40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge

Just in time for the new year, I came across a new challenge (yet another one!) that I desparately need. 
40 Bags in 40 Days
The idea is to get rid of 40 bags of stuff from your house (and my whole family are packrats) in 40 days in any way... out to the garbage, donate, yard sale, etc. and by the end of it, have a cleaner, less cluttered home. 

So, starting January 1st, 2012 I'm dedicating myself to getting a bag together each day.  The size of the bag doesn't matter.  If you need a big garbage bag, use it, if you only need/gather a small shopping bag's worth, then do that, but what matters is that you do "A Bag A Day" for 40 days. 

Apparently, it came from the idea of the 40 days of Lent.  I think this is a wonderful challenge and have been in the cleaning mood lately, so hopefully this should work out.  Having just cleaned up the living room and kitchen for Christmas, I've had a jumpstart, so I'm excited about it.  I also plan to blog about my progress as well.  Please post comments about your progress as well if you plan to join me and post a link to your site if you're going to show your successes as well.  I'd love to see your pregression through the challenge.

Mermaid On Crutches?

Well, I came across one of the most ridiculous outfits that I’ve ever seen:

While quite beautiful, it seems to be very obnoxiously inconvenient and problematic.  I mean, seriously, how do you get a mermaid to “walk” with crutches (when obviously the poor model can’t even move her skimpy chicken legs?!)?

But then, while trying to find the actual fashion show that show cased this particular dress, I came across the following video:

I’ve never liked Haute Couture or any of the weird styles that some of the more popular designers put out… until now.

Jean Paul Gaultier is wonderful.  Somewhere into the video I actually found myself enjoying the fun that is JPG.  I still don’t quite believe it, but I did and now I do.  There were even a couple outfits that I actually liked.  The gold stockings on the one model were, in fact, my favorite thing for the whole show, but there were a few outfits that looked quite lovely as well. 

I enjoyed the music and the quirkiness that JPG apparently is known for and it is a pleasant and enjoyable attribute for a designer.  I wonder what else I’ve been missing with other designers as well as with this one?

(Just great… yet another object of distraction!)

But, then again, watching the models has given me new motivation to lose weight in the upcoming new year.  Will I lose enough to look like them?  Of course not, nor would I want to.  They are way too skinny, in my opinion.  But I would like to be my old self again, and lose quite a bit.  It’s always nice to have motivation.  The movie Dirty Dancing did it for me years ago and that motivation worked.  So, if it takes a Jean Paul Gaultier model to do it for me this time, then so be it.  Maybe I’ll actually keep this New Year’s Resolution and lose some poundage. 

Not that I want to wear anything that I saw in the video (I certainly couldn’t afford it!) but I would like the option and those things don’t come in my size.  What size am I, you ask?  Well, I’m not that brave as to post it on here, but if you’ve seen any of my pictures, you know I’m roughly the size of a small house.  Well, maybe not that big, but I feel like it.  And I am quite large.  So, my goal for this year is to lose 115 pounds in a year.  That’s only 2.2 pounds a week, so it’s actually quite doable… in theory. 

To change the subject yet again, I apologize for not getting any crafts out here… but the new year is just around the corner and once the holidays are over with, I’ll be able to concentrate on more than cleaning, cooking and decorating!

You know you're a mother when...

1.      You use your spit to clean off someone’s face… and it’s not necessarily your child! (It might even be an adult!)

2.      Your purse spills over and out comes nothing but baby wipes, cheerios, toys from numerous kids meals and a miscellaneous sock that would only fit the foot of a toddler… wallet?  What wallet?  Ahh, crap!

3.      You dig deeper into your purse to find the above lost wallet only to find… eeewwww, gross!  Where are those wipes?!?!

4.      You realize that you have no idea how you survived before you had wipes.

5.      You follow the disastrous trail of toys and clothes in order to find a child.

6.      The kids are constantly losing the tv remotes and you dig into the couch to find them and… eeeeewwwwww, Honey, bring me a wipe!

7.      You realize your mother’s curse worked!  Thanks a lot, Mom!  :-P

8.      You automatically move everything away from the edges of tables, counters, etc., even when in the homes of people who don’t have kids.

9.      You see everything as a hazard… this’ll poke an eye out, that’s slippery and someone will fall, this can get knocked off, that’s too dangerous over there…. OMG my house is a death trap!!  How on earth has anyone survived this far?!?!

