Some days just suck. Some days were meant to be slept through. Some days I mope around feeling sorry for myself because life hasn't exactly turned out as planned. Could it be because the 30th birthday milestone is about to smack me in the face? Absolutely. Ughhh!

HOWEVER today was not one of those days (even after suffering through a tough OSU loss on Saturday night.)

Nope, today was about restarting my running regimen and choosing healthier foods to make me feel better, and oh what a difference! I even signed up to spend my last day in my twenties running a 5k! It probably won't be pretty but on Saturday I plan to put my feet to the pavement and run...closing the door on my twenties and embracing life at 30. Sounds pretty scary...

So in all 29 years and 360 days of my life the only thing I know for sure is that no matter what, life goes on. I can choose to sleep through it or wake up and see the beauty of it all. Today I chose to open my eyes! Happy Monday!

Heidi

Ummmm can we say HIATUS? I barely remember how to create a new post on this thing. :)

I would love to tell you about all of the wonderful things I've been doing while gone, but to be honest there hasn't been a whole heck of a lot of significant events EXCEPT...

ZOEY!!! First off let me admit that I am completely and utterly in love with all 46 lbs of this sweet girl. I'm not sure how I got through life thus far...seriously! Every single time I walk through the door she is in a full on body wag...complete with the cutest booty shaking I've ever seen! I've never recieved this kind of reaction from anyone! :) She is spoiled rotten with top of the line "healthy" dog food and treats(she eats better than I do!!), a ton of toys (only to find out that all she really cares about is balls), and numerous trips to dog parks and dog friendly events. I am officially one of those dog people and I LOVE IT!! I am in serious trouble when I become blessed enough to have children, I can only imagine the love one must feel...



How can I say no to this face? :)

  My work on The List continues...cross off #45 Rescue a pet from a shelter! I truly wish I could save them all. Shelters are such sad places and it breaks my heart to know that people would rather pays hundreds and hundreds of dollars to buy a "perfect" dog from a breeder when there are so many absolutely perfect pets just waiting for a home at a local shelter or rescue group. God bless rescue groups, especially S.P.O.T. for loving and caring for Zoey long enough for me to find her!




Can we say bliss???

  Heidi

I read this today...

"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way."

Being a quote person, I quickly jotted it down. This is what I want to do with my life, to make the most of every opportunity.

Short, sweet and to the point. I love it!


Heidi

"Make in an hour!"

That's what the directions read...HOWEVER, that's not at all what happened...

I began my journey in sewing with an intro class at an absolutely adorable little sewing shop. Saying I was clueless is an understatement! I did read through Hope's manual prior to class but I might as well have been reading German. 

So, along with four other first-timers, we ventured into new vocabulary and the the ins and outs of beginner sewing.

I was teased a bit for taking pictures but I truly didn't think I would remember how to do things when I got home (I was wrong :))

After two and a half hours of class...voila! I completed my very first sewing project. A cute little wallet made from fabric that took me forever to choose because the store is just so full of neat fabrics! It is far from perfect...notice the crooked flap...but it is all my creation and that feeling is quite amazing!

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the fabric!

After this I wanted more! I invested in a few necessities, including a $22 pair of scissors...never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd pay that much for scissors!!! Yikes!

You bet I took a picture...they were 22 bucks!!!

While shopping (my FAVORITE thing to do :)) I also picked up a DIY apron sewing project...on clearance of course!! Let me tell you, this new hobby of mine is pretty darn expensive! 

An hour?! Yeah right...

So after almost 4 hours of work (I'm not an idiot but the directions weren't clear enough for a newbie :)) ...including a point of frustration that required me to go to bed and return to it in the morning...I have a finished project that I'm proud to say, resembles the illustration. As long as you don't look too closely at the stitching and assembly, don't wash it, don't pull it too tight, or tug too hard on the pockets, I think it's a great homemade apron

Work in progress...notice the daylight through the window.

Obviously quite a bit later if you peek out the window...the directions lied to me! :)

DONE!!! I think this fabric is adorable! :)

Not exactly a Project Runway model but it will do in a pinch :)

AND it's reversible!!!

It felt so good to finish the apron. Now I need a reason to use it! Hmmm...I do believe #24 is take a cooking class. :)

My weekend sewing bender did not stop there! I felt inspired! I found some cheap fabric and covered a couple of pillows in my living room to add a bright splash of color.

It's a simple project that most 8 year olds can complete but I LOVE how it turned out and it feels great knowing I did it!

Unfortunately after finishing pillow #2 Hope decided to throw a curve ball at me that I haven't quite figured out how to fix. After messing around with the machine for a bit, I decided I needed a break. What better way to reward my hard work than with a meal from my favorite sandwich joint...

I heart you, Vito!

So as I finish up for the night and look around at the mess my new found hobby has created, I can't help but smile.

I'm kind of a neat freak so having all this stuff everywhere is a little tough for me :) Notice I made Hope a little piece of flair (although not nearly as cute as the bows my cousin makes...check out Lolly Loves Bows) to brighten her up. :)

I am proud of my work. I'm no where close to being as amazing as my mom but I like to think that maybe someday I have a slight chance. :) A year ago I never would have attempted this...

Embracing life today...


Heidi

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~ Judy Garland

What to do when feeling down???

~ Write it down. Write until you have nothing left inside. Just write.


~ Run. Run until you can't run anymore. While you're running look around at all God has given you to be thankful for.


~ Volunteer. Share the gift of your valuable time with someone who needs it.


~ Visit with family. Reminisce about old times. Make future plans.


