Blogger challenge #14, 7.31.14

...What is in my handbag? First of all, does anybody out there call their purse a handbag? Not me. Maybe if my purse was really large, I would call it a tote bag. Maybe a bag. But not a handbag. Or a satchel.  Hmmm...Anywho, I guess I'm stalling a bit because I don't want to admit how messy my "handbag" is at the moment. I've downsized the size of my 'purse' considerably over the last year to one that pretty much holds my wallet, keys, phone and a tube of lipstick. And that's it. I keep a tote bag in my car to hold other things I might need, but don't need every day. So, for me, that's good. The problem is, at the moment, my small  purse also has tons of receipts, two  tubes of lotion, an extra tube of lipstick, a tin of Altoids,  a pack of tic tacs and an assortment of tea bags. I know! It's time for a clean out. But, good timing, because school is about to start and that always puts me in a "clean out and organize" mood.

So, talk about baring my soul here- I'm leaving you with some pictures of my purse- inside and out. Like I've said on this space before, maybe writing about my struggles will help someone else out there deal with their own struggles. Even if it's "messy purse struggles"! Hopefully, looking at my messy purse will make you feel better about your own :) So, here ya go:

My wallet. SUPER embarrassing to show. But, I'm not gonna lie,  kind of a motivator to clean it out :)

And the inside of my purse, sans wallet, above. Not so bad (without the wallet). And, the good part is, in the pocket to the left on this photo, there is a little wad of cash. All ones! haha! But still, very rarely will you find cash in my purse.

Once everything is shoved in there and it's all zipped up, it looks pretty good :)

Now, I'm off to do some purse cleaning!     Have a great night!  Ju

Blogger challenge #13, 7.29.14

...my favorite quote. Well, I have several that have been very significant to me over the years, for one reason or another. Each one of them has helped me feel better, overcome grief, become inspired or helped clarify a belief.  Sometimes, reading the thoughts or words of someone else is just what you need and all of a sudden you are saying to yourself, "Yeah!! That's what I've been wanting to say!", or "Yeah! That's what I've been waiting for someone else to say!". The perfect quote at the perfect time is pretty powerful. Here are some of my favorites:

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."~Dr. Seuss

 
"When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his work may be...he becomes an inventive, daring, searching, self-expressive creature." Robert Henri

 
"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path."
-- Agatha Christie

"There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it hardly becomes any of us
To talk about the rest of us."
~Edward Wallis Hoch  


Wounds of the spirit... are most gently soothed and made whole by the passing years. Under the old scars flows again the calm, healthful tide of life.... Under a great loss the heart impetuously cries that it can never be happy again, and perhaps in its desperation says that it wishes never to be comforted. But though angels do not fly down to open the grave and restore the lost, the days and months come as angels with healing in their wings. Under their touch aching regret passes into tender memory; into hands that were empty new joys are softly pressed; and the heart that was like the trees stripped of its leaves and beaten by winter's tempests is clothed again with the green of spring. ~George S. Merriam

"You cannot plough a field by
turning it over in your mind."
Author Unknown

 There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying things which are beyond the power of our will.
Epictetus

" I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong."
John Lennon

 

 

Blogger challenge #12, 7.28.14

...If I won the lottery. Hmmm.... I used to think of this quite a bit, as Ruben J., Chelsi and I would drive to Illinois every Saturday, back in the 80's, to get our lottery tickets. It was kind of fun, as it was the new thing back then and I think people honestly thought they had a good chance of winning. Kind of funny thinking back on it.

But, the reality is, I don't think winning a lottery (where you would win a large amount of money-like millions) would be good for me. Now, don't get me wrong, if I won, I wouldn't give it back or anything! My kids would be benefiting from that, for sure. But, honestly, I think the challenge of juggling my bills every month is a motivator for me. A motivator to shop more frugally, to be more creative while decorating and fixing up my home, to really be aware of what I need vs. what I want, etc. At this point in my life, the only thing that I really want, other than what I already have, is to have enough extra money to take all of my kids and their kids on a nice trip every year or maybe every other year. That is really all I want. I could live in a shoebox (well, maybe 'shoebox' is a bit of an exaggeration, but a 'tiny' house is part of my future plan) all year long if I knew I could afford to do that. I'm fine with shopping for my clothes at Target (on sale) or the resale shop. I'm fine with having old, hand-me-down furniture (which really is all we have).

As the saying goes, "necessity is the mother of invention". And I think that's a good thing :)

I'll leave you today with  photos of one of my recent resale shop purchases, which I'm pretty proud of :

 Not a great picture (I apologize), but this is the most comfortable rocking chair I think I have ever had. It sits really low to the floor and it is made with solid oak and  dovetail joints. (It does have really ugly fabric on the cushions, though, thus the throw cover over it.) But, the best part- it was only $6.00!! $6.00!! I know! And, after I bought it, I still had a $93.00 credit at the shop since I've been taking all of my excess junk there all summer. I love it!

