inspired by...

Food Allergy Results....

2012-02-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

Today the results came in and boy, did they come in. I am allergic to quite a few things. Our grocery list will be significantly changing and our eating habits will be dramatically different. ANY guidance, suggestions, recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Im very nervous & excited to start this journey but am very uneducated on it.

Im thinking of buying a bread machine b/c we consume a lot of bread and gluten free bread & dough is quite pricey. Any recommendations on machines you love?

Cereals & Cookies & Pasta will be bought,and our garden will supplement our veggies, but until then - the store will be the source of shopping for those items as well.

The Results:

Score of 0-2	Score of 3-5	Score of 6+

Butter	Apricot	Peach
Crab	Blueberry	Pineapple
Cantelope	Barley	Corn-Yellow
Salmon	Grapefruit	Gluten
Lettuce - Leaf	Lemon	Wheat
Sweet Potato	Orange	Aspartame
Yogurt - Cow	Spelt	High Fructose - Corn
	Corn Syrup	Corn Oil
	Sugar - Beet
	Milk - Cow

What do the numbers mean?

0-2 : consume not often - once a month (at the very most)
3-5 : consume rarely - a few times a year (at the very most)
6+ : avoid entirely

So the doctor told me the good news is that my energy will increase, my back pain will decrease and I will have an overall big improvement in life. I am very excited for that but am intimidated as to where to start.

He also told me that I need to decrease stress. That my work habits, c-section surgeries, motherhood, & life are taking a toll and I need to be kinder to myself. Im not sure how to do that. I need to do the things I do and cannot limit the time I invest in any of it. So how do I fit in "relaxation"? Its very frustrating.

Any advice would be great - please!
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inspired by: the possibilities of feeling GOOD!
cheers, meg

Another Amazing Medical Phenom

2012-02-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

Hello again :) Since the last time I posted a few new amazing blessings have entered my life and my health. I cant tough enough how my OBGYN (actually a DO) helped me in treatment of my thyroid problems. But she told me that it isnt her specialty and at some point it would be wise to have a specialist involved. (i love truthful physicians :) ) Anyway, a friend of mine had an amazing experience with a Dr about an hour + away and recommended I go. So last week I brought all of my labwork results and headed to Bangor, PA. I met with an AMAZING doctor. He is an MD with his specialty being general practice, but he is also a DO (doctor of osteopathy) . He is a lovely man (looks about 65) and sat with me for an hour and a half telling me there is hope for my plethera of issues. He told me the weight gain, dry skin, lack of energy, thinning hair, swollen neck etc are NOT normal. He promptly scheduled me for a "Stealth Test & an Organ Function Test". I needed to come back in a week for those tests and to come right upstairs (without an appointment!) for him to read them to me and explain whats happening. He assured me: You Will Be Better.

So yesterday I went and had the tests done. My mom came with me and we headed out for lunch, came back and within 7 minutes, he called me back to talk about my results. Now, I now people are sensitive to sharing information. I understand and wouldnt share anything I didnt feel would help others. Its my personal preference in this case. I think after 8 years of suffering, I question home many others are too?

Below are the test results:

As you can see from the first test, there are a series of "parasites & viruses" they found. Dont fear its not what you think. Basically from living life, people pick up certain parasites. These are not from exotic trips but from just breathing air. But those parasites attack healthy organs when your body is under duress - stress, antibiotics, major illnesses or injury. With 2 young kids, a business & a household - stress is my issue. The viruses come from receiving vaccines as a child that help the mumps and other various illnesses. Your body normally gets rid of this traces of the live virus, but in my case, it hung on to the "mumps". I have never had them, but my body acknowledged its existence when it went into duress with both C-sections. I am NOT saying do not get vaccinated - I believe in vaccination, I am just explaining what can happen as a result.

So to fix these issues, I will be going through a series of cleanses for 18 days each to eliminate these issues. He informed me after the series is complete - 6 months - I will not have these issues AND my "old self" will be back. My metabolism, energy, skin, hair etc. My sleep will be improved, my fogginess cleared. I cannot stress how I cannot wait!

The second test, tested my organ function. I am VERY proud to say - LOOK AT MY BRAIN! w00t! However some of my other organs (not ironically the ones that aid in energy, health, metabolism and growth) are low. There is a series of live organ cell shots that I have begun. One a week for 6 weeks. After those 6 weeks I will be retested. They feel after the 6 weeks, all organ function will improve and be above the average mark - INCLUDING my brain. They have only had 2 above 90 - so far - I cant wait to see where mine ends up. I always knew I could be and feel better. I look forward to feeling energized and functioning again.

Next week I will also be going for additional food testing. The food test I did shows a strong chance of me being allergic to gluten. If that is the case, major lifestyle adjustments will be had. Luckily I have a great husband who is on board to change his lifestyle as well and supports any changes we need to make in food. :)

After the 6 weeks, I will post the results and after the 6 months I will do the same. I am also continuing my pilates & yoga practices as well as my PT. I am not relying on these cleanses and shots exclusively.

My reasons for being proactive are simple: I want to be the parent my kids deserve.

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inspired by: real doctors, my children, the future, having myself back again!!
cheers, meg

Hypothyroid & an Experiment

2012-01-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

Im going to do an experiment after recently seeing an image of myself 1 month prior to starting thyroid treatments. I will post my updates here along with my regular life events. But this is very important to me. Important bc for several years I have been ignored my modern medicine and im through with their bullshit. Would you like to hear a brief timeline?

(you can laugh now b/c below truly is brief. I didnt have the patience or emotional where with all to post every detail. But trust me, you would have lost it like I did)

2003 - complained of "out of the blue" exhaustion, slow weight gain, thinning hair, constipation, dry skin ++. First I saw my primary care who did nothing, went to an endocrinologist - said its age, went to a rheumetologist - said I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? What? I explained to all 3 that I am very active. That I multitask well & have noticed a fog in my mind where total clarity once existed. They claimed it was engagement stress. NOPE. I even went to Penn to be checked there and they said even though my antibody test (a test I had to BEG and BERATE for came back off the charts - 496 when it should be between 0 and 30) they said - YOURE FINE. Fine because my TSH level was "normal" *cough cough* bullshit.

2004 - married! (contrary to some - very happily)Since nobody did anything last year Id thought Id do the same process all over b/c I had no clue what else to do.... cue instruments.... "please send me for tests" "please look at my hair loss, dry skin, constipation, weight gain! please help me" NOPE YOURE FINE. Seriously? I spent 29 years of my life one way and now I feel totally different. They sent me to counseling. My counseler said I was depressed. UM, YES because I feel like a totally different person. They handed me medication and sent me on my way.

2005 - 2010 - 2 beautiful babies were born and I fluctuated from feeling OK to feeling HORRIBLE. My weight went up and down finally settling in at 20 lbs more than 2004. In 2010 I started a Vinyasa Yoga class and loved it. It helped me lose a bit of weight and I felt good. I had to stop the once-a-week class due to an existing upper back issue. Here is a picture of my in Feb 2011, one month after stopping Vinyasa:

Now I am going to talk weights & measures. I want to preface with - the info I provide is for ME, not you or anyone else my height, weight, gender, ethnicity etc. im not looking for guidance on my weight and im not looking to promote or aid in unhealthy OR healthy weight habits. Im staing this b/c I think for the overall - it is very important.

