Lara Casey's Blog, page 22

Six Years of PowerSheets + Save the Date!

Six years ago, feeling totally overwhelmed by the large list of things I wasn’t taking good care of (but really wanted to!), I decided to do something different. I was tired of living in regret: forgetting my priorities, neglecting things and people that needed nurturing, and feeling like my time was totally out of my control.

So, I made a list.

I wrote out all the areas of my life, projects, and people that needed my care. I wrote out the things I wanted to tend to. If I could just remember to care for them little by little over time, I believed that tending would add up. Much like when you tend to a plant, watering it over time, it grows and flourishes.

I called this list of priorities my “Tending List.”

Tending:

– to give one’s attention to

– to lead or be directed in a particular direction

Yes. I needed to do those things.

I was living by accident instead of on purpose. I wasn’t giving my attention to the things that mattered most to me, but rather just trying to keep up. Have you felt that before?

I took the principles and prompts from my goal-setting series and the Making Things Happen Conference, and turned them into interactive worksheets that included the Tending List. I created these powerful (as opposed to lacking purpose and energy–which is what I didn’t want to feel anymore) worksheets to help me and my team set meaningful goals.

I named them exactly what they were: PowerSheets.

And then I started thinking crazy thoughts: What if I shared these with other people? Would they like them? Would this process work for them? And how in the world do I make my own product?? (Zero people were doing this at the time except for larger companies and retailers and my friend Emily, who was a huge help to us as we got started).

We found a local printer, printed the first sets of PowerSheets that we hand-collated ourselves, and started the Lara Casey Shop in 2013. I was so nervous! I wrote a hand-written note to our first customer, telling her how grateful I was and hoping she loved everything.

And you guys.

The stuff we experienced as we tried to figure out how to run an online shop back then (things are so much more turn-key for new shop owners now!):

Days of our lives (literally) spent trying to figure out the Dymo printer to make shipping labels.

Countless phone calls with USPS to figure out box sizes and shipping rates and weights.

Lots of trial and error (a lot of error) learning how to do customer service (which we now call customer delight!).

Lots of laughs as Gracie stickered several dozen orders with farm animal stickers one year.

Many trips to the post office to hand-deliver orders.

The happiest day ever when we realized we could have USPS pick up boxes at my house!

And shipping orders from our little home office here in North Carolina. We were grateful!

The first PowerSheets above, and our first shop manager and dear friend, Emily.

People indeed loved the PowerSheets. Moms, business owners, students, women in corporate roles, teachers, and women in varied seasons of life loved them, and there was a unifying factor that holds true today: a desire to live intentionally. To not forget our priorities. To uncover good goals and do something about them.

That makes me especially grateful.

I have close friends at church who are several decades older than me who tell me about their PowerSheets journeys, as well as high school students that write me letters to tell me of their adventures too. I am grateful to walk this journey alongside so many different women in so many walks of life and seasons!

Our 2014 PowerSheets above with lots of vintage products above. I still have a “Let’s Do This” card on my desk.

The 2015 PowerSheets were changed dramatically in process and I released my first book that year.

And then I got a little messy with paint ; ) And we took a big leap of faith and made a spiral-bound one-year workbook in 2016.

We did all the shipping ourselves. Are you ready for these next photos??

Here’s how it went: a semi would pull up into our quiet residential neighborhood. Nope, no one was moving in, friends. But, LOTS OF BOXES were!

Most businesses have loading docks with several trained loading/unloading professionals (who have forklifts!); we had strength and determination!

We pushed several tons of product into my garage and hoped the neighbors didn’t think we were nuts.

Move over, Charlie’s Angels — meet the Pallet Posse! Ha!

And then, the shipping parties began and we called all of our friends to help (we love you so much, friends!).

One of those friends on the far left below had no idea she would one day work for us. We love you, Jess!

It has been an unexpected and wonderful journey of change:

We did this shipping-out-of-my-house madness until one Thanksgiving when my family sat on shipping boxes for dinner because our dining room was full of PowerSheets orders. That was it.

We moved all the boxes out of my house and garage (we can park a car in there now which is rather miraculous!) and we found a local fulfillment warehouse close to us here in Chapel Hill.

Gracie helping to load our sweet mail carrier, Walter’s, truck.

