changing wind.

First off I want to apologize to my lovely sponsors from last month. I made a lot of promises about Ad Swaps and I did not fulfill them. I never did get my sponsor highlights up. I didn’t get back to you on my highlight either. I am very sorry about that. I completely neglected my duties. You are all very wonderful and I’m so thankful that I was able to swap with you. Life caught up to me and I simply didn’t make time for my blog.

It seems like the winds of life are carrying me away. I don’t really know where. My heart just isn’t at my blog anymore. Yes, it’s very cheesy but it’s true. When I started writing on my blog our lives were changing drastically and I was excited to share all that was going on. Our lives are still changing and growing but I’m less excited to share, I feel more obligated. Sometimes I don’t want to share what is happening but I feel like I HAVE too, and that’s not way to blog. I love my life and I sometimes feel like I’m taking out to much precious time from it by maintaining my blog. I also was so caught up in comparing myself to other bloggers that I forgot how wonderful my life really is. My life isn’t their life and that’s okay. In fact I think it’s rather wonderful.

I’m going to take a long break from blogging. I need to reconnect with myself and my family. I want to have the freedom to create without feeling obligated to get opinions from anyone but myself. I probably will start blogging again in the future and I’ll probably let you all know. It may not be on this blog but I’m sure I will be writing and sharing again somewhere.

Thank you to everyone who has commented and supported my blog. It has been a wonderful run. I’ll still be reading your blogs and commenting that’s for sure. You can still find me tweeting, pinning, and if you’d like you can become friends with me on facebook. For now I’m going to spend time loving life and my family.

Love you all.
xoxo
Kat

round up: friendship bracelets

I've been poking around on pinterest and etsy I've found a ton of super cute friendship bracelets. Do you remember making them as a kid? I know I do. I had a stock pile of them. I think at one point I even sold them. I've been pouring over tutorials and pretty inspirations to remember how to make them. I thought I'd share some with you guys.

Tutorials:
Friendship Necklace
Friendship Braclet
Video Tutorials

Beautiful Inspirations:
KalisteBracelets
LauraElysha


I'm considering organizing a friendship bracelet swap. Anyone up for it? ^_^

talent.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do with my life lately. Not that I’m not doing something right now. Being a mother is a job all its own and is a wonderful thing. I’d like to do more though, is that a terrible thing? I think about school, should I go back, when to go back, and even what to go back for. It’s all a big swirling mess in my head. I have so many ideas of what I’d like to accomplish, if I put it all down on paper I think it would be a very scary thing.

A lot of time I feel like I’m not good enough to do all the things I want to. I think that I’m not smart enough or talented enough to do anything I really wish to do. The truth I’m only as talented as I let myself be. True, there is something to natural born talented that pushes people into certain things. I don’t think Van Gogh would be as wonderful of a painter if he didn’t have something from within that helped make him that way. I know that it also takes a lot of really hard work. I don’t think I’ve really tried.

I get so many ideas in my head of what I want to do and who I want to be I can’t ever focus on one thing to really become “good” at. To be really talented takes a lot of practice and hard work. I think you really have to believe in what you are doing. Believe with everything you are that you are doing something good, something beautiful even. I feel like I need to put some blinders on and really work on a particular “talent” until I get it right, at least until I get it to where I want it to be. I don’t know what that is yet. Music, photography, writing, crafting? I’m still working that out. I know whatever it is I have to really put effort in to focus and own it.

I told my husband the other day “Balls in or balls out. Do it or don’t.” It was about something completely off topic and rather silly but it’s true. Something you have to be all in or you shouldn’t bother with it at all.

What are your talents? Are you focusing on the things you really should be, or are you like me, all over the place.

a perfect day for the park.

Today I decided that we should take a little adventure. We are a one car family so most of the time the girls and I are stuck inside the house and I go a little crazy. Aurora is a very VERY energetic little girl. If she doesn't get out her energy during the day we seriously pay for it at night. She starts running around in circles, chasing the dog, and doing all sorts of other nonsense. I wasn't sure how long it would take us to get to the park by our house so it was an experiment. I loaded us up with a picnic lunch and other needs and headed out. It only took us about ten minutes to get there.

