Embracing Life

     When it rains, I feel somber. Melancholy. Pensive. And I love it. Sometimes, I wish it would rain for weeks on end. It's the perfect time to be still and reflect. To sit cozy with a book and a mug of coffee. To paint a picture....

     I've found myself the last two days writing. The thoughts just flow into my head and I record them without rhyme or reason. I'm not sure what the cause of this is, perhaps Holy inspiration, but I'm loving the freedom of expression. 

     I've been sitting down and letting the words flow from my pen onto the paper without really even knowing what I'm saying. No deep thoughts. No profound ideas. Just writing. Releasing emotions and thoughts that were hiding for no reason other than being afraid of my own judgement towards myself. Towards my words, my thoughts, my art.... The words seem disconnected; but it feels like another person has written these streams of sentences. I like it that way.

     I am praying to adapt this mindset always, starting in 2015 and beyond. My words are no less great than Charles Dickens or Jane Austen. My ideas and thoughts are no less profound than Albert Einstein. At least in Jesus' and my eyes. 

     I am the unique individual. From here on out, I will stop trying to please the crowd. I will begin to focus on me and the impact I might have on those around me. I won't be judgmental of my words and ideas because they are mine. They were given to me by Someone who knows my heart, my mind, my life. They should be used to inspire others and not meant for my own selfish want of the perfect sentence, the perfect journal entry. Does anyone else have this obsession with the "perfect journal"? 

     I have many empty journals. Yet I keep acquiring more. Why? Because I want to fill these pages with life, with passion, with love. I want the words to drip from the pages as someone reads my story and cries. I want my words to inspire laughter. Yet here sit these empty books. Many times have I begun to write my "story" only to rip out the pages when the thoughts don't flow, and the words become jumbled, and the story isn't perfect. Selfish. Absurd. Wrong. 
     
     I look at old photographs of people in days gone by, and I want to know them. I want to hear their story, I want to know their thoughts. But who will want to know my story? Who will wonder what I thought on a rainy day in 2015? 

     No story is more worth telling than my own. And that is a truth I have only recently accepted. The words of the world, their lies, have led me to believe that because I'm not a world traveler, wealthy, or a genius, that my story isn't worth people's notice. Not true. Each story, each of our stories, your story is special. Don't be afraid to tell it. There's no greater time than now, for there may not be a tomorrow.

     I strongly encourage you to embrace yourself this year, this great 2015 that is just begun. Move past the lies in your head, the lies that are fed to you. Become who you are destined to be. It's not somewhere down the road, it's not something you missed out on, it's now. Now. "The enemy lies to you heart to bring you down, but God is for you."

     He is for who you are right now. Be that light, be that love, be that story that you are destined to be. Explore your mind, your words, your actions. Trial and error is life, and the imperfection is what makes it perfect. 

     
     My theme for this year: I will judge myself no more. 

Empowering. Freeing. Peace inspiring.

Day Dreaming With Jesus

     Hi everyone,
I started participating in an online "Bible study" (it's free to join; just follow this link) and it was strongly encouraged to take time out of your day for quiet. For stillness. For alone time with your thoughts and with God. I took the advice (which I've heard many times and only today have put it in to action), and chose to spend this time out in the semi-tranquil backyard, painting. Here's what I ended up with.

     I had been wanting to do a dream catcher painting because 1. I love them and 2. a friend of mine did a dream catcher painting recently and it was gorgeous and inspired me! 

     I had a..."moment" I guess you could say as I was watching today's video from the study. Jeanne, who starts the study off, was talking about how we are all born with gifts. We are all unique. We all have a path of our own to travel. Obviously, the old saying "life is a journey" is true. But today (with the help of Jeanne), I realized that I alone was born for this. I have been called to this life, right here, right now. And it may not be perfect, and it's always a little messy, but it's the life I was born to live. That is an empowering thought! It also gave me a little perspective on my creative endeavors. It made me switch gears in my brain, and I suddenly don't feel this harshness and judgey feeling towards my own work. Because what I am doing right now, is what I am meant to be doing right now. Talk about the pressure being lifted!

