tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67646150324619921622024-03-13T10:53:37.661-07:00bloemMy Creations * My Inspiration * My JourneySarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-13828090681938205212015-03-04T13:09:00.003-08:002015-03-04T13:09:35.544-08:00New Blog - Paper Love WhimsyHi all!<br />
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Well, I've severely neglected my craft blog, but I have been actively crafting (only recently taking a little break to move out of state).<br />
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Please continue to follow along on my new blog site, below.<br />
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<a href="http://paperlovewhimsy.blogspot.com/">http://paperlovewhimsy.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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SarahSarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-27838186651592945382011-08-24T11:21:00.000-07:002011-08-24T11:24:34.040-07:00My Sassabelle Featured in an Etsy Treasury!<div style="text-align: center;">Doesn't every artist love to see other people love their work?!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Somebody loved my My Sassabelle invitations enough to include them in this Girls Night Out treasury on Etsy!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Check it out!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTExNTU4NTd8NTY4NjIzNzkz/girls-night-out-tgif"><img border="0" height="400px" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQEv8ImbeEg/TlVAgo2lU_I/AAAAAAAAAjw/0y6cb7_-LkI/s400/new+treasury%2521.gif" width="375px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See more of <a href="http://www.mysassabelle.etsy.com/"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em>My Sassabelle</em></span></a> on Etsy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image Credit: Etsy.com, Treasury by JenniFulton2004 </div><br />
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Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-85243743473096445442011-06-23T21:30:00.000-07:002011-06-23T21:30:53.143-07:00A Half Birthday<div style="text-align: center;">Yesterday, (June 22nd), Rowan turned 6 months old! Can you believe it? He looks a lot older though because he's so fricking tall, and a little beefcake too. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Although we talk about giving Rowan a fun half birthday celebration {since his real birthday is so close to Christmas}, we didn't celebrate this 6 month milestone with anything particularly special. To be honest, we were pretty pooped yesterday. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">But.....the day before, was a pretty awesome day for the Bear Cub.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">He had his first swim!</div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nZ_8kSPtcao/TgQQL_u4duI/AAAAAAAAAhI/Den96bZgwog/s1600/DSC_0469+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nZ_8kSPtcao/TgQQL_u4duI/AAAAAAAAAhI/Den96bZgwog/s320/DSC_0469+cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">omg, he's like a LITTLE FISH. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u1-0y5FnOo0/TgQQjoHHu5I/AAAAAAAAAhM/-hy68KyFjWE/s1600/DSC_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u1-0y5FnOo0/TgQQjoHHu5I/AAAAAAAAAhM/-hy68KyFjWE/s320/DSC_0472.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Just like his daddy :)</div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-64962670578314774582011-06-17T18:44:00.000-07:002011-06-17T18:44:17.256-07:00My Sassabelle is Here!I know, it's been forever since I posted anything. That's because I've been working on something (oh yeah, and raising a baby, and working my day job).<br />
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Last year, I talked a lot about focus and trying to find a way to channel my creativity. I think I found some direction and now I am pleased to say that I've finally got something to show for all my hard work. <br />
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AND HERE IT IS! (drumroll, please)<br />
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I'd like to introduce you to my new line of invitations, now available on Etsy.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My Sassabelle</span></em> <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">{Invitations for you Girlfriends}</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mysassabelle.etsy.com/"><img border="0" height="200" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfuXBXTSdvM/TfwA7D0bozI/AAAAAAAAAhE/ac-PRgJYzfQ/s320/my+sassabelle+collage+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">mysassabelle.etsy.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">My new ready-made invitations are supercute and perfect for a variety of "ladies only" events. There are plenty more designs brewing, so keep checking in. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If you have a special event in the making and need something with a little extra pizzazz, shoot me message or convo me on Etsy. I do custom or "Haute Couture" My Sassabelle invitations too!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hope you love them as much as I do!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">~Sarah</div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-996947251907841702011-03-09T19:14:00.000-08:002011-03-09T19:14:40.301-08:00On My Workbench ~ More Flower Combs!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spring is on it's way!</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">During nap time, I got to play with more paper/felt <b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">flower hair combs</span></b>. Look for them in my <a href="http://www.bloemdesigns.etsy.com/">Etsy store</a> soon!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-90y_9lTjTOA/TXg_tgc3IKI/AAAAAAAAAfk/ZdyP2fysQ7U/s1600/flower+hair+clips+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-90y_9lTjTOA/TXg_tgc3IKI/AAAAAAAAAfk/ZdyP2fysQ7U/s320/flower+hair+clips+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bloemdesigns.etsy.com/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Bloem</a></div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-37768436617821120392011-03-02T08:34:00.000-08:002011-03-02T08:34:04.575-08:00Blue is the New Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vTdVze8TpR8/TW3A68iRDCI/AAAAAAAAAdg/H0QWDpISR3U/s1600/DSC_0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vTdVze8TpR8/TW3A68iRDCI/AAAAAAAAAdg/H0QWDpISR3U/s320/DSC_0228.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I'm so into the new blues that have hit the nail polish racks! And at least one Macy's cashier feels the same way.<br />
