Moments for me

Doesn't it feel sometimes like life is just out to beat you up?

Yeah, me too.

Sometimes I just want to sit my life in the corner and say, "You sit there and think about what you're doing.  Come talk to me when you can be nice."  

That wouldn't work, though.  I'm afraid I am learning that life is supposed to be hard.  It's how I learn.

Dang it.

The other night, I was standing in front of the mirror talking to myself getting ready for bed and pondering over the day, when I noticed what I was doing.

I was analyzing my face and the things I was feeling about myself and telling myself weren't very positive.

"I look worn out."

"I look so tired."

"I don't think my efforts are getting me anywhere."

"I'm not that important."

"I should be doing better."

Geesh.  Hard stuff. 

And, you know what?  Most of it isn't true!

"Be Gentle With Yourself"

My mom tells me that a lot.  Slowly but surely, I'm learning what she means.

I decided to try something new...a new perspective.

"I am worn out because I'm a good mom with 2 young, beautiful, and amazing daughters."

"I am tired because I work very hard to support my fantastic husband through school while running our home and raising her kids."

"And my body is working hard to create the little body of our little boy."

"Because of my efforts, my daughters know that they are children of God and he loves them."

"Because of my efforts, my husband knows he is a son of God and he has value."

"Because of my efforts, lives and worlds are being impacted that I'm not even aware of."

"I am a good person."

"I am so important."

"I can always do better, but I am doing amazingly well."

"God loves me."

A simple change, but a strong impact. 

You should try it.  Take some time to be gentle with yourself and see what a strong and loved person you are!  Then keep on making the world a better place.

A heart to heart and the disappearance of my toes

Hi.

I've missed you.

I am sorry for my long absence and I feel like I owe you a bit of an explanation.

Have you ever hit a wall?  I don't mean like a little tap with your hand or a small kick with your foot.  I mean a full on slam into a wall at running speed.

And, I'm talking figuratively here.

I hit a wall.  A rather big one.  I should have seen it coming.  But I didn't.

With my husband in school, 2 young girls, 2 Church callings, a job, and a home to keep, I have a very full plate.  On top of that, life sometimes just gets hard and sometimes the trials it brings are almost unbearable.

I hit that wall and had to take some time to recover and regroup.

Here's another analogy.  My mom and I used to hike a lot in the mountains behind her house.  It was good exercise and a good stress reliever and good Mommy/Daughter time.  I loved those hikes and I miss them terribly.

The highest point we could hike to we affectionately called "Heart Attack Hill."  That was a doozy of a hike, but well worth it.  Once we reached the top we could sit and see for miles and miles and miles in simple peace and quiet.  I have only made it up there a handful of times, but it is still one of my favorite places in the whole world.

But, I digress.  To get to the top of Heart Attack, you have to hike up a few smaller hills, each one getting gradually steeper and a little more challenging.  There is one point in particular that sits in my memory as a really, really, really, really hard climb.  The slope is so steep, you feel that if you lean backwards just slightly you'll go tumbling down the hill.  And, to make it worse, because it is so steep it is deceptive.  There is a point where you look ahead and see what looks like the top.  But when you get to that point, you find it is just a small ledge and you still have a few more feet to go.

Oh, and by the way, this point in the path is only about 40 feet long.

So, in my memory, I can see my mom and I struggling up this hill, practically crawling.  We were both in fairly good shape at the time, but still we had to stop every 5 minutes or so to rest and encourage each other to keep climbing.  We would sit until we could breathe normally again and then we would get up and move on until, finally, hand in hand, we reached the top.  It was exhilarating and exhausting.

That's where I am now.  I feel like I am starting to catch my breath.  I'm recovering, I'm regrouping, and I'm now getting back up and starting my hike back up.

I want to get back into blogging.  I have missed it so, and I get a lot of stress relief from the projects that I create.