I am 5'11 and prior to 2003 was in the 140's. I was comfortable and was a size 8. I have been a size 8 for the better part of my life and my weight has fluctuated from 130 - 142 throughout my 20's. Sometimes landing me at a size 6, but for the most part an 8. I was married at 153, got pregnant with my first child at 157, lost all the weight after, then put on 6lbs to 163 when I got pregnant with my second. At this point Im 33 and understand the 140's maybe out of reach but a size 8 with proper exercise & diet should be attainable. NOPE. After my second was born I went back to life and settled in at 165. With Vinyasa I lost and stayed stagnant at 157 - I was thrilled. Then in Feb I noticed a slow weight gain. You might think its b/c I stopped vinyasa. But it wasnt. I stopped the once a week class but kept my daily practice and added walking into the mix. I limited soda and lowered my sodium. All to no avail. By June i was 171 and very unhappy. My hair was thin and my symptoms were all coming back......

June 2011 - My longtime general practitioner retired and i had to choose a new one - I chose one that my friend recommended. He told me (after my brief - haha) explanation that im 36 and should accept that i will not have my old body back and will not have the energy and clarity i once did. he basically said roll over and die. I was mortified. I told him that im an active mom and need to feel like myself and weighing as much as i did at 7 months pregnant isnt normal for me, esp when the weight gain was in a 4 month time span. He completely dismissed it all.

Oct 2011 - I was asked to participate in a WEC (Woman's Entrepreneurial Center) video for our local Univerisity. I recently saw it and was mortified at my appearance. See below:

I couldnt believe my neck! The ring! The puffiness of my face! I was shocked. I hopped on the scale and it read 181. I burst into tears. I have changed nothing in my lifestyle to have gained 30lbs in 7 months and yet there it was tied with a ribbon of ring around my neck.

November 2011 - I begged my OBGYN (actually a DO) to send me for TSH bloodwork but also antibodies as well. I told her everything. She was my doctor for both pregnancies, knows me as a normal woman, not a nut. And low and behold my antibody count was 276. She put me on a starting dose of 25 mg of Synthroid.

Dec 1 2011 - I started the Synthroid. Within 1 week my ring disappeared. DISAPPEARED! i also stopped losing chunks of hair in the show daily. To top it off, 5lbs fell off in a 7 days. Seriously.

Today is Jan 2, 2012 - I have been on the medication 1 month. Here is what my neck and face look like now:

The moral of this is: If you are one & in tune with your body - follow your instincts. I need to increase the medication and will be playing with the dosage for years, surely, however, someone finally listed to me. Someone finally acknowledged that I was suffering and needed help. Someone heard. I will never allow anyone tell me to roll over and die. To them I give them the royal Fuck off!

I will be charting my progress for a year through workouts, food journaling and growth in my yoga & pilates practice. My ultimate goal is to be STRONG & COMFORTABLE in my body at whatever weight I end up in. (hopefully a weight that gets me in my pre-baby pants again!) small steps. <3
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inspired by: good health
cheers, meg

A warm November day

2011-11-29T19:32:00.001-08:00

The last 2 weeks have been brutal with the kids being sick and lovingly passing it on to me (lol) so when we had this warm November day - I thought - perfect time to go out and blow the stink off of us! My friend Betsy told me about this amazing place - Spring Hills Farm - 6 miles from our house (I KNOW!) and I packed the kids in the car and off we went.

Hannah, Harrison & I went to the Spring Hills Farm to pick up a wreath, maple syrup and pick out our Christmas Tree (waiting until Wednesday so Daddy can come too! :) ) and while we were there they let us roam the property, look at the sheep, chickens & roosters and very cool old cemetery across the street (the resting place of the 2 original owning families dating back as far as the revolutionary war! We had a blast and can't wait til Wednesday to go back!

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inspired by: being outdoors

cheers, meg

A trip to Princeton

2011-11-20T18:20:00.001-08:00

This weekend Rob and I went to Princeton, NJ for a weekend getaway without the weeones. We missed them terribly but had a wonderful time. Everything about it was amazing. The peace, the walks, the restaurants, the time with Rob & the sleep. Oh the glorious sleep! I have beautiful pictures to show our time below........

I look at these pictures and I love every moment of them. But I look at the pictures of my in my newly successful yoga poses and I am disgusted by what I see. My body, which was beautiful at one point, is fat and out of shape. I see a woman who has seen every doctor known to man and not one can figure out - or care to figure out - why I have put on 27 lbs in 10 months with NO change of lifestyle or nutrition. Tomorrow I will change my nutrition, vitamin & exercise routine AGAIN to see if improvements are possible. I just want to be comfortable with myself in appearance again.

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inspired by: health, yoga, comfort, love
cheers, meg

We are blessed

2011-10-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

It's easy to be sad - to be happy takes work.

Today a blizzard is coming and right now we have rain and flurries. Not fun. Not fun b/c it is 30 degrees out + the above noted weather. But today I feel really blessed. Really blessed. Blessed because I love our home, our family, our life. Do we have all that we "want"? no, but we have all that we need.

Hannah and I baked a cake together, I set up my knitting and books in my favorite nook of the house & we have yummy pierogies cooking. The clothes are done, the house is straightened. The upstairs smells like yummy incense that I was burning for a friends loved one "Health" and later hot tea and some scary movies are in my future. Harrison & I played cars and Hannah told me "I just love you mom, because"......

Today is a good day and we are blessed for what we have. Thank you to Molly & Aunt Nancy and all that are looking out for us and blessing us like you have. We are very grateful and I am very thankful to your love.

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inspired by: blessings, family, home, love

cheers, meg

Fall, Family & Fiber

2011-10-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

My family is my heart - my kids are my breathe - my home is our sanctuary. Every day I spend with them I realize how blessed we are to have eachother. Lately we have been playing around a lot, the kids are in love with ice pops and I am back to knitting for love. Here is our mini tale.

That is all for tonight - love and light......

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inspired by: Fall, Family & Fiber
cheers, meg

When life hands you lemons.....

2011-10-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today was the AWE Awards ceremony. Last year I was a nominee and was blessed to receive the Woman of Merit Award. This year I set up a table for Keen Bean Design and met some amazing women (and potential contacts - score!) Anyway, we sat down afterwards for the lunch and heard an amazing lecture from a sef declared "mom-preneur" Cena Block. Her business is Sane Spaces and she gave the most amazing, inspiring speech on how women do it all and get through it shining bright. Talk about inspiring! Did I mention, shes a yogi? AHHHH yes! Anyway, I asked for some excerpts b/c they were insanely informative and I want to share them with you.

Clarifying Your Perspective and determine whether it serves you
Understanding Your Self and What’s Important
Finding your sense of Personal Motivation repeatedly
Minimizing your own Limitations and barriers
Aligning Actions with Greater Cause – Making a Personal Contribution

And the four "sanity" dimensions to assess and address are your:

Spaces
Systems
Self
Support

To end her amazing speech I "borrowed" her inspiring yoga image, See! a well balanced business woman!

