6.21.2011

the big yellow truck is here...

and it's glowing in the driveway. she pulled in yesterday at about 10:00 am. the husband went and picked it up. we shelled out about 1900 bucks. and began to cram all of our life into the big yellow penske box. i chuckle, because that name.. penske, has been a large part of my work fabric for about the last 12 months. not the moving company, but a different division. i chuckle just the same. anyhow, i digress. the moving has officially begun. as of right now, i write to you from about the only piece of furniture left in the house. my desk. my sweet, handcrafted, scrapping, art table, of a desk my husband so sweet handcrafted for my about 6 years ago. i told all the friends here yesterday helping... whatever you do - don't pack up the desk! this momma has two more days of work left!!!

our life. in a truck. crammed into a big yellow box. it's really quite hard to believe you can condense every memory. every tear. every laugh. every hug. every sweet thing you've ever made with your child into a big. yellow. box. on wheels. that i'm told will only go 70 miles an hour. "when i'm not in a mountainous range." i chuckle. all in that box. and now we are faced with... will it all fit? we still have to cram in the sofas, the beds, the desk, the swingset, the bookcases, the kitchen table, the coffee table... and i think that's it. and there's a fear it won't fit. we sold a 4 wheeler yesterday in under 3 hours on craig's list for fear it wouldn't fit. (forget it was a piece of shit and hardly ran anyhow... it got sold!) yee haw! and this money will be used to pay off momma's 4 wheeler! I say good thinkin lincoln!

this adventure is rockin! we are on the move. and everything is pushing us there with no resistance whatsoever. we are going willfully and with excitement so much so that we cannot sleep. my husband has lost the look of tire and stress around his eyes. he has a look of happy in his face again. that same look i remembered when we got married. funny - i had actually forgotten he once looked that way - until it showed itself again. that was such a sweet memory. having him home this week, too, has been awesome, as this is what i get. every day. from here on out. i get to have him. everyday. here. with us. he will be working from home too. our quality of life is good. pure goodness. just us. the three of us. together. no stress. just us. ding what we love and being where we love. exploring and creating a new life together. i'm liking the way this looks so far. and we're not even there yet.

we're just in the big yellow box and already the sun is shining in my driveway. and life is good.

peace and be good people.

6.11.2011

pizza is your karma.

(written on 06.04.11, 38,000 miles in the sky, on my way to oregon)


It all began a Saturday afternoon. We were attempting to prepare for our move to Oregon. Our first weekend of productivity. We had boxes. We had motivation. We had teamwork. We took a break. Dad and kennedy were playing some kinect. I was taking a snooze on the couch. All I knew, was I was awakened to the cry. You know the cry. The one where you mothering instincts go into overdrive. You leap up, you begin gathering things, because you know it’s going to be a long afternoon in the ER. You grab snacks. Her lovey. Comfortable clothes. And you know something is broken. She was celebrating a victory in boxing with dad, fell just right while jumping up and down and landed just right and broke her wrist. Again.


We spent a better part of the afternoon in the ER. We witnessed homeless people. Drug addicts. People who simply needed attention. People who needed to be loved. People who needed to be needed. we were triaged and never actually taken back into a room. We were cared for by an awesome team of doctors and nurses the whole time, but we got to see all the action in the main area of the ER. My husband was amazed. You see, in all the times we’ve been in the hospital with me, it’s been pretty bad so we’ve been sequestered into a private room we never witnessed the travesty of the public lives you hear about on the news. The girl that comes in with a drug addiction so bad she’s succumbed to begging for prescription drugs by faking an ankle injury. Yup, we saw it. We were in awe. Kennedy was a trooper through the whole experience. My husbands eyes were wide opened that day.

At one point as we were about to get casted he hands me the phone and tells me to go and order these people some dinner. I laughed and walked away. He says, no really. we have to DO something. He goes on to tell me he can’t believe all he is witnessing… he is appalled at society and all that has walked through the doors. The least we can do is brighten the days of these doctors and buy them some dinner. This coming from a man who never feels we owe anything to anyone. I ask him if he is serious he tells me YES! Pay it forward. This is our karma. This is our chance. Go order dinner for these people. They work tirelessly. Endlessly. Caring for people who will never pay their bills who will never thank them. Do it.

And so I did. We ordered three pizzas and some salads for the ER staff that night at community general. My heart soared that evening. Not because of the idea… oh look at me. Look what I can do. But because… look at us. Look at the couple that we’ve become. We can finally do good. We can pay it forward. We are doing one small kind gesture. And who gives a shit if it ever comes back to us. It doesn’t even matter. It just plain felt good. We walked in God’s grace for a moment. And when the doc told us we were all set to go we told her we could not leave yet, we had to sign for her dinner.. she didn’t believe us. I told her it was the least we could do. The look in her eye told me that very moment something had shifted in or life. I knew tat moment of paying it forward was huge.

