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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / for fun / {Life updates + a project that speaks to my heart.}

{Life updates + a project that speaks to my heart.}

December 18, 2012 · 10 Comments
Filed Under: for fun, Gussy, Zack

What an insanely awesome, busy, Gussified week we had last week! Every day was filled with new adventures + tasks that needed to be accomplished. I’m so, so grateful I’m at a point with this pregnancy where I have a lot of energy to get it all done. Keeping an honest schedule {being realistic about what needs to be done each day, then making sure it does it get done} has helped so much, especially since our holiday order deadline was Wednesday. And so because of these things I was able to fly out stress-free yesterday morning to Michigan to spend the week with my family. Yahoo!

Because of this insanely awesome, busy, Gussified week I feel like I was a little bit MIA from here, so I thought it would be fun to share some photos of what we were working on :)

Do you love Simple Mom’s podcasts or DO YOU LOVE THEM? I am going with B ;) One evening I had a bunch of little tasks “sitting” that needed to be done so I pulled up Tsh’s interview with Arianne of  To Think Is To Create and got my listen on with a cup of decaf nearby. I absolutely loved their podcast, and chances are you will too!

Last Friday was perhaps my craziest workday ever in Gussy Land. I woke up knowing we had a strict deadline with the post office Saturday and so I did what I know best: pulled on a pair of leggings, a comfy tank + one of Zack’s flannel shirts and got to work! I had Christmas music playing in the background. Bauer was perfect and snoozed all day {thank you doggie}…

I sewed and sewed and sewed. And then sewed a bit more…

And even though we stayed up allllll night making sure all the work was complete before nodding off to dreamland at 6am Saturday, there’s nothing quite like that moment where you let out a huge sigh of relief knowing your work is done. Because owning a handmade business is hard, yet extremely rewarding, work. Amen.

And so when we woke on Saturday afternoon of course I wanted a cup of half-caff coffee, which I sipped from an owl mug — which is the cutest owl mug! Barbara makes them in her Charleston studio and ohhhhhhhhhhh goodness, just seeing them on our kitchen counter makes me happy. I can’t get over the feather detailing on the front + back. Zack even loves his blue mug, which I love because having matching coffee mugs is one of my favorite things ;) 

Once all of our Gussy work was sewn + shipped I put on a crazy colorful outfit and stepped out for the afternoon with my man. It’s been a little gloomy in Santa Monica and I swear, wearing color totally makes up for the gray skies + drops of rain. Shades of coral or orange are my favorite. Whenever I’m out I have to force myself to look at a different hue. Ha! This scarf from Gap and this market tote from my shop — I just love them together!

Zack caught me taking a photo of my outfit {above} so he quickly snapped this photo {below} — sneaky man! You know you’re a blogger’s husband when… :)

Have you heard of Pure Charity? They are an amazing community of non-profit partnership making + I’m so excited to have recently collaborated with them. We’ll be doing some more fun things in the near future, but for now I wanted to share with you how Pure Charity works: simply create an account {totally free}, then view the dozens + dozens + dozens of merchants that have partnered with them. You probably already shop with so many of the merchants — like Sephora, Nordstrom, Target, Gap and LivingSocial, right? :) After you’ve created an account, any shopping you then do with any of the partnered merchants allows a percentage of your spending to go towards a project/charity of your choice. Collaborating with Pure Charity is one of the easiest ways to be a part of something grand, that’s for sure! 

One of my favorite projects Pure Charity offers is the Industrial Sewing Machine project. And what a great fit for me as a lover of fabric + sewing! I have vivid flashbacks to the ladies we saw sewing near the streets in Tanzania; seeing this project instantly fills my heart with joy. As you finish your holiday shopping // enjoy this season of giving, consider creating an account with Pure Charity so that a portion of what you’ve already budgeted for each month helps fund a project that speaks to your heart as well.

Click here to create an account + learn more about the grand projects Pure Charity has available. xoxo

 

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10 Comments
Filed Under: for fun, Gussy, Zack

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Comments

  1. prudence says

    December 18, 2012 at 5:58 am

    very cute owl mugs, I am going to purchase one for my daughters 17th birthday next month :)

    Reply
    • Gussy Sews says

      December 18, 2012 at 12:21 pm

      @prudence, oh how fun!! which color?

      Reply
  2. Kate says

    December 18, 2012 at 6:23 am

    that is a TON of packages! :)

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    December 18, 2012 at 8:35 am

    Loving the sneaky Zack cam

    Reply
  4. Aileen says

    December 18, 2012 at 9:37 am

    THAT IS A LOT OF PACKAGES. Please tell me you schedule pick ups and don’t lug all of those to the post office ;)

    Reply
    • Gussy Sews says

      December 18, 2012 at 12:21 pm

      @Aileen, we have a pretty good system set up :)

      Reply
  5. Casey says

    December 18, 2012 at 11:39 am

    Hi there! I just discovered your blog the other day when I googled “how to sew a zipper into a pouch” (why is this so painful?!)…and you walked me right through it. However I still managed to sew crooked and foul up a couple more pouches. grr. I’m starting fresh in a couple of days :)

    Anyhow, I added you to my blogroll and have been enjoying your posts. Enjoy your holiday vacay!

    Reply
    • Gussy Sews says

      December 18, 2012 at 12:23 pm

      @Casey, do you know how long it took me to sew a straight line? weeks! I understand your pain :)

      so glad you’ll be sticking around — xxoo

      Reply
  6. Jennifer Ferriss-Salter says

    December 18, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    I hear ya on the staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish the Christmas orders thing… I was right there with ya! I am very much looking forward to the next 3 weeks of “vacation” time :)
    And those MUGS! I discovered them a couple of weeks ago and added the teal one to my Christmas list… I don’t know if my hubby got the hint or not, but if I don’t have one under the tree Christmas morning you can bet your boots I’ll be ordering one!

    Reply
    • Gussy Sews says

      December 26, 2012 at 1:51 pm

      @Jennifer Ferriss-Salter, Did you get one under your tree???? :)

      Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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maggiewhitley

JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

maggiewhitley
Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
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#womenintheword #wearethehomemakers #scripture #dailyintheword #titus2woman #healthylifestyle #mentalhealth #anxiety #anxietyawareness
Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️ Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️✨
A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is hot, and the whisper of a page turning. ♨️☕️📖 // We are breaking from school this week, my plan is to read a lot, walk a lot, and rest a lot. How about you?

#mothersofinstagram #tea #winterreading #hygge
I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

How about you? Tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you on a deeper heart level. 🖤🖤
How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens in the morning (HGTV), playtime before lessons, and not enough quiet time after lunch. This made for a really, ummm, unenjoyable learning experience. 

But today! Today we reset the rhythm, and we have had a much happier home & time learning together. 👏🏻
Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — t Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — think outside the box in terms of how you view the definition of “motherhood” 💓😘 (also: look at my little friend, she’s sooooo snuggly)
It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hop It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hope to bundle up for another family nature walk, knowing the fresh air sweeps out any & all frustration, inviting inspiration inside. ✨That’s something we all need more of.
seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomo Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomorrow :) small celebrations like this are very life giving! PS. thinking of starting a zoom book club — I need more sisterhood in my life. 👏🏻📖
The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are turning. The tea is calm. 🖤☕️🧺📖
Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
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