Thursday, January 30, 2014

She Ditched Me Today

Do you ever feel like you have that inner motivation?  Like a little cheerleader in your head that tells you to keep going and that you can do it?  Most of the time mine is pretty loud and very encouraging.
Although today she seems to be missing in action.  Yeah today, while I was cleaning my closet, she ditched me.  I don't blame her.  I really did not want to clean out the closet either.  I can't believe I let it get that bad.  I took out several bags full of clothes that no longer fit.  I parted with some stuff that I needed to part with and shoved some items back into the dark corners of the closet.  Where they will probably stay for another five years.

I really could have used the ra-ras and maybe even a few

Juju-Juju-she's our man if she can't do it no one can's!

Buuuuut no.  My inner cheerleader was busy today.       


 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Putting It Out There

I think somewhere during the last year I lost my confidence.  I am slowly regaining traction.  Getting up and putting myself out there is one of my main goals for this year.  I refuse to let myself a person that gives up and shuts down.  That just isn't me.  I have noticed that I stopped posting.  Yeah, I could say that I have been busy.  Which has been true.  I am still adjusting to this whole being a mom of a school age kid thing.  But when I look at myself deep down, I know why I quit.  Most of it has to do with fear. 

Most of the time I write for myself.  This is a way to get everything out of my head.  Yes I could keep a journal, I have in the past.  I have noticed that when I keep a journal I tend to only write in it when I was mad or upset.  I guess with a blog I have some sort of accountability to not get online and spew a bunch of negativity or hatred. 

So back to the writing for myself.  I had someone mention my blog to me in a conversation, and then I went "holy crap other people read my stuff?"  And to a small extent I knew that people did and could.  I mean it is on the internet for the entire world to peruse and critique.  The critique part threw me off.  You would be surprised how many comments I get from people who say they are "supportive" or the backhanded comments.  I've heard about blogging not being a "real job" (not that I get paid) and I have heard "Oh why don't you go put that on your blog".  So I think to some extent I just stopped writing so I would stop hearing about it.  I never thought of myself as someone who would back down but I do know that sometimes it's easier to relent and have everyone stop bothering you about it than dealing with it.  That was part of my problem.  I did mention before that I am pretty Non-confrontational right?  I'm not looking to be the World's Best Writer or Mrs. Blogwriter USA.  I'm really just a chick with a blank canvas in which to express myself.  But still the thought of getting hate mail or being judged because I write has taken me a few steps back.

But it isn't how many times you get knocked back, it's how many times you just keep pushing forward.  So with that expect more wordiness coming your way from yours truly!         

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

What I Did Today: The Tuesday Morning Edition.

I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning.  I fell asleep with the heated blanket on high and slept rough.  I was very zombie-ish this morning.  I am so thankful to my husband for turning the heater on this morning.

Then I got Clover packed up and dropped her off at school. 

Got home and had my nutty oatmeal.

And then I talked to Darren Hayes!  No, for reals!  Legit and it's been immortalized forever on the internet.

The link to his radio show is here and it's also available through podcasts on Itunes.  I'm all the way at the end.  I feel so bad that my keyboard was so clicky but I was messaging my husband that I was talking to Darren Hayes!  I said OMG and my husband thought I was messing with him and told me I was cute.    

This was the first time I was able to listen live.  I thought about calling but then talked myself out of it.  I wasn't going to do it and I was just going to listen but then the voice in the back of my head told me to DO IT!  Just call already.  What would I say?  Who knows.  Just go with it.  That's what I did and it was awesome!  I am totally fangirling right now.

I'm seriously trying not to hyperventilate.  I'm glad that I didn't have a cup of coffee because I don't think my heart could take caffeine on top of the excitement.

If there was anything I could add, I would just say today might be the day.  The day where you do that thing you have been waiting to do.  For whatever reason you haven't done it yet.  Go out there and get it done!  It could be awesome.  Or it couldn't but you never know.  I thought today was just going to be my average day. 

So, yeah.  Today has been a great Tuesday and it's only Noonish.