We changed our name last year from the Lara Casey Shop to our heartbeat: Cultivate What Matters. Read

But what has changed the most over the years is the PowerSheets process. The PowerSheets have changed and grown aesthetically (from loose binder sheets to bound workbooks, the addition of stickers and color, new features, etc.)…

… but most of all the process has been deeply refined every time we release a new edition.

My September 2017 Goals above.

As women all over the world use them, including us, we listen. And we change and innovate. Our office mottos are:

If you’re not excited about it, no one will be. Which means we make products we love and use ourselves.

and

Make it better. Which means we are always taking things to the next level to help people cultivate what matters.

SAVE THE DATE: The 2018 PowerSheets release on October 25th! If you are on my email list, you’ll get to see our new collection before we release them to the public. I have the first sneak peek email going out on Monday, so be sure to add your name to the list.

I hope you enjoyed this look back at how PowerSheets and our shop have changed over the years. THANK YOU SO MUCH to so many who have supported us and cheered us on over the years. I’d love to know: when did you first begin using PowerSheets for your goals? We are so thankful for our long-time family and new friends too!

P.S. There is one more date to save. Join Emily Ley and me next week to learn How to Create a Cultivated Calendar. Register here for free.

The post Six Years of PowerSheets + Save the Date! appeared first on Lara Casey.

August Recap + September PowerSheets Goals

A new season begins for us next Tuesday! I’m starting homeschool with Grace and I am so excited and grateful. This is a whole new adventure for us that we have prayed over and researched and readied ourselves for at length. But the fun and freeing part is going into this new season — which could be more of a lifetime than a season — with readied hearts and open hands. As much as we prepare well for things, all of life is in His hands. I’m excited to see what He has in store for us! More on this next week when we begin.

September is a month of NEW.

New rhythms.

New learning.

New direction.

(Prepping for NEW PowerSheets coming October 25th!)

and new faith as we rely on His leading and step into all of this… new!

Here is a recap of August and the little-by-little progress I made on PowerSheets goals.

My August Goals Progress:

– Set homeschool in motion. – Yes! We had a great getting our feet wet day, and it was so fun and gratifying.

– Make Ebenezer’s with the Lord. This goal was inspired by 1st Samuel and a message at church about making memories with the Lord. When we make memories with friends, it bonds us closer together. We end up telling “remember when” stories, and we feel connected. I wrote about intentionally remembering all the Lord has done in our lives in Cultivate, and I am excited to do more of this in August. – Yes, this happened but it was not by our doing and not how I expected it would happen. We had a really hard staycation week and it ended up being a time of needed refinement… and therefore deeper refreshment than any vacation could have given us. Letting go of control is real rest.

– Refresh our family goals with the Parent’s Goal Guide . – YES! I am so grateful for the progress we made here and for my chat with Korie Robertson about setting goals as a parent. Ari and I set a few practical goals for our family in the coming months:

Goals for the Isaacsons and Daughters

Write the Word to get into the Word

“The Bible feels overwhelming. I don’t know where to start.”

Perhaps you want to grow your faith, but it often feels daunting.

We sometimes feel like we are not equipped, prepared, or knowledgeable enough.

And then it goes a level deeper: we sometimes feel like we are too messed up. We’ve been too bad–too distracted, too inconsistent or imperfect. We have fallen off the faith wagon and have some bruises to show for it. We believe we’re not good enough.

So we don’t open the pages of the Bible at all.

But, there’s good news: you can start fresh. It’s not too late. You’re not too much or too little for the God who made the stars and petals on these flowers. Do you know what helps me find freedom in the mess of my tangled not-enough thoughts? Knowing that the Bible is big and rich with depth for a reason. And that God wants us to know Him. He will help us. God could have just given us one story (Job perhaps), but He didn’t. He could have made the Bible so quick to digest that, like most quick fixes, it may have gone in one ear and out the other. We wouldn’t need to seek His wisdom or continue learning. But, He didn’t create it that way, and I’m so grateful! He gave us a big book with lots of stories and wisdom because God knew we would need all of it on our unique paths.

God gave us a big Bible because He loves us.

And He loves us enough to help us understand it too!

With my work and three littles running under the same roof, my “quiet time” each day is pretty loud. I prayed one morning for God to give me a direct way to connect with Him, right in the thick of it, and the Write the Word journal was born.