10.  You realize you can’t even pee in peace, so you find your iPod, lock yourself in the bathroom and pray that the house doesn’t catch fire and no one bleeds to death for the five minutes you desire of “Me time” only to take the headphones off out of guilt.

11.  You realize that you’re totally exhausted, it’s only 5 o’clock, you haven’t even started dinner and you haven’t accomplished anything other than running after a munchkin, cleaning up after a munchkin, and keeping said little mess-maker from killing himself by diving off of furniture!

12.  You realize it’s ONLY 5 o’clock and you’re ready for bed, even if the kids aren’t!

13.  Your little one comes up to you and gives you a huge hug and the cutest little fishy kiss and the whole day melts away with his giggle.

Inspired by Mama Kat

Merry Ho Ho & Happy Humbug!

I love Christmas, I really do.  But every year I say I’m going to do better next year, get the house decorated earlier (or in some cases, get it decorated at all,) get cards mailed out earlier, clean up the house better, bake a lot, buy gifts throughout the year, so I’m not rushed, etc. etc. etc.  And every year, it seems I get later and later and less and less and…….  *sigh*

And this year, on top of all that, I seem to be feeling a bit strange.  I'm starting to see that Christmas really is too commercialized.  What happened to the true “Spirit of Christmas”??  Don’t get me wrong, I love Santa (I'm looking forward to having my little boy sit on Santa's lap again this year) and giving and receiving gifts, and who doesn't enjoy a Peanut's Christmas or Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?!

But why do I need to have this particular day to ask for something I want and why do I need this particular day to give someone, whom I care about, a gift?  Why can’t we just give gifts throughout the year… when we see that "special thing” that just cries out someone’s name and we think of that person, why then, can’t we just buy it and give it to them right then and there?  Why can’t we show them that we really care and think about them all the time and not just once a year?  And therefore, in that sense, if we’ve been showing that sentiment all year, why can’t we then spend the Christmas season focusing on the one who gave us the holiday in the first place?  Jesus Christ.  You can’t have CHRISTmas without CHRIST.  At Christmas, we could then just have everyone get together for dinners and focus on what the season truly means to us.

I suppose that would put Santa and a whole lot of elves out of work at that point, and then having all those little people out of work would flood the job market, making it even harder for anyone to get a job, but that’s already impossible at this point in our economy anyway so…..  Couldn’t we have a “Santamas” in July or maybe some other month that doesn’t have a major holiday in it?  A different time of year for Santa to do his thing so everyone who’s stuck on using the “Naughty vs. Nice list to keep kids in line” trick to still have. 

I’m totally torn on the subject, though.  I love decorating (in a very tacky way, I must admit) for Christmas and I’ve been quite enjoying all the Christmas movies on tv and the songs on the radio.  But I’ve really been seeing how we’re losing the meaning of this time of year.  I know, I know, there are other holidays around this time as well and I haven’t mentioned them… well, I really don’t know much about them, I’m sorry to say.  But with all the commercialism, they seem to be getting lost in the hustle and bustle as well.  When was the last time you saw a Kwanza sale or a Hanukkah sale?  But then again, there are the atheists who would miss out on all the hullabaloo if Christmas was moved.  And of course, there's the day after Thanksgiving.  We wouldn’t want to take the tradition of Black Friday away from anyone and what would the purpose of Black Friday be without Christmas?! 

Another thing that disturbs me is the fact that so many are taking away "Merry Christmas" and replacing it with "Happy Holidays."  But then again, that's the Christian in me coming out and probably should be in a totally different post. 

So, where does that leave me and my blog post?  Well, I still say Christmas is way too commercialized and we all need to step back and take a moment, perhaps at Christmas dinner or wherever you feel comfortable in doing so, and reflect on the origin of the season.  There is really way more to this holiday season than most people realize.  Go ahead, look it up.  I’ll wait….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

http://www.history.com/topics/christmas

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm

http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm

http://mormon.org/jesus-christ/?gclid=CKGk66LjkK0CFUOQ7QodI2TFoA

http://mormon.org/searchResults?theme=blue&query=christmas  (Scroll down to where it says "The Christmas Spirit - Video - 3:57")  I think this last link, the video, says everything that I’ve been trying to get across.  We should focus on the “Spirit of Christ” rather than just “Christmas”

So, in the Spirit of both, God Bless and Merry Christmas!

 As an aside:

American Psychological Association (APA):

hullabaloo. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hullabaloo

      Origin:
1750–60;  apparently variant of haloobaloo,  rhyming compound based on Scots baloo  lullaby

Picture of the day...

Reaching for Mommy

Five Things...

