Hello Friends!

I don't know how many of you are still subscribed to the Haystack ... but it was brought to my attention last week by a friend, that she had subscribed to my new blog but was not getting any new posts in her Reader. Is anyone else having the same trouble? If so, will you let me know? I've posted 3 times since my TV appearance last week so if you haven't seen those come through ... then it looks like something is broken with my feed.

Here is the link to add KristaMaurer.com to your reader: THE FEED LINK. And here is the direct link for any blog rolls you may need to update manually: http://www.kristamaurer.com

I've checked this a couple times now on my computer and both links (feed and site) seem to be working. If it's still not working for you, you might try "clearing your cache." Just go to the "Tools" button in your computer menu and there should be an option to "clear cache" or "update private data." Sometimes your computer thinks it's being smart and "holding onto" certain pages for you rather than looking them up new every time to visit them. Periodically, the computer will clear itself to stay updated, but I find it helpful to do it myself occasionally too. It's almost like a "refresh" button in a sense. And don't worry, you won't loose anything by clearing your cache. Doing this will just help your computer read the now-working links correctly.

And if all else fails, you can just go to the new site HERE and click on the orange RSS button on the right side of the navigation menu (just to the right of the word "archives"). That button will also take you straight to the feed.

And just as a side note ... I know the new site may look slick, but I hope you also know that I'm not too fancy to know that I still need you friends. I really hope you stick with me through all this. I've missed hearing from you.

xo,
Krista

Well. It's 11:30 p.m., my TV appearance is tomorrow (!) and I still have a couple hours worth of work to get done before I'm ready for my segment. I'm excited and nervous and tired all at the same time. It's been a pretty crazy few days since they booked me ... getting everything ready, making final decisions about the direction I'm going with this new life of mine, etc.

So this here post is to let you know about a few things ... well, only 1 thing really:

1. I am moving. No. Not that kind of moving. I'm moving cyber homes. You can find me from here on out at KristaMaurer.com. Wow. It finally seems real, now that I'm telling you. And it's funny how bittersweet it feels. I'm excited about what this new site means for me, but it's sad to have to let go of the Haystack.

If you remember, this little site got me writing again. It guided me out of a funk that I'd been in for a couple years. It was my lifeline. My life-saver. And you, my friends, were there all the way.

But now it's time to do something different. And while change is hard, I'm looking forward to this new life, the opportunities it's awarding me, and the chances I'm now able to take.

I do hope you'll follow me over to my new spot. I wouldn't want to do it without you.

xo,
Krista

p.s. Uncle Scott: can you please update the shortcut you put on Granddad's computer so that they can get to my new site? Thanks! :)

Yes! You read that title correctly. I am going to be on Good Things Utah next Tuesday, January, 12! The show airs live at 10 a.m. MST on channel 4 (ABC). I don't know what time my segment will be exactly, but I'm being featured as a fabric craft expert with tips (and a step-by-step project) for home decor.

Can you believe this?! I've been a beach bum, sans the beach, this week, and I've got to kick it into high gear ASAP. Things to do:

1. Finish my designs and a step-by-step tutorial for the featured project
2. Get my website finished!
3. Send the producer talking points and a bio for the segment
4. Find something cute to wear (this should probably be #1)
5. Film a practice segment at home and critique myself so I don't look like a total oaf on camera
6. Figure out what to do with my hair

This is going to be SO fun!

(AND I'll get to cross #70 off of my 101 in 1001 List! Who knew THAT would happen so quickly!)

p.s. if you live out of state: Good Things Utah is the #1 rated lifestyle/variety show here in UT. They usually upload the segments to their website in the days follow the taping so I'll be sure to post a link for you as soon as it's up. That is, as long as I'm not a bumbling fool.

While I was home over the Christmas holiday, the Ryan family contacted me to take their family pictures.

We used the beach as our setting (of course) and I'm officially in love with family photos at the ocean's edge. Here are some of my favorites ...








Contact me to schedule your own family portrait session.

So training for the race in May began yesterday and all I want to know is:

WHY didn't I keep riding the bike after the last race was over?! What was I thinking?! Building bum callouses is torture. And here I am, having to do it all over again. But(t) thankfully Beyonce was with me. And homegirl didn't let me down. "Survivor" was on repeat for the last 15 minutes of my ride and I ROCKED it. Thanks B! (I call her "B" all the time. We're tight like that.)

