Dear Mushka,

I'm often asked how I read as much as I do (my goal is a book a week) and wanted to share my tips as well as two current reads here!

1. Limit your phone time

For me, this means that Instagram is the only form of social media I have on my phone and that I only follow around 50 people there. Once I've checked in on the people I follow, I set my phone down and refuse to pick it back up for a few hours. This takes practice and self-control, and it also opens up minutes-- or perhaps hours-- in your day!

2. Have a book accessible at all times.

If you aren't picking up your phone, you'll probably have free time to dedicate to reading. Make sure a book is within arms' reach- in your car and purse, by your nightstand or kitchen sink, wherever you find yourself with spare moments. You could also use a reading or audio book app. 

3. Have another book ready before you've finished the one you're currently reading.

Otherwise, you'll put one down and this twiddle your thumbs as you wait for another book to cross your path. Have a "want to read" list saved to your notes or Goodread account, constantly requests books from your library, ask a friend to do a book swap, etc. 

4. Schedule one hour a day for reading. 

If this feels impossible, start with 30 minutes. Use your lunch break to read instead of scroll. Pick up a book while your children are playing. Have an audio book going while you make dinner. Head to bed early and spend time reading before you close your eyes. 

5. Quit reading a book if you aren't enjoying it. 

There are too many good books out there to read one that isn't capturing your attention, even if it's a highly recommended book! You'll ruin your joy of reading if you press through a poor experience and you'll waste time you could have spent reading something you adore. 

Bonus: Setup a Goodreads account. 

It's a free website that lets you create as many libraries as you want. Books you want to read, books you've read, etc. I have one for each of the last seven years, which helps motivate me to read more than the previous year and also becomes a good log for me to share with others. You can also review books, save favorite quotes, etc. In addition, the site recommends books you may like based on your past reads. (See No.3 above)

Two books I just finished and loved:

1. Ripple Effects by Pam Tebow (click photo for link)

She's a wife, mother of five, speaker/author, and lover of Jesus. Her memoir of sorts encourages readers to use the influence they've been given for the Kingdom of God. I walked away motivated to put scripture to song, help my children learn to share the Gospel at a young age, and pray bigger prayers. Recommend for sure! 

2. I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown 

I long to be a woman used for radical racial reconciliation as all my brothers and sisters are affirmed as equal and valuable people made in the image of God. I know it starts with listening to black men and women and learning from them. This book was honest, helpful, and eye-opening.  It allowed me to see areas where I still fall into racism (Lord, forgive me) and ways forward. I long for every white person to read this and learn, too. Thank you, Austin, for sharing your very real experience. 

Here are some of my favorite boxes/tins to use as you implement this system. Click the photos for direct links!

We recently collaborated with the amazing Phoenix Feathers Calligraphy to design four beautiful art prints for our Fall Dear Mushka Line. Kristine’s artwork is stunning and I’m so happy we got to create two new designs that come in two different colors.

She put so much heart into these and I know you’re going to love them!

The first is reflective of words I pray all the time from Numbers 6:24-26. I originally had the verse lettered with a pink background but knew many of you would appreciate a more neutral grey, so we have both!

The pink has an ombre, watercolor effect and the grey is solid.

This verse is a prayer not only for my family and my boys but also for all of you who I hold so dear. I think this is such a beautiful print to put up in a nursery, in your entry way or in your dining room for everyone to see. I’ve even used mine in front of my prayer binder.

The second print is reflective of John 15, which is possibly my favorite chapter in the Bible. It has been such a lifeline for me to remember that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. The only way we can bare fruit is by tethering ourselves to the vine.

God the Father is the “vinedresser”, who prunes branches to help produce more fruit - so if someone isn’t a believer He cuts them off. He also helps those walking through suffering produce more fruit. Sometimes, good branches need to be pruned and I love the imagery of our suffering growing fruit!

