I wish I was this addicted to learning when I was in school!

My daughter Brooklyn is 12. She has a dream to open a book store when she's older... a charming little place kind of like "Shop Around the Corner" from the movie "You've Got Mail", but completed with a coffee shop. She already has a name (BrookWorm) and has started planning how she wants it to look and what it will be like. She says she isn't going to college. When asked how she'll learn to run a business, her quick reply was, "I'll just read Business for Dummies." I think she's brilliant.

I wouldn't trade my college experience for anything. Those were some of the best years of my life and sometimes I still wish I could go back to the days of living in the dorms with all of my girlfriends. Our doors almost always open, there was always someone to laugh with, cry with, pray with, pull pranks with, or sing at the top of your lungs with. There were road trips, missions trips, playing in the rain, going to the beach, and lots of bonding. I learned a lot too, and had some great classes and teachers.

Having said all of that though, I don't know that I'd recommend it for everyone, and if our kids don't want to go to college, it's ok by me. I started my freshman year a few weeks before I turned 18. At that age, I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life. I took classes that interested me, and I got a great education, but I racked up quite a bit of debt for a degree I only used for a few years after graduation. I got married months after I graduated and a few years later when I was pregnant with our first baby, I stopped working so I could be a stay-at-home mom.

Now I'm on a new path. (Working at Starbucks and focusing on Jenuine Ruby.) At this point in my journey, I am in a season of soaking. I'm researching and reading and learning all that I can.

These days you can learn so much on the internet. There are tutorials and you-tube videos, and some pretty amazing online classes. I recently finished this amazing Indie Business class (taught by three amazing, lovely, full-of-wisdom business ladies: Leigh-Ann of Freckled Nest, Jill of Lune, and Elsie of Red Velvet Art). I learned so much practical information that I have been able to use already and I feel so full of hope and inspiration.

Not that it wasn't all that I needed, but because I just can't get enough and thought it would be great to get another perspective from someone whose journey has taken her a bit of a different route, I decided to sign up for Kelly Rae Robert's online class Flying Lessons. When I read the class description, something inside leapt a little and I decided to go for it. I've followed Kelly's story on her blog and it's been so exciting/ inspiring to see her artistic career take off. I have interest in having some of my work licensed down the road too, and I want to learn as much as I can about that path, so I'm going to take Kelly's e-course beginning at the end of May. I'm really excited. I look forward to learning a lot, making new connections and blog friends, and getting that extra nudge to begin to soar in my business.

If you're interested in joining me, there's still time to sign up! Let me know if you're in the class too! xo

special K bars recipe

These are so good. So sweet and not at all healthy. It seems strange to call them Special K bars, since that's a pretty wholesome cereal. Well that is before adding all the extra ingredients. My philosophy is everything in moderation. These are a nice little indulgence every once in while. My advice: make them when you have several someones to share them with. And cut them into small pieces (think twice the size of an average piece of fudge and you're on the right track).

1 cup sugar

1 cup Karo syrup

1 1/3 cups peanut butter

6 cups Special K cereal

1 pkg chocolate chips

1 pkg butterscotch or caramel chips

Heat sugar and Karo syrup in a sauce pan. Remove from heat just before boiling. Add peanut butter and blend. (I just stir it in the pan while it's still hot.) Pour this mixture over Special K in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Pat in 13x9 pan. (It hardens quickly, so work fast.) For the frosting, melt chocolate and butterscotch or caramel chips (I do it in a double boiler but you could probably use the microwave). Spread over top of the Special K mixture in the pan. Let it cool completely (you can cheat a little and put it in the fridge or freezer for a while.) Cut into smallish pieces.

Enjoy!

last week, this week

Last week I was busy making things. I made some new coffee sleeves, which are available here in my etsy shop. (There are some others there too... go see!)

"annie"

"dolores"

"key limon"

"olive juice"

"paisley passion"

"rory"

"skulls and roses"

"spring bliss"

"sunny day"

"tropicana"

I also made several of these yo-yo headbands. Some for my girls, some as gifts for birthdays. They've been a pretty big hit. I decided to make a bunch more (with the encouragement of Mati Rose McDonough), to take with me to a crafting fundraiser I'm participating in next Saturday. I'm also doing a small craft fair next Sunday and then another a few weeks later. This week I'll be busy stitching away on these little lovelies. I'll let you know when I add some to my shop. Hopefully May will be a good business month for Jenuine Ruby! I'll keep you posted.

My girls were lovely in their headbands. They each chose the fabrics they wanted and waited oh-so-patiently for me to finish.

At the end of our little photo shoot, they heard a familiar song on Pandora and busted out the microphone hairbrushes and sang along. I love it. (the song was "Love Song" by Colbie Caillat)

Also last week, I was in the drive thru at work a couple of days. I thought I was a good multi-tasker, but something about me and drive thru just don't get along very well. I guess I'm getting better at it, but I'm much better talking to customers who come inside, where I can focus on one at a time. I'm still multi-tasking there too, helping with pastries and breakfast sandwiches for drive-thru, and I'm pretty good at keeping fresh coffee brewed every 8 minutes! I have a lot more respect/ sympathy when I go to drive-thrus now. Please be patient. It ain't easy, people!

art journaling with my girl

Brooklyn and I are doing an online art journal class together. We spent some time over the weekend working on our intro pages. It's so much fun to do crafty things together and I love seeing her style develop. Here's the cover of her journal:

Her title page:

And her introduction pages.

