The Truth About Motherhood...

The truth about motherhood... is that only you and your little one will know the whole story...

Only she will see you at your best. Only she will see you laugh hysterically at something no one else would laugh at and, in turn laugh with you, simply because you are both just plain happy. Only she will see you share a bite of everything on your plate, even though she has the exact same thing on her plate. (Because yours is better, of course.) Only she will see you dance around, make ridiculous faces, and act "her age", because it makes her smile. 

Only she will see you at your worst. Only she will see you lose your temper and the tears roll down your cheeks as you hold her and apologize. Only she will hug you back, never saying a word, just silently understanding that you love her to the moon and back.

Only she will wonder why your eyes aren't dry, even when you are laughing. She doesn't yet understand how bittersweet these moments are; how fleeting they are. She'll wonder why you hold her so long before you lay her down to sleep. She wonder why you ask for 1,000 hugs a day and kiss her squishy cheeks every chance you get. She doesn't know that everyday you know that tomorrow, she will be a little bit older, a little more independent, and a little bit closer to being a "big girl"... a teenager... an adult. She doesn't know that even though you are holding her hand and cheering her on for every step she takes in that direction, your heart hurts longing for the clock to slow down and make the days and years just a little bit longer.

Only she, because the moments shared with others are the good times and the edited versions of the hard times... you will tell stories of her new words and accomplishments, her silly actions and exciting news. Your family and closest friends may hear a little more, but only she will know it all. Her version is uncut, uncensored, and purely truth. 

Everyday is a new page in her book and for now, you are the author. One day, you will blink, and she will be writing her own story. I look at my daughter and I try everyday to see more smiles than tears. (At 1½, sometimes the wall looks at her the wrong way and her feelings are hurt, but we try. ;) ) There is a tremendous learning curve with parenting and for a while, I asked too many questions, asked for too much advice, from far too many people. Now, I am confident that God made me LJ's mommy because He knew I was made for the job. I make mistakes... and she sees that. BUT, I also make great choices, and she sees that too. We are learning and growing together and I love that.

The truth about motherhood is that there is not a blanket statement, quote, or piece of advice that works for everyone. The truth about motherhood is that every mother is doing their best to do what is best for their kid(s). The truth about motherhood is that we could all write a book and while they would all be completely different, they would all have the same subtitle: I love you kiddo, and we are learning as we go. ♥

Fall Coffee ♥

I want to share with you a quick tip that will make your fall morning coffee that much better!

Have you ever tried sprinkling spices on your coffee grounds? If you haven't, let me tell you, it is the best!

My personal favorites are cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, but you can do cocoa, nutmeg, allspice, or any mixture of those. Now, I like using French Vanilla creamer with any of these, but you can "spice it up" with any selection of seasonal creamer as well!

Cheers, my fellow coffee lovers! ;)

To My Siblings...

I'm sure on your social media reel you've seen a meme or worded photo talking about best friends or true friendships. The list of qualities include "a good listener", "always there", "walks right into your house like they live there", "pick up conversation like no time has past".... Well, I am blessed to have such friends. One who has known me my entire life and two who I have known their entire life. They have seen me at my very, very worst, know all of my secrets, and I can talk to about anything. They aren't very good at keeping secrets, however, for if I tell one, all three will somehow know about it. That's really perfectly okay though -- it's usually because they know one of the others is better suited to talk about whatever it is that's going on. I don't really call them friends though -- they are my brothers and my sister.

We've been through a lot together. We have stories and secrets that no one else knows -- inside jokes that only we find funny. We tell the same stories over and over and over and they are ALWAYS funny! Was it always like that? Absolutely not! I fought with my siblings terribly! When I was probably 8, 9, 10 - 14ish, my big brother was my living nemesis, my baby sister was the most annoying human on the face of the earth, and my little brother had middle-child-syndrome where he made it quite clear that I wasn't the boss of him -- and I was, in a word, bossy, so that annoyed the snot out of me! (Surely this is true of most, if not all "siblinghoods".) Family anecdotes aside, our years growing up together unknowingly crafted a bond that is unbreakable. They are 3 of the greatest people I will ever know. My brothers and my sister are 3 of my most treasured friendships. They are the foundation of who I am and I couldn't be more grateful for them. I would be lying if I told you that we always agree with each other -- we don't. BUT, what makes our friendship stronger than most is that even when we don't agree, we are in each other's corner. We will always stand beside each other proudly or lift the other up, when need be. That's what makes the friendship of siblings different.

