The best birthday gifts.

The world's best cooking club!
 (we gave Jay a free pass for missing the party so she could bring little McKayla into the world!)

  I showed up at monthly cooking club last night to a surprise birthday party- for me. I so love celebrating others and am truly working on accepting encouragement and being celebrated by others without feeling awkward or minimizing it. And you know? I feel so so loved last night. Five of my absolute favorite friends went out of their way to just love me well and they succeeded. So if this is what my 30's are going to look like, I love it already!

  My birthday isn't until next week and I know it's really just a day and nothing magical will happen when I wake up as a 30 year old on Monday morning. But at the same time, it is still a big deal. At 30, I've settled into myself and how God has created me. I am less concerned with being cool or popular or making every single person happy and more committed to simply loving God and others really well. I'm more aware of the passions God has put in my heart and more confident about boldly sharing those passions.

  So, for my 30th birthday, I'm continuing my 30 for 30: Gather, Grow & Give Back goal for myself. I'm inching along! (and if I make to to 30 combine Noonday Collection orders/trunks shows this fall- I'll likely be able to visit our artisans in Uganda or Haiti or Peru next summer! Talk about extra incentive!) But truly- its been so fun watching people get excited and be bold about doing something outside of themselves. Ethical fashion, supporting artisans around the world to help them earn a dignified living, raising money for a friend's adoption, and sharing about social justice with their friends.

  And what if we didn't stop there? The best birthday present I could think of is for others to do good. Obviously, supporting Noonday Collection and our artisans is a great place to start- but think of all the awesome other ways, too! Sending a care package to your local children's hospital. Dropping off diapers to the nearest women's shelter. Baking cookies for a neighbor. Paying for the person behind you in the Starbucks drive-thru. Calling a friend you haven't talked to in a while and asking them how they're doing. Guys. It's easy and often free and always feels so good to love others well! So if you think of wishing me a happy birthday in the next week, how about just doing something good for someone else? 

And if you need a place to start, I still need 24 brave souls to help me reach this huge goal by making a simple Noonday Collection order OR hosting a Trunk show between now and November!

And know that I'm talking to you- not the whole of everyone reading this blog post. But you specifically- the one thinking that hosting a Trunk Show is not your style or you have no one to invite or you don't want your friends to think you're being sales-y. You- who are thinking this is great for me or someone else but not yourself. Think of the impact even little ole you can have by sharing just the concept of using our purchases for good! Think of the awesome way you can support that high school friend you don't really keep up with by helping them raise money for their adoption (they don't have to come! We just need their agency name and we can donation from your Trunk Show!)

So, if you even have the smallest inkling that this is something you should step out of your comfort zone and do it- email me! (katie.n.rush @ gmail .com) It doesn't have to be fussy. We can just meet up at a local coffee shop with two of your favorite social justice loving friends or host a play date with your mom friends or do a ladies' night at your church. Big, small, easy, detailed- whatever works best for you. If you're up for the excitement of helping me celebrate my 30th birthday over the next few months- I would love it!

{We can find the perfect idea that fits your style, circle of friends and calendar best! Ps. Who doesn't love planning ahead? And don't worry if you don't live near me at all- we can work around that!} 

32 weeks. {round two}

  We have a name {first and middle!}, crib set up, dresser almost painted, and double stroller ready! All of the sudden, we're more prepared {with stuff, at least} for this guy than we were when Caleb arrived. We finally got rid of our guest bed and as sad as it was to basically throw it away, it was so nice to start doing things in the new nursery. I have been a non-stop get-stuff-done machine since then! We're keeping the whole room simple and not doing too much, but just clearing out the closest and moving things to the newly organized attic and getting our old dresser painted feels good. Our weekends and evenings from now until my due date have filled up crazy fast and I was getting a bit overwhelmed at the thought of crossing all of our must-do's off the list. Not anymore!
  Can we talk about how emotional I am these days? Caleb and I drove to MI last week to spend a few days with Lauren and Mark and to finally meet baby Davy, who I've just prayed so much for. On the drive home, I just thought about how good God is. In hard seasons and in seasons of abundance. It's so bittersweet that one of my closest friends is also a boy mom of two, and that only 3 of our boys will grow up together. But our boys get to grow up together! Seeing Caleb with Davy was so much fun {even though I worried he would crush him because 'gentle' is not in his vocabulary yet...} and I can't wait to add another to our mix!
  And then there are those ladies in that picture. I showed up to Cooking Club last night and they surprised me with gifts and cupcakes and so much excitement for this new little baby.  We are far from a perfect group of friends and we probably fumble around a little as we navigate the different parts of life together, but we don't give up. Babies and marriages and new houses and miscarriages and infertillity and challenges at work- we all have different things going on. And we all try hard to walk through those things together. I will never, ever be able to say how sweetly God answered my prayers when he landed me in this group 2.5 years ago. I'm so unsure about how life as a stay at home mom with two under two will look like, but knowing I have these girls around makes me so much more confident about it.
  Here's to 8 {or less?} weeks until we meet our little guy!

