So close to Amazing: a book review

It's so easy to look through Pinterest boards, Instagram photos, or other snapshots of someone's life, and long for that beautiful moment we see on the screen or in the magazine.   It's easy to see that perfect picnic picture without hearing the squabbling between the kids right after, or the perfect hair style without seeing all the time, money, and product that went into it. We often look at snapshots and assume that person's whole life is peaceful and beautiful, without remembering that indeed it is just a snapshot, a moment of beauty pulled out of the mess of life.  We each have our own beautiful snapshots, if we would just pause to look. As I look around my living room, I can grow frustrated with my lack of cleaning and the piles of kids toys taking over, or I can pause to appreciate the simple beauty of our cat curled up for his nap or the baby's sweet face while he sleeps in his chair.

In her book, So close to Amazing, KariAnne Wood works to find the beauty and life lessons in all of the mess of life. She is the blogger behind Thistlewood Farms and has made many guest appearances in magazines and blogs, sharing her DIY expertise to help others create beauty out of the ordinary. Her family made the jump from big city Texas to small town Kentucky, and began the adventure of restoring an old farm house. She tells the story with humor and honesty, while being mindful of the lessons God was teaching her through farmhouse living.

Her book is the kind you take out in the gazebo on a hot summer day when you need something to refresh your spirit after spending hours with a demanding toddler.  I know......because that's what I did.  Her stories left me laughing along with her.  They inspired me to look for my own beauty, for God's hand at work in our story.  And to persevere in my goals for our home and family.  Some days you'll reach it, and you'll snap that Instagram photo.  Other days, you'll be so close...."So close to Amazing."

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.