One month postpartum: I miss my long hair!

In the past month, I have learned so much.

• She will never be this small again so treasure every little second.
• You and your husband need to love each other NOW more than ever: let go of petty fights.
• Not many people get the kind of support I did from my boss and coworkers, my professors and classmates, my husband, my sisters and mother, my close friends, and the hospital/pediatric/gynecologic staff. (Not to mention the happy words of strangers -- thankfully, no one has said a mean word yet -- when they do, I will let you all know! (; )
• Appearance is completely unimportant when you're recovering, nursing, and learning to be a mom!
• My life is not nearly as important as her.

I am extremely lucky to be able to be a wife, a mom, a student, a money-maker, and myself.

Everyone is so kind and accepting. I didn't expect this kind treatment at all. I'm just glad I can surround myself with a supportive community and have the strength to simply ignore the rest.

I am very happy.

I am so so so lucky.

xxx

Beth

At 4 in the morning.

Around the world people are sleeping. People are waking up for breakfast. People are exercising to live longer. People are doing things to bring themselves closer to death. But the world is abuzz with life, with love, with soul.

And at 4 in the morning, my world is quiet.
I can hardly hear her breathe.

I can only see the slight rise and fall of her chest.
I turn my head.
He sleeps facing me, head buried at the edge of his pillow.
Her body is warm, bundled up.

At 4 in the morning, my world is complete.

Tiny Spaces.

Hello!

The morning began with Eric and me making breakfast and eating while watching a documentary called "Tiny". It's about people choosing to make a switch to a tiny living space (some 200 sq ft, some 90 sq ft). These people design and build their own spaces to simplify their lives, live green, the world at their fingertips and almost literally at the foot of their beds.

Watching this documentary, our 298 sq ft apartment looks huge. But hearing why they all converted to living simply made an even bigger impact on me. To focus less on material possessions; to live in the world rather than a gigantic mansion. To measure their success by their soul rather than their bank account.

I hope my soul holds more value than what money I have.

I hope my daughter will hope this, too.

We literally have one more week until her due date...
I wonder when she will get here and fill our lives with the hardest, yet greatest endeavor of all time.

xxx

Beth

Art Adventures 010715

I've been experimenting a lot lately.

Here are a few little pieces I've been working on this past week!

Brown and blue acrylics!

Plus graphite.

I love how organic this piece feels.

Red and brown acrylics.

Plus graphite.

I love sketching out girls like this...and I like how it can look when there are more than one! This was my scrap piece of paper for the commission I was making and it was just too beautiful to not work more with.

 This is a sketch, a mock-up, and the scrap piece of paper from the commission I'm working on.

I've only ever drawn lips so painting them is a brand new experience for me.

This is a in progress shot of one of the coffee pieces I worked on.

I have a lot of left over ground coffee that although expired still smells amazing.

It also looks amazing!

These pieces have had a lot more work put into them but I'll show that some other time.

Here is an in progress shot of a watercolor piece I've since finished.

I love mixing graphite and watercolor if that wasn't obvious.

I love the delicate colors mixed with the harsh lines.

A girl I sketched out.

She's had company since this sketch.

I'll show y'all in a little. (:

_________________________________________________________________________________

Here are a few pieces I have hanging at Appalachia Cookie Company.

New and old. (:

"flower girls"

graphite + acrylic

"two worlds"

acrylic

"lies"

acrylic

"lull"

acrylic

"overcome"

acrylic

You guys have seen these before but I thought I would show them again in their lovely framed state! (:

I am also participating in a showcase in Raleigh, NC next month.

If you're above 18, your support by attending this event would mean so much to me!

Tickets are $15 each! (:

Come one; come all! (:

xxx

Beth

Date Log 123014

Date day!

Eric and I went on a little day date yesterday and I just wanted to share it with you guys!

