I know they can't read yet...

..but for some reason, just wearing this makes me feel better....

So....Yesterday Sucked

But today has been better. :)

One of my 3-year olds actually helped me get over myself...

Baylinn has refused to jump in to the pool by herself this year. Something has been holding her back. Fear? Uncertainty? I'm not really sure. But suddenly yesterday she took that first step all by herself.

After she hit the water she yelled, "MOMMY I DID IT!" I was so proud of her for getting over her fear, for not giving up. Of course that's when it occurred to me that I was thinking of giving up. That I wanted to quit because I was afraid. That I was afraid of taking that big step into the unknown.

I want my girls to see me try my hardest at something...even if there is the very real possibility that I might fail.

I Don't Like This

I feel vulnerable today.

I hate this feeling.

It makes me feel....kind of itchy all over. Like I want to crawl out of my skin. Or under the bed.

I'm suddenly tempted to delete my facebook page, stop tweeting, close my store.

I have no explanation for why I woke up feeling like this. Maybe I'm just overwhelmed. Maybe being mom, wife, and domestic engineer is enough on my plate. Maybe adding "creative business owner" to my list of titles was not the best decision for me at the moment.

Walmart Clearance-Cricut Carts

If you've got a Cricut, check your Walmart aisle. They seem to be phasing out the old Cricut carts and just carrying the new Cricut Lite cartridges. I found a number of cartridges in the clearance aisle at my (non-Super) Walmart. I picked up Wild Card for $23 for my friend Angie - a total steal for a still-kinda-new cartridge.

Good Luck!

Creating vs Working

I worked hard this weekend.

If you consider making jewelry out of paper "work". I actually think that's the fun part. The un-fun (is that a word?) part is getting the right pictures taken, the best description written, and finding the time to post it on etsy.

But I've committed myself to this new venture, so the laundry is going to have to wait, elmo is going to have to babysit and dinner is going to have to plan itself. For just a couple hours today.

For now.

Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peak at what I've been working on.

The charm you see there in the picture above is made out of paper. I have been working on this idea for months and months...playing around with different styles, sizes, sealants, etc...I have SO many ideas that it's hard to keep up with myself.

I posted this one on my etsy store just to get myself going. Although etsy is really user friendly, it can take awhile to put in all the pics, the description, the pricing, the shipping. It should be much easier and take much less time for me going forward. I hope to have many more things in the shop by early next week. Just cross your fingers for me!

Grab Your Ice Skates

Hell has officially frozen over.

I'm on Facebook.

I pretended FB didn't even exist for quite a long time. When I was asked - repeatedly - why I was not on FB, I calmly responded "Facebook is evil."

Why did I change my mind? I didn't really. I still think that FB sucks huge amounts of time that could be best spent elsewhere doing something productive. I have read the stories about the people who have lost jobs and gotten divorced over content published on Facebook. But the e-course on creative business I'm taking (the link is there on the sidebar) strongly suggests being a part of both Facebook and Twitter. So since I paid for that advice, I figured I'd better take it.

So there I am. I am on the FB bandwagon. Or maybe I fell off the wagon? I dunno. But I do know this...

I am NOT farming....

I'm a Domain!

You can now access this blog just by typing: http://www.twoatatimedesign.com. How exciting is that?!

Over the coming months, I hope to build an actual website. It's a little intimidating because I am just not technically inclined...but luckily hubby is so he has promised to help me when I need it. I'm not sure what's more important....to try to do it all myself so I can have that feeling of accomplishment...or leave it to the expert (that's hubby) so I can concentrate on actually having content for the website when it's complete!

The Crap Store

(In the car this morning:)

Me: Okay girls, we've got to go to the craft store real quick, then we'll get some lunch and then we gotta make a stop at the mall.

Breena: The crap store?

Me: The craFT store, sweetie.

Breena: (slight pause while she's thinking) You gettin' stuff to scraperate at the crap store?

Me: (sigh) Yes baby, stuff to scraperate.

I'm Not Avoiding You...

...my dear blog. I've just been busy....

First of all, I'm loving my e-class. Kelly Rae has managed to make it both informative and inspiring...not an easy task.

Along with my friend Angie, we have started our own scrapbook meetup group. I didn't realize how much time it would take to get it set up, organized and coordinated. If you've never been to meetup.com you should go and check it out. It's a great place to find like-minded people in your very own neighborhood.

Most importantly, I've been spending every spare minute working on my new papercraft line. No, I'm still not ready to share it yet. Soon. I think. (I hope.) I saw an ad today about a craft fair coming up at the end of June and I have been bouncing around the idea of getting a booth and putting my new stuff out there just to see what happens. I would have to work really really hard to get ready in just a couple weeks.

Hmmm....

It's About Time

I loved being a stay-at-home-mom when the girls were babies. They were good babies. GREAT babies, actually. But as they've gotten older....something seemed....off. Not with the girls really. Yes, they are at an...um "challenging" age:

The house is quiet. Wait a minute...it's too quiet. "Breena?!" I yell from the other room. "Nothing!" she yells back.

It was me that felt off. My temper quicker, my patience less and I found myself longing for preschool to start so I can get a break. But a break to do what? More cleaning, cooking and grocery shopping? Ugh. No. Thanks.

But I have this idea. I've had it for months. Have thought about it, worked on it, given up on it, come back to it, given up again....yet it's always there, whispering to me, demanding my attention. I've been pushing it down, putting it off...

At the end of last week, I came across this on my friend MC's blog. I knew when I read the description, I had to do it. I registered late so I spent the weekend catching up on Week 1. There is so much information it's almost overwhelming, but already I'm starting to believe that I might be able to finally see my idea become a reality.

Stay tuned...

Overdue

Yikes. I am overdue for a blog update.

We've had a lot of stuff going on for the last few weeks.

Our house was finally back to normal last Friday. All the wood floors and trim were complete, the 2 cabinets replaced, the laundry room tiled, the bathroom finished. Most importantly, our brand new A/C was in. My mother-in-law and Dave arrived Saturday, just in time for the girls' third birthday:

Because of the chaos leading up to their big 03, we kept the celebration simple. We went up the road to a farm where you can pick your own blueberries:
Then a stop at their favorite restaurant for lunch (That would be McDonald's) and then a nap before the evening festivities started. Cake and ice cream was enjoyed by all, presents were opened and everyone was exhausted by the day's end.

Grandma and Dave headed back to Pittsburgh on Wednesday and the girls and I are starting to get ourselves back on track.

I've been spending some time in my scrap room and I can feel the mojo slowing kicking back in. Provo Craft released (finally!) a fantastic update for the Gypsy last week which gives it many of the capabilities it was supposed to have when it was launched back in September. I am thrilled with this update and am excited to see what PC is up to next with the Cricut Circle.

I've got to go pack and plan for a big crop tonight. I've missed my scrappy friends and I'm so ready for a night out!