Insta-Friday

It's Friday and that means it's Insta-Friday where I link up with Jeannett at Life Rearranged to post various phone photos from the week. Yikes! I actually didn't take any of my kiddos this week. They were super busy and my little guy has been asthmatic and under the weather.

I love that Pippa has a favorite stuffed animal and it is a stuffed dog! I found it at IKEA for 98 cents. I never would've predicted that she'd get so attached. She sleeps with it. I kid you not, see below! I mean, does she get any cuter???

Some of my shop's Rosie Rosys ready to go!

Brian and I got these James Avery rings for our 10-year anniversary and took these photo booth pictures while on our anniversary date.

Here's Pippa with her dog again while resting on Brian. She loves her dad and dog.

I was cleaning my craft room and came across a bunch of crochet flowers I made awhile back. I found a use for them--coasters! Cute, cheap, and convenient since I already have them.

Happy Friday!

Color Inspiration

Do you know about Design Seeds? I stumbled upon Jessica's site one day when I was looking at colors for my blog's redesign. Now, I go to this site often for inspiration. I was thinking of painting my daughter's room so I've been looking at her color charts for inspiration. There's almost too much color inspiration if that is possible. Here's a few of the hundreds of swatches she has posted on her site.

The above inspires my own color palette for my necklaces!

Lime green, Lt. purple, and Dark purple from my shop.

And the below were the colors that inspired my blog!

What I Wore Wednesday/Casual Friday

I am linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday, Alison at Two Thirty Five Design for Casual Friday, Rolled Up Pretty.

It's been HOT here. My car said 105 this afternoon. It's awful. I want some relief! To top it off, all you smell outside is smoke from the fires. I've had terrible sleep due to MiniB waking up every night unable to breathe and needing his inhaler. I've had a headache for three days now. Ok, enough complaining but seriously, send some rain!

Do you know about PicMonkey? You have to try it! Notice the cute frame on top picture? It's like Instagram for your desktop. Love it! Here is my TimeMachine filter:

Or the Dusk filter:

Dress: Ann Taylor Loft

Necklace: My shop

Shoes: Franco Sarto (last season)

Smores--Oreo style!

I saw a picture of Oreo Smores on Pinterest. I knew my kids would love it, and since making smores is on our summer to-do list, I bought the stuff. We're in the middle of fire-ravaged Colorado so we are under a fire ban. That means it was gas stove smores for us!

You have to try this! My kids were so excited you'd think Santa was coming tonight. Make sure you buy the Double Stuff though. There is an added bonus with the creme from the Oreo. Delish! Brian sure loved them!

Hello Monday

Hello Monday. Here is to hoping this week is better than last. It has been a hard week here in Colorado. This is the view of the High Park Fire from my front door. The fire has been burning for 3 weeks now. MiniB has had some major asthmatic symptoms. This smoke plume actually looks pretty not so bad in this picture.

Hello ugly sky. Rain, please come and help us in Colorado. On Saturday a major fire broke out in Estes Park, just 1.5 miles from our cabin. They gave an evacuation order to guests staying in our cabin so they decided to forgo their vacation at our cabin. The Estes Park fire consumed 21 homes. We spent much of Saturday on pins and needles just waiting on word about what direction the fire was headed. Our cabin is safe. Thankfully though many lost their homes, no lives were lost.

Hello power wash! I love power washing our house. Or should I say I love when Brian power washes our house.

Hello power washed garage! Over the winter our cars drag in a lot of junk that they put on the roads for the snow. I'm always so glad when we can wash it out and stare at it for a minute because it won't last very long.

The temperature outside on Saturday was 102. After the stress of waiting to see whether our cabin was in the line of the fire, we decided to go out for some ice cream. Brian loves himself a banana split!

Linking up with Lisa for Hello Monday.

Insta-Friday

I'm linking up with Jeannett at Life Rearranged for Insta-Friday!

This week it was my birthday so my lovely family took me to breakfast, went to my favorite kitchen shop in Old Town, went to get a mani/pedi, and went to the Hibachi restaurant for dinner. One of my favorite days ever!

We also spent a lot of time doing water-related stuff--pool, sprinklers, went to sprinkler park. Such a fun week with my little ones.

Oh, and my shop launched. Yay!

Happy Friday!

