I feel like I gush about Paris all the time.  But actually, I really don’t think I do.  I think that I think about it all the time.  I miss it.  I’m not sure what, exactly, it is, but I just LOVE Paris.  I typically love any big cities, though, and the older the better.  I wanted to live in Europe when I graduated college.  In fact,  I had started looking into teaching over there on a military base.  That’s how much I love Europe.

When I went to Paris this summer, it was the first time being back in Europe since 2001.  Did I have an amazing time!  If I didn’t have kids or a husband, I could totally live there.  I didn’t really need to come back at all!  I loved the beauty.  I loved the simplicity.  I loved the metro.  Wait, what? Yes, I LOVED the metro!  I loved walking everywhere….the food…the drinks…the slightly bitchy attitude that I’m pretty sure I could (can) pull off to a T.

So in missing Paris, I look back at my pictures a lot.  And some of these pictures, the really good ones, start coming out of the wood work.  Disclaimer and slight diversion: I didn’t take any pictures with the intent of creating note cards with them.  I didn’t take time to set up the shot, make sure the lighting was just right, or any of that.  I just took the picture to capture the moment.  Upon looking back, I took some really good shots!  And I’m not saying this to pretend I’m some natural photographer.  I think I just got lucky.  I wasn’t in Paris with visions of an Etsy shop in the back of my mind.

This is just a long way of saying that I have new cards up in my Etsy shop!  I have 2 new cards to add to the Paris collection.  The Eiffel Tower shot was taken atop the Arc d’Triomphe on a rainy day.  A little cropping and the adding of the BW effect, I think it creates the Old World charm of Paris.  When I look at that picture, it’s not obvious to me that it was taken in 2011.  It could’ve been taken in 1950.  Or 1890 (if that’s even possible).  I absolutely love it.  The second picture is of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which stands proudly in the Louvre Musee.  I really liked this one.  A lot!  A little tweaking of the colors and I’m really happy with how she turned out!

Both are now available on my Etsy Shop.  Won’t you please take a peek?

Where’s a place you’d like to visit again? Or live?

I received an email from my awesome advocate, Kristina, and I thought it was worth passing on.  This was written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of Cleveland Ohio.  She says of this article,

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught

me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written.”

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and
parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry;
God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one
is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no
for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t
save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will
this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you
did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d
grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come…

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

How awesome are these?   I really need to keep these in mind: 2, 6, 13, 25, 31, and 41.  Which one/ones speak to you? 

On another note, I am adding new note cards to my Etsy this week!  And I have listed a bunch of my mom’s jewelry.  Please go take a peek and let me know what you think!!

My dear friend, Catherine, is a wonderful author, artist, poet, and candle maker!  She is absolutely one of the most creative people I know.  And one of the most kind, compassionate, and giving friends a girl could ask for.  Everyone needs a Catherine in their lives.  And everyone needs one of her Inspired Home Candles in their lives too.  They are divine.  Right now, you can get 3 of her yummy Cranberry soy candles in their standard size for a special price.  These candles make wonderful gifts for the holidays (right around the corner, really!!), friends birthdays, or new home gifts.  If it were up to me, of course, I’d give away 2 and keep one for myself.  Because you can’t not keep one.  Let’s be real.

If you want to learn more about Inspired Home and Catherine’s muses, take a peek at her blog.  I think it’s impossible to not be at peace when you read her entries.  She is a gifted writer to say the least.  Please do me a favor and check out Inspired Home for all things inspiring.

What’s inspiring you today?

Yeah, maybe when I was 21.  Or 30.  That was a good year.  I just don’t see myself tearing it up (is that how I say it, Traci?) this year.  Or last, or next for that matter!  That’s okay, though.  I was never the party animal.  And for birthdays I prefer nice dinners out, or a pedicure, or a little shopping.  Or, let’s face it, all of the above.  This year is quite a different year, though.  Man, I so wanted 2011 to be an easy year!  And to think of everything that’s on my plate right now is a little daunting!   But it’s turning out for the better, and -dare I say it- I am pretty sure I’ll be getting my biggest birthday wish.  Unfortunately I can’t tell you what my wish is…yet.  I am the worst at keeping my own secrets.  But I simply can’t tell you my birthday gift at this point.  And, no, it’s not a baby.  Bite your tongue.  That ship has sailed, my friends.

When I get to tell you my birthday wish, I will be shouting it from the rooftops!!  Until then, I am going to get myself a pedicure and perhaps get a new fall candle for myself.  Because that’s how I roll!

How do you pamper yourself on your birthday?

