Spunky Sapphire

Spunky Sapphire Wedding Planning + Design | Monat | Small Business Life

It's been a hot minute since I made anappearance on the feed. To those who are new here, WELCOME! I hope you're finding ...
03/25/2022

It's been a hot minute since I made an
appearance on the feed. To those who are new here, WELCOME! I hope you're finding a good mix of crazy and fun and valuable insight.

If you've been following me here for awhile, I'm sure there's a ton about my life you already know, but I like to take some time every now and again to (re)introduce myself. So, hi! šŸ™‹šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø

I'm Anna. Wife, mama to 4 under 5, homemaker,
homeschooler, and small business owner (of several endeavours šŸ˜‚).

The new season of life has brought a love for "slow living" and learning a ton of new skills. Overwhelming sometimes, but oh so good!

We enjoy smoking meats and meals, eating sourdough bread (the latest feat of excellence around here), growing a massive garden in the city and sharing tips on all of it, including how we homeschool and run our family.

I'm a new, big fan of the direct selling industry and doing it WELL (no yucky "hey girl" messages over here-just sharing about products that have made life simpler and better) so you'll often hear me chat about shampoo and books! These businesses give us extra fun money and keep my business mind sharp after retiring from wedding planning last year.

I'm an open book if you ever have questions about how to do this well. Whether you're old or new here, say hello in the comments below! I'm always up for a good comments chat. šŸ‘šŸ»šŸ˜‰

Since we missed his official birthday posting date, I’ll share 5 days later. This kid. Where do I begin…Most days, I can...
02/09/2022

Since we missed his official birthday posting date, I’ll share 5 days later. This kid. Where do I begin…

Most days, I canneth not with him. He is THE most stubborn boy you will ever meet (takes after .koppelaar and it will serve him well someday, I’m sure!).

He would rather wear pajamas 24/7 than literally anything else. And if we could make that his monster truck ones without ever needing to wash them, that would be ideal. He’s currently wearing them as I type this.

He’s our first of 3 thumb-suckers and it doesn’t appear to be letting up any time soon. šŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø That thumb is sticking up in this photo because he was sucking it the whole shoot boycotting smiles. See? Stubborn.

However. He is HILARIOUS. The things that come out of his mouth have us in stitches quite often. šŸ˜‚

He loves his sisters and will randomly cuddle with them. He’s THE MOST patient with Kate (though he also pesters her mercilessly sometimes).

We named him Maverick. ā€œAn independent man who avoids conformity.ā€ 😬 can’t be mad at him turning out exactly what we decided to call him, right? Praying he uses this independence to honour and glorify God, stand up for the truth, and be the courage his siblings need to do the same. (Side note: this is why you have multiple children—their strengths and weaknesses balance out and they can move as a unit and be that support for each other. Go against the grain and have a bunch of little people—the world needs strong discerning men and women—raise them!)

Happy birthday, my wild child. We love you. 🄰

YOU there! šŸ™‹šŸ½ā€ā™€ļøYou are the people that keep me going. Without you, my business would not exist (and life would be a who...
02/01/2022

YOU there! šŸ™‹šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø

You are the people that keep me going. Without you, my business would not exist (and life would be a whole lot more boring). šŸ˜‰

Your kind words and amazing support make the slogging days where nothing is flowing well completely worth the drag! So. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 🄰

If you want to engage in some messy heart musings as we all navigate building a legacy and a home together in a cuh-RAZY world, follow the link in my bio and sign up for the Spunky Sapphire Mail Crew (because some thoughts are going to drop this week, including February’s instalment of )!

Do the thing that you KNOW will get you out of your funk even if it’s the LAST thing you wanna do. Workout. Get sweaty. ...
01/20/2022

Do the thing that you KNOW will get you out of your funk even if it’s the LAST thing you wanna do. Workout. Get sweaty. Bundle up and deal with the frigid—inhaling that icy air feels real good. šŸ‘ŒšŸ»

Cook something yummy: when was the last time you ate? (Guilty of the hangry feels and feeling out of sorts only to realize I forgot to eat a proper meal. šŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø)

Crank up some good beats or scream/bellow as loud as you can. Works for my kids—they seem happier after they ROAR all together. šŸ¦šŸ˜‰

What’d you do today for your brain?

