fresh picked whimsy

Leap Day BOGO Sale!

That's right!  I'm having a ONE DAY ONLY...Leap Day BOGO Sale in the shop today! 

Here's how it works:

BUY any one print in the shop, and GET any one print FREE!  Simply purchase the first print and leave a message in the "note to seller" section of check-out telling me which print you would like for your freebie.  The freebie must be of equal or lesser value as the purchased print. 

CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER OR COUPON.

No limits...buy 1 get 1 or buy 10 get 10. 

Happy Leap Day, friends! 

{Since I'm late in posting this...i will keep the sale open until noon (EST)tomorrow 3/1/12}

Click here to go to the shop now!

Blessed!

{new print in the shop!}

True dat.  I say this to my children everytime they say "i/we/you are so lucky".  Because I want them to remember to count their blessings.  It's not that i don't believe in luck.  I do.  It's lucky to find a penny heads up.  It's lucky to win a buck or two on a scratch off lottery ticket.  And, it's lucky to win a game of go fish.  But, if there's one thing this Italian-girl-who-married-an-Irishman has learned, it's that everything wonderful that comes into your life is a gift from God. 

Ponder that the next time you declare yourself lucky for not missing your flight or for running into a friend who encourages you on a day when you needed encouragement, or when that spilled cup of coffee nearly lands on your lap, but falls to the floor instead.  It's not a lucky break, or your lucky day...or as luck would have it.  It's God and He's got your back.  So next time, remember to count your blessings instead of chalking it up to luck. 

Now, before you go throwing away your lucky bowling shirt or lucky rabbits foot {eww}...there's nothing wrong with looking for luck.  In fact, i think it's a really fun way of looking on the bright side or being hopeful.  I still make wishes on rainbows and falling stars and pick up every heads up penny i find.  My kids LOVE the challenge of searching for and finding! four leaf clovers...

and we still bait our leprechaun trap each St. Paddy's Day waiting to catch that elusive sprite red-handed! 

However, when i read the lovelies that you leave for me after i post, or when i see that you've pinned something of mine on Pinterest, or when i get a sale in my etsy shop, i don't think i'm lucky.  Because luck has nothing to do with it...i am blessed!

I'm sorry, I was going to clean the house, but i couldn't find it...

My house is about to lose some weight.

And by "my house", i really do mean...my house.  Yup.  I have been inspired by Sarah over on Clover Lane and i am joining her 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge. 

"What's that?", you ask. 

Well, it's genius, i tell you!  Genius! 

Beginning on Ash Wednesday {that's THIS Wednesday!}, i am going to go room by room and purge my house of 40 bags of clutter.  You know, the stuff you really don't use, don't want, don't need.  Some stuff is garbage and some stuff could come in handy for someone else.  My house is loaded with that stuff.  Overloaded.  It's time.

So, why Ash Wednesday?  Well, this challenge goes hand in hand with Lent.  Lent for me, means reflecting on the sacrifices that God has made for me.  It's a time for soul-searching and repentance.  It's a time to come clean...in my faith, in my life and in my home...to prepare for the upcoming gift of Easter.  This is the perfect time for this Challenge. 

Following Sarah's lead, i've made a little list for myself...going room by room in my house and each space is going to lose some poundage. 

40 bags sounds like a lot.  It is a lot.  Sadly, i think i could probably fill a lot more than that.  But, we'll see. 

I seriously can't wait to get started.  I will take lots of before and after pictures.  That's going to be so embarassing because I'm a pack rat {and i have raised little pack rats!}.  I keep everything.  I'm not a good housekeeper.  I am not organized...i was not born with those genes.  But, i'm turning over a new leaf and i'm going to do this with a prayerful heart....in gratitude for all that my family is blessed with and with clear intention to be more aware of how we spend our money. 

So....who's with me on this?  Think about it.  Pray about it.  Let me know. 

p.s.  you guys rock, once again...totally inspiring me with your encouraging comments after my last post.  thank you, so very much. mwah! ♥

Gettin' my sweat on

"You're crazy"

"Who do you think you are?"

"You can't do this."

"You never finish anything."

These are just some of the things i hear in my head as i continue my everlasting battle with the bulge.  Do you hear those things too?  I don't think i'm alone in this.  But, somehow, someway, i manage to push them to the back of my mind and try to scream these things even louder...{in my head, so as not to alarm the folks who might be within ear-shot}

"crazy determined!"

"I'm worth it!"

"oh, yes i can!"

"watch me!"

I made a GIANT committment to my fitness goals and registered to walk in the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon. 

Yup.  You read that right.  And, yes...i may be crazy.  I've never even walked a 5k.  But, i'm going to do it.  In fact, my hubs Mark is doing it with me.  We are 13.5 weeks out from it and on are following the Hal Higdon training program that our good friend and seasoned marathon runner, Joy gave to us. 

