lovely photo wednesday

<a href="http://manyrandommusings.blogspot.com/search/label/Lovely%20Photo%20Wednesday"><img vspace="none" hspace="none" alt="Lovely Photo - Wordless or Not-So-Wordless Wednesday at Aspire" src="http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt255/ElvishAuthoress/LovelyPhoto.png" align="center" /></a>Hello friends! After a short absence, Lovely Photo is back up and open from tonight till Thursday morning. Have a photo you want to share? Link it up — I'd love to see it.

My photo is from a mini shoot I did the other day with my sister Gracie. See that chair? That was my great-grandpa's. It's definitely seen some love. My mom has memories of herself sitting in that chair in her grandparent's house; she's kept it because she wants to get it refinished — and I love it for photos. More than that though, I love it because of the memories it has.

Have any favorite vintage items?

Linking up with Supermom, Project Alicia, Live out Loud, Dear Crissy, Better in Bulk,
Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love, and then, she {snapped}, and ♥ The Paper Mama

If you haven't played along before, link up your lovely photo and tell us a bit about it, or nothing at all. Write what you want or don't say anything, but share a picture and link it up below. Then, remember to bloghop around a bit and comment on at least three other entries. Make sure to include the button or a link back to Aspire in your post. Have a lovely day!



Loads of love,
Hannah

Looking for a fresh new design for your site? Head over here to win a blog design.

Collaboration # 5 - Life

Top - Hannah Nicole.
Bottom - Abigail Grace

Oh, how I love life, friends.

I'm so grateful to be able to live on this wild land that I'm passing through on my journey home. I want to be living fully — vividly — twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I don't want any moment of my life to spent simply existing. That's not life, friends. That's not living.

Every moment is precious. Life is a wonderful gift, given with a purpose. Intentionality. I don't want to lose it living lethargically, lost in complacency. The only time we have is now. You had better believe I'm going to use it.

I want to be fully alive.

Loads of love,
Hannah

p.s. I'm giving away a blog design on my site; head over for your chance to win. Have a lovely Monday, friends.

A Spring Look for YOU { giveaway }

Today, because the weather is deliciously springy outside and I'm drinking a sweet cup of tea, I thought it was high time for a little giveaway. Since the world outside is fresh and blooming, why not freshen up your site too?

I'm excited to announce the opening of my new blog design site, Hannah Nicole Designs! I've been planning, branding, designing, coding, and creating this site for several months, so I'm ecstatic to reveal the finished product.



And what better way to say hello to Spring and a new site than with a giveaway? Here's how to win a New Blog Design valued at $100...

Mandatory Entry

Comment and tell me what your favorite part about spring is. Love the flowers, fruit, or the warm weather? Let me know and you're entered to win.

Extra Entries

• Follow Aspire
• Tweet/facebook/blog this giveaway (each worth one entry)

Make sure to leave a new comment for each entry. Giveaway runs from May 21st - May 28th and closes at 11:59 EST. Good luck, sweet friends!

Loads of love,
Hannah

friday favorite things

Linking up with my momma today.

Celebrating little things

being grateful for small moments throughout the week.

These are my Friday Favorite things...

____

this boy

and his freckly face

my family

The fact that it's Friday
and tomorrow morning
I have ballet + rehearsal

Trees that are green
and not just sticks anymore

watermelon

and the fact that we eat a half of one
in a day
(#largefamilymuch?)

being able to sit outside on the deck

garage sale finds

flowers poking up out of the dirt


the promise that we can be made new --
washed clean
sanctified

Ricotta with lemon + vanilla and raspberries
for breakfast

the fact that our raspberry bushes
are growing
(excited about the fresh raspberries to come!)


Samuel running, running, running

healthy.

Being completely healed
from my injury last fall

Ballet
and the fact that the performance
is only 23 days away
(soooooooo excited)

Grand jeté's in the backyard

(photo of me taken by my mom)

Spring weather

Watching movies with the family

Plans being formed

School finishing up


Tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, olive oil,
salt, and feta cheese.
Delicious.

Laughing at how many of my Friday favorites
are food.

The Bible.

Praise jam sessions with friends


this picture.

and...

Life.

Do you have any Friday favorites? I'd love to hear them! Make sure to head to my momma's blog and link up your favorites from the week.

Loads of love,
Hannah

what inspires me?

What inspires me?

Well friends...

Life

inspires me.

And I'm grateful to be able to live it.

What about you?

loads of love,
Hannah

Collaboration # 4 - Wonder

Top - Hannah Nicole.
Bottom - Abigail Grace

Little Boy Blue
Little boy blue with your eyes so wide,
come and stay awhile, come and stay awhile,
little boy blue with your hair so fair,
come and dream awhile, dream if you dare,
I wonder what you're thinking,
little boy of mine,
dreaming of what could be,
dreaming dreams so fine,
but you'll always be my little boy,
little boy blue,
eyes full of wonder,
dreaming like you do,
little boy, little boy blue,
precious, wonder child,
I love you.

As soon as I began writing this post, I thought of a short song I had written for Samuel awhile ago. The song is basically saying that even though he'll grow up, I'll still remember my little boy; my sweet Samuel. I love how when you're really little, you still remember to dream -- to wonder. You can see it in their eyes; you know that in the midst of all the growing up, they're still dreaming. Perhaps it's not that as we grow older, we stop dreaming, but it's that we forget what it was like to wonder without worry. Instead of dreaming about childlike whims, we dream of more whole, real things. It's not a bad thing, but just a part of growing up.

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw

I took a video with my web cam this morning, so my voice isn't warmed up, per se. ;) Have a wonderful and blessed Monday, friends! Make sure to head over to Abigail's blog and read her words on Wonder -- and remember to wish her a lovely Monday, as well!

Loads of love,
Hannah

when it hails...

either:
1. run outside
2. hide under the overhanging on the deck
3. gather hail
4. hide under a table
5. stare longingly outside
6. stay inside and take photos









What would you do?

loads of love,
Hannah