5 Goals for 2015

Like every year around this time, I find myself sneaking back here, to my tried and true blog, apologizing for the weeks months I've been away, and promising to do better.  So here goes: I promise to do better. I promise I will try to do better, anyway.

It's also around this time of year that I sit down and take inventory of the last 12 months.  In 2013, my goal was to give more of my time and talent (because my treasure was quite limited) by becoming more involved in charity work and volunteering.

By early 2014, it was clear that I needed some of that time back to focus on my family and on better developing my talents-- which would hopefully create a little more treasure to pitch in at home. This inspired me to come up with 28 Ways to {better} LOVE Myself.  I am happy to say that I've kept up with MOST of the promises I made to myself, and 2014 was one of my happiest and most peaceful years yet.

So what goals have I set for 2015?

1. First and foremost, I will continue to refer to my 28 Ways to {better} LOVE Myself, because we all need to securely fasten our oxygen masks before helping those around us.

2. I will remember to count my blessings more regularly.  It's easy to get so overwhelmed by life's occurrences that we forget to be grateful for all of the wonderful things that we do have.

3. I will set small personal and attainable goals (take the kids' clothes to the consignment shop, finally learn how to use my embroidery machine, clean out the cabinet under my sink, organize my desk) which will make my life easier and give me a sense of tangible accomplishment.

4. I will be less angry at my 5:30 a.m. alarm. There is nothing that I can do about the time my kids start school, so getting worked up every single morning is pointless and unhealthy.  I will try to find the silver lining in my early morning wake-up call, even if it's still too dark outside to see the clouds...

5. I will go on regular dates with my husband.  My kids are 12 and 14 and no longer consider sitting at grandma's house watching a VHS copy of Blue's Clues repeatedly a successful Friday night. This, and the fact that I really do dig hanging out with them, has caused a major dip in date nights. I realized last night when Hubby suggested revisiting our honeymoon destination (Sandals resort) and my initial response was "no, because the kids can't come", that maybe he was trying to tell me something...and maybe I should listen.  We truly love you, kids, but Mom and Dad need some alone time.  Want me to go into detail?...yeah, I didn't think so. You can unplug your ears now.


What goals have you set for the new year?  Tell me in the comments!

Back to School: An Epic Tale of Boxes, Bronchitis, Downward Dog and Lockdowns

Today marks the end of the second week of school.  It has been, inarguably, the longest two weeks I've had in recent recollection. Even more so considering how quickly summer vacation flew by.

I wasn't ready for summer to end, but decided to be positive and jumped right out of bed when my alarm went off in the middle of the night bright and early (at 5:30 a.m.) on the first day of school. Other than having to sign approximately 3,236 papers for school and visit Target a whopping 6 times for school supplies, the first few days were pretty great and I was able to get everyone, including myself, in bed by 9 p.m.

First day of school

 Then the weekend arrived.

My mother-in-law sold her house in less than a week on the market, and the time to pack and move had arrived.  Hubby, the kids, and I went over to help.  My job was to go through all of the photos she and her parents had collected over the last 65 years, combine them and store them in plastic tubs.  Actually my job was to pack said photos, but since the majority of them were strewn through dusty, silverfish infested boxes, falling out of photo albums whose sticky pages had long since lost their stickiness, or tucked away in the drug store envelopes they originally came in, I figured this would be a much better option.

Here is one of the old pictures I found at MIL's.
Here are Hubs and I when we were around 19 circa 1995.

Since MIL hasn't found a permanent place, Hubs and I offered to store her furniture and boxes  in our garage, which meant a major, two-day long garage rearrangement.

A good part of my garage was filled by donations for the charity yard sale I will soon be working, so those items had to be hauled to a different storage location. Hubby and I moved things right and left until we finally had the garage looking like I'd wanted it to look since we moved in 15 months ago.  It was a nice 30 seconds until the box truck with MIL's items arrived.  Thankfully, we played a lot of Tetris when we were kids and we able to fit it all in nicely.

The next day, my daughter called me from school complaining of a cough and sore throat. The pediatrician diagnosed her with sinusitis and bronchitis.  Ain't nobody got time for that!  I had to go back and forth to the pharmacy three times until they figured out that the cough medicine wasn't covered by our insurance and the doctor recommended an OTC instead.