I don't need no stinkin' lottery! Ha!     Have a great day :)  Juli

Blogger challenge #11, 7. 24.14

...my proudest moment. Like most parents, my proudest moments revolve around my kids. And there are many of those moments- graduations, weddings, awards, jobs, etc. But I'm going to lump many proud moments of all three of them into one-  the way they have stood by each other, lifted each other up, been there for each other, helped each other and spoken up for each other since the death of their dad. They had no time to prepare for this, as they lost him suddenly, tragically and senselessly. But, from the very first night you could see that it was a priority for all three of them to do anything they needed to do to help the other two get through this time. And I like to think that this is the reason that they have all made it through almost three years of  grief, holding their heads high, keeping their dad's memory alive and living life like they know their dad would have wanted them to- having fun, loving life and celebrating every single day.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”

― Hunter S. Thompson

So, even though it's really a moment of being proud of someone else, I am proud of myself, and their dad, for raising three strong, resilient, caring people. We definitely weren't perfect parents, but we must have done something right. And I think it was the fact that we both loved them more than life itself- loved being around them, loved talking to them, loved listening to them, loved having fun with them- and we were fiercely protective of their well-being. And they knew it. I think that was the key. They knew it.

I know most mothers will say this, but I am completely in awe of all three of them.

Have another great day!  Juli

Blogger challenge #10, 7.23.14

My first celebrity crush was Bobby Sherman.


                                                    


He was a singer/songwriter, sometimes actor, back in the 70's. I'm sure I was drawn to him because the first song I heard was titled "Julie, Do Ya Love Me?" and I thought he wrote it just for me. haha! But my favorite song was one called "Cried Like a Baby". I LOVED that song! A really great memory for me was when my mom took us shopping at the P.N. Hirsch store in Wentzville and secretly bought the 45 of Cried Like a Baby for me. As I've mentioned here before, we didn't have much money, so we didn't get to ask for frivolous things when we went shopping. We were just there to go along and "look" or to get necessities. So, you can imagine how surprised and happy I was when she gave it to me once we got home.  I listened to that record over and over again. Great memory :)

So, if you're interested in who Bobby Sherman is (and I'm sure you are!), here's a link.

And if you want to hear the songs I mentioned above (and I'm sure you do!) here ya go:

Julie, Do Ya Love Me?

Cried Like a Baby


Have a great day!  Juli

Blogger challenge #9, 7.20.14

Before I get into #9 of the blogger challenge, I thought I'd share the list that I've been working from:

*via Pinterest:

Found on tarynbrookeblog.com 

So, #9- Piercings and tattoos. Kind of a weird topic for a 48 year old grandma, but I do have some stories! First- piercings. The first time I had my ears pierced, I was 12 years old. My mom and dad said I couldn't have my ears pierced until I was 16, so I had my friend pierce my ears in her basement bedroom with a needle, a potato, some ice cubes and string. I know. Believe me, I'm embarrassed just thinking about it now. But, I was defiant! Very! (Sorry, mom and dad!) And, man, did that ever hurt! I ended up being so scared that my mom and dad would find out, that I pulled the string out of my ears a couple of days later. Oh, my. I still have the scars on my earlobes!

Today, the only piercings I have are double pierced ears. My parents did cave in and let me get my ears pierced the right way when I was 14, so I should have just held out, I guess! Since then,  I've had various piercings (cartilage piercings at the top of my ears and my nose). I ultimately took those out for various reasons- the cartilage piercing just hurt too much; the nose piercing, I decided, just wasn't for me. (Although I do love nose piercings. Just not on me. )

Now, onto tattoos. I've never had a tattoo, but I think they are fine. My favorite tattoos are the meaningful ones.  And, of course, the ones done by experienced, talented tattoo artists. (There are some really bad tattoos out there!) If I ever do get a tattoo, it will be of my kids names tattooed around my wrist like a bracelet. A family friend has one like that and she said it was one of the best things she's ever done. She loves it. And I love it. So, I'm thinking it might be a 50th birthday present to myself next year :)

Here are three of my favorite tattoos, for obvious reasons :)

Little Man's...

Sister's...

and Eddie's tattoos in memory of their dad. 

Hope you had a great weekend. I'll be catching up on the blogger challenge this week and doing some making. I'm ready!    Thanks for reading :)  Juli

Blogger challenge #8, 7.12.14

Blogger Challenge #8- an old picture of myself. "Old" is not defined, so here are a few, in no particular order :)

Have a great Saturday! Juli

Blogger challenge question #7, 7.10.14

Question #7- my 10 favorite foods. Well, this will be interesting since I've completely overhauled my diet over the past year due to crappy digestive issues. I really blame some of it on getting old and becoming more sensitive to certain foods and some of on good old anxiety, but, either way,  I'm ALWAYS aware of what I eat or drink. It's kind of exhausting. And although the changes haven't "cured" me, they have made me feel a LOT better, overall. So I'll tell you some of the before and after changes that I've made. I've included drinks in my list, too (because it's hard to think of ten favorite foods!)