We actually started off the day super early so we could catch the free breakfast where he works in the small town over. (: It wasn't fancy or anything but I appreciate the perks of his job and we had to pick up his check anyway. We caught up with Jen whose kids we've taken in for private lessons before and he got to talk to the management about another employment opportunity in the next month. He would be working at the same place but with a more consistent schedule and higher pay. I'm so excited for all the new opportunities life has been giving him from this to a scheduled teaching job at a nearby dance studio. I couldn't look up to him more as a fellow dancer and human being.

After picking up his check, we wandered onto the main street. I've always wanted to check out these little shops because of how extremely cute they look from the outside! I've only ever been in a few of them for some little snacks. And the first store we checked out was my outstanding favorite of all time.

So, you guys know how I've been so into home decor lately? This store was all "hip" home decor and OMG it had basically everything I collaged for you guys in that first post. Everything was so cute and interesting and Eric found so much stuff he wanted to. If only we had a bigger space... it would look exactly like this store. Seriously. So, maybe next year... there'll be many more trips to there. Haha.

Here is a little corner of the store.

This lovely drawer matched my nails and, oh, I wanted it so badly!

On top are some entryway organizers in silver metal and wood and some card cases. (:

We did end up buying something that was on sale and necessary; a outdoor mat for wiping shoes (light brown with a white mustache, approx. 20"x8"). And it was only about $13! UGH. Steal. It's so cute and functional! We checked out a lot more stores but everything was so much more gaudy and tacky and just out of an affordable price range.

After hitting the street, we stopped by a little cafe for a pick me up and chatted over our drinks before heading out of town again and to Walmart for some necessities.

I love the chances I get to just sit down and have a conversation with this man. We live together and spend a lot of our time together but finding time to just talk is so important to us.

We printed some pictures and picked up some rugs, thank you cards, floss, snacks, a broom, and some storage containers for Izzy's stuff. We still have all her clothes in the gift bags from the baby showers while we transition them to baskets and storage bins. We still have to wash them all before they're ready. So, I think I'll work on that today.

After Walmart, we went to the post office to mail off something his family left behind while they were here this past weekend and my first SOLD piece(s) of art! I was so excited to send these little guys off to a new family (I know they were sick of me).

Then, we hit up Bojangles for some food before heading home for some Netflix and down time. The rest of the day was spent writing thank you cards and Eric working on his resume and curriculum. (:

So, in all, a very chill day with the lovey. Now, he's at work while I'm here cleaning up and getting all of Iz's clothes ready. (: I just separated everything and started the first load! I've ended up dividing all of the articles into either warm/dark and colors, warm/whites, cold/dark and colors, and cold/whites. I just want all the stuff to be ready when she gets here!

Well, cheers to a productive day. Our next prenatal appointment is on Friday and our next birthing class is on Monday. Today we kick off the new year with some cake and sparkling cider.

Cheers to 2014; thank you for all of your days but we must part and move on to another year!

xxx

Beth

5 Ways to Push Forward and Not Give Up

It's so, so, so hard to take a breather.

But when you do it's so worth it.

Here's five simple and fast ways to work through some of life's frustrations:

1) Plan Ahead.

This isn't for everyone but, personally, I like to work solutions out with pen and paper, organization, and tons of planning. It helps me figure out what my options are and how to effectively jump over any hurdles.

For example, if my problem has to do with a lack of finances, I will sit down and write out all my transactions. If my problem has to do with career choices and decisions that may affect my future, I will sit down and write out all my options, all potential paths, and what to do from where I am. In essence, I do my best to sit down and take into consideration what I currently have rather than what I have lost or what is blocking my path.

2) Take a Breather.

Just breathe in.

And out.

And think about nothing.

For at least ten minutes.

This really helps reset any bad mojo that may be going on in your mind giving you a fresh approach to the problem that frustrated you in the first place.

3) Talk It Out.

Talking out a sticky situation is kind of like planning ahead but with another person to bounce ideas and opinions off of. Sometimes it's good to get feedback but a lot of the time it's nice to just have someone who can listen to you, allowing an internal dialogue to develop that doesn't require sitting down and writing.

4) Release.

