Sick

It's literally gray outside. And sooo cold. Oh, and I have a COLD. What a coincidence. ;-)

My eyes are stingy and so sleepy. My back aches. My nose is running. Am I complaining? Nope. I kinda like having a cold. It's been a while since I've had one, and it gives me an excuse to stay inside and be all snuggly while it's freezing outside!

I just hope I can pull off a professional interview today at a teen dance club in Bentonville that I am writing an article on. I'm going to have to wipe the dead-pan expression off my face that comes from being zoned out and having to breathe through my mouth.

The Christmas Bug...

I have been trying to fight it for a week or so now, that darned ol' Christmas bug. I broke down today and bought my first new Christmas decoration. It's a handpainted serving plate for the kitchen, and I have it displayed on the counter! I'll post a picture later. Now all I can think about it Christmas decorations!! I plan on deep cleaning the apartment top to bottom, then getting everything put up. I have NEVER decorated for Christmas this early! I always wait until after Thanksgiving. Oh well, it's fun! And Christmas decor is so cozy and really makes your house feel like a home. I'm excited to enjoy the holiday season for a little longer this year.

My Etsy Shoppe is Open!

You can now shop for all things vintage and ragged at Scrap Girl Shoppe! Clink the link to the right, and get to shoppin! :-)

What an exciting day!!!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow!

Fingers are crossed that I get to stay home all day tomorrow and SEW! Oh, to only have more hours in the day...

Tomorrow will be a BIG day for me because I plan on opening up my online etsy store! I am flipping over that sign from "Closed" to "Open," and I am so excited, mixed with a little trepidation. I just hope there are other people out there who love my creations as much as I do. Because when I say I love them, I mean I could keep them all -- just fold them up and stack them in a closet somewhere and save them for my "future kids" or "future grandkids" or any other random excuse I can come up with.

In the meantime, my head will be just full of ideas bursting to get out and materialize into tangible creations. It's good to be busy though, especially when you're doing something you LOVE!

Pack Rat No More

I am in the mood to clean and de-clutter! Of course, I am only blogging about it right now, but I do fully intend to get started on both as soon as I'm done!

I have recently opened up an account at The Consignory and have already made 2 trips to the place dropping off old decor and electronics that we no longer use. Already, it has cleared up so much space in our guest bedroom closet! There are still more things I need to get rid of, and lots of deep cleaning that needs to take place. I am excited to get this little place in tip-top shape! I want to take pride in my home and keep it as tidy and clean as I possibly can. Not because I'm OCD (even though I am in some ways) but because I feel it's my duty to take care of the things on this earth that the Lord blesses me with.

Not to mention, now that we have gotten rid of clutter around here, we have more room for new "things." AKA the Charlie Brown Christmas tree! Every home needs one of these, truly. I can't wait to get it displayed! I just feel it's a little too early to decorate for Christmas right now. I might give it a few days. :-)

T.G.I.F.

I love Fridays. Each day of the week holds something special for me for different reasons, but I consider Friday to be "my day." I am usually not scheduled to work this day, so I like to fill it with leisurely activities or things that I've been wishing I could catch up on. Today, I didn't get out of bed until I was good and ready. Now I'm blogging. Next I will eat some breakfast then take my Simon outside to watch him run and play in the BEAUTIFUL Fall sunshine. Then I'll get myself ready for the day, followed by a hair appointment, which I am particularly excited about because today begins part 2 of my committment to God to be the me He made me to be and not work so hard to appeal to the world's idea of what beautiful is.

Part one was to stop causing damage to my body by tanning, so I gave that up back in August. I had the rest of the year already paid for in tanning, but I gave it up because I woke up to the fact that I was causing so much harm to myself and my body all because I felt like being tan made me look better...but to who? Not the Lord, so I guess in a way, I was trying to appeal to "the world." I just want to learn to be comfortable in my own skin, exactly how God made me to be, fair skin and everything. Part 2, of course, is returning back to my natural hair color. I'm excited to eliminate the high payments that come with highlights every 3 months or so, and I'm also excited to give up one more thing that I did to myself that appeals to the world. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I don't look down on others who highlight or color their hair, nor do I think it's "wrong," I just decided it's simply not for me anymore. The thought of someday never having to worry about roots anymore puts an extra little skip in my step and twinkle in my eye. :-)

Anyway, back to my plans for the day. After my hair gets done, the rest of the day is open. I might clean, sew, do laundry, go shopping, work on the Peekaboo calendar or simply catch up on my DVR'd shows. The best part is, I can choose to do whatever I want, and that alone makes my day so relaxed, good and full of blessings. :-)

We Had a Vision...

...and it involved making an enormously flowing, romantic skirt out of a sheet. Loren, the master photographer, and myself, the girl who likes playing "model" about as much as a little princess likes playing dress-up, made the vision come alive. The result: