Hopeful Thinking

I'm pretty sure it's safe to say this has been the worst spring. Ever. It's almost the middle of April & I have yet to put away my winter coat, remove my down comforter, or wear flip flops. In fact, as I type this, it's barely 40 degrees outside. I'd say the weather can't get much worse, but the forecast for Friday includes snow. Awesome.

To cheer myself up, I've perused photos I've taken in the previous couple of springs. I'll post some here, in hopes of cheering you up as well!

www.hazelstreetdesigns.com

Hope

Christmas is the season of hope. It's easy to get wrapped up in the parties, the gift buying, the decorating, the crowded stores, the impatient crowds, and everything else that seems to accompany this time of year. And it's hard not to look at the world we live in & wonder if there will ever be relief. Will we ever know peace? Do we have a reason to hope?

We do...and His name is Jesus.

I was reading another blog this week & the author posted the words to the song "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day". And they struck me hard. The words were written by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863. But they still ring true today.

And in despair, I bowed my head;

"there is no peace on earth", I said.

"For hate is strong,

and mocks the song,

of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

the wrong shall fail,

the right prevail,

with peace on earth, good-will to men."

Hope...

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Song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" sung by Casting Crowns

Thankful Thursdays

I am grateful for...
28. Eating cake straight out of the pan

38. The luxury to sleep past my alarm

42. Movie night with a best friend

44. Watching a parent & child swinging together

50. Clear blue morning sky

54. 80 degrees in March

58. Sitting on the couch, laughing with a good friend

61. A sweet welcome

62. My sister's baby bump

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

www.hazelstreetdesigns.com

Thankful Thursdays

One of my goals this year is to be diligent in recording the things I'm thankful for.

I've decided to list some of them on my blog each week.

Things I'm thankful for this week (January 1-7):

1. Warm home on a frigid day

4. Sun streaming through the windows on a cold day

6. Socks so numerous they barely fit in my drawer

7. Starbucks iced tea

9. Blue skies, sunshine & 55 degrees in January

11. Sparkly "snowflakes"

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

www.hazelstreetdesigns.com

Resolution { Gratefulness }

Last year, I read the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

It's an amazing book that will make you reevaluate your attitude in thankfulness. I highly recommend it! 

I don't usually make new year's resolutions. However, I'm making an exception this year & have set a goal for myself to record my gratitude on a regular basis. And I'm hoping to blog about my list periodically (you know, to keep me accountable!).

One Year

**NOTE: This was scheduled to be posted on May 14, but something must have happened to Blogger. So here it is, a few days late.**



One year ago today, I walked out the doors of a corporate office building for the last time.

And walked into a world of unknowns.

I made the choice to leave a job & career that I didn't love, in pursuit of a career that I was passionate about.

And in an economy where people were unwillingly losing their jobs, it may have seemed a bit careless. But I never saw it that way.

Am I worried about finding steady work again? A little.
Am I afraid I will have to go back to job I won't like? Yes.
Do I regret this decision? Never in a million years!

I have no idea what the next few months hold for me professionally.
But I'm excited to continue this journey!

Ash Wednesday

"Yet, even now," declares the Lord,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in love;
and he relents over disaster.
Joel 2:12-13



During this Lenten season, Lord, I pray that my desire will be to come to you, with all of me. Remembering that you are forever gracious & merciful. That no matter how busy my days are, I will carve out time to intentionally drink you in. So I may know the sweet fragrance of your sacrifice for me.
Amen

Tiny Blessings

This past weekend, I took an unexpected & unplanned trip home.

For no other reason than to see my family.

My plans for the weekend unexpectedly fell through & I was feeling a bit lonely. (One of the negatives of being unemployed is the lack of social interaction each day.) I needed to be around people I loved & who loved me back. And who better than family?

Looking back, the weekend was filled with tiny moments of blessings:

1. A car ride home from the train station with my dad, talking & laughing
2. Grilled cheese sandwiches that greeted me when I walked in the house
3. Sitting with my mom at church
4. Brunch with family, including my grandparents
5. Watching "Its A Mad Mad Mad World" with my grandpa - the best person in the world to watch it with because he laughs wholeheartedly at every scene
6. Spending a Sunday afternoon with my brother watching movies
7. Eating Chipotle & watching "Harry Potter" with my sister on her day off from work

I know everyone says it, but I seriously have the BEST family in the world! Love you all!!

***********

Regarding my last post, new personalized stationery have been added to shop!

