New camera + new blooms = new post!

So I got a new camera for my birthday. Super exciting. My old point and shoot finally died so my hubby got me a shiny new Cannon Rebel T3! Yay!!! Haven't used it for much so far except shooting some photos of my jewelry.

Today though, I noticed there were some new blooms on my day lillies out in the front yard (and some more buds as well!). This is a big deal. You must understand. I've been known to kill cacti. Cacti mind you. I don't even know how... So yeah, super awesome. So I decided that that was a perfect reason to pull out my camera and play around a bit. Above is the result. Zero editing, straight from the camera. I think for starters that's pretty good, don't you? :D

I'm hoping to make this a new start for this blog. I know I've restarted a bazillion times already... And I can't promise this wont turn out like the previous times. I always have trouble coming up with something to write about. But I really want to explore more with my camera and I have some personal exploring to do as well. So perhaps we can squeeze a couple posts out of this, yes?

Fingers crossed.

Brass Pendant- How I Did It!

Heya! So with all the new jewelry going up in my shop, I thought you might enjoy a little behind the scenes peek on how some of it is made! The following is a pendant that I made for myself and I'll show you how I did it!

 1- Starting with a flat brass sheet. I believe it was somewhere around 18-20 gauge.

 

 2- I used my super nifty circle cutter (my Christmas gift last year!) and a heavy brass hammer to cut the circle for the pendant out of the sheet. The cutter can cut circles of many different sizes. You secure the metal between the two steel plates with the corresponding hole size you'd like to cut. You then insert the die (the cylindrical piece in the first and third pictures that actually does the cutting) into the hole and pound the ever loving crap out of it till it cuts all the way through the metal!

 3- Sand and polish till shiny! (I shall spare you the tedium by only using one picture. But please note, this takes FOREVERRRRRRRR!!!) Basically you work your way down through increasingly smoother grits of sandpaper (I use about three different ones) and then polish and smooth further with steel wool.

 

 4- I pulled out my metal stamps and used an ink pad to stamp the desired phrase onto paper. ("Here comes the sun" from one of my favorite Beatles songs) Cut up, it helps me decide the placement of the stamps on my piece and to make sure everything will fit.

5- Once I had decided my placement, I drew a guide line down the right side of the circle. I used this to line up my stamps starting from right to left on each line. The stamping is done on a steel block (which is the shiny silver behind the brass). This gives you a nice strong base. Wood and other softer surfaces have too much give and bounce and would not produce a clean deep stamp. When the metal is pressed between the steel block and the steel stamp, it is compressed rather than pushed outward thus keeping your piece flat.

6- A bit more sanding and polishing to remove the sharpie line

 7- Deciding I wanted it textured, I used another hammer with rounded head to essentially beat the metal into submission :)

This is also done on a steel block (which you can now see the entirety of) for the same reason as above. 

8- This nifty little gadget is a metal hole punch. Each end has a different size punch you use the handles to screw down into and cut the metal. Similar concept to the hole cutter only using the pressure from the screw instead of the hammer. (Also, much tinier circles) This is what I used to add the hole in my pendant that it will hang from.

9- Voila! With the addition of a jump ring and a chain, the pendant is ready to wear!

Deployment Survival 101: Tips For Keeping Your Sanity

http://www.joyzz.com/article-360.html

So, guys, I've been having a rough few days. As some of you know, I'm currently dealing with our first deployment. (Super fun. NOT.) On top of that, and all the issues going on inside my head, there's a freaking tornado like every other day. (Imma help you out here with a little piece of advice: do NOT come to Oklahoma in the spring). Stress. Heaps and bushels. Not to good for your health. I currently feel like I've been hit with a Mack truck. Repeatedly. 

However, instead of focusing on all that, I've decided to share with you some of the ways I've learned about to help cope with the ever looming stress of a deployment. (Excited, aren't you?!)

