Remember my post on encouraging participation in Small Business Saturday last week? I wanted to follow up and report.

After Thanksgiving Thursday, we had the unexpected treat of getting to leave Noah with his grandparents and aunts/uncle on Friday and Saturday when they invited him to linger and have an extended sleepover with them. So this ended up giving us a lot more freedom on Saturday to check out some small businesses to do a little Christmas shopping, just Lucy in tow. Joe was happy to tag along as well, and we made a morning of it.

Our first stop was actually to a shop I had wanted to feature, but didn't know the exact name of yet--- a brand-new fabric/sewing/amazing shop in Webster Groves called the Fabric Nosherie. For all your sewing types here in St. Louis, this is a MUST-SEE new shop. Lots of inspirations, great samples, gorgeous fabric, and a totally hip atmosphere. Our goal-- to let Joe get a gift card for part of my Christmas present. What better day than Small Business Saturday, right?

Happily, the Fabric Nosherie is just two doors down from Red Lead Paperworks, the first biz I featured the other day. We stopped in there as well, and I got a shadowbox thingy I've been needing for a couple of months now. Hooray! Another Small Business purchase!

We stopped by Oh Lolli Lolli to get some candy gifts.... And then we checked out another relatively new candy shop in STL that I didn't feature the other day, Miss M's Candy (reviewed here by the Riverfront Times).

 

In all my small biz journeyings, I ended up picking up one goodie that I decided I needed to offer up on here as a giveaway--- just my last HURRAH in support of Small Business Saturday. Miss M's candy shop was having a great deal on M&M merchandise, and I picked up a cute little pink T-shirt and some candy to offer up to one lucky reader:

The t-shirt is a women's large, in a "girl cut" (so a trim fit)... It is light pink and has printing only on the front. Also included in this gift bag is a 12 oz bag of holiday M&Ms, because who DOESN'T love M&Ms?!!

To enter to win, all you have to do is leave a blog comment by Friday at noon (CST), and I'll pick a winner at random. 

Easy, right?

At the very least, even if this isn't YOUR style of gifty, there might be SOMEONE on your gift list who would enjoy these stocking stuffers! And hey--- it all goes back to supporting local-run businesses. And I love that! 

*

Okay.... So the sun came out today, and the whole mood of the day was markedly improved because of it. I am out of yesterday's funk and GETTING STUFF DONE! Next up, now that blogging is complete, is to begin pondering a Christmas card design.

(Oh how I LOVE synchronized nap times! I hope these two kiddos continue to do this for me for many months to come. Ah!!)

Quick, A Big Fat WHINE.

Ten minutes to let this annoyed, yucky mood bleed out onto the page, then THAT'S IT. Move on. And GO:

3:27

It's getting to that point again, where all the little clutters are piling up enough to begin to encroach onto my healthy attitude. Little piles of STUFF, things undone, things not in their place.... It grows a little at a time til it reaches that breaking point where I CAN NO LONGER TOLERATE IT. Except, inevitably, the clutter crap breakdown happens right at the same time as a REALLY PISSY MOOD, which tend to de-motivate.... Add to that a series of REALLY GLOOMY DAYS, grey and crappy outside, and really, what else can you expect? 

No WAY this dilemma will solve itself while the mood is sour and the weather is gross. 

So. I just circle through the same routes in my house.... kitchen to dining room to entry to living room...

Living room to stairs to bedroom... bedroom to bathroom.... Kids' rooms to stairs to dining room and back to kitchen....

Passing the SAME CRAP that need to get done:

toys that need to be sorted and put away/things borrowed that need to be returned/mail that needs to be filed/leftover birthday party stuff that needs to be put away/guest bedding that needs washing/a floor needs sweeping/mopping/a dirty bathroom/laundry both clean and dirty in piles/clutter clutter clutter *SCREAM*

The computer is sloggy and slow. The laptop is a craptop. The baby needs new baby food made. My LORD when will that kitchen floor get swept/mopped??? 

Too much... suddenly and overwhelmingly TOO MUCH and the grey day and my grey mood are threatening to DROWN ME IN THIS PILE OF FRUSTRATION. 

Whine whine whine. 

Up until this very moment, this Breaking Point Day, it's been going amazingly well. A good rhythm, things getting done, a GREAT attitude.... But a slump was bound to happen, and it is happening now, and it is spiraling fast and I am HAVING A MELTDOWN. Silently, of course, so as to not to wake the children, who, THANK GOODNESS, still take naps. 

