11.19.2012

Beauty.

I have seemed to check out lately.  
Not intentionally.  
Just seems that God wants me to slow down.

Really, nothing has changed - except how much time I take to realize that simple is beautiful. 

Thought I would share some of that beauty.













Just an afternoon at the park and beautiful things all around.  Is it wonderful to notice the color and simplicity of life?

Hello Monday

AH, hello Monday!
How I love you on a week off from school!
A week to enjoy friends we never get to see!
A week to sleep past 6!  



Hello Sisters


Hello to children who seem to make friends no matter what the circumstances are!  I love watching them play with children they don't know!


Hello Sunshine!


Hello to a visit from grandpa and a fort building planning session.


Hello to cheese!



What?  I can't hear you!


Hello to wearing a too big hat everywhere.she.goes.


Hello to making Christmas lists


Hello to unplanned trips to the playground that last hours.


Hello to mischief


hello to dizzy!



Hello to how did she get that big already?


Hello to bravery!



Hello to being a kid!



Hello to feeding ducks, a stepping in duck dung - yuck

This week, I'm saying hello to sharing my secret apple pie recipe, sewing plenty of jersey scarfs, getting the the Etsy shop and new Facebook page branded and spending time with my little family of 6.  Thankful!

11.13.2012

Hello Monday


Hello Tuesday (that was suppose to be Monday).
  Really did Monday go?  And with that - why is the week going so fast?  I am so not ready to eat turkey yet.  Well, certain turkey.



Hello to election day!  Did you vote?  We did, in the rain.  Then we took a rare trip to the mall to look for big boy clothes.  Miss on the clothes but score on pretzels from Auntie Anne's! 


Hello to now being the mother to a 11, 9, 7 and THREE year old!  Three - how did you get here so quickly?  And three, how will I ever survive you?  


Hello to letting the leader pick dinner - cheese sticks and egg rolls. Doesn't get much more healthier than that.


Hello to beautiful leaves EVERYWHERE.


A sad hello to a boy not feeling so well.  Strep is not nice.


Hello to a very smart boy who finds reading a waste of time.  He actually smiled while diving into a Dr. Seuss book this week.  I pray that he loves to read one day.  And that he loves to write just as much.

The next two weeks I'm saying hello to some new self designed branding.  Hello to a new look and new beginning for my Etsy shop.  Hello to some marketing and hello to brand new efforts.  Hello to hope.  I would like you to meet faith along the way to discovering new things I never thought I had in me.  

11.09.2012

The baby is 3

She was a total surprise.

I mean, they were all surprises - delightful surprises.

But this one, she took us by storm.  From before she came out into the world, we knew she was a force to be reckoned with.

After all, she is named after a woman who is also a force to be reckoned with.  


A woman who doesn't take no for an answer.  
A woman who loves regardless of iniquities.  
A woman who perservers. 
A woman who goes against the grain.  
A woman who is independent.  
A woman who looks for a challenge. 
A woman of beauty.
A woman with an infectious smile.



Most of all,
A woman who does it all with Grace.



That would be my daughter. 
On loan from God - lent to me for the shaping.

I love my sweet surprise.  She is a light to the world!  


11.08.2012

Social Media has killed my Social life

Yup - dead in the water.


Not that a mother of four, with a small (very small) business, a marriage, and a need to workout should have time for a social life.  



Hell, I'm 36-- isn't it time to go to bed when the kids do.  I drive a minivan for pete's sake.  People who drive minivans do not equate to social lives.



Social lives are for the young, the single?, the childless, the non-mini van driving people who tend to know the latest fashions and can handle more than one glass of wine without passing out.



But wait, maybe I do have the social life - the connection I long for.  After all, look at these stats--



There are 16 people who follow my blog.

212 people actually read my post yesterday.
I have 490 facebook friends who represent 32 states, and 5 countries.
There are 290 people waiting, salivating on twitter for my 140 characters or less.
Or how about Pinterest?  Are you one of the few who are dying to see what I dream my dining room might look like.
And my friend Instagram.  The place of few words but yet so many at the same time.  I have a life there.  Tons of "heart" action going on when I post a picture of our dog chewing on the deck.


