Q:  Tell us about yourself.  Just the basics.

A:  My hubby Ben and I have lived in Chicago for almost 10 years now.  Wow.  I didn’t even realize it had been that long, but yeah we moved here a year after we were married when he decided to get his doctorate at a university here.  That’ll shake things up as newlyweds to move to a state where you don’t know a single person.  We have a spunky and hilarious almost 5-year old daughter Emilyn and a sweet lil’ momma’s boy Greyson, who just turned two.  His wife is just gonna looooove me for that one day.  We’re actually both from Texas so we’ve got some good Southern roots in us but that thank you card gene sadly just did not stick.  Both of our families are all still in Texas, including all four – almost five – nephews.  Ben and I actually met the summer before I went away to A&M (then TCU, then Baylor!) but that’s a whole other interview.

Q:  What do you love most about having a family?

A:  You’re not kiddin’ around with these questions.  The kids aren’t old enough yet to say I love having them around so they can clean the house for me…

I love the security it brings.  There’s a sweet peace about knowing I have this man and these little nuggets who love me no matter what.  Oh man, I sure do hope they love me no matter what because I haven’t even begun to embarrass them yet once they hit junior high.

Q:  What do you wish most for your children?

A:  Not to throw a tantrum while stripping all her clothes off in the middle of a crowded public place with seemingly millions of compliant children and onlooking moms.  I’m still a bit scarred from that day.

If they became God following adults with a heart for servant leadership, I could happily overlook the knots on my head from banging it against the wall.  Those two are gonna move mountains one day, and I pray it’s with humility and with a joy to serve everyone around them while doing it.

Q:  What is the best part about being a mother?

A:   That there is no right or wrong way to do the job.  Well I suppose there are a lot of legally wrong ways but you get to just be you parenting in your own unique way.  I find that invigorating.  It took me a while to embrace that and not critique myself against whatever the “norm” supposedly was in my head.  To be able to have a confidence in what you’re doing because you can only mess them up so much, right?!  We’ve all had those low days, but the highs…nothing in this world can get you there in that way.  As a girl who likes to overlook the rules, I sure do love that we can break all of them and just do it our way.  When you get to that place, you can’t help but have fun and of course look like a total idiot while doing it.

Q:  What is the worst part?

A:  Poop.  Vomit.  Screaming.  Whining.  Bedtimes. Picky eaters. Public humiliation.  Not being able to wear white.  Being a referee.  Having some silent alarm that goes off in their brains as soon as you get on the phone telling them INTERRUPT!  INTERRUPT!

But the worst worst part?  The GUILT!  Those end of the day final thoughts lying in bed and replaying all the “I wish I didn’t…” and “I wish I did…” moments.  That list fills up fast doesn’t it?!  Desperately trying to remember in those weak hours the grace and mercy that comes from my faith in Christ and accepting it.  That’s been the hardest thing for me to reconcile.  We beat ourselves and each other up a lot as moms and oh so quick to judge before really learning each other’s stories.  Being a mom is harder than any other job I’ve ever had, and I had a lot of super whiny clients in my law firm days.  It doesn’t just start with getting them to school and end with dragging them to bed.  Every second of every day the knowledge that you are the very person they are watching, hearing, following, idolizing, can feel overwhelming.  Yeah we’re gonna mess that up so there has to be room for grace.  A budget for their future therapy wouldn’t hurt either.

Q:  If you could pick up your family and move anywhere, where would you go and why?

A:  Do you really have to ask this when we already have family that think we’re too far away now?

But this is easy.  London.  I went there with Ben a few years ago and I kind of fell in love.  He says it’s because of the shopping, which I deny (but ok have you been into Accessorize and Top Shop??  ‘cause I think I went into about 10 of each while there).  I just loved every minute of the culture, the people, the hustle, the history, the Indian food.  Yes, terrific Indian food.  Who knew?

Oh man.  I would pack my bags and pay any baggage overage fees in a heartbeat.

Q:  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

A: Haaa.  I don’t even know where I see myself in 5 minutes.  This is impossible for me because I am just not a planner.  Every morning I act shocked that we’re going to be late for school as if it’s a surprise we even had school that day.

I don’t know.  I truly don’t know.  I do still see us doing life in Chicago.  We feel a peace about living here and that we are in the midst of God’s work here.  Beyond that, I have no idea and quite honestly, it’s my favorite part about my life.  It’s always an adventure when you don’t anticipate what happens next!