But lest you think that's the only song I have, here is the rest of my Triathlon Training Playlist titled: Resurrecting Beyonce

1. Wannabe / Spice Girls
2. Spice Up Your Life / Spice Girls
3. I Wanna Dance With Somebody / Whitney Houston
4. Gettin' Jiggy Wit It / Will Smith
5. Eye of the Tiger / Survivor
6. More Than Yesterday / Spiral Starecase
7. Together Forever / Rick Astley
8. Life is a Highway (Movie Version) / Rascal Flatts
9. Step By Step / New Kids On the Block
10. Miss Independent / Ne-Yo
11. Bye Bye Bye / 'N Sync
12. Haven't Met You Yet / Michael Buble
13. Suddenly I See / KT Tunstall
14. Survivor / Destiny's Child
15. Sunny Day / Joy Williams
16. Charmed Life / Joy Williams
17. One Step At a Time / Jordin Sparks
18. One And Only / Jenny Jordan Frogley
19. Never Be Another / Jenny Jordan Frogley
20. Don't Stop Believin' / Glee Cast
21. Summertime / DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
22. Dreamer / Chris Brown
23. Every Little Step / Bobby Brown
24. Crazy In Love / Beyonce
25. Cruel Summer / Ace of Base

I have to have a beat to follow when I'm working out, otherwise I'm a wimp. And if you know these songs, you can see (aside from how totally random it is) that the BPM (beats per minute) are all over the spectrum. So what I'll do is up the resistance if it's a slower song and lower the resistance if it's a faster song. That way my heart rate stays up and I get a little strength training in along with the cardio. I also don't listen straight through. I jump around and sometimes I'll keep it on repeat if I get in a really good groove with one particular song.

Hope this helps any of you who are training for the race too!

And do tell (any of you with a workout playlist): What's your favorite song to work out to? I'm always updating to this list and would love your recommendations!

Dear Darling,

This won't be long. Just a short note to make a quick request ...

Please let there be dancing. Lots, and lots of dancing.

In the kitchen after the dishes are done. In the bathroom while I’m brushing my hair. Right before we climb into bed. On your way out the door in the morning. Under the bistro lights on the patio, me in my cotton sundress and you in that jeans-and-white-T-shirt combo that gets me all hot and bothered, barefoot and in love.

Catch me off guard. Grab my hand. Circle your arms 'round my waist and pull me in. Search my eyes in that way you do and then pull me closer. I don’t want to know where I end and you begin. And just keep me there ok? Slowly swaying, back and forth, round and round. Music or not.

Do you promise?

Just let there be dancing. Lots, and lots of dancing.

I love you, you know.

xo,
me

To: Kim Olsen
From: Krista Maurer
Date: Monday, January 4, 2010, 9:34 a.m.
Subject: Monday Morning

My toes are frozen and I'm wondering where my Snuggie is.

I ate Cheerios and an egg for breakfast but I pretended it was chocolate cake.

Am trying to will myself to the gym but I just feel like going back to bed.

Deleted all but one of my new eHarmony matches. How is it that all of these guys are so dang short?

Hoping you're having a great day at work, but wishing you were home to play with me all day.

love,
Kristafer

To: Krista Maurer
From: Kim Olsen
Date: Monday, January 4, 2010, 9:46 a.m.
Subject: RE: Monday Morning

It took me almost an hour to get from 500 South to 600 North.

Allison is out doing visits. Cathy is in a meeting.

One nurse called in sick and we have 1400 patients to see.

And apparently I'm the only one who can answer questions today.

Wishing I was home playing. :)

love,
Frit

To: Kim Olsen
From: Krista Maurer
Date: Monday, January 4, 2010, 10:19 a.m.
Subject: RE: RE: Monday Morning

Sorry about the nurse shortage on a day with 1400 patient visits. They are fools who ought to be flogged. (The nurses that is, not the patients.)

It's a good thing you have all the answers to all the questions, boss lady.

You also have a pretty face. It should be on a Christmas card.

I just heard an F-16 just fly over our house. Speaking of ... I really just need to nab me a pilot. And yes. I know what they sound like. (The F-16's that is, not the pilots.)

I am going to the gym. I am going to the gym. I am going to the gym.

later,
Kristafer

p.s. Don't kill anyone today ok? No matter how stupid they are. You should always sit on something like that for at least 24 hours before acting on it.

Maybe you don't care. But I think you might. And if you don't, I'll just pretend like you do.

