Late Bird Discount

We all know about the responsible early worm. She is so diligent and she gets that worm. However... some of us are... just not that early. Late birds, this one's for you. Registration closes next Saturday for October's glampout, and we thought we'd bring you a little treat for this last week. It's a pretty sweet discount. Simply register here.

This is going to be such a life giving, reaffirming, soul centering weekend that you will not want to miss. Gather your girls and spread the word.

Also, if you happen to be one who has struggled with infertility, there is a glampout October 9-11th at the FreeSpirit farmhouse hosted by the Carry Camp. Head over to their blog for more information about what they have in store. 

Dreamy Nooks

You know how we never write on this blog anymore? Allow me to explain. Alison is a gypsy and she's on the go (a lot). She's currently in Colorado for a retreat. She sends me pictures on the road. They look like this.

I send her pictures of my sandwiches. But anyways...

Normally, I'm homeschooling my two bigs. That season seems to be over for us now. Sidenote: I used to hate that term "season", but I don't anymore. I totally get it. There is no other word for this. The Season of Smalls is messy and confusing. I'm not saying it's bad. It's not. But it's totally different from this New Season. It's just Jude and I this morning. My bigs got on a bus this morning and flew the nest. I'm somewhere torn between freaking out good and freaking out bad. I love this quiet, clean time, but I also can't wait to go pick them up. Anyway, with more time on my hands, I'd love to get back into this little blogging thing again.

And I'll just start with where we are - getting ready for the glampout. This is a retreat, not a conference. Chicks need space to retreat. Pretty, sparkly places to perch while we spill our hearts and guts. So, it's my pleasure to spend some time creating a few dreamy nooks to do so in. This is my current fave. The truck zone. The kids use it for jam sessions. It's where we'll be doing our music worship time by the fire.

Have you ever noticed how twinkly lights take a scene from "meh" to "whoa". Its all in the Christmas lights. I'm afraid that come glampout time we're going to bust a circuit or burn the place down!

2015 Glampout Announced!

Hello Lovelies! We are pleased as punch to announce this year's Glampout date is October 2-4, 2015 here in Fredericksburg, TX. If you missed last year's, here's a few peeks into what it was like.

Lovely dinners and pretty tents.

An art project or two.

And even a photo shoot featuring a hammock, some cattle, and evening gowns. It was loads of fun!

This year our retreat will focus on Creation and Creativity. How God's handiwork manifests its beauty all around us, and how we, as Image Bearers seek to do the same. 

This retreat will be hands on, and have lots of time for collaboration, community, encouragement, teaching and learning. Classes will be lead all throughout the grounds that you will be able to attend (only if you want to). We are absolutely encouraging that you bring what you're working on and a wide open mind. We envision some people stitching, some learning a few guitar chords, others making jams in the kitchen. We will have several leaders heading up breakout groups that include Creativity in the Home, Creativity as a Day Job, and Creativity in Fundraising. You don't have to be "artsy" to enjoy this. We are ALL creative in different ways and I can't wait for the collision of all of our ideas!!! There will also be ample time to explore the beauty of God's creation in the middle of nowhere. We'll praise him under the stars each night. 

Registration is open to 60 women. Mature teen girls are welcome, but some wine will be on the grounds, so make a judgement call there. Your $250 ticket includes tent lodging, air mattress, bedding, all food, art supplies, and a goody bag. 

You'll need to arrive by Friday evening for 6:30 dinner. The retreat concludes at 10am Sunday morning to give you plenty of time to explore Fredericksburg. You're going to want to! The nearest airport is Austin Bergstrom. 

I know it's the beginning of summer now, but picture your buffalo plaid shirt and Hunter boots. Picture fire pit time and mulled wine in enamel mugs,  acoustic guitars, and pumpkin creme pies, and spending time with Jesus and your girls. Prayer walks at sunrise, flower crowns, and Bible journaling. We can't wait til October!

Beloved Blessings

Hey wildflowers! It's been forever since we blogged here, but it's time. We miss you, we miss blogging, we've got a glampout coming up... it's just time to get back to it and we're so happy! So let's  get to it.

I'd like to introduce you to a new friend of mine, and also a new way to bless each other. Hang with me for a minute.