1) SET UP METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
Before your loved one leaves, set up ways you can communicate. Gone are the days of waiting weeks for letters or phone calls. Skype, Google Chat, and iChat are a few wonderful options that let you actually SEE your loved one even when they're all the way around the world! And don't forget email. Sometimes you or your service member are busy, or your schedules just don't jive. But you can write an email any time of the day! It's always wonderful to wake up to a little note in your inbox :)

2)FIND SOME WAY TO MARK THE PASSAGE OF TIME
Before he even left, I made a count down calendar. I printed out each month, colored and decorated, and posted the whole series prominently on my kitchen wall so I cannot help but see it every day. I then scrounged through the house and came up with every picture I had of my husband and I and posted those all around the calendar. Armed with a X shaped stamp and a red stamp pad, every morning when I get up I cross off the day before. 
At first, I'll admit, it's a little depressing. When you've only got a few Xs and a whole lot of blank calendar it may look like forever. Pretty quickly though, it becomes routine. Each red X brings the satisfaction of knowing you survived another day. And hey, if you did it yesterday, today should be a piece of cake. (That's the theory anyway. That is what we tell ourselves). And now, I've got two whole months worth of little red Xs and that makes me feel pretty good. Cuz hey, if I did it last month, this month should be a piece of cake.

I've also made paper chains the first time he left for training. Same concept. Everyday you remove a link. The shorter the chain, the closer he is to coming home!

Point is, find a way to mark the passage of time. It helps. If you can SEE the time trickling away it doesn't feel so much like forever. Here are some other fun ways I've seen to count down the time:
-Get two jars. Fill one jar with marbles (or other small objects) for each day of the deployment. Every day, move a marble to the other jar.
-Fill a jar with candy or some other small treat, one for each day. Every day, treat yourself and watch the candy and the time disappear! (I've heard this one is especially popular with the kiddos ;) )
-Get or make a countdown perpetual calendar with blocks you turn to change the numbers. Or a chalkboard you can change the number on every day.

 (Etsy.com has so many WONDERFUL options if you don't want to make your own! Find these calendars at: LEFT HERE, RIGHT HERE)

3)STAY BUSY

I had a lot of people tell me this before the deployment started. "Yeah, right" I thought "of course I'll be busy! I have to be two people!" What I didn't realize at the time was that what was really meant was 'Stay busy... WITH THINGS YOU ENJOY.' If its all errands, work, kids and cleaning the house... it will feel like forever. You have to have fun! I know it feels really weird at first. How can you be having fun when your loved one is over there doing what they're doing??? But really, would they want you to sit around and mope, feeling guilty the whole time they're gone? Of course not. Use the time you have to do or catch up on things you wouldn't normally have time for. 

http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=40156

Got a stack of books you just haven't gotten to? Read them. Is there a dish you love that your hubby hates? Learn to cook it. Do you have a beloved hobby that you just don't have time for? Pick it back up. Something new you always wanted to try or learn? Go do it. Planning for their homecoming can also help you stay focused on the positive. Plan a special meal or make signs. 

I once had a 'Seasoned Spouse' as they are called (ie: spouses with several years and deployments under their belts) tell me every time her husband left she went and found a new class to take. Currently, she told me, she was learning to play the trumpet. Purely because she could. And why not? Your life doesn't stop because your loved one is away. And it shouldn't.

4)SET GOALS

http://www.mudfactor.com/

Another great way I've found to keep myself occupied is to set goals for myself and work at achieving them before your loved one gets home. For example, at one point in my life I was 'a runner'. But the last few years I've felt like I just didn't have the time to dedicate to exercise. (Oh, the things we tell ourselves..) So what did I do when my husband left? I signed up for a 5k to motivate myself to get back in shape. I've been running for just over a month now and my race is this upcoming Saturday! 



I work from home on my own jewelry business so there was another place that goals could come into play. I've got monthly sales goals I'm working toward and before this deployment is over, I want to have 100 pieces in my shop! I had under 50 when the deployment started and now, two months in, I believe I'm up to 74! Another month or so should meet that goal!

I also had a lot of improvements and things I wanted to get done around the house. We moved here and bought our house about a year and a half ago now. I still had rooms that were undecorated and we hadn't even touched the landscaping. I am happy to report that I've got two rooms down and the front yard has never looked better!
 Perhaps another way to put this is to make what I've heard some spouses call a 'Deployment Bucket List'. Make a list of things you've always wanted to try, or things you want to catch up on. Remember to set attainable goals though. Climbing Mount Everest if you've never hiked a day in your life- probably one you should leave off.

