Someone's In the Kitchen

Thanks for all of the encouraging words. That is one of the things that I love about blogging - we keep it real. Good days and bad. I think I'm on the upside now.

I do have to say that I was going to apply for a job at the school district. I saw an amazing/perfect for me job, got everything together and filled out the online application. As I went back in to actually apply for that job, the position was no longer listed. Now the only positions available are coaching boys teams and a sweeping position. Not that I'm above sweeping, I do that at home all of the time, it's just that the job is after school when I need to be home with the kids. At least my application is up and ready to go for the next opening.

In the meantime I was inspired to run a promotion at my Etsy shop. I'm guessing if money is tight here, it's tight in other homes as well. Things have picked up a bit.

Happiness came yesterday in the form of good food and good company. Amber and Shalyse, came by for a little Eggroll 101. If you know how to make eggrolls, you always have friends. So we spent the day, all day in the kitchen.The time spent laughing and enjoying their company was so therapeutic for me and I think for them too. We thought that we should really do this more often...so we are. Next week we're making a Pumpkin roll at Amber's house. I'm bringing the cream cheese.Once all of the rolling, frying and scarfing sampling of the eggrolls were done, we moved on to Fortune Cookies. Did you know that you can make Fortune Cookies? Shalyse had made them before, so she took over the teaching position. It took a couple of test runs to get the timing and folding done, but they were so cute, and tasty too.We ate them all, only because I didn't want my kids to see them ;) . Wouldn't they be perfect for April Fool's Day? You know, with silly little notes like "check your nose, you've got a boogie". I may have to work on those a bit. Feel free to leave any ideas in the comments section. Remember, I have two teenage boys...so pretty much anything bathroom or body related is good - I mean anything within reason, like "PG". I would say PG-13 but they are allowed to say the F words a couple of times in a PG 13 movie and I don't think that would be very nice in a fortune cookie ;)

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

I'm sitting here watching the snow fall again, wondering when March will finally go out like a lamb, and reminding myself that we need the moisture for this years crops as well as my own vegetable garden.

They grey sky has been effecting my mood today. Sales at the Etsy shop have slowed down, and I find myself contemplating getting a job outside of the home. Which makes me sad and confused. I have faith that Heavenly Father will provide for our family, and yet I'm confused at what my role in that will be. I don't want to sit idly by, waiting for blessings to come, if I should be out putting in a hard day's work to receive those blessings. And yet again, I don't know what job I could get outside the home that would allow me to be with my kids on sick days, school breaks, and summer break.

Thanks for letting me indulge a little in self pity searching. I'll press forward in faith, hoping, praying, sewing. After all, you reap what you sew right?
Rain Cloud available at tanyap.etsy.com
Frieda Journal was a recent purchase from waterscissorspaper.etsy.com

And the Winner is...

MarvelosThing! Congratulations! Please send me an email with your mailing address and I'll send the sweater out to you.

The sun is out and so are the kids - no school today :) We're off to have some fun. From what I hear, there is some hanging out, bike riding and paintballing planned for the day. Sara and I will probably take a trip to the park with some friends. Enjoy your day!

Giveaway

It's time for a Giveaway! After stitching up a couple of baby sweaters from patterns online, I've ventured out a little and have come up with a couple of sweaters of my own. Since I don't have any wee ones in my home and I can't seem to get my teens/preteens to fit into any of these adorable little sweaters, I've decided to post the first two in my Etsy Shop. So run on over and take a look if you are interested in one.

In celebration, let's have a give away. Who wants the purple sweater that I made earlier? This one is smaller than the ones in the shop and is definitely a newborn size. I have added a little button at the top, just for cuteness - it's not in the picture, but it is just like the flower button on the sweater that is in the shop - only purple.So, just leave a comment here on this post letting me know who the sweater is for and I'll choose a random comment from a hat. How does that sound? We have to have a deadline, so let's make it Thursday night. I'll announce the winner on Friday. Good Luck - oh, and happy St. Patrick's Day.

Meet Sally

This is Sally. She is a thrift store find. My hubby and I were on a date one night and we popped into a local thrift shop- no really, it is romantic. He doesn't like, make that "hates" the thrift store, but on occasion I can con him into browsing through the book section for an hour or so while I scour the entire store looking for 50 cent treasures.

So anyway, we've been in the thrift store forever and are getting ready to check out and I spot this head sitting on the counter of a different check stand. I ditch my husband in line and hurry over (it is a thrift store, after all and one must hurry, lest their treasure is spotted by another). So I pick up the head and ask if it's for sale. It was and a bargin at $4.

A - Wow, look what I found.
D - laughs
A - Should I get it?
D - What are you going to do with it?
A - I don't know, but you never know when you might need a head. It might come in handy.

We bought her and named her Sally. On the way home, we traded off sticking her out the window peeking at other cars. Come on, you know you would've done it. Then when we got home, Diego held Sally up above his head and called the dog. She peed. Now Sally sits in various rooms, all of which the kids are freaked out to go in when she's there. Mark my words, that girl is going to come in handy some day. I can just hear it now..."What we really need is a head of some kind..."

While she waits for her big break, she's been doing a little side work as a hat model. These are her first "head shots". What do you think?The hats might go up in the Etsy shop, then again, winter is just about over...then again, it did just snow. They also might make there way to a couple of new friends. We'll have to see.

Waiting and Enjoying

Waiting for the sun to come up. Enjoying the beauty of the morning. Waiting for Spring to arrive. Enjoying the last few snow falls of winter.
Waiting for my quilt from the Four Seasons Quilt Swap to arrive. Enjoying the anticipation.

April is moodling...

I found this great quote from Brenda Ueland. Which provided me with this wonderful new word, new to me at least.

"So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering."
You know how quotes are...once you find a good one, you find several. Then you have to share them, and they tend to lose something in passing them along. Nevertheless, I'll indulge myself with sharing two more with you. Plus commentary :)

"Through all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: Give me leave to do my utmost" Isak Dineson. I can hear the cry from artisan mom's everywhere...give me leave, just for a few minutes.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." Pablo Picasso. This is probably due to the previous quote...give me leave. I know, I know it's deeper than that, but not as funny.

And the last one just for fun...
"Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere." GK Chesterton

Well I'm off to moodle. Want to come along?