Author of Simply Grove, a design entrepreneur, and an advocate for adoption, Kirsten Grove has her hands and her heart full.

Carrie Underwood and I are alike in a lot of ways. I was on set for her week of filming, and I was able to go through the script with her. She would ask me things like, “What do you think about this?” She really wanted to get it right.

The problem is that a three thousand pound Oldsmobile falling on a man’s chest doesn’t fit into Maslow’s neat triangle. Nor do tumors, bankruptcy, or other painful scenarios many Christians say have drawn them closer to God.

If you’re thinking you have slightly more worthwhile things to spend millions of dollars on, here are some practical, but just as inspiring closets from around the blog-o-sphere.

The World Race doesn’t allow for luke-warm missionaries. It’s not intended for apathetic twenty-somethings. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart.

Alex Evjen (pictured above) is one of those rare combinations of beauty AND brains. Before sitting down for a Q&A, I had the pleasure of undergoing the “AVE Styles experience,” and here’s the proof!

Promise Tangemen recently joined the 31 Bits girls to snap a few shots sporting their newest line. Check out her five favorite pieces for summer.