Life is SEW nice with my Two Peas!

I sound like some old lady, don’t I?  My friend Joan passed on this book to me called My Sisters Keeper.  Man, it is really good.  One of the things she wrote in there said something like, don’t most women find out what they really want to do when they are on their way going nowhere.  Referring to being in a job that just isn’t going anywhere and in that, you make some real discoveries about yourself.  I feel like that describes me and where I am right now pretty well.  I’m not really going anywhere professionally anymore – at least not in the career path I started on when I graduated college some 14 years ago.  I worked for 12 years in conservation law enforcement and at a university in my natural resources field but I’m not really on the pathway to anywhere anymore.

There’s no promotion to get.  I have given up my commission as a police officer for the sake of my family.  I’m just sort of sitting still.  And so, I feel like growing this business of designs and fabrics is where I’ve come full circle because art is where I began…really, really young.  And it’s what my family has always pushed me towards saying that was my calling.  And in one way or another my family has always been connected by art.  And I’ve always ignored it.  Because I was “smarter” than that.  What does that mean?

But I’m starting to think – it’s where my future is.  I just don’t know.  I keep reaching out to other nationally known designers and getting some wonderful feedback.  It’s just that first step is…wow, it’s a really big one.  You know the kind that when you look down, you feel all sick and dizzy and you just want to back away but you know you gotta jump?  I’m at that point and I’m not so crazy about heights, if ya know what I mean.  As I met with my students tonight and talked to them about networking and how critically important that is to your success, I realized that I maybe I haven’t networked enough, I don’t know enough yet.  This song I posted above is one that gives me some inspiration.  I love what it says, what if the stars line up and good luck rains down, what if you chase your dreams and it changes your whole life.  Changes my life, my kids, my husbands – we have everything to gain and nothing to lose so I have to try, right?  Right?  Anybody got some words of wisdom out there?

what if that road that you’re taking’s a dead end
What if love leaves you all jaded and broken
what if that limb breaks you’re climbing out on
yeah, what if it all goes wrong

But, what if it all goes right
what if it all works out
what if the stars line up
and good luck rains down
what if you chase your dreams
and it changes your whole life
Yeah, what if it all goes right

What if that road is a beautiful slow drive
what if that love ends up lasting a life time
what if that limb holds you, oak tree strong
what if this time nothing goes wrong

what if it all goes right
what if it all works out
what if the stars line up
and good luck rains down
what if you chase your dreams
and it changes your whole life
Yeah, what if it all goes right

what if you climb to the mountain top
and touch the sky
grab a cloud as it passes by
you might fall you might fall
but then again you might fly

what if it all goes right
what if it all works out
what if the stars line up
and good luck rains down
what if you chase your dreams
and it changes your whole life
Yeah, what if it all goes right

Ok…so I entered a contest recently with my ultimate diaper bag.  This is the one that Amy Butler’s studio folks asked my permission to post on Amy’s FLICKR site.  So, I thought, I’d enter and see if I’d win.  I didn’t.   But there are some beautiful projects that did win and I got a nice tiny mention.  Check it out.

My head has been buzzing with all kinds of new projects and fabric designs.  I have 3 different fabric designs / lines in the works.  One that is whimisical and for kid projects.  One that is more vintage / sophisticated rustic farm feel.  And one that is just loud and colorful.  Can’t wait to slow down the production line so I can create some more…

Hey Ladies! The Two Peas studio has a harvest of great buys just for you.

Join us on Saturday, December 6th at the Harvest Moon Coffeehouse in Canal Winchester for a good deal on my products plus a great deal on lunch! I’ll have a limited selection of items for sale from 10am – 1pm and when you print out the invitation and bring it with you – you’ll not only save 15% on my gear BUT you’ll also get a deal on lunch.

The Two Peas stuff…I’ll have ready to go purses, accessories, dresses and more. Even some design samples from the upcoming Spring line for sale…like this one shown here. This is Bella – in progress. Get there early because when they’re gone…they’re gone. No custom orders this day – just ready to go. (Bonus! My friend Kris of Livy Marie Handbags has a great selection of fun bags there too! See her blog to check out her items)

And discover the great, I mean GREAT sandwiches, soups and coffees from Harvest Moon. When you present your invitation and order one sandwich, you’ll get the second sandwich of equal or lesser value for half off. Trust me on this one – you’ll love their food!

So come make a lunch date with us on Saturday, December 6th.

