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Goal #1... Feel beautiful!

I did something this year that I can't believe I have never done. I did portraits with my daughter. We got all girlie-fied in our evening dresses, hopped in the car and headed to the mall.

First, We had to see Santa and what a fabulous Santa he was. I was really impressed! And my daughter, what a natural as you will continue to see in the following photos.

So, I felt kinda silly so dressed up at the mall but I am sure everyone knew why we where there. Next on to the portrait studio. At first my daughter actually acted shy... HAHA, my kid shy... that's seems crazy! But she got into it real quick.

My Fav!

So when all is said and done... we get all our pictures done and I get to select my fav 5 from about 24. I realized that I hadn't felt that beautiful in a long time. Now standing next to the most beautiful girl in the world did help!

[gallery]

I must admit, I have a pretty amazing man behind me, telling me I am beautiful everyday. Sometimes it is just so hard to believe, but I am thankful he continues to try!

Get Re-motivated...but HOW?

Geez, it's been how long since I posted...

I don't even really want to think about it. Life just passes us by and it's about time I sat back down and got mine in order. Blogging is something I started this year with real enthusiasm. Then like a lot of things in my life I wrote a few posts then got distracted with other things.



It's been a crazy year. A lot of learning has happened, well because a lot of not so good things have happened. I can only remind myself that it is not just me, everybody has their problems. Right? So I need to get back up, get RE-Motivated. So, HOW?



Taking suggestions, please!

I have considered going back to school, but for what? I want to do everything so hard to narrow it down. And do I really want more school loans to pay back? Yuk!

I have considered joining a gym, doing some kick-boxing... but when do you find the time.

I have taken up bowling... that's filled in some holes, but it's not really gonna take me anywhere. Doubt I will be the next Clara Guerrero, GO! Clara :) (my bowling coach, hehe)

Thought about a life coach, but what is that really... probably a bunch of con-artists. oops! no offense to all the life coaches out there

Wiki says: "Motivation is the driving force which causes us to achieve goals."

So maybe first I need to set a few goals.... hum! Gonna have to think on that.



Love,

Support Local Business!

I don't think many know how important it is to shop local until you have worked for a small locally owned business.

In my job history, I started out working for Hobby Lobby as a teenager making a minimum wage of $5.15 an hour. After about a year I got promoted to a department manager with some responsibilities. You know what my raise was: 35 cents. BOO! At the time I was young and really didn't think much of it, I was just glad to have more responsibilities to cure boredom really and to keep me off the register. I hated working the register. If you've ever shopped at a Hobby Lobby and really noticed the "old school"  registers, you'd know why.

After that I worked for a local eye doctor, some local design firms, but really didn't get the real feel of the importance of shopping local. I guess it maybe had something to do with being in the Houston area, where there definitely isn't as much of a feel of community as there is here in Austin.

Then I worked for one of the biggest corporations: Home Depot. At Home Depot you are a nobody, just a number in the system. They hardly notice that your there and it's hard as hell to get noticed by anyone above your immediate manager. Sure the benefits were pretty good; medical, vacation, sick time, etc. And you always know your pay check is coming, but you really don't know whats going on in that corporate office, whose control all trickles down on you. And if you don't agree with some new policy, well tough stuff, nobody cares what you think. When I did get my first evaluation, I got straight A's or 100's, I can't remember how they graded it, then they set you up, drum roll please: "And your raise is 25 cents! . Isnt that great?" And I was assured that was the high end of the raises offered Oh yeah great, that makes me really want to work harder!

Moving on, I thought I had the best job working for Palm Harbor Homes, making a pretty good salary, traveling all around the US, seeing things I would have never been able to see otherwise; like a cool mountain shaped like a buffalo head, cacti so big they make you look like ants in comparison, Amish people hard at work  with a horse and plow... I digress. Then I got pregnant and there was no job left for me and I got laid off. It didn't matter how much of my heart and soul I put into the company, that I took work home with me, that I'd done winning presentations on new color schemes for the leaders of the company, that I'd rubbed elbow with those leaders over drinks at conventions. I could no longer travel, I had no place there. Boom, outta there!