Phew...I'm tired just thinking about it...

Last night my buddy Marcy invited me to yoga to try and relieve some of the stress of the last two weeks. This was a great idea since I had been wanting to try yoga for years to relieve my chronic back pain.  It really was a great idea, except that 15 minutes into it I realized this was more Cirque du Soleil in an oven than the chanting, relaxing and stretching I had pictured in my head.  About 40 minutes in I refused to do anymore downward dogs.

OK, I didn't actually refuse. It was more like my brain was spinning in my head, and my ears were ringing, and my boob sweat was rolling up into my eyes, and I didn't know what the heck any of the poses were, and I was getting nauseous from looking around to see if I was doing any of it correctly, and I was pretty sure they would have to call 9-1-1 if bent over again.  Thankfully, the last 10 minutes rocked.

I have not given up on yoga...I just think I will start with the senior citizens class and work my way up to the class set in the Sahara Desert.

So, this morning I woke up, still a little light-headed, but my body felt pretty amazing. Both kids were able to go back to school, and I planned on painting a table my MIL had given me to use in my studio while I listened to my new audiobook.  I ran out of the Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint I had been using, and as I went to wash my hands and run to the stockist, the house phone started ringing off the hook.  No one ever calls me on my land line, so when I looked at the caller ID I saw it was my son's high school.

All I remember the recorded message say was "suspicious student", "in custody" "lockdown", "law enforcement", and "safety sweep of the school." I quickly texted my son, got online and saw the newspaper article that stated that my daughter's middle school (right next door from my son's) and a nearby elementary school were also on lockdown due to a student who was wearing a trench coat and claimed to have guns.  I texted my kids, and my son replied that he was in lockdown in his 4th period class but was OK.  My daughter didn't reply right away, but by then the reports stated that her school's lockdown had been lifted and that the students were in no danger.

I decided to drive to my son's school myself, and when I arrived, the street was filled with concerned parents, cars parked on the side of the road and police cars blocking the school's entrance.

My son's principal has a twitter account, and he updated it often. I was able to keep in touch with my son via text while I waited for news.  Three hours after the initial lockdown, after crouching against a wall the entire time, skipping lunch hour, and with only one supervised bathroom break, the lockdown was lifted.  Parents like me flooded the front office to take our tired and hungry kids home. Actually, we went to McDonald's. A situation like this deserves salty fries and a Coke.

Safe and sound.

Later on, we learned that there was no evidence of any weapons at the school, but it has raised a huge concern. How safe are our kids?  How can schools prevent weapons from entering the building?  What if another kid wants this kind of attention? Should the teachers have water and food supplies in their classrooms?

It's all a little much for me to think about this evening.  Tonight I will just think of how thankful I am that my kids are safe and sound.

If you've made it this far, thank you!  My readers always brighten my day!

Maybe the Best May

The month of May has gone by in the blink of an eye!  I can't believe there are only 5 more days until summer vacation!  I have had an amazing month!

My family took me to the beach for Mother's Day. I was able to chaperone my daughter's 5th grade dance, her band field trip and her field trip to Busch Gardens. My husband chaperoned my son's 8th grade trip to Universal Studios and we spent the rest of that weekend in Orlando lounging poolside and visiting the Magic Kingdom. This past weekend we went back to the beach for our 16 year wedding anniversary where we swam, avoided stingrays, soaked in the beautiful weather, and even caught a 15-inning Tampa Bay Rays game! (Full disclosure: we left after the 10th inning.)

Here are some pics of our beautiful month so far:

This summer is going to be bitter-sweet for me.  Both of my kids will be entering new schools in the fall.  My son is starting high school and my daughter starts middle school.  I officially no longer have babies. Our schedule next year is going to be insane, with my son's first bell ringing around 7:10 a.m., and my daughter not starting until 8:20--even though the schools are right next door to each other and 8 miles away from my house.  (Seriously, what kind of masochistic school board do we have out here?!)

My goal is to spend as much time with my kids and have as much fun as humanly possible in the 75 measly days we are given between school years.  I will be starting a #100happydays project on instagram that will spill into the beginning of the new school year, highlighting at least one happy moment in each day.  I hope this inspires you to do the same.

I will also have a lot more free time this summer...more on that after this weekend...

