Awkward and Awesome

I've decided to join the Awkward and Awesome link party

over at The Daybook

basically...because it's awesome to share awkward {and awesome} things :)

Let's dig right in with this week's memorable moments

Awkward:

dropping my face wash on my foot in the shower and then smacking my head on the shower wall when I bent down to pick it up {um, good morning}

trying to hold my 18 month old son in one arm and button my wallet with my other hand and arm in the post office while my son points to my chest and yells "boobie, boobie," over and over. {move along people...nothing to see here...}

putting my hair in a braid all day and then coming home at night to find I left out a super annoying long piece in the back. {ugh...I'm so that girl...yep, bringing back the rat tail}

calling a woman in the paper about puppies she has listed for sale and talking to her for over 35 minutes on the phone about her crazy mishaps, how life use to be out on the prairie, and how she was caught in a storm at 11 o'clock at night. {I must say this one was both awkward and awesome...thank you, Charlotte}

taking Isaiah to his first swim class {since he was 7 months old} and having him scream "out" and cry the entire time. {we will persevere...next Thursday...swim class - here we come!}

Awesome:

going on a P-Town coffee, err...hot chocolate, date with my hubby, son and two nephews. {who would have thought that a donut muffin and 3 hot chocolates could be so fun?!}

some slightly spring-ish weather has finally decided to make it's debut {you're welcome...I did send the memo}

a wonderfully sweet and thoughtful email I received from a happy customer...I smile every time I think about it! {check out this post to see what I'm talking about}

my amazing husband who is more supportive than I could ever hope for {I appreciate you, love}

How about you?!
What was awkward, and what was awesome?!

Shine On

Something super exciting happened...

that made me feel special, encouraged and so happy.

A wonderfully sweet customer left me a message in Etsy, and here is what it said:

"I received it [the tote] yesterday and it is absolutely gorgeous, I just love it to pieces. It is so sturdy and the perfect size and officially my favorite bag I own. It's wonderful to come across a shop full of beautiful and well made things, that also has an owner who is so kind and completely fabulous :)"

How amazing is that?!

She didn't have to say those nice things...

in fact, it would have been MUCH easier and less time consuming for her to say nothing at all.

But can I tell you how big I smiled when I read this?!

It literally made my day.

Funny how such a little thing...such a small act of kindness

can mean so much.

This fits so perfect with this weeks SHINE challenge going on over at The Shine Project.

{a daily must read, btw}

The challenge this week is to give a compliment each day to someone in your life.

Ashley's thought {founder of TSP} is that we can brighten someones day

when we tell them something we appreciate about them

{and how right is she?!}

If I'm being honest

{which I am}

I can tell you that I wasn't participating in this week's challenge...

until now!

Once I read that sweet email from my customer,

I instantly thought of Ashley, The Shine Project and this SHINE challenge in particular.

Now, I'm so motivated to spread the encouragement that I feel to people in my life!

Thank you, Shannon, for the amazingly sweet and super special {I'm saving it forever} email.

And thank you to Ashley

 for creating such a wonderful and inspiring platform to help us spread the love!

Oh, and I have a challenge for you...

follow this weeks challenge and give a compliment each day for the rest of the week...

I promise you won't be let down!

because this little guys always makes me smile 



Wacky Wednesday {a mish-mosh of things}

My friend {Heather} shared this site with me a while ago
and I just feel like it's a shame for me to keep it to myself.
So, if you have an iphone, can't stand autocorrect or just need a belly laugh,
you must check out this site.

Oh, and wouldn't this be kind of a sad day?

 photo credit

Feel like you need something to make you laugh {and possibly scream}
{and waste a little lot of  time} today?

then click here...

I was entertained for quite a while.

apparently it doesn't take much, huh?


Another {totally random} thing that is still making me laugh,
is that the hubby asked me to put zit cream on his 'blemish' last night before bed.
I was cracking up looking at the big white spot on his face...
{though I look like that nearly every night}

And, although it's officially spring, the weather is still not convinced.
{ok weather...this is your memo...}
It rained all day yesterday, and we took full advantage of puddle jumping.
{which I have to admit, was really fun}

Have a happy Wednesday!