I very much believe in expression to combat any internal struggle. Here are a few ways to express your emotions and create at the same time:

• Dancing
• Doodling
• Running
• Writing
• Singing/Playing Music
• Cooking

5) Remember.

Try to recall why you chose the path you're on in the first place: your passion, a need to help others, a childhood dream, etc. Whatever it is, imagine it and zoom in on the first time you realized that this is where you are, even if you did get knocked off track a little.

A friend of mine once told me that life is a road and at the end is your goal; bad or negative things that happen are just little detours and it's up to me to return to the main road to trudge on.

xxx

Beth

New Year's Goals!

Last year, I had three resolutions.

1. Turn in all assignments for all my classes in the spring semester.
2. Save money. I’m not sure about the details of that yet… Maybe just coins. Maybe like 100 a month? I’m not sure. I’ll have to talk to EC about it. We just really need to start saving. Right this second.
3. Always be on time. Always get enough sleep. Stay on schedule.

I struggled to keep to these in the Spring. I had just experienced an awful loss in my life and focusing on anything was hard. Many a nervous breakdown occurred. That being said...I felt a lot better after that semester. I took summer classes and I think I did a really good job staying focused, turning in all my assignments, not spending so frivolously, and being on time. I think I just needed time to feel better before really tackling school again.

So, in between summer classes and fall classes, I created two goals.

1. Commit to study times: get dressed up and eat/drink healthy.
2. Go to every class: get dressed up and bring a drink!

These goals I made a little differently. I really thought about what I needed to work on to be successful in my academics. I decided that previously my grades weren't so great because of my problems going to class and making time to actually study. Then I tried to figure out what would help me accomplish these goals. Usually getting dressed up just motivates me in general to do things and proper nutrition will allow me to focus and accomplish what I have to do in any moment, especially in one where procrastination is prone.

On to this new year!

1) Pass Foundations II (3D Art).

I've tried to take this art class two times before this one. Third time's the charm? I'm just hoping I can pass it this time. Here's what I can do to pass this frustrating class:

• Work on every project every single day for (at least) an hour.

2) Save money.

This one is very vague... Maybe we can just make the steps toward it a lot more specific?

• Divide up any unexpected income.
• 1/3 to the past - loans, credit card amounts, debt.
• 1/3 to the future - investing in any future purchases.
• 1/3 to the present - home improvement, unnecessary purchase.
• Only bring cash shopping.
• Credit cards/debit cards make you think less about the money you're actually spending. Using cash will make you think twice about what you're really spending your money on.
• Even if it means writing checks out to Eric and having him withdraw the money.
• Put 5% of every paycheck toward future self investments.
• Personally, we'll be saving up for overseas vacations or classes while Izzy is in summer camp or college.
• So, if I make $200 this pay period, I'll put $10 toward that fund.
• Stick to a budget.
• Create list of income/expenses.
• Figure out what needs to get paid and how much to spend on groceries and gas.
• Then figure out what's left over and what that should go to: past, present, future.
• Go grocery shopping with a very specific list.

3) Think kindly and patiently.

• Give myself a break. Take a breather for ten seconds and really think through a situation.
• Be patient with myself and remind myself that "I am only human". 
• Practice/rehearse different "trigger" situations to approach problems a different way.
• This article I found provides a very helpful audio to work on any kind of situation.

4) Be on time.

• Get ready an hour ahead of time: make-up, outfit, diaper bag, my bag (wallet, keys, etc.), coat, shoes.
• Be ready to fly out the door when the time comes but also to spend the other thirty minutes working on an assignment or cleaning up a little.
• Leave the house ten minutes earlier than needed.
• Get EC out the door with time allotted for travel + ten minutes.
• Get myself out the door with time allotted for travel + ten minutes.
• Prepare food as soon as grocery shopping is over.
• This way no time or money is wasted cutting off rotten parts of food.
• Keep monthly and weekly calendar updated with all important things.
• Appointments, classes, work, etc.

That'll be it. Time to drill all of this into my brain!

xxx

Beth