Finally, I will be giving myself a pass (or as my friend Autumn calls it, a Summer Card) when my lofty goals do not go as planned.  La Casa de AquaSeventy6 will be a "guilt-free zone" this summer, or as guilt-free as a Catholic Cuban-American mom can be.

I want to be chill, like this guy, the most interesting kangaroo in the world:

How has your May been? What are your big summer plans? Meet any interesting marsupials lately? Tell me in the comments!

Mother's Day

There's nothing I love more than being a mom.  With all of its ups and downs, I wouldn't trade in one moment of the last 14.5 years of my life.

I realize I've had it much easier than some other mothers.  My kids are healthy and happy.  Our family is intact, never having dealt with grave illness or divorce. My kids love me, and tell me so.  I adore them and never go more than a few hours (minutes) without reminding them of it.

At 14, my son still hugs me. At 11, my daughter still snuggles with me.  They don't talk back (often), or curse (that I know of), and have NEVER, EVER said "I hate you!" (to my face).

Am I a perfect mom?  No way!  Just last night I flipped out because someone drank my last can of Coke (I realize how insane this is) and made one teenage boy feel REALLY bad about it.  UGH!  I suck. (So, maybe I would trade in just that one moment.) But, for the most part, I consider myself a good mom, and I would wager my kids think so, too.

This Mother's Day, I don't want a present or fancy dinner.  All I want is to thank God for giving me the gift of my children and the opportunity to be their mother.  If I could ask for one Mother's Day gift, it would be to grow old enough to watch my children have their own children and love them as I much as they have been loved.

Happy Mother's Day, friends!  Hug your kiddos tight! xoxo

A Great and Beautiful Loss

On March 27, 2014 at 11:34 a.m. I witnessed my husband's grandmother take her last breath.

Mima, as she would be known to family and friends alike, had been declining in health for the last year or two. At 93 years of age, she took pride in being the family's matriarch. A mother of 3 daughters and 1 son, she helped raise her 8 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. She lived long enough to meet her 16th great-grandchild, born just 6 weeks ago.

I met Mima shortly after I started dating my husband, and for the last 22 years, I grew to love her as much as I had my own grandparents.

Me and Mima in 2006

I will always remember Mima's love for The Family Fued and Wheel of Fortune (which she called "la ruedita") and the gummy Spongebob "Crabby Patties" you could find at Halloween.  I will never forget how she loved to snuggle with my dogs, how she would all but run around the house in her walker, how she preferred hard bread to soft, used the same tupperware drinking cup everyday, how she talked in her sleep, and sat on two stacked throw pillows on the couch to watch her shows.

Hubby and Mima in 2005

On March 27, shortly after posting my last blog, hubby texted me that Mima had only minutes left. Hospice had been at her home for a couple of days, and she had shown little response in the last 24 hours.  I rushed out, praying I would arrive in time. When I arrived, Mima was lying in bed surrounded by her daughters, grandsons and granddaughter.  I sat next to her bed on the floor, and just minutes later we watched her take her last breath.  Hubby's cousin, a firefighter/EMT, immediately checked her pulse and it was gone.

She passed peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones.

My daughter and Mima in 2005

On Saturday afternoon, we all gathered together for her funeral.  She looked beautiful--and young.  Our children, Mima's great-grandchildren, wept, kissed her, and rubbed her hands.  They told her how much they loved her and were going to miss her. They also laughed together, as kids do, and ate cookies in the lounge area. These beautiful beings, who would not be here if it weren't for Mima, are a reminder of her importance to this family.

The kids with Mima and Pipo in 2006

The funeral home was filled with dozens of beautiful arrangements from family and friends. The priest gave a lovely service and sang a beautiful hymn which brought many to tears.  On Sunday, we had a small graveside service and paid our final respects. The grandsons acted as pallbearers. The great-grandchildren sat in the chairs under the tent and each of us tossed a flower into her grave. We stayed together until the casket was lowered, the hole was filled, and the sod replanted.

My son and Mima in 2007

In the end, everything was as beautiful as anyone could have ever hoped for, from her peaceful passing, to the services celebrating her life.

I can't thank enough every person who was there for us, and especially there for my mother-in-law and her sisters this week. Thank you for the food, washing dishes, bringing old photos and sending flowers and cards. Thank you mostly for your presence.

