Merry Christmas Part 1

Alas, I am back. It's been so long since my last post, in part because it has been crazy-town busy with my new job (which is awesome, but....yeah, busy) and partially because I really hated my old computer. Like hated. It was an old PC laptop and it ran slow and was heavy, and the battery was shot, basically rendering it a desktop. I just like to be able to sit in bed, or on the couch, and happily click away and surf the humming tubes of the internet in search of interesting things to bake/cook/ogle/eat.

Then this morning happened. It's Christmas! After my sweet sweet husband unwrapped his presents (hooray for a bluetooth iPad keyboard case and SmartCover!) and after Ruby opened a couple of her presents (a stuffed LambChop toy with a squeaker in her butt, and some squeaky toys shaped like Christmas lights) my turn came. Imagine my surprise when I opened up a comically oversized package to find an awesome new 11-inch Mac Book Air nestled inside! Best. Gift. Ever. Needless to say, I am typing on it now...

Plus, my sweet sweet husband set it all up for me with the whole office suite, so I can word process, excel spreadsheet and email away to my little heart's content! Between the digital camera he gave me for our first Christmas (after three months of dating, I might add), and the Kindle he gave me last year, I think it's safe to say that my sweet new Mac Book Air has landed me more tech swagger than I ever had before. Also, I went with my mom to pick out some Christmas presents, and found an adorable oversized purse that is actually perfect for carrying my work iPad and new little Mac Book Air to and from work! Super excited! Now to track down one of those awesome Snow White decals for the back of my new Mac Book....

Merry Christmas everyone!

It's me....I'm still here....

Blog? What blog? Oooh you mean that blog that I started and then I fell off the rails after a while. That blog.

Here are some things that are new, since I haven't posted in a while. Also, this is in bullet form because this morning's P90X has made my arms feel like limp sausages:

• I'm married to Kevin! Have I posted since our wedding? Hmm...
• We have a dog! Her name is Ruby and she's a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Corgi/Who knows? Let's just say she's a mixed breed and leave it at that. She likes bacon cheddar cookies, going for walks, squeaky toys, and chasing other dogs at the dog park. She dislikes being told when to go to the bathroom, being ignored, taking baths, and vegetables. 
• I have a new job (woo!) and it is UH-MAzing. Seriously. 
• I'm exhausted - it's been a busy week already and it's only Tuesday. Last night we had Newlyweds Small Group, tonight and tomorrow night I have staff meetings for my student assistants, Thursday night is Married Life Live at church, and Friday my cousin and his wife are flying into town and I am cooking dinner for the WHOLE family. The whole family. 

This is crazy-town, people....

My thoughts under the influence of NyQuil

Yep. NyQuil. The stuff is gold. Thick, syrupy, licorice-y GOLD. I can feel myself getting sleepy, even though it seems to be doing nothing for the aggravating cough that I've been fighting the past few days. 

I've been that girl at the office. The one who looks fine, but sounds like a cross between a chain smoker and Fran Drescher. Not appealing. 

ANYWAY. I had a gorgeous time in Canada celebrating my dear cousin's wedding (I can't imagine him having found a more perfect bride). I'm just so proud of him, and I'm so happy that he found someone so very worthy of him, who treats him so well. 

I also had some time to reflect this week on how stressed out I get. Really. I get totally freaked out sometimes, and it's BAD. Like heart-palpitations kind of bad. Like in the Tina Fey book when she talks about the kind of anxiety that makes your heart feel like a raisin. I need to stop doing that. 

We were sitting in small group talking about God, and how He LOVES us so much. We also talked about how He wants what's best for us. So why am I stressing out so much about things when God wants what's best for me, and will always lead me in the direction He has for me? I'm so crazy. Why do I feel like stressing out about things will make me feel like I have control over them? Sometimes I feel like I'll never learn.....

*cough*

Goodnight world!

xo


Diana

Celebrating my first Etsy Sale!

Hooray! You read it right! I got my very first Etsy sale on Satruday! I am giddy (still...and it's Monday). A lovely lady from California saw my Peacock clutch and said "I've GOT to have that...". So there's a little box on a little UPS box somewhere nearby with my little package on it, making it's way to the sunny coast. Awesome.

