I adore etsy to no end. I love the idea of supporting individuals instead of companies, and most often, the items on there are so adorable. Really it’s impossible not to find something you love and that’s exactly what you are looking for.

The other weekend I was looking for some replacement dog tags since Maisie had managed to lose hers. And I found these adorable tags from Urban Puppy. I fell in love, but knew we had a problem: Brodie is a boy. And no boy of mine was going to be walking around with a heart on his tag. He’s a man’s man. So I messaged the seller asking if she could do a more “boyish” tag for Brodie. And she did. And they are awesome:

Two custom dog tags from Urban Puppy

A picture of Maisie. Just because LOOK HOW CUTE!

And Brodie too!

This is only a small portion of the insane shopping I’ve been doing lately to cope with my angst over busy season. I’m thinking it’s time for some form of intervention, otherwise I might as well buy my own franchise of Pier 1, Bath and Body Works, and maybe even a Fry’s while I’m at it. But if anyone needs some Nectarine Mint hand soap, I think I have about three in our guest bathroom. Don’t judge. They smell like heaven.

I really love you. Really. You are the one catalog I cannot bear to cancel because whenever I see you in the mail, my mind does an adorable little heel kick out of excitement. I settle onto the couch and get ready for a case of the wants. Some hardcore wants.

Like when I saw these adorable jewelry frames adorning your pages. Really what more could a girl desire? Well, maybe to use that $50 a pop on something more productive. Like shoes.

So I did what all my fabulously crafty friends would do: I decided to make my own!

I headed over to Big Lots and purchased some incredibly cheap 8 x 10 wooden frames. The next stop was Walmart for some metallic spray paint. Then rummaged through my storage closet for a little picture hanging kit I’d purchased from Target a while back. Armed with a TV remote programmed to Bridget Jones (because chick flicks are also part of the supply list of any DIY project), I got busy.

Supplies are ready!

Assembling the earring holders

And getting the necklace hooks in place before a thorough coating of spray paint

A finished project and a nice, useful display for in our closet

A close-up of some dangly earrings

It’s always a sign of a project well done when your husband tells you how nice it looks! So in between late work nights and busy weekends, even I was able to squeeze in a little time for me. Now I just need to find time to give myself a much needed manicure and pedicure. Yikes!

I think he’s forgiven me because the bathroom before was quite a dungeon. And now? Now it’s so pretty! Really. I think I want to live in it.

See for yourself!

Before. Let’s see.. ugly wood paneling, ancient rusty mirror threatening to fall and kill someone, 80’s shelf thing. Just not pretty.

Step One. Buy new HUGE mirror. Check out that price tag. Big Lots for $30! It was amazing. I almost cried. Okay not really. But deal of the century? Yes I believe so.

The next room for painting is our living room. We have the routine down, so it should be pretty quick. If only I could stop being such an insane perfectionist. Really I think that doubles the amount of time it takes for us to paint. What room in your house are you itching to paint?

I’m trying very hard to celebrate the small things. The little things around the house that I manage to finally complete. I have lots of little projects scattered all over the place; projects that depend on another project to be completed before another can be started. I inherited an old china cabinet from my grandma, and I had a wonderful idea to spray paint it black for some extra storage. It’s currently in our shed, half painted and just a few hours work from completion. And once that is complete I can finally put away all our glasses and barware that’s residing in a box on the top of our fridge.

I feel so torn lately, I would love to wallow in my own self-pity and frustration. I don’t feel like I’ve been the most productive with my free time, but have no clue how to make things better. How do you find a way to get your own personal “me time” as well as keeping everything together? Cleaning? Laundry? Organizing? Projects? Seriously. All that along with my poor neglected husband. And sometime in there I want to take care of myself and keep my manicure shaped up.

Ugh what a grump am I? What else did you expect with my haphazard blogging schedule: something cheerful? I am making little steps to get better. I started the 365 project on January 2nd. Some nights I don’t quite make it, but I’ve dragged my camera out three more times than I would have had I not started this project. And if that’s not taking an active role in getting my personal endeavors squeezed into my crazy day to day, then I don’t know what could be better.

I’ve also been reading Julia Child’s memoir My Life in France and spend most of my days day-dreaming about what my life would be like living in France. Until that day, I’ll just continue to slowly work on learning French and feasting on bread and cheese. That’s the same right?

A view from the top of Notre Dame. Taken on our honeymoon.

How has the winter weather been affecting you?

sidenote: No I’m not depressed, so don’t start sending me brochures on getting help or anything. This is what happens when I write a blog after working into the night.

side sidenote: If that title is not correct in French, I blame Google translator.

We’re so freaking exciting.

It is 2010. This past New Year’s Eve, instead of waiting for all our computers to explode from Y2K, we were all just so relieved to leave 2009 in the dust. Cale and I decided to celebrate in a more low-key way: by watching random TLC shows about the super-obese and primordial dwarfs, while drinking hot chocolate (the fancy kind on the side of the Hershey’s can) spiked with Bailey’s. So for those who are so anxious to hang out, be warned, we are not exciting. In fact, it’s official we’re boring.

