It Is What It Is

I hadn't intended on a disappearing act being my entry into the new year. It's been a seriously challenging time for us over the last few months; which has really intensified in the last few weeks. Much has changed and is still changing. It's hard to write creatively when you're emotionally overwhelmed and stressed out. Best laid plans and all. The short version is all that I'm ready to go into right now. For now, here's what's been happening:

We've made the difficult decision to put our house on the market. The economy has cut our family fairly deep and we, like so many of you, are having to do things that wouldn't normally be our first choice. We've got it priced to move and are hopeful a buyer will come along quickly. We've already started the process of looking for a home to rent. It's quite a different mindset after owning for many years. I'm sure we'll land on our feet but this was not something we would have wished on ourselves.

My husband started back to college (part-time), working towards finishing his degree after many years hiatus. James Madison University accepted nearly all his credits from his previous stint at UCA back in the early 90's. (Looks like UCA is still using the logo I designed for them back in 1995, huh). I am blown away by his courage and determination. Not to mention his excellent study habits. It's a new dynamic in our lives but we believe it's worth it.

About two months ago we made the decision to pull our daughter from public school. It was a decision not made lightly but was entirely necessary for her well-being. I gave her about a month to detox mentally and emotionally. I'm seeing her come back around which is incredibly hopeful. Since the new year we've been digging in much deeper with studies and it's been going well. Our son is okay where he's at right now but with a move coming up soon, we'll plan to homeschool for the remainder of this school year. We will re-evaluate for next year once we're moved and settled.

I guess it goes without saying that through all this my anxiety-level has been through the roof! Like alot of things we go through in this life, this series of lessons is pushing me back to a closer relationship with God. My faith is being renewed and for that I am most grateful. I'm working hard, internally, to see this situation as a fresh start for us. Not that we were looking for one, but here it is anyway.

January was to be the opening of my zazzle shop and the relaunch of my etsy shop. I did alot of sewing in December getting things ready but it'll have to wait until we get resettled. My blog giveaways and illustration projects are on hold as well though I will continue to work on design projects throughout the move.

Thanks for hanging with me through this very lean time. I hope to be feeling more inspired soon!

Blue Moon

Art Print by Jaime Best, BestArtStudios2 available on etsy

It's been 20 years since a blue moon fell on New Years Eve. I remember it well. My husband and I went on our first date that night, New Years Eve 1990. I remember us looking up at it on that very chilly night and remarking about how especially bright it was. I understand scientifically it really wasn't any brighter than any other full moon. I'm guessing it was the company. ;-) Now here we are on the brink of closing out the first decade in a new century. It all seems more than our romantically-inclined minds could have comprehended back then. But for us, a blue moon will always be magical, especially when it falls on the last night of the year. This is two for us love. I'm looking forward to celebrating it with you the next time it rolls around in 2028!

Shiny Happy Moments

Mother and Child Vintage Inspired Ornament by pieshopgirl

My kids have been listening to Christmas music since late September. Yes, you read that right. Oddly enough I am not sick of hearing it yet. It seems instead to be sinking in. The words, at least to the more meaningful songs, are almost like a balm seeping under my skin. Just now I hear one of my favorites, Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Canon. I wish I could imbed the song to play while you read this but if you open it in a different tab you can avoid the video and just enjoy the music while you continue reading this post.

I found this wonderful vintage-inspired ornament on etsy today that makes me feel the same way. It reminds me of how much I love to be a mother. That precious and fleeting moment when our babies are small and full of wonder. When being a mother was all shiny and new. With my kids now 11 and 8, that time seems like a vapor to me now. But hearing this song and looking at this beautiful ornament brings it all back to me for a moment.

This Christmas will be different for us in so many ways. Intentionally different. I mean to love more and give more, in real ways; not in ways that come in a package. We are going to start some new traditions this year that take us to a place of deeper happiness, appreciation and love. I hope you'll join me by stepping away from the material and into a space where you allow yourself time to really enjoy the moment, the season and the people you love.

Kitty Cats & Cameras

About a week ago I played a little game on Facebook where I announced receiving the world's coolest hand-me-down and let my friends guess what it was. The answer: a gently used Nikon D50. Seriously. It's a big step up from the Fuji S700 I was using. I have much to learn and relearn about f-stops, apertures and film speeds. I spent some time this weekend playing with the nikon, shooting pics of my daughter and our two orange cats.