First Ever {guest blogger!}

So, you probably remember the post
where I introduced you to my super sweet and ultra adorable
new bloggie buddy, Casey
{if not, shame on you...click here}

I'm having so much fun getting to know her!
{and I know you will too!}
She is so positive, sweet, creative and inspiring.
I love when people can see the unique side of things, and Casey totally does!

And today, I'm so excited to announce that Casey's hanging out over here
and she's written up a super fun post to share with all of you!

Without further adieu,
here she is!


Hi! My name is Casey Wiegand & am thrilled to be guest blogging today:). I am a wife, stay at home mama, artist & blogger! If you head over here, I usually am blogging about my perspective on life, faith, kids, marriage with touches of art, creative inspiration, projects and things I love along the way.

This is my family:

Elizabeth Stone said, "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

So, I decided to do a modge podge of mommy favorites for this post :) Enjoy!!!

FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP: 

FREE PEOPLE! (mostly just when stuff is on sale :), or TARGET!)

SOME MOMMY MUST HAVES:

FAVORITE ETSY SHOPS: I have 2 :)(besides AR of course!)

IVORY & MOSS

JUST.LOVELY.THINGS

FAVORITE RECIPE:

Hey guys, Alex here again...

I love a girl whose not afraid to share her tips, tricks, secrets and favorites!

A huge thank you to Casey for sharing some of hers today!

Be sure to look for more guest posts from Casey

and be sure to check out her blog!

Ok, on a side note, I seriously can't wait to try that snickers ice cream cake

{we all know how I feel about ice cream...}

enough said.

We Made it Home {and I've been de-virgin-ized}

Well now, just to clarify,

We made it home from Portland

{where we visited family and had an amazing time}

And I've been de-virgin-ized from

Fabric Depot!

{come on...I'm married...what were you thinking?!}

That's right, people...I experienced my first ever trip to Fabric Depot!

Don't worry, I took some pictures to document this momentous occasion,

But before I show you, let me just say that I was

completely overwhelmed

nearly the moment I walked in the door

{not to mention it was about 30 minutes until closing - it was a busy day, ok?}

and I ran around like a maniac trying to look in every nook and cranny of the store

needless to say, that did not happen - sigh.

But I did get to see the huge array of

fabrics, patterns, thread, elastic, buttons and every other doo-dad and thingy-majig they have to offer.

I was on sensory overload.

Here is just a small fraction of what I saw:

wouldn't these fabrics make super cute cuddly tag blankets and burp cloths?!

and these wipeable {I know there's a proper name, I just can't think of it} prints would make great diaper bags or high chair covers that would be super easy to clean!

who doesn't love a little ruffle and sequin?!

{I'm thinking Heather would have better use for these bad boys than I would}

aisles and aisles of...everything you could possibly imagine...

I'm in LOVE with these fabrics. They would make amazing zippered pouches

{here's a secret...they'll be the next new product in my shop!!}

And guess how much stuff I left with?!

Are you ready for the grand tally?

Is the suspense is killing you?

Nothing.

That's right, I left without buying even one thing.

{I know, something is wrong with  me}

I don't think I do well in situations where I feel overwhelmed.

Plus, I didn't have any specific project ideas in mind,

{until now, of course}

so it's hard for me to just randomly pick fabrics I like.

Because, let's face it...I liked it all and if I was just buying to, well, buy...

I would've basically left with the entire store.

And that's not really helpful for anyone

{well, maybe it is for Fabric Depot - hello huge sale}

Anyway, I digress.

It was so fun having my first experience at Fabric Depot...I am officially no longer

a Fabric Depot virgin

{a huge thank you to my SIL for driving me through Lord knows where to get there!}

and on my next visit I'll have some specific projects in mind

{and get there with more than 30 minutes to spare}

and shop til I drop!



Fabulous Finds Friday

In honor of spring break

{not that it really feels like it around here}

My fab Friday finds are items that remind me of spring!

I'm loving these table top party pennants from possiblyandperhaps

They make me want to head outside, start the BBQ and have a party!

And how yummy do these gluten free spring dazzle cake balls look?

Check out MamasGFreeCakeBalls for all of her yummy creations!

This flower parasol print by honeytree...it just screams spring showers!

This mustard mum cabochon ring by LittleMissMomma.