It was so mundane, that I didn’t even realize that we were embarking on a new decade. Or that just ten years earlier, we were entering a new century. And then I remembered what I had been doing ten years ago.

me: “Babe do you remember what you were doing ten years ago?”

me: YES!

Well Cale wasn’t anxious to stroll with me down memory lane, but ten years ago, Cale and I were spending New Year’s together! I had totally forgotten. If you haven’t been a reader for long, I posted a couple years back about “our beginning”. It started in 1998 as friends, and we were shortly boyfriend and girlfriend from 1999 to 2000. Well, as much as you can be boyfriend and girlfriend at fifteen years old. That New Year’s Eve, my childhood neighborhood threw a new years eve block party complete with bounce house and barbecue. And Cale was there. I vaguely remember the night, and I don’t even know if he was allowed to stay until midnight (most likely not). But how fun it is to know that ten years ago, we were just two teenagers running around a cul-de-sac with my neighbors, eating food, and jumping around the bounce house when the little kids left.

Here’s to many more New Years together and to actually making plans next year. The way we spent it this year was just plain embarrassing.

My year as twenty four was one I never could have predicted, and one that without reflection could have passed by without regard. But it was a year to be proud of that is for sure. I did things and accomplished more than I could have envisioned. I may be spending my twenties as a married, career-driven, young lady, a way of life that could easily fall victim to the boring day to day, but it is still exciting and wide open for adventures and opportunities. I battled the same challenges I face year after year: eating healthy, finding time to exercise, wanting more out of life, stressing myself out more than necessary. And I will continue to face those this next year.

However, those are not the things I’ll remember my twenty-four year old self for. I’ll remember that: I made a list and took an active role in achieving the things I want out of life; It was the year I got bangs and I started to love my hair; I got a new computer and subsequently learned how to edit my photos better (and had fun with it!); I stopped hiding the fact that I don’t believe in god; I flew to Vegas two weekends in a row, once to celebrate two years with my husband and another time to meet a group of women I did not know who would have such a profoundly positive impact on me and my outlook on life; I became a sister-in-law to two adorable little twin babies who have given my baby fever a huge boost; I had a girls weekend in Shaver and got back to work to find out I was getting promoted; I photographed my first wedding and fell in love with my husband ten times over as he officiated the ceremony; My family went to Yosemite and did not see any bears; I went back to school for my masters in taxation degree; We moved out of our little cottage in the quest for more space to live; I committed to the Avon Walk and felt good to be helping a cause so much bigger than myself. I blogged less, I lived more. It was a tremendous year.

The things I learned over this past year are small things, like refusing to say no to something just because it makes me nervous. Little things that will open more doors for me in the future. I want to take advantage of all the opportunities I can. Those plans I had for myself when I was going through college, that timetable I just needed to meet: out the window. I want to live in the present, not pushing all my hopes and dreams into the unknown future. Granted, this won’t result in some huge life-altering change right away, but I don’t want to limit myself by refusing to see things as options. It’s my life that I’m leading. In the spirit of watching The Holiday a few too many times this December, I need gumption. And 25 year old Stephanie is going to have gumption in spades.

December 11, 2009: Happy 25th Birthday to me.

Happy holidays everyone, I hope you have had a fabulous 2009 and are looking forward to an even better 2010.

First off, happy birthday!

I, too, LOVED carousels. I had my own porcelain, musical carousel. Ah, memories. I was obsessed with horses, though. I love horse figurines and I wanted a horse so bad when I was a kid!

We’re twinsies! But I loved all the responses! It brought back so many memories!

As for my birthday, it was wonderful. My mom and grandma came up to visit, and we went to a nice fondue dinner where I ate so much I felt like I was going to explode. A great way to start my year as a twenty five year old.

Well this year, I decided that I’d like to give something away for my birthday again. Why? Well it’s just so darn fun. And there are so many of you I just love, and I wish I could have a huge birthday party with all of you, combined with wine, girly movies, and makeovers of course. Since I can’t logically do all that, I’d like to spread some fun and prettiness your way in honor of the fact that I’m steadily getting older.

Sigh.

Danni has a lovely little carousel necklace in her ohhellofriend etsy shop that I just fell in love with. Because if I may share a little tidbit about myself: I used to love all things carousel and unicorn related. I have a box of porcelain carousels stored safely away at my mom’s house. My room used to have a lovely little unicorn wallpaper border, all adorned with pastel colors. Really that necklace is something that the moment I saw it, it took me right back to that little girl, carefully organizing her figurines by height (seriously. That was me as a child. OCD much?)

What’s a birthday without some childhood photos?

this can become a part of your own jewelry box!

So for my birthday, I am going to buy this as a gift for one of you! All you have to do is leave a comment with one of your childhood obsessions, be it a boy band, the care bears, you name it! (One comment per person please!) The contest will close at 11:59pm on Friday December 11th, and I will announce the winner on December 12th.