34 before 35 update

A new month on the calendar...another update on my 34 before 35 list. Here is the original list

4) Have at least 100 sales in my etsy shop-Had 2 sales for 5 items! Have a total of 10 sales so far.

5) Have 75 followers on my blog-Up to 13 according to blogger. Not sure how many read in other ways.

6) Maintain 50 items in etsy shop!-Have 22 in there now and 2 card sets ready to list. 

7) More Sewing-Made a rag quilt this month and have another ready to be sewn.


10) Declutter!!- Lots of stuff to goodwill. I mean a LOT of stuff. Did a purge on scrapbook stuff as well. 

11) Be proud of me!-March was a tough month for whatever reason, but I am proud to say that I ended a volunteer relationship that was not a good one and I am very happy about that.

12) Read more creative/biz books-Started "The Gifts of Imperfection" also did a lot of online reading and podcast listening.

13) Learn to design more in PSE-Created some templates for cards and stuff in PSE. 

14) 3 bottles of water daily-Really Good
 16) 10 custom orders; banners, books, cards, etc-2 banners and a set of cupcake toppers. 7 custom orders so far!!!

23) Clean EHD-Doing really good. Having lots of fun too!!

27) Read at least 1 fun book a month-Listening to Eat Pray Love so I'm counting it as my fun book for last month.

I also decided that because I read something on the internet recently that really helped me understand the whole exposure thing on my camera I am changing number 8 which was read Understanding Exposure to learn a lot more about detail coloring. I know that might sound kind of crazy, but I have seen some amazing coloring with colored pencils and water color pencils that I really want to learn a lot more about it! I LOVE my colored pencils.



 

The Greatest Day of the Year

Today is that day....it's opening day for baseball. I am one of the biggest baseball fans in the world. I have a serious love for baseball, not just the sport, but the memories of watching it with my daddy. My dad was beyond obsessed with baseball. Oh what it would have been like for him if he were still alive today. I know he would be totally into fantasy baseball, we would have had every baseball channel there was and I can only imagine the phone the man would have had to track baseball daily. To give you a bit of glimpse how big of a fan the man was, not only did he write a paper about being a professional baseball player in 8th grade that made it's way to the newspaper in Phoenix, AZ, he also created his own baseball game out of his cards and little pieces of paper. I also recently found a folder where he tracked pitching stats for every pitcher for a year and also a folder full of different possible scenarios. Oh and I can't leave out that when he died he was buried in his 85 I-70 World Series shirt and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was played at the end of his funeral.

So yay, baseball is in my blood. It is still as far as I'm concerned the American sport. I love that Dart is becoming as interested in baseball as I am. He loves playing baseball and I'm sure this year he will be more into stats than ever before. He is a stat fanatic for football and basketball and let's face it, baseball is a bit over the top when it comes to stats. He has an excellent arm and makes some amazing stops at first base. I think he will either be a first basemen or a center fielder. The only thing he lacks for center field is speed. He is not a short sprint kid.

I know many people out there say the game is too long and they need to shorten it. However, aren't some of the best games those that last hours? I know that when a guy is being intentionally walked, I would be fine if he just took the base, we all know he's going to be walked, no point in throwing all 4 balls. However, how can you speed up the game beyond that? Okay, so you limit trips to the mound and the length of time out there, but even that isn't going to shorten it much. You just can't speed up a game like baseball and that's what is so perfect about baseball. I love that even if you are down by 10 runs, come that 9th inning one swing of the bat can change it all. A baseball game is never over until that last out. Not like football and basketball where they can either take a knee or hold the ball as long as the shot clock is in their favor. Baseball has to be played out completely. A pitcher can't refuse to pitch simply because his team is winning. That's what makes baseball so exciting and yet at the same time, can be a very relaxing game.

Yes, I know the Royals are one of the worst teams in MLB, but I'm still a loyal fan. Have been for as long as I can remember. I remember going to see George Brett play in his final game at home. My grandma came and took me from tennis practice so we could go see it. I've stood in line for GA tickets many times and have many memories of sitting in GA watching the game. Something about being at a game that just makes it so real. Dart and I are still planning on hitting a Mizzou baseball game soon. I'd also love to go see a Mizzou softball game.

So today on opening day, stop for a minute and smell the grass, hear the crack of the bat and stand for the National Anthem, I get goose bumps just thinking about it. Baseball is back and the bases are placed in the ground, the fields are looking better than ever, the hot dog vendors are ready and the boys are back in town! PLAY BALL!!!

At the Moment

Listening: The silence actually. Everyone is in bed, so I'm hearing a fan and me typing. Kind of strange.

Eating: Nothing, time for bed almost.

Drinking: Water, with a bit of lemon juice. Yummy!

Wearing: flannel Owl pants my mommy bought me and my ES sister shirt.

Feeling: Sleepy, stressed, worried, excited, creative, sleepy

Weather: Cold again today, but supposed to be warming up soon. I hope it sticks around this time, because I'm done with the cold and snow.

Wanting: Lots of orders in my Etsy shop. A new bone folder because mine is about done, a new cutting mat because mine has massive cut marks in it, and some more greeting stamp sets.

Needing: Lots of orders in my Etsy shop. A new bone folder and a new cutting mat. Money! A day to stay home and not leave!

Thinking: Of all the things I want to make, ideas rolling around in my head for so many different things. I need to focus.

Enjoying: The kids being on spring break and getting to sleep in some. Although by the time we get up I feel like half my day is gone.

Wondering: When Spring is going to come and stay? So many other things.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Hump Day! I love Wednesday because it means Modern Family. ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS ON TV!!

