Life I'm Living & Things I'm Liking
"Where you been loca?" IYKYK
Greetings friends. It has been a minute — life has been life-ing and I have just been along for the ride.
Indulge me in a little “here’s what Skylar’s been up to” to explain my lack of writing recently and absence from this little world of Substack. Spring was crazy, busy, beautiful, overwhelming, and rainy — to name a few things. :) In addition to taking a graduate course in Information Science and helping out at a prom dress shop, as well as the normal cadence of a busy work season with events and travel, I also had the opportunity to spend quality time with our family and friends the past few months. In addition to spending Easter with our family in North Carolina and creating new memories with my sister, niece and nephew, we also got to celebrate the beautiful wedding of a dear friend of ours, alongside some couple friends. Ultimately those moments and opportunities take presence and precedence over sharing musings and reflections here.
If that wasn’t enough, we’re also in the process of buying a house, and if you’ve done that recently or even been looking, it was crazy. We went into this process knowing we wanted land, some outbuildings for my husband to have space to work, as well as the option for it to grow with us if that is in our future. I don’t know if it was the market at the time we were looking or just a general lack of inventory, but it was TOUGH. If we found something we really liked, we had to put our highest offer in and would still get out-bid by folks with larger downpayments, more cash, and waived inspections. It is a huge privilege to be able to buy a home and have it as an option to consider, but it takes so much time and energy at night and on the weekends to go look at houses, draft up offers, and consider your options, that by the end of it you’re drained with the whole process. With God’s provision, we ultimately won the offer on a beautiful stick-built home that will cut my work commute by 20 minutes (hallelujah), has the most beautiful wrap around porch and high windows, and is just a dream of a spot. We will hopefully close on it next month, so prayers are welcomed and appreciated for a smooth closing process!
Let’s see what else …. I think that’s all the “major” things. Of course, within those days were all the “everyday” things that bring joy — walks outside with the dog (when it wasn’t raining), continuing my quest to read 52 books this year, sewing a headband with my niece on a babysitting day, painting my nails, and eating the best smashburgers from the grill.
Amidst all the big and small blessings this spring, here are some things I’ve been enjoying lately!
I really appreciated Annie F. Downs’ sermon at National Community Church a few weeks ago. I am an avid listener of her podcast, but really appreciated this talk on finding Holy Spirit in your everyday. One of my favorite points was: “Next time you wonder if how you spend your 9-5 matters, remember that the first time we see someone filled with the Holy Spirit in the Bible, it was someone going to work. They were going to work. It was their everyday … The Holy Spirit will equip you for what you are called to do where you are called to do it, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”
Love a transparent year-in-review from a freelancer/writer/creative entrepreneur. Big fan of
and her approach to personal finance around here!I have been doing research on boarding houses for my final class assignment, and I just have to share how much I love systems, processes and places that gave women the chance to create an income, support their families, and increase their opportunities in life during the early- and mid-1900’s. I’m currently reading The Briar Club by Kate Quinn from my research and it is *good*.
Sending a job opening to a friend with a “you would be perfect for this,” is everything we need in this hiring economy. Even if they’re not looking for that next opportunity, it can be thoughtful and validating for their own confidence and growth.
The hold that my Libby app has on me right now, is ridiculous. In addition to having four physical books from the library on my nightstand, I also have 7 e-books or audiobooks in the cue. They’re all a mix of historical fiction, romance, Christian, women’s fiction … when am I going to read all of them? Great question.
The Briar Club - Kate Quinn
Inspired - Rachel Held Evans
Her Knight at the Museum - Bryn Donovan
A Rhythm of Prayer - Sarah Bessey
The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck - Bethany Turner
Learning to Speak to God from Scratch - Jonathan Merritt
Women’s Hotel - Daniel M. Lavery
The Happiness Dare - Jennifer Dukes Lee
The Neighbor Favor - Kristina Forest
The Unplugged Hours - Hannah Brencher
It is officially the season of my favorite mocktail; I’ve been sober for about seven years, but there are still times where I crave a fun summer drink. To get my fill, I grab some margarita mix from the grocery store (Costco’s is my all-time favorite but its typically only available one month out of the year and since we moved up to NY, I haven’t been able to find it) and fill a glass of ice halfway with that mix, then I fill the rest with water. You can stop there and it’s delicious, or I like to add some flavoring, my favorite being mixed berry, stir it up, and voila a refreshing non-alcoholic summer beverage!
Loved the above profile by
. I’ve been obsessed with the way that people journal lately, and love how Raymond uses his journal to document his days, the people in his life, tickets and photos, and more.House flip-flops and new summer pajamas … it’s the little joys these day! $86 is steep for pajamas, but if I had an unlimited budget, I’d love one of these In My Sundays pieces.
I pray that this week gives you the exclamation points you can handle. Whether you’re interviewing for a new job, are surmounting a personal struggle, sending lots of emails, or enjoying a vacation, I pray that God would equip you in your days and that you would feel encouraged in the process.
Cheering you on,
Skylar
Thanks for the shoutout, Skylar! ❤️