Yep, it's that time again.  Time for me to do another long awaited Writing Prompt from Mama Kat.

Five Things. List 5 things we don't know about you, 5 things you're knowledgeable about, 5 things you know nothing about, and 5 things you believe.

5 things you don't know about me:
1. My favorite color is blue, but I just love the color combo of green and purple.
2. My first job was working in a lab in a hospital and I learned how to draw blood... and I enjoyed it!  (even though I pass out if I see a needle in my own arm)
3. The true meaning of my tattoo... and, no, I'm not going to reveal it here either, but it's nothing you could ever guess.  And that's not a challenge, just a statement.  It's the one thing that I have that is truly private and all my own... and it's going to stay that way.
4. I totally dispise dusting and do it as rarely as possible.
5. My favorite smells are fresh cut grass and freshly bleached clothes

5 things I'm knowledgeable about:
1. Computers (my ex was good for something... he taught me a lot about computers and then I taught myself from there.)
2. Photography (well, I know some)
3. Real Estate Title Insurance (only because I worked in the business for 5.5 years)
4. How to build a really nice snowman.  Great knowledge for this time of the year, but useless for living in Florida, which is where I am.
5. Adobe PhotoShop

5 things I know nothing about:
1. Being a Mother... I'm just totally wingin' it day by day!  I really have no idea what I'm doing, but don't tell the kids!  LOL
2. Twitter... I have a Twitter account, but I haven't a clue about all the symbols like the # and the @ and all that.  I set my account up to "Tweet" my posts and send them to my Facebook, but other than that, I'm clueless.
3. Printers/copiers... as much as I know about computers, I know that little about peripherals.  I even had to look up how to spell the word "peripheral"  DOH!
4. Flying a plane, but I always wanted to learn.
5. Music.  I'm musically illiterate.  I love music, but couldn't tell you the name of a song nor who sings it.  (Thank goodness for YouTube!)

5 things I believe:
1. I believe in God (and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost)
2. Santa Claus... a total contradiction of #1, I know, but I believe in the "spirit" of Christmas and I think that Santa's Nauty/Nice list is a good embodiment of that idea for the kids.
3. Imagination is greater than knowlege.  (quote by Mark Twain)
4. Everything happens for a reason. 
5. I believe that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ that goes along with the Bible and I have a strong testamony in support of it and of Jesus Christ.  (Yes, Mormons are Christians.)

NaNoWriMo

The Plarn Project Continues... finally

Ok, here they are... pics of the start of my plarn project.  With NaNoWriMo done, I can finally get back to some other projects.

This was just a sample to see how it would be to actually crochet with it.  I started without having the plarn "spun" and it was a bit difficult.  Once I had it "spun" it was a bit easier to see what I was doing.  I'm going to actually try to make a larger piece.  I'd like to make a tote bag out of it, which will probably take a while.  But I will take more pics as I go along.  I'm wondering if using the brown bags would look better... maybe more like raffita?  I need to cut up more brown bags and spin them into tighter spun plarn and try a sample with the brown.  I have more white bags, though, so I started with them.

Stay tuned...

Simply Said...

 I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends like I did. 

Now for my favorite holiday...

"The Day After Thanksgiving!" 

Gotta love those leftovers!

Inspiration knows no time

I have bouts of inspiration, energy and motivation at the most inopportune times.  I always get these bouts when I'm on the way out the door for whatever appointment I have, or in the middle of the night such as this particular episode...

It is now 3:07am and I've just been spinning plarn on a make-shift spindle (note to self, take pics for posting) because I was trying out the new plarn, but it's a bit hard to tell where you're at when it's doubled over.  I then had the idea of spinning it kind of like you spin yarn on a spindle.  But how to do that?  Well, I decided to look up plarn again and see if anyone had any ideas on that.  Yes, they did!  (gee, what a surprise... not!  I swear, you can find anything on the internet these days.  I remember when you actually had to go to the library to look up stuff, but I digress...)

So, I found a few people who had the same idea of spinning plarn and one used a Navajo Spindle.  Well, she said it costs about $25 bucks, but it looks like a dow stick with a round doohickey on it to hold the ball of plarn... quite simple, really.  So, to save a few pennies (the wallet's tight these days) I'm going to see about making one.  I already have a dow stick around here somewhere... then I'll just have to figure out what to use for the doohickey (yes, I'm sure that's the technical term for it :-P)

In the meantime, I'm using a pen with a clip on it to help hold the plarn.  It's working out quite well, actually. 

