Give it up to God

     Give it up to God.  Surrender.  Admit defeat.  Wait for a sign.  Pray.  You can call it what you will, they are all the same thing.  In my darkest moments when I've hit the bottom and haven't a clue which direction to turn, I always seem to find myself doing these things.   .
     I think sometimes we cling to things that we want so badly, that we don't realize the real answers are right in front of our faces just begging to be discovered.  The moments of darkness in life serve to teach and lead us to better and brighter places than we could have imagined.  Sometimes we have to surrender to the will of the universe and trust that she will guide us in the right direction.    
     Tonight I give thanks for my eternal optimism.  Without it I would find myself in a hole too deep to climb from.  My heart hurts for the hard lessons I have had to learn in life, but soars in the overcoming of obstacles and the triumph over fears.  Tonight I choose to count the blessings and the love in my life and as for the rest of it...I choose to give it up to God.

Redwine Wedding Sneak-Peek

We are down to hours now, 66 to be exact!  In 66 hours we will become "the Redwines".  Being the crafty lady that I consider myself to be, I tried to use my talents and abilities whenever possible while preparing for our big day.  I've gotten some really awesome feedback from people about some of the things I've done, so Ive decided to share a little.  The rest will have to wait until after we tie the knot. 

My bouquet is made from vintage and vintage-esque brooches.  I gathered brooches ( and a few earrings) from thrift stores, boutiques, craft stores and grandmas.  There are approximately 40 pieces that I wired like a flower and put together like a normal floral bouquet.  There are pieces that belong(ed) to my mother, grandmothers and great grandmothers.  It includes, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.  There is also an "R" to represent my new name, and a windmill brooch from my great grandmother who came here from the Netherlands with her family.( my grandma). 

The french veil, or fastener, I also handmade.  I always had hopes of wearing my Grandmothers wedding gown, but its a size 2 so.....  I took a piece of the lace from her dress and incorporated it in my veil with peacock feathers and french lace.  The feathers match the shoes that my bridesmaids and I are wearing.

That's all I can share for now, the rest is a surprise.  66 hours!

Here's to love!

Since the very beginning of this whole wedding extravaganza, I have held the position that I will not be one of those brides that gets all crazy and loses sight of whats important. With just 3 days until we tie the knot, I think I have done a pretty good job. I've only cried once, and can't say that I've really been all that stressed out.

I will admit however, that this last week as a "single" girl has really stretched the limits of my patience and my ability to handle stress. I'm not sure what it is, but I think there is some unknown inner thing in all women that goes a bit mad whenever a wedding is nearby.

I am hereby taking a big breath and thanking the universe for all the gifts in my life and for leading me down a path to the greatest gift of all, the love of my life...Gerald.

While I'm bittersweet over the fact that this experience is nearing its end, I am also so incredibly excited to marry the man of my dreams and share the special day with everyone we love. Here's to love, weddings and all the stuff that life is really about!

Drink to health and happiness!

Every day we fill our bodies with food made in factories. When it makes us sick, we pump our bodies with medicines made in factories. We cry and we pray and we search for answers when the drugs make us feel worse. We are tired, fat, uncomfortable and sick! It seems to me that we have missed the opportunity to be healthy and happy because we have been so busy making and searching for things that will make us healthier and happier.

"God" has given us everything we need to thrive and yet very few of us are actually using these gifts. I realize that it is difficult, if not impossible in modern society to live this authentically, but my goal is to work "backwards" until I find a happy and healthy place of living.

I want the satisfaction of knowing that nearly everything i'm putting in my body these days is natural. To lay in my bed at night and know that if I dont feel well, it has nothing to do with food. I've been scouring websites, books, magazines and friends for healthy food/drink ideas. Here's one I've been hooked on!


Homemade Fruit Pops & Smoothies

6 cups chopped fruit (i used one mini watermelon, and a handful of raspberries)
1-2 containers of low-fat yogurt (I used greek)
3 packets of splenda (optional)

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into p

opsicle molds or plastic solo cups and add popsicle sticks if needed. Freeze four hours and enjoy! Blend any remaining mix with ice for yummy, guilt-free smoothies.

Its not wrong, its just not right.

It's been asked innumerable times, and pondered even more. It plagues even the quietest of minds and keeps us guessing for lifetimes. What is my purpose? What am I doing here? I read a friends quote today that asked, " what if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" I can only assume she had similar feelings as I. My though was that life would be much simpler.
Everyday we wake up too early and listen to tasteless music as we mindlessly drive to jobs that leave us mostly unfulfilled. We fill our voids with toxic food, useless chatter and heaps and heaps of new things. So many of us work to live. We leave our loves and our families to make money. To buy....more....things. Bigger houses, faster cars, expensive clothes. All for what? What is the point?
I am just as lost in this mess as the next. Is it wrong to want more? Or perhaps its not more that I want; perhaps its less. I want to live with a purpose. With a reason. I want to do things for a reason. I'm working on building the bravery to live authentically. I can only imagine what its like to wake up in the morning and feel that my presence on this planet, in this life, is real. I want to plant my bare feet on the earth and feel her pressing right back. I want to breath in fresh air, full of life and hope. I want to smile because im beaming with fulfillment and happiness. When I close my eyes at night, I want to know that I lived that day to the fullest, and sleep a peaceful sleep knowing that everything is okay. What is my purpose? Why am I here? What the heck am I doing this for?

Owls and tigers and bears oh my!

Owls and tigers and bears oh my!

Bundle up!

Christmas is only 2 weeks away and it shows in the number of hat orders flying in this week!!! I've got hats coming out the wazoo! I've got baby hats, adult hats, ear flap hats, slouchy, braided, chunky, soft, mittens, scarves, neckwarmers.......and of course lots of phographer props. Every piece of "art" that I sell brings a smile to my face. I am thankful and blessed to be able to share my passions and talents with the world one hat, necklace and hair-do at a time.


Please contact me via blog or facebook to order. Remember I can custom make any items in your favorite color, size and design. Items start at $12