I'm so glad we went. Aurora had a good time, I had a good time, and I think Carolina did too. She was awake up till we started walking home. The double stroller we got was probably the best buy ever! It's a sit and stand stroller that I can snap Carolina's "bucket" car seat into. Sooooo wonderful! I don't have to worry about Aurora running off or whining because she's to tired to walk and Carolina is snug as a bug.

I'm so happy we got to go on our adventure. I'm even happier that I can blog from my phone, makes my life so much easier. I can understand why people don't like it. For little posts like this its great. It's not perfect, but it works for me!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Wednesday!!

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some breathing room.

A double tall peppermint mocha and a blank page. Perfection. Did I mention now screaming kids? Oh yeah...

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i have fallen...

I was just playing around in paint this morning since the girls are still sleeping. I have a million other things I should but doing but eh... what the heck.



What do you think? When a few adjustments I see some high hopes for this little image. Maybe, yes? Or, no?

where have i been? and other rants.

I haven't been on my typical blogging schedule lately. When I started blogging again after my "maternity leave" I created a pretty intense blogging schedule. I had scheduled six posts a week with ideas for guest posts and so many other ideas. I think I must have been a little to ambitious. I would say ninety percent of my days are focused on the girls. Playing, soothing, changing, playing, napping, feeding and so on. I'm so lucky to be able to be at home with our two girls. Before we moved I was working anywhere from thirty for forty five hours a week, there wasn't a whole lot of time left to spend with Aurora. Now that we've moved to Arizona I get to spend my days at home.



When we first moved here I had a lot of ambitions. I started blogging, crafting and doing all kinds of fun things with Aurora. When I got pregnant things started to slow down, now that Carolina is here its really slowed down. Almost to a stop. The time I get to myself is close to, well none. Unless I stay up super late or get up super early my attention is on our girls. I'm not mad about that, please don't get me wrong. I really do enjoy the time I get to spend at home. A lot of times I get cabin fever and frustrated but not a lot of moms get to do what I get to do, so I'm counting my blessings for sure. I have a lot of ideas for crafts and blog posts but when it comes down to it I just don't have the time. Someday I will though.

I'm cutting my post schedule in half. I can't get stressed out about posting on my blog. It's supposed to be fun. I started to blog to document our new adventure when we moved to Arizona and that's what I'm going to continue it to be. I'm not going to continue to except sponsorship at this point either. I'm so thankful for the ladies who have done ad swaps with me. It's been wonderful. I'll do it again I'm sure. Right now I'm just going to feature three of my favorite blogger friends each month.



Half the time I feel like my blog posts end up being about my frustrations with blogging. I don't want it to be like that either. Thanks everyone for continue to comment and follow my blog. You're all so wonderful!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with your blogging?

there's a nightmare in aurora's closet.

The past couple of nights Aurora have had some trouble sleeping through the night. She has always been an excellent sleeper. Sleeping almost 10 hours at night when she was just a baby. Poor thing does have some separation issues when it comes it bed time. I typically sit in her room with her until she falls asleep so she’s comfortable. I know it’s not the best idea and it’s pretty frustrating when she doesn’t fall asleep right away but that’s alright. As parents sometimes we just have to do what we have to do. She always sleeps through the night, except for lately.

When she kept waking up in the middle of the night it seemed rather odd. We kept asking her what was wrong but she would never say. Last night was the worst. I heard her crying in her room and when I came in she was shaking like crazy and soaked with sweat. It scared me pretty bad. I wasn’t sure if I should just hold her or call 911. We brought her into the living room and she had finally calmed down. She slept in bed with me last night, we never let her do that, but it seemed needed. This morning I finally got her to talk to me. She kept saying something about her closet. Then it clicked. Before she woke up we heard some kind of a bang, like a door close. Aurora had gotten out of bed and looked in her closet. On a DVD we had gotten of a bunch of bed time stories was the story “There’s a Nightmare in My Closet” she kept looking for something in her closet. She told me the only thing in there was her clothes and toys. My little girl is so funny. Poor little thing kept looking in her closet for a Nightmare! It’s amazing what things can really affect kids. She has such a great imagination; I have to always remember that.