I've also come across a different way of making the plarn, which might even be a bit easier, so I'll try that as well and let you all know how each one turns out.

Stay tuned....

Slowly but surely...

Creativity Blooms and Flourishes!

Wow, what a day!  My Muse has returned in full force and she is nothing less than Brilliant!

As I said in a previous post, I'm working on a very cute little craft that also goes along with gardening... I've now begun the first stages (last minute epiphany as I was working on a different project) so that really is coming as I had said.

In the meantime, I've also begun a project for a Gatefold Scrapbook.  The first little section turned out decent, so I'll take some pics as I create the second one.

I've also begun to make "plarn" or plastic yarn.  We've got waaaayyy too many plastice bags and although we use some for garbage and whatnot, we've got an overabundance.  I try to remember to take the cloth bags to the grocery stores, but I usually remember them when I've already made it all the way to the front doors of the store.  :-P  Now, if we have a few extra bucks (which is rare these days) I'll buy one or two of the cloth ones, but the rest of the groceries go in the plastic bags.  Ugh!  I've just become so self conscious about all that land fill stuff and the eco-nuts are starting to really brainwash... er... get their message through to me, so I've decided that I want to do something more than my family and I are already doing.  I can't wait to crochet a tote bag using the plarn!  (pics and links to come.)

Hence, "plarn" has been discovered... well, I think it's been around for a bit, but I just recently discovered it during one of my many many many distracted internet surfing sessions.  So, I've got a small ball of plarn going and will be taking pics and sharing that project as it goes along too.

I also did a smidge of writing (which I need to get back to after this post) and during that, I was inspired to do some sketching for the book, which turned out kind of cool... at least in my mind's eye from the book's perspective.  Of course, not reading the book or knowing what it's about, it looks like a bunch of chicken scratches, I'm sure.

So, I've been a busy bee today.  I'm going to post a sketch here, but the pics will have to wait.  Be sure to check back for them.

Word Count

Picture of the day...

I've hit 15,000 words!!!

Yayy, Me!

Plodding Along...

Slowly but surely, I'm getting there... but I'm falling farther and farther behind.  I've had a couple of depressing days and it's just been too hard to concentrate on anything during my grieving period. 

So, anyway, I thought I'd at least post my new word count total. 

The road to NaNo is paved with good intentions...

Well, I have to resign myself to only doing one challenge at a time.  NaBloPoMo is a big ol' bust... NaNoWriMo, however, is coming along better than last year.  I'm about 3 days behind, though... due to a few really busy days and one really depressing and upsetting day (yesterday) but so far, I'm proud of my word count as of today...

And, also,
Happy 11/11/11

NaNoWriMo

Today's count as of 7pm...

Happy Halloween!

Practice Makes Perfect?

Ahhh, a fresh design.  Sorry for any inconvenience, but I needed a new look.  Not that I didn't like the old one, but it was... well... old.  And I needed to look at something fresh.  This might be just a temporary look, however.  I found a nice template over at Smitten Blog Designs and I hope to add it soon, but it's 6am and I've been up for hours... I'm going to try to get a little sleep, but the baby will probably wake up soon, so I'm pretty much SOL today for sleep.  Oh well, I'm just practicing for the lack of sleep I'll be getting during November with the NaNoWriMo event.  (as if I don't lack sleep enough already with a 14 month old! ugh!)

Sketch of the Day

Ok, so I've decided to start a bit early with the sketches... I just did a quick little sketch earlier in the day and then put it in PhotoShop and added some color... nothing major and no details, just a quickie, so it's not a masterpiece.

Here we go again...

It's coming up on November again... and again, I'm trying to take on more than... well, I don't want to be negative, but I'm certainly taking on a lot.  NaNoWriMo which is a 50,000 word novel written in 30 days (just the rough draft, of course) then there's NaBloPoMo which is posting on your blog every day for 30 days... a goal which I've tried many times, and have failed at miserably each time.  And as I was surfing around, researching and whatnot, I came across a very interesting site that gave me personal inspiration.  The site is: The Sketchbook Project 2012 World Tour and it led me to a desire to add to my 30-day goals... a Sketch-A-Day in my own sketch book.  I don't think I could get one done in time for the world tour and I don't like the thoughts of not getting my sketchbook back... (but what an opportunity it would be for people all over to see one's sketches!)  So, I'm tossing that idea onto the pile o'thirty and see what comes out on top. 

Now, to go out and buy a new sketchbook! 

November is...

NaBloPoMo and I thought I'd try to make a cool badge for it.  So, here's my first attempt.

