I like schedules, planning, knowing what is coming, and pretty much pretending that I am in control which I know deep down I am not at all. I don’t like change and transitions are hard for me. When there are lots of changes I feel it like a small storm under the surface and I try to slowly navigate the emotions but sometimes I push them aside to deal with another day because…well, they are hard. Sometimes even the most …
The Roundup | Beauty Found on the Internet this Week!
I am constantly in awe of the beauty that is there if you have your eyes open to it. Sometimes it will be the little things like the sweet change of season happening here in Colorado, the smell of the plants at the nursery this time of year when everyone is beyond ready to play in the garden, the piano being played in our home, an unexpected gift from a friend and even beauty found on the internet given by …
A Moment of Quiet
| Matches | Notepad | Mug | Sage | Blanket | “It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready” said Sarah Kay, poet and teller of the hard truth of the cold end of the year. Do you feel that? Like time is running out before you’ve had time to check the time? I’ve found that during this season, finding time for myself, time to breath, is maybe more important than ever. But I’ve also found that carving …
Rhythms + Rituals | A New FREE Series
As we make our way closer to 2021 we want to offer a simple way to gather others that want to start the New Year with intention. With the division of this past year, financial uncertainty for many, and the reality of so many unknowns, I know that this time instead of feeling hopeful for the new year and what’s to come may feel more like the in-between. The waiting period. There were so many unexpected moments in my own …
Guest Baskets | Loving on those that stay with you
Opening our doors and loving on those in our lives is such a sweet gift. The more I gather the more I learn how important it is and that so many just want to be invited. Invited into community, authentic relationship, and the joy that comes from that. The holidays are right around the corner and one thing we do in our home for company is to place a guest basket in the room where they are staying. …
Top Ten For Making a Home Unique and Cozy
I believe spaces should be used well, beauty should not be saved just for company and home should reflect the hearts that live there and not just the trends we see around us. I am not a designer but putting home together has been my heart for as long as I can remember. Once I became a wife and mother I had to make a choice to either have my perfect space or create a space that was perfect …
When Art Saved During the Pandemic
What started as being an impulse to give away one whole course on our site ended up being four whole courses every other week until now during the quarantine. Over that time we were able to give away over $650,000 in course content and we still can’t believe that number! After each course given away we heard story after story of how art was saving people from depression, loneliness, lack of money, direction and so much more. Your …
A Video of What is Inside our Entertaining Cabinets and Favorite Sources!
Last weekend I finally got around to cleaning out our laundry room and organizing our entertaining cabinets. That room had been a dumping ground since Christmas and with workshops (hopefully) starting back up again late June I knew it was time to tackle it. It was fun to share the process in IG stories over the weekend and after it was organized I made a quick video below answering some of the MANY questions that came during my clean out. …
Come and Get Your Free Course | Art of Home
We have members from all over the world and like never before we see each other and can relate on a whole new level. I wish it wouldn’t have taken this pandemic but I am thankful for all of the ways I am seeing people reach out, encourage, give what they can and to spread joy. While we are all spending more time at home on lockdown we wanted to make sure you have some creating to do. Each week …
How To Make Birthdays Special For Children During Sheltering In Place
I love birthdays! One whole day to love on just one person. One day that allows you to give a person a glimpse into how much their life means to you! It is almost 22 years ago that our birthday tradition began. It was my birthday during our first year of marriage and my day started off with a stack of envelopes. Keep in mind that we barely had any money in those years but what followed made me …
Meet Our Newest Member of Team JO | Diane Reeves
We have the most incredible men and women that are a part of Team JO! They do so much behind and in front of the scenes to serve our customers and to support me. All that we put out into the world would not be possible without these incredible and talented team members. The newest member of our team is Diane Reeves and you will see her whenever you come to a live workshop at our home and studio, she …
Happy New Year | Let’s Build Together!