And while these number are not even "write home to mom" worthy stats - for one person they are -- well, more than myself.  



But in the end - they are numbers, that is about what I have for a social life.  Numbers get you much of nothing in the hug department. Numbers don't call you and say, "let's do lunch." From an overly emotional artist stand point - numbers really don't mean a thing.  In my world 0 and 1,000,000 mean about the same thing.



Five years ago, I didn't have an account anywhere.  I had email.  I checked it twice a week.  I really didn't care what was going on in the virtual world.  What I did have was lunch dates, time to meet other young moms at the park, a place in my heart to listen to stories over coffee (often).  My phone rang - it didn't ding with a text.



I know, I know - I'm not completly alone, that I am a victim and a contributor at the same time.  



But in the world of instant pictures, and such - I would rather just say in my case "ignorance was bliss."  Before I had a Facebook account, I never really knew if my feelings were getting hurt.  I didn't have the opportunity to sit at home and think, "why wasn't I there."  I didn't compare myself to the skinny people I know on Instagram.  It was awesome.  I was happy with my little non existent social life and all was good. 



So now you read this post, you are probably sitting back thinking, "man, this girl really needs to get a life." Maybe you are right but maybe you're wrong.  I think what this girl needs to do is stop making up wonderful "wanna be" stories based on other's pictures.  




This girl is going back to the old days.  The days where I spent so less time fantasizing and more time investing.  So goodbye.  Time to pick up the phone and call the people I love so much.  




11.06.2012

Running the Race

It was a dare a few months ago.  Well, you know the last day to get the dicount for the Rock N Roll Half in Savannah is today.  So impulsively, I took the plunge.  And boy am I thankful that a friend had more faith in me than I did in myself. Finish vertical I kept saying, finish vertical.


A large group from the area went to the race.  We ended up riding with my friend Robin and her hubby Jeff.  Carpooling to a half marathon with my personal trainer friend and her husband - genius.  ((why I am sticking my butt out I have no idea))



This is Kenneth, he gave me my number.  He really didn't like getting his picture taken so we took it like a hundred times.


Apparently I didn't either :)




 Still not liking the pictures in the sea of 10,000 people.


I woke up at 4:47 that morning!!!!!! whoa!  We took the 6:30 shuttle from the hotel.  The entire morning was kind of like waiting for surgery - ekkkkkk.


We were corral (how demeaning) 21.  Which meant a little bit of a wait to get started.  Again, waiting. 


Out of all the amazing things I saw during the run, this is the only picture I took.  Really?  What was I thinking?  The people cheering along the race route were awesome.  The signs were great. There were were amazing people pushing themselves - giving their all.  I admire them. 


I finished!  Under goal.  Set a precedent for races to come.


Cute Cheerleader.


Still smiling, was never sore.  Although it appears that I am suffering from "runner's toe".  Seriously, a toe?  WHAT?


Robin is an athlete and had to wait on me.  But I'm OK with that.  I'm proud of the rest of the group too!  They all did awesome!


Really what other way would you celebrate than with a new dress and Starbucks. For all the time I make fun of yuppies, I must now admit - I am one.


This guy is great!  


Except for this picture, when he just finished telling me how tired HE was! 

11.05.2012

Hello Monday

Ah, blogging.  I'm back!  It is free therapy - so there is no reason not to be here :)




Hello, Savannah!  You are so beautiful and always so welcoming.  Oh, to move to your gracious city! 



Hello to my first Half Marathon. 



Hello to kicking butt and finishing 13.1 miles! 



Hello to the love of my life, to the best cheerleader a gal could ask for.


Hello to feeling like you can fly.





Hello to beautiful fall walks in the lovely Georgia woods. 



Hello to inspiration.


Hello to changes in relationships.  Hello to filling moment of lonliness and doubt with those of beauty and art. 

Praying this week means tons of hellos for you.  For me, I would like to see smiles, opportunites, art, and time to create.

  

Happy hellos y'all!