It's Been 6 Months

It's been 6 months since my last day of working in an office. How is that possible, because May 17th seems like it was just yesterday!

If you read this blog (all of 8 people, I'm sure!), you've seen some of the things I've done during the past 6 months. And all that has been fine and good.

But my intention when I started this blog was to document this journey. I have to admit, it hasn't really felt like a journey, just more like an extended vacation. I keep waiting to be called back into the office any day now!

And as fun as it is to share pictures of my summer & the beautiful colors of fall, I also want this blog to be something for me to go back to years from now; to see how I got from point A to point B. What stood in my way? What fears did I have? What successes did I see? How did I change?

So I'm going to use this entry to reflect on these things.

What have I been doing?
I'm not exactly sure! Ok, that's not quite true, but seriously, there are days I go to bed & ask myself that same question. And I don't always have an answer!

But here are some things I know I have done:
1. enjoyed this great city I live in
Summer in Chicago is amazing & we've had some pretty spectacular weather! I've enjoyed doing my morning devotions with a cup of coffee sitting in Millennium Park; going to a couple of movies in the park; taking some amazing pictures of Chicago; walking around my neighborhood - including to the new Target that opened 4 blocks from my house! Fall hasn't been too shabby either. Being able to enjoy the changing colors has been a gift.
2. crafted
I've added to my Etsy shop sets of note cards, photos with Scripture on them, a wedding shower kit, pennant banners, fabric blossoms, felt corsages, fine art photographs, personalized photos, a mini album made from a coffee sleeve, gift tags & most recently holiday cards
And there's more that I've made, I just haven't posted them for sale.
My Etsy shop size has increased over 600%, from 10 items to over 60!
3. time with friends & family
In 8 days in June, I helped my brother & sister-in-law move into their first house, prepared for my sister's wedding, was her maid of honor, & helped celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday. Whew! That was a busy week. The rest of the summer, I enjoyed Wednesday evenings with my small group girls. I had frequent lunches with a dear friend (and former co-worker). Vacationed in Michigan. Spent 3 days in Washington DC with some of my cousins.
4. working a part-time job
This may come as a surprise to some of you since I haven't publicly announced it. I started at the end of October & it's only for the holiday season. I'm working at Paper Source in one of their retails stores. I fell in love with this store the first time I walked in 6 years ago. And when I quit my job, in the back of my mind, it's been my dream place to work. I'm not sure where this will lead, but it's been fun to do something different!

What things have surprised me?
1. My Etsy sales - and by sales, I mean the lack of.
I thought that by increasing the number of items for sale would draw people in, but it hasn't quite worked out that way! I've discovered that as great as the Etsy site is, it's easy to get lost in the mix of it all. It's hard to stand out.
2. How easy it was to adjust to unemployment.
I had no problems going from working 40 hours a week to not working at all. Early on, I had a few moments of "what am I going to do next", but not bad enough to drove me back to the workforce.
3. I miss being around people all day.
I may have not enjoyed my previous job, but I did like most of the people I worked with. When I decided to quit, it didn't even occur to me how important the socialization aspect of a job is. I kinda understand how stay-at-home moms feel - adult conversation is important!
4. After about 4 months, I was ready to get back to work.
At least part time. But not back to what I was doing before. I've been there, done that. Feeling ready for a new job happened much quicker than I thought it would.
5. I am addicted to daytime television!
I can't even turn the tv on in the morning, or it's all downhill. Sad, but true.

What goals have I set?
I didn't really have any goals when I set out on this journey. And perhaps that wasn't too smart. But I didn't really know what to expect & knew that financially I was covered for a year. So I was kinda winging it. But now I need some goals.
1. Find a local crafting community to get involved in
2. Figure out a marketing scheme for my products (and with no marketing experience, that is much easier said than done!)
3. Be accepted into at least one craft and/or art show
4. Find a part-time position to get me out of the house, but also at a company that inspires me creatively (when I originally started typing this post a couple of months ago, this was one of my goals. I guess I can check this one as accomplished!)
5. Create a schedule that allows me to be productive

What have I enjoyed the most?
1. Freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want
2. Being able to be creative whenever the inspiration hit

What do I worry about?
1. Not using my time wisely (I seem to get distracted pretty easily)
2. When I'm ready to go back to work full time, I won't be able to find the right job

What am I thankful for?
1. That I could take a dream I've had for a while & be able to actually live it.
2. The amazing support of my friends & family

How blessed I am!

