Three Kids and a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

That's what officially makes a blogger a blogger, right?  That's what I had in my mind for a long time.  I've yet to acquire either of the above items but still enjoy pretending, as I've done so since my first post in 2010.  Consistency is hard for me, so setting goals in something I do often. One of my goals for this year is to be more consistent in blogging, and along those lines I felt it was time to update my bio.  So, please allow me to introduce myself.  Again.

My name is Ashley Craig-Diaz and I'm a lover of God, Family, and Beauty.  I believe every day has beauty in it, waiting to be found.  Some days it's definitely more difficult to find the beauty, but my hope is that this blog will provide its readers with inspiration to do just that.  I believe it's through finding this beauty that we can really begin the pursuit of finer things.  "Things" is a word loosely used here, as the "Finger Things," are often not things at all.

I was born in Georgia and grew up on a farm where homemaking, cooking, and gardening were all a part of everyday life.  Additionally, I studied piano and went on to graduate with a Music Degree in Piano Performance.  I started teaching piano lessons as a teenager and have continued to do so to this day.  I feel blessed to do something I love to do every day and honored to have the opportunity to help others develop a lifelong love of music.

I live and love in beautiful Georgia with my husband Chris and two beautiful children, Fiona and Eliot.  They bring me joy and teach me grace.  Together as a family, we enjoy entertaining, going out to eat, and ordering pizza while cheering for the Atlanta Falcons.

Welcome to my blog :)

2017 Word of the Year

For several years now, I've heard of people choosing one word to focus on for an entire year.  This word sets their intention for the year and much personal/spiritual/physical growth is centered around this intention.

Every time I hear stories like these, I always think, "Wow!  That is so cool! Imagine having enough insight and being so in-touch with yourself that you can sum up your intentions for an entire year into one word- I should totally do that!"  And then for the next 5 minutes I think really hard.  This thinking is following by my concession and acceptance that I'm probably not spiritually mature enough to come up with a word that will actually still make sense for my life 12 months later.

As a quick side note (because anyone who knows me knows my tendency to thrive on side tangents)... Most official "Words of the Year" are named in retrospect.  Enjoy reminiscing yesteryears' words here.

After writing down my 2017 goals, I suddenly realized over the years, I had become spiritually mature enough to formulate my own 2017 Word of the Year.  Totally kidding.  But I did see a theme and decided to put it into a word.  It is yet to be determined whether or not it will last the whole year (or really, even past January):

GREATER:

"of ability, quality, or intensity considerably above the normal or the average" 

Don't let this post fool you.  I still feel as though I lack insight.  I could probably stand to know myself a little better.  And I definitely haven't reached some great heights of spiritual maturity.  I simply noticed a trend and put a word to it.  

In case you missed 2017's Goals Post, the areas in which great applies include:

A Greater Number of Books Read

A Greater Number of Posts Blogged

A Greater Understanding of the French Language

A Greater Amount of Time Devoted to Dance

A Greater Amount of Yoga Poses Made
A Greater Amount of Honesty and Courage to Do What's Best for My Family and I

In addition to having my first "Word of the Year" ever, 2017 seems to hold so much promise and potential.  I posted a picture on Instagram at the beginning of the year, letting the world know I've been waiting on this year for about 33 years.  I've always had a fondness for symmetry and since my birthday happens to be on a 17th, having a birthday in the year 2017 seems very special.  Additionally, I turned 33 this year, which is a number signifying a promise or the promises of God.  It's going to be a GREAT year and I'm excited to see what it holds.

2017 Goals

Happy New Year and Bonne Année, dear friends!  I've missed writing but enjoyed taking off the month of December to focus on enjoying every minute of Christmas, Chanukah, and New Years Celebrations with my family.

If you've been around my blog for a while, you know I'm all about setting some goals and New Year's Resolutions are no different for me :)  I'm a firm believer in always growing and doing what you can to better yourself.  So, without further ado, I present my 2017 Goals:

1. Read 25 Books

I always try to set a number of books I'd like to read in a year and keep a list of books read.  2013 averaged a book a month with a total of 12 books read.  I could not find a list for 2014 anywhere, which did not surprise me as that was the year we moved into our home and (a week later) became a family of four.  2015's list really disappointed me with only 8 books, so I was much more pleased to see 14 titles on 2016's list.  It's still not as many as I would like, so I am shooting for 25 in 2017.  I've broken it down to 2 a month, plus 1, which seems way more doable.

2. Have 50 Blogposts This Year

2015 was actually the year I really committed to consistently writing for my blog.  You really can see that carry over into 2016, where I hit my record of 25 posts for the year.  I truly enjoy writing and am constantly wanting to be more consistent, so I set a goal of 50 posts for this year, which can be broken up a multitude of ways: 4.16 posts per month; 0.961 per week, or even .13 per day, which truly seems much more attainable. 