I've also been working on some new designs over the past couple weeks - a smaller version of the Amelia clutch, and a shorter version of the Maggie traveller (with a flap). Both will be appearing in my shop very very soon, so take a peek by and see them!

And now for the scary news - the oh-my-gosh-all-that-cheating-on-the-low-carb-diet-really-did-me-in news. I got on the scale this morning. Not pretty. I wound up jumping in on my office's weight loss challenge this morning. A little wierd to do a weight loss challenge at work? Maybe. Do I need to lose as much weight as my competitors? Probably not (the lady I work with who did the weigh-ins said "Uh, why are you doing this thing?"). But I'm determined. There are 15lbs on me that don't need to be there, and I want them GONE! So Kevin and I are back on the bandwagon - time for nice dinners of fresh leafy greens with oil and vinegar and pepper, and salami, or fish, or some nice lean pork chops! Time for tea in the morning instead of coffee! Time to drink so much water during the day, that people around the office start to get concerned about how often I need to hit the bathroom. Time to get myself to a point where I don't look completely frightening in a swimsuit.

It's on!

the Brass Bell tolls....

So this weekend was the OFFICIAL launch of The Brass Bell Stitchery. Exciting. I know. Try to contain yourself. Although if you are a person who can do cartwheels, I would like you to go and do a few in honor of my shop launch, because I am woefully inable to execute a proper cartwheel without seriously injuring myself.

On top of that? Was contacted by the lovely Greta who told me she LOVED my shop, and wanted to promote my shop and do a giveaway! Hooray! So hop over to her blog before April 20th for your chance to get my delish little Amelia Convertible Wristlet. You know you want it.....



And here for your viewing pleasure are a few more goodies from my shop. Stop by and take a peek!



Do I smell smoke?

Oooh, nope! It's not smoke. That's just my brain.

Sheesh! For some reason it's been an EXHAUSTING couple of weeks. Let's just say that the little hamster on the wheel in my brain is severely overworked, and not happy. I don't blame him. I wake him up at all hours of the night.

I feel like I'm ready to go home, have a good cry in the shower, put on a bunch of cozy, layer-y, mismatched comfy clothes, and sit at my tidy desk sipping piping hot tea out of my favorite Noritake teacup and saucer. I'd like to listen to every album I have by The Shins until Girl Sailor is just burned into my brain. I'd like to go a whole day without talking to anybody. Actually, I'd like to do that, except I'd like to still tell Kevin how much I adore him. Other than that, no talking. I'd also like some of my Auntie Sheryl's Christmas donuts.

At least we're going up to the lake this weekend with our small group! That will require talking to people, but I'm hoping the gorgeousness of it makes me forget that fact.

Can it be nap time now? I'd like that.

Back to work...

Just like Clark Kent...

Know what I wonder sometimes? I wonder if Clark Kent liked being a reporter. I wonder if he liked his day job. I also sort of wonder when he had time to sleep - I mean, he was doing the whole Daily Planet thing by day, and then he'd pull of his work clothes and his Superman costume would be underneath, and he'd go around saving the world at night. Crazy. 

My Clark Kent job has been tiring lately. I feel restless and anxious and bored and like it's time for a change. Even so, I have been a busy little bee in the evenings and during the weekend. I dive into a pile of fabric and start cutting and pinning and ironing and stitching, until I have a pretty darned cute little purse, and I feel like I'm well on my way to the launch of my Etsy shop! The official launch date is going to be Saturday, March 19th (one week from tomorrow - YIKES!) and I still have LOADS to do! I don't have boxes to ship things in. I don't have my business cards done yet. I also have no idea what my prices are going to be.

Last weekend I made a delicious discovery - a fabric shop about 7 minutes away from our house that sells Amy Butler fabric - hooray! All sorts of it! All her new stuff, and a lot of her older stuff, and I'm SO excited! I had to hold myself back from buying dozens of yards and going home and rolling around in it with glee. I also bought one of her patterns, which I was SO excited to try. It turned out to be - however - almost un-follow-able. I know that's not a word. I literally got to step three, and then got totally confused and lost. I ended up ditching the pattern and just winging it, which I must say turned out pretty well.

Anyway, between the wine tasting at The Grape tonight with Ben & Mary, and softball with Kevin's buddies tomorrow, I will be sewing up a storm in preparation for the shop launch.

Brass Bell Stitchery - coming soon to a browser near you!