I believe in the transformative power of stories. I am a high school English teacher, serendipitous farm girl, LEO wife, step mom, and writer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

My life took a drastic turn in 2015 when I met my husband John and fell in love with him and his two beautiful children – Avalon (now 17) and Lukas (now 14). While I adore our busy life, I have found that I neglect to make time for my own creativity. This blog is my challenge to honor my creative impulses and connect with my inner artist. I will document my world — whether I am encouraging my high school students to find their voice through their own writing, tending to the kale in our hoop house, canning tomatoes in our 100+ year old log kitchen, helping our two teenagers navigate their own busy lives, spending time with the chickens or our pack of dogs, or traveling to the wilds of Alaska (where we have purchased property to retire one day).

The title of this blog was inspired by my step daughter Avalon when she was in middle school. As a bright student, her grades were important to her. After buying supplies for a science project she promised me that she would apply the  bright turquoise glitter that I bought outside (and not inside our tiny house). Needless to say, that did not happen. My husband discovered the mess before I did and made sure to calm me before I could react (her science project was spectacular after all). Ultimately, we shook our heads and laughed — my husband shrugged his shoulders and responded, “Our life is composed of glitter and dog hair, Darling!” Throw in a few chicken feathers and stinky hockey equipment and that sums it up perfectly.  Becoming a step mom at 44 was not an easy task. While the beauty made me fall in love, I am learning to embrace the messy parts too. In fact, I would not change our life for anything. ❤

While I am frustrated that I am not actively writing stories and poems. Perhaps it is because I am on creative overload — there is inspiration everywhere that I look. I hope my creative pursuits and prompts help you, or your students, discover your voices. Our words matter. If you are reading, please comment, I would love to hear from you. ❤ Also, follow along on Instagram and Facebook.

Make sure you check out my sister blog, www.producewithamy for healthy recipes and lifestyle inspiration!