Q:  What made you fall in love with your husband?

A:  His miming ability.  Hehe.  We did meet on a mission trip where he broke his thumb twice doing a miming skit, and how can you not fall in love with someone for that kind of commitment to miming?

His wit.  He is on a short list of people who can make me pee my pants from laughing so hard.  Probably good it’s a short list!  He’s absolutely hilarious.  He can match my sarcasm and pranks without skipping a beat.  I always know I’m in for an adventure when I’m with him and that’s why I love him even more 11 years later.

But there’s another amazing thing about him.  He overflows with abundant grace.  Being married to me for almost 11 years is a testament to that.  Poor guy.  But he never ceases to amaze me with how he loves me for all my crazy.

Q:  What is one thing about him that makes you “crazy?”

A:  Now you’re just trying to start a fight so I have to say something like oh he’s just too nice.  (I’ll write my real answer below in size 6 font.)

He has to travel 4-5 days a week with his consulting job.  Booo.  We’ve gotten into a little routine with it as much as we can, but I just miss having him around.  There are moments when I wish he was there just to laugh together at the ridiculous tantrum going down in front of me because she couldn’t have Oreos for breakfast.  It’s like having your best friend move away and missing them in your everyday world.  But he impacts people’s lives on a daily basis with his job and loves what he does and that’s exactly what I would want.  Just wish I got to rest in his arms more at the end of the day.

And I have to throw this in.  He always manages to shave his beard within minutes after I’ve cleaned the bathroom sink.  Every time.  Minutes…

Q:  What would he say if I asked him the same question about you?

A:  Don’t even bother asking him.  My relentless spontaneity.  I’m the person that’s like “Hey we have nowhere to be tomorrow so lets’ go on a road trip 5 hours away.  I have no idea where we’re staying or what we’ll do when we get there but doesn’t it sound fun?!”  I can see him rolling his eyes at me while packing up the car.

I’m the person who invites people over all the time for holidays and events and will forget to tell him until he asks me what our plans are the next day.

“Oops, did I not tell you we’re hosting Thanksgiving and 10 people you’ve never met are coming?  Surrrpriiiise!”

Yet he’s also that guy who will drive to Honey Baked Ham for me an hour before they close because I just invited everyone over without actually thinking about what we’d eat, what time we’ll start, blah, blah, blah.  The details.  I’m not in the details.  Just in the moment.  It drives him a bit nutty because he can’t keep up.

Q:  If you could have any talent, what would it be and why?

A:  For sure you will all think I’m nuts after answering this one, but I would kind of love to speak with an accent.  My best friend Jules is from Northern Ireland and everything with an accent just sounds so much cooler.  Something as simple as “I had a plain bologna sandwich for lunch” makes people go WOW, doesn’t that sound like the most appetizing and delicious entree.  “I actually liked your hair better before you got it cut.” Oh my goodness, did you hear?  She LOVED my hair.

Try it.  It works.

Q:  How did you become a Trunk Keeper?  Tell us your story.

A:  One of my dear friends Amanda had a trunk show in Chicago when Emi was just 6 months old.  Emi needed EVERYTHING but Ben seemed to think she needed nothing.    So her Trunk Keeper Cindy Tokoly did a show for me at my house so I could in fact get everything for a lot less.  If you’ve ever met Cindy, you can’t help but adore her and just want to emulate her…hoping maybe she’ll invite me on her next trip to China for that … so she sparked my interest in this whole Trunk Keeper thing.  We would chat about me being a TK every season when she’d do a show for me but it never seemed like quite the right time.  I didn’t even have these grandiose shows but she would drive over an hour to my house every time and never have anything but a smile and joyful heart.  I was working in a job that really wasn’t the right fit for me so this job was a huge leap of faith for our family when I went for it, and it has been the biggest blessing in my life.  In our lives.

Q:  What do you love most about being a TK?

A:  Working with Matilda Jane has become such an integral part of my story now of God’s faithfulness in my life.  It has allowed me the incredible opportunity to meet women that I don’t see how I would have ever met – to build relationships with them and hopefully be an encouragement to some who so desperately are seeking it.  I know it might sound overly dramatic to some, but it has allowed me opportunities to be invested in these amazing women’s lives.  You would stand in awe at some of the women I meet and what they’ve done, goals they’ve achieved, challenges they’ve overcome.  Truly inspiring stories.