Ooof. .clarkson I don’t mean to air out your small regrets, but this wisdom from an older mama is giving me major perspe...
01/19/2022

Ooof. .clarkson I don’t mean to air out your small regrets, but this wisdom from an older mama is giving me major perspective in the toil and grind of the ā€œ4 under 5ā€ life I’m living. šŸ‘šŸ»

While feeding Lauren, I flipped open to the February chapter in The Lifegiving Home to compile some thoughts for next month’s email. I’ve read this book before and had highlighted my way through; this quote jumped out at me today during a chaotic moment where I was (perhaps šŸ˜†) fretting more about the details than enjoying the people.

It hit me in that way like, ā€œaw man, I’m doing it again,ā€ā€”focusing on what’s not going to matter in the long run vs thoroughly enjoying who they are RIGHT now…and the circus that comes along with them!

And while this quote seems like a negative thing, it’s such a refreshing reminder to turn my thoughts around. Sure, in my 5 years of motherhood, I already could say this exact quote—I wish I had read the book when he asked, played outside more, let the details GO and just BEEN in the moment (because, indeed, the details have faded!) And I could stay stuck in that regret. Or I can vow to make the change in this moment…

…and hold this quote close as a reminder that 40 years from now? The RELATIONSHIPS are going to matter more than how we got where we needed to go or what was for dinner or that the vacation plans didn’t go JUST SO because a kid had a meltdown.

So. Here’s to enjoying the people over fretting the details. And thank you, Sally, for pouring your wisdom into new(er) mamas like us. 🄰

About to post something else and the feed needs a palette cleanser. A touch of calm in the brightness. A breath of fresh...
01/19/2022

About to post something else and the feed needs a palette cleanser. A touch of calm in the brightness. A breath of fresh air. 🌿😊

Picked this book up 3 days ago after having on my   for a year or two. The day before, a ni**le had become a shove that ...
01/12/2022

Picked this book up 3 days ago after having on my for a year or two. The day before, a ni**le had become a shove that I couldn’t ignore.

I need AND want to turn how I’ve used this platform for 10 YEARS on its head. Snagged my ever-logical husband last night and dumped a lot of words on him begging him to make this make sense because I couldn’t separate emotion from it enough to make a plan. I was about to bail on Instagram completely and live like a pioneer. 🦬

He quite bluntly told me that was a dumb idea šŸ˜‚ and we decided I just needed to set some boundaries for myself so that I can live my best life in every area. So far, it’s worked well today!

Long story short: fewer stories (captioning them makes it not a quick task and getting interrupted by people that live with me makes me crazy which is a problem), less time sharing on the app in real time. More intentional time with it in the evening (daily recaps, etc) if needed—some nights are social media free, too (making him join me in that because ya girl ain’t doing that alone šŸ˜‰). DM’s will be answered in the evening and on sale days during naptime, too.

It’s a ā€œright nowā€ issue that needed to be tackled, and I’m always pivoting through my life (pirouettes all day long is more like it) so this will maybe change. For now, it feels like Cinderella’s slipper. šŸ‘ŒšŸ»

Picked the book back up last night and hit these pages (swipe) and the decision just got that much more settled.

That’s all. Recommend this book as some food for thought, even if you apply nothing. Have you ever quit social media for a time? What did you find you had time for when you did that?

This is us, 2021 version. šŸ˜‚Every child gave  a signature expression in this first photo and it’s one of my ABSOLUTE favo...
12/25/2021

This is us, 2021 version. šŸ˜‚

Every child gave a signature expression in this first photo and it’s one of my ABSOLUTE favorite images she’s ever captured for us. And don’t even get me started on the individual shots (especially Katie-Kate!).

Wishing you and yours a very Blessed Christmas remembering the Reason for the season and bursting with the wonder of it all. With love, the Koppelaar’s. šŸ’•

Thinking about 2022. Do me a favor?Hop over to my stories and give me some feedback, wouldja? šŸ¤—Chatting about Instagram ...
12/22/2021

Thinking about 2022. Do me a favor?