   



     

Monday, January 27, 2014

More Times

I have this thing where I walk around with just one sock on.  It's weird, I know.  I start off with both socks on and then something happens.  Either it gets wet on the ice that has spilled out of the ice maker or from a water mess in Clover's bathroom.  Or like this morning when I took my shoes off, one came off with my shoe and I just didn't bother to put it back on.  I'm not sure why I don't bother to take the other one off.  I guess I'm fine with just chilling with one sock on.  Usually I forget that I am only wearing one until the other foot gets cold and then I tuck it under the foot with the sock on.  I'm not exactly sure why I am writing about this other than to mention that it happens more times than I can mention.

 

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Nostalgic Fog

Sometimes flashbacks in the middle of the grocery store aren't a bad thing.  I was strolling through the cracker isle when I heard Savage Garden.  Of course it was Truly Madly Deeply.  This song has such a special place in my heart.  I was in love with this song.  I walked down the isle and married my husband to this song.

Have you ever tried to concentrate on grocery shopping when you are stuck in this nostalgic fog?

I think it's a good thing when you can look back and be happy with the memories.  To be that young and be so sure of something.  I knew I was in love and I knew I wanted to marry the guy that was standing on the end of the patio.  We had our family, some friends, the ocean, a bouquet of roses and Savage Garden on the boombox.  There were so many other things going on but that is what I remember.  It was him and I and nothing else mattered.

It's so interesting how a song can still be the same but the emotions you associate with it can change and then sometimes they don't.  Whenever I heard it I made my husband get up and dance with me.  We would shuffle around the kitchen in our socks.  I'm sure I annoyed everyone by keeping the song on auto repeat.  Fourteen years later, I still love that song.  Even through the craziness that can be life, I still love the man I married on that day.   

And then regular life kicked in and music got put down the list of priorities.  So it is nice when I hear an old song.  Even if I'm trying to decided between Better Cheddars and Ritz at the time.  I ended up getting both but I forgot the shaving cream.  I blame the fog.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

I Warned Him

I have one of these memories of talking to my boyfriend way back when.  We were day dreaming about what our future house would look like and I expressed my hatred for plain white walls.  He asked me what colors I liked and I said everything but white.  "So you would paint every room in your house a different color?"  he asked.  Yes, yes I would. 

And you know what?  He married me anyways.  He knew, it's not like I didn't warn him.

So now we are in the planning process of what color we want to repaint the bedroom.  It's a light blue right now, and I love the light blue but we are feeling a change coming.  Light green maybe?  The furniture we picked out is a cherry color.  So I don't want to go too dark on the walls.  Picking out color for walls is nerve wracking because you don't want to pick the wrong color.  But in reality if we hate it we can always repaint.  So bring on the color!  I may have to start a new pinterest board!  I think I just figured out what I was doing this afternoon! 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Biting Off More Than We Can Chew?

We've been making small changes here and there to the house.  During the holiday season we added medicine cabinets to the bathroom which freed up all of the counter space.  I thought they were going to be awkward but now I love them.  They really have simplified the bathroom. 

We have been doing small things here and there.  Although now ideas are flowing and the ideas are getting bigger and bigger.  These are things that need to get done.  Like for instance we had to order a new bed.  Ours broke.  Yes broke!  The center support beam broke into two pieces.  At eleven at night we were cleaning out underneath the bed and trying to figure out to do with the extra wood we now had access too.  Most of it is still there on the back porch.  That was a long day but we managed to get everything cleaned up and squared away.  But now our mattress is on the floor.  Since it was a platform bed the mattress was on the platform with no box spring.  The first few nights we laughed and joked about how it felt we were camping.  Now it just seems sad and we are both tired of climbing in and out of bed.    

So we ordered a new bed and dresser.  Our older furniture is about eight years old, was from Ikea and has seen better days.  I think that stuff may have an expiration date on it somewhere.  I'm a little afraid that when we go to move it, it will fall apart. 

We didn't want to be stuck with something we didn't like because it was in stock.  So we custom ordered our bed.  I kind of feel like this is the part where we get grown up furniture.  Which will come with the custom ordered time frame.  Ten weeks.  I'm holding on to hope that those ten weeks will go by fast.  In the mean time we have started discussing what we should do to the room since we are going to move everything out to get the new furniture in.  So do we want to paint?  What about the carpet?  What color?  Will everything fit? 

I'm hoping that everything will fall into place and I'm trying not to overwhelm myself with the ever-growing project.

One would think that by now I would learn not to bite off more than I can chew?  Since I obviously haven't learned my lesson yet, I might as well not talk with my mouth full.   

