The Delights of Anticipation

What Dreams May Come

Whew!  It feels so good to start a new week after the chaotic one I had last week.  I blogged briefly about it here.  Although this one has already started off with a surprise snowstorm and resulting snow day for the kids, it still promises to be better than last week;)

I am doing lots fo dreaming and planning and just plain figuring out my next steps right now.  I have had a lot on my heart and on my mind lately and was really pushed to stop thinking and start doing by my friend Jeanne's blog posts about dreams.  She is doing a month long series on dreams each Wednesday this month and really spoke to everything that I have been thinking and feeling.  I am trying to get things straight in my head ina way that makes my tasks and goals more attainable.  I am working on quieting the doubting, negative voices in my head learning to speak the words that I need to help me thrive.  It goes along so well with the devotions I have been doing this year and the reading that I try to squeeze in from my inspirational books each day.  I am pushing myself to really let go and delve into my deepest desires and most passionate dreams to live my life more fully.  I have been so blessed to have already attained my most cherished dream of marriage and motherhood and am excited to begin the work to make other dreams a reality as well.

In an attempt to get back to the basics so to speak, to give myself more time to live the life that I have been given, to cherish the family that I have been blessed with and to work on dreams held close to my heart but not yet realized, I will be scaling my business back just a bit.  I am working on filling current orders and then will work on building up a small inventory of ready to ship pieces that can just be packaged up beautifully and shipped off when new orders come in.  From there i will be getting back to the creativity that I crave with limited edition pieces that will be available whenever inspiration strikes and I have the time to creative new things.  I have been working so hard lately that I have been getting sick, stressed out and just, unhappy.  Time is too short to do something that makes you unhappy.  I love my clothing line and everything that I had in mind when I started it but it just isn't working in a way that is a benefit to me and my family in it's current function.  I am excited to have more freedom in which to put out beautiful, imaginative clothing and to focus on another passion of mine, photography.

I have always been a dreamer.  I am so excited to get back to it!

Cup Of Couture, In Memoriam

February 11th, 2010 the fashion world lost a true innovator and showman.  Alexander McQueen's work was always inspiring, over-the-top and just plain beautiful and I for one will miss seeing what he brought to the world of fashion.  Here is  a little look back at the work of a true talent.

   

Ooo, La La

I just stumbled upon the most delicious little slice of heaven and I just had to share.  This little paradise resides on Etsy and is destined to be my go-to plcae for a sweet little frock to skip along the streets of Paris in.  I would so love to re-new our wedding vows for our 10 year anniversary and if I do I just might pick up another of these lovelies.  What's all the fuss about?  The shop is called Ouma and it is divine.  Just look!

Le sigh.  Wouldn't I look AMAZING grocery shopping in that last one.  I mean, really.

Be sure to check out these fabulous photographers that are responsible for these sun drenched images.

Steph De Saga:http://www.spraygraphic.com/ViewProject/395/normal.html
Galaxie Andrews: http://galaxieandrews.wordpress.com/
Andrew Coppola:http://www.mezzomind.com/

  
 
  
 
  
 
  

A New Song

I am a dweller.  There I admit it.  I have a tendency to dwell on things.  The things that I feel went wrong, conversations that seemed weird, a strange look, you name it I have probably stressed about it.  I have always been a people pleaser, much worse when I was younger.  Not as much anymore.  There is something about motherhood that makes you way tougher than you used to be.  But in my people pleasing days i was always quite positive.  I was proud of being eternally optimistic but all it took was some adult size struggles to quench that light.  After going through some tough times I found myself getting down way too easily.  Dwelling on the bad.  I found myself sitting in my grief and wearing my disappointment like an ill fitting sweater.  Oh, I tried lots of times to shake myself out of it and get back to the joyous me, but it was always temporary.  For the past year I have been hearing my pastor speak about "a new day" on sunday mornings and at first I got really excited about it.  That is until the new day still wasn't here months after that word.  Again I found myself dwelling.  Something changed in me this Sunday as I heard my pastor speak not only about new days and better times but about singing a new song and it really resonated with me.  How can I expect the full blessing that God has in store for me if I am still singing that same old sad song?  Yes, I may go through the motions of changing but am I really doing it.  Maybe I was and just didn't keep it up or maybe I never did.  I can't change that now but I can change what I do now.  I always have words of strength and encouragement for others, now it is time to really listen to what I have said to them.  I know that God has big things in store for me, all I have to do is believe.  I wanted to get this out here in the blogosphere to give myself a way of being accountable to myself.  When I find myself sitting in disappointments I will come back here and read this.  It is time to put a new song in my mouth.  It IS a NEW DAY.

(photo courtesy of bhg.com)

A Day For Dreaming

Anne: Don't you ever imagine things differently from what they are?
Marilla: No.
Anne: Oh Marilla, how much you miss.

From Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

 

I have been working my tail off getting my next collection ready, taking care of the kids, extra, extra so I thought that today would be a nice day to stay at home and rest a bit.  Today is a day for reading, enjoying my kids, and just being.  There is still work to be done but today it will go at a slower easier pace.  With breaks to look at captured frogs, lick popsicles and dream.  Enjoy your Friday and all of your blessings and take a moment or two to dream.

