Becoming My Me

Shop Local

2011-05-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer in supporting local businesses, but sometimes it just seems easier to order what I need from the comfort of my home. I did just that on Tuesday when I ordered some presents from an online bookseller. It was slightly cheaper to buy them online and the ease of having them delivered to my door within 2 or 3 days was just too much to pass up.

What is it they say about the best laid plans? Well, it turns out that the books will not be delivered within 2 or 3 days, but instead they will be shipped in 2 1/2 weeks. Unfortunately, I need the books this Tuesday, so the multiple-week delay is unacceptable. Of course, when I contacted the bookseller, they told me that they cannot cancel the order, so I will have to send it back once it is shipped to me.

I remembered seeing these books at my local Paper Source shop, so this afternoon I walked out to the store. I was not optimistic as I needed six of the books, but The Paper Source had eight and one of the women working there was kind enough to go into the back and get me the extra copies I needed. All in all, it took me 25 minutes to walk to the store, buy the books, and walk home. Plus, I had the pleasure of interacting with some lovely women working at The Paper Source. (That was much more enjoyable than the faceless online bookseller employee who I spoke to about canceling my order.)

Lesson learned again: Shop Local.

May with Claire

2011-05-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

May has always held special place in my heart. I was born in May (have a margarita for me on Cinco de Mayo) and it is the month when true spring arrives in the upper midwest,

I've decided to make May my start of the new year. I love the sense of rebirth that feels like it is permeating my life. I am taking a class with May Flaum at Big Picture Classes entitled May with May in which she provides little bits of creative inspiration every day during May.

The painting pictured above is my creative product from today. I know, it looks like a second-grader painted it, but that is where I am in my learning process and the only way I'll get better is through practice. While taking the Get Your Paint On! class with Mati Rose McDonough and Lisa Congdon, the single biggest thing I learned is that it is okay to suck. I think it is okay to suck, but only if you aren't satisfied with that result.

During May, I intend of practicing my creativity. I apologize if some of it sucks, but hopefully it will all be a little bit better by the time June 1st rolls around.

The World We Live In

2011-05-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

With the events of the past 24 hours, I find myself unable to share in the exultation that many Americans are feeling. I have been trying to find a voice to my thoughts and feelings, but was unable to do so until hearing these* words:

I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Today, I remember those who lost their lives due to unspeakable evil and those who mourn them. May God bless you and keep you in the palm of his hand. And to those of you who have dedicated your lives to making my world a safer place, thank you.

*Although these words were initially attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr., that appears to have been incorrect. It doesn't really matter who said them, but thank you to whomever did.

All Hail the Bunny

2011-04-26T12:30:00.001-07:00

Chocolate bunny, originally uploaded by celabbe.

A Green Hour

2011-04-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

As spring starts to arrive (albeit very, very slowly), I am really looking forward to being able to spend more time outside. I recently came across a great idea on how to spend our outdoor time: a Green Hour. A Green Hour is an idea from the National Wildlife Federation and it is defined as an hour of “unrestricted play and interaction with the natural world.”

What makes a Green Hour unique is that it places the emphasis on unrestricted outdoor play. Unrestricted play puts the power in your child’s hands to do whatever interests them. Therefore, it is important to choose a location for outdoor play that will allow your child the freedom to pursue his or her interests. For me, that meant I had to look for parks that had more space for my daughter to run around and areas that were not close to major roads so I wasn’t constantly worried that she was going to run into the street.

A Green Hour is a great way to unplug you and your kids from the TV or the computer and the unstructured time gives you the freedom to follow your interests. It can be a trip to the park, a walk around your neighborhood, or just an adventure in your own backyard. Make it your own and enjoy!

April Showers

2011-04-11T12:43:00.001-07:00

April Showers, originally uploaded by celabbe.