The Write the Word journal is unique. Each day, you’ll get a selection of key verses to write out (the “write the Word” part!), along with space to write your thoughts, prayers, or anything else God places on your heart. These journals were created with the big picture of God’s story in mind, helping to point you to places in the Bible that will help you to know His heart in direct and deeper ways.

I have loved seeing how you write the Word–and especially how you use the On My Heart page! You all are so creative and intentional. We have seen friends use that page to write out prayers, to journal daily thoughts, to get creative and illustrate their faith or dig deeper into the scripture you wrote out, to write notes to or about your children, and here’s a recent favorite from two of the ladies I work alongside: to write letters to a future husband. How sweet and meaningful is that? Besides the ability to directly get into scripture, this is one of the reasons I love these journals: being able to customize them to your life. I use my On My Heart pages in a mix of ways: to Bible journal with Grace, write prayers, write notes about what I’m grateful for, and to praise the Lord for what I learned in writing the Word that day.

I created these journals because I needed them myself, and my biggest hope is that you dig into the larger context of each scripture as you Write the Word, reading the surrounding verses and chapters. We chose each selection of scripture to point you to the big picture, not to make you feel good for a moment. God’s Word is rich, and it will transform you. That’s why I LOVE these journals–you get directly into the Word.

We sold out of the previous Write the Word journals in April, and ever since, the most frequent question we get asked is, “When will Write the Word be back in stock?” You love the new collection and we are so grateful to have a fresh new shipment in our North Carolina warehouse now!

Our FIVE EDITIONS were created as a collection to walk you through foundations of faith and various seasons of life, right where you are.

Write the Word // Cultivate Faith contains a selection of scripture that is fundamental to faith, making this volume a perfect gift for someone who is new to their faith or looking to cultivate a fresh or renewed faith. If you are doing the journals in order, start here!

Write the Word // Cultivate Joy is filled with scriptures specifically selected to help you delight in the goodness of God. Perhaps you’re in a season of craving fresh joy. This volume is full of scriptures to help you celebrate the joy that’s yours in your faith.

Write the Word // Cultivate Gratitude is filled with scriptures specifically selected to help you grow in contentment through God’s promises and assurances to us. Full of scripture on thankfulness, this volume will help you get after grateful.

Write the Word // Cultivate Hope is filled with scriptures specifically selected to help you find God’s peace and assurance in seasons of waiting, challenge, or unknown.

Write the Word // Cultivate Renewal is filled with scriptures specifically selected for those who need a reminder of God’s promise to make all things new. Get still and reflect on His life-giving truth with this volume.

Look at those inside liners! : ) : ) : ) 

How to Write the Word:

Have fun! Color outside the lines with these special journals. Bedazzle them, use your Cultivate What Matters stickers in them (I love doing this!), paint in them, make a mess—whatever helps you dig in and fall in love with the Word. The paper is thick and wonderful!

Do these pages however you like: in order or in your own order, daily, weekly, or however works best for you.

Use a great Bible translation like the NIV (New International Version) or ESV (English Standard Version). I love using a physical Bible, but I often use the digital translations on the YouVersion Bible app and BibleGateway.com, too.

Very important to cultivating true faith: read the verses surrounding each selection of scripture to gather context and meaning.

Get creative with the “Today is…” section on each page! You can write, Today is April 12th, Today is AWESOME, Today is sunny, or Today is the day I get to see my best friend! That space is yours to play with.

You’ll also see a place to write what you’re grateful for. Today, I am grateful for YOU. Thank you for taking this Write the Word journey with me.

And new to these volumes is a special space to write a focal word for the day. I love this section so much! It helps me to hold onto a focal truth for the day.

We designed these to be used as a full collection to take you through each season. Order your All Seasons Collection HERE and get 10% off with the full collection (no code needed)!

SHOP THE ENTIRE WRITE THE WORD COLLECTION HERE

I am excited to see how God reveals His heart to us as we write, memorize, and celebrate His life-giving Word together!

How to Use Your Write the Word Journal from Lara Casey on Vimeo.

 

July Recap + August PowerSheets Goals

I am grateful for this new month! August ushered in a refreshing change of temperature, signifying a new season ahead. And it’s right on time. The cool air in the mornings here lately has made me take extra deep breaths in. It has been a relief from the heat of summer, and my garden is showing more joy with this fresh air too. Transition, I am learning, is a gift. This new month is an opportunity to start fresh, embrace the changes that are happening, and make the most of this life!

