back on track

Hello! I haven’t posted in a long time because we’ve moved, again! It’s so nice to be settled. Everyone is noticeably happy including Bells. I don’t think she’s ever been as happy as she is here. Its been brutally hot, but we enjoyed visiting the nursery & selecting plants for our landscape. Can’t wait for those to get planted!

We’re babysitting our grandpuppy, Ruby, while her parents are on vacation for a couple of weeks. I love how active they are. They’re very sweet despite their love-hate relationship.

   
        

Happily Ever After

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My husband and I have been married for 30 years and are very close. We had a terrific day just chilling and doing the usual Saturday things. We were going to do dinner and a movie…but it’s Valentine’s Day A.K.A. “national go out to dinner night” and we didn’t have reservations. You know what? It made no difference to us. We came home and made pancakes, taking it in our stride. This is what happens when you’re a comfortably married middle aged couple. We don’t sweat the small stuff because it’s not important. Snuggle under a blanket and watch a movie together with some popcorn. It’s too cold to be outside anyway!

On another note, I finished the box I was burning for my Etsy shop here!

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Busy Burning…

My Etsy shop hasn’t really slowed down after the holidays & I’m thrilled. I’ve even been contacted by a boutique offering to act as a distributor, which is exciting for me. I’ve been assessing my shop and decided to add some new designs, packaging & merchandise. In between fulfilling orders I’ve started experimenting. Here are a few things that are currently in the pipeline:

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Moving Out & Moving On

Shortly before Christmas we sold our house. We’d only lived in it for a little over a year, which was frustrating. We found out our contractor was getting ready to create a couple more developments in our area with houses practically identical to ours. Bearing that in mind, we decided it was now or never to sell.

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So we packed up AGAIN and have moved into an apartment while our new house is being built. Living on the third floor without having an elevator is a huge pain in the butt, especially when carrying groceries or taking the dog out. At least it’s only temporary…I keep reminding myself how much I love the new house plan; and this is what it will look like

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Now that we’re situated (for now) I’ve been trying to work on some new designs & products for my Etsy shop. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far…

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A Winter Landscape – Using the “Paper” app

This is a little picture I created using an iPad app called Paper. It’s supposed to represent how my back yard looks during winter; and is a little bittersweet. We’ve somehow managed to sell our home the week before Christmas! We’ll be moving into an apartment for about three months while our new house is being built, and will miss it when it’s in bloom.

As for the app, I like it a lot. It’s taken a bit of doodling to adapt; but it’s pretty neat. Using a stylus is much better than finger painting, and lets me produce a neater appearance. I bought the tools and color mixing for $3.99 but the app itself is free. This is the one time I’ve found the in app purchase to be totally worth it. Overall, it’s relaxing to sketch on the go and I’m loving it! I’m not the best artist but it’s definitely a cool app!

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8 Days ’till Christmas!

Ok, I’ve got this…even if today is the first day I feel this way. Classes have finally ended (thank God) and all of my Etsy shop orders have been shipped. Our Christmas gifts have been purchased & wrapped (minus a few ribbons & bows). All that’s left is to tie up some loose ends & bake some cookies. Our daughter asked for macaroons – pray for me – they’re finicky to make.

I saw Santa today & thought he was so cute I just couldn’t resist taking a selfie with him! My dog, Bells, looks as cute as ever. The fact that she has a present under the tree is driving her crazy. She keeps trying to open it, and has pushed it around the house. Perfect, she’s just
Ike me 🙂

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Is it Saturday yet?

What a beautiful fall day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the leaves have started to change color. For some reason today sort of felt like a Saturday, except for the amount of homework I had to get through. It was a difficult task considering it was such a pretty day. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the end of term on Friday just do I can enjoy being outside guilt free .

Anyway, here are a couple shots of our tiny Yorkie. Dogs are great companions. When I’m sick, working from home, or doing homework she’s right there with me (usually pestering me to throw her ball) but I enjoy her company. Do you have a pet who keeps you company?

Get out and enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts.

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Vacay!

This summer we’re doing a fair bit of traveling. June is promising to be a particularly busy month with vacations, weddings, etc. As you may or may not know, I’m working on finishing the degree I started 29 years ago. Like most kids that age I was immature and not ready to face the discipline needed to be academically successful (otherwise known as partying myself right out of school).

This means I’m having to contend with writing papers and taking tests at 48 years-old. A part of me is enjoying it, but another part of me keeps wondering if its really necessary. At any rate, I’m a senior so the end is in sight…at least for my bachelor’s. I’m currently taking two classes, but another term is going to be starting next week. You guessed it – it’s starting right during the same week we’ll be traveling. This means for one or two weeks I’ll have three classes to contend with while I’m visiting with family I only get to see once a year. This might not sound like too much of a challenge for some people, but on top of work, maintaining my Etsy shop, packing & taking care of a house it’s a lot. Hopefully I can work ahead so it won’t be as difficult, but I’m not making any promises.

Like most families, when our three kids were babies and toddlers we’d often remark on how much easier it’ll be to vacation when they’re older because we won’t need as much paraphernalia. We’ve soon realized that’s not necessarily the case as this photo illustrates. Here’s what our back seat looked like from last week’s adventure…

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As you can see, once again our theory was wrong. (What you don’t see are the kayaks strapped to the roof of the car) This is really what summer is about – having fun and the chaos that seems to inevitably go with it. Finding the bag with the snacks is a little like playing Jenga, but somehow nobody seemed to mind…except our daughter whose shoes got swept out to sea along with our boats; but that’s a story for another time. Have a happy day!