Chicken & Leek Stroganoff

2011-02-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Today, I am over at Blissfully Domestic, sharing my recipe for Chicken & Leek Stroganoff. From the post:

During the winter, I love to have something bubbling on the stove. This Chicken & Leek Stroganoff strikes

the perfect balance as it is a winter comfort food without being too heavy.

Click here to get the recipe.

Love Activity Cards

2011-02-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

As a part of my Valentine's Day present to my husband, I made him some Love Activity Cards. We are always trying to find something fun to do either as a couple or as a family. I used some of Ali Edward's Love Postage at Designer Digitals. I used Photoshop Elements to put them all on one 8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of cardstock. Then, I cut them into cards.

On the back of each card, I wrote a different activity.

My husband loves going for a drive, so I know this will be a popular activity. I got some great ideas from Simply Modern Mom's list of at-home date nights.

Now, my husband wasn't so sure about the cards. (Luckily, this was not his only present.) However, I vow to put the cards into practice and change his mind!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T19:01:00.001-08:00

I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day!

Tender heart

2011-02-01T14:14:00.001-08:00

I am a huge fan of Lisa Leonard's jewelry. John, if you are reading (which he isn't), you could make me supremely happy with a piece of Lisa's jewelry for any occasion. While I was familiar with Lisa's jewelry, I only recently discovered her blog, but I am so glad that I did. On her blog, Lisa gives glimpses of her life and home and writes beautifully about life, love, and family.

Recently, Lisa featured a paint and glitter project that I loved. I have been thinking a lot about starting to paint. I was never a painter and I find it rather scary, but I am still drawn to painting. The project was simple, yet Lisa's finished product was gorgeous. Mine (pictured above) didn't turn out as well as I wanted, but I'm trying to embrace the imperfections in life, so it is displayed in my house. Still, just diving into a painting project was thrilling. Thank you for inspiration, Lisa.

Crayon Roll

2011-01-31T22:04:00.001-08:00

Crayon Roll, originally uploaded by celabbe.

My husband gave me a sewing machine for Christmas and I was so excited. I immediately found a project for a crayon roll at Prudent Baby and bought the materials. Unfortunately, my momentum died with buying the fabric, which is not an uncommon situation for me.

I'm listening to Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project again and was particularly struck by her suggestion that one should spend out. By spend out, she means that we should use the items that we have. We should use our wedding china or that special candle that you are waiting for the perfect occasion to use.

Although I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to properly complete the crayon roll, I also knew that it did not make any sense to have the fabric, ribbon, and sewing machine just sitting in my house waiting for that magical time when I would feel that my skills were worthy of attempting the project. Once I started, it took me less than two hours to complete the crayon roll, and those two hours included finding the sewing machine manual to make sure that I was threading the machine properly.

The Wee One is going to love it for Valentine's Day.

4/52: Pinkalicious Cupcakes

2011-01-30T14:52:00.001-08:00

Pinkalicious Cupcakes, originally uploaded by celabbe.

One of my daughter's favorite characters is Pinkalicious. Making pink cupcakes is central to the plot of Pinkalicious and I have intended to make some for months now. What better time than the present. My daughter loved mixing the batter, adding the red dye, choosing the cupcake wrappers and anxiously waiting for them to dry. She loved dying the frosting and especially loved decorating the cupcakes with sprinkles.

I just noticed that a new Pinkalicious book is coming out on Tuesday, Silverlicious. That might be the perfect present for Valentine's Day!

Sweet Shot Tuesday: Mushrooms

2011-01-25T14:33:00.001-08:00

Mushrooms, originally uploaded by celabbe.

3/52: Hands

2011-01-22T13:57:00.001-08:00

Hands, originally uploaded by celabbe.
This isn't a perfectly shot photo, but I just loved the fact of my daughter's hand in my husband's hand. I confess I was focused on her face, but when I stepped back and looked at the photo, the hands were what spoke to me.

2/52: Snow girl

2011-01-16T17:52:00.001-08:00

Snow girl, originally uploaded by celabbe.

This is the second photo in my Project 52.