One of My Favorite Things

I used to write in a journal when I was in high school and college. Now, I honestly don't have the time or even the desire but do I have time for quick thoughts and things I do want to remember. This journal is one of my favorite gifts to give. You can find it on Amazon.

It's arranged so that you can record a quick paragraph about something and see what you wrote on that day the year before, and as the years go on, you'll be able to see five years worth of journalings for that day. Simple.

Before bed I will log a quick moment about my day. Chances are it is something funny one of the kids did or said. Sometimes they say multiple funny things in the day and I can fill a couple of days. Just last night I was reading how a year ago, MiniB said, "Mommy, can I have some more poison?" at dinner. He meant hoisin sauce.

Or when MiniMe said, "This is a pretty good burger except for the toe nails in it." I had used a onion soup mix and mixed it in the meat and she mistook the dried onions for toe nails. Oh, I had a good laugh at that one.

Or when MiniB was released from his Sunday school room and loudly exclaimed, "I didn't talk at all about my weiner daddy!" for the whole church to hear. He was in a phase where he had a lot of anatomy questions and so happened to be singing a song about his parts right before church and we asked him to only do that at home.

See, these are the fine moments you want to record and remember! Get yourself one of these books or buy one for a friend. They are the best gifts and I love how I know exactly what I was going through a year ago and can see how far I've come in my thought process.

What I Wore

I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy for this week's What I Wore Wednesday and Doranda at Watch What I'm Wearing, and Two Thirty-FIve Designs for Casual Friday.

I am a skirt-wearing fiend this week! It has been sooo hot here. We set a record yesterday. My car says 105 degrees but that seems a bit high but close. It's hard to want to wear anything cute when it is this hot. But for you my friends I will try!

My husband makes me laugh while he takes these so they get kind of fuzzy, sorry.

Shirt: Ann Taylor Loft, Skirt: Ann Taylor Loft, Necklace: My shop! , Sandals: J-41

Shirt: Old Navy, Skirt: Old Navy, Necklace: My shop! , Flip Flops: Old Navy

Next week if it stays this hot, I just might be naked. Ha ha, no I wouldn't do that to ya!

Like Us! Follow Us!

Hi blog friends! Thank you all so much for the sweet comments regarding my shop. Can you do me a favor and Like Us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sillyhappysweet? I'll be picking a Facebook friend for a giveaway next week. Currently we only have 5 friends so you stand a good chance!!

If you tweet, follow Silly Happy Sweet (@sillyhappysweet). Ha ha, I couldn't resist! No, but seriously, follow us on Twitter for more information about sales as well as some fun stuff. I'd love to follow you back!
Thank you again for being so kind!

My shop!

I am so excited to officially announced the launch of my shop! It's been a long time coming. Honestly, it is kind of scary to put yourself and your stuff out there and hope for the best.

A little background.....In early 2011 I was working as a project manager for a company that consults with Microsoft. I loved my job. I was good at my job. With the downturn of the economy, it really wasn't shocking that I was going to be let go. You think you're prepared for the news but I was genuinely stunned even though I was told I could come back if things turned around (they haven't). Who was I without my career? I'd always had my career and made pretty decent money. I defined myself by my career, and, in one fell swoop, I had to reassess everything.

It's weird when you aren't bringing in an income. I had never been in that position before so I freaked out a little bit. I reworked our family budget and probably went to some extremes. It's been a learning experience anyway. Luckily Brian has a good job and we are fine and can still meet our financial obligations. Thank you Dave Ramsey! So.....I looked for work but pulled my youngest out of preschool because it didn't make sense to keep paying for it when I was home full-time. I continued to look for work (and still do) but it's like crickets out there for my field. Hello, is anybody there? Nothing. I'd get calls here and there but nothing would pan out. I began to consider the idea it might be quite awhile before I would be able to find anything.

I have to admit that I've had quite a few crying moments. I love my kids. I love my family. I love being a mom and wife. I actually might like it too much. What if something did come along? Could I now give up the precious time I have with my kids? But then who am I if I'm not helping to put money into our 401K? I imagined going back to meetings and conference calls and I know I'd now feel so torn. But I like making money. I like buying what I want at Target. I like having cute clothes. But I love being the one to chauffer my kids around. I love volunteering in my daughter's class. I love being the home where kids can come for playdates. God is working on me. He's giving me perspective. It's all about perspective.