I’m a list maker.  I think I make lists because I’m a visual learner and I’m also a little anal retentive and organized.  When I’d study for tests I’d just end up rewriting the test material because that worked best for me.  And it was always nice and neat and tidy in an outline format.  Though I’m not in school (thank GOD!) I still make those lists because it just helps me organize my thoughts.  So my latest list?  Pros and cons of Emma’s latest medication, Respiradol.  If you recall, I mentioned her 22 pount weight gain in 3 months.  In addition to being non-mobile.  It was great fun.  The sad part was the medication was working beautifully.  But we can’t be gaining that much weight.  Even if she was a twig.  So immediately we switched her medication to Serquel, which is in the same family and has the same potential side effects.  She’s been on it about a week now.  I see some of the same effects as Risperadol.  She’s extremely engaged in conversations.  We see it, but people who might not see us often definitely notice a difference.  And the thing is, that engaging behavior could be stemming from a whole cocktail of things…new school, happiness at school, mobility, gymnastics, no stress or anxiety, etc., etc.  Anyway, we still see the engaging behavior.  And I think the appetite is subsiding.  But we’ve noticed some unusual tantrum-like outbursts.  That are actually quite huge.  Like this one. And they’re totally unprovoked.  We don’t know why they start.  It’s not like we’re pulling her hair or letting her starve.  There is simply no rhyme or reason to these tantrums.  So now we have school on the look out for any changes, good or bad.  I highly doubt she’ll be having these tantrums at school. And if that’s the case, then it’s something that we need to change on our end.  Perhaps adopt the “token system” that is working wonders with her at school?  Or the marble system or 1-2-3 Magic (more strongly enforced?).  So I guess in the end, time will tell.  I’m giving it another week.  I don’t want to jump ship prematurely.  We need to give this medication a real chance.  Conversely, I don’t want to be on a medication that’s not going to work any longer than we have to.  It’s a tough balancing act.  And it’s hard to know when is the right time to move on.  Or not.

However, I found this on Pinterest last night and I really want to try it.  Might be good for someone like Emma who just needs a little mental break once in awhile.  Hmmm, maybe I’ll make one for me, too!

Pinterest

Okay, that’s it. Thanks for letting me vent.

What discipline tools work in your house?

So I have some jewelry to show off.  Just a sneak peek.  But really, my mom has given me about 50 pieces of jewelry that she’s created and I asked her to slow down!  The time it’s taking to take and edit pictures, write and edit listings, etc., is more than I thought!  I’m having fun with it though…creativity is poring through me right now and it replaces most stress going on.  I think I’d be more productive if I wasn’t getting over a bout of food poisoning from last night though.  TMI?  Too late.  Anyway, I’m devoting all day Thursday and Friday to posting my mom’s jewelry on my Etsy Shop.

After lots of picture taking outside (with my new lightbox), coming back inside to edit those photos and then matching them with the jewelry, I have a nice little start to a collection I think will become very popular.  What’s more, my mom can and will custom create any piece with the colors and stones you choose.  So if nothing suits your fancy, email me and we’ll make something that fits your personality!  Here are a few things in my jewelry shop:

Jumping Waves 3 Piece Set

Double Strand Memory Wire Bracelet with Amethyst and Quartz

Double Strand Memory Wire Bracelet with Frosted Amber

Let me know how you like my mom’s creations! And if you know someone who would like her work, please pass on our link!!

About a month ago I hopped on the Pinterest bandwagon. Oh. Em. Gee.  I die.  It’s just perfect for me…endless ideas for a creative person to put on their “wish list”.  I wish I had the time and money to do these.  But in truth, I have done a few.  Here’s what I’m crushing on for the fall season. (And I really only feel I can do this truthfully now that the temperature is out of the hundreds)

Pinterest

Have the hurricanes…candles and candy corns are cheap!

Mason jars, modge podge, and gauzy stuff? Cake!

Pinterest

Easy treats for many occasions!

What are you pinning?

You know how sometimes when the going gets rough it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel?  Well, fortunately I’m not at that place anymore.  But we still have our rough patches, like yesterday’s massive tantrum- courtesy of Emma, the whole side effect of gaining 22 pounds in 3 months- Emma, not me (unfortunately I can’t claim medication as the reason for my weight gain), etc.  So it’s important that we always celebrate the little milestones in our lives.  Becomes sometimes those tiny little milestones really feel like gigantic leaps.  And they are in their own right.  So, even though we’re doing pretty good over here at our house, here are a few milestones we’ve accomplished today.

~ Emma got up at 4:45 in the morning to go potty all by herself! If you recall, she had some pretty big hip surgery, which required the use of a wheelchair or a strong Mommy, Daddy, or Miss Jenna. (seriously, the reasons my arms aren’t ripped by now is still a mystery to me).  Anyhoo, that being said, trips to the potty required us carrying her.  Not thing time.  While she’s not allowed to walk up stairs (because of said stairs), she got up, crawled into the bathroom, and even washed her hands!  Of course 5 minutes later she was calling me because she wasn’t tired.  And then she was hungry. Yadda, yadda, yadda.  After a cheese stick, water, lights on low, reading to herself, she finally fell back asleep.  Mommy never did but nevermind that.  She went potty by herself!

