I had no idea this thing was still live. Thinking it might be fun to resurrect this crazy snapshot of my life. It’s only been six and a half years. What could possibly have changed? I guess I’ll have to read back though the archive and get up to date. Hope you will join me!

I’m so happy cooler weather is on it’s way! I love fall so much! We are finally getting out of the oppressive heat and I’m working my way out of the funk.

I spent early August visiting my Mum in PA and next week she will be here visiting me. Yay!

I’ve been working in the craft room and have finally tried out my Scan n Cut and I love it! I’ve been embroidering and quilting and getting my crafty on. I still need to focus just a bit and complete a project before starting another, but that’s pretty typical for me.

Hopefully, now that things have settled a bit, I’ll be more consistent with posting. Hopefully.

For reasons I simply can’t explain, I am exhausted. I wish I could say that I’ve been busy. Either creating something, baking something, or at least getting out and exploring something fascinating in my little corner of VA.  But sadly, no. The heat and humidity is getting to me. Even my early morning walks with my neighbor have lost their appeal as we trudge through the neighborhood, humidity weighing us down.

The kitchen is also on my list of places to avoid. I can’t find any pleasure in cooking dinner in this weather. I’ve tried a few new recipes over the last couple of months, but nothing so wonderful that I want to recreate it again.

At least I can say, I’m out of the funk I was in months ago. I guess it was the melancholy that is brought about by a long winter and even longer spring. While I couldn’t wait for the weather to turn to sunny days, the heat is now oppressive. So rather than foolishly sit and cry, I simply sit… and sweat… and hope that we get a break soon from the heat so we can enjoy the outdoors once again.  I’m looking forward to some long bike rides and cool evenings to sit outside. It’s hard to enjoy the country with this humidity and bugs. Fall will be here soon enough and all will be right with my little world once again.

But for now, I’d like a nap please.

When I bought some artwork to decorate my office, I came across a picture that sums up my world right now.  It says, “Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” It is such a true statement and I had to have it. It’s a reminder to pay attention to the little details. Sometimes, in the middle of ordinary, we have the clarity to see the truth. I’ve been blinded before, caught up in the emotion, in the novelty of a situation that I missed the warning signs.  Slow and steady, that is when things become clear. When you know things are right (and really see where it was wrong before).

So after nearly 4 years together…. We are taking another step.  We talked, he asked, I said yes! We are proud to call each other fiancé. He such an awesome guy. He always makes me feel like I am a priority to him. He is kind and considerate in ways that I never thought was possible. He makes my heart skip a beat every day. He knows how to push me to be better without belittling or shaming me. I know he loves me for the woman I am. Just as I am. He loves the me that I am on my best and worst days. And I feel the same about him.

My heart is full. It is a wonderful thing to find my fairy tale.

And I suppose I’ll bask in the glow of engagement for a few years… we like it slow and steady like that.

Seriously.

So I’m packing for Alaska. Wait, edit that…. I’m shopping for Alaska and it has been a primary focus lately.  I’ve ordered far too much, very similar to what I’ve posted below. However, I need to cull the purchases and dial it back a notch. There’s going to be a large return to Kohls (why do I do this?) and then a trial packing will begin. No point in keeping the excess. Although, it all fits in to my color scheme, so the work wardrobe will get a summer boost as well.  Decisions, decisions…

Two weeks… It’s been at least that since the last post. Whoops, just checked… It’s been a month since the last real post. I have 32 days until the cruise! Woo Hoo! And a million things have happened.  Actually the last two weeks really have made all of the difference and when I started this post it meant one thing and now it means something else. (Saving that for another post.)

A week into April, I just started getting overwhelmed. I think about my Dad and some of the pressures of life around me. Don’t get me wrong, I have it so easy compared to most. But being the sensitive person I am, when I am surrounded by so much tenseness and anxiety it bothers me. I want so badly to help people, but sometimes you just can’t. And then I think about all of the people in my life who I have failed to help and I just get sad. I want to reach out and save everyone and make everything better. But I can’t. And that is a hard thing for me to accept. So, I quit the Facebook. I had so many voices shouting at me, I would see things that really didn’t involve me, but yet take it heart and take it so personally. Every person who was having a hard day, or a bad day, I took that to heart and felt like they were reaching out to me, personally, for help. (Now I don’t mean to sound so full of myself here.) I know they weren’t asking me, Nicole, to save them and solve all of their problems. I just WANTED to.