Here's the thing, though.  I won't allow this blog to stress me out.  I have enough stress in my life.  This is my release.

I will post my crafts when I have them.  I won't post every day.  I will finally start working on the projects ideas I have been collecting for a couple of years now, which hopefully means I will be featuring some awesome bloggers and their tutorials.  I'm not going to worry so much about coming up with my own ideas.  =)  And, I'm not going to allow myself to feel guilty when I miss the holiday-specific crafts.  I'll get to them next year, or the year after that.

I may sometimes just post about my bad day, because, truth be told, I'm still very much in the midst of some pretty tough trials and I have bad days.  However, I am an optimist and I will always try to see the bright side and the Lord's hand in my life.  That's why I write.

I named this blog Creating Sarah because I want to use it to not only motivate myself to create crafts, but also create myself into the person I always hoped to be.  Hopefully, there will be more of that going on.

So, stick with me if you want to.  If you get bored of me, I won't be hurt if you leave.

I love that so many people that I don't know are following my little blog.  I want to make friends.  Please feel free to reach out to me, write to me, comment.  I'll reach back.

Ok.  I think that is enough babbling for now.

But I do have one more thing to share with you.

It has become apparent recently, that soon I will no longer be able to see my toes!  This may explain some of my stress as well.

This little issue is due to be resolved on August 19, 2012.

I am Grateful to Create

The talk this video is taken from, Happiness, Your Heritage, changed my life.  

For so long, I had felt the desire to craft and create, but at the time this talk was given I felt that taking the time for my crafts and projects was more a luxury than a necessity.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."

My heart was touched.  It was a deep yearning for me and it brings me great joy, especially when the things I can make bring joy to my family.  

I love how creating can bring me closer to God, no matter what I am creating: quiet books, paintings, cookies, happy kids, a clean home, laughter, tears, comfort...

Me.

By creating, I learn who I am:  A Child of God.

3 for Thursday!!!

Whoa!  I almost didn't make it!  Let's go!

Three things that is stole borrowed from my kids' Halloween stash.
1.  All the Baby Ruth mini bars.
2.  A caramel apple.
3.  Smarties.

Three things I buy that have to be name brand.
1.  Dawn dish soap.  Nothing works better.
2.  Chewy Chips Ahoy.
3.  Edy's Rocky Road ice cream.  It is the only one left with real marshmallows.

Three things I spend more than 15 minutes doing every day.
1.  Pinterest.
2.  Sleep during Sesame Street (late nights, early mornings = Mommy has earned a daily nap.)
3.  Try so hard to keep up with bloggy friends and e-mails. 

Three things that put me in a fantastic mood.
1.  Belting out a good song.
2.  Talking on the phone with my mom or sisters.
3.  A good hug and/or kiss from the Mister.
Three things I do that a grown woman has no right to be doing anymore.
1.  Use any excuse I can to put glitter on my face.
2.  Watch only the Disney channel.  (Ok, I branch out sometimes, but rarely.  The TV is only on when the kids are awake.)
3.  Freak out (just a little) when I go to the basement at night to change the laundry.

Three pictures:
I just recently uploaded a bunch of photos from my iPod.  These are all from my trip home this summer.

Me and one of my sweet nieces.

Maybe I should have listed this under one of the things a grown woman has no right doing.

This is one of about 5 pictures of me and my sister, Erin.

Ok, perhaps I'm brown-nosing name-dropping a little here, but...

I got to visit with Evelyn when we went home.  This is in my mom's backyard and that boy that L is lovingly gazing at is Evelyn's son, Dee.  I thought she should see that.  =)

There!  Now, to join in the fun, head over to Evelyn's blog, Hanging By a Silver Lining!

Are you a category eater?

I looked down at my cute new desktop while I was working the other night and saw this:

I don't really remember doing it, but I know I was saving those 2 beautiful purple skittles for last.

A Little Bit o' Business

Hi Friends! 