Project 52

2011-01-01T13:51:00.001-08:00

Puddles, originally uploaded by celabbe.

I love the idea of Project 365, where you take a picture every day for a year. However, even on January 1, when I have all the excitement and desire to complete such a project, I know that I will not be able to produce a picture every day and I will get discouraged.

Just when I was feeling frustrated about not having a good picture-taking project for 2011, I read a post from Darcy at Life With My 3 Boybarians (www.my3boybarians.com). Darcy proposes doing a Project 52 where participants post one photo a week in a Flickr group. As Darcy explains, "By limiting it to one really thoughtful image a week, you will have challenged yourself to get 52 well-done photos."

I am definitely in! Come join me in Project 52 at the Flickr group.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-29T14:48:00.001-08:00

Kip & Stockings, originally uploaded by celabbe.

Wordless Wednesday: What Fun Looks Like

2010-12-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

24-Hour Boot Camp

2010-12-20T19:14:00.000-08:00

Last week, Gretchen Rubin from The Happiness Project suggested that you can conquer a nagging task by dedicating a 24-hour period to getting it done. She called it the 24-Hour Boot Camp.

This came at the perfect time for me. I like buying presents. I really dislike wrapping and mailing presents. The result was a guest bedroom full of presents that needed to be wrapped and about half of them needed to be packaged to be mailed.

I decided that my 24-hour present wrapping and packaging boot camp would start at nap time on Wednesday. I cleared off the dining room table and brought out all the presents and wrapping supplies. I turned on some Christmas music and went to work. It took me longer than I expected and I thought about stopping a couple of times, but I was determined to finish. Finally, I had everything wrapped and packed.

I had some child-free time on Thursday morning, so I finished my boot camp then by taking my packages to the post office. By a terrific stroke of luck, there was no line at the post office and I had a lovely chat with the post office employees.

The 24-hour boot camp worked really well for me. Every day I dreaded dealing with the wrapping. Now, I am completely done. Of course, there are a couple of straggling presents, but I can handle those. I'll definitely use the 24-hour boot camp in the future.

11 Things

2010-12-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

Day 11: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

Wow. 11 Things. That sounds like a lot. Here goes:

1. More stuff. Making my life simpler is going to be a goal for 2011.

2. Stress eating. If I find an effective solution, I'll let you know.

3. Valuing other people's opinions more than my own. This is just a conscious decision that I have to make.

4. Yelling. I'm not a big yeller, but when I reach my breaking point, my anger flashes out. This is not an effective coping technique. I need to release some of the tension before I lose control.

5. Perfectionism. I am slowly working on this. I have been trying to abide by the rule that a little is better than nothing at all. Spending just 5 minutes decluttering toys might not completely clean up the living room, but it is better than not decluttering at all.

6. Laundry piles. Why can't I just fold the clean clothes and put them away?

7. That list of books that I think I should read, but don't have any interest in reading. I think I should read Moby Dick, but I really don't want to. The same goes for Ulysses and everything by William Faulkner. I accept that I may be missing some amazing pieces of literature that I would love if I actually read them. Maybe I will read them at some time in the future. What I resolve is that I will stop feeling guilty for reading my favorite historical-mystery-romance novel instead.

8. Grey hair. Something has to be done. I'm not that old.

9. Waiting. Too often I put things off because it doesn't seem like the right time. I keep waiting for the perfect time. The best time is now.

10. Sarcasm. It is my default response when I am upset or angry and it rarely helps the situation.

11. Late nights. I love the idea of staying up late and enjoying the relative silence, but I am grumpy and irritable the next day. It just isn't worth it.

This post was written in response to the daily prompt at #reverb10, allowing you to reflect on 2010 and manifest what's next.

A ladybug at Christmastime

2010-12-12T16:29:00.001-08:00

A ladybug at Christmastime, originally uploaded by celabbe.