I need..................Help? Time? babysitting? Probably... 

But mostly, I probably just need a big fat movie slap across the face to snap me outta the spiral, and a BIG FAT ATTITUDE TWEAK back to the good place I was in just yesterday. 

3:37. 

That's all the time I am allowing this Big Fat Whine. 

Back to life. 

(Gonna effing go sit and read book 4 of Twilight for a minute before I get back to work chipping away at this messy house. Blah. Wah. So THERE.)

Lessons Learned + Cute Handmade Baby Boots

Lessons Learned From Our First Attempt At Walking to Preschool

1. We need to leave the house earlier than I planned... And I thought I planned enough. The idea is to walk one mile to the school, drop off Noah, then walk one mile back. But we live two miles away... So driving and parking at our start point is necessary. With all the loading, unloading, setting up stroller, bundling up kiddos, etc., I need AT LEAST 10 more minutes added to our start time.

2. There will NOT be good parking on Skinker or Waterman where I need it... I'll try Lindell next.

3. Walking in 35-degree temps WILL be okay. Lucy was happy as a clam, and I still broke a sweat.

4. I should probably wear a hat or ear-warmers on those days.

5. I need to stretch a bit beforehand... I was running late, so I was rushing more than usual, and I could feel it in my shins.

6. Lucy's fleece boots will be warm enough, and adding babylegs as another layer worked PERFECTLY.

7. I will have to DAILY talk myself out of a hot cocoa from the coffeeshop we walk past. Or else this could get expensive.

8. This is really gonna work. I know it. And it felt GREAT, even being so late.

The thing is.... I REALLY really want to make this kind of thing so common in our days that it becomes intuitive... no longer a "SHOULD DO", but something we just DO. Walking a couple of miles a day, every day. Even when it isn't preschool day. I'm getting better at just getting out the door and GOING, but I am still a long way off from it being an innate part of my day. But I'm working on it. Perhaps if I can do this preschool walk regularly enough throughout the winter, I can even talk myself into walking the FULL distance (4 miles roundtrip) come springtime.

*

And let's talk about those boots, shall we? Remember Lucy's Gnome photos? And her pointy red boots?

Well, they were based off of a new pattern designed by my friend Jaime Young, of the Sew She Sews blog and Etsy shop Baubles and Bits.

 

When she was perfecting this pattern, I got to be one of her pattern testers, and quickly got HOOKED on these girly, over-the-top fashionista boots.

My first set attempted was this pair:

The aqua fabric is a favorite pattern from Lucy's nursery set, they yellow fabric is from Noah's sunshine quilt, and the grey is wool felt. They are also lined in soft grey fleece.

They are SO CUTE... but they don't match very many of Lucy's outfits. So when family pictures rolled around, I decided to whip up a second pair, this time in a more understated color scheme that might match more things:

This time, the entire outer shell is the soft grey fleece, and I used navy polka dot cotton on the lining to stabilize the fleece. These are showing more wear and tear already, because fleece is more prone to pilling than wool felt... but I simply didn't have enough grey felt on hand when I wanted to make these. And even though they're going to look shabbier sooner, I still LOVE them.

Lastly, when making Lucy's costume, I decided she needed ONE MORE set of these boots... this time with a couple of modifications that would make the toe curl.

These are done ENTIRELY in fleece, since they were really just for SHOW and not for everyday use. They ended up being the perfect finale to her gnome costume, and hey-- I can even probably reuse them for some kind of ELF costume for LuLu this coming Christmas season!

And I know I might be nuts, but I still have at least two other pairs in my head I want to make her for the rest of winter. I'm thinking of a brown corduroy with a delicate pink calico ruffle.... Or maybe some hunter's plaid? The possibilities are endless!!

So, there ya go--- handmade boots for my baby, all based on this FABULOUS pattern by Jaime:

Click the photo to go to her Etsy shop and BUY the pattern for yourself! (Or if you're lucky, her shop might have a pair or two of already-made boots you can just buy!)

*

Okay.... It's a new week. I have grocery shopping, bank deposits, work orders, and a million other things haunting my to-do list. What's on your agenda this week??

Noah's Bedroom...

We got home from Columbia, MO, still full from Thanksgiving dinner, on Friday mid-morning. We brought Lucy and all our stuff back with us, but left the newly-4-year old behind to get some extra quality time with his grandparents and aunts/uncle.