The leap to this camera is also motivating me to get on board with an online photo sharing resource. I have been uploading my pics to Blogger directly which I understand is a no-no. When I make the switch to my own domain in a few months I will lose all my existing photo links and will have to re-upload everything. So I'm curious, how do you handle your blog post photos? Do you use a third party resource like Picnik, Flickr, other? I would really appreciate your feedback and advice as to what you use, why you like it or don't like it, etc.

Happy Birthday to *me*

My first birthday, Sept. 1968

Today I turned 21 for the second time. My daughter taught herself how to play "Happy Birthday" on the piano so that she could surprise me. It was a sweet surprise and we all enjoyed singing it together. My family took me out for breakfast, which is always a treat, and then we decided to go wandering. I *love* meandering roadtrips! We stopped at Rockbridge Winery to do some tasting, went down the road to an open house at a Llama farm, drove through the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington to see what was happening (nothing, it turns out) and then headed for points west. We ended up about 12 miles from the West Virginia border in the George Washington National Forest at Lake Moomaw. The weather was perfect. We had the entire lake to ourselves. It was a good day for a birthday.

I remember hitting 21 the first time. I expected it to be this great year of freedom and liberation but it really wasn't. I was young and cute; I had already graduated from art school and was earning a meeger living as an entry-level designer. I didn't know much about the game of life or what I really wanted to be. Though I suspect I behaved like I knew everything. I found that life wasn't really that much different. I hadn't yet met the man I would marry or seen all the places that for a short time I'd call home. The idea of children was far too big for my mind to grasp.

Today I can't imagine my life without my family or without all of my wonderful friends. The journey to 42 has filled me with a deep appreciation for what truly matters in life. I've learned great lessons about love, understanding, compassion, loss and true heart. And the more I learn, the more I want to learn. Last week I started teaching myself how to play piano, which is something I've always wanted to do. And I'm learning how to speak French because I figure that will surely come in handy on some upcoming adventure, right? I don't know what lies ahead, but I do know that enjoying right now is the best way to spend today.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is the birthday of a very special man. My Dad turns 79 today. My birthday wish for you Dad is for many more years of driving your tractor, working your garden and hunting in the woods. I had a hard time finding a photo for this post. I wanted something circa 1940-1950 but turns out I don't have pictures of my Dad from that timeframe. I found this family photo which is from another very special day just a few years ago. My nephew Steve, who is also my parents oldest grandchild, was visiting from Florida. It was a really happy time! Enjoy your day Dad. I hope you remember lots of happy moments as you blow out your candles tonight and make a wish for many more!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Look at this sweet little girl! Hard to believe she's turning 75 today. Happy Birthday Mom! May your day be happy, your 75th year be especially joyful and may your life be full of love, family, good health, warm breezes and your favorite flower, Daisies, for many more years to come. I love you.

Catching My Breath

My blog has taken a backseat to all the doings in my life lately. May was a crazy busy month with the kids end of the year school activities, play practices, costume making, J'Daddy finishing up his first semester back to college after many years and me wrapping up things at my job. It hasn't sunken in yet that I am back to being self-employed. Guess it will take a few weeks. I feel so tired, deeply tired. I'm looking forward to a summer of new beginnings for myself and my family. But first I need to rest. Decompress and slow down, just a few days while to get my bearings. We're heading to PA for a little time travel this week; there's nothing like going back to your hometown to rekindle all the stuff you're made of! And then back home to hopefully hit the ground running or at least moving forward. Thanks for hanging with me despite the scarcity of posts. I promise very soon to be more fully committed to my dear little blog. See you next week, when I plan to roll out a bit of bloggy-girly-fun and my first giveaway coming later in June! Have a fantastically creative week :-)

The 3/50 Project in Action

In the spirit of Project 3/50 we had a big day of shopping local last weekend. We started at our favorite lunch spot, Stone Soup, for yet another delicious meal. The back patio flowerbeds are bursting with color, in many shades of lavender and green. It sets the mood to slow down and enjoy. The lunch was excellent, asparagus-red and pepper-blue cheese whole wheat quesadillas.