So there you go. That's what I've learned so far. Do you have any tips? How do you survive deployment?

Many happy returns,
Lindsey

Confession Questions

As I'm writing this as I'm watching Julie & Julia. Have you guys seen this movie? If you haven't- you should. Love it. Its about a woman named Julie that attempts to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook and blog about the process. Quite inspirational for the blogingly inclined. Yes, I just made up that word. Anyhoo. Great movie. And one of the reasons I wanted to start a blog in the first place. (And really, what woman wouldn't want to be like Meryl Streep?!)


So, I started blogging. If you blog it, they will come? Yeah, that doesn't really work. I blogged... but I think like 5 people read it. Ever. And yet, when I wrote about something very personal... suddenly people were reading. I mean, not a lot of people. No one is going to make a movie of my blog. But still, my 'Confessions of a Socially Awkward Military Spouse' post got more than twice the hits of any other post I've written. Which at this point still doesn't even top 120... But its a start.


 So what does this mean? Well, first off I want to thank you for reading. Thank you for taking time out of your day to listen to my ramble and take a peek into the mess inside my head. But why did you read it? I can only guess. Perhaps you just needed some entertainment or perhaps you actually felt a sort of kinship with the subject matter. Or maybe you were just bored. You tell me. Whatever the reason, I'm glad you came. Your warmth and support were absolutely wonderful and, I'm sad to say, unexpected. Its good to have a reminder every now and then that there really are nice people in the world. Sometimes I forget that. So, seriously, thanks.

To be honest though, I hope it was because you were actually interested...  And if anyone can/is willing to, I'd really like to hear the answers to the above question. I've been thinking about and trying to decide what this blog should be. I don't want it to just end up as a sad dictation of everyday tedium. That would be boring. And stupid. And no one wants to read boring stupid things. I want to write things that people WANT to read. Maybe even something that might help or inspire others.

So, why did you read it? (Assuming you did. If not, hey, go do that) Was it interesting? Did you enjoy it? And if you did, WHY???

And now I leave you with this. May there always be happy trees ahead. (That's some sort of Irish proverb or whatever right???)

Cheers,
Lindsey




image credits:
http://www.lcbparis.com/paris/julie-julia/en
http://www.someecards.com/usercards/nsviewcard/MjAxMi1hNDdlNTg3ODg4MjZhMGRl
http://www.dumpaday.com/random-pictures/funny-pictures/funny-pictures-42-pics-8/
http://mysticmementos.tumblr.com/post/22685851222

30 Day Challenge Reboot

So if you actually read this on a regular basis, you may remember last September my friend Amanda and I decided to start a 30 day challenge together. Since we're separated by half a country, it was to be a way to keep in touch and to form a buddy system so we could both achieve goals that would lend to overall healthier living. But what started out as just the two of us kind of... grew. We created a facebook group and by the time the beginning of the month rolled around we had about 10 or so participants from among our friends and family!

Unfortunately last time around, two days before the end of the month some friends and I were involved in a car accident and I was unable to finish the challenge. I was super bummed about that for quite a while. And then due to one thing or another and other injuries, I haven't really been able to maintain a regular workout schedule since. At this point though I've recovered fairly well and am anxious to get going again!

For September, Amanda and I attempted 30 days of yoga. It was an amazing, strengthening and eye opening experience. I learned a lot about my limits, how to push them, AND how to do a headstand! This time my overall goal was just to be healthier and in better physical shape. I don't give a crap about the number on the scale. I'm not setting out to loose weight. It may happen, it may not. What I REALLY want is to get rid of this belly! Lol ;) Basically, the goal is to burn fat. And what's one of the fastest ways to burn fat??? RUNNING! I used to do cross country in high school but haven't really run seriously since. It would be a lie if I told you I liked running. I like what you get FROM running. And after you get over that initial OMG I'M GONNA DIE phase its not too bad overall. I plan on mixing it up with cross training so it won't be all running all the time. But so as to have something to actually shoot for...