We welcomed one of our new team members, Kaylee, in July. We took her to Tomato Day at the farmer’s market to celebrate!

Here is a recap of July and the little-by-little progress I made on PowerSheets goals.

On my blog in July:

– My July Goals and Some New Thoughts

– Gracie’s Garden Tour + a Secret Garden Reveal

– I’d love to see you at Making Things Happen in March!

– How to Get Hired: 10 Essential Interviewing Tips

– Three Tips for Embracing Change

On the Cultivate Blog:

– Our July PowerSheets Party

– July Goals Round-Up

– Introducing Kaylee!

– A Recap of the Cultivate Book Launch Party

– Making Things Happen is happening in 2018!

– Our Top Resources for Goal Setting

– How to Pay Down Debt in 2017

– Podcast Recommendations

– Cultivating Habits in a Season of Transition

– How to Use Stickers in Your PowerSheets and Planner (this is one of my favorite posts this month!)

– Our Favorite Things in July

My July Goals Progress:

– Pray impossible prayers and be open. – Yes, there have been several significant personal challenges this last month and we have prayed some big prayers.

– Register our homeschool and write a “starting” plan. – I have not registered yet because we haven’t come up with a homeschool name yet (any suggestions??), but I did order lots of starting materials and feel like I am 70% done planning our start.

– Sing – because I’m grateful. – This was so fun and gratifying! I sang hymns with the kids one afternoon, sang to Sarah several times to calm her when she was upset, sang with Ari while he played guitar on Saturday, and sang a lot with Grace on our walks this month. It was so good to worship the Lord and have fun in this way!

– Teach with His wisdom (focusing on helping friends use their PowerSheets well this month to prepare well for a great second half of the year!). – Yes, I shared on my IG stories and in a live broadcast about good goals (WATCH HERE: How to get the most out of your PowerSheets), and I did an impromptu broadcast sharing what I am learning in reading Isaiah lately.

– Steward our time and finances well and passionately. – This one leads me to one of my August goals. More below!

– Prepare for the fall (for the homeschool transition and our Write the Word and 2018 PowerSheets releases coming soon). – Yes, I made progress here, and Write the Word re-launches at the end of August!

– Prune my time (for the above). – Yes, and I am considering hiring another employee to help on this front. I am still praying about it and sorting through what that role would look like.

– Enjoy the garden and praise the Master Gardener. Most definitely! We enjoyed cantaloupe, herbs, zucchini, and lots of flowers from the garden this week, and we have all LOVED watching the “Magical Trio” (the goldfinches, butterflies, and bees) on the zinnias! Here is the most recent garden tour, and it has grown so much since then!

Grace in our secret garden

How to Embrace Change + Join Me and Korie Robertson

This season ahead is full of change for our family. I’m taking a big leap and starting homeschool with Grace. This means a lot of things are changing, namely my work schedule and what will be filling my brain and heart each day. The journey ahead isn’t just about teaching her to read and write and discover the world (I’m going to have to rely on Ari to teach math!); it’s about cultivating her heart. More on homeschool in another post as we figure out what’s best for our family.

Today, I want to talk about change.

Homeschool isn’t the only thing changing around here. We’re hiring a new team member, transitioning to a new caregiver, and I found out some health news last week that has me in a bit of a tailspin (I am 37 and this is happening). Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Six months ago, I was nervous about the homeschool transition, but the little-by-little steps I’ve taken with my PowerSheets have added up. I am excited and ready.

That doesn’t mean the next few weeks and months won’t be challenging, though.

Change–even good change–can be uncomfortable.

Change is hard.

Transitions are hard.

But, after the last two years of rapid life change, here’s something I never thought I would say about this season ahead:

I am grateful to be stretched outside of my comfort zone.

We humans like certainty and known outcomes, am I right planner friends? Our brains seek out patterns and habits because they require less brain activity, so change literally feels uncomfortable. It feels like a lot of work because it is more work for our brains—and hearts.

That means that true change is supposed to feel hard. It may even mean we are growing in the right direction and changing for the better.

You might be thinking right now that you do not want change, even if it’s for the better. But, let’s dig a little deeper.

Do you want to live more intentionally?