Ok, onto personal things.... Im learning so much about people and how to feel and to react. I have always worked in fields where acceptance is required. Your clients need to accept your work or you wont be paid, essentially. I carried that feeling into my personal life and really just realized (and found out through the small town grapevine), some do not support me and although it hurts..... its ok. I have an amazing support group of friends and have a more than amazing team to support me & KBD through business. Not to mention the people who do support me outweigh the ones who don't. Recently my feelings have been hurt and I had my emotional moment and then stopped. Its good to feel, but better to get over it. The results of today were not the one negative piece of feedback, but the dozen pieces of positive and amazing feedback! Not to mention, I felt great i my red patent heels!

One thing Cena mentioned, that I have always believed, you need to find time for you. To balance your life. My kids, my husband, my friends and my work are my life. But my hobbies and interests are my glue. Lately as motherhood and age have crept in, I noticed I am taking a new viewpoint. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” - Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Im confident in my love, my success, my feelings, my responsibilities and finally my choices. It took 36 years to acknowledge that but I am most grateful. For that I will end my post with some candids of my heart:

EDITED TO ADD: It is OK to feel "not so great" about parenting, work, life in general. And it is OK to talk about it. I share my feelings to let others know - your not alone. <3 Namaste!

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inspired by: new beginnings and love
cheers, meg

A Clean View

2011-09-28T10:34:00.001-07:00

Its amazing how productive and positive and energized I feel after organizing and cleaning up my surroundings. The babies are growing and are amazing little lovelies and with that comes a trail of toys, granola and sippy cups. My once calm and organized surroundings is cluttered and messy. The last few days I have been organizing - and am not done yet - but the difference in my personality and thought process is amazing!

Have you had a chance to organize your surroundings? I find I practice meditation & yoga more, am more creative, productive and have more energy with clean surroundings and smells. I keep lavender in every room for peace and keep incense or candles lit when possible. I keep my inspiring items at hand - like my yoga mat, books, and yarn. It makes for a wonderfully inspiring place! Target has amazing plastic bins at affordable prices to keep toys at bay, bins to pack seasonal clothes away. Crate and Barrel has great mini items - ironing board (for under the bed) shoe racks (that adjust in size and are uber strong) and glass jars that mimic Ina Garten for your coffee & sugars. It feels amazing to look at a clean space. Even my desk, organized with file folders and rack. Major OM!!!

Im back to yoga too - some therapeutic classes at Body Dynamics but also at home. 6 Sun Salutations a night + acupuncture, physical therapy and a few new vitamins and probiotics has helped me significantly. I thrive for a peaceful body.

Here are some happy pictures that give me breathe - and maybe you as well - Namaste

Ice Cream & 1st Day of Preschool

Creekside Butterfly Gardens

Mobile Smiles

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inspired by: organizing
cheers, meg

A big change....

2011-09-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Those who know me, know I love crafting. From a young age its been my passion - crayons and paper were in my pocket at all times. Thats why, with sad dismay, I need to reduce my passionate business Kiss My Style. My once full fledged ecommerce, heaven is now a mere Etsy site. I cant keep up with the demands, the frustration of lack of funds, the desperate desire to fill orders until midnite on Christmas Eve. Its so hard to accept... I will never be "Martha" I will just be Meg. So here begins a new chapter.... Chapter 1 - who is Meg now?

Here are some pics of the Kiss My Style Closeout Party for tomorrow night.....

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inspired by: lack of time.
cheers, meg

Holy Moly - it's been 3 months!

2011-08-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its been 3 months! That seems crazy, but alas, its true.

First, We moved into our new home and are finally settled (for the most part).

My wee ones have grown:

And finally I am catching up on my reading and yoga practice. I couldnt be more thrilled. My mat is my savior, my incense my inspiration, my practice my salvation. I couldnt be happier. My friend Jen at www.IndieYoga.com sent me a few tanks to "test & review" and (Im SO sorry Jen!) it has taken me 2 months to get things together and actually do a review. Sometimes life just interrupts play!

Here are the tops:

The pictures were taken from her website, I am not the gorgeous model. hehe. Anyway.....
I LOVE them. I only have one issue and thats sizing. If you pick one up for yourself, please choose a size up. I am a Medium and had to exchange for a Large. Im tall (5'11) and the Large fits but isnt very long. I like long in the hips & arms. Some don't but I like to feel comfy, not like I have to pull it down. My friend has 2 and she is about 5'6 so the fit is much better on her - in terms of length. The Good news is - I adore the style, the cut, the image & wording. It added like to my plain yoga tanks and made me feel like springtime. it was very nice. Would I buy them? Yes, but I may even go up to an XL if it provided more length. The fabric is very fine and provides a textured look that appears to be see-thru in spots but isnt. Its a very fun and fabulous tee! Check out Jen's store for even more amazing yoga pieces - www.IndieYoga.com

Finally Ill end with the blessing that I am knitting for Kiss My Style Fall and Cowls are the rage. My son modeled one for me -

Have a glorious day of love and light! Ill be back soon - I promise!
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inspired by: Catching my breathe, enjoying life and love
cheers, meg

Sunshine - at last!!!!

2011-05-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

The weather in NEPA has been as schizophrenic as poor Sybil. But the few days of delicious pleasure we took full advantage of! Needless to say between the weather, the fun and the fresh air we have been outside a lot.

Because of that I have done some outside yoga, outside reading and toes in the grass time. I finished enLIGHTend and LOVED LOVE LUV it! It was witty, cute, and informative. Did I add a bit of inspiration as well?

My weeones were gifted a mini cooper as a 1st birthday gift for my littlest lovey.

and did i mention the outdoor yoga??

In other news - we bought a house! closing is June 3 and we couldnt be more excited. here are a few sneak peeks of my new digs that i am chomping at the bit to get into!

- Our Kitchen -
I love that the 1974 Blueprint Cabinet is now our island!

- Our quiet reading room -
This is for play, reading, puzzles, yoga, entertaining, talking, engaging

- Family Room -
The kitchen meshes into the eating area and family room - I love the floor to ceiling sunlight windows & doors - we will have a lot of fun & memories in here.

- Outdoor Fun -
Yoga, BBQ's, playtime with the weeones, quiet, peace and family time

Thats all for now - next time... a lovely review, moving chaos and hopefully my first summer margarita - OUTDOORS!

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inspired by: sun, sunshine, family, reading, books, yoga, new home, toys
cheers, meg

Birthday Smiles, Tree Pose & a Good Read

2011-04-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

There is something so amazing about our wee ones - their smiles, their cuddles & the way they mimic our actions. My daughter has been following in my footsteps by practicing yoga with me. Her latest accomplishment is Tree Pose. Now, I am 5'11 and STILL can't seem to master it and my little besu has knocked me clean out of the water. She is guided by the light!

My little man turned one on the 15th. My heart breaks at how he has changed. His smile is adorable and his kisses are hysterical! He is definitely a lover. Plus, he has super cute toes.

We got to enjoy the outdoors at last! The spring is creeping and pushing its way into April like a line for toys before Christmas. Pushy pushy pushy! We LOVE being outdoors so we told that weather to come on in - you are so welcome!