I’ve always believed in small gestures of kindness for strangers. And I’ve always done them. My husband always thought I was crazy. “why do you do so much for others.” “no one ever does anything for you, etc”…. and I tell him, because one day, my karma is gonna kick me in the ass, lift me up, spin me around and take me on one hell of a ride, and I am quite surprised, as I’m in the midst of the ride right now, 38,000 miles up in the air, writing this from an airplane.

As we planned this cross country move to Oregon, of course, there was some fear. It’s a huge financial burden. It’s scary. There is a great load of planning that goes into this, especially when you are the mover, the packer, everything. We opted to do this all ourselves. We had to find our own house, truck to move, everything. Form the moment we made the decision to move, every single step to get us closer has fallen into place like a well choreographed ballet. In the almost 12 years we have been together, nothing, and I mean nothing has ever gone this well. This tells me, in my serendipitous belief – we are meant to be in Oregon. Everything is pointing us there.

We began looking for a house months in advance. Our target move date was late june. We found a house May 1st. someone was already in line to rent it. Their app fell through. The house was perfect for us. We got approved. With no problems. It’s in my sister-in-law’s neighborhood. Karma. there was then a worry over how we would sign a lease as the rental company required us to be there in person. My job required I travel to Oregon the first week of june on business. Karma? Serendipity? Perfect.

The house is 75% packed 4 weeks before the move date. We are organized. We are ready. Ron has a job. Karma. He will work from home. We will both work east coast hours. Karma. Our quality of life just climbed up through the roof. Karma. Our current landlord told us to keep our last months rent rather than him send us our security as he knew it would be helpful with a cross country move. Karma. We didn’t even ask. He said “because you’re good people”. Karma.

All I know. I am on cloud nine. Literally right now. Writing from the clouds on my plane from Chicago to Portland where I will connect to Redmond. The center seat is empty. Karma. The flight is smooth. The view looks like heaven, if heaven is clear skies, with big puffy clouds, and snow covered mountain tops… it’s just gorgeous up here. Life is good. I’m on top of the world. And this roller coaster ride that karma is taking me on is one serendipitous turn after another and I’m loving it. Stay tuned while I chronicle the adventures of our cross country move and our new life in bend. daddy leaves on the 22nd, K and I leave on the 25th. Can’t. hardly.wait.

Peace and be good.

5.11.2011

and then she was six.



i wish i could wrap her up in a bubble and preserve this day and these moments forever. i'm convinced they are so sweet and will never come again so pure and innocent. she will continue to get older and learn more things from her friends. the sweetness from this child today was breathtaking. the way the light caught her hair at breakfast, to the way the wind blew her hair in the car, as we had deep conversations tooling around town this morning before school. today was, in a word. perfect.



i want to capture this moment in words. simply so i don't forget. (as i tend to do these days.) our day started at about 6:00am. i felt someone standing over me. i peeking open my eyes, and saw her looking at me, then looking at some hello kitty figurines in her hands, then looking at me... in total disbelief. then, she exclaimed, "there is glitter all over my hands and in between my fingers!!! fairies must have come!" i asked if i could take a look. sure enough - she was covered in pixie dust. i told her to check her bed. she said there was glitter EVERYWHERE. you see, she has a fairy door in her room. fairies must have come whilst she was sleeping and left her a small toy and sprinkled her with good fortune, sweetness and pixie dust.

i then explained to her that i just ran out of time this week, and didn't have time to get balloons or anything special for breakfast, but that i would make it up to her while she was at school for dinner. all the while fooling her, as i had gone all out and decorated the kitchen, complete with tea cup and saucer for juice and donut, balloons! the works! she was floored!!! we had breakfast, got ready and left the house.



headed to the nail salon for manis and pedis! every birthday girls needs a fresh mani and pedi to kick off the day! on the way there, i reminded her how special she was to me. i explained that this day was one i wait for all year, every year, as this day is the day my life changed. i told her that having her made me a better person. made me stop and slow down. she told me "mom, today, my life changed. today, i'm no longer a little girl. i can feel it now. like really feel it. like, i know i'm bigger now. like, i don't even WANT to have temper tantrums anymore. really, i don't!" i just wan to squeeze this kid. she's perfect.