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She totally helped me out after noticing that my color was almost identical to hers :p<br />
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Have a Smurfy Day!!<br />
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<div align="center"></div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-2293415084662957992011-02-26T09:30:00.000-08:002011-02-26T09:30:22.811-08:00In Bloem - Spring Hair BloomsI was really excited to get a little time last week to craft. I also got a chance to purge some unnecessary scrapbooking supplies {I really haven't scrapbooked in years}, and even had extra time to painted my nails....blue!<br />
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Going through my supplies, I got reinspired to make some flower hair combs. It also helped that I recently sold another pair on <a href="http://www.bloemdesigns.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hS2ydE4CHA4/TWk1jgJrtII/AAAAAAAAAdQ/3Hxtg6TH1u4/s1600/DSC_0168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hS2ydE4CHA4/TWk1jgJrtII/AAAAAAAAAdQ/3Hxtg6TH1u4/s320/DSC_0168.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68910547/starburst-flower-hair-comb-set-of-2">Starburst Flower Hair Combs (Set of 2)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Saturday!!</div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-6301954489353258752011-02-09T19:38:00.000-08:002011-02-09T19:47:55.422-08:00Tax TimeI'm new at this <span style="font-size: large;"><em>craft business</em></span> thing, and haven't really had that much time to invest into it. So I was really proud of myself last year, when I took a leap and got my business license, hoping it would be one of many more steps in the right direction towards my goal.<br />
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To be honest, I never did ANYTHING with it! {Aside from ordering some envelopes, which I still have to see if I saved the receipt for}.<br />
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Fast forward to a week after my baby boy, <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://bloemdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-baby.html">Rowan</a></span>, was born, when I got a call at 7am, from somenone at the County Clerk's Office, letting me know that they needed to audit my home business. I managed to give a sleep deprived response of, "I haven't even done anything with my business." The man replied, "So, you're not renewing your license?" And all I could muster up was, "Not now". <br />
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So now, with tax time just around the corner, I have to figure out how to file a business that didn't really produce OR expense any money.<br />
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Also, I'm not sure whether I should renew my license. I guess I should have allowed them to audit...*not thinking clearly at the time*<br />
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I planned to really get going on it during my maternity leave {in my dreams!}. Rowan had a different plan, <em>mostly</em> revolving around himself.<br />
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We moved into a fixer upper house and had a baby last year. I get anxious enough over taxes as it is. I'm really not looking forward to filing this year, even though we should get a lot back. I think it's time to kick TurboTax to the curb and go to a professional, who can sort through it all.<br />
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If anyone out there has some tax advice for someone just getting their feet wet, I'd love to hear it!<br />
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Happy Tax Filing!Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-80582256325642449692011-01-26T09:34:00.000-08:002011-01-26T09:34:40.303-08:00Featuring a Reversible Hooter Hider Tutorial by Made by Lisa GI don't have much time for my own arts & crafts right now, but my friend, Lisa G has been sewing all kinds of great gifts for me and other new moms, so I asked her to do a guest blog tutorial for one of her creations. <br />
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She one-uped my request, and started a whole new blog, <a href="http://www.madebylisag.blogspot.com/">Made by Lisa G</a>, to share her crafting "How To's". Lisa is also a great <a href="http://www.photosbylisag.blogspot.com/">photographer</a>, so you can bet all of her tutorials are going to have great pics, which makes it SOOO much easier, don't ya think?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's a peek at the </span><a href="http://madebylisag.blogspot.com/2011/01/reversible-hooter-hider-tutorial.html"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Reversible Hooter Hider Tutorial</strong></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> by Made by Lisa G</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;">{Go to her blog for all the details}</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TUBXO6bhz4I/AAAAAAAAAbs/IzsBrtzwCXs/s1600/Nursing_Cover--Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TUBXO6bhz4I/AAAAAAAAAbs/IzsBrtzwCXs/s320/Nursing_Cover--Finished.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TUBXfBb8VmI/AAAAAAAAAb0/RuG1q1qUIKE/s1600/DSC_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TUBXfBb8VmI/AAAAAAAAAb0/RuG1q1qUIKE/s320/DSC_0835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TUBXQxE9e2I/AAAAAAAAAbw/uBBui71k22E/s1600/DSC_0858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TUBXQxE9e2I/AAAAAAAAAbw/uBBui71k22E/s320/DSC_0858.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A Hooter Hider is a <strong>must have</strong> for modest moms who breastfeed. </div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I use mine all the time! </div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thanks Lisa!</div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-23375203209332081282010-12-30T09:53:00.000-08:002010-12-30T09:53:23.430-08:00Holiday Baby!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TRzG4JafzcI/AAAAAAAAAY0/v3jSVwCoY2Q/s1600/DSC_0371+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TRzG4JafzcI/AAAAAAAAAY0/v3jSVwCoY2Q/s320/DSC_0371+2.JPG" width="214" /></a>Our first baby, <span style="font-size: large;">Rowan Matthijs Balyon</span>, was born on December 22, 2010. He's the most precious thing! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So, forgive me for being slow with the <span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">bloem</span></strong> </span>blog updates. <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have my hands full right now</span>.