Free: A print or four

This Christmas, my sister and I decided that instead of buying each other things we'd make each other something. I'm not as talented as her so I think I got the better end of the deal with the beautiful flower necklace she made me (post to come!). I put my skills to work looking on her Pinterest page and created some prints she had pinned. You can see them in her house here. But for those of you who share her tastes, I've included them here for your download and print pleasure. Nothing like a freebie.

PRINTING NOTE: These were sized for 8.5"x11" prints. For some reason I got the picture size and standard paper size mixed up. They should print high resolution at 8x10. To download, click on the print. You'll be launched into Blogger's image viewer. From there, you should be able to Control + Click the picture, which will give you the option to open the image in a new window. From there, right click or command click the image and you should get a Save Image As option. Once you save it, it's ready for your print pleasure.

Learning the hard way

Moms don't let kids chew on power cords.

A whole new level of obsessed

Many of you know my OCD, super talented sister. One of the best things about being her sister is you get the fruit of her super talents. Yesterday, she sent me pictures of her lastest creation she was making for Christmas presents while I was laboring away at work. I fell in love. Sick crazy mad kind of love. Because it's a word pillow. Me: editor. Editor=words. Me: yoga obsessed. Put the two together and what do you have? That's right folks! My bestest friend whipped me up a pillow that combines my loves, including her. So not only do I own belts and bags from her collections, I'm a proud owner of my own pillow with just a little bit of, "Oh, I want one." That's all it took. Did I mention how much I love my sister?

Snail mail love

Some people are flabbergasted to learn that I'm one of eight children. Truly astounded. Well wishes are sent to my mom, and she's seen as one strong or very stupid woman. To have children, I think it take a little bit of both. Some wisdom and enough sense to know you really don't want to know what being a parent is all about. One eye open. One eye closed.

The greatest thing about a big family (my mom was one of three daughters who went to have more than the 1.25 children average. So I have lots of cousins as well) is the amount of love. You can just about guarantee that someone is thinking about you, and you're thinking about them. It's a little thing, but sometimes those thoughts about the other person turn into an email to check in or even little packages and cards.

Today, I got two packages. One from my truly artistic cousin, Gary, who "dapples" in wood carving. I say dabble because he's truly modest about his skill and the works of art he creates beneath his hands. A few years ago he gave me a wooden box that he had carved butterflies into. It sits in my living room and it's one of my most treasured items in that room. When I asked him how he created it because it looked so difficult and like it took a lot of patience, he said, "Jessie, it's not that hard. Let me show you." Yeah, right. Always so modest. His most recent work is just as beautiful and went straight to my heart: a hummingbird, that has some lore behind it. Hummingbirds are my favorite! Perhaps because they're so fleeting. Now I have one that will stick around and remind me of that great family of mine.

The other package was just as wonderful. Capricious sent me two of her new creations—belts. I'm in love with them. Bright lemon yellow and rich corals are such a colorful addition to my often-black wardrobe. We also did paper swap. Capricious knows her sister well. The papers are muted funky patterns with a touch of classic. They're almost too pretty to cut into. What's a girl to do?!

Truly blessed. And obviously loved. Thanks family!

A poser in the best way

Yesterday I got quite the surprise upon arriving to yoga. I had the case of the Mondays. It had been a rough and long day in my mind, and I wasn't sure yoga was even going to do the trick. When I entered the studio, not too much crossed my mind when Emily (one of the owners of Darling Yoga) popped up from behind the counter with a big grin on her face. I didn't think too much about it, except: She's in a very good mood for a Monday. This is why I need to be a yoga teacher! Instant bliss! So grinned back. I didn't catch on that she was hiding something: "I have a present for you!"

At first I was taken back and confused. "Your sister called, and I know it's going to be your birthday soon. So I have present from your sister and one from me and Victor."

Suddenly, Monday was looking a lot better. Presents! From some of the most amazing and inspiring people in my little circle of life. And then it got better. Check it out:


That's the poster t-shirt I've been eyeing, oh, I'd say half a year. Capricious kept trying to talk me into buying it, but [gulp] it was too pricey for my fugal mindedness—$45! Now it's mine, thanks to her! Now I have something to wear to my yoga workshop on Friday night. I hope "poser" really sets the mood for a candlelight vinyasa class.