Just a couple of things:  First, my friend, Fabi, over at Mrs. Sassy Crafter needs some help.  She is a fantastic card maker and has a surplus of cards that she wants to take to the Ronald McDonald house in her area so that they can pass the cards on to people who need a little bit of happiness in their days.  Her idea and hope is to be able to bring them a box overflowing with cards and she has put out a call for cards. 

Now, I'm not really a cardmaker...I never could find the inspiration.  But, there are a lot of examples out there to draw from and this is a really good cause to challenge myself for.  So, I'm going to try to pop out a few.  If you would like to, I'm sure she would love whatever you and I can give.

Cards of any sort and any theme will do, but they need to include an envelope.  She is hoping take them in on October 24th, so that gives about 3 weeks.

As an added incentive, she has put together a mystery box for the person who sends her the most cards!  Ooo!  Maybe you'll win.  She gives good prizes!  Head on over to her site and the link here for all the information.


Now, secondly, did you see my new header?  =)  Yeah, I really, really like it.  It is the masterful work of my brother.  He also designed my sweet little button, which I would love for you to grab and share if you are so inclined.  My brother, Michael, is a very talented graphic designer.  If you would like to see his work or if you might have a job for him, I have a link to his page at the bottom or right here:  http://www.mhardydesign.com/. 

Ok.  That's all for tonight!  Have a happy day!

Hoo Are You #55

1.  What are your favorite 3 things about fall?
First, while I don't particularly enjoy being cold, I still like the cooler air, especially here where it is hot and humid all summer long.  And, I love the excuse to start pulling out the hot chocolate or apple cider.
Second, I love Fall colors.  Nature puts on a little show before she goes to sleep and I enjoy watching it.
Lastly, it is the start of the holidays, a party until the end of the year.  I love the decorating, the food, the gifting, the parties...all of it.


2.  Are you a football fan and if so who is your favorite team?
No, I'm not really a fan.  I barely understand football.  I did enjoy going to games in high school because it was exciting even if I didn't know why.  And, I had a really good friend who would patiently say to me either "That was good." or "That was bad" and then he would explain why again.

Also, after high school, my friends started a football pool where we would pick teams to win throughout the season and win prizes.  I actually did pretty good and I was just picking teams based on which of the two cities I would rather go to!  =)


3.  What is your favorite fall scent?
Mmmmm....apples, cinnamon, pumpkin, and that cool, crisp smell in the air.

4.  Do you have seasonal allergies?
I don't know if you could call my allergies seasonal.  Ever since we moved to West Virginia, my allergies have taken a turn I didn't know was possible, even causing some asthma.  They are almost always bad and, yes, right now they are particularly bad.


5.  Have you started Christmas shopping yet?
No, but I have started putting ideas together.  I don't really do a lot of shopping anyway.  I try to make most of my Christmas presents.

I'm a little bit crazy!

Remember that ambition I oftentimes surprise myself with?  I did it again.

I just posted an audition for American Crafter over at Nap Time Crafters!





And here:




Whoa.

Hoo Are You #54

Here are my answers to this week's questions!

1.  Do you prefer sweet or salty foods?
My instinct is to say that I prefer sweet food, but I have to say that I like a good combination of both...like chocolate covered pretzels, soft caramel corn, peanut M&Ms...mmmmmmmmmmmm.


2.  Name your 3 BEST personality traits.
a.  I am pretty good at laughing at myself.  I laugh at my own jokes all the time.
b.  I am a very loyal friend.
c.  I am an optimist.


3.  Name your 3 WORST personality traits.
a.  I procrastinate much too much.
b.  I just might be a little too stubborn.
c.  I have a very hard time with change, and that includes when my schedule or routine has to change.


4.  Do you collect anything?
I collect Disney, specifically Happy Meal toys.  I haven't collected any in a while, though.