</span> You can <span style="font-size: large;">follow us through life as new parents</span> on our family blog, <a href="http://www.orscircus.blogspot.com/"><strong>One Ring Short of a Circus</strong></a>.</div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-47428622540951075162010-12-20T15:57:00.000-08:002010-12-20T15:57:18.762-08:00Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar (Easy & Budget Friendly Gift)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQ_tMSQ9H9I/AAAAAAAAAYE/Y2yXnt66tao/s1600/DSC_0232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQ_tMSQ9H9I/AAAAAAAAAYE/Y2yXnt66tao/s320/DSC_0232.JPG" width="261" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This year, we made <span style="font-size: large;">Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar</span> for our neighbors and friends. Just a little gift to warm people up during the holidays, <b>without breaking the bank</b>.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here's how we did it:</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 Cup Powdered Milk</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 Heaping Tablespoons Dutched Cocoa Powder</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 Level Tablespoons Sugar</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1/4 Mini Marshmallows</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We mixed 5 batches at a time</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 Cups per Mason Jar.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>YUM :)</b></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I decorated the jar top with <span style="font-size: large;">Christmas-y fabric </span>and a raffia bow.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQ_rw-AuVEI/AAAAAAAAAX8/ZjGjySWtpH8/s1600/DSC_0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQ_rw-AuVEI/AAAAAAAAAX8/ZjGjySWtpH8/s320/DSC_0238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 9.35pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">"Mix 3 heaping Tablespoons (1/4 to 1/3 cup) cocoa with 8 to 10 oz of hot water.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 9.35pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Makes about 4 servings"</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 9.35pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">That's all there is to it!</span></span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-Sarah</i></span></span>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-88790816605235335472010-12-14T21:18:00.000-08:002010-12-14T21:18:00.841-08:00Day 14: Reverb 10 - Appreciate<div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 14</b> – <span style="font-size: large;">Appreciate. </span><i>What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? </i>(Author: Victoria Klein)</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm guilty of taking <i>most</i> things for granted</span>. Who isn't? I was originally going to post about appreciating my <b>family </b>and <b>friends.</b> Although I do thorougly appreciate both, I read my best friend's response to this prompt on her blog, <a href="http://www.livingabrighterlife.blogspot.com/">Living a Brighter Life</a>, and since s<span style="font-size: large;">he wrote about friends and family </span>(probably better than I can write it), I figured I should come up with something else. Besides, there are plenty of things to appreciate, right?</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In a weird way, this year, <span style="font-size: large;">I've learned to appreciate my job</span>. I didn't say I learned to <i>enjoy</i> it, or even to <i>like</i> it a little. Just to appreciate the fact that I have a <span style="font-size: large;">well paying, fairly stable</span>, job that has provided the money for everything we need and lots of things that we want. In a time when the poor <span style="font-size: large;">economy has left many people in worse situations</span>, we've managed to not only skate through, but also to take advantage of some <span style="font-size: large;">unique opportunities</span>. <b>All because of my job.</b> </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wouldn't say I really show much of this appreciation. Most of my conversations around my job are a more towards the negative side. Also, <span style="font-size: large;">I don't always stop to think</span> about how great it is to have a job. Like Nellie, at <a href="http://wiredwittyandwelldressed.com/">Wired, Witty, and Well Dressed</a>, I've decided that "lucky" isn't the right term to justify my success. I've earned my paycheck. But I can admit that I'm fortunate. </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So, there it is, I appreciate my job. Live it up, because that's probably the last time you will ever hear me say (or write) those words!</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQhOubwK2WI/AAAAAAAAAXo/0nAEROiMEvw/s1600/dilbert.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQhOubwK2WI/AAAAAAAAAXo/0nAEROiMEvw/s320/dilbert.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Dilbert, by Scott Adams. Courtesy of www.dilbert.com</span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-<i>Sarah </i> </div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-65279761015054742022010-12-13T17:59:00.000-08:002010-12-13T17:59:19.186-08:00Day 13: Reverb 10 - Action<div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 13</b> – <span style="font-size: large;">Action</span> <i>When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?</i> (Author: Scott Belsky).</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Action is the hard part.</span> I can dream all day about what I could do and would do, but actually <i>doing</i> it is a whole 'nother thing!</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In the past, I haven't really held myself accountable for making things happen. Well, that's not exactly true. I <i>used</i> to be very accountable. I did what I needed to do to get where I am. BUT, lately, I've been more complacent about actually achieving my goals.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The best way I've found to keep myself on track is to <span style="font-size: large;">make a list</span>. I LOVE checking off lists! So much that I will do whatever I have to do just so I can put down another check. Sometimes, I even cheat <i>a little</i> and list things I've already done. That way, I get to check off even more!!</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I have a few ACTIONS that I'm currently taking to change my life. They're not huge and they're not abstract, because, really, they are the things on my list. The <span style="font-size: large;">small, but tangible steps that I have to take</span>.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">One action on my list is to <span style="font-size: large;">build an inventory</span> of handmade, unique-but-general, <span style="font-size: large;">Baby Shower </span>invitations, <span style="font-size: large;">Birthday Party</span> invitations, <span style="font-size: large;">Thank You</span> cards, and more. I'm trying to make enough to host a table at a local farmer's market. I've been able to get a good start already since my time off from work. This will, hopefully, help promote as well as fill the gaps between my custom jobs.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQbPHS5nzoI/AAAAAAAAAW8/WdftvieIuGM/s1600/DSC_0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQbPHS5nzoI/AAAAAAAAAW8/WdftvieIuGM/s320/DSC_0167.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Umbrella - Baby Shower Invitations by <a href="http://www.bloemdesigns.etsy.com/">bloem</a></td></tr>