This is Mandie Joy. Sister in Christ, answering her calling.

Here's her super simplified story. She was called to adopt two little girlies from Uganda.  She also fosters whoever the Lord gives her. She says yes. Right now she's fostering a sibling set of 4 to help keep them together, along with her 2 daughters. So if you're into math, Mama now has six kids. And she's single.

And while all that is admirable, it's not my favorite thing about her. She's so positive, so playful, so obedient, so wise and so open. She has taught me a ton about mothering just by reading her bits of life on Instagram. And so the gist of it is this - she's had to cut back on her work to tend to all the kiddos, so money is tight. And I'd really like to send a bit her way, wouldn't you?

So we're going to do a little fun thing once a month to bless one of our sisters. It's a mail swap. You send happy mail to someone. You get happy mail from someone. Here's how it will work.

1. Head to Paypal and send $5 (or more if you're inclined) to amandajoy313@yahoo.com

2. Email me your address. My email is b.cupitt@yahoo.com. I just need your physical address.

3. On Friday I'm going to send you an email with a few things on it: Your Snail Mail Friends address, our theme this month, Mandie Joy's address, and a list of ways that you can pray for her and her family. I just beg you to send your snail mail by April 17th.

It's going to be fun for you, fun for your Snail Mail Friend, and a blessing to a sweet family. You in?! Great! Be sure and post on Facebook and Instagram. This is definitely a More The Merrier kind of thing! You can find us on Instagram under @thebelovedsociety and the hashtag #belovedblessings.

Want to read more about Mandie Joy? Follow her on Instagram @mandiejoy and @echoesofmercy. She'll be doing a giveaway this week! You could check out her blog. You could also treat yourself to some loveliness from her Etsy shop, Echoes of Mercy.

All The Stuff About the Glampout

So, it's almost Glampout time and we're getting all set up, working out all the details, and getting ready. We hear you asking what in the world to bring and what to expect. So let's talk specifics!

When do we need to be there?
We're going to get started at around 4 with a little craft and chat time. Definitely be here by 6pm for our first dinner. We'll be sending out a map and directions to the ones who have registered. Look for that in your inbox soon. And let us know if you need a ride from the airport. Our closest one is Austin Bergstrom.

What do we bring?
We are going to be providing the campsite and the food essentials, but other than that, just think about what you'd normally bring on a camping trip. Your tent, flashlight, water bottle, air mattress, bedding, towels, maybe a couple of lawn chairs. But of course the glam version. Feel free to deck out your space. We will! ;)

We'll also provide 3 meals a day and plenty of s'mores, but if you want to bring something special for snacks or cocktails, go for it. There's a full kitchen in the farmhouse.

You might want to bring a little extra cash for lunch and shopping on Sunday if you're planning on sticking around for that. There are a million fun shops.

I'd also bring a notebook and a Bible.

What should I wear?
It's not super crazy hot, so I'd probably do jeans or short and tank tops or something similar. I'd also bring some boots. Since we're all nature girls this week, we may run into some sticker burrs, chiggers, ants, and other various pokey things. Covered feet are a good thing and make your life a lot comfier out here. Also, it can get just the tiniest bit chilly late at night and first thing in the morning, so a light blanket or sweater might be a good thing.

What's up with the fancy dress?
Part of our fun is a little dress up session and photoshoot. Does that make us silly? Yes, and we're fine with that. Our theme is Royal Daughters, so we're going for a look befitting of a member of the royal court. Don't spend a fortune on it, though. If you have an old bridesmaids dress laying around, go for it. If you feel lovely in a Target dress, do that. If you like overalls and a flower crown, do it. It's just fun! Don't stress.

What about the hair and all that?
We're not totally roughing it, actually. You see, the glampsite is in my backyard. So we're just going to go inside and shower and primp and enjoy a little air conditioning before the shoot. So feel free to bring your hair and make-up stuff.

Should I bring a shovel? For the bathroom?
You certainly could, but if you like the regular bathroom experience, we do have one inside. It's really close. We're all sharing, so maybe you dirty girls (ahem, Beth and Alison) would be satisfied with a sponge bath in the water hose. It's only a few days. We might smell weird, but we'll look lovely in photos.

