Up and running...

Creating jewellery has been my passion for as long as I can remember. My cousin and I even had our own 'company' in our younger years :)

I've slowly been able to get back into making my own pieces and have loved revisiting this creative side of myself. I am thrilled to be able to display the pieces I've made and would be even more thrilled if you'd take the time to check them out and share my site with any jewellery lovers you know out there.

Keep checking back... I'm working on some great new concepts and ideas to expand my new business!

Yesterday I caught the last 15 or so minutes of 20/20. It was about a model from London who had her face literally burnt off after having sulfuric acid thrown on her. It gives me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach just thinking about it.

And just that morning I was complaining about the tiny zit I woke up with... Sure puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Years ago, I remember watching an Oprah show about gratitude. The jist was that if you write down the things you're grateful for, you'll become a happier and more positive person. I think I started a journal, but after countless moves and years past, I misplaced it. Maybe I never realized how much it could impact my life. Maybe I was just too lazy to continue with something I started. Or maybe I just didn't really believe I had all that much to be thankful for. Whatever the case, I will be accountable now and not put off something that can bring back the focus to all that I do have, rather than the little that I do not yet have.

And in a brief moment, I immediately think of:

...the way my son's eyes light up when he sees me. He calls out 'mom-mom-mom-mom-mom' over and over and smiles a smile that makes me melt everytime I see it.

...Chris. He is truly the love of my life and has the kindest heart of any man I have ever met. No wonder I am marrying him.

...the warm clean home I live in; the clothes I have to wear; the food I have to keep me strong and healthy.

...the relief in knowing that if I ever need to just talk, I have someone I can call who will always be there to support me or just listen. My mom.

I can't say I'll never complain about another blemish again. Too often we get swept up in all the small things that it's so easy to lose sight of that all-important b-i-g-p-i-c-t-u-r-e constantly getting drilled into our heads by well-intentioned wise ones. Our focus should be on the grand picture, not on the tiny bits and pieces that may or may not fall into place perfectly at any given moment.

For all I have, and all I will have, I am blessed. And truly grateful.

Scattered thoughts...

My mind feels like it's racing. I keep spinning ideas around in my head - tossing around various business plans, wondering if I can make this work. It's too early to discuss what I am thinking about doing, but I know this much... I am EXCITED about it!

It's been a dream of mine for a long time to create a business of my OWN... something that would allow me to stay true to my passions but would also help me create a path of financial freedom and independence for myself (and now my family). I've been mulling over ideas for a long time, never ready to fully commit to something, lest I not be able to follow through, or worse, change my mind about it all.

Now, I think I'm onto something. I want to share it with everyone I meet - I want to ramble on and on about all the ideas I have!

But I won't... yet.

Soon enough, though. I can hardly wait!

Confession time...

I'll admit it. I'm a little bit obsessed with shopping. Ok... make that a lot. Before I had a baby, it was all about makeup and products, designer jeans and silver jewellery. Now that I've had my son, my shopping boundaries have expanded... and it seems like those boundaries are limitless.

From eco-friendly products to cool baby must-haves to the latest in toys and baby fashion, I want to know it all and see it all. Finding that cool new-to-me website or the most recent baby necessity gives me a rush. And sharing that information with others gives me an even bigger rush, hence.... the creation of this blog.

I'm a stay-at-home mom with a part-time job and I'm not rich (still waiting on that one!), so everything you'll see here is something I myself own, or would buy. I don't believe in spending a fortune when you don't have to, although I do believe in investing more in timeless classics.

And... on to the shopping! Enter Etsy. I blame my friend Erinn for the countless hours (not to mention dollars) spent on this site. From cloth diapers to artistic soaps, wool toys to personalized silver jewellery, this site truly has something for everyone... and I truly mean e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e! But, be forewarned, once you log on, it is addictive and very time-consuming. Rest easy knowing everything on the site is either handmade or vintage and you are supporting independant artisans and craftspeople around the world.

Happy shopping!

Well, we survived the first birthday party!! What a day it was! Ty was on his best "big boy" behaviour and loved having a houseful of people all there to celebrate him!  He basked in all the attention of having 25+ pairs of eyes watching his every move.  We chatted, played, laughed, and talked all about the birthday boy for the first hour.  

And then it was time for the cake.

I am pretty particular about the food I feed my baby.  I try to make everything myself, though I sometimes have to rely on a can of organic something-or-other.  Ty hasn't had anything too sweet or sugary and I was definitely leery about what so much sugar would do for him... but in the end, we didn't want to deprive our baby of the fun that's involved in eating his first piece of cake.  

And so out came the (organic and egg-free) chocolate cake topped with (non-organic, pure sugar, and delicious) chocolate icing.  The guests gathered around, we sang, and the cake was brought out.  We didn't bother with a bib.  Not sure whose brilliant idea that was!

I don't think I've ever seen anyone love anything quite as much as this:

After about 15 minutes of smearing cake and icing all over his face, we decided that Ty's cake time was done.  He didn't seem to mind - I think he was on a pretty big sugar high by that point!

We capped the afternoon off by opening the amazing presents given by friends and family - thanks again everyone! What a lucky little boy Ty is to get so spoiled!

And that was it... I now am the mom of a 1 year old.  A toddler.  It seems so unbelievable to say that...

And I'm sure I still won't be able to believe it next year when he turns 2!!

Four days?

Did I make a few extra flips of the calendar somewhere down the line? Because there is no way that Ty's first birthday can be in four days. Can there?

I knew there were changes happening... the nighttime sleeps got longer, the babbling expanded to include nearly-recognizable words, and his mobility began to rival the speed of the cat's, but seriously, how did this happen so fast? Where did helpless baby Ty disappear to?

The birthday party is nearly finalized for Saturday. Friends and family will gather to celebrate our little guy and just how much he has enriched all of our lives. I can't wait to see his face light up when he sees all his favourite people all gathered together in one place at the same time!

Oh, the visions I had...

My maternity leave was all planned out before it even began. 12 blissful work-free months with the ability to spend my days doing whatever I wanted - pure freedom. After many rewrites, my 'to do' list was perfected. When the baby napped, I'd get my tasks done. The housework would be kept up, the basement would get organized, I'd hang all those piles of clothes shoved to the back of the closet. Our days would be filled with outings and mommy groups and playdates, and life would just be grand.

And then Ty was born. That was eleven and a half months ago.

Who knew time could pass so quickly? Who knew that such a small person could have this earth-shattering impact on every aspect of my life? Who knew I could love so purely, so deeply, and so unconditionally? Millions of parents have known these things for centuries - yet they can only be truly experienced once we are parents ourselves. Since Ty was born, I've spent my days just enjoying him. I could stare at his perfect little face for hours and just forget any trouble I've ever had in my life. Times of hardship, struggle, and heartbreak; the times of disappointment and sorrow; all these things forgotten looking into the innocent eyes of my child. I live in the here and now. I've stopped focusing so much on what "has to" be done. I still make my 'to do' lists but sometimes days go by with tasks left unchecked. And that's okay. When tomorrow comes, today will only be a memory... if I don't cherish this time now, I'll never be able to go back in time to do things differently.

My closet is still a mess. The boxes in the basement are still waiting to be unpacked and the pile of laundry never seems to end. But my child is healthy and happy and full of zest for life. When I see that sparkle in his eyes every day, I have no regrets.