Thank you also to my friends who texted and messaged me, and especially for our friends who came by to pay their respects. It means so much to know you care.

Mima, siempre estarás en nuestros corazones. Te quiere mucho tu nieta, Yvette.

Becoming REinspired

I've been feeling less than inspired lately.  Who am I kidding?  I've been down right UNINSPIRED for weeks (months?)  Last night while at dinner, I confessed to my hubby over wine and some tears that I have lost my creativity.

While I am truly HAPPY in my personal life, my head is no longer swimming with ideas.  The words that couldn't wait to tumble from my fingers to the page have simply ceased to exist.  My son turned 14 last week and the most decor I could muster up for his birthday dinner was a plastic tablecloth and some utensils wrapped in a napkin.

My brand new sewing machines sit basically untouched. I can't even remember the last time I purchased a yard of fabric. I have a gorgeous vintage French Provincial dresser, begging to be rehabbed, parked in the middle of my garage since September. (I haven't stepped foot in a thrift store in weeks.) I've barely even used the DSLR camera hubby gave me for Christmas.

Two years ago, if I would have had all the tools at my disposal that I have today, I would have been unstoppable!  So what's wrong with me?  Hubby assured me that I have not lost my creativity, but likely I had misplaced my motivation and inspiration.  Of course, he is right.

Since moving back to Florida and getting a job outside of the home, AquaSeventy6 has taken a backseat. It's been hard to juggle working, shuttling the kids to and from school, cleaning, laundry, family commitments, and more, while hubby works loooong hours. I don't have an assistant, a housekeeper, nor am I part of a carpool. It's just me.  The days I do get something on the blog or on Facebook can be discouraging.  The new Facebook filters on business pages only distribute my posts to 10% of my followers.

BUT, the truth is that I've worked too hard on this endeavor to let it die. 

I decided to go through my old blog posts and photo albums in attempt to become REinspired.

The REinspiration:

I began my creative career in 2009 writing for local online parenting sites. That same year, my friends Autumn and Kara started a business hosting social events for moms. Their goal was to inspire, and that they did!  The idea of owning my own business was planted, and immediately I knew it would be called AquaSeventy6 (although I didn't quite know what kind of business it would be.)

September 2009, Mommyista Big Bash

A year later Autumn and our friend Holly invited me to join them at a holiday craft fair.  They loved the Vintage Dish serving tower I had created for my MIL's 60th birthday party and thought they would sell well. Although the craft fair was cancelled, Autumn and I went on to create this blog. We made a myriad of super cool accessories, gifts and housewares (including The Vintage Dish) which we sold by hosting our own show-- the first annual Holiday Shop & Sip, and eventually AquaSeventy6 became a business.

What kept me motivated over these years were my friends and clients.  I loved getting positive feedback and inspiring others to take on a DIY project, hit the thrift stores, start a new hobby, or even turn their passion into a business

Soon after AquaSeventy6's birth, several other mom-owned, handmade businesses started popping up in the area.  It was awesome to be surrounded by a group of friends with so many ideas such as Marcy from Kaiya Designs, who was recently featured in the Tampa Bay Times, Jasmine from R&E Avenue who has clients all over the country, and Kara who now owns Simply Vintage Candles, was featured in Smart Retailer, and just this week shipped a PALLET of her hand-poured soy candles to Pennsylvania.

2013 Spring Shop & Sip

I've met even more creative women throughout the years, from writers to photographers, artists to designers. I've listed some of them on my sidebar under (appropriately enough) INSPIRATION.

I'm feeling it now...the beginning of my REinspiration. I don't know where it will take me, but I am ready for the ride.

The One Question You Should Never Ask A Mom (especially me)

The number one question I've been asked since both of my kids have been in school is "What do you do all day?"  Whether it's meant to or not, it's by far the most offensive question you can ask a mother.  I've been asked the same question by everyone from my relatives to my girlfriends who work full-time outside of the home (and also have people who do their laundry and clean their house.)

So for those of you who question what I do all day, here's a little rundown:

I work from home during the week writing, creating and social media marketing for AquaSeventy6. I have a weekend job outside of the home, and during the week I blog and social media market for that job, as well. I also actively volunteer for a local charity.