If so, then yes, you do want change! You just may not want the hard parts that come along with it.

We want it but we don’t want it, right? : )

Do you have a transition or something new ahead?

Whether you’re starting something new, taking a leap of faith, walking through a season of waiting, helping kids transition back to school, or are in the thick of something challenging that’s pushing you outside of your comfort zone, here are three tips for embracing change. Disclaimer: these tips don’t apply to every situation, but I almost hesitate to even give that disclaimer! Y’all are wise beyond your years. Apply these tips with prayer and wisdom! They have certainly helped me in many situations over the last two years:

1) Go with it to grow with it. Resisting change might be making you spin your wheels, holding you back from potentially better outcomes. We try so hard to resist change, but that’s like resisting the seasons and wearing shorts in the winter! Winter clothes in the winter months are a good thing. You should wear them. : ) The alternative is to stay in your comfort zone and not actually be that comfortable in the end. Growth and change are inevitable parts of every new season.

2) Think big picture to break out of small thinking. Ask yourself, “Will this change get me closer to where I want to be when I’m 80 years old?” For me, will homeschooling Grace be crazy hard in the short term? Yes, likely. Will it bring me to my knees? Yes, I anticipate so. But, in the big picture, will it help Ari and me cultivate Grace’s unique heart? Lord willing, yes. Will taking a leap of faith and hiring a new team member help us grow and flourish–and therefore change more lives? Yes. Will embracing the changes my body is going through help me to uncover solutions? Most definitely. Denial is a comfortable place to be until it’s not.

Making Things Happen: Join Me in March 2018!

The Making Things Happen Conference began in 2009 after I posted a blog entry answering a question I’d been emailed. I was running Southern Weddings magazine, doing brand consulting, and producing high-end weddings (wow, how life has changed since then!), and the woman who emailed wanted to know, “How do you make things happen, Lara?”

At the time, having your own “creative business” was not commonplace. In fact, it was in many ways, looked down upon to step outside the bounds of the corporate world to pave your own path. If you didn’t have formal training in something, how could you pursue it as a career?

I fought these thoughts: How could I lead a team when I had no experience? How could I publish a magazine without a degree in journalism or business? How could I succeed on mere passion and gusto?

The truth is, I couldn’t. But, I’ll get to that part of the story in a minute.

I replied to the woman and asked her if it would be okay if I blogged my answer so others could be encouraged too. As soon as I hit publish on the post “How to Make Things Happen,” my life changed forever. Dozens of comments poured in. Emails. Texts. Calls. This post had struck a chord with people who were tired of feeling stuck. That first post grew quickly into a movement. A friend suggested I take these ideas on the road and teach them to people.

Emily Ley above at the very first Making Things Happen intensive in Watercolor, Florida, in 2009

Emily Ley, Gina Zeidler and I traveled all across the country doing the Making Things Happen Intensive together. We visited dozens of cities and made friends that are still strong to this day. It was an exciting time of helping people break down barriers and to do the things they’d always wanted to do.

Above: on tour in Atlanta in 2011

But, here’s where the story takes a turn.

I did all the things I wanted to do (at the time). I had a growing business. I was traveling and speaking and doing creative work. But, it came at a cost. I didn’t know how to balance it all. Even doing too much of a good thing is too much. My marriage was falling apart. I was working 24/7 at the expense of everything else. My work became my worth. You can read the whole story in my book, Make It Happen.

I couldn’t succeed on mere passion and gusto. I had to learn to make the right things happen. I began learning these truths:

Making things happen means knowing that you don’t have to do it all, be it all, or have it all.

Making things happen is about focusing on what MATTERS–on growing what lasts longer than you.

 

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Making things happen means learning to say NO to what is holding you back, and YES to your unique assignment–not someone else’s assignment.

Making things happen means making decisions that will get you to where you want to be when you’re 80 years old.

Making things happen means taking risks, taking action, and embracing tension.

Making things happen – the right things – changes everything.

The 2015 Making Things Happen Conference where I first met my farmer-florist friend Erin Benzakein.

As I began learning these truths and living them, the Making Things Happen movement did an 180-degree turn too. We got off the road and turned the intensive into a two-day conference here in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. But, the biggest change of all was teaching attendees to make the right things happen.

Everyone else was saying, “Do more! Be more!” And you know what? That was wearing everyone out. We began teaching something entirely different: do less. Do what matters.