I'M GONNA DO THIS!!!

Going "Couch to 5K" in one month might seem a bit drastic. And maybe it is but... I think I can do it! Correction: I'm going to do it! I've found a training schedule that happened to fit exactly what I wanted here. Basically it consists of running 3 days a week, cross training 2 days, and resting 2 days. You build up gradually instead of just jumping right in. I plan to combine this routine with biking and yoga for my cross training days. I might not finish the race with any great deal of speed... But by the end of May I will be in the shape to finish it!

My deployment countdown calendar will be doing double duty this month with the addition of the challenge. I've placed a sticky over each date with the day's activity written on it. So, in order to mark off the day for my countdown I will have to perform the listed task to remove the sticky! I've also got the training schedule posted below the month so I can cross off the workouts as I accomplish them. Now, the world isn't going to end if I don't follow this system... but its a visible method of self accountability. I'm a very visual person; I need calendars and countdowns and lists... Otherwise I go insane.

 

AND, I'm also going to ATTEMPT to turn this crazy beast into my running buddy.

This may be the most challenging part of the whole thing.

She's definitely a runner. She just tends to think I'm too slow and that it would just work better in general if she just pulled me along. Lol. Gotta love sled dogs...

Anyway, that's all I've got for now. I shall leave you with this thought:

 (and only 21 days to create a habit!)

Tomorrow is Day 1.

LET THE CHALLENGE BEGIN!

-Lindsey

Deployment Bucket List: Decorating the Master Bathroom

So we've lived in our house now about a year and a half... And I have yet to finish decorating all the rooms. So I've decided that while I've got so much extra free time over the next few months, that one of my goals will be to get it all done up and pretty before Charles gets home. So far so good. Week 1 I attacked the master bath!

BEFORE:

Ew. I call this 'Builder Beige' since the whole house was done in this color when it was built. Walls AND ceiling. And it was flat paint. Who the heck uses flat paint in a bathroom?!? The walls practically drank up the water. Also, I really hate beige.

STEP 1: Differentiate between walls and ceiling

Even just painting the ceiling white made a huge difference in the way the room felt. It felt much taller and less I'm-trapped-in-a-cardboard-box-esque.

STEP 2: The Color Reveal!!!

I feel like I'm on 'Trading Spaces'. Anyone remember that show? Frank was my fav.

(Also, just a suggestion: Use AT LEAST a semigloss paint in kitchens and bathrooms. I've used a gloss here. Gloss paint is so much easier to clean up when things splatter on the walls, it repels water and stains, and it reflects LOTS of light which is super useful in such high traffic rooms!)

Aaaaaand here it goes on the wall!

STEP 3: Paint ENIRE ROOM!!!

Gorgeous, yes!? It only took two coats! AND I got in all of the movie "Easy A" while I waited for the paint to dry :D

STEP 4: DECORATE!!!

VOILA! Finished product!

I wanted to get a very calming, spa kind of feeling. So I went with this very light and clean springy green and a light steely gray to compliment all of the fixtures in the room. Really loved how it turned out! I also took down the hand towel ring that was on the wall to the left of the vanity and replaced it with a couple of green glass shelves for extra storage. It seemed kind of stupid to have one towel ring for two sinks anyway, so instead I installed a couple command hooks at counter height on either side of the vanity so we can actually both have a towel now!

I smile every time I walk in here now and I'm so glad to finally have gotten rid of that nasty beige color! (Now to eradicate it from my bedroom...) Its so amazing what a difference a little paint can make :)

 Can't wait for my hubby to come home and see how handy I was!

 :D

-Lindsey

Confessions of a Socially Awkward Military Spouse

Hello, My name is Lindsey... and I have issues. lol...

Seriously though...

 
 
A huge part of military life is the social occasions. I love my life and I wouldn't trade it for a second... But in a world where friendships and alliances are formed and forged at lightning speed (Because, well, you have to. Who knows how long you'll be here?!) I feel I'm at a distinct disadvantage. Perhaps even more so now when my husband (read: security blanket) is so far away. When your one steadfast anchor to the real world is suddenly missing, whats a girl to do?