Enjoy!

Sally Marshall Is Not An Alien

(A movie review)


Sally Marshall Is Not An Alien - a 1999 Australian family drama

I just finished watching this movie and I really enjoyed this movie quite a bit.  Enough so that I felt the desire to write a review.  I don't review movies that often, but when I come across a movie that isn't in the mainstream (like Harry Potter or Star Wars, etc.) that happens to catch my interest, I love to give kudos and bring it to the attention of others.  Now, on with the review...

It started out a little slow at first, maybe even a little dry, but that was what I expected from an unknown title on the BYU channel.  But I was caught unaware and found myself immersed in the movie.  The story of friendship that this movie gives the viewer is delivered very well.  The girls are terrific actors and have no problem portraying their characters.  I was crying at the end... sad, yet joyful tears.  It's really a feel-good family movie.  Very wholesome with a good message and a wonderful ending that will surprise you.

Pip is a young girl who is a little bit of a loner, doesn't quite fit in.  Rhonnie is a horrible bully of a girl who tries to manipulate everyone fiendishly.  Sally is the new girl and becomes the newest victim of Rhonnie's nastiness.  I think just about everyone will be able to relate to the kids in this story. 

Rhonnie concocts a story of Sally being an alien and Pip, who is fed up with the bullying, tries to stand up to Rhonnie, taking the side of Sally, who, despite being her neighbor, she doesn't know at all... yet.  Rhonnie bets Pip that Sally is an alien and she goads Pip into betting her telescope and then forces her to prove that Sally is really human or she loses her most prized possession.  To add insult to injury, Rhonnie twists Ben, a friend of Pip's, into doing some of her dirty deeds throughout most of the story.

The friendship that forms is heart-warming and the deceit that follows is just as heart-breaking as the kids make some bad choices.  But never fear, it does have a happy ending, though with just a touch of bitter-sweet thrown in to bring on the tears, so bring a tissue. 

Missing In Action...

(A personal reflection)
I just don't get it sometimes.  People disappear off the face of the web without so much as a kiss my patooty, or anything.  I was playing WoW the other day and came across another hunter character as we were both interested in the same rare pet (Arcturis) and for a couple days, we would each check in and chit-chat a bit, we were also under the agreement to let each other know if one of us got the pet and what time, etc. (for spawning timer info.)  Then, he up and apparently deletes his toon.  No longer on my friends list, no longer on the website armory database.  Just gone.  And he was a high level toon, so it's not like a new character where a lot of time hadn't been invested... this was a level 76-78 character.  *scratches head in thought*

Then I just happened to think of a RL ("real life" for those non-gamers out there) friend whom I hadn't seen around Facebook lately (she lives across the country, so it's not like I can just drive down the street to her house) and so I looked for her.... and she's gone!  Now, I know FB has changed quite a bit... and I know that some people prune their friend lists now and then, cutting out those people who aren't the most active in their lives.  Hence, I would probably be one of those.  But to not find her at all?  That means either she blocked me or she deleted her FB account.  I really can't see either one of those happening.  I certainly hadn't done anything to upset the applecart and get myself blocked.  I suppose she could have deleted her account, but she had been an active person on there, so that reason would make me concerned.

*sigh*

Then again, maybe it's me and I should get off the computer and actually participate in the world outside my house!  Hmmmmm...... nah.......

Well, maybe that would help.  If I actually got some fresh air and saw a few friends on a regular basis.  Which we did today.  We took Buggaboo to the park (can you believe I didn't get any pictures?!?!)  and the guys played with the little one and us girls sat and talked.  It was so nice, especially since the weather isn't so blasted hot. 

Then we got home, I put Buggaboo down for a snooze (he fell asleep in the car ride home) and I immediately got on the computer.  Not that I'm addicted to the internet or anything.


On a side note:  I'm getting supplies ready for the Gardening Craft, but I'm having a hard time finding one thing, so I'll keep you posted.  I may need to rethink a few things if I can't find this elusive item. 

FYI...

Well, I always start out with good intentions... But then crap out early in the game.  Missed yesterday for posting and I really wanted to get in a post every day for a whole month.  Missed the 3rd day!  Geez.  I really wish I had good time management.  Oh well, there's always next month...

Speaking of November, it's NaNoWriMo month next month!!!  I've been looking forward to this all year!  Last year I fell very short, but I got farther in writing a book than I ever had before!  This year I'm bound and determined to finish with full force!  So, stay tuned for more on that during the month of November.

