Happiness Project: Aprons

Miss Aubrey modeling my fave apron.

When I cook, I make a mess. I don't mean to, but I work in a very small kitchen, usually with a few helpers & various pets wandering about. It's inevitable that I flip around too fast and knock something over. LOL

That's why I started wearing aprons. I have a few I've bought at estate sales (and a few of them have been swiped by the girls). But, my favorite is a cherry red apron with the cutest crocheted cherries on it. Problem is, it's just a half-apron. (What is the correct term?) What I need is a full apron, one that covers my shirt too.

Apron courtesy Flirty Aprons

So, when I saw this contest over at The Suburban Jungle, I knew I had to enter and share my love of aprons with you. My choice, if I were to win, would be the Sassy Red apron, because, I LOVE red and *ahem* have been known to be sassy. :D


Which one would you choose?

Happiness Project: Photos

It's already 2/3 way thru January. I had intended to post more often *ahem*. Well, let's just move forward, shall we?!

Sticking with "things that make me happy", you may have deduced that I enjoy taking photos... of my kids and pets. What I really love, is taking photos of things people usually don't see.

Radish Flower

As we missed pulling a few radishes, we decided to let them grow, just to see what would happen. These delicate blossoms were the result. They grew on very long stems and waved gently in the breeze. So pretty!

I really LOVE photographing buildings and their details, especially windows & doors. Here's an old warehouse. I always wonder what was manufactured in them. Who worked there? When was the last day of business? What does the inside look like? Who painted the awesome antique themed mural on it's north side? If the building could talk, what would it say?

This is a photo from one of my favorite buildings here in town... it's an old train station. When I was a little girl, our family traveled via train to go to our home state. Plus, my grandpa was a train conductor, so I am still enamored by all things train related. :D

If you've ever traveled via train, you might recognize the platform. This place amazed me with all the people bustling on and off trains, the smoke, the smells and most of all, the anticipation of the trip. Even though we no longer have a train station in Wichita, the platform is still there. :D I think I may have to have this one blown up and hung in my office. Looking at it always makes me smile.

2010: The Year of HAPPY

2008 was the Year of Loss

The year I lost my idyllic mom-life. The year I lost my business. The year I lost dear friends. The year I lost my trust in the system. The year I lost so much.

(In way way, it was the year of gain: I gained 35 pounds by not dealing with the loss.)

2009 was the Year of Grief

When I suffered one loss after another, instead of dealing with the emotions that surrounded the events, I stuffed it down, way, way down. Buried deeply so I could just motor on, moving thru life, dealing with the day to day stuff that consumed me.

But when you stuff, eventually, it has to come back out. And it did. Hard, fast and overwhelming. Over and over, the grief came out. It made me physically ill. It brought my life to a grinding halt for months. It was the most painful year of my life. One that I vow I will never repeat.

But in the grief, I did find joy. I found many things to celebrate and I found my self. My true self. The one who deserves so much more.

I no longer will be a people pleaser. I will no longer go with the flow, not questioning what my gut is screaming about. I will no longer suffer silently. I will no longer give to others at my expense. I will re-frame my life and my dreams. I will rebuild what was lost. I will reclaim what is mine. I will rise above and soar.




On New Year's Eve, I declared 2010, the Year of Happy
I will only do things that make me happy.




Before After

As a tribute to my resolution, here are a few things that made me happy in recent days:

I re-did my laundry room. No more ugly yellow wallpaper, in stages of removal. No more reminders of the project I abandoned 5 years ago. I chose a gorgeous shade of purple plum, despite what others commented on, because it makes me happy.

I grew loofa.

I took photos.

I raised puppies.






In the upcoming year, I will share other things that make me happy. Stay tuned.