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Monday, January 30

Emotional Ramblings Of A Very Sensitive Person

(Read the title first.  You've been warned.)

You know that feeling of being genuinely disheartened?  I really feel that today.  I know better than to get into Facebook discussions about religion and politics with many of my family members and old acquaintances unless I'm mentally up for the severe anxiety and sadness it brings with it.  I try to use my platform for as much good as I can.  Anywhere my voice can be heard, I want to be a reminder that empathy for others is IMPORTANT.

Anyway, I posted on an FB friend's thread today because I genuinely felt like I needed to.  Of course it was about our new president and it was a lot of very conservative white men responding by laughing at someone who was voicing their opinion in a very loud way.  Though I agreed with the things he was saying, he was doing it in such a threatening manner that I knew I was setting myself up for attack from the others with much different opinions. I felt like they were belittling him, but it wasn't just him.  They were driving home the point that right now, "liberals" are crying and moaning about what's currently happening in our country.  They are just "whining" about not getting their candidate elected.  That's when I got sucked in.  I gently reminded these men that even if you don't agree with someone's opinion, or they way they deliver it, calling names and being dismissive of their concern is coming from a place of superiority.  Even though we went back and forth for a long time and they played dumb about much of what I was saying (and I was VERY talked down to) they never understood my point.  People who are marching and being vocal about concerns about their country aren't whining and moaning.  This is coming from a place of REAL concern.  Concern for others.  Love for others.  Do I agree with the way some people are delivering their opinions?  Sometimes I don't.  But it does raise a red flag for me that there is a large outcry in America.  People doing what they feel they can, who are coming from a place of wanting to do good for others.  There are other people who want to make a joke out of that and that breaks my heart.  I DO find it heartening THAT though our country is very divided right now, the thing I'm taking away from most of the ugliness is LOVE of others.  CONCERN for others.  Even if you don't agree with someone, stepping back and looking at where their concern is coming from is very important.  This isn't a game to be won.  I mean, you can pitch a strong argument that it actually IS, but it also isn't.  I don't know.  This feels like a lot of scattered words on a computer right now, but I was just feeling so anxious and sad after that exchange.  I wish instead of the "our candidate won, get over it" mentality, there was more of trying to see where someone is coming from.  I'm also not saying that I think this is just a "conservative" mentality.  This was an actual exchange I had from people I've watched bully others AND myself.  I got to witness this superior mentality first hand.  We're grown ups now, guys.  It's time to put that away.

And, yes-- I realize I'm mostly preaching to the choir or whatever.  I just had an evening of being attacked on IG and then on FB today.  It's spirit crushing sometimes.  I'm often accused of either getting lumped into a group of bloggers who post too little about "real stuff", or the flip-side, post too much about politics and other "real stuff".  I get it, a lot of people are here for the crafts and the cute family stuff.  That is me.  But this is me, too.  So here's a bit of emotional rambling coming from a place deep pride in the human race, and deep sadness that it often isn't taken seriously.  That's all.

Love to you guys.  xo.


Friday, January 27

Be Our Valentine!

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I don't know if you're a Valentine's Day lover or not, but I do know that spreading joy and love is great any day of the year!  I'm partnering up with one of my very favorite clubs, The Crybaby Club, to do just that!  If you'd like to receive a valentine from me or one of these other fantastic women, check out their blog and sign up!  This is time sensitive, so if you're into it, don't wait!  I hope to send out lots of valentines magic!  xo.


Wednesday, January 25

Snapshots: Winter Time

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This winter has been another busy one for us!  I thought I'd give you a little round up of some of the highlights from the last couple of months.  I've still been filling our house with plants (and killing some of them), we got some wonderful snow, I've almost done organizing all the rooms in the house (why is this taking so long? Oh, yeah- four messy people), Janae shot some family photos for us, we were featured in 417 Magazine for a reception we played (shot by Elise Abigail Photo), and I finally found the floor to my workspace!  Woohoo!