I adore how shabby chic and vintage this looks!

And this super sweet vintage damask shabby chic magnetic board

by ShugabeeLane.

I can picture this in my house now....

Hope you enjoyed my spring-y finds!

As soon as the hubby gets home from work

we're packing up the car and heading to Portland!

{wish us luck, 4 hours in a car with an 18  month old....iesh}

Can't wait to share some pictures from our trip!

Have a great weekend!

Market Tote Bags {a new product!}

Holy hallelujah and praise the Lord!

I can not tell you how excited

{and relieved}

I am to finally have my market tote bags available in my shop!

I've had an overwhelming day

and for some reason I've been super stressed out.

It feels so amazing to have these babies finished!

I made myself a tote bag

{it was the first project I ever sewed by myself...aaaawwwwweee}

and I've been using it consistently for over a year

{think books, planners, diapers, wipes, snacks, wallet, keys, phone, lotion, magazines - yes, all at once}

and it is holding up so well!

Try one out...I'm sure you'll love it!

These are the lovelies I just listed in my shop!

Featured at Josiah's Nest {don't miss the discount code}

Good morning and happy Wednesday!

Let's start the day off right

with a little gift from me to you!

Hang on, I'm getting a little ahead of myself...

first, let's start with this:

Have you visited Josiah's Nest yet?

Her blog is one of my daily reads

and you don't want to miss it!

Moriah is married and has a sweet baby {well, he's 11 months} boy {Josiah}

and she is pregnant with their second baby {a girl, Lucia!}

She writes about the journey of becoming a better wife {and woman}

a mommy to an {almost} toddler

and her experience being pregnant with a second child - whew!

And today, I'm featured {and honored to be} on her blog!

Click here and go strait to my interview!

{how official does that sound?!}

Not only can you find out some new information about me,

but Moriah is also sharing a discount code with you

that you can use at my shop!

{yes, this is the gift from me to you part}

Enjoy!

Tile Coasters {New Product}

I promised you that a few new products

would be making their debut

in my shop this week,

and here is new product #1
{currently available in my shop}

Handmade {with love} Tile Coasters

Tile coasters are totally customizable,

so please send me a message in Etsy if you'd like a set of

custom handmade tile coasters

to match your style

My Story : Dying {to be thin}

I originally wrote this post on February 22nd...exactly one month ago
but I wasn't quite brave enough to post it.
But I can tell you that just writing it down has made me feel so....liberated...free
And now I'm ready {I think} to share it with all of you.
Even if only 1 person reads this and it makes a difference to them
I'll be ok.

I'm going to start out by saying this is awkward.

Something I haven't really talked about with many people

but I think it's an important enough issue, that I shed my own light on it

Here goes:

I never really cared all that much about what I ate or how much I weighed.

I ate without thinking, without guilt and without regret

I'd say things like "oh, I could loose a few pounds"

but I never did anything about it.

when I was 17, that all changed.

My senior year of high school I decided to go on a diet

I had a friend who had started losing weight, and people were noticing.

Telling me that they thought she looked good, and asking if I knew how she was doing it.

Jealous.

Yep, as embarrassing, ridiculous and selfish as that is, I became jealous of my friend.

It was like an instant competition that was taking place in my head

nothing we talked about, but so real to me.

I HAD to lose weight.

I joined a gym and started working out, but it wasn't working as fast as I wanted.

So I stopped eating as much

I became very conscious of what, how much and when I was eating

and it worked.

I lost over 10 pounds in less than a month

{a lot for someone who didn't need to loose weight in the first place}

but it wasn't enough.

I needed to loose more.

so I ate less, and less

and exercised more and more.

And just like I knew I would, I lost even more weight

I obsessed about food ALL day

what sounded delicious, what I was craving, what I wanted to eat so bad

but wouldn't allow myself to.

I was skipping meals.
 I'd be so shaky I could hardly stand it

I'd feel dizzy and light headed
but that magic number on the scale made me feel so good inside
I told myself it was all worth it.

My life revolved around what food I wouldn't eat, and figuring out ways to work off what I did eat.

The thoughts in my head were going a million miles a minute,

and each thought revolved around

how I looked, what I wouldn't eat and how I could keep people I knew from suspecting anything.