So, do you have a nightmare in your closet?

round up: things i'm diggin'

I've been searching around the web for things that really inspire me. From blogs, to items, to people, just searching. I found a few things that really drew me in and caught my eye. Maybe you will enjoy them too.

Flowers A to ZThis is a great little series on the design sponge blog. It makes me love flowers again. I want to go out and make a million bouquets!
Instant LoveThis is an awesome little break down of instant film from the very talented photographer on xo.azuree blog. If you have a Polaroid camera laying around that you want you use, you need to read this.
giddy giddy DIY craft projectsI didn't know one person could be so creative. Terri on Giddy Giddy and a ton of super cute craft projects all up on her blog.
a dog's seeing eye dogThis is an adorable story about a dog that is blind being guided by another dog. Honestly, if more people took some tips from animals it might be a better world.
Merry May Shoppe LaunchI'm so excited for this little shoppe to take it's maiden voyage. I love the idea of a modile shop and in this cute little trailer (a 1961 Shasta Airflyte to be exact) how can you not love it's charm! If you're in Phoenix you should find it. I know I'm going too!

What have you come across lately? Anything of note?

guest post: favorite holiday recipe from cb at the city birds nest

hi with a chance of readers! i'm cb from city birds nest and i am super excited to be here today to share with you a new to me tradition!



growing up in a latino household our thanksgiving was anything but traditional but to us it was. yes, we had the turkey, spiced up with traditional yucatan spices and our table was packed full with other latino dishes but never did we have pumpkin pie. when i met tom, his family blew my mind with their traditional thanksgiving diner equipped with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and best of all, pumpkin pie!!!




 since then i LOVE this holiday more then ever, which i really didn't think was every possible!  i found a recipe that i really really love and can't wait to make it each year, pumpkin pie with brown sugar walnut topping! i found the recipe on epicurious which you can view here. it is the perfect mix of pumpkin mush and sweet walnut crunch. the only thing i changed is instead of canned pumpkin i use real pumpkin. it is so easy and ten times yummier! 


first cut up your pumpkin, get all it's guts out and cut up into smaller pieces and throw into a pot with a bit of water and steam until the pumpkin flesh is tender. drain and then spoon out the flesh and put in a blender and set to puree and you are done and ready to bake!!


 pie doesn't last long in this house and makes the perfect breakfast too! enjoy i know my tummy did!





thanks again kat for allowing me to share my favorite recipe with your readers!




xo,

cb

health update and a BIG thank you!

I have the best readers in the world I think. I honestly think when it comes to blogging its all about who is reading, not how many. I don't just consider the people who read this blog followers a lot of them are dear friends.

I want to thank anyone and everyone who has commented, tweeted, and "liked" things on my blog. Your comments and warm wishes are really the driving force to my blog. Without you this blog wouldn't mean as much. I really want to thank those of you who sent your get well wishes to me while my family was sick. It really made me smile and made me feel so much better and I was able to take care of everyone in turn. I can't thank you enough.

Carolina went to the doctor again this morning to see how the breathing treatments are going. Her lungs are clear but she still has some congestion so he still wants her to use the mask until it's completely clear, at least for 21 days. We are still able to go to Pittsburgh for the Holiday so I'm glad, we just have to take the machine with us. He has two concerns with this though. Because the medicine she has been taking is a rescue medicine often used for asthma it means she might have asthma or she might just have RSV systems whenever she gets sick and need to use the mask in the future. I'm hoping she doesn't have any problems after this all clears up. Please keep our little one in your thoughts and prayers.

Seriously, Thank you. Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.

You're the best! I hope all is well with you. If I could hug everyone of you I would.

family dance party.

Life in our house hold is finally starting to slow down. All of our visitors have gone home and we're finally getting over our sickness. In a couple of weeks we leave to visit Pittsburgh but it's nice to just get back to "normal" for a while. Like I said in my sick day post I've been feeling pretty down and out lately, like I forgot how to have fun. On Friday night that all changed.