So things have been busy. Between birthdays, KBD, KMS and life, things have gotten a bit nutty. Oh, did I mention WE BOUGHT A NEW HOME? - that will be in a later post. (Promise)
But lately I have been so tired and "lazy" that my practice has been greatly neglected. It started when my upper back pain returned and I had to miss my favorite Vinyasa class and it escalated from there. My evening SS, is down to a weekly SS. My drive and desire is shaded but daily dramas. SOme of my wonderful yoginis from Twitter assured me it is normal and not to fret. When its ready to return, it will and open arms will hold it tight. To help with the process, I picked up a few books.

Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses - found here
EnLIGHTened - found here
Yoga as Medicine - found here

Partial Reviews:

Poser:
I have only read 2 chapters. Although its interesting and a bit funny, Im not hooked. I need to read more to give a thorough thought.

EnLIGHTened:
I am 1/2 way through and have a hard time putting it down. The humor, the truth, the frankfulness and the yummy recipes come together in a great - easy-to-read book on being a mama, yogi and a woman just trying to keep it all together & smile while doing it. Loving it!

Yoga as Medicine:
I am reading it slowly - like a text book. Written by an MD it has a great perspective on yoga for the physical & mental. I really like his clear writing style and look forward to each section as I go.

Im slowly coming back to life - between the joy of a new home, a new season full of gorgeous smells and sights and my babies who give me new breathe every morning. My practice will return. Maybe tonight. Maybe next week. But it will return. Because it loves my body like I love it. My husband used to do it with me every night. Maybe its time for us to start our couples practice again. As Martha says: "It's a Good Thing".
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inspired by: yoga, good reads, family, life & spring
cheers, meg

Isn't it funny....things you realize?

2011-04-10T14:06:00.001-07:00

Isnt it funny:

some of your greatest friends are those you never met in person?
how hearing birds chirp for the first time since winter, first thing in the morning is a beautiful sound?
how you realize how much you truly love someone when out of the blue you look at them and think - I have never loved anyone like I love you.
how you love your second child as much as your first, in different ways but in a loving, squishing way?
how a movie is so similar to your life that you cry because it beings back all the pain you had?
how much you miss a loved one that passed away even 17 years after they have died?
how yoga in the morning makes an achy back fade away?
how a clean house makes a clean mind?
how a shower removes all the dirt of the day but also all the sludge from any negativity?
how a walk outside can give you a little nudge into happiness?
how the taste of a really good meal lingers in your mind?
how when you realize you have a few friends you realize how blessed you are that you even have one you can count on?
how hobbies & interests make you smile inside?
when you finally pick up a book after not having any time to read? even just one chapter a day....?
how you need people in your life even though you think you dont?

and isnt it amazing how truly gorgeous the human body is - inside and out? the intricacies of the organs, the pangs of the heart, the skipped beats over love, the tears that form from nowhere? Isnt it amazing that all of us are different yet we have the same "Isn't it funnies?"

Molly Elizabeth
Sept 21, 1982 - Jan 24, 1994

If you have some - post them! id love to see! :) share share share!

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inspired by: life, love & friends...... and Molly who for some reason, I miss terribly today.
cheers, meg

A place for guidance

2011-03-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

At 35 I think I have done a lot, at least for my bucket list.

worked in some amazing fields in amazing places
found a great husband
had 2 beautiful wee ones
built 2 businesses from scratch
gotten some great acknowledgments for them
found my crafty side and love it!

But now time is a rarity and my mind is a flutter. I recently started a new business - Keen Bean Design - and it has boomed! No complaints at all... except..... between KBD, the kids, their schedules, house hunting, maintaining our house, running countless errands, running Kiss My Style and breathing ... I have no time. I want to do so much more - Yoga for one. I never have time for it daily. My nerves are shot after my 4 year old questions me all day "why, what, when, where? did i mention why?"

So I call to all of my crafty moms - yoga divas - multitasking ADHD ninja women.... Please help me organize better so I can fit in sewing and yoga and cooking and playing and walking and breathing and enjoying life!!!!!

On that plea I will end with 2 pictures that make me smile....

Guidance please! :) xoxoxo

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inspired by: making everyone happy - even me :)

cheers, meg

A Yoga with Style Review - The Allie Bag

2011-02-22T18:27:00.001-08:00

As you can see from my previous post - I became addicted to yoga. Twitter has been such an amazing place to meet other like minded people including Jenn from Yoga with Style. After buying a new mat & beautiful bracelet I contacted her to tell her the results of the mat (after breaking it in with a weeks work of practice I fell in love with it!), she asked if I would like to review some products. Heck yes!

I picked the crimson Allie Bag... and boy, am I glad. Now keep in mind I sew and have a business of handmade items so I can be pretty detailed in what I look for in a rocking piece.

First..... What comes to yoga with me.... my new mat, my 2 kids and.......

what can I use to carry all of my baby & yoga essentials in? Enter... the Allie Bag....

One wallet, One diaper, One pack of travel wipes, One chapstick, One set of keys, One cell phone, One water bottle, One yoga mat & One hand towel later......now... how will it all stay inside?

With secure zippers for both the small pocket and larger one for your mat, you can be rest assured everything will stay put inside. The end has a great drawstring canvas strap that gives access to the mat.

Durable with a canvas lining, I can honestly say, this bag is very well constructed. Not only is it beautiful, but very durable.

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars) I adore it!

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inspired by: yummy yoga accessories
cheers, meg

Sunday Smiles

2011-02-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

Since I havent been around heres the last few months in pictures....

The kiddos got bigger.......

I did some knitting......

Harrison was Christened.......

I found a cool app for pictures on my Iphone.....

Started a rad new business.......

KEEN BEAN DESIGN

Got a beautiful Yoga bracelet........

Learn to make a yummy salad like at a local Italian Shop......

And did some sewing.........

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inspired by: a new year!
cheers, meg

A bit of honesty with a fresh start

2011-01-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011! It's been a bit of a while. A lot has happened and changed and the break was well needed. After having baby #2 I went through a really rough spot. I wasnt working FT anymore (I had been a member of the working society for 20 years!) and I was home with 2 kiddos, one being a sick baby and I think I had post-pardum. I felt tired, useless and a lone a lot. I knew I needed to make changes. Here's what happened:

I took a yoga class. The place that had it fit in perfectly with preschool time and they had free baby care in a clean space. So I went. The sitter asked if i was advanced at yoga. "NOPE". She said "Oh, your class today is Vinyasa, it's pretty advanced." I wanted to leave. You see I was never one for doing things on my own in strange places, let alone taking a workout class - an advanced one at that! But I stayed. And oh.my.goodness. The instructor was amazing. I sweat like I hadn't sweat in years. I felt amazing. Truly amazing. That's all it took. I was hooked and every Tuesday for the last 6 weeks I have been there.

Then the bug bit some more. I started to think about intentions and positivity. i started to do sun salutations at night before bed and send out positive thoughts. I started chanting in my mind "Do you want to LIVE or do you want to EXIST." LIVE! Viva Life! Then I started doing the breathing techniques from class at home, downloaded a great Yoga app for my iphone and began adding pre made practices to my weekly life.