My  mom asked on several occasions if everything was ok, and even took me to the doctor
of course, I said I was fine.
I had a really good friend confront me {she saw past my lies}

and I denied that I had a problem to her too.

It was scary being in my head, but I couldn't get out.

I tried so hard.

I wanted to enjoy eating again without feeling extreme guilt

without feeling like I was disgusting

without fear of gaining weight

I'd gain a few pounds, and then feel so gross and out of control that I'd loose them again.

I remember just praying that I would be relieved of this obsession.
I'd go to bed hoping that I'd wake up and suddenly be "normal" again
I think that day finally came, but not as soon as I wanted.

I went to Slidell, Louisiana
with my church to do Hurricane Katrina Relief at the end of 2005
and that trip changed my life.

I decided before I left that I would not spend my time in Louisiana focusing on myself
I would eat like normal and not feel guilty about it.
And, with the help of God, that's kind of how it went.

I was so focused on helping the hurricane victims,
{listening to their stories and showing them love}
I wasn't taking the time to analyze and then over-anazlye myself.
{not to mention, I fell in love with my future husband on this trip}
and when I got back home and got on the scale I almost cried,
but I told myself that it was ok.

There was still so much going on in my head,
but instead of negative, self defeating comments
I was trying to be positive.
I had to convince myself that it was ok to eat...ok not to feel guilty...to not have regret.
It wasn't easy, but it slowly worked.

I never consider myself as someone who has had "an eating disorder"
but I definitely know I was boarderline
my "issues" only lasted about a year,
but I would say it took at least 3 years before I could fully enjoy eating
and felt comfortable in my own skin.

Now it's so weird to be sitting on the flip side looking back.
My body has created and cared for another life.
stretched to Timbuktu and back
{seriously}
and I feel like I have this total appreciation for my body and what it was created to do.

That doesn't mean I just love everything about my body
{trust me, I don't}
And I'd still like to loose a few pounds,
but the obsessing is over, and my life is less stressful
and for that I am thankful.

If you, or someone you know is going through something like this,
I hope you can find a little bit of inspiration and encouragement from reading this.
Please...accept the gift of help.
Visit this website for more information and get help today.

Etsy Shop {New Items}

It has been a super productive

 first day {well, weekday} of spring break!

The only thing missing is the spring-y weather...

oh well, I suppose it makes me feel less guilty about being in my studio all day

when it's raining and/or hailing all day!

This week is completely dedicated to updating my etsy shop!

I can't wait to share some of my favorite items,

as well as new products!

Eeeep! So exciting!

These little lovelies were just listed in my shop,

so go check 'em out!

I Heart Andy Gross {new sponsor}

Have I ever mentioned how much

I love finding new blogs to stalk follow?

Well I found yet another super fantastic blog

and I have to say that

I Heart Andy Gross

is my latest blog crush!

Great, now that we have that all out in the open,

lets get to know Lauren!

Lauren is married to, you guessed it, Andy gross

They have a super sweet blonde haired little boy,

{which basically makes us soul sisters right there, right?}

and in between being a wife and mommy and teaching 2nd grade,

Lauren manages to find time for crafting, cooking watching quality reality TV

and, has her own photography company {sugarland photography}!

Check out her amazing photos here

I adore the honesty in which Lauren writes,

and get so excited each time she writes a new post.

Trust me,

If you're not following this blog,

you're missing out...seriously.

Head on over and tell her Alex sent you!

rules at the stop sign {if you drive, please read}

A stop sign is a traffic sign,

 usually erected at road junctions,

that instructs drivers to stop and then to proceed only if the way ahead is clear.

Not so hard to understand, right?

Well apparently for 82% of the population, it is!

{yes, I made that number up}

I live in a small town, and there are lots of stop signs..

I'm not sure if it really matters that my town is small, oh well.

Anyway, in addition to having zillions of stop signs,

our little town seems to have a crap ton of 2 and 3 way stops.

I find this to be annoying.

Not because I mind stopping,

but because no one seems to follow any of the rules at said stop signs.

Now, we all have drivers licenses

{well, at least if you're driving I hope you do!}

which means we all took {and passed} a test in order to drive.