So this year, in addition to a few well thought out and planned New Year's Resolutions, I made a list of 101 things I want to do, see, accomplish, or experience in the next 1001 days. I know! It's ca-razy huh! But I saw this on another blog (Sorry. I can't for the life of me remember where.) and I thought it looked like an amazing thing to try ... I mean, do. I'm all about positive thinking, affirmations, verb tenses with intent, and the like these days. It is the New Year after all.

So here's my list:

1. Write & publish a book
2. Record a CD
3. Start a business
4. Sorry, this one is secret
5. Sell a piece of my art
6. Hike to a waterfall
7. Visit a continent I've never been to
8. Another secret
9. Plan an elaborate and elegant dinner party
10. Learn French
11. Take a dance class
12. Learn how to put up jam
13. Go to New York City (I've never been!)
14. Become a regular yoga student
15. Go to a BYU football game (I haven't been since I graduated. Sad!)
16. Visit a state I haven't been to yet
17. Go on a picnic
18. Visit my mission (Washington)
19. Get my recipes organized
20. Read all 100 books on the Best Literature List
21. Learn to grill
22. Go to Paris
23. Be kissed (It's been a while. Double sad.)
24. Drive the west coast highway
25. Go to a ML baseball game
26. Hostess a summer BBQ
27. Get a story printed in a major magazine
28. Skinny dip (Can I print that? I love skinny dipping!)
29. Learn how to make tarts
30. Upload 1 recipe a month to Tasty Kitchen
31. Write a letter once a month
32. Get my scrapbooks organized
33. Get my room organized (once and for all!)
34. Get my office space and studio organized
35. Learn how to dive
36. Write a poem/day for 30 days
37. Buy Photoshop & InDesign
38. Shadow a photographer I admire
39. Teach a class (non-Church)
40. Set up KristaMaurer.com
41. Update my wardrobe
42. Hostess a tea party
43. Go to the temple every week for a year
44. Visit all the LDS temples in Utah
45. Go to an amusement park
46. Visit the aquarium
47. Visit the planetarium
48. RUN a 5K (the whole thing)
49. Make Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon
50. Finish another triathlon (in better time)
51. Take a photography class
52. Get a pedicure
53. Sew a quilt
54. Do something for a good cause
55. Grow peonies
56. Take a design class
57. Ski (I am scared to death!)
58. Memorize The Living Christ
59. Memorize The Family Proclamation
60. Start/Keep a journal (with the stuff I can't/won't publish here)
61. Write a song
62. Be in a musical
63. Knit something (other than a scarf or hat. Been there, done that.)
64. Learn (and play for an audience) a new piano piece
65. Get the piano tuned
66. Start a writing group
67. Play tennis more regularly
68. Do genealogy (1x/quarter)
69. Make a budget and stick to it
70. Be featured in the media
71. Send someone flowers
72. Send a message in a bottle
73. Learn basic guitar
74. Sleep under the stars
75. Learn how to fillet a fish
76. Play in a rainstorm
77. Don't use car for one week
78. Ride a horse
79. Learn how to make chamomile tea from scratch
80. Send an anonymous letter to someone
81. Go to a concert
82. Get a new car
83. Eat vegetarian for a week
84. Refinish a piece of furniture
85. "Unplug" for a week (no phone, no computer, no internet, no TV, no iPod)
86. Ride on a subway
87. Take pictures of my sisters and parents
88. Float in the Great Salt Lake
89. Collect fall leaves and press them
90. See a movie at a drive in
91. Learn how to make taffy
92. Buy a nice turquoise jewelry set
93. Buy a nice pearl jewelry set
94. Start a non-profit organization
95. Illustrate a children's book
96. Go to a spa
97. Sing karaoke at a real karaoke club
98. Another secret goal
99. Record a podcast
100. have 6 months expenses in savings
101. Go fly fishing

3 days down. 998 to go. Which means I have to finish this list sometime by September 27, 2012.

p.s. Happy New Year! Hope you partied harder than me. I was out by 10:30. haha!

And oddly enough, it's ok. I shoveled the driveway this morning and thoroughly enjoyed it. Shoveling is one of those tasks that, for me, is incredibly therapeutic. I know most people don't shovel like I do--I'm meticulous and precise and have to get all the snow off the cement, or at least as much as I can, and I try to be as exact as possible in keeping the snow banks in line with the curb or edge of the sidewalk. (Can we say OCD?) Anyhow, I love tasks like that.