Along with the above, every single weekday my alarm goes off at 6. I get the kids up, make breakfast, pack lunches, make sure they take their vitamins, that their teeth are brushed, hair is combed, that they have clean PE clothes and that they are wearing deodorant. I drive them both to their schools (it takes one hour to do both drop offs). 

I then run errands (groceries, bank, post office, pharmacy, etc.), do laundry, sweep, mop, dust, clean the bathrooms, and feed the dogs. I pick them up from school (another hour+ depending on car line), schedule and drive them to all medical and orthodontic appointments. I  help them with their homework, attend evening functions at school, attend meetings for work and for the charity, make sure the kids shower, have dinner and brush their teeth again  (although I pawn dinner off to my husband whenever possible).  I load the dishes, clean up the kitchen, and tuck the kids into bed.When I finally crawl into bed, hubby has been snoring for a good hour.

Are you tired, yet?  I am.  During the week, I rush out of the house without showering or eating breakfast. I'm a hot mess, to say the least. In the 5 short hours I have between drop-off and pick-up, I barely even have time to eat lunch. Then, instead of sleeping in on the weekends, I go to work.  I only take days off for special family events, which means I don't relax on those days, either.

I am with my kids every day over the summer, I am home with them any day they have off of school, and I am with them after school and all night long. 

Here I am on-the-go with my kiddos...what do I DO all day?  Hmf!

But even so, I still get asked "What do you do all day?"

When you work from home, it is assumed that you have time to chat on the phone all day or that it's no problem to do someone a favor (usually requiring a drive across town).

There are times, even when I am not sidetracked by phone calls or favors, that I simply can't get to it all and  leave the dishes for the next morning or unfolded laundry in a basket for a few days. Those are the things others see...not what we do, but what we couldn't get done.  That's not very fair, is it?

So, the next time you are curious as to what I (or most other moms, for that matter) "do all day", take a moment to re-read this article, or simply open your eyes, because I promise that if you ask, I won't have a very nice answer.

Time Flies When You Have Ombre Nails (or something like that)

Ever since school has been back in session, it's been so hard to manage my time.  I'm pretty sure it's because I haven't been able to thoroughly complete my errands in the last two months. All summer, any time I pulled into a store parking lot, my son's shoulders would slump and within minutes it would start:

Son: "Mom, I'm getting tired."
Me: "It's 10 in the morning."
Son: "How much longer?"
Me: "We've been here 5 minutes."
Son: "It feels like an hour."
Me: "I'm almost done.  I just need to look at one more thing"
Son: "You said that an hour ago."
Me: "If you would stop complaining I would have been done by now."
Son: "What's for lunch? I'm hungry."

Then I would leave the store, annoyed and forgetting half of what I had originally come in to get. My daughter on the other hand would spend every shopping trip admiring and directing my attention each bit and bauble in the store.

Daughter: "Mommy, these nail polishes are sooo cute!"
Me: "Yes they are."
Daughter: "I don't think I have this exact shade of aqua."
Me: "No, but I'm pretty sure you have every other shade of aqua."
Daughter: "Mommy, look at this shirt!  It's so adorable!"
Me: "Yes, it's cute, but we are not looking for clothes right now."
Daughter: "Mommy, don't I need Post-Its for school? Because, these are SO COOL!"
Me: "I'm not sure, honey.  Let's wait for the supply list to come in."
Daughter: "OK...I was just saying that they are cool...and I really like them...and they are probably on the list...and they are only $2"
Me: (sighing in my head) "OK, put them in the cart. But hurry, we've got to go."
Daughter: "What's for lunch?  I'm hungry?"

Then I would rush to the check out lane forgetting 3/4 of what I had originally come in to get.

So I guess it's no surprise that with the kiddos back in class, I will walk into Target at 9 a.m. and walk out at noon.  No joke.  It's not that I wander aimlessly, either.  Without my little time keepers with tired feet and growling tummies the hours fly by--that is on the rare occasion that my shopping trip isn't interrupted by a phone call....but that is a blog for a different day.

So, all of this is just to tell you that I meant to share this photo with you yesterday, but it just wasn't possible without staying up past midnight again.  But now that you know a little about my daughter's nail polish obsession, it ties right in to this post.

Here's a photo of my daughter's Ombre Nails.