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</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-<i>Sarah </i></div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-11923206631457057512010-12-12T17:11:00.000-08:002010-12-12T17:11:05.322-08:00Day 12: Reverb 10 - Body Integration<div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 12</b> – <span style="font-size: large;">Body Integration</span> <i>This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? </i>(Author: Patrick Reynolds)</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQVxatqDGaI/AAAAAAAAAW4/03cLA4IMBkM/s1600/sarah%2527s+parents+animals+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQVxatqDGaI/AAAAAAAAAW4/03cLA4IMBkM/s320/sarah%2527s+parents+animals+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmmm....all my horse riding pictures seem to be of Rogér. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I usually find that my body and mind are most cohesive during <span style="font-size: large;">horseback riding</span>. This wasn't immediate. It took some time to learn to ride again (and I'm still learning). Once that balance was found, though, this seems to be the place where my mind and body can connect.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It will be interesting to see how I am able to get back into riding after childbirth. </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-<i>Sarah</i></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-60984262045440319702010-12-12T16:58:00.000-08:002010-12-12T17:11:46.672-08:00Day 11 Reverb 10 - 11 Things<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 11</b> – <span style="font-size: large;">11 Things </span><i>What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? </i>(Author: Sam Davidson).</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In 20100, I'm actually really going to have to think about this harder from both a mental and materialistic standpoint. We're starting a family. I want to eliminate mental and emotional baggage so that I can be a good example. I would also LOVE to be a stay-at-home mom. I know that my husband would also. We're trying to figure out how to swing that financially, so looking at what we really don't <i>need</i> may become a necessity in itself.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here are the things I've come up with for myself: </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. <span style="font-size: large;"> Anxiety</span> - I get anxious over just about everything. Even things that I'm excited to do. Anxiety will set in if I'm running a <i>little</i> late. Or if I took a wrong turn driving somewhere. I'm anxious almost every day I come home....'cause who knows what mischief Domino might have gotten into today. I'm always anxious on my way to the ranch, even though once I'm there, it's the most relaxing place in the whole world, besides maybe, the gym. Anxiety is a worthless waste of energy and a form of stress and stress is never good. I probably won't be able to <i>eliminate </i>anxiety, but I'm trying to lessen it by reminding myself that the things I'm worrying about are really not worth it.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. <span style="font-size: large;">Left Over Wedding Things </span>- Our wedding was almost two years ago, but we still have leftover favors, candles, napkins, gift bags, invitations, lights, and mason jars, just to name some. These leftovers are hard to part with because I think "oh, we can USE that for SOMETHING", but in two years, we haven't, and we're probably not going to, so I just need to chuck it.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. <span style="font-size: large;">Excuses </span>- For why I'm not going to go for a jog this morning. And why I don't have time to work on starting a small business for invitations and announcements. And for why I'm not taking classes to learn Adobe Illustrator, and jewelry making, and some other things I've always been interested in. These are things I enjoy. Isn't it strange to find reasons not to do them??? Why do I do that? I've found that getting started is the hardest part. If I can get a routine going, then I don't make those lame excuses for myself.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. <span style="font-size: large;">Socks (and other worn out things) </span>- I already went through a whole bunch and got rid of the solo socks that lost their partner somewhere in the abyss. I need to learn to toss the ones that don't stay up because the stretch in gone, and the ones that my big toe sticks out of because my razor blade toenails cut through them after a couple months. This might seem trivial, but it's actually part of my ADMITTED hoarding tendencies, which I constantly try to quell. Even though I think it's wasteful to buy and toss, I'm not going to fix the holes in my socks like people did back in the day so they need to go.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5. <span style="font-size: large;">Self Doubt </span>- I've already mentioned this in earlier posts. I sabotage myself with "I'm not as good" statements. I always need someone else to reassure me. I want to rely more on myself and be confident in myself and my abilities. I know I can, because I have before. I'm not sure where I lost my self-esteem, but I'm working on getting it back.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">6. <span style="font-size: large;">My Temper </span>- I have a BAD one. I'm pretty mellow, most of the time. Until I get pushed over the edge, and then, boy, will you pay for giving me that final shove. Surprisingly, my blood pressure is actually on the low side. Maybe that's because I <i>do </i>have blowouts, instead of holding it all inside forever. I'd like to find a better way to let loose my frustration without boiling over, because sometimes, the biggest victims of my frustration are not the ones who caused it. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">7. <span style="font-size: large;">Resentment </span>- Of people who are continuously given chance after chance and still manage to be poor examples of human beings. These people bug the bahjeezes out of me. There's nothing you can do about these people though. And it seems impossible to get others to stop enabling them. In the end, I don't envy them and I don't want to waste my time on them. If I give up resenting them, I can spend that time on people that deserve it.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8. <span style="font-size: large;">My Grandparents Things</span> - Losing the people that you love is obviously not the most fun part of life. It makes sense that we try to hold on to them by holding onto the worldly possessions they left behind. My grandparents were very inspirational to me. My grandmother was an independent, successful, adventurous woman and my grandfather was a physicist, who sparked and nurtured my interest in the scientific world. I inherited a lot of old (and what I find to be really cool) scientific toys, as well as some things that are probably just old. The fact is, these things take up (coveted) space and I've never found a good use for any of it, but I feel like letting go of it would somehow be letting my grandparents down. I wish I could get rid of these things in a way that I would feel good about, but I haven't found that yet.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">9. <span style="font-size: large;">My Job -</span> I gotta make some money somehow. Eliminating my job is probably not an option. I do want to find a more fulfilling job. If I have to spend 8 hrs a day doing something, I'd like to feel like it's time well spent.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">10. <span style="font-size: large;">Mani/Pedis, Hair Color, a Tan, and the Latest Fashions</span> - It's not at all that I'm currently obsessed with these things. In fact, many would probably say spend enough time and money on <i>me</i>. Although I'm a big advocate of taking time for yourself and taking care of yourself, I'm just going to have remind myself to to keep myself up without shelling out the dough. I can paint my nails at home. I can love my natural brown hair color. I can work with the clothes that I have. And, if I'm pasty, well, O-Well.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">11. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dinners Out -</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Rogér and I have become used to "grabbing dinner somewhere" out of convenience and ability. While this is a nice escape from life chores and it's often time well spent together, I'd like to get us on a healthier (and less expensive) track of home-cooked meals. I think we'll both feel better physically if we're eating fresh foods prepared with less "junk". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-<i>Sarah </i></span>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-3991609390470278462010-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:002010-12-10T12:21:24.247-08:00Day 10: Reverb - Wisdom<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 10</b> –<span style="font-size: large;">Wisdom.</span> <i>What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? </i>(Author: Susannah Conway)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Yeah, I'm behind on this Reverb10 thing. It's hard to keep up! I'm trying!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The wisest decision I've made this year is to <span style="font-size: large;">focus on the positive people and things</span> in my life. As many of us do, I tend to worry too much about what others think and <b>wonder what's wrong with <i>me</i></b> that I can't seem to please some of them or that things didn't work out quite like I expected. I tend to think I'm not capable, or not good enough. What terrible things to think about! Especially when there are so many great things about me and my life. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'm not saying that I've been able to <i>forget </i>those people and things that cause me to doubt myself, my relationships, my abilities, and so on. What I <b>have</b> been able to do is recognize that <span style="font-size: large;">they really don't matter</span> that much.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>-Sarah</i></span></div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-74728296200633868612010-12-10T11:23:00.000-08:002010-12-10T12:20:53.221-08:00Day 9: Reverb 10 - Party<div class="entry"><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 9</b> – Prompt: <span style="font-size: large;">Party</span>. <i>What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.</i> (Author: Shauna Reid)</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There is one "party" that sticks out in my mind. It was the reception that Rogér's family in The Netherlands threw for us when we visited them this summer. While it may not have "rocked my socks off", it did blow my mind. Why? Because their incredibly warm welcome was unexpected, (at least by me), after the family drama that rained all over our engagement and wedding last year. Apologies in advance for my word spewage on this one.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's way too much to explain all the details of the back story, but what it boils down to, is that a couple members of Rogér's immediate family persistently caused trouble over EVERY.LITTLE.THING related to our wedding and specifically, over <b><i>me</i></b>. Rogér and I were led to believe that we were also unsupported and severely frowned upon by ALL of his extended family in The Netherlands. The main reasons, (besides the obvious fact that Rogér and I don't really love each other and our 6 years together prior to our engagement had all been some sort of bad phase that they were nobly trying to save him from), being that our wedding was on a Sunday, in a location that was three hours further away than where <i>they </i>wanted it to be, and for us deciding not to make the super-easy, quick trip to visit them during <i>our honeymoon</i>...in Greece, (because it's not so hard for <i>us </i>to travel a <i>little </i>longer, and, honeymoons are the PERFECT time to meet and hang with a whole hoard of foreign-language-speaking extended family, who already don't like you, due partly to the <i>totally</i> legit reasons already given, but mostly for being the demise of Rogér and his family in general). </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When we were finally in the financial situation and state of mind to take the trip to The Netherlands, it still came with a LOT of hesitation on my part. I should mention that here were some agreements that we had already made to ensure things wouldn't get too harry. We were ONLY visiting Rogér's dad's side of the family. We had actually planned on seeing his Oma on his mom's side, but when he called her one night to tell her we were going to Holland and would like to see her, she chewed him out for being a disgraceful son and grandson, so we decided not to. Go figure. And Rogér's melodramatic, needy, gossip-mongering sister was going to Holland at the same time, so we had a couple of Plan B's in case we needed to get out of there fast.