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I've also gotten back into thrifting, which is totally therapeutic for me.  Johnny, Poesy, and I all celebrated birthdays, we had a great NYE show with The Mixtapes, Hope is doing great at her gymnastics competitions, and we've been staying home A LOT.  Johnny and I are really into cooking at home right now, and it's been really fun exploring new recipes and flavors.  Even though January can be a little dreary, it really is one of my favorite months.  There's something very refreshing about the beginning of a new year and all of the fun things we have going on.  Here's to a great February... that will be here sooner than I'm ready for!


Friday, January 20

Weekly Wears: Penny Lane Vibes

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I thrifted this last summer and it's finally cold enough to wear it!  I almost passed on it because the coat hung below my knees and almost swallowed me, but decided to get it anyway.  With much hesitation, I took my scissors to the suede and came out with a piece of clothing I really love!  Whew.

Coat: vintage // Sweater and Jeans: Free People // Boots: vintage // Gold choker: Nasty Gal // Purse: PS I Adore You // Tear pins: The Crybaby Club

Johnny, myself, and a couple of our pals just scored Radiohead tickets today and I'm pumped!  I swore off arena shows years ago, but sometimes it's necessary to break your own rules!

Happy Friday, friends!


Tuesday, January 17

Poesy's 6th Birthday

Poesy's 6th Birthday
Welp, my baby is 6.  Yep, you heard me right... Poesy is 6.  It's hard for me to wrap my brain around all the time that has passed since I was holding her tiny body in my arms and listening to her baby-babbling, but here we are.  She requested a Shopkins birthday this year and I did my best to fulfill those dreams.  Poesy and I have birthdays 4 days apart, so stuffing all of the celebrations into one weekend can be a tiny bit challenging.  On the other hand, two parties in one weekend?  (Read: two birthday cakes in one weekend?!)  Well, I'm always on board for a party.

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My Shopkins-obsessed darling really wanted to have a party at home with her friends.  Of course, I LOVE this because one day kids tend to outgrow that (at least, that's my experience with Hope). Poesy requested a themed cake, so I went to work coming up with a cute one.  (I ended up being really happy with it, btw!)  She picked her dress from a costume place online and it was perfect for the occassion.  The rest was easy-- 1.) Buy cute plates, cups, candles, etc.  2.) Poesy puts on all of the accessories in her jewelry box.  3.) Invite friends over for a good time!

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We had a dance party, played "drop the Shopkins in the milk jug", and had a very, VERY cold piñata experience.  It was a great day and my girl had the time of her life.  Mission: accomplished.

Oh, and here is what my super-sweet/smart/loving/social/talented/animal-loving girl looked like on her official birthday:

Poesy's 6th Birthday
Happy birthday, Poesy girl.  Happy 6 years of making our lives better.  Even the weather sings a different tune to make your big heart smile!

Love, Mama


Wednesday, January 11

Who Wants Bonus Projects?

Infinity Scarf Table Runner via Sew With Us Ecourse
Hooray for bonus projects!  Rachel and I just just added two SIMPLE projects to our Sew With Us ecourse-- a simple infinity scarf tutorial and an easy table runner tutorial!  If you aren't familiar with Sew With Us, basically it's a learn-at-your-own-pace ecourse.  It is designed to teach basic sewing skills such as threading your machine and straight stitches, all the way up to designing your own clothing patterns and installing buttonholes, zippers, etc.  We want to take the intimidation out of sewing with simple projects for home and fashion!  Here are some examples of projects:

Sew With Us
*Simple maxi skirt with elastic waist

Sew With Us Projects
*Learn to sew on a curve and add piping

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*Sew a half apron with pockets

Sew With Us Projects
*Sew a pyramid bean bag

Sew With Us*Sew a blouse with an exposed zipper

There are lots more projects, but these are just a few examples.  Rachel and I poured a lot of ourselves into this ecourse (which you've probably heard me talk about in the past) and I'm happy to share our bonus projects with you guys!  If you've already purchased the ecourse, the new tutorials are in there waiting for you.  If you'd like to learn a little more about our class, just click right here!

Happy stitching, friends!