my life as worship.

this is alicia. isn't she beautiful? {those eyes. wow.}

alicia writes:

Right in this moment, I believe that my life is worship. The things that I do in each sacred second can be holy and sacred. I am not so removed from all that is Divine and sweet, even as I sit in the car and read the words on a CD case, even as I stare upon the flaming trees and hear the sounds of laughter from each of my kids.

There have been moments when I’ve dismissed so much. Separating the sacred from the routine, the minuscule from the majestic. It all looks very different to me now.

i couldn't agree more. she has sparked a revolution of recognizing the sacred moments of our everyday lives. and she invites each and every one of us to join in. 

simply use the hashtag #mylifeasworship on twitter & instagram (or post on facebook) listing the glimpses of Divine beauty that surround you. 

some of my favorites: 

holding hands as we fall asleep 

taking my time 

hearing a song in a whole new way

thinking how good it feels to share with someone else

breaking in a new planner

clearing my head with a walk down an Oklahoma red dirt road

the way she wears what she feels happy and comfortable in

cleaning the space next to my bed

a hot shower in the middle of the day

{shared from @aliciat, @thelovelymessy, @rootsofshe, @stargardener, @laurawingfield instagrams & tweets}. 

you can find my documentation of #mylifeasworship on IG & twitter under @eesimpson. and follow alicia on her blog here. God is everywhere, i've found that we simply have to open our eyes to the awareness of this. <3

fall fashion // military jackets.

{if you missed the previous fall fashion series posts, you can find them here, here, and here.}

i own one military jacket, and it's often my go to piece if i'm in a hurry. it adds a bit of spunk rather than just throwing on a hoodie. i've seen the military style on nearly every fall fashion must have list! here are a few of my favorites:  

// everyday olive   // dressy zippered   // formal structured

// cropped fun  // sleek leather

which style is your favorite? do you already sport the military jacket trend?
happy weekend!!

bits & pieces.

*phew* has anyone else had a crazy week? i started my job on wednesday at the united way and love it already! {shout out to my girl charmaine}. i have awesome co-workers. i feel so fortunate to have landed such a great position actively involved in impacting the community.

i love welcoming friday with gratitude each week. these bits & pieces posts are some of my favorites. it's a challenge to myself to capture the small moments of beauty each day. 

one // one of the last days of seventy degrees.  

two // "hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul." {emily dickinson} my feather from last week ended up in my art journal.

three // spent saturday morning at the beach. as i was leaving, thought i would look for another feather(s). all at once, dozens of birds swooped down at flew in circles around me. it was magical.

four // my art journal traveled with me to the beach.

five // one of the first boot & sweater days.

you are invited to share bits & pieces from your week below. i would love for you to join in! {thanks for those who shared last week! can't wait to see how this grows week by week.}

i truly love sharing beauty & joy from our weeks together. thanks to each and everyone of you for taking the time to link up! <3 wishing you a wonderful weekend!

links to love.

hello lovely songbird readers! enjoy this list of links i've been drooling over, adoring & bookmarking lately! 

not a huge pumpkin fan, but these sound great.

the permission slip. SO good. so refreshing. 

gosh i'm so glad i found her site. she makes the most beautiful pages.

yes, i do need one of these. or maybe a few. 

oh how i would love to be this organized.

word.

so excited to have won the beso giveaway on her adorable blog.

how to choose the right necklace for various necklines. super helpful!

a healthy & delicious no bake snack.

such an important reminder to take the time to comment.

discovered a new adorable blog through laura's giveaway.

wishing you love, joy & laughter today! <3

sweet release.

{source}

the idea of letting go and release has been on my mind and heart lately. and it's shown up in "secret messages" in quite a few places. {i love that}.

she shared an incredible art journal page with this caption, "in the release you became."
and one of the prompts for the art journaler was "i'm letting go of..." and "i'm embracing..."
then there was this post, some of the most powerful, raw & incredible poetic stanzas i've ever read on fear, freedom and redemption.
and i've seen the quote in the image above too many places to count. 

so i started taking notice.

{source}

i sat in my "studio" on friday night and thought to myself, i can't imagine my life without art journaling. what took me so long? it's one thing to have thoughts & even conversations about your life, your emotions, things that piss you off, make you cry, cause you to jump up and down. but there's something so tangible & satisfying about writing it down. putting it on the page. it brings my thoughts to reality, gives them a shape and a color. i've found such a sweet release in "getting it out."

so on that note, here's my response to the art journaler prompt:

{if you are new to style of a songbird, i art journal in a method called "altered books." i buy old books at goodwill & use them for my art journal. it's so fun to incorporate some of the phrases from the book into the page.} 

some of the key phrases:

i'm letting go of...

are we there yet? {needing to know exactly where i am on the journey and what's around the next corner}

voice of opposition {could be others or my own voice}

i just wonder if i'm enough {i think every woman faces this. in so many aspects of our lives} 

must-do {as much as i love making lists, they can be so daunting and guilt ridden}

too late {it's a lie}

skin perfection {may sound incredibly vain, but my moods have been determined by the blemishes on my face.} i'm letting it go...

the words incorporated into my page from the original book: 

don't go too far

worry

storm blowing 

dry season

go to sleep

shut up

quite black

i'm embracing...

the freedom to be vulnerable {admitting the "letting go's" is a good place to start}

yes {three powerful letters spell one life altering word}

paths less traveled {may be lonely, but i'm never alone}

mystery {this takes incredible bravery}

breathe {a deep inhale & slow exhale can make all the difference}

unlimited {taking the limits off of myself, my expectations, and my dreams}

the words from the original book: 

one of the gang {it feels so good to belong}

laughed so much

my life was worth

she sat smiling

flowers in her hair

it was romantic

this past week has been a time of  reevaluating. knowing what's mine to carry and what i don't have to accept merely out of habit. 

what are you letting go of? embracing? {i'd love to know}.

with so much love,