If I Had A Little Girl...

I would have bunting everywhere in all of her favorite colors.

These will be going into a care package for a very special little girl. Congratulations to blog mom, Nae!

50 Words - Marriage Dont's

My marriage is full of don'ts.

Don't talk so much
Don't disagree
Don't have an opinion
Don't think you're too smart
Don't be too sexy
Don't touch in this spot. Don't touch too much
Don't do anything that your husband doesn't like

And all will be right with his world.

Why Not Me?

Years ago, I decided I wanted to do something. I had a passion for it and I really wanted to see that passion grow. In the hustle and bustle of life, the passion remained but the confidence to think I could do it waned. I succumbed to doubt and started to believe I couldn't do it and I could never figure out how.

But then came the Internet and Google and YouTube and I am seeing what so many others have done with so little. I am seeing others do what I have wanted to do. The barrier for entry has decreased and I have no reason not to get moving.

The plan is in motion and so am I.

Rejection Therapy

Watching this video really made me think. If I never try, I'll never get anywhere. Right now, my fear is keeping me paralyzed.

50 Words - Love is Never Enough

I hope you all are having a wonderful National Poetry Month. To celebrate the month, I am going to publish the rest of these little 50 word pieces that I have written.  Some could be considered poems. Some are little stories. Some are just a flow of thoughts. What they all are is a little snippet of how I truly felt. I think that's one of the things I've been missing in my blog journey. I'm good about sharing the physical aspects of my life but not so much the thoughts and feelings that make me ME. I wrote this one while I was still married. I'm happy to say the suffering is over.

I never thought love alone was enough of a reason to get married.  This experience has taught me the wisdom in that thought. I had no reason outside of love to walk down that aisle. For that I will suffer in an uneven relationship built on nothing more than love.

I Feel Accomplished

I started this sweater in 2009!

It was for my nephew who just a baby. Now he's six and there is no way that future giant is going to fit into this thing. I need to find a new little one to gift it to but I am not going to let that stop me from being happy about completing a long, long term goal.

The pattern is the baby bog from Elizabeth Zimmerman.

It is not perfect (don't stare too hard at the stripes), but it is perfectly made with love and care. And I'm oh, so happy with that fancy gold zipper that I machine stitched in. Cute as can be!

You can read previous posts about this project using the links below.

Mountains of Unfinished Knitting

More of The Same

Back To The Knitting

Moving Down But Up

My responsibilities at work will be decreasing over the next few weeks to months, so I am determined to get back down to one planner. Honestly, I can't bear to put down my Gillio during the day so the best way to be able to pet it is to use it all day.  The planner geeks out there will know exactly what I mean.

Since I need to print more chronodex pages for my time tracking, I also took time to reprint my expenses pages for a full planner refresh. I have paid off a couple of bills recently and printing a new, smaller budget is a big incentive for me.

I have a rather large handwriting and I write down a lot so it's going to take some getting used to. 

I also like carrying a full year calendar at a time.  With just a personal calendar (week + notes) that is possible, but I need daily tracking for work. I plan to keep a week of work pages sandwiched between the weekly personal layout. Once a month, I will purge the work pages and archive using Evernote. I had considered doing that in the past but seeing this video from Carrie Harling finally made the decision firm for me.

I'll update you on my layout when I get it organized.

Peaks, Pits, Praises, Prayers

This stems from an idea I saw on Pinterest. It was a suggested as a daily journal concept, not too far off from the gratitude journals that many like to keep. 

What I appreciate about this is that it gives you an opportunity to pull from the bad things and frame them in a way that forces you to think about them differently. Instead of just being upset about a work situation and attempting to ignore it, I can put it down as something to be prayed about. And I don't have to avoid it because I will be seen as too negative (it has happened to me before).

I have incorporated this into my daily planner.  I typically do this on Sunday afternoon, but during Lent I am attempting to do it daily.

Today's entry...

PEAKS. I had fun finishing some bunting for a friend's baby.

PITS. I had to go to work for a few hours.

PRAISES. Thank God, I was productive at work and didn't have to stay for too long.

PRAYERS. I'm praying for new habits that will help me break though my health plateau.

50 Words - Positive

My voice is not positive because my outlook is not positive. My outlook is not positive because my input is not positive. My input is not positive because you are not positive. I am looking to you to set the tone. I can't create what is not in front of me.

UFOs

Sometimes the best thing I can do to make myself feel better is pull out some UFOs and get some things done!  Today's project of choice is baby bibs. I have had these sitting around for months just waiting for velcro. 

But since I took so long to get my machine in for service, these have languished. About an hour of YouTube while crafting and...

19 bibs are now in my finished pile and in need of a home. If any of you are pregnant or would like a gift for a friend, let me know. I'll be happy to share some. No charge because I love babies. US only please.

50 Words - Just a Memory

He touched her and she melted. 

He kissed her and her knees buckled. 

His hand traveled between her thighs, followed by his mouth and everything about her belonged to him. 

For just a few moments, life escapes them and they are everything to each other.

She wakes.

Just a memory.