3. Complete Level 2 of Rosetta Stone French

I purchased this software in 2011 and have been slowly working through it over the years.  Right now, I'm in the third part of Level 1 and have set a goal of completing the remaining parts of level 1 as well as all of level 2 by the end of the year.  I also set a *maybe* goal (that's a thing, right?  I'm pretty sure that's a thing) of attending Monday Morning French Conversation at a local French Bakery.  We shall see if that one happens...

4. Dance More

Dancing is my favorite.  Absolute favorite.  Last Spring, my favorite Zumba instructor decided to no longer teach Zumba classes and I did the unimaginable.  I stopped dancing.  I was seriously so let down that the classes that I looked forward to each week would no longer be happening.  I recently decided that it was so silly to let such a reason keep me from Zumba and decided to check out some of the other instructors (who really aren't that bad) and was (of course) reminded of how much I loved it.  This resolution/goal also encourages the random post-dinner (or even pre-dinner) dance parties with whomever might be present.

5. Yoga More

I love yoga, man.  Fortunately for me, my favorite yoga instructor is still in practice, so this goal is to just show up more often.  Last year I had a yoga goal of a side plank and about half way through the year finally nailed it.  This year's goal is definitely to perfect the push-up, and to do them all. All. The. Push. Ups.  

6. Be Honest with Myself and Others About What's Best for My Family and I

This is something that seems so obvious... one of those "easier said than done" things.  It's also been coming up in full force over the past few months in life and through a few books I've recently read.  While I haven't perfected it yet, I know it's of the utmost importance tokeep learning and trying.

I'd love to hear from readers to see if others enjoy New Years Resolutions and Goal Setting!  What goals or resolutions have you set for 2017?

Linger Moments ~ No. 5

lin·ger

/ˈliNGɡər/

verb

1. to stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.

1. 
   
2. You know those moments: the ones often catching you by surprise, causing you to pause a little longer than perhaps intended.  You are invited to take a moment to linger before jumping in to the start of a new week.
3. 
   
4. 
   

1. The Grove Christmas at Passion City Church

The Grove is a monthly gathering for the women of Atlanta and is an extension of what Jesus is doing in and through Passion City Church.  Hosted by Shelley Giglio and The Grove Team, these gatherings are centered on Jesus and focus on being a place where women can be Rooted in the Word of God, choose to Flourish where they're planted, walk in Freedom in Christ and truly live, and offer their lives as Shade to those with whom they come in contact.  

The Grove is hosting their annual Christmas Gathering on December 5th and 6th!  Their gatherings take place at Passion City Church in Atlanta (515 Garson Drive) and begin at 7:30 (although the doors open way before that and I've heard people start lining up as early as 4:00!!).  I was fortunate to receive an invitation to one of these gathering from a dear friend for the Grove's Christmas Gathering back in 2013.  I've enjoyed attending their other gatherings over the years and always leave completely encouraged.  If you're in the Atlanta area, these events are DEFINITELY worth checking out.

2. Mozart in the Jungle

You know those shows- you see them pop up again and again in your "Top Pick for Ashley" category on your TV viewing source... You've probably even seen friends talking about them on social media.  Then [a few years later] you decide to finally check them out and think, "Right on, Amazon.  This was a good pick for Ashley."  My most recent encounter with this cycle happened with the Amazon original series, Mozart in the Jungle.  The title intrigued me enough to try the show out and I was instantly drawn in.  The story line is about a young maestro taking over the New York Symphony and his developing relationship with his assistant, an oboist trying to make it in the orchestra.

What I really love about the show is not only the hilarious story line (and obvious musician jokes I can totally geek out to), but also how I felt motivated to intentional piano practice.  Teaching so easily takes over my music time each day, and it's nice to have a reminder that's it's a good thing to work on my own craft.

Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Amazon Prime with a Brand New Season 3 premiering on December 9, 2016!

3. Amy Snow

I finally finished the book that was on my October reading list (gulp).  Y'all, this book was one of the best I've read in a while.  The story is set in England in the late 1800's and begins with eight year old Aurelia finding baby Amy outside in the snow.  Against her parents' wishes, Aurelia helps to raise the orphan baby, never to discover from where she had come.  Fifteen years later, when the Aurelia passes away, Amy is banished from the home but not before receiving the first clue to a secret treasure hunt, created for her by Aurelia before she passed.  The treasure hunt takes her all over England and ultimately reveals Aurelia's secret.  Don't let the fact that is took me so long to read this book trick you- it really was a page turner, and I highly recommend it.  

May Designs

If you've been around my blog for a while (or especially if you know me in person), you know my affinity for May Designs' May Books.  These personalized notebooks are so fun to create and I've thoroughly enjoyed making them over the years.  So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when one of their representatives offered to GIVE AWAY a CUSTOM Classic Notebook to one of my readers, FOR FREE!!!  This gift includes complete rationalization from the cover, to the monogram, to the inside pages!!!