This is my first attempt at using the bokeh technique thanks to Darcy of life with my 3 boybarians. Bokeh is the effect of the blurry lights of the Christmas tree. Check out Darcy's site to see a lot of great bokeh photos for her Holiday Bokeh Party.

Katherine was wearing the components to her Halloween costume. Who says you can't be a ladybug at Christmastime?

Beautifully Different

2010-12-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

Day 8: Beautifully Different: Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you beautiful. - Karen Walrond

In a way, it is very easy for me to think about the ways in which I am different as I feel different from most people most of the time. However, I generally consider those differences a bad thing, not something that makes me beautiful.

Beautiful is defined as "having qualities that give great pelasure or satisfaction to see, hear think about, etc; delighting the sense or mind."

What makes me different?

I say no more often than I say yes. Now, that doesn't mean that I actually say no to requests, because I very rarely do that. However, I am very careful not to overcommit myself. Hopefully that results in a happier family because we are not over scheduled and also allows me to have some flexibility in my life.

This post was written in response to the daily prompt at #reverb10, allowing you to reflect on 2010 and manifest what's next.

Community

2010-12-07T22:03:00.000-08:00

Day 7: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? - Cali Harris

Community is difficult for me. I really, really want to be part of a community, but my personality does not make it easy for me to fully commit to people.

That wasn't always true. As a young child, there wasn't a person I didn't want to talk to or activity that I didn't want to try. That began to change in junior high. Junior high was three years of hell. I was outspoken, smart, and overweight. That is not a good combination. It wasn't as bad in high school, but the damage had already been done.

College was a revelation for me. I found great friends and had a wonderful community. Unfortunately, one of the friends I made turned out to be a bad choice. That one mistake has made me much less likely to want to make friends. It is the easier thing to do.

However, it is possible that it is not the best rule of life. Perhaps that should be something I work on in 2011.

This post was written in response to the daily prompt at #reverb10, allowing you to reflect on 2010 and manifest what's next.

Make

2010-12-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

Day 6: Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? - Gretchen Rubin

I have a confession - I love to make things. Turn me lose in Michaels or Joann Fabrics, and not only am I in heaven, but, chances are, I will spend quite a bit of money before I'm done.

This past weekend, I made quite a few items including a gingerbread house, a paper wreath for the front door, an embossed thank-you note card, and 2 pairs of leggings for my daughter. None of these items were made entirely from scratch. The gingerbread house was pre-baked and assembled (thank you Wilton!); the paper wreath was assembled from a kit I bought at Paper Source, the note card required only a stamp and one of my new toys--the embossing machine; and the leggings are merely women's over-the-knee socks with the feet cut off and a hem sewn on.

I find making things with my hands to be invigorating. Although I will admit that I don't remember the last time I swore as much as I did when I was trying to put my mother's old sewing machine together. What I wouldn't give for the user's manual!

There are so many things I want to try to make. I want to become a really good knitter. I love knitting, but I need instruction and patience to get better. I would love to be able to sew, too. Right now, I have a small, very cheap, crafting sewing machine. If I can ever figure out how to use my mother's old machine, I would love to take a sewing class.

This post was written in response to the daily prompt at #reverb10, allowing you to reflect on 2010 and manifest what's next.

Let Go

2010-12-05T20:11:00.000-08:00

December 5th - Let Go

"Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why" - Alice Bradley

This year, I let go of the embarrassment. I have always been unusually concerned about what other people thought of my choices. I think it comes from my misguided belief that I should be someone other than who I am.

In her book The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin establishes 12 Personal Commandments and the first one is to Be Gretchen. This was a revelation for me. For the first time, I started considering whether my choices were true to myself rather than conforming to how I think I should be behaving.

I'm still trying to figure out everything that Being Claire means, but I do know:

I love reading historical mysteries, preferably ones that have a great romance.

I love writing letters.

I love making things with my hands.

I love being a stay-at-home mom.

This post was written in response to the daily prompt at #reverb10, allowing you to reflect on 2010 and manifest what's next.