5.  What is your favorite season of the year?
Hmmmm....Spring is so nice when all the flowers start to bloom and the whether starts to warm up.  The air is always happy in Spring.  But, I also love Summer and the warm nights and the sunshine and the fireflies and playing in the pool.  But, Fall brings pumpkins and that yummy crispness in the air that invites sweaters and warm socks and Winter has Christmas and sledding and hot chocolate.  


I guess I like them all!  

A Good Book

I have been something of a slacker this week when it comes to housework and crafting.  

I've been a bit distracted.

I've been reading this:

Which is, by the way, a fantastic book.  It has a good story to tell and left me feeling a need to be a better person in many ways I didn't expect.  

I did, however, feel a little bit of mom guilt for letting so much slide while I read my book.  

That is, until I walked into the living room and saw this:

Yeah, amid the clutter and the unfolded laundry, my girls pulled out their books and spent time reading, 

 Looking at pictures...

Imagining life as a princess... 

Exercising their minds.

It occurred to me that being creative doesn't mean just crafting.

Being a good mom doesn't mean just cleaning and feeding and meeting basic needs.

Being creative can come in the form of expanding your perspective, escaping to new places through intricate stories.  It means playing with kids, reading them books, teaching them to love learning and creating...it means an endless amount of imaginative and fun things!

How exciting!!!!

So, I feel justified in my love of reading and in taking an occasional week out of my life to immerse myself in a book.  And, I hope you will patiently excuse me during those weeks if the blogging slows a bit.  

I'm just letting my creativity refresh a bit.

P.S.  I feel that this would be a good place to tell those of you who share my love of reading and, perhaps, my sister's love of writing to head over to her blog, WriterBrained.  Jeigh is writing a novel and has started a blog to share what she is learning in the process.  It is entertaining and educational and I think her book is amazing!  (Yeah, you heard that, I've read it.)  She is what I like to call my book pusher; if she says a book is good, she is right.  So, head on over there, give her some love and a hug from me, and enjoy!

About Me

I wish I could remember where I originally saw this idea.  It was a super good one!  I'm going to borrow it, but please know, this is not my original idea.

What is the idea?

Hang on....I'll tell you!

Do you see my little tabs up there?  I'm working on those.  I have one called "About Me" and it is not living up to my expectations.  I want it to be entertaining.  I want to fill it with information that people really do find interesting; stuff that you all are just aching to know!

So, here's my request:  Will you ask me some questions?  Ask me what you want to know about me.  What random, or not so random, Sarah fact would you like to read?  Please, oh please, help me set up an entertaining page About Me!  I'll answer all questions as best as I can.  You can ask as many as you like, they can be weird, funny, boring, crazy, interesting, random...whatever!  (Just, of course, please keep them clean and appropriate please.)

I would appreciate it so much if you would do this for me!  And now I'm all excited to see what you're going to ask me!

Thanks!

Why I'm awesome Wednesday

You know, some days (or some weeks, months, years) are just a little rough.  It is easy to get stuck in a slump.  Day in, day out, life gets a little tedious.  I start to feel overwhelmed, and my soul starts to gets weary.  Then things start to happen to my self-esteem.  I begin to doubt myself and what I'm doing as a wife and a mother.

No good.

So, here's what I'm going to do.  I have to remind myself why I'm awesome.  Maybe once a week, maybe less, maybe more.  Who knows.

Today, I'm awesome because once I start cleaning...really cleaning...I do it quickly and efficiently.  I can do it with two toddlers helping me!  I clean, disinfect, vacuum, and make lunch while singing and dancing a little, keeping my kids happy, and all within 2 hours leaving time for my projects.

What makes you awesome?