I was first introduced to May Books by a piano student, who's mother gave me a Classic with the calendar pages for Christmas 2013.  I will admit that I was a bit worried about the lack of space (I was used to a HUGE academic planner with 15 minute intervals), but I quickly fell in love with the size as it was light-weight and super portable (and easily fit into my purse).   That fall I order my own academic planner and had such a fun time personalizing the cover and monogram!

Another thing that I love about these books is how the company is always coming up with new inside pages!  This past Lent, they debuted a "40 Days of Prayer and Gratitude" insert with adorable water-colored pages.  They released a newer "Gratitude First" insert for this November along with super adorable Holiday 2016 covers (be sure to check out the "Cross Stitch Red & Pink," which looks like a winter sweater :).

To enter this giveaway, simply visit May Designs and comment your favorite design on this Instagram post!  It's totally that easy :)  Thank you to May Designs for sponsoring this giveaway (which includes a Classic May Book (you choose the pattern, monogram, and inside pages) and free shipping in the US)!  As always, all of the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own :)

In Pursuit of Family Traditions

One of the best parts about raising a set of Littles is creating new traditions.  Whether it's the small act of ordering pizza for every Falcon's game or a larger, more involved annual pumpkin patch outing, these traditions "provide a sense of anticipation, security, and continuity," (to quote the great Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project).

Each new season brings with it its own set of traditions, and we've been basking in them over here this fall!  One of my favorite traditions was started when Fiona was just 8 months old.  Chris decided for the first time that he wanted to attend his high school homecoming football game and alumni dinner.  We had way more fun than either of us had anticipated and have made it back four times over the years.  The kids love the band- we sit right by then!

Fiona's First Wesleyan Homecoming Game! 2011 

With Daddy at his Alma Mater! 2011

This picture doesn't quite capture how much fun we were having... 2016

Another (less random) tradition we've set is our annual pumpkin patch outing!  We try to get to a patch each year for the cute pictures of the kids by the pumpkins.  According to Mrs. Rubin, traditions like these "... mark the passage of time in a happy way."  I completely agree.  The kids anticipation leading up to the event is just as exciting as the actual event!  We don't always make it to the pumpkin patch (there was that one year that we got THE VERY LAST pumpkin from Publix), but it sure is fun when we do!

It's hard to not be inspired by fall.  One of my favorite memories from this current fall will be Fiona's l'automne board, which she thought up on her own and spent a few afternoons collecting the items to apply.  With a little help from her daddy, she had a project of which she was very proud (almost as proud as I was :)

Finally, one Jewish holiday that we try to celebrate each year is the feast of Sukkot (also knows as the "Feast of Booths" or "Feast of Tabernacles").  Sukkot is celebrated on from the 15 to 22 of the month of Tishri.  As part of the celebration, families will construct a small, hastily built hut and eat their meals in it during the festival.  This hut is symbolic of the huts Israel lived in during their 40 year journey through the dessert.  My favorite part of the celebration is the waving of the four species (brought together to form a "Lulav").  We wave them in six directions: forward, right, back, left, up, and down.  This proclaim's God's omnipresence in the past, present, and future.

I love hearing about other people's traditions and ways they celebrate the different seasons!  What traditions does your family enjoy celebrating in the fall?

Linger Moments ~ No. 4

lin·ger

/ˈliNGɡər/

verb

1. to stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.
2. 
   
3. 
   
   
4. You know those moments: the ones often catching you by surprise, causing you to pause a little longer than perhaps intended.  Whether your upcoming weekend is one filled with activities or a weekend in which the only thing on the agenda is relaxation, you are invited to take a moment to linger before heading to the end of the week.

1. Ceviche: The Best Mexican Restaurant You're Not Eating At.

I know, I know.  Ceviche's Roswell location has been there for quite a while.  I've even been there a few times for margaritas.  Honestly, I didn't put two and two together (that it was the same restaurant) until after we had our Sunday lunch at the Alpharetta location.  Guys, this place was SO good.  SO. Good.  I was told by our server that anything on the menu bearing the name "Poblano" was highly recommended so I went with the chicken poblano tacos.  If that was the only thing on the menu, I'd keep going back.  ALSO, they have the NFL Sunday Ticket.  So there's that.  

2. Donald Davis's TedX "How the Story Transforms the Teller" 

Donald Davis is an amazing story teller and has been featured at the National Story-Telling Festival.  While perusing online for one of his stories we listened to as children, I found this TedX talk he gave in 2014 and was once again instantly sucked in.  Take a listen and be transported.

3. May Designs Rise Art Collection

The Rise Art Collection of May Book covers gets an update just in time for Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  Four new covers were created by students of the Rise School in Austin and are available for the wide variety of books offered (from standard date books to fitness and nutrition journals).  100% of the proceeds from this collection goes to raise awareness and provide better education for children with special needs!  You can read even more about the process in creating these beautiful covers here. Special thanks to May Designs for allowing me to use the above picture :)  

What's caught your attention lately, causing you to slow down and linger?  I'd love to hear from you!

ALSO- Make sure to join the GIVEAWAY in celebration of the blog's 10,000 all time page views!!!