An Indestructible Bond

Posted: February 13, 2012 | Author: In The Heart of Happy | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

There’s a place for us
A time and place for us
Hold my hand
And we’re halfway there
Hold my hand
And I’ll take you there
Somehow
Someday
Somewhere

~~~

 

I just made, as in right this very second, an earth shattering realization, so please just bare with me as I work my way through it by writing.

I know all you non-commenting stalkers will love this one, because it will probably the most raw I have been on this blog in quite some time.  Exposing the inner workings of Home Girl’s brain is rare nowadays, huh??

A bridge is being rebuilt in my life.

It’s been super scary on both our parts, but we recognize the need for “slow and steady” footwork in rebuilding this relationship.

It’s real low key…not forced, and it works for us.  It’s going well.

I was sitting at the computer tonight working on some cookie stuff for a fun Mardi Gras order I will be working on and something very peaceful hit me.

We had never lost the incredible bond we shared.  We had just lost each other for a bit and with time, we can have an even better friendship.  She’s cool.  I may be partial, but I really, really like her.  We’re a lot alike and we’re a lot different.

One thing is for sure…I love having her in my life.

“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”

Robert Munsch

This is Home Girl and if I had still been a Hot Mess, this would not have been possible…

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She Bakes

Posted: January 31, 2012 | Author: In The Heart of Happy | Filed under: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

That’s right.  She bakes…and she really loves it.

After much consternation, Home Girl finally came up with a name for her little baking biz.  I had to find something that encompassed the totality of who I am.  We all know that I work in so many different genres of the artistic world that I really couldn’t lock myself into one thing.

During the lengthy discussion of what direction I should take next, one of my besties said it best, “You’re not just a boxed mix (Betty Crocker), you are the whole corporation (Martha Stewart).”

I kinda liked that, too.

So before anyone else goes out and steals my idea, I want to document it here so it can be used in court if necessary.  Don’t go stealing my name because then I’d have to get all gangsta on you and that wouldn’t be pretty.

Fo’ sure.

She Bakes (which you can “like” on Facebook) is a division of the future Home Girl, Inc….where Home Girl also has She Sews, She Photographs, She Crafts, She Writes, She Educates, She Cooks, and whatever else She Chooses To Do.

~

I had mentioned on that social media network, otherwise known as the usual way I communicate with the rest of the world, that I needed used cookie cutters to really get this cookie thing going in the right direction.  I figured there had to be at least one person who wasn’t using their cookie cutters and would be willing to send them my way.  Boy, was I ever floored when responses were coming in from all over the country.  These stick girl’s of mine went above and beyond in their generosity and love.

I will never forget it either…because last week when I posted that I felt stagnant, I was completely honest.  I didn’t know if the creation of a cottage industry cookie business was possible.  I was unsure if this was indeed the path my life force wanted me to take.  Not only have I received an over abundance of cookie cutters, I was gifted with affirmations of faith and love.  Sometimes, that’s all it takes to fully give birth to an idea.

I can not convey how much I thank these wonderful women for helping me….I really can’t.  I just want you all to know that She Bakes doesn’t just belong to me.  It belongs to all of us.

I am not going to post all the cutters, because I want to leave some surprises for you.  I have a packed schedule for the next two weeks, but I am sure you will be seeing the fruits of their kindness.  Sometimes, it is a small or great gesture that can change someone’s life.

~

This is Home Girl and I just want to say I have the best Blisters in the world…I promise to make you proud.

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Out of Sync

Posted: January 24, 2012 | Author: In The Heart of Happy | Filed under: Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

That is how I feel today.  I have been feeling this way for some time and I just can’t seem to put my finger on what is exactly bothering me.

I just feel so….blah.

It can’t be weather related because we have had the mildest winter that I can ever remember.  I mean, even today I sat outside in the warmth of a full sun….in short sleeves.  I am hoping that the added sun exposure revitalizes my brain.

It’s a nagging feeling.

Unsettled. I don’t like it either.  It’s uncomfortable for me.  I like to feel secure and safe.  I like to know what tomorrow’s agenda is today.  I need to plan.  I need things in my life to have an order and a meaning.

Right now…they just don’t.

It’s weird.  I mean the people in my life are all awesome.  There are no real issues with anyone.

I just feel so….stagnant.

Aha…there it is.  Stagnant, like the watery muck that allows blooding sucking bugs to breed.  Gross.  So, in just sitting down to write a post, I have answered my own question.

I feel stagnant.  Now, how do we address this issue?

Help, please?

~

I know I can’t leave without posting a photo of the cutest cookies I have ever made.