So what is the result?

I feel wonderful.
An old friend that I had a falling out with came into my life again. I had missed her and out of the blue, she contacted me.
I began to knit for love again.
I started a business, Keen Bean Design, with my husband and it has taken off beautifully.
I was told I was unanimously voted by a committee to win an award for top 25 women in business.
I have made 2 new amazing, creative friends that I enjoy spending time with and look forward to watching the friendship flourish.
My upper back pain that has been so hard for me is lessening.
I have motivation, inspiration and desire.
I appreciate and love my time with my wee ones more than ever.
I have delight in my life again

Yoga isnt everyone's solution, but for me, it has changed my life. In 6 weeks, I feel.... good.
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inspired by: yoga, figuring it out, peace, love, positivity
cheers, meg

A brief hiatus

2010-12-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

Im sorry I haven't updated in quite some time. A lot has been happening and needless to say - this blog is going to be put on a brief hiatus. Between the kids, school, Hannah's activities, Kiss My Style, the custom orders, the recent boom in wholesale accounts, starting a new business, Christmas, wrapping, ordering and then the other household responsibilities, I'm spinning. There have been a lot of amazing moments that deserve to be shared, but just can't be yet. Hopefully the new year will bring some more organization and less responsibility. Until then....

Happy Holidays / Blessings / Peace
Meg

Our last weeks in photos

2010-09-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Things have been insanely busy. We are trying to fit a lot of fun in a short amount of time before winter coats & slick roads stop the good time! Here is our last 2 weeks in photos... needless to say... it's been A LOT of fun!

First we hit up the pumpkin patches a few times. Hannah has never ridden a horse I was hoping she would give it a shot. So we loaded up the kiddos, the bags of necessities (diapers, change of clothes for the kids, bottle, sippy cup, toys, snacks, band aids ++) hopped in the family truckster and went to Roba's Farm.

She had such a good time, the next week we went back with KidDilly!

Then there was our trip to Knoebels. It was a blast. Hannah had a great time on all the rides and had her first big girl successful potty day. No diaper, no pull up, no accidents. YAY!

Then we had some relaxing time.......

And a little bit of love time.....

I was a lucky gal this month and got an invite to the Martha Stewart show to sit in her FIRST EVER Twitter section! Martha is my crafting mentor & I loved being included in such a cool experience. Rob was a Super Trooper and accompanied me & even walked 30+ blocks with me to PurlSoho to get my yarn on. I love him.

I had to whip up something Martha fabulous so a knitting I began......

The supportive and darling husband........

My sister in law took a picture of us on the TV.....

And our money shot!!.......

My goods from Purlsoho.....

And some work in progress (WIP)........

So home we went & came home to our darlings who love to take baths & be silly. We love them...... xoxo

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inspired by: family, fall, crafting, idols, love

cheers, meg

Fabric & Fiber

2010-09-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is hard to find energy & motivation in the morning. Especially when you are awoken by your teething 5 month old & uber energized 3 year old. So. After countless mornings of convincing myself I must be depressed or something I decided to think about things that make me excited, inspired and motivated. Things that when I just think about them my heartbeat hops & I get my act together.

It's hard to focus on yourself as a mom because you stop your life to help your wee-ones. You put your needs aside for their best interests. I know there is a way to make everything work, but b/c Im so new to all of this, I havent figured it out... If you know, please share! But until I figure out how to still have interests & work on them while keeping my babies happy, here is a mini photo collection of what gets me smiling and out of bed instead of crawling under the covers b/c 7am fussiness is not my dream alarm clock.

A hand knit alpaca & bamboo scarf for a new wee-one

The new fabrics for lavender relaxation pieces I make for KMS.

A hand knit scarf from Irish wool... I LOVE this!

On Monday Ill be at the Martha Stewart Show in a new section that hasn't been "unveiled" yet. I was beyond excited to get the invite to participate. Martha is, of course, one of my mentors (well, through her publications, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her... yet!)

I need to wear something stylish and colorful so I am going to knit up a fab scarf from the yarn above. Ill add a huge silk golden sunflower pin for added umph. (the pin & swag is my signature swag for KMS, kind of like Julia Roberts signature color being Pink in Steel Magnolias).

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inspired by: fabric, fiber, martha stewart and creative crafting
cheers, meg

A whole month has passed?

2010-09-09T18:00:00.001-07:00

I cant believe a whole month has passed since my last post. Time really flies with 2 wee ones, a move a baby who hasn't been feeling well & just general life. Ill make this a picture heavy diary of what has inspired me to smile every day b/c with out these images I would have been inspiration-less. We are officilaly in Dalton in Rob's grandma's home. We love it here. 18 acres of silent beauty. I hope we can find a home or build a home with similar outdoor peace. it is truly a HUGE blessing. Hannah loves it and it helps calm Harrison's coughing. Its wonderful.

Playtime with a good buddy. Hannah had a smile from ear to ear all day. She hadn't had a buddy date in a while.

Harrison in his golfing gear - squish!

4 months old and trying to stand!

Peace

Smiling outdoors.....

On top of my luvies making me smile...... I ordered new fabric, have knitted almost daily and feel like a new gal. I will have pictures soon when the fabric arrives... I think YOU will be inspired too.

G'nite

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inspired by: my children.
cheers, meg

it's official

2010-08-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

we moved.

we are like a family of gypsies. we are currently at my parents house until Rob's grandmas house is ready for us to temporarily move in there. We should just buy and RV. At least we can take our house with us! here are some last pics of Hannah being, well, Hannah at our old 522 Knapp Rd.

So after the chaotic move we headed to Sandbridge Beach in VA for a family vacation. The beach and condo were beautiful. We went to the Virginia Aquarium too & the kids really had a blast.

So thats my last 2 weeks in a nutshell. Lots of pictures, not alot to say. I guess when you pack your life up in a trucks worth of boxes, it's best not to say much. :)
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inspired by: change
cheers, meg

Finishing up the packing & a lil' trip....

2010-07-24T08:12:00.001-07:00

Well, in less than 1 week our home will no longer be ours. It's sad. It's our first home together and we celebrated every holiday married here, had 2 babies here, started our Holiday Party tradition here and have about 1000 great memories to add. We were very lucky in this economy to have sold our house & make some money on the sale, but we are moving to a temporary home until we find one we really like, so with a 3 yr old & a 3 month old we are going to be moving twice. OY. yes, we are slightly crazy. WISH US LUCK! the big move is on Wednesday and we will be a family of chickens with their heads cut off!

To offset the insanity we took a day trip to Claws & Paws, a local mini zoo, so Hannah can have fun and we can get some air!

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inspired by: family time and doing the right thing.
cheers, meg

Irony of a job

2010-07-11T15:22:00.001-07:00

Being a SAHM (stay at home mom) is the hardest job I have ever had. Isn't it funny how after high school you are shipped off to college for 4+ years to be instructed on the how's and why's of the working world. You are instructed on spreadsheets and word documents, how to test well & multitask a project, but not once in 4 years do they teach you how to be a SAHM if by some chance you become one.