Hop over to my stories and give me some feedback, wouldja? šŸ¤—

Chatting about Instagram and email and other ways to get to know you!

One thing for sure: Instagram is gonna be fun in 2022, or I ain’t doin’ it at all.

Other thing: clearing the clutter and saying goodbye to accounts that raise the knot in my stomach and throat and only letting in people who inspire me, make me laugh, provide good information, or if you’re my real life friendy-friend.

Here’s to getting to know each other better and kicking the internet stress to the curb. You with me?

One of my favorite  shows is  Home Work. They transformed an old school into their home, and I CONNECTED finally with th...
12/22/2021

One of my favorite shows is Home Work. They transformed an old school into their home, and I CONNECTED finally with the home style I’ve been trying to grasp for about 10 years.

The farmhouse trend of all white is beautiful…but it’s not me. I always loved mid-century modern vibes and a mishmash of things. When Chip and Joanna did her sister’s house on the last episode of their HGTV show, it all started clicking. And now, we know Jo’s style has evolved more into this ā€œnew traditionalā€ style that’s coming out. Obsessed is a good way of putting it for me. šŸ˜

Anywho, back to Home Work. The antiques these two find will drop your jaw and seeing QUALITY brought back to life makes me so happy.

So, we passed an antique store yesterday and Darren dropped me and Kate off. I literally couldn’t stop oohing and ah-ing—Kate totally got it (as she chewed on 2 silver spoons I scooped up for my collection šŸ˜‰).

Also, if my fingers weren’t so fat that this ring only fit on my pinky, we would’ve gotten it. Very ā€œmeā€, wouldn’t you say? Swipe to see some of my favorite things.

This trip reminded me to freakin’ use the good stuff, wear the good clothes and jewelry EVERYDAY. Why are we waiting for ā€œbetter daysā€ to do that? The ARE the good days.

PS—kinda annoyed I didn’t grab one of those bowls. šŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø

Take the photos, folks. šŸ“øDoesn’t matter what camera you have or how capable you feel as a photographer. The time is pass...
12/15/2021

Take the photos, folks. šŸ“ø

Doesn’t matter what camera you have or how capable you feel as a photographer. The time is passing, the kids are growing, you’re not going to get this moment back to do ā€œbetterā€ down the road.

We have a semi-pro camera at home, and I left it there on purpose because I always feel so much pressure to take awesome photos with it…

…which results in me taking NO pictures. The reality is, my iPhone camera may not be the best camera in the world, but it’s the one that’s always handy and the one I’m most familiar with.

I’m WAY more likely to grab it to capture whatever I want to and with some practice, I’ve gotten much better at composition and love most of the photos I take.

The cherry on top is my friend Lightroom presets that I bought just before Kate was born. LOVE her work and these presets make my photos feel profesh. (Real story: I’m just a busy mom šŸ˜‰)

So grateful for these basic tools that allow me to save moments of our busy lives to cherish forever, like these little curls in this hat and adorable swimsuit. šŸ˜

Signing off for a few days to follow the garden path of my thoughts and see what I come back with. šŸ™‹šŸ½ā€ā™€ļøI’ll check in on...
12/11/2021

Signing off for a few days to follow the garden path of my thoughts and see what I come back with. šŸ™‹šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø

I’ll check in once a day to answer messages so definitely reach out if you need anything.

But for the rest, I’ll be reading, laying in the sun, cooking, and concocting plans for the future. šŸ¤“šŸ¤©

And even if you’re not willing or able to take days away from this app…put your phone away for an hour this weekend and do something that inspires you or that you want to get better at.

We have to make this space FUN again, not an obligation or ā€œthe only way I can ever run my business is with this appā€ or constantly thinking about the dumb algorithm and keeping up with the trends. My lanta, I’m giving myself a headache just typing all that stress-y stuff out. 🄓

Mkay, see you on the flip side. xo.

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Ancaster, ON
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