     
     Jeanne talks about not focusing on others lives and gifts because you may miss out on your own life! You cannot shine if you are not being you and doing what inspires you. She encourages us to not hoard our gifts. We were given our talents, our brains, our passions, our gifts to share with one another, and to share the gift of God. 

     So be encouraged, dear friends! You are where you are supposed to be, right now! God knows your heart. He knows your desires. And he made this day, this moment, with you in it for a purpose. This is your calling!

     A little Scripture as I leave you this evening...

      So use your gifts, whatever they may be. They were gifted to you by the One who loves you and knows you best. This is your calling, your path. Take pride in it, don't hoard your gifts, and give the glory back to Him.

DIY Nail Polish Flower Crown

     Can we just take a minute to oooh and aaah over this please? I am quite proud.

     I saw a photo going around Pinterest of this gorgeous little flower crown. And my mind was blown when I realized they were using nail polish to create these beauties! That's right, you heard correctly. Nail polish. So, I decided to give it a try. I unfortunately don't have a tutorial of my own, so I will have a link to the original post below. Here are a few things that I had to deal with while creating these beauties.

     There was a little trial and error here, because the wire for the petals had to be touching to keep the nail polish in this bubble wand like state. And first my wire was too thin and flimsy, and then it was too heavy and hard to shape. Thankfully I have a mandril so it helped with the shaping process, but honestly, a spoon or pencil or any other object with a similar shape will work great! 

     You can see the original tutorial that I found here. I absolutely love their color choices and I hope to make a full flower crown some day. Just to warn you, it is extremely time consuming, but so rewarding when you get to see the final project!

Sisters Chasing The Light

     Today started out taking photos of my newest Etsy item. It quickly escalated in to laughs, funny photos, and a good time with my sister. The lighting was gorgeous today and it seemed to turn in to the theme for our impromptu photo shoot. Here are some photos from our day.

You can find this new bracelet here!

I don't know what it is about this big bush/tree, but I seriously love it.

Things started to take a turn for the crazy right about here.

Confused a bit...?

We become "one" with nature around here.

Did someone say "ethereal"?

Even the brother wanted to be involved!

     We decided to continue on with our "light" theme, and headed up to the Diamond Bar Center to take some pictures of the sun setting over the city.

It was finally warm enough to wear shorts again today!

Natural beauty I'm afraid.

The Honda checking out the view.

     

     It was a gorgeous, warm, sunshiney day. As cheesy as it is, sunshine on my shoulders, really does make me happy!

Scarf Happy

     So, I've been knitting up a storm over here and I wanted to share some of what's been going on. All of the scarves are listed on my Etsy Shop.

Warning: Excessive Knitting May Cause Brain Failure

Some great new colors!

 

Ribbed Scarf. Available in all the colors shown below!

Plain Scarf

A beautiful silver, gray. This scarf is so silky soft. It's to die for!

I will be making a black one for myself in the near future.

A beautiful soft, cream color. It goes with anything. Instant classic!

The newest color, just finished! Natural Brown.

Things got a little crazy over here....

They sure are soft and warm!

Happy knitting everyone!

Welcome 2015!

     Happy New Year to you all! 

I hope you had a fun and safe New Year's Eve, and rang in the New Year in style!

     As for me, I started the day with a migraine. Fun. But the day was redeemed by a visit with my favorite baby! 

My tablet does NOT take good evening pictures but I couldn't resist.

     My sister and I spent the evening in Huntington Beach with Katelyn and her family at her sister's home. It was a chilly evening and we all went to the beach to snap a few photos. Again, the quality is not so great, but I couldn't resist.

The only snow you'll see in this part of California.

     We went back to the house and played games, sat around the fire, decorated cookies, and of course passed the babe around. We left around eleven to beat the drunk drivers home, and made it just in time to watch the ball drop in NYC. It may not have been the most eventful night, but it was cozy and spent with friends and family.

     Looking back on my 2014, I'd say it was a pretty good year. Every year brings trials but it also brings joy. Here's a look back on some of the highlights from 2014:

     I have been blessed with my job at the daycare back home. I had fabulous hours and it gave me the freedom to use my creativity. Every year, the community center where I worked would host a Daddy-Daughter Dance around Valentine's day. I have helped with the design and decorations of these events for the past 3 years, but this past year I was given complete creative control and was able to channel my inner event planner to bring to life a beautiful winter wonderland. This time of year was always the highlight of my job, but I was so thrilled and honored that my boss wanted me in charge. It was definitely a high point for me!