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It was already hard for me to understand why Rogér's family would be so judgmental and demanding. I mean, don't they have better things to think about than <i>my</i> inadequacies and <i>our</i> relationship? But it became even harder to understand once we met up with the family, because from the moment we set foot on Dutch soil, we were greeted and treated like beloved and welcomed guests. Were they just putting on a show to our faces so they could bash us behind our backs? It didn't seem that way. It didn't seem like they had any <i>reason</i> to.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Rogér's youngest uncle had offered his house as a "home base" for us. He, and his wife and children, made sure that we were taken care of the entire time. He had also planned, with other family members, to throw us a little wedding reception during our visit. This was a sweet idea, but a little daunting, given the history. However, without any prompting from Rogér or I, his uncle and aunt sat with us the night before the reception and had a very-open hearted discussion with us about the wedding, and our relationship with each other and with the family. They talked candidly and honestly, and we went to bed <i>knowing </i>that these people did not, and had never harbored any negative feelings towards us. We suddenly could move forward, with the confirmation that the that the hateful things we had heard were coming from a few bitter mouths making mountains out of mole-hills.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The next evening was the reception. With the weight of judgment off my shoulders, I felt like I could actually enjoy meeting Rogér's family. Did I mention, he has a BIG family? Almost all the aunts and uncles and cousins and cousin's babies and boyfriends and girlfriends were there. We were served delicious Dutch finger foods, and even a cake with a picture of our engagement on it! All the cousins talked my ears off. They LOVED showing off their English! In fact, everyone had kind of given themselves a rule that they would only speak English so that I would not feel left out of any conversations, (which I found to be an incredibly nice gesture, although, I think it made it too easy for me to avoid practicing my Dutch!) His Oma on his Dad's side was also there; probably one of the sweetest ladies in the world, she spent almost the whole evening by my side, making sure that I was doing okay. We enjoyed wonderful food and converstation, and we got to share our wedding photo album with many of his aunts and cousins. I was having a great time, and I could see that Rogér was in Heaven. It had been too long since being in contact with all his family, but they reconnected like it had been no time at all.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It wasn't a big blowout party. But for us, it was HUGE. It was healing. It somehow gave Rogér and me some much needed permission to be who we are and to be happy for ourselves, even if some other people can't be.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-<i>Sarah</i> </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-73054920437205360122010-12-09T17:56:00.000-08:002010-12-09T17:56:42.065-08:00French Memo Board - Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">How to make a French Memo Board</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by bloem</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQF-lygie3I/AAAAAAAAAWw/sPIZjRBI7RQ/s320/DSC_0135.JPG" width="283" /></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">I just made a French Memo Board for one of our friends daughters. These are a <span style="font-size: large;">fun and stylish</span> way to display and stash mementos like pictures, tickets, hair clips, etc.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here's how I made my French Memo Board.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Materials:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQF-hxgPNGI/AAAAAAAAAWs/3z0zO0_EiM0/s1600/DSC_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQF-hxgPNGI/AAAAAAAAAWs/3z0zO0_EiM0/s320/DSC_0107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> 1. Pre-stretched canvas, your choice in size. 2. Fabric of choice, enough to cover canvas with about 1.5" to spare on each side. 3. Batting. 4. Ribbon of choice. 5. Buttons of choice. 6. Scissors. 7. Staple gun. 8. Glue gun or needle & thread (not shown).</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Steps:</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQF-qZFPTMI/AAAAAAAAAW0/lpkCNYBHhdU/s1600/French+Memo+Board+tutorial+numbered.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQF-qZFPTMI/AAAAAAAAAW0/lpkCNYBHhdU/s320/French+Memo+Board+tutorial+numbered.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click this image to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1.</span> <b>LAY</b> the canvas face-down on the batting. <b>PULL</b> the batting around the edges and <b>STAPLE</b> the batting to the back. Stretch the batting as you go, just enough to be taught.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span><b>LAY</b> the batting covered canvas face-down on the fabric and do the same thing with the fabric that you did with the batting.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. </span><b>TUCK</b> the fabric to make your corners are neat and <b>STAPLE</b>.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. </span><b>LAY</b> the ribbon out in the pattern that you want (Generally criss-crossed). You may want to <b>double check</b> that the ribbon is <b>spaced far enough apart</b> to hold whatever you plan to put in the memo board.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. & 6.</span> <b>STAPLE</b> the ribbon onto the back. <u><b>Tip:</b></u> tape the ribbon in place first to make sure the ribbon is evenly spaced and where you want it to be.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">7. </span><b>SEW</b> buttons on at the ribbon cross sections, or <b>GLUE</b> them with a hot glue gun.