Our 1000+ alumni have made dreams come to life, launched new businesses, left behind unfulfilling habits, transformed marriages and families, and helped thousands of other women live on purpose too. And it was out of this conference and my annual Goal Setting Series that an editor approached me about writing my first book, Make It Happen. This work was resonating with people. It was different.

The MTH Encouragement Crew!

Who is MTH for? This is where MTH is different from other conferences. You won’t be listening to a panel of speakers tell you how to do things; you’ll be led through a powerful process where YOU uncover good goals and make an action plan that fits your specific life and dreams. MTH is for everyone: love-at-home moms, corporate CEO’s, students, creatives, non-creatives, and everyone in between have joined us over the last nine years. Whether you know what you want to make happen and need an action plan, or you need help uncovering good goals, MTH is for you. And all ages join us: from college freshmen to women in their 60’s who are ready for a new chapter in life. The unifying factor is a desire to live intentionally and make the most of your time and gifts.

MTH is unlike any other conference. It’s like doing PowerSheets in person and meeting a group of women who think like you and will cheer you on in every step forward. Together, we uncover what matters to you and do something about it. Every time I lead this conference, I do the work right along with the attendees. And every time I’m changed. There’s no magic to it, but we have learned a lot over these nine years to help women simplify and take action. You might be a mother or wife who is struggling to balance family responsibilities. You might be a working professional trying to run with a big idea. Or you might be a small business owner burning the candle at both ends. (Or all of the above!) If you’re ready to use your potential on purpose, MTH is for you.

The March 2017 Conference at the Carolina Inn

I want you to join me in Chapel Hill on March 19 and 20th for our 52nd experience! This is the only conference I’ll be speaking at in 2018. Many of you have told me you’d love to go. Take the leap. I’ve been doing this conference for nine years and I believe in the work we are doing. Your gifts have a purpose and they were meant to be used!

The early-bird rate ($1000 off) ends December 31—or till we sell out—and we’ve sold out every conference. Since we are not doing a conference this coming fall (we’re launching the 10th-anniversary issue of Southern Weddings in November!), we fully expect to sell out for March.

Want to take a peek inside the conference? Take a look here. I can’t wait to see you there! GET YOUR SEAT NOW.

I’d love to hear from you: what do you want to make happen?

Yvette above at MTH 2015, doing what she did best: sharing her heart and passion for the good of others!

P.S. We’re giving away one scholarship seat in memory my long-time friend, Yvette Price, who embodied all that we teach at MTH. She was courageous in her battle with cancer and made what matters happen despite great challenges. She grew what would last longer than her: a whole lot of love and joy in the lives of others. In her honor, we’re excited to give away one seat to either an alum or new attendee. This scholarship is for the full ticket price not including travel or accommodations. Enter below to win the Yvette Price Scholarship by July 31st!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

How to Get Hired: 10 Essential Interviewing Tips

We are a small team of nine women who run both Cultivate What Matters and Southern Weddings. Half of us work in our main office here in North Carolina, and the other half work remotely from their home states of Tenessee, Florida, Virginia, and Georgia.

Over the last two years, we’ve grown from five employees to nine. We’ve spent close to a hundred hours (not an exaggeration) interviewing, sifting through resumes, and meeting candidates from all over the world in these last 24 months. With such a tight knit company culture of women who wear many hats, finding new team members is something we have done with great thoroughness and care.

We spent all of 2015 interviewing for a new marketing and customer delight roles. After sifting through hundreds of applicants, we hired Amber and Jess. We then spent the first part of 2017 seeking two additional people to add to our team in brand new roles. We had over 300 applicants and hired Kaylee and another amazing woman who we will introduce you to soon. Lastly, I personally spent the months of May and June interviewing dozens of women from all over the country for a challenging role to fill. We ended up hiring the last candidate we interviewed! I see why larger companies have recruiters and entire departments for hiring because this has taken up a significant amount of time on my end. But, it has been worth it. I love these ladies and the work we have been entrusted with!

All this to say, I’ve done a lot of interviewing (not just in the last two years) and kept thinking to myself (and I mean this in the kindest way!), “How do people not know these things!?” Well, now you will!

Gracie’s Garden Tour + a Secret Garden Reveal!