Since she has almost every shade of her favorite colors, I decided to paint each of her nails a different shade from light to dark starting at the thumb. So easy, and too cute!

Thank goodness she isn't a nail biter like me!  She's my perfect little hand model!

Are you into the nail polish trends?  Tell me in the comments!




Linking up to:

Back to School...Back to Work!

It's here...back to school time.  I'd been dreading this since June, but I knew it was inevitable.  In the blink of an eye we were back to 6 a.m. wake-up calls, packing lunches, car lines and homework.

This year, my son (now 13 and in 8th grade) decided to take a "break" from the school band.  Break=quit, I know.  I don't try to block the sun with one finger, like my mom would say. In his defense, he never aspired to be a concert trumpeter (he wants to be a robotics engineer), and there were some technology classes he wanted to take before leaving middle school.  As a plus, he no longer has to carry a 20 lb trumpet case around the school, which I believe is at least partly to blame for his recent referral to a radiologist for a scoliosis survey.

My daughter (now 10 and in 5th grade) has been excited about going back to school and seeing her friends again. More excited, I think, about the possibility of an entirely uninterrupted school year.  In 3rd grade she broke her leg during spring break.  Because she was in a full cast and would need assistance using the restroom, the school recommended home bound instruction. She was taught at home for 5 weeks.   Last year, as you may recall, we moved back to Florida three months into the school year.

That move, in fact, is what pulled the emergency breaks here at AquaSeventy6...good segue, right?  (And, yes, it's "segue", not "segway" like the scooter.  Trust me, I Googled it.)

AquaSeventy6, the blog and the shop have been suffering since my move.  I pop in every few weeks to apologize and promise to do better, only to get wrapped up in life and end up apologizing all over again. But, my friends, this time it's different, and that's a promise. I finally have all of my sewing supplies under one roof again.  The kids are back to school and I am no longer commuting across town.  That said, there are going to be some changes going on as well.

I am first and foremost a writer.  I'm neither Fitzgerald nor Hemingway, but I do think in monologue, and have since I was a kid. I plan on adding more anecdotal and family related posts in the future, which may or may not include anything crafty. (Anyone else get all Grandma's-Crocheted-Santa-Potholder when you hear the word "crafty"?  Trust me, I avoid it as much as possible.  I prefer "handmade" or "DIY" myself.)

As far as my shop, I do plan to reopen it at some point.  I don't like to list special order items, I prefer only to list what I have on hand so my clients can get their goodies ASAP.  This means I have to get on the ball and make inventory.  I love inventory because I have so many bits and pieces of amazing, often discontinued fabrics that I can use to make some truly unique pieces. But inventory takes time, so the shop reopening time frame is currently TBA.

I also plan to get back to featuring my furniture revamps.  These may be items in my own home, or possibly something for a friend or client.  I've been painting and updating vintage furniture for several years now.  Just this summer I've redone 4 or 5 pieces of my own furniture...I just haven't gotten around to photographing any of it! :(  Revamping furniture was my first DIY passion prior to sewing, and sadly I let it fall to the wayside.

Finally, I will continue to toss in some fashion and style related posts here and there. Wow!  I guess I actually AM excited that the kids are back to school, because I truly have missed this!

I will be back soon with a new post, but for now I am hitting the sack!!  It's almost 1 a.m., y'all! 


    PS....what do you think of my new blog design?  

Home Sweet Home{town}

Oh, how I've missed you my little blog!  I've been missing a lot of things.  In fact, that pretty much sums up where I've been and what you are about to read.

As many of you know, my hubby, our kids and I moved from Florida to Virginia two summers ago. As I've said in the past, the move was a challenge for me, but also a great adventure.  You see, other than the one month I spent in NYC for business, I'd never lived away from my hometown nor my parents.  Not in college, not as a child, NEVER.

The opportunity for the move arose, and we jumped at the chance to make a much-needed life change. We spent 18 months in the beautiful Old Dominion where we saw some breathtaking sites and made such lovely friends, but not without our share of struggle and sacrifice.

Being apart from our extended family was no easy feat, especially when it seems that everyone else is struggling financially, as well.  Trips back home were few and far between, and only a couple of relatives were able to find a way to visit.  Earlier this month, Hubby and I came to the realization that the next step in our journey would be to come back home.

