KariAnne Wood - So Close to Amazing

KariAnnes oh-so-relatable stories and hysterical tales of her everyday mishaps and grand adventures had me doubled over in laughter (while trying to keep the mascara from smearing down my face). The heart lessons found in the journey will inspire everyone who (like me!) finds themselves in this so close to amazing sisterhood.

MELISSA MICHAELS

New York Times bestselling author of Love the Home You Have and The Inspired Room blog

Friendship is something that happens when two people say, Me, too, and KariAnne has a way of reminding you that youre not the only one. Her honest, real, relatable approach to life is refreshing for her audience in so many ways. So Close to Amazing had me in fits of laughter, paired with unexpected tears that come only when someone is so honest with their own struggles and unexpected twists in life. Its here that she reminds us in her own one-of-a-kind way not to miss the little moments. Because its in the little moments that the most beautiful ones are unexpectedly found.

ASHLEY MILLS

thehandmadehome.net

So Close to Amazing is a reminder that life is never perfect, always changing, and ever evolving, and that with faith, we can overcome the obstacles that simply living life brings our way. KariAnne invites readers into her witty and wonderfully wacky world of moving to the country in Kentucky with her husband and four children, with its challenges of fitting in to a new place. With the humor and humility she lives out in everyday life, shes a friend you want to sit down and have coffee with, who would be fun to do a DIY project with, and who speaks to the hearts of real women everywhere.

RHODA VICKERS

southernhospitalityblog.com

KariAnne doesnt know it yet, but shes my new BFF. Shes hilarious, honest, and the perfect kind of hot mess who lets you know youre not alone. At the risk of stating the obvious, So Close to Amazing isnt close to amazing. It is amazing. Youll find yourself cheering for KariAnne through every mishap and thanking God for loving each of us as we are. You get more than a book with So Close to Amazing. You get heartfelt stories, great DIY projects, and a new BFF.

JENNIFER DUKES LEE

Author of The Happiness Dare and Love Idol

I love KariAnnes story, and I wish we all lived so boldly, with a measure of her energy and passion and humor and faith. She is a treasure.

EDIE WADSWORTH

Author of All The Pretty Things; lifeingraceblog.com

One part memoir and one part afternoon on the porch with a friend (with sweet tea in hand!), So Close to Amazing offers us fresh perspective on our own twists and turns in life... and delivers those life lessons through KariAnnes signature wit and charm.

RUTH CHOU SIMONS

Author of GraceLaced: Discovering Timeless Truths through Seasons of the Heart and founder of gracelaced.com

Each page is filled with KariAnnes genuine enthusiasm, mind-blowing optimism, and humble faith. It is an entertaining reminder of the power of believing you are amazing, even when you miss the mark by a little bit, and the power of remembering to put it in his hands.

LAURA PUTNAM

findinghomefarms.com

For the twelve years Ive known KariAnne, shes never done anything halfway. Anything she touches is always amazing! This book is no different. It is an engaging, creative blend of humorous sharing about a womans struggles on everything from fitting in to keeping faith. It will encourage you on your worst days, affirm you on your best days, and make you smile any day at all. You will join her journey from one adventure to the next and will most likely come away inspired for your next DIY project.

BRENNA STULL

Author of Coach Mom: 7 Strategies for Organizing Your Family into an All-Star Team

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Visit the authors website at www.thistlewoodfarms.com.

TYNDALE, Tyndale Momentum, and Tyndales quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. The Tyndale Momentum logo is a trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Tyndale Momentum is the nonfiction imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois.

So Close to Amazing: Stories of a DIY Life Gone Wrong... and Learning to Find the Beauty in Every Imperfection

Copyright 2017 by KariAnne Wood. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of paper texture copyright zephyr_p/Adobe Stock. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of paper hole copyright leungchopan/Adobe Stock. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of tape copyright Lainea/Shutterstock. All rights reserved.

Interior illustrations of DIY steps copyright Rebecca Prinn. All rights reserved.

Interior illustrations of seamless patterns copyright ulimi/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Nicole Grimes

Interior design by Jennifer Phelps

Edited by Stephanie Rische

Published in association with the literary agency of William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Court, Eugene, OR 97404.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Tyndale House Publishers at , or call 1-800-323-9400.

ISBN 978-1-4964-2201-9

ISBN 978-1-4964-2204-0 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4964-2203-3 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-2202-6 (Apple)

Build: 2017-08-18 09:40:45

This book is dedicated to my father. You were the one who went first. You were the writer, the poet, the listener, the teacher, and the leader of your band of merry men. I can feel your heartbeat in every line of this book. Im lifting my pen to you in heaven. I love you, Dad.

Foreword

Being asked to write the foreword to the book of an author youve never met face-to-face is the literary equivalent of being set up on a blind date in the 80s. (You know, before Christian Mingle, or swiping right or left, or the ability to cyberstalk the date before you actually meet.)

But when I found out that KariAnne wanted me to write this foreword and that she was the queen of quaint DIY, I was immediately intrigued.

You see, Im in the middle of my own home restoration project, and I thought by reading So Close to Amazing I might pick up some fun and fab ideas to use in my own home. (Again, I am the blind date equivalent of meeting up with a guy who works on Wall Street in order to get stock tips. I am the worst...)

Just a few months into restoring my house, I realized this was more than a little fixer-upper. It was a journey into the depths of my soul. Parenting is the first level of self-discovery. A close second? Restoring a house. Parenting magnified all the weaknesses deep in me that were already there. Restoring a house caused me to go discover the black little heart I was able to hide from the rest of the world. Dealing with faulty wiring and possible asbestos can bring that shriveled, rotted pit of a heart out in a girl.