Dreams and dreamers.

As I was watching a really cool cooking show (Chopped) tonight, I had a brief dreamy moment where I said to myself...one day...
I know you have had one of those moments too. It's a moment when you set aside all the reasons that you can't, or won't be able to do something and you just dream about what "will" happen "one day". I believe that these child-like moments are good for us; they give you a moment of complete satisfaction with yourself. Of course this is all in my opinion, though I would definitely argue it with you like it is scripture. Would you like to hear my dream?
I went to school for fashion design. I rarely have time TO design, but when I'm doing it, I get in the moment and LOVE it. I love to cook. Over the last year, I have pretty much taken over the cooking in my house. My mom saw that I liked it, and gave it over to me without giving me much of a choice actually :-) I don't always enjoy it, because between all the other things I have to do in a day, sometimes I don't have time for any really inspired cooking...other times though? Well, I hit home-runs, and although I still get a lil squeamish when I have to skin chicken, and refuse to clean fish, I definitely have my moments. How do these two things fit in together?
Wellllll, with a clothing store restaurant of course! It would be more like a little cafe though, and after you eat, you could walk through to the clothing store part. The clothes would have food names (not like fried chicken, but like chocolate mousse lol and cream cheese icing.) On the walls would be fashion illustrations (which I love) and each one would feature an outfit inspired by a food. All of this may sound silly to some, but to me, it sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Who said that my dream had to make sense to everyone else?

What's your dream?


Elisabeth Arona

Life bogged me down again :-)

I have been ridiculously busy lately. In the past month my charger for my laptop broke (oh horror!), as well as my phone, and I have been babysitting twins 5 days a week. I also have been battling carpet beetles in my bedroom/workroom and finally finished at the beginning of this week. I bought a new charger for my computer which began to melt (huh??) and an android phone which I've fallen in love with...and Wednesday I bought some rechargeable batteries for my camera which means you guys will be seeing many more pictures soon.

Sooo, unfortunately I don't have much more to say than that...but I am looking forward to more time spent reading blogs I follow, and comments on posts I've made.

I like interesting history

In school I loved history...I HATED learning dates. I loved reading about and imagining the way people lived in a different time and different place. I liked to read, and could read two or three novels based on true stories--especially significant people and events. This movie is bound to be good. I'll probably cry, but I think it'll be worth it. I read that it was researched for years instead of just made into a movie for sensation like the craigslist killer. Sooooo, looking for a little history? What do you think? Worth the time?

Goals for the year

Over the new year, I got carried away in the resolving that was going on and went so far as making a couple myself. I like to think of them as goals that need to be made into habits that will last years...not just this year. My first is to read my bible every day. So far this one has been difficult because I usually forget, or don't get around to it until evening, but I still manage to find something that makes me happy that I didn't neglect to do it. One night I was so discouraged and while lying in bed in the dark I realized that I hadn't read my chapter for the day. So with a little muttering and groaning I grabbed up my bible and flipped it open. It fell open at a chapter in Psalms that spoke of praising God even when things aren't going good...and David named off a few things he had gone through and ended basically saying that God had brought him through anyway :-) Love it.
My second goal is to create something every week. This one isn't hard, but I also must photograph it. So far I have met this goal, but it's hard especially since the twins are back this week. At the moment they are fussing for absolutely no reason (they've been changed, aren't hungry, and seem to just want entertainment. Anyway, just thought I'd share those goals along with the picture of the first completed project.

Onna in the leggings I made her.