I want this chapter in front of my eyes, always. If you haven’t read it yet, go study it now. Enjoy the communion with Jesus by abiding with Him.

The art frames are 8x10 (such a good, standard size) and a frame makes them even more lovely! Feel free to use one with or without a matte depending on how big you want them to be.

We're celebrating Dear Mushka's sixth birthday this week and I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane. Come with me? 

1. The Trio Necklace (still available!) was one of my very first pieces. I wrapped a white curtain behind me, balanced an old camera on self timer, and uploaded this to our Etsy site. It wasn't professional, but I knew good photography mattered so I did the very best I could without panicking over perfection. 

2. I took a screenshot of my first ever sale. My dear friend and forever champion, Sarah, purchased a tiny heart necklace (similar to our current The Delight) and it made my heart sing. Friends, you matter!

3. The was one of the first photos I ever shared on Instagram. Shops around me were posting bag-fulls of their orders and here I was, trying to make these 7 looks as robust as possible. Now, we're posting bag-fulls ourselves (all glory to God!) and I'm still so grateful for these seven right here. 

4. I was as grateful for you all then as I am now (though I don't call you "fab" anymore E). Thank you for doing this with me! 

PS: I created this on a free site called Pic Monkey. Don't let graphic design scare you, there are lots of free resources. I'd choose Canva now! 

5. Scenes from my earliest desk. I spy The Royalty Necklace and No.139 Bracelets (though they were called something difference back then, before I added scripture). They've been around this whole time and are still great sellers. 

6. My first work space, in our bedroom. This shop opened, in part, as a fundraiser to bring our first son home via adoption. There he is, not even a year old. He's five now! 

How is it already time for our September Best Sellers here at Dear Mushka?! It’s so fun to watch the top ten products change every month, especially because we launched a new line this month.

Let’s Dive In!

The Onward Necklace

The Onward Necklace sold out this month so I think it would have been higher on our best sellers list if there were more available - it’s back in stock now! This necklace has a lot of movement and is really so sweet and precious. My prayer for you is that when you wear this necklace, you remember that God is with you through the fire and stormy waves, just as its paired verse card shares.

The Carried Bracelet

The Carried Bracelet is solid brass and it squeezes open and shut to get the perfect fit for your wrist. This piece is my go-to for a baby shower or new mother gift. It also doesn’t have to be attached to motherhood, it is for anyone who needs to remember they are being “carried” by the Lord as they care for others.

The Dwelling Tee

I am so happy you all loved the Dwelling Tee because it is one of my favorites! Right now it’s my “throw it on” in the morning tee. I wear it around my house all the time and will wear it outside soon as the weather gets cooler. It is a beautiful reminder that we are actually God’s dwelling place.

The Thank You Necklace

It makes me so happy to share that the gold Thank You Necklaces are back in stock! This piece is especially beautiful because it says “thank you” in morse code. This is such a beautiful gift to give anyone who you’d like to give thanks to like a shower host, pastor’s wife or a small group leader. Not only are you saying thank you, you are praying prayers of gratitude to God.

The Aid Necklace

The Aid Necklace makes the best sellers list pretty frequently and they come in rose gold, gold and silver. The design represents the fact that only God can fill the holes in our hearts caused by loss. I love sending this piece to friends and family in need. I would have felt so love has someone gifted this to me when my mom passed away a few years ago.

The Fighter Pack

The Fighter Pack is a new Fall product and one I personally use ALL the time! It comes wrapped in a sweet little bag. They are verse cards that come color-coded by topic. We use them by reading and talking about one verse a day in our family. All these verses help with instruction and discipline so they set us up for a good day, first thing! We also tend to grab them in the moment if I see a helpful verse for tattling or any day-to-day situations. 

The Companion Bracelets

The Companion Bracelets are so popular, they have been on these top ten best sellers since I started doing them! They come two in a pack - two bracelets, two verse cards and two bracelets. They are like adult friendship bracelets and make beautiful gifts.

