Special Deliveries!!

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There are some things in life you will never understand until you experience it.

This is how I felt about the birth of my nieces.  I spent the whole nine months with every part of my body crossed, praying that my sister would have a good pregnancy without any complications.  Then when we were told the babies would be a little early, I prayed for a safe and successful delivery.

But being miles away and having to wait for news was pure torture.  For several reasons, 1. A C- Section is Major Surgery.  There is always an element of fear involved when anyone you love goes under the knife.  2. because I fell in love with her daughters with every story she told during her pregnancy about flipping, back pains etc etc.   So, I literally sat in my Family Room afraid to move until I got word.  Thank God, my Mom was waiting too otherwise I think I would have gone “nutso”, without someone to commiserate with.

We grew up with an Aunt who was like a mom to us.  So we had an amazing example of what that relationship should be.  Fast Forward some years down the line, my sister has always been someone I could share all my fears and hopes and dreams for my kids.  When they get sick or something’s wrong sometimes she cries more than me.

But nothing could prepare me for the strong emotional ties I would have to these little girls born some 500 miles away from me.  I don’t think I’ve cried soo much for joy, or for fear since my own children entered this world.

I couldn’t be more excited to be an Auntie!!  And, I am so looking forward to the memories that we all will make together over the years!!

Fall Into Comfort Food – Corn Chowder

A s the weather gets cooler, I know sometimes I get a craving for some Chowder.  I find that even people who hate Chowder, seem to love this one.
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So heres a great recipe for Nicole’s Corn Chowder!!  Found Here
Cook Time7-8 hours
TempLow

Kick-start your day with this fun and filling corn chowder. Such an easy recipe for a great lunch!

Ingredients

  • 6-8 potatoes (peeled and diced)
  • 1 Can cream corn
  • 1 Can whole kernel corn
  • 2 Cups chicken broth
  • 8 Ounces diced ham
  • 1 Cups diced onions
  • 1/4 Cups butter
  • 2 Cups half and half

Directions

  1. Step One

    Place potatoes, both cans of corn, chicken broth, ham, and onions into the slow cooker.

  2. Step Two

    Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

  3. Step Three

    Mash the mixture to your desired consistency and then add the butter and half and half.

  4. Step Four

    Cook for an additional 30 minutes on high, and you are set!

** On a personal note – I took out the  ham, because I don’t eat pork and doubled the corn for a heartier meal.  Yummy!!

The Muse 1

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 Things that Tickle My Fancy from All Over The Web

This has turned out to be  lazy weekend.  I don’t feel too guilty though, I figure after all the running around I have been doing I’m owed one.

Check out this All American Fall Celebration!!

What my Little Techie Heart Desires

A Pinterest Board, I am Clearly In Love With!!

Are you still over packing?  Here’s the Secret to Packing Light.

Have you ever heard of this company?  I bought some glasses from them earlier this year, and they are great!!

And since giving back is always important their  Buy A Pair Give A Pair Program, is very impressive.

Looking for Dinner Ideas – Here’s a post from earlier in the week!!

Photo Credit:

Stage Presents — Share My Passions – Share My World!!

I have always been a over thinker.  Launching Stage Presents and settling on a definitive concept was no different.  There are several reasons for this.  I kept feeding into the voices that told me to find a niche.  The only thing about a niche, is that it kind of paints you into a corner.  And, I just couldn’t reconcile that thought in my head.  Stage Presents was created as a way for me to share my passions with the world.  Passion (from the Latin verb patī meaning to suffer) is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something.

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And, as I grow and mature the list of things that I am passionate about has grown, and some  things have dropped off the list.  I would contribute that to the fact, that I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, sister, and the list goes on and on.  Surely, things that were important to be me at 20, and even dare I say 30, don’t resonate so loudly at (GASP) 37.

If you are joining me on this journey, here is what you can expect from Stage Presents, a little bit of everything.  You can expect anything from great recipes, to home decor items and ideas that tickle my fancy.  Things that I find inspiration in from around the web and real life, or even just things I covet.   You will find information on sale items for yourself, your kids, your significant other.   You can ask questions, or inquire about things that are important to you.  You may get a glimpse into my personal every day life, and even hear me gush or gripe about motherhood.  Stage Presents is a reflection of me, with all my intricacies.