Ps. 32 weeks with Caleb!                                 

Summer on the table.

  One of the best parts of summer is being able to easily find fresh foods. Berries, greens, watermelons- all things that are harder {and more expensive!} to find during the winter months in Indiana. When I realized it was my chance to host cooking club this month, I knew I wouldn't actually cook anything and that we would definitely NOT be having chicken {my biggest pregnancy aversion}. So I opted for this light summer salad and really simple watermelon slush. You guys, not to be dramatic or anything, but if you could put summer on a table, this is it. 

  They're both extremely basic and you could probably recreate them with what's already in your fridge. The salad is such a hodge podge- you could mix it up with candied nuts or feta cheese. We added some sautéed shrimp {all the seafood for me right now, thankyouverymuch}, but you could add grilled chicken or go completely meatless, too. 

  

{Summer salad: Spring greens, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, avocado, toasted almond slivers, goat cheese crumbles, raspberry vinaigrette}

And this slush. You literally just need a watermelon, lime, and sugar. Yes, yes, yes. There's a 100% I made myself an entire pitcher again today because I love it so much. I may or may not decide to share with Caleb and Justin...

{Watermelon slush: 5 cups cubed watermelon, juice from half lime, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 cups ice- blended}

  So I'll officially be eating/drinking these on repeat until Fall. What summer recipes are you loving right now? 

Favorite things. {a new tradition}

{We really, really struggle with remembering to take group photos. We're missing Jay in this one!}

 Another cooking club post! Are you shocked? Yeah, me neither. I honestly cannot say enough about those ladies. The best friends, encouragers, challengers, and bright spots in my week. We started a tradition last year of taking December off from cooking {but do we really cook all that much anymore really?}. Instead we went out together and decided to make it an annual thing. This year we added on a Favorite Things gift exchange. And oh my gosh, best decision ever. We chose a spending limit and all agreed to buy 5 of our very favorite thing right now. We met up at Mama Carolla's {if you love Italian and live in Indy, GO THERE NOW} for dinner. While we ate, we exchanged gifts and explained why we chose our gift. It was so, so much fun. We're already thinking of things to buy for next year! If it says anything about how much I loved it all, I currently have one candle burning {you can't burn both at once!}, a mug of my new tea, perfume in my atomizer, top coat on my nails, and new ideas jotted down in my notebook. So I'd say it was a successful Favorite Things exchange. But even more than that, the company last night was amazing. Our lives are busy these days {new babies, new husbands, work, holiday craziness}, so when we can all get together- it's extra special. There was so much laughter. So much laughter. And talk about holiday stresses. And babies. And honeymoons. So here's where I do it- plug cooking club. Do you have intentional community around you? Not people you see sometimes when your calendars work out {they never do.} Not community that lives across the state or country and you love but never really see. Not community that is only a phone call away {do you ever really call?}. But real, honest, regular and consistent community that you make an effort on. Do you have that? If not, fight for it. Make it happen. You probably don't even realize how much you need it, but you do. And if you do have it, hug those people this Christmas. Remind them how thankful for them you are! 
  And now, because I love it all so much- here are our Favorite Things goodies!

 Rifle Paper Co. journal// Seche Vite top coat// perfume atomizer {SO awesome!}// David's tea// prayer journal// Mrs. Claus candle// Wood Wick candle

   Have you done a Favorite Things exchange before? What would you include? I'd love to hear- I'm always on the hunt for good gifts! What traditions do you have with friends that you look forward to ever year?

Marathon.

  Are you sick of me talking about Cooking Club yet? It seems like I mention it all the time, but I can't really explain what sweet, unexpected friendships it has developed. We've moved so far past just sharing recipes and apologizing for how our food might taste or how cluttered our home might look and into real, deep community. And goodness, do I love those ladies.
  Which brings me to Saturday morning. Kate, Liz {HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!}, Chelsea and I all grabbed some warm Starbucks {it was SO cold!} and headed downtown to cheer on Meg. SHE RAN A FREAKING MARATHON. So yeah, that's impressive. She's been training for months and we've heard all about the challenges and excitement and anxiety that comes along with preparing for such a big feat. And we knew we had to be there to cheer her on. We waited around mile 17 for her and were able to hug her and take her jacket and tell her how awesome she was doing. Maybe it was helpful for her to see us and know she's loved and supported, and I hope so. But really, I think we were the ones who got the most out of it. As she ran away, you should have seen us. We were beaming like proud moms and just kept repeating cheesy {but totally true} things like "She is so strong!" "I'm SO proud of her!" "She's such an inspiration!" We couldn't stop. Seeing her in such good spirits and going so strong with almost 10 miles ahead of her and pushing through pain we knew she'd been battling- it really was amazing. 
  But that's why I love those ladies so much. We are all really different {there's no chance you'll find me running a marathon, ever} but we challenge each other. Crazy things happen when you surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you. So here's my regular reminder to do it. To move outside your comfort zone and find/work for/develop deep community right where you are. 