The year in lessons

While this past year was rough in so many ways, I grew in so many more ways and learned a lot of grown-up lessons. Among these lessons were the following:
1. Big girls do cry sometimes. I cried a lot this year, this may have been one of the teariest years of my life lol. I went through a mini personal crisis which I explained in one of my posts as a reason that I stopped posting for awhile, and it turned out that it just helped me grow. I dealt with my mommy leaving me to be with my sister; I took over the house, and as a result I appreciate my mom so much more and realize that mothers that are like her are just plain awesome. Sadly, the year ended with me losing a friend of mine (and it wasn't a death,) so that was another bucket of tears. If God really does keep all the tears we cry, I suppose heaven is a swimming pool right now!
2. It's possible to "be the bigger person" almost all the time. I tried this, it wasn't easy, and I must say it's even quite painful a lot of the time. When you take the high road, you're sometimes alone :-/ As Anne of Green Gables said "If you only knew how many things I wanted to say and didn't."
3. You can accept yourself and still make everyone else happy-sorta. This year I've looked at myself and said "I need to lose weight" many times, but I think that's part of being a female. I've also said to myself "God made you, He made you with big hips, curly hair, and obvious skin problems and He said 'This is a good one!' and I can too!" In an attempt to make everyone happy I wore my hair curly all summer (to make myself happy,) and I'm planning to wear it all straight (mostly) for the winter for those who keep telling me to. I think that this year I heard more negative about my looks than ever, but I've also heard a lot positive--so I think everyone is just being more vocal in general.
4. Friends are blessings sent from above-just make sure they're friends. This year I made new friends. One of them was Taylor-my fellow crafty girl, and the one who introduced me to my latest love (sushi). I've also bonded with several bloggers (in a bloggy kinda way) and many of my fellow CAST team members on Etsy. I grew closer to some friends, and even rebuilt relationships with one or two. The most painful was letting go of someone close. You have to realize, I'm a collector (it's technically called input) and basically what this means is that for fear of needing something later, I instead keep it even if it's harming me (ex: taking up space, making me cry more than laugh, or generally being useless.) When you lose one of your "closest" friends, you feel vulnerable and like you can't trust yourself, but it's only for the best. When you are always needed, and you're never allowed to need, you know it's time to let go...
5. God is in control. I have struggled so much this year with letting go of control! Through it all God has been faithful. For those that aren't believers, this may seem ridiculous, but every time I felt things spiraling out of control I could reach out and embrace the knowledge that God was holding me up every time; I was stressing out thinking I was falling, but he was saying "I got ya baby girl!"

I am not ready  bracing for this coming year knowing that I have the tools I need to get through it successfully, and I hope you do too. In closing check out this cool blog...It was just what I needed, and it's way shorter than mine too :-) Just imagine! We were God's bright idea!

Happy YEAR People!

Elisabeth Arona

Big tees and baby zs

Remember when I had "mommy syndrome" because my mom left me for a month with three kids (not counting my dad) to take care of, and I wore a shirt with black bean stains on it just because I was so frustrated after a long day and didn't give a care? I'm pretty sure I posted about it back in September, maybe here. Anyway, at that time my dad looked at me and decided against saying anything--wise, wise man-and NOW I am back at that place. I won't complain per say, but I will detail how my last few days have been in a short little nutshell. Who am I kidding? We all know I don't do short.
Their nicknames are Zay and Zap, and they are five month old twins. They are absolutely too chunky, cuddly, and adorable, and although one is a pound heavier, they look so much alike that it takes a second to tell them apart unless they're sitting side-by-side. If you read my September post (I keep referring to,) you know ManMan, the adorable little human that has recently learned how to open doors; his mom told Zay and Zaps mom about us, and she decided she wanted us to babysit her twins. This week has been the first time we have had them for three full days straight. Ironically they're teething so diarrhea is in the books and everything is x2! Today my mom was here, but yesterday and the day before she was too busy to help so I had to form some sort of routine. A friend wanted to webcam me then kept complaining because I kept getting up to take care of the babies. My answer: "I told you I had kids!" My favorite time of day? NAPTIME!!!
Tuesday I wore a huge tshirt (I actually have a collection now,) and then got spit up on and had to change it, yesterday was the same, and so was today. I'm sure their parents wonder if I own anything else to cover my top half. The twins are a delight, but I'm beginning to think that one is a sympathetic crier :-/ As much as I would love to expound upon all of this, I must quickly hand out pats-on-the-back to every mother of twins that I know and don't know. You are amazing. I mean that. Now, unless "my" twins stop having reflux soon, or stop being babies maybe (since they're about to go through the messy baby food stage,) I will need to go wash my big tee collection so that I can have them ready to wear next week :-)

Elisabeth Arona

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Me (left) and my younger sister Sarah

Don't ask me why my hair looks like it's not black in this picture, but Merry Christmas to you all :-)

Elisabeth Arona