The Guard Necklace

The Guard Necklace sold out almost immediately and you all absolutely love it as much as I do - back in stock now! It’s paired verse card is touching so many hearts and it reminds us to give the Lord your anxiety, gratitude and prayers - the design is like a shield that protects you just as God does.

The Adorn Hair Ties

The Adorn Hair Ties come in five different colors, the mustard is permanently on my handbag! This piece reminds us that your whole world shouldn’t be based on your external appearance but rather we should focus on our hidden selves, character and our hearts.

The Shell Earrings

The Shell Earrings were by far our number one best seller for September! These earrings are very lightweight and they come paired with such a powerful verse from Psalm 73. They remind us that God is our shell, strength, portion when we are weak.

Thank you so much to everyone who purchased this month and remember to tape your verse cards up, think on the words and share them with others!

I've been getting a lot of requests for best marriage books, specifically for engaged couples and newlyweds, so I thought I'd compile a list here. I haven't read a few of these, but included them due to your strong recommendations when I asked on Instagram.

(Click photos for direct links)

1. I read this book before I was married and appreciated how Keller gave me a better perspective of God’s intention for ALL relationships, marriage included. I still think on this quote, ten years later. 

“Within this Christian vision of marriage, here's what it means to fall in love. It is to look at another person and get a glimpse of what God is creating, and to say, "I see who God is making you, and it excites me! I want to be part of that. I want to partner with you and God in the journey you are taking to his throne. And when we get there, I will look at your magnificence and say, 'I always knew you could be like this. I got glimpses of it on earth, but now look at you!” 

 2. I really enjoy Francis Chan and so appreciated the eternal perspective on marriage he presented here. This book helped me see our marriage as teamwork, moving towards The Kingdom, together. 

“Many people will tell you to focus on your marriage, to focus on each other; but we discovered that focusing on God’s mission made our marriage amazing.”

3. I read this one early on in our marriage, and it radically shifted the way I viewed the purpose of marriage.  This book challenged me in the best ways. I would give this to any engaged couple as required reading.

“What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”

4. I'm sure you all have heard of "love languages" before- How we show and receive love. There are five “languages” the author suggests: Quality Time, Service, Gifts, Words of Affirmation, and Physical Touch. Robert and I are very different, (he is words of affirmation and physical touch; and I am acts of service and gift), but we are able to love one another well through this book's wisdom. If you feel like your spouse doesn’t appreciate your efforts to show love to them, this is a must-read.

5. I haven't read this book, but I respect the Bethke's and have heard nothing but good things about their wisdom here. My guess is that this a very approachable, light book on marriage that combats what our culture describes marriage as. 

6. Many of you suggested this one and I'm a big fan of Paul David Tripp. I'm going to add it to my list! 

7. Far too often, books on the topic of sex are left off of Christian marriage lists. This one was so helpful to me as a newlywed! It helped me make the shift from "sex is not okay" to "it's great!" and helped me troubleshoot along the way.

8. Here's another great one! And don't feel like you have to cram all these in within your first year of marriage. I try to read one marriage book a year to keep my heart gospel-focused. 

9. (Okay, I added one more book after I designed the graphic for this post. Ha!) I haven't read this one, but it's come highly recommended, too. It's written specifically to wives, and it doesn’t shy away from the tough topics.

In addition to books, I thought I'd share a few jewelry pieces I'd recommend as you pray over your marriage and love your spouse:

1. The Knot Necklace

2. The Portion Necklace

3. The Servant Necklace

4. The Complete Necklace

5. The Trio Necklace

6. The Essential Necklace

7. The Surrender Necklace 

You can read all about how I do my "quiet time" here. There, I walk you through the action steps I take, and I also show you the products I use to create a Quiet Time Notebook of sorts. I love using a 3 ring binder because I can easily edit what's inside and print off something new to include quickly.