then a trip to Mc Ds for lunch, then off to school. i delivered cupcakes and drinks to school for her to share with her friends. she got a huge lot of cards from all of her friends. several of the boys even wrote i love you on the cards! wow!!! wasn't ready for all of that! she got home from school, we took a quick trip to the canal to see loads and loads of baby turtles (need to go back to take pics!) and then grabbed daddy and headed to dinner.  we finished off the day with dinner at spaghetti warehouse and then back home for birthday cake and early to bed.





as with every year, this day was filled with many memories for me. i just can't fathom how we got here. how did i create this little person. this human being that is so full of empathy and respect. consideration and thoughtfulness. kindness and heart. creativity and mindfulness. she's just an amazing and brilliant kid. she's wise beyond her years. i'm convinced she's got a bit of my grams in her, which is why she's so wise. i've said since she was a baby, you can look into her eyes, and see a very old soul. she's so very mature and logical for six. she reads, she draws, she writes. i never want to forget this feeling

at six kennedy:

  • is an amazing artist
  • is gorgeous with mesmerizing eyes that tell a story all their own
  • is a story teller
  • can read as well as an 8 year old
  • can spell as well as an 8 year old
  • is creative
  • is kind
  • is warm and caring
  • is thoughtful and mindful
  • is considerate and empathetic
  • is funny and downright hilarious when she needs to be
  • is snuggable and huggable
  • is determined and stubborn for all the right reasons
  • is brilliant and gifted
  • is driven
  • is focused
  • and in the end, she is mine
six years has been a wild and exciting ride.



can't wait to see what the next 6 bring us.

3.21.2011

Life changes so quickly...


so, we have some very close friends in southern california, the lubowe's. carly lubowe is the youngest. she has a very best friend who's life just changed in the blink of an eye. from jessica's website:

On March 3rd an MRI found an inoperable tumor in my brain. After many appointments, research and prayer my parents and I have chosen to receive radiation/chemo treatment at Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC). I start treatment on March 21st. Please continue to pray for me and my family.



i believe this little girl, jessica joy rees is about 12 years old. i am compelled to do something for this sweet girl, to help spread joy back at her. in reading her story, she's a remarkable little girl. she is walking in God's light, living his word, and doing his work at such a young age. it really makes you step back and imagine your own adult life, if you were so open and engaged in doing the same. she underwent her first "lap" of treatment today. please join me in keeping her and your family in your prayers. jessica firmly believes in NEGU.. never ever give up. amazing, eh? (only from the mouths of babes.)



i encourage you to check out her website, and then like her cause on facebook. her goal is to have 10,000 likes. come on people.. we can DO this! she's also starting a website called joy jars. i believe the goal here is to send jars filled with lil bits of goodness to others who are ill... um hullo crafty women.. doesn't this just get your wheels turning?

i'm planning to put together a jar for Jessica this weekend. if anyone would like to contribute somehow, and send some crafty goodness her way that will fill her with joy and smiles, please let me know.

now... GO. like her cause on FB. check out her website. mark it as a fav. i'm sure you'll be inspired by her daily. i know i am already.

peace and be good.

2.27.2011

cheap, scrappy, & upcycled?

so, in an effort today to be crafty - since i was finally feeling somewhat human - and in honor of my doing less = more... i took some scraps, some steals from target, and some time cozied up in bed, to BE crafty. less is more, right? i changed the bed and cleaned our room. i knew i didn't want to craft in the office, since it looks like a bomb has gone off in there. i pulled the following things together, having no idea what i was about to do:
  • random flowers gifted to me by my sweet friend, Cari Fennell
  • scraps of fabric
  • some beanies for kennedy, i found on sale at Target for 70 cents
  • some cute spring shoes i bought end of spring season last year for 3 bucks
  • a gigantic bottle of fabric tac (a staple in my world!)
  • some fiskars shears
  • a seam ripper
  • some needles
  • some thread
  • and random bucket of ephemera
the results? 4 new hats! UPCYCLING! and a new pair of shoes!!! woot woot! go me!







what did you make today??

peace and be good.

shell

2.23.2011

fewer vs. more

so in my drugged up, migrained, percocet induced haze the last several days, i've been surfing many blogs. ok - hundreds. alright! perhaps 1000's. i think the blog addiction goes hand in hand with the magazine addiction. little snippets. i don't have to read chapters to get a fix. just a lil' daily what's up, going on, teach me something new - yeah, and i'm happy. i get inspired. i want to create. i want to write more. i want to hone in on what makes me happy. i want more. i need more.

i've been a long time follow of many bloggers that have reached "celeb status" in the scrapbooking & crafting industry. i've then deleted many off my favs when they've become arrogant, pompous, and full of themselves, and just plain mean. there is an insidious underbelly to this crafting industry that reared it's ugly head to me this summer. i mean, really? it's paper and glue, women. get over yourselves.