1. Then- Pizza. Now- gluten free, dairy free pizza with roasted vegetables. Daiya fire roasted vegetable pizza is a good one.
2. Then- Ice Cream. Now- dairy free coconut milk ice cream. So Delicious Dairy Free is really good.
3. Then- homemade chocolate chip cookies. Now- nothing can replace homemade chocolate chip cookies, so I just don't eat them. Such a bummer.
4. Then- Pasta. Now- rice noodles from the asian food section. A Taste of Thai tastes just like regular pasta.
5. Then- Kettle cooked potato chips. Now- Kettle cooked potato chips. Yep. I can still eat potato chips and I eat a LOT of them! But sometimes I try to be better and eat sweet potato chips or popcorn.
6. Then- Birthday/wedding/shower cake. Now- again, nothing can replace these, so I eat them sometimes and prepare to pay the price!
7. Then- Flourless chocolate torte. Now- Flourless chocolate torte. I can have this if it doesn't have dairy in it. Yay! Love the one at McGurk's.
8. Then- coffee. Now- green tea in the morning and herb or decaffeinated tea for the rest of the day. Tazo teas are all really good and affordable. (Good tea can be expensive!)
9. Then- soda. Now- water or tea.
10. Then- wine, everyday. Now- wine, only on Fridays and Saturdays. I LOVE my wine, and it really doesn't bother me, but I know it's not a good thing for women (well, I guess, anybody) to drink alcohol every day. I have to admit, I just started this a few days ago, but ... so far, so good :) And, of course, my recommendation would be Blumenhof wines!

So, there it is. My boring favorite foods! No, really, it's not so bad. The no gluten part of it really eliminates almost all junk food, which is a good thing. And I really do feel better. So, hopefully that helps someone else out there who may be trying to eat healthier. I've done a LOT of experimenting, believe me.

Now, onto some art: layer #2 of my vineyard painting. Not abstract, but I did try to keep it loose and limit my brushstrokes. I'm trying to decide if it's finished or not. When it is, it will be listed in my Etsy shop :)

Have a great day!  Juli

Blogger challenge question #6, 7.8.14

Three personality traits that I am most proud of. Hmmm...this is hard. Now, if it was three personality traits I'm least proud of- that would be easy. I'm usually pretty critical of myself, so I really had to dig down to decide on the answer here. But, here goes:

1. I'm honest. Read more about that in my blog post from 2013, which can be found here.

2. I'm a devoted mom.  My kids are the reason I was put on this earth. I would do anything, be anything, go anywhere, etc. for them. They are the light of my life.
One of my all-time favorite quotes:
"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path."
-- Agatha Christie

3. I'm easy. (No! Not in that way!) In the way that it doesn't take much to make me happy. I've never wanted a big house, fancy furniture or expensive clothes. Maybe it's because I've never had these things. But I like to think it's because my parents taught us, by example, how easy it was to be happy without "excess". 
I love this video. I know I've shared it here before (probably more than once), but it inspired me so much that I think about it almost every day. Maia's recipe for a long life- simplicity, work and enjoyment.  If the end of my life could be this simple and serene- I would consider myself a very rich person.  

So, there ya go! Have a great evening- Juli

Sunday Scenes and blog challenge question #5, 7.6.14

I have to admit that my Sunday Scenes are really just weekend scenes, as my Sunday really hasn't been that eventful or inspiring. But my weekend was! So here ya go:

I finally had the time and inspiration to spiff up my teeny tiny patio. It's still not great, but I really don't have much to work with. We're still waiting on the bushes to be planted which will give us some privacy, at least. But I think I'll have to give my firstborn child to the homeowner's association to actually get it done. Don't worry, Sister! The bushes aren't that important- you're staying with us!!

Eddie, Falicia, Baby G. and M.

My mom and dad

Peanut :)

We had my family over to watch fireworks on the 4th. Baby G. is shown above. I didn't get a picture of Sister and S. :(  Darn it! And Little Man was too much of a big-shot to hang out with us since he was invited to Chicago for the weekend! (Thanks so much to his roommate's family- they are very generous!)

We have a perfect view of the fireworks display from our patio :)

And I started a new painting- not my typical subject, but, again, I'm having fun with it. I took the photo (which you might recognize from an earlier post) of my husband's vineyard in Dutzow, MO., sometime this past spring..

