Homegrown Hospitality

Creative Soul Camp Retreat at The Whatever Craft House January 2020

Creative Soul Camp Retreat at The Whatever Craft House with Stephanie Ackerman & Friends January 16-19, 2020 

With Guest Artist Danielle Donaldson

Group Discussions & Devotions from Emily Thomas of The Mom Struggling Well Podcast

& Meg Duerksen in the kitchen cooking up amazing homemade meals for us..3 times a day!

“Creativity is a God-given ability to take something ordinary and make it into something special.  It is an openness to doing old things new ways…The creative spirit is part of our heritage as children of the One who created all things.  Nurturing our creativity is part of our responsibility as stewards of God’s good gifts.”  Emilie Barnes, The Spirit of Loveliness

 

There is something amazing that happens when Art & Faith Collide and when you are in an amazing house full of women, food, coffee, snacks, paints and time to be quiet, restore, rest, stay up late, wake up early, wear your jammies all day long...

 

It's just really good.  

 

That is the best way to explain it because honestly, there are not words to go along with what happens...and ya know what else?  Jesus shows up every.single.time.

 

Here is what is included in Creative Soul Camp 

 

Meals  - Each day you will get to enjoy amazing and fresh meals prepared just for you. Yep, three meals a day so be ready to eat.  Leave your diets at home and bring your stretchy pants.  In between there will be a ridiculous array of salty and sweet snacks and apples, coffee, water and tea with bags of sonic ice of course. 

Lodging – The Craft House is located in Newton, Kansas.  It is a 100 year old restored home that is used for retreats and sleeps 16. Upstairs there are four beautifully decorated bedrooms.  Each room has between 2 – 6 twin beds.  It will be hard to pick just one because they are each crazy cute. Be prepared for late night giggles and some early rising roommates.  There are three full bathrooms that will be shared. 

 

Creative Time & Supplies –  Everything you will need for the creative sessions will be provided.  Tip: You may want to keep a little extra space in your suitcase for the projects you create and the treasures you may findalong the way.

 

 

Airport transportation – You will be picked up and dropped off to ICT Wichita Eisenhower Airport.  Suggested flight details will be sent after your registration deposit has processed.

 

Daily Routine - At the beginning of each day and at the end of each night we will have a devotional and discussion time. There will be a mid-morning creative sessions. There will be plenty of time for naps, walks and you will even be able to schedule an in-house massage if you would like.  Note: Retreat registration does not include massage fee.

Here is a brief look at one of the days: 

Breakfast

Morning Devotions

Quiet Time

Creative Time

Lunch

Creative Time

Dinner

Evening Devotions & Dessert

Creative Time/Open

Fine Print:

Deposits are non-refundable.
Your registration is transferable to another attendee assuming the ticket can be sold.
We will contact the next person on the wait list for you in the event that you will not be able attend.  If the spot cannot be resold and the date is past 30 days prior, the ticket is nonrefundable.
There will be no refund granted for circumstances considered an “act of God” such as but not limited to sickness, emergency weather or natural disaster.

FAQs:

How many women will be attending: There are only 16 spots per camp available for registration. Registration is per person so if you want to go with a friend, please make sure that they register on their own.

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

Airport transportation – You will be picked up and dropped off to Wichita Eisenhower Airport.  Suggested flight details will be sent after registration.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at homegrown1@att.net or text/call me at (949)636-0960

Is my registration/ticket transferable?

Your registration is transferable to another attendee assuming the ticket can be sold.
We will contact the next person on the wait list for you in the event that you will not be able attend.  If the spot cannot be resold and the date is past 30 days prior, the ticket is nonrefundable.
There will be no refund granted for circumstances considered an “act of God” such as but not limited to sickness, emergency weather or natural disaster.

 

Registration Deposit & Payments:
To complete your reservation, a non refundable of $300.00 must be made and will apply to your total registration cost. 

 

Once deposit is made, an invoice will be sent to you: 

Payment #1  $500.00 due October 1, 2019
Payment #2  $500.00 due December 1, 2019

Click below to register:

Register Now! 

 

 

The "For The Love of Pete" 2019 Ornament

Welcome back Pete, it has been a long time!

