Limited Time Opening of the SHOP

I'm opening up the shop for a limited time summer sale! I have a few necklaces and bracelets that I'd love to give a good home. My hope is to start making jewelry again in my spare time. I've missed the creative process of creating things and would love to be able to carve some time out to do that again and in turn share my new pieces with all of you! First things, first, clear out some of my older pieces to make room for newer ones. So, for those of you that have been asking me if I'll ever open my shop up again, well, here it is, for a limited time! Please use the coupon code SUMMER to get 15% off your purchase. 

Not a sidekick person

Life is full of twists and turns, as we all know. Lately, it feels like my life has turned a corner - the ante has been upped  and I've really got to kick some butt. It's been a long time since I've felt like this. I mean, when I had T, my whole world changed and I had to step into a brand new role, that of being a mother. Well, ten and half months in, I've realized how all consuming being a mother is. I wouldn't change it for the world - I'm so blessed to have the sweetest boy in the whole world as my son - but somewhere along the way, taking care of myself became a lost priority. I mean, when you feel like you have no time for yourself, it's damn hard to make it a priority.

The past few months have been difficult, to say the least, on a very personal level. In talking with friends about the hardships we've been going through, I've been so thankful for the support and love from so many. But one piece of advice that one person continually tells me each time she checks in with me is "take care of yourself". The first time she told me, I blew it off "yeah, yeah, yeah, I know". The second time she told me, I stopped in my tracks and asked myself "am I really taking care of myself?". The third time she told me, I decided she was right, I need to take more time for myself. Yes, especially when life is throwing some heavy stuff at you, but also every day no matter what is going on. It's important to make time for yourself.

It may seem like a small realization, but for me it was huge! Like all of a sudden, the kick butt action girl was kind of back. Like, I've been empowered to be the hero and not the sidekick to all of life's ups and downs. Like, this red-headed lady does have a say and will make the best go of things, not only for the sake of her family, but for the sake (and sanity) of herself.

image via The House That Lars Built

Take Notice: Spring

I've been bogged down with so much recently that Spring's arrival almost crept by me without my taking notice. My mind has been preoccupied with worry and my heart has been reeling for days on end trying to make sense of the world. I feel as though I've been walking around with blinders for months and this weekend, the beauty of Spring miraculously crept into my view, if only for a few hours.

When the bluebonnets come out in Texas, it's hard not to stop and revel in their beauty. They go on for miles and miles and blanket the ground in a wondrous bluish purple color. I couldn't resist taking a break from things to do as any good Texas mother would and take pictures of my boy in a field full of them. After all, it's tradition.

Tuck was a good sport. He looks happy in these pictures, but he's had a rough go of it, battling ear infections since January. And unbeknownst to me at the time of taking these pictures, he had wicked double ear infections AGAIN. I feel like a sorry excuse for a mother since I didn't know, but you guys, this kid is just so happy all the time, it's hard to tell when something really is bothering him. Woe is me, right?!

He's one tough kid, I tell you. And it's his toughness that inspires me everyday to keep on doing what I've got to do, face what must be met and above all know that life is full of hope even in its darkest days. I love this kid!

Wise Words

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.

Wise words from the wise lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

photo by me

Inspiration: Life through my child's eyes

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -A.A. Milne

Now that I have a child of my own, I’ve had the chance to revisit many of my favorite childhood books in anticipation of sharing them with Tuck one day soon. At his current age, he’s more interested in throwing books and laughing about it, putting them in his mouth, or crawling right over them to get to the next best place. But I eagerly await the day when we can read a bedtime story together, enjoying our favorite characters and sharing a good laugh during the funny parts. In revisiting some of my favorite stories, I realized how the simple, yet meaningful words that were written for a child’s ear are just the words that we, as adults, NEED to hear. Let’s be real, life as an adult can be complicated – it’s hard, unfair, stressful and cumbersome at times. Sometimes I think we’re guilty of making our lives more complicated than they really need to be, but sometimes things really are that difficult, with circumstances beyond your control.  It’s during those times that I find so much solace in Tuck – in seeing the world through his 9 month old eyes, where happiness lurks at every corner and life’s simplicity radiates in his smile. Lately, I’ve needed that reminder. I’ve needed to hear the words that I’m going to read to him again and again in his life: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

image by E.H. Shephard via here