Shop update!

The shop was just updated! Happy holiday shopping!

This weekend...

-photograph new (to me) vintage wares for etsy -list on etsy -package sold orders -knit (bought 3 pretty new yarns at the yarn shop last night!) -snuggle with the babies and the wife (really #1 on my list) -read -knit -finish college teaching position application (b/c I am a slacker) -submit fiction and creative non-fiction for publication (ack!) -wash blankets -stare at the Christmas tree -make a felt mouse for my mom's cat -knit some more -read some more -breathe

Trimmings

Our dining room table with our tree up! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

WTF is CSS? and how do I even begin to speak?

I am at war with myself. (I always want to say "elf" after I say "myself" as in myself the elf- but I digress) I want to make an all-star blog full of fabulous vintage finds, pictures of the food I make, the cakes/brownies/cupcakes I bake, or will be baking more now that we have eggs, noteworthy mentions of fashion, art, the world that grows around me. But, in order to do this I need to speak the language and thus far, CSS and Photoshop and HTML is as foreign to me as, um, some other foreign language that I do not speak. The war with myself (the elf-whew, I feel much better) is fueled by looking at other beautiful blogs, blogs written by women who appear to be amazing and carefree and fluent in the words of the machine, i.e. the web design environment. I am committing myself(I didn't do it this time...ok, stopping now)to learning Photoshop CS5 since I freaking OWN it and maybe watching all of the youtube.com tutorials will help me. I am in need of arrows and pointers and fun fonts and creative cutouts of my favorite internet finds, yo! I need brushes and tools and cut little pinking shear borders around my blogness. Stay tuned, folks. Stay tuned.

What?! What?! Etsy update again!

The shop has been updated again! I'm on a freakin' roll, people! A huge vintage item listing roll!

Etsy Update

Been busy on the shop! Let me know what you think!

Planning and Manifesting and Enough

I wish that I could let you into my synapses for a small bit. Five minutes would be enough. Well, maybe it wouldn't be close to long enough but anything is better than nothing. Our weekend away did our hearts and minds good. We planned and dreamed. We decided that although we are happy, we aren't happy enough. We are alright with our live and our home but as I noted in the last post, we just aren't thrilled with flat Florida. The close proximity of neighbors is annoying. So, we have made a semblance of a plan. We know that we must stick it out here for at least 3 years, possibly even 5. The house is great as it is and will give us quite a profit in a few years. This also gives us time to learn all about fiber farming (sheep, etc.) and decide where we will move. I am also applying to teach at the college nearby to give me a bit of extra practice in teaching and I will also be submitting my writing. Shocker! I. Me. Yes, me. I will be sending in some of my fiction and Creative Non Fiction to publications. Soon. I even have permission from one of my old professors to name drop which I hope helps. We'll see. The etsy business is also doing quite well so I will be working on stocking it up more and doing some advertising to get more traffic. Also, as if I wasn't busy enough (there is that word again...enough), I will be teaching myself yarn spinning and plan to sell the yarn on my etsy shop. I am getting some wool from a friend soon from here shetland sheep that she sheared herself. I have a stack of books en route to our house on farming, sheep, goats, and alpacas so we can begin to make our decisions. So far we are leaning towards sheep.

Coffee and Conversations About Future

Sitting with my wife right now, sipping coffee (me) and tea (her) and planning our future. We are wanting to leave Florida one day and how to make this happen seems like it will require much planning and dreaming and manifesting. And I know that all of these things will take time and patience. Patience is often not my strongest or best quality. I want what I want when I want it and that is NOW! And this all makes me sound bratty and obnoxious (both of which I actually might be). I crave land and trees and greenery and farm animals and seasons. We live in a 1600 sq ft 1925 cottage which we LOVE but even though we are in what is considered a double lot in our town, it is still too close to our neighbors for our liking. We have 3 hens (which aren't even allowed in our town), 5 dogs and a fat cat. We need land for gardening and silence. We need seasons for our souls and hearts. I need inspiration in the form of changing leaves and silent snow to write my novel that is only 25 pages in. I need. I need. I need. I want. I want. I want. Patience.