 

Deep Thoughts With Jack Handy

Once again I have been neglectful of my blog but really, sometimes it's necessary.  I have been running in 800 different directions and sometimes it is good to just sit down, reflect and re-evaluate.  I have been doing alot of that lately.  A long talk on the doorstep of a friend's earlier this week prompted a deeper inspection of my plans and goals.  I am an impulsive person and had been trying to do everything that popped into my mind and sounded good.  That is huge problem for crafty or just plain imaginative people but most know how to reign it in a bit.  I apparently, do not.  My friend gave me the great advice (that really, I should have thought of myself anyway) to sit down in a quiet place with no distractions and really think about what it is that I want to do.  If there were no limitations and anything were possible, what would I really want to be doing?  Now, finding a quiet place to think is not exactly possible with my 3, but I have learned how to tune certain things out.  So I sat and I dreamt and suddenly the answers were right there in front of me and crystal clear.  At this point in my life, I know exactly what I want to do.  I want to be here and visible in my children's lives so for that I need to find a way to make time for being at the school and just being with these 3 blessings that I have.  I would like to re-join the choir at my church and get back to performing as it is in my blood.  As for my business, I have so many things that I would like to do but at the end of the day there are 2 things that, for me, are the best outlet of my creativity and the things that aside from family and friends are the closest to my heart.  Fashion and photography.  I love Little Lotti so much and have so many ideas for where I want to take it, so my number one goal right now is to really build my brand.  Along with my line I will be spending as much time as I can studying and growing my photography.  I have loved photography and been fascinated by those that do it well my entire life but just recently, as I have shared before in previous posts, realized that maybe I can do it too.  I am a part of a wonderful photography forum where I am learning so much and have found so much joy as I have begun to realize just how much photography means to me.  I will be working for as long as it takes me to get to a place where I feel like I have come into my own with my photography so that perhaps one day, I can share it with others in the form of fashion photography for small independent designers like me, prints to sell and maybe, just maybe, lifestyle photography.  We'll see where the lord leads me but I know that all things are possible, I have only to ask.  Because of all of this I have decided that there just is not enough of me to continue with my plans to launch my line of nursery linens and decor.  I am not nearly passionate enough about it to give it my all along with everything else so I am halting production of that.  I have lots of ideas though for cute things that I can whip up to use as props if when I start my photography business.  So, that is what I have been doing over here while everyone was living it up at Country Living and Farm Chicks;)  I have lots to do but I am so excited about it all.  I am focused and know where I want to go and how to get there.  It is time to get to work!

Since no post is complete without pictures, here are a few from soccer last Saturday.  Totally unrelated to the post but let's live dangerously;)

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 9:23

All things are possible to him who believes.

 

Wishing you big dreams and plenty of faith.  The sky's the limit!

Why Is The Raven Like A Writing Desk?

 

What could be better than a party?  A mad tea party, that's what.  More details and your official invite coming soon;)

Seeking Peace

Today marks the begining of a new month in The Inspired Room's Beautiful Living Challenge.  April, for me, is Peace.  Finding peace in my every day life by shouting less, worrying less, and taking time to be still with my family and by my self.  Each Friday I will share ways that I have found to do just that.  Today is some inspiration for finding time for yourself wich for a mom is pure peaceful bliss. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(all photos from CountryLiving.com)

Isn't that absolutely divine!  I came across these pictures and thought that the idea was genius.  I could definitely use a space like that to get away from it all, relax and find a little peace.

This week I made my quest for peace just a little bit harder.  I took the plunge and opened my own store on Etsy!  I am still working on my website(ie. I already want to change it a bit) but that is open for business too.  I was hesitant to do this right now because I had been focusing all of my energy on my Fall collection but when the opportunity came to do the fashion show I jumped at it.  The short time frame forced me to rush to get a mini collection done and becuse of that I feel that I didn't stay true to my vision for Little Lotti and the type of clothing that I wanted to create and sell.  However, after the success of the show and alot of thinking, alot, I decided to take a risk and open my shop with the mini collection anyway.  I think that it will be a good way to get my feet wet and work on building up for my 1st complete collection this Fall.  Now, I need to work on that whole thing called "marketing" that goes along with that other thing called "sales";)  Any ideas?

I need to work on getting myself a house with a little land so that I can build myself a retreat like the one in the pictures to relax in after the long days of working that I am hoping my business brings me.  That's definitely one for the vision board.

Inspiration

Does'nt it sometimes feel like you're fighting a losing battle?  That's kind of how I have felt these past few weeks.  It seems as though we are just inundated by stress and obstacles.  From launching this line to just life in general it has felt like my dreams are getting further from me rather than closer.  As I am working to push past these obsatcles and stay positive there are a few quotes that remind that  1) nothing is impossible and 2) dreams do come true.  I always hear that "nothing worth having comes easily" and I know that it is true.  I am just going to keep plugging along and know that it will all work out for my good.  I thought that I would share a little inspiration with all of you in the hopes that it might help you push past any obstacle you might be facing in your life too.  Remember, "the night is always darkest before the dawn":)

                                  

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say this to the mountain, "move from there" and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible to you.     ~ Matthew 17:20

                                

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it.  ~ William Arthur Ward

                                          

Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.  ~ Leon J. Suenes

                                       

Our tuest life is when we are in our dreams awake.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

                       

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

                       

Too low they build, who build beneath the stars.