And now it's New Year's Eve. (How did that happen?)

We were going to hostess a party, but that never came together. Then I was going to cook a fancy dinner for just the two of us (one that we could get really dressed up for), but that fell through. Then we were going to invite the neighbors over, open house style, for cider and doughnuts, from 8:00 to midnight, and that fell through too.

So here I am, sitting in my skivvies, crossing things off the list (and adding more to it) of things to get done whilst I ring in the New Year.

And oddly enough, it's ok. It's perfect, actually. Here's where I'm at so far:

1. Clean the kitchen (DONE)
2. Clean the downstairs bathroom (DONE)
3. Clean my bathroom (DONE)
4. Unpack, do all laundry (IN PROCESS)
5. Shave my legs (DONE)
Nothing says, "Hello New Year! I'm ready for you.", like freshly shaved legs.
6. Go through dresser and closet: iron/refold/organize/downsize
7. Make a list of things to accomplish or learn in 2010
8. Make a list of all the things I accomplished or learned in 2009
9. Tidy my office nook
10. Go buy a new shower curtain liner
11. Toast the New Year (the sparkling cider is in the fridge, ready and waiting)

Here's hoping you're having as glamorous a New Year's Eve as me!

xo

Doing a restaurant tour over a holiday vacation is a tricky thing. Apparently. There is still so much leftover turkey and stuffing in the fridge right now and we've eaten so much at every meal, opportunities (and desire) to eat out has not been as plentiful as I had anticipated.



But I do want to share a recent outing my mother and I enjoyed to Truffles. Truffles isn't necessarily an experience in Southern culinary indulgence, but it is delicious and unique to Hilton Head and so I do enjoy popping in for lunch every few trips home.

Truffles is located in Sea Pines Plantation on the south end of the island (with another cafe next to the Sea Shack and another over the bridge on the mainland). Bright paintings of florescent flamingos and palm trees add a certain beachy, but not gaudy, flair and the dimmed lighting mixed with natural light from two full walls of windows offers elegance but not stuffiness. A true representation of Hilton Head. It's a flip-flops sort of town, you know, but it's flip-flops with class. If that makes any sense.

Now onto the food...

I started with a cup of their tomato-dill soup.



And finished with the black bean burger and a side of sweet potato fries.



The burger was good, particularly due to the sauce they conconcted for it. But the soup ... the soup was heavenly, and if I could get ahold of a DeLorean I'd go back and cancel the black bean burger and instead, eat a bowl (or two) of the soup. I'm somewhat of a conessuier of tomato soups, if I do say so myself (and I do), and it was divine. Especially with their warm bread and herbed butter (oh the butter ... [sigh]).

Dessert was in the original plan, but upon second thought, we thought better. We. Were. Full. (Perhaps due, in part, to the bread and butter. Yes. Quite so.) So we left it at that. And that concluded our lunch at Truffles.

Bottom line: Do eat at Truffles, the next time you're on Hilton Head. Do eat their tomato-dill soup (lots of it). And do hide the butter in your handbag. You'll want it for later.

I spent Christmas Eve on the boat with Dad. It's a rough life, I know.

Here's hoping you have a Christmas Eve filled with hot chocolate & twinkle lights, and a Christmas Day filled with lovely gifts, loved ones and lotsa turkey (& don't forget the pie!).

Every summer I worked for my dad on his boats. And every day at least one tourist would ask: Where do the locals love to eat?

Well, I thought while I was home this time around, I might share some of those favorite spots with you. You'd like that, right?

So to begin my "must-eat-here" Hilton Head Island Restaurant Tour, I give you:

Tucked away off New Orleans Rd. on the south end of our island, the Sea Shack would definitely be classifed as "hole in the wall" -- my favorite type of restaurant. Homey, no-frills, and dang-good food. The menu changes daily based on what's fresh...meaning fresh from the ocean. And of course, since this IS the South, there's lots 'o butter ("Buttuh, Buttuh, Buttuh"). You've just got to embrace the butter 'round these parts. And trust me. You'll be happy you did.


Today I had the grouper sandwich, grilled, with lettuce, tomato, onion, and tartar sauce (fyi: grouper is a type of fish indigenous to our warm ocean water.), with a side of macaroni & cheese (another Southern staple) and cheddar cheese corn bread.


