living thru a creative "slump"

I lie awake into the wee hours of the night filled with ideas and images of inspiration...

In my head I'm writing blog posts with the creativity, detail, and interest that could rival the peek days of my creative writing talents {back in high school}.

I'm filled with ideas that I would love to paint, sew, design and create for my house and family.

But by day...my abilities to write and create are as dry as the Sahara Desert.

My blank canvases remain blank...

The sewing machine and serger remain covered...

Bins of fabric sit packed away...

Walls are bare...

Blog posts are difficult to write...

Brainstorming produces nothing more than the sound of crickets in my head...

Uploading and "tweaking" pictures seems daunting so it goes undone...

I find myself in a season of "creative dryness".

Have you ever met one of these?  How does one "cope" or get over the "wall"?

So There's This Boy... {life with a 2 year old boy}

Having three little {"precocious" as our pediatrician calls them} girls never could have prepared me or even given me an inkling for what life with a little two year old boy would be like.

So there's this boy, who stole my heart, he calls me...

MA!
Mom...
Mom...
Muh-muh...
Mommy...
Ma...
Ma...
Ma...
Momma...
Maaa-ma...

OK, Maybe it's less of him calling me and more shouting at me...

Rarely does any information or need follow the calling or request for "mom's" attention.

Over and over and over it goes.  It reminds me of that Stewie character clip that too many men I know find funny {the one I find ridiculously annoying}.

Typically people are flattered by the sound of their own name {since having kids "mom" is the name I am most commonly referred to}, but there is something about hearing "mom" and it's variations repeatedly over and over that isn't so flattering sometimes.  On occasion it has me thinking I might change my name {or that which I'm referred to} and not tell anyone what that new name is.

The truth is: quite often {especially when this happens in the car} what I really want to do is yell "WHAT!?"

What I actually do is: smile {sometimes shake my head} and savor the sound of that sweet little voice calling for his "mommy".  I am so grateful for every moment I have with this precious little boy {despite this thunder cloud that seemed to appear since he turned 2}.

My Top 5 Blog Posts.

I know I'm not a professional blogger or even considered "good" when it comes to blogging...I'm a totally sporadic blogger who had visions and ideas of this blog that just didn't manifest how I thought they would {no biggie}.

Regardless...I still enjoy checking my "stats" once in a blue moon and am totally surprised by the amount of views and visits that this little idea of a blog has gotten.

What really makes me chuckle though is what by "stat" numbers {post views, comments, Pinned projects, etc} are considered my best/most popular posts...wouldn't you know they are all the ones that I put little to hardly any effort into, or they didn't cost hardly a handful of loose change to produce!

Here's the rundown of my top projects...

no. 5
F-U-N Addressing Cards...  If I had a dollar for each notification I receive when this little things gets "Pinned", momma would be sporting a nice new pair {or 2 or 3} of Frye boots this fall.


no. 4
Fire Cracker Hair Bows... really they were a last minute "whip up", but apparently have been a hit.


no. 3
Mod Podge Fun {Pretty Little Notebooks}... practically free to make {they are pretty cute if I do say so myself}.


no. 2
Z-Gallerie Inspired Eye Chart Artwork... seriously a few minutes on the computer.


and...

no 1.
Made Fall Fashion {Girls Boot Socks}... made from the scraps of a sweater and a few buttons on hand - they were pretty cute {maybe it's the chubby knees I love}.


A big "THANK YOU" to you who have featured, Pinned, and shared these posts!  Have a great week!

"The Wet Brush" ... total gimmick or totally amazing?

The Wet Brush...

Have you heard of this?  I had heard about it a while ago from a hairstylist who was trying to sell me one, but with a basket full of combs and brushes already, I politely declined.

A couple of days ago I was given one of these brushes from my mother who said to give it a try.

Upon removing the brush from the package and inspecting it, my honest opinion was that it looked and felt like a hair brush from the Dollar Tree but with a $13 price tag.



















After washing my hair I decided to give the brush a try.

In my brain I was already thinking about the words I was going to use to tell my mom she totally got ripped off with this silly brush...

But after 4 quick swoops through my full head of long hair I was ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY!!!

This wet brush is amazing!!!  It went right through my wet hair...no tugging, no breaking, no struggle at all!  I couldn't believe it.

The true test would be through my son's crazy "Lionel Richie" like hair... and again, it AMAZED me!!!  After naps his hair looks like someone attempted dread locks on the back of his head - it usually takes A LOT of detangler, conditioner, and brushing to get through the mess.  The Wet Brush went through so quickly and easily ... and there was no screaming or flinching from the little guy.

Rarely do I "ooh" and "ahh" over a product {outside of my skincare products}, but I simply couldn't hold this one in.  I'm totally impressed.

I totally feel like a cheesy "Info-mercial", but this thing is great!

Dear Target {please don't ruin my sanctuary}

Target rocks!  Right?

{Well, I do have an on-going "bone to pick with them" in regards to their infant/toddler boy clothing selection...or lack their of, and definite lack of anything cute for boys...but that's another post}.

So... for me...Target is Mommy Disney World!  That's how I felt until tonight anyway...

I had an experience tonight that made me want to run far, far away to a Walmart store.  It stuck with me so bad that I'm tempted to write a letter and it will go a little something like this...

Dear Target...

Let me start by saying I Love Target {most of the time anyway}!  I am a mother of four with frequent needs that require shopping at Target.  It is a marvelous store.  Target to a mother is as Disney World is to a child.

Target is my go-to "sanctuary" when I am able to get away for an hour or two away from the kids.  I love spending my time shopping in peace and quiet, wandering aimlessly, loading my cart with "stuff" that I {not my children} am choosing to purchase.

Tonight, however, my Target "sanctuary" was destroyed when I visited my local Target Store only to experience the obnoxious noise of music blaring throughout the store.  Not calming, wordless music, but the same overplayed "pop" crap music you hear on the radio or cranked in a teen-y bopper store in the mall.  

My question is WHY???  Why is the music necessary?  STOP THE MADNESS!!!  I'm not even going to get into the lyrics that I don't particularly care for my children to hear {they weren't explicit but they weren't exactly "kid" appropriate either}.  I worked in retail for a number of years and I've heard the whole "music makes people purchase more" theory.  Target is not a store that needs to play that game.  I have no problem dropping money at Target - it does not take loud music to make me buy more.  In fact this evening I spent considerably less than I typically do during a Target shopping trip because I couldn't get out of the store quick enough!

My plea is PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop the music!!!  I beg of you not to implement it in other stores. 

Please don't force me to find a new "sanctuary" for my "mommy time".  

Perhaps this music "annoyance" to me is just a "test store" thing.  Maybe I am over-reacting to the {overplayed pop} music?

Would you prefer Target stores played music?