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>That's it!</b> It's super simple!</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-</span><i style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sarah</i>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-14128451122602555762010-12-08T15:29:00.000-08:002010-12-08T15:29:25.469-08:00Day 8: Reverb 10 - Beautifully Different<div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 8</b> – <span style="font-size: large;">Beautifully Different</span>. <i>Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.</i> (Author: Karen Walrond)</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This post requires a lot of looking inward, and <span style="font-size: large;">I could probably really benefit from this</span>. </div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">BUT, I just wrote the <b>"About Me"</b> section for my blog, and I really don't feel like writing more about <i>me</i>. So, I'm going to direct you to my <a href="http://bloemdesigns.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html"><b>"About Me"</b></a> section for the time being.</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My apologies. I'm looking forward to others' posts about how they are beautifully different.</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-</span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Sarah</i>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-38018115828579860592010-12-08T14:54:00.000-08:002010-12-08T14:54:27.110-08:00Karla & Christopher S. - Custom Made Wedding Thank You Cards<div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I had the pleasure of designing custom wedding invitations for <a href="http://bloemdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/03/custom-wedding-invitations-for-karla.html">Karla & Christopher S</a>. I was really pleased with the design and they must have been too, since they decided to order coordinating Thank You cards. </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQAKNPrkMAI/AAAAAAAAAWM/HlqPRSZGms4/s1600/4925704896_f56ffcbb60_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQAKNPrkMAI/AAAAAAAAAWM/HlqPRSZGms4/s1600/4925704896_f56ffcbb60_m.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">bloem - Custom Thank You Cards - Karla & Christopher S. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> These cards are what I call "matchbook" folded. They clasp with the little olive branch tab. The matchbox fold can be used to create cards which can be mailed sans envelope, saving trees! However, the cards are designed to fit into a standard 4-bar envelope which, in this case was provided in a shimmering champagne color. </span><br />
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<div style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Coordinating Wedding Invitations, designed by <a href="http://www.bloemdesigns.etsy.com/">bloem</a>, for Karla & Christopher</span>:</div><div style="color: #444444;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQAMNh9yE-I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/L7O7gX4twas/s1600/4925108793_9541dd879a_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQAMNh9yE-I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/L7O7gX4twas/s1600/4925108793_9541dd879a_m.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQAMPFoVzkI/AAAAAAAAAWU/4QcZxzCRJ80/s1600/4925703672_aaaae31de1_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TQAMPFoVzkI/AAAAAAAAAWU/4QcZxzCRJ80/s1600/4925703672_aaaae31de1_m.jpg" /></a></div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-21293319970639973732010-12-07T16:44:00.000-08:002010-12-07T16:44:05.868-08:00Day 7: Reverb 10 - Community<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>December 7</b> – Prompt: <b><span style="font-size: large;">Community</span></b>. <i>Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? </i>(Author: Cali Harris)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I consider our neighborhood about as "community" as it gets in San Jose. We knew we wanted to buy in this neighborhood because of the sense of community. Our neighbors are the kind of people you could go <span style="font-size: large;">borrow a cup of sugar from</span> (or a hedge trimmer, or Halloween lights, or a SawzAll...the list goes on). They'll <b>watch over your house</b> if someone accidentally leaves the garage door open, and <b>put your dog back</b> in the yard if, or should I say, <i>when</i>, he uses his Houdini skills to escape.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But that's the obvious answer. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When I think about it a little more, I realize that the community that I've really discovered this year, is the <span style="font-size: large;">Mommy & Daddy (and those-to-be) Community</span>. When you find out you're expecting, all of a sudden a whole new world of people seem to come out of the wood-work. <span style="font-size: large;">It's like you're being inducted into a private club, and they're all so excited to welcome you in!</span> This is a community of playdates, nannyshares, mommy walks, school talk, hand-me-downs, stories shared, and some great advice, and some bad advice . </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Like joining any club, I think there's <span style="font-size: large;">a sense of belonging, but also a sense of "do I belong?"</span> There's a great support system to be found here, and there can also be a lot of judgment, and a need to feel accepted by the rest of the gang. Luckily, I believe I've stumbled into a great group of new and experienced parents both within our neighborhood and beyond our neighborhood who will <span style="font-size: large;">nurture us as a young family. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This is the community that we're entering in 2010, and it's <span style="font-size: large;">going to be our community, and pseudo-family, for many years to come</span> :)</div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-34403614043441846812010-12-06T16:10:00.000-08:002010-12-06T16:10:35.963-08:00Brother Sewing Machine - Zigzag Stitch Issue SOLVED!<div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I never posted my <span style="font-size: large;">recent sewing issue</span>, however, I did spend WAY too much time trying to find the answer on the internet. Luckily, I was able to find an answer, but I can't remember where, so I thought I'd share it here in case anyone else has the same problem.