Sunday, January 12, 2014

The Sleepover In Which No One Slept

Clover had a sleep over with her best little friend.  I don't know why they call it a sleep over when no one sleeps.  So we kept the girls busy which included some My Little Pony and some bubble gum making.  Yes, that's right.  Making bubble gum.  We got a kit for Christmas.

 Unpacking the box.

 Contents:  Powdered sugar, flavorings, sour powder and gum base.

The girls were able to do a lot of the steps by themselves.  They did a lot of the measuring and mixing.  The instructions say to used a plastic spoon.  Do that.  I didn't listen to that part of the instructions and used a metal one and was cleaning it up for awhile.  

The gum flattened out.


All the pieces cut up and ready to try. 

It was pretty tasty gum and the girls looked like chipmunks with all the gum stuffed in their cheeks.  Then they went off to plot out how they were going to keep me up all night.  Then did manage to fall asleep for awhile even though they fell asleep with every light in her room on.  That was short lived.  I guess with all the excitement of having your bestest little friend there is just no room for sleep.

The girls had a blast and when the door bell rang with Mom to pick her up you could hear the girls go "aww man!"  I'm glad the girls had a good time and I felt bad she didn't want to go home but at the same time I needed a nap!

Clover was pretty upset when her friend left.  With the combination of lack of sleep and missing her bestie she was a whiny mess.  She crawled into my lap and told me that it would make me feel better if we cuddled and within two minutes she was asleep.  So I did what any sleep deprived mother would do.  I snuggled her and let her take a nap on me.

She slept for a little bit and when she woke up she was still a hot mess.  So we hung out on the couch with some hot chocolate until she felt better.  There might have been a cookie or two also.

I never did get my nap.         

 

My Tiana Tutu

Yes, I said MY tutu.  I have mentioned before that Tiana is my favorite Disney Princess, right?  yeah, I'm pretty sure I have.   

I think I work better under a deadline.  Which is why I wait so long before starting projects.  I've had this fabric for probably three months now.  I have known what I wanted to do with it.  But there it sat.  Just waiting.  I told myself I was waiting for inspiration to strike.  In all honestly I was just waiting for that "oh crap I've got to get this done" moment to kick in. 

So I had this fabric.  Then I decided that it wasn't right for what I was going for.  So I bought new fabric.  And then that sat around.  Then I got lazy and decided to order something off of Etsy.  Which was amazingly awesome but I ordered the wrong size.  Totally and completely my own fault.  I should have known better.  But in my rush to get it here on time I didn't take into account that I am not a "one size fits most" kind of person.  It was more of a "this size fit one side of my bust" kind of a situation.  So I himmed and hawed over it and decided to buy a shirt and wear the bottom.  Then the blues didn't match and I spent some time yesterday trying to figure out what I was going to do in my head.  So I started working on it last night.

I cut out the leaf panels and then lined them with some fray check.

I used fray check mostly because I was being lazy and partly because the fabric was super slippery.  I didn't want to spend all day finishing my edges.  I love the green fabric even though it was slippy.  It has a sparkle too it and a shimmer to it.  It actually is very lovely.  I draped one of the leaves on to figure out how many were going to fit across my waistline. 

Then I started pleating three yards of tulle to get it to the width  of the leaves.  This was the most frustrating part.  I restarted about four times.  Twice I over pleated and the the third time I under pleated.  The last time I got it close and called it at that.
     

Look at all those pins!

I really hate pins.  I don't know why.  I have never liked doing it.  But for the sake of my tutu I stuck with it.  I laid the tulle over the wrong side of the leaves and then folded over and inch to create the waistband for the elastic.  I wiggled in my elastic and it all came together.  I am very happy with the way it turned out. 

I am so excited to wear it!     

Now I just have to find a shirt to match! 

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

So I'm Still Here!

I feel cheated by this holiday season.  It had moments, but for the most part I was so stressed out about being stressed out that I feel like I missed a lot of it.  It's nobody's fault but my own.  Things are looking up though.  I am looking forward to this new year.  I have decided that this year I will be taking time to work on myself.  Of course that means inside and out.  Can you feel my excitement from there?  Yeah, neither can I.  :)

I have decided that this year is going to be my adventure year!  This year is going to be about getting out there and having as much fun as I can!  Now that I am looking forward too!