A Struggle

I've not been blogging because, well, I've just felt overburdened with life.
Ever get like that? I have discovered over the last year, that most of the time when I'm feeling this way, its around my "time of the month", in which case I should just give myself a break - right?! Well its that time and I guess right now I just need to talk it out.

About a week ago I saw a movie called 17 miracles that was first off very sad, heart breaking. But also inspiring, touching, and overall humbling. My mom and I cried all through it (a few days later I took my husband to see it, and well I cried all through it a second time, my husband is a bit tougher). You can read about it here.

When we left the theater, my mom said "Boy, the hardest thing I have to think about is when I'll get a diet coke". Which is wholly untrue. My mom is struggling with some hard things. In fact she had a heart attack this week (she's alright after 4 days in the hospital). However, it made her take a hard look at her life. She has decided she wants to fight to take back her life. She has let everything else take over. She gives and gives and gives, and then does not take care of herself. From now on, I'll be beside her making sure she does.

One of the things that struck me most about the movie was at the end, they had synopsises of the characters lives. Several of the young girls after struggling to make it across the plains in such hard elements, later went on to have 13 children! To me, that is a testament of the will and heart that is possible in this life. It made me look at my life and my struggles, and what I'm dealing with now, is nothing in comparison to what I have dealt with earlier on in my life; or what many other people I know are dealing with.

I'm very blessed, this I know, to have come this far. I'm blessed daily. I have beautiful children and a loving husband. I have a faith in God and in my Savior Jesus Christ. I have supportive friends and family. And yet there are struggles. A big burden I have come to realize trouble with is time management. There is so much I should be doing, could be doing. I should be serving more, loving more, spending more quality time with family. I should have a tidy house that makes me feel accomplished. And yet, it is difficult to make myself do anything some days. And I wonder what that says about me? Am I weak in spirit? Why are some things so hard? Am I depressed? I do have 3 small children, but not 13! I hope that they won't remember me as a complainer, or someone who doesn't want to do things. Right now I see myself being to hard on myself but maybe this will all sound familiar to someone out there. Someone who can give me some advice. I welcome it.

There is a book called "If life were easy, than it wouldn't be hard... and other truths", it's by Sheri Dew. I've started to read it, because although I look at my life and consider it easy compared to my earlier years, and to other peoples struggles, I still struggle some days. I'm hoping to find some answers. I know that when I go to the scriptures I am certain to find advice, and I am trying to do that more often as well.

For now, just to voice this out loud is a help. Now its out of my head and laid on the table. Maybe that's all I need once in awhile. That and a bowl of ice cream! Denali Mint Chocolate Cup sounds good right now ;)

Summer!

With kids home for the summer, I feel like I haven't had much time to think, let alone blog. I've been lucky to list things here and there on ebay, and have had lots of sales recently. I'll blog a few of those later.

But I wanted to share a find that I came across a week ago or so.
Don't these waffles just scream lazy summer days?

I love them! I haven't yet, but I will definitely have to make them for my little ones. They'd be over the moon! And they are so easy!! Kelli, a Real life Super-MOM came up with these and shared her fab tutorial to encourage all Mom's to be SUPER! Check out her blog here. Look around her site! I just love it. She also made rainbow waffles that I will have to make at the very least, on St Patty's Day, if not the first time it rains here in the fall, or any other time it suits my fancy.

Have you ever made fun food for your kiddos??

What is it?

I found this uh-mazing thing at Goodwill on Monday.... a couple weeks ago...you know when I wasn't keeping up with my blogging? Yeah, I'm just now getting around to finishing the post.

So what is my mystery item? Maybe someone out there can help me know for sure, but underneath it has a stamp Meriden B. Company 1779 with a set of scales.

 It has some really pretty and intricate details Stamped(?) or carved into it.

After lengthy internet research all I could find out was this:

• "Meriden B Company was a manufacturer that made silverware out of "black silver" the kind of silver that was economical doing the time, it still had the flare of expensive silver settings and today the silver alone is of high value, since refined silver was getting high in value and the price of refined silver was costly at the time, Meriden B Company started offering silver that was not "refined" before it was marked, it was before "nickle silver" so the silver is still 100 percent! The product itself will appear black before you polish it, which should be left in that state if you want to sell it. All Meriden B Company is over 100 years old and have a historical value, family's that can trace back 100 year will know about the Meriden B Company product. Meriden B Company went out of business after becoming well known for these kinds of products." (www.wikianswers.com)

