It seems as if I've been hiding away from the world for the past couple months. It wasn't my intention, but it just happens sometimes. When life gets crazy, I have to cut back. I have to simplify. So I've been fairly absent from friends and the Internet and blogs and inspiration and art, etc.. But it's all been worthwhile: My family and I are moving. Where you ask? Just 22.8 miles from our current home. This seemingly small move is going to mean big things for me and my family. This move is going to give us the gift of time. Less time driving and more time living. Hooray! So for a couple of months now, we've been consumed with all things house related. We searched for the "perfect" house for our family, our budget, and desired location. We held our breath as we bid on the "perfect" home only to suffer heartbreak when we lost the "perfect" home just days before signing documents and days before Thanksgiving. We didn't let the heartb...

Happy 2012! Its the beginning of a new year. A time for reflection and fresh starts. For the past several years rather than set resolutions that I don't keep, I've chosen a word to set the tone for the new year. But this year I am going to tackle the year a bit differently. Instead of focusing on one word, I am going to focus on a list of my top ten twelve values. Love Creativity Family connection Happiness Comfort Friendship Simplicity Fun Community Beauty Sharing Inspiration I put this list together with the help of Tiffany Moore , life coach extraordinaire, and I can't even tell you how powerful this list has been. It may look fairly simple, but it's given me a strong sense of "me." It's helped me when making decisions both big and small. I feel so much more grounded and organized having a list that reminds me of what makes me tick. Now don't get me wrong, my one little words have been quite powerful, too, especially last year's word, clear. M...

I know that lately I've been totally neglecting my blog (and creative side to a certain extent), but for very good reasons which I promise to share......soon! Happy Holidays!

I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I can't help it. I love Christmas time! Life may be crazy as usual, but it's never too busy for me to find time for Christmas inspired art and crafts.

Do you ever feel like you're trying to do too much? Or maybe I should rephrase and ask if you ever feel like you're NOT trying to do too much? Are you also plagued by unrealistic expectations? Like the belief that you can do everything. Well that is what I'm dealing with. There's constantly a zillion things on my to do list and I'm always overly optimistic with the amount of things I can get done in a day. So after even the most productive of days, instead of celebrating what I've accomplished that day, I'm always left looking at the list of things I didn't get to. And you know what? I need to stop that. I need to set my expectations aside and acknowledge all that I do accomplish. I should be celebrating my victories, no matter how small. Like folding the laundry AND putting it away. Or getting everyone to school and work on time. Or making a home cooked meal that my family loves. These are the little things that make up everyday and everyday should be ...

Right now I feel like I'm barreling down the highway of life in a speedy red sports car. And the road I'm following isn't just straight. The road has some curves and I'm having to take some turns at top speeds. But you know what? I am in control. It might not always feel like it, but I am. I'm in the driver's seat, I'm making choices, and I'm going places. Too often in the past I've been content to sit in the passenger seat and just let life happen. And sometimes that's the right thing to do. But not today. Today I have choices to make and I am making them.

I love fall. I love the changing leaves, the crisp weather, the smell of cinnamon, the sounds of football in the background, visiting Apple Hill and various pumpkin patches, baking pies and cookies, etc.. It all makes me feel so warm and cozy..... And inspired ! When I feel this inspired I find that I must create, even if it's just using a few stolen minutes. And that's what I did yesterday. With the back to school and fall coming, I made this cute little apple to go with my apple tree from the other day. And I'm not sure my little apple is complete, but it is definitely a good start and a welcome reminder of this lovely season sneaking up on us.

“It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past  that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on,  what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them  that will determine your ultimate destiny.” ~Anthony Robbins Generally, I'd say focus is a good thing. I enjoy having clear vision (even if it takes contact lenses) and I value mental focus. But right now, I am a little too focused. Focused to the point of obsession. I have a tendency to get this way, especially when it's something I love. When I love something I love it with everything I possibly can. I like to think of this as passion. My husband lovingly refers to this as my pit bull quality, i.e. once I sink my teeth into something, it's hard to get me to release. But my current focus/obsession isn't so much from a love or passion. My husband and I are looking at our life and considering some pretty big changes. Chan...

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” ~Lao Tzu “One step at a time is good walking” ~Chinese Proverb I am excited to say that I am taking action. I am making things happen. And how am I doing this? I am taking tasks that were once overwhelming and breaking them down into more manageable pieces. I like things broken down into pieces. When I break things down, I get things done. That way I can take it one step at a time. When I think about it, this most obviously applies to decluttering my home this summer. But I'm also starting to see a pattern. For instance, I imagine that this is why the C25K program successfully turned me from couch potato to a 5K runner (just as it promises). And this must be why, while watching my husband's beginning ice hockey class last night, I found myself thinking, "Hey, that looks like fun." I've never had the yearning to play ice hockey (nor do I think I do now), but the instructor was just so good at...

Today I'm running my second 5K. When I first started running in May I had no plans of a 5K, let alone three within a month (I have another one next weekend). But with this being the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 it just felt right, and even necessary, to be a part of something special to remember the lives that were lost.

"Simple living is about living your life with a purpose that aligns with your values... Living simply is about being who you were made to be."  from  Organized Simplicity  by Tsh Oxenredier of  Simple Living Media . Some of you might have noticed that I haven't been blogging as much this summer. In fact, I took a whole month off from blogging even though regular life continued on. My break came partially from the busyness of life, but also because I needed it. I've been on an amazing adventure of discovery this year which started with what I thought was a simple One Little Word choice, Clear . My experiences have led me from one discovery to another and it's been quite empowering.  Part of my adventure has included the opportunity to work with Tiffany Moore , life coach extraordinaire. Working with Tiffany has truly been a gift. It's been so helpful in gaining perspective, and sometimes changing pers...

Hello again. I am finally back. I took a little blog summer vacation (and One Little Word Blog Hop vacation). It wasn't really a planned break, but sometimes you just need to hit pause (like when my 4 year old daughter asks to "pause the game" when she's playing--references from the age of DVRs and pausing TV). So here I am. I've spent the summer with my one little word (clear) in mind, decluttering and organizing both my home and my head. It doesn't sound exciting, but it has been truly wonderful! I also continued to clear my head and work towards better health by running. I'm excited to say that I completed the Couch to 5K program (C25K) and just ran my first 5K , the Race for the Arts , this past weekend. It was amazing! Between the energy of the crowd and the support of my family I was able to run my best time (not fast by any means, but no doubt my personal best). It was magical crossing the finish line, seeing my family, hearing my name ca...

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!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of celebrating my nephew Connor's second birthday at SuperFranks (the absolute perfect place for both kids and parents--wish we had one). Since Connor already has a ton of toys, in part thanks to us and a ton of hand me downs, we went handmade with his gift. I spruced up a couple shirts from Target with appliqués and threw in a cute matching pair of shorts. My sister-in-law Rachel is a big SF Giants fan, so it only seemed fitting to add a baseball appliqué to Connor's orange t-shirt. And Rachel is also a huge Dave Matthews Band fan (just like me!) so I had fun making a DMB shirt. I know it sounds more like I made shirts for Rachel, but I still love how the shirts turned out. In fact, I had so much fun that I whipped up some party shirts for the girls (a heart-shaped balloon for Katherine and a cupcake for Rebecca). I definitely see more appliqués in my future. Too cute and so much fun!