A summer recipe.

  When I found myself with fresh blueberries to spare {thanks, Spencer's!} and cooking club on the calendar for this week, I knew I wanted to find a really good dessert recipe to bring. I initially thought about this one, but it doesn't include any sugar and it's against my religion to eat desserts without sugar in them. Amen?

  So I landed on this one from Williams-Sonoma. It is so stinking delicious and ridiculously easy to make. And it's kind of just tastes like summer, you know? My favorite thing about this recipe is that you could really sub in any fruit and it would work. 

  Also, let's just chat about this cooking club I'm in. I've talked about it before, but it just seems worth reiterating- I love those ladies. Leaving Caleb at home last night and sitting around a table sharing delicious food and even better conversation was pretty great. We're so past the awkward getting-to-know-you surface-y phase that it just feels good to be together. Refreshing, fun, and at this season in my life really necessary. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, if you don't have this type of community- I really think it's worth looking for. We all need community and friends and intentional time outside of our homes/daily routine. Breaking out of your comfort zone to start {or join!} something like that just seems so worth it to me, you know?

Blueberry Crisp {c/o Williams-Sonoma}

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine,
   at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup rolled oats

Directions:

 Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish with butter or margarine, or spray with vegetable cooking spray.
 Spread the blueberries evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice.
 In a bowl, using a pastry blender or fork, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and rolled oats until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberries.
 Bake until the top is golden and the blueberries are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Serve hot or warm. 

Around the table. {a goodbye}

  Our cooking club met for our monthly meal last night. We each brought a dish, this time keeping with a Pioneer Woman theme. Most of the ladies came a bit early to put together a little gift for another who is moving to North Carolina this weekend. I think I've mentioned cooking club on the blog before, and how we formed it after all reading Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine. I'm sure, a year ago, as we shared crepes and cocktails, we all had big hopes for this group and finding community over a shared love of cooking. At least I did. But honestly? I never could have imagined how real that hope would become.
  We realized last night that we're coming up on our one year anniversary. So, so much has happened over that year. Every four weeks, give or take, we've gathered around a different table and shared different, usually new, recipes with each other. We always, always talk about the food and the recipes. Naturally. As the months have gone by, however, we've started talking about more than food. Sharing love stories. Woes about being a 20-something in the Church. In-laws and dogs and careers. We have just become really good friends. It has been a really fun surprise, this cooking club of ours. 
   We are all at similar, yet different points in life. Three of us are expecting our first little one. One is on the verge of engagement and married life. Another just settled into her brand new, first house. And another is making a move across state lines for her husband's job. So many different life things. And so very, very fun to walk with these ladies through. 
   As we said goodbye to Caitlin last night, I honestly teared up. Because we will miss her. Because I truly pray God gives her similar community in her new city. Because, despite my doubts or feeling shy in the first few months, God has proven again that he desires for his people to be in real community together and if we're obedient to that, he provides. This cooking club has been really wonderful proof. 
   Of course, we'll see Caitlin again. We'll keep in touch and keep praying for her new adventure. And we'll keep gathering around a different table every month. Soon with babies bouncing on knees and a shiny diamond ring to ooh and aah over. Life will most definitely keep happening, and Lord willing, we will be able to keep sharing in it together. I hope I've said it to each of those ladies, but just to keep getting it out there in the universe, I am grateful for each one. For their story. The food they make and share each month. For being allowed to share in their community. 
   Also? We have never, in all of our months, ever taken a group photo. So that's on our list of things to get done soon! 

   Are you in a cooking club or book club or general circle of friends that gets together to consistently {and intentionally} do life together? What's your most favorite part? 
Any must try recipes for us?

Best of my days. {18}

  We had our first cooking club this week {a la Bread & Wine}, and it was wonderful. Humor me and pretend the pictures are equally as wonderful, mmk? We all brought a dish and then made risotto together at Katelyn's house. Guys, risotto is no joke. There's a lot of stirring and sinkholes and broth-adding involved. But, when you have white wine and lots of laughter and 5 ladies...you can't really go wrong. 

  If you read my real-life thankful journal, you would notice a legit theme over the past 6 months. Relationships, intentionality, really good friends. Between book club and cooking club {I love clubs!} and small group and a visit to Denver and grad school girls and wonderful, lifelong friends- I've just been really blessed with great relationships lately. 

  As cheesy as it is, my friends lately have felt like Aaron and Hur in Exodus 17:12. You know, when Moses' can barely hold his hands up any longer and they literally hold them up for him? They were his strength and encouragement. In a way less dramatic sense, that's how my friendships have been lately. In no crazy or notable ways, just through laughter and texts and prayer and every day things. I'm so thankful for that.

211. friends

212. growing garden

213. 2 days off!

214. a new candle

215. no more cable bill!

216. homemade pie

217. breakfast dates & challenging conversation

218. meeting exercise goals

219. gifts for others

220. curtains finally hung!!!