Birthday Blessings

Today is my birthday (well, for another hour)

Don't birthdays cause you to reflect on your life, even just a little bit? They do for me.

And to be completely honest, I would admit that my life now at 34 years old isn't at all what my younger self thought it would be at this age. The difference between what I thought I would be & what I currently am is a tough pill to swallow sometimes. But it's not completely a bad thing, either (my younger self thought I would be a teacher...it's a good thing for everyone that I'm not!). But despite these "differences" (good & bad), one thing is true. I am richly blessed in this life.

I have the most amazing friends & family.
I am able to take a long & worry-free sabbatical from a career I didn't enjoy.
I have a roof over my head. And a refrigerator full of food.
I live in a city where I've always wanted to live.

And on my birthday...

I have a fresh bouquet of flowers



I received the coolest birthday card. Ever!



I have blue skies, colored trees & 75 degrees



I made some fun holiday cards, while spending time with a good friend



And I have a God who has given me all these things. But more importantly, One who has a plan for my life. Even if it's not the plan I thought (and sometimes still think) I should have.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

I really am blessed!

Known

Last fall, on a gorgeous sunny day, I decided to give myself a challenge: go around the city & try to find every letter of the alphabet. I don't mean actual letters, but rather things that looked like letters. Here are some samples of what I found that day.





Can you see the letters?

At the time, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with these photos, but was pretty confident an idea would come.

And sure enough, it did.

When I was showing a friend the pictures, I came to the letter that starts her name & she said "hey, that's my letter". That's all I needed to start the ball rolling. So as a Christmas gift, I took her letter and added her name, the meaning of her name & one of her favorite Bible verses. I then matted & framed it.

I was so excited at how it turned out & couldn't wait to give it to her! I was pretty confident she would like it too. But I wasn't quite prepared for her response. After opening it, she sat there in silence, just staring at it. A range of emotions washed across her face...surprise, amazement, pride, gratitude.

At the time, I couldn't pinpoint the essence of these emotions. But now I think I know. There is something unspeakable about seeing your name in print. It means you are important, you are recognized, but above all, that you are known.

Here's her picture



Her response has encouraged me to do more. I have since done a handful of others, some as gifts for personal friends and some at the request of friends to give to others.

And everyone who has received them has much the same reaction. Affirmation in being known.

Here are the others I have created





When I hear the recipient's response to his/her picture, there is something that stirs within me. It's easy for me to just look at these as projects, but they really are much more than that. They are meaningful gifts that will be treasured.

They've been given as wedding gifts, housewarming gifts, baby gifts, birthday gifts & Christmas gifts.
I would love to work with you to create a gift that will touch someone deeply.

If you would like one, please go to my Etsy site and we can start working on your personalized photo today!

I'm Living In My Pajamas

Today, I didn't have to wake up to an alarm. I won't have to stand in front of my closet wondering what to wear. No longer will I have to pack my breakfast or lunch before I rush out the door. I won't be part of the morning hustle & bustle at the bus stop. And best of all, I don't have to sit at a desk, working a job I don't love.

But why quit now, in such a hard economic time? Why quit without having another job waiting? What are you going to do?

These are all questions I have answered numerous times in the past several weeks. So let me give some background.

Perhaps the timing of this doesn't make the most sense economically. But this wasn't a rash decision. I didn't wake up 4 weeks ago and decide it would be the day I would quit my job. It's something I've considered, prepared for & wrestled through for quite some time.

Also, I know myself & know that I can say I'm going to change careers and do something new and different. But as long as I am in a job that is comfortable and stable (no matter how much I don't love it), I will never push myself to move on. So I felt the best thing for me was to quit & to focus my time and energy on what it is I want to do.

When I tell people I'm quitting my job & don't have another one lined up, sometimes I am asked "so are you going to stay in your pajamas all day?" No, I don't plan to spend every day in my pjs eating bon bons. (But oh, that sounds wonderful, doesn't it?)

So what am I going to do with myself? That's the million dollar question. And the answer is, I'm not exactly sure. I do know I want to do something that allows me to use my creative talent. I've been trying to sell some things through my Etsy page. But sales have been slow and & I want to try to develop that more. I have no illusions that I will be able to support myself 100% through that. But I want to see how far I can take it. I think I would enjoy working for a company that sells paper and other goods which give people an opportunity to be creative.

As you can see, I don't know where this road will lead me. But I'm excited to take the journey. And so grateful for the opportunity to it.

So, I'm inviting you to join me. Follow me as I discover the unknown world of living in my pajamas!