Oh, and should you want to pop on by to my apartment, you'll be greeted with some beautiful-smelling incense that Emily and Victor gave me along with a incense holder. Ode to inspiration.

I just hope Jonathan likes it. It's already going to be a great 27th birthday, and it's still more than a week away.

What vacation?

I'm being pseudo mommy for the week while Capricious recovers from having her cutest of a thang daugher (aka Girlfriend). AJ has been heaps of fun. We've pretended to talk on our cell phones very adult-like: how's the weather? cold. whatcha doing? me talk. how you doing? i'm fines all around. We've watched hours of Thomas (unfortunately, I have a head full of songs that I would rather not have). We've created cars out of suitcases and block carts. We've perfected our choo choo and vroom vroom noises. We've played trains and painted pictures. We've had picnics on the floor. We've taken pictures. We've danced. We've changed clothes and taken naps. And I'm exhausted. And yet, I know after this week is over, I'll miss him more than ever and want to go back in time. And possibly want to take a real vacation after my vacation. Being pseudo mommy is hard work. But very very satisfying and rewarding. Do you hear that: That could be the makings of a baby itch. Better grab the calamine.

Oh mama!

I started my daily shot this week, and I'll I can say is: OUCH! That hurts, that hurts, that seriously freaking hurts! Although I don't experience the flu side effects that I did with my three-time-a-week shot (Yippee!), this shot is very painful. I get a nice size lump and a patch of redness around the injection site. It goes away after a while, but like my other shot, the area feels bruised days later and some of my lumps have last days. I'm still not sure how my body/skin is going to react to daily shots (i.e. if the injection reaction starts lasting longer), and because of the frequency, I'm probably going to have to start giving them in the thigh so I have a wider rotation of places to inject. I'm not a fan of giving a shot in my thigh because it's the most painful place for me. I think it's because my thighs are all muscles (yoga!). I must remember: Things could be worse.

But enough about illness before you all think I've become a complainer and a hypochondriac. I'm so excited to be counting down the days until my niece Abby arrives on Friday. I go meet her on Sunday, where I'll stay week snuggle loving my nephew and the new baby, and pampering the new mommy. To prepare for my trip and a week away from my yoga studio, I've downloaded the Prete-a-Yoga application to my iPhone. My plan is to take myself away for an hour or so each day and take a "class."

Etsy anyone?

I've been trying to fulfill my mission to find A Capricious Perspective a cool Etsy shop so I can post another comment to her 100th Blog Giveaway. (If you haven't commented yourself to win her cute tote, go do it now! It's free. It's fabulous. It's fun. Plus, Capricious is preggers. Don't piss off the hormonal woman by not trying to win her fun tote. I won't hear the end of it! Go comment! She loves her comments like she loves her Starbucks Chai Lattes.) I really want to win, but more than anything, I want to impress Capricious with a fabulous find. I've searched Etsy. And searched. Typed in words in the search function I think would be of Capricious's liking. For over an hour. No luck. I know cool shops exists. I know a handful of them. Tell me, what are your favorite shops? How do you "shop" Etsy?

Creative genius

There's a certain bloggy person I know who really takes the cake in creative genius. She's busy all the time dreaming up projects, but unlike me, she actually carries them through—in like a day. (Trying not to be jealous here.) And now she's giving away part of that creative genius in the form of one of her stylishly funky and fun totes. Wanna new bag that makes people ask, "I love your tote! Where in the world did you get that?" Then click over to A Capricious Perspective's blog to get registered to win! She's giving away one tote to one lucky winner—I should know because I have one her of creations, and I love it. And not just because it happened to be designed by my sister. This is a completely unbiased review. You can find a link to the giveaway to the right by clicking that cute blog giveaway button.

Design note: If nothing else, admire the blog button I created for A Capricious Perspective's blog giveaway. Indeed, creative genius just might run in the family.