Also coming soon, you will have access to our Home Decor Store!!  It will have accessories for pretty much every room in the house, and for various tastes.

I appreciate all the support that I have received thus far from everyone who chose to like, follow and recommend this page to others.   So, jump right on in and follow the blog here!! Follow us on Pinterest here!! Or on Twitter here.

Passion-Hunting

 

Things….. at “37”

It is almost amusing to me that when you are 20, 37 seems soo old.  Buy, when you turn 37 it seems so ….well I won’t say young, but I will say current.

I celebrated my 37th bday last month and found myself making a list of things that I never thought would be occurring in my life at this age.

1.  I always hoped to find love and marry early and have all my children before I hit 30.  I never thought I would be chasing behind a toddler at 37.

2.  That I would have gray hairs plural before 50.

3.  Thar after over 20 years of working that I would be a stay at home Mom and Wife, and find peace with it.

4. That at 37 my definition of beauty would still be evolving/changing.

5. That at 37, I would know my body better than I ever had and be comfortable with it.

6. That I would have three amazing kids who would teach me more about life than any other lessons I have learned.

7. That I would find joy in decorating, entertaining, craft projects, gardening and organizing.

8. That I would look in the mirror and see my mother both literally and figuratively.

9. That even though I knew everything at 18, at 37 I feel I still have so much to learn.

10. That having a quiet evening at home would rank right up there with a night on the town.

11. That watching my children sleep, healthy and content would give me such a high.

12.  That stolen moments with my husband would be the foundation of my days.

13.  That good or bad nothing starts my day off like a great cup of coffee and Caramel Macchiato Creamer.

14.  That I wasted way too much time worry about what other people thought about my life instead of worrying about what I thought was important.

15.  Lastly, that my life with all its twists and turns and ups and downs landed me just where I was meant to be.

 

When Life Gets in the Way of Blogging….

I can hardly believe that it has been a whole month since I have shared a blog post.  But, time flies…. and all that jazz…

Things have been pretty busy in our household, and even though I guess that I sometimes wish I had a break, I would not have it any other way.  At the end of January my baby sister came to visit.  I don’t know why I enjoy calling her that since she is well grown, but I guess that is what she will always be to me.  She wasn’t able to spend the holidays with us this year.  And, it was such a bummer for me.  So, as you can imagine, I was super excited to get her here for a couple of days.

Hubby and I have had the opportunity to have a lot of one on one time lately as well, which means, the kids were with the grands.  I know we all talk about how important having date time is, and it is soo true.  For us, it is always such a renewal of our marriage .. Reminds me just how much I love that man, his playful side, his spirit, and just the very core of him.

We had our Valentine’s Day the weekend before because it fell in the middle of the week.  And, we got to spoil our little ones with some special Valentine’s Day treats as well.

On my ongoing balancing act,  getting so many great responses to my post about embracing the season i was in really got me thinking.  And, I have been doing some shuffling, changing the way that I do things and spreading out my day, has done wonders for my perspective.  I am not feeling nearly as stressed as I was before.  I have also added exercise back into my routine.  I am currently on a self created challenge.  I am doing 35 miles per week on my exercise bike.  And, shockingly enough its not killing me. I am enjoying it, it is giving me some purpose to work towards, and moving me closer and closer to my goal.  I think its helping me too when it comes to energy and attitude.  Thank God for endorphins…

Well that is what is going on … at my end of the world….

Living In Between Stages

I have never had any desire to be a stay at home.  Well, that is not entirely true, during the eight weeks that I stayed at home with my girls after they were born, I wished I had the option to stay home with them for a while longer.  But, for as long as I can remember, my M-F consisted of dropping the kids off and heading off to work.  I don’t think you realize just how much you miss (luckily or unluckily, when you work outside the home.

