Highs and Lows

Both of my kids took good naps today. However, when they were not asleep things felt intense most of the day. It wasn't all bad, definitely more a mix of highs and lows.

The highs included:

Enjoying a morning with my little man while sister was at school.

Running in and out of Target in under 20 minutes and sticking to my list.

Laughing with my daughter on the way home from school while I listened to her use the word "fancy" at least 5 times in a minute. It must have been the word of the day.

Laughing again when she informs me that our car is not "fancy".

Getting a phone call this afternoon with some good news.

Getting to play with my new baby while photographing my adorable baby.

 

The lows included:

The 3 hours from naptime to bedtime where mentally and physically exhausting.

I felt like I yelled a lot. I hope my daughter will remember me for something positive and not the yelling.

Coming to a difficult conclusion about our cat. We need to schedule a trip to the vet. That is all I will say about that.

Something I was expecting in the mail did not come today.

Having a heavy heart for several friends who are in great need of prayer right now.

 

Having to go to bed with only one thing checked off my to-do list.

  

Today

Tuesday's my daughter has dance class. The studio is literally 4 minutes from our house. I was expecting a delivery from the postman. I waited until the last minute to leave for dance then rushed home as soon as it was over. Sure enough, I came home to a delivery slip on the door. The only 55 minutes that I was gone from the house today was the timeslot that the postman attempted to deliver my package. Bust!

 

The slip said that my package would be available for pick up at the post office later that afternoon. So, just before naptime I loaded up the troops and headed to the post office. Luckily there was no line and the service was fast. I got the package and came home to tuck the kids in for naptime.

 

Then I dived into my box. This is what I found.  

My new baby. I decided it was time to upgrade. I went with the 50d because it is so highly recommended. There are two newer models and this one still gets the highest rating. Finding these new or used is not easy. The new ones keep getting more expensive because of the demand. Anyways, I found a great deal on a lightly used one and it is mine!

 

I spent naptime getting aquainted with this beauty. I love it. I do need a lot of practice on it because it handles very differently from my last camera. (Btw- anyone want to buy my old one???)

 

Today was rainy and super-dreary, so lighting conditions were seriously less-than-ideal. But, I was able to get a couple sweet shots of Ash. I am so eager to get out and really try this thing out and see what it can really do:)

 

Stuff I bet you didn't know

One thing I love about the blog (and facebook) world is that you get to know so many people that you would not met otherwise. The problem with cyber-friends is that for the most part, you never meet them in person. There is so much about a person that you learn just from interacting with them face-to-face. Anyways, just for fun I thought I would post some things about me that I bet most of you don't know...You know so that we can get to know one another a little better.

 

1. I twirl my hair. A lot. As in, while driving, reading, sleeping, a lot of the time. I can tie knots in my hair and un-do them with one hand. I have done this since I was a child.

 

2. I am scared of the dark. Not like paralyzing fear, but I do not like to be home alone at night. And I can't stand to have the curtains or blinds open at night. The thought of someone looking in when I can't see out freaks. me. out.

 

3. I LOVE getting the mail everyday. As in I am a little fanatical about it. Whenever we come home from a trip I absolutely cannot wait to go through all the mail. When we came home from our honeymoon, it was the first thing I did. Before opening the huge pile of wedding gifts filling our living room. I am not lying.

 

4. My maiden name is one of the names inscribed in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

 

5. My daughter's middle name is the one that I always wanted.

 

6. I am freakishly good at excel. It is weird. It is all attributed to my old career, but I do take pride in it and use it as often as I can.

 

7. I have about 9 books on my nightstand. Different subjects and topics. Some started and others not. All on my to-do list. (Yea, in all my free time)

 

8. My birthday is coming up next month. I love birthdays. They are big time around here.

 

9. I really enjoying doing laundry but hate folding and hanging clean clothes.

 

10. My favorite flower is the Gerber Daisy. They make me so happy. And they last a long time.

 

Do you feel like you know me a little better? I hope so! Feel free to share anything fun about yourself in the comments.

 

 

Don't forget about the big Destash sale going on in my shop. 20% of the sale is going to Red Cross to help Japan. I really want (read: need) this stuff gone. If you go to my fb page here and "like" the page you will see a discount code for 10% off the destash items. Hurry, while there is still good stuff to choose from!

 

Lightening the Load for Charity

My heart is hurting for so many things right now. Japan, sick kids, families losing their homes, orphaned children...and the list can go on and on. I think it is the times we are in. There are just so. many. bad. things. It is hard to take it all in sometimes.

 

Anyways, I have a charitable heart. I always want to give and help all these people and causes but our budget certainly doesn't allow it. Since we are a single income family with a super tight budget (As in, milking-every-penny tight), I try to think of creative ways to help by donating my time or services but sometimes people really just need money. Well, remember when I wrote this post about lightening the load and getting rid of all the stuff? I have decided to take the same approach but to earmark a portion of the sales to help charity. (I should have been doing this all along but believe it or not the light bulb just went on!)

 

This time I am aiming to help Japan. I think it devestates me so much because they are similar to Americans in so may ways. They have money and supplies and stable buildings. They had emergency plans and support systems and things still went catastrophically wrong there. Like Katrina but so much worse. There are just some things that you cannot prepare for no matter what.