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> I was trying to make a Christmas stocking, (a major pain in the butt project, as posted earlier), and the <span style="font-size: large;">zigzag stitch on my Brother CS-6000i sewing machine was not working</span>. Not unusual for this POS machine. Specifically, the right side of the zigzag <b>would not pick up the bobbin thread</b>, so I ended up with a straight line. </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I found a few people out there online who had the same issue and the responses were mostly related to changing the needle, changing the bobbin, changing the tension...the usual. Anyway, I happened to find one brilliant response that mentioned that only Schmetz needles seem to work on her Brother. Desperate, I <span style="font-size: large;">switched out my cheapy-cheap needle for a Schmetz </span>(I can't actually believe I had some) and my zigzag nightmares were over...<i>almost</i>. I still had a lot of problems with the tension. It's always something with that machine! Arrgghhh!</span>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-44725285563340725982010-12-06T15:52:00.000-08:002010-12-06T15:52:07.072-08:00Day 6: Reverb 10 - Make<div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">December 6</span> – <b><span style="font-size: large;">Make</span></b>. <b>What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)</b></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: small;">Well....since you asked....I JUST made <span style="font-size: large;">a stocking for our baby-on-the-way</span>! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TP10o6FFNbI/AAAAAAAAAU4/DfHAkkDlzDA/s1600/DSC_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TP10o6FFNbI/AAAAAAAAAU4/DfHAkkDlzDA/s320/DSC_0061.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TP1zWI2g1wI/AAAAAAAAAU0/c3niFkPWjuo/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TP1zWI2g1wI/AAAAAAAAAU0/c3niFkPWjuo/s320/DSC_0068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: small;">This was hands down <span style="font-size: large;">the most aggravating project I've ever done!</span> It seemed as if I hit road blocks at every turn. In the end, I had to live with the fact that it's not exactly how I wanted it to turn out. I'm just thankful that I was <span style="font-size: large;">able to work through the issues</span>...sort of.</span></div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-35668496102003002152010-12-05T18:16:00.000-08:002010-12-05T18:16:15.471-08:00Day 5: Reverb 10 - Let Go<div class="entry"><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: <span style="font-size: large;">December 5 – </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">Let Go</span>.</i> What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?</b> (Author: Alice Bradley)</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPxG6Vtp68I/AAAAAAAAAUg/EoZ3N8Wexeo/s1600/pile-of-garbage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPxG6Vtp68I/AAAAAAAAAUg/EoZ3N8Wexeo/s320/pile-of-garbage.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I let go of a lot of junk. Both Rogér and I made it a real goal to get rid of a ton of our <span style="font-size: large;">EXTRA stuff</span>. Moving into a new house helped prompt this <span style="font-size: large;">grand release</span> tremendously. It's part of our mission to simplify our lives so that we can <span style="font-size: large;">enjoy everything we have more.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did I mention that we're big fans of TLC's <i>Hoarders. </i>Ha ha! It's a good wakeup call for anyone who tends to pack-rat.</span></span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> </div>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6764615032461992162.post-71414402197050531222010-12-05T10:42:00.000-08:002010-12-05T10:42:53.336-08:00DAY 4: Reverb 10 - Wonder<div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My computer died last night before I could post, so I guess I'll do two today. Here's my Reverb 10 post from yesterday.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Prompt: </b></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <b>December 4 – <i>Wonder</i>. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?</b> (Author: Jeffrey Davis)</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I like to call myself a realist (others say pessimist, but<i> I</i> like realist better). A sense of wonder often escapes me. But for me, I find I see wonder most in my animals. They never cease to amaze me. </div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Domino</span>, our dog, reminds me what it means to love, and be to be a friend. While he tends to cause a lot of stress in our lives (of which he has no clue), he<span style="font-size: large;"> loves us blindly and unconditionally</span>. His never-ending mischief <span style="font-size: large;">teaches us to be patient and to laugh</span>.</div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPvbXZthGoI/AAAAAAAAAUU/XFWQ6FG9r8M/s1600/domino+dog+%2528116%2529cropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPvbXZthGoI/AAAAAAAAAUU/XFWQ6FG9r8M/s320/domino+dog+%2528116%2529cropped.JPG" width="305" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> With<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: large;"> Ronin</span>, our horse, I am constantly bewildered by why such a<span style="font-size: large;"> beautiful and powerful</span> creature<i> lets</i> us sit on his back and steer him around with a bit in his mouth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPvbchYGiXI/AAAAAAAAAUY/cUn6ibQ6Gjk/s1600/Ronin+%252872%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPvbchYGiXI/AAAAAAAAAUY/cUn6ibQ6Gjk/s320/Ronin+%252872%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> And <span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: large;">Buddy</span>, the parrot, has the <span style="font-size: large;">biggest personality</span> wrapped up in the smallest package. He's the boss of the house and no man, woman, or dog is going to tell him otherwise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPvbqbml9gI/AAAAAAAAAUc/al3IGP5iugQ/s1600/buddy+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXTai2ghx5c/TPvbqbml9gI/AAAAAAAAAUc/al3IGP5iugQ/s320/buddy+%25287%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The animals make me appreciate everything I have and they <span style="font-size: large;">inspire the wonder</span> in my life about life. I think it's triggered by the fact that they have short lifespans; we will (most likely) out-live them, and, yet, <span style="font-size: large;">I can't imagine life without them</span>. In this way, they remind me how incredible and precious each little part of life is, and how much I want to soak it up while I have the opportunity.</span>Sarah Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534643558368307067noreply@blogger.com3