~ I had a really great coffee date with my girlfriends.  To me, that is a milestone because I am blessed to have such great women in my life!

~ I had dinner in the crockpot by noon and on the table by 5:30.

~ I didn’t screw up the rice.  I’m not sure what it is with me and rice (same goes for jello), but I just can’t get it.  Thank you to Safeway’s brand of Jasmine rice for being foolproof.

~ I was working on homework with Mason and we were writing numbers.  3′s and 5′s are really hard for him.  I gently tried to correct his 3 and he got frustrated.  I asked him if he wanted to do it the correct way or his way.  Can you see where this story is leading?  After about 2 minutes of thinking, he decided he wanted to do it his way.  So, not a milestone but a really cute story I want to remember in the future.

~ I worked on my Etsy shop and got a bunch of draft listings done.  I will take pictures tomorrow.  Which brings me to my next milestone…

~I made my very own lightbox today and it cost me under $5!  And it was fun to make!  Kind of.  The great tutorial I used can be found here.  Super easy to follow and this guy is funny!

So it may have seemed like a mundane Tuesday to most.  But I feel pretty accomplished with what I got done. Lots of little things, which sometimes can yield the best results!

On a separate note, have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall regarding a certain situation?  Tell me about it!
And related to that, can you comment on my blog? I’ve heard it’s down. And I need to switch some settings. So please leave me a comment so I can see if it’s working or not! And tell me about the time you wanted to be a fly on the wall!

That’s a song, right?  Like from the 70′s?  I have the tune in my head, but I don’t know if the Monday, Monday part is right.  Well, in this post it is right.  As any parent knows, relishing in a post-vacay glow doesn’t happen once you get home.  It’s right back into the swing of things as if you’d never left!  Emma started off the day with a colossal melt-down.  We think it was from being tired and just a little “fussiness” from us being gone.  Regardless, hair-pulling (her haired being pulled by her), leg and arms flailing (notice just one leg), and lots of “I’m going to spank you” (again, from her, not us -though it crossed my mind).  Ugh.  Never a fun way to start the day.  I kissed her goodbye, with a slight smile on my face, and off she went.  Mason and I headed to the mailbox to see if a package had arrived.  And I got something much more than Emma’s Old Navy leggings I was waiting for.  I got a piece of mail that was so sweet and kind and generous.  And the thought of the generosity and kindness of this friend had me speechless all day.  (You know who you are, and thank you.  Again.)

Mason off to school. ✓

Grocery shopping. ✓

Helping out in Mason’s class. ✓

Started an awesome dinner.  I have to tell you about this.  If you couldn’t tell by my previous checks, I’m a little domesticated.  I like it that way.  Anyhoo.  On Facebook, there’s a new group (started not even a month ago) called the Crockpot Girls.  It is a forum (with over 1 million “likes”) of tried and true crockpot recipes.  I posted a question about chicken recipes because my chicken always comes out so tough and over-cooked.  And the key is to put it in frozen!  So today I tried Chicken and Dumplings, which can be found here and holy cow it was soooo yummy!  Kids inhaled, as did hubby.  Yes, it’s not totally healthy, but for the more healthy conscious I used healthy request and/or fat free cream of chicken soups.  And boullion cubes.  But full fat biscuits.  Just saying.  I just wanted to pass that group and recipe on to any mom’s out there looking for easy yummy meals.  You’re welcome.

You know when you have this HUGE to-do list and you really don’t know where to start?  That’s me. And that’s why I’m posting here.  And on facebook. (p.s. endorsement for “liking” Jumping Waves on Facebook right now)

Okay, enough about me.  How are you?  How was your weekend?

First things first: Check out my girl!!

She’s crusin’ alright!  And the smile on her face says it all.  She is one happy camper.

Brett took her to school after her appointment today.  He called me right after because he had to share the story.  When they got into the school, Emma told him that she didn’t want to be wheeled into school, she wanted to walk into school. And he held her hand to help her (she didn’t get to take home a walker, I rented one from here).  When they got to the classroom and the kids saw her walking, they all started cheering for her! Her aide got choked up and even had to leave the room.  Just witnessing such support and adoration for our little girl meant so much. I wish I could’ve seen it.  This school is a place of total acceptance where no one is singled out or different.  What more could a parent ask for?  This was definitely a high-light in a long list of struggles we’ve had.  And no one deserves this praise more than Emma. She’s such s trooper and a survivor.   She continues to amaze me daily!

Brett and I get to head out of town tomorrow for a wedding.  We couldn’t be more excited for our little escape.  I know the wedding and the weekend will be beautiful and memorable.  And we so need this small vacation.  I will be back on Monday.  And don’t forget, tonight’s the last night to save 20% at my Etsy Shop!  Just enter NEWSHOP20 to claim your discount!  Keep checking back…next week I’m going to be adding so many pieces of beautiful jewelry that she is donating to Jumping Waves!  That’s next week and rest assured I’ll keep you posted!!

Have a wonderful weekend!