Nothing could have prepared me for the changes that were to lie ahead of me.  I think that adjusting to any kind of change can have its twists and turns.  I think at first, I believed that this was definitely a temporary thing, I expected to be back to work in a matter of days at the most weeks. I had read all the accounts about what a mess the economy was in and just how hard it was to find something.  Naturally, I didn’t think that this would be my predicament.
But, I didn’t realize how many things factor into finding a new job.  I had been with the same company for twelve years, and had managed to move up through the ranks.  First, there was location, distance from home, gas and salary requirements.  I learned I was making downtown pay, in a rural area.  So in order to make what I was making in a place where I would want to work, I would have to drive downtown battle Atlanta traffic and then not make it home to my kids before 7.
So after going on several interviews and being frustrated by either the pay or the distance.  I decided to take a break.  My daughter’s eighth birthday party was fast approaching and the holiday season kept me pretty busy.  We had an amazing “memory worthy” Christmas.  Just like the ones I used to dream of having time to create.  And, I was pleased.
But, on the other side of that just like after a wedding is the let down, as I packed up the Christmas decorations.  I guess I packed up 2012 and with 2013 came the need for a new plan.  It was time for me to go back to work.  So, as I spend my days sending out applications and resumes, and scouring every possible job search board I can find.  I also find myself feeling like maybe I need to find  a way to become acclimated to my role here at home.  I guess in a way I have felt like this is not my life, when in fact it is, whether it is for two more days or two more years.  ( I hope its not that long.)
Transitioning and Acceptance go hand in hand, but how do you manage to do both at the same time?
Note:  After reading this over, I felt like I should mention just how blessed I am to have a husband who can adequately provide for us, while I muddle my way through all of this.

Renewals… and New Beginnings!!

I find that almost every year it takes me a while to jump right in with both feet.  I believe the reason for that is two fold.  One, I am normally still recovering from a very busy Holiday Season, and two I always feel the need to purge at the beginning of the year.

This year has been no different except that there seemed to be so many more areas of my life that needed purging.   This year, I didn’t really do any New Year’s Resolutions.  Instead, I tried to fine tune goals that I set out to accomplish last year (that are still a work in progress).

I finally completed an entire year of working out.  I can’t say that it was all strenuous working out, but I kept my body moving for the entire year, and I was able to keep off the 15 lbs I lost for the entire year.  Drinking water, became a part of my every day life.  I spent time with Lord and focused on my spiritual health.  I worked on being frugal through coupons and searching for deals on everything from hotels and airline tickets to socks!!  I stepped out the box and spent some time with hubby at the gun range, and liked it.  I even ventured into the pool in a bathing suit this past summer with the kids.

I moved closer to having the Three Dimensional Life that I put on my Vision Board for 2012.  And, even though 2012 took me through a lot of changes, it was a good year.

In 2013, I vow to not limit myself.  I will work on not forgetting that there really is nothing that is not within my reach with hard work and determination.  I hope that you all will join me on my journey, as all the pieces fall into place!!

Dreaming in Technicolor!!

As I sat in front of the tree on Christmas Eve night, admiring our home, and thanking God for giving my husband and I the ability to be able to provide for our children and give them lifetime memories, I realized just how much I have to be grateful for.

I started to smile as I thought of how amazing it is to have a husband who also “dreams in technicolor”. It is a great feeling to be able to execute a plan for your home, and have someone else who is equally vested and shares your dream. Don’t get me wrong we DO NOT always agree when it comes to decor or furniture. But, this Christmas we put our heads together and we were both proud of the outcome. Everything was as perfect as things can be in a imperfect world!!

The food was great, we got good hostess gifts!! We played some games, and even the guests didn’t go home empty handed.

I love Christmas, it is my FAVORITE HOLIDAY, and always has been!! But, it ranks even higher, when I get to spend it with the ones I love!!

Wishing you the joy of the season.. Vision for the New Year and Motivation to Persevere towards all your goals and Dreams –

Stage Presents – A Blueprint to Better Living!!

It’s beginning to “Teal”, a lot like Christmas!!

I have absolutely fallen in love with teal this year.  Check out some great inspiration pieces, I found on Pinterest..

In fact, I got my color scheme for one of my Christmas trees (still a work in progress), from these pics.

Here are the ornaments that I purchased for the tree, and my Table Centerpiece for Formal Dining Room.