The irony of that is, shy of becoming a physician, being a SAHM is putting life in your hands while juggling cleaning supplies & dinner. Trying to wake up and shape the minds of your wee-ones sounds like a blast - and don't get me wrong, I love it, however it's the tiny interruptions, the "real world" floybles that intercede that can cause an otherwise intelligent woman to stuff her head in a pile of dirty laundry. And yet nobody thought it necessary to teach a class or two on how to do it right?

In my previous life I worked in 2 industries. Commercial Interior Design & Medical Marketing. I loved (and still do) design. I ran several accounts a few in the 1+million mark, one even 3+ ! I got to interact with all kinds of creative minds, argue with subcontractors, stress over timelines, cry over damages and at the end of a project rejoice with coworkers over margaritas and laughter. I went into medical marketing b/c it allowed me to promote preventitive health options, promote womens health and push the button on screening for coronary & cancer related disease. I was helping in my own little way.

But now Im home with a 3 year old and a 3 month old who I love with every breathe & tear I have in me and I am a total train wreck. I used to be able to coordinate 75 contractors to complete a job in 3 months and here I can't manage to keep the house clean, the children happy, the laundry done, the food cooked let alone shower & bath the two in question. My guilt flares up when I try to clean up the kitchen or catch up on morning emails while letting said wee ones watch TV. I question myself at every corner. I cry at every unwashed dish or new load of laundry. My husband thinks Im nuts. To which I reply " My day is like an excel spreadsheet. I work on it all day until it is complete, then you come home and the wee ones wake up and one of you presses ERASE and i end up having to create the same spreadsheet over & over & over again." Have a ever mentioned how I don't like the movie "GroundHog Day"?

To add insult to injury, we are moving, so I have to pack the house to be out on 7/28, moving to a temporary home until we figure out what the future holds for us, OH AND! potty training b/c my 3 year old wants to take dance and you need to be 100% potty trained & she isnt sure which end is up. Have I mentioned the laundry? How do you SAHM's do it?! Honestly! The most important job in the world is to mother & care for your family and there are no classes for it. They just toss you in and say - flap around a bit and you won't drown.

I am on day 31 of being a SAHM and I wish I could take a masters program on how to do it all, while keeping my sanity and breathing. If you have the job down... please, please, please share...... Ill buy you a frozen margarita and even ship you the umbrella.

xoxo
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inspired by: SAHM
cheers, meg

Some finished objects (FO's) & holiday fun - Picture heavy

2010-07-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! Independence!

My sister in law had a birthday and I wanted to come up with something fun & unique for her. She loves to cook & has a dream of opening her own catering business someday. I thought a personalized recipe book would be a great way to help get her started! Here are the picks from the parts & pieces to full assembly......

I was thinking of listing it on KissMyStyle.com - what do you think?

Next I had a great custom order for a bridal shower - so much fun! The request was for bright, fun lavender dryer/drawer pillows. Here's the final result:

Do you remember the baby blanket I was working on for my friends Danielle & Bill? Well.... it's finished! And their lil man has also arrived and snuggled in for a few photos:

Ok, that's it for now...
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inspired by: holidays & fun projects

cheers, meg

Family & Cooking a great pair

2010-06-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year - that 1/2 spring 1/2 summer time when things are warm and sunny but not insanely hot. The weather has been amazing. We love being outside; BBQ's, deck time, playing in the yard, its all game! Harrison fits in great with our crew, even bottle time is outside.

So now for some cooking.... shrimp & chicken with lime & cayenne, mushrooms & zucchini w/ balsamic & sugar & whole grain rice......MMMmmmm!!!

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inspired by: family, food & sunshine!
cheers,
meg

Getting back in shape

2010-06-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had my last appt with my OB and got the A-OK to workout. I have been starting slowly (b/c of the C Section my abdominals are still sore) Walking has been great. I decided to pick up a few new "tools" to help inspire me, motivate me and basically get my act together. Plus, I added some new walking local's to give me some UMPH!

I bought the Nike IPod Sensor. The concept is cool, but the gadget doesnt work so well. Only my DH can get it to sync, which is really frustrating. I would love to just turn it on and go, but instead it takes minor surgery to get it working. I like the workout tips, the "upbeat voice" teling me I can do it, but if I can't get the darn thing to work without Rob, it's not worth it.

SOOO...... In comes Runkeeper.... for the times I walk without Rob (and maybe even with!) I LOVE it! It tracks my movement by GPS, it had me key in my weight so it can track my calories & even shows my "map" so I see where I went, the highs and lows of my energy and when I got a sprint in. I really like it. Plus, it is compatible with FB & Twitter so hopefully I will run into some great online friends using the program too. Now I just started but in 3 days I love to see what I have done. I will continue to use it.

It's hard to walk with a toddler climbing out of the stroller & a 2 month old who isnt used to the summer heat. So enter Lake Scranton. It was a hit. Well, for my very pregnant friend Amy, it could have been a lot better & the fact that it took 2 hours to walk 3 miles b/c I was pushing a 70lb stroller & grabbing Hannah after many escapes. It was a long walk - but a great workout!

While on the walk, Hannah met some new friends, a married couple of ducks who bickered over the broken pretzels Hannah tossed their way. They were great & she loved playing with them.

So thats my inspiration. I need to feel energy again and I'm convinced exercise is the key. Maybe bc sleep isnt an option yet. Oh well. Baby Steps. :)
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inspired by:exercise, my pre baby clothes
cheers, meg

Sweet little bitty's

2010-05-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hello world! This mama is a driving again!!After having the baby, getting off bedrest and starting to feel like my old self... I decided to treat myself to a few happy little bitty's.......

My new SPROUT watch! so cute. I love the colors and the entire thing, including packaging is biodegradable. The fun part is they give you a packet of seeds to grow a little grass garden in your home. You put the packet in the cardboard box the watch came in, and pour the water into the packet through the hole at the top, put in the sunlight & watch your garden grow! I can't wait to do it with Hannah.

My Iphone case had a life span of 6 Hannah months. So my DH searched and found this uber cool little bitty!!! A Javoedge cork case - sooooo cute and the texture is amazing - it truly is cork!

My poor ears have been naked for months. I mean a gal on bedrest doesnt need to wear makeup let alone earrings. So now that Im free.... hello decoration! And the cute & fun designs from PiperBlue.etsy.com were a perfect gift to my once abandoned lobes.

That's all for now. Ill close with a picture that makes me melt.

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inspired by: freedom!
cheers, meg

Spring Flowers!

2010-05-04T19:25:00.001-07:00

I finally had a successful Spring Garden! Please hold your breathe for photo overload of pride!

Our older little monkey enjoyed the weather too!

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inspired by: warm weather, happy spring flowers and monkeys who blow bubbles
cheers, meg

A New Baby

2010-04-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

On April 15th, the dreaded tax day, I woke up 37 weeks 2 days pregnant and very tender in the belly. I tried to stock it out and after 2 hours I broke down and called the Dr. Off to triage I go! Mom drove me, hubby met me there and after a few minutes, I was hooked up to monitors and we found out this mama was having contractions every 2 minutes!! After almost 4 hours of triage contractions I was finally sent to surgery where at 3:54 I had baby Harrison Rhys weighing in at 8lbs 4 oz & 20 1/2" long.

