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Friday is here again. And so soon.
I want to drink in every moment of sunshine and warmth that the season has to offer, but time just seems to go by so fast. I always expect to get more done than I actually do. And there is still an empty spot somewhere in my heart that is longing for something new. Or maybe somewhere new. I'm not sure.
When I found the photo above, I stopped dead in my tracks and took a deep breath. It was like a spell was cast on me. I completely lost myself in it. I could feel the warm air on my skin. I could taste the salty water on my lips. I could imagine swimming in those waters until dark. And then I saw that the photo was taken in the Maldives and something occurred to me. I have run across many photos of the Maldives in my online travels, and they always stop me in my tracks. I know this may sound crazy, but I think that I have dreamed about this place in the past. It's like my heart is tethered to this place somehow. Or maybe somewhere very much like it. You may think that I am completely full of shit, but I actually have a written record of one of my dreams from years ago that perfectly matches up with an image I came across the other day.

I may never get to see the places of my dreams in real life, but I am grateful to be able to travel there in my mind through the beautiful photos and accounts of travels that are shared on the internet.

If I go missing, just know that I am swimming in the waters of the Maldives. At least in my mind.

Happy weekend, all. I hope it is as fantastic as your daydreams.

*photo from sunsurfer.tumblr.com

Playing Catch Up

Just a little mid-week update for you. As you can see, I have a pile of bags to get photographed and listed. There are a few more in the works, too. And some smaller pieces. However, the lighting has been a little sketchy the past few days and I haven't been able to get good pics. Listing items in the Etsy store is a tedious task. Besides making the item and pricing it, you also have to write descriptions, upload all the photos and tag them. Bear with me. You all know that I'm a little slow at getting things done.

Yesterday was like a National Geographic shoot in my back yard. First, I witnessed the neighbor's cat sneak in like a stealthy thief and snatch up one of my adorable little chipmunks. There is a reason that I don't have cats. Well, obviously, I do have cats. They just aren't mine. And then....... this black racer came off the bank like a bolt of lightening and caught a frog!! Literally three feet beside me. Scared the holy crap out of me. So my stupid, panic mode brain told me to go get a hoe instead of a gun (after, of course, I went and got the camera) and the snake bolted off unharmed. I could have killed the slithering little spawn of satan if I had just thought to get the gun instead. He wouldn't have seen me coming. But, oh well. And, seriously, don't even tell me that I shouldn't kill snakes. I AM NOT hearing your arguments.


On a tamer note, I have been feeling unusually girly lately and playing with makeup. Ladies, let me ask you a question. What kind of foundation do you use? I have given Mary Kay every chance in the world to redeem themselves, but they have failed. Their newest formula has the most shades that they have ever offered and not a single one of them matches my skin. None. So I am seriously considering a little trip to the MAC counter. I have never used MAC, but their sales chicas look really bad-ass and I like how many eye shadow options they have. They have more colors than Benjamin Moore! Not that I normally wear a huge array of wild colors; but when I want a brick red eyeshadow, I want a brick red eyeshadow, damnit! But the foundation is the important part. So, do you have any suggestions?

All of June is gonna be a busy month around here. I have to make a cake for my grandmother's birthday party coming up this Thursday. I have a pile of things to paint (signs, frame mats, tags) for my cousin's wedding. Not to mention that cake and a grooms cake to go with it. I have to take my dad to get several teeth pulled next week. The hubby got his motorcycle fixed, so we will be back to motocross racing on the weekends. And then there is all the other stuff that just has to get done on a daily basis. So..... June=busy.

I hope your week is going good. Please excuse me for being so completely random on this post. I have some pretties stored up for you, too. So I'll try to sprinkle them in here and there.
Hugs and Sunshine to you.
xoxo ~Jo~ xoxo

Friday, Already

Here you go, loves. A little fodder for your imagination.
But since I really wanted you to get the whole scope of the place, I included a few more pics.
This is in Ibiza, by the way. If you want to see more of it, go here.



Happy Friday!

Road Block

I have been trying to put together a new bag design. I started working out the pattern last night and it just isn't working. I hate when that happens. I have been hitting my head over the wall all day trying to figure it out. (not literally. don't worry.) I'm really hoping that I figure it out in my sleep tonight. This is frustrating.

Come back on Friday. I'll have another pool for you to drool over. :)

Filling In The Blanks

This was the view from my backyard last night. There is really no way to describe the beauty of these clouds without you being there to see them for yourself. Seriously impressive.

Now. To do a little explaining of myself and that last post. Obviously, I can't really go into great detail on this blog about my personal life and the inner workings of it. But I think I owe you guys a little better explanation of things being that you are all so supportive and such good friends. (I love my blog friends more than you know.)