I have been submerging myself in all things motivating...pinning fitness motivation like crazy, reading inspirational weight loss blogs like Mama Laughlin and Runs for Cookies, praying for God to move my feet and pouring over the last 12 months of my Fitness magazine issues.  The weather has been unseasonably awesome up to this point, which made getting outside and walking easy.  I have been taking advantage of it.  But, now, it's actually winter-like again.  And, i HATE the cold.  I so wish we had a treadmill or a gym membership, but we don't.  And, i'm not going to let that keep me from attaining my goals.  I feel like i do so great throughout spring, summer and fall and then, once the cold weather hits, i put the brakes on exercise.  So, I have become a pro at improvising... 

• A gym membership is not in our budget right now.  But, i can still use the indoor walk/run track at the local community center, because that is open for free public use.  On super cold days, you can find me there. 
• On milder days, i have been trying to find different routes to walk and i am LOVING the imapmywalk app on my iphone.  It literally maps my walk, tells me how far i've gone, and how fast i got there.  (i know there are awesome pedometer apps out there, but truth be told, i'm not brave enough to input my weight yet onto my phone, which is required if you want to gain all the benefits of those apps)
• My church offers a free fitness class once a week, which is led by Beachbody fitness coaches. We do a lot of P90 and P90x stuff, Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Fire and Turbo Jam.  It's hard stuff.  But i feel so good when it's done.  I LOVE to sweat.  The sweatier the better.  I like to envision that my fat is melting!!!  Even though it's only once a week, i love the way it breaks up my walking routine.  It's a nice change up.
• Joy took me to the YMCA with her yesterday to walk on the treadmill.  She had a bunch of free passes and i'm going to try to go with her once a week.  Another change up...yay!  I LOVED the treadmill...it felt great even though i felt like i was walking on a moving sidewalk for a while after i got off. 
• I'm anxious for the warmer weather, when i will get my bike out again.  I have tried in the cold weather, but my eyes tear constantly, even with sunglasses on.  Then i can't see and i'm just an accident waiting to happen.

My hope is to walk/lightly jog the Mini.  However, ultimately, i want to become a runner.  I can't even believe i just typed that.  That's crazy.  The only running i've ever done in the past is running to the store to buy ice cream.  But, this is my goal.  Perhaps, next year i will run the Mini.  eek!  In the meantime, i need to stay focused.  I need to figure out how to cook healthier.  I hate cooking, but i do need to find some simple ways to make healthier meals for my family of 5.  Also, i'm in search of a great sports bra {for busty girls}, because what i've got now isn't cutting it.  If you've got a recommendation, let me know! 

Wow, this was a long-winded post.  But, i'm a believer in putting it all out there...you guys are always so supportive of me.  And, i'm just trying to keep it real.  Really real.  So, if you're fighting this battle too, we're in this together.  We can do this!  Let's go!  Let's get healthy!!!! {If you were here, this is where we would high five or fist bump or somethin'...  but, you're not, so consider yourself virtually fist bumped...}  xo

a l♥vely suprise!

Yesterday the UPS man pulled up in front of my house and made a surprise delivery.  I wasn't expecting anything.  I saw the return address and i nearly lost my breath.  It was from my sweet blogging friend, Jen in Massachusetts.  Could it be?...

See, Jen is doing a short crafting series on her blog right now...14 Days of Handmade Valentine Projects.  and this is what she made on day 2:

I immediately fell in love with it!  I left her a comment and said she needed to sell them in her etsy shop because i had to own one.  It is so so sweet!

Don't you just ADORE her lime green front door? So pretty and fresh!!!

So, back to the box...

be still my heart...

She sent it to me!!!  Seriously, such a lovely, lovely surprise! along with the kindest note...

She said "This heart, as soon as i added the wings and polka dots, totally reminded me of you.  I must've been channeling my inner whimsy studios!"  How sweet is that?!

it's hanging in my sun porch...because my front door is red. 

but maybe it needs to be lime green.  at least in february so i can show off my jen bowles design original winged heart.  ♥

This is just one of the many reasons why i love the blogiverse.  I have never met Jen face to face.  But, when i first started blogging a few years ago, i stumbled upon her creative blog and left her a few comments.  She was very gracious and welcomed me to blogville and we have just kept in touch over the years; leaving encouraging comments on each other's blogs and facebook.  I feel like i know her and we'd be fast friends if we lived closer.  Bloggers are just friendly folks.  That rocks.

Thank you, Jen, I LOVE IT!!!  Now i really feel badly that i dissed your New England Patriots in my last post!  :) 

Friends, go check out Jen's blog and her crafty Valentines series.  You will love it, too!