she who blogs

Project 365: Day 54

One of the great things about Max being at nursery for the mornings, is being able to pop into my mum and dad’s while he’s there.

My interest in creativity has come back, after about ten years of it having gone. After finishing my standard grade Art, it just kind of went out of my life. Boys were more interesting. Uni started, then I got married and had kids.

Funny how the things that make me, well *me*, managed to just slip away and hover in the background.

So the best thing about Max being at nursery as far as I’m concerned, is definitely being able to get back to being me again.

Having time to go spend time with my mum, and have fun with paints and stamps and pretty papers.

To be able to re-discover the love I used to have for getting messy and making something from it.

Not to mention learning new ways to do things, trying out various different approaches to DOing and CREATing.

I’ve got a long way to go before I get back to my usual.

That’s the thing though, I have plenty of time.

I’m still young.

I still have lots to learn.

For now I’m taking it a step at a time.

Finding my own path I suppose.

Enjoying time to finally be ME.

What do you do that’s just for YOU? Do you do anything? Can you MAKE the time to do something just for you? What would you do if you had the time?

I’d love to know!

Visit Marylin

Brene Brown

At BlissDom we were lucky enough to have Brené Brown as the keynote speaker. When I first heard of her back in September ’10 she was having a Perfect Protest to promote new book The Gifts of Imperfection. What she spoke about resonated with me, she comes across as a real woman, with real issues, she logical, hilarious and inspiring.

Wholehearted people have a sense of courage.

Courage to be imperfect.

Compassion to be kind to yourself first, and then to others.

Have connection as a result of authenticity.

Let go of you you think you should be, so you can be who you are.

Embrace vulnerability.

Believe what makes you vulnerable will make you beautiful.

xoxo

 

Visit Carrie

 

Stupid Awkward, Hey That's Me!

I had an awkward moment at the hotel this weekend. My roommates and I were walking to a restaurant for our last dinner together. As we rounded the last corner a couple of older ladies stopped and said “Carrie, oh my gosh! What are you doing here?” Let me just say I hurriedly flipped’ through my brain rolodex and I did not recognize these ladies from anywhere.

Awkward.

I said hi back to them & told them I was with the BlissDom conference, but basically I just stood there like a deer caught in headlights. I was exhausted and hungry and obviously making poor social decisions. My roommates, Kristi & Chris, were looking back and forth between their group and me, but I just kept up with the stupid pose.

For what seemed like forever, but probably was only a few seconds, the lady that originally stopped me got a real good look at me and realized I wasn’t the Carrie she thought I was. But she did say that her daughter was also at the conference and I think she said that Carrie was there, too. I can’t be 100% sure because like I said, I was stupid.

And what’s even stranger, is that’s not the first time that has happened! I know that you always hear there is a twin of you out there in the world, but to actually have a twin that is also named Carrie, at the Blissdom conference, and her friend’s mama thinks you’re her – now that’s crazy!

If you’re confused, don’t worry, I am too.

I wonder if twin Carrie likes chai lattes?

Visit Carrie

The Vintage Pearl

Yes, I went to BlissDom and it was super-fabulous-amazing and I would go again in a heartbeat.

But I know there are 700 other wonderful ladies & gentlemen posting in the blogosphere about who they met, what they wore, etc., so I’m going to do something different. I’m going to tell you some {super-short & you’re welcome in advance} stories about my BlissDom experience.

When Kristi and I checked in at the conference we picked up our name tags and über fabulous swag bags. We got back to the room and started going through all of the wonderful gifts. All right, we were especially excited for & searched for the jewelry first. Don’t judge, we’re both one-track-minded, creative, crafty, handmade bloggers and we just couldn’t resist the little brown boxes with the pretty bows.

Captivated.

Kristi was ooohing and aaahing her new necklace from The Vintage Pearl first {I’m kinda slow.} When I dug my box out of the bag I opened the box to the lovely white cushiony-pillowy stuff that goes in the box… and nothing else.

Empty.

We decided we would go back to registration to remedy the mistake, because really that’s all it could have been. Organizing 700 of anything and there’s bound to be at least a couple of oops-a-daisies. But, registration was a brick wall – I could have been talking to a brick and the outcome would have been the same. But that’s another story for another day. Maybe.

Content.

So I decided to just get over it and get on with it. What the heck, right? I was in a great place, with great people and this was not going to get me down. Not in the least. At one of our first sessions I was sitting at the table, alone, because I kid you not Kristi is a social butterfly on steroids. A lady approached my table and introduced herself as Erin Edwards from The Vintage Pearl. Inside my brain I was like oohemmgee SHE is standing 6 inches away from me! When I came out of my celebrity induced haze Erin was telling me that my friend ran into her and explained my situation to her. Kristi told her I would never have approached her on my own {true} and would never have told my empty box story {also, very true.} But when Erin found out she had one of her associates go an get one of their swag bag necklaces {because honestly they didn’t need them, they made them} and she came over to my table and gave it to me.

Over-The-Moon!

Erin also told me, though I already knew, how lucky I was to have a friend like Kristi.

So, here’s to friendship, new and long-term – and may you always have a friend who will move a body for you {or get you jewelry, because that’s important, too.}

xoxo

Visit Carrie

Shoot 360

 

Shoot 360 {Take 2} is all about capturing a single moment of each day in our lives. Instead of picking a topic and searching it out to photograph, as we did last year, we're going to let the life we're living this year BE the topic each day.

Our goal is to live in the now, enjoying each day as it passes. And maybe record a moment for posterity. Oh, and have FUN, of course!

Shoot 360 Chicks

 

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• Lucky Dorito
• Sweet Blessings