It's always a treat to have only one kiddo instead of the usual two.... but inevitably, there is also that hollow place--- that MISSING--- that comes with the absence. Noah, simply put, is the color in our days. We love that stinker.

When he was gone from us the last time, back in August, I took some time to get his room reorganized and decluttered, and then took some photos. His room is not the dream room I'd have for him if we owned our own house and had more resources... But for the space we're in, I like what we've done to make his room his very own. It has a good feeling in there.

For fun, here is a little tour of Noah's Room:

* Vintage alphabet poster is a Cavallini Paper print from the Blick art store. So is the map one below.

* The rocking airplane was a thrift find from a friend of my mom's, which I staked a claim on as soon as I saw it.

* The rocking chair was my first Mother's Day gift from Joe back in 2007, from Cracker Barrel. The seat cover was made by my mom for Noah's nursery set.

* the letter "N" is from Anthropologie

* the toy airplane is from World Market

* yes, that's our Internet router. Pretty, right?

* Noah's wee little toddler bed, with the blanket/sham designed and made by me.

* the green shag rug is from Urban Outfitters

* The growth chart was a gift from my sweet friend Melanie. Noah is currently 42".

* The potty chart on his wardrobe..... didn't work for motivation AT ALL.

 * A "catch-all" toy basket, with sock monsters made by his daddy, Joe.

* The top of his wardrobe, also a "catch-all" area...

* The vintage school desk was bought, already painted, from The White Rabbit here in St. Louis.

* The trumpet was a beaten-up one my Mom gave Noah to play with. It is often a "rocket ship" in our world.

 

And the last view.... a room that sits and waits for its too-loud, too-busy occupant to come back and fill it again...

Even though it is FAR messier when Noah is home, I'd not have it any other way. 

*

I hope you all had some down time this weekend... time with loved ones... good food... 

Because I don't know about you, but it felt like the last oasis of calm before a mad mad mad mad mad month ahead. Mad in all the right ways, but crazy nonetheless. 

I hope I can keep my center among all the things to do in December. I will be trying as hard as I can to do so, so that all the good stuff is even better because I am present and mindful. Here's hoping!

Til then.... Thanks for sharing my little room tour tonight. I'll be back with some Noah birthday party photos in a day or two . Promise!

Small Business Saturday: St. Louis Fun

I've been catching up on a few television shows as I've been sewing for Noah's birthday. And a set of commercials has been making me take notice in the recent weeks as we get closer to this famous post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend. I'm talking about the ads for Small Business Saturday. Have you seen them? 

It's sponsored by American Express, and is basically this--- After shopping (or instead of shopping) the Big Stores on Black Friday, and considering a few online purchases on Cyber Monday..... why not go purchase at least ONE of your holiday gifts at a small, locally-owned, "Mom and Pop" shop? A Small Business?

I. LOVE. This. Idea.

Not only because it has the potential to take us AWAY from the crazy madness of Black Friday and the insanity of stores opening on THANKSGIVING NIGHT now (Can't we just be with out FAMILIES for TWENTY-FOUR HOURS without the lure of commercialization??), but it is a way to generate some buzz about our own towns and the folks who are trying to make a living with their locally-owned shops. It's a way to boost the economy in a local way. And it's an opportunity to think outside the box when it comes to gift-giving for people you love.

And as a small business owner myself, I simply love the chance to shout about other small businesses, in support of the work that goes into this kind of endeavor.

(Forbes.com has a great little article discussing five benefits to shopping on Small Business Saturday. Read it HERE.)

In the spirit of this event, I want to share a few of my current favorite St. Louis Small Businesses. I haven't talked to any of these shop owners, and am not a paid promoter for them... This truly is just a list of great shops I've loved in the last year and would LOVE to share with other locals.

In a perfect world, actually, I'd have planned ahead for a post like this and gone to the stores to take photos of my own to post. Instead, since I just hatched this idea yesterday, I scrounged the web for the photos I used (with the exception of my friend Kyle representin' Ruth's Vintage Clothing). In that perfect world, I'd have approached the owners of these shops to tell them I wanted to blog about them. I'd have maybe even worked out some kind of fun giveaway. But really.... I'm doing good just to get a blog post up these days, so cut me some slack. Maybe NEXT year I can get my act together and do this kind of post the RIGHT way!!

Anyway. On to my list.
(*note: I have NO idea if any of the following are actively participating in the American Express incentive push for this day... I just love these shops.)