And the coconut-lime cake we shared for dessert was terrific! Very dense yet delicate. It is definitely becoming one of our favorite local eateries.

We then headed east, over Afton Mountain to Critzer Farm, home of pick-your-own-strawberries. The berries were looking gorgeous and we picked up a couple of pre-picked quarts. We'll head back next weekend to pick-our-own for homemade jam and strawberry pie. (yum!)

Then we headed south for some thrifting at Rockfish Community Center. The old elementary schoolhouse has been converted into a thrift store, a gathering space and the Earl Hamner Jr. Theater. It's a lovely little spot with a great view of the mountains to the west. From there we headed south to the SPCA Thrift Shop in Lovingston which has moved to a new location just south of town. We were greeted by the nicest ladies there. It made us feel especially good knowing that our money from what we bought went to help pay for the care of all the sweet pets at Almost Home Animal Shelter. The new thrift store is huge, very clean and well organized. We picked up some great deals, recycled castaways and helped the furbabies all in one visit. Nice!

After that we headed up to Wintergreen to meet the hubs at the pool. The kids enjoyed the pool while J'Daddy and I caught a little sun on the deck. Employees families can hang out for free which is a very nice bonus for us. We had a picnic on the mountain overlook and from the pic above you can clearly see why they are called the Blue Ridge Mountains. They are beautiful!

I encourage you to explore and enjoy the treasures that are right around you. Shop Local. All told, we really didn't spend that much but every little bit helps. These shopkeepers and workers are our neighbors. Helping them helps all of us.

Irony is hell

My kids and I were chilling at Rapunzel's coffeehouse and used bookstore the other day. The kids went on into the store to find something fun to read and a soft sofa to crash on while I ordered myself a chai. A few minutes later, decaf spiced chai in hand, I sat down on a red velvet sofa and looked across the room to see what my tots were up to. Low and behold I see my son reading this – clearly not recommended reading for an 8 yr old. After a good laugh, and snapping this pic, I went over to take a closer look. "What are you reading son?" I said to him. "It's a cartoon book Mom." "Did you read the words on the front of the book?" I questioned. "Yeah" he said. "And you still thought it was a good idea to go ahead and open it up?" I asked. "It's just cartoons Mom, the drawings are cool but the stories are a little weird." Then he paused and said "You would like it," handed me the book and was off to the bookshelf again. 'nuf said ;-)

Family Meetings

I came home from work today to a house full of cranky people. Even Mango was giving me his talk-to-the-tail routine. Somewhere between the pickup line at school and getting dinner on the table, something had obviously gone very, very wrong with my family. My kids greeted me with a low-talking hi mom. My husband was darting around in the kitchen and avoiding eye contact at all costs. Everyone’s panties were in a twist. As I stood in the kitchen assessing the moods in the room, I knew exactly what we needed — a magically restorative family meeting. We are BIG on family meetings. They aren’t always pretty but they always end well. It's how we make our decisions, hand down verdicts, diffuse attitude bombs and name new pets. Family meetings have seen us through the good, the bad and the sticky. It’s a chance for everyone to have even footing, no matter who was right and who was wrong (or wronged in some cases). It gives each person a chance to be heard fairly. We always sit during our family meetings. It helps us to stop — literally — calming us and helping us formulate our arguments and positions on the matter at hand. Inherently one person takes on the role of the peacemaking facilitator, while the accused and accuser square off. The tension melts away a little with each word that's spoken. Until we end up completely seeing the other persons point of view. Apologies, realizations and forgiveness often make an appearance. Today’s family meeting was a familiar topic. Someone said something that upset someone else: resentment stewed, tempers flared, kids fought. After about 15 minutes of reminding my daughter not to interrupt while others shared their side of the story and reminding my husband to rephrase what he’d said that set her off in the first place; we reached an accord. They both said what they really meant to say to begin with. They took ownership for their words and really thought about how their harsh tones had hurt the other person. They took turns saying “I’m sorry.” A few tears were shed, loving smiles and hugs were shared. It's a good practice that I highly recommend. It works for us. And all is right with our world, for today.