We look forward to summer at our house almost as much as Christmas. I used to think it was because of all the things you don’t have to do in the summer.  You don’t have to get up early, you don’t have to do homework, you don’t have to go to school - which of course, as a parent, means you don’t have to make lunches and rush to get your children out the door and onto the bus in the morning. 

But the best part about summer is that it’s more than just a list of “things I don’t have to do.”  The best part about summer is the adventure. 

You see, around here, summer means road trips and camping, and swimming pools, and waterparks, and going up north.  (If you’re not from Michigan, you probably have no context for understanding how wonderful “up north” really is, but trust me - it’s the best.)  

Summer also means movie nights, and baseball games, and water fights and sprinklers, and sports camps.  It means staying up late, and sleeping in.  It means reading club at the library, and grilling on the deck, and sleepovers, and outdoor concerts, and fireworks.

Basically, summer is one big adventure around here, and we’re so excited it’s finally here we wanted to share some “summer” love with all of you. What are some of your favorite summer “adventures?"

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“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon;
to me those have always been the two most
beautiful words in the English language.”

— Henry James

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At Aten & Co., we love to create beautiful pieces that hopefully bring a little joy into your hearts. We especially love it when clients like you ask us to create something special just for their home. We call them custom signs, and it’s always exciting to be able to design something based on your vision and ideas.

Custom signs are perfect for your favorite phrase or Bible verse, or for your special event. They are also a beautiful way to add a personal touch to your wedding, birthday, anniversary or family event.  

Since we get asked all the time to create something special for clients, we thought we’d share a little bit of the love with all of you.   Interested in having us create something custom for your home?  We’d love to!  We’ve tried to make it really easy to order exactly what you want.  

Simply click here, and complete the order form when you check out.  You’ll choose your size, and then you’ll be able to let us know what phrase you want to include, as well as any special instructions (including font choices).  

We’ll create the design and send you a proof, so you can see exactly what you’re getting.  Once you okay the design, we’ll get to work and get your sign shipped out in our standard turnaround time. 

We are so excited to see what you’ve dreamed up for your home, and we can’t wait to make it for you!

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“But the fruit of the spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.”

— Galatians 5:22-25

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 “You can be anything,” I told her.  Our oldest daughter had asked whether she should be a soccer coach or a teacher when she grows up, and the truth is, at nine years old, pretty much nothing is off the table yet.  She can be anything she wants.  She has choices.

Of course, we all have choices. We make choices about what to eat, what to wear, what to do.  We choose where to live and where to work. We literally make hundreds of choices every day. 

Sometimes the choices are obvious - what to put on when we get out of bed in the morning.  Sometimes they are more subtle - how to respond to the person who cut us off on the freeway, or how to handle that rude person at work. We still get a choice.

Kindness is a choice.  Let’s be honest, it’s not always our first choice.  Sometimes our first choice is something a little closer to... well, let’s not talk about that. But what if our first choice was to be kind?  I think we might be surprised. 

After all, you never know when your choice may change the entire direction of someone else’s day.  You never know when your choice might be the unexpected thing that helps turn it around. Because, let’s be real, the world could use a little more kindness.

The world could use more people choosing to be kind to each other.  In a world where there is plenty of anger, bitterness, violence, hatred and brokenness, the beautiful thing is that you and I can do something about it. You and I can be a part of making a little kindness happen, with just a simple choice.

That’s what I love about this sign.  It’s a reminder that in a world of choices - a world of opportunities, there’s one choice that costs me almost nothing, but changes everything.

Be kind.

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“Be kind and compassionate to one another. ”

— Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

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We're so glad you decided to check out our new online shop.  Our hope is that as you explore, you'll find something to add a little joy and love to your home.  Every single piece is handcrafted from start to finish, from cutting the perfect piece of wood, stenciling, painting, staining, and framing.  

It's been a labor of love to build this project into something more than just a hobby, but we are excited to have a place where we can share our love for home and family with you and yours. 

We're super excited to finally be able to launch this site, and make our pieces available to you, no matter where you are located.