First up:

1. Red Lead Paperworks 
 (in the historic section of Webster Groves)

This shop is HEAVEN to anyone passionate about altered art, collage work, scrapbooking-- any kind of paper art. It has trinkets and doodads to make gorgeous shadowboxes, ATC's, buntings, jewelry, and on and on. The shop also designs a whole line of rubber stamps (like the sample in the photo) and is basically a must-stop shop if you have any bit of "artist" in you at all. It is such a cute little shop, and SO much fun! (Thank you, Genny, for introducing me to this store!!)

2. My Daddy's Cheesecake
(located on Clayton road in Clayton)
 

Guys. My Daddy's Cheesecake is my FAVORITE place for lunch right now. I mean, YES, they have CHEESECAKES. Like, a MILLION of them. And they're good cheesecakes. But I actually find myself there (far too often) for the sandwiches, the soups, and the CUPCAKES. Oh goodness. They have begun making the large size of cupcakes to add to their vast dessert selection, and next to the Cupcakery, they are the BEST cupcakes in town. They have Jilly's BEAT, I swear it. And reasonably priced at $3.25ish.

Not only that, but they serve an amazing breakfast... Quick-style (muffins/coffee) or sit-down (omelets/waffles)...And EVERYTHING I have had at this place is so good. Please make a lunch date here ASAP and save room for dessert!!

3. Oh Lolli Lolli 

(On DeMun Ave. in Clayton)

 

(a great local blogger wrote about it HERE, and took photos! Someday, I'll be on the ball and have photos of my own....) 
This is a DARLING little candy shop--- like the ones you see in movies that make you want to be a kid again. Truly--- walls lined with colorful candy in tubs, gourmet chocolate candy, old fashioned candy, nostalgic candy.... Oh--- just go read that other blogger's post. She did it the RIGHT way. I really wanted to do this shop justice with PHOTOS and such... but I'll let that other blogger take the lead this year.

4. Christopher's Gifts
(in downtown Kirkwood, near a super-cute Christmas tree lot)

I happened upon this shop last holiday season when I was shooting a family session in Kirkwood. It has the most inviting window displays, chock-FULL of goodies you just have to go in to explore. This is the kind of store you want to browse EVERY corner, and treasure hunt (it seems to be mostly housewares, gifty items, holiday decor, bath and body products, and other "chick stuff"). I loved the bright colorful atmosphere, the array of merchandise, and the store staff was SO kind. This is the kind of shop I'd want to take my mom to, just to show each other the cute stuff we're seeing around every corner.

5. Lagoona Magoo Toy Store
(located in the Mills Mall in North County)

I WANT THAT ROBOT MATRUSHKA!

This is the BEST toy store in St. Louis. It has ALL the good stuff by Melissa and Doug, lots of the "fancy toys" that are pricey but extra cute.... Some clever things you can't find at the Big Box stores... a great puppet array.... And it is STUFFED with fun. This is one of three stores in the bi-state area, and they have worked to maintain a REALLY GOOD website storefront, too... so those of you who are NOT local can get all the good stuff from there by shopping online. (Click the link above). But if you ARE in town, this is a MUST-SEE place to shop for the kiddos in your life. I guarantee you'll find something amazing there! (x 100).

6. Rue Lafayette
(located in Lafayette Square)

This place is DARLING--- a coffeeshop, yes (and an excellent one at that), but also a boutique with an always shifting supply of treasures to check out.... Antiques side-by-side with jewelry and accessories... stationary... gift items... Just CUTE and all with a Euro flair. I insist you go, just to get a REAL pain au chocolate (French chocolate croissant). In the summer, they let you take darling toy boats across the street to the pond in Lafayette Park... so you can pretend you're from the 1890's as you sail your wooden toy boats along. TOO CUTE. (Thanks, Erin, for introducing me to this place!)

7. Ruth's Vintage Clothing
(located on Antique Row on Cherokee)

(Hi, Kyle! Remember this? You were such a babyface cutie. Still are!)

This unassuming little vintage shop has some of the BEST prices and is so much fun to dig through for real vintage clothing treasures. I have bought hats, fur coats, fabric, old sewing patterns, jewelry, embroidered cardigans, and much more at this shop, and have ALWAYS felt like I got the best deal in  town. It isn't flashy.... but it is SOLID, and the goods are REAL and fun to look through. It's down the street from several other fabulous shops and a great coffeeshop (Mississippi Mudhouse?) that really should be on my blog post today... But alas, no more time, so no more small businesses to talk about for now.

But.