So now I work for a local furniture boutique, as I've mentioned, Back Home Furniture. We have two stores but all the employees know each other and for the most part their spouses and kids. We are mostly all moms and consult and gossip about each others lives. Nobody gives you crap when you or your kid is sick, they're all there to help and cover your shift. We are more like a family than you will ever get at some big corporation. I know that there I am not just a number. Now I may catch a little slack for being the youngest, but I know the older (hehe) ladies will come around and accept me as an adult someday. Maybe by my 30th birthday :) But for now I appreciate their experience and motherly advice. But it's not just the employees it like the bar "Cheers, everybody knows your name". How cool is it when you have so many regular customers, that they recognize you or ask for you by name. Now the importance here is: because those customers chose to shop local repeatedly, they keep our small little business in business and keep our small little "family" intact and paying our bills. So think about that next time you spend your money at a local store. Your supporting your local community and keeping us alive. You can consider it your donation to your community, but it's still shopping and who doesn't like to shop!

Support local business, shop local, Keep Austin Triving!

 

Great local businesses:

Back Home Furniture, Lake Toys Boat Club, Backyard Salvage and Garden, Digital Street Inc., Wanderland , Uncommon Objects, Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, Book People, Paper Place, Breed and Co., Hey Cupcake,  Austin Java, Waterloo Icehouse, Peoples Pharmacy

Feel Free to add your favorites!

"Momma Soup"

So my daughter has loved Ramen noodles since she could eat solid foods. So when she finally started talking and could request them herself, the name came out "Momma Soup".

"Ramen soup"... "Momma soup"... yeah I can hear it. It sounds similar, so of course I loved the name :) There is no such thing as "Daddy Soup".

So now for some reason, it' s all she will eat. Momma soup, Momma soup, Momma soup. Really kid you don't want to eat something differnt. I am sure there is nothing good in it for you. How can I justify feeding Ramen to my kid for dinner multiple nights a week?

So here are the nutrition facts for Ramen Soup from www.ramenlicious.com

"

85g. package	Daily Value
Fat 12g.	18%
Saturated 6g.	30%
Trans 0 g.	0%
Cholesterol 0mg.	0%
Sodium 1960mg.	82%
Carbohydrate 54g.	18%
Fibre 1g.	4%
+ Sugars 6g.
Protein 8g.
Vitamin A	0%
Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	2%
Iron	12%

"What can we learn from these nutrition facts?
High in sodium:
First, ramen noodles are very high in sodium and that's pretty bad. Producers of almost all kind of food in North America now tend to put a lot of salt in their recipes, to make sure it's tasty and that consumers will buy the products. It sure might taste good, but our body don't react well to large income of sodium over a long period of time. So what is the solution? Well most of the salt in the noodle package comes from the soup base. Even if it taste good, we really recommand not to add that soup base to your noodles, instead, why not take a look in our recipes section, for healthier and delicious recipes!" www.ramenlicious.com

So why do I feed her Ramen noodles still? Well they are cheap, fast and I am a single working mom, who at the end of the day just gives in and is just happy she is eating.

"Momma soup", I hope she always calls it that even when its her staple food in college!

So the last couple of months have been a difficult adjustment...

I first moved out of a 2400 sq ft. family home to a tiny little duplex and then packed up about six weeks later to move again. And let me tell you, I have collected a lot of crap over the years. When you move in to such a small place you learn that you have to let go of some things. So "letting go" is one of my resolutions for this year; physically, mentally and emotionally. You start to realize all these things, they are just stuff! Do I really need to continue to hold on to all this stuff.

Maybe these minimalist people have it all figured out. I dunno I like my stuff, but some of it has to go. It's kinda like the baggage you carry from a past relationship which I am also learning to let go of.

So physically I have to let go of the random junk I have held onto and impulsively bought over the years. I think that may be be the easy part. I need to make a strict rule if I haven't used it/worn it in 3 months, get rid of it! Well of course there maybe exceptions like if its out of season but so killer I know I will wear it again next year. Truth is though I probably won't. Clothes are the hardest for me. I really like clothes and fabrics. So even if I am convinced I will never wear it again or it will never fit again... I then convince myself I will use the fabric and make something with it. Well I probably won't... or probably won't for a really long time. I will carry it from one home to the next, from one storage bin to the next, etc. Until I finally declare I am a clothes hoarder!!! There I said it. But I can put together some great outfits! Or so I am told, I am not so arrogant.

So what else can "letting go" mean? Letting go of some good memories or times, because when you face the truth there was just too much bad. And I suppose it works the opposite way too. I spent the last several years... wow, enough to call it "several"... holding on to the hope that everything would just work it self out one day.

Yes I had some good times, few pictures to prove it. But all and all I was just holding my breath waiting for it to change. So not to delve to much into to that for now.