You know that little saying "Find what makes you happy and do it"? Well, it turns out that its not that simple. Life is never that simple. I have to say that quitting my job at the garage back in February was the best irrational decision I ever made. I have been healthier and happier and more inspired than ever. I hope from the bottom of my heart that I never have to go back to working a "normal" job again. I love working for my brother when he has a painting job for me to do. I show up. I do my thing. I don't have to answer the phone or deal with customers. I just do my job and go home. Love it. And for all the people in my town who keep asking if I have found a job yet........ I'm not looking for one!!!! I wish they would stop asking that.

I know what you are thinking. How the hell does she expect to ever build a house if she doesn't have a job? Well. This is where things get interesting. You see, I have worked a job ever since I was 16. I am good with money. I am very low maintenance and very good at saving. My husband, however, is not. Enough said. I have been without a job for four months. I have just as much money in my bank account as I did four months ago. Me not having a job is not changing the economic situation. However, getting a construction loan right now is nearly impossible unless you already have 90% of the money needed to build the house already.

On to my creative endeavors. Amber asked if I have been sewing up that dyed fabric. (thank you for keeping me in check, girl.) And the answer is a resounding YES!!! I have a whole pile of bags sewn up. And I am still working on more, a new design and some small bags made out of the excess. However, I am having a dilemma as to whether I should list them all on Etsy or try presenting them to a local store. There are several possible stores and galleries that I have considered trying to sell through. The problem with that is..... I could be losing a good chunk of my profit that way. Etsy is so highly preferred because of the low cost of sell. But I just can't seem to get a lot of business on Etsy. I'm just sort of torn on whether to keep selling on Etsy at all. (I will show you what I have been working on as soon as I take some pics. I'm really excited about how this line has turned out.)

Now, I'm sorry, but I have to remain rather vague about some of the things that have been bothering me lately. Suffice it to say that sometimes you cannot make your own fate. Sometimes you are tied to circumstances and people and responsibility. Sometimes there is not one damn thing you can do about life. It just is what it is.

And so, there you have it, loves. Another ridiculously long blog post. I'll try not to be so talky in the future. I know this doesn't even begin to clear up the hazy picture that I have painted, but I hope it at least sheds a tad bit of light on the subject.

Hugs and Sunshine to you.
~Jo~

Standing Still

Do you ever feel stagnant?

Like water that has been sitting too long, losing oxygen and growing muck?

This is how I have been feeling lately. I realized it the other night when, with much fervor, I decided that I hated everything about my surroundings. This can usually be remedied by rearranging furniture. But when you live in a 100+ year old house, how to arrange the furniture isn't exactly a multiple choice question. Despite that setback, I started moving things and changing things and discarding things as if my life depended on it.

But there is still a dam somewhere. The water is still not flowing freely. I can't quite figure it out. It isn't my surroundings at all (although, the changes did seem to help). There is something inside of me that is stagnant. After such a long time, I am fighting off moments of depression again. I am happy one moment and completely miserable the next. But why?

Maybe it is because I am starting to realize that I will never have the life that I had always hoped for. I am never going to have a house to call my own. I am never going to have a bright green yard and berry bushes and a cozy patio for cooking out. I am never going to have a husband that wants the same things that I want. I am never going to have a female friend that I can trust and that I want to call and talk to about everything in my life. I am never going to be able to make a living doing what I enjoy doing.

And this is okay. Really, it is. I mean, come on. I am blessed beyond measure. Happiness does not come from material things. I feel like a little bitch complaining about what I don't have. I am so fortunate that I should be scolded for ever even mentioning the things that I hoped to have. But some of the things I want are not material things. They are much deeper. They are things that cannot be bought or built. And maybe the part of me that desires those things is the part of me that is not getting oxygen. I commented on a blog earlier that I think I am growing increasingly numb towards some things and increasingly sensitive towards others. I don't particularly like going numb. It makes me feel much less human.

And so this rambling ends with no revelation. Only the recognition of something that I can't explain. Only a knowing that this life will never be what it has the potential to be. Not just for me, but for everyone else, too.

Something tells me that if the dam isn't broken, the water will eventually dry up and leave a hole somewhere in my being. A dry, empty grave where once there was the possibility of a ever flowing spring.



*photo from Pinterest.

Happy Weekend!

Just a little something to dream about this weekend.

I have been spending some quality time in the river. But, let me tell you. I would trade it in for this pool any day of the week. It's like a human aquarium!

I have some more pools saved up for you, too. So tune in again soon, okay.

*from glo