Finding My Niche

Well, it has been a long few months since the first day I started my little boutique out there in the wonderful world of cyber space. I knew that it would be hard and that I wouldn't be an overnight success, but remaining hopeful and patient (I am not so good at patient) has proven to be harder than I thought it would be.

In the first few weeks I was going nuts with crafts of all sorts. When there was laundry piling up, dishes to be done, and a husband who likes to eat dinner, all I could think about was what I was going to make next, and posting my creations as soon as they were finished. As I soon came to realize, life did not stop for me while I was hibernating in my craft cave, and I had to find a balance between keeping up with my life and taking the necessary steps to follow a dream.



I will tell you that it has become more of a, "when I have time I will work on things," thing. But I can also tell you that when I get to burrow in and work on things I have a satisfaction that is so consuming and much more appreciated! Before, when I was frantically trying to work on things I wasn't really getting the chance to enjoy what I was doing. Now, I relax into a trance as I let the little craft fairies carry me away to a land where all things are made with pure enjoyment!

I have found my niche. By forcing creativity I was actually blocking the flow. With everything in life coming into focus and my priorities aligned with my goals I feel as though my dream of one day having a boutique on a busy downtown corner are that much closer!

Happiness!

It is truly amazing what getting outside of your "comfort zone" can do. Earlier this year I decided that I was going to go after my dreams and do the things that I have always wanted to do! I started a little boutique on ETSY.com and I also started volunteering at a local nature center. I just knew that I didn't want to look back in 5, 10, 20 years and say, "man, I really wish I would have done that." I knew that I love being a nanny, but that I wanted to do something to get into my field. So I started at the nature center working with kids and leading little field experiences. I must tell you that I absolutely LOVE what I am doing there. What could be better than bug nets, kids, nature, and plenty of trails to explore. With a brand new selection of plants and wildlife to learn about an examine I could not be more excited for the summer months! Every day that I go out to the center there are more things blooming and waking up from their long winter nap.

The shop on Etsy.com is my other big endeavor so far this year. My closest girlfriends laugh as they call me the gilryist tom-boy they have ever met. This holds just as true today as it ever did before. I love the feminine things in life but I am not afraid of the dirt and bugs. My love of creating crafty things that I want to share with others is backed by the hope that I can combine the two things I love most, nature and creativity! I hope that you will stop by and check out my collection, it is sure to grow and I can't wait to see where this new adventure may take me in the future.

Nature Nurtures, Praise be to Him!

Ever since I was a little girl running around in the forest, staying close the freshly picked campsite as my mom and dad set up camp, I have felt the healing powers of what God has given us all. The beauty of what He has given never seizes to amaze me. I feel the air He gives flow through my lungs in a way that I can't explain when I am surrounded by the beauty He has given and it absolutely consumes me. I feel refreshed. Peaceful. Happy. I sometimes get so caught up in the life that I am living that sometimes, as weird as it sounds, I forget to live.

To me, to live is to allow myself to be completely enveloped in all the things that the Lord has given to me. Sometimes that means I have to stop what I am doing and escape all the worries of life as I steal away to the nearest place where I can sit in the quiet hills He has given me and simply be still and know that He is God.

This week I was faced with a decision, the first of what will hopefully be many. I had to turn down something that really felt like a perfect opportunity and do what was "smart." I had to make the choice that I didn't want to make. The thing is, having to turn down something that I really wanted to do was eye opening in so many ways. I realized that there is a reason for what happened this week and even though I have no idea why this was all put in front of me for what seems like no reason at all, I know that I learned to really pray about things, be patient (something that is really hard for me), and that God has a reason and all I have to do is trust Him. For He knows what is best for me and His timing is impeccable!