This past January I went to Alt with Kimberly, Mel and Estelle.

I wrote about the weekend HERE.

The last night of the conference we were all relaxing, talking and having a few drinks before we all went our separate ways the next morning.

Around the table with me was Kim, Mel, Estelle, Beefy, Melissa, Courtney and Melissa (I wonder what the popular name was 30 something years ago..hmmmm).

Towards the end of the night Kim suggested that we play “positive gossip”.

We all know what typical gossip is.

There usually isn’t much good that comes from plain ol’ gossip.

With positive gossip we went around the group and told positive things about each person.

I am so thankful that Kim did this.

Not only did it end our conference on such a beautiful note but I felt like we were giving each person a gift.

How often do we stop and tell people the most beautiful parts of who they are?

We didn’t have a chance to do this on our weekend in San Francisco so I thought I would take the chance here.

Kimberly.

Some of you might not know Kim personally.

You might see photos of her little farm, beautiful meals that she prepares and her face on publications she is associated with.

These are all lovely parts of her life.

What you don’t see in the photos is the kindness that exudes out of Kim.

She is one of the most genuinely kind people that I know.

She talks with the waitress, cab driver, bus driver…everyone.

She genuinely engages with each person.

She loves people and cares more about others than she does herself.

She is the most knowledgable person I know about cooking, baking, gardening, animals but she plays all her gifts down because she doesn’t even see them as the extraordinary gifts that they are.

They all come so easily to her that she thinks nothing of them.

When you are in her home you feel lavished and comfortable.

When do those two words come together?

Kimberly makes that possible.

Being in her home and talking with her while she has cooked a meal is one of my favorite memories with her.

Talking with coffee in hand next to her roaring fire is my second favorite.

The words out of her mouth are lovely about everyone.

She loves her family deeply and makes unspoken sacrifices daily.  Of course she does…she is a mom.

She is beautiful and graceful.

She is wickedly funny and then she can also be deep and serious.

I love you friend.

Lissa.

If you don’t know Lissa personally maybe you have seen her blog and her gorgeous photos of her gluten free meals, lovely home and her obsession with organization.

These are lovely parts of her life but barely scratch the surface of who she is.

Lissa loves the Lord.

Deeply and honestly and with a bold love.

Lissa doesn’t realize that she makes people want to love the Lord more too.

She recently talked about a women that she spent an afternoon with.

She told about how lovely this woman was and that everything about her reflected her love of the Lord.

She talked about wanting to be like her.

Lissa, you are!

Lissa is pee your pants funny.

Every time I am with her I am laughing my butt off.

I don’t know what it is about the two of us but when we get together we act like we are five.

Really, really cool five year olds:-)

She loves her family and it is in her love of them that she wants to create a special home, good meals, sweet surroundings.

When I first came to Lissa’s home I was going from room to room taking photos.

It is so beautiful but it is so warm.

I didn’t expect that in an almost all white home.

From the moment you step into her home you feel comfortable and loved.

That is a gift.

Lissa also has deep joy.

When she is joyful about something her voice gets louder and you can’t help but smile too.

I hope that never changes about her.

There isn’t enough true joy around.

I love you friend.

What I cherish about both of these women is their love of family,  home, faith is first.

These above loves are what inspires them to plant gardens, make their homes lovely, spend all day on a meal, place flowers around their homes, play in the backyard, love on their husbands, worry about their children, entertain….

They love being homemakers and I love that about both of them.

When was the last time you shared some positive gossip?:-)

{All of the photos were taken by me in the markets of San Francisco}

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I also wanted to give you one last notice that there is still time to enter for one of the 10 spaces I am giving away to our new business e-course!

We are so excited.

It is only one week away from starting.

We will announce the winners on THIS Wednesday.

Also remember that EACH person that REGISTERS for the course will be entered to win the Beginning Business Kit…you can read about it HERE.

The kit will go to one lucky winner and it is valued at over $1,200!!!