As we became adults (the "baby" turned 22 this year and the oldest turning 30 this winter), we spread out across the state, started our own little families, and/or began new journeys. With that, our family grew.
I have, in the past 5 years, gained 3 sisters and in return, my siblings gained another brother. Our village is growing and each person makes it a little stronger. They are the Aunts and Uncles to my little girl and though she doesn't know if yet, they will be her circle of confidence and strength, as they are mine. When she doesn't agree with her Daddy and me (and Heaven knows, she won't always), and she runs to one of them for advice or to rant, they will dry her tears, tell her funny stories about "when we were kids", and remind her that we love her. They will because that's what brothers and sisters do -- that's what Aunt and Uncles do.

I am blessed. Sometimes it slips my mind, but never for long. In my prayers, I count my brothers and sister... sisters some of my greatest blessings!

Fall Fever

Ooooh boy! Does anyone else have it? Are you finding yourself in your kitchen more, sipping hot coffee in comfy sweaters and sweatshirts? Are you closing your eyes and taking deep breaths and smiling every time you walk outside? Are you writing your Christmas gifts-to-buy list, but refusing to acknowledge that Christmas is 10 weeks away? You have it too, huh?

It is my favorite time of the year! It's cool and perfect for outdoor adventuring! Mother nature swaps her canvases and breaks out a fresh palette with rich reds, warm oranges, and golden yellows. She paints stunning trees and sunsets and leaves us in complete awe of her talents. 

I challenge you to pop outside and leave your phone inside. Don't focus on snapping a picture of the leaves to post on FB, IG or SC. Rather, take a moment to breathe deeply, listen silently, and celebrate the beauty of the season. Fall, especially in North Carolina, is brief. Enjoy the day! Happy Fall! Namasté!

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A Great, Big, THANK YOU!

It was nearly a year ago that I literally left my day job to stay home with my daughter and work on my shop. I remember how nervous I was for a number of reasons:

* My husband was not 100% on board with the plan. I can't blame him... there wasn't really any financial security with my decision. (We both still had a mountain of college debt, 2 furkids, and a 7 month old daughter who needed formula, diapers, doctor visits, etc.) This made him nervous and all I could tell him was that I had a "gut feeling" that it would work out. The day he gave me a reluctant, "If this is really what you want to do..." I gave my notice.

* I was afraid of losing my friends. (It's important to point out that I am NOT a baby person and I love to talk.) I was scared to be home all day with LJ. Who would I talk to?  What do babies do all day, everyday? Again, I had a "gut feeling" that it was the right thing to do. In the 5 months that LJ had spent in daycare, she had 5 ear infections, a burst eardrum, hearing loss from the infections, and required tubes. So, I decided that the best decision for her was to toss my selfish worries and stay home with her.

* What if.... what if my shop didn't do well? What if LJ was still sick all the time? What if she hated being with me all day? I cried -- a lot, simply for fear of failing... as a mother, as a wife. I wanted to make things better for my family, not worse and I wasn't sure I could do that.

Well, as it turns out, it was the best decision for our family. LJ has been sick (really sick, not "little colds" sick) 3 times in the 12 months that we've been home. My shop is doing better than I could have ever hoped for, which allows me to contribute more to my family.

As I reflect on the past year, I realize that there are a number of reasons this has worked. For one, I had a number of family and friends in my corner telling me it would work out and "Go for it!" Secondly, all of the fine folks who opted to "shop small" and order gifts and decor from my little shop.

I am so humbled and so grateful for all of the changes in the last year. So, to my friends, family, and customers who have supported me, THANK YOU! You have made my dreams of being a career crafter come true! ♥