It’s been a long time since I’ve done just a random little brain dump post, so I thought it was high time! It’s going to take me a while to gather my thoughts for the Disney recap posts anyway, and this is the next best thing.

1. I’m addicted to The Good Wife. I’m forcing myself to slow down and now watch it all in two days because 1) that would be crazy and 2) there’s no way I can catch up to current episodes before May. Do you watch it? Are you on Team Peter or Team Will? But no spoilers!

2. Can we talk about when Julianna Margulies was Nurse Hathaway? She’s come a long way, baby. I guess we all have since 1995.

3. I’m going to fall back in love with reading this year. My friend Rachel wrote about this yesterday, too. But I have a beautiful stack of books on my nightstand and I actually want to read them. Right now I’m reading the highly entertaining, easy read “The Longest Ride” by Nicholas Sparks. Have you read it? What’s the best thing you’ve read lately?

4. I took a bath in our bathtub for the first time last night. Up until a couple of weeks ago we didn’t have our shutters installed and a big window sits over the bathtub. No, sir. The neighbors would be scarred. But now most of our shutters are installed and that bathtub and my book were calling my name last night.

5. The Philosophy Amazing Grace Bubble Bath is amazing. So fresh and light.

6. I would really like to take a calligraphy class. Not because I want to do that for a living or anything (or maybe I would?) but I just think it would be a really fun skill to have.

7. I’m obsessed with this shirt! I am also dying to get back into my white jeans and sandals.

What about you? The Good Wife? Any good books? Any tips on picking up a hobby at 31 years old? (I’m kidding…kind of)

A few months ago, I started a little series on my blog called With Passion and Purpose. When reading the book Your Beautiful Purpose by Susie Larsen, I realized that there will be times in my life where I may not be filled with passion and may just find my purpose in encouraging others with their passions. I have met so many people over the past few years that inspire me and have such great things going on and I can’t wait to tell you about them all! And that’s where this series was born.

Today’s post is about my friend Courtney Westlake. I first met Courtney in 2009 and then I helped her a little bit with her son Connor’s birthday party.

A few years later, Courtney and her husband had their daughter, Brenna, who was born with a very rare skin disorder. Courtney is now a children’s book author and is the writer for the very popular blog, Blessed By Brenna, where she shares her story as Brenna’s mom. Courtney also has a book called The Spaghetti Shots: how to take better photos of your kids during everyday life.

I’d love for you to go over there and follow along with their story.

From Courtney…

When they first told me about my daughter’s diagnosis, I couldn’t even say the long, complicated phrase, let alone understand it. Harlequin Ichthyosis. Two words that altered our family forever.

But we have found in the two year’s since our daughter Brenna was born with this rare and severe skin disease is that although her skin will greatly impact who she is, it will not define or limit her, or our family.

Our family has learned that there is no normal, and there is no perfect; rather, the most beautiful pieces of life can be found in the unique and the different. God created each of us with our own passions, interests, attributes and physical appearances, and if we look around us, it really is quite easy to see how beautiful everyone is because of their differences.

About a year ago, I was struck with the desire for my children to know how much God loves them, and how they were each created in such a unique and beautiful way that should always be celebrated.

The idea for a children’s book came to me one morning, and I spent the next 9 months working toward publication. The book, That’s How You Know, is a powerful story about the celebration of God’s love for us, and it reminds us that God’s love is everywhere. It is a message that I want my children to always know, and a message I believe every child needs and wants to hear!

You only have to look around at all of the unique beauty in this world to realize the incredible strength of God’s love. And though we are constantly facing many challenges regarding Brenna’s lifelong condition, I believe God created her just as she is, just as he created my son, Connor, as he is… and we will celebrate the beauty in those differences!

Courtney was very generous to give away a copy of her book That’s How You Know to one reader. This book is so very sweet and is such a great story of unconditional love and is perfect for helping kids understand that God’s plan is perfect.

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We’re on our way to Orlando today for the big Disney World vacation that Santa gave the boys for Christmas!

I’m also over on Every Day Cheer today sharing my 20 ideas for at-home date night! If you’re planning to spend Valentine’s Day (or Saturday night) at home, there are some ideas over there on how to make it a little more fun!

Back in the winter of 2009, I got an email from the sweetest gal with the most adorable custom stationery designs I’d ever seen. The email was from Ashley Brooke of Ashley Brooke Designs, and I was immediately smitten with her gorgeous, original work.

Over the years, I’ve loved watching Ashley continue to design fantastic custom designs for our family and for friends and now I love all of the other items in her shop.

The coffee mugs are my personal favorite and it has been a fun little collection to have in our home. They are such a fun little bright spot in my morning.

The new Spring 2014 collection has been released and it includes these clever, thoughtful mugs and a gold foil notepad. I love the Happy Thoughts notepad so much! But I think the Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That mug is my favorite. Sweet Brown would be proud!

Ashley Brooke Designs is so awesome to be giving away one of each of the new items in the shop to one lucky Blue-Eyed Bride reader today!

Just complete the Rafflecopter below! And be sure to stop by the ABD Shop to see all the goodies!

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