I'd never had their cheddar cheese corn bread before, but it was wow. Not too dry, like some corn breads I've had before, with a medium cheddar flavor, and what looked (and tasted) like finely minced jalapeno and red pepper. And the mac & cheese...oh good gracious! I could have eaten a whole 'nother plate full. Creamy, smooth, and full of comfort. And a key lime pie for dessert. Wow. Wow. Wow. I might have licked the plate. Oh and did I mention the hush puppies? Might just have been the best hush puppies I've ever had. Truthfully. Maybe even better than Hudson's (which might be blasphemous to say). p.s. we'll get to Hudson's in another post.


My favorite Sea Shack item, however, is the sweet potato corn bread, and it wasn't on today's menu. Sad! But the cook said she'd make it tomorrow, so ... I'll be back for another round ... tomorrow. Hooray for Miss Betty (the cook)!

***
And then, after a filling, fully satisfying, finger licking, lip smacking lunch, I might have played for a while with the plastic lobster sitting on the shelf by our table. Yes. I might have done that.





So the moral of the story is ... whilst on Hilton Head, eat at the Sea Shack.

We're only a couple days away from Christmas and I haven't written my letter to Old Saint Nick yet! Oy Veh!

(I don't think I'm getting any of these, but a girl can dream right?)

And ... now I'm off to the beach! Have a lovely day!

Ammon was the best hairdresser I've ever had in my life. He also might have been the most attractive man I've ever seen in my life. No joke. Just the thought of him standing over me washing my hair makes me need a cold shower. Holy Hannah. He is one good looking man.

But seriously. Looks aside--best hairdresser ever. He knew just how to cut my hair to make it lay perfect, even after just waking up. Every time he finished, I'd look in the mirror and love myself just a bit more than the last time I'd sat in his chair.

He was the first man to ever call me "sexy." And I believed him. And not just because of his blue eyes and cute tush and perfectly cut muscles that fell at the just the right spot under his short sleeve shirts. I believed him because I could see it too. My hair, was hot.

But Ammon broke up with his boyfriend and left all of us worshipers, ahem...clients, for the bright lights of New York City where he is now a stylist for the stars. Is it pathetic that Frit and I have actually talked about flying to New York just to have our hair cut (and washed) by Ammon?

Anyways, long story short, when Ammon left he recommended his clients to April--who was also great. It wasn't "Ammon hair" but it was still on the upper end of the hot hair spectrum. But then April moved her station to Salon Tantrum in Layton, UT and her prices increased significantly. I thought I couldn't justify it and so she recommended Melissa--who was also great. Again, not Ammon, nor April, but I still had pretty hair. But then Melissa switched to Salon Tantrum too, and left no recommendations.

So in July I went to some random hairdresser around the corner from my house. And I've hated my hair ever since. But as I was scheduled to fly home to South Carolina for the holidays, I needed to do something with the mop on top of my head. I broke down and made an appointment at Salon Tantrum. Not that I never wanted to be a "regular" there. I just thought I couldn't warrant the expense. But let me just tell you this: all a girl really needs is a good haircut. Forget chocolate. Forget men (not really. I just said that for effect). Forget high heels. Forget Spanx. Really. All a girl really needs is a good haircut (at a good salon).

Just imagine walking into the salon and being offered a glass of water infused with either citrus or cucumbers. Imagine laying back to have your hair washed and finding yourself resting on a warm towel (it really makes you all gooey inside in case you're wondering) and then not waking up the next morning with a sore neck from the sink because it was matched up perfectly with the chair. Imagine after getting your hair washed, having a warm towl carefully laid over your forehead and then getting a pressure point massage. As a sidenote: it was so fantastically cleansing and relaxing I was seriously on the brink of tears. And then imagine getting the best haircut and style this side of Ammon.

Best $50 I've ever spent.

Remember when I became a triathlete? i.e. a Woman of Steel? Ah yeeaah. Best. Day. Ever.

Well now it's time for you to become a Woman of Steel too. Registration for the 2010 race (on May 22 in American Fork, UT) is open now. Don't think about all the reasons you think you can't do this. Don't think about why you shouldn't. Just go sign up. Right now.

Click Here to Register

Are you still talking yourself out of it? Stop it! Seriously. You will be so happy you did this race. Yes. It is hard. Stinking hard. Yes. You will want to quit. Every mile. 'Specially the ones uphill. But you will also feel the most amazing rush of power and ability surge through you when you cross that finish line. Trust me.

