PIXbyemily: October 2012

the sign in my kitchen reads "open daily" it reminds me to.... ... open my heart and serve my husband, children, family, friends & neighbors as if serving Jesus himself. open my hands and allow God to take from them and fill them according to His will. i've experienced His faithfulness in this so many times and yet am always surprised. open His word. read my bible daily. for me, it doesnt matter where the clock hands are pointing, or how many pages get flipped, but to open my bible and connect directly and be encouraged by my Creator.

my sweet and faithful friend jessica of joyframeworks is the artist behind the sign. my home is adorned with a few of her pieces and i often find myself asking, how much antique ceiling tin is 'too much'? to say that her friendship has been a joy in my life is a major understatement. one of the things i love most about her is the confidence she stands on in christ. not above others, nor above receiving instruction, but deeply rooted in her faith & her family. another thing i love is our shared fondness of all things vintage. an afternoon cruising through antique stores & thrift shops in downtown phoenix with this woman is as much fun as disneyland to a 6 year old. her kids are pretty amazing too. and her husband has a double major in goofiness and musical awesomeness. check out his new band some dark hollow (he is the one with the longest & kewlest beard.)

ok, where were we? so, when i saw her 'bon appetit' sign in her etsy shop i knew i wanted it, and i knew just where to put it...but it wasn't quite right... so after a few custom changes we had it. open daily.

the best seat in the house - in my opinion. where i sit for my quiet time, 'most' days.

the view from the best seat in the house. see i can't help but be reminded and humbled when it is in bold all caps print right in front of me.
note: it also serves as a life line when i fall (so so easily, in my kitchen) into the martha trap.

notice the clock is not in view from the best seat in the house. this is on purpose. there is joy found in this.

i'll be the first to admit that i don't achieve this open heart, open hands, open His word, every day. and i realize it looks different for each of us. my prayer is that you will be encouraged and inspired to open your heart, hands and His word. wake up each morning, sit up in bed and literally open your hands. be filled with amazement at all that he has and will give you this day and all that he will faithfully remove and take away. commit to serving & loving those around you, with no strings attatched. find the best seat in your house. create a view from that seat that will point you to Him. gather only the necessities and remove distractions. then go for it...open daily.

the who.what.where.when.how & joy behind it all

me: who did/do you admire and why?

jessica: "hmmm. as i consider this question, i'm amazed at how blessed i am to have so many admirable people in my life. though i admire many accomplishments & traits of those around me, the people I admire the most are those with a steadfast desire to walk with the Lord. my mother-in-law always stands out as one of these people."

me: what is/was your favorite childhood toy?
jessica: "the sesame street peoples set. i still love sesame street!"

me: where do you find inspiration?

jessica: "i find most of my inspiration through music, history and art. they all create emotion for me in their own unique way."

me: when did you last do something 'daring' - what was it?
jessica: "i like to be daring on occasion, though it actually makes me nervous. the last daring thing i did was boogie boarding in the pacific ocean during our last vacation. i tried to go kayaking with reef sharks, but the tour was sold out."

me: how do you drink your coffee?
jessica: "my husband says i ruin it, but i add a little almond milk and the tiniest bit of brown sugar."

me: how did joyframeworks begin?

jessica: "i started making decorations for my kid's rooms. i wanted to create a nice home for my family. somewhere along the line, i stumbled across ceiling tin and found that i could combine my appreciation for history and my love for art and i haven't turned back since."

me: who taught you to paint or sparked your passion for art?

jessica: "i've never been "taught", it has always been a form of expression for me. my passion for art definitely began as a child. i have fond memories of my sister organizing craft projects for me and my other siblings. i was always encouraged to be creative and if it created a mess, that was okay.

i will say, creativity runs in my family. m mom is a writer / artist, my brother's a musician and my other siblings have dabbled in art, photography and painting. my dad was a history teacher and the countless tours of civil war battlefields must have made an impact on me as well!"

me: please share with me about finding joy in this where you didn't expect it.

jessica: "i rarely stand still, so taking a moment to really be still and ponder on these questions was a blessing for me. it's neat to look over how you've grown, whose been an influence in your life and what your next chapter may be like. thanks to a dear friend who made this happen!