Seven suggestions are MORE than enough. Please--- I IMPLORE YOU. If you are in St. Louis, go check out one or more of these places... even better if you do it this Saturday!

And if you are NOT in St. Louis. Well. First of all, come visit me! I'll take you to every last one of these spots myself!

Second of all, you can STILL get out and go give your money to a small business near YOU. Even one transaction this coming Saturday will do a lot to support the ideals behind this new idea. And it is an idea I really REALLY love.

Happy Thanksgiving week to you all---- I am gonna dive back into work now, so that I can feel free and clear for the actual holiday.

Peace out. 

How To Introduce a Lovey into Your Baby's Life:

This little girl has a true love. An unconditional love. One that I have hoped for her to have since before she was born.

I'm talking, of course, about.....

Her Bunny Bunny.

It was a slow-building relationship--- I didn't even introduce the two of them until Lucy was nearly 3 months old--- but since then, it has grown into a love without end.

Bunny Bunny stays in her crib, and waits for her to come snuggle for naps and bedtime. When Lucy gets put in her crib, I ask her, using the ASL sign for "bunny", "Where's your Bunny Bunny?" She gets a huge smile on her face, sometimes even squawks a little, and starts to laugh a little, quivering with anticipation. I ask her again, and get her REALLY riled up... and when I finally hold her Bunny Bunny in front of her eyes, she lunges for it, hugs it with both hands, immediately brings it to her mouth, bites on Bunny's head, and keeps a massive grin on her face the whole time.

True love.♥

And now, a recipe of sorts. 

Remember Noah's "Mai"? 

His love affair with Mai is still going strong, and Noah is nearly 4 years old. 

After two raging successes at getting my babies to love their Loveys, I thought I might share my How To Introduce a Lovey to Your Baby. I don't have more than these two success stories, so this isn't FOOLPROOF, but hey--- if you are wanting your little one to have an attachment object, it can't hurt to at least TRY these tips, right? 

How To Introduce a Lovey to Your Baby

1. Choose the object you want to introduce to your baby. This could be a animal blanket like Bunny Bunny or Mai, or could be a simple blankie, or another stuffed animal. If you are smart, you'll buy TWO or THREE of this chosen item RIGHT AWAY. Tuck the spares away somewhere in case of emergency. (We've had an emergency twice now, and thank GOODNESS for our spares!)

2. When you get home from the hospital, start sleeping with this lovey. It is good to get this item smelling like mama!

3. When your little one is ready to transition to their own crib (away from bassinet/pack-n-play, or co-sleeping) or around 3 months, begin making the lovey part of their sleep routine. 

3a. If you don't know already, creating a pre-sleep routine is so good for your baby, even without a lovey. Doing the same set of 3-6 simple things every time it is sleep time helps you baby learn the cues that tell her it is time to settle and sleep. Try it! Lucy's nap routine is, 

a. Stand at the window and say "night night" to the trees, leaves, cars, houses, sky... whatever we see.

b. Turn on a space heater

c. turn on a rain machine

d. get snuggled into a sleep sack

e. get Bunny Bunny

f. rock and sing two songs

g. bedtime

4. From the time you begin giving your baby the lovey, make it special-- different from the other blankets and animals in their life. 

5. Give it a name. (Noah's Mai was called "Lamby" by us... it just came out that way. When Noah began to speak, he altered "Lamby" to "My-lam-a-lam-a-lam-a", which eventually got shortened to "Mai". Ta da!) 

6. For the most part, only give it to them at sleep time. (Eventually, you might let this lovely go with them around the house when they are toddlers, but as infants, just help them associate it with SLEEP for now.)(It also is a wonderful thing when you go on long car trips where you want baby to nap--- once they associate their lovey with sleep, seeing the lovey in a car scenario helps them realize that sleep happens int he car, too, and helps them settle.)

6a. Exception: When you feed baby in their room, tuck the lovey into their arm while you feed them. Help them begin to associate the feel of their lovey with the nurturing emotions surrounding eating, especially if the feeding is in their sleep room. 

6b. Exception: When your baby cries and needs comfort, if the lovey is handy, grab it and make it part of your comforting ritual. Rocking baby, walking and shushing, etc.--- tuck the lovey into their arm as you do it. Have the lovey talk to the baby in calm tones, maybe even use it to wipe tears. 

7. Use the lovey's name all the time. Talk for it, or use your "baby talk voice" to make the experience stand out from normal conversation. (I coo to Lucy, "Where's your Bunny Bunny? Oh, there she is! Hi, Bunny Bunny! Give kisses to Bunny Bunny!", etc. Lucy EATS IT UP.)

