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!

Guest Posting at Fun Life*Happy Life!

Today you can find me over at Fun Life*Happy Life giving 10 Tips for The New Middle (or High) Schooler.

 

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

Jumpsuit Love

I've been madly in love with jumpsuits this season! Unlike more classic warm-weather looks, I know jumpsuits are a trend that comes and goes. But, because they are so cute and comfy I will take advantage of the trend for as long as I can!

My daughter (resident AquaSeventy6 fashion icon) got a fab new jumper in her Easter basket this Sunday, and she rocked it that same afternoon.

She paired it with a white racerback tank and her white Saltwater Sandals.  So. Freaking. Cute!

Jumpsuit: Old Navy   Shoes: Amazon Tank: JCPenney

I love this look so much I designed a grownup version!

Have you rocked the jumpsuit this season?  Tell me in the comments!

Ready for Spring!

Last week was Spring Picture Day at my daughter's school.  I'm totally digging the outfit she picked out and I wanted to share!

The maxi dress is from Target (this season), the denim jacket is from Gap Kids (thrifted) (here is a similar one), the bracelet is from Black Market Minerals and the sandals are from Rack Room Shoes (last summer).

Here is how I would recreate this look for me:

Are you ready for Spring?

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.

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?  

The Coolest Goody Bags on the Block

I totally dig party planning!  When my son turned 1, I spent weeks creating center pieces, choosing the right menu, designing the perfect cake, and choosing just the right outfit for him to wear.  Over the years I've planned baby showers, baptisms, birthday parties and more.  It's just something I do for fun, but maybe one day I will take it to the next level.

One of my favorite things to work on for my kids' birthday parties were the goody bags.  I loved personalizing them and filling them theme specific treats. But, as my kids grew and started to go to parties themselves, I realized a lot of those toys and candies were soon forgotten, and most ended up in the trash. (You mean they don't actually write on a mini notepad with mini pencil?) What a waste of effort and money!

Recently, as I was making some of my sandwich-size mini wet bags, I thought of a great idea!  These would make perfect birthday party goody bags!  With all of the fabric selections available, they can be easily made to match almost any party theme. They can be filled with mini bags of goldfish, pretzels or other healthy treats, and the parents can reuse them later for snacks or in their lunchboxes. No more throwaways!  You can even personalize them with a little tag tied to the zipper!

Here are some super hero bags I made for my friend, which would make a perfect goody bags for a super hero themed birthday party:

My daughter's 7th birthday party was Pink Cowgirl themed...too bad I didn't have this fabric back then!

 Having a football themed party?  Even dads will love these bags!

Check out my Facebook page for more information on mini wet bags.  (Need 10 or more? Email me for special pricing!)

 Click here to see where this and my other posts are linked

Spring "Break"

We were so excited for the end of the third marking period and beginning of Spring Break last week.  The warmer weather and longer days were calling our name.

Wednesday afternoon, as I finished up a few orders in my "studio-office", Hubs took our daughter outside to play.  She got on her scooter and asked her dad to time her to the end of the cul-de-sac.  Two minutes later, I hear Hubs screaming* my name through the open living room window that faces the porch.

*This is a common occurrence.  Anytime Hubs is outside he screams for me.  Usually it's to see a butterfly or listen to a bird sing or any million other benign situations in nature.  He always yells for me as if I'm missing the greatest experience in the world, so of course, I didn't exactly RUN outside when he called.

As I walked out through the front door, expecting to see a bunny on my lawn or a woodpecker on a tree stump, I see Hubs consoling our baby girl whose knees, shins and wrists are scraped up. "She broke her leg!" he tells me. As I look closely, I see a huge dent in her shin and know that he's right.  Apparently, she caught too much speed at the end of the street and fell over onto her scooter as she was trying to turn around the cul-de-sac.

I carried her upstairs and washed the mud and pebbles from her scrapes. Dressed her in a soft skirt, knowing she'd be coming home in some kind of splint or cast, and we headed to the hospital.

My monkey was trooper!  She didn't cry when they put in an IV, wasn't scared when they took x-rays, and followed all of the doctors' and nurses' orders.  The x-ray showed two fractures in her tibia:

The next day we went to the orthopedist for a cast.  A long cast.  An all-the-way-to- her-mid-thigh cast!  Again, she was a trooper.  Not even a whimper.  She got her mama's pain tolerance! ;)

She's expected to remain in this cast for three weeks, then a shorter cast for at least three additional weeks.  Right now school is up in the air.  I don't know if she will be in home bound schooling, or if she will be able to return when she gets the shorter cast. 

Another challenge has been her wardrobe. She's pretty much stuck wearing skirts for the next few weeks.  After emptying out her drawers and closet she had a grand total of 3 skirts which were long enough to appropriately cover her while propping one leg up in a wheelchair.  We took a quick trip to the mall on Friday, but at a minimum of $15 each, there was no way I was going to be able to afford to get her a good enough variety of skirts.

 I made a quick run to the fabric shop, and spent the weekend working on some new skirts. More on those tomorrow.

The rest of the weekend was chill.  We went to Mass and lunch on Easter Sunday, and then spent the rest of the day on the couch watching golf (fun, fun!)  I was definitely missing my Florida family.  Sooo, how was your Easter Weekend?

Last FFFC Feature and a Peek at Our Halloween...

Sorry that we haven't been around in a few days.  We had a fun and busy Halloween and finally got our items shipped down to South Florida for our first Holiday Show.

Last week we announced our final Fabulously Frugal Fall Fashion Challenge: The Anything Goes Challenge.

Today we are featuring the one reader who participated in EVERY SINGLE CHALLENGE!





AnhKay, rocked out every challenge using items from her closet and her Anything Goes looks were our FAVORITES!!  You can read more about AnhKay's fantastic fashion sense on Glass Slippers on a Budget and You Know You Want It!

Here's a little peek into Yvette's first Halloween in Richmond:

 Here are my kiddos showing off the trick or treat sacks I made them. Woot!  My son definitely got into the Dracula spirit with his serious expression!

Here is my candy corn witch showing off Mommy's first attempt at making a costume.  Pretty cute, if I do say so myself!

How was your Halloween?  Tell us in the comments!

Blending

As much as I love my children, I don't love their mess everywhere. I have struggled with allowing all things child into my home. I like to keep my house a certain way and the piles of Matchbox cars and mounds of dinosaurs don't fit into my idea of a cute little home.But I am letting go...and I am learning to blend.


Finding ways to bring their things into common areas - and not just their room - makes me happy and them proud. It saddens me that I have been so uptight about my house in the past.


I let them put their mini pumpkin on my vintage scale, and let them weigh cars on it too.Giving in to the things that use to make me crack has freed up our home (and my mind) to be a more creative and fun place.


And the gourds in the basket? All them. Looks like their design eye may be keener than I thought!


But there are still plenty bursts of pretty here and there for mama; even if it is just a coffee mug. It's the little things.