My baby, Katherine, just turned four years old yesterday. It's so amazing how time flies. Last fall at a friend's birthday party, Katherine fell in love with horses. The party was held at a local equestrian center, Patriot Farms , so all the guests got to ride horses. I worried she'd be scared, but instead we witnessed her biggest, longest lasting smile. Katherine just lit up. After that she made sure to ask for cowgirl boots and a real horse from every Santa she encountered that Christmas season. Thankfully, Santa knew we weren't ready for the responsibility and delivered gigantic stuffed horses to the girls instead (they've slept with the girls every night since their arrival). She loves her stuffed horse, but she still dreams of a real horse. With her passion for horses, I knew I wanted to return to Patriot Farms for Katherine's birthday. So last night Katherine and Rebecca enjoyed their very own horse riding lesson. This was such a wonderful birthday experi...

I haven't participated in a Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop for awhile (mainly because I've been crazy busy with my decluttering ), but when I learned of this week's theme, your inspiration, it was hard not to want to join in. The better question for me is "what doesn't inspire me?," because I am inspired by so much. I love flipping through magazines and craft books, looking through blogs, collecting quotes, creating with friends, etc.. But when I truly think about it, what inspires me most is my two girls. There is nothing more energizing and inspiring than the "joie de vivre" of a 3 year old (she's just days from turning 4) and a 6-1/2 year old. I love watching them grow and play and learn, watching their different personalities develop. I love watching them light up when they find something they love. But what I am inspired by most is the way they make me want to live my life. Because of them I am inspired to live my best and happiest lif...

So I'm still decluttering like crazy, which makes for a pretty boring blog but a very happy me. The "organize and declutter" bug seems to be contagious because my girls are even getting in on the action. Yesterday I bought a few cute containers for their room not sure if we'd use them, but when I took them in the girls' room to check colors and size I could tell I wasn't getting them back. They snatched up those new containers and quickly (and quietly) began organizing their piles of trinkets. So things might be quiet on the blog, but just know that my family and I are happily organizing and decluttering our home. A "Vacate"tion of sorts--our clutter is vacating!

This year I have come to a lot of realizations, one of which is the importance of living for the moment. Too often I'm either caught up in dreams for the future or memories of the past. Both are good things to do, but in moderation. As I've mentioned before, I need to focus more of my energy on enjoying what I have right now. Like my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughters, great family and friends, good health, etc.. I am blessed in so many ways and I am grateful. But as much as I'd like to say I'm always focused in the present, it's not always true. When life gets going and I end up functioning on autopilot I'm either two steps behind or worried about the future. Old habits, old ways of thinking, are just not as easy to shake as I would like. For instance, my tendency to procrastinate often sneaks up on me and has me feeling behind. Ironically, it's often because it feels as if what needs to be done is so far in the future. This just happened to me with...

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” ~George Bernard Shaw I love to create! That's a well-established fact. Creating makes me happy. It makes makes me feel alive. Yet lately I have not been creating.......at least not in the traditional crafty sense. Instead I have been creating space. I can't begin to tell you how happy this makes me. This has created room for more clarity and calm. It gives me a greater sense of control over my stuff, my thoughts, my life. I love seeing these new open spaces throughout my home. Granted they're still the minority in our home, but they are still present. These open spaces help me stop and breathe. They help remind me to enjoy the beauty that surrounds me in my life. And they give me the room to dream and feel hopeful. I had no idea what a little decluttering could do.

"One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it." ~Sidney Howard "One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks." ~Jack Penn This photo may look like a mess, but it really makes me happy. I am surrounded by excess whether it be too much stuff in my home or too many thoughts in my head. So I have been working on decluttering and simplifying. I am working on organizing stuff I haven't touched in years. I'm emptying boxes. I'm making stacks for a garage sale. I'm writing lists and making schedules. I'm making dates with myself to declutter, to exercise (just finished the 9 week C25K program), to just be (trying meditation), etc.. I am gaining control and it feels great!

So today's the day..... Create With Me , the brand new Stampington publication, is now available! The girls and I got an advance copy a couple weeks ago and we love it! Rebecca keeps saying "I've never been in a magazine before" to which I reply "Me neither!" And I wish you could have seen the smile on Katherine's face when she saw her name and her artwork in the magazine.  Honestly, I'd love it even if we weren't in it (but it's just that much more fun to be included). It's a really inspiring collection of artwork and articles. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a copy you'll find us towards the end of the magazine on page 124 (saving the best for last).  My family and I have a date night at the bookstore tonight just to see it on the shelves. And I might just have one to giveaway! Come by next week and see!