But there’s something else that makes me so happy that sometimes I have to fight back the tears so I don’t embarrass myself…  When I hear moms tell me or even better I see those sweet girls’ faces in person when they try on Matilda Jane and feel pretty, it just sends chills through me.  Those tweens feeling beautiful in these clothes and telling me they get compliments at such an awkward and insecure phase of life is my absolute FAVE!  It’s what I wish for every single one of them.

Q:  If you could live in one article of clothing, what would that be?

A:  Well let’s be honest.  I do live in one article of clothing most days.

**If someone ever came to a trunk show two days in a row with me, they might be a bit sickened by seeing me in the very same outfit from the day before- with perfume of course.**

But my favorite piece of clothing is the Stillwater Dress.   I have no idea what it’s made of besides indestructible goodness because it doesn’t wrinkle when thrown on the bathroom floor and stepped on over and over.  It always looks adorable.  Matches everything.  If one of my kids ever gets a permanent marker on that thing, the unconditional love might come to a screeching halt.

Q:  If you could eliminate one bad habit you have, what would it be?

A:  Wellllll I truly hate to admit it, but I’m late.  And that’s the worst kind of bad habit because you can’t hide it!!  Nothing like admitting you’re late to your employer right now.  Surprisingly I’m actually on time to shows.  No really, really I am!!  But otherwise, I totally keep plumbers hours.  Meeting for a playdate at a park at 10 in the morning for me means I’ll see you between 10-2 that day.  Spontaneous I told you.  I just don’t do well with making plans ahead of time.  And if you know me real well, you start telling me to meet you 30 minutes before you plan to get there.

Q:  In your free time, what is your favorite thing to do?

A:  I love the ease of hanging out with my girlfriends.  Sitting around and laughing at ourselves.  Being a goofball and not caring to interpret the looks we’re getting from that booth over there.  I cherish those friendships since we’re so far from family.  So whether we’re at a fancy dinner, on a road trip or just sitting in my living room with takeout, I wouldn’t want to do life without any of them.

One day I hope my answer is ohhh, I just love working out.

Q:  What is one food you don’t ever want to live without?

A:  Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Thin Pretzles.  Those things are the best breakfast, lunch, appetizer, I’ve had a bad day food.  I’ll have to organize a picket if they ever take them away.

Q:  Favorite blogs or websites?

A:  I know this will shock some and confirm for others I’m a loon, but I actually don’t read blogs.  I know I know.  Who am I?  Does she even have a smart phone?  Does she know that tweeting is not what birds do?

After Facebook, texting and email, I don’t need another distraction from hitting the 6 hour mark and realizing I never changed Grey’s diaper from the morning.

But my friend Christina turned me on to this blog written by a dad and he’s really funny.  Jasongood.net

Q:  If you could change one thing is this world to make it a better place for your children, what would it be?

A:  Since I don’t have the power to remove all sin and temptation they’re going to encounter, I suppose that we would be a people filled with compassion and joy for life no matter the curve balls.  If we could get back to more talking and less texting, so that we could really hear people, I think we’d start learning people’s stories and knowing how to love them best.  We all deserve a little dose of that.

If you asked this question to Emilyn and Greyson, they might tell you something like having TV’s and DVD’s with voice commands so they can watch endless quantities of Wild Kratts and Elmo.

I want to give credit to haley b Photography in Frisco, TX and Leigh Wilcoxson Photography in Lexington, KY (and my hubby).  Thanks for your amazing job of photographing and editing us

And here’s the crew!! They all got to see the clothing, pick out a few pieces, pull it from shelves and pack then mail to their house. It was quite the cutest thing ever. After that there was cookies (Gabe’s said I did a good job on this) and then we went to Platinum and got to pick out fabeics for Joey bags! I cannot wait to see them all come back. they are going to be great. Talk about some kids with great taste!

And today is the day that Gabe and hos class get to tour Matilda Jane. Little nervous about that one!  Okay, a lot! They have been to so many cool places from the Court House to the coldest freezer ever at McDonald’s to Vera Bradley.  For those of you who have been to 435 Art Fair know we lay pretty low. We are certainly more a warehouse than a place of “show and tell”. Gabe assured me as long as I had lots of cookies it would be the best field trip ever.  I’ll keep you posted on that! Wish me some luck.

