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After my previous art doll experience, I felt the need to prove to myself that I could make a doll that wasn’t terrifyingly ugly.  So I bought a few different  patterns with instructions from Etsy and got to work.

I make these three dolls that I really like. They aren’t perfect, but they are not bad for a first try.

I definitely needed to add a bit more stuffing to the face of the rabbit, but she was the first one I made, so mistakes were made. This was also a very difficult pattern for me to follow, as I am not an experienced seamstress.

I made the cat second and created her dress from a vintage quilt I purchased years ago that I never knew quite what to do with.  The mouse was my third attempt and I love the overalls. I eventually made a little tote for each one and included a small handmade notebook inside.

These were for sale and the 2023 Craft Guild Spring Show and I’m happy to say that the cat found a forever home.

Unfortunately I don’t have enough free time right now  to make both journals and handmade dolls, so I really need to concentrate on one over the other.  I did however purchase lots of patterns for when the time comes that I do have more free time to create once the girls are in college.

School seems to start earlier and earlier every year. This year they had to audacity to start today, which is August 10th.  It makes no sense to me, because it is definitely still summer here, with the temperatures reaching 100 plus degrees every day.  No one should have to go back to school when it is still this hot out!

When I was growing up, we got out in May and went back after Labor Day.  Summer really felt like summer, not just some extended break.  If I thought my kids were going to be smarter for having their summer cut short, perhaps I could get on board, but judging from a lot of the kids I’ve met since I’ve become a mom, my generation definitely isn’t dumber for not having gone to school less days a year.

At least we had a good summer this year and a spectacular vacation.  To be honest, most of the times we go out of town, I am ready to come home at least two days before the vacation is over.  Not this time.  The house we rented was amazing and right on South Ponte Vedra Beach.

The beach was public, but felt private and was clean and not crowded at all.  We were able to eat on the deck every day and the ocean views from inside the house were amazing.  At night, I would go out on the third floor balcony just to look at the stars because you could see so many of them.  In the mornings, I enjoyed coffee on the deck, while the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean.

By 11:00, it was time to enjoy mimosas on the deck.

I loved waking up and being able to walk on the beach first thing in the morning. I really miss those walks since we’ve been back home.

 

You can click the link below to watch a short video.

Beach video 1

The girls did a lot of body surfing, some boogie boarding and a lot of digging in the sand.

boogie boarding video

 

Another great thing about where we stayed is that we were just minutes away from St. Augustine, which is a charming city, rich in history and definitely worth a visit.

If only I could have fit him in my suitcase!

I will end with a couple of sunrise photos.  They were stunning and this was definitely the best vacation we’ve had in a long time.  I still find myself wishing that we were still there.  It’s definitely now one of my favorite places in Florida and I want to, not only go back to Ponte Vedra, but also stay in that same beach house!

This was the sunrise on our last day.

We recently returned from a fantastic and much needed beach vacation in Florida.  We were a short drive from St. Augustine, so one afternoon we decided to visit a local cat cafe called Frisky Cat Cafe.  It was so much fun and the matcha latte was great.  Here are some pictures of our some of the beautiful cats they had for adoption.  We wish we could have taken a couple of them home.  It was hard to leave them behind, especially sweet Kaliope and the cute kittens.

 

I’ve lived in Texas all my life, and I remember a time when living here meant that snow was pretty rare.  Things seemed to have changed in the past two years.  Last winter was one that I don’t care to ever repeat.  Temperatures hovered around zero and below for days.  There were power outages, millions in property damage and deaths.  We were fortunate and were spared the worst of it, but it was very, very stressful.

This winter has been milder in comparison, but we have had snow twice already, and even though it’s almost the middle of March, temperatures have fallen once again and snow and a wintery mix are in the forecast.  Spring can’t come soon enough as far as I am concerned.

So here are a few pictures from the winter of 2022, along with a couple of crazy cat picture thrown in as well.  Enjoy!

If you click on the links below, you can view a couple of videos as well.

Snow Day 2022

Jasper in the snow 2022

So I’m sitting here with these two on a Saturday morning, one week into the new world order of sheltering in place.  The house is still quiet, as I am the only one awake yet.

I can’t help but think about what the world is going through right now and how vulnerable we as a society are.  Our lives have been completely upended and we have no idea when we will return to any sense of normalcy.

As I look back, as recently as two weeks ago, but what now seems like a six months ago, I just want to list some of the things I now desperately miss.

• Carpool – my children start online school on Monday and will probably continue this way for the rest of the school year.  The only upside I can see from this is that I no longer have to worry when I drop them off at school if it could be the last time I see them due to a school shooting.  I loved afternoon carpool.  It was a nice break and I got to read for 30 minutes before the madness began.
• Lattes – I am a coffee addict, and much like my favorite foods, my lattes always taste better when someone else makes them.  I don’t go to Starbucks for a number of reasons, but I desperately miss the two independent coffee shops I went to.  One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, I will go to Ascension Annex or Turbo and have a latte again.
• Eating out – I hate to cook.  I’m not good at it, my family complains often about what I make, so eating out was a treat.  That’s gone now, as are so many jobs for restaurant and bar employees.
• Grocery Shopping – I actually use to complain about having to go to the store multiple times a week.  I feel like such a fool now.  If I even dare to go to the store now, I literally feel like I’m taking my life in my own hands, because I probably am.  The store workers don’t have the luxury of staying home and ordering delivery.  They are out there every day and deserve to be paid far more than they get presently.
• Team Practices – Oh how I use to complain about this one.  The multiple practices a week I had to take my child to and sit there for two hours, not to mention the 20 minutes we had between getting home from school and having to leave the house.  If we ever get the chance to be that busy again, I promise I won’t complain about it!
• The Gym – this was one of the few things that kept me sane and now it’s closed indefinitely.  Oh how I loved walking or running on the treadmill while watching HGTV.  What a gift it was to have all that equipment at my disposal.  Now I have to work out at home and it is not going well.
• Running errands – Just being able to run out and get whatever you wanted or needed at a moments notice.  Those days are gone for now.  Stores are closed, shelves are bare and people are without jobs, so I know I have it good, but damn it sucks.
• A healthy 401-K – I don’t even look anymore.  It’s too depressing.
• Wearing makeup – Why bother.  No one really sees me.  At least I still shower and get dressed, but it’s sometimes not before 11:00 am.
• Hugging people – Social distancing sucks even though I am an introvert.
• Being alone – with my husband working from home and my children at home, there is no more alone time, except when I’m sleeping.  At least we all appear healthy for now and still have a roof over our heads.

Take care and stay well!