Photoshop and blogging

So, I now have the newest version of photoshop and a heck of a lot of desire to learn how to use it effectively for blogging. I have already learned how to add text, mess with the pixel/resolution, and a few little things to do with photos. I have ordered a new mouse b/c I am not able to use my track pad very well with photoshop. Not sure why this is....I see KMH do it and she does it just fine (super talented lady)! I guess I am still so very new to it (and am completely learning through watching videos on youtube). I have also done a bunch of research on the Bamboo tablet and may be getting one of those soon, too. I am still trying to figure what all I need/want/have to have to be able to do what I want with my blog. I am giving myself the next few months to really get this going...find it's direction, purpose, meaning. Fashion? Decorating? Life? House renovating? All of the above? I guess we will all see how this evolves. Ha...that sentence made me laugh. Since there are just SO many of you following this blog. I mean, really! ;) Hold on to your seats, peeps.

Playing with picnik and loving it!

This is Zenny and he likes to eat.

The list

-Costco
-make eye dr appt
-get ring cleaned
-get hair did
-food shop
-plant seeds

Wedding bells will be ringing in less than two months!

I will be marrying my sweet girl on October 15th and I am so looking forward to making this commitment to my soon-to-be-wife in front of our dearest friends and family is beyond what I could have ever imagined myself doing. I guess I thought I would commit to someone but I don't think that I actually understood what "long haul" meant or what standing with someone through the good stuff, wonderful stuff and terrible stuff. I am so grateful for all that I have learned over the years. Some of the learning was severely sad, hard, difficult, terrible, lovely, inspiring, etc. Everything we ever thought love would be or life would entail. I guess what I am saying, or attempting to say, is that life is every little experience, moment, tear, smile, happiness, disgust, hug, kiss, kiss off, heart break, break up, starting and ending....it is all ours. My life and yours.

Needing a quiet place.

I am seeking quiet. Silence. Peace. Serenity. A moment void of noise. I do not want to run away from my life. Rather, I would love to take a trip with my wife and one or two or our dogs and take a drive into the mountains. Away from Florida. Away from the work chatter. The stressful days and busy streets. We would bring books, music, coffee, wine and cheese and other yummy munchies. This weekend is Shaun's bday weekend and we are celebrating by having a quiet weekend at home in our house. No visitors, no dinners out, no going over people's homes. Just the two of us. Blissful. I am craving a cabin over looking a mountain, a lake, a river, anything.

Some jewelry pics

The etsy jewelry site is up and ready for business!

My etsy site for jewelry!

An etsy treasury just for you!

This is my very first etsy treasury!

The etsy shop is up

Let the buying begin! I will be posting more at least once a week (maybe more on the weekends).


My etsy shop!


Enjoy!

Getting Over Myself

I care, some may say too much, about what other people think about me. Not all people really. Just the people who I really admire, care about, like, love, respect, etc. This includes a lot of people. I worry about what they think about my choices, decisions, actions, comments, etc. It is exhausting and sad. Why I do care so much? Well, I want people to like me. This does not mean that I am a "people-pleaser," rather, it means that I like who I am, I'm just terrified and fearful that others do not. And I'm sure that other people are sick of stepping on egg shells around me and my delicate ego and mushy emotions. I have one friend who is the one to tell me how great I am and how ridiculous I am being when I am worried that someone doesn't like me, get me, love me, want me, respect me, etc. It goes on. But, this friend has told me that I have gotten better. That my worry is at a much more normal scale than where it was a few years ago. She said that I am gaining self confidence and self esteem in areas of my life where it was lacking and she said it shows. This was what I needed to hear today when I was concerned about what a woman, whom I respect very much, was thinking about me. I needed to hear that this woman likes me and respects me. And it must all come down to ego. The ego that I constantly try to smash. And it often rears it's ugly little ego head. And then I must remember to crush it again. I know that wanting others to like us is an important part of our development and part of being a social creature, I just wish that life didn't hurt so much sometimes.