there are many i've followed since they first started a blog and are now starting their own photography business. (you know who you are.) inspired. these kinds of bloggers keep me coming back for more. they move me. they make me want to be a better me. they inspire me to learn something new. they take chances. how can you not want more when witnessing that?

and then, in a quest to want more of me - a more stylish, a more creative, a more defined me - physically - i'm drawn to various style blogs. i'm not quite sure how to define these... you know the ones - cute outfits each day - on the cheap?  now let me not confuse you - i've no interest in DOING this myself, but it's inspired me to try a new top now and then. experiment with layers. express myself in my style. i used to love this. i allowed motherhood to take this from me. i'm slowly getting it back. some six years later.

all of this reading and inspiration left me wanting more. (that one little word rearing it's head at me again - hair raised - looking me right in the face) i want to write more, photograph more, make more, style more, lots more. and i tend to stop. and spin in circles. and stop. and get dizzy. and stop. because i don't know where to start. and then tonight, my most favorite blogger ever tweeted this blog - and it resonated so deeply, i had to write. more. she said after attending a blogging conference, she learned simply to:

Do Fewer Things.
Do Them Better.

those two simple phrases, once embraced, will allow me to do so. much. more.

i'm off to make my list of fewer things. so i can do them better. and get so much more out of me.

join me?

peace and be good.

WINNER WINNER WINNER!!!

the CSN $20 Gift Certificate goes to.... dun dun dun duuuuuuhhhhh.....

i added a slip of paper for each entry and had my lovely assistant vanna - er - umm.... i mean kennedy pull a slip for me (and i neglected to photograph this fabulous event, because, well, i wasn't feeling well and, then kennedy didn't want to cooperate, oh yeah, you want to know who won??? right. i'm on it. sorry. migraine has me a bit loopy. so...)

... and it was....


melonie!!!!!!

i will email you the specifics for CSN... and you must post back and let me know what you got and what you think!!!

thanks, everyone, for playing along! I will be working with CSN again in the future, so stay tuned!

peace and be good!

shell

2.22.2011

go on girl. git your SHINE on...

so in a typical bloggers world, a sweet girl by the name of ashley sent me an email one day. she randomly found MY blog, complimented my writing and told me i was an inspiration... what the WHAT? ashley - you rock.

i then wandered over to her blog - holy cow! the girl is absolutely adorable. she's doing some pretty awesome things. and of course, i wanted needed to have one of her necklaces. not only did i buy one, nope, i bought two! and speedy mcspeederson... i got my order in under like 3 days i think? she's awesome.

now, in my sickly state, reading blogs makes me happy... i venture to her blog, and what? woah. stop.. it's give-a-way time on her blog! some over the top cute stuff too. go get you a look. i did. and i'm gonna win. (sticks out tongue) but take a look anyhow!

great, and now ashley has me hooked on MORE blogs... just.lovely.things. oh go get inspired, would ya?

peace and be good.

shell

CSN Giveaway...

i have the info from CSN to giveaway my $20 gift certificate!!! comments on original giveaway post below will be left open until 12:01am Wednesday. That means I will announce a winner tomorrow!!!! will it be YOU???

thanks for following.. peace and be good.

shell

2.21.2011

how do YOU get inspired...

when you just can't feel it? i need to be inspired. i will be inspired. if i say it so shall it be? right? HAH! i'm hoping i can shake what ails me as my scrappy chics want to get together friday night for some craftin and drinkin time! i'm all about both! so i'm trying my brain for some inspiration. i want to make something wonderful. just don't know what. what sort of steps do you take to find inspiration?

i start with my own stuff first... kinda like this:
  • i start with a list of stuff i want to make: layouts, altered, cards, fabric or paper, gifts or to keep
  • i then go looking through my old stuff: what is it that i loved about my favs? was it the product? the style? the technique?
  • shop my stash: what do i have that i'm dying to use? what am i out of consumable wise? what do i need/want/must have? (waiting for Cassie's PI order to get here! she's so RAD!)
then i go out to other people's stuff:
  • i blog hop and find inspiration >> just look at the blogs i have listed!!
  • i surf etsy
  • i look through friend's galleries on FB
  • i look at my fav manufacturers blogs and design team galleries
then, i make another list of what to pack! phew. so far i've just got a mental list and i've been looking at some of my fav work tonight and came across some oldies but goodies... hope this helps you find inspiration too... and i leave you with some eye candy - and heck, maybe some inspiration! (let me know if that worked!!!)



love this photo. circa last summer.




peace and be good. now go forth and make stuff. and post back here if i inspired you.

shell

 
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