Here are my first two pages:

A little about me:

The class hasn't officially started yet, so you can still register here if you're interested. I've taken classes by these lovelies before and I can honestly tell you, they've been worth every penny. There's also a flickr group for the class to share pages. So fun.

Labels: art journaling

family photo shoot

This is my dad and stepmom. They live in Florida and we don't see them nearly often enough. A couple of weeks ago, they came out for a visit, to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. I'll post a few pictures from the party another day. One afternoon, my friend Sharon met us for a photo shoot. It was pretty special, not only because we were all together (except we couldn't manage to get all of our husbands on the same day) but also because we grew up on this Navy base and this was the first church we attended regularly as a family many many moons ago. My sisters and I were in the children's choir and we were also accolades, which was so thrilling for us.

Here's my dad with his three daughters. I sure wish he lived closer.

The outside of the chapel. I should look for some photos of years ago when we attended so you can see the inside. It's so beautiful, with stained glass windows throughout. My sister Michelle and I also got married here.

My little Judah was very sleepy during our photo shoot. It had been a long day, with a tour of the Jelly Belly factory earlier and lots of playing with cousins.

This is Papa with all 10 grandkids.

I love this shot of all of us on the steps, with the steeple of the chapel .

I do wish we had some pictures with our husbands too, but I love these of the rest of the family.

We like to be silly.

These are my sister Michelle's kids.

and these are our four.

My sister Kelly's sweet girls.

I love my sisters!

We love you, Michelle!

yep. that's the real deal.

Labels: family

the wait is over

(part of my "Cry" painting from the Retrieval Project)

A while back I shared with you that I applied for this year's Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco. I was pretty proud of myself for being brave enough to put myself out there and apply. I knew that there were lots and lots of applicants, and that plenty of really great artists and crafters don't get in simply because they only have so many spaces to fill. Still I hoped. I figured my chances were slim, but it was worth a shot. Today was the day I got the news. I tried to distract myself all day but I watched my inbox like a hawk. Finally it came, and though I wasn't really shocked that I wasn't accepted, I was sad. I took it harder than I thought I would. I didn't break down or anything, but I felt a little hurt and rejected.

I tried to look on the bright side: the money I paid would be refunded and now I'd have shopping money when I go instead. I saw several others tweet that they were accepted, and I was happy for them, really. But I was sad that my work wasn't good enough. I'll definitely keep making things and I will absolutely apply again.

After dinner tonight I went out to paint my blues away. I started on four different paintings and soon I'll have my collaboration with Brooklyn done. It definitely helped to lift my spirits. That and the four sweet kids who kept coming in to see me while I worked.

Joe comes home tomorrow. We get to have a family day before he goes back to work on Sunday.

My sincerest congratulations to anyone reading who did get accepted to Renegade. I'll look forward to visiting your booth (and possibly spending some of my reject money!)

Labels: craft fairs

etsy finds

Do you subscribe to the etsy finds newsletter? I do, and each day I get an email full of amazing things that talented people make, delivered right to my inbox. Today I really loved some of the finds:

portable fly desk station

tender wagon conversion

baby tender bedding

convertible play kitchen/ end table

rocking Italian scooter deluxe

to school or not to school?

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I have this dream of finding a perfect abandoned school house, buying it, and renovating it into a charming home for our family. Aren't these lovely? (All found on flickr. Image credit given under each photo.)

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We've been a homeschooling family on and off for years. Mostly on. This year, our oldest is attending a local Waldorf Methods school. We love it. Their philosophies and the things they do are a lot like what we do at home. I'm not big on pushing academics hard core. I'm all about teaching to the whole child and doing a lot of things with hands on experience rather than using text books. Last summer we decided that the Waldorf school would be a good fit for our family, since I was working in the mornings. The only problem was that they didn't have room for Zeke. It's a small school and they only have one class per grade. There was room for Brooklyn, but I've still been homeschooling Zeke this year. It has not been easy. Or necessarily very good. I'm tired when I come home from work (I get up at 3am) and don't give his schooling my best.

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The school offers two years of kindergarten, so Mercy could go this Fall. We've been thinking it would be great if all three school kids attended this next year, leaving just Judah home with me. Mercy is registered and Zeke is now first on the waiting list for his grade. Having some in school and some at home for school is not working very well for us, so we've been saying that if Zeke doesn't get in, we'll keep them all home again next year.

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I miss having them at home. This week Joe is in Colorado with his mom, as she's recovering after breaking her neck a few weeks ago. (She is getting better but has to take it easy for a while. It's a miracle she's not a quadriplegic and we thank God that she's going to be ok!) Since I work in the mornings while he's home, I took the week off too, so I could be here when the kids wake up, give them breakfast, take Brooklyn to school and do all the other morning mommy things that I've been missing.

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I'm loving it. I wish Joe were here too, and I do enjoy my job... but there's nothing like being at home. Yesterday was a non-school day for Brooklyn and today she's sick, so we're just home. And it feels right. I like not rushing off in the morning to take her, or having to wake Judah up from his afternoon nap to go pick her up. (Her school is about 20 minutes away.) We're not relying on my income as much anymore and I'm working to replace my income with my Jenuine Ruby business. So maybe it would be great to keep them all home again.

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There are challenges and blessings with both scenarios. Having three kids in school could give me more opportunity to make things and work on my biz. It would also probably make it easier to be more involved in their classrooms.

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But if they're all home, we can make things together. And have more freedom for day trips and special outings and learning together.

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Both options are good. We just need wisdom to know which one is right for our family right now. So for now I'll be praying about it and making the most of the rest of this school year.

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And I'll keep dreaming about living in a little old school house.

Labels: family, school