On Being a Mom

At eighteen years old I would have told you I'm not going to have a family 

because I'm going to be a doctor and that lifestyle is not fair to a family.

Fast forward four years and I became a mom to an amazing tiny little man.

What in the world was my eighteen year old self thinking?

A lot of buzz around the internet talks about 

being a mama as this super hard exhausting task.
Here's the thing...
it absolutely can be hard and exhausting, but that is not all.

I look back and think how in the world did I have 3 little boys 4 and under, 

work full time, finish my teaching credential, and my master's degree?

It really comes down to one thing.

I finished and survived all of that because I was a mama.

I wanted time with my boys,

I wanted better for my boys,

and I wanted to set an example for my boys.

I did the hard things because I was always thinking about my life with my boys.
Was I tired?
You bet.
Was I frustrated at times?
Most assuredly.
Was it totally worth the early mornings and late nights?
Absolutely.

Now I am stubborn by nature and a hard worker,
so this might just be how things work for me,
but I know in my heart doing all of the hard things comes back to my boys.
Making a good life for them was the push to get things done.

So on this Mother's Day I look back and think
how in the world could I do life without my men?
The short answer...
I couldn't.
Being a mama brings me such joy.
This life is exactly what I was meant to do.

Mama is by far my favorite title.

Makers Gonna Make

If there is one thing that is predictable about me it is that I must be busy.

I have to make things or be doing something all. the. time.

Can't help it...

Spring break was here and I was so ready for it!

Did I sleep in...a little.

Did I rest...you bet.

Did I work on a huge project...of course!

 I have the privilege of being a part of the Elevate Conference in May 

and I wanted to send a little something for the swag bags.

Seventy-five little somethings to be exact.

There were points where I thought I was surely out of my EVER. LOVING. MIND.

for agreeing to provide seventy-five mini zipper pouches for all the ladies.

But I stuck it out and got them all finished with loads of time to spare!

 I love all the fabrics.  

The combinations that I hope will bring on smiles and all the heart eyes.

Since I actually had time to spare I decided I wanted to do a couple of projects 

for the house and even something for me!

One new pillow for the family room and one new zipper pouch for my bag.

If there is one thing I have learned in trying to have a little business 

it is that you have to get back to the root of how all this sewing began.  

I started sewing for our home and my hubby and my boys.

Giving myself permission to make something for fun is the key to not getting burned out.

I want to always have the feeling of wanting to sew.  

If it turns into something that is a chore I have defeated the whole purpose of my little shop.  

Sewing is my therapy, sewing is my joy.

Art in the Classroom

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Letting littles paint is not for the faint of heart.

Multiply that by 23 and you get a huge mess in the classroom,

but you also get 23 kids exposed to paint, brushes, color, texture, and fun. 

Twenty three sets of hands that get to experience something new.
Paint on a brush for the first time!

Most of all you get to see creativity and pride swell up as you hang

their creations upon the wall for all who enter our room to see.

Kid art projects are not always easy to manage,

but they are always worth a couple of afternoons of chaos.

Reminded to Rest

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Oh boy guys!  This mama has been one sick lady!

Once upon a time I got bronchitis every February and then it just stopped happening.

I was not sure why, but let me tell you I was not complaining either.

Fast forward to this year and wham!

Chest feels like a body builder is standing on it...so not good.

I didn't/don't have time for this nonsense,

but it was exactly what I needed to be

reminded to rest.

What good are we mamas if we push ourselves so hard and so long

that we get completely knocked on our backsides?!?

Today I am thankful I feel a million times better,

but it came only by me slowing down and investing some time

into self care.

Why is that so hard?

Once I took the time to get my oils on me and got myself to bed early

miracles of miracles my body began to fight the junk.

It's okay to stop and rest mamas.

We need to fill our cups before we can do good for any of our people.

It's not selfish or mean to put yourself first every now and then.

Hello!

Oh my goodness it has been way too long since I've been over here!

Life has been full of projects, work, practice, and keeping up with all the things
you're supposed to do to keep a busy family going!

If you follow me on Instagram you've had a peek at the whirlwind of a year we've had!

Here's a little recap since April...can you believe that?!?

Rusty Roots happened in May...what a great event!

The school year ended in June with a whole lot of packing!
Classroom remodels are no joke!
I was one happy lady ready to get summer started!

Summer was full of projects for home and my classroom.
The best part was a few road trips with my favorite guy!

We scored some beautiful vintage beds from Craigslist
and busted it to get Luke's room (mostly) finished.

I think I painted just about anything that would stand still too...

Including my poor feet...ha!

We all started Kendo too!  What an amazing martial art!  I love it big time!

