happy hour

Ahhh...naptime, the new happy hour. I saw that title on a book the other day and laughed out loud (really!) I have been cheating lately, taking Baby on a daily drive to McD's for my sweet tea, timed perfectly so that he'd be asleep by the time we got home. Or sneaking him a milk bottle for the morning walk to lull him. Today I put him in the bed and waited out the cries (screams!) I just checked in on him and there he is, little bottom poking up in the air, sound asleep. Allelujah! I have to admit though that the trip to McD's is much, much easier on both of us.

I've been hard at work getting the May 1 update ready. I can't wait for you to see. That picture is a little sneak for you of some new things I'm making to offer in the shop, along with the delightful things from my inspiredfriend.

I never really know how long a nap will last so I'd better get to afixing labels and ushering boxes out the door. For some reason, I can never manage that feat well with Baby tugging at my feet or perched on my hip.

more charm bracelets!

Melissa, our sweet inspiredfriend, just sent a whole new batch of charm bracelets. Click here to order.

more charm bracelets coming!

Hello, friends. Melissa said she'll make more charm bracelets to send for a second installment next week. Until then, this beauty, Orient Express, is still available. Click here to grab it up.

Thank you to everyone for your orders!

may day workshop!

Hey, local friends! Want to make a May Day vase with me? My friends at the cottage have graciously welcomed me to have a workshop there on April 29 at 6:30 pm. Click here for more information and to register! Hope to see you there!

giveaway!

Melissa is giving away the friendship pin she designed for the project she shared with us. Click here and add a comment to her blog post to enter the contest.

new issue of inspiredideas

The newest issue of inspiredideas is up! I can't wait for you to see it! I have lots of fun projects, including making May Day doorknob vases out of items from your trash!

inspiredfriend, melissa seley

I'm so happy to present my second inspiredfriend, Melissa Seley! She's my charm bracelet friend and has been making charm bracelets for me to sell for years! click here to learn all about her and to shop for the charm bracelets she's sent over!

cabinet crawler

I'm sitting here at the kitchen table, toiling the afternoon along. The backdoor is flung open, with a safety gate up. Toys are scattered everywhere. And where's Baby?

He has his own cabinet full of toys and things he's collecting there. He likes to go all the way in there and hoot and shout. I think he likes how his voice sounds in there. When I turned around to see just his fat feet and legs sticking out, I had to snap a quickie for you.

the path taken

This morning as we set out for our walk, the gentle breeze showered pink confetti on us from the cherry blossoms. What a delight!

I took my camera, hoping to give you a hint of how wonderful this new walk is. I realized, as I snapped these silent frames, that the part you are missing...the caress of the breeze, the songs of the birds, the energy of spring...would leave these photos a bit flat and uninteresting.

Here's a photo at the opening of our new path taken...it's like an invitation into a secret world. If you'd asked me before if there was such a path, straight instead of right over the footbridge, I'd sworn no. As I start out this path, I like to pretend that it's only visible to me and Baby. It's easy to imagine since nobody else ever seems to take it.

Here's my favorite tree. I can't wait to see her draped in green! When? When? Spring, you are such a temptress!

I love seeing the turtles all lined up on this log. Yesterday, I counted 14! 15, if you count the one who slipped into the water just as we approached.

messes and the moments in between

I really hesitated to post what I did yesterday fearing that it would be heard as me being preachy. Thank you for not taking it that way.

Baby is napping and the whole house looks like a crazy post-shake snowglobe. Toys are everywhere, breakfast dishes are still at the table with cold egg stuck to them, piles of laundry, folded and yet to be, everywhere. I know I should use this time to pick up and get caught up but I also have a mess of things to do to get ready for the next issue of the magazine (NEXT WEEK!) Can you believe so soon? Am I crazy or what???!

If you've been hemming or hawing or hemming and hawing about whether to buy one of Tammy's lovelies, you have just until Tuesday morning before the next inspiredfriend magically appears.

Click here to shop. And just for today, one lucky customer will get free shipping when they purchase a Tammy Gilley product! Luck of the draw, my friend. And it will be deducted (or refunded if paying by Paypal) postpurchase.

being still

I don't usually talk about my faith here on my blog. I recognize and respect that my readers are of different backgrounds and beliefs.

That said, I do hope what I'm about to share is well-received.

Every Tuesday morning, I spend an hour in the adoration chapel of our church. It's a quiet time of reflection and centering and prayer. As I begin my time there, I always ask for extra help being still.

Be still and know that I am.

A thought almost always comes to me soon after I settle in. It is this...that we are meant to seek God in people, to look for the good in them. It is easy to look for other things in people, to see their faults and shortcomings. And in this very populated world, it's becoming so easy to look past people, to not even regard them. But the message that I hear every week is a challenge to really search for the good in every person.

I hope this message serves you well today. If you are stuck in a difficult situation or are face-to-face with a difficult person, it certainly will be a challenge. But think too, of all the little criticisms we weave, even if never spoken. Try switching the channel in your mind, even if just for today.

two little joys

Baby has a new word, and it's the most precious thing in the world. He says "home". His little cheeks get all fat with air and then his lips close fast, like he's eating the word. He says it when I'm buckling him into his seat after a long shopping trip. He says it when we pull into the garage. And he says it for his littlest piggy who went weee weee weeeee! all the way, you guessed it, home. It makes my eyes fill up with tears everytime he says it. Geez louise, you guys, I'm so in love with this little guy.

Another newfound joy is our daily walk. Baby kicks his feet and claps his hands and squeals with delight at the ducks, robins, and bluejays we meet along the way. Today, I went straight along the path instead of turning right to go across the wooden footbridge. On this road less travelled, we went deep into the woods, over brooks, through budding fields of green, over moss-carpeted roots. Miles, I think we walked! We finally popped out in a neighborhood that I didn't recognize and backtracked through the new path again. As I walked, my head cleared and I felt just so very happy.

Maybe the secret to this whole new life is to take my blessings as they come. To feel this intense happiness as it is right now. The happiness of today enjoyed completely.

I hope many little joys sprinkle your day today.

field trip

If you live anywhere near the metro DC area, you really must find a way to get to the newly opened Newberry's just as quick as you can. It is such a feast for the eyes and is so unlike any store you've ever been visited...I promise it'll be worth the trip.

It is in Brunswick, Maryland (which feels like worlds away but is only about 20 minutes from Leesburg, VA!)

There were three things that prevented me from taking better pictures...1. I had Baby in a stroller and there were spaces too tight and too many people for me to maneuver. 2. If I moved too far from Baby, he panicked and screamed bloody murder. 3. I was overwhelmed and overloaded and my eyes just couldn't adjust, nor could my mind take it all in.

While you're in the area, be sure to stop by the cottage at its new location at 105 S. King Street.