I  imagined really liking the women but never knew I would fall in love with them this much.

I knew that this experience would be life changing but I didn’t know that that it would not only be changing their lives but mine too. Working with these ladies and hearing their stories has resulted in one of the best weeks of my life…and I’m sure that sounds crazy since being here I haven’t found much food that I enjoy and I am pretty sunburned. It’s funny though…Saturday was the first day that I went without sunscreen and it was also the first day that the sun was out all day.

Yesterday, after going to the Memorial Museum, we went and had lunch at one of the ladies’ house. Surprisingly, we had the best food we have had since being in Rwanda! I am also not a tea drinker but they made us some traditional African tea and it was AMAZING! At the end of the meal, in the African culture, you are supposed to give a little speech to the host to say thank you. So, Kayla, Alicia, and I got up and said a little something to the ladies and to thank them for everything they have done and for welcoming us with open arms. We also brought them a little MJC for them to wear and I have never seen such excitement in all my life. These women have never owned anything new in their ENTIRE lives! We put together a couple outfits for each of them and delivered them in Joey bags, a pretty simple gift but to them we have just brought them “one of the best days of their lives,” as many of them kept telling us.

Being in Africa has been a very humbling experience. Living in America has never seemed like anything special…it is just life (not that I am not grateful, cause I am…very much!) . But being here has taught me that I am a very materialist, selfish, well off individual who takes the things that I have for granted.  I have everything I need to live my everyday life while they are here dreaming about that life. BUT it is through this trip that we are bringing them hope. Hope in change, from where their lives are now to what they could be. I see the hope they have for their families, to be able to properly provide for them and to offer them a better future. I see this hope–through the way they carry themselves, from seeing them more and more confident as each day passes, and seeing how they open up with us a little more each day…and it makes it all the harder to leave!

I wish I could form the words express to you everything that I am feeling. Everything that we have been seeing and experiencing for the past week. If I could bring you all here to see for yourselves, I would!

We also got the chance to snap a few photos with some really cute kids from the neighborhood…and about two seconds after this photo about 100 kids came running over wanting their picture too…it definitely made my day!

I hope that I haven’t jumped around too much! Can’t wait to come back and share so much more about our trip with you guys…so many photos to share too!

-Kiara

• Our shared love of Diet Cokes from McDonald’s- I come by it honestly! She just gets it that Diet Coke tastes better from McDonald’s (sorry, Dad!).
• She graduated with her Ph.D last December! Not only that, but while she was writing her dissertation she still worked at her regular job, she helped planned the most amazing wedding ever for my sister, and she took care of my grandfather when he was extremely ill for a period of time. She is SUPER WOMAN!!!
• Our little code words and inside jokes that no one else would even think are slightly funny, but we can laugh about them until we cry. (HGA??!)

  

• Even though my sister and I are all grown up now, she still goes out of her way to make holidays, and even just normal days special. For the first time ever, I didn’t get to see her on Easter morning this year. So she made arrangements and gave my Easter basket to my friend’s mom whose family I ate dinner with- so that I could still have an Easter basket on Easter. Isn’t that the cutest?
• And lastly, but most importantly, the thing I love the most about her is that she is MY mom. She is the only person in the world I can just sit down with and unload everything to- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can talk to her about things that I am so excited about, but I can’t tell anyone about yet so that if it doesn’t work out I won’t have looked dumb in front of everyone. I can act completely ridiculous and silly with her, or tell her how completely overwhelmed I am by life and how I hate that I can’t control it- without having to worry about keeping it all together in front of her. Even when I’m not with her, one of these talks over the phone makes me feel better than a thousand new pairs of shoes or trips to Zesto for ice cream could make me feel! She always knows exactly what to say (or what not to say), even if it is something I don’t feel like hearing at the time! And I have definitely been finding out lately that she is pretty much ALWAYS right. There, Mom, I said it- You were right!!

I feel so crazy blessed and lucky and everything else to have realized NOW while I’m still young just how awesome my mom is. I am not normally a sentimental or emotional type of person, but right now I’m totally tearing up- she’s that good!! And maybe all of you lucky ladies coming to Art Fair will get the chance to meet her. I think she is just as excited for it as the ladies who have little girlies to buy for!

