Bloom-town

Yay for Spring!

Yay for pretty flowers in my neighborhood!

Yay for rain! (because it helps the pretty flowers grow)

Yay for summer being just around the corner!

It's about time!!!

Are you excited, too?

My Etsy Shops Are Dying

It's quite sad.

They're limp and lifeless. 

Little Gray Fox and Little Foto Fox have been so neglected lately.

I updated both of my shops about a month ago (maybe more). But I haven't been doing anything else with them! I just logged on to Etsy for the first time since I updated the shops. Oh dear.

I really need to get back to it. I need to get back to blogging, too!

Work is always my excuse. It's a valid one, right? It's just sooooo busy! It's making it that much more apparent that this craft & photography thing truly is only a hobby. Maybe one day I'll have time and energy to devote to it.

womp. womp.

How I currently feel

Seeing successful bloggers and Etsy sellers makes me question just how chaotic their days must be. At least for the ones that are doing it as a side to their 9-5 job.

Maybe I need to morph into an octopus so I can multitask.

Or maybe I just need to start up a coke habit so I can work through things faster. That would also take care of my weight loss woes.

Two birds, one stone? I think so! Problem solved! Anyone got a good number for a dealer? I'll probably need to buy a pager. Do they still make those?

40 Before 40 Update

It's been a while since I've referenced my list of 40 

things to do before I turn 40. I'll be 39 in just a few 

short months, so here is my progress report. It's a 

shame that I was thisclose to checking off "See the 

Grand Canyon" but the North Rim entrance was 

closed!!

1. Learn a new language (I forget most of the Japanese I studied in school - I want to try Italian)
2. Take a cooking class
3. Perfect a dessert recipe
4. Take a fencing class
5. Swing on a trapeze
6. Run a 5k
7. Run a 10k
8. Complete the Warrior Dash
9. Learn a ballroom dance
10. Take a hot air balloon ride
11. Ride in a bi-plane
12. Take a train trip (I did this when I was a kid, but I want to do it again!)
13. See the Arches in Utah (I saw some arches, but not at Arches National Park!)
14. Visit the Grand Canyon
15. Write/send more letters in the mail
16. Learn to knit or crochet
17. Upgrade to a nicer SLR camera done!
18. Finish the rap video
19. Take a pottery class
20. Plant a full garden done!
21. Reconnect with my biological father We are back in touch and have seen each other a few times
22. Start a retirement fund - actually save money I now have a 401k and a savings account
23. Get braces I got Invisalign!
24. Visit Yellowstone Best trip of my life, so far!
25. Get to and maintain 140lbs weight
26. Eat healthier
27. Get something published My embroidery work was published in a DIY magazine by BHG!
28. Invest in stocks Opened a Scottrade account, ready to make my first investment!
29. Reach 1000 blog followers (just hit 400!)
30. Reach 100 sales in BOTH Etsy shops (I've reached this goal in my Little Gray Fox shop, but not yet in my Little Foto Fox shop)
31. Hang my photography at an art show
32. Bikini wax (I want to try it at least once!)
33. Make a pizza from scratch
34. Go to my highschool reunion I went and had a lot of fun!
35. Learn how to use my sewing machine
36. Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator Still learning - there's a lot to it!
37. Complete the 30-day Yoga Challenge
38. Try to go 30 days without sugar
39. Learn how to swim - not just doggy paddle
40. Go on a plane again  I did it! My new job required travel so I gone on several plane rides in the past 6 months!

Wow! Seeing it all typed out makes me realize just how many things I accomplished in less than a year! Maybe hitting my goal won't be an impossible feat!

Have you made a goal list for yourself? Feel free to share it in the comments below!

Vegas, Baby

Last week I headed down to Vegas for work (no, really!).  A few of us went down to train people at one of our branches near there.

I only had a few days but took full advantage of the time outside of the office. I always love checking out the neon. It was kind of a bummer that the day we tried to hurry down to the Neon Boneyard for a tour, it was booked solid for a private shoot. Boo hiss.

After my work days were done, I stuck around for a mini-vacation. My mom picked me up and drove me back to her place in Utah. I was able to get 4 solid days of family time with her, my grandma and my uncle.

And of course, this sweet face that I've missed so much -- Ui!

Utah was amazing but too hot for me to want to stay. My mom drove me to several of the different canyons and parks. And I spent a day hiking over a mountain and across the desert :) All of the colors were so gorgeous!

After a quick flight home and one day with my pooch and the boypiece, I headed back out for work. I had to go to California (Santa Ana) for 2 days of training there.

Now I'm back home and so happy to be here. It snowed while I was gone (yay, Spring!), so we have to put off planting our garden for a couple more weeks. But at least we have a little more time to prepare.

Are you currently stuck under piles of snow or basking in the warm sunshine?

Workout Routine

I wanted to share one of my favorite workout routines. This is one that I prefer to do a couple times a week, if possible. It not only gives a fantastic workout, but it's also great cardio!

All you need is a full deck of cards (and a chair or step for the dips)

You'll be sweating in no time!

The trick is to shuffle the deck real well! Too many face cards next to each other will make the workout even tougher! But I like that it's never quite the same workout twice!

A Rare Find

Here's something you will rarely see on my blog --

Pictures of cats!

These two pretty kitties belong to my friend/co-worker/crafty cohort, Kelli

Aren't they sweet? I visited her last weekend and played paparazzo to the camera shy cats. They were pretty annoyed with me.

But I'm used to pets being annoyed by my constant picture-taking. My dog only plays along when I'm holding treats!

Hope y'all had a fabulous weekend! I'm traveling for work then enjoying a visit with my family in Utah! You can expect to see updated pics of Ui real soon! For now, enjoy this oldie :)

Too Soon For Easter?

When you walk into the local drugstore or grocery, you may notice that they've forgotten about an upcoming holiday. It seems most have completely skipped over St Patrick's Day and gone straight into Easter!

I suppose the bright colors attract more customers. And there is all of that candy...

So naturally, I've also been hurried along into my anticipation of Easter. With the help of some fabulous Pinterest finds, here are a few Easter themed projects I hope to tackle in the next few weeks:

• Easter Rice Crispy Treats
• Ombre Dyed Eggs
• Easter Centerpiece
• DIY Easter Greeting Card

Last year, I made a quick tutorial on how to create your own Easter themed Tic Tac Toe game. You can see the step-by-step instructions HERE