Tiny Flecks of Color

Today's "Day in the life" post is by Laura who has just opened her own etsy shop.

Laura is a friend of my from a LONG time ago - I think jr. high. Oh the good old days of bad haircuts, awkward pubescence, and first crushes. We did a few plays together... went to the same birthday parties... and in general were pretty much awesome. Laura married a long time friend (from Kindergarten or 1st grade) and her sweetheart. I love this couple, and I love Laura's new Etsy shop 

She is so creative and if this is what she's just starting with oh my goodness we are in for great things to come!

Laura and I have lost touch in the past 10 (yikes) years since high school but I am so glad to see that she is doing so well. She has her awesome man, a great job that I KNOW she's fabulous at, and now she's sharing her creativity with the world!

Speaking of sharing her creativity... one lucky reader will win one of Laura's bags!

Spring is in the air! Easter, anyone?

Isn't it beautiful! This screams "Summer" to me!

"A day in the life..." of Laura:

The pitter-patter of little feet. The squeals of excitement for another day at school. The surprise picture a student drew for me. Listening to a struggling student finally read a book. These are my joys each day as an elementary school teacher. When the days seem to drag or something stresses me out, I just have to think back to the morning bell when all the students come racing in eager to learn, listen and explore!

I hope that is isn't too much of a stretch that your job may bring blessings into your life. I hope that even though we all at some point don't want to get up Monday mornings there is something about what you do that brings you joy. If not your job - maybe a hobby? Leave a comment about an activity/job/repetetive part of daily life that is the blessing of your day. Something you may look forward to even when its difficult to wake up day after day. Leave your answer with an email address in the comments below. Entries must submitted by Friday at midnight and winners will be chosen at random and posted on Saturday. The winner will receive Laura's cute springy tote!!

Best of luck!

Thursday will mark a year since I began this blog.

Its hard to describe what this year has been. There has been a TON of self evaluation. An absolute ridiculous amount of relationship changes/ending involvement in activities/new directions. There has been heartache. There have been hurtful comments and just plain mean behavior. But! There have also been fabulous adventures. Cherished memories. Exciting prospects. Growth in friendships. Sunny mornings and snuggly snowy nights.

All of these, the good and the bad, have been exactly what was needed. Each situation caused me to be better; caused me to grow. Its almost comical to think back a year. How much worry did I waste? How much stress and anxiety? Tears and longing? Silly. I should know that “whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened”. It makes me realize that even when I am not organized, I may procrastinate a bit, the things that I get done are because I need them to get done. And in the end they have a way of being beautiful. Somehow what it is that I do ends up being exactly what needed to get done. I said what needed to be said. I got where I needed to be. I can always use improvement but at the same time the flaws of my days are what opens me up to the beauty of them.

When you look back on a year its amazing to see the movement. Its awesome to realize how far you have traveled in 365. BUT! I feel that there is value in noticing the little moments that make up that year. It is easy to look back at a year with a fresh view - however it is much harder to enjoy each moment that makes up that year. So often (as is the case with me and the whole month of February) days rush by us unnoticed. Time is fleeting. (Yes, I did just start singing The Time Warp from RHPS.) Anniversarys make us stop each year, reunions celebrate a memory after 10, 20, 50 years. But really to slow down and celebrate the rebirth of each new day. The commemoration of your first. The recurrance of the miracle of life, a jubilee. Sure I make it sound much more amazing than what I might feel when I first wake up. I am not the easiest person to wake up in the morning. But we can try!

With that in mind, I start of the blogiversary celebrations. The next posts celebrating Tiny Fleck of Color's blogiversary will center around "A day in the life..."

We will hear from some of my favorite up and coming bloggers, some activists/small business owners, crafters, and friends. We will be giving away some of my favorite products to inspire and bring a smile to your face.

Enjoy the week - read and comment often!

"Woman was born to create...
in creating she becomes herself, accomplishes her destiny.
Her whole life is only an initiation into creative power.
To create is not merely to produce a work...
it is to give out ones own individuality."

-Jeanne De Vietin

Today has been the best day. Today I slept in a bit later than I had anticipated - it was a long weekend and motivation for pulling myself from my indulgently comfortable sleep was pretty much nonexistent. Mr. Bean left me early, despite my pleas for him to call in sick. I was left with a basset hound and a pillow.

Once I was up though, I found various reasons as to why I needed to stay home and do my own thing today. And so I did. I stayed home and baked and cleaned and wrote Christmas cards. I did projects that have been beckoning me from the far corners of my life that I don't get to visit often enough. I did the dishes in between baking experiments. I wrote Christmas cards with longer well wishes. I checked facebook and twitter less. I turned to Mr. Bean tonight with the realization that, "This is the most accomplished, productive, and happiest I have felt in a long time."

What a crazy realization. It was as if today I was able to let the creativity and experimental parts of me out. It wasn't glamorous. It also wasn't what many may consider to be "hard work" either. But it was that freedom to just let me creative juices flow. To get my hands dirty in projects I cared about. I was able to not just work, but to release the me that is so often locked away with a "real job" or school. 

I feel like I became myself today... I am sure that many will not share the same feelings as me and I am even more sure that others will think I am crazy. But I truly had one day to be blessed enough to be a stay at home wife/mom. I enjoy being able to take care of my home. I feel it is exceptionally important for a child's growth and development to have a parent at home. I want to be the active and a primary influence on my family, our home, and our lives. I have always wanted this. I have always known that that is a role I was made to fill. I look forward to a time (God willing) that it will be a viable option (financially, etc) for Mr. Bean and I. Today, I feel as though I was living my true calling. I was able to greet Mr. Bean with a hug and a kiss and a huge smile. We were able to do what we wanted to do together, rather than be forced into more work that hadn't gotten done during the day or both being completely unmotivated and struggling to unwind from the work day. It was just incredibly nice. Perfect even. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to just let myself be myself today.

What do you create... do... work, play, sculpt, paint, file, type, WHATEVER, that lets the real you come out. What draws out your individuality to share with the world? And when do you allow yourself the time to actually DO that activity? It's amazing, truly, how different I feel today than I have felt other days - not that I don't love school or youth ministry, don't get me wrong. But that sense of control over your life and the openness to let whatever it is inside of you out... the feelings that you accomplished today what you were supposed to, that you were right where you were supposed to be... it just makes your (my) thoughts and feelings change, it makes a world of a difference.

In similar news, my lovely Julia has started her own blog - letting her hilarious creative juices flow into the blog-o-sphere... check her out at: http://spacecadetjones.blogspot.com/