Drinking a cold beer and other musings.

So, I am cranky. Super duper crankpants. I'm sure that it is not the first time. I am drinking an ice cold beer to ease my crankiness.
These are my musings:
I want people to smush, smash, shatter their egos. I want people to communicate with others from place of love, even if they don't love each other. I want people to put aside their feelings of feeling slighted and begin to see the bigger picture. The bigger picture is this: not just us. not just me and not just you. It is about the well being of our world. I know, seems rather lofty and heady, but I mean it. Japan. Haiti. Laws of telling undocumented people to leave a safe place. Denying human rights for all humans. Allowing the Earth to fill up with our trash. All of these things that occur around us all of the time and I feel powerless. I try so hard to treat all with kindness and compassion and I know that I am feisty as hell a bunch of the time, but it is all with good intentions to stand in my soap box, to protect and advocate for others, to fight the good fight. And I guess sometimes I just feel cranky. And I guess this has to be ok. S may feel differently since she has to live with it. Ha!

The girls are here!

We brought home our girls yesterday. They were born on Wednesday! They are soooooo sweet and cute and delicate. Right now they are living in the guest room because it is a little chilly here (by Florida standards). They will move into the garage this week. After 5 weeks or so they will be ready to move into their coop. This whole process is pretty wonderful. They already have their own little personalities. Meet the girls:
The two Buff Orpington's are Enley and Scout and the Maren is Gilmore:


This is Gilmore, she is a Maren and will be laying dark brown, organic eggs in a few months!

Chicken picking!

We are picking up our girls tomorrow! Stay tuned for adorable pictures of our new baby chicks!

Narcissism.

My first go at making rosesttes! and a few random pics!

Gettin' crafty! I think I burned by fingertips off....At one point, S yelled from the other room, "I think you should take a break so you still have fingers left!"so I put the glue gun down for a bit and then went back to it and perfected my rosette making technique! Viola!

My sweet girl out to breakie at The Pelican! Yummmma!

Us

Me

Feed and more

Well, the coop is done (except I must stain it) and the organic chick starter has arrived and the chicks have been ordered! All set! Except I haven't finished reading the Keep Chickens book yet. I have read many, many blogs on keeping chickens and talked with people so I am feeling fairly confident.

Other things on the home front- both S and I are feeling "off" and even though we both don't know exactly what that means, we are doing well. We are just extra tired, extra crabby, and extra antsy. Maybe a good, long bike ride todaybwill set us straight (gay-er)!

On the crafty front- I made rosettes for the first time last night and even though I thoroughly burned off many of my fingertips with the glue gun, the rosettes look amazing! I am super impressed with myself. I will post pics later.

On the wedding front- I went to the tailor yesterday to try on the dress and it fits beautifully...the seamstress is fixing one little spot and I can pick it up on Tuesday. I can't post pictures of the dress on here because S reads the blog. Sorry! But, I will post tons of pictures after the wedding!

Ok, off for more coffee and some snuggling with my girl and our fur babies! Happy Sunday, y'all!

Urban chicken time!

We had a wooden child's playhouse thingie and I knew it would be a PERFECT chicken coop. So, over came Penelope and together (mostly him) we built a coop! See the before and after below.




Allow the illegal chicken raising begin! Mmmmmm, organic, fresh eggs and more furry/feathery family! We are picking up our new baby chicks next Saturday!!!!

Yay!

What? I'm published!

Our home...some befores, durings, and now. Specifically the kitchen and bedroom.