• The Meriden Britannia Company was formed in 1852 in Meriden, Connecticut. The Rogers Bros firm was purchased by Meriden Britannia in 1862, thereby acquiring the 1847 Rogers Bros line. In 1878, they had a store at Union Square in New York City and a manufacturing facility in West Meriden, CT. According to their 1878 catalogue, the company won a first place medal at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the "large variety of silver plated white metal hollow ware, of excellent quality and finish, and of tasteful designs." They were one of the original companies that joined together to form the International Silver Co. in 1898.  - (www.silvercollecting.com)

 So the fantastic thing is that it is over a hundred years old!
But I really have no idea what it's worth. Or where to find out what it is worth.I checked into Antique's Roadshow but they're not coming here this year. I may have to hold onto it for a bit. Who knows?

Sundresses and Skirts

It seems like all I've sold lately is Sundresses and Skirts. That's not completely true, but it comprises the majority of my sales. For example:

Charlotte Russe floral skirt with lace trim purchased for $2.50, sold for $9.99

NY & Co Blue & white floral Sundress, purchased for $1.00, sold for $7.00

Talbots Cream & Red Japaese inspired skirt, purchased for $2.50, sold for $9.99

Dress Barn White Sundress with Roses, purchased for $1.00, sold for $8.00

Speechless Black skirt with satin floral embellishment & rhinestones, purchased for $1.00, sold for $7.00

Gap Blue & Green Plaid Sundress, purchased for $$1.00, sold for $8.00

Talbots Circles Skirt, purchased for $1.00, sold for $7.00

Roxy Strapless floral dress, purchased for $1.00, sold for $9.99

DownEast Basics "Fall in Love" floral skirt NWT, purchased for $3.99, sold for $9.00

Gap White Halter Sundress, purchased for $1.00, sold for $7.00



Coldwater Creek floral faux wrap skirt, purchased for $3.99, sold for $8.00

J Crew Peach and Beige floral sundress, purchased for $1.00, sold for $10.50



Abercrombie & Fitch Cream corduroy mini skirt, purchased for $1.00, sold for $7.00

 



A little Comic Relief

...is what I found this morning on my camera, after my 7 year old inadverdantly flooded my bathroom, closet, bedroom, basically half my upstairs. It happened to leak through the  kitchen air vents downstairs before she realized she had never turned off the tub water. Catastrophe!! Anyhow, this guy made me laugh:

 

As well as this little guy who was measuring his apple and told me
"My ..apple..seven, six!"

It's cute, but also funny because he is the reason that I don't measure a lot of the clothing I list on ebay. Occasionally I do, when I FIND my measuring tape, but he is always taking off with them (I have several), and now I have proof! When people ask me for measurements I usually have to grit my teeth and scour the house for a measuring tape.

Aside from waking up late (I work nights 10pm-2am) to my daughters hysteria over the flooding, and the disaster of the flood itself, today looks to be gorgeous! The sky is so brilliant blue it is giving me flashbacks of childhood summers playing in the sprinklers.

There's a sprinkling of big fluffy white clouds (never mind a few pesky gray ones) and a slightly cool breeze. It makes me want to get outside and run! Run away from this messy house complete with every towel in the house soaking up water and a lot of soaked clothing which will all need washing. It's my 2nd daughters' sixth birthday, my little guy has already told me he wants to go to chucky cheese (which we promised for his birthday...in sept). I'm going to take my little girl a special lunch and eat in the cafeteria with her and her friends. I'm so happy to be alive today! It is going to be beautiful day if I allow myself the luxury of enjoying it!
What are you going to do with your day?!

Got Messy Cords?

Here's a simple yet totally GENIUS idea from Unplggd

Nearly 2 weeks

I've been MIA. Sorry about that. I actually do have several posts that I've been working on, but I decided to keep working on them and in the meantime keep blogging. Cuz, I do love to chat and I've missed chatting with you.

A couple great things...

I got to spend a kid-less weekend with my husband and a few of his brothers and their wives in Colorado. We got a really great price on tickets and had some important reasons to see family and just went for it. It was a fun, fast, much needed get-away. I wish I could say I came back all refreshed but like I said it was FAST. Friday night to Sunday night fast. Now had I had a week there, I would be ready to get back to life. But here it is Wednesday and I'm already tired of this week.

I sold THIS on ebay this week:

It's a Anthropologie ODILLE brand blouse. Feminine, ruffly paid $1 for it, sold on eBay for $46! This ranks up there among my top 5 sales ever I think. Boy I wish I would make a $45 profit on every item! I was really psyched and it got me motivated to keep on listing.