There's a lot of things people don't talk about. It just seems to be a general societal rule that when one is "different" one doesn't point out these differences to the masses. I have, however, reached the point where I don't feel like I really have a choice. I mean, I do. You always do. But choosing to isolate myself further doesn't seem like the smartest choice to me. And so, I've got a confession of sorts. For the people that don't really know me, or I have only met in passing- perhaps this will afford you some insight. And even people that do know me may not necessarily know all the details. 

Social anxiety. Its a real thing, guys. And I've got it. I feel ridiculously nervous in social situations. Meeting new people. Large crowds. Not my cup of tea. And in this life, this military life, this transient ever-changing life... you meet a lot of new people. A. Lot. And there are unavoidable social functions at which there will inevitably be lots of people. Lots of people that you will then have to meet. To be quite honest with you, this freaks me the crap out. And would you believe I'm about a million times better than I used to be? I've been working on it. Really and truly. And yet I know that the majority of that effort is not visible from the outside. My husband's support has been my lifeline. Making the jump into a military lifestyle would not have been possible for me without him by my side (Moving half way across the country away from everything I've ever known!? Are you freaking kidding me?!). But, as will happen with the military, he will leave. And he has. Now what do I do? 

This. This is what I've chosen to do. Putting this out there for you guys, even virtually, is an incredibly difficult step for me to take. I am afraid. But I am also tired. And I need help.

Social anxiety is not a readily visible condition. Often people who have it are perceived as stuck up instead of cripplingly shy. I can attest to it, I have experienced it. This is a horrible truth to face. Believe me. It is incredibly painful to know you are seen this way. And I know that I am. 

To anyone and everyone that has actually gotten this far down the page (I put in lots of pictures to break up the awkward... did it help?) and is still reading: I do not hate you. I don't think I've ever really hated anyone really. I probably don't even dislike you. Its actually quite probable that I think you're pretty nice and would like to talk to you. I just don't know how. Thus, it is pretty difficult for me to make close friends. Especially as quickly as the military world moves. If I ever seem normal... Thank you for noticing. I assure you I'm trying REALLY hard and I'm glad its working.

However, when I do not make eye contact or when I drop my side of a conversation... Its not because I do not want to talk to you. I seriously just don't know what to say. My brain is in over load and I cannot form and spit out one cohesive thought. I do not know why this happens... It just does.

When I sit by myself and do not seek out interaction or conversation with others, its not because I'm bored. Its not because I don't want to be there. Its because I truly feel I have nothing interesting to contribute. I wouldn't know where to begin. What to say. What not to say. Who in the world would want to talk to me anyway, I'm the most boring person on the planet?! Yes. I know its illogical. Yes. I know its an overreaction. Yet I still don't know what to do with myself.

To people with kids: I do not hate you. I do not hate your kids. I do not hate you because you have kids. If it seems like I'm avoiding you... its probably because I just wouldn't know what to do with the wiggly little thing. I really have nothing against kids in general. I just have no idea how to interact with them. And being thrust into the time of life when the majority of your peers are having kids left and right... Its awkward. I'm not ready for that part of my life and I feel like that has created an unbreachable gulf between me and... well... most of the people with whom I would ever conceivably have contact. Also, I'm convinced kids can smell fear. Ok, I'm kidding. But also not really...

So why am I telling you this? Why am I baring my soul to the entire internets? What do I expect? Well... nothing really. I don't expect everyone to understand. Or even to care for that matter. I don't expect anyone to make a special effort on my account. But, on the offside chance anyone is reading this... I just hope that after reading... that someone on the outside will at least consider the idea that I'm not the terrible awful mean person I believe people think that I am... that you will know that contrary to the observable evidence before you, that I do not hate you. Or anyone. 

And I'm going to go ahead and make the make the egotistical assumption that I cannot be the only one that feels this way. Military spouse or otherwise. I hope that should one of those people happen to read this, they will know they are not alone in their struggle. And I hope that that will give them hope. Perhaps we can band together and celebrate our mutual awkwardness. After all... If everyone is "different", then no one is really. Right?

Thanks for reading.

-Lindsey