Is this a retreat or conference?
It's a weird hybrid event. I know a lot of you are used to going to retreats and having your days planned and packed. Tons of speakers and information. This is not that, though. This is more like the ultimate Girls Weekend with a beautiful message. There is going to be time for chilling out, making friends, and having fun. There will also be lovely worship music, prayer, and deep discussions. We want you to leave refreshed!

Are we going in to Fredericksburg?
We have the cutest little tourist town, and we'd love to show you around after the weekend wraps up on Sunday morning. We'll finish up around 10:30 or so and head down to Main Street. You can head home if you need to get back, or you can join us for lunch at Hondo's and a little shopping. There are tons of lovely wineries, if you're into that. We can point you in the right direction.

If you have any other questions we haven't covered, ask away. And if you haven't signed up yet, there's still a few spots left. We would love to see you there! You can sign up here! 

unveiling beauty

 i'm getting all prepped up for our glampout. getting serious about writing the curriculum and the play-by-play of how it's all going down. so in that, i'm doing a ton of research regarding femininity and what it means to be a daughter of a King. there's always a princessy element to it. i don't know why i'm drawn to that, but i am. well, part of my research is reading as much as i can on the subject, right? which brings me to a new favorite book, captivating. it explores the foundations of a few essential, pretty universal traits, that women share. the need to be sought after and fought for, the desire to be a heroine in an adventure, and the desire to unveil beauty. uncover some hidden gem. hearing stasi, the author, articulate something so buried deep, so honestly and accurately is crazy eye opening. it addresses physical beauty in our selves, sure. and that's a whole different blog post. actually, that could be a whole blog, right?! and i am certainly coming to a comfortable place on that and i'll share more later. 














but right now, in beth's world, i have moved into a farmhouse. it's a house in the middle of a field, in the middle of a valley. there is some serious potential for beauty, but this house and has been neglected. it has mice. it has a red roof. it's spray painted red. the porch is crooked, and the front porch sags. i battle scorpions daily, and sometimes pipes leak. something alive is in the laundry room. i hear it when i go out there. but it's set up to be a gem. the nature all around it, god's own brushstrokes are evident everywhere you look. in the roses that just pop up out of nowhere. in the wings of the hummingbirds that hang out on my front porch. in the way the light catches in the evenings in the grasses. the sunrises and sunsets. the hills. it's so gorgeous and sometimes, when the light is right it's like a thin curtain between here and heaven. like a sheer curtain. it's tangible and quiet. but then there's the mice and the scorpions and the cactus. it's got a hard edge. the truth is, it's going to be take a lot of new experiences (like apparently i need guinea fowl for the snakes, but what is a guinea fowl and what do i do with it?), money (please pray that our other house sells soon!), and some serious sweat equity to bring restore this house into a comfortable place to rest. now, there's an adventure! 

today i feel like eve. like the all the soft characteristics of god. she was made to be an image bearer of god, but she was also given a task to help tame the world and nurture it. that is literally what i'm doing every day. pulling weeds and watering plants. sweeping and sweeping and sweeping. trying to make it homey. anyway, rambling today. sorry! so my new canvas is my yard. anybody else into gardening? i didn't even know i was a gardener, but it's in me! i just have to figure out how to do it.  here's my garden board. do you have one? and also, do you feel like you contribute beauty to your world? how? 

New in the Shop

Hey guys! How was your weekend? I had a lovely one! I redid a bunch of rooms at the Farmhouse. Do you ever have that decorating phenomenon where 'it's ok, but it's not right'? Do you know what I mean? I had that. But don't you love it when that other  thing happens and suddenly it's like 'Yes!!! It's right!!"?! I got that with three rooms this weekend. I'll show you later.

But today I'm showing you new art. I'm working SO crazy hard trying to get ready for the glampout and this week we're starting the fire. But I'm dead broke because I have two houses too. So I opened my art shop up again. Boom! And I'm so inspired by the sunrises and color scheme out here that all the sudden my whole vibe has changed a bit. Here's a few in the shop right now. I'm painting more this week and I have a theme for my verses: old hymns! It feels good to be excited about art again.

Also, if you'd like to contribute to the campfire fund you can simply purchase your tickets to the glampout or buy my Houston house.  :)