     I also had the opportunity to grow my relationship with my dear friend, Annie this past year. My family has always been close with her's (they practically are part of our family), and she and her two sisters as well as my sister have always been friends. But this year, we really had the opportunity to become friends. We got to spend a lot of time together drinking coffee, shopping, going on long walks, and just talking. It's also allowed me to become closer to her two younger sisters as well, Becca and Beth.  
     I've come to truly appreciate them as friends and sisters, and I've loved that we've been able to reconnect after they returned from China. And, I can't wait to have a Starbucks date when I come home!

She might disagree, but I love this photo of us!

     This year has also given me time to spend with my family. Living together again has brought us closer (even though it's a little stressful at times) and it's going to make going home without them difficult. 

     We celebrated my mom's 50th birthday this year too and that was a fun, special time spent with our close friends in a beautiful, autumn backyard. It was a bittersweet event, as my Grandpa had just passed, and we were busy packing up their lives, and mine, in preparation for the California move.

Rockin' 50 like a pro.

Doesn't autumn just get you??

Orange Sicilian Cake (courtesy of me), and Texas Hot Chocolate Cake (courtesy of our hostess).

Check out my mom's DIY and life blog here.

     I was able to cross an item off of my bucket list this year; participate in a 5k! My good friend, Vonnie, and I participated in the Color Vibe in Grand Junction, Colorado. I met this girl at my daycare job, and she has a special place in my heart. She is one of the silliest and most caring people I have had the privilege to meet, and I am so happy to call her my friend! Let me tell you, even after we arrived late and missed the first part of the race, we still had blast, danced in the rainbow, and had a delicious lunch. It may not have been exactly what we were planning, but it was a lot of fun, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Sorry Von, I stole your photo!

  

     I was able to learn a little bit about our history in Glenwood Springs with my sweet friend, Lizzie. We have been close friends for years, but this year has been special because she and her family are preparing for a big move, so any time we've been able to spend together, I've tucked away in my heart. We had both been to the Hotel Colorado many times for different occasions, but we were intrigued by the history that went along with it. So this summer, we planned a lunch date and a ghost tour at the Hotel. You can read about our experience on Lizzie's blog.

     I should have done a better job of taking photos that day, but she has some good ones as well as a brief history of the Hotel. I will be so sad when she moves away, and I'm looking forward to at least one more coffee date before she leaves me.

     This year I visited California three times. One of these trips was because of my Grandpa passing away, and even though it was a sad time, I'm glad we could all be together, and that we had each other to lean on. It's been a difficult time, and hard living in a home where he no longer resides. But we can rest knowing that he isn't suffering any more. And we know that he wouldn't want us to cry and make a fuss. He would tell us to knock it off and move on. 
     My cousin made a wonderful memorial slideshow on YouTube for anyone who would like see a little of what Grandpa was like.

Me and Grandpa.

     My husband and I took another camping trip this summer. Each time is so special to me. It's such a great chance to bond and just get away from life for a while. You can read about our travels here.

     I went to 3 concerts this year (the most in a year I think), auditioned for my favorite musical, got a taste of being back in college again, threw knives in the woods, went to a Great Gatsby party, and read more than I have in years.

     I became an Instagram user, which has made me get back in to photography. A passion that I let slide over the past few years, and I am thankful I have the ability to get back in to it.

A photo I took for an Instagram contest. The dreamcatcher is available on Etsy!

    I also started my Etsy business, and made my very first sale, right before the end of the year!

My first item, SOLD!

     I am forever grateful for all my experiences this year. I always get a little sad and nostalgic as the year comes to an end, and may have had a few tears in my eyes as the countdown to midnight began. But I am looking forward to 2015 and all that it may bring. I am excited to see where blogging and Etsy take me and what new adventures are waiting. The new year has begun with my husband finding an apartment for us, and I am so proud of him for doing it all on his own. I can't wait to be home again, and to begin new memories in our new place, with spring just on the horizon. Happy New Year to you all and may all your wishes come true!