And just know...You can totally do it. You can. It's only a 300 yard swim in a pool (and if you need to stop and stand up or walk a few yards to catch your breath, you can. You can even doggy paddle the swim if you don't know how to freestyle.), followed by a 12 mile bike ride, followed by a 3 mile run. It's a women-only race, so no worries about the big, huge, hulking men (although that might be quite nice, come to think of it). AND it's women of all ages, ability, shape, and size. Frit and I met a 16-year-old and a 76-year-old in line at the starting point this last year. And small people (like Frit) and not-so-small people (like me) can, and do, finish. It's just an all around amazing day that celebrates the strength of women.

So do it. Because you can.

Click Here to Register

And let me know if you do! We can all train together.

p.s. they also take relay teams if you're just completely scared to death of doing the whole thing yourself.

p.p.s. registration fills up fast so don't think too long about signing up. Frit and I had the alarms on our phones set to remind us to register today.

p.p.p.s. if you live out of state...Come! You can stay with us (is that ok Frit?) and it'll be awesome!

See, here's the thing. I don't like to talk about dating. Partly because I don't know what to say about it. But mostly because it's difficult. It's like walking a tight rope. If you wobble or bobble and say the wrong thing you fall on one of two sides: a) the side where you're viewed as whiny and desperate and unsatisfied with your life because you don't have "someone" or b) the side where you're overly "fine" with your "situation" and don't appear to even need that "someone". And both, are dangerous.

Having said that, I need to explain some things about my perspective, which is LDS (Mormon). Most people who are not LDS would say that "30 and unmarried" isn't that big of a deal--that there's plenty of time. But the thing is, being "30 and unmarried" in the LDS faith is a bit of an anomaly. Most Mormons marry in their early 20's and begin families soon thereafter. And while that trend is shifting to where people are now marrying at slightly older ages, it still doesn't negate the emphasis our faith puts on the importance of family, regardless of age.

We believe--I believe-- that the family is central to our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness for us, His children. We believe that the greatest joys in life are to be found within the walls of our own homes. I know that to be true. And therein lies the foundation of my greatest wants.

And yet, beyond these matters of faith, there are also just the simple feelings of a girl's heart--a hopeless romantic girl's heart who wishes for someone to hold hands with and dance with late at night after all the dishes are done. Who wants to pack her love's lunch every morning and iron his shirts every afternoon. Who wants to have dinner waiting, along side a big fat kiss. Who wants evening walks and quiet talks right before she tucks her perpetually frozen feet in between his warm ones under the covers. Who wants Cherrios ground into the carpet and permanent marker on the walls. (And if anyone tells me I'm living in a dreamland, leave now please. You're not invited to read this blog anymore. I'm serious.) This girl has kept these feelings locked up tight for a while now, because it's too hard to feel them. It's just easier to avoid them and dive head first into the life I've been given, than to allow them to permeate the hours of daylight. It's easier to say, "it's fine. I'm happy. I love my life. What great things can I accomplish while I have this time?"

But that's the thing...I really am fine. I am happy. I do love my life and want to do all I can to acheive great things. And I am--acheiving great things, that is. I'm on that tightrope, as we speak, feeling all of it at the same time--being "fine" but knowing there's more, loving my life for all that it is but seeing what it still lacks, working hard to accomplish great things while knowing the greatest achievement I could ever attain is that of being a wife and mother.

Oh wow. I just re-read everything I just wrote. It'll be your lucky day if I actually push "Publish Post."

And so. I don't talk about it. Because I don't know what to say. And because it's difficult and I don't know how to walk the tightrope in public.

So I did it. I paid for eHarmony.

It was impulsive and reckless--which is how I think most normal people sign up for these sites. It's late at night. You've just finished watching a Jane Austen movie and in a fit of longing for a man (preferably with an English accent) to sweep you off your feet and fall madly in love with you, you find yourself actually thinking, "This might be a good idea. I mean where else am I going to meet someone?"

I'm not saying that's what happened to me. I'm just saying...I imagine that's how it might could possibly happen for someone else. Or something along those lines. Maybe.

So it's been three days and can I just say...it's miserable. Every anxiety, fear, and insecurity has come bubbling to the surface as though I was a 10th grader facing the lunchroom wondering what table is acceptable for me to sit at.

I can't believe I actually paid money for this.

It was 9:45 a.m. Fifteen minutes before showtime. The three of us had been up for 26 1/2 hours at that point. All through the night we had been sewing, cutting fabric/paper/ribbon, painting, and cleaning with Elf, then The Holiday, then While You Were Sleeping on in the background. There had been no time to think. Just sew.