I understand it may have been a while since you took your test,

so I'm here to offer you a little refresher course in Stop Sign Etiquette

{you can thank me later}

image credit

First, if you are approaching an intersection that has a 2 or 3 way stop,

please make sure you're one of the vehicles that actually has to stop before stopping.

It doesn't do any good for you to be sitting at an intersection

while all of the other cars {who actually do have stop signs}

are waiting for you to realize that you need to move.

Second, there is an order at the stop sign.

Yes, I know this may be a new revelation to some of you,

but you actually have to take turns, in the appropriate order, at a stop sign.

If you get to a stop sign before other cars,

once those said cars are also stopped,

please do not try and wave them ahead of you in an attempt to be 'curtious'

{or whatever you may be attempting to do}

it just messes up the order and confuses everyone!

Just go in order, people, and we can all get along.

Third, get off your phone.

Driving while talking on the phone is illegal in Oregon

{and I'm sure most other places too}

and it's against the law for a good reason.

When it's your turn to go, I wait for you.

If you are not paying attention and are too busy talking on the phone,

you mess up the order,

and that's rude.

So hang up, or pull over while you're on the phone.

Trust me, it's safer {and less annoying} for everyone.

Last, if you read the definition of what a stop sign is, then you probably already know this

{ but for those of you who skipped that line}

a stop sign means you have to stop.

It doesn't mean you slow down and roll through the stop sign,

and it doesn't mean you stop mid-way through the cross walk and stick out into the intersection.

Here's an interesting tid-bit:

If you do a rolling stop and hit someone, you will be faulted and if it results in a death, you could be jailed.

Now that I've explained what not to do,

I thought I'd leave you with the correct way to engage with fellow cars at a stop sign.

{I wouldn't leave you hanging like that}

1. Come to a complete and full stop at the intersection. Wait for your turn, double check for oncoming traffic or pedestrians and then slowly proceed into the intersection.



2. There are specific right of way rules that pertain to stop signs found at intersections.

• The driver who stops first, continues first.
• When two cars stop at the same time, general rule is that the car on the right has the right of way.
• When there are three stop signs the person on the right has the right of way.
• A stop sign means just that. Come to a full stop, not a rolling stop. Stop and look both ways before proceeding.

3. When you encounter an aggressive or bad driver who is trying to take the right-of-way away from you; let him. It's not worth an accident or suffering physical injury.

This would have to be pet peeve # 527

{yes, I'm aware that I have a lot}

but I seriously can not stand it when people make up their own rules at a stop sign.

I hope you have found this to be helpful.
{and were able to pick up on the fact that this was slightly sarcastic}

On a brighter note,
here is a picture of me and my sweet little leprechaun on St. Patricks Day

Happy Saturday!

For Japan {with love}

I can only speak for myself,

but when I heard the news of what has happened in Japan,

and turned on the television and saw the devastation for myself,

I can't even begin to tell you the emotions that ran through my body.

The morning I found out

I was holding my baby and changed the channel to Good Morning America.

Live footage in Japan showed people running...screaming

roofs were falling, and personal items were scattered all about

buildings were tumbling down

At that point, I had absolutely no idea what was going on.

I was scared.

I squeezed Isaiah tight in my arms

as my heart began to beat faster and faster.

I panicked.

Finally {after what seemed like an eternity}

they gave some information about Japan

and how there had been an earthquake and a tsunami

and my heart sank.

I can't even imagine.

Japan needs our help, and our support.

I'm taking part in the bloggers day of silence

to honor Japan

and help raise awareness

and hopefully some money too.

{please, donate what you can...every little bit really does help}

 for more information, please visit For Japan With Love

and for even more information, please click here

{I'm going to let you in on a little secret}

you see, even though I know where I'm going after I'm done in this world

it doesn't mean I'm ready.

I still have so many things I want to do,

that I want to experience,

that I want to see.

It's hard for me to come to terms with that...because it feels as weird as it sounds

I just need a little more time here.

and sometimes that doesn't make sense.

I can't even begin to imagine what the people of Japan are going through.

how they are feeling.

the realization that this is now their life

something they have to deal with weather they like it or not.

but there is hope,

and you can help.

take part in the blogger's day of silence {March 18th}

being held in honor of Japan