I know, I'm horrible

I promised I'd keep writing about all the fun things, but really I have good reason. Lol

We've found a house! It's actually a townhouse (no we're not buying, just renting) and it's perfect. There's enough room, and a basement, that I'll have my own studio area to spread out and work. If you ever looked back at the very beginning, you'll see my "office" is actually the corner of my dining room with little to no working room. My dining table is the stamping, coloring/polishing, and packaging table. That meant I had to get everything out, put it all away and do it all over again for each phase of creating. Very aggravating.

So now, I'll get things done quicker, make packaging look prettier and get to stamp when Noah sleeps, balancing out my time with him and work.

I'm SO happy and scared and excited and freaking out. Haha.

I can't wait to show off some photos of the new area in about two weeks!

What's new?

Certainly not my inability to not stamp. haha

I've been keeping a secret from you all. For the last several months, I've been working with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to come up with some absolutely awesome items for them! Right now, there are some adorable key chains sitting in a gift shop out there. Hopefully I can go see them one day. Lol.

There are two discs that are different sized. They can be either a key chain or necklace and are absolutely adorable!

They're all available for purchase and have a donation going straight to the center to help rehabilitate and release injured turtles that have been brought in. If you don't want to make a purchase you can always make a donation straight to the center. Either way, your help is greatly appreciated!

I've also worked on a couple special pieces for October that I need to put in the shop. Along with being Breast Cancer Awareness Month it is also Pregnancy And Infant Loss Awareness Month

FOOD!!!

To follow my previous post, I'm going to start getting more into food. I don't want the blog to just sit here over the next month while I'm make some yummy food on a stamping break, so why not make some yummy food along the way?

My first goal is to conquer mini donuts

I'm always on a mission to find new, healthy, ways for Noah to have snacks. He's always open to eating his fruits and veggies, but I worry they bore him. That's why I'm finding fun ways that he can help out too!

First off, I need to get a pan. I thought of getting the electric version.

Second, I need to find a good recipe.....or five.

Here are some I've located so far:

Healthy Baked Donuts
Apple Cider Doughnuts
Baked Banana Doughnuts
Mini Cake Donuts
Vegan Cake Donuts
Deceptively Delicious Donuts
Strawberry and Glazed Doughnuts

I'll take photos and note how each turned out for those who'd like to give these a try too. My absolute favorite thing about fall is the Apple Cider Donuts that come out at our Farmers Market. They're fried though, and $4 for 6 of them makes me want to find a new way so I can save that $4 a week and put it to a healthy option!

Check back for some yummy looking photos.

Not stamping, but still awesome

Tomorrow marks the day the items come out!

I decided two nights ago I wanted to make cookiewiches. So, when we went to the store yesterday, I got the necessary ingredients (chocolate chips and frosting).

Now, I will admit that the first batch was bad, mainly because I looked at the wrong side of the bag and followed the recipe for making shortbread.....I didn't know that until after I put the "cookies" in the oven. So I took them out and flattened them. They're hard, but they're WONDERFUL dipped in coffee.

I attempted to put them together for the sandwich

After that wonderful mix-up, Noah helped me make the right recipe!

The actual cookies one came out wonderfully and the neighbor kids loved them. Especially the frosting ;-)

I put them into the cookie container we had gotten some other cookies in and they all fit! so they'll stay fresh.

I'm also looking into healthy recipes for donuts and whoopie pies! You can look forward to some yummy posts from me on my stamping break!

It's been two weeks

And what a two weeks they've been!

Went on a family vacation to San Antonio TX, from Topeka KS, so it took a good chunk of time. I've also been working on staying caught up on all orders that come in so no one has to wait or worry that they wont be out on time when the shop closes up a bit next week.

Here are some fun pics I took

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

On that September day?

That was the first song I heard about 9/11. I listened to it on the one year anniversary on my way to 8th grade and broke down crying in the car.

One year earlier I had no clue what the World Trade Centers were and I had no idea how something could impact us so much. Sure I learned about wars and bombs and terrorists in school, but that was history. That wasn't here in the US. That was somewhere far away in a place I probably couldn't point out on a map.

Fast forward 5 years. Mere weeks after my 17th birthday and I have my pretty permission slip to join the National Guard. I was going to make a difference. I was going to help people, defend our country and look awesome doing it. Go two years further and that got taken away by a medical discharge.

Now here I am, an Army wife preparing to move to the nations capital and see the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I know now that there's more to this country than some names I don't know making rules I'll never learn. I know that your reaction and instinct will tell millions of people exactly the type of person you are. I know that the next 20 years of my life, of my families life, will be centered around something greater than we are. The military, not just one branch, and the force behind America (law enforcement and first responders) are what make me love this country. We have our faults, that's for sure, but we have our qualities that make me know I'd never want to live anywhere else.

9/11/01

I was walking into my history class. Everyone was running and yelling and it was equally quiet. I heard someone say New York, another say "trade center" and a few begging to call their families. As I walked in my class the TV was on, which never happened, and I saw two buildings. One was covered with smoke and I saw what I assumed was New York in the background. I tried asking what was happening, but it was chaos. As I looked to my teacher for an answer, I saw it. Fear. Sadness. Pain. I knew right then that something was very wrong. My teacher, the one who could scare Freddy Krueger, was tearing up.

That's when it happened again. The second plane hit. We all watched it and saw the flames. No one knew what to do or what to say. It was silent. The entire school was. A short time later things started changing. I dont know how much time passed or really what happened first, but I know there was another plane and then more chaos. They showed the towers again and you could see what you knew wasn't debris falling. They panned in. It was people. Jumping? Falling? Who knows. That's when they turned them off. Everything, the television, the radios, the computers. All off. After that we went to the gym. I don't know what was said or if I even understood or listened, but no one talked after that.

Today, 9/11, is what changed my life. Maybe not in a drastic way, but it's different. Because of that day, my future will be unsure but known. I'll stamp my jewelry to support spouses and family members and kiss my husband dressed in ACU's goodbye in the morning; and hug and kiss him goodnight before bed. My son, and any future children, will learn a military lifestyle and know the history behind our country.

God bless the men and women in our armed forces, the ones saving lives every day and the spouses and family members who support them.

Two announcements.....

This is very very hard for me to think, let alone type.

September 13-20, orders will not be created or shipped until Sept 21. This small stint will be a much needed break and a chance to regroup and prepare.

Now for the big one......

Oct 1 to Nov 7th or so, the shop will be down.

Completely.

If you wish to have an item, or items, made for you, I will still create and ship, but I must be contacted first. Otherwise, I'll be gone. This month break will be for the move I've been freaking over. It breaks my heart to have to do this, but I need to focus on lil man and getting things prepared to be taken 1200 miles.

Trust me though, I'll hit the ground running when I do come back!