8. BE CONSISTENT!

Honestly, that's all I got. That's all I've done.... with both my babies. And they are both completely in LOVE. By the time Noah was 1 year old, he truly was attached. Lucy is now only 7 months, so I know if I took Bunny away and she never saw it again, she'd live.... but watching her with it, I KNOW she is on the path to the same kind of commitment Noah has for his Mai. 

I will say this--- if your baby is already older than 3-4 months, this might not work for you. I honestly don't know. By 6-7 months, your baby absolutely already has a mind of their own, and may have started choosing a comfort item of their own (Or have decided they don't need one). It is very likely if your baby is a binky baby, that the BINK is their lovey and no fabric item will substitute for them. Given a choice between a lovey and a binky, by 6 months, your binky baby will probably choose the binky every time. Go with it... and maybe get one of those binky pals (the stuffed animals that attach to the binky to keep it handy). Maybe the binky pal will be the Vice President lovey. :)

Anyhoo.... Maybe someone can benefit from my Lovey Training. *shrug* Maybe not?

At the very least, it gave me a chance to show photos of Lucy and her True Love.... And they make me smile every time.

*

Guess Who's Sitting Up?

She's a bit wobbly, still, but.... 

 

Yahoo, Lucy! (Seven months old in two days).... 

I love her jammies. I'm afraid this might be the last day for her to wear them--- she'd getting too big for them. 

And guess who wanted to jump in on the photos? 

And guess who, once IN the photos, didn't really cooperate after the first few shots? 

And guess who else decided not to cooperate so well, but in alternating photos from her brother, ensuring that NONE of the shots I took were a clear-cut WINNER? Yeah. You guessed it:

 

Make sure you stick around to see all eight shots. NONE of which have a perfect duo. She'll be great in one, then he'll be great in one....Ah well. This is my real life. And they're cute, even when they're not "picture perfect". 

Happy Thursday, all! Off to go make the most of Lucy's morning nap (since she's been boycotting her afternoon nap after 30 minutes of sleep). I'm gonna go sew stuff for Noah's party, and MAYBE get a shower today.

PEE-YEW.

Ten Minutes: Freewrite. Go.

 

7:46. Yesterday, this would've been 8:46, and darker, later.... But Daylight Savings strikes again, and we are now beginning the season of early darkness. I'm really not a fan. Especially as a photographer. Right when DST happens, life cranks into high gear (Noah's birthday, Thanksgiving, holiday gifts being made, Christmas) and suddenly, not only is there not enough TIME to shoot the session inquiries pouring in, there's not enough LIGHT. Before DST, I might be able to convince a family to have their session at 4:00pm on a weeknight-- have dad come home a bit early from work, meet me at a cool location... But after DST, there's NO way weeknights work anymore. It's really tough! And the weekends are all suddenly full with my own life--- the life I WANT to be living and DESERVE. So I keep those days sacred--- Noah's birthday.... Thanksgiving... 

Add to that, I don't work (shoot) on Sundays--- it is just one of the tenets of our faith I adhere to--- and suddenly.... I'm just out of time. 

In some ways, that's a blessing in disguise: I simply CAN'T fit it all in, so I don't. And I concentrate on the other things that my life is calling for me to be doing. But it is also a little bit of a curse: because I feel like I really NEED to fit clients in, so I am finagling my schedule to the most microscopic fragments of possible shooting time, SQUEEEEEEEZING in one more mini session (because somehow, a mini is more possible in my life than a full).... And when I can't, simply CAN'T find a workable window for the client asking, then comes guilt. Deserved or not. 

Anyway. Thanks a LOT, Daylight Savings Time. 

Meanwhile, the other lists of things I yearn to be doing linger and I try not to add to them.... I am waiting for the easing up of work requirements so I can once again sit in front of the sewing machine and make fun things... Watch movies while I sew. Get these fun Christmas gifts I have in mind started... 

And my own personal photos to edit...

And projects around the home...

And decluttering and ordering...

Oh, the curse of this mind of mine and it's endless industrious set of lists. The creative urge and its insatiable hunger. 

Ah well. 

7:55. One more minute. Then proofreading. Finding a random photo to add to the post.

Then some Lightroom work to begin. While watching Netflix. 

This is life. I embrace it. I won't wait for something better--- this is IT. And it's pretty good. Even with the lists.