Happy Mother’s Day to all!! I hope you have the most amazing weekend ever!

love, desi

Another wonderful reason to smile is our fierce army of Team Leaders are in town! I haven’t seen them yet since they got in last night, but I definitely did my make up today All six of them are such strong, intelligent, and beautiful woman…they make me nervous! But in a good way. A way that I just want to be strong and composed they like all seem to be. And I want to look as fabulous as they ALWAYS do too!! But that’s true for all of our lovely Trunk Keepers… Serious, you would think our conference each summer was a fashion show if you saw all these ladies in one place!

And tonight I’m lucky enough to go to dinner with these woman that just exude confidence and strength. I’m nervous, as usual, but pretty darn excited too. I can’t wait to hear what they think of Fall 2012 and what they predict your favorites will be! And they will have seen Spring 2013 cut outs by now too! I hope they love it. I certainly do. It’s my absolute favorite Spring Collection to date–and it’s only PAPER cut outs right now! You know that’s a good sign. I gotta admit though…the Gouda Dip at Club Soda is another reason I’m excited for dinner. Any ladies from Fort Wayne been there? It’s Denise and my FAVORITE spot in town. My bff Megan’s too. Ya the cocktails are 9 dollars, but you really only need one (or two ha!)…and like I said THE GOUDA DIP is a cheesy heaven.

Last but not least it’s Mother’s Day weekend! I won’t say too much about this because Jami Davis said it so well in her post below. Man she has a way with words. I’m just happy to have a reason to take my mom out to breakfast and buy her a new car stereo. Yup, that’s what she said she wanted this year…so that she could “jam” in her car. I love that crazy woman. And I know I’m crazy because I’m exactly like her. Oh well, could be worse

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful, forever inspiring, forever cracking me up, passion-filled ladies, friends, customers, and most of all MOTHERS! Enjoy your special weekend!

LOVE,

SAM

With that said, let me introduce you to another incredible Mother who is doing her best and making a difference in her daughter’s life.  Miss Dawn Stevens has a full plate but makes it all work and takes it all in stride.  Not to mention, she has a BEAUTIFUL family.  Welcome, welcome Dawn!!

Q:  First off, we always want to know your basic info.

A:  My name is Dawn Stevens, I’m 33 and I live in League City, TX (that’s just outside of Houston). My husband and I moved here about ten years ago from San Angelo, TX for his job. We’ve been married almost 13 years; have a beautiful 6 year-old daughter named Reagan and a dog named Abbey.

Q:  Have you always known you’ve wanted to be a Mom?

A:  Of Course!! I used to play house with my childhood friends, and I always wanted to be the “mom”. I like to be in charge! LOL!! But seriously, when Toby and I were dating we would talk about having children often.

Q:  What do you love most about the job?

A:  Oh I love so much…the hugs & kisses, the “I love you Mommy!”, “You are the best mom in the whole world!”, the girl time we share. We love getting pedicures together (you must start them young! Ha!). It doesn’t happen much anymore, but I miss being the only person she wanted…I loved that!

Q:  What is the hardest part about being a Mother?

A:   Probably feeling like I’m not there for her enough and letting her down as a mother. I work outside of the home, and it’s hard to know if I’m doing the right thing. This is the most important job…you just can’t mess it up!

Q:  We all want our children to cherish their childhood, but what do you really want yours to remember fondly?  Reading, cuddling, your cooking, etc.?

A:  My cooking! HA, just kidding…I’m a horrible cook!  I would have to say I want her to remember the time we spend together and the fun we have (although we do love to cuddle up on the couch together). I want her to look back and know that I loved her and that I did the best I could.

Q:  How do you teach your daughter to have a giving heart?

A:  We try to instill in Reagan God’s love and how He wants us to help others that are less fortunate than we are. One of our favorite Christmas traditions is taking part in Franklin Graham’s “Operation Christmas Child”. Basically you fill shoeboxes up with all sorts of goodies which are then shipped all over the world to children in need with a booklet explaining the love of Jesus in their own language. We love watching Reagan shop for these items, as she is so thoughtful in what she picks for each box.

Another thing (that I stole from my friend Michelle) I tell Reagan is, “Be a friend to someone today.” There is always a kid at school that is being picked on or excluded for some reason that could use a friend.

