It's All About Me

I used to think that to focus on oneself was selfish, arrogant.....egotistical.  That to do so was a not so slow march towards narcissism.  Eventually. 

It took a long for me to get here, but  I no longer think this way.

You see, I have a natural affinity to care for others, some may even call it a gift or talent.  Whatever it is, at the very least it is a nurturing spirit.  I want to heal the broken, take away what is hurting, and above all, help in whatever way I can. Sometimes I can, and sometimes unfortunately I cannot....but man do I try!  Somewhere in the middle of this though, I've learned to put my own emotional well being on the back burner.  Sure, I took care of everything else over the years, work, family etc., except this one area.  

Why?  Because I believed to do otherwise would be selfish.

 I was wrong.

Truth is, even a gift can be like a curse if not managed properly.  

Case in point. For as long as I can remember, anyone with a problem seemed to be drawn to me like a moth to a flame.  And when I say anyone, I do mean that.  It is not unusual at all for me to meet a complete stranger and have them pour out their life to me in a grocery line.  No kidding.  The point is, I love to help hurting people and they love me right back.  Unfortunately as with any thing that is wounded, one must exercise caution. The same is true.  Hurt people, hurt people.


Over the past year I have learned a lot about myself.  I know that we are all instinctually what God created us to be.  I know that I will always be a nurturer at heart but there has to be some changes in my life. After all, if I am upset, frustrated and sad, what help am I to anyone else?  For this reason, it is indeed all about me! 

 I choose to focus on being the positive glass half full gal that I am and take time to nurture myself and the things that are dear to me.  Only then will I be able to give anything back....that is worthwhile.  

Cherio!

Keep Calm And Carry On....Within Reason

Lately, I have really been struggling to keep it all together.   I am sure you can identify.   There is work, home, family life, friendships, studying and maintaining my faith, my sweet little blog and projects for my fashion line...it never stops.  

And I keep going.  

And going.

Part of me wants to just stop and BREATHE for a while. So I do sometimes.  

The old me would have never EVER taken a break but I have learned the hard way that there is no healthy substitute for a good night's rest if you are tired.

What is more important than your health?  A dear friend once said to me “It is kinda hard to achieve your dream when you are six feet under or lying on a hospital bed”.  It was a very sobering thought, one I never forgot.

Today just like any other day, my to do list is very long. I have made up my mind though that I will get it all done within reason.  If one or two things are left for tomorrow, so be it. Today, I will stay calm, carry on and just enjoy being ALIVE. 

Cherio!

A little Bit Of "Me Time" In My Life

Last week I have to admit, I felt like a hamster on a tread mill. No matter how much ground I covered there was more to go.  What a a week!  I feel like in the process my sweet little blog got neglected but am back and happy to have a minute to share and relax if only for a little while.  Hope you had a wonderful week and got a lot accomplished.  If not, hey, tomorrow is Monday, a brand new week awaits.  As Tim Gunn says "make it work!"

Well, as always whenever I find a little "me time" I get so excited I don't know what to do with myself.  And I really mean that literally. I don't know if I want to paint, watch a movie, order in and read a book or go out.  The good thing is though, whatever I decide I ALWAYS have fun.  Here are a few things I did with my "me time" this week end.

I painted the opening picture and had a blast doing so. And since I was already dabbling in paint I made these darling little paper weights.

Then, I made earrings to match this gorgeous cocktail ring I just bought.  

And then I bought a few pieces to add to my dragonfly collection.  Nothing major, just little things that make me happy.  Now I am going to hang out and spend some time with my son. We are going to watch The Hunger Games and order takeout.

How did you spend your weekend?

Cherio!

Deals, Steals And Goodwill To All!

Okay, so I have to admit that this Goodwill thing is getting a wee bit out of hand.  And by that I mean I go there constantly, ahem, alright, the truth is, I stalk that site like a predator.  Sigh. I just can't help myself.  The deals are just too darn good to pass up!  Lately though, since I know this is my new go-to pass time, I have been making sure that I buy things ONLY for my Ebay business.  Cha-ching!  Goodwill is perfect for that, and I feel less guilt when I shop now because it's to turn a profit.....and it does.  Now all I have to figure out is when to stop buying.  Oh well, this may take some time.  Baby steps.


Here's a few of my buys for this week:

A huge 121b mystery bag of vintage jewelry.  I cant wait to see what's in there.  You have to be brave to do this though, especially when it is costing more than a few dollars.  I will update you on this purchase later but if my hunch is right, this could be a valuable lot of jewelry.


Next is a vintage Chanel scarf.  Hello! These things sell for hundreds of dollars so of course I just had to get it.

Now this may be a dud or it may be something I pat myself on the back for.  I don't know which yet but am praying it's the latter.  I am not a golf aficionado but sports memorabilia possibly signed by Tiger Woods seemed like a good gamble at the time so I took a calculated risk.

And then there were these beautiful pieces.  They are gorgeous and were made in Ireland by a company called Belleek. I did some research and they are worth a lot more than I paid for them. Score!

And finally here is my favorite buy of the week.  Of course it's Art.  I don't know why but I saw these paintings and it was love at first sight.  They are really special.

And there you have it, my Goodwill shopping spree in a nutshell minus my victory dance and screaming when I lost or won a bid.  Really exciting stuff!  For the rest of the week though am going to be a good girl but next week who knows what Goodwill and I will get into......


Cherio!

Growing Pains.....bah humbug!

If I had to describe this week in one word, that word would be

C-R-A-Z-Y

Crazy schedule.  Crazy emotional.  Crazy exciting.  Crazy tiring.

Now I am totally exhausted, like lay on the couch eating cheetos tired.

With all of the stuff happening around me though, I was forced to do something I had done only in part before.  That would be, surrender all to GOD.  I mean everything, and leave it!  As you know, if you are a believer, this is easier said than done.  There is a part deep inside of all of us that want to fix things, situations and even people....for some of us especially people.

As I grow and mature spiritually, I am realizing that I do NOT have to figure everything out myself.  I don't even have to understand it when bad/painful things happen to me.  I just have to believe and trust that GOD will work it out and that he knows what is best for me.

And so, for all of you chronic fixers and problem solvers, let go and let God.  Honestly, there is no better way to live.

Cherio!