Unfortunately, he wasnt able to come home with us. He went directly to the NICU and we later found out he had fluid in his belly & lungs, a small leave in his heart valve & a small leak in his lungs. After a really stressful 5 days we were thrilled to know that he is healing well, the fluid is gone, the leaks are healing naturally, he is off of O2 and off of the feeding tube. And the best part? He is coming home on Thursday!!!!!!!

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inspired by: our new son, Harrison Rhys

cheers,
meg

A FO and a few inspirational images

2010-04-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

With our baby boy arriving next week.. yay!... I need to get my knit on! Here is the first of a few projects planned for the new lil' man...... I love the two blues together with the little sheep buttons. Boyish & sweet.

Yesterday I read through the new Craft Inc magazine and found these awesome pieces for pure inspiration. LOVE THEM!

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inspired by: hand knits for our lil' man and talented designers from Craft Inc Magazine

cheers,
meg

Architectural Digest April 2010 is here!

2010-04-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

Im finishing my long stint of bedrest and always look forward to getting mail. But when the latest AD arrives... chills, yes chills, go up my back. I LOVE it! And in it's glorious honor, here are some of the images that gave me the happy chills.....

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inspired by: architectural digest

cheers,
meg

Yummy love to fiber

2010-03-23T06:14:00.001-07:00

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inspired by: fiber, yarn and the warmth of home

cheers,
meg

Subway Tiles

2010-03-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

My latest obsession is "Subway Tiles". No idea why, it just is. I see them everywhere - in my magazines, TV shows... everywhere. So this is a post dedicated to Subway Tiles.

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inspired by: interior design, subway tiles, color

cheers,
meg

Vooooogue Knitting!

2010-03-11T18:38:00.001-08:00

It's the little things that make a bed rest mama smile. Like finding the latest Vogue Knitting in your mailbox... here are a few of the goodies I will have to admire & buy.........

Cotton Candy Spools of Yarn Silver Necklace in Pink, Blue, and Yellow
factorygirlashli's shop

Ball of Yarn Necklace
crumpetcake.etsy.com

I Knit Happy

And hello yummy patterns!!!

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inspired by: Vogue Knitting

cheers,
meg

Hannah's 3rd Birthday - Happy Happy Joy Joy!

2010-03-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Happy Birthday Girl

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inspired by: Ni Hao Kai Lan, smiles and our lil monkey who makes me smile every day.

cheers,
meg

Baby Hughes finally has a finished nursery!

2010-03-07T06:44:00.001-08:00

It took a while but the baby's room is finally done! I love how it came out. It gives me a whole new prospective on the color yellow. The fabric s from Heather Bailey and really added some playfulness to the room. Sewing them wasn't hard - it took 7 yards and with an easy pattern repeat, no matching was needed. The rocking chair is a "Molly Chair" . Molly was my little sister who passed away of cancer 16 years ago. We werent able to fit it in Hannah's room, ,so it makes me feel amazing that we were able to fit it in Baby Hughes's room. Overall - Im so happy with it!

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inspired by: baby hughes, fun fabric, sunshine and a happy room

cheers,
meg

lavender love

2010-03-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

I know I said this blog is all inspiration and no business, but I had to post this here. I LOVE making these and am thrilled I finally figured out how I wanted them to be designed.

Organic Lavender Dryer Pillows / Sachets: Made with 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton Muslin, 3.6 oz. Smooth and breathable / Sturdy yet soft. Filled with Filled with 100% dried lavender buds. Toss this sachet into your dryer with your clothes and enjoy a fresh faint scent of lavender for 20+ loads! YUMMY! YUMMY!

Organic Lavender Eye Pillow: This fabulous organic eye pillow is made from 55% Hemp 45% Organic Cotton Muslin, 5.7 oz.Filled with 100% dried lavender buds these eye pillows are wonderful when you are in need of a restful nights sleep, soothing for headaches that won't leave and calming after a stressful day. I hand stamp each one - so no 2 are alike.

I love how our house smells while filling them!
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inspired by: organics, lavender

cheers,
meg

89 hours in.....

2010-02-28T12:53:00.001-08:00

Knitting is one of my biggest loves.The yummy yarns, the soft fabric you create, it's all so gratifying. I have been working on a friends baby blanket with beautiful yarn - fine alpaca - yum! The blanket needed to be tightly knit so that means small needles - my nemesis. See, I am a true crafter with reasonably large hands so small needles don't like me. 89 hours into the blanket, here are some of the latest pictures of the WIP... we are at about 3 1/2' long.......

Hannah has taken up a new hobby - photography. Well, she likes to take mommy's camera and snap pictures, some are pretty darn good! here are her first round from the future Annie Leibovitz.....

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inspired by: baby blankets, toddlers and their imaginations....

cheers,
meg

A snowy day

2010-02-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

What a great snow day! Hannah & I had major morning cuddles while watching Team Umizumi & the snow fall. At noon dad came home and they went outside to play in the "then" 6" of snow. While they played, I did some work for my "passion biz". Then they left to visit Aunt Ellen & Sam. While they were gone I got to stamp fabric for organic eye pillows & dryer pillows for said passion and then relaxed & knit while watching Project Runway. Can't get better. Just can't. Oh wait... the snow is still falling & my family is all home.... So I guess it just did.

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inspired by: snow days, the scent of lavender, hannahs smiles and daddy's good heart.

cheers,
meg

Sweet friends

2010-02-21T18:54:00.001-08:00

Since being on BR, mommy guilt has set in. Hannah wants me to play dollhouse & Thomas and do all the fun things we did before. Unfortunately, I can't, not just b/c of the Dr but the pain that is involved too. So this week I was thrilled to have playdates set up for our little one.

Our best buddies came over for pizza on Friday night and Hannah got to play bike, Thomas, dollhouse and all the things mommy cant. She had a blast. Aunt Pia brought a few special presents for miss Hannah, one is a Big Sisters Rock shirt - Hannah loves it!

Then today Hannah went to her first birthday party! Christina from It's A Keeper had a 4th birthday party for her little man Joey a great new friend to Hannah. It was at MyGym - Hannah's favorite place to play & learn. We had a blast. Rob came with us to help Hannah & I sat in the waiting area watching - it stunk not to participate - but I loved getting to see her play with the kids. My mom takes her Tuesdays & Thursdays while we work and Im bummed I dont get to see her play - well today was so much fun! She had a great time! Thanks Christina & Joey! Happy birthday!

Exhaustion followed:

Thanks to great friends, a happy toddler & a great husband for making this guilted mom smile!
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inspired by: Friends, hubby & Hannah

cheers,
meg

Family & a finished piece

2010-02-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

So Im on week 2 of bed rest and it's so hard! Sitting still is difficult enough, but not being able to do anything fun or even run to Michael's is killing me! I am listening to Dr's orders and staying on bed rest but every once in a while I have to hop on my sewing machine. My friend Sheryl gave me great reason. Remember that pretty floral fabric from my previous post? Well it is now a full length back & neck pillow filled to the brim with lavender & flax seed.