Q:  What are your thoughts on spanking?

A:  My husband and I believe that spanking is a part of discipline but not the only way. We do spank our daughter on occasion, but we always explain to her why she is being punished. We try to make her understand we discipline her because we love her. Now please don’t take that the wrong way, there is a huge difference between a spanking and a beating. Oh boy, hope I don’t get hate mail for that answer!

Q:  If you could have or do ANYTHING this Mother’s Day, what would it be?  Dream big!

A:  Hmmm…that’s a tough one! We love to spend time on or near the water, so how about an afternoon on a tropical beach somewhere?!?

Q:  What is YOUR Mother’s best quality?

A:  Wow, do I have to pick just one? She has the sweetest, friendliest spirit. Everyone just loves her and she NEVER meets a stranger. Ha, not sure if that last one is a quality…just amazing! She would do anything for you without expecting anything in return.

Love you Mom…Happy Mother’s Day!!

Q:  What is the most valuable lesson you learned from her?

A:  To have a loving heart, treat others as you would want to be treated and how to be a Godly woman.

Q:  Who is your favorite TV Mom?  Why?

A:  Claire Huxtable from “The Cosby Show”. She was a career woman that always found time for her family, and she tried to instill good moral character into her children.

Q:  If you could keep your Reagan at any age, which would it be and why?

A:  I have loved every age! It’s wonderful to watch her grow and learn and to see the amazement in her eyes when she discovers something new. Every age brings new and exciting adventures. Although I would cherish holding my sweet “baby Rea” one more time.

Q:  What is the best part of your day as a Mom?

A:  I really love the little bit of time we get to share in the afternoons before my husband gets home. I have her all to myself! We catch up on each other’s day, have a snack, watch TV…just unwind together.

Q:  How do you keep sane with everything on your plate? Home, work, kids etc.  How do you keep it balanced?

A:  I’m sure our readers would love to know. Well, to be honest, I’m not sure how qualified I am to answer this one. I feel like this is the area I lack the most in. I have a “real job” too, so I constantly struggle with balance. I’ve already mentioned my cooking skills…and my housekeeping is even worse. If something has to be ignored, cleaning is the best option, right?

Fortunately I have a great boss that recognizes my need to be a mother too and lets me take off as needed. That helps with my Room Mom duties, surprise “Flash Sales” and other mommy things.

Q:  When you think of incredible moms you know, what is the one quality that really stands out in each of them?

A:  Patience, understanding, love, Godly wisdom…

I know that wasn’t one thing…too hard to pick just one, those qualities are all-encompassing.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you MJ mamas out there.  Don’t forget to celebrate YOU and everything you DO.  Oh and because I’m feeling kinda sappy today, leave me a comment on one of your best qualities as a mom.  We need to start “owning” what we do and treasure it.  Let’s see who’s brave enough to “toot their own horn.”

There will be a special something for a special mama!

So today I’m going to make a point to design some new art fair pieces so I can get my head straightened out. I feel like I was so busy before I went to China that I didn’t get a spare moment to create any new pretties. And now that I’ve been back for almost a week it’s time to get down to business. As much as Denise doesn’t want art fair to become ‘Sam Land’, I don’t want it to be all ‘Denise Town’ either!! We are good competition for each other to have around, keep each other on our toes. Every time something beautiful comes back from our seamstress, and it isn’t mine, I literally look at it and try to learn something. I try to see the different ways she chooses color and how gorgeous the end result can be. We have very similar taste, but not the exact same by any means. Our ‘eye for color’ compliments one another I would say though!

Sometimes it’s absolutely scary working with someone as amazing as Denise. Or, omg, don’t even get me started on Lynette! They are both masterful. But then I think “Sam, you are 23…you have years to be incredible, to gain knowledge, and to learn how to speak well in public too!” I just have to learn to step back and take it one day at a time. And seriously, the Sam one year ago is not the same Sam today. So I know I’m learning, I know I’m growing.