Also, just an FYI, I'm planning a craft day and have a great idea that will combine my new features of Arts& Crafts with Gardening... and since I'll be posting pics, it'll have the photography feature with it too.  I'm very excited about the craft and hope to be uploading that this sometime over the next week.  I just have to get some supplies first.

My Personal Garden

Ok, so I got some tomato plants from one of the women at church a couple weeks ago... one is an indoor tomato plant, the other two are outdoor tomato plants.  All three are still in my house.  Sigh.  I just really don't know what happens to my time.  Well, yes, I do... I have a one year old.  But I honestly don't know how other mothers do it all.  I hardly accomplish anything during the day and I'm exhausted.  My days are filled with chasing after Buggaboo and playing with him and then squeezing in a few dishes or maybe a pile of laundry (which is never ending.)

But at least the plants are still alive.  That's an accomplishment in and of itself!

We're finally starting a compost pile, so once we get that going, that will certainly help out too... if we ever get those two plants moved outside, that is.

But for now, the two tall ones sit patiently in our windows, yearning for the fresh outdoors.

To be continued... (My Personal Garden will be an ongoing project that I will periodically blog about, one of my new features.  Enjoy!)

Growing Pains

Well, between teething and growing pains, we haven't gotten a good night's sleep in our household for a while now.  When I say "We" I mean me and the one year old.  Hubby works night shift and the teenager is on the other side of the house.  It's a small house, though, so I have no idea how he could ignore his baby brother screaming and crying.  And at some moments, I'm not sure who's screams and cries are the loudest, mine or the baby's.

It usually only lasts about an hour or less, but it seems like an eternity.  I now understand why my mom always said she wished it was her hurting instead of me.  And I can't wait until my little boy can actually talk so he can tell me what hurts.  And maybe then, I can explain to him (and hopefully he'll be able to understand) why he's hurting.

It's not that I want him to grow up quicker.  Lord knows he's growing up fast enough as it is.  But watching him with tears rolling down his cheeks and looking at me with that "Please make it go away!" look, just about kills me.

But then, when the pain goes away and he curls up in my arms to go back to sleep, with that unconditional love and trust... I know that he'll be ok.  And maybe so will I.

Artsy-Fartsy-itis

Ya know... honestly, I wish I was more creative.  And when the spark does happen (rare that it is) I wish I would actually write the idea down.  Everyone thinks I'm creative and a few actually show some jealousy at times toward my creativity.  But the truth is... I'm not.  (I can take a base idea and run with it, adding, tweaking, etc. but coming up with something new?  Meh, not lately)  Or, at least, I don't think so... not anymore.  I may have been in my younger years, but now?  Not so much.  Not after surfing the web (more precisely, Pinterest.com) for ideas. 

Wow, can I get totally distracted by that website.  I just love it and can get so lost in it.  The amazing things that people have and find on the web are overwhelming.  Especially when I go through and find a ton of really cool, fun and interesting crafty and artsy-fartsy ideas. 

Then I get a bit depressed.  When was the last time I came up with a cool craft?  When did I become so unimaginative, so unproductive? 

I've come to one conclusion...

Technology.

As much as I love it, use it, come to rely on it and refuse to ever give up completely, I believe that the technology that we, or at least, I, use is somewhat a major factor in my lack of creativity. 

I used to read a lot and lately, I'm lucky to get a page or two read in a month.  Of course, the other determining factor lately is a little one-year-old who runs the house.  But this Disease of Lacocreativity (lack-of-creativity, for those who didn't get it) happened years before I had kids.

So, what to do?

Well, I could always look up crafty ideas on the web to spark my creativity.... oh... wait... no, that doesn't exactly work, now does it?  That's like an alcoholic taking a drink to get up the nerve to quit drinking.  Not quite the most ideal solution.

Any ideas?

Well, this is something I believe that I will need to ponder on more.  (although I'm open to suggestions.  It's not like I'm going to give up the computer!)  Maybe it's time to get a new book to read more and break out the paint and brushes again... now where did I put those...?

The Language of Flowers

1.) What type of flowers would be in a bouquet that best describes you? (inspired by Persipacity and the article Talking the language of Flowers)

(Writing Prompt from Mama Kat)

 

A bouquet of wildflowers, my favorite.  It’s a mix of everything… every emotion, every thought and care in the world.  Everything from worry and anxiety to love and tenderness and everything in between.  I have just as many emotions as there are flowers in that bouquet.  I also have just as many interests.  It all depends on the Mood of the Moment as to which one’s aroma I choose to enjoy (or dread) in my life right then and there.

