What does it look like to be married to a creative soul? Today, I am sharing a little bit of our story and what our life has been like these 20 years, trying to learn how to find peace in marriage while also responding to the deep call of the creative life. Show Notes: Why…
Tag: Randy Chester
My Book Now Available!
UPDATE MARCH 29, 2023: At the time I wrote this post, there was no physical copy of this book (only a read-aloud of an earlier version via podcast). But now the book, complete with text and illustrations, exists! You can find it here: ORIGINAL POST: *At this time, there is no hard copy of this…
Storm on the Horizon
We spent a glorious four days at the seashore. We walked, we ran, we swam, we splashed. We saw the water tame and the water wild. We saw the sunrise and sunset. We saw the first sliver of moon over the dark waters. I held my newborn baby in the wind and sun and salty…
Big Announcement from The Chester Family!
Well, the day is here that I share something big that is happening to our family. After years of wrestling with a vision of a more creative life, showing up season by season to journal, write, make art, make music, encourage my husband in his incredible music, support our children through homeschool and giving them…
Dream Come True
Four years ago today, Randy and I had a dream come true moment. Do you remember this? In 2011, we started an indiegogo campaign to raise money to record The Seven Year Scratch (later titled Home), an album of love and family songs we had written to one another over the course of our relationship….
Having Children: A Spiritual Journey
Over the last few weeks, I have been rereading old blog posts and speculating about my life. The past year has been both incredibly sweet and difficult, trying to balance daily life with six young children with all the demands of three meals a day, the never-ending laundry, growing a home business, homeschool, planning for…
Paper Doll and Song: Stargirl
This week, Rosie decided to make a “space girl,” so I was inspired to illustrate a character from a song that I wrote several years ago called Stargirl and Moonboy. It is a sweet little love song that Randy and I recorded here at the house. I play accordion, and he plays guitar, bass, and Irish…
Alice in Wonderland and The Birthday Girls, Paper Doll Club
I love this week’s Paper Dolls! My sister asked if I would make a paper doll for a little friend’s birthday, so that’s where we started for inspiration. The girls blew me away this week. Paloma’s Birthday Girl, named Lily, is so sweet that flowers actually grow from her dolly stand. And Rosie, not wanting…
On our 12th Anniversary
Today is our anniversary. We met in the fall of 1999, dated for three and a half long, confusing years, and married on a beautiful spring morning just like this one 12 years ago today. I hoped I was doing the right thing. I prayed I was doing the right thing. There is no one…
Pitter Patter: The Story Behind the Song
I discovered coffee shops in college. I never had very much money, but back then I could usually dig up $2 to buy a hot drink and rent a space at a little cafe for a few hours to think and write and declutter my brain. I lived in a creative state, with lots of…
Room for You (New Song)
I am two weeks away from my due date. I can hardly believe that any day we will see this new little face and our lives will be forever changed. It feels so surreal. In preparation for Heidi’s arrival, I’ve been rearranging, organizing, constantly cleaning and decluttering this tiny house. All of my creative energy…
Make Something Every Day: Week 3
I love making something every day. This has been an intense week of cleaning, sorting, changing out clothes for four children for the change of seasons, etc. I am so happy to sit down in the evenings and crochet. And even though there are still small fires of laundry that need to be put out,…