Tuesday. January 20, 2009

home with Alex today.

watching the Presidential Inauguration.

i thought it was pretty powerful.

i felt emotional about it. inspired for our country. and with high hopes for our future. my children's future.

as is evidence from Alex's job--we are more than strong supporters of the leader of our country, and are excited with hopes of good things to come. :)

i am pretty open this year. agreeing that it is time for new hope and new change and i welcome that, as i am sure everyone does regardless of political party.

2009 seems to be the year for possibilities for everyone...i hope these promises turn to good true actions.

*don't forget to read below about my own SU! opportunities and goodness in my previous posts. :)

xoxo

STAMPIN' UP!

hello friends.
how's everyone lately?
we are fine around here. today everyone is home for the Martin Luther King holiday. Nice to have a day off to break things up. i try to take special days like this to reflect on history. even for a few minutes. i think today is a big deal since it comes before the inaugration of Barak Obama tomorrow. what a big day for american history.

so.
i am spending my day doing laundry. cleaning bits of this and that around the house. trying to catch up on computer things. like emails and SU! business stuff, and updating my blog for a minute.
if i can find my memory card for my camera i can upload some photos of some valentine cards and candies that i made they turned out pretty cute--lots of pink and red and hearts and little birdies and chocolate. i'll find that later and try to add the picures tonight or tomorrow when everyone is back to business.

i wanted to note on here that today marks the debut of the Stampin' Up! Spring Summer 2009 catalog. i have my copy here next to me ...and it is really good. so much to take in and drool over.
lots of new stamp sets of course. cute new accessories, like crocheted flowers, nice new ribbons, and designer series papers. i was really looking forward to seeing the new dies for the big shot machine i got last summer. my wish list includes a nice butterfly die, a cute leaf, and a billboard alphabet set. i cant wait to get them and start playing around in my little creative area.
if any of you are interested. please clink on the title link above, or my su! site on the left, i have a section for online ordering as well...you know if anyone just has to order something asap (like i did).
browsing the catalog is a wonderful way to be inspired as well. so many cool paper ideas in there. and color combinations...i could go on and on. check it out!!

xoxo

a hair blessing

so, this morning i went out and about and tried finding babygates for henry--our staffy puppy--he needs them, i need them. no luck though. everyone must have given these as christmas gifts or something...and i need a longer than a regular size door one. i left the house first thing, feeling rather annoyed at the dogs, annoyed at having to go out in this very cold weather...and i had quite a headache already from this cold that wont quit.
so anyway...

on a back note** i have been feeling rather yuck lately--physically mainly, cause i am on a quest to feel better mentally ...but my body is not matching up to a picure of good health either....i have a little head cold, added on to just feeling fat and tired and cranky...you get my picture. well throw into that mix a bad haircut. that i have been trying to grow out a bit to re-cut it to my old good style. so...i was out window shopping with a frown...when the guy at starbucks calls out to me--hey i really like your hair! What-me? yup he was talking to me. he said it looked really good on me...well, that was pretty nice. i smile and say thanks. thinking maybe hes making fun of my lame hair....
i continue on to another store...a lady stops me and asks if i get my hair done around here anywhere. what ??? again, i feel guilty saying, oh i just washed it this morning and did a little poof here, straightening iron there. but gee--thanks.
i go to a little craft store next that ive never been in. and the check out lady says--oh, honey your hair is so cute. ok, this is the point where i almost lose it. let me just say that I about cried. i felt my nose burn and when i cry i get red blotchies all over my chest--and i could feel them forming..but i held it in, took the compliment and walked out of that store....

with a bigol' thank you Lord for that one. cause i sure needed that. i mean goodness. here i was feeling frumpy and lumpy and my hairs been falling out again cause of these stupid stress cycles i seem to be stuck in...and 3 different people, in 3 different stores in a matter of 1 hour tell me how cute my hair is...when i have been feeling so crappy about it for weeks. it was just plain awesome. well, it just goes to show you what the kindness of others can do for someone. lift them up--thats what. i just needed that. ya know? and the strange thing is....people here in maryland are not so nice at first. i mean, they are a tad standoffish...so its not like you go walking around town, and everyone is bestowing compliments left and right. so you can imagine, it was a real surprise and treat for me.

that was a little blessing from God just for me. it has kept a smile on my face all day--just in time to help lighten my mood for my husband's return from a few days away.

maybe i should take a photo of my hair today so i can see what everyone else saw??? :)

xoxo

a week into 2009

everyone is back to school and work and life is in a good place.

things around the house are beginning to feel better. i am slowly--very slowly getting rooms clean, keeping up on the never ending laundry--making an actual to do today list and DOING those tasks. yeah....it is amazing what i can do once i actually get up and do them.

on a personal note**ive pretty much decided to let go of some things that have been really making me feel crappy and try my hardest to move forward. hard to do. its like i like being sucked into a fog or something. i guess in a way, ive been letting some things cripple me. not feeling able to see the positive and thats just so lame. i see the good part of doing that for awhile. perspective, truth lessons, etc. but when its enough, its enough. i know i am being kinda vague, its like airing your dirty laundry without actually putting it outside. :)

after months of stumbling around here, letting myself sink into a big chaotic emotional funk... i just feel ready to go-to try-to step forward-to start....all those things. and its about damn time. seriously. its nice that this is coinciding with the start of a new year. back to my fresh start feelings, and new life stories.

time to grow and make some goals of my own and take little steps to work at them. could be exciting really, if i wasn't so dingdang scared to start new things. but, this fear will never go away if i dont do something about it, right? yeah, i finally see that. well honestly, ive seen it in the past, but wasn't ready to do anything about it. im in a weird spot. being a stay at home mom to kids who are in school all day. no one to care for during the day. what do i do with myself? getting an actual part time job is becoming something of a challenge. i still need to be home on sick days, before the kids leave for school and return. so my options are limited as far as time goes. and then there is the story of my skills--or lack of. all of those things are swirling around in my head...mixed with my fears of moving forward, stepping out of my comfort zone. well you get the picture.

i am working on it, and that is a good thing.

i am also going to be opening a little online crafty shop pretty soon. where i will place the things i have made for sale to others...so whenever you may be in the need for a small handmade gift, you can pop onto my site and see if anything of interest is there for you....made by little ol' me.

something i am overly excited about and adding to my list of small personal goals.

and cause i love to add photos in my posts..ill leave you with a pic of me and the gang on a recent trip to DC. it is pretty exciting to be around here right now. esp, with all the hubbub of a new President and all. lots of new possibilities for everyone.

*oops photos automatically go to the top--how do i insert them where i want them????

xoxo