Week of July 19th

This week's special offer:

Enter to win this Chocolate Lollipop Dress from Kait Emerson Designs! (Available in sizes 6 months - 5T). To enter, read more about Kait Emerson Designs, below. Visit the shop online and comment to this post on your favorite merchandise. Winner will be selected by random drawing. Deadline to enter is noon, EST, Wednesday, July 30th. Open to US residents only.

My thoughts...
This week, My Thoughts, Fresh Finds, and Coffee With... are combined here because much of what the Lord has shown me this week has been through a wonderful little book I've been reading titled Shopping for Time and the blog, Girl Talk, by the same authors. Don't let the book title fool you. This is much more than just another time management book. This easy read, by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters, is packed full of Scriptural truth and gave me a fresh perspective on caring for my family, caring for myself, time management and setting priorities.

The most beneficial part of the book for me was the section on "personal retreat". Yesterday I was able to carve out some time for this and I can't even begin to tell you how much it refreshed and renewed me. (You can find an abbreviated version of her personal retreat guide on her blog, Girl Talk, but I highly recommend purchasing the book and reading it through.) As a first-time mom, I've been struggling to maintain the balance between nurturing my relationship with the Lord, caring for family and juggling my daily "to-do" list. This book finally helped me get a handle on it. If you're a frazzled mom, I encourage you to check out Shopping for Time. I was tremendously blessed.

A note about Coffee With...
As my daughter grows and changes, I am frequently reassessing my priorities and shuffling things around, particularly my hobbies (including this blog). Beginning this month, the Coffee With... feature will not run every week, but rather once or twice a month. I have been overwhelmed by the response of those of you wishing to have your blogs featured in this section and I look forward to working my way through the list. Please be patient. I have not forgotten!

About Kait Emerson Designs...

Owner, Feanna Otta, says it best: "Kait Emerson Designs, honors the modern mother's desire to express her individual style by offering bold, chic, unique apparel and accessories that are hand sewn just for children and babies. I pride myself in offering a stylish alternative to the typical chain store fashions by providing a line of goods that are unique, full of life and personality."

The talented mother of two created Kait Emerson Designs after the birth of her first daughter, Kaitlin Sofia, in 2006. Soon after she began sewing dresses and blankets for her daughter, the venture grew to include special orders from friends, family and eventually the general public. Today, Feanna lives and works in Huntington Beach, California, but her designs are on display in boutiques throughout the United States and Australia. Each of her designs are crafted from the finest designer fabrics and professionally finished. I love her bold, whimsical fabrics and her unique Euro collection.

My favorite things...

Floral Charm Dress

Euro Tunic in Pink Coriander

City Street (Scenes 1 & 2) © Roberto Giovannini Dreamstime.com