 

So, I have decided to sell off the majority of my extensive fabric stash. It has just been sitting in storage for almost a year. Just sitting there. Looking prety and not getting used. I have TONS of really good stuff. We are talking yards and yards of designer goodies. First I pulled aside this stuff.

 

 

I pulled everything out and starting measuring and sorting and taking pictures and notes. It was an ordeal but I had over 50 listings when I was done. Isn't that incredible? The crazy part is that I didn't finish. I figure that I will start with these and then once they sell I will move on.

 

look at all this!

 

I know you are asking yourself, "Why do I care?". Well, here is where you come in...You can participate too! I am calling this event "Supplies for Supplies". It is one big destash sale on etsy.

 

 

All the items are listed in individual shops, just search the tag "destash for japan" to find participants.

 

 

Don't have anything to sell? That is okay, feel free to link this post on facebook or your personal blog to pass the word. I can't vouch for all the participants but I know my prices are really great. Most designer fabrics are $9+ per yard but I have my stuff priced at $7 per yard and many 2+ yard cuts are less than that! So, you can help charity and get a good deal!

 

Each shop will be donating their own amounts, but I have designated 20% off all the sales to be donated to the Red Cross for Japan relief. When I make my donation, I will take a screen shot and post it here to share. I am hoping for something really big!

 

If you are interested in participating, just leave a comment with your email address and I will contact you with details.

 

Currently, you can find great destash for Japan at my shop here and at Monkey Style Boutique here. Remember, if you want to participate, let me know because I would love to advertise for you!

 

While I am on the topic of charity, I would be upset with myself if I did not mention this effort. My good friend Bethany is raising money to help Carter. He is a 5 1/2 year-old little boy who was just diagnosed with leukemia. Isn't that just heartbreaking. Beth has designed these super cute printable posters in her shop. 100% of the proceeds are going to help with Carter's medical bills.

 

 

You can purchase these (and more) precious prints at Beth's shop here. Read more about Beth's effort to raise money for Carter here. Follow Carter's family blog here.

 

What can you give?

 

To pin or not to pin?

Do you know what pinterest is? If you don't, go check it out. It is the newest cyber thing. Like how tweeting was a year (or more) ago.

 

I can't decide if it is helpful or just another way to waste the little free time that I have. In some ways it seems great and very organized and in other ways I imagine I would just stare away into cyberspace looking at tons of cool and mindless stuff.

 

So, I ask you...Do you pin? Should I?

 

If you vote that I should, please pursuade me:)

 

Where I stand with my New Year's Resolutions

Back in January I posted my personal goals for 2011 here. Now that we are 11 weeks into the year I thought I would check in and see where I stand. Just trying to keep everything real and hold myself accountable.

 

1. Lose 25 pounds- Yea, this is not going very well. A large part of this has been the lack of effort. I dropped 6lbs almost immediately and have been able to consistently keep it off. I have not made it any further though. I also have not attempted to go to the gym or made any enormous dieting efforts. Wouldn't it just be easier if it would come off with wishful thinking?

 

I am frustrated with myself. I am also frustrated with the poor role model that I am being to my daughter. Just the other day we were driving somewhere and she saw a couple running out the window. This is what came next:

 

"Mommy, why are they running?"

"Well sweetie, they are getting exercise so they can be healthy."

"Mommy, what do you do for exercise?"

 

Ouch. I had nothing to say.

 

Yesterday I vowed to really try and take up running again. I have trained for a marathon before...like running 10-20 miles at a time on a weekly basis. I was hard core. Then I busted my knee and had surgery. Anyways, I went this morning before church. I started really slowly but I completed the goal I had set. It takes one day at a time and I succeeded today.

 

2. Save money- I am doing okay here. We have put aside a little for several different things.

 

3. Payoff debt- This is an area we are actually doing decent in. Our tax return really helped us out here.

 

4. Practice photography more- Well, I think starting a business and having multiple clients a week should count for something. I also consider this category a success so far.

 

5. Write (at least) one new pattern for the shop every quarter- Fail. I do have a design in my head. I just can't seem to find the time to get it on paper. I wanted to get it done over spring break. But spring break ends today, so that is obviously not going to happen.

 

6. Try one new recipe a month- January and February were a failure but I am trying something new this week. It is really simple and you can hardly consider it a recipe but it is new in our dinner rotation so I say that it counts!

 

And just for pictures sake....look at these toes? Are they not delicious?

 

 

Green Today

Happy St. Patricks Day to you all. I have tried to incoporate green into our otherwise boring day. This is mainly for my 3 year-olds benefit. Everything is more fun as a holiday. It is not much but here is our green from today...

 

 Emerson and I made green chocolate chip cookies with green sprinkles.

 I wore my dirty green flip flops. (I didn't realize how yucky they looked until I took the picture).

 The little man is wearing green. He is obviously very happy about it.

 My daughter in her green dress. Although her arms are covering a lot of the green-ness.

 A big green hug.

 Look at how she just adores him!

And these came in the mail today. New fabric from my friend Daryl at Exclusively Quilters. This is from their Green with Envy line. I don't know what I am going to make with it yet, but Emerson has requested a new skirt.

I am also contemplating having breakfast for dinner tonight and making green pancakes. I think Emy would get a kick out of that! What did you do today?