I have been looking forward to sharing this post for months! We talk a lot about embracing slow growth and little-by-little progress in life here on the blog, but, I’ve had to be extra patient as the literal plants in my garden grew this season.

As I shared in my new book, Cultivate, I am an unlikely gardener because I have often caught myself seeking instant results. This gardening thing didn’t come naturally to me, but as God changed me from the inside out, I began to love the process of planting, tending, and watching things grow over time. Truly good things grow over time, not all at once.

There is an in-between stage in the garden that feels a little awkward. There are plants that I’m not sure are weeds or actual plants yet. There are some things that grew quickly, and many things that are taking their time. It’s awkward!

But, there is life happening in the in-between. In what feels undone and imperfect, good things are still growing, even when you can’t see it or feel it.

That said, I’m excited to give you a mid-year tour of Gracie’s Garden today, along with a fun garden makeover reveal. Huge thanks to my friend, Michael from Little Arrow Films, for taking my scraps of homemade video and turning them into this special tour. Michael, you are the bee’s knees!

Ready? Welcome to my garden…

Gracie’s Garden Tour with Lara Casey from lara casey on Vimeo.

One of my PowerSheets goals for 2017 is to cultivate a life-giving home. We have a unique home life here on a day-to-day basis, as my office (with five employees) lives here too. We love this building we call our home and our office, and we make the most of every little bit of space–including the garden.

Photos of the main garden area (you’ll notice I love sleeping bees

Gracie’s Garden Tour + a garden makeover!

I have been looking forward to sharing this post for months! We talk a lot about embracing slow growth and little-by-little progress in life here on the blog, but, I’ve had to be extra patient as the literal plants in my garden grew this season.

As I shared in my new book, Cultivate, I am an unlikely gardener because I have often caught myself seeking instant results. This gardening thing didn’t come naturally to me, but as God changed me from the inside out, I began to love the process of planting, tending, and watching things grow over time. Truly good things grow over time, not all at once.

There is an in-between stage in the garden that feels a little awkward. There are plants that I’m not sure are weeds or actual plants yet. There are some things that grew quickly, and many things that are taking their time. It’s awkward!

But, there is life happening in the in-between. In what feels undone and imperfect, good things are still growing, even when you can’t see it or feel it.

That said, I’m excited to give you a mid-year tour of Gracie’s Garden today, along with a fun garden makeover reveal. Huge thanks to my friend, Michael from Little Arrow Films, for taking my scraps of homemade video and turning them into this special tour. Michael, you are the bee’s knees!

Ready? Welcome to my garden…

Gracie’s Garden Tour with Lara Casey from lara casey on Vimeo.

One of my PowerSheets goals for 2017 is to cultivate a life-giving home. We have a unique home life here on a day-to-day basis, as my office (with five employees) lives here too. We love this building we call our home and our office, and we make the most of every little bit of space–including the garden.

Photos of the main garden area (you’ll notice I love sleeping bees

June Recap + July Goals and Some New Thoughts

June was a big month around here. We released my new book, Cultivate, and I’m so grateful. But, I have to tell you that, ever since the release last Tuesday, I’ve been mulling over some new thoughts.

My favorite spot in the garden right now. 

I’m still processing all of this, but yesterday, Emily, Amber, and Kristin encouraged me to share what feels undone and imperfect–to share my journey in the in-between.

So, here I am.

For the last five years (five years), I’ve had a book deadline looming. I began writing Make it Happen in October 2013. A few weeks after Make it Happen released, we started talking about book two, which was originally titled Move Forward … until life moved forward in a completely new direction. For the last five years, my daily life and thoughts have been shaped by the rhythm of surrendering my story to be told in words and living out what became these two books.

This has been a time of sometimes-fast growth–in great ways and stretching ways. It’s a funny thing to constantly be crystallizing thoughts and lessons as you’re in the middle of learning them. It causes you to really let the lessons sink in, and that causes change. Heart change. Life change. Lots of change that I am grateful for! So much has happened, and I sit here feeling the need to stop–even just for a moment to let the changes of the last years–and the last week even–sink in a little deeper.

In the last week since the launch, I haven’t known what to say. (Besides “thank you!”)

Or what to feel. (It’s a weird thing to know there are many people reading your vulnerable thoughts all at the same time. I don’t have perfect words to describe this feeling — it’s an honor and it’s weird!