 

"For The Love of Pete" is the snowman that I have been painting for almost 20 years and just hours ago, I finished painting the 2019 Pete Ornament just in time to order for Christmas 2019!

Each ornament is hand painted to order with either a red, green, pink or baby blue scarf and are $13.oo each.

These are the perfect little Christmas gifts for newlyweds, new parents, co-workers, team mates, grandparents, neighbors, hostess gifts and even just for you.

There will only be a limited quantity of these hand painted ornaments offered for 2019. Because you are a newsletter recipient, you get to order first before they are offered on social media streams. Don't wait too long to decide..

 

All orders will be shipped by Thanksgiving unless otherwise requested. You will be asked scarf color and name for each ornament ordered. If you prefer to have just 2019 (or any date) please note that on your order.

 

NOTE: If you want to order more than one, please order one at a time, press "add to cart" and then "Continue Shopping" to continue:

 

Scarf & Name

Red Scarf Green Scarf Blue Scarf Pink Scarf

Enter Name For Each Ornament

Once Upon A Time

...I used to blog every single day.

I was reminded of that when Meg was talking about blogging on the Mom Struggling Well Podcast episode #204. Back when there were blogs and magazines. No followers, no friends, no Pinterest, nothing but simple connection through 12 and 24 hour crops at the local scrapbook stores, blog hops and being published in Simple Scrapbooks & Creating Keepsakes. 

I blogged a total of 24 times in 2019.

While that averages out to 2 times a month (I am so good at math) there were actual months when there was nothing. I suppose Instagram and Facebook have taken the place of blogs but it also has made us "swipers" that don't stop to read anything that is longer than a sentence or two and then we swipe onto the next thing. 

So here I sit, at 4:54 am in a very quiet house with a cup of coffee ready to share with you what has been going on in my life in-between the 24 times I blogged this year. As I type this, I do wonder if anyone even reads this but its okay, this is sort of like journaling without a pen or paper.

So let's start with journaling and Bible Journaling.

I want to start with this: for me, it is about the purpose. The purpose of journaling and documenting with God is doing in me and through me. It is where my art and faith truly collided into a beautiful practice of spending time in the word with a few supplies.

For me, Bible journaling is and remains to be personal. Its between me and Jesus. That doesn't mean I can't or won't share it. It just isn't about all the products.

As many of you know, I had a product line of "my art" that was created to use in your Bible Journaling and creative endeavors. Just like the creative "scrapbook" industry, every six months a new line was released when the big trade show came to town. Then the every six months wasn't enough for consumers and "mid-releases" emerged so on top of every six months, it became every three...every two and then, with the big boom of "planners," product was wanted every month.

Then I wrote a book about it. Bible Journaling for The Inspired Artist. (Um, I just looked and it's on sale for $5.25!!!) you can still find it on Amazon and at a few stores nationwide, but writing the book just.about.broke.me.  Between the product lines and the book, I found myself in a world of hustling, filming, recording, scheduling and traveling to "buy my stuff."

Okay, let's just stop here for a moment. I just reread the above and I must seem and sound like a spoiled rotten baby.

I am pretty sure I wanted all of those things, but partly, gulp, for the wrong reason. I am realizing now looking back that maybe if some one saw my name on something or see me represented by someone, they'd see ME.

Except for, it's not about me.

I say that with confidence now, because I had no confidence back then. Well, sorta. I must have had some confidence to go, do, share, teach and travel the places I did, but part of me was hustling and striving. 

I wasn't made to hustle and strive.

I tried but realized after years of forcing myself to try, to get it, to work harder, I suppose you could say I failed. But I failed in the best possible way..because I tried. It's just not me and it's not that I couldn't keep up. I can create art every day, and for that, I am grateful to God for that gift, but I did not want to keep up. All I need is my Bible, a journal and a pen. 

I was not made to keep up.

In the middle of 2018, after finishing a Bible study, I was reminded to surrender my business to God. I did. Then 6 months later, at the end of 2018, I fully surrendered my product line, Documented Faith back to the company that so graciously gave me all the chances and all of the time I needed. 

To be continued....