From iFlorist.com:

Absinth/Wormwood: Separation and Torment of Love

Almond Blossom: Hope and Watchfulness

Aloe: Wisdom and Integrity

Azalea: Fragile and Ephemeral Passion

Carnation, Yellow: Disdain and Rejection

Chestnut: Independence and Injustice

Cinnamon: Love and Beauty

Clematis: Artifice and Ingenuity

Convolvulus: Humble Perseverance

Daisy: Gentleness, Innocence, Loyal love (one of my favorite flowers)

Forget-me-not: Faithful Love, Memories (could this be used for forgetfulness?)

Gladiolus: Strength Of Character, I am really sincere

Heliotrope: Devotion, Eternal Love

Hibiscus: Delicate Beauty

Honeysuckle: Sweetness Of Disposition (one of my favorite scents)

Hyacinth: Games & Sports

Iris: Faith, Wisdom, Valor, Your Friendship means so much to me

Ivy: Friendship, Wedded love, Fidelity, Friendship, Affection

Jasmine, Yellow: Timidity and Modesty (my other favorite scent)

Jonquil: Violent Sympathy and Desire, Love me, Affection returned

Larkspur: Open Heart

Lilac, Mauve: "Do You Still Love Me"

Lily-Of-The-Valley: Purity and Humility, Sweetness

Lotus: Mystery and Truth

Petunia: Anger and Resentment

Poppy: Imagination, Dreaminess, Eternal sleep

Queen Anne's Lace: Fantasy

Zinnia: Thoughts of Absent Friends

And those are just the highlights of “Me” there are so many more, deeper, parts (issues?) of me as well.  But those would make a good bouquet, although a rather large one.

Is there a flower for Distraction?  I’d have to add that one in too! 

Photo of the Day

Today's photo choice is:


Bye Bye Balloon

One of my son's balloons from his first birthday flew away.  I was so surprised, when I went through all of the pictures from the party, that I actually had captured the balloon.

My 2 Cents on (New) Motherhood

5.) Advice to new mothers.

Mama Kat’s Writing Prompt

Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep!  I can’t stress that enough… I don’t mean to do nothing but sleep.  You’re a new mom and you certainly have your hands full.  But I was told to “Sleep when the baby sleeps.” and I ignored it.  Boy, was that a bad call on my part.  I figured, “Yeah, right, but I’ve got tons of stuff that I want and need to do!”  Pppttthhhhh!  I’d try to do something, figuring that I’d do “whatever” for just a few minutes, then take a nap.  HA!  Just as I’d be wrapping up getting ready to lie down, WAAAAA!!!!!  There’s the baby.  Up and cranky and hungry with a full diaper.  (honestly, I’ve never seen anyone pee as much as my son!  But that’s another post. LOL)  Hours later, I’d finally get him back to sleep and finally get my 15 minutes of snooze-time before it would start all over again.



One day old

And you’ve heard about this PPD crap, right?  The Post-partum depression that some women suffer from… well, everyone gets moody, right?  You just had a baby, your hormones are all out of whack, you’re having anxiety because this is your first or because it’s just such a tiny, helpless thing, and you just feel a bit out of sorts.  Well, don’t let it get out of hand.  A few weeks of that is usually normal, but if it goes past that, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor.  Even if you feel totally stupid about it.  I was told this same piece of advice.  I didn’t listen.  Now my baby is one year old and I’m a total basket case and on meds with a full-blown case of PPD and PPA (post-partum depression and post-partum anxiety.)

So, to recap, SLEEP WHEN THE BABY SLEEPS and BE TOTALLY HONEST WITH YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT YOUR EMOTIONS, THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, ETC. 

Yes, I’m yelling because no one yelled at me, no one checked up on me, I didn’t have any close female support, so I missed out on some really wonderful bonding time with my son because I was emotionally distant and unable as well as physically exhausted.  Please don’t let that happen to you.

I’m getting better now and I’ve bonded with my son, but I’m sorry that I let it go so long and I’m still exhausted, but I take more naps now! 

So, to the new mothers reading this, congratulations on your new Little One, be sure to take as good of care of yourself as you do for your baby.



Amazing how much he's changed in one year, isn't it?!



Hobby Hoarder

2.) If you were a hoarder, based on your personality…what would you hoard? (better yet, ask someone who knows you well, what they think you would hoard). 
(Writing prompt from Mama Kat)

“If” 

If?

IF?!