Bedroom peeks:
So, when we first moved in, the bedroom floor had carpet. Ech. Used carpet makes me want to vomit. Strong reaction. I know. But, the idea that other people's skin cells are all up in there grosses me out. And I am not easily grossed out. Believe it.
So, we had Penelope (more about Penelope in a bit) pull up the carpet within hours of closing on the house. He then patched the wood, sub-floor and then painted it white. Ahhhhhh. Blissful white bedroom floor. How dreamy. No. It turned into a mess of a disaster. Within a few days, and our five dogs going in and out of the back yard, through our bedroom, the floor was FILTHY! Having the housekeeper come every week as opposed to every other was not in our budget and niether S nor I are big into mopping. So....we had the floor re-done. Viola.
See? White floor.

Bye white floor.

Some little pics of our bedroom:



And a peek into our closet. We came out long ago-so funny, I kill me! We recently had some shelving put in. Again, the amazing Penelope's handy work!



The kitchen:
Before:
These pics are mostly from the walk-through, the day of closing. I have a few more pics from when I first saw the house and holy, freakin' whoa! It was baddddddd (imagine the first picture and times it by 1 million)! Too many wolves howling at the moon on too many blankets, shower curtains and rugs! (I cannot even tell you how difficult it was to take down those dusty as all get out fake ivy from above the window. They were SCREWED in!!! I had to get the drill out!




During:
Ok, so Penelope is the BEST carpenter around. He is amazing and talented and a major perfectionist! He has done every single project that we have hired out for in this house. He made the pantry, did all of the counter-tops, the wainscoting, installed our outdoor shower (shhhh, don't tell code enforcement), did all of the crown molding, built one of our decks, and will be assisting (actually, I will be the assistant) in the making of our chicken coop!
Here is Penel in all of his glory!

After:
After many trips to Goodwill over the years, I have finally collected my dream kitchen decor. All vintage-y and sweet!





Any new re-dos in your homes? Share! This means you, KMH (since I believe that you are the only one who reads this)!

Gettin' Hitched on a Farm

It's true....I am getting married! I am saying "YES, I DO!" to the woman of my dreams this October. I have been in full wedding planning mode and it is FUN! Even though gay marriage isn't legal in Florida yet, we are making this the real deal holy field! So, when gay people can actually get married legally, all we will have to do that day is jump on over to the lil' ol' court house, sign some papers and then go out to dinner!
For people who know me....like, really know me, like KMH from this blog then they know that making this commitment to S is nothing to scoff at. I am smitten...actually, beyond smitten. I am in love. Like knock me down, head over heels. S rocks my world. She challenges me and pushes me and loves me in all the ways that I didn't even knew existed. I am a lucky lady!
Needless to say, but I'm gonna say it anyway (why do people say this?), that for the next 9 months, this blog will probably be a bit wedding planning filled. I have been searching every website, every etsy wedding treasury, every photoblog, for all things wedding planning. We are throwing this shindig by ourselves and I am planning on making almost everything. Even the food! Ahhhhh! Shhhh...with the help of Costco. ;)

Below are some pics of inspiration. I hate that I don't remember where I found them online so if you happen to know, let me know and I will give credit where amazing credit is due.





Oh, and we are getting married on a HORSE FARM!!!!!!!!!!! YIPEEEEEEEE!

Binging and Purging

So, for the past 3 hours I have been cleaning out my closet. I filled 4 huge bags full of stuff to bring to Goodwill. What does this mean, you ask? Well, it means that I need to stop the madness! I am a clothing fan! I loveeeeee a good deal and I enjoy the hunt at a thrift shop or any store really. I love to shop. Period. There. I said it. I need to not do it so much...even if they items are a good deal...or free...or expensive. I now have a closet that feels organized (even more than before...KMH, can you believe this?!?!) I am not into New Year resolutions but maybe I could make a new mindset about shopping this year. I will ask myself before every purchase, "do I need this?...do I have something at home just like this?". And if I answer "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second, I will simply allow my delicate wrists to place the item back on the rack, smile, and walk away.