School started back up and I was a crazy lady that agreed to pilot a new program.
Can anyone say, "feels like my first year teaching again?"
Yikes, it's been a lot of work!

So this school year is FLYING by!
Holiday Marketplace Boutique is eight days away and we're still working on projects!

 It will be great, but man what a ride!
Mama has had a few meltdowns,
but when pressure builds up you've got to have a release!

Life is good and busy and messy...just as it should be!

Handmade & Homegrown

Yesterday was the first craft fair sponsored by The Looking Glass!

Handmade & Homegrown was so much fun!  We had a great day!

I learned a hard lesson though about outdoor shows 

when a gust of wind knocked over my shutter doors! 

 

My neighbor vendor saw it happening, 

but there was nothing she could do to stop it from going down.

Fortunately nothing was damaged (except my nerves!).  

What a great community I am a part of in the crafting world! 

 

My neighbors helped me pick everything up and zip tie the shutters to the canopy.

I was rattled, but was able to get everything back together pretty quickly.

 The rest of the day went great!

I loved the booth set up!  

Seeing your vision come to light is pretty amazing!

 We even had some people trying to buy our display pieces...

pretty awesome!

 

Everything tied together so well...

I think we've really found our set up now!

The best part about the display pieces is that, 

for the most part, they are decorations from the house!

Pretty bags on a coat rack from my sister 

and a fun apron on one of my best yard sale finds ever!

 So another show is in the books!

It is so much work...but the fun we have is totally worth it!

If you see something you like head to Amy's Monkeys online shop!

If you're local go check out The Looking Glass!

Busy Bee

Hello!  

So life has been crazy busy...

I know everyone is busy...definitely is the season!

My busy has been prepping for the Handmade & Homegrown Craft Fair this Saturday!

The Looking Glass is hosting the event and it looks like it is going to be great!

Amy's Monkeys will be there with lots of new goodies!

Would you like a peek at all the busy-ness 

that has become my life for the last few weeks?!?

(If you follow me on Instagram you've seen some of these...)

I decided I needed a visual reminder/helper to get all the aprons I had cut completed.

It totally worked on this visual girl.

18 aprons finished in 12 days...not bad for being in my classroom too!

A sneak peek of all your apron choices!

Since I had time...Crayon rolls are restocked!

 My display background is getting a much needed update too...

bye-bye Putty hello Ocean Mist!

 I finally got to transform the sheets I had been using for the tables 

into beautiful fitted coverings!  

So much more professional!

 After all the prep work was done I was able to start playing with my displays!

So thankful for a hubby that finds me great treasures from the neighbor's junk pile! 

Saturday can't get here soon enough! 

 I'm so excited to share all the goodies I've been working on the past month!

 

I'll be adding anything I have left from the fair to the online shop, 

so stay tuned if you're not local!

Sprucing Things Up

I spent a little extra time at The Looking Glass last week 

and spruced up the Amy's Monkeys space a bit.

The shop owner has such a great eye for merchandising...

I have learned so much!

Anyway, the entire shop has a fresh look for the new year and I love it!

Having a permanent space is so different than the weekend boutiques.

You have time to tweak and fluff and move things around.

 

It really is a lot of fun! 

In the end that's what it is really all about!

 

On Being Brave

Yesterday I was brave with something that most people would probably think is silly...

yesterday I wore leggings and riding boots together for the first time.

Here's why that was me being brave...

I am scared to death of fitted clothes because this gal has gained wait that just won't come off.

I don't know if it's the going to be 39 body, or a health issue, or life has been crazy, but the weight is there.

I finally decided I'd make it work after a little prodding from a great friend.

I see cute people in all kinds of sizes every day.

What's to say I can't rock it too?!?

Nothing...because I did.

I felt cute and comfortable all day.

Trendy and stylish.

A hot mom.

Yup, that was how I felt.

The weight is bugging me and a doctor's appointment next week will hopefully help me get some answers.

Until then I'm going to enjoy my new super sale boots, my jeans that set in the closet for a year, and my scarf collection because everyone needs to feel cute!

Enjoy your Friday loves!

Shop Update

I started making things to sale about five years ago now and I still love it! 

Seeing the smiles when people buy my goodies for a gift or hearing about how someone reacted when they got one of my packages is the best!

My little brand is growing and that makes my heart so happy.  

As a family we've all had a hand in building this business, so that makes it even more awesome.

I spent a lot of time last week making new items and then a bazillion hours getting photos and listings up on the shop website.  It's so cool to see everything looking so cute online.

Here's a peek at a few of the things available!  

Cuteness overload to follow...

I can't even begin to explain how amazing it is to see everything coming together so well!  

Five years is a long time, but so much has been learned and so many improvements have been made!  

It really is the best!