the peacock feather doesn’t actually have blue pigment? (You know I love peacock blue.) And the part about Newton adding a 7th color on the Roy G. Biv spectrum? Fascinating!

3. Drawing. I stumbled upon this book at the library a few weeks ago, and I recognized the trees from this pin I found 2 years ago. I tried out a few sketches last night while I was babysitting. Such a fun and inspiring book! Great for a doodler like me who’s always looking for new ideas. (PS – The babysitting swap was my friend’s idea, and it’s totally brilliant. We alternate weeks – one night I go to her house for the evening while Husband stays home to put our kids to bed. After her kids are in bed, I sit and read in quiet without feeling like I should be doing laundry or the million other things on my to-do list. Then the following week, she comes to our house. Win-win!)

4. Spoons. Again. I just realized that I never gave you the update on the Spoon Story. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this first – and the comments section, too.) So back in September, before my birthday, an unexpected package appeared in my  mailbox. (I’m an Amazon Primer, and I am diligent in my tracking of packages, so there are very few unexpected packages.) When I opened it up, I found a sweet birthday note from my dear friend, Cathy, and these:

Eleven spoons just like the one she stole (or perhaps I should say “refused to return”)! I texted her immediately to tell her my mom would get a kick out of it, and she said not to tell her yet because she had sent another set to her! My mom was thrilled, as was I. (BG loves them too – she calls them the “pretty flower spoons”.) Might be my most unique birthday present ever.

5. This quote. Thinking a lot about possibility and potential lately, so this quote made me smile.

What are you up to this weekend? I’m celebrating a dear friend and her sweet new baby, hanging out with my Mama friends, catching up with my Adopted California Mother over coffee, and I am finally getting my  haircut (it’s been 6 months). And for some of us, it’s a 4 day weekend. Let the fun begin!!