Last night Hannah, Rob & I were relaxing in the family room and Hannah decided to try taking pictures. The didnt come out so hot. Actually nobody ended up in them - so we snapped a few to show how much fun we had.

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inspired by: Friends, family, fabric, lavender and the need to sew!

cheers,
meg

At home inspiration

2010-02-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Since being put on bed rest a week ago, I have been less than enthralled with life. Its been a challenge to look at things and find inspiration when I cant leave the house. Yes, a house under duress with the new baby's room still under construction! So who better to inspire than my little lady who gives me the most happiness + a belly pic of our lil man who is still cooking (thank you!)

I ordered some fabulous fabric that arrived! The tease is I can't do anything yet. Argh. I need to get rid of this pain so sewing can be done... my itchy fingers are desperate!

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inspired by: Hannah & Baby Hughes

cheers,
meg

Dreams of Spring!

2010-02-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

My husband loves the winter. He is a huge snowboarder and snow lover but this gal is in need of Spring and fast! So to inspire thoughts of warm weather and happy days ahead....

And then there is my love of Anne of Green Gables & Prince Edward Island. My all time longest dream is to retire there and stand on the hill overlooking the ocean and just breathe.....

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inspired by: warm weather and childhood dreams

cheers,
meg

Are you ready to pass out?

2010-02-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Pull up a chair and be prepared... the new Architectural Digest is here! And oh my there are a lot of inspiring photos to peruse. And obsess over. And wish for! I had a binder that is full of pages of blips from magazines. A table, a lamp, paint color, accessories..... It is my inspiration binder and these images will be great additions.

Fresh & Cool, the cement table is amazing!

The blue lapis glass table is delicious!

I love the 360 degree view

This bath is better than a SPA, clean & fresh

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inspired by: an amazing publication

cheers,
meg

Baby Boy Hughes

2010-02-05T20:21:00.001-08:00

The last few days have been tough ones with this pregnancy. Between spotting, cramping, pain, contractions, 2 trips to the ER, 3 visits to my OBGYN and finally bed rest I have spent a lot of time thinking. I am only 27 weeks a long and this little monkey is dying to join the world. This post is dedicated to the soon- to- arrive Baby Boy Hughes.

We didn't know how to decorate his room, so on the internet I went. We decided to mix & match some great colors, styles and ideas to come up with his new nursery. His walls are a buttery color called Pooh Bear Yellow, his carpet is a soft cream and the rest.... Here are some pictures of his mobile, furniture & the fabric that will soon be curtains for the little man.

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inspired by: our new baby boy who has a few more weeks to go but has mad ea huge impact on our lives already.

cheers,
meg

Happy Birthday Friend

2010-02-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

Did you ever have one of those moments when you look at your little one and you just fall over in the sweetness that is their smiles? YEP, that was today. Our friends have a little one who is one month older than Hannah. His birthday is technically tomorrow, but we had a little pre party celebration tonight - just the parents & the kiddos. We had a blast. Hannah & Roland played really well together, which made me proud, and the birthday song was a huge hit, partially due to the double duty on cakes we had going on. Regardless, the kids and their playtime made my day.

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inspired by: a great time with friends

cheers,
meg

Monday Monday....

2010-02-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes all it takes to make a day great is some sunlight - despite the freezing cold, a fun phone call from a kindred spirit & a hysterical display of maternal love. AKA, my daughter after she changed "her baby's" diaper complete with wipes, Desitin and a kiss on baby's nose.

To complete the night she asked for a kiss (between the slats on her crib after night night) and then a hug, then a kiss, a high five, a kiss and finally: "Mom let's talk". Just LOVE.

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inspired by: Hannah's youth & innocence.

cheers,
meg

A peaceful Saturday

2010-01-30T15:28:00.000-08:00

Today I had plans to sew. The lavender is out and ready to be poured, the fabric is cut and the machine is clean and ready for love. But Baby Hughes had another plan. See, he placed himself on my right side in a little ball which prevents me from leaning forward or sitting at a 90 degree angle on my sewing chair. Hmph!

So in between laundry, dishes and pouting the mail came...... And yes... my favorite inspirational magazine was inside! House Beautiful is so absurdly chock full of happiness and good ideas I coul jump for joy, if it wasn't for that little ball issue - LOL. This month is the "Blue Issue" and since blue is one of most favorite colors, I am doubly thrilled!

A girl / mom can't spend her whole day daydreaming of hydrangeas and Brunschwig & Fils, so into the kitchen I went. Now, Im not a chef like my friend Christina at It's A Keeper but Im trying to learn new things to give some variety to my family's taste buds. First I took out some homemade frozen tomato sauce, that YES! i swear I made by scratch and heated it up with some pre-made meatballs, Then while that was soaking in the tomatoy goodness I took out the Barefoot Contessa's Brownie Mix - DELISH! - and whipped up some brownies for my 2 lovey's & topped it with powdered sugar.

So that has been the inspirational day that will end with pasta, meatballs, brownies & a movie after lil' one falls asleep. Not too shabby!
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inspired by: My Family & House Beautiful Magazine

cheers,
meg

A well needed getaway

2010-01-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

Things have been pretty stressful. Between work, family, business & life, I knew that I needed a little getaway with Rob before Baby H arrives. To admit you need a break isn't weakness, its reality and one thing Rob and I put to the wayside for the sake of Hannah & family is couple time.

Rob surprised me with setting up a weekend getaway for next weekend at the Glasbern Inn. I can't wait! We were there for a holiday party a few years back and it has been a fond memory for a while. Its beautiful, quiet, romantic and perfect for a 2 night mini trip with your loved one. Our goal is to read, relax, talk and relax. :)

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inspired by: my beautiful husband.

cheers,
meg

This blog is inspired by....

2010-01-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

Hello all - im meg: a mom, wife, crafter, lover of fabric & yarn, obsessive organizer, music addict, food critic (new at cooking), multitasking energizer bunny. I have a great almost 3 year old lil' monkey, Hannah and a new lil monkey still cooking.

It finally hit me that blogging doesn't have to be all business. It can be fun & personal too. With all the seriuosness of life, sometimes I forget the things I love. Being a Type A personality dictates that writing things down helps me appreciate life. What better place to share inspirations than on a blog for others to post their inspirations too?

This blog is about crafting, family, cooking, friends, books, activities and daily happiness that's inspired by..... anything. They say before bed you shold write 5 things that made you happy for the day. Its a hard task to keep coming up with new ideas! Let's see what happens with this blog....

Things that inspired today:

Lavender & Fabric: I'm sewing eye pillows, dryer pillows and neck/back pillows out of some delicious fabric like Michael Miller's collection. The lavender makes everything smell yummy. Our daughter Hannah likes to help. "I help you, mommy!" - those words make me melt.

Happier: A great book on achieving happiness no matter what life hands you. A GREAT read. The title is linked to amazon.

Alpaca Yarn: A great friend is having a baby and gifted me with some yummy alpaca yarn to knit a blanket for her upcoming arrival. The color is the bottom shade. Taupey goodness.

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inspired by: happiness

cheers,
meg