Hoo Are You #46

1.  How did you spend the 4th of July?

Well, we were going to go to a movie and then drive somewhere for a picnic and fireworks show (our town had their celebration on Saturday and I had to work).  But, the Mister came home on Friday and informed me that our car was broken.  It can be fixed but we had to order the part and it won't be here until today (Tuesday) or Wednesday.  So...we stayed home.  We had a picnic on our front lawn.  It rained a lot so we took a tarp and laid it over our heads (Mister and I were the tent posts!) while we ate and giggled.  Mister took his truck and bought us some fireworks, so we stayed up late and set off our own fireworks.  The girls were thrilled!  O thought they were so pretty that she called them Princess fireworks.  You know that is seriuos.

2.  What were a couple of favorite things you ate for the 4th of July?

Fried chicken....mmmmmmm!  

Watermelon.

Soft caramel popcorn.  

3.  Did you watch fireworks?

Just the princess fireworks we set off in front of our house.  Nothing big this year.

4.  What is your favorite firework?

Well, I have always been a lover of sparklers.  But, I think my favorite this year was what we named the Cupcake fireworks.  They looked like little fireworks.  Once they were lit, they spun in a few circles and then took off into the air...way up in the air...with a little *zing* sound.  It was thrilling!

5.  How hot was it where you were for the 4th?

Hmmm...I didn't really check the thermometer, but I would guess in the mid-80s.  And it was super humid because it was a little stormy.

Head over to Night Owl Crafting to play along!

P.S.  I am also participating in {Ginger Snaps} Tiggerific Tuesday blog hop.  Click the button below to join up and make some friends!

My secret language or a peek at one of my little quirks.

Do you remember those days in high school when you always had a crush on some cute boy...or you were frustrated with a friend...the days when you were filled with all kinds of ambitions and secret dreams?

Sometimes there were things you just had to tell someone, but when your best friend or your sisters or your mom weren't available (or maybe didn't understand), what could be done?  For me, I had to write it down.  Who better to tell than yourself, right?  I was pretty good at keeping my own secrets.

I still have lots of notebooks filled with my thoughts and hopes and loves.  But, here's the thing...those notes look something like this:

W oy ea wb xajs iwht Ywqtosx htoh W ywuth tojs ha zwee twe roqs ajsf obn ajsf ouowb.


Yeah, I was also a little paranoid.

You see, I had this thought that someone might notice me writing and would sneak up behind me to read what I was writing.  I didn't want just anyone to know who I was in love with and all the yearnings of my heart, so I made up a code.  Because, that doesn't look odd at all.

Seriously, I knew this code so well that I could write it, in cursive, as smoothly as I wrote in English.  I could also read it.

It became my own little language.  A place where I could go and feel safe and sort out my thoughts.  And, now that I think of it, I think it is pretty cool that I was able to create such a good place for myself.

It did become a little silly, though.  Like when I needed to go to the store to get...ahem...feminine products.  I was too embarrassed to write the actual word down on my list.  I just wrote "DOPE" instead...because that looks much better on a shopping list.  (heehee! If I write "dope" here, no one will notice that I'm buying maxi pads!)

You'll notice I'm not giving you the key to my code.  I have far too many notebooks filled with my teenage (and maybe not-so-teenage) secrets to let the key out now.  Besides...I may or may not be using it still.

The Fruits of My Ambition

Remember the before?

(here)

I fixed it.


I managed to pull that old cover apart, carefully label it, trace it, cut the pieces out of new (much improved) fabric, and put it all back together again!

The putting it back together again was fairly simple, although I hit a bit of a snag when trying to put the bottom back on.

But, after much worrying and fretting, I decided to just deal with it. I sewed it together, ignoring the parts that aren't as pretty as the rest, and continued to be proud of myself.

The most important thing is, the girls love it.

And they love each other.

Um, just on a side note, do you see that white thing in O's hair? It's a strip of Velcro. She calls it her headbandie.

I think it is the start of a new, totally hip fashion craze. Be prepared!


I used a piece of fleece for them to lay on when the couch folds out to a bed.

It's soft and cuddly.


See, she's sleeping.

(Not really)


She doesn't like to sleep, so why would she even pretend to? But she'll lay on the soft fleece!