This is all over the place. I know. It’s how I think!! And it’s definitely how I interview!! We interviewed 2 graphic designers this past week and you should have seen us. Constantly looking at one another for a word or a sentence. And the graphic designers?? Both AMAZING. I’m so excited to see what they can bring to the MJC table. Of course, only if David lets us hire both of them…

LOVE,

SAM

I went to bed last night telling myself  “There is much to be done, you cannot be sick, you have to wake up ready to conquer the to do list”.  I got up bright and early, well, 8:10, washed my face, brushed my teeth and put my hair in a pony tail. Good to go.  Pulled out the vacuum, mopped, did the dishes, brushed the cat and swept all over again. I cannot work or even focus on thinking if my house is messy. Can’t do it.

It took me 2 days to get over the jet lag from my trip home from China late last Saturday afternoon .  It is always hit or miss. Sometimes you snap right back into things and sometimes not.  Then I got that darn cold. Lynette calls it the  “plane sickness”.  She may be right, she usually is.  That sums up my week cuz I am still sick but today I have no time for feeling bad, too much to do plus now David is sick.  And poor Gabe has had a cold all week. He woke up Wednesday  crying his mouth hurt, I just figured it was congestion. Two hours later he is getting a tooth pulled and now  4 days later he still looks like he got in a fight with a bruiser. He is still swollen.  Joe? Well, he is still sweet Joe.  I was up late last night trying to get in work mode and around 11:30 he asked me if we could run to get a drink. So we did.  He was so funny. He kept calling the real estate agent a tour guide. I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about but then I realized. So goofy!

Oh, and speaking of Joe, if you get a second check out the video I posted on FB. I was looking through old pics and found it. I am so amazed at how far Joe’s leg has developed since he was 3.  Yes, we got his tendon lengthened so he is flat footed but my gosh, the difference it huge. Now I understand why people used to stop and tell me Joe was limping. It is crazy! All smiles here. I am so excited to see how far he has come.

I am actually so excited about how far we have all come.

By time 435 Art Fair rolls around we should be moved into our new building.  It’s kinda bittersweet but that is a story for another day. It’s a positive move but I just love 435.  The good thing is it will give us more space at 435 for the Art Fair. My plan is to start setting up this week. Yup, we are so far ahead of the game which is good cuz I will be gone from May 18-June 16.

I am can hardly wait to meet Mitzi from Livie and Luca.  She has been so open and helpful  to me and my team in so many areas. I love when I can find someone in the same field that  ‘just get’s it”. No question, just the same  “sigh” that shows she feels it to!

My question to you is. how many of you are excited to meet Mitzi? Cuz I really think it’d be fun to take a few of you and Mitzi and her crew to lunch to talk shop. I’ve never done this before but I kinda feel like it’d be cool. Maybe on  Saturday afternoon before you take your Post party nap. Let me know your thoughts so I can see if we can plan something. We have a few other pretty cool people coming so certainly leave me your thoughts cuz it may be cool to add in a little workshop of sorts….

First off , three of our very lovely MJC Gals are leaving for Africa today. For TWO WHOLE WEEKS! We’re going to miss them around here. Safe travels girls, we’ll be thinking of you!

Second, I got to spend the afternoon with the most important little guy in my life, my son Lincoln. He had his Kindergarten  Mother’s Day Tea today. It was so cute and I had a really great time.

They preformed the play “Jack and the Bean Stalk” for all of us Moms. Lincoln was the giant, he only had three lines, but man did he deliver them…lol. We had a fun little questionnaire that the kids filled out for us. It had little questions like favorite color, movie, song, activity, etc. I have to tell you that Lincoln knows me pretty well, I think he guessed almost two thirds of my answers right. It made me realize that I must talk about Vampire Diaries an awful lot!….lol. We also had snack time and by that I mean “SWEETS” time. Lets just say that I am happy he is going home with his dad tonight, because he is all jacked up on sugar….lol!

Then it was present time; my favorite part! Don’t get the wrong idea, I do love getting presents, but this was my favorite part because Lincoln was so excited about me seeing what they had made. His smile would have melted an iceberg on a freezing day! He was so proud. The class painted little canvas banners using there hand prints. They also painted tea cups. Mine is purple and pink, my two favorite colors! He did such a good job on it I can’t wait to put it to good use.

I can’t say that I have gotten a whole lot of work done today, but sometimes it is nice to slow down and enjoy the little things.  I know that it was only two hours out of an afternoon, but it is a memory that Lincoln and I can share for years to come.

Have a great weekend! Go make some memories!

xoxo

<3

Carrie