Letting Go, Starting Fresh! Hey that just means I get to go shopping, right!

One of my fav design must haves... The Garden Stool!

You see them everywhere now. Various shapes, sizes, designs, and prices.

The first one I feel in love with was of course an amazing antique garden stool in turquoise glaze. Who does not drool over the various shades of turquoise that appear to have been poured over this piece.

 I had the pleasure to become friends with... well, I will call him "E. Antiques Guru". He has shared a wealth of knowledge with me about many pieces I have been interested in. He taught me that the value of an antique increases by the story that lies behind it. Me, being new to the antiques world, may look at a pot and say" Now why is that dumb, old, cracked pot $900". Well surely E. Antiques Guru can tell you the story of how it was used, who made it, in what country it was made and now its a magnificent piece of art that I must have! Amazing, Huh! Or I am just an easy sell.

Per E. Antiques Guru, The above "...is a ceramic stool with a turquoise-colored Majolica glaze made by the Massier pottery in France in the late 19th c. The Massier firm worked in the Cote d'Azur area of France and is known today for having produced some of the best art pottery of the era. Most of their work is in museums and personal collections today. It is made in an Aesthetic Movement style inspired by Japanese and Chinese export wares that were then popular. Garden stools were bought for conservatories and used in drawing-rooms of the period. Many people in Britain and France, having lived in Colonial India or Africa, often had a room of the house that they decorated in an exotic, Eastern style."

Wow, doesn't the story really add value to the piece. Thanks, E.A.G... you know who you are, I look forward to more information you will share with me.

Majolica Turquoise-Glazed Garden Stool by Clement Massier available at Antique Swan in Austin, Texas.

 

You can easily find knock-offs available but no history behind them... Rope Garden Stool $550 www.homedecodirect.com

You can tell it's just not quite the same, but hey not everyone can afford the real thing... that includes me!

The below stool is actually what inspired me to research garden stools. It an awesome mini version of the common turquoise stools above. You can find it at Back Home with a 2wist for a stellar price of only $99. And since I work there I get the pleasure of dreaming about it regularly it really is cool.

I don't know what it is i have always had a thing for collection mushrooms, that my have trickled down from my mom I am sure.

Bird Brain Mushroom Garden Stool $99.00 available at amazon.com

Again with the turquoise, what can I say I love it! But my true favorite color is ORANGE, so here is my orange pick.

Orange w/ Dragon Motif Ceramic Garden Stool on sale for $173, wow.... www.homedecodirect.com

Target.com even has some really interesting ones for the average consumer. Check this out for only $99

Now that's far-out!

If you love the reclaimed, recycled, petrified wood look, here is the stool for you. Again at target.com for only $199

And of course with Target.com, you could go on and on and on.... and on.

Wow! Check this one out at only $59.99 at wards.com. Not my favorite but that price is unbelievable.

So let me introduce myself...

I am not a writer, I am a terrible typer and this is my first "real" attempt at blogging. So you ask why would I start a blog? I am in my late 20's. Wow 30 is just around the corner. And of course, I am still wondering "what am I going to be when I grow up". I started college early and was convinced I was going to be a therapist. I wanted to help people deal with their problems... because at nearly 18  years old I had it all figured out right. HAHA

After my first psychology class with the most monotone boring teacher I had ever had, I decided I wanted to be nothing like her. I believe she was drained of all emotion probably due to her profession. So moving on...

I decide to go to art school and study interior design. I spent lots of mula and am still paying, for a bunch of dead beat designers to teach me something that I am convinced you born with or not! Design came easy for me, I was raised by a mom who was a professional floral designer and habitual crafter. I designed and built my own Barbie house out of cardboard when I was about 10 years old. I even painted wallpaper inside. I made my own doll clothes and attempted my own clothing at times, never quite mastered that.

So lets skip to now. I am a "newly separated" mother of the most beautiful 3-year-old girl. By day I am a glorified shop girl/ personal assistant/ my self named, newest, favorite title "social networking marketer" . At least, I work for one of the most highly recommended furniture boutiques in town, have a very understanding and supportive boss. The money good and I get by and I can honestly say I like my job. By night I am MOM. I try to feed her food, she only wants candy. I try to give her a bath, she never wants to wash her face or hair. I try to get her to bed at a decent hour, she never wants to go to bed before me. But I need alone time, peace and quiet.

 So now I get my quiet time and I am here to vent life's everyday troubles and share with you my passion of design. I hope I can entertain "you" = my imaginary following for now.