 

This is Home Girl….and my planets need to get in alignment or something.

Seriously.

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This and That, On It’s Correct Day!

Posted: January 19, 2012 | Author: In The Heart of Happy | Filed under: Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Happy New Year Everyone….because I completely did not tell you that before now.

I did not make resolutions this year.  I am getting too old for that kinda stuff.  Old Dogs and all.

~

I do miss this place when I’m not here.  I really do.  I was talking with a friend earlier and we promised to help encourage each other to write more because it is so therapeutic…I just hate writing when I feel bitchy and I certainly hate reading other bitchy posts…unless they’re rightful and good.

Fortunately, I am not in a bitchy mood today.

~

I have been pretty busy studying and learning and practicing…and practicing….and practicing.

I have been playing with sugar and I really like it.

~

Remember the sugar cookies that I posted about in December?  The ones that I did without the proper or necessary supplies???  Oh, you didn’t notice that I piped those without piping bags??  Well, I did and now I have the necessary tools and it’s going quite well.

So well, in fact that I am actually getting cookie orders and find myself with a very small cookie business.

I stress the words VERY SMALL.

I need to be very small right now until I get a full grasp on this stuff.  It’s not easy and is very time consuming, but I adore it.  I really do.

I have been trying to add to my cookie cutter collection while dealing with very limited funds because sugar artistry is not that cheap, but my patience is proving profitable and my life force is answering the question of whether I should do this or not.

I am completely immersed in this project and it makes me happy.

Right now, I make cookies for those Russian boys and for friends. I have received a few orders, too.  I am also practicing shipping and packaging.  It’s going well.

Now, I just need to come up with a cool business name and get some marketing going on….

Of course, being me…..I question my capabilities.  I get my head all twisted and then I doubt myself.  I do not beg for compliments…I really don’t because I honestly can not stand that when someone “needs” reinforcement whether their work is good or not…

It’s a constant battle I have with myself.

Just like the one I am having about going out to dinner tonight with the family.  Social interaction is just such a trying thing for me.  It taxes me completely, but I will get through it.  I will go and I will have a lovely time because I honestly adore the people that will be attending.  I love them.  I know they love me.  I know they understand me.

It’s gonna be okay…we’re going out for Chinese food.  I like me some Chinese food.

I just went WAY off track in this post with the Chinese food.

I do apologize.

Wait, no I don’t.  It’s my blog and I can do what I want, besides it’s This and That and I can be as random as I want because My Mama said I can.

So there.

~

There’s lots of awesome stuff happening in my life right now.

The forces are with me, it seems.

That makes me happy.  You know, Home Girl is really about that happiness stuff.

I seem to be finding mine in the small things….and the bigger things.

I’m down with that.

~

This is Home Girl and I am excited about new adventures.

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The Countdown Begins…

Posted: December 23, 2011 | Author: In The Heart of Happy | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

and I am in no way ready for the holidays to be right up on top of us.  I must get to work to correct this, so please excuse the total lack of words here today.  I will just leave you with some images I hope you will love.

This is Home Girl and someone really needs to kick my butt into high gear sometime in July to get ready for Christmas…seriously.

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This and That Thursday (Christmas Edition)

Posted: December 22, 2011 | Author: In The Heart of Happy | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

It is Thursday and not Friday, right?

I really need it to be Thursday, so that’s what I’m going with.  Okay?  Thanks, I do appreciate it.

~

So, how are we all doing?

Why is it I always start to feel the actual stress of the holidays just a few days before they are here?  For the life of me, this makes no sense and I am trying to pull back and relax when I need to, but it’s still hard.  There is so much that I have yet to finish.

I work best under pressure, but with that comes the ugly head of my social anxiety and then the extroverts make my life a living hell because they’re stressed out and sensing my solitude to mean that I am okay with all this holiday stuff, when there are moments when I am clearly not.

Does that make sense?

Who cares, it makes sense to me and that is the sole purpose of This and That Thursday.  I get to mentally dump any crap I want to on these pages and therefore the chances of it escaping my lips during a moment of exacerbation is exceedingly lowered.

Trust me…that’s a good thing.

I am grateful for the little things to keep me centered during high stress times.  Walks around Olde Towne provide so much peace and joy for me.  Curling up in my blankie and watching a movie either alone or with family, cooking a winter meal, and the solitude of sewing or painting.

I love hot chocolate on cold mornings, cookies and cold milk right before bed, a long hot shower with girly soaps, home-made sugar scrub, and silky lotions…

cashmere socks…

Chocolate chips, right out of the bag.

The new Christmas tree that is almost finished being decorated.

