Moving on...

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I created this blog in September 2005 in Dallas, TX at a time when I needed to find my voice. I remember typing the first words as a young woman in the twinkle-lit loft of my condo. At first, it was simply an outlet to stay connected to friends near and far and share the tidbits of my newly-married life. Soon, it became so much more...a place for me to share my photography and art, regularly practice gratefulness, and process the way my life was moving to a simpler one day by day.

When we uprooted our lives from Dallas to Nashville in the fall of 2015, I had captured 10 years of our lives in words, photos, memories, details. This blog is a treasure, a time capsule of a very important decade of my life where we were young and married, owned our own businesses, and had two children. 

Now, after a long hiatus, I know it's time to close the door on Dreams of Simple Life and start fresh on my new website.

Here's a list of my favorite things I've written here over the years. Enjoy!

3 simple joys.

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I found this quote on my dear friend Jenni's blog this morning, and how it resonated with me:

We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn’t always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.
—Roger Ebert

On the days when I feel the least like I want to contribute joy, those are the ones when I absolutely must.

So here are some joys I want to share today...

A new book to inspire a tired mama who has run out of ideas...

Check out the blog The Artful Parent as well - great stuff!

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Finding my daughter this way in the back yard...

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An Easter egg hunt everyday...

It's one of the joys of keeping chickens, for sure!

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What are some simple joys you've experienced lately?

3 simple joys.

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Here are 3 simple joys I've experienced lately...

Early morning emails from my dear Swiss pen pal, Monica. 

If you haven't heard about her, you should check out this post.  She is a gem!  This morning she sent this that made my day: "The Bailey family has a contagious smile, did you know that? It's one of your gifts to the world!"

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Walks with my girl and her baby doll, Molly. 

I can't help but smile while looking at this picture.  I love having a girl.

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Dallas weather in winter, spring, and fall. 

While most people are enjoying their summers outside, we're suffering in the sweltering 107 degrees.  But I have to say, Dallas makes up for it in winter, spring, and fall.  This "winter" we've had so many 60 & 70 degree days - the kind where your hair smells like the outdoors after you come inside for the day.  And your white toes are stained green from walking barefoot in the grass.

 

3 simple joys.

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Here are 3 simple joys I've experienced lately...

This laugh.

Cracking Up from Team Bails on Vimeo.

I get to have this kind of joy in my life everyday! 

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This smile.

When she came out of the womb, one of the first things I noticed about her was her mouth...it stretched all the way across her face in a wide, beautiful line.  I could see that smile a million times a day and then some.

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Flowers, just because.

A friend and volunteer of ours at Urban Acres, Caroline, brought Steven and I this bouquet of lovely flowers last week.  With it, she included a note that said, "I want to encourage you to stand firm in the knowledge of God's great love for and devotion to you, His beloved lilies." 

How precious!  And oh how we needed that encouragement right now as we trudge through the daily challenges of owning a small business.

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What are 3 simple joys you've experienced lately?  Please, do share!

3 simple joys.

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Here are 3 simple joys I've experienced lately...

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams - the best ice cream.  EVER. 

I mean, c'mon...butter, ice cream, and almonds all in one container?  Sign me up.  "Where can I get some?" you might ask.  Check out this page on Jeni's website. Love the simplicity of her site too, and that adorable font used for the logo!

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My Christmas amaryllis.


A sweet gift from Melissa, it feels like Christmas is still hanging on a little bit.  And it's about to bloom!

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A grassy meadow right near our house.

After we sold almost 700 Urban Acres Groupons, I've been in front of the computer pretty much nonstop lately!  Insane, but good insane.  Still, my child has been watching a few too many videos, and I've been feeling really badly about that.  So it was great to get out yesterday and enjoy a sunny afternoon with my girl, laying in the grass and climbing hills...

3 simple joys.

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Here are 3 simple joys I've experienced lately...

Daddy/daughter moments.

Pure LOVE.  Enough said.

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Baby pigtails.

Luci Belle finally has enough hair to pull into pigtails, although it's a little bit of a stretch.  She looks like such a big girl with them!  We got a kick out of it, until she pulled them out 2 minutes later.  I love the second photo above too, because if you look closely, she's has Steven's wedding ring around her big toe.  That was funny until it flew across the room and we almost lost it.  Oops.

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Sweet potato hash.

This is a staple in our house, especially in the fall.  We must eat it 5 times a week in some form or fashion!  Sometimes we add diced bacon or other veggies.  If you can, use Japanese Sweet Potatoes - they're red on the outside, white on the inside, and so much sweeter and creamier than regular sweet poatoes.  Here's how to make the perfect sweet potato hash.

3 simple joys: pretty matchsticks, pasta & wine, and family faces.

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Here are 3 simple joys I've experienced lately...

Pretty matchsticks.

These fancy matchsticks look so lovely sitting on the dining room table - a thoughtful gift from Tara Leigh when she stayed with us recently.  Doesn't she know exactly what I love?  They're extra long too, perfect for lighting candles that are hollowed out on the inside, as most of ours are!

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Pasta & wine.

Is this the perfect summer dinner or what?  I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta, which is gluten-free and tastes exactly like regular pasta (this coming from an Italian!).  It's topped with sautéed onions, peppers, zucchini, patty-pan squash, tomatoes, and basil - all local! - and Applegate Farms Organic Sweet Italian Sausage - delish. 

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Family faces.

These are the faces I absolutely love...my husband on an ordinary morning at our house, reading a magazine at the dining room table while enjoying a cup of coffee.

And my daughter's face - unmistakenly a "Piccione" closed-mouth smile from my side of the family, just like my dad, my aunt, my paternal grandmother.

What are 3 simple joys you've experienced lately?

3 simple joys: daisies, hottie husband hair, and Vietnamese food.

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Inspirational words from one of my favorite blogs,

"The dishes can wait, the laundry can wait, the reading can wait. But the magnificence of life maybe cannot wait." ~ Lindsay Crandall

Here are 3 simple joys I've experienced lately...

Daisies.

Not just any daisies, but those fresh-cut and picked in the back yard of my own mother-in-law, who knows I love fresh flowers.  Add #11 to my list of 10 reasons why I still love You've Got Mail - "Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?"  Why yes, I do.

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Hottie husband hair.

To know Steven is to know his crazy hair, which is ever-changing.  It might be his favorite physical feature about himself, if I had to guess.  Did you know his mom owns a hair salon and is an excellent hair stylist?  Well, last week, in preparation for Luci Belle's 1-year Korean birthday party (more about that soon!), we got fresh cuts, and Steven must have lost a couple pounds after his.  He also looks smokin' hot, if I might say so myself!

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Vietnamese food.

Have you ever had Phở?  Oh my mouth is watering just thinking about it...a giant bowl of warm, flavorful broth filled with piles of tender rice noodles, strips of chicken or beef, and garnished with fresh pungent herbs like cilantro and basil.  SLURP SLURP SLURP.  Makes you want to have a stuffy nose just for the satisfaction of letting that warm broth cure all your ills.

What are 3 simple joys you've experienced lately?