Our high school was lucky enough to have a pretty strong volleyball team for several years.  Honestly, it's probably the one reason I was totally excited to go to school.  I loved volleyball, everything about it.  The warm ups, the practices, the games and tournaments.  I lived and breathed volleyball.

I have a vivid memory of one of the tryouts for the senior girls team.  There was a girl who tried out every year.  Unfortunately, she never made the team, but that didn't stop her.  She kept coming back year after year.  During one of the tryouts, she went to pass the ball and somehow it flew up to the ceiling and hit one of the lights, shattering it to pieces and bringing the tryout to a halt.  At the time, it wasn't more than a simple equation.  This girl was trying out and it wasn't looking so good for her, which was unfortunate.

Now, years later...with high school far behind me I revisit this tryout and see it in a completely different light.  This fellow student had so much courage, heart, determination and absolute love for the sport.  This drove her to pursue her passion by trying out every year, because you never know, this year may just be the year.  She didn't worry about being judged.  It was really quite simple, she loved the sport, so she tried out.

She loved something so much, that despite not being the strongest player, she continued to play...

for the love of it. 

plain and simple.

This brings me to painting. Yes, volleyball and painting, not at all a random! ha!

When I thought of the idea of making a gallery wall above the couch in the living room I brainstormed what I would put in the frames.  One of the ideas was to attempt a few paintings myself.  My first attempt at painting was a complete fail.  Complete fail.  But since these ones would be of a much smaller scale, maybe I'd be able to do a better job?  I gave it a try.  After testing out a few different designs I realized that I most enjoyed painting random circles and I was really happy with how they looked.  So that will be what we frame.

That brought me to thinking of doing something similar on the large canvas I bought and that had been tucked away in a dark corner of the basement in hopes that no one would ever find it!  I knew I liked to paint but truth be told, I'm far from being a painter.  But perhaps the first attempt was a complete fail because I was just going about it wrong, not doing what came naturally to me (painting in a circular motion).

I'm pretty stoked about how the large canvas turned out and I'm glad that I gave it another try.  It's no masterpiece, but it was just so much fun to do!  I really enjoyed myself and the time I spent making it.

This brings me back to the volleyball story.  Just because you aren't as strong as others at something, doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing it or that you're not good at it.  If you love to do something and it makes you happy, then go do it!  If you want to try something, then go try it!  Don't worry about what others may think, just think about how it makes you feel.  Simply do it for the love of it.

Cheers,

When Less is More

-my own photo, fake florals-

Good day peeps.  How is everyone? How has this week been treating you?

As I mentioned here, I'm focusing on cutting back my spending.  I could say ours, but in reality, it's mainly me who does all of the shopping in our home, from getting groceries to clothes for the kids, etc.  I have a good knack for buying things, especially if they are on sale.  I'm pretty darn frugal so it's not that I'm buying expensive items, I just buy a lot of items and several times a week.  An extra $10, another $15 there...it all adds up and quickly!

A funny thing happens when you're in your thirties.  You learn so much about yourself.  You kind of find "you".  You also grow up a lot and see things in a different light.  In all honesty, I don't get what I was buying so much "stuff" for in the first place because really, we didn't need half of it.

Want and need, two totally different things

We have so very much to be thankful for and "need" so very little to be happy.  It's easy to want stuff when everything is so easily accessible and businesses are doing such a great job at luring you in with their mega sales.  I can't even begin to tell you how bad I am when I see something on sale, terrible.

Anyhow, long story short.  I found that if I unplug every once in a while and just sit back and watch, I'll be reminded of just how lucky I am and in turn, I need and want less.

It made me wonder what was the point of buying so much?!

The answer....I didn't have one.

I've gained a new perspective of what my priorities should be and though it may be very obvious to others, it wasn't so much to me.

I've gotten more done around the house in one week than I have in 6 months.  I no longer have that nagging feeling of all I have to do and I'm much more relaxed.  And all of this by just staying home.  It's been a huge eye opener in SUCH an amazing way.

I'm still focusing on decorating our house, that is still a goal for this year.  And heck, I'm still shopping, I'm just not using it as a time filler or something to do.  That's when it gets dangerous.

Deep thoughts, I know...but just wanted to fill you in on where I'm at.

With that, a few things I wanted to share:

Anna's fantastic DIY Gemstone bracelet

Meg's brand spankin new fashion line

Rhi's lessons from a social media free weekend

Meredith's vision for 2013

This outfit

Paloma's blog continues to be on fire!

Cheers,
  

Pillow Machine

No, I didn't buy one...I think I may have turned into one! Seriously, oh goodness.

Okay, here's the deal.  In an effort to stop spending money, I'm staying home.  I don't know how, but I can go to the grocery store with five things on my list and leave with a cart full of miscellaneous items. Happens, every time.  It's so darn easy to justify buying "stuff".  So I'm determined to only go to the stores when we need something vs going to look around or to see what's new.  I just really want to spend more wisely from now on and I'm determined to make this happen.

So, to keep me from twiddling my thumbs when little J isn't too interested in hanging out with me, I've been taking care of household chores and organizing around here, but that can get kinda boring.  This is probably why I finally finished the roman shade, twas something to do other than twiddling thy thumbs.  To be honest, I'm quite glad I finally got around to completing it because I truly forgot just how much I love to sew.

Well, I was left with some leftover fabric from roman shade, a fair amount...enough to make some pillows I thought, so I did just that.  Made pillows.  Two.  First time I've done this, it was fun.

one of two

So then I thought to myself "self, you have four more pillows that you aren't using and lots of fabric leftover from the shop, perhaps you could make new slipcovers for them too".  Self was right.  So I made four more.

one of the four

two of the four

Oh.my.goodness.  

Seriously. Send help......nothing is safe.  The last pillow I made (which is now on our bed), I used an old sweater that I no longer wear.  Just cut it up and voila!  What's next?!  I don't know.

I need to go shopping ;)

Cheers,