I would just like to encourage you this first day of 2020 to claim whatever “land” you have and to “build” upon it. Whatever you currently have is enough! So often we are in a hurry for what is next that we can forget that where we lay out head right now has potential and promise. If you have an apartment, rent a room in a home, townhome, small home, live in suburbia, or have 100 acres. Name it, honor …
Ten Things That Defined This Decade In My Life + Business
1. All of the things that made me weird growing up are now the things that make our life and business. I was the kid making up plays, gathering the neighbors, writing poetry under a tree (no one needs to read those), writing songs, designing clothing and randomly calling the airlines to see how much it would cost to fly to California. Being a creative kid in a small rural town can be hard. Sports were king and …
2019 Holiday Housewalk
I have been fortunate enough to be a part of Jen Rizzo’s Holiday Housewalk almost as long as I have been blogging. It is the sweetest honor to be asked again to share our home along with so many incredible design and DIY bloggers! I am an artist, business owner and homeschool mom so I am usually capturing our home with my phone. I dusted off the real camera for this post and I can’t wait to check out …
All Home Online Courses On Sale | Just In Time For The Holidays
Thanksgiving is almost here and for many this is the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season. The day after Thanksgiving we go as a family to get our tree and each year the decorations get simpler and the meaning of the holiday becomes more known. We open our home more than every before and we are learning that gathering others is one of the sweetest ways to love others around us. We would like to offer you 40% off …
Guest Basket | Your Guests Will Feel Loved On!
Opening our doors and loving on those in our lives is such a sweet gift. The more I gather the more I learn how important it is and that so many just want to be invited. Invited into community and authentic relationship and the joy that comes from that. The holidays are right around the corner and one thing we do in our home for company is to place a guest basket in the room where they are …
12th Year In Business Anniversary Sale! | 40% Off One Course!
Twelve years ago I had a one, five and seven year old and once they were in bed each night I would create until the early hours in the morning. I look back now on those nights and know that those hours to myself to create and finding time no matter the exhaustion the next day was what brought my creativity back to life. It all started with home, gathering, making handmade journals, and altered letters and frames. The …
My Journey In Morocco | Marrakech Part III
You can read Part One HERE. You can read Part Two HERE. The first full day in a new city usually is full of too much to take in and when you are as far away from home as Africa it means new languages, smells, sounds, textures, colors, social norms, clothing, and even worship. I had a hard time keeping up with the group that first day because I kept on noticing the little things. The tiles, the light against …
My Journey In Morocco | Marrakech Part I
Last summer as we were getting out of the car to head to our town pool I had an email come into my inbox telling me that registration had just opened for my friend Michelle Fletcher’s first big workshop in Morocco. I have been friends with Michelle for many years now. Through art and business, our hearts have been tied together. She made some huge life changes within the past three years and I had been so inspired by her …
Where to Sleep, Eat, and Shop In Round Top, Texas
This fall I was in Round Top, Texas during antiques week to teach an art class, speak at an event and for two book signings. I have wanted to come to antiques week for years and with the beautiful invitations from Tara Royer Steele and Holly Kuhn I was eagerly packing my bags and leaving room for vintage treasures. I had so many questions about where we shopped, ate and stayed that I wanted to do a fun post sharing …
Holiday Housewalk | 2018
Thank you Jen Rizzo for inviting me year after year to be included with some of the most talented men and women I know in your gorgeous holiday housewalk. Thank you for allowing this artist that loves home so much to hang out with all of these design and DIY bloggers that make creating home an art. Guys, I have been a part of Jen’s housewalk since the beginning! That means this is my eighth year! So crazy and fun …
Gift Giving Guide | 2018
Each year I love sharing some of the products that I am loving in my own life and I believe in supporting other small business owners and giving these products as gifts too! This is why it is so important to small business owners like me that when you love our products you share with your friends and family. You sharing is the best thing you can do to bless us. Here are some of the products and small business …
My Health Scare, A Video and Where We Go From Here
While we were coming home from a teaching, speaking, book-signing trip in Round Top, Texas, my left eye went black/blind and I had only a small sliver of vision left as we were leaving Amarillo. Kelly and the kids were with me and Kelly was driving. I had been feeling extremely run down at this point in our two-week trip and we were all eager to get home. Instead of home, we turned around and headed to the emergency room in …
20th Anniversary Sale | 40% Off One Online Course
It was a Friday night in Washington, DC in February of 1998. I had worked late and I was supposed to meet up with friends in a local brewery. I saw Kelly come in with a group of people and I instantly said to my friends, “Check out my future husband”. We went on our first date the next week, we were engaged four months later and married 8 months after meeting. It has been hard and beautiful and broken and lifegiving. I had no idea how hard …
The Fall Art Garden | Seasons Of Home Porch Tour
Welcome to the Seasons of Home porch tour hosted by Kristen Whitby of Ella Claire. We have more land than porch so we are mixing the two and we are so glad you are here! When we were first looking at our home it was in the middle of winter and the land was covered in snow. Of the seven acres only a small side garden was fenced in but with its stone raised garden beds, trees and two gates …