"What's the purpose of dating?" I used to ask my girls when they came home from school talking about all the drama that presents itself when middle schoolers date. "To get married," they replied, some days less enthusiastic than others. "And are you ready for marriage in middle school?" "No, I really want a car first." "Exactly." Then our kids found out our story and now that whole reasoning has gone to pot. You see, we weren't dating when we decided to get married. My aunt still jokes about how she got our save-the-date in the mail only weeks after my-then-friend, … [Read more...]
When The Glitter Doesn’t Shine
Somedays you get kicked down and you get right back up. But then sometimes you just pray that when you get kicked it will be into chocolate pudding with whipped cream because then at least your fall will taste good and you'll have something to eat while you wallow in self-pity. Today is a chocolate pudding day. Normally I write to give hope and make you laugh but somedays you just have to take off your big girl panties, tie the onto the end of a stick and make your own giant white flag. That's me, that's where I'm at. Today I'm the one needing hope and a laugh - and chocolate … [Read more...]
Life Lately – 25% Battery
I have 25% battery. Sometimes I feel like that applies to my life. The end of summer is tiring. Am I right? The kids need to go back to school shopping, there's school registration which takes forrrrever, one thousand five hundred and ninety-two forms to fill out, and let's not even talk about the Texas heat that zaps every ounce of energy from you as you walk out the door. I now have 23% battery according to my laptop but according to my life, it's so much less. I need a nap and a vacation to Iceland or somewhere that's really cold. Last week we spent the week watching my daughter's … [Read more...]
What Depression and Anxiety Really Feel Like
There was a time when I think I was one of the worst when it came to judging those who claim to suffer from depression and anxiety. "Why don't you just get up and take a walk rather than lay in bed?" "It's just a mindset, get over it." "You're there because you let yourself get there." "It's just an excuse." I was one of the worst. And then one morning I woke up, made breakfast and then found myself back in bed. Later in the day, I was so tired that I had to go lay back down. Over the next few weeks, it got to the point where I would do something and then go sit down in bed … [Read more...]
A Few Tips For Preparing for a Hurricane
Hurricane season is showing up early this year, with a storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico while summer is still in full swing. Now more than ever people are looking at how to prepare for a hurricane or storm. It's on everyone's minds, which is a good thing because then they have a better chance of being prepared when a storm is heading toward them. Don't wait to prepare for a hurricane and don't assume that you have enough. One thing we learned after Hurricane Harvey is that we didn't have enough food saved. Preparing for storms could be considered an Olympic sport. It … [Read more...]
Life Lately – What I’m Making / Reading / Doing
Life lately. Whew. Do you have a few hours? No. OK.. I'll give you the abbreviated version. Buckle your seat belt, grab your glue gun and let's go. What I'm Making As I shared on Friday, I'm painting a lot right now but I'm also playing around with other things. This weekend I grabbed Infusible Ink by Cricut. If you don't know anything about Infusible Ink, it's their newest product that somehow imprints into the fabric instead of laying on top of the fabric like vinyl. You have to use specific fabrics and products for it to work but I grabbed some to play around for you. I'll … [Read more...]
Painting Is Good For The Heart
Vincent Van Gogh said, "If you hear a voice within you say that you cannot paint, then by all means paint and it will be silenced." Preach. There was a time in my life where I told myself that I couldn't paint because I was looking at technical painters and trying to fit my overly creative brain into that space. I'm not going to do a perfect still life that will be raved about for its photo-like qualities. It's not in me and it never will be. But that doesn't mean that I can't paint and make some kick-butt things. You can too. If you've followed this blog for a while then you know that … [Read more...]
Life Lately – Father’s Day DIY Shirts With All Toes Intact (For Now)
Years ago I started making r-shirts for our girls to wear for Father's Day. But two years ago as they were getting older and our lives were getting busier, I stopped making them. Then while I was talking with Mr. Byrd this year, he brought it up. It turns out that it had been one of his favorite things about Father's Day each year. So this year I brought the t-shirts back. And honestly, can I say that I am so thankful for Cricuts and heat transfer vinyl? In the past I spent way too long hand cutting out freezer paper stencils. This year I let our youngest pick out the … [Read more...]
Fighting Depression – What I’ve Learned So Far
I've been quiet lately. You might have noticed. Usually, I'm on social media a lot and always sharing with you what I'm making. But in the past few days, I've just been blah. As I shared with you a while back, I'm dealing with depression and anxiety. The post I wrote only addressed depression but every time I talk about depression in front of my counselor, P.O., she quickly adds in, "and anxiety." So yeah... that too. When I get down, I get quiet. When I'm just kinda blah, I paint with headphones blaring music so loud I couldn't hear an explosion. When I'm really in the doldrums, I … [Read more...]
Life Lately: I’m Building An Ark.
Have you ever heard the stories of how President Lyndon B. Johnson used to drive people visiting his ranch right into the pond without telling them that he had an aquatic car that also functioned as a boat? I'm gonna need one of those. We live in Houston. It floods occasionally. It's life and has been for the past 15 years since I moved here right after I married Mr. Byrd. Many times I've sat at home and watched the flooding coverage on TV or social media. We usually wait a day or so and then venture out to see what the flooding still looks like at local parks or other areas that we know … [Read more...]
13. I Now Have Two Teenagers. Send Coffee.
The weirdest thing about raising kids is when you look over expecting to see a wild haired, free-spirit child next to you and instead you see a young woman who is full of beauty and grace. Out of all my kids, so far this is the one that's surprised me the most. I remember almost having to hold her down to brush her hair. The outfits that she would pick out probably be placed in the circus hall of fame. When deciding what clothes when she was younger, we knew that anything really colorful and slightly unpleasing to the eye would make her deliriously happy. But now in that wild … [Read more...]
Vulnerable Truth – My Struggle with Depression
Sometimes when we write, we lay our heart out on the table and ask people to guard it for us. This is one of those times. Today we're going to take a break from crafts and glue guns because I need to share something with you. I'm sharing it with you because I know that some of you are in the same boat, the same place, the same struggle. If nothing else comes of this, I want at least one - you know if it's you - to know that I'm here too. You're not alone. Months ago the walls started to crash in around me. Things piled up faster than I could push them away. Life got hard and every day a … [Read more...]