HA!  Now that’s funny… “If” I were a hoarder… Well, I wouldn’t say I’m a hoarder, not in the TV show “Hoarders” image… I’m a COLLECTOR!  A collector of EVERYTHING!  OMG this prompt is tailor made for me.  My mother was a packrat, I’m a packrat and low and behold, so is my husband.  I inherited my mother’s house (ie all of her stuff) and of course, there’s all of my stuff… then my husband and I got married and he moved in…. well, let me tell you, the amount of stuff that we have is incredible! 

And believe it or not, we’ve been purging!  You wouldn’t know it to look in our garage, or the bedroom, or the third bedroom that is supposed to be the baby’s room.  Someday it will be the baby’s room.  (currently we’re co-sleeping, but that’s just because we have yet to clean out the baby’s room.  He’s already one year old, by the way.  Of course, I’m having issues with PPD and PPA, so we’d probably still be co-sleeping, but that’s my little secret!  Shhhh, don’t tell my hubby!) 

So, what do I hoard?  Well, I used to collect coffee mugs, unicorns, key chains, sea shells, and any number of miscellaneous items.  I don’t drink coffee anymore, but still enjoy a cup of hot cocoa or herbal tea now and then.  The unicorns from my childhood have been lost in many moves, but still hold a place in my heart.  The key chains are strewn about, forgotten mostly.  I still collect sea shells, though, and probably always will.  And then there’s the Disney stuff, but that’s a whole other blog post.

It’s all the sentimental crap that clutters our house.  You know, the things that you don’t need, nor particularly really want, but you just can’t seem to get rid of because of a wonderful, nostalgic moment in time that has been reborn in your memory because you came across them again as you cleaned out an old dusty box from way back in the back corner of wherever that you haven’t seen in ages.

And then there are all the crafty, artistic, hobby stuff that fills up any gaps left.  I’m an artist and have numerous art and craft supplies.  Everything from paint brushes, sketch books and lots of sketches to stamps and stamping supplies and scrapbooking paraphernalia fills up many totes and drawers and other nooks and crannies in the house… particularly the “baby’s room.”

Oh, and the books!  Well, let’s just say I could open up my own personal library and leave it at that.

And that’s my personality… nostalgic, artistic, a little geeky and chaotic.  (probably a bit dusty sometimes as well LOL)  I’d say my main issue is that I have so many interests that I don’t have enough “House for my Hobbies!”

Now that I’m a “Mom” however, I find myself trying to purge more and more out of necessity for the baby.  He needs his room and my husband and I really need our room, for the sake of our marriage!  I long for the days of spooning with my hubby as we fall asleep. 

Yard sale anyone?!

My number 1 One Year Old!

The love of a child, priceless!

The Perspective of Patience

Going through Facebook this morning, I found a quote posted by one of my friends:  "Patience is not the ability to wait, but it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting."  Patience has never been one of my virtues, but it's something that my son has been teaching me this first year of his life.  Especially when trying to get him to go to sleep.  He's a very light sleeper and many times I have to hold him until he's deep in sleep before putting him down.  That can take anywhere from a few minutes (on good nights) to a half hour (when he's had a nightmare.) 

As I sit, holding him, I'll say to myself, "Patience.  Savor this time.  It'll be over before I know it."  And I look down at him and memorize every bit of his face, his little hand as he sucks his thumb, his hair (we're getting his first hair cut soon since he turns one this month) and sometimes the emotions overwhelm me and I start to cry.  It's all I can do to not sob somedays, not wanting to wake him.  My hormones never have gone back to normal... not even vaguely close to what they were before the pregnancy.

He's growing so fast!  He's so curious and is constantly getting into things.  He refuses to learn what "No" means.  He totally ignores me 99% of the time when I call him.  And I know that's all normal.  But it's frustrating and again, I need patience.  And I take a step back and watch him grow his curiosity.  Instead of trying to stop him from what he needs to learn not to do, I observe him learn and explore.  I still stop him when he touches what can hurt him, but it's all Perspective.  Some days I get caught up in trying to protect, when I should be encouraging his exploring and learning.  That's when the Patience comes in. 

And then there's the hand-me-a-toy-and-take-it-back game... now there's some patience in progress.  And the pick-me-up-let-me-down-pick-me-up-again game.  That one gets quite exhausting after a few minutes.  He loves to hold my hands and "climb" up the front of the couch, like a mountain climber. 

There are many more repetitive games that he's teaching me, but they all have the same outcome... me learning patience... or trying to, that is.