Living, Loving, Learning

Some of you may have noticed (Thanks, Chanley!!!) that my ETSY store, Thread Head Designs, is officially open for business! I am really excited about this. Check back often for new items, which I will also be updating on facebook. I would be so grateful if you would consider my items for gifts before you head to Target!! Spread the news and share the link with your friends. I will include a free handmade fabric wallet for my first THREE sales on Etsy. In the coming months I will be adding gorgeous pleated scarves, meditation cushions, tile necklaces and alot more fabric choices in bags and crayon rolls. Thank you for your support! Big Love to you all!!!

Yesterday was our first one, Meatless Monday , that is. Bruce and I have been talking about doing it for a while and now it has begun. At Saturday's herb club meeting, Katie Williams gave a presentation about local CSA's that are starting up here this summer for the first time ever. We are super interested in eating local healthy food and will be signing up for a share in one of our local CSA's . This led us to talking about how we are going to use up our share. We received all the supplies to start canning for Christmas, so that will be one good way to use the produce up but the most important way is to eat more of it! And maybe we will share a little with our friends. ;) Meatless Mondays are a movement that promotes vegetarian diets on Mondays for health and environmental reasons . This feels like a really healthy habit to teach our children. Last night we had homemade butternut squash soup, a garden salad and some yummy bread. A great start to a great new cook...

WOW, it's been too long since I last blogged. You'll have to give me a pass this time. Between getting ready to host the Herb Club for brunch last Saturday, the puppies, some personal projects and my exploding schedule, I have been in the weeds. Feeling better today though. The herb club meeting was awesome, we had 24 woman here and the meeting was really interesting. Also, some lovely friends (THANKS, Brandi and Dan!!!!) watched the kids so Bruce and I could go on a much needed date on Saturday night. Having alone time with Bruce always brings me back to my center!!! I have quite a few blogs in my head, that I hope to publish this week, so check back soon! In the meantime, PUPPIES! The puppies got to go outside for the first time yesterday. They loved it, of course, and only their Mama, paced nervously. That is what she does whenever we take her out, she patrols the perimeter of our yard. I've never felt safer, having her in our home! Her hearing and sense of...

Besides the standard cupcakes, handmade cards and books for the kids (my go-to gift for all holidays!) I managed to put together some other Valentine's fun! I made this heart wreath for my front door from this tutorial . It says to use 3/4 yards of fabric but I used a whole yard and it is still empty on the back. I looooove the way it looks! I made these hearts from this tutorial . I hung them with all different types of ribbon from already existing nails on the fireplace. I think they are sooo cute, even though Bruce had to ask me what they were when he saw them. All the women who have come into my house recently have remarked on the hearts, so that makes me feel better about them! Hope you have a wonderful day filled with loving those around you.

I am *trying* to not fill up my blog with adorable puppy pictures, so I am putting some in a photo album on facebook. If you are not on facebook, you can still check out my album ! Please share the link with any friends you have that may be interested in adopting one!!! Big Love to you on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon!

I found a good idea on how to mark your puppies...rickrack. They are even cuter, if that is possible, with their collars on. I am sure I will need to replace them every few days with how quickly they are growing, but it is fun to be able to see personalities emerge. A few have even earned names from Griffin! They are starting to get playful and we've had lots of volunteers to come over and cuddle with them. Cassie and Ava have a German Shepherd at home, so they LOVE these puppies a lot ! Little Lily thought the puppies were OK but she really liked Sunblossom ! All the puppies were drawn to Madeline's calm and sweet personality. Logan came right in a picked an instant favorite..white collar, re-named Mr. Lazy. We have started to remove the puppies, 2 at a time, to have a few minutes of playtime apart from the rest of the pack. They got to meet Lottie for the first time this week. Lottie was curious but gentle, engaged but sweet. It was really fun to watch. Here she is meeti...

Lasagna Soup is super duper delish!! All the flavor and warmth with a third of the work. I highly recommend this soup, especially for cold days like today!!

For almost 20 years now, whenever my nerves are shot and my edges feel frayed, I put on the Grateful Dead to soothe my soul. I really needed them this afternoon. We drove to Nashville this morning to take Alexis back to the airport. It was so so sad. We have had an amazing week and it sucks that I don't know when I'll be able to see her again. That said, I am totally stoked for her and Jay. I hope they have a really amazing time in Guam. What a fantastic opportunity for them! The drive down was smooth, the kids (Griffin had a snow day due to a winter weather advisory) and I hit up Trader Joe's and had a great lunch at Five Guys (ummm, why have I never heard of them until recently??). We had smooth sailing back until we hit the KY state line. The snow started to fall really HEAVY and cars started spinning. We saw 12 accidents in the next 20 miles or so. It was white knuckle driving for about two very slow hours. WOW, I was so so happy to get home. SOOOO, back to the Dead. A ...

Auntie Lexi loved participating in our post-dinner/dishwashing Dance Party where we crank the ol' skool hip hop and shake our booties. It's a great way to shake out the energy from the day, have a little fun and get ready to settle down. Griffin is working on his breakdancing moves...he wants to start his own website called "Dance with Griffin", coming soon!

We are having an awesome time with our Shepherd family. Besides many loads of laundry and being awoken during the night by puppies who cry because they can't find their way back to their tribe, this is a totally AMAZING experience. Sunblossom has gotten super comfortable with us and is pretty cool about us playing with her puppies around her. The puppies are starting to walk, 2 of them have become quite good at it. There eyes are starting to open up, but I am pretty sure they just see shadows. They mostly use smell, I think, to find each other and Mama. My little sister, Alexis, came to town yesterday for a week visit. YEAH!!! I am soooo excited. It is so so nice to have family together. Luckily, she is a big dog lover so these puppies are just another perk for her. She is moving to Guam at the end of the month so I am going to enjoy this time with her to the FULLEST! We have been really pleased to see these puppies growing. When we first got them they were all the same size b...