Deep sigh.  Wipe brow.  Take a sip of sweet tea.  Coo at my Sophie-doo.  Keep cutting, sewing, pressing interfacing.  A picture says a thousand words…can you tell what I’ve doing lately?  Santas workshop via the Two Peas in a Pod Homegrown Designs studio is B-U-S-Y!   Check out these latest goodies that will land under someone’s Christmas tree this year…

I wish I had something profound to write about but seriously, my mind is void of really anything meaningful or well, just about anything for that matter.  Do you ever have a day like that?  Ok, maybe a week or two like that?  I’m trying to take life slow and breathe slowly, take everything in, think before reacting, just trying to find more simplicity in my life.  But I have to tell ya, it’s kind of exhausting to be so slow.  I’m sure you can relate.  When you are running on mach 5 and super speed, it’s almost hard to be tired because you dont’ even have time to think about sleep or rest.  But when you rest more, you actually get more tired.  And…our wonderful, gray skies, 30′ temperatures and brisk breezes surely don’t help me to motivate.

Here’s what I did do today however…I rearranged my furniture in my family room.  I keep doing these home parties and walk into these homes that are wonderfully decorated.  It makes me wish I had that kind of eye for decorating.  We were given a huge amount of family pieces when we were married.  I have no clue how to put them all together.  I cut out photos from one of my favorite magazines, Country Home or Country Living, all the time and try to copy what they do.  I just need a “home decorating for idiots” handbook I think.

Last week, the girls and I went to see High School Musical 3 and then I bought the soundtrack for my ipod…for them, of course.  Although, I find myself singing it all day long.  Completely corny but I have to admit, I like it, a lot. 

Got a few things done yesterday including this cute little Ava bag.  Love the colors that were chosen by Mary – she hosted a party last night.  (Thanks Mary!)  I have a few other things and when I get somewhere with REAL internet connection (yes, I’m doing this from my dial up connection! ahhhh!!!) I’ll load those photos.

Make it a great week everybody!

Michael Buble Everything

So, I took a few days off.  Which turned into two weeks really.  I feel fine.  I feel good actually and so I’m back to work at my day job and back to sewing this week.  This little quilt was made for a baby shower gift – hope the new Mom loves it.

My little ordeal gave me a bit of a chill…you know the one where you go, “whew, that was a close one!  Could have been way worse”.  Last time I had some heart issues, I was in the hospital for 4 days and then on meds for a year.  This time, I said no thanks to the meds and asked to go home as soon as I was in normal sinus rhythm.  And they said ok and then talked about what a bad patient I was out in the hall – like I couldn’t hear them through the curtain.  “Well, I told her, she’s a big girl and can make her own decisions.  If she wants to run out of here and have a pulmonary embolism or a stroke, it’s on her.”  Thanks.  Honestly, feel fine.  Not even a rare blip or thud out of my heart – all is as quiet as a mouse.  Stress just caught up with me I guess and so I need to be still a bit more often and slow down.

I went home and took a few deep breaths and thanked God for all the gifts I have in my life.  My sweet sexy husband – ya know what he did for me?  He took a week off with me after I got home AND he cleaned out our garage which I have been talking about for 2 months.  Ohhh, how I love a man who can clean!  AND he bought me a haunted house for Halloween – my favorite day of the year!  The Tunnel of Terror – so sweet!  And I hugged my little Sophia for days and days because I realized that the stress I put my body under caused me to get so sick that I couldn’t take care of her.  And that made me feel terrible.  So, slow and easy.  And loving all my girls and my husband to pieces.

Are you a Micheal Buble fan?  Who isn’t?!  When I got home, it just made me think of one of his songs, Everything – I change one of the words out of it…instead of “be your man…I say, be your Mom”.  I wrote the lyrics below but if you don’t have this on your ipod – get it!  Our whole family loves it.  It’s my Mom song to my kids – they are my EVERYTHING.  (And the hubby too – he gets more and more amazing everyday, ok, well most days – some days not so much :>)  but most days he’s my everything too.)

You’re a falling star, You’re the get away car.

You’re the line in the sand when I go too far.
You’re the swimming pool, on an August day.

And you’re the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy, but it’s kinda cute.

Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don’t pretend, that you don’t know it’s true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It’s you, it’s you, You make me sing.
You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything.

You’re a carousel, you’re a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.

You’re a mystery, you’re from outer space,
You’re every minute of my everyday.

And I can’t believe, uh that I’m your “MOM”,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.

Whatever comes our way, ah we’ll see it through,
And you know that’s what our love can do.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It’s you, it’s you, You make me sing

You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything.

[Chorus:]

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It’s you, it’s you, You make m e sing.
You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything.
You’re every song, and I sing along.
‘Cause you’re my everything.