Random

Lots on the mind for today:

• My cousin's wife is having a boy! For so long girls ruled in our family, slowly the boys are catching up. Best news is all is well and healthy!
• My grandpa jacked up his thumb in his workshop on Saturday and decided today that he might need more than just the tape he had on it. Why do men do this?
• Listed a couple of card sets today, have another to list tomorrow and finally my rag quilt to list. 
• Working on an Easter card set now. Love the little bunny and chick stamps I have to use. Hoping to design a couple more sets as well
• I have a serious addiction to graph paper. I use it for almost everything. Very rarely do I use regular lined paper. Weird I know
• I LOVE Celebrity Apprentice. But I often wonder what else The Donald's admin asst. Amanda does other than let the celebrity's know they can go back in. Also why does she always answer him on speaker phone and then inform them they can go in, like they can't hear it for themselves. Yes, I'm weird like that!
• I'm declaring April use it or lose it on my cabinets in my kitchen. Why do we have 4 boxes full of Kool-Aid packets? Seriously we need to use them up. 
• We are on a Harry Potter kick in our house. We have never seen the movies(and I'm ducking now to avoid the objects being thrown my way). We have watched 1 and 2 and are getting ready to watch 3. We only have 4, so need to find the others. 

One of the card sets listed on Etsy today.

Unplanned break

So last week got a lot crazy and I ended up taking an unplanned break from my blog, facebook and even twitter some. We had some crazy PTA issues come up at the kids school that I was busy dealing with. I think we have the nitty gritty behind us and I'm so happy. 7:00 am emergency meetings and I do not get along very well. I also spent all day Friday at school. Science Olympiad in the morning, counting fundraiser money and copying homework and doing folders in the afternoon. I think I was there longer than some of the teachers were. At least we are now on Winter Spring Break.

I spent today CLEANING my work area. It just wasn't working for me. Got rid of a lot of stuff that I wasn't using. I LOVE how my area looks now. So much more functional and less cluttered.

I have 3 card sets ready to list in the store and at least 3 more ready to be put together. It feels so good to be creating again. Now if I could get around to actually scrapbooking again I'd be really happy.

I'm letting go of Make it Monday this week and just going to be creative this week. I'd like to get some more cards sets made, a few banners and possibly some sewing. With the kids on Spring Break this week getting stuff done is a little hard and we have a few things we'd like to do this week as well. Hopefully we can get to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 and maybe the park, that depends on mother nature showing up though.

I will be back to blog though!!

I LOVE this banner. The shoe is my favorite part.

 

This was a custom banner for a bachelorette party.

Hello Spring!!!

My windows are open and I am in flip flops. Spring is here and I'm happy. I'm also ignoring the evil weather people who keep saying the 4 letter s word is a possibility for next week. Next week is spring break for my kiddos and I do NOT want s@#$. Haha!

I don't know how much I'm going to think about trying to make this week as I'm working on some other aspect stuff for Pink Owl. I've had these little nagging things on my mind for months now that I'm thinking I need to get taken care of so I can feel free to create. Not that those things are bad things, they are really fun things, I just haven't given them the attention they need so they feel like bad things. They are things that I want to design and things like post cards and packaging stuff for the business. I just need to get them done.

I do have 2 rag quilts cut. I am missing 3 pieces for one and 5 pieces for the other. UGH! I am not a happy person when that happens. Hoping to pick those things up today so I can get them sewn tonight. I am also determined to get some graduation stuff at least sketched out so I can start on them soon. I am also going to get some Easter stuff made. I do have the designs in my head and a few sketched out, so I want to get them together to see what I like. I'm also itching to get back to making doll clothes. I think those might be great things for Easter baskets for little girls.

I have TONS of fabric I could use to make dresses like this for the dolls. They are so easy to make and just as easy for the little girls to get on their dolls. Wouldn't they be perfect Easter gifts?

I hope everyone is having a wonderful first FULL day of Spring. Now if only she sticks around!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

7 reasons I'm so lucky!
1. I am lucky because I get to be mom to Dart and Audrey and wife to Mark. Love them all and while they make me want to pull my hair out at least 10 times a day each, I can't imagine my life without them.

2. I am lucky because I have the most amazing friends. Friends that I know I can turn to whenever I need a shoulder to cry on, a reality check, a good belly laugh or just a smile, hug or buck up and deal! I get to see some of these girls almost daily whether it be school stuff or baseball.

3. I am lucky because I have the most amazing family. We may be totally crazy and loud and yes, we drive each other crazy, I am incredibly lucky to have all of them in my life.

4. I am lucky because I have been blessed with creative talents. I haven't done anything creative in a couple of days and noticed that my mood is kind of off, I know for certain it has to do with my lack of creating. I feel so alive when I am in the middle of a creative project.

5. I am lucky because I have 3 angels watching over me every single day of my life. All of them touched my life in different ways and taught me different things for which I am forever grateful.

6. I am lucky because I have the ability to make a difference, whether it be in a life of a child I get to come in contact by volunteering at my children's school, a difference for future generations by choosing to use a reusable grocery bag over a plastic bag, or a difference in my own child's life by encouraging them to go after their dreams, I know I can be involved in that difference.

7. I am lucky because I am alive. I get to enjoy basketball games(despite my bracket being a mess thanks to a few teams), I get to enjoy baseball games very soon and I got to enjoy the amazing weather we had in Missouri today. There was no snow on the ground and for that I am very happy!

I hope all of you had a wonderful and safe St. Patrick's Day.