Crazy Hair Day

Today is Crazy Hair Day at Griffin's school.

 His crazy hair was pretty easy to do. 

I just hair sprayed it exactly as it is when he wakes up.

Happy Tuesday!

Fall Traditions

It's Fall!

 And this week it certainly feels like Fall. 

It has been in the 50s and 60s all week and the trees are all ablaze here. 

There are certain things that I always do when the feeling of Fall hits. 

(iphone photo)

Wear my favorite sweater. 

 

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Read all the Harry Potter's and watch all the movies. 

 

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Reread everything Garrison Keillor ever wrote and listen to more PHC.

(On my bucket list is to go to a live taping. Swoon!)

 

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Drink gallons of hot cocoa.

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And go for long drives, listening to the Riverdance soundtrack. 

Do you have any Fall traditions? I'd love to hear them! 

Oh Happy Day!

Thinking Outside The Box

We are coming up on 1 year since I was let go of my job. 

It has been the roughest and sweetest year of my marriage so far. 

Matt and I have grown so much closer and we are so much stronger.

He has really stood up and took the reigns to make our life work. 

He now has a new full time job, which he loves, as well as a part-time job. 

And me? 

I have to think outside of the box. 

When I was let go, we put pen to paper and realized that it would cost us more money for me to work outside of the home than I would bring home. 

So, I began my life as a stay-at-home-mom 

(which has actually been a dream of ours from the get go).

However, we still need 2 incomes (even if mine is minimal).

There are mouths to feed and bills to pay and a rather large hole to dig out of

 from when I first lost my job.

My photography has been a great creative outlet for me and much needed 

extra income for our family.

But I needed something else too. 

For so many reasons. 

1) I missed creating things with my hands. 

2) In the Midwest here, there is a rather large "dead season" for photographers 

who do not use a studio.

3) I wanted to begin to pay it forward because so many people have helped us this past year. 

4) And because my diet requires a larger than most grocery bill.

So I opened an etsy shop a few months ago. 

rock paper sugar shop

I love every second of creating handmade items for people. 

I usually start with things I would make myself, like these head scarves.

During daylight hours I have to have my head covered because of my Lupus 

so I started creating reversible head scarves for myself because I didn't like bandana fabric.

I got a lot of fun compliments so I started making them for the shop!

 And hoops are just plain fun, don't ya think? 

Nothin' but happy.

I wear my embroidered and scrappy pendants all the time. 

So fun and happy!

I'm working on new designs and items to list all the time. 

It's moving a little slowly being a mom of 2 boys but it has become a 

huge passion of mine. 

And just this month I announced that 10% of each month's sales will go to a charity. 

Different charity each month!

Does my family need every penny that I make in sales?

Yes.

Do I believe wholeheartedly that if I give away, God will provide what else is needed?

Absolutely.

 I have faith.

I have to.

And because it's almost Halloween, enter discount code HALLOWEEN for $5 off any purchase of $10 or more through 10/27!

Here's to thinking outside the box.

To creating.

To supporting handmade.

And to living your passions!

Oh happy day!

 

 

Are You There, Blog? It's me. Cassie.

 

 I'm just going to jump right back in the old blog saddle as though I never really left...then tried to come back...then left again...then posted randomly. 

K?

K.

So. Awhile back I took the boys to the Butterfly House in St. Louis. I love living close to the city because when Griffin takes an interest in something, it's pretty much guaranteed that we can feed his curiosity with a location or museum or event. 

When he said that he thought butterflies were beautiful and he wanted to learn more about them, 

off we went.

The conservatory itself has the atmosphere like a rainforest, so it was super humid and really really hot but you kind of forget about all that. 

There are literally thousands of butterflies flying all around you.

Hundreds of species. 

Griffin was very patient and walked about very slowly and did everything he could.

But not a single butterfly landed anywhere on him. 

But he was able to get close and personal with a few to examine them.

The Owl Eye Butterfly was his favorite.

I've never experienced anything like the Butterfly House before. It was a thing of wonder.

Except for the cockroach exhibit. 

Yuck.

Jasper was there too.

Blog, meet Jasper.

Jasper, meet blog.

Is anyone still out there?

If so, thanks for sticking with me.

The past two years have served as a great learning lesson for us for a number of reasons and we had to set on the back burner many things we loved in order to get through. 

But hopefully you will see much more of me again soon.

Oh happy day!

Lego Cities

Angry Bird

Always With The Jumping