We were just hanging out as a family. I think Marc had just finished watching Tombstone for the millionth time when he decided to put on Pandora. It used to be a ritual to have Pandora on every Friday night and have a dance party. Marc and Aurora, apparently, would get "dizzy" all night when I was going to the First Friday art events in downtown Phoenix. Those were some great times. It was like having those free times back again. We ran around in circles and laughed and joked. It was so much fun. I felt like a kid. Aurora had so a good time. She was laughing so hard at her crazy mom and dad running around with her. Caroline was in her swing watching this craziness unfold with a slightly terrified look on her face, poor dear.

I remember when I was younger and no one was home I would turn my music up and dance around the living room. I'd have my eyes closed and my hands in the air singing along to every word. It think moments like that are my favorites. It's amazing how freeing music can be. One song can effect so many different people in so many different ways. To my little girl a song is a moment to have fun with mommy and daddy, to me it's a moment to forget my cares and enjoy time. Some songs feel like time just stops for a while and I can finally catch my breath. How does music make you feel?

There were many songs that come on Pandora that night. Including Johnny Cash, The Zac Brown Band, and John Mayer. Two of my favorites from that night were "Better Together" by Jack Johnson and "Why Don't We Just Dance" By John Turner.



What are your favorite dance songs? What really gets you "free"?

I hope you all get to have a great dance party sometime soon!

darth baby

This is what my week has looked like. We went to the doctor and found out Carebear has RSV. It's a virus in the lungs. Poor little thing has to put that little mask on four times a day. I have to say since we started it she sounds so much better. I'm so glad the doctor decided to do it. He could have just let it go and see how it went and she could have ended up in the ER.

The rest of us are doing better as well. My husband is great, the bits is just stuffy and I'm just scratchy. By Monday I think we should all be 100%!

This is my first attempt at blogging from my phone. It's a little easier right now with my two little rugrats being under the weather. We'll see how often I post like this.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

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what i wore wednesday: sick day.

On Monday the girls started getting sick, on Tuesday Marc started feeling sick, this morning I woke up sick. One of the great things about being a family is that you get to share everything, including a cold. Apparently it's going around. I don't know whats going on in our area but everyone is sick with something. Marc said a bunch of people called off from work.

To tell you the truth I've been feeling "off" the past couple of weeks. My body hasn't been working right. Last Friday I went to my first physical therapy session. That was a joy and a giant pain. After therapy my knees where KILLING me. Ever since I had Carolina my knees have been way more painful then they ever have been. I'm always had slight knee problems but this was something very different. Some days it just hurt to stand up, over days I was in tears because they hurt say bad. My physical therapist said that I probably had nerve damage from my epidural. I didn't think that was possible but my epidural could have damaged the nervous in the muscles in my knees. She asked if I had any numbness too. My back, ever now and then, gets all tingly like if your foot falls asleep or something. Fun, fun, fun. Never a dull moment for us.

On top of all that I've been feeling rather down and out. I don't know if I'm down and out or if it's the baby blues or what. I've been closed off and sad and just burnt out. I'm sorry if my blog is a little lack luster for the next few days. I need some time to regroup. I love blogging and I feel like the reason I started blogging in the first place and slipped away from me. Everything feels like it slipping away from me... I know peace and happiness is just around the corner though.




Today is a sick day for sure. The girls are still sleeping, hopefully sleeping off their sickness. I'm relaxing on the couch. I'm going to catch up on some house hold things but mainly we're just going to try and get better. We leave to visit Pittsburgh, PA in a few weeks so we all need to be healthy!

a pumpkin and a princess: halloween 2011

Halloween this year was really fun. Aurora is getting older and everything kid oriented is becoming more fun. Saddly earlier on Monday Aurora started getting a horrible stuffy noise, then later Carolina started snorting and sniffing. My two little angels became giant snot balls in a matter of hours. I feel so bad! We still did some intense trick or treating. After the tenth house Aurora finally started saying trick or treat. It amazes me that even though she is loud and energetic at home, around strangers she's a cold stone.