I know some of you are hoping for a tutorial. I thought about making one as I went along, but then decided against it. I thought maybe I should figure out what I was doing before I showed other people the way. Besides, I couldn't remember to take pictures along the way.

I would like to do another one, to perfect it a bit (ahem...a lot) more. If I do, I'll make a tutorial with that one.

In the meantime, I would just like to throw out the challenge to you. If you have the opportunity to do a project that you're not sure you can handle, then jump in and do it. It's kind of fun! And super rewarding. And, toddlers are very accepting of new toys, even if they aren't sewn perfectly.

I'm linking up with my regulars.

Jungle Girl Syndrome

I am a jungle girl.

Don't worry.  I'm pretty sure it's not contagious. 

All it really means is that weird things happen to me in kind of weird and random ways.  Sort of like I'm an accident waiting to happen, but a completely odd sort of accident. 

I fall up stairs a lot.  I trip on invisible cracks in the sidewalk.  I run into walls.  I find holes no one else can find.  I've sprained pretty much every joint in my body, including my jaw.  I stepped on a stingray once--the only person in a crowd of 6 or 7 to find a stingray to step on. 

Just to name a few of my random accidents.  I've often been told things like,"How does something like that happen?" or "I've never seen anything like that before!" or "That was the most spectacular stumble I've ever seen!"  Yeah, I like to keep things entertaining. 

The good news is, none of my accidents have been serious...just strange and unusual. 

Here's a good example:

 See those vicious cuts on my hand?  You would think I had a run in with a crazy cat or a rabid squirrel or something like that.  But, no...I had a run-in with spaghetti. 

Yup, you read that right.  I said spaghetti. 

It was raw...still stiff, not floppy.  I was breaking the spaghetti in half before dropping it in the boiling water.  The last batch, though, apparently didn't want to be broken and put up a little mini fight, leaving me with those nasty scratches. 

Crazy, right? 

But, what can I say.  I'm a jungle girl.  Things like that kind of come with the territory. 

I'm still a nice person.  =)

What about you?  Are you a jungle girl (or boy)?

Creating Sarah

As I was leaving church today, I encountered three young kids playing.  They were playing in the grass, but had found themselves in a situation where they either needed to cross the parking lot or go back the way they had come in order to reach the large grassy area they had started out in. 

Obviously, cutting across the parking lot was the quickest way, so the two oldest took off running.  The youngest, however, was mortified when this happened. 

He looked at me and screamed:  "They're running in the street!  They're going to DIE!!!!!" (kudos to his mom for teaching him the dangers of crossing the street)

"Meh," I said, "I'm watching them.  They're ok.  You can go ahead too." 

He grinned at me and took off running, no longer worried that he would meet his untimely end. 


When I was a kid, I used to wonder when the magic moment was that I would transform from kid to adult--girl to woman.  I never did figure it out, but it appears that the moment has come and gone without me noticing!  Here I am, sitting in my 30s with a husband, 2 kids, responsibilities, my own furniture, and even adult cereal. 

I even have kids looking to me for permission crossing the street/parking lot.  I am even qualified to hold a hand should the occasion call for it!  Apparently, I have successfully made the transition, and for that I am glad.

But, I had a lot of plans for adulthood.  I used to really look forward to the time when I could be a woman--a mom.  I had ideas about what my house would look like, what I would make for my kids, how I would teach them, how I would show my husband I love him, how I would finally stop being shy and reserved and afraid to reach out to people, all kinds of things!  You know, how I would be Sarah: A Really Great Person.

So, that's why I'm here.  I've decided that it is time to stop waiting for someone to tell me to go ahead and start being me.  It is time to do it.  Time to try the ideas that have been piling up in my head for years. 

I'm here to keep track of my adventures.  I'm here to discover myself and be comfortable with myself.  I'm here to make friends.  And, I'm here to have fun.  Let's go!