Getting ready for the Creative Boutique

Oh my goodness. I have been working my tail off for a few weeks now getting ready for a little show thing that I am bringing some of my hand crafted goodies to. I have worked a little bit each day and have almost managed to reach my goal. I wanted to bring a little bit of everything that I make. I have some holiday frames, some beaded silverware, and lots and lots of my soldered pendants. I managed to finish over 50 necklaces and Justin was wonderful in assisting me to come up with some amazing packaging for them. It looks all professional and stuff. I love it.

The show is in Eugene at a lady's house that I met about a month ago. She is really fun and her, Ali Edwards (a scrapbooking genius), and two other fun gals are putting on somewhat of a garage sale/craft show that they are lovingly referring to as the "Creative Boutique". I don't know how much traffic it will attract or anything, but it's just been so fun to have a reason to get my act together and get things made! I've also set up an etsy store. For those who don't know what "etsy" is... it's a wonderful website that is sortof like an ebay for hand crafted goods. There is no serious bidding like on ebay, but you can post all handcrafted goods on there and it is amazing. I have bought on there several times and have found out how fun it is to get handmade goods as well as give them. It just makes you feel good to hold something in my hands knowing that it was crafted without machines and has minor imperfections here and there. The site is www.etsy.com and you should really check it out if you haven't already. As for finding me on there... it's possible, but I don't really have anything on there yet. The ball has started to roll, but I need another few weeks to get it totally up and running. Right now I have one, yes one, frame on there. I'll be adding much much more soon. Oh... it feels so good to get going on things like this. It's inspiring and great for me to get out there and try to make this whole thing work for me. Those of you who know me will tell you that I have tried to make a business out of crafting, but honestly, I just can't find the time to make it work. This craft show has given me a reason to get my act together, and even if I don't sell a darn thing while I'm there, I'm just thrilled that I have stuff made up and ready to go. So check me out on etsy in the next few weeks... I'm looking forward to that first sale :). It's www.creativeleighchic.etsy.com YEA!

And now I have put off my crafting for long enough... it's back to work for me in the frame room for another hour or so before bed. Yikes...

Words of clairity... from a five-year-old

Okay... as you all know... I am a pre-school teacher. I think if I had to, I could find something to write about every day just from my classroom experience. Children at the ages of 3, 4, 5, and 6 are so amazing. They are still so innocent and honest. They are truly FUNNY and I can find myself fully engaged in conversation with them. They keep me grounded and remind me what is important in life. They give me pride when they accomplish even the simplest things. They still love school and their teachers. The boys are still fans of the color pink and the girls just as happy with a sequin they find on the ground as they would be about a diamond ring. It makes me feel so lucky to have this as my job. I am so blessed to have so many parents share their little ones with us several times a week and I am grateful that this is all possible due to my mom and her dedication to teaching. I am just so lucky.

So... this leads me to my reason for writing tonight. Last week I overheard a conversation with three of our five-year-old girls. One girl was telling the others in a very matter-of-fact manner that she had plans to

"go to college, pick flowers, and get married".

Just like that... life was stated in three simple steps. I chimed in and asked her...

"so you said you're going to... go to college, pick flowers, and get married?"

and she looked at me... shrugged her shoulders and said...

"Yea!"

I thought about it all day... it was just so cute... so simple... and so matter-of-fact.

So here's my question... should I just pick some flowers now?

How did I miss this?

I can't believe that I went nearly 29 years without knowing how much fun football season is. This may sound silly to some people (especially most of my girlfriends:), but I live for Saturdays right now. I'm not sure if its the getting out of town, or the thrill of the competition, or maybe it's just because I get Justin's company for a complete two days. The bottom line is that I just love it. I'm so lucky that Justin's family has taken me in as a part of this family tradition. I am an adopted Duck and I'm loving every minute of it. I think I even understand the game of football now. I spent every football game in high school either talking to friends, dancing on the field at half time, or just cheering whenever everyone else did. :) In college I went to one football game to watch a friend of mine play... when he hadn't played at all by the forth quarter, we left. He then proceeded to make a huge play at the very end of the game and we missed it all :(... not that I would have known what to cheer for :). I never really got it at all... I knew there was a quarterback, but I didn't know what that meant. I didn't even know that there was a defensive team and an offensive team. What? There's two different sets of players on the field? Who knew? Today I enjoy football. I actually enjoy the game more than the tailgating. It's great to have another team to cheer for... another reason to feel competitive... and I love the quality time with Justin and his family. It's just another reason that my life is so good right now... one of many reasons. :)

What is it about the rain?

Sometimes I feel a little different than most people. Here's my little secret... I love the rain. I do... I enjoy the sound of it waking me up on my skylight at night. I love the smell of it as it falls and I enjoy the smell of it evaporating from the earth even more. Even this morning... when a group of us are meeting to do some yard work for a dear friend... I'm still loving the rain. I can hear the gusts of wind at my windows and see the tree branches bouncing around and the leaves flying across the lawn. In only an hour, I'll be out there too... fighting the wind and the rain drops on my glasses. But for now... I am warm... with coffee in hand and the heater cranking out the warmth... I think that's why I love this weather so much. It reminds me how lucky I am... to have a cozy place to be and feel at peace. I'll probably have to post again. AFTER my day in the lovely wind and rain. But for now I'm in great spirits. I'm looking forward to an outdoor adventure with friends and the fun we will have together. Happy Fall!