And then the goofy stuff, like people who get nasty with each other in the comments of a news article. Some people just want to fight and antagonize, which in turn drives me crazy! I understand that these people are just keyboard warriors and it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with me. But my blood pressure goes up and it infuriates me. I can’t stop reading and I get all spun up over something that has nothing to do with me, not about me or anyone that I love or even know. At this point, it has been suggested by other people to just not read that stuff. Right…. easier said than done. I was a Facebook rubbernecker. There, I said it.

Then there’s all of the political stuff: I don’t care if you love/hate Hilary, love/hate Trump or if you are simply Feelin’ the Bern. I DON’T CARE! And seriously people, can you at least post something from a credible news source….

So, I quit the Facebook. (My neighborhood girls and I like to pretend we are old and call it “The” Facebook. We are hilarious. You should meet us sometime.)

I am sleeping better, I am less stressed… and when I have a true stressful situation come up, I am able to deal with it better. I am not bogged down by the stress and frustrations of 300 other people. The shouting voices have stopped. (Ok, not “voices” in my head, but the voices of hundreds of people shouting out their opinions and problems on Facebook.)

I do miss my friends. I miss hearing about their days, their kids, and being a part of their lives. However, when I see them now, we have things to talk about. Yes! Real live face to face conversations!!! I have to make a better effort to call or text the people that I love, but that is ok. The phone works both ways.

But as far as the Facebook goes, I’m really not sure if I’m going to go back.

We’ve all been there. It’s a seemingly beautiful day outside (albeit chilly) and all I can think about is what I could be doing other than working. I have a million and one things to do but I’m exhausted by the time I get home.

Fortunately, I thought ahead about the week. Not only did I plan a menu for the week, but I planned my work clothes as well. What a lifesaver this morning when I overslept! I know what I was going to wear and it was all ready to go. Whew! I had time to throw dinner in the crockpot and pack my coffee, breakfast and lunch.

Menu planning has got to be one of the most difficult things for me to do. It is an necessary evil. Without it, I resort to eating out. Which in turn causes me to overeat and so on. I’m working on taking off the few pounds I’ve gained since we’ve moved in, so menu planning really is key.

Since I’ve worked on making a more minimalist wardrobe, that has eased some of my morning frustrations as well. I’m getting myself organized, finding my rhythm in the world. That, without a doubt, is my biggest struggle.

I’m excited to say, only 63 days until the cruise.  I can’t wait to share my Alaskan Adventure!

Seriously, this winter has sucked. My Dad, who has not been well for a long time, died in January. I spent about half the month or more back in PA. I visited him in the hospital and he had been on an upswing most of the time I was there. He had some of his sass back and was giving people a hard time. You know, for S & G’s. He was funny like that. Then, as I was driving home he took a turn for the worse. It’s hard to resolve it all in my mind. He wasn’t so bad when I left, but 24 hours after I was back here in North Carolina…. he was gone.

I week later I returned to PA for his funeral. It is all so surreal. And watching my Mum, I see where I found the strength when my husband died nearly 10 years ago. She has her moments, but I see that wall going up. She knows that there is no right or wrong way to get through this and she will find her way in her new life. I’m proud of her. She’s a tough cookie with a soft heart.

I’m in a funk this holiday.  I can’t really pinpoint why, but I am. The tree isn’t up yet and the weather has been so mild that it’s hard to get in the spirit.  Seriously, it was in the 70s yesterday. It’s hard to be ho ho ho-ing in this weather.

My work hours have changed, I have so many unfinished projects and social commitments that my brain is just swimming. In fact, it’s nearly 7 am and I need to get my ass ready for work.

The reduced/minimalist wardrobe is working out. I’m enjoying the feel of mix and match without feeling like I’m wearing Garanimals. I have a simple color scheme and I love it.  I still try on 3 to 4 outfits some mornings, but I don’t think I would be me if I didn’t.