~ Cry. It's okay. Sometimes it just feels good.


~ Chat with an old friend. They know you best.


~ Remind yourself that things could be worse...much worse!


~ Sleep. Rest your body and your mind.


~ Shop. Spend money on yourself.


~ Smile. Life is a journey to bliss. 

~ If all else fails...just ride the bull. You will forget about everything besides aching body parts! :)

Heidi

Anyone who knows me knows that I've spent my life surrounded by people. I was always a quick phone call away from something to do with someone else. In fact, too many times I put this ahead of what was more important. Until recently I didn't know what it meant to be alone. It has taken quite a bit of time and  tears to come to terms with these changes in my life but without them I wouldn't be doing this.

Now I realize the importance of a little solitude. It helps you find yourself. It forces you to think about your life and the direction you're heading. It allows you to decide what it is that is truly important to you. You and your thoughts...that is the definition of solitude.


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Adventures of "The List"...

#48 Volunteer at an animal shelter...
On Tuesday I visited Pets Without Parents, a local shelter running strictly on the generosity of others. I've always liked animals but never really got all ga ga over them like others I know.  This item was put on my list because of those darn sad commercials with the Sarah McLaughlin song and because I no longer have a pet of my own (miss you Oscar!).

I started off my morning with the most glamorous of all tasks...cleaning cages! I cleaned several kitten cages and ended with a puppy cage, which was pretty gross for a first-timer! :)

Then the fun part...I took River for a walk...or rather he took me for a walk!

He is sweet little mutt who constantly tries to put things in his mouth. On our adventure he tried to eat my camera, and actually jumped into my trunk whenI went to put it away. :) He also picked up two different gloves, an empty cigarette pack, a few sticks, plastic flowers from someone's yard (I put them back, I promise), and a water bottle. He was a wild man but very lovable.

He loves to give kisses!

It was EXTREMELY difficult to take a picture because he did not want to stay still. Who can blame him though since he spends so much time in a small cage?

As I left the shelter, I told all the animals to look pretty and behave because today just might be their day to go home. If you're thinking about adding a pet to your family, please consider adopting a rescue! Also, shelters like these rely on fundraisers, donations, and volunteers to survive. There are a variety of ways to help out without actually going to the shelter. Consider it!


Even though I can cross this item off my list, I'm not through volunteering for this wonderful organization. I didn't write my list just to simply check things off. My list was written to help me do a little good on God's great earth. Pets Without Parents needs help and if I have a little time to spare, why not?! Besides, too much downtime just makes me hungry, and that's not good for my waistline!

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On my way home from PWP I stopped in Sew to Speak and signed up for my Intro to Sewing class...no turning back now! It's time to get Hope moving! :)


Now it's time for a run...

Heidi

Life has certainly thrown a few curve balls my way. As tough as it has been, I'm a long way from the Heidi I used to be.


In my quest for "redemption" I have started writing down things that I would like to do for myself. Some refer to this as a life list. Once again this was something that I saw my cousin Dawn (I'm learning how to link, I think!) doing and I thought it could help me find focus (thanks so much for your inspiration, seriously...blogging, life list, biggest loser...wow! :)). It is not complete in any way, nor will it ever be. As I grow and change, so will the list. Check it out and start one of your own. It really is quite empowering!


Adventures of "The List"...

#9 Blog...
What better way to document my list than to start a blog. That's why I'm here learning my way through Blogger. Hopefully I can get good at it like so many of the examples that I've looked through. Right now I'm definitely a beginner and really don't have a clue what I'm doing!


#27 Learn how to sew like my mom...
To be honest I'm not sure I'll ever be able to actually cross this off the list. In my eyes, my mom is the most creative person on earth. She can see the beauty in things like no one else can. I've always been amazed at things she has created from fabric, paper, paint, wood, and so much more including just plain junk. Until recently I was never much interested in doing these things for myself. Now don't get me wrong, I've always loved bright girly fabrics and pretty ribbons and bows but I just never thought I would want to do the creating myself. Well things change...maybe!

Meet Hope, (yes I name things, my GPS is referred to as Sally) my $45 garage sale find. I have no idea how to use it but obviously if I'm going to learn how to sew I need one of these. :)

After doing a little research I found Sew to Speak, a cute looking sewing shop in the area that offers classes. I'm hoping to take the very basic introduction to sewing class next Saturday! This store looks like my new inspiration...but first I should probably plug Hope in and try reading the manual. I don't even know if it works yet...

Heidi

Or B is for beginner :)

Cheers to my first official blog post! I must admit that I have no idea how to "blog." This should be an interesting adventure as I learn to use all these fancy buttons. Why is it called blogging anyway? Why am I publishing things about myself that I'm sure are considered dull and unexciting to others?

Well the only reason I have right now is that my cousin Dawn is a blogaholic and I think it looks pretty neat (insert that fancy button that automatically links you to her blog). Plus I have always wanted to keep a journal. This is a long way from my pink ballet slipper diary from circa 1992 but I'll give it a shot. :)

Before I go any farther I must inform you I'm the queen of starting new things going full throttle only to fizzle out when the excitement wears off. That is my warning... :)

As for the name, bliss just happens to be my favorite word. I actually hope to someday live on a street named Blissful Way (which is almost as cool as having it as a last name). I'm not sure how I'm going to pull this off yet but it seems perfect to me! It just sounds wonderful the way the word rolls off your tongue. I can't help but smile every time I say it. :) Bliss has such a wonderful definition; extreme happiness. So maybe this blog should be renamed Journey to Blissful Way...

Off I go...

Heidi