But at that moment, at 9:45a.m., as I was madly attaching price tags to everything (so beautifully displayed if I do say so myself), as mom and Frit were making 5 gallons of hot chocolate and setting out the doughnuts on the crisp white table cloth, it hit me.

This is it. The thing I've been working towards for two months now. The thing I've invested all my time and money in...What if no one comes?

Internally I started to freak out. (I mean really freak out.) Externally I kept my focus. But Frit took one look at me and could see the fear in my eyes.

I went outside to hang a banner on the porch. She followed me out, and there on the porch, on a cold, snowy, morning we huddled together and said a prayer. A prayer that God would bless my efforts. That people would come. That it would all work out.

At 9:58 she arrived. My first customer. A complete stranger. A nod from heaven that this "thing" would work, or at the very least be ok. She left having ordered two custom aprons. (Huzzah!)

The next eight hours were a flurry of people and snow. And at the end of the day, when it was dark and I was plum tuckered, what had begun as a fully stocked boutique had become quiet, leftover remnants of hard work, hopes, prayers, and the support of friends new and old.

Thank you for coming. Thank you.

From the bottom of my heart.

***

This week's task: to get everything up online for you out-of-state shoppers. Just in time for Christmas! :)

And an extra special thank you goes out to my mom. You worked your fingers to the bone. I'm ever grateful and I love you mucho. So glad you could be here.

... it's a little bit chilly. But I'm cozy under a blanket and have just finished my morning routine: Prayer, Conference talk (I read this one today), scriptures, emails, Google reader. It used to be: Google reader, blog hop, emails, scriptures, prayer. But I changed it up to, you know, put first things first. It's definitely a better this way.

So my days are filled with sewing and painting and sketching and sewing and painting and sewing...getting ready for the big day and all. I'll be honest, I'm a little overwhelmed and sometimes wonder, "what in the heck was I thinking?", but it's fun. So I'm happy. Lucky for me my mom's in town this week and is a great worker bee. She saved my bacon.

So yesterday I did another recording session. I almost said no because of all the things I need to get done. But it's good money and I want them to call again, so I said yes. I recorded vocals for a film score library. I don't know what films the pieces will be used for, but if you're watching a movie someday and you hear the oo's and ah's in the music, it might just be me. Crazy!

So Frit's gone on a few dates with some eHarmony matches. Nothing worth writing home about yet, but it's good. But it's also making me think. I need to figure this dating thing out. I've gotta get on the ball with it too. Blah. I don't know what else to say about that really.

So I'm headed downstairs to eat some breakfast and then get back to the sewing machine. The sun's coming through the blinds and it's a yummy golden yellow. I love sunny days.

Today's going to be a great day.

See you Saturday!

xo

Well we're t-minus 4 days now until the Grand Opening of Island Belle Boutique! And quite honestly, I'm going crazy. I'm excited, nervous, worried, and confident all rolled into one. I can't thank you enough for the support, encouragement, and cheerleading you've offered along the way and for sharing the announcement and poster on your blogs & Facebook pages. You are amazing friends to have (even if we've never met). It's going to be a fun, fun day and I hope you all can come. Oh and speaking of Facebook...if you'd like to become a fan of KQM Creative, here's the link. Through that page I'll be able to offer more "real time" info about the Boutique, Photography, and Consulting services we're offering.

So onto other business. Last week I my friend, Jacey hired me to take her family pictures. She's a funny funny writer and has the dang cutest kids. Here are some of my favorites from their family portrait session.







and just because I can't handle how cute this little guy is, here are a couple more ...



Speaking of meltdowns...doesn't every family picture either end or begin with one? I still remember one particular photo session with my own family where we were all fighting the entire morning of. Mom didn't like Karly's hair, I took somebody's brush, so-and-so needed to get in the bathroom and so-and-so was taking too long in the mirror (I don't remember who so-and-so was), Dad wanted everyone to be quiet, and on and on and on. Even in the car on the way to the location, we were all in a huff.

When we got to the beach, mom turned to the three of us and glared, "You will smile. And you will be happy. You will look like you like each other."

Ha! I love family pictures. So if you need yours taken (Christmas card season is upon us!), let me know. You can get $25 dollars off your session if booked by Saturday. It'll be a blast. I promise! Contact me here.