I’m trying hard to make a commitment to myself about writing more often and including pictures.  My project list is a little overwhelming, but I’m looking forward to continued progress. I can’t wait to start posting pictures of my creations. Maybe I’ll finally get the Esty account up and running too!

Until next time….

Anyone who knows me, minimalist is a word that would rarely be used to describe me. I wouldn’t say I’m over the top in any particular way, but minimalist is not me at all.

However, I have been OBSESSED lately with minimalist (aka capsule) wardrobes.  I have clothes in at least 4 different sizes in closets, dressers and plastic totes around this house and STILL I suffer from the dreaded “I have nothing to wear” problem. Seriously.  So after studying Pinterest and websites like Project 333 and The Vivienne Files, I give you my method for getting starting on a minimalist wardrobe.

1. Spend weeks and weeks looking at how to do this. Occasionally look in your closet and other places you clothing stashed and try to imagine how you will ever part with ANY of it.
2. Find a particular minimalist wardrobe that speaks to you. For me it’s the Pink/Purple/Gray/Navy combo on The Vivienne Files website.  Obsessed, I tell you, obsessed.
3. Join Weight Watchers, again. Why oh why can’t I be a size 6????
4. Grow 5 inches taller.  Ok, maybe I can’t do that, but when you are looking online at clothes, it is hard to imagine transferring those clothes to a 40-something, 5 foot 1 inch tall woman who is pushing into plus size (not that there is anything wrong with that.)
5. Obsess over more capsule wardrobes and continue to be amazed at how 10 items of clothing will get you through a month of work. No one will notice, right?
6. Sort through some of your clothing stash. Fill one garbage bag with items from closet that are too big and look sloppy or too tight and feel terrible or that you know you are never going to wear again. (Unless it is a fancy dress with the tags still on it.)  Take note of colors that get left behind in the closet.
7. At this point, I’ve decided that I just love the idea of the pink/purple/gray combination and I will switch out black for navy because a large portion of my work clothes are black and I’m not going to buy all new pants/shoes/cardigans.
8. Sort through the plastic totes of clothes and fill 2 more garbage bags, and still leave behind anything from Banana Republic, J Crew or Calvin Klein.  Leave behind the bin of expensive bras that you WILL wear again one day. Leave the bin of skinny clothes that are classic in style or that you just spent too much money on and it still breaks your heart to part with. This is what the guest room closet is for anyway, right?  Keep the bin of cruise clothes for the next time you go to the Bahamas. Promise yourself if they don’t work for you then, you will get rid of them too.
9. Sort through your shoes. If they pinch, are falling apart or you just don’t wear them… buh-bye.  Cry because you didn’t listen to the salesman and paid $600 for a pair of black heels when you should have gone with the nude. Nude is forever!!!
10. Pack the car with the 5 bags of clothing and shoes and drop off at the donation center.
11. Download the Stylebook app so you can take pictures of all of your clothes and mix and match outfits from the comfort of your recliner… uh, I mean… while you are on the treadmill, walking your way to that magic size 6! (ha ha ha… I’ll be happy with size 10, thank you.)
12. Check your credit card balance.
13. Shop online for HOURS looking for the perfect items to make your capsule dreams come true.

Truth be told, I shopped Kohls online. I know my sizes, I had a coupon and free shipping.  I still managed to order over 40 items.  Damn sales. Hopefully I can part with some of it and return what doesn’t work. I’ve vowed to myself to only keep what fits today and what I will wear to work. My capsule will likely consist of more than 33 items, but I have a great base already in my closet.  I have black dress pants (4 identical pairs), a tweed pair, a black and white check and a gray pair. I have a tweed skirt and a solid black one as well. I have three different styles of black cardigans, a hot pink one, a gray one and several black and white print.  This is an awesome base if I do say so myself. I’m just organizing my color scheme to a tighter range. I really believe that this will make life easier in the mornings.

So maybe I won’t be totally minimalistic and have the perfect 33 item capsule. But that really isn’t the point of the project. The idea is to do more with less and I can certainly appreciate having less to work with.