Aurora had a great time running around the streets of our neighborhood when it was dark. Carolina slept in her stroller the entire time, the little doll. Not many people could figure out what Aurora was. Last year we had quite a struggle with her costume. Anything even a little itchy can not touch that child's skin or she completely freaks out. So, I went to the dollar store and bought four t-shirts. I'm pretty proud of my work. It's not prefect, it's not even really good but Aurora loved it and that's all that mattered. She insisted that I put a sparkly rainbow on the front. Why a rainbow? I have no idea. I'm just happy she wore it.



I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

my musical past.

Many moons ago music was my life. I slept, ate, drank, everything music. In most of my down time between work and college classes you would find me tucked away writing lyrics. I think my parents probably still have a huge trunk full of all of my rambling lyrical writing. I have a note book of some of my "better" work with me. It's fun to look back at what I was feeling back in the good old days.

Music is an amazing way to express the way you feel. Writing was always such a great escape for me. I never really got the whole music writing part of it down. I dabbled in guitar and piano but never really got the hang of it. I still have my super old hand me down guitar (the is missing a string) but I never play it. I have been contemplating picking up a new instrument. Maybe guitar isn't a good starter. I also took piano lesson and that was a big flop. I never give up, try try again! So when I saw Little Chief Honey Bee's amazing ukulele giveaway I freaked! Since my last birthday I've been thinking about buying one. Before I buy anything I think a really long time about it. Like an unnaturally long time. I rarely buy a pair of pants without going in and out of the store twice. I think I'd really would like to at least try and play though.

This is my big chance! I (or you) could win this beauty from Little Chief Honeybee!



Good luck if you enter! Well maybe I should just say good luck to me since I want would love that little guy. ^_~

pumpkin patch: take 2

This is a very special time of year of us because Pappy comes to town for Halloween! Aurora had a great time. We went all over the place. Marc even got to go back to Tombstone with this dad. (I really don't like it there for some reason.) It was an exciting weekend. It also included me losing our car keys and another pumpkin patch. This farm is much closer to us. We visited it last year and they added a lot more stuff. I think I prefer the first pumpkin patch we went too. It's nice to have so many in the area that you can go to more than one.





I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a fun Halloween!!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my new sponsors. They're amazing ladies!

artful outfit: cave paintings.

It amazes me that from the beginning humans had a desire to create. For some reason we wanted to express ourselves in anyway we could. The proof of this desire can be found in the Lascaux, France cave paintings dating back to 15,000 B.C. They really are amazing pieces of art if you think about it. They didn't have the tools we have today or someone teaching them how to do it, they just did it. Maybe we should take some ideas from them, don't think so much, just do it.

Cave Paintings

{shirt - old navy}{pants - target}{barclet - ruche}{capelete - DollfaceDeville}{shoes -blowfish}{bag - 86vintage86}

foto friday: sedona, az

When my parents were visiting we went to all the different places in Arizona that we love. We took them to the zoo, the desert botanical gardens, the lake, all over. I'm really glad we got to take them to Sedona. It's so beautiful there, it's almost not real. You feel like someone is going to pull the background down and say "Ha Ha! Fooled you!"



Wow, I'm just domdarding you with photos this week! Anyone have good plans for the weekend? Marc's dad is visiting and we're going to another pumpkin patch! Yay!

fall memories: creating new memories.

It isn't fall without a trip to the pumpkin path. I have to say it is a lot different going to a pumpkin patch in Arizona. In Pennsylvania there is usually a chill in the air, leaves changing, and the smell of autumn. If you stay near the city of Phoenix it’s still pretty hot and you don’t really have leaves, just a lot of cacti. It’s still a lot of fun to go pick pumpkins. It didn’t really matter to Aurora that there were no leaves or trees, all she cared about was having a good time and picking her perfect pumpkin.



If you're wondering who the old dude is in the blue shirt, that's my dad. My parents came in for the first time since we moved here. They've been here for three weeks. It's been a really nice visit but I'm exhausted! They'll be here till Tuesday and we'll get to see them again for Thanksgiving when we fly back to Pittsburgh. It's strange being this far from "home" but absents makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Have you made a trip to a pumpkin patch yet? Any other fall plans in the works?