However, some of you would prefer an all-in-one journal to aid your time in prayer + the word so here are the three I'd recommend!

1. The Quiet Time Companion from Wholehearted. It's sturdy, clean, and packed with helpful prompts and pages. 

"Discipline is hard, and with all the other to-do items in your life, spending time with Jesus can seem like just another obligation. The QTC was designed to help motivate, encourage, and inspire you to get beyond the motions and into the presence of Jesus Himself!"

I'd choose this one if you want everything in one safe spot- a place for goals, memorable dates, praises, verses you're memorizing, etc. It has it all in a sleek, easy-on-the-eyes style. 

Use code DEARMUSHKA10 for 10% off! 

2. The Dwell and Delight Journal from Abundant Life Paper Co. It's lovely and instructional. Besides having a spot to record Bible study notes and prayers, it also comes with lessons on how & why to read your Bible and pray. Beautiful!

"Combining world class, biblical teaching from Jani Ortlund and helpful journal pages to transform your quiet times, this resource was designed to help you grow deeper in relationship with Christ over the course of a year."

I'd recommend this one if you'd like to learn about prayer, reading the Bible, and meditating on scripture. The co-authors, Heidi and Jani, are full of wisdom. Their lessons are easy to understand and extremely helpful, especially for newer believers or women who have simply never been taught what to do once you sit down with your Bible. 

Use code DEARMUSHKA for 10% off! 

3. The Give Me Jesus Journal from Well Watered Women Co. It's been tested over time, used by thousands, and perfect for a daily aid. 

"This simple lyric from the classic hymn sums up the heartbeat of the Give Me Jesus Journal. We created this journal to be a useful and practical tool in your daily quiet time."

I'd recommend this one if you want something a little more affordable, feminine, and easy to follow. 

Use code DEARMUSHKA15 for 15% off! 

I think praying out loud helps remind you who you're talking to and allows you to stay focused instead of drifting off into grocery list land (you know?)

A wise mentor once encouraged me to start with 5 minutes of out loud praying and add just a minute to that every year. I'm up to 9 minutes now and it's been such a blessing in my life!

Here are some resources to get you started. 

I created these Prayer Sheets as a way to organize my days and keep me from feeling overwhelmed with what I'm praying for everyday. Basically, I pray for one topic on Monday, another on Tuesday, etc.

They're a digital download, which means you can print them from home over and over again as you need. I change mine out quarterly, but you could use the same ones for a whole year.  They come with a how-to-use sheet to guide you through the (easy!) process. 

I keep mine in this binder. 

I pray for my husband and children every day. Sometimes, I pray my own prayers and other times I used words from others like this and this (or this) and this. Just copy and paste to a word document and change out the names to fit your needs. 

You could also pray out of books like the following: (Click each photo for a direct link)

One of our newest pieces is absolutely beautiful and already a favorite here at Dear Mushka. Introducing the Wrapped Necklace! It hangs 30” long with a brass pendant that represents a stake in the ground that is wrapped with wire.

It comes paired with a verse card from Hebrews 10:23:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful

This is such a powerful verse! Hope constantly comes up in my life and these verses just help us remember to set our minds on things above rather than earthly things, just like what is represented in the Portion Necklace. These verses all melt together so beautifully.

The verses that come before this add so much meaning and really help us understand the meaning of the stake symbolism. They tell us to enter the Holy Place with confidence so that the curtain tears and we have access to God - we can only get to God through Jesus.

Jesus is our great high priest, forever. There is not a need for another anymore! Here, the temporary is made permanent.

THIS is way we can pray with confidence! And why we pray in Jesus’ name. It’s crazy that we are able to approach the Throne in confidence because of what Jesus has sacrificed.

The verses before Werse 23 are what we’re holding fast - who Jesus is and what he has done. Let us wrap it up and put our hope in it! Put a stake in the ground and cling to these truths.

This is a powerful verse (and piece) and one to mark your lives by!