We packed the 26' moving truck all by ourselves.  Being Thanksgiving week, we didn't want to ask any friends for help, so it took us 4 days and many aches and pains.

The drive was LONG----16 hours!  That was an hour longer than our original drive up, and 3 hours longer than the normal 800 mile drive home.  The good Lord was on our side, because we made it home safely after driving all night.

While I drove, I had a lot of time to think.  I thought about the last 18 months and what was to come in the future.  I knew I would miss my Virginia friends, the beautiful fall leaves and the possibility of winter snow. But at the same time, I began to get excited about seeing my old friends, being close to my family and summers at the beach.

It's been two weeks since our arrival, and we are still settling in.  We are staying with my in-laws for a few months to save some money and look for just the right place. I've gotten to see a few of my old friends, been able to participate in some family functions, and each day is getting easier.

I'm currently preparing for my winter trunk show, but I hope to be back in full swing after the new year.  Thanks for reading! xx

Fee Night, Speaking Spanish and Pencil Cases

Today I took my son to his 7th grade "fee night", which is exactly what is sounds to be.  You look for your child's homeroom on a list taped to the wall and wait in line with 30 other parents and students. When you finally meet the homeroom teacher, you hand her a wad of dough and  leave with a manilla folder full of forms and your child's class schedule.  Fun times.

He's got Spanish this year which is fantastico considering that according to his forms he's "Hispanic/Latino" but doesn't speak a word of it.  That is my fault, I know.  I started speaking to him solely in Spanish as a baby, but as soon as he started talking in English we just went with it. You don't have to tell me how much I suck.  I hear enough about it from my parents, in-laws and grandparents.

Speaking of back-to-school, I wanted to share some super cute pencil cases I've been designing.

This Mustachio Pencil case is for my daughter's friend "A".  She's all about the 'stache, so her mom thought this would be perfect for her 4th grade year.

My friend's son "C" is LOVE the Redskins, and wanted a pencil case with the 'Skins as well as some other NFL teams.  I lucked out to find this print!  It pretty much rocks.

Now this is one of my FAVORITE pencil pouches, because it's going to be used by my friend Natalia from Ma Nouvelle Mode as a cosmetics case.  I adore this fabric and I am happy that she was my very first client to choose it!

Pencil cases are lined in vinyl and measure approximately 11"x4.5".  Email me for more info.

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My Summer Hiatus (But, I'm Back!!)

Wow!  Does anyone remember me?  I can't believe it's been 6 weeks since my last blog post!  Yikes! In my defense, I did warn you earlier this summer that I would be busy making memories, and that I have.

Shortly after my Boho Headscarf post, hubby, the kids and I packed up our car and drove down to Florida to visit family and friends.  Our trip was originally scheduled to last about 10 days, but we ended up staying a little over three weeks!

If you follow my Facebook page, you will know that my nephews' infamous "twins shower", which prompted me to start designing baby gift items such as the neck tie and mustache burp cloths and the neck tie diaper and wipes pouch, finally came to fruition while I was in Florida.

I designed some super cute cupcake picks, a neck tie bunting and mini neck tie "capia" pins for the event. (Capia pins are traditional Latin American monogrammed pins that guests are given to wear at bridal and baby showers.)

After the shower, I spent a lot of time with my mom and sister.  Mom and I did some sewing:

and sis and I took our kids to the beach twice, to the movies and to lunch at the T-Rex Cafe in Downtown Disney!

Do you see my beautiful niece sporting her AquaSeventy6 flower earrings?

The rest of our trip we spent hanging out with friends and cousins.  We were strictly budgeted, (I mean, really, who can afford a 3-week vacation, even if they are staying with family?) So, our friends in  Land O Lakes, Seffner, Town N Country and St. Pete Beach took turns inviting us over for dinner.  I can't express what a beautiful gesture that was, and how much we enjoyed their company! (Thanks to R&M, D&M, J&R, A&L, J&Z, and J&C for your yummy homemade dinners, good conversation and your friendship!)

Since I've been home, I've started to work on some new items, which I will be sharing with you this week.  I also had a HUGE sale in my Etsy shop (another reason you MUST follow me on FB!) I have missed my little blog, and I hope you've missed me, too! 

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