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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / for fun / Handmade Crush: Life Lived Beautifully

Handmade Crush: Life Lived Beautifully

October 15, 2014 · 6 Comments
Filed Under: for fun

I’m constantly inspired by the world of handmade, especially the fearlessness and creativity these designers have. Even though many of us have never met it’s so encouraging to hear their stories through their online platforms. I had some free time recently and found myself typing up an email to a few handmade shop owners, asking if I could feature a bit of their vision & work here on MWD. Let’s begin with Gretchen of Life Lived Beautifully…

life lived beautifully maggie whitley

life lived beautifully maggie whitley

DSC_5528life lived beautifully maggie whitley

Hi! I am Gretchen Saffles, a follower of Jesus, wife to my sweet hubby Greg, and a lover of coffee, travel and all things beautiful! Each morning I start my day with a coffee cup in hand, big dreams in my head, and then run around getting things done and meeting with friends! I began Life Lived Beautifully in May 2013 from a passion to encourage women to embrace the Gospel in everyday living and make much of Jesus through what we say and do. I created the Give Me Jesus journal for women to use to spend daily time with Jesus, treasuring His Word and learning from Him. I could never find a journal I loved and that stirred my longing to sit and study the Bible. The Give Me Jesus Journal was intentionally put together to be a space for women to write, read, pray, cry, and spend time in the presence of Jesus.  This journal is my heartbeat and living life beautifully for the glory of God the reason I create.

First of all, you must know that if we were having coffee together, I would most likely be drinking some sort of creative latte that I have never tried before. I am a big fan of trying new things, going to new places, and walking on water with the Lord. There are so many things I wish I had learned at the beginning of my business adventure and I would love to share them with you. Grab your own cup of coffee and let’s dive in.

  • Focus on people, not numbers – This is my number one encouragement for you. Because if you become trapped by the numbers game early on your growth will be stunted and your authenticity will be hurt by trying to become what other people are. Numbers don’t equal success. Comparing followers and likes will only lead to discouragement. Whether you have 1 follower or 1,000 followers, each number represents a person. Use social media as a way to bless those who follow you, rather than being trapped by comparison and the endless want for more! People want to see someone who is genuine, even through a picture on Instagram. Don’t be afraid to share from your heart.
  • Stay in your lane at your pace – I recently ran a half marathon and was constantly reminded that in order for me to finish the race, I needed to stay at my pace instead of trying to keep up with other runners. Every runner is different, and so is every entrepreneur. Stay focused on your goals (I highly recommend using Lara Casey’s PowerSheets), and don’t try to run in someone else’s lane. Stay at your pace of growth, ideas, creating, and building a brand. Jon Acuff once said “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” I have gone back to these words so many times! If you try to keep up with others, you will become exhausted. And if you try to copy what others are doing, you aren’t creating from the depths of your heart. Focus on your passions and making them come to life!
  • Don’t be afraid of hard work – Owning a business, creating from the depths of your heart, and putting your life’s dreams online can be a scary and hard thing. Most people quit early on because of the hard work it takes to make a dream come to reality. Not only that, but owning a business is a vulnerable thing. You must see your product or service as valuable and worth the time, money, tears, and endurance that it will take to come to life! It is always worth it in the end. When the hard decisions come and with long work hours and little results, embrace them, because they are necessary steps toward achievement.
  • Be grateful for failure and keep walking – Failure will inevitably come in life, whether you are pursuing your dreams or in a regular day job. We have a choice to make when things don’t go our way. Learn, be grateful, and move forward. Or fear, be upset, and quit trying. C.S. Lewis wisely said that “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” Failure is a part of success. Be grateful for it when it comes. Learn from it and then keep moving forward.

Pursuing your dreams, doing the hard things, living vulnerably for the glory of God is worth it, friends. If you are debating starting something, or in the middle of pursuing a dream and feel you lack direction, my encouragement to you would be to keep going and keep your eye on the end goal. Hard work, failure, and learning are necessary parts of the process. In the end, they will make your business, your dreams, and your goals stronger and reach the world with your passion that God has given you!

Connect with Gretchen: blog | shop | instagram

* * *

I love the idea of journal prompts, especially because it can be hard to know where to begin with opening your Bible. Journaling also feels like a really easy way to help clear my mind. Write your heart thoughts down, pray over them, and then revisit the entries you’ve written. Do you agree? How do you relax/clear your mind? What helps you when you feel weighed down?

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6 Comments
Filed Under: for fun

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Comments

  1. Mikaela says

    October 15, 2014 at 9:37 am

    Yay, Gretchen!! You are such an inspiration! Love every single piece of advice that you have. Thank you for sharing. You go, girl!

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      October 15, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      I loved her advice, too! So dead on!

      Reply
  2. Pamela says

    October 15, 2014 at 10:42 am

    Love this and couldn’t come at a better time. I have been working on getting my tiny design business started and have run through all this in my head. Everyday. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      October 15, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      Music to my ears… yay! :)

      Reply
  3. Becky says

    October 16, 2014 at 7:59 am

    Great advice! It came at the perfect time for me. Also excited to discover that journal! I’ll have to check it out. :)

    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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