The reality of it all...

I struggle with what to post to my blog. I know this is a common problem. I want you to know me. I want you to see the "real" me, to convey my heart in the posts here. While it's true that, by nature, I wear my heart on my sleeve, I also don't want to be the kind of person who verbally vomits on those around her. Do you know what I mean? The person that tells you her life story in the middle of the aisle at Wal Mart on a busy Sunday and you only made time to run in to buy toilet paper, and an hour later she's still talking....I'm not talking about a heart-to-heart talk, here. I'm talking about someone who tells you things whether you want to hear it or not. I don't want to force my problems on you, so if you'd rahter not read this post...PLEASE feel free to skip it and just look at the pretty pictures. I promise I won't be offended!!!!!
( The pictures at the top of the post are from an Estate sale I went to today...I got all that fabulousness for $3.00!!! Totally worth the 30 minute drive!)
Anyways...the reality is...I'm gonna share a tiny bit of the hard stuff with you all. If only to reach out to those who have gone through it before, or maybe to encourage those who are going through it right now.
In July, my husband and I separated after almost 17 years of marriage. It was my choice and it was only after YEARS of heartache and counseling and prayer and agony. It wasn't a decision I made lightly. We have 3 children together, and I had a daughter who was 4 when we married.
I stayed home with the kids all those years, and so leaving him changed EVERYTHING! I had to get a job.
He moved out, but my Mom will be moving in soon.
But, for the first time in my life, I am in charge of my life. Thats HUGE, for me. I am losing weight (which I've needed to do for, oh, probably 15 years!) I feel so much stronger and healthier in every way, so, don't worry about me, please! I am TOTALLY gonna make it!
Well, there it is...the reality of my life. I hope you'll leave a comment if you stuck it out and read all this. I would love to hear from you. And, wwe can encourage each other, right? That's what friends are for. Even if we're just cyber-friends!

This is soooo not like me....

WHAT??? TWO posts in TWO days??? Yes. I know... shocking. But, that's not all. No... Not it at ALL.

I ACTUALLY did a little Christmas crafting. WAIT JUST A MINUTE, HERE!!! Isn't it NOVEMBER?? Technically the BEGINNING of November?

Yes, children, it's true. I did something early for a change. And by early, I DON'T mean December 20th. I know...gasp!!!

Now, pick yourselves up off the floor and let me explain, OK??? Jeez, you people....

I went to an estate sale last weekend. Squeaked in at the very end, which is entirely the fault of my kids' Dad and Google maps, but... whatever...

I don't like to go to sales at the end. Unless I already went at the beginning and snatched up all the good stuff I wanted then came back to clean up the stuff I kinda wanted but couldn't justify buying at the prices they were asking. Know what I mean?

Well, I am quite sure I missed all kinds of good stuff from the day before (but I try REALLY hard not to think too much about the stuff that got away...). But I DID get:

Another cute little suitcase to feed my sickness..I mean addiction...I MEAN love for these handy vintage items. A prett pair of Me/You embroidered pillowcases for my bed, a embroidered tea cloth edged in hot pink ( I SOOOOO love that color!!!), an aqua clutch (which I will embellish an show off in a later post), 4 vintage velvet grabby Santas and a cutter quilt top.

So, the quilt top was a partial. It has a pink background and it had these great stars.

I have been wabting to make Christmas Stockings for forever. But, you know how it is...I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted something vintage, of course, but I didn't want to do a lot of work. Well, the quilt top was perfect. The colors will go perfectly with the candy colors of the vintage mercury glass ornies I have been collecting.

I have to say, I am soooo proud of myself!

C'est bien

New Art Journal page

She's packed her bags...

Put on her ruffly dress...

And she's movin' on...but she wants you to know...C'est bien. It's good. She's gonna be O.K.

I'll tell you all about it soon...

I've fallen in love...

...with my new pink Converse. Sigh. I've waited a long time to find a love like this, and now that it's here, I couldn't be happier. Aint love grand?