And, last night, the weather was beautiful, so we listened to some great music at our current "go-to" for good food and wine called Unkorked in Wentzville, MO. This is M.'s "I'm having a great time" face! No, really, we did have a nice time and he gave his reluctant permission for me post this photo :)

No 'scenes' from today, as it just consisted of repainting the kitchen and laundry room at our old house. You can't even imagine how sick I am of painting!!  But, now just the basement is left and then it will be a long time before anyone sees a can of paint and paint roller in my hands!

I'll leave you today with the answer to blog challenge question #5-'What is my guilty pleasure?'

Well, hold onto to your hats, it's a shocker- the answer is:  watching endless rerun episodes of The Waltons. Yep, that's how much of a nerd I am! I have 3 seasons on DVD, and lately, on the Hallmark channel, there is an afternoon marathon of The Waltons , EVERY DAY! Oh, my! I love it!

Here they are, The Waltons, in all of their glory! My faves- John Boy (the cute, tall one in front) and Daddy (or John Sr.) in the back, on the right. Grandpa was pretty cool, too, though (the old guy in the far back) :)

Have a great week!  Juli

Blog Challenge Day 4, 7.4.14

My earliest childhood memories, not surprisingly, include my mom. My earliest memory is very faint and kind of inconsequential- I am guessing that I was about three years old and  I am standing up in the back seat of our car (no car seats back then!), leaning over the front seat as my mom pulls the car into our neighborhood from Hwy. 40. Again, very faint memory, but I still think of it sometimes as I drive by that old neighborhood.

My stronger first memories:

- my mom and me standing at the front door watching my brother and sister get on the school bus and standing in the same place later in the day, waiting for them to get off of the bus.

- standing under my mom's housecoat while she cooked breakfast (weird, I know!)

- sitting on my mom and dad's bed as she taught me how to write my name.

I'm sure many first memories include one's mom, but I know many people didn't, or don't, have that privilege. I feel very luck to have a mom who was, and still is, always there for her kids. She has always provided our family with a feeling of stability, steadiness and strength. Thank (again!), Mom!

Can't you just sense the stability here?! haha! So serious.

Me, around the age of my first memory. We never had much money, but my mom made every holiday and birthday really special. (I guess my mom is the one who started my life long (minus a few years) pixie cut!)

And my mom, at around the same age- three-ish. It's crazy how much we didn't look alike then, but really resemble each other now.

And now, an update on abstract painting #2, which is finished and will be listed in my Etsy shop when the paint is dry.

Have a great July 4th!! Juli

31 day blog challenge, 7.3.14

In order to get out of an "I don't know what to blog about" funk, I decided to participate in a 31 day blog challenge that I discovered on Pinterest. For 31 days, I blog. About myself. I know, it seems very narcissistic, doesn't it?! But, if this blog has been nothing else, it has been therapeutic to me, so I'm going to go for it. What I am hoping, though, is that it will also be therapeutic to someone else, by inspiring them (or you!) to think about what their (or your) answers to the blog topic would be each day. I think there is something very rewarding about looking back and thinking about seemingly random events and discovering that each of those events made you who you are and affect the choices you make every day.

Love this!

So, here it goes!

In order to wrap this up by the end of July, I am going to cover the first three topics today: Introduction (above), 20 facts about me and what my business name means.

20 (pretty random) facts about me:

1.        I married my first husband at age 17 (and was married for 20 years).

2.        I have 3 kids- 1 girl ,2 boys

3.        I have 2 grandsons.

4.        My second marriage is now 9 years, 7 months, 29 days long and counting.  :)

5.        I kept my first married name so it would be the same as my kids’.

6.        I am a homebody, but dream of traveling someday.

7.        My parents have been married for 55 years.

8.        I am the youngest of three kids- I have an older brother and sister.

9.        I am hopelessly restless when it comes to houses-I like to move. If I can’t move- I continually rearrange furniture (usually instead of cleaning!)

10.     I have a near panic attack just at the thought of paying my bills (even if I know I have enough money).

11.     I am an art teacher.

12.     I am obsessed with trying to live more simply.

13.     I am (too!) obsessed with trying to be healthy.

14.     I am continually inspired by my students and my kids.

15.     I really think I was born to be a mother.

16.     My favorite movie is Lost in Translation (with Unbearable Lightness of Being coming in second).

17.     I am a decent cook, but don’t really enjoy the process.

18.     I love my car (if one can love a car!)- a 5 year old, black Honda CRV.

19.     I  paint, sew and stitch.

20.     I enjoy blogging much more than I thought I would.

Meaning of my business name:

        My business name comes from my love of home and family and my desire to make things specifically for them. Olive is my Shi-Poo- my constant home companion. And Ash(er) is my grandson (and at the time of opening my Etsy shop and starting this blog, was our newest family member). I am currently trying to come up with a logo that incorporates a tree, a child and a dog :)

Tomorrow's topic will be my earliest childhood memory and also an update on abstract painting #2.

Have a great evening! Juli