What does it feel like to make a decision to leave behind the house you’ve made your home in the face of a major storm? Intimidating.

Looking around for last minute items you need to have for a few days, packing up a few items you can’t live with out, consciously leaving behind many things you wouldn’t want too.

Once in a while you meet people that become your friends, for a period of time. Maybe brief and the friendships fade due different circumstances, often school, job or geographical changes. Resuming acquaintances status via social media etc. but nothing much further.

During our Pastor’s homely last weekend, I found myself pondering the Garden of Eden with a new interest. We all know the story well Eve was tempted by the serpent/ satin to eat from the one tree she should not. His words hitting me with the strength that she lacked as Father George recalls his own found memories from childhood.

My eyes were glazing over by the time my head hit the pillow that Thursday evening. After getting my eager to stay awake little ones back to bed and a long/ late day at the salon, I was whipped. There’s just something about coming home from work after 8pm that makes you feel entitled to not having to be a grown-up anymore. All of my adultness was spent. Yup, I was checked out. Yet I found myself doing a quick scan through my email.

January has proven to be an extremely cleansing month in our home. Fresh starts and healthy habits for the year, undoubtedly anchoring it’s teeth into our skin. They say to try something new for thirty days to make it it a habit. Without even realizing anything new and different soon won’t be. The thing or obstacle you have set to make your own will indeed quickly become routine.

Peace fills the air and my mind as I venture out on my morning run. Today I run for me. Time with my own thoughts and aspirations. Stepping one foot in front of the other, for about two miles on the island with a last name. Just running and listening to the sound of my own breath.

Some days you feel like a super hero with your cape waving behind you in the wind. While others, your cape is stuck in the door. Yesterday I was victorious! I hopped in the car to see a shiny little yellow light blinking back at me, with a heavy heart I told my kids (that were just packed up for morning adventures) that we would need to take a detour over to the car repair shop.

Let the planning begin, and thankfully also now come to an end! With many thanks to Pinterest, I have been planning my daughter’s first birthday party since before she was even born. Not actual logistical details or anything crazy but fabulous ideas and inspirations fill one of my many boards titled “party planning”. Yes maybe a little crazy, but how can I resist when I have such temptresses floating around, usually on my cell phone screen, waiting to be plucked like a ripened apple at its peak. I give you… the wONEderland tea party.

Where art thee

Oh Lu La Roe

I could wear you daily

I love you so

The way your fabric stretches and fits

To pair with my T-shirts, sweaters or tunics

So it turns out, I found it. I found the spring that was indeed in my step, the more “summer like” outfit I was hoping for. I fell fast in love with this romantically, whimsical floral skirt by Free People as soon as I spotted it hanging on the rack at Nordstrom. I loved the colors, high waist and especially the tiny Victorian style buttons going down the center.

Long ago and far away, in a previous month or ten. Ok not that far back but it feels like forever ago I started to switch up my salon studio offering out even my “before” pictures and blog post. Well as it turns out, it took a little longer than planned to finish up. Not for any one reason specifically, more of a collaboration of untied ends.

Walking through the wooden door on the left, we are greeted with a friendly smile. I was big and pregnant expecting our first child. The painted animals across the walls give me a familiar feeling. I was never your client as a child, like the many others throughout this great city, but I’d been here before, just not for this. My husband was your patient, along with many other Tampa natives since birth and was still clinging on to you when we started dating.

My blow dryer broke today
Not before I started, or even at the end
It broke in the middle
Half of the hairs on my head are smooth and dry
While the others still drip

Our dog is a very specific rare breed here in the United States. Less then 200 here on American ground. They are heavily populated over in Sicily where they are from, running around all over the fairly small island off the coast of Italy’s mainland. The breed is called Cirneco dell’Etna. Chestnut colored short hairs coat their body with long lean muscles slightly bulging from underneath.

So once again, we have family pictures coming. What is it about taking professional family photos that leaves me with the desire to check off a million different boxes. I find myself searching through catalogs, Pinterest and actual stores looking for the perfect feeling. After all, a picture is all about trying to freeze the feelings we have attached to the moments.

I was sitting in a lovely new mom’s group one afternoon while the topic of letting things go came up. I have met some of my favorite girlfriends inside these groups, so I hope they will find the humor to this silly topic of mine, again. Taking notes on how to be comfortable and happy with the tasks we do accomplish in the day and the fact that we are not able to get as much done as we used to be able to do.

It’s been almost seven years since I moved into my big corner office. Ok so it’s really a studio inside a salon. After working my way up the pole, I was upgraded with more square footage, high ceilings, a private shampoo sink, giant windows, and a private entrance and patio.

The chiming faint alarm goes off to my right. It’s 3:45am, the first alarm of the morning. I quickly tap snooze and rest my eyes till the next one goes off. 3:50am, the light little bells repeat the same melody as before, this time I get up. Heading carefully through the darkened room, straight to my closet where I have so carefully organized two bins to grab my workout clothes.

I was good at listening, redirecting, providing engaging learning opportunities and showering my children with love. Today my house is a mess. The laundry is not done. The floors went untouched and the clean dishes in the dishwasher still need to be put away. We even cheated once stealing a sippy cup right out of the dishwasher not touching anything else that sat inside. The clean dishes all gleamed with almost a smile as I opened the door but I was lazy or better yet I was busy playing pirates with my son while my daughter rolled all around.

God works in mysterious ways.

I’ve heard this many times over the years and I do believe it to be true. I sometimes struggle with everything happening for a reason, but I accept it to be God’s will and that we are a part of a bigger plan. He gave us freedom of choice and so enters the grey area where things can get complicated. There aren’t many things I wish I could do again but I struggle with a few situations I wish I could have done differently. Regret is hard.

Laying here in the stillness, of a peaceful weekend nap about to begin.

My heart is so full, my mind at such ease. Looking down to my left my usually wiggling two and a half year old little boy is finally settling down.

I’m so excited for Saturday night, we have a babysitter and we are going out. We’re headed to a marriage celebratory shower, followed by a late night art show. We usually don’t have two events in the same night but my husband purchased the tickets prior to realizing our other commitment. Looking forward to each outing, we decided to make them both work. I’m mostly pumped because I get to wear my favorite rose gold sequined pants! Second time matter of fact, different groups of people.

I am no fashion guru.

I have little to no background in the whole fashion world at all. I am from New York, but it’s a big state and we don’t need to be specific regarding the region. However, as a child I used to enjoy coloring, like many little ones do. One Christmas I received a fashion designer coloring kit. I loved that kit so much. I found that all my drawings had quickly turned into left, right or center faced mannequin bodies assembled in many different articles of clothing. So it was decided, I was to be a fashion designer.

I’ve been told for years that I am never short for words, long winded, would do well in radio or that I plainly, yes, talk a lot. I forget to put in periods, as I seem to prefer commas and run-on-sentences. My husband has a little game he likes to play with me to “get to the point” as he says. It’s called “three sentences or less”.