I have always dabbled in all things crafty--knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, the list goes on and on. I've created my own purse patterns, knitted sock patterns, knitted plush animals. People have always complimented my jewelry. See this post. I had an idea to launch something back then and was the reason I started to blog. It seemed too scary though. It is one thing to make something for friends and family but another to try to sell your wares. What if only I think they're cute? Are they really cute? Is it just me? Will they sell?

Then during a quiet time one day I had an idea. "What is the worst thing that can happen?" I felt God ask me. Huh? Where did that come from? But it stirred in me. What is the worst that can happen? I fail? I've failed at stuff before. I lose my house? No. My family isn't safe. No. Those are really the big things. I succeed? Well only good can come from that. It dawned on me that the only real thing holding me back was, well, me. Dumb! I opened my supply boxes and found this piece of paper I had taped long ago to my Rosie Rosy box that says, "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." (Abe Lincoln) Perspective.

I talked to Brian about going for it. He is so supportive. I overheard him talking to our daughter one afternoon when the UPS man rang the doorbell to deliver supplies. He told her that she better get used to that sound because her mama is going to be very busy with her new endeavor. Wow. He believes in me. Why do I struggle so much in believing in myself?

So today is the official launch of my shop. It's also my birthday--believe me it has crossed my mind that I might be having a mid-life crisis! Carissa at lowercase letters is featuring my shop today. Gulp. Please visit her--she's incredibly kind and inspiring! I love her blog. All purchases that use the code LOWERCASE20 will get 20% off any purchase from now until midnight on Friday.

I don't have any idea that this is my new career. I don't know that it isn't either. I'm on a journey. We'll see what happens. Goal number one is just to give it my best shot. So here's the pitch and now that you know my story, please know this is the part I really stink at but am working on. My jewelry is created individually by my own hands because it makes me happy. Love what you do, do what you love, right? Each piece is unique and special. It is the perfect pop of color for any outfit (brides too!). Stop on by! I hope you will!!!!

Hello Monday---Hello Day in My Life

I was trying to explain to Brian that although I'm home full time and it would seem I should have all this time on my hands, I always feel like there is SOMETHING I could be doing. I gave him a long list of all the things I'd done that day and though he didn't disagree that I'd done a lot, it didn't sound like a lot but it took all morning. I decided to document a morning in my life for this Hello Monday. Linking up with Lisa for Hello Monday!

Hello gym. I get up at 5:30 to go run 4 miles on the treadmill three times a week. I'm usually done by 6:30 and come home to get breakfast going. When it isn't summer, I usually don't get up this early because I'm able to do it after I drop my daughter off at school. This picture of my drive to the gym shows the smoke from the Colorado fire that we're experiencing here. Very sad. Very gross air to breathe--both of my kids are back on their inhalers.

Hello breakfast! By 7:30, the kids are fed, Brian gone to work unless he works at home and I make our bed and get ready to feed the pets. This girl is a strange eater. I give her food but she usually doesn't eat until I slow down long enough to sit down near her somewhere and then she'll eat. She likes company while she chows I guess! Our lab Aspen ate so fast I couldn't get a picture!

Hello tortoise (in his cave). Now on to feed the tortoise. He eats fresh plants and flowers from the garden so I have to go select them for him and then get him fresh water and clean any poop.

Hello laundry. I try to get in one load a day minimum. I find that if I can do that, I can keep up and it spares me from doing it all weekend. The loads aren't as large if I do one daily but inevitably I will miss a day and it is never a small load. I'll fold the clothes while the kids have quiet time after lunch.

Hello lessons. I'm not always great at ensuring we practice. If we have VBS or swim lessons or something, it throws off practicing but last week we got in at least 15 minutes a day. MiniMe plays piano and MiniB and I work on violin together. They're still in their pjs. After this I make them get dressed and I shower.

Hello library books. I don't always have books to take but they are due today. If it isn't libraby books, it is the bank or grocery store or post office or some other miscellaneous place I have to go on that day. We return at 11am.

Hello Ironing. Ok, so I don't do this everyday as you can tell. In fact I probably only do it once every couple of weeks but on this day, Brian is almost out of short sleeved shirts so I succomb to the pressure. There is no time for the long sleeves. They will have to wait for another day. Wait a minute, what is this????

This little creature is sitting on my pile! Good thing it is shirts I've yet to do so she didn't rewrinkle them. It's almost noon. Seriously, where did time go?? Stay tuned next week for A Day in the Afternoon via Instagram!