Damn, I still have to finish that.  (I was multi-tasking by making a list while I write this post.)

I am so ADHD.

I still have baking that I need to finish…it wouldn’t have been so bad, but the cookies and candy keep on disappearing.  I am going to have to package everything from here on out and wrap it so the men in this house will stop eating everything.

I’m guilty to a certain extent I will admit, but I baked it..therefore I can.

I have at least 5 things I need to finish sewing…those will get finished tonight and tomorrow.  I can have a late session on Saturday, too.

There are painting projects that need to be finished…I need to work on two more.

and then there’s the renovations I have been gladly helping a friend with.  I want to get over there one day before the holidays to help out.

We’re hand sanding the wood flooring to it’s natural state.

Yes, I said…hand…sanding.

100 year old wood…and it’s going to be gorgeous.

Would it surprise you to know that I love being in and around craftsman shops?  I love it…like a frog loves a lily pad.  I grew up around my maternal grandfather’s wood shop.  He was a master craftsman and I called him Poppa…or Pop for short.  He was a really neat guy and I often wish he would have stayed around a lot longer than he did.

Poppa died in 1976.  He was born in 1900.  He died of a massive series of strokes.  He was a heck of a guy though.  He taught me to appreciate the beauty of wood.  He let me make little things.  I would stay in that shop for hours.

It kept me calm.

So, whenever I get the chance to go see our friend and his work shop, I definitely go.

I forgot to add, there is a house cleaning list that must be accomplished today.

With that comes much harassment of my “helpers” because they are quite spoiled and haven’t learned yet, that it’s the woman’s way or not at all.

I will be enforcing this lesson today.

I love cleaning.  I really do…I just do not enjoy cleaning around people.

I will have none of that today.

This would be enough to drive any one of us to drink copious amounts of wine, I’m sure.

I am not going to let the stress deter me though.

Nope, it’s not gonna happen.  I will take a time out when I need it and forge through the insanity the holidays can cause.

I love the magic of this season and the surprises it brings.

It’s like taking a whole year and wrapping it up in a bow.

It’s the special little things…the love God breaths into our hearts.

~

This is Home Girl and I bid you no stress.

 

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I Spent Yesterday Thinking It Was Wednesday

Posted: December 16, 2011 | Author: In The Heart of Happy | Filed under: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

 

I now know it’s Friday, but I spent the whole day yesterday thinking it was Wednesday and I was excited about writing my This and That post for Thursday, but then…

I burned the crapdoodle out of my left hand while taking PW’s Chicken Spaghetti out of the oven and ended up making a small trip to get medical aid.

I went to bed still thinking it was Wednesday and then I woke up this morning and found out I was wrong.

Today has been boring because:

I didn’t sew.

I can’t really bake or cook anything without pain.

I can’t paint, not artistically anyway.

and then I started to get “moody” because of the lack of creative outlets.

I am very grateful that my hand was not burned worse than it was and it was a stupid mistake to pick up a fire hot casserole dish by the handle….I just wasn’t thinking.  Maybe I was thinking too much.  There is so much creativity going on in my brain right now.  There are lists of lists in there, too.  I get this way each year and I should just know better.

But it happened and although it’s not as bad today as they thought it was going to be, it has still set me back a few days on a already harried Christmas gift completion list.

That list should not be confused with the baking list, or the shopping list, or the Holiday dinner list, or any of the other lists that have been compiled.

I like lists.

I am a list maker extraordinaire.

I have a book just for lists and I keep them for years.  I know that’s weird, but I embrace my weirdness.  Don’t you?

Being a list lover makes me a great Pinner on Pinterest and yes, I have lists of things I need to research for my Pinterest boards because I have found that I use my boards…a lot.

See these projects we are working on??

We found the idea on…Pinterest.

and we made some lists and went to Home Depot and Michaels Arts and Crafts.

I am not a Michaels fan.  I wish we had a Hobby Lobby locally.  They are like the Sam’s Club of craft stores.

Today would have been a great day to work on all the projects we have on our lists, but no….

I am on the injured list and therefore sitting on the bench during the biggest crafting Bowl game of the year…

and that’s not fair, at all.

because I know that my BBFF is over at his house with all the paint and wood and he’s having the best time painting away…

well, maybe not the best time because I am not there with him, but still he can…and I can’t.

So, looking at this art piece that I made reminds me of a simple rule.

Always know what day it is….

that way when you “Carpe the F out this Diem”, it will be the day it’s suppose to be…

not the day that you just seized in your head.

~

This is Home Girl and I feel like stuff like this only happens to me.

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